Lifting With Wisdom

Country songs about adventure and fitness.

Track 001

Song about a girl who now understands what she must do to begin her fitness journey. It is not gym, nor learning to jog but hiking and camping that helps us enter the world of fitness. Chorus should be how she is cheerfully roasting her sausage after a day of exploring the Lake Michigan dunes.

[Verse]

She packed a bag with socks and bread A woolen cap upon her head No gym card, no fluorescent light Just boots and trail dust feelin’ right

She didn’t learn to jog in town She climbed where sandy hills roll down With Lake Michigan shining blue Like it knew what she was born to do

[Pre-Chorus]

Every step said, “Girl, begin” Every dune put fire in her skin Every mile made her shoulders wide With a little more courage tucked inside

[Chorus]

Now she’s cheerfully roastin’ her sausage slow Where the dune grass bends and the camp coals glow After a day of wanderin’ wild and free Past the lake-wind songs and the cottonwood trees

She’s got sand in her boots and stars in her eyes A laughing little flame under big dark skies She found her strength where the wild gulls cry On the Lake Michigan dunes, where her brave dreams rise

[Verse]

She learned her breath on the uphill sand With a walking stick in her sun-browned hand Not chasing speed, not chasing pain Just walking out past doubt and shame

She pitched her tent by a whispering pine Let the sunset pour like apple wine And every muscle she thought was weak Woke up singing by the end of the week

[Pre-Chorus]

No chrome machine could teach her soul What a windswept trail made bright and whole No city block, no timer’s beep Could show her how the strong roots sleep

[Chorus]

Now she’s cheerfully roastin’ her sausage slow Where the dune grass bends and the camp coals glow After a day of wanderin’ wild and free Past the lake-wind songs and the cottonwood trees

She’s got sand in her boots and stars in her eyes A laughing little flame under big dark skies She found her strength where the wild gulls cry On the Lake Michigan dunes, where her brave dreams rise

[Bridge]

Fitness ain’t a punishment It’s a path where the daylight went It’s carrying water, gathering wood Finding out your body’s good

It’s knees that climb and hands that build A heart by wonder overfilled It’s breakfast smoke and morning rain And wanting to walk that trail again

[Chorus]

Now she’s cheerfully roastin’ her sausage slow Where the dune grass bends and the camp coals glow After a day of wanderin’ wild and free Past the lake-wind songs and the cottonwood trees

She’s got sand in her boots and stars in her eyes A laughing little flame under big dark skies She found her strength where the wild gulls cry On the Lake Michigan dunes, where her brave dreams rise

[Outro]

So she don’t need a gym to start She found the trail, she found her heart With a pack, a tent, and a sky so wide She walked straight into her stronger side

Track 002

Song about a girl who started her first fire in the woods, and all the woodland animals came bearing cute little gifts like twigs and berries, and the raccoon brought her a bottle cap. Chorus should be about how at first she was scared but then made a little crown, and a dune grass gown. And now she lives high up in the trees.

[Intro]

Down where the creek bends soft and slow Past the pines where the wildflowers grow There’s a girl with smoke in her curls And a campfire heart in a woodland world

[Verse]

She struck her first match by the old moss stone Shakin’ like a leaf, feelin’ all alone The flame jumped up with a golden grin And the whole dark forest came peekin’ in

A rabbit brought twigs in a cloverleaf stack A squirrel rolled acorns in a burlap sack A bluebird dropped feathers, soft and bright For the girl by the fire on her very first night

[Pre-Chorus]

Then out of the brush with a bandit face Came a raccoon struttin’ with country grace He bowed real low, gave a proud little clap And handed her one shiny bottle cap

[Chorus]

At first she was scared when the shadows came down Then she made a little crown from the treasures she found With berries for jewels and feathers all around She danced by the fire in a dune grass gown

Now the owls sing low and the moon leans near And she don’t need roads, and she don’t need fear She’s queen of the breeze and the honeybee hum Livin’ high in the trees where the morning comes

[Verse]

She built her a ladder from willow and vine Tied it up tight with a fisherman's line Made a little porch from driftwood planks Where the chipmunks gather just to give their thanks

The deer leave apples by the roots below The fox brings flowers from the meadow rows The possum leaves buttons, the crow leaves string And the raccoon says, “Ma’am, I found you a ring”

[Pre-Chorus]

She laughs so sweet that the pine trees sway And the creek keeps time in a lazy way With a coffee tin drum and a cricket choir She’s the barefoot belle of the woodland fire

[Chorus]

At first she was scared when the shadows came down Then she made a little crown from the treasures she found With berries for jewels and feathers all around She danced by the fire in a dune grass gown

Now the owls sing low and the moon leans near And she don’t need roads, and she don’t need fear She’s queen of the breeze and the honeybee hum Livin’ high in the trees where the morning comes

[Bridge]

Some folks need a mansion, some folks need a town Some need golden gates and a velvet gown But she’s got stars through the cedar beams And a raccoon guard with bottle-cap dreams

She waves at the geese when they fly overhead Sleeps on soft moss in a sycamore bed And when that first fire flickers warm and small Every little wild heart answers her call

[Chorus]

At first she was scared when the shadows came down Then she made a little crown from the treasures she found With berries for jewels and feathers all around She danced by the fire in a dune grass gown

Now the owls sing low and the moon leans near And she don’t need roads, and she don’t need fear She’s queen of the breeze and the honeybee hum Livin’ high in the trees where the morning comes

[Outro]

So follow the smoke where the sweet pines lean You might see a barefoot woodland queen With a bottle-cap sparkle and a berry crown bright Wavin’ from the treetops in the soft moonlight

Track 003

Girl singing about her health and she must take care of her heart and body, so that her older self never has a regret. She wakes up every morning to walk with her little dumbbells. Chorus is about her growing muscle and dumbbells not dumb at all.

[Intro] The dust motes dance Where the iron rests.

[Verse] Each morning walk is a quiet prayer, Tracing the lines of the ground. She builds a frame that's sturdy and wide, Finding a rhythm in the space she's found.

[Pre-Chorus] The pulse is steady, the blood is deep, She’s planting seeds for the years to keep.

[Chorus] Not dumb at all, She’s building a home, Not dumb at all, In the marrow and bone.

[Verse] Lifting the weight of the heavy and true, Muscle by muscle, the strength grows new. She faces the mirror, she faces the years, Replacing the doubt with a steady sense of gear.

[Chorus] Not dumb at all, She’s building a home, Not dumb at all, In the marrow and bone.

[Bridge] One day she'll wake in the winter of grace, With a bloom in her heart and a smile on her face. No looking back with a "why" or a "how," She’ll be the house that she built for herself now.

[Chorus] Not dumb at all, She’s building a home, Not dumb at all, In the marrow and bone.

[Outro] The frame is firm, The bloom is bright. She’s dancing home In the morning light.

Track 004

Cute country song about lifting a little bit at a time, not so little that she can dance with more, but not so much that her dumbbells will stop her. Chorus should be about boys lifting dumb and her lifting with wisdom of long endurance.

[Intro]

She tied her hair with a ribbon blue Put on her boots like country girls do Two dumbbells waitin’ by the kitchen chair And a radio hummin’ through the morning air

[Verse]

She didn’t grab the biggest pair Just to wobble once and gasp for air She picked the ones that made her smile Strong enough to dance a while

Not so light she’d float away Not so heavy they’d stop her sway Just enough to make her glow One little lift, then ten in a row

[Pre-Chorus]

She learned that strength ain’t a lightning strike It’s a porch-light burnin’ through the night A little more, then a little more Till power comes knockin’ at your door

[Chorus]

Boys lift dumb, they grunt and they quit Tryin’ to prove the whole world with one big hit She lifts wise with a long, long song Keeps those pretty little dumbbells movin’ strong

They chase thunder, she builds rain Turns sweet endurance into country gain Boys lift dumb, but she knows better She lifts with wisdom and lasts forever

[Verse]

She curls through supper, she presses through dawn Two-steppin’ circles on the front yard lawn Raises them high when the fiddle cries Laughin’ at the moon with firefly eyes

Every week she adds a little bit Not enough to make her quit Enough to feel that brave heart learn How steady muscles wake and burn

[Pre-Chorus]

No need to rush, no need to show Roots get deep when you let ’em grow She found the secret, plain and true Keep on movin’ till strength finds you

[Chorus]

Boys lift dumb, they grunt and they quit Tryin’ to prove the whole world with one big hit She lifts wise with a long, long song Keeps those pretty little dumbbells movin’ strong

They chase thunder, she builds rain Turns sweet endurance into country gain Boys lift dumb, but she knows better She lifts with wisdom and lasts forever

[Bridge]

Her mama said, “Honey, don’t you race Let patience put roses in your face Iron’s got a lesson, soft and slow It’ll teach you if you let it know”

Now she can dance when the hard days come With a steady heart and a country drum And every little lift she chose Became the strength that everybody knows

[Chorus]

Boys lift dumb, they grunt and they quit Tryin’ to prove the whole world with one big hit She lifts wise with a long, long song Keeps those pretty little dumbbells movin’ strong

They chase thunder, she builds rain Turns sweet endurance into country gain Boys lift dumb, but she knows better She lifts with wisdom and lasts forever

[Outro]

So lift a little, then lift again Let the long road be your friend Not too easy, not too hard Just country strong in your own backyard

Track 005

Happy country song about how she likes the sunny side “up and about”, girl bicycling the local bike trails. Preparing for a day long adventure that will take her to a distant lake. And how she must pedal strong on her way back for a well earned nights sleep.

[Intro]

She likes her sunny side up and about With the screen door swingin’ and the morning poured out Helmet on tight and her ponytail high Chasin’ that blue on a wide-open sky

[Verse]

She’s got biscuits wrapped in a bandana red A little trail map and a lake in her head Two full bottles and a backpack light A bell on the bars singin’ clear and bright

Down by the fields where the blackbirds call Past the old white fence and the county ball She rolls through town with a grin so wide Like the whole sweet world came along for the ride

[Pre-Chorus]

Every turn says, “Girl, keep goin’” Every breeze keeps her cheeks all glowin’ She ain’t in a hurry, but she’s travelin’ far With sunshine tucked in her handlebar

[Chorus]

She likes her sunny side up and about Pedalin’ happy on the bike trails out Headed for a lake where the wildflowers lean And the water shines blue through the summer green

She’ll ride all day where the good roads bend With a country-song heart and the wind as a friend Then pedal back strong when the fireflies peep For a well-earned night and a deep, deep sleep

[Verse]

She waves at a farmer on his rusty red Deere Laughs when a chipmunk disappears Stops for a picture where the cattails sway Then climbs that hill in a brave little way

The distant lake waits like a secret prize With silver ripples and dragonfly skies She’ll kick off her shoes on the sandy shore And swear she could ride ten miles more

[Pre-Chorus]

But she knows the road back asks for grit So she saves some thunder down deep in it A day-long dream needs a steady heart And strong little legs for the homebound part

[Chorus]

She likes her sunny side up and about Pedalin’ happy on the bike trails out Headed for a lake where the wildflowers lean And the water shines blue through the summer green

She’ll ride all day where the good roads bend With a country-song heart and the wind as a friend Then pedal back strong when the fireflies peep For a well-earned night and a deep, deep sleep

[Bridge]

There’s power in a girl who knows How far a pair of wheels can go Not runnin’ away, not chasin’ fame Just followin’ sunshine callin’ her name

She’s got dust on her calves and joy in her chest A lunch by the lake and a soul full of rest And when the long trail turns toward home She finds out how much she’s grown

[Chorus]

She likes her sunny side up and about Pedalin’ happy on the bike trails out Headed for a lake where the wildflowers lean And the water shines blue through the summer green

She’ll ride all day where the good roads bend With a country-song heart and the wind as a friend Then pedal back strong when the fireflies peep For a well-earned night and a deep, deep sleep

[Outro]

So let the morning lift her wheels Let the gravel hum and the sunlight heal She likes her sunny side up and about And she’ll dream of tomorrow’s trail lights out

Track 006

A bodybuilder girl looking for a man who is not scared of her incredible might. She talks about how she started dancing with light dumbbells, to earn her endurance. And then she started lifting heavier and heavier. Chorus is about the search for a man who is not scared to be lifted.

[Intro]

Well I was born in boots and bows With a laugh that shook the county roads Now every cowboy tips his hat Then sees my arms and steps on back

[Verse]

I started out with dumbbells light Dancin’ in the kitchen every night Two little weights and a radio song I’d two-step steady all night long

Mama said, “Girl, don’t rush that train Let endurance run through every vein” So I curled and twirled in a summer dress Built my strength from tenderness

[Pre-Chorus]

Then five pounds turned to twenty more Then forty came knockin’ at my door Now I can squat a sack of feed And carry love at lightning speed

[Chorus]

I’m lookin’ for a man who ain’t scared to be lifted Not one who runs when my biceps get gifted I need a sweetheart with a brave little grin Who’ll say, “Go on, girl, pick me up again”

I don’t need no fella who’s nervous and stiffened I’m lookin’ for a man who ain’t scared to be lifted

[Verse]

Last Friday down at Daisy’s Bar I arm-wrestled a man for his muscle car He said, “Little lady, this won’t take long” Now he walks to work and I drive along

I don’t mean trouble, I don’t mean harm I just got thunder in both my arms If romance knocks, I’ll answer sweet Then deadlift Cupid right off his feet

[Pre-Chorus]

I danced my way to country strong Light dumbbells taught me to last all song Then heavy iron made it clear A mighty girl still wants somebody near

[Chorus]

I’m lookin’ for a man who ain’t scared to be lifted Not one who runs when my biceps get gifted I need a sweetheart with a brave little grin Who’ll say, “Go on, girl, pick me up again”

I don’t need no fella who’s nervous and stiffened I’m lookin’ for a man who ain’t scared to be lifted

[Bridge]

He don’t have to rope the moon Or fight a bear at half past noon He don’t need shoulders like a wall He just needs courage when I say, “Hold still, y’all”

I’ll carry the groceries, I’ll carry the hay I’ll carry his heart if he don’t run away And if he gets tired on a long dirt road I’ll throw him over my shoulder and carry that load

[Chorus]

I’m lookin’ for a man who ain’t scared to be lifted Not one who runs when my biceps get gifted I need a sweetheart with a brave little grin Who’ll say, “Go on, girl, pick me up again”

I don’t need no fella who’s nervous and stiffened I’m lookin’ for a man who ain’t scared to be lifted

[Outro]

So boys, if you’re gentle and steady and true I might just bench press the sunset with you But if my mighty hug leaves your boots driftin’ You better not be scared to be lifted