ABOUT LORNE RILEY
Lorne is an emerging Canadian independent singer/songwriter now releasing the title track to his debut country album “Twenty Years” across North America. A small-town boy who hails from Shania’s birthplace Chapleau in Northern Ontario, Lorne has travelled the world extensively with postings in Frankfurt, Geneva and Dubai all of which have served to influence and enrich his songwriting.
Prior to turning his deft hand to country music and lyrics, Lorne cut his teeth on rock and blues as a front man for a series of bands as a young lad in Northern Ontario (People People, The Horses and Blue Cotton Seals Band) and later in Dubai as a singer/songwriter releasing three original albums (“Stone Unturned” (2014) with Mileage 51, two rock albums “When Worlds Collide” (2017) and “Out of the Blue” (2019) with Monks on the Moon).
These projects served as a stepping stone to elevate Lorne’s talent for story-telling, fuel his long-held but unrequited love for country music and provide a fresh new voice and soulful style to the genre. In May, Lorne released his debut country album “Twenty Years”. The album is a heartfelt, resonant reflection on life, love and loss rife with soulful melodies, rich instrumentation and stories that connect and engage. The title track, and new single “Twenty Years”, is an appropriate showcase for the album as it paints a compelling picture of the changes in small town North America, through the eyes of a nostalgic man returning home in search of true love. The song was so compelling it caught the attention of film director Steve Schmidt who created a video using the track to promote the release of his award-winning feature film “The Road to Tophet”.
Lorne is currently busy promoting this debut album and break-out single while writing and producing his second album, slated for completion by the end of the year.
CONTACT
ALBUM – “TWENTY YEARS”
by Lorne Riley
TWENTY YEARS
Twenty years ago
And it seems like yesterday
Left town on this train
Just had to get away
Left you behind
Nearly lost my mind
Main street ain’t quite the same
As I walk its quiet mile
Half of it’s been boarded up
Missing teeth in a weary smile
It feels so strange
So much has changed
Where are you now?
Twenty years
And now I find
I feel more than I know
Twenty years
I press rewind
And realise that I can’t let go
Of one smoky bar
Two broken hearts
And a railway line
Hotel’s got a vacant sign
Corner store shuts down at 3
Now there’s just empty sky
Where the water tower used to be
Still have this bar
Wonder where you are
The sawmill only runs one shift
The bank’s a cash machine
And the trains that rumble through
Are few and far between
It feels strange
So much has changed
Where are you now?
Twenty years
And now I find
I feel more than I know
Twenty years
I press rewind
And realise I can’t let go
Of one smoky bar
Two broken hearts
And a railway line
I walk into that bar
My heart just skips a beat
Can’t hold back the smile
As our eyes find a way to meet
After all this time
You’re still mine
Twenty years
And now I find
I feel more than I know
Twenty years
I press rewind
And realise I can’t let go
Of one smoky bar
Two lovin’ hearts
And a railway line
One smoky bar
Two lovin’ hearts
And a railway line
(Repeat)
TOUCHDOWN GIRL
She’s more than high school smart
She’s got a lovin’ heart
She’s got no games to play
And you can see her smile
For a country mile
She loves her life and wants to stay
Small town gravity
Won’t hold her back
Won’t keep her on a circular track
Touchdown girl
Hometown pride
Livin' life out on the great divide
Touchdown girl
Don’t let ‘em win
Keep dreamin’ big
When hope is razor thin
Don’t need big city lights
Or boozy club-filled nights
Good friends will do just fine
Won’t let big breaks she’s missed
Make her a pessimist
She knows her star is gonna shine
Small town gravity
Won’t hold her back
Won’t keep her on a circular track
Touchdown girl
Hometown pride
Livin' life out on the great divide
Touchdown girl
Don’t let ‘em win
Keep dreamin’ big
When hope is razor thin
Out in those endless skies
No room for compromise
She wears her heart out on her sleeve
No time for soulful cries
No need for long goodbyes
She’s got all she’ll ever need
Small town gravity
Won’t hold her back
Won’t keep her on a circular track
Touchdown girl
Hometown pride
Livin' life out on the great divide
Touchdown girl
Stay strong and win
Keep dreamin’ big
When hope is razor thin
Repeat
LOVES THE RAIN
As the sun sets on her ocean
Her beauty brings me to my knees
She looks at me with true devotion
Then she gives my hand a squeeze
And she asks me….
Do you love the rain?
Do you love the rain?
Do you love the rain?
It’s fallin’ down, it’s fallin’ down
Just the same
When she dreams she dreams in colour
These four walls won’t hold her in
Dreams of a world that’s filled with wonder
And places that she’s never been
And she asks me….
Do you love the rain?
Do you love the rain?
Do you love the rain?
It’s fallin’ down, its fallin’ down
Just the same
I hold her hand til after midnight
Then I feel her slip away
And as she finds her own tomorrow
I swear to God I hear her say…
Will you love the rain?
Will you love the rain?
Will you love the rain?
It’s fallin’ down, its fallin’ down
Just the same
Repeat
UNSPOKEN
I’m one bar down
In this two-bar town
When I run into you and him
Glued together like lovers
While we’re just star-crossed friends
You look right through me
Like you never knew me
With a sweet but empty smile
Even this here bottle
Won’t free what’s bottled up inside
Coz when love’s unspoken
Hearts get broken
The fire flames out and dies
Then fate steps in and someone else decides
Shoulda kept on hopin’
Got it out in the open
Instead I held it all inside
Unspoken
Unspoken ooh ooh
It drives me crazy
That you like the way he
Looks deep into your eyes
Even from this distance
I see through his thin disguise
As I keep on drinkin’
I can’t help thinkin’
Was a fool to never try
But even this here bottle
Won’t free what’s bottled up inside
Coz when love’s unspoken
Hearts get broken
The fire flames out and dies
Then fate steps in and someone else decides
Shoulda kept on hopin’
Got it out in the open
Instead I held it all inside
Unspoken
Unspoken ooh ooh
As I keep on drinkin’
I can’t help thinkin’
That it’s time that I get wise
And let this here bottle
Set free what’s bottled up inside
Coz when love’s unspoken
Hearts get broken
The fire flames out and dies
Then fate steps in and someone else decides
Shoulda kept on hopin’
Got it out in the open
Instead I held it all inside
Unspoken
Unspoken
ooh ooh
SOUTH OF LONELY
I can’t help but thinkin’ back
As these wipers slap
This cold, dark highway into view
I try to clear my mind
Focus on the centre line
But my head’s still full of you
oh no, almost wish you never told me
I was still your one and only
Wish instead of him you’d hold me
Now I’m headin’ down the road
South of lonely
The sound of passing cars
Like out of tune guitars
Won’t drown out thoughts of better days
These motels with vacant signs
Like soulful neon cries
Say it’s time that I start changin’ lanes
Oh no, almost wish you never told me
I was still your one and only
Wish instead of him you’d hold me
Now I’m headin’ down the road
South of lonely
Oh no wish you never bought and sold me
Played your cards and had to fold me
Wish instead of him you’d hold me
Now I’m drivin’ down the road
South of lonely
Just have to face the fact
There ain’t no turnin’ back
This here road just runs one way
Oh no, almost wish you never told me
I was still your one and only
Wish instead of him you’d hold me
Now I’m headin’ down the road
South of lonely
Oh no wish you never bought and sold me
Played your cards and had to fold me
Wish instead of him you’d hold me
Now I’m drivin’ down the road
South of lonely
2 A.M.
was 2 a.m. when I got the call
my world came crashin’ down
the good Lord called you home
and now you’re heaven bound
I’ve been tryin’ to live my life
the way you taught me to
the good book and your advice
are sure to see me through
he taught me how to …
start a fire in a snow storm
track mule deer in the fall
catch a trout on a bucktail fly
how to throw a mean curve ball
he told me to …
keep an eye on your backtrail
it’ll help you get on home
look people in the eye
instead of lookin’ at yer phone
he said son
when you’re wrong you take the blame
he said son
there’s no need to share your pain
he said son
do your cryin’ in the rain
here it comes
here it comes
here comes the rain
church bells rang all through town
the day we laid you down to rest
folks came in from all around
so many lives it seems you’ve blessed
I said hey there Dad I want to thank you
for your version of the truth
I’m pretty sure that someday sir
my kids are gonna thank you too
he taught me how to …
start a fire in a snow storm
track mule deer in the fall
catch a trout on a bucktail fly
how to throw a mean curve ball
he told me to …
keep an eye on your backtrail
it’ll help you get on home
look people in the eye
instead of lookin’ at yer phone
he said son
when you’re wrong you take the blame
he said son
there’s no need to share your pain
he said son
do your cryin’ in the rain
here it comes
here it comes
here comes the rain
2 a.m. when I got the call
my world came crashin’ down
the good Lord called you home
and now you’re heaven bound
I said hey there Dad I want to thank you
for your version of the truth
I’m pretty sure that someday sir
my kids are gonna thank you too
he taught me how to …
start a fire in a snow storm
track mule deer in the fall
catch a trout on a bucktail fly
how to throw a mean curve ball
he told me to …
keep an eye on your backtrail
it’ll help you get on home
look people in the eye
instead of lookin’ at yer phone
he said son
when you’re wrong you take the blame
he said son
there’s no need to share your pain
he said son
do your cryin’ in the rain
here it comes
here it comes
here comes the rain
COLD FRONT
I’m a man of my word
That much is true
Goin’ to do what I say
Although it may not happen soon
It’s in my DNA
Part of my nature
Coz I never gave myself a job
that I couldn’t finish later
Oh… I see the sky grow dark
And the clouds roll in
I can feel the chill
Of an arctic wind
Coz there’s a cold front
Movin’ in
Well I can tell that this one
Is a category 10
Baby there’s a cold front
Movin’ in
Can you tell me darlin when this storm is gonna end?
Now I’ve made mistakes
And I have regrets
And while I hate to hurt your feelings girl
Sometimes I just forget
I recall our wedding
Like it was yesterday
Well it’s just our anniversary
I can’t quite seem to place
Oh… I see the sky grow dark
And the clouds roll in
I can feel the chill
Of an arctic wind
Coz there’s a cold front
Movin’ in
I can tell that this one
Is a category 10
Baby there is a cold front
Movin’ in
Can you tell me darlin when this storm is gonna end?
You know I love you girl
I love football too
So when you see me watchin’ it
Can you hand me another… brew…
Oh…I see the sky grow dark
And the clouds roll in
I can feel the chill
Of an arctic wind
Coz there’s a cold front
Movin’ in
I can tell that this one
Is a category 10
Baby there is a cold front
Movin’ in
Can you tell me darlin when this storm is gonna end?
repeat and fade
FEED THE FIRE
There’s a storm churnin’ deep inside of me
There’s a howlin’ wind
There's a ragin’ fire
Burnin' from within
There’s a bolt of lightning flashin’
Showing me the way
And the rollin’ thunder
Is callin’ out your name
Been a long time since my heart's been healin'
Now I see a brighter day
Been a long time since I've loved this deeply
And I think it's here to stay
Been a long time since my life had meanin'
Take me away
Take me higher
Fan the flames
Feed the fire
There’s a silent chain reaction
A meltdown at the core
A primal urge
That’s got me wantin’ more
There's a risin', ragin’ river
Runnin' strong and true
And it’s pullin’ me
Closer into you
Been a long time since my heart's been healin'
Now I see a brighter day
Been a long time since I've loved this deeply
And I think it's here to stay
Been a long time since my life had meanin'
Take me away
Take me higher
Fan the flames
Feed the fire
Fan the flames
Feed the fire
There’s a bolt of lightning flashin’
Showing me the way
The rollin’ thunder
is callin’ out your name
Been a long time since my heart's been healin'
Now I see a brighter day
Been a long time since I've loved this deeply
And I think it's here to stay
Been a long time since my life had meanin'
Take me away
Take me higher
Fan the flames
Feed the fire
Fan the flames
Feed the fire
Fan the flames
Feed the fire