Lyrics from Lightning Stills - CRAIG FORT EP

Nose Booze Blues

Lyrics by Craig Fort

It’s coming on two and the bar’s gonna close. Time to go home and powder my nose. I slip him a bill and away I go. I’m walking out the door with my precious cargo. Livin this life is makin me poor. Going in circles like a boat with one oar. Maybe someday I’ll make it to shore, but tonight this boy is doing some more. Oh, but that’s how it goes. Another night here counting these rows. A head full of demons that I can’t let go. I’m shoving all my money right up my nose. My hands are shaking and the bag takes a spill. Slidin the card and rollin the bill. Clearin my plate and getting my fill and tonight the snow is givin me chills. And now I’m looking for more. I’m peekin in the windows and I’m knockin on doors. I’m makin phone calls just trying to score because tonight this boy is losing the war

Song Story

This was my nightly routine. What starts out as a good time can easily turn into losing control of yourself and letting the addiction take over and the struggles that accompany.

It’s All a Warsh

Lyrics by Craig Fort

We split up in early spring, when I found out that you had a fling. All the boys lined up for you, layin' down their old moves. Plenty of time to think of what went wrong and write my sad cowboy songs. It’s time to close up shop, it’s all a warsh. It’s all a warsh, when I try to make things right. It’s all a warsh, in my head each night. I don’t know what to do. Maybe I’ll find someone new. ‘Cause now our spark is gone, it’s all a warsh. I found a working girl today, and she told me I’d have to pay. For the things I asked to do to help me get over you. Now my coin is all gone, and that lady moved along…and I’m still in my head, its all a warsh.. My arms are here again but you’ve got other men. I’m tellin' ya friend, it’s all a warsh.

Song Story

As I was writing the first EP, I felt like a classic country album needed a breakup song. It is a light-hearted take on how devastatingly crippling and never-ending a loss can leave you. Also, it' is when you realize who your real friends are, and the wolves who have been waiting in the shadows.

Passed Out on the Bar

Lyrics by Craig Fort

Mood swings and sweat. Hostility you’ll forget. Empty promises and lies. Slowed breath and donut eyes. Who’s fooling who? Are the lies for me or you? So I’m walking out that door as you turn around and take some more. You’re not the person I knew, in this haze you’re floating through. Swallows turn to rigs, nodding off smoking cigs. Confused you took some more, now you’re falling on the floor. When the light shines through your eyes as you’re coming to.. Wondering what you’ve done, so you take another one, 2, 3, 4. I hate to walk away but I’ve said all I have to say. You see I’ve been here before and I can’t go back through that door. I hope you find your way before we see another grave.

Song Story

You would think this song is about drinking, The “bar” I am referring to is “Xanax bars” and other addictive prescription pills. It expresses the frustration of watching a parade of close friends go down due to pills.

Pack of Johnnys

Well, Johnny Hot Shot came to town — seems there’s more of them around. While my ways were changin’, they came both guns a-blazin’. I’m pullin’ knives out my back and tossin’ ’em in a sack. So I know who belongs on a list that should be gone. Ive been lied to, cheated on, bad-mouthed and preyed upon. Fair-weather is cold as ice — even hell would be nice. So i’m movin’ out, I’m on my way. Goin’ to the country to start a new day. Leavin’ those Johnnies behind — they keep messin’ with my mind. Who needs em? I’m movin’ out — I’m gone.

I found a genie and I tossed the bottle. Lost the goggles and going full throttle. Left some baggage behind — can’t believe I was blind.

Song Story

Around the time that I quit drinking in 2020 is when I met my wife. Her name is Jeanne and even early in our relationship I felt confident using her name in a song. I really loved the play on words. Finding this family, and buying our home outside of the city, I took a look back on the road that led here. I realized who I should and shouldn’t be prioitizing.

My Baby Was Drunk

Lyrics by Craig Fort

Gettin off work from a long day. Trying to raise a family on little pay. Thinking ’bout lovin’ my girl when I get home... My uptight boss was on my ass. Gotta get back so I can relax. Make a nice meal and let my worries fade... But as I walked in through the door, I caught a whiff of something I’d smelled before. My baby was drunk when I got home Lazy‑eyed and stoned to the bone. She just gets so lonely when I’m gone. She was bored, so she got plowed. I gotta sober her up somehow. My baby was drunk when I got home today. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. Sat her down and asked her why she couldn’t wait ’til I got home to start. She denied a single nip. Stormed right off and then she tripped. Comin’ home to this is not what I had in mind... My baby was drunk when I got home. Cross‑eyed and stoned to the bone. Seems like it happens almost every day. I wasn’t here to give her coddle, so she ran right to the bottle. My baby was drunk when I got home today. With her it’s all or none, and there is no one and done. My baby was drunk, when I got home. Lazy‑eyed and stoned to the bone. She just gets so lonely when I’m gone. She was bored, so she got plowed. I gotta sober her up somehow. My baby was drunk when I got home today.

Song Story

Life doesn’t always go as planned.

Bar Fed

Welcome to the club — belly up and have a beer, a short one too. Take a look around and give a cheers: salud, my dude. Here’s to partying every day — keep coming around! If you left it’d be a shame. Ten years go by and nothing much has changed; still that same old boy, heart on your sleeve but you can’t leave. Surrounded by friends (or whatever they’re called that day). Sunday drama: pats on the back or fits and complaints. People come and go, but this is where you’ll stay — your own dark place. You wanna leave but can’t get away. You gotta take a chance, you gotta break up this routine. Are you hungry for change, or are you fine with being bar fed? If you wanna leave, then you better do it right now, ’cause the longer you wait the more you’re gonna feed the disease.

Song Story

I originally wrote and recorded this for our other project, Leafblower. It was on our demo and a live cassette. I felt that it could work as a Stills song as well, especially acoustic. I wrote this song while still in active addicition. It was me taking a real look at my day to day life and realizing not only that I wasn’t happy, but I felt I was in too deep to climb back out. As dismal as it was, I still could not do anything without wanting to end up at the bar.

Back to Lyrics