A How-to Guide To Loving You

from The Dream Of The Shepherd by Kenny Hoffman

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lyrics

A pitch-black patch of asphalt
where the snowfall didn’t land
reminds me of one side of you
that I could not understand
For every muscle that relaxes
there’s another that contracts
Oh, I wish I’d had
a how-to guide to loving you

The chipped paint on the wall
of a boarded-up storefront
looks just like a mural
of an Italian restaurant
For every person on the sidewalk
there’s a single drop of rain
flowing through
the viaduct of loving you

There was so much I feared about you
that I wish I’d had a how-to
I wish I’d had a how-to guide to loving you

You don’t win a race by being honest
or a trophy for being mature
but you can understand the limits of suffering
by shopping at the dollar store
I dream in country music
and speak in semaphore
but I did not have
a how-to guide to loving you

There was so much I feared about you
that it felt like I was tied to
tied to the railroad tracks of loving you

I got my B.A. in being amazing
and a master’s degree in love
I got a PhD in being courageous
and a fellowship in all the above
but none of these credentials could help me
with the studies I’d wanted to pursue
and I’m not on the other side of loving you

Reading and re-reading
Anna Karenina
Endlessly re-reading
Anna Karenina

credits

from The Dream Of The Shepherd, released May 4, 2021
Words and music by Kenny Hoffman

Synthesizer by Ryan De Laureal
Back-up vocals by Victoria Harris

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In Charlie's words, this record is like travelling "all around the world (and the Mid-west) in just 36 minutes!" He's not kidding. I can't identify half the instruments he used, but they sound great. Kenny Hoffman
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I often consult Ryan about my own recordings. Listen to his most recent EP to find out why. The arrangements! The humungous synths! The layers! The songwriting! I couldn't do any of it. Great stuff. Kenny Hoffman
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