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Ain't It Good

by Jewelle McKenzie

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1.
Well you think I don’t have what it takes You think I’ll always stay in second place (Girl why could you never see, all the possibilities) And you sure got all the reasons why It ain’t gon’ work out just the way I planned (Seems you were not listening to that voice deep within) Can’t let fear define my actions, steal my dreams and paralyze me I’m gon’ break free from this cage of insecurity because I’ve learned to love me So I shout it! (I’m coming out!) Don’t matter what has knocked me down, picking myself up is all that counts (Dust yourself off. It builds character) Don’t matter who has done me wrong, it only makes me stronger (Look out now she’s coming at ya) Try to make a fool of me and take advantage of my inexperience I laugh loudest now You can’t shake my faith No, not a chance Shout it! (I’m coming out!) If I don’t know what I’m worth Who’ll put my best interest first? I’ve paid my dues Followed misguided rules Now finally it’s my turn My voice will be heard I’m ready to soar You can’t stop me I’ve been set free I shout it loud and clear
2.
Give Me Love 03:00
This song is about my baby My baby got an old rusty car And it leak gas from the carborator When it cold can’t even open the door But I don’t care ‘cause I love what’s in his heart He give me love There ain’t nobody else Who can give me love He’s better than the rest Give me love Never disrespect me Give me love He’ll always get my best ‘Cause he give me love Real good love My baby don’t have expensive clothes And he can’t find matching socks in his bureau When he walk you see the holes in his soles But I don’t care, I love him even more He give me love So unselfishly Give me love He’s so good to me Give me love Every night and every day Give me love I can’t count the ways That he give me love Sweet sweet love My baby got his goals and his dreams He knows his situation’s temporary One day we gonna sail on the sea In his yacht that he gon’ name after me
3.
I remember the day you said goodbye You told me to be strong, “please don’t cry. Can’t take you where I’m going, I’ve got to take this train alone”. Now I’m stronger every day Since you went away Feeling less emptiness inside As the time goes by Sorrow will subside Cause I know after the storm I can see the silver linings and rainbows Silver Linings and Rainbows It feels like you’re right here with me I see your smile, hear your laugh, feel your energy Though your sand slipped through the hourglass My memories of you will last I can still hear you say my name in your special way Just like it was yesterday You’ll forever be so precious to me And loved so tenderly Now I’m stronger every day Since you went away Feeling less emptiness inside As the time goes by Sorrow will subside Cause I know after the storm Silver linings and rainbows
4.
You took him for granted and didn't appreciate He never asked you where you'd been or why you're home so late Anything you needed was his duty You were his Cleopatra, his Nefertiti You didn't realize the good thing you had Pastures were greener on the other side You packed your bags, jumped in your ride and left him alone to Sleep in the bed you made You made your choice, now girl you’ll have to live with it You made your bed, now girl you’ll have to lie in it Said he wasn't man enough for you Wanted a body builder, at least 6 foot 2 Well you got your Hulk, your Schwarzenegger No back rubs, no flowers, no romance ever Now you have a change of heart The mistake you made's tearing you apart Wanna get him back, make a new start and bring him back home to Sleep in the bed you made You made your choice, now girl you’ll have to live with it You made your bed, now girl you’ll have to lie in it Now you're making your move on him You keep coming around to see him He's wondering what's on your mind Cause you're much too cruel to be kind All of a sudden you're saccharin sweet Inviting him to the movies But the next time you call, it's my voice you'll greet Girl, it's time you Sleep in the bed you made You made your choice, now girl you’ll have to live with it You made your bed, now girl you’ll have to lie in it
5.
Sound of your voice wakes me from day dreaming Wondering where I would be if it weren’t for your belief in me Lord knows how grateful I am to have finally found you When I was jaded and my hopes of love had faded Your love is unequal to anything I ever knew You love me as I am With you tall I stand You are my man And I am your woman You shield me from harm Give me strong shoulders to lean on You right every wrong Because I am your woman It’s so easy to love during the good times It’s the hard times that prove if your feelings are bonafide We’ve had our share of life disappointments But our bond can’t be broken Our fate has been chosen Skies in our horizon are blue Together there is nothing we can’t do When you need someone to hold And you can’t carry your load I will help you cope I am your woman Your most loyal fan I stand by your side And I wear your name with pride I am your woman Nothing compares to the love we share Never in my life have I felt so alive Every man needs someone to share his dreams Together we’ll succeed, to make ours reality
6.
When I see you looking at me that way I feel a burning inside Can’t extinguish the fire you ignited The anticipation of your love is driving me wild Baby I can make your heart palpitate Baby I’m the rapture I know you crave When I hold you close you’ll be powerless Won’t resist the pure bliss of my kiss With the touch of her hand You’ll be at her command And you’re caught in her web of desire She’ll siphon your strength Make your defenses melt Then you’re caught in her web of desire You awaken this passion in me Like never before Oh baby, body hot, taut and yearning I am yours I want to be riding the waves that lead to your shore Baby I’ll seduce you with my caress I’ll arouse emotions you can’t suppress Temperature rising, sweat in the heat Ecstasy between the sheets When her force is released You’ll elicit her needs ‘Cause you’re caught in her web of desire She’s like a magnet She attracts and compels Then you’re caught in her web of desire With the touch of her hand You’ll be at her command And you’re caught in her web of desire She’ll siphon your strength Make your defenses melt Then you’re caught in her web of desire Look into my eyes my darling Let my pleasure hypnotize you I will satisfy your every dream Don’t try to escape me I know you’ll be back for some more Baby you and me is a fit like a glove The way I excite you, you can’t get enough I provoke senses deep in your soul I’m the one that makes you lose control
7.
She was just a little girl so nobody explained She was too young to understand Why her mommy didn’t stay Told herself if she was good and put her toys away Life would go back to the way it was Before that fateful day Don’t cry my dear, I’m always near Said the man with the heart of gold I am here to take you in from the cold I’m the man with the heart of gold Don’t you fear, I’ll make this house a home He was just 18 years old when he heard the doctor say There was something going wrong inside But at the early stage Gathered all his courage, looked his challenge in the face And when the pain was too much to bear He closed his eyes and prayed Don’t cry my dear, I’ll be right here Said the man with the heart of gold I am here to take you in from the cold I’m the man with the heart of gold Don’t you fear, I will give you hope Looking in the mirror I’m proud to see The man with the heart of gold is in me And the brave young man and little girl Now have found the love they so deserve He’s the man, with the heart of gold He is here to take you in from the cold He’s the man, with the heart of gold Don’t you fear, he’ll never leave you alone
8.
Where did all the joy go? Where are we headed? Are we moving so fast that we forgot what matters? Everywhere I turn, there’s no escaping On TV, in the papers More bad news, devastation I wanna be like a child, curious and carefree I wanna chase butterflies and run through the fields I wanna revel in the light that’s all around me, ‘cause I believe We laugh, we cry We dream and we learn to trust our hearts And love never dies Ain’t it good to be alive Funny how we’re blind to life’s many blessings See only what we want to see So the glass is half-empty There you are baby, remind me of a truth Look how far we have come Against the odds we are one I love who you are Heaven sent you to me To show me what love is meant to be Unconditional How magical, incredible We laugh, we cry We dream and we learn to trust our hearts And love never dies Ain’t it good to be alive Ain’t it good to watch the sun go down and talk to your best friend Aint it good to turn the music way up loud To hear your favorite song again Kiss in the dark, walk in the park Sing in the rain, catch snowflakes Made my choice to rejoice See the beauty that abounds
9.
Say a Prayer 03:52
Let me tell you a secret I know you from another time and place We have a special connection A link in a chain that won’t break And I feel it in my soul even though we’re apart I’m in your thoughts Like you’re in my heart Time after time we’re more one than not, in spirit Every night I’m near you Can you feel me? Every night I call you Can you hear me? I say a prayer for you I say a prayer for you Never told you I love you Afraid to express what I felt Now I’m telling you I’m sorry I was doing the best I knew then Your smile shines on me from the picture I framed I overflow God is great He gives me the chance to live another day to see you Every night I’m near you Can you feel me? Every night I call you Can you hear me? I say a prayer for you I say a prayer for you If the mountain’s too high baby I’ll climb it for you And if you lose your step and falter I’m here to catch you Doesn’t matter how near or far I know for sure You’re the sun in my sky forever more I love you so
10.
The Song 03:01
Well it’s 2:47 in the morning and I’m pounding my brain trying to squeeze some meaningful profound lyrics out of my ass Is the -28 outside slowly seeping inside into my subconscious? “Severe brain freeze warning in effect” What about love? I love you I lost my love I don’t love you anymore What about money? What could I say that someone hasn’t already said? Can’t make you happy but can get you some nice stuff Trying too hard with the message wasting time I’ve got nothing to prove Throw in my cards Do you really care or do you just want a killer groove Hey life is a dance floor Come out and party Take some chances Before the song ends Maybe this is the song Now my mind is wandering I should get some tea Esthetician did a great job on my nails Did I take my vitamins today? My favorite song A happy song! Singing a song Any song! Trying too hard with the message wasting time I’ve got nothing to prove Throw in my cards Do you really care or do you just want a killer groove Hey life is a dance floor Come out and party Take some chances Before the song ends This is the song I’ve always been able to laugh at myself Some might say this song has no substance I must admit I’m pushing it It’s my song so what the hell
11.
I Pretend 04:41
It's so long ago now It's so long ago but yesterday Felt my heart would never beat the same Told me we were leaving Told me places we would go Then you left without me, and I tried to mask the pain Abandoned by the one ideal Shattered my faith, reality Oh Lord erase this memory, so I can heal Oh how do I forgive and forget When my heart’s a broken shell that aches to be whole Oh I long for the hurt to end But to the world I pretend that I have moved on So much time gone by So much time, many words unsaid Actions words could never justify If you could go back there If you could start all over again Would you fight for me? Would you walk the wire? To save yourself you sacrificed My life, my soul, I was the price You walked away, no goodbye, no reason why Oh how do I forgive and forget When my heart’s a broken shell that aches to be whole Oh I long for the hurt to end But to the world I pretend, that I have moved on I'm not the girl you knew before whose love you did forsake Look at my face I wear the scar from the destruction in your wake I bore the strain I took the blame I cried I lied to hide the shame of truth I dread Oh how do I forgive and forget When my heart’s a broken shell that aches to be whole Oh I long for the hurt to end But to the world I pretend that I have moved on It's so long ago now It's so long ago but yesterday

about

This album is dedicated to Arlene Shelley Phillips

Arlene,

Several years ago we were talking about my singing and you said these words to me: “Whatever you want to do in life just do it, because you never know.” I didn’t really think much of it at the time. Three days later you passed on to a higher plane of existence. I had completely forgotten about what you said until a year later, sitting in the park sulking, I was startled by something. I think you reached down and slapped me in the head. I heard you say, “Didn’t I tell you something?” and I instantly remembered your words. I immediately went home determined, knowing I had to start taking this ‘singing thing’ seriously. That was the beginning of my journey to this album.

Silver Linings and Rainbows was the first song I wrote after that, not even knowing an album was being born. I heard a melody and I knew it was for you.

Thank you for giving me that slap in the head that I needed to finally accept that this is who I am meant to be and what I am meant to do. This album is because of you, dedicated to you, for you, with all my love. Till we meet again my friend.

Love always,

J

credits

released May 1, 2015

All songs written by Jewelle McKenzie
Musical Arrangements: Denis Maheux
Vocal Arrangements: Jewelle McKenzie
Piano and Keyboards: Ralph Télémaque
Bass and Upright Bass: Alexandre Paquette
Guitar: Denis Maheux
Drums: Ronny Desinor
Saxophones: Yanick Coderre
Trumpet and Flugelhorn: David Robitaille
Trombone: David Leroux, Jacques Boisclair
String Arrangements: Daniel Barbe
Hammond Organ: Kepler Jean-Baptiste
Back Vocals: Coco Thompson, Nadia Theobal, Wayne Tennant

Instruments recorded at Lexa Productions Studios
Lead vocals recorded at Daniel Barbe Productions Studios
Guitar and back vocals recorded at Denis Maheux Productions Studios
Mixed and Mastered by Denis Martin

Album artwork: Nir Schnapp

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Jewelle McKenzie Montreal, Québec

Ain’t It Good, which Jewelle wrote and produced, combines Swing, R&B, and Jazz, spiced with Gospel vocals and a little Rock for an eclectic style that is all her own, making the bold statement that she is not a woman looking for anyone’s approval. Clearly she makes no concessions to pop trends or compromises the character of her artistry as she charms and disarms with her voice and music. ... more

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