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Peace Freedom Sanity Serenity

by Mike Birch

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  • Full Digital Discography

    15
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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Timeless, We Cry, No Gifts, A Wish For You (A Song For Ukraine), Into the Vortex ... and Out the Other Side, Love and War, Old Friends, Pollution Solution, and 7 more. , and , .

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1.
Peace Of The Sea 04:33
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Out of the pale silver sea, a time long past A return to the warmth and the calm at last The call of the waves beckons us so deeply to return The peace of the water will soothe the everyday burn The peace of the sea Return to the sea (back to the peace) To the serenity (back to the sea) The peace of the sea, return to the sea Whispering wind across the singing sands of an early morning beach Saldy scent of the ocean calling out to all within reach A return to the past within everyone’s soul Back to the water we came from so long ago The peace of the sea Return to the sea (back to the peace) To the serenity (back to the sea) The peace of the sea, return to the sea Underwater silence, bubbles drift up and away Soft surrounding warmth makes it feel okay Blue-green light from a diffused overhead sun Back to the sea, return to the one The peace of the sea Return to the sea (back to the peace) Sanity and serenity (back to the sea) The peace of the sea, return to the sea
2.
What About The Children 04:57
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Innocence and tranquility seem so easy to reach Pleasant Valley Sunday, sunset on a golden beach Do what you want, when you want, freedom of speech Remember to ‘do unto others’, practice what you preech What about the children who will never be the same What about you and I and those who feel ashamed What about the families – no one’ll remember their names What about the funerals where no one ever came From the suburbs of middle America to the dusty roads of the MiddleEast Love-starved children left on their own to wander lonely streets Parents working overtime to pay for family feasts Forgetting hugs are worth so much more than all the latest treats What about the children who will never be the same What about you and I and those who feel no shame What about the families – no one’ll remember their names What about the funerals where no one ever came Break the silence, agonies in the dark Stop the violence, let children wish upon a start What about the children who will never be the same What about you and I giving them a world that’s sane What about the families – no one’ll remember their names What about the funerals where no one ever came
3.
The Weatherman And I 04:28
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Monday starts with a hopeful sign Golden sunrise, temperature’s fine But light fades away, it gets cold by noon What once was so hopeful is gone all too soon The weatherman’s always wrong and so am I Can never seem to get things right, I can’t deny The days may start sunny but they change to clouds of gray The weatherman and I are always wrong, every day A gentle spring rain promising growth and more Changes to thunder and lightning and a heavy downpour Washing away young green growth and hope With despair and darkness and a sharp steep slope The weatherman’s always wrong and so am I Can never seem to get things right, I can’t deny The days may start sunny but they change to clouds of gray The weatherman and I are always wrong, in every way A clear night sky, the stars shine clear and bright Hunter rises in the east, guarding all in sight Storm clouds roll in hiding stars and moon What once was so hopeful is gone all too soon The weatherman’s always wrong and so am I Can never seem to get things right, I can’t deny The days may start sunny but they change to clouds of gray The weatherman and I are always wrong, each and every day
4.
Freedom Song 03:25
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Springtime rainstorm, summertime morning light Sing for the new day, darling, everything’s going to be alright We’ve lost all our cares and worries on the road behind us The future has no meaning, the present is enough for us We can never be free enough, we can never be free It’s all a deceptive illusion that just isn’t real We can never be free, we can never be free So we hit the road again, traveling to who knows where The road is our freedom now, we’ll stay on it as long as we dare We’ll keep looking for our missing freedom, never knowing what we’re looking for But the search will go on forever, we’ll keep searching for more We can never be free enough, we can never be free It’s all a deceptive illusion that just isn’t real We can never be free, we can never be free The days are bright and sunny, hope the blue skies don't turn to gray The air seems so fresh and bright when I'm living this way Following the sunset trails into the golden light In real life dreams can come true, with the living that’s right We can never be free enough, we can never be free
5.
Which Way To Go 05:06
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Searching for answers to the wheres and the whys Wading through piles of vague and useless replies Looking for the truths amongst all the lies But my tears are only from the smoke that gets in my eyes Wandering empty streets alone with my thoughts Mind plays funny tricks, tied up in knots Bright lights in my face, eyes blink away spots Explosions in my head like violent pistol shots How can, how can we know Which way, which way to go Take it easy, take it slow Don’t know, don’t know which way to go Wondering at midnight where the stars all have gone Where’d the light go, where’d the darkness come from Thought that day and night had been agreed upon But blackness is so complete, there can’t be a dawn How can, how can we know Which way, which way to go Take it easy, take it slow Don’t know, don’t know which way to go Blue lights are flashing But there’s no one around Emotions are crashing But not making a sound Energy’s peaking So how come I feel so down What am I seeking? Head is starting to pound La-la-la… How can, how can we know Which way, which way to go Take it easy, take it slow Don’t know, don’t know which way to go
6.
The Beast Within 06:56
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Cruel desire, internal rage drives the need Uncertain emotions, don’t care where they lead Forgotten learnings, no common sense Animal instinct rules over intelligence The dreams and visions, the call of a higher place Running, thinking no longer part of the human race Endless pursuit, don’t know if you’re chaser or chased Can’t remember the look of a friendly face The beast within us must be contained The anger and violence kept under chain Human compassion can’t take the strain Beat the beast down is all that remains Unending anger, a nagging pull down Helpless feeling, a whimpering sound A whispered plea for help from above Hopeless resolution from a world without love The feeling of freedom when at last we can see Clarified vision no longer looking blindly Taking it slowly, smalls steps, so carefully Wondering thoughts, to be suddenly free The beast within us must be contained The anger and violence kept under chain Human compassion can’t take the strain Beat the beast down is all that remains Hear the sire song’s call It speaks to us all Thick or thin It’s the beast within Middle of the night A place without light Purity or sin It’s the beast within Through the lust and the rage Escape from the cage Friend or kin It’s the beast within Impossible to resist Like a stranger’s kiss Heads will spin It’s the beast within Thick or thin, it’s the beast within Purity or sin, it’s the beast within Friend or kin, it’s the beast within Your head will spin, it’s the beast within
7.
On The Edge 04:33
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Standing on the edge of a cliff One step more, it’s all over And if the ground should start to shift It won’t matter about the four-leaf clover You’ve had in your pocket since you were a kid ‘Cause there won’t be anyone to throw you a rope And no one will care what you did Or that you took that step because there was no hope Fall from the edge into oblivion Stray from the path into oblivion Balanced on the edge of a knife Don’t want to go back, don’t want to go forward Temptation is take the big dive But sanity can prevail from a few good words That were spoken by someone of a like mind Who was listening when needed to be heard And spared just a little time To clear up the things that had got so blurred Fall from the edge into oblivion Stray from the path into oblivion
8.
Searching For The Gold 05:02
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Home can seem so empty when you’re always digging for more Too driven to enjoy the calm, too anxious to score Even more things and more dollars, but what’s it all for? You can’t be at peace if you’re always fighting a war We’re always searching for the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow Always looking for something more – what, we don’t know We’re searching north and south, east and west for something we can hold And we’re always missing the rainbow while we’re searching for the gold It can be a long long tale from childhood to dust Seeking out knowledge and wisdom, resisting the greed and the lust We do what we can, but it seems that we must Let all we believe in fade or corrode into rust We’re always searching for the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow Always looking for something more – what, we don’t know We’re searching north and south, east and west for something we can hold And we’re always missing the rainbow while we’re searching for the gold People running here and there Maddened lemmings don’t seem to care Scrambling, scrounging, pulling out their hair Crazy striving to go nowhere When the setting sun drives you to use the last of it’s light Why not stop and look at the colors, the silhouettes of birds taking flight? Watch the western horizon as the pastels fade into the night And the stars come out one by one, shining down so bright We’re always searching for the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow Always looking for something more – what, we don’t know We’re searching north and south, east and west for something we can hold And we’re always missing the rainbow while we’re searching for the gold
9.
Under An Overcast Sky 03:48
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Rain coming down, soaked to the bone Fog so thick, standing in a crowd all alone Incongruity, nothing makes sense Past, present, future, all seem meaningless Living under an overcast sky Never wondering about the reasons why A glimpse of the sun, just another lie No sanity in a mind that’s hypnotized Ice and snow on the ground, dark nothingness above Frozen feelings, no hate, passion or love Breath freezes solid in the bitter cold Warmth and joy can’t be bought or sold Used to living under an overcast sky Never wondering about the reasons why A glimpse of the sun, just another lie No sanity in a mind that’s hypnotized Rays of sun at last burn through the dark Brightness and joy flood in from the spark Rainbow magically appear Clouds melt away, along with the fear No longer living under an overcast sky Knowing all the answers, no wondering why Darkness is gone, spirits are high All is sanity, come let us fly Let us fly, under an overcast sky…
10.
Dark Street 05:01
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Been out walking alone for so long Nothing is right when everything is wrong The night goes ever one when I can’t see the dawn Need to get some help to see the road I’m on ‘Cause the road is paved with heartache and pain Of everyday troubles that hit me again and again And leave me a loss to try to explain Why it is what it is, it’s the same old refrain Moving down a dark street One step further from ever being free Dark can’t beat darkness only light will let us see As we’re moving down a dark street Dirt and dust in front of me hanging in the air so thick Pain in my head makes me feel sick Always chose the wrong path no matter how I picked What seemed the easy way was just a nasty trick Sick of the bullshit and the everyday lack Of hopeful light to push away the black Feelings and thoughts that won’t go away No matter what is done or what I say Moving down a dark street One step further from ever being free Dark can’t beat darkness only light will let us see As we’re moving down a dark street Moving away from a dark place Back to living amongst the human race Light will beat the darkness, light will set us free Keep us moving away from a dark street Moving away from a dark street One step closer to being free Light can beat the darkness, light will let us see Keep us moving away from a dark street
11.
Pay It Forward 03:36
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Remember when your car stopped on the road And you pulled off to the side And then a man stopped nearby And offered you a ride Remember that time at the beach As a sandcastle-building child That boy who just started helping Building a wall to fend off the tide Pay it forward, pay it back Help when you can, take up the slack Of those who don’t give a damn About their fellow man Pay it forward, pay it back See that poor soul sitting all alone On the dirty city sidewalk He’s looking for someone to help him out To find a key to the lock That keeps him so far down He can hardly talk Someone to come and lift him up Help him from under his rock Pay it forward, pay it back Help when you can, take up the slack Of those who don’t give a damn About their fellow man Pay it forward, pay it back One day you might be needing help, too You may find others looking down on you Feeling like there’s nothing that you can do There’s always hope if you’re one of those who Pays it forward, pays it back Help when you can, take up the slack Of those who don’t give a damn About their fellow man Pay it forward, pay it back
12.
Another Year 04:47
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A new year starts so cold January starts to unfold Like an origami figure only half-made And intricate plans not yet laid The promise of more as springtime nears Warmth to melt all the ice and fears Feelings blossom like flowers in May Swollen desire as doubts go away Used to hate the thought of another year Didn’t want to think of another year Could not believe it was another year Now I’m looking forward to another year with you Passions flame in the summer heat Fire in hearts at last set free Rain-filled rivers and mountains of wonder The shared sound of a storm’s loud thunder The portents of an ending as autumn appears Artist’s pallet of colors so bright you can hear The changing of the leaves in the westerly wind Life can be more than ever imagined Used to hate the thought of another year Didn’t want to think of another year Could not believe it was another year Now I’m looking forward to another year with you Winter’s winds and cold again draw close Past year’s memories hang hauntingly like ghosts But the fire continues bright in hearts and souls Love will fight the snow and ice, fill all the voids and holes Used to hate the thought of another year Didn’t want to think of another year Could not believe it was another year Now I’m looking forward to another year with you
13.
Used To Be 04:43
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Used to be I couldn’t see the stars in the night Used to be I wouldn’t look up above for fright Wouldn’t dare to look at myself in the mirror Couldn’t face up to the facts or the fear The sun comes up on the eastern horizon And I know that I really should be rising But my mind is still dark, don’t want to wake up Still can’t find a way to hold my head up Used to think that I was all alone Used to believe my actions were all written in stone But some helpful words came like light from above Start to believe in what I’m made of The sun comes out from behind a dark gray cloud Start to believe I can figure it all out Not alone anymore, friends can help me up Help me find a way to hold my head up The sun’s light shines all around No longer unsure, I can hold my ground Friends, faith and belief has helped me up I have learned I can always hold my head up
14.
Believe 06:14
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When I was young I believe in truth, family and love\ What I saw and what I did, no help from any powers above As my world expanded, I found it easy to deceive My own sense of what is right, of what I believed If you believe in me, I will believe in you There’s nothing that together we can’t do If I believe in you, will you believe in me? There’s nothing to keep us from being free As I grew into adulthood, I forgot what I had relied on Pressures from every side, no time for beliefs that were gone Life got too busy, I forgot to be strong No time for thinking, forgetting what’s right or wrong If you believe in me, I will believe in you There’s nothing that together we can’t do If I believe in you, will you believe in me? There’s nothing to keep us from being free Not that I’m older I’ve discovered I’ve got to believe in myself Can’t constantly do things for others, put my own life on a shelf I’ve got to be strong, strong as I can be I’ve got believe, believe in me If you believe in me, I will believe in you There’s nothing that together we can’t do If I believe in you, will you believe in me? There’s nothing to keep us from being free
15.
Return To The Sea 04:33
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At last you have won At peace, rising of the sun All is shining, all are one Long past are childhood fears Dried up are the adult tears Return to the sea Tranquility Peaceful and free Return to the sea Despair is washed away No cares with the light of day Freedom attained in every way Together, never alone At last you are home Return to the sea Sanity, serenity Peaceful and free Return to the sea

about

15 new original songs from New England songwriter and guitarist Mike Birch.
A mix of mellow acoustic guitar, piano, and rocking electric songs. There is a message for everyone in these songs: no matter how desperate or down you may be, there is always hope - a hope for better times that can be obtained by believing in yourself, and finding supporting friends who will help bring you into the light so that peace, freedom, sanity and serenity can be yours, too.

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released August 2, 2013

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Mike Birch Methuen, Massachusetts

For Mike, it all started on a Sunday night in 1964 ... February 9 ... the Beatles took the stage on the Ed Sullivan show and while the girls in the audience screamed, his parents and grandparents exclaimed about the "long hairs", a 7-year-old boy thought, 'I'm going to learn to play the guitar one day!' ... more

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