1. |
The Game
02:17
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In the summer, bodies were glowin’
Me and you babe, the profits were growin’
Then I saw him
In the mirror of the crimson shack
Flashing his stupid grin
Right behind my stupid back
Well I guess we made it far enough
To cause some folks a little pain
Just don’t call it caught up in the game
Long before the tornadoes
And the crumbling schools
And the broken dreams
For following rules
So I made up my mind
And I made my own way
Selling sight to the blind
And time to the late
Well I guess we made it far enough
To cause some folks a little pain
Just don’t call it caught up in the game
The eagles and the overtures
Crystal caverns so insane
Just don’t call it caught up in the game
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2. |
American Pharoah
05:24
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I ain’t got time for a revolution
You earn a little gold, then it fades away
And I don’t know how I ended up at your house
I guess it doesn’t really matter much, anyway
Mama always said don’t you be reckless
Always save more than you spend
Everybody everywhere said we can grow forever
And in the end everyone would win
Now I’m free, as a parrot
Running my mouth from the confines of my room
Rich, as an American Pharoah
Living out my days scoring someone else’s loot
I had a little land in a lovely stretch of country
Toilin’ time’s all I’d ever known
Just closing deals for the bowties and the cameras
Til they ran into a little bit of trouble with some unpaid loans
Now I’m free, as a parrot
Running my mouth from the confines of my room
Rich, as an American Pharoah
Living out my days under someone else’s boot
It sure was a long road
Sure was a heavy load
I carried all my life for all of you
I’m done with running
I guess I’ll come clean
Is there any more I can do?
Free, as a parrot
Running my mouth from the confines of my room
Rich, as an American Pharoah
Living out my days under someone else’s boot
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3. |
Wind the Clock
04:12
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The herd has gathered for the offering
But there’s limited supply
Some are racing for the big sale
Some are straining for their lives
When all these machinations
March us towards our worst
Turn dreamers into doubters
Questioning our worth
Who will be the last of us just trampled in the dirt?
We wind the clock, for curiosity
We wind the clock, in solidarity
We wind the clock, if you wanna get close to me
Tramps and traitors to some tragic tribe
All we’ll ever be
Check your privilege, better earn your pride
No one’s getting out alive
When all these machinations
March us towards our worst
Turn dreamers into doubters
Questioning our worth
Who will be the last of us just dying to be heard?
We wind the clock, for curiosity
We wind the clock, in solidarity
We wind the clock, if you wanna get close to me
We’ll build a palace out of blood, stone, sweat and sand
And sit in silence ‘til the clouds retreat again
Will you take me by the hand?
Who will be the last of us just dying to be heard?
We wind the clock, for curiosity
We wind the clock, in solidarity (gotta get close to thee)
We wind the clock, if you wanna get close to me
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4. |
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The river turned red by the middle of March
And I wasn’t waiting for croaking to start
Or pestilence, locusts, or seas to part
Get ready, promised land, wherever you are
I brewed a fresh pot to plot our escape
We had to think fast, lest succumb to this fate
But nowhere seemed right, nowhere seemed safe
‘Til that little bird landed on my garden gate
She said, “Bennington, Burlington, Woodstock or bust
Fresh air for seasons, neighborly trust
Hit the road son, there’s no time to debate
The grass is really greener in the Green Mountain State”
I dreamt that night of a scorching sky
The birches turned black, the maples went dry
Both townies and transplants gave us the side-eye
Still sounds better than here, so let’s give it a try
And go Bennington, Burlington, Woodstock or bust
We’ll live off the grid, shake off the dust
So let’s hit the road, there’s no time to debate
Bennington, Burlington, Bernie or bust
To the gods of the hills I will render my trust
So I’m go’in to find out, before it’s too late
Is the grass really greener in the Green Mountain State?
Green Mountain State
Green Mountain State
Green Mountain State
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5. |
Just Rock & Roll
02:34
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It’s ringing in my head
Am I on the ground?
If I could feel my legs I’d stand up
And book it to another town
I reached for my car keys
Ignition was stalled
Must have been that biker with that
Shady looking pompadour
We gotta go
We gotta go
It’s just rock n’ roll
It’s just rock n’ roll
I could have cured cancer
Or stuck to my maths
But I had to bet my future on a
Killer set at Rockpalast
The lights won’t stop flashing (The lights won’t stop flashing)
They’ve opened the doors (They’ve opened the doors)
Passersby assembling start to
Sing along here comes the chorus
We gotta go
We gotta go
It’s just rock n’ roll
It’s just rock n’ roll
For a moment I was
Floating high above the scene (I was floatin’, baby I was floatin’)
A sea of hands were waiting
To carry and deliver me
We gotta go
We gotta go
It’s just rock n’ roll
It’s just rock n’ roll
We gotta go
We gotta go
It’s just rock n’ roll
It’s just rock n’ roll
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6. |
Killing the Bear
05:08
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I saw it running by the freeway
Sniffin’ round the yard
Ooh, I could feel it in my scars
So I rounded up a posse
Tracked it through the marsh
And I aimed my bow straight at its heart
Well we dragged it through the village
Had ourselves a feast
But I felt like it was eating me
Killing the bear
Was the best we could do
Followed our fear
Avoided the roots
And we can’t understand why we’re still scared to travel by the moon
Is it me? Is it you?
Well, we had a little respite
Some superficial peace
But I could never feel relief
Squinting through the twilight
A ruffling in the trees
Little son’s staring back at me
Killing the bear
Was the best we could do
Followed our fear
Avoided the roots
And we can’t understand why we’re still scared to travel by the moon
Is it me? Is it you?
They say it started near the trailhead
It only took a spark
And the pines fell like the royal guard
Yeah it was racing toward my back door
Devouring the bark
And I saw her march straight through the dark
Killing the bear
Was the best we could do
Followed our fear
Avoided the truth
And we can’t understand why we’re still scared to travel by the moon
Is it me? Is it you?
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7. |
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Livin’ on borrowed time
Unless we take back that line
Grab my hand little sister
Get primed for the show
My true heart is pumping, come on it’s time we go
Little fires baby
In my fingertips
I heard ghosts talking
When you parted your lips
Little fires burning
In little townships
I heard engines revving
Come on baby, shake your hips
Baby shake your hips
Meet ‘neath that Speedway sign
And find out who’s on our side
Don’t get the facts twisted
And don’t step out of line
I’ve been waiting for this moment, all of my goddamn life
Does this look like a party?
Does this look like a joke?
You think I wanted to be here?
Why don’t you step through the smoke
Little fires baby
In my fingertips
I heard ghosts talking
When you parted your lips
Little fires burning
In little townships
I heard engines revving
Come on baby, shake your hips
Baby shake your hips
Dancing ‘til eerie quiet
Mourning’s for steeling eyes
And checking your conscience
See where you’re at
We going back for one more round? Could be the last
Little fires baby
In my fingertips
I heard ghosts talking
When you parted your lips
Little fires burning
In little townships
I heard engines revving
Come on baby, shake your hips
Baby shake your hips
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8. |
Straight Through
03:01
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Hey baby girl
Is that blood on your skin?
Did it all fall apart?
Did you carry their sins?
Tomorrow we’ll go sifting through
The ashes and rain
Just searching for whatever we can claim
Do do Do do do do Do do Do do do do
Do do Do do do do Do do Do do do do
Lean on me sister
The moment’s arrived
There’s a thin line running through the city tonight
We’ll have to squeeze through the vice
There’s no getaway car
On 15th & Spruce
The only way out of the darkness is straight through
Do do Do do do do Do do Do do do do
Do do Do do do do Do do Do do do do
Feel alone in this world tonight
So alone, and so damn tired
Lying awake ‘neath the undertow
And I’m sinking slow
Do do Do do do do Running through the darkness
Do do Do do do do Got to find my way straight through
Do do Do do do do Searching for my courage
Do do Do do do do Got to find the way straight through
Oh Running through the darkness
Got to find the way straight through
Oh Searching for my courage
Got to find a way straight through
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9. |
Peacefully
04:51
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Kayla was born late in ‘84
Close to the Arkansas border
She could light up a room with a dance and tune
He’d say “one day you’ll be a performer”
Her father worked at the federal building
Til the day their worlds came tumbling down
Now she just sits here wondering
“If the lord above, is all power all love
Why bring us such misery?
So Dad if you’re fine, just give us a sign
And I’ll go on peacefully”
A tired platoon, Monday in June
Gathered to watch the proceedings
Anxiety and grief, anger, defeat
Multitudes of conflicted feelings
Someone gasped at his icy stare
Kayla was miles away from there
She drove into the morning sun
“You can grieve for them, you can cry for me
Light your candles faithfully
If you want
And I’ll just sit here pondering
If the past is never dead, as Faulkner once said
Why live in such misery
The river runs on, we’re never really gone
We float on peacefully”
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Brian K & The Parkway Washington, D.C.
DC-based coastal heartland rock from Brian K. Pagels, Stephen Russ & friends
Brian K & The Parkway recommends:
We are so excited to have Karen play our album release!
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Our good friends out of Boston, MA.
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One of our very favorite locals.
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the happiest man on earth
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