Freak Flag, is a rollicking introduction to Ron Rutherford – Texan, New Yorker, Country Rockin’ rebel. He knows where he’s going and happy to have you tag along.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
Where I’ve been
On the leading edge of the wind
Sometimes I’m down and out
Sometimes I’m up and in
I’m traveling a course
On a personal powered horse
Sunrise to sunset
Dreams with no remorse
Chorus
You can find me anytime
I’m up in the sky
With wings on my mind
I’m getting good hang time
I’m riding
Keeping my freak flag flying
Verse 2
Over my shoulder
Dark clouds are like beckoning boulders
Tear drop ghosts collide
It’s a battle of hotter colder
Get out of my way
I’m going to bail this hellish hay
Into the open
Beyond the field of prey
Chorus
Verse 3
Horns and halos
Caught in between both of those
The tail wants to wag the dog
The dog digs in and breaks the tailbones
Within all of us
Is a mission and a trust
To be the best we can be
Ready to ride and eat some dust
Verse 4
Rise or crash
Lose your shirt, find spiritual cash
My body is just a jail
Freedom is from where I hail
My flag is up the pole
My rag is pure cowboy soul
No matter what I’m told
My life’s on a says me roll
Chorus
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 1
Time - 3:22
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Unlucky Love is far from unlucky or sad. This beautiful ballad is all about being awakened to the reality of true, sweet, lasting love.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
Felt like an angel kissed my tears
And I smiled like I had not smiled in years
She sat on my knee
She said softly
Whispering into my ear
Chorus 1
Goodbye unlucky love
Farewell to heartache
Bye bye unlucky love
So long heartbreak
Verse 2
I had vowed to live my life female free
But she put the most amazing spell on me
Out of the blue
A dream I woke up to
Said it’s not luck when you believe
Chorus 2
Bridge
Relationships that last
Are a thing of the past
Saying this can be a mistake
When the timings right
She shows up overnight
Don’t give up hope just wait
Rare as any one snowflake
It must be my lucky day
Verse 3
She appeared out of nowhere to stop me
When I was going somewhere no one wants to be
She’s the one and only
Changed me from lonely
To a man whose heart has been set free
Chorus 3
Chorus Out
Bye bye unlucky love
So long heartbreak
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 2
Time - 4:24
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Ron says his music comes from his life experiences, and not all of them have been happy. Everyone knows things don’t always work out as planned. In Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye, this down-to-the-bone singer/songwriter takes us through a lovers’ breakup, describing every feeling, every step of the way, until, finally – it’s done.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
New York City at midnight
I feel the beat of my heart
And a cold wind blows
There’s a storm raging inside me
And the traffic blows its horn
As I stand on the sidewalk alone
You don’t want to stand by me
And so you walked away
You’d rather stand with your attorney...wo
Now I see
What you want to be
Well I still love you
But I don’t agree
I’m going to say…
Chorus 1
Bye bye baby bye bye
I won’t be left hanging on
Or standing by
I’m going to say
Bye bye baby bye bye
I know that I’ve tried
For now…bye bye baby bye bye
Verse 2
Your talking turns me round in circles
I’m tempted to confuse my every move
But my intelligence will save me
And my intention will suffice
And what has fooled you
Won’t be my vice
You don’t want to run with me
And so you walked away
And what you say is help won’t help me…no
Now I see
What you want me to be
Well I still love you
But I don’t agree
I’m going to say
Chorus 2
Bye bye baby bye bye
I won’t be left hanging on
Or standing by
I’m going to say
Bye bye baby bye bye
I won’t be left here to cry
For now...bye bye baby bye bye
Bridge
You think you are free
You think you left me
But I’ve got news for you
It doesn’t work that way
You sacrificed our integrity
And until you clean it up with me
There’s a crack in the door
Where the light shines in
So you can find your way home
Baby find your way back home
Chorus 3 – Out
I’m going to say
Bye bye baby bye bye
I won’t be left hanging on
Or standing by
I’m going to say
Bye bye baby bye bye
I know that I tried
For now, bye bye baby bye bye
No more tears to cry
Ooo...bye bye baby bye bye
For now…I’m going to say
Bye bye baby bye bye
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 3
Time - 5:18
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
How did you feel after the loss of that first real love? A hole is a place where something used to be. In Hole In My Heart, the relentless Ron Rutherford describes for you – reminds you – how the bottom really feels when you finally touch down.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
As time goes by
She is on my mind
Most days I feel good
But never like I did or should
I remember the laughter
And the plans we made
For the hereafter
What we could have been if she’d stayed
Chorus 1
The love I found
I lost
The lesson I learned
Had a cost
There’s a void in my soul
A missing part
There’s a hole in my heart
Verse 2
Too many distractions
Got the best of her
Until she could not see me
Blind to the way that we were
A fairy tale romance
With an unhappy end
Left me empty handed
One less partner, lover, best friend
Chorus 2
Bridge
And if she ever asked
How could it be that I’m so blue?
The answer is a question
Isn’t it obvious to you?
That a match made in heaven
Soul mates would surely know
Both halves would understand
There’s two parts to a whole
And not to ever let this kind of love go
Verse 3
I wake up each morning
With will she return?
Will she break through her barrier?
Be worthy of love she has burned
The love of my lifetime
Lives in my memory
Will she ever come home?
Or was she never with me?
Chorus 3
Chorus Out
There’s a hole in my heart
There’s a hole in my heart
As time goes by
She is one my mind
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 4
Time - 5:19
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Let Love Be brings blessed relief. This gorgeous acoustic outing is the experienced voice of one who has been through the worst and come out whole. Ron, accompanied by the incomparable guitar work of John Groover McDuffie, tells us how simple, how easy love can be, if we let it.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
Between a boy and a girl
Learning all the games to play
And getting in each others way
Old enough to be married
Too young to understand
That heart strings are not toys
Based on best laid plans
Chorus 1
Love
Can be tough
Can be hard on you
Can be rough
Love
Would be easy
Mmm...so simple
If you let love be
Verse 2
Between a man and a woman
Been through all the games to play
Called it quits and walked away
Young enough to not lose hope
Too old and stubborn to change their tune
Too many broken hearts
Lost in late night saloons
Chorus 2
Bridge
Now I’m not saying I have all the answers
But there’s one thing that I know
That partners in the saddle
Should be free to let the horses go
That’s how the ride could be
And that’s how a love can grow
Chorus 3
Chorus Out
Love
Would be easy
Mmm...so simple
If you let love be
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 5
Time - 3:43
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
This Is True just makes you feel good. It’s a romp with a happy man who can describe the top as well as he can the bottom.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
I’m on my way
But I’m never sailing through
If I’ve learned anything
It’s been by way of the hard luck school
And when I smile
You can see I’ve paid my dues
The many miles written on my face
The solemn stare of a transformed fool
Chorus 1
This is to show
What I know
To be real
That I feel
There is old
There is new
There’s a future to dream into
So I can say everyday
I put on shoes
This is true
Verse 2
I’ve got time
If I manage it well
To give everything
Conjure a crystal ball to foretell
And when I laugh
You can see the real me
Leaving a living hell
Heading to the serenity sea
Chorus 2
This is to show
What I know
To be real
That I feel
There is crazy
There is sane
There are tough times still there is gain
So I can safely say, I’m OK
To get close to
This is true
Verse 3
And in this place
Or anywhere I’ve been
I’m standing for the thing
That calls my name on a prevailing wind
And as I live
With the tides that wax and wane
Still I’m on a steady course
Call my ship the spirit of play
Chorus 3
This is to show
What I know
To be real
That I feel
There are stars
In the night
Even in darkness
There’s a guiding light
So I can state, I’ll navigate
My way through
This is true
Chorus 4 - Out
There is sunshine
Through the rain
Clouds with a window pane
And with that said, I’ll make my bed
With a rainbow view
This is true
This is true
This is true
This is true
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 6
Time - 4:45
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Damned is a story you have to hear. This one is an eerie outing that brings you out the top in the end. It’s a feature length film in five minutes.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
If thunder heads form and people pour down
Rage river overruns and turns red brown
Would you swim for your life or hold your ground
Damned if you live
Damned if you drown
Chorus 1
Sometimes damned if you do
Definitely damned if you don’t
Save yourself, family, friends and home
Bury the hatchet with your ancestors bones
And you won’t be damned to go it alone
Verse 2
Born in the badlands, washed up on a beach
With a load on your back tied to a leash
Are you yourself or too heavy to reach
Damned if you follow
Damned if you preach
Chorus 2
Sometimes damned if you do
Definitely damned if you don’t
Save yourself, family, friends and home
Pull the sword straight out of the stone
And you won’t be damned to go it alone
Verse 3
Don’t tread on me with transparent eyes
Because I have survived through more than you realize
So tell me the truth or I’ll expose your guise
Damned as a fool
Damned with your lies
Chorus 3
Sometimes damned if you do
Definitely damned if you don’t
Save yourself, family, friends and home
Pry the knowledge from the jaws of the unknown
And you won’t be damned to go it alone
Verse 4
The soothsayer spins this simple advice
A cautionary tale to choose friends that are wise
Do they have your back or do they secretly despise
Damned hellos
Damned goodbyes
Chorus 4 – Out
Sometimes damned if you do
Definitely damned if you don’t
Save yourself, family, friends and home
Make your city, state, nation, world your own
And you won’t be damned
No you won’t be damned
You won’t be damned to go it alone
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 7
Time - 5:17
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Tennessee Moon is Ron’s grateful tribute to his good friend Johnny Pierce, bass player/guitarist/producer.
© Ron Rutherford and Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
Broken me, over you
What do you do when you lose a dream friend come true?
Our rising star didn’t get too far
We never got to what was burning in us to do
Chorus 1
But I’m happy for the time together
Talked about everything from the Yankees to the weather
Starting in June
You became my Oklahoma brother
Now I got to let you go in the month of December
Under a Tennessee moon
Verse 2
Hard to believe that I found you
A golden needle in a hay stack shining through
You brought out the best in me
With your kindness and generosity
Chorus 2
So I’m happy for the time together
Talked about everything from church to the weather
Starting in June
You became my Oklahoma brother
Now I got to let you go in the month of December
Under a Tennessee moon
Bridge
You’re a rare star Johnny
The rarest of rare
And I’ll be luckier than lucky
If I ever find anyone to compare
Verse 3
You see I’d searched for years for this kind of joy
A music partner without one bad bone in the boy
Now my tears fall like shattered pearls
I’m going to miss you more than anything in this world
Chorus 3 – Out
Thank you for the time together
To talk about everything from music to the weather
Starting in June
You became my Oklahoma brother
Now I got to let you go in the month of December
Under a Tennessee moon
Under a Tennessee moon
Under a Tennessee moon
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 8
Time - 4:06
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
The album title song, Lone Wolf, through Ron Rutherford’s high, clear voice, paints pictures and tells a story you’ll just have to experience again and again.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
As bright as she can be
Blue-green eyes that glow
A long haired beauty
Pure as the driven snow
You know, it ain’t been easy
Living on your own
To find a safe space
To call your comfort zone
Verse 2
So resourceful
Tracking down exactly what you need
A strong survivor
Healing when you bleed
You’re facing danger
Everywhere you turn
Running through a prairie fire
Without getting burned
Chorus 1
Lone Wolf
Dancing with the shadows
You’re not alone
Singing to the stars
When I meet up with you
Underneath the moon
I will run with you
Verse 3
Hunted by hound dogs
And scavengers on the plains
Stealing for shelter
When it starts to rain...then it starts to rain
Sometimes you suffer
But you can’t afford the pain
The spirit of a wild wind
That you must maintain...and never change
Chorus 2
Lone Wolf
Dancing with the shadows
You’re not alone
Singing to the stars
When I meet up with you
Underneath the moon
I will run with you
One more Lone Wolf…makes two
Lone Wolf
Lone...makes two
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 9
Time - 5:13
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Many Moons Ago is the penultimate song on the album. “Don’t I know You?” “When did we do this before?” “Are we friend or foe? Do you remember?” Once Ted Falcon’s supernatural fiddle introduces this one you know you’re in for something remarkable, stimulating, that somehow familiar trail you didn’t take...this time.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music (ASCAP)
Verse 1
A familiar face
An image etched into my mind
The way your eyes look back in time
I recall a voice
A sound softer than falling snow
Telling me to not let go
Chorus 1
I believe it’s true
With all my heart and soul
That I knew you
Many moons ago
Verse 2
You reveal yourself
The vision appears to be real
I can’t deny the way you feel
New awakenings
Opening an ancient door
Beyond where we have been before
Chorus 2
Verse 3
I remember you
Sometimes friend, sometimes foe
A canyon crying eerie echo
This time around
Do we bond or do we blame
Will we break the basic on the chain?
Chorus 3 – Out
And I believe it’s true
With all my heart and soul
That I knew you
Many moons ago
Many moons ago
Many moons ago
Many moons ago
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 10
Time - 5:13
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford
Dirt Road is all country. It’s the story of “down home boy makes good”. It is exactly what you want to hear.
© Ron Rutherford & Rarestar Music ASCAP
Verse 1
When Bobby was a young boy
He’d walk a dirt road way out back
A world away from a broken home
And hang by the railroad track
He’d bring along his radio
He liked to listen to the country sound
He’d sing and dance as he’d kick up dust
Up and down that back road ground
He dreamed of the day he could get away
Get a guitar and play
Chorus 1
Rain falls from his eyes
He strums an air guitar with a big sigh
He dreams by the truck load
But his honky tonk highway is still a dirt road
Verse 2
All through school
He didn’t waste any time
Got a paying job in the afternoon
And put away every dime
When he had enough money
He bought a six string on his own
After weekend chores he’d practice
Until the cows came home
He’d play until the rooster crowed
He can’t wait ‘til he is grown
Chorus 2
He’d walk a country mile
While he talks to his guitar with a big smile
He schemes by the truck load
How to make a honky tonk highway out of a dirt road
Verse 3
Then one day he made his move
Said his goodbyes to the family
Headed far away from home
Hopped a freight train to the city
A few dollars in his pocket
And a hand full of songs
He’s going to make a go of it
He believes in himself that strong
He’s got tons of tunes that twang
He’s going to hit town with a bang
Chorus 3
He’ll raise the roof clean off
Pickin’ and a grinnin’ in a hayloft
Paying dues by the truck load
To make a honky tonk highway out of a dirt road
Verse 4
Made a name over time
Up and down music row
They say he’s a natural
Man that boy can crow
His childhood fantasy
Has grown up to be
What he conceived in the backwoods
Is something you’ve gotta see
He’s rocking every roadhouse bar
He’s bound to be a big time star
Chorus 4
Young man on a big stage
He croons like an old pro for his age
Sometimes he drives the truck load
From every honky tonk highway and dirt road...guitar!
Verse 5
He still has that radio
That he’d sing to way out back
A world away from a broken home
Hanging by the railroad track
Tune to a country station
Anywhere on the American map
You can hear him wail away
About a dirt road way out back
The sweetest sound you’ve ever heard
You’ll be hanging on every word
Chorus 5 - Out
He writes from his minds eye
About wide open spaces and a big sky
Now he knows by the truck load
How a honky tonk highway starts on a dirt road
Dirt road
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Album - Lone Wolf
Track - 11
Time - 6:40
Produced by Robert Wayne Hawkins and Ron Rutherford