One Too Many Wishes (Original 2004 Version)
One Too Many WIshes: Original recording for the 2004 album, "Journey By Rail" (this version is without the added guitar in the solo break)
tssp
the steel scream project
Story behind the song
The lyrics were first written in November of 1991 inspired by the loss of our dear friend, Christopher Dobbins (November 13th, 1972 - November 13th, 1991). Doodle and I wanted to write a song we could dedicate to Chris, and we became influenced with the idea of someone wanting more than they should ask for, and how their decisions could have repercussions on thier life.
After Doodle and I finished the lyrics, I joined a band with Chuck Smith called "World Affair". I shared the song with Chuck and he wrote the music for "One Too Many Wishes" in a day! We rehearsed the song for a month and played it live at a Christmas party in late December, 1991. That would become version ONE of the song, as in 1993 Doodle and his friend, Kenny Ayers, who wrote an alternate version on acoustic guitar, played the song live at Doodle's graduation ceremony with Doodle on lead vocals. That would be version TWO.
Fast forward ten years later in 2003, me and Doodle would join forces once again and restart "The Steel Scream Project". Version THREE of "One Too Many Wishes" was born! We started recording songs for our first album together called "Journey By Rail", and this time I wrote the music on keyboards, while Doodle played electric guitar and again supplied the lead vocals. We created a guitar driven rock song and our original collaboration twelve years earlier was finally complete.
Lyrics
Lyrics written in November 1991; Music written for ths version in 2003
(1st Verse)
Flip a coin into the fountain, make your dreams come true,
maybe just a hint of magic is all it takes for you.
Health, wealth, someone to love, and Heaven your home to be,
but be careful what you ask for, you're only allowed three.
*(Chorus)
One too many wishes in the wishing well.
One too many wishes for one man to tell.
One too many wishes, your soul to sell.
One too many wishes in the wishing well.
(2nd Verse)
Took your health for granted, a body that was fit and lean,
lost your job, you lost your lady, your life's torn at the seams.
You look at your past behind you and wonder what went wrong.
Dreams turn into nightmares, you hear the siren song. *
(3rd Verse)
Driving your head into the wall, frustration fills your life,
reality comes crashing down, it cuts you like a knife.
It occurs to you what's going on, there's a lesson to be learned,
happiness can almost be bought but Heaven can only be earned. *