-
ENDLESS GRACE, Deidre McCalla’s fifth independent album,
is the bold statement of an artist confidently claiming her place in the world
and relentlessly affirming the power and diversity of the human spirit.
ENDLESS GRACE sings of our promise and imperfectionsand celebrates our capacity to persevere.
Produced by Dianne Davidson & Larry Chaney
Recorded by Michael Esser,
Sundog Studios Nashville, TN
Produced by Julie Wolf*
Additional Production by Nino Moschella
& Vicki Randle*
Recorded by Nino Moschella,
Bird & Egg Studio, Richmond, CA*
Additional Recording by Julie Wolf*
All songs mixed by Nino Moschella & Julie Wolf
Executive Producer - Deidre McCalla
ENDLESS GRACE— Lyrics
In the blink of an eye
Clear out of left field
With a turn of the head
It didn’t even seem real
There was no warning there was no sign
Everything shatters in a moment of time
(chorus)
When the ground shifts away from you
In a way you didn’t even know
A world could move
A world can move
Who even knew a world could move
All of our hopes
All our dreams
Trapped in the current
And swept downstream
Humbled by forces beyond your control
And you doubt that you’ll ever
find a way to be whole…(chorus)
You did nothing wrong
Some things are bigger than you
There was nothing you could say
There was nothing you could do
Just try to hold on
Break it down into tiny little steps
Take care of yourself
Ask for help
Yes you played by all the rules
And it feels like the deck has been stacked
When it comes down to it
There’s no hiding from the fact that
Sometimes life is cruel… (chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitar: Larry Chaney
Flugelhorn: George Tidwell
Background Vocals:
Vickie Carrico, Michael Mishaw
Grandpa’s salt and pepper gray
Peeks out from his cap
Grandma fumbles with the radio
Strapped into a carseat
Waking from a napAnd rocking with the rhythm
of the road
Safe within their circle
Protected by their care
Delightfully enchanted
By the magic in the air...(chorus)
Above me mighty stars
Blaze into the night
A place where hopes and dreams
Learn to fly
Banana Moon Sky
Banana Moon Sky
I am the ruler of the world
Tumbling down the streets
My conquered landscapes
Fading into dream
The afternoon adventure
Has quickly turned into retreat
As I race the street lights slowly
warming beam
As dusk settles the city I do not
feel alone
I know I have a compass
And it always leads me home...chorus
Every child deserves to know
a place where they belong
To have their days of wonder and
shelter from the storm
And now I’m a mother
My child sits in the back
He quietly fumbles with a radio
Strapped into a booster seat
Waking from a nap
And rocking with the rhythm
of the road
Safe within my circle
Protected by my care
He points outside the window
To the magic in the air...(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Fiddle: Billy Contreras
(chorus)
Nothing to prove
Nothing to lose
Sometimes walking away
Is the best move to make
That burden you bear
Will never compare
To the freedom you’ll know
And the warm breeze that blows
If you just let it go
You’re not gonna win that fight
Staying up all night
Won’t change a thing
Won’t soothe the sting
Of a war that was waged
With words carelessly played
And no real regard
For the damage they caused...(chorus)
It’s hard to convince the soul
What it can and cannot control
When to stand for what’s right
When it’s not worth the fight
If all you can gain
Is contempt and disdain
You have mortgaged your hell
With a piece of yourself
There’s no turning back
The papers are sealed
Forgiveness will come in time
As you begin to heal...(chorus)
Acoustic Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Pedal Steel: Gawain Matthews
Resonator Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Mandola: Gawain Matthews
Baritone Violin: Alisa Rose
Drums: Nino Moschella
Accordion: Julie Wolf
Hammond B3: Nino Moschella
I live in a small house
On the end of a quiet
Just doing my best
To take care of my family
I work pretty long hours
Lately I feel my age
Dodging every bullet
Resolute and fluid
Laughing as I skirt by
Another close shave
(chorus)
One foot in front of the other
I am one step behind it all
Time never stops
The clock just keeps marching on
Marching on marching on
Marching on marching on
Everyday has its problems
Every night has its own reward
Every dawn ambles on
Of its own accord
Joy and sorrow
Are borne on a loving wind
With simple dedication
Every generation
Holding it together
For family and friends...(chorus)
There are moments
I want to throw the towel in
But it would be just my luck to find
I need it back again
At the edge of the morning
As coral light bleeds to gray
The sky catches in your breath
And you greet the day
With the art of a trickster
And a well-rehearsed slight of hand
Steady as a heart beat
Moving down each new street
Needing to believe
We are part of some plan...(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Cuatro: Larry Chaney
Background Vocals: Vickie Carrico,
Michael Mishaw, Dianne Davidson
Late autumn
The trees are standing bare
Winter’s coming
Her sharp breath whistles in the air
My jacket is no match
Against this ever creeping cold
That seeks to overwhelm me
As I journey on this road
(chorus)
Halfway down the highway
to salvation
Halfway down the highway
to salvation
Halfway down the highway
to salvation
Heading home
Our choices
Are rarely clear as day
Sometimes we wander
Before we ever find our way
I was dancing in the flame
of candles
Burning at both ends
And watched the dying ashes
Ghost and scatter in the wind…
(chorus)
Stripped of all pretension
When dreams have turned to dust
And there’s nothing left
For anyone to take
Stand before a mirror
Stare into the core
It’s there you’ll find
The piece you need to save…(chorus)
Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Resonator: Gawain Matthews
Pedal Steel: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Hammond B3: Julie Wolf
Vibes: Julie Wolf, Nino Moschella
Accordion: Julie Wolf
Percussion: Vickie Randle, Julie Wolf
Background Vocals: Vickie Randle
There’s a stillness in this dusty room
That greets me everyday
On the shelves lie bits of memories
I can’t quite pack away
You’d think that by this time
The stars would realign
Yet somehow I still find
(chorus)
Even now your laughter lingers
Even now I can still feel your smile
Even now my heart hears your
whisper in the wind
We were fearless we were warriors
The world was our domain
True believers in the dreams
That danced before us right as rain
We knew where we belonged
The road stretched on and on
I blinked and you were gone...(chorus)
How do I find direction
How will I ever breach this pain
Under the weight of this hollow
Will I ever breathe again
Every season swells with wonder
Then begs to be released
And in time even a world of hurt
Will come to rest in peace
Out the corner of my eye
Sometimes I’ll catch a spark of light
Your shimmer burning bright...(chorus)
Acoustic Guitars: Gawain Matthews
Mandola: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Baritone Violin: Alisa Rose
Drums: Nino Moschella
Piano: Julie Wolf
Vibes: Nino
Percussion: Vicki Randle, Julie Wolf
Background Vocals: Vicki Randle
Tentative smiles teased from a distance
We bashfully bantered most of the night
The music played on as the rest
of the party
Faded from our sight
(chorus)
Amaryllis
I could see it
Bloom in the deep of her eyes
When she touched me
I knew somehow
I’d waited all of my life
For just one night
When I would know the charm
Of lying in the grace
of someone’s arms
How do you know if you’re flying
or falling
Where does the sound of
a heartbeat begin
Dazzled and dazed
by the depth of a longing
Pouring fire through my skin...
(chorus)
We are travelers
Yearning to be redeemed
Ever searching for that moment
We are finally seen
Tracing her curves with the tip
of my finger
Undone by the rhythm
of each murmured sigh
Down on my knees in joyful relief
Howling at the sky...(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Background Vocals:
Vickie Carrico, Michael Mishaw
Mandolin: Wanda Vick Burchfield
Dobro: Wanda Vick Burchfield
The moonlight falls like water
And splashes on your hair
Your countenance so peaceful
With its childlike debonair
A midnight meditation
The vigil I meet keep
Before I rest I stop a moment
Just to watch your sleep
(chorus)
I cannot live in your dreams
I cannot keep you from harm
But oh your mama
Can sing to you sweetly
All night long
All night long
You look to me for answers
I pretend I have a few
For children need an anchor
And that’s what parents do
But in a guarded corner
Lies a secret we conceal
There are limits to our power
There are hurts our love won’t heal…
(chorus)
Danger may wait within the shadows
But angels are poised to guide you home
May the memory of this melody
sustain you
As you face each new unknown…(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Fiddle: Billy Contreras
Background Vocals: Vickie Carrico,
Michael Mishaw
As far as you can see
On a crisp clear day
For all that we have lost
Life still finds a way
Every note we’ve ever sung still rings
The coldest winter frost
Will finally pass with Spring
The roads that led us here
Were knit by fate
No matter how we try
There is no escape
We will know joy we will know
loss and pain
We will know love
Whose fickle wants will wax and wane
(chorus)
Our wounds are deep
And so’s our laughter
The thread that joins them
Informs our faith
And if you need a place to shelter
Come join the dance
That’s how we pray
We riddle through our days
As we try to grasp
How the answers are less prime
Than the questions asked
Time hold us in a warm embrace
And gives each waking moment
Some small share of grace…(chorus)
Nothing’s ever promised
We’ve learned how to survive
By choosing to make
Caring for each other be the guide...
(chorus)
Acoustic Guitars: Gawain Matthews
Mandola: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Drums: Nino Moschella
Percussion: Nino Moschella
Percussion: Vickie Randle
Pizzicato Piano: Julie Wolf
Piano: Julie Wolf
Violin: Alisa Rose
(chorus)
I do not walk this path alone
No matter where I’m bound
We all stand on someone’s shoulders
When we reach for higher ground
My Mama taught me right from wrong
She was my first rhythm my first song
And through my father’s knowing gaze
I marked the measure of my days
The people of my ancestry
Died building this road for me
The fruit of their proud sacrifice
Comes down to me as my birthright...
(chorus)
Beyond the bonds of kith and kin
Lie the brawny hearts of
my precious friends
They daily travel by my side
A source of strength my chosen tribe
There are legions I will never see
Fighting the good fight with me
They soldier on with endless grace
So the world can be a better place...
(chorus)
One more companion lights my way
And eases my load every day
Though known by many
different names
Spirit guides us all the same...(chorus)
Acoustic Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Electric Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Dobro: Gawain Matthews
Electric Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Fender Rhodes: Julie Wolf
Hammond B3: Julie Wolf
Drums: Nino Moschella
Percussion: Vicki Randle
Background Vocals: Vicki Randle
by Deidre McCalla
©2022 Chetwood Arts Music (BMI)
All Rights Reserved
JOIN DEIDRE’S EMAIL LIST!
ENDLESS GRACE, Deidre McCalla’s
fifth independent album,
is the bold statement of an artist
confidently claiming her place in the world
and relentlessly affirming the power
and diversity of the human spirit.
ENDLESS GRACE sings of our promise
and imperfections
and celebrates our capacity to persevere.
ENDLESS GRACE— Lyrics
In the blink of an eye
Clear out of left field
With a turn of the head
It didn’t even seem real
There was no warning there was no sign
Everything shatters in a moment of time
(chorus)
When the ground shifts away from you
In a way you didn’t even know
A world could move
A world can move
Who even knew a world could move
All of our hopes
All our dreams
Trapped in the current
And swept downstream
Humbled by forces beyond your control
And you doubt that you’ll ever
find a way to be whole…(chorus)
You did nothing wrong
Some things are bigger than you
There was nothing you could say
There was nothing you could do
Just try to hold on
Break it down into tiny little steps
Take care of yourself
Ask for help
Yes you played by all the rules
And it feels like the deck has been stacked
When it comes down to it
There’s no hiding from the fact that
Sometimes life is cruel… (chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitar: Larry Chaney
Flugelhorn: George Tidwell
Background Vocals:
Vickie Carrico, Michael Mishaw
Grandpa’s salt and pepper gray
Peeks out from his capHer day begins long before the dawn
Food’s on the table and the coffee’s on
Her kids are dressed and headed
off to school
They know mama don’t play
so don’t act the fool
Keys in hand her eyes on the prize
Always working…
(chorus)
Shoulder to the wheel
Stone by stone
Shoulder to the wheel
Stone by stone
Shoulder to the wheel
Stone by stone
Stone by stone
He loves the quiet of the rig at night
He checks the GPS by the pale moonlight
Six hours in five more to go
Miles and minutes the trucker’s load
The ribbon highway stretches
without end
Each inch traveled…(chorus)
Since time has begun
The work of the world has been done
By those who rise to the task
Without fanfare or ego
With steadfast intention go
Shoulder to the wheel
We have the courage we have the will
To keep moving forward though
it’s all uphill
The road is rocky the road is long
But our eyes are clear and
our hearts are strong
There is nothing we cannot achieve
As long as we build…(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Fiddle: Billy Contreras
Background Vocals: Vickie Carrico,
Michael Mishaw
Dobro: Wanda Vick Burchfield
Grandpa’s salt and pepper gray
Peeks out from his cap
Grandma fumbles with the radio
Strapped into a carseat
Waking from a napAnd rocking with the rhythm
of the road
Safe within their circle
Protected by their care
Delightfully enchanted
By the magic in the air...(chorus)
Above me mighty stars
Blaze into the night
A place where hopes and dreams
Learn to fly
Banana Moon Sky
Banana Moon Sky
I am the ruler of the world
Tumbling down the streets
My conquered landscapes
Fading into dream
The afternoon adventure
Has quickly turned into retreat
As I race the street lights slowly
warming beam
As dusk settles the city I do not
feel alone
I know I have a compass
And it always leads me home...chorus
Every child deserves to know
a place where they belong
To have their days of wonder and
shelter from the storm
And now I’m a mother
My child sits in the back
He quietly fumbles with a radio
Strapped into a booster seat
Waking from a nap
And rocking with the rhythm
of the road
Safe within my circle
Protected by my care
He points outside the window
To the magic in the air...(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Fiddle: Billy Contreras
(chorus)
Nothing to prove
Nothing to lose
Sometimes walking away
Is the best move to make
That burden you bear
Will never compare
To the freedom you’ll know
And the warm breeze that blows
If you just let it go
You’re not gonna win that fight
Staying up all night
Won’t change a thing
Won’t soothe the sting
Of a war that was waged
With words carelessly played
And no real regard
For the damage they caused...(chorus)
It’s hard to convince the soul
What it can and cannot control
When to stand for what’s right
When it’s not worth the fight
If all you can gain
Is contempt and disdain
You have mortgaged your hell
With a piece of yourself
There’s no turning back
The papers are sealed
Forgiveness will come in time
As you begin to heal...(chorus)
Acoustic Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Pedal Steel: Gawain Matthews
Resonator Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Mandola: Gawain Matthews
Baritone Violin: Alisa Rose
Drums: Nino Moschella
Accordion: Julie Wolf
Hammond B3: Nino Moschella
I live in a small house
On the end of a quiet
Just doing my best
To take care of my family
I work pretty long hours
Lately I feel my age
Dodging every bullet
Resolute and fluid
Laughing as I skirt by
Another close shave
(chorus)
One foot in front of the other
I am one step behind it all
Time never stops
The clock just keeps marching on
Marching on marching on
Marching on marching on
Everyday has its problems
Every night has its own reward
Every dawn ambles on
Of its own accord
Joy and sorrow
Are borne on a loving wind
With simple dedication
Every generation
Holding it together
For family and friends...(chorus)
There are moments
I want to throw the towel in
But it would be just my luck to find
I need it back again
At the edge of the morning
As coral light bleeds to gray
The sky catches in your breath
And you greet the day
With the art of a trickster
And a well-rehearsed slight of hand
Steady as a heart beat
Moving down each new street
Needing to believe
We are part of some plan...(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Cuatro: Larry Chaney
Background Vocals: Vickie Carrico,
Michael Mishaw, Dianne Davidson
Late autumn
The trees are standing bare
Winter’s coming
Her sharp breath whistles in the air
My jacket is no match
Against this ever creeping cold
That seeks to overwhelm me
As I journey on this road
(chorus)
Halfway down the highway
to salvation
Halfway down the highway
to salvation
Halfway down the highway
to salvation
Heading home
Our choices
Are rarely clear as day
Sometimes we wander
Before we ever find our way
I was dancing in the flame
of candles
Burning at both ends
And watched the dying ashes
Ghost and scatter in the wind…
(chorus)
Stripped of all pretension
When dreams have turned to dust
And there’s nothing left
For anyone to take
Stand before a mirror
Stare into the core
It’s there you’ll find
The piece you need to save…(chorus)
Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Resonator: Gawain Matthews
Pedal Steel: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Hammond B3: Julie Wolf
Vibes: Julie Wolf, Nino Moschella
Accordion: Julie Wolf
Percussion: Vickie Randle, Julie Wolf
Background Vocals: Vickie Randle
There’s a stillness in this dusty room
That greets me everyday
On the shelves lie bits of memories
I can’t quite pack away
You’d think that by this time
The stars would realign
Yet somehow I still find
(chorus)
Even now your laughter lingers
Even now I can still feel your smile
Even now my heart hears your
Whisper in the wind
We were fearless we were warriors
The world was our domain
True believers in the dreams
That danced before us right as rain
We knew where we belonged
The road stretched on and on
I blinked and you were gone...(chorus)
How do I find direction
How will I ever breach this pain
Under the weight of this hollow
Will I ever breathe again
Every season swells with wonder
Then begs to be released
And in time even a world of hurt
Will come to rest in peace
Out the corner of my eye
Sometimes I’ll catch a spark of light
Your shimmer burning bright...(chorus)
Acoustic Guitars: Gawain Matthews
Mandola: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Baritone Violin: Alisa Rose
Drums: Nino Moschella
Piano: Julie Wolf
Vibes: Nino
Percussion: Vicki Randle, Julie Wolf
Background Vocals: Vicki Randle
Tentative smiles teased from a distance
We bashfully bantered most of the night
The music played on as the rest
of the party
Faded from our sight
(chorus)
Amaryllis
I could see it
Bloom in the deep of her eyes
When she touched me
I knew somehow
I’d waited all of my life
For just one night
When I would know the charm
Of lying in the grace
of someone’s arms
How do you know if you’re flying
or falling
Where does the sound of
a heartbeat begin
Dazzled and dazed
by the depth of a longing
Pouring fire through my skin...
(chorus)
We are travelers
Yearning to be redeemed
Ever searching for that moment
We are finally seen
Tracing her curves with the tip
of my finger
Undone by the rhythm
of each murmured sigh
Down on my knees in joyful relief
Howling at the sky...(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Background Vocals:
Vickie Carrico, Michael Mishaw
Mandolin: Wanda Vick Burchfield
Dobro: Wanda Vick Burchfield
The moonlight falls like water
And splashes on your hair
Your countenance so peaceful
With its childlike debonair
A midnight meditation
The vigil I meet keep
Before I rest I stop a moment
Just to watch your sleep
(chorus)
I cannot live in your dreams
I cannot keep you from harm
But oh your mama
Can sing to you sweetly
All night long
All night long
You look to me for answers
I pretend I have a few
For children need an anchor
And that’s what parents do
But in a guarded corner
Lies a secret we conceal
There are limits to our power
There are hurts our love won’t heal…
(chorus)
Danger may wait within the shadows
But angels are poised to guide you home
May the memory of this melody
sustain you
As you face each new unknown…(chorus)
Drums: Nancy Gardner
Percussion: Jim Thistle
Bass: Leigh Maples
Keyboards: Amy Frederick
Guitars: Larry Chaney
Fiddle: Billy Contreras
Background Vocals: Vickie Carrico,
Michael Mishaw
As far as you can see
On a crisp clear day
For all that we have lost
Life still finds a way
Every note we’ve ever sung still rings
The coldest winter frost
Will finally pass with Spring
The roads that led us here
Were knit by fate
No matter how we try
There is no escape
We will know joy we will know
loss and pain
We will know love
Whose fickle wants will wax and wane
(chorus)
Our wounds are deep
And so’s our laughter
The thread that joins them
Informs our faith
And if you need a place to shelter
Come join the dance
That’s how we pray
We riddle through our days
As we try to grasp
How the answers are less prime
Than the questions asked
Time hold us in a warm embrace
And gives each waking moment
Some small share of grace…(chorus)
Nothing’s ever promised
We’ve learned how to survive
By choosing to make
Caring for each other be the guide...
(chorus)
Acoustic Guitars: Gawain Matthews
Mandola: Gawain Matthews
Acoustic Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Drums: Nino Moschella
Percussion: Nino Moschella
Percussion: Vickie Randle
Pizzicato Piano: Julie Wolf
Piano: Julie Wolf
Violin: Alisa Rose
(chorus)
I do not walk this path alone
No matter where I’m bound
We all stand on someone’s shoulders
When we reach for higher ground
My Mama taught me right from wrong
She was my first rhythm my first song
And through my father’s knowing gaze
I marked the measure of my days
The people of my ancestry
Died building this road for me
The fruit of their proud sacrifice
Comes down to me as my birthright...
(chorus)
Beyond the bonds of kith and kin
Lie the brawny hearts of
my precious friends
They daily travel by my side
A source of strength my chosen tribe
There are legions I will never see
Fighting the good fight with me
They soldier on with endless grace
So the world can be a better place...
(chorus)
One more companion lights my way
And eases my load every day
Though known by many
different names
Spirit guides us all the same...(chorus)
Acoustic Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Electric Guitar: Gawain Matthews
Dobro: Gawain Matthews
Electric Bass: Daniel Fabricant
Fender Rhodes: Julie Wolf
Hammond B3: Julie Wolf
Drums: Nino Moschella
Percussion: Vicki Randle
Background Vocals: Vicki Randle
by Deidre McCalla
©2022 Chetwood Arts Music (BMI)
All Rights Reserved
Produced by Dianne Davidson
& Larry Chaney
Recorded by Michael Esser,
Sundog Studios, Nashville, TN
Produced by Julie Wolf*
Additional Production by Nino Moschella
& Vicki Randle*
Recorded by Nino Moschella,
Bird & Egg Studio, Richmond, CA*
Additional Recording by Julie Wolf*
All songs mixed by Nino Moschella
& Julie Wolf
Executive Producer - Deidre McCalla
JOIN DEIDRE’S EMAIL LIST!