So I'm not here when things are on the blink
And I never tell you what I think
It seems I don't do anything but drink
So you think that's who I am. Just a self-centered drunken man

Believe it or not, when you're down you can count on me
Believe it or not, I'm around. You can count on me
Believe it or not...

Now you're askin' which way to go
Take the path less traveled or the busy road
I may have been there. It doesn't mean I know
Just because that's who I am. Just a distant lonely man

Chorus

I may never say what's on my mind
But if you get the chance to look inside
You'll see there's more than meets the eye

In the mornin' I think about your pain
Has your situation stayed the same
I could call you, but you'd think it's strange
Even though that's who I am. I'd like to think that I'm your friend

Chorus

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 2000 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


Man In A Cage
Look up ev'ry time that the sun begins to rise
And see the silhouettes on the sky
You hide behind the mask that has kept your life sustained
The web you weave entangles the pain

And we're livin' life in a nuclear age
Where the days and nights fill with torture and rage
And you feel just like you're a man in a cage
'Cause you can't escape, no you can't escape the mess that we've made

You search between the lines of the wasteful masquerade
and try to find the things that we've saved
But it's all buried in all the barrels in the sea
We've buried nightmares under our feet

chorus

We try and fool ourselves, say it's better ev'ry day
and we are all convinced that there is no better way
Meanwhile the ice is breaking, your skin begins to crawl
If we're not careful soon the axe will drop on us all

verse 1/chorus

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1991 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


Look Into My World
Look into my eyes, and tell me what you see
Is it a surprise, that you never knew me
You thought you knew what's goin' on
Deep inside my heart
But now you know that you were wrong right from the start

Whoa, look into my world, Whoa, look into my world

There wasn't any doubt, while I was your lover
But then you played around, and I had to run for cover
you didn't see it happening
you didn't see me hit the road
Reality can carry such a heavy load

Whoa, look into my world. Whoa, look into my world
Whoa, step into my world. Whoa, step into my world

Darkness settles down, while the sun is still shining
There's no one else around, although there's millions of people
they're lining the sidewalks and highways, they're everywhere
but their lonely eyes just see right through
But these strangers can see me much more that I was seen by you

Whoa, look into my world. Whoa, step into my world
Whoa, you're welcome in my world. Whoa, but you never looked into my world

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 2000 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


Kimberly
Kimberly,
You never knew just what you meant to me
You didn't realize what we could be
And you couldn't see what I could see

Kimberly,
I see you ev'ry time I close my eyes
I see your face up in those starry skies
And I know you never realized

'Cause I never told you the way I felt about you
I never found the strength I'd need
I never said to you all the things I'd want to
I never made myself believe

Kimberly,
I want to stay with you for just one night
I want to hold you 'til the morning light
Don't you know it could be right?

Kimberly,
If only you could see what's on my mind
Then maybe you and I could spend some time
And heaven knows what we could find

But I never told you the way I felt about you
I never found the strength I'd need
I never said to you all the things I'd want to
I never made myself believe

Kimberly,
Where are you tonight?
Do you think of me
do you think we could be right?
Gimme just one chance
and I know that you will find
That there could be romance for us in time

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1999 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


The Game
Ev'ryone's fighting instead of reuniting
The skies fill with lightening, so now what's the score?
The peaceful village is gone in a single minute
And what of those in it? They'll be seen no more

And what is the lesson we learn, when all of our countries are burned
And none of our brother's return from the game. Who's to blame?

They say it's for freedom, but who's free and who's the victim?
We fight out the problems 'cause we've got no choice
But people are dying. We could help but who is trying
We could stop all the crying if we'd raise our voice

And what is the lesson we learn, when all of our countries are burned
And none of our brother's return from the game. Such a shame

Ev'ryone's fighting instead of reuniting
The skies fill with lightening, so now what's the score?
The peaceful village could be gone in a single minute
And what of those in it? They'll be seen no more

And what is the lesson we learn, when all of our countries are burned
Our brothers are gone so if it's a game, tell 'em we don't wanna play!

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1991 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, bass and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


Comin' Home
They say it all the time
You just can't go back again
I've heard it all before
But what do "they" really know my friend?
You can head out on that lonesome highway
To the place where you belong
It's just never wrong

On the road again
Count each acre passin' by
Or through the city streets
Concrete that's reachin' for the sky
Ev'rywhere you see the simple mem'ries
And you can feel it in your bones
They call it "home"

Such a long time I've been gone away
But now I'm on familiar roads
Set a place for me, I'm there today
and Mama, open up the gates, I'm comin' home

Had to get away
Leave my home so far behind
Had to search the world
See just what there was to find
What I found were some wild adventures
But what I had to sacrifice
Was my peace of mind

chorus

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1999 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


In Your Arms
Once I thought I'd never look into your eyes
Like I did so many times
I thought I'd never ever hear your voice again
speaking softly like a friend

The hurt that I felt has melted away
With every kiss you give today
Oh, how could I forget so soon
How much in love I was with you

And I could never love another
With the love I have for you
Still our hearts belong to each other
After all that we've been through

And here I am in your arms again
How long has it been?
We're holding on, much closer than before
Seems our love's become much more

Our hearts are bonded by our love
And countless as the stars above
are the days that we've yet to spend together
Passion keeps us one forever

bridge/chorus

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1991 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


In The Dark
Another Friday night, and I'm sitting in the dark alone
Not a single word from the machine that's by the telephone
So, how did I get here? Alone with no one near
It's all another passing year until tonight
If only I could sleep, I wouldn't have to face the fear

The city never sleeps, but never is it quite awake
You pass strangers on the street, but they're not the kind of friends you make
So where did I go wrong, and now where do I belong,
each day goes on and on into the night
If only I could sleep, it wouldn't have to last so long!

Another lonely night, another opportunity I've blown
And now I've memorized the lines of every single TV show
So what is left for me? I don't know who I should be
Is there something I don't see? Maybe tonight
If only I could sleep, then I would find it's just a dream

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 2000 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
All vocals, guitars, bass, and drum programming by Dan Lins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins at the One Brick Music studio

back to the top


City Lights
The air may be cleaner and the grass may be greener
but that's not what I need
I know the country side can be more healthy for me
but I live for the streets
The stars may be shining for romance and for dining
but that won't keep me alive
I need a place where I can go along with the flow
In the city I thrive

Gimme the lights of the city
Gimme a night on the town
The scenery's not always pretty
but it don't get me down
Gimme the lights of the city
Gimme metropolis sound
The streets may have no pity
but they get me around

The temperature climbs as the engine unwinds
when you're out on the boulevard
And we all play the part, 'cause it's there from the start
and the script isn't hard
At the end of the day, like the end of a play
night's curtain must descend
But if the light never falls, then there's no curtain call
and the play never ends

chorus

Look at all the city life that's all around you now
In the cities and in all the towns
Look around you, city lights are lighting up the sky
Looking on with sympathetic eyes, from the skies

chorus

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1996 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
Performed by "Metropolis"
Dan Lins: lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Rick Cruz: solo guitar
Jim Widen: electric guitar
Justin Anderson: bass
Gordon Gibson: drums and backing vocals
Mariano LaSpisa: percussion
Chrissy Bahlke: backing vocals
Rachel Brickham: backing vocals
Joel Aldinger: backing vocals
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins & Gordon Gibson at Streeterville Studios

back to the top


Please
Trees don't fall 'cause there's none left at all
The creatures flee and they hide from you and me
The kingdom dies and the forests, they all burn
But we still take 'til there's nothing to return

Please save our planet
Please save our world
Mother Earth hasn't asked you to leave
So be kind to her Please, oh Please

Skies grow old, and the rivers all run dry
The ground turns cold and the wind begins to cry
Acid tears touch the cold ground below
And makes a place where no wildflowers can grow

chorus

We've gone too far and we've gotten off the track
But the land's still here and we can still turn back
The time is now, we've got to lead the way
'Cause we know how to start a brighter day

music and lyrics by Daniel Lins
copyright 1991 Daniel Lins/One Brick Music
Dan Lins: all vocals, guitars, bass
Larry Dahlke: violins
Recorded and mixed by Dan Lins & Gordon Gibson at Streeterville Studios

back to the top