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Charleston

by Ben Fisher

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1.
Mason Jar 02:49
What's your name? I swear you came to me in a dream Wearing the brightest colors I'd ever seen I think I'll call you Mary And who's that boy? Shoveling snow in my grandmother's yard Drinking cider from a mason jar That's my father before me Don't rush spring It'll come when winter's done ruining things It's been cold but there are songs to sing And I've got someone to sing them with me And so we'll paint the town A different color the next time around When I can tell you about the glory I've found Yeah, but you'll only hear me laughing This is Saturday night In the mind of a man whose skin is too white After a winter without any light Dreaming of someone thinking of me
2.
If you'd done what you said you would do You'd be a paperback writer But you struck out lookin' Filled up with doubt So you set all your pages on fire And if papa hadn't listened to the traveling man He coulda packed up shop and retired But he's pushing eighty Works six days a week My old man's never looked so tired Remember that boy with his head in the clouds When her head would rest on his shoulder When she skipped away Not a tear in her eye It left him feeling fifteen years older There's a time for dreaming There's a time for doubt Always know which way you're leaning There's a time for dreaming There's a time for doubt Time and love, don't wear me out Time and love, don't wear me out Time and love, don't wear me out
3.
Do you still live on Magnolia Lane? Or have the lizards all run away They used to scurry up your red brick wall Drenched in the island sun It was a sticky sweet and sultry summer Striped shrimp boats went sliding on by They used to haul their catch from the ocean floor Fisherman sleep by the seagull's cry And I don't know Mary But if I did I'd tell her take a right at the light to the door She'd come out of that car Wearing a dress That I swear I'd seen before Well that beach frosted over For the first time in fifty years The wood of the shrimp boats rotted and peeled They tried to cast their nets to bring home dinner But all they dragged up was sand and shells and fear So do you still live on Magnolia Lane? Or have the roosters gone quiet for good And is Mary standing with a smile on her face In the spot where Magnolia once stood And I don't know Mary But if I did I'd tell her take a left at the light to the shore And drive her car Straight into the surf In those rags she always wore
4.
Hyde Park 02:23
There's a bird's eye view from the top of the Sears Tower And the Hancock Building is a jealous middle child And plastic bags float high, high above the loop And parrots cross the Illinois skies. And the chilly winds off Lake Michigan Will blow your feathers through the air again Loose ones fall into little girls' hands It's warmer far away from here Where the ice and snow won't be among your fears Florida sunshine is gold But the Windy City's home Turning tourists' heads A flash of green when they expected grey instead And shivering in nests high in the leafless trees And for those that live round Hyde Park They know your call in the mornings And your cry in the dark And they smile when they see you floating on the breeze And the chilly winds off Lake Michigan Will blow your feathers through the air again Loose ones fall into little girls' hands It's warmer far away from here Where the ice and snow won't be among your fears Florida sunshine is gold But the Windy City's home
5.
I've been listening to a lot of Guy Clark He's a little country, a little twang He's got a song called The Dublin Blues That sometimes I will play After I get home from dinner and drinks And things are moving slow And now I'm making a list of things I would tell you If you hadn't let me go And I've been reading Philip Roth He's got one hell of a pen You didn't like him the first time around But you ought to try him again Yeah, but all book pages are black and white And I'm feeling pretty grey And I'm making a list of things I would tell you If only you had stayed Oh, I'm walking slow by the mailbox Hoping for a word Oh, something like, "Darling I'm sorry, this ain't what you deserve" Now, I've been planting a few little flowers And I'm baking my own bread And I go running every morning To try and clear my head Yeah but the flowers froze And my bread won't rise And the running's just for show And I'm making a list of things I would tell you If you hadn't let me go I'm making a list of things I would tell you If you hadn't let me go
6.
Charleston 03:55
I've spent many nights in Charleston Where Spanish moss hangs from the trees My first son was born here And he doesn't want to leave But this house is full of failure And empty memories So pack up kid it's time to go There's so much you should see If you compare it to Alaska, Charleston is ancient If you compare it to Los Angeles, Charleston is bare If you compare it to your mother, Charleston's an angel But over the din of comparisons, Charleston's always been there Feels like I've spent More than twice my life here Cause time slides along so slow And I know you wish your mama Would come along with us But it's time to go, it's time to go If you compare it to Alaska, Charleston is ancient If you compare it to Los Angeles, Charleston is bare If you compare it to your mother, Charleston's an angel But over the din of comparisons, Charleston's always been there When someone asks us where we're from We'll always know the answer Cause home is something you don't just erase But I been feeling kinda rough And they say it might be cancer But I'm not going until I leave this place If you compare it to Alaska, Charleston is ancient If you compare it to Los Angeles, Charleston is bare If you compare it to your mother, Charleston's an angel But over the din of comparisons, Charleston's always been there
7.
Tell me oh tell me, tell me my son He is your brother What have you done O Grandson of the Pharaoh With all of your turquoise And all of your gold Moses clutched his staff in his fist Looking to Canaan The home he'd just missed He died on the mountain But left them a song Had no idea they'd hear it so wrong And the rare desert rains Fall on the land But they'll never get you To walk hand in hand Jonah didn't do time in the whale For you to blow each others' children to hell God promised Noah fire next time You keep it up and you're next in line Will a burning bush or a miracle night ride Get you at this point to change your mind Land's the same all cross the earth Frozen tundra or a virgin birth And the rare desert rains Fall on the land But they'll never get you To walk hand in hand And the rare desert rains Fall on the land But they'll never get you To walk hand in hand
8.
They buried Fred McDowell In a three piece silver suit And Bonnie bought the marker for the grave Picked cotton all his life And then he picked up the guitar So others could walk that road that he paved So keep your lamps trimmed and burning Keep your lamps trimmed and burning Keep your lamps trimmed and burning Some were born to wear the slide Like a ring forged for a king And some were born to sit for hours and play Wouldn't it be strange To turn on the radio To hear the Rolling Stones playing your songs You see, they bought that three piece suit As a token of their thanks For helping the blues carry on So keep your lamps trimmed and burning Keep your lamps trimmed and burning Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
9.
Where she leads me I do not know But it's fishing season and it's time to go Where the salmon jump and the waves are high Where threadbare clouds go rolling on by Cast your line in with mine And I don't know if it'll sink or float But if you never try it you’re gonna miss the boat And don't ask me what you'll pull out It could be an old tire or it could be a pretty rainbow trout Cast your line in with mine She's out there sailing and I am here on shore I could keep what I have or I could ask for more And you're gonna have to kill a worm or two And you can't be squeamish cause a fake one won't do Cast your line in with mine Being landlocked is no way to spend your days Land’s dry and dusty It's got no breaking waves So take your pole and meet me at the dock Where all the cormorants sleep and go to flock Where those fished before us fished for all their lives Fished for their dinners and fished to say goodbye Cast your line in with mine.
10.
Last Call 04:18
The day started slow Like so many others You had a smoke You woke your brother By noon you were gone With so many others They took you out They called your mother And though people are bringing flowers And candles to send you through the night It's just last call It's just last call It's just last call And maybe you're scared Cause you've never been there But you've got a hand To hold cross the way We've all gotta go We've all gotta follow Will you send signs Like snowstorms and sparrows And though people are bringing flowers And candles to send you through the night It's just last call It's just last call It's just last call And now they're moving round the block There's two fiddlers on the roof They're looking for an answer They're looking for some truth in all of this In all of this And though people are bringing flowers And candles to send you through the night It's just last call It's just last call It's just last call now.
11.
If you compare it to Alaska, Charleston is ancient If you compare it to Los Angeles, Charleston is bare If you compare it to your mother, Charleston's an angel But over the din of comparisons, Charleston's always been there

about

Produced by Noah Gundersen
Recorded and Mixed by Floyd Reitsma at Studio Litho
Mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI

credits

released February 4, 2014

Ben Fisher: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Wurlitzer
Noah Gundersen: Electric Guitar
John Roderick: Vocals
Gabriel Mintz: Vocals
Abby Gundersen: Violin, Cello, and Vocals
Andrew Butler: Organ
Micah Simler: Bass
Faustine Hudson: Drums
Steve Norman: Pedal Steel

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Ben Fisher Seattle, Washington

Does the Land Remember Me?

Damien Jurado-produced concept record about Israel/Palestine

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