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1. |
Against Nostalgia
04:46
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The land would shake me loose
Famous men say I'm no use
But to smile as I die
As I die
I'm a broken open seed
I crack beneath your feet
I fall, but still I rise
Still I rise
She made it known she loved that shirt
And I wore it 'til it grew holes
'Til the sun bleached out the black
Teach me fear in a handful of dry dirt
In an antiquated soul
And a love that starts to crack
Will you hide me in your gown
As the teargas tumbles down
Teach me comfort 'til it's true
'Til it's true
The land is no more held
Than the stars where'er they fell
She won't pay us what we're due
What we're due
I am nostalgic to the last
Carve a myth into dry bone
Serve banquets to the flies
And I know if I stare straight at the past
It will turn my mind to stone
And the sun bleach out my eyes
(Hildreth/Bowers)
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2. |
Come Springtime
02:56
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He's the one who sent me here
To sing you one last song
To make you smile, to bring you back
But I'm the one who's singing you
These new words to familiar tunes
To make you feel the love you lack
So pay me no heed, I'm just a messenger
Bringing you sweet nothings from your man in Cell Block 5
And come the spring, he'll be a free bird ready to alight
On the courthouse steps and collect his bride
Believe me when I tell you
My intentions they are pure
But I see what it is he sees in you
When a man gets to pouring out
Another man's heart, it's bound to happen:
Some of mine leaked too
So pay me no heed, I'm just a messenger
Writing you these songs on behalf of your man in the county jail
And come the spring, I'll be a caged bird singing to myself
And you will wear that veil
This is my confession now:
I meant every word I sang
(Every word)
And I know that when your man gets out
He'll want to mount my head on his wall
(I've been warned)
But we could pass like a fever
From this town before the church bells even rang
(We'd head west)
And if spring comes and he finds us
Then for you, my love, I'll gladly take the fall
(Bowers)
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3. |
Hummingbird
02:44
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Hummingbird
You hit the window
Don't pretend
You really didn't know
You deceived
Everyone else in here
But I can see
You do this every year
My whole fifth-grade class stayed up and prayed
Prayed for you
Our knees got wet in the grass for the mess you made
It stained us too
Our parents broke the news
They were saying that you weren't gonna make it
We got back to scuffing shoes
And drawing pictures of each other naked
Pretty, pretty birdie, won't you flap your wings and make some peace
Hummingbird
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty please
Don't say that word
You know it's getting ugly
When the principal goes on the evening news
And the counselor says I love you all
And you can come and see me if you choose
My brother said the teachers' lounge was full of wadded tissues
My mother said when I got home, Come here, I wanna kiss you
And I stayed up all night
To see if you would put up a fight
(Bowers)
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4. |
I'm the Truth
02:51
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I'm the sinking feeling in your ship of lies
I give you sweaty palms and your shifty eyes
I'm the truth, whoa-ho-ho-ho, I'm the truth
You gave him $50 to forget your face
But you cannot erase what's inside your head
I'm the truth, &c.
The bum on the corner said he'd give you a taste
The man in the alley said he'd kill the man dead
I'm the truth, &c.
It's winter in your heart while it's summer on the coast
No warmth for the weary when your hands are red
I'm the truth, &c.
So drink your little drink and boast your little boast
Leave your car for the cops and take the train instead
I'm the truth, &c.
I lie on your chest when you lie down at night
I give you no rest; you can't turn out this light
I'm the truth, &c.
The bum on the corner gave the cops what they asked
The man in the alley tasted blood and spoke
I'm the truth, &c.
If history's a river, then you dammed your past
But it damned you instead when the story broke
I'm the truth, &c.
(Bowers)
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5. |
Cardinal
02:53
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Well, I'd rather
Tie a kite
To a flagpole
And watch it float around
Nowhere
And wait for
It to come around
Would you do it if I was faithful?
Where should I stay?
Where should I go?
Where's the wind blow?
Should I sit still and be
Grateful
That your constance
Won't shift with changing seasons?
I want to feel it in my ribs
Want you to kick me in my chest
Like fire shut up in my bones
You burn me out when I confess
(Hildreth/Bowers)
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6. |
Crush, TX
03:14
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Fifteen miles north of Waco
There's a sign that reads, "The Crash at Crush"
And I assure you, son, it was not a fake—oh
I saw it all, and I am a lush
'Cause everyone loves a good train wreck
And I am not immune
And I was more than earning my paycheck
Taking pictures for the Tribune
You see, William Crush was hard to shake—oh
When he told his Katy Line boss the idea
He said, "We'll crash two trains head-on just north of Waco
We can sell tickets and lay the line right here
'Cause everyone loves a big payday
And I could use the dough
I don't care what the papers say
It'll be one helluva show"
But oh, on that day
40,000 Texans shielding their eyes from the sun
Politicians talked and preachers prayed
Safely half the state assembled to see what their hands had done
No turning back, and there was no shade
And they say the flash of the explosion half-eclipsed the Texas sun
Yeah, the boilers blew and the horses neighed
To see two worn-out locomotives arch their backs and become one
Yeah, I, I lost one eye that day
But I lived to not regret it, and I did not turn and run
Fifteen miles north of Waco
There's a sign that reads, "The Crash at Crush"
And some people say it as a mistake—oh
I take nothing back; I am a lush
'Cause everyone loves a good train wreck
Even though three Texans died
Everyone's earning their paycheck
And the story never dies
(Bowers)
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7. |
How to Fight a Fire
03:16
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Why do you come knocking when you know this door is closed?
Why do you ask when there's no answer?
The sun will shine on all the paths that we both chose
Here's looking at you, my tightrope dancer
I'll spit some similes to tell you how I feel
But you know just well what it is like
We thought our subtleties would surely seal the deal
Like flint and tinder we did strike
Oh no, we didn't know how to fight a fire
Oh no, we didn't know how to fight a fire on the inside
There's hell to pay for all the thoughts you made me think
Heaven knows what comes of talk
This ship's been leaking, wouldn't mind to see it sink
I should have left you at the dock
Why do you keep dancing when my feet are standing still?
Why do you ask to hear my thoughts?
The moon is out now; I will swallow it like a pill
'Til this night blossom wilts and rots
Oh no, we didn't know how to fight a fire
Oh no, we didn't know how to fight a fire on the inside
(Bowers)
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8. |
I Will Be There
04:34
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I've got to go
Got to get away from here
I've got to run -- run far away until I cannot hear
These three words: "Pull me closer," until I cannot breathe
I'm frozen in my castle, and I need you near to me
You are my angel
You keep me safe from harm
Your misty eyes forsaken, heavy and forlorn
We are exhausted, we are weak
We are exactly how you want us to be
I will be there
I will be there for you
Don't worry
I will take care
I will take care of you
My sisters
And my brothers
I promise we'll pull through
Don't despair
We will be lifted
We will be lifted
(Beson)
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9. |
Wren
02:39
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Godspeed, frontyard azaleas blooming
one day at a time, and I'm still trying
to learn your culture and your dress
Make way, you centipede grass, for a carpetbed
of clover, and make straight the paths
for wild and for tame
It's a return
This wicked world
Made new
It's a return
This weary world
Made new
You pollen-heavy
gum trees, drop your seeds and lift
your arms; I'll turn my ear toward
a song for sturdy limbs. Wren at dawn,
you called me to your crib, your clumsy tongue
attempting all the songs that we forget
when we learn words
It's a return
This wicked world
Made new
It's a return
This weary world
Made new
Now come forth,
you daylight hours -- I brought coffee, she
a blanket, and her eyes have never seen
the spring arrive or fall away
(Bowers)
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The Camellias North Charleston, South Carolina
Ragged folk songs for hard modern times.
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