The Ballad of Colleen Laker

written by Jeff Mayberry, 2022. This was supposed to be a Valentine's Day present, but I needed just a little more time to polish it before I unveiled it. Most of it was written on Valentine's Day in about 10 minutes. I had to rework some of the lyrics, but every change I made has meaning. For instance, "with music and words that reach FOR the skies above" was intentional. I wanted to convey the idea that all of the music and all of the words were surrendering to Colleen, because she is so wonderful. We first started dating in July of 1993 at our five-year class reunion. She was so beautiful, and I worked up the nerve to speak to her and learned that she liked Clint Black. At the time, I thought of myself as Clint Black's biggest fan, and I told her that I too liked Clint Black. She thought I was toying with her. Although I made some bad decisions in 1994, I am so thankful that we found each other again after 20 years. And I am so thankful that she agreed to be my wife. "She waltzed into my life" was used because I decided to craft the song in 3/4. This is the first song I have tried to write in almost 30 years, and I think the reason for it is that I have found new inspiration. Colleen Laker is my muse, and I love her.
I know I have been influenced, but it is not always clear from whence the inspiration comes. I would like to publicly acknowledge that I hear elements of Dwight Yoakam, George Strait, and Jimmy Fortune with the Statler Brothers. Of course, Kris Kristofferson is my greatest inspiration for aspiring to be a songwriter, and I have listened to him so much that I'm sure elements of his craft have influenced me. Elton John and Bernie Taupin, The Monkees, Merle Haggard, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kenny Rogers are others I have listened to lately to help me learn the art of crafting songs. Thank you.