(Guitar strumming, laughter) Tonight... "Come with me to the top of the tallest mountain" Singer/songwriter Shawn Stratte comes to the Inland Sessions studio with his personal brand of music full of pop sensibilities ad creative interpretations.

♪ ♪ ♪ Come with me to the top of the tallest mountain Come with me let's go sailing out on the sea Ride with me on the back of my old motorcycle Come on baby, won't you run away with me?

You're working too much and you know it It's bringing you down I can see If you want me then why won't you show it?

Come on baby won't you run away with me?

Come with me to the top of the tallest mountain Come with me let's go sailing out on the sea Ride with me on the back of my old motorcycle Come on baby, won't you run away with me?

Every day is a gift and it could be our last one And there are so many more things we could do You know you'd look so pretty out in the sun Won't you let me spend the day with you?

Come with me to the top of the tallest mountain Come with me let's go sailing out on the sea Ride with me on the back of my old motorcycle Come on baby, won't you run away with me?

♪ Come on baby, won't you run away with me?

Come on baby, won't you run away with me?

Come on baby, won't you run away with me?

Shawn: I really like Ray Charles, you know, like the old, the old soul singers, you know.

I don't know if there's like a lot of comparison between my music and theirs.

But they really inspire me, like Ray Charles and Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder.

Like these great keyboard players Stevie Wonder and Elton John.

Yeah.

♪ I was devastated when you broke my heart I don't know how I got by Cause you see, for years and years You were my life It was so easy for me To depend on you for so long And to think that I couldn't go on without you You know that I was so wrong Yes I was in love But it can wait Life's too precious to let it waste I'd rather be young and dream Than old and unhappy So I'll take a break Don't get me wrong; you put the colors in my life And taught me how love was made But now I see that my time spent with you Left me restrained It was so easy for me To depend on you for so long And now that you stopped playing I can sing my own songs Yes I was in love But that can wait Life's too precious to let it waste I'd rather be young and dream Than old and unhappy So I'll take a break ♪ Yes I was in love But that can wait Life's too precious to let it waste I'd rather be young and dream Than old and unhappy So I'll take a break Take a break, take a break.

It's so easy to take a break.

Shawn: I didn't really feel that comfortable soloing when I first started playing music in Spokane.

Then I got a gig at the Ridler Piano Bar downtown and that has been really helpful because the owner of the piano bar is named Steve Ridler.

He's just he's a really great pianist.

And I learned a lot from him as well on how to solo when good times to solo are.

And I learned that the left hand and piano was important as well, because before I was just playing one note and on the left hand and holding it for four beats, when you can do so much more, you can play bass lines.

You know you can, you can mix it up.

And so I learned that, too.

I learned a lot about honky tonk, honky tonk piano.

Yeah.

I don't care what you say Or if nothing else goes your way Don't care what happens today Cause I'll love you anyway I'll love you till my last sun comes up Love you till I fill my last cup I'll love you till my dying day Till my dying day I'll love you till my body turns cold Love you till I'm 99 years old I'll love you till my dying day Till my dying day Cause you're my home And you're my strength to carry on You see what I'm trying to say What I'm trying to say Is that with you alone I won't need somethin' else to call my own You see what I'm trying to relay Oh what I'm trying to relay Is I don't care what you say Or if nothing else goes your way I don't care what happens today Cause I'll love you anyway And if I don't find the words to say Or if I don't know the right way Don't care what'll happen today Cause you'll love me anyway ♪ And you'll never be alone And when you're sad I'll hold you close Yes our love will only grow It'll grow it'll grow I know I don't care what you say Or if nothing else goes your way Don't care what happens today Cause I'll love you anyway And if I don't find the words to say Or if I don't know the right way I don't care what'll happen today Cause you'll love me anyway I don't care what you say Or if nothing else goes your way Don't care what happens today Cause I'll love you anyway And if I don't find the words to say Or if I don't know the right way I don't care what'll happen today Cause you'll love me anyway ♪ ♪ We were sure that it would work out But you can't count on life to be kind The space between you and me now Is putting me out of my mind There's pain in the distance It brings out the worst in our hearts If we go by statistics We'd know that we're better apart But there's no one I've found No one I've found No one I've found like you And I'll search all around I'll search all around But no one can do what you do ♪ Wish you could stay with me darling We'd cast out the demons we hide You'd lay here next to my heart and Put the rest of the world to the side This pain in the distance It tries to tear and divide If we go by statistics We would listen and rid of our pride But there's no one I've found No one I've found No one I've found like you And I've searched all around I'll search all around But no one can do what you do ♪ Oh there's no one I've found No one I've found No one I've found like you And I know I'll search all around I'll search all around But no one can do what you do So baby let me come home to you Shawn: This next song is called "Never Gonna Leave You".

And it's the first song that I ever recorded and put out.

And it's about a girl.

I told her that I was never going to leave.

But, she left me.

But, that's not what the song's about.

It's a happy song.

Don't get sad.

♪ never gonna leave you baby never gonna walk away it's always gonna be you and me always gonna be you and me never gonna leave you baby though trouble may come our way our love will never fade it's always gonna be you and me and it can be so hard life can be so hard without a girl like you without you here on my arm and i know its not easy i know we both have scars but if you trust in me our love'll go so far it's nothin to me thus love's a beauty that's 'cause you knew me that's 'cause you knew me it's nothin to me this love's a beauty and you'll renew me yeah you'll renew me never gonna leave you baby never gonna walk away it's always gonna be you and me always gonna be you and me never gonna leave you baby though trouble may come our way our love will never fade it's always gonna be you and me ♪ The future is ours.

The future is ours.

We'll be each other's friend.

And as you're here on my arm and i know its not easy i know we both have scars but if you trust in me our love'll go so far never gonna leave you baby never gonna walk away it's always gonna be you and me always gonna be you and me never gonna leave you baby though trouble may come our way our love will never fade it's always gonna be you and me ♪ It's always gonna be you and me, oh.

♪ I don't even wanna say your name But I think you know who you are I never should've given you anything I never should've given you my heart You said I was your everything You said I was your lucky star Can't believe I thought about a wedding ring Can't believe I'd ever wish you harm But I hope that you burn in hell Yeah I hope that you burn in hell I think you should burn in hell Yeah I hope that you burn in hell And I know that you'll try to twist the words I say And I know that you'll try to turn my friends away from me Just remember that karma has a way Just remember that someday you'll pay Because you're gonna burn in hell Yeah you're gonna burn in hell I think you should burn in hell You're gonna burn in hell ♪ ♪ This song is about materialism.

Yeah.

♪ I don't care if you've got money And I am not impressed by your cars Don't care if that's a knockoff or if it's luxury And baby I don't care if they say you're a star That superficial life ain't for me They care more 'bout what they look like than who they are Those new white diamonds won't make you happy There is more to life baby so much more I don't care if you've got money And I am not impressed by your cars Don't care if that's a knockoff or if it's luxury And baby I don't care if they say you're a star Just give me love and your attention And show me that your heart is pure I just wanna be your companion And I'm gonna treat you to so much more I don't care if you've got money And I am not impressed by your cars Don't care if that's a knockoff or if it's luxury And baby I don't care if they say you're a star ♪ Yeah ♪