1. |
Mountain Boy
03:10
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Spoke my first word when I was five
One simple word at the end of year five
Glad to be alive, I said “hi”
to the mountainside
That big old mountainside
My folks said I was stupid
but they loved me anyways
Seven’s when I spoke again
You could find me asking my only friend
“where do you end
and do you have a place to hide
on your big old mountainside?”
My folks said I was stupid
but they’d keep me on anyways
And then I was put to work
Bad, hard, dirty, filthy work
on the farm
Breaking necks, slitting throats
Day in and out, that’s all she wrote
It seemed kind of stupid
I hoped I was still loved
This country loves a mountian boy
and the good lord loves this country...
And then I went ‘round the world
All the way to the other side of the world
to the fight
To break some necks, slit some throats
Hour in and out, that’s all she wrote
It seemed kind of stupid
I hoped I would get through
This country loves a mountian boy
and the good lord loves this country too
Oh, the bombs bursting in air
Oh, and the rocket’s red glare
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2. |
Little Ones
01:52
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The little ones
running in the grass
summer daylight’s long
but still will pass
stepping off a higher rung
not reached an hour ago
play by ear what was sung
when there was still so much to know
much more than I could have ever believed so
He’s a daydreamer
restless at night as well
always in his own head
you can tell
he means the world to me, little girl
accompany through fields of green
up the stoney mountain road
over the flooded stream
help him in his doubts, sad feelings and bad dreams
She has a charm
always on display
her radiance shines
as bright as day
she means the world to me, little boy
keep her well in your sight
for the cruel and most cunning
would shoot down a dove in flight
and dreamers like us are keepers of the light
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3. |
Colorful Character
02:32
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Colorful character
winged angel on one shoulder
his pitch-forked rival, all up tight
wants some fun, wants to fight
wants to drop the anvil, the barbell,
the piano down on me
You can hit the room with TNT
I’ve strewn the lawn with garden tools
So somewhere in our daily chase
you might catch it in the face
rake in the noggin’,
more than you bargained from little old me
yes, indeed!
Well, you tried to swallow me whole
then cut me into little bits
and I took all that on and more
won’t be too scared by what’s in store
not fifty story drops,
nor guillotines meant to lop pretty heads, like mine
Your enemy has joined my side
can’t you feel the turning of the tide?
and he’s finished chewing on his bone
looks to get you all alone
better play dead, that’s what I said
better to play dead than to be
yes indeed!
There are likeable bad guys
underdogs in the undercard
no matter if you think I am
neither one, just understand
in the end, all your friends will have to send for the ambulance
..here it comes..
Colorful character
shrugged the angel off my shoulder
and his pitch-forked rival wants to fight
wants to scream, kick, and bite
wants to drop the anvil, the barbell,
the piano, the A-bomb down on you
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4. |
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Does anybody here speak my language
Can anybody here translate for me
I’m getting by on inflections
mere facial expressions
getting by on simple eye contact and a nod
Can anybody here translate for me
Does anybody here speak my language
For the girl at the counter
she sells wam breads and chocolates
pours cold drinks
and I’m thirsty and I haven’t eaten
Does anybody here know the way to go
I thought I knew, now I don’t know
and I’m lost in my direction
and I’m walking the city alone
and will you make the correction and send me on home
send me on my way back home
if you know the way to go
Does anybody here speak my language
Can anybody here translate for me
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5. |
Man Overboard
02:02
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If there was stillness in the air
I can’t remember when or where
I’m a poor sailor adrift on the sea
How to get free is a mystery
That lost city of gold
will call on me ‘til I’m old
Has called on me since the day I was born
Leaving the ship tattered and worn
tattered and worn like
all poor sailors adrift on the sea
never again to live happily
until the captain sings or the crew rings out “land ho!”
land ho...
And if the waves overcome
and my sailing days are done
please say I met the storm and was brave
even though fear brought me to my grave
Bring peace to my wife
hit the drums. whistle the fife
land lovers who wait on the shore
ploughing the fields and minding the store
forever more
I’m bound to be adrift on the sea
never again to sing merrily
is that call I hear about me
“man overboard”
man overboard
And if there’s been a better time
to have a mate throw a line
that’s not a bet I think I would make
the ocean is filled with eels and snakes
all electrical
living lives to the fullest
watching for chaos among the ranks
and activity near the plank
and giving thanks
for all poor sailors adrift on the sea
never again to live happily
the captain won’t sing, and the crew won’t ring out “land ho”!
they’re all overboard
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6. |
Rabid Dog
03:45
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Does it matter that he was the best tracking hound
finest blood found, neither too fierce nor thin
all wild nature scattered at the thundering sound
to be lost to the ground or hung in the wind
Got no tears in my eyes
got no quivering lip, you see
someone’s got to take on that responsibility
Gotta put down that mean, crazy, rabid dog
His confused and mistaken actions fade into gray
and that kind of mind can be blind and deadly wrong
when you’re finally awakened, indentified as his prey
you will not get away, no matter how strong you are
it’s a source of aggression and foaming at the chops
still, thoughtlessly, many offer their hand
without one question, without shouting out “stop”
whatever long standing loyalty demands
and another is taken, lowered into their grave
who will be brave when the devil’s within sight
that page is unwritten, I don’t know how I will behave
when he comes at me at full speed, looking to bite
Wipe the tears from my eyes
bite that quivering lip and get
myself to get use to it
Gotta put down that mean, crazy, rabid dog
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7. |
Impossible
04:35
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What called me falls on me at once
ambitions that visit in dreams
jumps on my chest, weighs down my limbs
asphyxiating
screams for punishment, screams like in pain
“your deceptions are making you weak
and you know that the truth is, it’s all your fault,
you horrible terrible freak”
I reply with struggle, I struggle now
Try to call out “I’ll struggle for life”
“Impossible” a voice cries, “you may triumph tonight
but how will you when you die?
For when you come upon that place
you will not shake yourself awake
and you’ll know there is nothingness
or perhaps something more or less
and you’ll know it is deserved
that you can’t turn back to mend or retract
any lines that really weren’t true
or cut at a heart, tore all good things apart
that once were whole and new
You may try to grasp, let go, or to swim
may try outwards or even within
"Impossible..." I’ll whisper, nearly absent of sound
Impossible....
Impossible...
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8. |
Love Wasted Here
03:23
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Should have told me my love was wasted here
I could have walked right out the door
put all my possesions on a little flatboat
and paddled all the way to a far eastern shore
without a sail or navigation
I’d ride the waves over darkness below
spend my life in the ocean
not giving in to the undertow
Should have told me my love was wasted here
I could have not gone too soon
could have filled this old vehicle with rocket fuel
and held my breath on the way to the moon
could have planted when I got there
so the satellite could be green
and the whole wide world would look up in wonder
amazed by what they had not seen before
Should have told me my love was wasted here
that’s just no way to treat love
could have climbed that ladder all the way up to heaven
my tears could fall from above
and my tears could fill the ocean
and give life to the plants on the moon
and everyone on their journey
would know that they would be arriving soon
Should have told me my love was wasted here
that would have been the kindly thing to do
and if you and me were supposed to be
you know that one day I’d run into you
while orbitting through the big sky
or walking barefoot in the sand
or window shopping down on Main
not buying, just looking, empty handed
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9. |
A Song To Treat Me Well
03:24
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Everyone rolls down to the sea
I sit by my window and bide my time
Everybody's got someone there with them
They roughhouse and laugh
and loudly go past
Everyone holding balloons
and letting them go
and how they climb
Everybody at the cool summer fair
looks skywards and shares
in a happy rhyme
And their song treats me well
I may join with them, you can never tell
what I'm likely to do
when it comes over me
then the fussing and fighting
and bumps in the night
that trouble, bring worry
and never take flight
will have no choice but to fly off
and leave me alone
Everyone swims in the bay
I glance outside to the rolling tide
Everybody splashes and plays
in this beautiful day
that is open wide
unlike the door to this room
Another chance may come by soon
Then everybody will say "where ya been
our long lost friend
good to see you again
And their laughter will treat me well
I may join with them, you can never tell
what I'm likely to do
when it comes over me
then the fussing and fighting
and bumps in the night
that trouble, bring worry
and never take flight
will have no choice but to fly off
and leave me alone
Each of you, everyone
I missed out on what we might have done
Everybody, Everyone
the time has come
the time has come
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10. |
The Swing
03:03
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Always sing from your swing
for you’re up more than you’re down
overlooking our home town
from a place up on the hill
kick your legs for the thrill
throw your head back, feel the air
and, perhaps, forget where you are
in pure daylight made of gold
and I was feeling just a little too old
showed on my face, so I was told
but I became younger, true,
standing back, watching you
the edges were not as rough
how can I ever thank you enough?
Surprise coming soon
dishes, spoons, and cups for tea
all imaginary
but still must take the best of care
of these building blocks to share
stacked for the bluest skies to reach
as the swinging song we’ll teach
will fill the whole yard with a shout
and if you’re feeling just a little left out
know that will pass, without a doubt
I’ll lift you right over me
let you go free, joyfully singing
laughing in the bright setting sun
my first and darling one
you know before we ever met,
I was so low with those regrets
you know before you came around
I was so lost, could not be found
But now I just play along
high on your funny swinging song
and it’s beautiful
and that’s all I can say, except maybe this baby...
Hey, hey, hey
Oh my, my, my, my...
and if you can’t find the rhyme
go ahead and whistle now...
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Greg Mahan Cincinnati, Ohio
PERFORMING SONGWRITER, ALTERNATE TUNINGS,FINGER-PICKING, LYRICAL, FOUR TIME CINCINNATI ENTERTAINMENT AWARD NOMINEE, BUNBURY
/ MPMF / VIRGINIA AVE. FOLK FEST PERFORMER, SUPPORT ACT FOR PAUL THORN, ERIN MCKEOWN, PIERCE PETTIS, LAWRENCE JUBER, LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE, MORE...
"ELEGANT, GRACEFUL AND OFTEN POETIC AMERICANA MUSIC." - MIKE BREEN, CINCINNATI CITYBEAT
... more
Greg Mahan recommends:
opened and shut
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A pop COMPOSER, a la Van Dyke Parks or Brian Wilson or Lennon/McCartney.
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Me or the Moon
by Me or the Moon
Songs from a deeper well or a different atmosphere or something...
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of beast and bone
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Jordann Funk excels at eerie and hypnotic folk music, topping spidery guitar with creeping vocal melodies.
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Gorgeous fingerstyle guitar playing from this Portland, Oregon musician that captures the spirit of American Primitive in dazzling detail.
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Irish singer-songwriter Oisin Leech's acoustic folk music is characterized by its muted beauty and intimate, solitary quality.
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The haunting new record from Canadian folk artist Avi C. Engel bridges old and new traditions with a minimalist approach.
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