To my mother and father who told me that songs were
only for the birds.
And then taught me all the tunes I know
and a good deal of the words.
The neighbours all hate us, the picket-line breakers,
but you never so much as flinched
And the old man more than gave a hand,
but he never gave a inch.
Lost a limb to the timber, but its raised middle finger
says this house don’t back down
But sometimes I get a notion to jump in the river and drown
You blubber you love her ‘Let’s leave here. My brother
don’t need you like I do’
And all your thoughts of vengeance now seems hollow and askew
But she catches flashes of the man who once captured
her heart when she first saw him lay
bleeding and unconscious on he floor of her uncle’s jail.
Will these rains never cease?
Or your ever-growing list of enemies
First just the union, now your own family.
But the tides will always win eventually
In the river you shiver, you say you’ll deliver
the logs at the break of day
But the water’s nearly to your chin, and the night is on the way.
Under the lumber in the rising Wakonda you talk of yesteryear
The chainsaw cannot help you now,
and there ain’t no horses here
The current keeps pulling, you kiss your poor cousin,
you try your best not to laugh.
But the question’s not how strong you are,
it’s ‘Are you weak enough?’
And your heart’s just a fortress surrounded by waters
out on the western slope.
‘If you could just reach that pick-up truck’,
as the waves reach the radio.
You would if you could, but you know it ain’t good
that man should be alone
So ‘Walk the lines, and not the squares;
watch the doughnut, not the hole’
Will these rains never cease?
That chip on your shoulder makes them weak at the knees
You’ll know when it’s over if it was meant to be
But the tides will always win eventually
Marshmallows and berries, the twins on your belly,
tell me which side are you on
So walk the lines, and not the squares,
watch the doughnut, not the hole.
credits
from In Verse,
released September 15, 2010
Colm Hall: piano, vocals
Cynara Oliveira: vocals
Paul gaffney: bass guitar, rhythm guitar
Stephen Whelan: drums
Stirring Americana set to acoustic arrangements and topped by the legendary Alice Gerrard’s lovely, world-wise voice. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 23, 2023
”Seawheel Acoustic” delivers captivating melodies and heartfelt lyrics in songs that are equal parts soothing and enchanting. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 10, 2023
Tom Houston swings between heartfelt folk and quirky slice-of-life spoken word, augmented with electronics, on his latest LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 15, 2022
The debut album from Leeds-based artist Jake Whiskin is full of atmospheric Americana tinged with hard-hitting classic rock. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 10, 2022
Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert offer up a stunning minimalist country record, conjuring huge emotions with little more than vocals & guitar. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 13, 2022