More Than A Friend

More Than A Friend Album Artwork Concept 

The More Than A Friend album cover design concept is a continuation on the Foreverland album theme.  This time, however, I am placing myself inside Foreverland.  You will see similarities in comparison with the Foreverland album artwork.  The sunset, flock of flying birds, distant snow-covered mountains, a shooting star, and a pyramid with the beam of light, an old wooden ship, and swimming dolphins are familiar images.  A chest of gold, a lantern, as well as four scarabs has been added.  Foreverland is a magical, mystical dimension where the full human potential is realized.  As you spend more and more time in Foreverland, your soul emerges and is slowly empowered with gifts and abilities.  These abilities include telepathy, externalizing your soul from your physical body, and being able to travel through time and space.  This soul flight is illustrated on the front cover of the album.  Naturally, being a musician, soul flight includes playing the guitar.

Song: More Than A Friend 

More Than A Friend is the title track of the album.  This song is about a relationship between two lovers that have been living together for a couple of years, and are very committed to each other.  The young man decides it’s time to buy a shiny gold ring with some diamonds, get on his knees and propose to his girlfriend.  He takes a risk of proposing to his girlfriend in public in front of his friends.  He is hoping she will say, “I will!”  This song is meant to suggest a happy ending.  After all, she is truly more than a friend.

Song: Teresa 

Teresa is a song about meeting a girl and being swept away and infatuated with her.  He appreciates her friendship and hopes that she will stay in his life.  He tells her that he’s really glad that they’ve become friends and sends her his love.  He’s hoping the friendship will perhaps someday grow into something more intimate, but for now is happy being friends.

Song: She Don’t Believe 

She Don’t Believe is a song about how environmental circumstances can shape and influence one’s world.  This is a story about a girl who grew up in a poor, dysfunctional, abusive family.  Her father was an alcoholic, who, at times became violent.  Years later, she finds herself as a prostitute working the streets, not trusting anyone, or believing in love.  Although love in many cases is not the answer, in this case, the song suggests that love is the answer and could transform her life.  It is up to the listener to decide if this transformative love is a human love, a spiritual love, or both.

Song: Free 

Free is a song about being in the presence of someone who has achieved musical success and wanting to know what it’s like.  He asks for her advice, as he is an aspiring musician who wants to make it in the music business.  She essentially advises him to get out there and perform, and constantly market your band and build your fan base.  After years of hard work, keeping the faith and finally making it, he asks her how it should it feel.  She says, “Free!”

Song: Eye Of The Storm 

Eye Of The Storm is the second song I wrote for my beloved mother, Jewel Whitworth.  This song was written about a year and a half after my mother passed away on Friday, April 25, 1997 at 11:00 PM.  In the year my mother passed, I was renting a room in Dublin, CA, where my brother, David, also was living.  I was working in the area and did not move into the house until mid-December of 1997.  After settling in and living in the house for several months, it still didn’t feel like my house.  It was still mom’s house.  Even though this was the house I grew up in, the house did not feel like home.  One night, alone in the house with her memories, I began to wish that I could hear her voice and see her smile, again.

Song: Walk In The Rain 

Walk In The Rain is a song about a woman who’s life has spiraled out of control and has hit rock bottom due to prescription drug abuse.  Social Services has taken her children away and temporarily placed them in Foster care.  The song opens with her in her room at a residential rehabilitation center.  She’s been there for almost a year, has made progress, and has earned the freedom to takes regular walks on the grounds of the large, walled and gated facility.  The doctors, however, are still monitoring her rehabilitation and have influence over when she will be released.  Each night she gets on her knees and prays that she will see her children, soon.  When she is feeling lonely, she takes walks.  This night, she is feeling particularly lonely and takes a walk in the rain.

Song: Warm, Soft, Summer Nights 

Warm, Soft, Summer Nights is a song about love and the good old days.  This song is about meeting someone special while performing the night club circuit and landing a gig in San Diego, CA.  This song is about falling in love, where everything is going great.  Years after, when the relationship has long been over, he still recognizes how blessed he was to experience such wonderful feelings.  Although he is now lonely at times, special memories linger as he reminisces upon what he refers to as “the best time of our lives”.

Song: Night and Day 

Night and Day is a song about being in a relationship that is fairly new.  Everything is wonderful, except that the guy is not sure how his girlfriend really feels, or how deep her feelings are.  He’s afraid that his feelings may be stronger than hers, and doesn’t want to ruin things by expressing his feelings to her, if she’s not ready.  So, he confides in his best friend about how he feels, and asks him if he should tell her how much he loves her, and how he needs her every night and day.