Joe and Linda – Joe & Linda

The Perfect Time

Music & Lyrics by Joe
Joe – Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drums

The Perfect Time – Explained

Lyrics by Joe

[Verse 1]
I always hear the same old words
It’s so absurd
I can’t believe my ears
And when it’s all been said and done
You’ll be the one
Standing with me here

[Pre-chorus 1]
Sing me this song when I am feeling blue
Can’t let it show
Cause everybody knows

[Chorus 1]
I can hardly wait
It’s the perfect time
Let’s hurry up so we can stand in line
Whisper in my ear
Tell me I’ll be fine
You’ll be fine

[Verse 2]
A week goes by in just a day
I wish that I could say
I’m satisfied with everything that I’ve done
So much to do, so little time
It’s just so hard to find
Peace of mind for having fun

[Pre-chorus 2]
Sing me this song and I will think of you
Remind me how it goes
Cause everybody knows

[Chorus 2]
I can hardly wait
It’s the perfect time
Let’s hurry first and then we’ll take our time
Whisper in my ear
Tell me I’ll be fine
You’ll be fine
You’ll be fine…

[Bridge]
Running at full speed
Don’t forget to breathe
Hold on to your heart
Here comes the hardest part
I will not let go
Of the dream I’ve had
From so long ago
Come on and give me your worst
I’ll gladly accept
So tomorrow
There’s no chance of regret

[Breakdown]

[Chorus 3]
I can hardly wait
It’s the perfect time
Whisper in my ear
Tell me I’ll be fine
You’ll be fine

I can hardly wait
It’s the perfect time
Let’s hurry up so we can stand in line
Whisper in my ear
Tell me I’ll be fine
You’ll be fine
You’ll be fine

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

What Life Is To Me

Music & Lyrics by Linda
Linda – Vocals, Piano, Bass
Joe – Trumpet, Drums

What Life Is To Me – Explained

Lyrics by Linda

[Verse 1]
Mama told me to be careful
Daddy told me to be smart
School has made me all too fearful
Rising pressure from the start

Get the highest education
Save up for a rainy day
Travel only for vacation
Retirement is on it’s way

[Pre-chorus 1]
What if I
Don’t want
That typical agenda?

What if my
Life needs
To breathe?

[Chorus]
And I’m not
Erring on the safe side
Anymore
Cause there’s lots
To see and understand
Outside that door

There are places to be
And cultures to see
Horizons to expand
And breathtaking land

That’s what life is to me

[Verse 2]
No one tells you to be fearless
No one tells you to take risks
Make diversity your business
Try new things until it sticks

What’s the sense in playing safe?
Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed
You’ve got a buffet on your plate
So go for all you can eat

[Pre-chorus 2]
What if you
Are meant
To see the northern lights?

What if your
Life needs
To breathe?

[Chorus]
And I’m not
Erring on the safe side
Anymore
Cause there’s lots
To see and understand
Outside that door

There places to be
And cultures to see
Horizons to expand
And breathtaking land

That’s what life is to me

[Bridge]
Don’t wanna work just to survive
Don’t wanna worry all my life
Don’t wanna fear what I don’t know
Just go with the flow

[Chorus]
And I’m not
Erring on the safe side
Anymore
Cause there’s lots
To see and understand
Outside that door

There are places to be
And cultures to see
Horizons to expand
And breathtaking land

That’s what life is to me
That’s what life is to me
That’s what life is to me

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

Awoke In The Springtime

Music & Lyrics by Joe
Linda – Vocals
Joe – Vocals, Keyboard, Bass, Drums, Trumpets
Mike Pinto – Guitar (www.MikePintoGuitar.com)

Awoke In The Springtime – Explained

Lyrics by Joe

[Verse 1]
Awoke in the springtime
Covered in sunshine
Never have I felt so fine
The winter’s now over
I can’t believe I feel this good
It’s been a long long time

[Pre-chorus 1]
Turn off your mind
And everything becomes clear
Search and you’ll find
The reasons for being here
And you know, you know

[Chorus 1]
I can hear the music play
Never ending summer days
Life is but a dream they say
So dream on
When I feel the evening breeze
It puts my soul at ease
And I can finally breathe
The weight is gone
The best days are always so simple
Reminding us somehow
All that we have
Is now

[Verse 2]
Awoke in the springtime
Chance of a lifetime
Remember to enjoy the ride
My instincts take over
It’s no surprise I feel this good
Adapt with every stride

[Pre-chorus 2]
Turn off your mind
And everything disappears
Search and you’ll find
The reasons that brought here
Cause you know, you know

[Chorus 2]
I can hear the music play
Never ending summer days
Life is but a dream they say
So dream on
When I feel the evening breeze
It puts my soul at ease
And I can finally breathe
The weight is gone
The best days have always been simple
Reminding us somehow
All that we have
All we can change
Is now, now it…

[Bridge]
Feels like a lucid dream
My senses wide awake
An endless movie of real life
That only I can make

[Trumpet Solo]

[Pre-chorus 1]
Turn off your mind
And everything becomes clear
Search and you’ll find
The reasons for being here
And you know, you know

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

City Noir Reflections

Music by Joe
Joe – Trumpets
Nibandh Nadkarni – Piano, Vibes

City Noir Reflections – Explained

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

There’s More To Life

Music & Lyrics by Joe
Linda – Vocals
Joe – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums
Yogi Lonich – Guitar Solos (www.YogiMusic.com)

There’s More To Life – Explained

Lyrics by Joe

[Verse1]
I’ve been thinkin’ ’bout the lies
Stuck inside my head
Total bullshit in disguise
Early on we’re fed
And now I feel the pain
Deep within my soul
An inner dissonance
Finally takes its toll

[Verse 2]
Wasn’t given any choice
Surrendered out of fear
What’s the purpose of a voice
If others cannot hear?
And no-one ever asked
If I thought the rules were fair
Never gave consent
Yet somehow I still needed theirs

Your life’s a script
But one you didn’t write
Gotta improvise
To take the spotlight

I’ve been thinkin’ ’bout the lies
Forced inside my head
It’s time to realize

[Chorus]
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than what we’re told
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than growing old
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than what we’re told
There’s more to life
There’s more to life

[Bridge]
Frustration in my veins
When conditioning remains
Our potential goes to waste
And it seems like such a shame
Extinguishing the flame within
And people are to blame
It’s always the same

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus-2X]
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than what we’re told
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than growing old

[Breakdown-2X]
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than what we’re told
There’s more to life
There’s more to life than growing old

Beyond The Places I Know, Movies

Giving It Up

Music by Joe
Lyrics by Joe & Linda
Linda – Vocals
Joe – Vocals, Piano, Bass, Drums

Giving It Up – Explained

Lyrics by Joe & Linda

[Verse 1]
I’m giving it up now
I quit my job today
I told them I won’t stay
I told them that the world is waiting

For me to go
Beyond the places I know
Only then will I grow
I don’t wanna wait until it’s too late for me

[Chorus 1]
Today I wanna travel the world with you, with you
Learn a new language and write a book or two, or two
Fight next to Greenpeace, Amnesty, and Médecins sans frontières
Green and blue highlights in my hair

[Verse 2]
My time is now
My dreams are meant to be
I am young healthy and free
If I don’t go now I might never

Go at all
The chances are too small
The writings on the wall
Cause in twenty years who knows who I’ll be

[Chorus 2]
Tomorrow I’ll buy my first home with you, with you
Work in my garden and plant a new tree or two, or two
Donate to Greenpeace, Amnesty, and Médecins sans frontières
Grey and white highlights in my hair…

[Bridge]
Time is passing too fast
No moment will last
No guarantee you’ll stay
For another day
Ooh….

All we have is now
And our dreams
So it seems
Who needs retirement
If your time’s well spent?
Ooh….

[Verse 3]
I’m giving it up now
I quit my job today
I told them I won’t pay
Cause I can’t afford to waste my time

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

Dark & Light

Music & Lyrics by Linda
Linda – Vocals, Piano, Bass
Joe – Guitar
Nibandh Nadkarni – Drum Programming
Molly Rife – Cello (www.MollyRife.com)

Dark & Light – Explained

Lyrics by Linda

[Intro – Piano Solo]

[Verse 1]
Lay all your life on the kitchen floor
The truth is about to be seen
Nothing to hide or to lie here for
This one’s for you, not for me

Giving it all is the hardest part
Just half of you won’t make the way
Tear it all down for a clean new start
I’ll be with you every day

[Chorus]
Don’t stay in the dark
Be true to yourself
See, the light in your heart
Is you, no-one else

Don’t pretend there’s a way
When all you do is run
Cause you’re afraid to stay
And look at all that went wrong

[Verse 2]
The holes in your soul are a bumpy street
No car can drive on this road
Filling them up is a task indeed
But better than this heavy load

Don’t choose to repeat your history
When you can be a butterfly
You don’t have to be a big mystery
Explaining yourself with a lie

[Chorus]
Don’t stay in the dark
Be true to yourself
See, the light in your heart
Is you, no-one else

Don’t pretend there’s a way
When all you do is run
Cause you’re afraid to stay
And look at all that went wrong

[Bridge – Instrumental]

[Chorus]
Don’t stay in the dark
Be true to yourself
See, the light in your heart
Is you, no-one else

Don’t pretend there’s a way
When all you do is run
Cause you’re afraid to stay
And look at all that went wrong

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

I Miss The Summer

Music & Lyrics by Joe
Linda – Vocals, Keyboards
Joe – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums

I Miss The Summer – Explained

Lyrics by Joe

[Verse 1]
Here comes the cold
There goes my hope
And energy
Can’t sleep enough
And when I’m up
I’m still asleep
Stuck in a terrible mood
Eating just way too much food
I’m on the verge of losing my mind
Because…

[Pre-chorus 1]
It’s more than a feeling
Too many days of grey and rain
I need a drink or three cause it helps me
To ease the pain

[Chorus]
I miss the sun and the summer now
It’s too damn dark and depressing out
So many clouds in my head (so many clouds)
Can’t pull myself out of bed (ooh)
I miss the sun and the summer

[Verse 2]
Here comes the snow
It’s ten below can’t help but freeze
It’s so unfair how much the air hurts me to breathe
I need a warm getaway
Wish I still lived in LA
I’m pretty sure I’ve lost my mind
Because…

[Pre-chorus 2]
It’s more than a feeling
Staying inside drives me insane
I need a drink or three cause it helps me
To ease the pain

[Chorus]
I miss the sun and the summer now
It’s too damn dark and depressing out
So many clouds in my head (so many clouds)
Can’t pull myself out of bed (ooh)
I miss the sun and the summer

[Keyboard Solo]

[Chorus]
I miss the sun and the summer now
It’s too damn dark and depressing out
So many clouds in my head (so many clouds)
Can’t pull myself out of bed (ooh)
I miss the sun and the summer
I miss the sun and the summer

Beyond The Places I Know, Music

Someday

Music by Joe
Lyrics by Joe & Linda
Linda – Vocals
Joe – Vocals, Piano, Bass, Drums

Someday – Explained

Lyrics by Joe & Linda

[Verse 1]
I know I will find you
No matter how long it takes ’til you’re here in my life
I know I would kiss you
If only you would knock on my door tonight

[Pre-chorus 1]
What would I do
For you
If only you were here?
Where would we go?
I wanna know
I can’t wait to meet you, dear

[Chorus]
Someday
I will love you, just love you
Someday
I will hold you, I will hold you in my arms

[Verse 2]
How long must I wait here?
Another day gone and you’re still not by my side
I dream of you next to me
And then I awake by mistake and you’re nowhere in sight

[Pre-chorus 2]
My dreams will come true
For you
Belong here in my arms
I miss you so
And I know
I would never let you go

[Chorus]
Someday
I will love you, just love you
Someday
I will hold you, I will hold you in my arms

[Bridge]
With wide open eyes
My hope never dies
I know you’re out there
Because I feel
You are real
Butterflies everywhere

[Chorus-2X]
Someday
I will love you, just love you
Someday
I will hold you, I will hold you in my arms

Travel

Our New VW Crafter

We finally picked up our new Van! After experiencing an enormous amount of trouble during our search to find a free standing house (where we could make music without restrictions), we decided to revisit our previous idea (that we already had in Chicago) and live full time in a van. So we researched which car would be the best fit and discovered that the VW Crafter (the mid-long version) was the perfect option. It was imperative that we would have enough space to accommodate all our gear, make music, and be able to cook and sleep in it. This was already the basic idea when we bought Elliot but in my opinion you have to be able to stand up in a car to really live in it. Plus, the amount of gear we have has expanded over the past year, also because we discovered the possibility of busking. During the past two years, Elliot made it possible for us to get our concert tours/music business up and running. Thank you, Pal! But to live full time on the road, we needed to expand.

Of course with our luck, we found our “dream car” in the far side of Germany (Dresden). But that wouldn’t stop us. We sold our beloved VW T4 Bus “Elliot” to a super nice couple that will take very good care of him and went on an 14 hour train ride odyssey to get to Dresden. And FINALLY here it is:

We’re still thinking of a name for this white giant… Feel free to make suggestions 🙂

The next step of the plan that’s occupying much of our time/energy is the conversion process. Fortunately, we have a good friend who is a carpenter and helps us with the difficult parts. Of course, we document every step and it’s so much fun to see how the inside slowly evolves into our home. We’re excited to see the finished product and finally pack up and go explore Europe (and the world) full time!

-L

P.S.: Here you can see highlights from our conversion process:

Ep. 1: Removing the Interior Panels