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Trouble Times

by Bruce Madden

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1.
Who’s Drivin’ This Train? I ask who’s drivin'. this train? Yeah who’s drivin' this train? Some of my friends say That’s god behind the wheel And some of my friends say Oh man, it’s no big deal So who’s drivin this train? Yeah who’s drivin this train? We keep running round in circles Going round and round and round We keep runnin round in circles Run this train into the ground Past the graveyards at midnight Past the sounds and scenes of war Past the dead and dying children Past the rich and past the poor I ask who’s drivin' this train? Yeah who’s drivin' this train? Some of my friends say That’s the devil behind the wheel And some of my friends say Oh man, it’s no big deal So, who’s drivin' this train? Yeah who’s drivin' this train? ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
2.
Get Out The Way Get out the way You been tellin’ lies Get out the way I am not surprised Get out the way You been creepin’ round Get out the way You been puttin’ us down Get out the way Truth is on the tracks Get out the way We’re not going back Get out the way The world is movin’ on Get out the way You been doing wrong Get out the way We need to be free Get out the way Here comes reality Get out the way You been tellin’ lies Get out the way I am not surprised Get out the way The world is movin’ on Get out the way Yeah we’re all movin’ on ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
3.
Liar's World 01:51
Liar’s World You been lyin’ Just like me You been lyin’ We been lyin’ Lyin’ all day Lyin’ all night Lyin’ for Jesus Lyin’ for Croesus You been lyin’ Just like me I’ve been lyin’ We beem lyin’ It’s a liar’s world Take it easy baby It’s a liar’s world For you and for me It’s a liar’s world Take it easy baby It’s a liar’s world For you and for me You been lyin’ It jes ain’t right I have been lyin’ It jes ain’t right Lyin’ every day Way of the world Lyin’ every day Every boy every girl You been lyin’ I’ve been lyin’ Tell me a lie I’ll lie to you ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
4.
Trouble Times You’re lost and can’t figure it out Time was when you had the answers Now you walk with the lost souls Contemplating why it is what it is The world is burning at your feet Watch those flames climb the wall Time was when you had the answers Now you sit in silence so patiently Trouble times across the land Trouble times right in your face Trouble times for the human race Trouble times across the land You and me are in the same place Lost citizens on a banished ship Adrift on the sea of nonconformity Contemplating why it is what it is Read the sentence and just sigh No need to ponder or ask me why The feeling here will never stop You’re lost and can’t figure it out Trouble times across the land Trouble times right in your face Trouble times for the human race Trouble times across the land ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
5.
No Money 02:29
No Money No money in my pocket, no money in my shoe No money for me, no money for you Been ‘round the block, a time or two No need to check, ‘cause I found you Temptations at night, temptation all day Looking for salvation, to come out and play Been ‘round the block, a time or two No need to check, ‘cause I found you Don’t need your pity, don’t need sad eyes Just another stop, on this unholy ride Been ‘round the block, a time or two No need to check, ‘cause I found you Time now to go, no time to waste Moments are just ashes, the future wants a taste Been ‘round the block, a time or two No need to check, ‘cause I found you ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
6.
CAN YOU HEAR THAT TRAIN? There were days that went on forever Though time is a blur speeding frame I’m just an old man who’s dreamin’ Of a psychedelic world that’s shamed The girls ironed their hair so straightly Everybody wore bell bottom jeans The music twisted up and shouted Loud blues and rock untamed Can you hear that train? Can you hear that train? Can you hear that train? I can hear that train You dropped that acid with me First time on Boston Common We waited for the subway train Heard the rush of its refrain Can you hear that train? Can you hear that train? Can you hear that train? I can hear that train I keep getting white hair older I might not remember your name I’ll see your face in the twilight The spreading mist and in the rain I know now I’ll be leaving here Riding on these dayglo tracks A multi color horizon explodes And I’m never ever looking back ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
7.
Lost and Found I lost my way but now I’m found Say I lost my way but now I’m found Crept around in the darkest of places Where people live there without faces Just take my hand and we’ll fly away Say just take my hand and we’ll fly away I know you have to use your own mind Please just hear me now hear what I say It ain’t me no, no, no It ain’t me no, no, no Grinning devils hiss And tell me so...mmm The world is cruel place to live alone Say the world is a cruel place to live alone People lose their souls and they carry on It’s an old story here not very often told I found my way but now I’m lost Say I found my way but now I’m lost Crept around in the darkest of places Where people live there without faces It ain’t me no, no, no It ain’t me no, no, no Grinning devils hiss And tell me so...mmm ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
8.
Move To The Country I’m gonna move to the country Just to ease my worried mind Said, I’m gonna move to the country Just to ease my worried mind I’m gonna buy an old farmhouse And watch the world all unwind When I was lookin’ for an angel It was you I found instead Yes, when I was looking for an angel It was you I found instead You were one hot love maker A ghost that still haunts my bed I’ve loved all kinds of people Some very good some very bad Yes, I’ve loved all kinds of people Some very good, some very bad Love is a strange kind of chaos Arriving happy and leaving sad If I could stop this magic wheel The one that’s spinning in my head Said if I could stop this magic wheel The one that’s spinning in my head Would darkness fall on everything? Is that the place that we all dread? So many questions to be answered And I know I ain’t got the time Yes, so many questions to be answered And I know I aintt got the time I’m gonna move up to the country Just to ease my worried mind ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
9.
Angels 02:15
Angels Do not talk to me of angels Do not tell me about the saints There are demons on my eyelids And devils brush against my face Do not show me stained glass glory Nor statues made from aztec gold My hopes are fading quickly And my mind is growing so cold The years have passed unanswered The words have all sounded brass Old priests murmur rebellion Nuns pray: this too shall pass The philosophy of their best intentions Has singed my heart with pain God’s voice is forever muted His silence a meaningless quatrain The earth is inhabited by spirits Cloaked cunningly in human form How peculiar they look when naked Just as you and I were born So do not talk to me of angels Do not tell me about the saints There are demons on my eyelids And devils brush against my face ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
10.
Poor Man 02:22
Poor Man Snow on the ground Poor man gonna freeze Got no place to go Except in the ground How thick is your skin Working every day You might lose your way If your job goes away Times are tough Times are rough Time’s a clown Time shuts down Times are tough Times are rough Time’s a clown Time shuts down Cold iron metallic boss Pushes people to the edge First they came for you Then they came for me Now it’s hot outside Buzzing insects slow down Poor man can’t hide Except in the ground ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
11.
Everbody On The Cellphone That’s me and that’s you Talkin' on the cellphone Talkin' all day, talkin at night And you know it ain’t right At the table when you eat Cellphone stops us talkin’ Cellphone finds the way Cellphone while we’re walkin’ Talkin’ to strangers Talkin’ to jes folks We feel so important We’re just a joke It’s a cellphone world now Everybody on the cellphone (twice) You will never ever be alone Everybody on the cellphone (twice) Cellphone in your hand Cellphone when you sleep Cellphone in a moving car Cellphone at the drinkin’ bar Talkin’ about nothing Keeps all thought away Everybody on the cellphone All night and all of the day So many different ring tones Everybody on the cellphone (twice) Ring all day and ring all night Everybody on the cellphone (twice) It might get better It might get worse Everybody on the cellphone And that’s our curse ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
12.
Trap Time 02:19
Trap Time If I could, if only I could Go back in time for you If I could, if only I could See the time pass slowly So slowly time stopped. The sun is shining brightly The times are not times Reasons are not reasons No contemplation fright Just the silence and you. If I could, if only I could Go back in time for you If I could, if only I could Trap time in ancient amber I would, yes I would, I would. ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
13.
Dysfunction Blues My only reputation Is no reputation at all My only philosophy Depends on where I fall The devil is in the road Don’t care for me at all I walk around him slowly Makin’ sure he don’t call You been daydreaming Russian authors in your head Living on your page I’m a book that’s never read Dysfunction here Dysfunction there Dysfunction here Dysfunction everywhere My only reputation Is no reputation at all My only philosophy Depends on where I fall Pass me that bottle Give me another drink Looking for Nirvana But don’t make me think Too many thoughts Residing in my head Tired of this old earth Filling up with the dead Dysfunction here Dysfunction there Dysfunction here Dysfunction everywhere ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
14.
Hear Me Now 03:21
Hear Me Now Hear me now, listen to what I have say Get on board and roll down these tracks Said hear me now, listen to what I have to say Get on board and keep rollin’ down these tracks I been dreaming it’s a new kind of day The same dream from all those yesterdays Hear me now, listen to what I have to say Keep on dreaming it is a new kind of day... ©2022 Words & Music Bruce Madden
15.

about

The joy of creation!

Review:
Bruce Madden
“Trouble Times”
What Stands Out: Seasoned Grand Rapids musician Bruce Madden returns with “Trouble Times,” a record steeped in the blues and colored with the sounds and influences of an artist who has traveled the world and reflected it in his music. Each track was written on Madden’s first musical love, the harmonica, and features several guest artists to add to the vision of this record (recorded at Goon Lagoon).
Listeners are treated to fuzz-fueled guitar tone, garage rock flavoring, Doors-style songwriting, and a collection of almost mantra-like lyrics centering strongly and plainly around liars, love, poverty, traveling and how hard life can be.
Digging Deeper: As an artist who’s lived in France, New Orleans, Boston, Virginia, and was born and raised in Arkansas, Bruce Madden has a plethora of musical environments to draw inspiration from as a multi-instrumentalist. Gritty blues interwoven with garage rock and world music is combined with very straightforward lyricism that gives listeners succinct bursts of character in each track.
Little additions that deviate from the core trio add personality throughout the record, including the featured sounds of Lafayette Gunter on saxophone, Emily Green on penny whistle, Ryan Limbeck on trombone, and Dick Chiclet on Mellotron, Hammond, guitar and Bass VI.
It is a record that doesn’t mince words and gets right to the heart of the music while never overstaying its welcome.
Perfect For: Anybody who finds comfort in the blues to ease their winter woes.
– Dutcher Snedeker

credits

released October 24, 2022

Bruce Madden: Vocals, guitar, harmonica, claviola, Hammond organ, feedback guitar
Scott Brightup: Drums, percussion, handclaps
Dale Dreyer: Bass
Special Guests:
Lafayette Gunter: Saxophone (tracks 3, 7, 13)
Emily Green: Penny whistle (track 10)
Ryan Limbeck: Trombone (track 6)
Dick Chiclet: Mellotron, Hammond on chorus, guitar (track 4), Bass VI (tracks 12, 14)

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Bruce Madden Grand Rapids, Michigan

My love of harmonica began as a child in the South. My love of guitar came about a little later--I use it to compose songs-- for example all the songs on the 2022 release, Trouble Times.
I was born in Arkansas and lived in Texas, Louisiana and Virginia. Eventually, I lived in France for three years before settling in Boston for a time.
I live in Michigan now.
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