-
0:00/3:54
BEARS REPEATING (2013)
first time that I saw you
you couldn’t hear what I said
I mumbled the jumble that was there in my head
now it’s this much time later
we’re still looking for words
to capture our story
to say what we’ve heard hey
feast or famine
day or dark night
here or yonder
clouds or blue
peace and love
struggle and fight
all this time
me and you
yeah I’m strumming in the moonlight
for revelers and knaves
can’t stop now want the bills to be paid
and oh how they pass by
like moving scenery
from time to time one may stop and say hey
feast or famine
day or dark night
here or yonder
clouds or blue
peace and love
struggle and fight
all this time
me and you
there’s a whole long list of things
on an old paper I have in my pocket
crossed them off one by one with you baby
took more time than we thought but then maybe
what is it they say?
the destination is the journey
oh I get put through the paces
out on that road
you say I can do it
I say I don’t know
so I’m leaving the believing
to you for a while
I’ll pick up the slack when it’s my turn to smile
feast or famine
day or dark night
here or yonder
clouds or blue
peace and love
struggle and fight
all this time
me and you
Down In JA
want what I want when I want it that’s the spirit of the age
you call it the zeitgeist when they write so many words upon the page
you hear the tick tick of the clock clock then the click click then the shot shot
another empire come to dance upon the world then fade away
load up the back of the v dub bus
sign on the back say ‘Hillshire Beach or Bust’
smaller and smaller in the mirror goes the town
as we drop into this new sound
down in JA we sing and dance in the pouring rain
spirit moves through the crowd
can you hear the sound now of my home island’s soul?
warm you up when you feeling cold
you don’t have to jump the next ship to bring it home! no!
the night dark, the goat black, the gate pen is open
what’s broke in the past cannot be unbroken
well I miss her so very much, this bears repeating, so very much
I miss the touch of the warm air - sometimes these things I cannot bear
so tired you’re drunk in the evening time
work is over just relax your mind
hey young man what you got in your hand?
you could lose it beating the bushes and then where would we stand?
down in JA we sing and dance in the pouring rain
spirit moves through the crowd
can you hear the sound now of my home island’s soul?
warm you up when you feeling cold
you don’t have to jump the next ship to bring it home! no!
down in JA we sing and dance in the pouring rain
spirit moves through the crowd
can you hear the sound now of my home island’s soul?
warm you up when you feeling cold
you don’t have to jump the next ship to bring it home
Godspeed
where’re you going?
can i come with?
I’m just here throwing my voice in the wind
and no one shouts back
so I assume it got lost on the way
cuz the distance was too great
it’s off a ways
but not too far
I go there often so I don’t lose the spark
and the times that I have had some company never hurt me none
so come on and join me if you want
I’m falling down from the sky and I’m searching for thermals to rise
I’ve had my near-death ride and no surprise - it’s hard to talk about it
godspeed to you
godspeed to me
it’s funny God’s a word I don’t use usually
and I’m feeling brave
I’m feeling strong
I don’t care if they think I’m right or wrong
I’m falling down from the sky and I’m searching for thermals to rise
I’ve had my near-death ride and no surprise - it’s hard to talk about it
well I’m feeling brave
I’m feeling strong
I don’t care if they think I’m right or wrong
The Dust Has Settled Now
the dust has settled now
so count your fingers and toes
the dust has settled now
why we were fighting
nobody knows
panic hit when the cannery in the coal mine
fell from its perch
group-think got synced and sunk the ship
now we’re waiting for the lights from the search
that’s OK man it’s just one big circle
started turning long ago
each generation thinks it’s dodged the bullet
now we know what we didn’t know
the dust has settled now
so count your fingers and toes
the dust has settled now
why we were fighting
nobody knows
blue tides of tv light
shimmering on your face
talking heads from the box
telling you what is and what isn’t the case
the weatherman can’t always show you
which way the wind blows
sometimes you got to step outside
and know it goes where it goes
the dust has settled now
so count your fingers and toes
the dust has settled now
why we were fighting
nobody knows
Funny Thing
funny thing about loneliness
always comes when you least expect it
always just tip toes in
with all the other invited guests
funny thing about love
always is, always was
even when you think it’s gone
if you try too hard
you might just break before you’re done
if you leave just because
you think they want you gone then you’re gone
if you walk out the door saying that you won’t be back no more
who you really hurting oh?
funny thing about war
each side seems to think it’s God they’ve got on board
as they’re praying in their foxholes that one last time
funny thing about peace
chase it all your life you still end up on your knees
begging please come shine a light
funny thing about control
that others don’t have it is easy to know
but you can’t turn your eyes on your own face though
and the image in the mirror ain’t right
funny thing about a man’s soul
ain’t his to sell yet the price is set so low
follow me down to the crossroad
at midnight you’ll have to wait in line
Gone Fishing
gone fishing
gone fishing in my pond
gone fishing
it’s a thing of which I’m fond
I jump over that hill
that’s just beyond them trees
gone fishing
and I’m whistling a song
well it’s not that I’m not social
but I sure would be obliged
if you waited here on the porch
and didn’t come wailing by
you see this is the one part of the week
where it’s me, myself and I
so grab yourself a lemonade
and rest your feet a while
cuz I gone fishing
gone fishing in my pond
gone fishing
it’s a thing of which I’m fond
I jump over that hill
that’s just beyond them trees
gone fishing
and I’m whistling me a song
this is my own personal eden
wholesome, living and clean
the water is teeming
with trout that’s jumping just for me
well there ain’t no place on earth
where I feel such peace of mind
if the lord chose to take me now
I’d run off to his side
well the first thing you’ll see
is my nappy head of hair
next thing my body will surely soon appear
coming over that hill
if it’s not too dark a time
you’ll also see upon my face
a smile a half mile wide
cuz I gone fishing
I gone fishing in my pond
gone fishing
it’s a thing of which I’m fond
I jump over that hill that’s just beyond them trees
gone fishing, I gone fishing
gone fishing and I’m whistling a song
Change of Plans
(instrumental)
Cold And Cruel
whistle back to me
the worker’s song that made them strong so I can hear their story
it’s a sign of the times when the wishing wells and the church’s bells cannot call us to their sides
well this time if I choose I could just slip on a pair of old shoes
could suffer and struggle cuz it’s what I do
when the world is cold and cruel
when the world is cold and cruel
if I choose I could just slip on a pair of old shoes
could suffer and struggle it’s what I do
when the world is cold and cruel
when the world is cold and cruel
well a leech is a leech
when put to skin, sucks blood in without even giving warning
if i put a fire to its back, how long before lust so bold is trumped by the pain?
how long must I train the sun through this glass upon the leaves for there to spring a flame?
ears to the ground
how far behind did I fall last night when I melted into the crowd?