The Annex is always a good place to keep an eye on thrilling new CDs, but what about individual songs? There are many pretty good CDs around where several of the songs are really rather tasty, but when did you last hear a song that genuinely blew your socks off? Of course a great LP doesn't need to have a song of this calibre, but it helps. Would love to hear more about such things. I live in fear of not hearing brilliant songs that are right under my nose. May even download off iTunes if I'm convinced!
Naturally I want to start, and the song that prompts me is Elbow's Great Expectations off their stonking third LP Leaders Of The Free World. To quote Bad Ambassador (but good music spotter): ''Great Expectations' is one of the finest songs I've heard all year. A beautiful album that grows in stature with every play until you believe you've owned it for ages.' I certainly can't think of a better song this year, or probably recent years. It has their trademark muted, melancholic, rainswept Mancunian vibe, but, as is typical with them, subtle melodies to die for, a killer arrangement, and fantastic lyrics. These depict a last bus home scenario where the singer and his loved one exchanged their vows, in a manner of speaking. Gus Garvey (who's sounding more like Peter Gabriel with every record, it seems) writes of it 'I got married once on the 135 bus to Bury. It was such a low-key affair that even the bride didn’t know':
And if it rains all day
Call on you I’ll call on you
Like I used to
Slide down beside and wrap you in stories
Tailored entirely for you
I’ll remind you
We exchanged a vow
I love you I always will
A call girl with yesterday eyes
Was our witness and priest
Stockport supporters club kindly provided a choir
Your vow was your smile
As we move down the isle
Of the last bus home
And this is where I go
Just when it rains
Blinking and stoned
Rain in your hair
You only smoke ‘cause it’s something to share
Singing bring on the night
To have and to hold
The sodium light turning silver to gold
Spitfire thin and strung like a violin
I was
Yours was the face with a grace
From a different age
You were the sun in my Sunday morning
You were the sun in my Sunday morning
Telling me never to go
So I’ll live on the smile
And move down the isle
Of the last bus home
And if you’re running late
This is where I’ll go
Know I’ll always wait
(The misspelt 'isle' is their own, the same on the website as on the lyric sheet. This is amusingly ironic, given that the word is central to the 'bus as church' juxtaposition of the whole song.)
It doesn't really do justice to just show the words, and it's almost a shame to read them ahead of the heaven that is listening to this music (download it now!). Even though, like pretty well all their stuff, it's slow and somewhat ponderous, it builds to a fantastic crescendo.
I defy anyone not to be impressed (at the very least). The whole LP is very strong, but don't let 2005 pass without hearing this song. I can't remember the last time I heard something that got into my head (and everywhere else) so much.
Your turn.
Song of the Year
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Otis Westinghouse
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Song of the Year
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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Who Shot Sam?
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Otis Westinghouse
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Who Shot Sam?
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Great thread.
OK, here goes. I'll pick four.
Sufjan Stevens - "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."
My favorite song from the excellent Illinois, about the man who was perhaps America's most notorious serial killer. It's a lot less baroque and over-the-top than some of the grander, more ambitious tunes on the album. The amazing thing to me about it is the combination of horror and compassion - that he is able to grapple with something so horrific and do it so beautifully just impresses me no end. The "Oh my God" sends a shiver down my spine when I hear it.
His father was a drinker
And his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's T-shirts
When the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things
Rotting fast in their sleep of the dead
Twenty-seven people, even more
They were boys with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a sleight of his hand
Running far, running fast to the dead
He took of all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips
Quiet hands, quiet kiss
On the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floorboards
For the secrets I have hid
Eels - "In The Yard, Behind The Church"
I probably could have chosen two or three songs from this album. There is something so beautifully nostalgic and poetic about the song, and it builds to such a terrific crescendo. A song about letting go and losing oneself completely.
In the yard, behind the church where
Butterflies and blackbirds search for
A safe place to rest the night away
We will go down to the brook and
Sit upon the overlook then
Forget about the troubles of the day
We will walk among the graves of
Men long dead with presidents' names and
Listen to the water flow softly by
I will kiss you on the lips now
And as the sky grows dark we'll strip down
And let the water wash away all lies
In the yard, behind the church where
Butterflies and blackbirds perch on
Gray stones as the garden's growing dim
We will lay down on the ground and
Put our cheeks against the dirt down
Where it no longer matters
Where you've been
Richard Hawley - "The Ocean"
A grand, sweeping song that starts so gently and builds to such a great emotional climax. I suppose the whole water/cleansing notion is a little tired and the lyrics don't read like much, but in its plainspoken eloquence this song still knocks my socks off.
You lead me down to the ocean
So lead me down by the ocean
You know its been a long time,
You always leave me tongue tied
And all this time's for us
I love you just because
You lead me down to the ocean
The world is fine by the ocean
You know this time's for real
It helps the heart to heal
You know it breaks the seal of the talisman that harms
And so you look at me and need
The space that means as much to me
So lead me down to the ocean
Our world is fine by the ocean
You know the way it is in life, it's so hard to live up to
So why are you still dressed in your mourning suit
I assume, I assume
You'll lead me down to the ocean
Don't leave me down by the ocean
The ocean
Here comes the wave
Here comes the wave
Here comes the wave down by the ocean
The ocean (repeat to fade)
Sigur Ròs - "Glósóli"
No point in posting the lyrics. Again, a song that sort of builds from nothing to an amazing, crashing, dissonant crescendo. Great music for a long drive alone in the car. My favorite video of the year as well.
OK, here goes. I'll pick four.
Sufjan Stevens - "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."
My favorite song from the excellent Illinois, about the man who was perhaps America's most notorious serial killer. It's a lot less baroque and over-the-top than some of the grander, more ambitious tunes on the album. The amazing thing to me about it is the combination of horror and compassion - that he is able to grapple with something so horrific and do it so beautifully just impresses me no end. The "Oh my God" sends a shiver down my spine when I hear it.
His father was a drinker
And his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's T-shirts
When the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things
Rotting fast in their sleep of the dead
Twenty-seven people, even more
They were boys with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a sleight of his hand
Running far, running fast to the dead
He took of all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips
Quiet hands, quiet kiss
On the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floorboards
For the secrets I have hid
Eels - "In The Yard, Behind The Church"
I probably could have chosen two or three songs from this album. There is something so beautifully nostalgic and poetic about the song, and it builds to such a terrific crescendo. A song about letting go and losing oneself completely.
In the yard, behind the church where
Butterflies and blackbirds search for
A safe place to rest the night away
We will go down to the brook and
Sit upon the overlook then
Forget about the troubles of the day
We will walk among the graves of
Men long dead with presidents' names and
Listen to the water flow softly by
I will kiss you on the lips now
And as the sky grows dark we'll strip down
And let the water wash away all lies
In the yard, behind the church where
Butterflies and blackbirds perch on
Gray stones as the garden's growing dim
We will lay down on the ground and
Put our cheeks against the dirt down
Where it no longer matters
Where you've been
Richard Hawley - "The Ocean"
A grand, sweeping song that starts so gently and builds to such a great emotional climax. I suppose the whole water/cleansing notion is a little tired and the lyrics don't read like much, but in its plainspoken eloquence this song still knocks my socks off.
You lead me down to the ocean
So lead me down by the ocean
You know its been a long time,
You always leave me tongue tied
And all this time's for us
I love you just because
You lead me down to the ocean
The world is fine by the ocean
You know this time's for real
It helps the heart to heal
You know it breaks the seal of the talisman that harms
And so you look at me and need
The space that means as much to me
So lead me down to the ocean
Our world is fine by the ocean
You know the way it is in life, it's so hard to live up to
So why are you still dressed in your mourning suit
I assume, I assume
You'll lead me down to the ocean
Don't leave me down by the ocean
The ocean
Here comes the wave
Here comes the wave
Here comes the wave down by the ocean
The ocean (repeat to fade)
Sigur Ròs - "Glósóli"
No point in posting the lyrics. Again, a song that sort of builds from nothing to an amazing, crashing, dissonant crescendo. Great music for a long drive alone in the car. My favorite video of the year as well.
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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Otis Westinghouse
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I'd say so.
WSS: Word magazine obviously is in line with your taste, as the Sufjan and Hawley songs they've put on their sample CDs are the very same as your choices, and I suspect the Sigur Ros may be too. In which case, I have all these in the house. They're all good. I suspect you ain't explored Elbow - now's the time!
WSS: Word magazine obviously is in line with your taste, as the Sufjan and Hawley songs they've put on their sample CDs are the very same as your choices, and I suspect the Sigur Ros may be too. In which case, I have all these in the house. They're all good. I suspect you ain't explored Elbow - now's the time!
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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selfmademug
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Who Shot Sam?
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I'll have to explore a subscription to Word. I wonder if it's possible to find it on the newsstands in New York. I'll have to check out that Elbow disc too. As I mentioned, I'm trying to cut back on my purchases in anticipation of Christmas, so it may have to wait a while.Otis Westinghouse wrote:I'd say so.
WSS: Word magazine obviously is in line with your taste, as the Sufjan and Hawley songs they've put on their sample CDs are the very same as your choices, and I suspect the Sigur Ros may be too. In which case, I have all these in the house. They're all good. I suspect you ain't explored Elbow - now's the time!
Chrille, I've never seen Sigur Ròs live, and I can understand why you may find it difficult to sit through an entire CD of their music. Having said that, Takk..., their newest album, is really glorious and the perfect thing for a long trip when you can be free from distractions. The songs are also slightly shorter (for the most part) and more varied in tone than on their previous disc.
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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selfmademug
I can get it here in Boston, so I'm sure you can. I get it at local chain Newbury Comix, but they've been having trouble with distribution so I started looking elsewhere, and I recently found it at Tower Records, of all godforsaken places. However they keep the issues up a loooong time (which I guess is the only way they can afford to carry it).Who Shot Sam? wrote: I wonder if it's possible to find it on the newsstands in New York.
The subscription to the US is about 65 BPS, which is no bargain given that buying those same 12 issues here would cost $120. At ten bucks a pop, with a CD you'll actually listen to and enjoy, it's a bargain. Oh and it's great fun to read!
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Who Shot Sam?
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1. Hymn for Her - The Magic Numbers
- easily song of the year for me, and probably for many more years too. I find it almost unbearably, intensely moving.
2. Play The Hits - Hal
- manages to channel the Raspberries, the Beach Boys and Badfinger all at once so is automatically runner up.
- easily song of the year for me, and probably for many more years too. I find it almost unbearably, intensely moving.
2. Play The Hits - Hal
- manages to channel the Raspberries, the Beach Boys and Badfinger all at once so is automatically runner up.
Last edited by Mike Boom on Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
My song of the year is by cranky old Van the Man. Smack in the middle of Magic Time, a record that I am not too impressed by, is this beautiful song, in my opinion his best in a long time. The lyric does not do it justice. His singing, and the gorgeous melody, combined with a moving fade creates a memorable song. It's a song that a 60 year old can write and sing.
THE LION THIS TIME
The lion this time again
He’s in the circus in a cage
He’s trying to break out of the frame
The lion this time
He hears that same old sad refrain
But they can’t hold him with no chain
And they just can’t denounce his claim
The lion again
And he’s trying to get free
He knows that something’s bothering me
That I’m not too blind to see
The lion again
Oh, the love that’s in his soul
Is trying to get out you know
If only you could hear it roar
The lion again this time
They couldn’t take away his throne
He knows that he must stand alone
If need be, have a heart of stone
The lion again
The lion this time again
He’s in the circus in a cage
No wonder that he’s in a rage
The lion again
And he’s trying to get free
And he knows that something’s bothering me
Oh, but I’m not too blind to see
The lion this time
The longing that’s in his soul
Is trying to get out you know
Only you could hear it roar
For the lion this time
They couldn’t take away his throne
He knows that he must stand alone
If need be have a heart of stone
The lion again
The lion again this time
He’s in the circus in a cage
No wonder that he’s in a rage
The lion this time
The lion this time again
He’s in the circus in a cage
No wonder that he’s not the same
The lion again
The lion this time, the lion this time
The lion this time, the lion this time
The lion this time, the lion this time
The lion this time, the lion this time
My second song of the year is by Pedro Luis Ferrer, a cuban songwriter I have touted here before and it's called "Fundamento". It's a unique blend of cuban and south american dance rhytms, coupled to lyrics that courageously (for someone recording in Cuba) address the country's political situation.
THE LION THIS TIME
The lion this time again
He’s in the circus in a cage
He’s trying to break out of the frame
The lion this time
He hears that same old sad refrain
But they can’t hold him with no chain
And they just can’t denounce his claim
The lion again
And he’s trying to get free
He knows that something’s bothering me
That I’m not too blind to see
The lion again
Oh, the love that’s in his soul
Is trying to get out you know
If only you could hear it roar
The lion again this time
They couldn’t take away his throne
He knows that he must stand alone
If need be, have a heart of stone
The lion again
The lion this time again
He’s in the circus in a cage
No wonder that he’s in a rage
The lion again
And he’s trying to get free
And he knows that something’s bothering me
Oh, but I’m not too blind to see
The lion this time
The longing that’s in his soul
Is trying to get out you know
Only you could hear it roar
For the lion this time
They couldn’t take away his throne
He knows that he must stand alone
If need be have a heart of stone
The lion again
The lion again this time
He’s in the circus in a cage
No wonder that he’s in a rage
The lion this time
The lion this time again
He’s in the circus in a cage
No wonder that he’s not the same
The lion again
The lion this time, the lion this time
The lion this time, the lion this time
The lion this time, the lion this time
The lion this time, the lion this time
My second song of the year is by Pedro Luis Ferrer, a cuban songwriter I have touted here before and it's called "Fundamento". It's a unique blend of cuban and south american dance rhytms, coupled to lyrics that courageously (for someone recording in Cuba) address the country's political situation.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Cool stuff. Will check these out, especially the Van song. How I would love to hear a new Van song I wanted to play again several times. The immediate association here is 'Listen To The Lion', which, I guess, is why Van says 'again'. It's nice to see a lyric by him that doesn't involve slagging off the music business and being misunderstood, at least not in a direct way!
Mike: will have to listen to that more closely. I started off playing it a bit, but got sidetracked by Elbow...
Mike: will have to listen to that more closely. I started off playing it a bit, but got sidetracked by Elbow...
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Well, there are still two more months of albums to be released, but so far my favourites include:
"Here Comes The Sun Again" - M. Ward
"Decatur" - Sufjan Stevens
"Carolina" - Josh Rouse
"My Man Is A Mean Man" - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
"Extraordinary Machine" - Fiona Apple
"Walter Reed" - Michael Penn
"Jenny Wren" - Paul McCartney
"She Really Wants You" - Aimee Mann
"Sleep To Dream" - Bettye LaVette
"A Nervous Tick Motion Of The Head To The Left - Andrew Bird
alright, that's too many...
"Here Comes The Sun Again" - M. Ward
"Decatur" - Sufjan Stevens
"Carolina" - Josh Rouse
"My Man Is A Mean Man" - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
"Extraordinary Machine" - Fiona Apple
"Walter Reed" - Michael Penn
"Jenny Wren" - Paul McCartney
"She Really Wants You" - Aimee Mann
"Sleep To Dream" - Bettye LaVette
"A Nervous Tick Motion Of The Head To The Left - Andrew Bird
alright, that's too many...
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
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Bad Ambassador
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Techincally, it's 'The Word' now. Apparently this is because everyone was calling it 'The Word' so they thought they'd jump in line.Otis Westinghouse wrote:
WSS: Word magazine obviously is in line with your taste, as the Sufjan and Hawley songs they've put on their sample CDs are the very same as your choices, and I suspect the Sigur Ros may be too. In which case, I have all these in the house. They're all good. I suspect you ain't explored Elbow - now's the time!
Next week will see the relaunch of 'NME' as 'Shite'.
Anyhoo, said records also received very favourable reviews from said magazine. It's often bang on the money.
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noiseradio
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I echo the Sufjan Stevens songs mentioned. That's my favorite album of the year so far.
I also highly recommend "No Good Here" by Tim Fite. Best thing I've heard besides Sufjan Stevens.
I also highly recommend "No Good Here" by Tim Fite. Best thing I've heard besides Sufjan Stevens.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
--William Shakespeare
--William Shakespeare
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Otis Westinghouse
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noiseradio
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Tim Fite is a recording artist in New York who builds the musical tracks for his songs from samples of bargain bin band CDs he buys for a dollar a piece. He reconstructs the nonvocal parts into a new thing, fleshes them out with new instrumentation and adds his vocals. Even though the technioque is usually associated with ip hop, most of the songs are more like alt.country, Woody Guthrie-esque protest music, depression era country, blues and rock. Sometimes there are moments of punk and even hip hop, but every style is so effortlessly blended that it just sounds like Tim Fite, which is why I think I like it so much. It works best as a whole record, but "No Good Here" is a standout track. A rocker with start/stop guitars and a pounding rhythm, and the middle eight is a streetcorner freestyle delivered with a southern rock drawl. It's so very good. And it stays in my head all damn day.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
--William Shakespeare
--William Shakespeare
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Who Shot Sam?
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Re: Song of the Year
Funny, I'm listening again to Elbow's Cast Of Thousands and can't help but pick out all of the Gabriel touches - that bit of screeching dissonance in "Snooks (Progress Report)", for example. His voice and delivery and remarkably similar to Gabriel's, which is a good thing in my book. When I saw PG and his band a few years ago at Madison Square Garden, I was impressed by what terrific singer he is, in his own way. "Here Comes The Flood", the final encore, was really breathtaking.Otis Westinghouse wrote:Gus Garvey (who's sounding more like Peter Gabriel with every record, it seems)
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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Otis Westinghouse
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I guarantee you'll be struck even more when you here the mighty Leaders Of.
Thanks for Fite notes, Noise. Sounds dead interesting. Will have to check him out.
A song that really impressed me this year was Joseph Arthur's 'Wasted' (from new LP 'Our Shadows Will Remain'), again on a The Word comp. Very nice production with quite an original feel about it, and I liked the high-pitched vocals a lot. I know nothing about him, but another of his, In The Sun, was on an Uncut compilation of 20 songs chosen by REM a year or two back, which was a really nice CD, but a more standard type song, not wth the distinguishing features of 'Wasted', which I kept wanting to hear again. Anyone know this new LP?
Thanks for Fite notes, Noise. Sounds dead interesting. Will have to check him out.
A song that really impressed me this year was Joseph Arthur's 'Wasted' (from new LP 'Our Shadows Will Remain'), again on a The Word comp. Very nice production with quite an original feel about it, and I liked the high-pitched vocals a lot. I know nothing about him, but another of his, In The Sun, was on an Uncut compilation of 20 songs chosen by REM a year or two back, which was a really nice CD, but a more standard type song, not wth the distinguishing features of 'Wasted', which I kept wanting to hear again. Anyone know this new LP?
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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invisible Pole
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The Clientele - My Own Face Inside The Trees
A lovely song mixing late 60's dreamy tunes with touches of guitar pop from the likes of The Go-Betweens. I haven't heard their new album but this little gem sure makes me want to own it.
A lovely song mixing late 60's dreamy tunes with touches of guitar pop from the likes of The Go-Betweens. I haven't heard their new album but this little gem sure makes me want to own it.
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Then you don't know what you've missed
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Who Shot Sam?
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Great album, as I posted on another thread. Lots of reverb-y guitars, '60s psychedelia influences. "I Can't Seem To Make You Mine" is top-notch. By all means get it.invisible Pole wrote:The Clientele - My Own Face Inside The Trees
A lovely song mixing late 60's dreamy tunes with touches of guitar pop from the likes of The Go-Betweens. I haven't heard their new album but this little gem sure makes me want to own it.
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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Who Shot Sam?
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I was listening again this evening to Richmond Fontaine's stunning new disc, The Fitzgerald, and would have to add "Welhorn Yards" to my list (hey - I did say I wouldn't want to do without four or five!). The album is a series of stark, desperate portraits of people living on the fringe of society and haunted by ghosts, set in and around Reno.
RF's singer, Willy Vlautin, has a broken, vulnerable quality in his voice that suits these songs so perfectly. Incredibly moving music that deserves to be heard by more people - one person I know who's a big RF fan says they have trouble drawing 50-60 people at their gigs here in the States. That's criminal.
I saw the yobs and D.O.A. but I couldn't go home
So I went down to the yards and I sat by the concrete wall
And the wind picked up and I fell asleep on the dirt and gravel
At the Welhorn Yards
Harry shook me awake as the winds howled above us and
It nearly scared me to death
From a distant street light I saw the cut on his face and his
Blood soaked shirt
"Everything went wrong," he cried. "I lost the money and I think
J.P. is gone. He was just laying on the floor when I ran for the door."
At the Welhorn Yards, that night at the Welhorn Yards
Harry smoked cigarettes as the wind flurried above us
I gave him all the money I had and I gave him my ID and coat and
Watched him disappear down the road
I sat back down and fell into the uneasiest of sleeps
The worst nightmares of sleeps
Where a madman came after me
His hair on fire and his eyes were bleeding
And he said he was gonna kill me
RF's singer, Willy Vlautin, has a broken, vulnerable quality in his voice that suits these songs so perfectly. Incredibly moving music that deserves to be heard by more people - one person I know who's a big RF fan says they have trouble drawing 50-60 people at their gigs here in the States. That's criminal.
I saw the yobs and D.O.A. but I couldn't go home
So I went down to the yards and I sat by the concrete wall
And the wind picked up and I fell asleep on the dirt and gravel
At the Welhorn Yards
Harry shook me awake as the winds howled above us and
It nearly scared me to death
From a distant street light I saw the cut on his face and his
Blood soaked shirt
"Everything went wrong," he cried. "I lost the money and I think
J.P. is gone. He was just laying on the floor when I ran for the door."
At the Welhorn Yards, that night at the Welhorn Yards
Harry smoked cigarettes as the wind flurried above us
I gave him all the money I had and I gave him my ID and coat and
Watched him disappear down the road
I sat back down and fell into the uneasiest of sleeps
The worst nightmares of sleeps
Where a madman came after me
His hair on fire and his eyes were bleeding
And he said he was gonna kill me
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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mood swung
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- Location: out looking for my tribe
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John Prine did a version of this on Fair & Square that is just as close to perfection as he can get with somebody else's song.
Clay Pigeons
© Blaze Foley (a.k.a. Michael David Fuller) 1989*
I'm goin' down to the Greyhound Station, gonna get a ticket to ride
Gonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her side
Ride 'til the sun comes up and down around me 'bout two or three times
Smokin' cigarettes in the last seat
Tryin' to hide my sorrow from the people I meet
and get along with it all
Go down where the people say "y'all"
Sing a song with a friend
Change the shape that I'm in,
And get back in the game,
And start playin' again
I'd like to stay but I might have to go to start over again
Might go back down to Texas, might go to somewhere that I've never been
And get up in the mornin' and go out at night
and I won't have to go home
Get used to bein' alone
Change the words to this song
Start singin' again
I'm tired of runnin' 'round lookin' for answers to questions that I already know
I could build me a castle of memories just to have somewhere to go
Count the days and the nights that it takes to get back in the saddle again
Feed the pigeons some clay
Turn the night into day
Start talkin' again, when I know what to say
I'm goin' down to the Greyhound Station, gonna get a ticket to ride
Gonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her side
Ride 'til the sun comes up and down around me 'bout two or three times
Smokin' cigarettes in the last seat
Tryin' to hide my sorrow from the people I meet
And get along with it all
Go down where the people say "y'all"
Feed the pigeons some clay
Turn the night into day
Start talkin' again
When I know what to say
beats the shit out of anything Burt Bacharach did this year.
*F&S is 2005, purists.
Clay Pigeons
© Blaze Foley (a.k.a. Michael David Fuller) 1989*
I'm goin' down to the Greyhound Station, gonna get a ticket to ride
Gonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her side
Ride 'til the sun comes up and down around me 'bout two or three times
Smokin' cigarettes in the last seat
Tryin' to hide my sorrow from the people I meet
and get along with it all
Go down where the people say "y'all"
Sing a song with a friend
Change the shape that I'm in,
And get back in the game,
And start playin' again
I'd like to stay but I might have to go to start over again
Might go back down to Texas, might go to somewhere that I've never been
And get up in the mornin' and go out at night
and I won't have to go home
Get used to bein' alone
Change the words to this song
Start singin' again
I'm tired of runnin' 'round lookin' for answers to questions that I already know
I could build me a castle of memories just to have somewhere to go
Count the days and the nights that it takes to get back in the saddle again
Feed the pigeons some clay
Turn the night into day
Start talkin' again, when I know what to say
I'm goin' down to the Greyhound Station, gonna get a ticket to ride
Gonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her side
Ride 'til the sun comes up and down around me 'bout two or three times
Smokin' cigarettes in the last seat
Tryin' to hide my sorrow from the people I meet
And get along with it all
Go down where the people say "y'all"
Feed the pigeons some clay
Turn the night into day
Start talkin' again
When I know what to say
beats the shit out of anything Burt Bacharach did this year.
*F&S is 2005, purists.
Like me, the "g" is silent.
-
guidedbyvoices
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:14 pm
- Location: back to saturn x
I have to concur with Sufjan's John Wayne Gacy. I haven't thought about a song so much since Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane (the entire CD). It's kind of a chicken or the egg argument, but at times it makes me sad that such a monster results in such a beautiful song. Gacy doesn't deserve it. But the song is absolutely chilling and beautiful. The rest of the CD is pretty strong too, maybe a bit long, but in my top 5 of the year for sure.
My other 2 favorite songs of the year:
Sleater Kinney - The Jumpers
Decemberists - The Mariner's Revenge Song (it's like The Godfather II but with a whale!)
My other 2 favorite songs of the year:
Sleater Kinney - The Jumpers
Decemberists - The Mariner's Revenge Song (it's like The Godfather II but with a whale!)
we have powerlines in our bloodlines