And Then...There is a Bridge

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		And Then...There is a Bridge	5:18	Play
2		Infinite Inside	5:33	Play
3		Salvation	5:53	Play
4		If I Am A King	4:26	Play
5		Secret Garden	5:46	Play
6		If Love is Just a Waltz	5:04	Play
7		Freedom	5:04	Play
8		Thank You	5:19	Play
9		Courage To Love	5:59	Play
10		The Owl and the Swan	6:41	Play

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Description

" And Then...There is a Bridge" followed Cara's debut CD "Living on Bread & Circus." Through this body of work, Cara stays focused on articulating and appreciating the generosity and kindness of life itself. Honesty, hope, true freedom and gratitude for this existence, all serve as reminders of what is of value to the human heart. This CD takes on the nuances of world beat rhythms and melodies, as well as classical influences such as Debussy, Schubert, Brahms and Mozart. Sweeping orchestral arrangements, tables, guitars, bass and space accompany Cara's soulful vocals. This CD is elegant and understated in delivery, delicate yet powerful, gentle yet strong within a timeless message of hope.

FOR LYRICS SEE BOTTOM

Biography:

Cara Tower
Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Producer

History:
Cara Tower is a native of Santa Barbara, California where music found a way into her heart as a small child. Cara's first touring experience was a series of convalescent homes throughout the greater Los Angeles area with a small ensemble of 2nd graders known as the Pied Pipers. By grade 4, Tower took up an esoteric, self-taught study of the classical guitar (privy only to 10 year olds). In High School Cara was awarded a coveted vocal scholarship with noted opera star Madame Bobonia of The Music Academy of the West. After developing chronic laryngitis, Cara began a quest to find her own voice. Bored with learning material already written, Cara started to explore the mystical world of original music composition, where she began a life long journey down the expressway of her own unique vision.

Weird Historical Excursions:
While vacationing in Britain, Cara's then dance oriented recordings, received airplay on underground radio stations throughout England and France. As a result in 1989, Tower signed a 3 year publishing contract with Virgin Music (London). Tower recorded in studios throughout London, completing her Virgin audio sojourn in Scotland, where she worked on her recordings with producer Terry Adams.

In 1992 Cara took off for Germany where she found herself unexpectedly stranded for cash with no real command of the German language. Cara began busking in the streets of Frieburg, inadvertently returning to her roots as a singer songwriter with an acoustic guitar. Alongside Peruvian quintets, classical conservatory students and Irish rovers, Tower was swiftly plucked off the streets and invited to play local spots lights including the famous Blaus Band nightclub located in the heart of the Black Forest.

In 1993, upon returning to the United States, Cara continued to perform as a solo artist where she quickly caught the attention of famed music producer Mike Clink; Guns and Roses, Heart, White Snake, Sammy Hagar etc. Together they formed an unusual musical team, producing demos and eventually recordings for Hollywood Records from 1994 to 1996.

During the fall of 1999, Cara matured into the exciting realm of independent production and recording, founded Raw Dog Records, and brought her debut street wise CD "living on bread & circus" into fruition by the spring of 2001.

Materials:
Living on Bread & Circus is the debut and first solo flight production from Cara. Here, Tower's lyrics articulate the cry of the heart through a beautiful, funny and poignant sojourn of the human experience with a collection of social chronicles that sing in and of our time. Though the atmosphere is at times gritty, the CD is moving, thought provoking and fun to listen too. Home made organic electronic instruments, both modern and mid-evil create for a special listening experience.

Cara's sumptuous 2nd CD, And Then...There is a Bridge, followed Bread & Circus two years later. Through this body of work, Cara stays focused on articulating and appreciating the generosity and kindness of life itself. Honesty, hope, true freedom and gratitude for this existence, all serve as reminders of what is of value to the human heart. This CD takes on the nuances of world beat rhythms and melodies, as well as classical influences such as Debussy, Schubert, Brahms and Mozart. Sweeping orchestral arrangements, tables, guitars, bass and space accompany Cara's soulful vocals. This CD is elegant and understated in delivery, delicate yet powerful, gentle yet strong within a timeless message of hope.

Tours:
Since the release of, And Then...There is a Bridge, Cara has been the invited guest and performer of 10 countries including, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Canary Islands, Wales, England, Ireland, France and the USA. This year alone she has shared her music and the source of her inspiration in 25 cities throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Fruits of Labor
Two tracks from the debut CD, Living on Bread & Circus, have been placed, by request, in the recently completed film, Searching for Angela Shelton. "Searching" was currently previewed on national news program 48 Hours and included both of Cara's songs. Writer and Director Angela Shelton was the winner of the prestigious Sundance Film Festival with her previous film, Tumbleweeds, which was also nominated for an Oscar the following year upon the film's release.

Work in progress:
Today, Cara is writing her debut soundtrack Blue Kentucky Girl, a feature film by writer and director, Spike Stewart. This will highlight many original songs that weave an intimate and symbiotic tale with the script. BKG is a haunting tale about the Blue people of Kentucky. Almost forgotten, their story weaves together a lost thread of American history. Set in the romantic Appalachian Mountains, a struggle between love verses hate ensues, which as it unfolds, reveals the on-going and fragile human ability to choose between the two.


Lyrics to "And Then...There is a Bridge"


1
And Then...There is a Bridge

When Ignorance comes
Shadows fall where they may
Without you
Unconsciousness knocks
As I open the door,
To the constant drums of distraction

And then, there is a bridge, and then there is...
Every time the light grows dim
And still we usher in faith, there is a bridge

This life...
Would be spent running like a rat
On the wheel of illusion
Without you.
Deaf, blind and numb
Begging for some crumbs
Lost on the trail thru the woods, thru the woods
Without you.

And then, there is a bridge, and then there is...
Every time anger comes knocking at our door
And still we usher in peace...there is a bridge.

This heart...
Would be looking for a door
Like a ship searching for a shore
Tossed by the waves
Without the anchor of your love.

And then, there is a bridge, and then there is...
Every time we face the squalls, and we face the squalls
We face the squalls of hate
And still we usher in love...there is a bridge.
Every time the light grows dim
And still we usher in faith ...there is a bridge.



2
The Infinite Inside

Never you shall I abandon
In fact
I will carry you in from the cold
You may not know it yet
But you house a perfect treasure
So come in, come in, won't you come in?
Come in from the cold.

Never the door shall I lock
In fact
I will give to you my keys
To cross the threshold that your heart
So softly whispers through
Come in, come in, won't you come in?
Come in from the cold.

Never your cry shall I refuse
My love harbors all the seas
If you should sail the great divide
Still you I am beside
I am the breath your ship always
Has access too, I am the infinite inside of you
The infinite inside.

Never your faults shall I address
For this is not "the you" of interest
There is a dance under your steps
And a passion under the drum
There is a song of longing
That only the heart can strum

Never your cry shall I refuse
My love harbors all the seas
If you should sail the great divide
Still you I am beside
I am the breath your ship always
Has access too, I am the infinite of inside you
The infinite inside.


3
Exactly Where You Are (Salvation)

Let's just walk away from the ruins of anger
And far from the ashes of grief
There is a sea of understanding beyond
The stagnate pools of belief...there is relief.

I've got...a parachute for the freefall
Just untie the noose round my wings
There is a sky where the light is never blinding
And love fills everything...and you can hear the heart sing
Oh, I can almost hear it...if I'd ever shut up, shut up...

You don't have to travel very far
Exactly where it's at ...is exactly where you are.

Keep me a laugh ahead of ignorance
And the tight clenched fists of hate
Into the arms of my affinity
Where love is thundering at the gate
Saying, "it's not too late...to stop chickening out, stop chickening"

'Cause you don't have to travel very far
Exactly where it's at...is exactly where you are.

Bubbling underneath the static drone of the humdrum
Churning waves of ecstasy delighted that you've come
Why question how you got there, just surrender to the flight
I know that you want too...you know that I need too
I know that we're going too...enjoy the flight...so give up the fight

Around and round and round we go, until we understand
Salvation lives here within the heart of every man.

So you don't have to travel very far
Exactly where it's at...is exactly where you are
You don't have to travel very far
Exactly where it's at...is exactly where you are.



4
If I Am A King

If I am a king
And my mind is the kingdom
What kind of ruler am I?
Do I govern my thoughts
Or do I simply attack
Do I crush every opposing view
So my fears don't bite back?

If I am a king
And my body is the land
What kind of sovereign am I?
Preoccupied by conflict
Or am I in a place of peace
Am I serene in the midst of chaos
Before my oppositions cease?

Do I have the courage to say...
I am simple, I am fragile, and from this I gather strength
I may be bruised, but I'm agile, so I know I can go the length.

If I am a king
And my heart is the province
What kind of guardian am I?
Do I hide my vulnerability
Or do I ware it on my sleeve
Wear it even when my confidence suddenly takes leave?

Do I have the courage to say...
I am simple, I am fragile, and from this I gather strength
I may be bruised, but I'm agile, so I know I can go the length

If I am a king
And my hands are the country
What kind of builder am I?
Are my stones made of love
Are they strong even when I break
Or do I point and blame the mason who leaves me
Crumbling in my wake?



5
Secret Garden

I'm longing
To speak of things I dare not tell
So I'm hiding
The secret garden of my love
Where I go to freely feel
Our soulful waters run, our soulful waters
Running...

Here inside
The secret garden I hide
Here, I can feel you here
Between the rise and the fall
Of this breath, that moves us all
No up sense or down
In this secret garden I've found.

I am burning
Like a fire in the wind
Following the pathless coarse
That yearns within its ardent flame
For the downpour of your ecstatic rain
Raining...

Here, inside
The secret garden I hide
Here, I can feel you here
Between the rise and the fall
Of this breath that fills us all
No above and no below
In the secret garden I know.

Slipping in
Between the shadows and the light
I can feel you taking flight
The opening is shear
And our secret garden
Is waiting here, waiting here...


6
If Love Is Just A Waltz

Is the moon far too brilliant
And our hearts too resilient
To usher this waltz without aim?
Will the mystery unfold
Down a path we keep trying to mold
Has our faith secretly started to wane?
Can a kiss still blush the skin
Or is life growing pale and thin
Waiting for the music to begin?

If love is just a waltz, take this dance
If love is just a waltz, take this invitingly irresistible chance

Or is rain too consistent
And doubt too persistent
For a break in the storm to appear?
Will the thorns still surrender
Or is the rose far too tender
Silently yearning for years?
Can a kiss still blush the skin
Or is life growing pale and thin
Waiting for the music to begin?

If love is just a waltz, take it's anxious palm in your hand
Love is just a waltz, come dance me to your foreign land
Love is just a waltz, it offers a long stemmed rose
Lets dance all night, lets follow wherever it goes

If love is just a waltz, there's no sense of time
Love is just a waltz, Let's drown in it's endless wine
Love is just a waltz, it's feet hardly touch the ground
If love is just a waltz...then I want to go around and around...


7
Freedom

Freedom to be true to yourself
Freedom to follow your heart and run with the ball
Freedom to go beyond the pale and most of all
Freedom and the freedom to feel it, the capacity to feel it, the ability to feel

And find the joy that's independent of everything somehow
Living here inside of us in the universe of now.

Freedom, freedom
From the lie that lives outside
Freedom, freedom
From the stigma of black and white
The image of wrong and right, freedom
From the swagger of yes and no
The difference of high and low,
Freedom

To hear your own voice
Freedom to know you even have a choice
Freedom to say what you mean
Freedom to mean what you say 'cause everything's OK

When you plant the seed the garden grows around that perfect home
The path becomes so obvious when the heart's your stepping-stone to

Freedom, freedom
From the mental merry-go-round
Freedom, freedom
From the concept of good and bad
And all the doubts to be had, freedom
From the stigma of black and white
The image of wrong and right
The swagger of yes and no
The difference of high and low
Freedom
To be true to yourself, to follow your heart and run with the ball...
To go beyond the pale and most of all
Freedom and the freedom to feel it, the capacity to feel it, the ability to feel


8
Thank You

Thank you for holding the door open for me
Thank you unconditional generosity
Thank you for carrying me across the threshold of my love
Thank you authenticity.

'Cause I thought

These dormant winds of mine
Would die before their time
I thought these clouds of bitter rain
Would never wane
I thought this turbulent sea was the real me
Thank you.

Thank you for pulling the wool off my eyes
Thank you stark stone reality
Thank you for clearing these mud filled waters
Thank you unbreakable mirror
Thank you that which is undeniable
Thank you that which is immeasurable
Thank you unwavering truth.

'Cause I thought
This dry riverbed
Had not one tear of joy to shed
I thought these ragged wings of light
Would never take flight
I thought this turbulent sea
Was the real me
Thank you.

As these dormant winds of mine
Dance the waltz of time
As these clouds are sweet with rain
Their bitter cries wane
Through turbulence I see
I can see the real me... Thank you.



9
Courage To Love

In this life
Between the joys and strife
There is a solid core,
An ever-opening door

Coming in, coming out
It's taking the direct route,
Making love, making love, making love
From both below and above

But if you've ever had your heart trampled on
And you can't find the strength to trust again
Don't lose the courage to love...
If it's frightening out on the branch
When passion is shaking your tree
Don't lose the courage to love...
Find the courage to love...
And you'll be taken care of

I can hear a steady sound
In spite of all the ups and the downs
It's gentle, shapeless form
Is impervious to the storms

It's breathing in and breathing out
Always taking the direct route
Making love, making love, making love
From below and above.

But if you've ever had your heart trampled on
And you can't find the strength to trust again
Don't lose the courage to love...
If it's naked out on the branch
when passion is shaking your tree
Don't lose the courage to love
Find the courage to love
And you'll be taken care of



10
The Owl And the Swan

Deep in the heart of a jungled wood
The thickened pines of darkness stood
Their cloaks a safe haven to a family of owls
Where only the shadow of the moon dare prowl.
Until one day a swan flew thru a break in the trees
And found a little owl hemmed in by the leaves.
The owl cried, "Who are you and from where do you come?"

"I am the swan. I can show you radiant light of the sun.
I journey the deserts, over mountains I roam
I travel the earth for the world is my home
I fly with the dawn as morning light wings
Across oceans of vast existence I sing.
Come with me as the sun wakes up the world
Come to me, as each veil of it's breath un-furls."

Color, light, a ball of fire
The owl flew with the new wings of desire.
Until his Mother's words sank on his faith like a stone
She said, "The Sun is no more alive than a river of bones,
Like folklore, it doesn't exist, but go ask your Father if you insist."

"Father, Father I want to see to the sun,
I want to play in the fields where it's golden rays run."

"My poor boy", was his father's reply,
"There are no colors that light up the sky.
You'll never find a Sun if it doesn't exist,
But I'll go to the Elder Owls if you persist."

"Old wise ones, it should come as no surprise
A Swan has swooned my boy with lies
Whimsical providence fills his head
Illusions of light feather his bed."

"Tell your boy, tell him, tell your boy...
There's no such sun in existence
No such heat spans the distance
No such warmth spills over the earth
There is no such dawn of a day's rebirth"

The little Owl scorned the sky
And cried like a homeless waif
Broken as his rags of light
Lay torn beneath his faith.

"Beautiful Swan, why did you lie to me?
I'm waiting impatiently
For the sun to take flight
For a flake of it's light
To shine thru the pines, thru the pines
For the warmth of it's kiss
For a thread of it's bliss
To shine thru the pines, thru the pines."

"Oh my boy, come here by me
We'll wait in the towering trees
We'll look to the sky
As doubt rolls by
And you're safely gathered into thee.

(Wake up, wake up and see...)

A flicker of light thru a crack in the dawn
Shines in a dewdrop as a new day fawns
A whisper of blue thru a petal of green
A faint breath of rose over aquamarine".

(Wake up, wake up, wake up and see...)

"The luminous palette that cradles the sky
The lavenders that blossom and fly
Veils of pink weaving from orange into gold
In a sweeping moment of truth to behold."



Copyright 2002 FuryBuddhaMusic/BMI