Stephen Wrench “Life’s a Sham” Album
- Written by Stephen Wrench
On April 14th the single “Life’s a Sham” will be released. Some songs take months and even years to write but “Life’s a Sham” was written in 15 minutes. After writing the lyrics I picked up my guitar and the first music that I played I knew that was it. The first verse describes the tone.
“Sometimes I think that lifes a sham
Cause Ill never be nothing but who I am
And I wont lay down with my head in the clouds
I don’t dare speak what I feel out loud
I never mind my p’s and q’s
I Don’t leave behind what I have used
Whats Right Oh I Don’t have a Clue
You Just Gotta Do What You Gotta Do”
The album is a mix of fully produced and acoustic songs. My favorite is called “Dad”. My father passed away 18 years ago. Before he died, I had the feeling I needed to go up north for Thanksgiving to see him. My intuition told me it would be the last time I would see him. It was, at least the Dad I knew. He came down with Alzheimer’s and it was the last time I saw him the way he was. He never forgot who I was but did not know where he was. He was a great dad. This is a song I think most people can relate to.
DAD
“You taught me to believe in myself
And that dreams can come true
Little boys wanna be like their heroes
I always wanted to be just like you
Whenever I said that I couldn’t
You always taught me that I can
You knew everything I needed
To grow up to be a man
Chorus
Great men earn titles and glory and fame
Who was that masked man what was his name
What do you call a man who gave you all he had
I call him my hero I call him my dad
Its hard to love something
And then watch it fly away
You taught me so much
You knew id be ok
Little boys grow older
Now I have a family of my own
And I’ll keep trying
To be like the greatest man I’ve ever known “
Another song on the album is “In the Middle and not at the Start”. Its about the evolution of a relationship. The first verse is
“I don’t know what happened but something’s not the same
So Soft and tender id hear you call my name
I can’t find the moments when you couldn’t pull us apart
What happened is were in the middle and not at the start”
“Beautiful Pain” I believe has a haunting melody and speaks of all the hurts encountered over a lifetime, what can you call them but a “Beautiful Pain”
“When I was 15 I met my first love
Losing my virginity oh was such sweet stuff
touchin and a lovin anywhere that we can
I had it all then she took another man
But it all still flows in my veins all that beautiful pain “
“That’s What Love Can Do” is a bluesy rock song. That describes what the feeling of love can make you do.
“I Should Have Moved Faster” is a bluegrassy acoustic song. The chorus goes
“I should have moved faster oh I should have known
it was not an affair you were after got tired of being alone
you wanted more than just a lover oh you were such a delight
wish I could start us all over I wouldn’t be missing you tonight”
On to “Time to Break all the Rules”
“I been around oh a decade or two
always done everything I’s supposed to do
just one of the herd I got my list of got to’s
but I made up my mind it’s time to break all the rules”
Next is “Storm in my Heart”
“ A willow tree weeps but sheds no tears
My heart cries out but no one hears
A gentle breeze blows that’s never content to stay
My love for you is still with me oh but you’ve gone away
Sometimes at night I hear you callin and your whispering my name
You tell me you love me and I say the same
I hear you callin and it sets my soul aflame
You’re the storm in my heart you’re the love that remains”
There are 6 other songs also. “The Grass Ain’t Always Greener” with an all star band . From Lynyrd Skynyrd “Artimus Pyle” and Randall Hall, From Molly Hatchet Banner Thomas and from Grand Funk Railroad Rocco Marshall
“On the other side of the mountain , lies the promised land
We don’t have to go there we just do it because we can
This kind of tired and weary you can’t cure with sleep
A restless heart can’t find anything to keep
Cause the grass ain’t always greener on the other side
everything we see we don’t have to try
why is life always so full of goodbyes
cause the grass ain’t always greener on the other side “
It’s a album filled with poetry of life . Of rock and of roll and of country and acoustics. The vocals always filled with spirit and emotions. After all that is what music is supposed to do. Create emotions within the soul.
