WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

"I chose this title because that which constitutes the "weight of the world" for any one person is a relative reflection of their stage in life and the individual experiences and traumas that have led them to this point. 'The weight' as it related to my life came into focus in getting slightly older and realizing that life is not infinite -- that the choices we make, and people we choose to become, do matter. This collection of songs is ultimately about the emotional complexity of human interactions as you get older, and an attempt to come to peace with the fact that there are many more grays than absolutes in our relationships."

Click the MP3 links to download/ save to your disk:

1) SMILE IN YOUR EYES (4:37) by Roger Smith (BMI): A dance hall contemplation of the choices one makes to be famous, and what is gained and lost in the ensuing struggle.

Hey child, how you gonna know you’re famous? / You’ve got a sweet ride, I betcha you never miss a payment... / Did you put your handprints in the pavement? Did you? Hey baby… / They said it’s point blank baby you’ve got to have an attitude / Don’t tell them you’re not in the mood / Did you bite off more than you can chew? / Don’t lose the smile in your eyes / Don’t lose the smile in your eyes / Try as you might, it’s the light, that you just can’t hide… / Back to top

2) WEIGHT OF THE WORLD Download MP3 file (4:26) by Roger Smith (BMI): The title track is a haunting, soulful inquiry into the way two people grow apart, and lose the love that once bound them together.

Have you grown tired of this old shoe? / Have you grown weary of the way I make love to you? / I can see the way you see me, like a child and a fool / I can feel the disappointment; each and every time I touch you / Did you feel that lady I’d forgotten you? / Do you think that maybe, we’ve got nothing new to say? / Why’ve you gone’n put the weight of the world on me? / Why’ve you gone’n put the weight of the world on me? / Have you grown weary of my little moods? / Have you grown tired of the way I play games with you? / Did you feel that lady, like I’d forgotten you? / Do you think that maybe, we’ve got nothing new to say? / Why’ve you gone’n put the weight of the world on me? / Why’ve you gone’n put the weight of the world on me? / Can’t you see, you’re never gonna change me? / Can’t you see, I’ll never make you happy? / So why’ve you gone’n put the weight of the world on me? / I can see the way you see me… as a child and a fool… / I can feel the disappointment each and every time I touch you… / Have you grown tired… of the way…I make love to you… / Back to top

3) DAYDREAMS Download MP3 file (4:25) by Roger Smith (BMI): A metaphor for the unnerving ability of some people to create, believe, and live within realities which exist only in their heads.

Tell me ‘bout the people you know / Do they smile when they’re happy? / Tell me ‘bout the people you’ve seen? / Are they walking in daydreams? / Did you mean to say that everyone and everything’s okay? / Did you mean to say that everyone and everything’s a little strange… / In daydreams it comes to me / In daydreams the things I’ve seen / Daydreaming about you, about you and me / In daydreams it comes to me / Tell me ‘bout the people you know / Are they desperate and needy? / Tell me ‘bout the people you’ve seen? / Are they walking in daydreams? / Did you mean to say that everyone and everything’s okay? / Did you mean to say that all my hope and all my dreams have slipped away? / In daydreams it comes to me / In daydreams the things I’ve seen / Daydreaming about you, about you and me / In daydreams it comes to me / Back to top

4) HURT INSIDE (4:23) by Roger Smith (BMI): A pulsing, gritty admission that we see what we choose to see in regard to affairs of the heart, rarely learn from our mistakes, and consequently live private inner lives of significant pain.

Well I don’t listen to the shadows / Sure don’t believe what they say / But lately there’s been a chattering / Well anytime anyone mentions your name / No matter what will or what can be / Whatever I did or did not see / (I’m gonna) hurt inside and do it all over again. x4 / I pay no mind to the whispers / It’s how I get through my day / But lately the signs speak clearly / That you’re the town easy lay / No matter what will or what can be / Whatever I did or did not see / (I’m gonna) hurt inside and do it all over again. x4 / Back to top

5) LANDSLIDE (3:57) by Roger Smith (BMI): Captures the feelings of melancholy and disaffection that sometimes sets in, when everything around us loses vibrancy and real meaning, as if we were moderately anesthetized.

Whoa oh, I’m losing the day, time is slipping away / The places that I find I never seem to recognize / What’s on my mind? / Whoa oh, I’m moving away, too many people today / The places that I go I hardly ever recognize / I’m preoccupied / How many heartaches do I have left? / How many words have I left unsaid? / How many rainbows in black and white? / Is the sign before the landslide? / Whoa oh, I’m careless today, I’m remembering / The pictures of your face when you still believed / That you cared for me / Whoa oh, I’m tired today, oh it’s the little things / The places that I go I hardly ever recognize / What’s on my mind? / How many heartaches do I have left? / How many words have I left unsaid? / How many rainbows in black and white? / Is the sign before the landslide? / How many heartaches do I have left? / How many words have I left unsaid? / How many rainbows in black and white? / Is the sign before the landslide? / Back to top

6) OLD MAN (5:01) by Roger Smith (BMI): A series of questions asked to an older man from a younger man attempting to avoid the pitfalls and missteps that he instinctually knows lie ahead.

Old man what can you tell me? / After all this time about rhythm and the rhyme? / Old man, what can you show me? / After all these years, you seem to look at me and know me. / Well I heard, I heard you found the wishing well / Well it must be so, cause it shows / Oh I heard, I heard you found the wishing well / And it took the load…and let you go. / Old man what can you learn me? / After all these tears, should you tell me what can concern me? / Old man what can you show me? / After all this time, you seem to look at me and know me. / Well I heard, I heard you found the wishing well / Well it must be so, cause it shows / Oh I heard, I heard you found the wishing well / And it took the load…and let you go. / Oh I’d like to know were you lonely when you lost your wife? / And did you say the words as many times as you should? / Whoa I’d like to know did you make any sense of life? / And can you tell me while I have the time to make things right / Back to top

7) NOBODY LIVES FOREVER (007) (5:18) by Roger Smith (BMI): It has always been a closet desire of mine to write a JAMES BOND THEME that would incorporate the kitschy grandeur of the venerable themes from the series like "Thunderball", but also stand as a contemporary to some of the great modern themes like "View to a Kill" and "The Living Daylights". What has resulted is a kind of twisted love song produced on an epic scale, but a song that stands on it's own nonetheless.

Nobody knows if you’re friend or you’re foe / We’re living in between. Things are not as they seem. / I want something from you. You want something from me / So let’s walk with destiny… / And when we dance, the attraction is our circumstance / And our little intrigues, are between the secrets we keep / And watching you die is the bittersweet end to the mission that’s on my mind / So let’s walk this wire together knowing nobody lives…. FOREVER / How can we believe in our God and country? / We dangle on the strings, at the pleasure of the Queen. / I’ll take something from you. You’ll take something from me. / So let’s walk with destiny… / And when we dance, the attraction is our circumstance / And our little intrigues, are between the secrets we keep / And watching you die is the bittersweet end to the mission that’s on my mind / So let’s walk this wire together knowing nobody lives…. FOREVER / Back to top

8) YOU SAY (4:09) by Roger Smith (BMI): Sometimes what goes unsaid between people is crippling.

You say anything to me, it happens all the time / You say anything to me, you’re getting out of line… / You say what you think I’ll believe, or any kind of lie / You say what you think I’ll believe, there’s more than meets the eye / And when you turn your back to leave / You’ll see… / No I don’t like the way you say I love you / No I don’t like the way you say I’ll stay / No I don’t like the way you say I love you / No I don’t like the way you say I’ll stay / You say anything to me, it happens all the time / You say anything to me, you’re getting out of line… / And when you turn your back to leave / You’ll see… / No I don’t like the way you say I love you / No I don’t like the way you say I’ll stay / No I don’t like the way you say I love you / No I don’t like the way you say I’ll stay / Back to top

9) MY BABY SAYS (4:30) by Roger Smith (BMI): The recurring cycle of intimacy as a band-aid to a relationship that is slowly dying.

Take a picture… / And keep it as a souvenir / Make it a memory, cause I don’t see us coming back again… / Oh and it’s perfectly clear… / Our days our numbered so enjoy the time that we have… / When I want you, you’re there / When I need you, you’re there / When I want you, you’re there / When I need you, you’re there / When my baby says “Yes”, my baby means all right / When my baby says, “Go”, my baby means tonight / When my baby says “Yes”, my baby means all right / When my baby says, “Go”, my baby means tonight / Tell your story / And baby get it right / I’ve been listening but I don’t trust the look that’s in your eyes / And it’s perfectly loud / There’s no time to waste searching for answers / When I want you, you’re there / When I need you, you’re there / When I want you, you’re there / When I need you, you’re there / When my baby says “Yes”, my baby means all right / When my baby says, “Go”, my baby means tonight / When my baby says “Yes”, my baby means all right / When my baby says, “Go”, my baby means tonight / Baby this heart can’t find a beat / Within the rhythm of the love you seek / Baby this heart can’t find a beat / Within the rhythm of the love you seek / Back to top

10) YOU'VE GOT A WAY (3:45) by Roger Smith (BMI): A love/hate song about how callous words and actions can simply cut through to the bone.

You’ve got a way of saying goodbye / You make me feel crazy, you make me want to die / You’ve got a way of holding my heart out to the fire / You’ve got a way of using your words / To cut right through me like the edge of a sword / You’ve got a way of turning my daydreams into night… / You’ve got a way / You’ve got a way / Baby, why don’t you save me, why don’t you hold me in your arms? / Baby, why don’t you save me, why don’t you hold me in your arms? / So don’t look at me as if to say, “How are you?” / So don’t look inquire as to my affairs, when you really don’t care, you really don’t care…(you’re really don’t care)… / You’ve got a way / You’ve got a way… / Back to top

11) TOO LATE (4:10) by Roger Smith (BMI): Blissful freedom from the crippling judgments of others through the realization that, in the end, you cannot be other than who you are.

I can still recall / What you said that day / You were smiling for everyone / It’s hard for me to say / It’s hard to lay the blame / I’m reaching out for anyone / And it’s too late to turn around / Too late to turn back now / Too late to turn around / Maybe I’m just insane / Maybe I like the way / It feels when I’m anyone / And it’s too late to turn around / Too late to turn back now / Too late to turn around / And the cool kids think I’m crazy / And the cool kids think I’m crazy they do… / And the cool kids think I’m crazy / For loving you, for loving you… / And it’s too late to turn around / Too late to turn back now / Too late to turn around / Back to top