I have a few favorites from the Better Late than Neverland album. This is one of them.

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As with much of the project, I don’t remember a lot about it. I’m responsible for the lyrics, certainly, and my arpeggiated guitar in the break is definitely channeling “Berlin Tonight,” from Bruce Cockburn’s World of Wonders (an album I rediscovered in 2025).

The rest, I’m sure, was developed by the band as a whole. I particularly like the music box sound that bookends the main song, and the way it stops mid-melody at the end, like a music box that needs rewinding. Pretty cool.

As for the lyrics: my sense is that I was writing in that ambiguous Christian music mode, in which the story could be about a relationship with a human or with God. If it is tied to any personal experience (and I’m not sure it is) it would have been the discomfort that came from losing my faith — a bit of the “Help thou my unbelief” resonating in the “I’m trying to trust you, but wondering how” line.

It needn’t be taken that way, though. The “story,” to the extent there is one, is more evocative than linear. I think that’s why I’m pleased with it.

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credits

Here are the lyrics, if you’re interested.

Written by The Reign.

• Greg Kemble: Lead vocals, guitars
• Curtis Holtzen: Bass
• Doug Lada: Drums
• Travis Sheets: Keys
• Harold Bloemendaal: Additional vocals
• Dave Hackbarth: Recording engineer (RIP, Dave)
• Marc DeSisto: Mixing engineer

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Better Late than Neverland is available on vinyl, CD, and digital download through The Reign Store. It’s also available for purchase digitally through Amazon and iTunes (through Apple Music).

The album and individual songs are available to stream on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other streaming services. (You can find them on YouTube, too, but if you’re not a Premium subscriber, it will serve you ads….)

lyrics and Liner Notes

(I’ll update this list as I complete blog posts…)

Side One	Side Two
Strip: Lyrics  — Liner Notes Long Shadow: Lyrics — Liner Notes Hold Me Now: Lyrics — Liner Notes	Wall St. Wisdom: Lyrics — Liner Notes