1. |
Pompei
04:08
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Here, beneath an August sky
An angry mountain sleeps
Where an ancient city died
A cautious village keeps it watch
We built this town on rock and ash
On tourists’ cash, we make our home
And we wonder how long
A good thing can last
And if one day, the world should wake
And rain down fire on Pompei
The gods would shake their heads and say
I told you so
I met a girl in Market Square
Her eyes are smoke, her hair is fire
And every smile’s a dare-
To walk on a wire
On the ruins of a broken heart
We can start to heal, conceal the past
Still, we wonder how long
A good thing can last
And if one day, the world should wake
And rain down fire on Pompei
The gods would shake their heads and say
I told you so
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2. |
Missed The Show
04:07
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My parents met at Woodstock - Yes, they tell me all the time
When they're talkin’ ‘bout their generation - I see the tears in their eyes
“Three days of peace and love - The like you'll never know.”
They say “I feel bad for you, son -Cause you missed the show.
We sang along with Janis - And we danced to beat The Band
When Santana called the tribe - We howled and clapped our hands
We held each other in the rain - When the thunderstorm blew through
And Sunday we were born again - When the sun rose on The Who
You may rock and you may roll - Wear down the records, turn up the radio
But you're chasing echoes from a time long ago
Well I hate to tell you, honey - But you missed the show
You see, our world was burning, Our brothers dying in the war
In that void, we found a voice we never had before
And on that farm, we dug down deep -To plant the seeds of love
And feel the music rising up - Our revolution had begun
You may rock and you may roll - Wear down the records, turn up the radio
But you're chasing echoes from a time long ago
Well I hate to tell you, honey - But you missed the show
And now I'm at a club - And I'm waiting on the floor
The house lights dim - The amps break in
And I feel a mighty roar
The sound is full of fury - And the crowd’s teeming through the hall
And screaming all his pain is Cobain - In the center of it all
We're staging our rebellion - And we're working out our rage
I'm not sure what we’re fighting for - But it doesn't feel the same
And as I watch him smash his axe -Like Jimi long ago
I get the strangest feeling -Like I missed the show
We may rock and we may roll -But it's a paler shade of somethingWe'll never really know
Yes, we're chasing echoes from a time long ago
And I hate to admit it, but we missed the show
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3. |
Ghost
05:10
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Yes, I’ve been chasing down a ghost
Round every corner of this cold New England coast
What bothers me the most
Is each time I came so close,
I let him slip away
Well, this old house, it has its sins
A dusty attic to hold its secrets in
I keep the door locked tight
But I hear it knocking in the night
It keeps me awake
There was a time, I swear, the spirit moved in me
My Olivetti taping out the words at phantom speed
Till in a haze of cigarettes
Maker’s Mark, and shame, and darkly held regret
That ghost, he up and left
And the longing in his stead
It took the best of me.
Yes, I’ve been chasing down a ghost
The more I try, it seems, the more the feeling goes
I still sit down to type
But the words won’t come out right
Have I nothing left to say?
I take a walk to clear my head
But all of my old haunts are taunting me instead
Down at the corner store
On the rack beside the door
My paperbacks are on display
There was a time, I swore, the stories came too fast
The clacking of the keys were like a train bound to a track
Now, walking north on State Route Five
Blue minivan comes drifting to one side
It strikes me from behind
And as I’m clinging onto life,
The ghost, beside me, laughs.
Six weeks out, they send me home
With pins and plaster casts to set my shattered bones
I’m like a rusty gate
Just creaking through the pain
But the urge won’t go away
I hobble to the study door
Dust and loose leaf pages crumpled on the floor
The Olivetti’s on the desk
Just exactly how I left
But nothing is the same
You see, the ghost is there, I swear, he likes to hide
Whispering just beyond the edges of my sight
The ghost and I we make a pact
I won’t look too hard, and maybe, he’ll come back
I take some paper from the rack
And I ring the carriage back
Then I begin to write.
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4. |
There Be Monsters Here
04:40
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There be monsters here -There be dark, dark skies - But darker, still, the life we leave behind
When we see the shore - Our ragged eyes are wide - We hardly knew what we’d expect to find
A statue in the harbor, she’s taller than a dream - And the cursing roar of the crowded streets
More faces than we’d ever seen
We are refugees - My daughter, Ruth, and me - And grateful, still, for shoes beneath our feet
There are no streets of gold - But I’ve got promises to keep -And I’ll earn my wage each night at the factory
Eight hours stamping leather - And the boots march down the line
Keep working, but they keep coming - Keep your head down, and you’ll be fine
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS STANDING STILL - THE ROCKS WILL ROLL YOU DOWN THAT HILL
AND WATER WILL WASH AWAY THE STONE
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS HOME SWEET HOME - FOR THE WRETCHED ONES WHO KNOW
WHAT IT MEANS TO FEAR
‘CAUSE THERE BE MONSTERS -THERE BE MONSTERS HERE
Well, you can sing it loud - That this is the land of the free - It’s not like that for folks like Ruth and me
Cause we might dress like them - No, but we don’t look the same
They shout at us and laugh, and they call us names
But we sing, “Run, Rabbit, Run - Don’t give the farmer his fun
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS STANDING STILL - THE ROCKS WILL ROLL YOU DOWN THAT HILL
AND WATER WILL WASH AWAY THE STONE
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS HOME SWEET HOME - FOR THE WRETCHED ONES WHO KNOW
WHAT IT MEANS TO FEAR
‘CAUSE THERE BE MONSTERS -THERE BE MONSTERS HERE
We are refugees - From Ireland and Spain
And we ran from Poland when the Nazis came
We are Haitian, Mexican, Syrian - And we ache for something more
When we raft from Cuba to Miami’s shore
There are those who’d close the border
And those who’d turn their heads - This place was made from migrants’ hope
Now we freeze in fear instead
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5. |
Bottle Rocket
03:49
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Meet me down by Town Line Road
And we can go climb
Up on the roof of the high school
It’s summer now and the rules don’t apply to us
It’s dark as far as we can see
As if this whole world’s fast asleep
And when you feel you might disappear
I’ve got fireworks and beer
We’ll raise a toast to summers past
And strike a match
Light it up, watch it go
This bottle rocket’s gonna blow
And burn the dark into the day
And when the summer’s come and gone
You’re back at school and you’re moving on
You always knew what you would be
Far from here, and far from me
At times, it seems as bright as day
A flash of sight that fades away
All the noise and all the fear
Keep on ringing in my ears
But for one moment, I might see
What’s left for me
Light it up, watch it go
This bottle rocket’s gonna blow
And burn the dark into the day
Scream out loud, or fall apart
All we need is a little spark
And we may never be the same
May we never be the same
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6. |
What Good Is A Song?
03:02
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What good is a song if no one will hear it
Ringing clear in the morning's first light?
And I wonder why the birds bother
If you won't sing along
What good is, what good is a song?
What good is a heart drumming steady and strong
If the longing won't make you believe
You can be like the bird, flying free?
All you need is a start
What good is, what good is a heart?
What good is music if you won't share it?
What good is a life on the page?
Take to the rooftops, take to the wire
Take wing
What good is a bird in a cage?
What good is a song if no one will hear it
Ringing clear in the morning's first light?
And I wonder why the birds bother
If you won't sing along
What good is, what good is a song?
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7. |
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8. |
Leanne
04:38
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She packs the car and takes off down the road
Her paycheck cashed, it’s enough for gas and tolls
She’s got a ticket for the show -A club date in Buffalo
She can hardly wait, eight hours left to go
Tonight, she’s front and center for the band
She knows every word by heart, she’s their biggest fan
And they’ll see her from the stage
When they step to the mics to play
And she’ll laugh out loud when they call her name - Leanne
I wanna be - As free as Leanne
And I wanna love just as honestly
I wanna live today the best way that I can
I learned that much from you - My sweet Leanne
I see Leanne at the gate at JFK
Where she somehow talks Thor’s Hammer through TSA
She's on her way to go
To Comic Con in San Diego
And when she begs me to I change my flight and I follow
And everywhere we go is a fantasy
Of aliens and heroes from the screen
And in her glory is Leanne
She was always the biggest fan
And I love the way she loves her way - Through the world
I wanna be - As free as Leanne
And I wanna love just as honestly
I wanna live today the best way that I can
I learned that much from you - My sweet Leanne
And who's to say -Whose life isn’t real?
Cause happy is as happy makes you feel
Now I’m stuck here in the office, 10am
And my thoughts keep wandering to Leanne again
And I wonder what she’d say
To see me waste the day away
I can hardly wait, eight hours left to go
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9. |
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It’s Saturday night at the Hot Sara - The mercury’s low and the moon is high
So why don’t we go through the wind and the snow - Where the joint is jumpin’ and the gin is dry
Cause it’s Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA -Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA
So why don’t we go? - We can follow the glow of the sign
A-well-a jeezum crow, now don’t we clean up nice? - You in your lacy dress
And me in my flannel vest and tie - Cause the winter’s cold and hard as ice
A night on the town sure would do us right - So if the car starts up, we’ll go out and dance tonight
Cause it’s Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA - Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA
So why don’t we go? - We can follow the glow of the sign
A-well-a can’t you feel the winter melt away - The minute you hear the hail of the horns hollering
Dans La Grande Foyer? - Feel the magic charm that evening air
When we drift on up the marble stairs -And time turns back at the Hotel Saranac
Cause it’s Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA - Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA
So why don’t we go? - We can follow the glow of the sign?
It’s Saturday night at the Hot Sara - The mercury’s low and the moon is high
So why don’t we go through the wind and the snow - Where the joint is jumpin’ and the gin is dry
Cause it’s Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA -Saturday night AT THE HOT SARA
So why don’t we go? - We can follow the glow of the sign
The Hot Sara tonight!
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10. |
25 Below
04:17
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If it’s morning no one bothered tell the sky
Air is frozen, the sun won’t bring itself to rise
And January blew in strong
The new year came, the old moved on
And day by day, it’s all the same
Except I’m still here, and you are gone
On the news we’re drawn a frosty shade of blue
The guy is smiling as only weathermen can do
He’s telling us to stay at home
But it’s drafty in this old house alone
The engine turns, and so I’ll learn
To hold my breath and bear the cold
At twenty-five below
At twenty-five below…
At twenty-five below, this town is a crystal glass
One wrong move and it will shatter, shatter
But I want you to know I’m not as frail as that
I will get through
And I wonder if that matters to you
The car is warm and the frost is finally melting down
The sun is stretching, and it’s yawning
And lighting up this town
And driving now, I feel okay
I’ve got so much left to do today
I’m still missing you, but I will go on with living
At twenty-five below
At twenty-five below…
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11. |
I Wish I Knew You Then
04:08
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Well, we stood out in the cold
Late December in the parking lot
To get into the show
With a girl I hardly know
We shivered as we waited
And complained about the snow
But she didn’t like the band
And she didn’t want to hold my hand
And I’d pretend that was alright
But somewhere in the crowd that night
The music strumming loud, I might have met you
The woman who would one day be my wife
Well, I wish I knew you then - Instead of wasting all my hope
Time and time again - You’ve always kept me waiting but I don’t really mind
Cause you were worth it in the end - I just wish I knew you then
Oh, and here we are today
Your high school yearbook's on the table
And we turn another page
There's that smile I'll always know
Though the years have tumbled by
Since Catholic school in Buffalo
And those girls were cruel
It's just the things that mean kids do
But I know you worried every day
But did you ever wonder, sometimes,
Somewhere far away
If I was waiting?
Well, I was waiting
And I wish I knew you then - To save you from each broken heart
Time and time again - I know I kept you waiting
But I’ll make it up to you - Cause you are worth it in the end
I just wish I knew you then
Well, I wish I knew you then - These years have been the good times
Time and time again - You’ve always kept me waiting
But I don’t mind ‘Cause you were worth it in the end
Yes, we are worth it in the end
I just wish I knew you then
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12. |
Girls With Boy Names
03:47
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Another Monday morning
At the corner corporate coffee shop
I'm third in line and going nowhere
Girls with boy names
Serve up half-caf lattes with a smile
It's Kyle, or Cameron, or Casey,
I'm late again, so I don't really care
I'm gonna quit my day job
Walk right in and tear it up
If I can get through this line some time today
Girls with boy names
Wave me in and ask me what I want
What I want - What I want
I just wanna say
THIS IS THE LAST TIME, THE LAST TIME I LET YOU GET THE BEST OF ME
CAUSE I EXPECTED SO MUCH MORE BY THIS TIME
FOR THE FIRST TIME, I'M LOSING MY FAITH IN THE POSSIBILITIES
THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU GET THE BEST OF ME
So this is just like my life
Order up and step aside
Breathe in slow and count to ten
Cause we're all waiting for
The promise of a settled score
What I want - What I want
Is to start all over again
THIS IS THE LAST TIME, THE LAST TIME I LET YOU GET THE BEST OF ME
CAUSE I EXPECTED SO MUCH MORE BY THIS TIME
FOR THE FIRST TIME, I'M LOSING MY FAITH IN THE POSSIBILITIES
THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU GET THE BEST OF ME
Those girls got all of the time in the world
And I’ve got to keep on moving
They’ve got all of the time in the world
Those girls got all of the time in the world
And I’ve got to keep on moving
They’ve got all of the time in the world
Another Tuesday morning
At the corner corporate coffee shop I'm last in line, and I’m going nowhere
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13. |
Knock 'Em Down
03:58
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I’m the best you ever seen
Ain’t no one in my league
Well the pins fall down at the very sight of me
See this shirt was tailor-made
For the King of Penny Lanes
I’m the finest bowler north of Tennessee
Yes, a hush rolls through the room
When I pull out Betty Lou
She’s sixteen pounds of polyester rage
I shine her to a rock star gleam
And every eye is trained on me
When I raise her up and step before my lane
KNOCK ‘EM DOWN - KNOCK ‘EM DOWN
YOU’RE THE HAMMER OR THE NAIL
YOU’RE THE GUTTER OR THE RAIL
KNOCK ‘EM DOWN - KNOCK ‘EM DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
KNOCK EVERY SINGLE ONE TO THE GROUND
Well, I used to chase my bourbon down with Stroh’s
Had a pretty little girl waiting back at home
But I gave her up, and gave it all away
For the perfect game
A price I had to pay
KNOCK ‘EM DOWN - KNOCK ‘EM DOWN
YOU’RE THE HAMMER OR THE NAIL
YOU’RE NOTHING IF YOU FAIL
KNOCK ‘EM DOWN - KNOCK ‘EM DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
KNOCK EVERY SINGLE ONE TO THE GROUND
Behind me on the tube
Is that businessman in blue
He’s buying votes and calling people names
And the chumps are lining up
They just can’t get enough
Well, sir, I roll this strike for you
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14. |
Talking Heads Tee Shirt
03:35
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She's the mystery Three rows ahead of me
The coolest girl I've ever seen
Her hair is painted blue It's all that I can do
To keep from staring
And you never know What you don't know
Till she gets up from her desk
And printed on her chest In bold and cryptic text, it says
“Stop Making Sense”
I'm in love with the girl In the Talking Heads tee shirt
She doesn't know I'm alive
And in her eyes I see The secrets she could show me
As she's singing “Once in a Lifetime”
They teach you how to read And trigonometry
What year they built the Berlin Wall
But they never find a way To tell you what to say
When the girl you love Walks past you in the hall
And you never know What you don't know
Till you find the record shop
And there it is In bold and cryptic text, it says,
“Stop Making Sense”
I'm in love with the girl In the Talking Heads tee shirt
She doesn't know I'm alive
And in her eyes I see The secrets she could show me
As she's singing “I got some Wild, Wild, Life”
I put my headphones on - In the darkness of my room
Bring the needle gently to the groove
As the sound breaks in - I wonder if she’s listening
And in my mind -A streak of light shines in…
I'm in love with the girl In the Talking Heads tee shirt
She doesn't know I'm alive
And in her eyes I see The secrets she could show me
As she's singing “Once in a Lifetime”
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15. |
Shadow Of The Moon
03:52
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How many times you gonna wake up in the dawn
Lace your shiny shoes and put your makeup on?
Sure enough, the sun’s goin’ up and down
Sure enough, the sun
Sure enough, the sun
How many miles you gonna burn up in your car
Wearin’ down the ruts in your hometown tar?
Sure enough, the sun’ll never go that far
Sure enough the sun
But look up at the sky
Every once in a while
You’ll see the sun and moon collide
Burning the day into the night
And leaving you and I
Underneath the shadow of the moon
Everywhere you look, the kids are laughing on the lawn
With their pin hole boxes and their glasses on
Sure enough, the world’s gonna vanish in the dark
Sure enough, the dark
Sure enough, the dark
You never were the kind to believe - SURE ENOUGH, SURE ENOUGH
In the bigger world you could not see - SURE ENOUGH, SURE ENOUGH
Get a head full of steam, and off you’d go - SURE ENOUGH, SURE ENOUGH
But the older you get, the less you know
And you look up at the sky
Every once in a while
You’ll see the sun and moon collide
Burning the day into the night
And leaving you and I
Underneath the shadow of the moon
How many times you gonna wake up in the dawn
Lace your shiny shoes and put your makeup on?
Sure enough, the sun’s goin’ up and down
Sure enough, the sun
Sure enough, the sun
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16. |
Etch A Sketch
04:35
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My momma gave me an Etch-A-Sketch when I was five
The frame was red and the knobs were white
And the silver screen, the most fascinating thing
I had ever seen
And momma, she sat me on her lap awhile
And she showed me how to turn the dials
Right before my eyes, lined in black and white
Was a masterpiece!
But all at once, she broke my heart
She shook it hard and that work of art
Was gone, gone! (Gone, gone!)
I cried and cried and cried
Oh, but momma sighed,
You got to shake it up! - And then you start again
Oh, momma, I’m never going back to school
Gonna lock myself inside my room
Oh, and here I’ll stay, I’m gonna sit and just draw all day
On my Etch-A-Sketch
I wanna make a world up inside this screen
Where there are spaceships and heroes, and nobody’s mean
I’m gonna chart this life, up and down, and left and right
On my Etch-A-Sketch
But momma smiled and shook her head
She said, I know it's not easy being 10
Tomorrow's another day,
Remember what I say:
You got to shake it up! - And then you start again
Now I grew me up to be a man
And I got hopes and ambitions, etched in the sand
A temporary plan, ‘cause now I understand
What my momma said
You got to shake it up! - And then you start again
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Phil Henry Rutland, Vermont
Singer-songwriter Phil Henry exudes the skill of a craftsman and the authenticity of an artist. “…vivid lyrical imagery that captures the imagination.” (Seven Days, VT)
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