Stoplight Moon

Posted on January 14, 2016 by kypharness
  1. All I Need 2. Stoplight Moon 3. Restaurant of Love 4. Old Hippie 5. Anniversary Song 6. I Hurt 7. Where the Spirit Resides 8. Still Learning 9. Growing Pain 10. Miss You When You Go

 

ALL I NEED

 

Well they came and shut me down

On a bright and sunny day

I was tryin’ to walk a tightrope

They took the tightrope away

 

So I turned up my collar and I turned to the East

And shook that dust right off my shoes

Funny when you take everything away from someone

They start actin’ like they got nothin’ to lose

 

All I need is your love

All I need is your love

All I need is your love

To get through

 

Never been in with the in crowd

Never knew what the special code was for

I never got the secret handshake

Never got in on the ground floor

 

All I need is your love

All I need is your love

All I need is your love

To know what for

 

Ain’t goin’ back down to the village

Ain’t nothin’ left there worth pursuin’

And anything that has to be done by today

Well, to me just ain’t worth doin’

 

Swarms of sparrows in the sunset

Swoopin’ and flyin’ through the sky

I could walk from here to forever

And never match what’s right before my eyes

 

All I need is your love

All I need is your love

All I need is your love

To get by

 

STOPLIGHT MOON

Stoplight moon above me

Come on over here and love me

I’ve been standing in the dark too long

With my blinkers goin’ off and on

And a stoplight moon above me

 

I’m as ready as I’ll ever be

You’re the one to set me free

No protocol to learn

Nothing to set on fire and burn

Leave it all behind, let it be

 

You took me on as a bet

I took you on to pay a debt

Took a lot of kickin’ around

A lot of thrashin’ around to sleep sound

But you never let me down yet

 

I wandered along from universe to universe

In search of a love that’s true

But somehow or other I never could find it

Till I saw that love could only be surrendered to

 

Caution light sun before me

The distance between us only bores me

Got to close it up someday

I could think of a couple of ways

If only you were here to show me

 

Stoplight moon above me

Come on over here and love me

I’ve been standing in the dark too long

With my blinkers goin’ off and on

And a stoplight moon above me

 

RESTAURANT OF LOVE

I’m goin’ down to the restaurant of love, gonna beat the rush

I’m goin’ down to the restaurant of love, gonna beat the rush

I’m gonna get there early so I don’t get caught in the crush

 

Gotta get me somethin’ I can sink my teeth into

Gotta get me somethin’ I can sink my teeth into

Look out now pretty mama, maybe it might could just be you

 

I’m gonna stride right in, no need to wait to be seated

I’m gonna stride right in, no need to wait to be seated

If I can’t sing for my supper well you know I know how to sit right down and eat it

 

I ain’t too hard to please, not high-falutin’ or airy-fairy

I ain’t too hard to please, not high-falutin’ or too airy-fairy

All I want is the whole menu and a maraschino cherry

 

Here comes the waitress with the bill, I won’t duck out before she comes

Here comes the waitress with the bill, I won’t duck out before she comes

Maybe we can come to an agreement where I can just owe her some

 

I’m goin’ down to the restaurant of love, gonna beat the rush

I’m goin’ down to the restaurant of love, gonna beat the rush

I’m gonna get there early so I don’t get caught in the crush

 

OLD HIPPIE

You’re an old hippie

And all your ideas are wrong

You’re an old hippie

You thought the meaning of life was in a Beatles song

Now your hair is fallin’ out

And you’ve grown rather stout

In your fanny pack and your tennis shoes

You don’t know what it’s all about

 

You’re an old hippie

And you still believe in peace

But only as an abstract concept

Meanwhile you got some property you wanna lease

You got your villa in the sun

You got your .38 calibre gun

‘Cause even in your gated community

Society is being overrun

 

Ever since 9/11 you’ve been lookin’ over your shoulder

When you should have been lookin’ right in front of you

 

You’re an old hippie

And the ranks are growing thinner

Of the ones who remember the good old days

The memories are growing dimmer

Soon you’ll be the only one

To remember all the joy and all the fun

Then, old hippie,

You’ll be gone

 

ANNIVERSARY SONG

What would I know?

What would I see?

Were would I go?

What would I be?

Without your love to show the way

There’d be no light, there’d be no day

 

How would I hope?

Where would I stand?

How would I cope?

Where would I land?

Without your love to see me through

I’d be lost without you

 

Take me to your heart

Take me to your breast

Let me know that I’m yours

Help me know that I’m blessed

Without your love to help me see

How would I know, how could I be?

 

Just your touch

Is all I need to know

To take me from this fear

To where I need to go

 

I HURT

Thinkin’ of my father, I felt that old familiar pain

Runnin’ through my body like a neverending stain

And though the years wash over me, they never seem to wash away the dirt

Or the voice from the past callin’ out to me –

I hurt, so I hurt

 

It comes most unexpectedly and soon I find myself givin’ into

The thing that makes me say the things he’d say,

do the things he’d do

Without thought of any consequence, it’s not the kind of darkness with which you should flirt

Even when the voice is screamin’ in your head:

I hurt, so I hurt

 

I’ve run out of excuses and I’ve plain run out of uses for this urge

‘Cause it’s not the kind of feeling you can heal it’s the kind you got to purge

As I look around and see a world that’s shattered and shaking on the verge

With one thought on everybody’s mind,

I hurt, so I hurt

 

Another day begins, to my loved ones I try to make amends

For all the things I thought I’d never do, yet still can’t say I’ll never do again

Everyday I get another chance, and I try to stay alert

To the forces trying to trap me into

I hurt, so I hurt

 

The ghost that tries to sabotage our love

I hurt, so I hurt

 

WHERE THE SPIRIT RESIDES

It’s in the eyes of the mother lookin’ at her baby lookin’ back

It’s in the kisses of two lovers walking by a railroad tracks

It’s in the smile of the storekeeper makin’ up the lack

That’s where the spirit resides

 

It’s in the steps of the dancer dancin’ to an unheard tune

It’s in the young girl seein’ magic in the sprinkling of the moon

It’s in the voice that cries for justice, in the hand that tends the wound

That’s where the kingdom arrives

 

It’s in the petals of the rose, it’s in the muscled thigh

In the song in the throat of a bird, in icy deserts up on high

In the dreamy night of sorrow, and in the cry of why

That’s where the spirit resides

 

It’s in the one who asks forgiveness, in the one who offers it

In the last one to make trouble and in the first one to get hit

In the ones who reach across, absorb the loss, and never quit

That’s where the kingdom arrives

 

It’s in the calming voice of reason, it’s in the gentle hands

Of peace so hard to come by across these broken lands

It’s in the one whose thirst to know is equalled by the thirst to understand

That’s where the spirit resides

 

It’s in the ones who live a lifetime every single day

In the wonder of the innocent, in the ones who laugh and pray

And in the thousand unknown faces who save the world in a thousand unknown ways

That’s where the kingdom arrives

 

STILL LEARNING

We brought you home from the hospital in a brand new baby car seat

In a dirty old taxi cab that we hailed

Although it might as well have been a rocket ship you travelled in

From across whatever galaxies you sailed

Now you’re only two feet tall and you can hardly see at all

And you don’t understand much of what you do

Excepting for your size and for the colour of your eyes

There’s not much difference between your old pa and you

 

But we’re still learning, we’re still learning

 

I got to say I always planned to have a little more well in hand

Before the arrival of someone like you

But now you’ve made your entrance I guess we’ll stick with the tradition

Of somehow just muddling through

No I haven’t made much money and though it might seem funny

Probably wouldn’t know what to do with it if I did

Each task I’ve tried to undertake I always seemed to learn the hard way,

Guess the same’ll go for raising you, kid

 

But I’m still learning, I’m still learning

 

And as you’re lookin’ ‘round

There’s so much more to be found

On the way to where you’re bound, but for now

You got to be carried around –

 

Now you’re hungry and you’re cryin’, one would almost think you’re dyin’

Listenin’ to the noise that you make

But one thing you’ll never know is how you’ve caused this love to grow

In these two hearts with new morning you awake

You’re like the fireflies on a summer night, you’re the red ribbon first prize

You’re like a neverending sunrise to me

You’re a waterfall, you’re a windfall, you’re a bright light in a dark hall

And I still can’t say all the things you’re gonna be, because you see-

 

I’m still learning, I’m still learning

 

GROWING PAIN

When your sky is full of rain

And you can’t look up again

And you don’t know if you’re mad or if you’re sane

Think that in the coming years

All your sorrow and your tears

May be revealed to be merely

Growing pain

 

To see what’s been unseen

To be where you have never been

Can make you uncomfortable and strange

You don’t know what’s in store

You’re feelin’ what you never felt before

Could be you’re only knowin’

Growing pain

 

When you’re going through hell keep goin’

To see what the new day’s showin’

To love is to be growin’

Though sometimes it’s painful too

 

The temptation might be strong

To numb yourself to what goes on

And to never risk your heart or make a change

The things that force us to be strong

Don’t always mean there’s something wrong

Could be your only knowin’

Growing pain

 

Maybe we’re merely knowin’

Growing pain

 

MISS YOU WHEN YOU GO

I’m gonna miss you when you go

I know because my heart tells me so

I got this crystal ball

And it shows me all

Shows me I’m gonna miss you when you go

 

A love like this can’t be forgotten in a day

Once it comes it always stays

The heart I gave to you

Will make me sad and blue

When you are far away

 

I keep tellin’ my heart to let go

But my heart says “No, no, no, no”

 

I know it’s the way that it must be

It’s written down somewhere I can’t see

Be that as it might be

You’ll always be to me

So much more than a memory

 

I’m gonna miss you when you go

I know because my heart tells me so

I got this crystal ball

And it shows me all

Shows me I’m gonna miss you when you go

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Armageddon Blues

Posted on March 17, 2014 by kypharness

ARMAGEDDON BLUES

Buy on iTunes ; Purchase CD from Maple Music

ARMAGEDDON BLUES

My brain’s clogged up, so are my eyes
My ears are numb from hearin’ so many lies
It’s so upsettin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

Fancy coffee in the cup, funny money in the bank
Sendin’ children off to war to fill up the tank
It’s got me sweatin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

I turn on the TV, see the devil from Hell
Turn on the radio, he’s on there as well
It’s so upsettin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

The world’s on fire, the air is hot
Take my children to the school, pray they don’t get shot
So many tears sheddin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

Along comes The Man, says you gotta lay down
You can die in a fight or become part of the ground
It’s got me sweatin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

Sorry ‘bout the family, that’s just the way it is
Torture and slavery, it’s all part of the biz
So many tears sheddin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

All the leaders great and small have pledges a war without an end
And they never will surrender, long as they got life to spend
It’s got me sweatin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

The world’s been coming to an end for ten thousand centuries
Why can’t we get the job done right?  Maybe then we all can get a little peace
No more bloodsheddin’
I got the I’m-a-gettin’ bored of Armageddon Blues

BIG DEAL!

You wash your hair
And you brush your teeth
And you fix your clothes
So you look real neat
You smile at yourself in the mirror
And then you turn out the light
And you walk out of the door
At six o’clock at night
You go and you meet your friends
And you think you’re really cool
Then maybe you go out to a bar someplace
Or maybe you go shoot some pool

It’s a real big deal
It’s a real big deal
It’s a big damn deal
Big deal!

You go to a bar with your friends
And you have a couple of beers
And you think you’re really rolling now
You think you’re really in gear
And you walk down the street with your friends
And you laugh at everyone
Because you think that everybody is a loser
And you think you’re number one
Then you pick up some girl at a party
And you take her home and tell her stories about your life
And you think you’re a poet-philosopher
You think you’re really wise
Then you get so drunk you don’t even make any sense anymore
You get so drunk you can’t even stand up on your own two feet anymore
And you pass out and fall asleep across the table
With your beer bottle in your hand

It’s a real big deal
It’s a real big deal
It’s a big damn deal
Big deal!

The next morning you wake up
And you put on a brand new shirt
And you get in your car and drive down to
The place where you work
And you walk down the hall to your office
And you sit behind your desk
And somebody hands you a bunch of pieces of paper
And you sign them with your pen
And you think you’re really respectable
Because you’re wearing a suit and a tie
You think you’re really exceptional
You think you’re a really great guy

You’re a real big deal
You’re a real big deal
You’re a big damn deal
Big deal!

LOW DISHONOURABLE MEN

They meet in boardrooms every day
Just to play their games
Low dishonourable men
With low dishonourable aims

When you think the world is changin’
But then it doesn’t, that’s because
They’re the ones in charge of
Ensuring that it never does

They got too much invested
In keeping things the way they are
With themselves in the driver’s seat
And everybody else pushin’ the car

They’re traitors to the human race
They’re an evolutionary disgrace
Low dishonourable men
With low dishonourable aims

They want to pollute the earth
They want to pollute the sky
If there’s a nickel in it
They’ll even watch a baby seal puppy die

They don’t care about you
Except to get you pick up the check
But they really hate your grandchildren
It’s their world they’re trying to wreck

Liars, criminals and thieves
And killers of precision
Hustlers, con men and cardsharks
All wrapped up in the robes of religion

They’re traitors to the human race
They’re an evolutionary disgrace
Low dishonourable men
And low dishonourable dames

They want to start a war
As long as they don’t see any action
They’ll even invade a country
Just to see what happens
They want to kill for oil
They want to drill for oil too
So they can speed up global warming
Till we’re all livin’ in a toxic stew

Might be the guy in power
Might be the man in the business suit
Might be the lowly slave rowing the boat
Thinkin’ he’s bein’ cute

They want to take food away from the hungry
Give it to the ones who are stuffed
Take away from the have-nots
Give to the have-more-than-enough

They’re destroying the miracle of life itself
But hey, that’s okay!
Because everybody just lets them do it
As they apologize for gettin’ in the way

They’re traitors to the human race
They’re an evolutionary disgrace
Low dishonourable men
With low dishonourable aims

They’re traitors to the human race
They’re an evolutionary disgrace
Low dishonourable men
And low dishonourable dames

EASY MONEY

Take a look around the world, tell me what you find
One man workin’ with his back, the other with his mind
You got one guy livin’ on the street, sleepin’ in the rain
Another in a king-size waterbed, it’s never gonna change
Some people look around the world and see a tragedy
I look and see a money-making opportunity

Easy money, out there for the takin’
You can sleep your life away or be out there makin’ bacon
It’s a land of opportunity, there’s room for you to break in
Jump out of your easy chair, give yourself a shakin’
Easy money, waitin’ to be taken

I wanna buy a mansion, wanna buy a yacht
Sail around the world show everybody what I got
Tiger fur-lined toilet seats make the peasants drool
I wanna show the world I’m not anybody’s fool
Right now I might be on welfare but that don’t bother me much
I know which way the wind blows, know which buttons to push

For that easy money, out there for the takin’
You can sleep your life away or be out there makin’ bacon
It’s a land of opportunity, there’s room for you to break in
Jump out of your futon, give yourself a shakin’
Easy money, waitin’ to be taken

I wanna be a VIP, I wanna dress to kill
I wanna blow my nose with a fifty dollar bill
I’ll give some money away, to show you where I stand
To charity so you can see I really give a damn
They talk to you of love, they talk to you of freedom
Love is love and love is nice but you know you can’t eat it

Give me easy money, out there for the takin’
You can sleep your life away or be out there makin’ bacon
It’s a land of opportunity, there’s room for you to break in
Jump out of your couch, give yourself a shakin’
Easy money, waitin’ to be taken

They tell you to work hard and someday you’ll be a man
But you’ll never make a million with a shovel in your hand
You gotta hedge your bets, you gotta hide your tracks
If you don’t want to eat cockroaches in a corrugated shack
Right now I might be down and out, beggin’ on the street
But there’ll come a time when I’ll get mine and you’ll be beggin’ me

For my easy money, out there for the takin’
You can sleep your life away or be out there makin’ bacon
It’s a land of opportunity, there’s room for you to break in
Jump out of your bed, give yourself a shakin’
Easy money, waitin’ to be taken

Do what you want to do
Be what you want to be
But it’s money money money
Money money sets you free

WHERE YOU BELONG

See you on the subway, see you on the street
I see you in the movies and I see you on TV
Always runnin’ ‘round with a smile on your lips
Wigglin’ your fingers and shakin’ your hips
Always lightin’ fires, tryin’ to cause a big commotion
Assorted dull perversions, misspent emotion
Somebody’s grandma, somebody’s brother
Always leapin’ into bed with somebody’s mother

Nothin’s right and nothin’s wrong
But that don’t matter ‘cause it won’t be long
Until you’re right back down in the dirt where you belong

With your oversized head and your undersized mind
You were born to exploit every sickness that you find
Some people think you’re God but I know you’re just a fraud
You think my world’s a toilet bowl, hey buddy, thanks a lot
You sit behind your desk collecting your commissions
On sex, religion politics and the other drug addiction
Another walking time bomb with a jacket and a tie on
Another filthy liar with his face stuck in the mire

Nothin’s right and nothin’s wrong
But that don’t matter ‘cause it won’t be long
Until you’re right back down in the dirt where you belong

It’s so frightening, isn’t it exciting?
The whole world’s dying, tryin’ to change its luck
Everybody’ waitin’ just calculatin’
To separate some sucker from his hard-earned buck

Saw you goin’ around the corner, goin’ around the bend
With that squirming little sickening sack of shit you call your friend
Bubonic plague, malaria, necrophilia, psoriasis
There’s a market for it somewhere, all you have to do is find it
You say ‘Everyone’s a salesman’ as you pound upon my door
If everyone’s a salesman, who’s minding the store?
I know we all gotta make a livin’, I’m not tryin’ to knock it
All I ask is please just get your hand out of my pocket

Nothin’s right and nothin’s wrong
But that don’t matter ‘cause it won’t be long
Until you’re right back down in the dirt where you belong

WE OWN IT NOW

They got off the boat, they cleared the land
They displaced the Indian
They built a railroad across the continent
Sacrificed many a Chinese woman and man
They wrote some laws, they built some walls
And from their podiums they vowed:
We own it now

He was a farmer but the prices went down
He had it much harder than the ones in town
Couldn’t pay his bills so the banker man came
Took away his farm, he wandered off in shame
They stood with folded arms when he came back
To reclaim his plow
We own it now

From country to country it’s the same old thing
Your place at the table depends on what you can bring
You got to toe the bottom line
Or meet a fate of your own design
The ship of state has sailed
And written on the prow
We own it now

Went to my hometown, there was nothin’ goin’ on
But a bunch of people walkin’ around lookin’ for something to pawn
Poison in the river, smoke in the sky
All that was meant to make you live was now meant to make you die
I went to the country and I saw a tattoo
On the ear of a cow
We own it now

They levelled the mountains, they toppled the trees
They came for you, they came for me
By a dying lake, on a glass-strewn shore
A mangy dog sits lickin’ his sores
By the smoldering junkyard, by the garbage scow
A sign’s been hoisted up somehow
We own it now

Miles and miles of highway
Layers and layers of decay
A tiny planet floats in the vast nothingness
Resuscitation attempted without success
Dimly read are the words
With all the clarity a telescope allows –
We own it now

They came out of the jungle with a calculating brain
Which allowed them to scramble to the top of the food chain
Slaughtering everything in sight with a machete
Turning the environment into confetti
Just so they could sit with all their hoodlum friends
Atop a hill of skulls and avow
We own it now

GUNPOWDER + MONEY

Baby don’t you worry, baby don’t you cry
We’re gonna beat this thing, by and by
Got all the lovin’ anybody could stand
Got all the lovin’ in the palm of our hand
What’ve they got anyhow, that makes their days so sunny?
Gunpowder + money

The Indian man lived here, then the white man came around
Indian man gonna live here and the white man won’t be found
Funny how the most dangerous thing, they never seem to fear it
A proud determined heart, a dedicated spirit
They might be laughin’ now but someday it won’t be funny
Gunpowder + money

Gunpowder and money go together like a sister and a brother
Gunpowder and money, can’t have one without the other
Everywhere I look, everything I see
Is ruled by gunpowder, money and pornography

Man on the platform talkin’ ‘bout freedom
Everybody needs somethin’, somethin’ to believe in
You can listen to the words or you can watch the action
Take a look around you if you want to know what’s happenin’
You’ll see what they believe in, it ain’t the Easter bunny
It’s gunpowder + money

Gunpowder and money go together like a father and a mother
Gunpowder and money, if you want one you better get the other
Everywhere I look, everything I see
Is ruled by gunpowder, money, and mediocrity

Armies of liberty are comin’ to your town
They’re gonna set you free or put you in the ground
They think they got the might because they are right
But they just believe they’re right because they got the might
Better watch your mouth, don’t let your tongue slip, honey
Gunpowder + money

Baby don’t you worry, baby don’t you cry
We’re gonna beat this thing, by and by
Got all the lovin’ anybody could stand
Got all the lovin’ in the palm of our hand
What’ve they got anyhow, that makes their days so sunny?
Gunpowder + money

THE BLACK DONNELLYS

Undercover of the night
Down a dark country road
The men walked in no moonlight
And they bore a heavy load

Of farm tools and shovels
And one of them had a knife
They were heading to a farmhouse
To take a family’s life

In the farmhouse down the road
The family had turned in
Never knowing in their sleep
That their sleep would never end

It was sad, it was bad
The night The Black Donnellys went down

They’d been nothing but trouble
For twenty years or more
Some say it was ancient feud
Brought here from Ireland’s shore

The father James Donnelly killed a man
In a dispute over land
He served seven years
In the Kingston pen

When he got out his sons were operating a stagecoach business
Where they kept the competition in line
By slaughtering their horses,
Setting carriages on fire

Some say they weren’t guilty of all they were accused of
Some say they did more than anybody knew
But anyone who might’ve testified
Was too terrified to

Still it was sad, it was bad
The night The Black Donnellys went down

The people of the town of Lucan
Decided to send a hint
They set the Donnellys’ barn on fire
But the Donnellys hung in

The sheriff decided to arrest the two Donnelly brothers
Accompanied at his side
By a mob who’d blackened all their faces
So they’d not be recognized

They came to the farmhouse, Tom Donnelly opened the door
Resisted arrest, and cried
As the mob fell upon him
And beat him till he died

His father, James Donnelly, came to help
They hit him with a spade over the head
And knocked him to the floor
And kicked him till he was dead

The mother Johanna Donnelly came to see what was going on
They beat her to death too
And their niece, Bridget Donnelly, who was visiting from Ireland
Heaven’s gates she soon knew

Then they set the house on fire
And it burned all night till the sun appeared
Then they picked up the Donnelly’s skulls from the ashes
To keep as souvenirs

It was sad, it was bad
The night The Black Donnellys went down

Everybody in the town of Lucan
Knew somebody or was a friend of a friend
Or was themselves a member of that mob
But you’d never know it to look at them

They had a trial at which no-one was convicted
Nor was anyone ever intended to
‘Cause anyone who might’ve testified
Was too terrified to

They had another trial to settle up the matter
No-one was convicted there either
It was a crime without a criminal
A slaughter with no slaughterer

Now everyone who was in that mob is dead
And the ones who remembered them have faded away
No-one’s around to object or take offense to
The new museum with a gift shop in the foyer

But some people say they see the ghosts waiting for justice
Floating above the fields
Some say a horse won’t walk past the Donnelly homestead
After the midnight bell has pealed

My father used to say that everytime one of the mob died
A Donnelly relative would appear in town
And go to the funeral and stand by the graveside
And spit on the coffin as it went down

It was sad, it was bad
The night The Black Donnellys went down

IPPERWASH

It was a burial ground on the shores of Lake Huron
The government borrowed from the Natives during World War Two
Sayin’ “We need this land to train our forces on
When the war is over we’ll give it back to you”

Fifty years after the war had ended
The Natives wondered when the government would honour its vow
When they realized the answer was never
They decided that the time was now

Dudley George lived with his cousin in a trailer
In the park they’d made the burial ground into
They occupied the land in peaceful protest
In hopes the government would do what it said it was gonna do

Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down

Everywhere Dudley George walked there was laughter
He was a man who loved his freedom and his fun
Even took his name from the cartoon Dudley Do-Right
They Canadian Mountie character he loved when he was young

His cousin Clifford George lived in that trailer
He was a veteran of the Korean War
He came back expecting the fulfillment
Of the promise made by the country he’d fought for

As summer ended and the cool breezes blew
Thirty unarmed men, women and children joined them on the land
Comin’ in the fall so as not to disturb vacationers
They made their peaceful stand

Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down

All the children of the area loved Dudley George
Every day he could be seen with quite a few
They’d fight among themselves to go on runs to the variety store
To get him the Bazooka bubble gum he loved to chew

But in the Premier’s office they did exclaim
“We’ve been pandering to these Indians for too long
We gotta make an example of them, by any means necessary –
I don’t care how you do it, I want’em gone”

The Deputy Commissioner said “We got a redneck government here –
About the Indians they could not care less
These guys are barrel suckers, man, they’re in love with guns
They just want us to go in and kick some ass.”

Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down

So it was that thirty unarmed men, women and children
Were greeted by the sight
Of a riot squad and a sniper unit armed with submachine guns
Comin’ to them through the night

There were shots, there was shouting in the chaos
People running and getting beaten all around
As the bullets tore through the darkness
And the body of Dudley George fell to the ground

His sister, Cully George, drove him past the cops to the hospital
In a beaten-up car that kept on breakin’ down
They never told her that he died till after they arrested her
They thought she was the one who shot him down

Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down

The man who pulled the trigger got his wrist slapped
The man who gave the command, he still walks free
And don’t it make any decent person want to hang their head in shame
To know he acted in the pay of you and me?

Dudley George was lowered into his grave
With his peace pipe and a pack of Bazooka bubble gum
He left a memory of laughter in the heart of everyone who knew him
And a question beating louder like a drum

Sometimes you fool yourself the war is over
Sometimes war is all you see
Sometimes you gotta turn around and wonder
If your county’s anything it ever claimed to be

Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down

LOOK OUT WORLD

Look out world, you’re not the perfect world
But you’re the only world we know

You’re our home, might be a broken home
But you’re the only home we know

We stick you with needles and we tell our lies
As we pray for help up to the skies

While all the while we stand upon the world
Look out world

You give us stuff, then we want more stuff
Then we meet some other people who want the same stuff too

We fight our wars, and we’re not satisfied
Until each side has lost a thousand or two

Then we raise our flags and salute our heroes
Who’d give every bit of their glory
To walk through the sun and the wind and the rain again

Look out world, if we do such things to ourselves
God knows what we’ll do to you

We raise our flags and salute our heroes
Never seeing that the ones on the other side of the line
Share the very same world as we do

Look out world, if we do such things to ourselves
God knows what we’ll do to you

Look out world, you’re not the perfect world
But you’re the only world we know

You’re our home, might be a broken home
But you’re the only home we know.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Can a Poor Man Get a Fair Trial?

Posted on January 5, 2013 by kypharness
Can a Poor Man Get a Fair Trial?
1. WONDERFUL TO SEE
2. THE OLD CRONE IN THE FOREST
3. NO OTHER BIRD
4. THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN
5. PRINCE OF DREAMS
6. THE ASSASSIN
7. THE KING AND THE PAUPER
8. BACK TO LIFE
9. THE SNAKE
10. THE CRIMINAL
11. THE JESTER
12. EVERY DAY HAS TROUBLES OF ITS OWN
Buy on iTunes
Buy CD at Maplemusic.com
 
 
Wonderful to See
 
If I never saw the dawn I’d know you look the way the first bird of dawn sings
Just like the spring
If I never saw the ocean I’d know you love me the way the waves come collapsin’ 
You do me in
 
You’re wonderful to see
You’re nothing less than a gift of God to me
 
Sometimes when you’re close you’re far away and when you’re far away you’re near
Right in my ear
Sometimes it seems like there’s so many things about you that are never gonna die
And I know why
 
You’re wonderful to see
You’re nothing less than a gift of God to me
 
Mr. Franks came into town sayin’ everything he touched was his to own
And his alone
He sent some flunkies in a van to us and they all commanded us to bow
But we didn’t know how
 
You’re wonderful to see
You’re nothing less than a gift of God to me
 
Sunlight shimmering on a stream, I don’t know if it’s a memory from the past
Or from a dream
But there’s something in this vision of golden warmth that seems to be all tied up with you 
Out in the blue
 
You’re wonderful to see
You’re nothing less than a gift of God to me
 
 
 The Old Crone in the Forest
 
 
The old crone lived in the forest with her daughter beautiful and kind
When the young men came around for her she kept her daughter so confined
“Are you strong enough to hold her? Can you give more than you take?
Until you prove these things to me, my daughter’s hand you’ll never take.”
 
“I’m strong enough to hold her, I will give more than I get 
If you give your daughter’s hand to me I’ll be forever in your debt.”
The old crone left the room and changed herself into the form
Of her daughter’s body and walked back through the door
 
Her beauty captured the young man’s heart like a bird inside a snare
He could hardly believe the heaven that confronted him there
“Will you give your life, your love,” she said, “will you give your soul to me?”
“I will give my life, my love,” he said, “I will give my soul to thee.”
 
At that the old crone laughed and her beauty fell aside
“No man who’d give his soul away will ever have my daughter for his bride.”
The young man struck the old crone down and ran up the stairs
To the daughter’s bedroom and found that it was bare.
 
The old crone lived in the forest with her even older slave
In a house the villagers pass by as if it was a grave
Staring at each other across a room so paralysed and still
With the fading memory of beauty and an eternity to kill
 
 
 
 No Other Bird
 
Like a bird caught in a storm a long long way from home
Clouds of darkness without form have attacked you where you roam
But someday when the clouds part, like curtains before a screen
You’ll look anew into a blue no other bird has seen
 
Like a bird who flies too high and is flung back down to earth
You’ve been stranded high and dry where nothing is of worth
Later on, when the wounds have healed from the pain of wisdom known
You’ll fly high across a sky no other bird has flown
 
Nothing is forever
Not even forever
Green pastures of August 
Are not found in December
 
Fly on, fly on, fly on my friend – why live if you’re not free?
Fly on somewhere beyond the end where you can be what you deserve to be
The skies are clear, the sun is bright, nothing’s encumbering you
The time has come to take flight and do what no other bird can do
 
The Old Man of the Mountain
 
There was an old man and he lived in the mountain
Though everyone around him thought he lived with them
He believed everybody was an enemy 
Till they could be proved to be friend
He had a house full of treasure and plenty
But inside he was empty as a well gone dry
And all the people around him were shadows
Their word were echoes that faded as they died
 
A salesman came and approached him
And broached to him a brand new plan
“I believe your plan has much chance of success,
I wish to invest in it” said the old man
The old man and the salesman went into business
They amassed their riches from sea to sea
But the salesman had eyes like claws
The only law he knew was gravity
 
He took the satchel with the profits in it
And he made off with it to the border
But the old man of the mountain knew what was happenin’
He had the sheriff chase and capture him in short order
The salesman got a life sentence
The old man went back to the mountain, glad that justice was done
But when he got there he found his house was empty
All the treasure and plenty was gone
 
All the people around him picked up the old man of the mountain
And they took him inside
Gave him food and water, and for a long time he lived there
Till many years later he died.
 
Prince of Dreams
 
If I was the prince of dreams and you were my princess
I would clothe my love in robes of red and grant you all your wishes
We’d ride my horse of colours up the mountainside and visit
All the cities of gold that taunt us with their beauty and their distance
 
After we’d been cleansed by rain 
And purified by fire
We’d find our village far below 
And quietly retire
 
And we would live there humbly, wanting nothing, finally free
In love forever, if I was the prince of dreams
 
But I am not the prince of dreams nor even a relation
I’m just another toiler in the vineyard of creation
I don’t have no special answer for this or any situation
I can’t save you from your sorrow or from your expectation
 
And I do not know the prince of dreams
I’ve only heard his laughter
In the night before I touch you
In the light the morning after
 
When we rise and find our perfect love has left us lost at sea
He is standing in the shadows, prince of dreams
 
But you and I we can’t look back, we’ve only got each other
And this love that sometimes wounds us, sometimes heals the wounds we suffer
There’ll be days the sky may crush us till there’s nothing left to offer
And nights our love is glowing like a candle on an altar
 
But when I take you by the hand
And look into your eyes
And see an endless emptiness
Nothing could satisfy
 
Then I know it’s he you take me for
Of please do not mistake me for
The one I’ll never be, the prince of dreams
 
 
 
 The Assassin
 
 
The Assassin tracked his prey down to a dark and hidden place
Sayin’ “I don’t wanna hit you from behind, turn around so I can see your face.”
His prey turned around and greeted him with a smile:
“Glad to make your acquaintance, I know you’ve been following me for miles.
 
“This thing you’re gonna do, I know you’ll do it fast
I know you’re a busy man, you have no time to pass
I’ve seen your work before, I know you know what to do
You’ve been practising for years – well, I have too
 
“You’ve taken out the mighty, you’ve taken out the rare
Some left this world with a curse, some left it with a prayer
But you don’t care about that, you’re just trying to do your job
To destroy what you can’t defeat, to steal what you can’t rob.
 
“And you don’t dare to think of what you’re accomplishing
You keep yourself so busy to hide the fact you do nothing
For all your expertise, for all the harm you’ve done
You’re like a child lifting up his finger to blot out the sun.”
 
In a blaze of fire the assassin did his job and stole away
To another rendezvous, then one day he died and was buried beside his prey
Their tombstones together in a dark and haunted place
Covered up by ivy that joined them in embrace
 
 
The King and the Pauper
 
 
There was a king who had everything
Everything except what he truly desired
He could make the evening stars sing
But he couldn’t make them sing in a choir
He had every type of invention and device
To utilize for his pleasure
He had privilege and influence on ice
To toy with at his leisure
He knew the world and his role in it
He had control and he knew what to control with it
 
The king rode in his carriage down the lane
And came upon a pauper lying there
“I can’t move,” the pauper said “my foot is sprained
Would you kindly go around me if you care?”
The king said “I will not go around”
Told his men to move the pauper off the road
But though all the men bent down
It seemed they just could not get ahold
They couldn’t lift him up
So the king got angry
Said “Get out of the way I’ll do it myself, God help me”
 
He struggled till his face was red
The pauper just lay there and smiled
“By what magic do you do this?” the king said
“There is no magic,” said the pauper, “you’re a child.”
“I insist you tell me now,” said the king
“Or else I will have you killed.”
The pauper laughed “You can’t do anything
You never did and you never will
I don’t believe in your system
That divides, that excludes
In the name of liberty
And I’ll never move till it ceases to be.”
 
The king said “I insist you tell me now”
“Alright” the pauper said, and leapt up to his feet
And instructed the king to lie down
As he climbed up to the carriage seat
Up behind the clouds there was a rumbling
As the pauper took up the reins
And drove the carriage round the king
As he made his way from his domain
And the king lying on the ground
Watched as the future of his kingdom unwound.
 
Back to Life
 
When the day is too long
And I can’t carry on
When I’m waiting for the night
 
There’s a tune that I hear
Whispering softly in my ear
Your love sings me, your love brings me
Back to life
 
Can’t remember where I’ve been
Genghis Khan or Gunga Din
I’m only hitchin’ this ride
 
But no matter where I am
I’m only livin’ for the time when 
Your love sings me, your love brings me
Back to life
 
I was in the whirlwind
Till you reeled me in again
I was almost blown away
 
When I’m starin’ at the wall
When I’m nowhere at all
As if I’d never seen the light
 
When I’m naked and alone
You roll away the stone
Your love sings me, your love brings me
Back to life
 
The Snake
 
The maiden went out walkin’ down by the shore
She met a snake who said “Kiss me, I’ll give you what you never had before”
“Oh no” said the maiden, “I’ve heard about this
And I know how it ends, you’ll have to go someplace else to get that kiss”
“Oh no” said the snake “I’ve got what you want”
The maiden said “Don’t taunt me” The snake said “It’s no taunt”
The maiden said “Can you give me money?”  
The snake said “I’ve got no money it’s true
But I can give you what everybody in the world pursues
It brings countries into ruin, it brings nations to their knees
It makes strong men beg for mercy, makes women’s hearts turn cold and freeze
It makes the babies cry, stops the tiger in its tracks
It’s the last sight a beggar sees as he goes slidin’ through the cracks
To the bottom of the barrel, in the shadow of the noose
In the trenches of the war for which there is no truce
In the broken, bloodied streets and in the widow’s dust
In the courtroom of the law that is neither kind or just”
“Alright,” said the maiden, “I’ve heard about this all I can take”
She shrugged and bent down to kiss the lips of the snake
Just then her jealous suitor came over the hill with an axe
Chopped the head off of the snake, took the maiden’s hand and took her to task
They got married and one by one the days they slowly crept
They had a son and later on he murdered them as they slept.
 
The Criminal
 
“Off with his head!  Off with his head!”
Said the queen but the prince said “Why not reconsider?
Don’t forget he still owes us some bread
Why not get the money now and kill him later?”
 
“Hey” said the queen, “that’s a good idea
“Take him down to the dungeon and torture him till he starts talkin’”
“Alright” said the prince, “well, I guess I’ll see ya”
Said to the criminal: “Come on, big boy, let’s start walkin’”
 
They went down to the dungeon where they saw Joe
“Hey Joe, are you busy?” “Well, yes I guess you could say so
This torturin’ is big business you know
And I never dreamed that it could pay so.”
 
“Fair enough well here’s another customer,” said the prince
“Work him over and we’ll see what he shows us.”
“Just the usual?” asked Joe.  “Yeah, within an inch!
We gotta get the lowdown on some money that he owes us”
 
Just then the criminal spoke up and said “It’s the queen –
I gave the money to her though she told me not to say it to ya
Why don’t you go and ask her if she knows what I mean?
Who knows – maybe she’ll even pay it to ya.”
 
“Alright” said the prince, “I’ll take your word although I hate it 
But if I find you’ve been lyin’ you’re gonna get it worse, I warn ya”
He ran up to the queen’s chambers but found they were vacated
She’d run off with her husband’s brother to California
 
The prince ran back to the dungeon spitting with his rage,
Looked around in vain to find the man who upset him so
“Where’d he go?” he said to Joe, “How’d he escape from the cage?”
“He didn’t escape,” said Joe “I let him go.
 
“Come to think of it I’m not too happy ‘bout all this torturing you’ve made me do
With no pension plan for all these years
You’ve taken advantage of me,” said Joe as he looked down at his shoes
“You’ve never paid attention to my tears.”
 
“Oh come now, Joe,” said the prince “there’s no need to get riled
You won’t get a notion to torture me now will ya?”
“I’m not gonna torture you,” Joe told him with a smile:
“I’m gonna torture you, I’m gonna kill ya.”
 
 
The Jester
 
There was a jester who couldn’t make anybody laugh
So he was always out of work
People thought his jokes were too clever by half
And when he told them he sounded like a jerk
 
He walked down the street with his family behind him
They had no place to go ‘cause he didn’t have any money
Lookin’ in garbage cans to see what was inside them
All because he wasn’t funny
 
There was a man who never happy
Though everybody thought he should have been
He had love, he had money, he had family
But no evidence of happiness was seen
 
Nobody around him could remember
The last time they ever saw him laugh
Somebody thought they saw him smile one September
But that just turned out to be gas 
 
The man who was never happy met the jester who was never funny
And they really hit it off
The man who was never happy took the jester in and gave him money
And set his kids up in a loft
 
The man who was never happy loved the jester who was never funny
Because he didn’t have to feel bad about bein’ sad
The jester who was never funny loved the man who was never happy
‘Cause when he couldn’t make him laugh he didn’t have to feel bad.
 
They lived together till the age of a hundred and five
And they died on the very same night
Their funeral was broadcast everywhere live
And the people watched it far and wide
 
And as the caskets were being carried out by the bereaved 
They slipped and went shooting down the stairs like roller coasters
And were smashed to pieces in the middle of the street
As the whole world rocked with laughter.
 
 
 
Every Day Has Troubles Of its Own
 
 
There’s an old man starin’ at the setting sun
Wonderin’ to himself if it’ll be the last one
The days are getting shorter, shadows are lengthening
He feels it in his bones he might not make it to the spring
 
But he looks up to the sky and he sees a ray
No doubt in his mind it’s gonna take him away
 
Jesus says every day has troubles of its own
You’re born alone, you die alone
Nothing’s written in stone
When you’re born or when you’re grown
 
She’s lookin’ for her husband, if he’s still alive
She waiting for something that will never arrive
He’s another casualty, one among scores
Of another war, in a world of many wars
 
She looks up at the sky and she sees a ray
No doubt in her mind it’s gonna take her away
 
Jesus says every day has troubles of its own
You’re born alone, you die alone
Nothing’s written in stone
When you’re born or when you’re grown
 
A little baby’s lookin ‘round with eyes as wide as the sun
Sittin’ on her mama’s lap on a subway run
She sees the dirt and the trash, the people tired and bored
Like she’s lookin’ at silver and gold and jewels and bright coloured clothes 
On dukes and ladies in the palace of the lord
 
And she looks up in the sky and she sees a ray
No doubt in her mind it’s gonna take her away
 
Jesus says every day has troubles of its own
You’re born alone, you die alone
Nothing’s written in stone
When you’re born or when you’re grown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Posted in Albums, Can a Poor Man Get a Fair Trial?, Lyrics | Leave a comment

The Wrong Way

Posted on January 5, 2013 by kypharness
The Wrong Way
1. AUTUMN LEAVES
2. THE WRONG WAY
3. START ANEW
4. BABY GET THE BLUES
5. TRUE BLUE
6. PROPHET
7. RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE
8. LUCKY FOR YOU
9. SHADOWS OF THE FALLING TWILIGHT
10. LOVELY CHRISTMAS
11. GIRL FROM A SMALL TOWN
12.. THERE IS A PLACE
13. ALWAYS HERE
Buy on iTunes
Buy CD at Maple Music
Autumn Leaves
 
My tears are fallin’ like the autumn leaves
As I think back on the ones I used to know
Autumn wind is howlin’ with a wintry breeze
Takin’ it with me as it blows
 
Some were mad and some were bad
Some lived underneath the ground
None of’em had much money, there was little to be had
As they followed the seasons of their lives around
 
Blow autumn leaves, blow autumn breeze
Let your ghostly dance entrance me once again
It’s freezin’ far and wide but there’s a summer sun inside
Tellin’ me the pleasure’s worth the pain
 
Some were husbands, some were wives
Some live forever in their dreams
Some took their time, some took their lives
Too personally
 
Like telephone wires in the wind their souls did sing
To the end of the line or just for a couple of months
The one thing they had in common was they all lost everything
Gradually or all at once
 
Blow autumn leaves, blow autumn breeze 
Let your ghostly dance entrance me once again
It’s freezin’ far and wide but there’s a summer sun inside
Tellin’ me the pleasure’s worth the pain
 
 
 The Wrong Way
 
I don’t know what I’m doing
All I know is I’m doing it the wrong way
I don’t know where I’m going 
All I know is I’m going there the wrong way
There must come a time in everybody’s life
They must choose the way to go
And I know I’ve chosen mine
I’m goin’ the wrong way
 
I met a man just yesterday as I was walkin’ down the hall
He said I fail to see the big predicament, I said “I fail to see anything at all”
He said “We’re taking step to rectify the problem which has plagued us of late”
I said “Let me know when you get it all fixed up but don’t knock early, I sleep late”
 
I don’t know what I’m doing
All I know is I’m doing it the wrong way
I don’t know where I’m going 
All I know is I’m going there the wrong way
There must come a time in everybody’s life
They must choose the way to go
And I know I’ve chosen mine
I’m goin’ the wrong way
 
I was eating a croissant one day when a man came up to me
He said “Can you move? We wanto build a monument here 
To those killed in wars this century”
I said “Can you wait till I finish my croissant?”  He said “Yes we will”
But by the time I finished it they had three more monuments they had to build.
 
I don’t know what I’m doing
All I know is I’m doing it the wrong way
I don’t know where I’m going 
All I know is I’m going there the wrong way
There must come a time in everybody’s life
They must choose the way to go
And I know I’ve chosen mine
I’m goin’ the wrong way
 
I remember a teacher I had back in school
He said to me “You’re a fool” I said “Who’s the fool?”
I said “Only yesterday you told me that I know everything.”
He said “When’d I say that?” I said “When you told me
No-one could teach me anything.”
 
I don’t know what I’m doing
All I know is I’m doing it the wrong way
I don’t know where I’m going 
All I know is I’m going there the wrong way
There must come a time in everybody’s life
They must choose the way to go
And I know I’ve chosen mine
I’m goin’ the wrong way
 
 
Start Anew
 
Start anew
Leave the past behind you
Start anew
Don’t let the past define you
When everything you’ve found
Has fallen to the ground
All it’s doin’ is tellin’ you
Start Anew
 
Start anew
Though your dreams are broken
Start Anew
Though it seems that fate has spoken
It’s just a thought inside your mind
That keeps you left behind
Let another thought bust through
Start anew
 
Everything you’ve been
Is just a passing scene
On the way to where you’re going
And who you’ll be
 
Start Anew
As the dawn is breakin’
Start anew
As your heart is shakin’
The sun that fights its way
Through the angry clouds of grey
Has a message just for you
Start anew
 
Baby Gets the Blues
 
Where has it gone, that carefree air?
Where has it gone, that devil may care?
The sun has gone out, the moon has too
And the sky has to hide its face
When baby gets the blues
 
Why should she lose that wondrous glow
Just because the same old voice keeps tellin’ all her dreams ‘No’?
Can’t she just get on with it?  Everybody’s dream can’t come true
Can’t she hide her broken heart and spare us all the sight
Of when baby gets the blues?
 
But when those blues get put away
Well brother, you ain’t seen nothin’ like it
And the light that comes from off her face
Could set this world on fire with lightnin’
 
Is there nothing to be done?  Is there nothing left to say
But to turn silently away and pray for the day she’ll be okay?
But for now there are no colours, the trees are nearly bent in two
And the wind can’t find the will to blow
When baby gets the blues.
 
 
 True Blue
 
I’m keepin’ it clean, keepin’ it above the belt
Don’t wanna put my ice where it might melt
I’m keepin’ it true, keepin’ it true
True blue for you
 
Don’t wanna get messed up, don’t wanna get balled up
Don’t wanna get sized up, seized up, cracked up or called up
I’m keepin’ it true, keepin’ it true
True blue for you
 
Crawl into my bed and the end of the day
Pull the covers up all the way
Keepin’ it true, keepin’ it true
True blue for you
 
So many windows are open
So many doors are closed
So many vows are broken
Somebody’s always lookin’ up somebody else’s nose
 
Standin’ on the corner starin’ at my hand
Don’t need no watch, no watchband
Keepin’ it true, keepin’ it true
True blue for you
 
I went down to the chapel in the forest
That in my youth I knew so well
But the chapel had been purchased by new owners
Everything had gone to hell
 
Keep my eyes straight ahead as I’m walkin’ the line
Even when I know something’s creepin’ up behind
Keepin’ it true, keepin’ it true
True blue for you
 
 
Prophet
 
Kinda like a prophet whose time has not yet come
Kinda like a wizard whose wand is on the bum
Kinda like a pilgrim on the road to Kingdom Come
 
Break it open, bust it open
See what’s inside it, don’t try to hide it
Let it bleed
Until you are healed
 
Kinda like a traitor tryin’ to get back in the fold
Kinda like a captain with nothing in the hold
Kinda like a seller who has been oversold
 
Break it open, bust it open
See what’s inside it, don’t try to hide it
Let it bleed
Until you are healed
 
Kinda like a warrior who has no war to fight
Kinda like a watchman who’s frightened of the night
Kinda like a runaway who has just missed her flight
 
Break it open, bust it open
See what’s inside it, don’t try to hide it
Let it bleed
Until you are healed
 
Kinda like a saviour who has no-one to save
Kinda like a lover whose love is in the grave
Kinda like a master who is himself a slave
 
Break it open, bust it open
See what’s inside it, don’t try to hide it
Let it bleed
Until you are healed
 
 
 
Right Where You Are
 
It’s such a long way when you’re out on your own
It’s such a long way when you’re so far from home
And if I can’t see you, from near or afar
If you want to know my heart
It’s right where you are
 
Even if I can’t hold you close
My love will be there when you need it the most
Like a light shinin’ down from a bright distant star
Wherever you’re bound
It’s right where you are
 
All my emotions rise like the tide
Whenever you’re on my mind, whenever you’re at my side
I searched the world over only to see
Right where you are is where I want to be
 
I’ve seen all the struggle in sweat and in tears
Through the nights without number, the long nameless years
But a love that’s this big can’t be kept in a jar
When it’s wide as they sky
And it’s right where you are
 
All my emotions rise like the tide
Whenever you’re on my mind, whenever you’re at my side
I searched the world over only to see
Right where you are is where I want to be
 
All the memories that bind us with their fine chain of mist
We thought the past was behind us, then we found it doesn’t exist
Now I’m standin’ out here where the main road’s so far
On the trail of my tears
To right where you are
 
 
 Lucky For You
 
Can’t get nothin’ back from this job
I’m too proud to beg, too lazy to rob
Can’t get nothin’ happenin’ in this place
Gonna change my name maybe my face
No sense in bangin’ your head against the wall
Might as well knock it down with a wreckin’ ball
 
Lucky for you I’m in a good mood today
If I see you tomorrow I might have to blow you away
 
The criminal class and the ones in power
Are one and the same, makin’ love in the shower
Gonna get married, pickin’ out plates
Evil and stupidity make fabulous bedmates
Remember when they told you you could be anything at all?
Never told you about the liars, fools and idiots crowdin’ up the hall
 
But it’s lucky for you I’m in a good mood today
If I see you tomorrow I might have to blow you away
 
The senselessness is endless, you can’t take it seriously
That the poor will pay for the sins of the rich is the only certainty
Ignorance is worshiped, it’s all part of the plan
To get ahold and keep ahold of everything they can
The elite and decadent defenders of the wealth
Prepared to tear the whole thing down to get a little more for themselves
 
It’s lucky for you I’m in a good mood today
If I see you tomorrow I might have to blow you away
 
The sacred trust of innocence has been torn and trampled on
Anything that interferes with makin’ a buck is gone
They don’t believe life is sacred, hear their children cry
They’re not corporations they don’t care if they live or die
In the pain and shame of poverty, in the cycle of addiction
They don’t look after them at birth, they look after them later on in prison
If society is judged by how it treats the weak and small
We might as well not even have a society at all
 
But it’s lucky for you I’m in a good mood today
If I see you tomorrow I might have to blow you away
 
 
Shadows of the Falling Twilight
 
Did you get lost?
And at what cost?
Did you pass through the gate?
Or was it too late?
Did you go to the feast
Payin’ tribute to the beast?
Did you stand in the crowd
With your head still unbowed?
Did you receive
What you believed?
Were you deceived
In the shadows of the falling twilight?
 
Did you ask for a sign?
Or for some diamonds to mine?
When the past was erased
And the flood took its place
Over mountains and hills
Where it’s risin’ there still
Did you know what to save?
What to leave in the grave?
Did you get by
With your fortune held high?
Did you ask why
In the shadows of the falling twilight?
 
There was a voice
There was a choice
There was a child
In the place where God always smiled
Where the morning was new
And covered in dew
Has it all been eclipsed?
Is it at your fingertips?
Did you return?
Did you get burned?
Did you learn all you could learn
In the shadows of the falling twilight?
 
Did you speak up?
Did you drink from the cup?
Were you corrupted
In the shadow of the falling twilight?
 
There’s a storm on the way
It’s collecting the days
And it’s taking them fast
To a place in the past
In the farm, in the store
In the traffic jam roar
The arrow shoots through
It’s coming for you
In the cave of the abyss
I wait for your kiss
Until it’s all that exists
In the shadows of the falling twilight.
 
 
Lovely Christmas
 
Lovely Christmas to you 
It’s so nice to see you home again
Lovely Christmas to you
No-one needs to be alone again
 
Lovely Christmas to you 
Lovely Christmas to you
 
Lovely Christmas to you
Have a cup of Christmas cheer
Lovely Christmas to you
and a Happy New Year
 
Lovely Christmas to you 
Lovely Christmas to you
 
Look at all the things you’ve gotten
Everything can be forgotten
For a day, just for a day
Now’s the time to love each other
Why can’t we be lovin’ one another
Everyday, every other day?
 
 
Lovely Christmas to you
We’re surviving still
Lovely Christmas to you
And to all peace and goodwill
 
Lovely Christmas to you 
Lovely Christmas to you
 
 
 
Girl From a Small Town
 
She was a girl from a small town
She lived in a small house
She had a small cat
Who chased a small mouse
She had a little brother
Who was in little league
 
Big business came
With a big lawn mower
With a big road paver
With a big box store
Everything got so big
No-one could see
Where it all came from
Or what it was all supposed to be
 
Everything fell apart
Things fell from the sky
Things were fallin’ in the park
Things fell from their eyes 
And later on
After it all came down
All that could be found
On the ground
 
Was a girl from a small town
She lived in a small house 
She had a small cat
Who chased a small mouse
She had a little brother
Who was in little league
 
 
 There is a Place
 
There is a place where we can be
There is a place for you and me
And if I get by before I die
I will save a place for you
 
There is a place where all may come
There is a place beyond the engine’s hum
And if you get by before you die
Won’t you save a place for me?
 
I’m not lookin’ for any special treatment
I just want to be seen for who I am
All I want to know is what the sleet meant
When it was fallin’ so merciless and grand
 
There is a place we can be true
There is a place beneath our shoes
And if you get by before you die
Won’t you save a place for me?
 
I’m not lookin’ for any special favour
I’m just tied of the same old neighbourhood
It’s a nice place to visit but I can’t stay there
Not since I listened to the sound of my own blood
 
There is a place we’re coming to
Beyond the place we’re passing through
And if you get by before you die
Won’t you save a place for me?
 
If I get by before I die 
I will save a place for you
 
Always Here
 
Why does time hang so heavy?
Why do the hours seem so empty?
When loneliness in my mind burns
When will I ever learn?
 
You’re always here, 
Always near with an expression of
The truth and love
You give me so much of
Always here,
Always near and my sorrow’s displaced
By the strength and grace
Of your warm embrace
 
When it rains, when it storms
When the road ahead is full of shadowy forms
I catch my breath, I catch my heart
Then I know before I start – 
 
You’re always here, 
Always near with an expression of
The truth and love
You give me so much of
Always here,
Always near and my sorrow’s displaced
By the strength and grace
Of your warm embrace
 
And when the day is closed before me
You’re always here to clear the way for me
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Posted in Albums, Lyrics, The Wrong Way | Leave a comment

Canadian Musician Article

Posted on October 7, 2011 by kypharness

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The Art of Charlie Chaplin: A Film-By-Film Analysis (2007)

Posted on March 17, 2011 by kypharness

About the book:

This thorough critical study of Chaplin’s films traces his acting career chronologically, from his initial appearance in 1914’s Making a Living to his final starring role in 1957’s A King in New York. Emphasizing Chaplin’s technique and the steady evolution of his Tramp character, the author frames the biographical details of Chaplin’s life within the context of his acting and filmmaking career, giving special attention to the films Chaplin directed/produced.

Click here to BUY “The Art of Charlie Chaplin” on Amazon.com

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Customer Reviews:

5 stars…by J. Tigert (Amazon Customer / Sacramento, CA)
A penetrating and judicious assessment of Chaplin’s achievement. No glossy photos, and only those biographical details deemed relevant to the analysis of the films, this book was a genuine pleasure to read. It prompted me to revisit some of the classic films in addition to tracking down a few I had not heard of. The chapter on The Great Dictator is superb. Includes a filmography.

5 stars… by Dan Kamin (Amazon Customer / Pittsburgh, PA)
There have been hundreds of books on Chaplin. I’ve read most of them, wrote two of them, and trained Robert Downey, Jr. for his performance in the Chaplin biopic. I’m an expert on the subject, so I wasn’t expecting to be surprised by what I thought would be just another survey book that rehashes the plots of Chaplin’s many films.

But Kyp Harness goes much deeper. In lucid, elegant prose he provides a guided tour into the very heart of Chaplin’s cinematic achievement–the evolution of his character, his comedy, his thematic development and his genius as a producer and director. He demonstrates, quite convincingly, the nature of Chaplin’s greatness, rather than simply stating it as a given. Harness gets to the essence, shrewdly combining plot and theme analysis with a canny sense of such practical performance matters as how Chaplin persuades audiences that his character is real, despite the fact that his performances are so highly stylized. He’s particularly good at tracing how Chaplin’s best comedy grows from the most serious subject matter. While these topics have all been covered by other books, notably Walter Kerr’s The Silent Clowns and John Kimber’s The Art of Charlie Chaplin, Harness brings a clear, fresh viewpoint to the discussion.

His book is, paradoxically, a basic primer on Chaplin, summarizing and discussing every one of his films, yet one that’s also entirely satisfying to the expert reader. This is due to Harness’ many brilliant insights into Chaplin’s art. It’s exhilarating to read, as though we’re present at the moment of creation. I would count it among the best books ever written on the comedian.

Click here to BUY “The Art of Charlie Chaplin” on Amazon.com

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The Art of Laurel and Hardy: Graceful Calamity in the Films (2006)

Posted on March 16, 2011 by kypharness

About the book:

From the early days of film came Laurel and Hardy, a comedy team that created slapstick hilarity from life’s simplest situations. Some seventy years after their heyday, Arthur Stanley Jefferson and Oliver Norvell “Babe” Hardy are still remembered for the comic chaos they created in film shorts. They gave us something to laugh at by reminding us of our own foibles, in a way that was genuine and unpretentious. The lanky Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and portly Ollie Hardy (1892–1957) had but one objective: to create as many laughs as would fit in one short film. And that, they did. The book begins by exploring their comedy in the early days of film. A chapter is dedicated to each of “the boys”—Laurel from Ulverston, England, and Hardy from the state of Georgia—as a person and performer. Further chapters explore the slapstick and gags of Laurel and Hardy and how the pair survived the transition to sound that left behind many actors of the day. It was only when they began to work for large studios, churning out cookie-cutter scripts, that their art began to lose its way. The book takes the reader through the ups and downs of their careers and to a final comeback. A filmography lists works from 1917 to 1951 with information on availability.

Click here to BUY “The Art of Laurel and Hardy” on Amazon.com

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Customer Reviews:

5 stars by Baltimore, MD (Amazon customer)
As a life-long Laurel and Hardy fan,it was a given that I would have to order the new book about them,even though I felt the $35.00 price tag was high,especially for a paperback. At that price,I reasoned,it must be huge and loaded with pictures;maybe many I don’t already have.With thirty-plus books about L & H on my shelf already it seemed logical that “The Art of Laurel and Hardy” would have to be a big picture book:what could possibly be left to write about them? Well, I must say, I was crestfallen when it arrived:not only was it considerably smaller than I had expected,but it had no – count them – NO pictures at all! I was so initially disappointed that I considered returning it for a refund. Then something happened that changed my opinion completely: I read it. I didn’t think it was possible, but Kip Harness has managed to write a totally fresh and uniquely insightful analysis of what made Laurel and Hardy so great. And,more importantly, why so many of us love them so much. Any fan of the”boys” will love this book,and for those who are new to their art,this is a tremendous introduction. In my humble opinion,”The Art of Laurel and Hardy” by Kyp Harness is the best book yet about the greatest comedy team ever.

5 stars by Greg (Amazon customer)
This is the best book I’ve ever read about the ART of the classic team and I believe I’ve read them all. The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skretvedt is the best book on how the films were made but this one focuses on what ended up on screen. It thoughtfully and with great intelligence, analyzes the characters and situations exhibited throughout the long term partnership of the boys and in a way that makes it a great read. It is totally worth the price and a must have for anyone who loves Laurel and Hardy or anyone who wants to learn why two comics became immortals of the screen.

Click here to BUY “The Art of Laurel and Hardy” on Amazon.com

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Journey To The Sun: Lyrics So Far (1991-2004)

Posted on March 15, 2011 by kypharness

Journey To The Sun: Lyrics So Far 1991-2004
A compilation of lyrics on Kyp’s first seven albums up to and including The Miracle Business.

Click here to BUY “Journey To The Sun” on MapleMusic.com

Posted in Books, Journey To The Sun: Lyrics So Far, Lyrics | Leave a comment

Resurrection Gold (2011)

Posted on March 9, 2011 by kypharness

Buy the CD!

Buy the Download!

1. PASSENGER
2. PICK ME UP BABY
3. LOVE BEYOND REPAIR
4. WANDERING HEART
5. ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
6. DRAGONFLY WING
7. DON’T EVEN KNOW
8. AS WE GO SPINNING MADLY ON
9. DIGGIN’ YOUR VIBE
10. ON THE BANKS OF THE ST. CLAIR

PASSENGER

In dreams I come upon the promised land
But I always hesitate before I enter
Only for a moment to entertain a passing thought
But that moment always becomes forever
But then I know if there’s a party goin’ on
It matters not if I’m an early or a late arriver
All that matters is that I get there in one piece
Whether I’m the passenger or I’m the driver

I dreamed that everytime I picked a flower
It was immediately replaced by another
So I gathered a bouquet from the Garden of Eden
And sent it to a child fifty centuries in the future
I make no claim to have any great aim
Other than to be something more than a survivor
And to follow the white line to the end of all time
Whether I’m the passenger or I’m the driver

I dreamed I spent a lifetime trying to clean a window
In a house where every other one was broken
And by the time I finally got it clean enough to see through
All I saw was curtains that would not open
Some people live at the bottom of the ocean
If you want to meet’em you gotta be a deep sea diver
All our problems are excuses for an inability to love
Whether we’re the passenger or we’re the driver

I dreamed I met a man who was running for his life
But he was really only running from it
I met another who believed that evil would be conquered
Only by those who would willingly become it
Joan of Arc is in the precinct house
They’re lettin’ her die in the very moment they could revive her
They’re pushing truth and goodness back wherever it might exist
Am I the passenger, am I the driver?

I’m going down to get a new light switch
‘Cause the old one doesn’t turn it on
I haven’t been this interested in being alive
Since the time I realized that my school days were gone
Sometimes the cage is lifted off your heart
Sometimes it’s everything you could ever hope or strive for
I’m heading for the light or I’m trying to blot it out of sight
Sometimes I’m the passenger, sometimes the driver

I dreamed I was stranded on an airplane
That had no safe place to land
I dreamed there was life preservers everywhere
But I had no hands
I’m floating in the very midst of what could save me
If only I could see it’s all I live and die for
But it will bide its time, it will triumph whether I’m
The passenger or I’m the driver

Pick Me Up Baby

I don’t like talkin’ on the telephone
I don’t like sittin’ here all alone
Sometimes it seems like I got nowhere to stay
I’m counting on you to take me away

You gotta pick me up baby
You gotta lift me up high
You gotta pick me up baby
I want to touch the sky

I’ve been a lone missionary by the city wall
Where the harder they came the bigger they fall
Where time is money and money is love
You either got too much or you never have enough

You gotta pick me up baby
You gotta lift me up high
You gotta pick me up baby
I want to touch the sky

I get so queasy livin’ in this place
I get so dizzy when I see your face
Sometimes it seems like I got nowhere to stand
I’m countin’ on you to lend me your hand

And pick me up baby
You gotta lift me up high
You gotta pick me up baby
I want to touch the sky

You’re the one who makes me laugh, you’re the one who makes me cry
You’re the only star shining in the sky
I’m runnin’ ’round the world lookin’ for somethin’ to do
Or runnin’ on home to make love to you

You gotta pick me up baby
You gotta lift me up high
You gotta pick me up baby
I want to touch the sky

You gotta be my mouth when I can’t talk
You gotta be my feet when I can’t walk
You gotta be my heart, I’m countin’ on you
You know I’d do the same for you

You gotta pick me up baby
You gotta lift me up high
You gotta pick me up baby
I want to touch the sky

Love Beyond Repair

The road is backed up, the bridge is out
I spent all my tickets without any doubt
Played too long on the fringes, stayed too long at the fair
Now I’m crawlin’ through the grass with a love beyond repair

I can’t eat, I can’t sleep
I lost everything that was in my keep
‘Cept this dirty old suitcase with no key anywhere
Such a shabby covering for a love beyond repair

The ocean is deep, the valley is wide
We’re livin’ on separate mountains of pride
Dying only for a touch of what we fear we can’t bear
Afraid to be annihilated by a love beyond repair

The admiral told me there’s only two destinies
You either refuse to kneel or you learn to walk on your knees
But there’s another comet flyin’ through the stars somewhere
Tradin’ sterile dead perfection for a love beyond repair

Too many houses burnin’ down, too many people cryin’
It’s enough to make anyone think of cuttin’ loose and flyin’

Too many things are hidden in the light
There’s an army that’s marchin’ down the highway in the night
You can hear the drums beating, hear the trumpets blare
As every broken heart surrenders to a love beyond repair

We stood in the pathway as the autumn leaves fell
Our hearts filled with secrets we never could tell
Can’t go forward or back, we’re bottlenecked there
Stranded in a crowd with a love beyond repair

So many dreams that haven’t come true
I swear that I’m gonna make them all up to you
By the blood in these veins, by the ghost of this prayer
That hovers in the air above a love beyond repair

Wandering Heart

First explosions of the morning
Wandering heart awakens roaming
Silently unfolding ‘cross the sky
And slowly forming on my eyes
She stands upon the edge of time
With her angel of doom as the cold sun shines
On the ice upon her ragged wings

I know your road is lonely
I can’t believe that you chose me
I will follow you
Even if this dream should be untrue
I will follow you

A million years and a million tears
There’s nothing left to chain me here
My heart is full but my hands are empty
I need someplace to go where I’ll be
Free beyond this cloud of doubt and the bleak machinery of fear
Wandering heart
Don’t let me slide

I know your road is lonely
I can’t believe that you chose me
I will follow you
Even if this dream should be untrue
I will follow you

Let the music of your beauty fly
Let the living live and the dying die
Let me disappear into the mystery
And the silent shadows of what will be
The world we know is fading and no-one will mourn its passing
Wandering heart
Come dance with me

I know your road is lonely
I can’t believe that you chose me
I will follow you
Even if this dream should be untrue
I will follow you

Elvis Has Left the Building

You don’t know how to love, but you’re trying to fake it
You put me through the wringer – how long did you think I’d take it?
Walkin’ around like you’re in the sorcerer’s robes
But you’re standin’ naked

Close the door, close the book
Close your eyes, don’t take another look
Elvis has left the building

If you hang around here long enough you could lose your senses
Or slowly commit suicide as a way of cutting down on expenses
The night is coming anyway,
So what’s the point of getting restless?

Close the door, close the book
Close your eyes, don’t take another look
Elvis has left the building

You’re walkin’ around punchin’ the air
As if you wanna see some kind of heavy scene go down
Well if you want me, you know where to find me
But level with me just for a minute now,
Please give me the lowdown –
What’s it gonna take for me to leave you behind me?

Now you’ve gone out to the desert, as if it’s big enough to hide there
And you’re livin’ in a house made out of bones
Of all the animals who died there
And your silence is like a condemnation
Though I can’t imagine why you’d think that I’d care

Close the door, close the book
Close your eyes, don’t take another look
Elvis has left the building

Dragonfly Wing

Forgive me now, if I forget somehow
How fragile we all are
You’re a delicate thing, you’re a dragonfly wing
Above the sky of stars

If I could hold back time
I’d save this moment where I’m with you forever

Sometimes we might shout and fight
Say things we don’t really feel
But through skies of grey a light shines the way
We have love so we can heal

If I could hold back time
I’d save this moment where I’m with you forever
Dragonfly wing

Sometimes we don’t know what we’re capable of
Sometimes the truest words are never spoken
We’ll never know how much love
Our hearts can hold unless they’re open

Your pretty face, floating in space
Flying though the sky
So much joy and fear in every smile and tear
As the years go by

If I could hold back time
I’d save this moment where I’m with you forever
Dragonfly wing

Don’t Even Know

I don’t even know what you’re talkin’ about
You’ve gone to places I’ve never been
I don’t even know why you move your mouth
Talkin’ ’bout things I’ve never seen

Are you the same person that
Was here before I turned away?
Or are you just another stranger
Passin’ before my eyes before you fade away?

I don’t know why you pretend these things are true
We both know they’re not and never will be
I don’t know why you talk about the things we’re gonna do
When you know you’re gonna do them all without me

Are you the same person that
Was here before I turned away?
Or are you just another vision
Passing before my eyes before you fade away?

I don’t know why you can’t come clean after all these years
As if you’re determined to hold on till your dyin’ breath
When all that you defend has only led to tears
And all that you call life just leads to death

Are you the same person that
Was here before I turned away?
Or are you just another dream
Passin’ before my eyes befire you fade away?

I don’t even know why I came to this place
As if wishful thinking could overcome cold fact
I don’t know what it was I looked for for so long in your face
I’m gonna leave while I can still find my way back

Are you the same person that
Was here before I runed away?
Or are you just another memory
Passin’ before my eyes before you fade away?

As We Go Spinning Madly On

Life doesn’t hesitate one single minute
We’re headin’ out every moment that we’re in it
But there doesn’t have to be a sad tomorrow
I know my time was never mine to borrow

I know one thing
Though days are changing like the weather
The light that shines around you
Is gonna shine forever
And I will always love you
As we go spinning madly on

You’re there, you’re everywhere around me
How could I dare to say life never found me?
When fear comes and tries to close my throat down
I know fear won’t win the final showdown

I know one thing
Though days are changing like the weather
The light that shines around you
Is gonna shine forever
And I will always love you
As we go spinning madly on

Diggin’ Your Vibe

Did I ever tell you you’re the queen of the crop?
Did I ever tell you you’re a symphony?
Did I ever tell you you’re the masterpiece of love?
Whatever you wanna do is alright with me

I’m diggin’ your vibe, I’m diggin’ your vibe
I’m diggin’ your vibe all the way down to the ground

Did I ever tell you if you were a broadway show
I’d be there everynight in the very first row
If I was assigned to write a review
I’d give all the stars in the sky to you

I’m diggin’ your vibe, I’m diggin’ your vibe
I’m diggin’ your vibe all the way to the other side of the universe

I don’t always say just what I mean
So let me try and make this clear –
You got the sweetest face I’ve ever seen
Even if I gotta look at it through tears

If you ever find the time in the night or in the day
To walk around or just to talk
Even if your house was a million miles away
I still got the key to turn the lock –

I’m diggin’ your vibe, I’m diggin’ your vibe
I’m diggin’ your vibe all the way to infinity

On the Banks of the St. Clair

On the banks of the St. Clair, on the banks of the St. Clair
I was lookin’ everywhere when I saw you there
On the banks of the St. Clair

There’s too many people starin’ in our direction
There’s too many people starin’ with no connection
Why can’t we get away from this, far from all their pryin’ eyes?
They don’t need to know our business, we’re not trying to advertise

On the banks of the St. Clair, on the banks of the St. Clair
I was lookin’ everywhere when I saw you there
On the banks of the St. Clair

When I’ve run out of excuses to keep livin’
That’s the time I see the truth is all about forgivin’
As I try to claw my way through this unholy mess
Forgive me if I stray here and there from the path of holiness

On the banks of the St. Clair, on the banks of the St. Clair
I was lookin’ everywhere when I saw you there
On the banks of the St. Clair

You know the one who loves you, you know it must be me
The one who puts no-one above you – who else would that be?
There is no problem we can’t solve,
There is no wrong we can’t make right
Just tell me where it hurts,
I’ll get on top of it tonight

On the banks of the St. Clair, on the banks of the St. Clair
I was lookin’ everywhere when I saw you there
On the banks of the St. Clair

My love is brighter than the flowers that are shinin’ in the sun
She’s darker than the ocean where the deepest waters run
Her heart is as tender and as gentle as the rain
She’s wedded to the world with bonds of love and pain

On the banks of the St. Clair, on the banks of the St. Clair
I was lookin’ everywhere when I saw you there
On the banks of the St. Clair

I’m tired of waiting, tired of watchin’ the door
I waited for so long I forgot what I was waiting for
They can put me in my grave, they can bury me at sea
But they can never take away the memory of you from me

On the banks of the St. Clair, on the banks of the St. Clair
I was lookin’ everywhere when I saw you there
On the banks of the St. Clair

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Posted in Albums, Lyrics, Resurrection Gold | Leave a comment

Fugitives (2006)

Posted on March 8, 2011 by kypharness

Click Here to Buy the Download!

1. FUGITIVES
2. I’M NOT SAYIN’
3. ALL THE LOVE
4. WHEN THE SPIRIT CALLS ME
5. LORD HELP ME
6. THANK YOU
7. CALM DOWN
8. MAN ON THE CROSS
9. DEVIL’S GOT A FOOTHOLD IN YOUR HEART
10. SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND

Fugitives

We might as well be fugitives, we’re always livin’ on the run
Never bein’ sure of where our next meal’s comin’ from
Down here in the coliseum where push always comes to shove
We’re dodgin’ lions as we’re wonderin’ what it is we’re guilty of
For all we’ve gained from running scared or from just hangin’ around
We might as well be fugitives, livin’ underground.

Some arise and some descend upon the tides of circumstance
The winners all believe it’s justice, the losers all believe it’s chance
While the last defenders of the faith are out there on the road
Tryin’ to spark the jaded interests of a public bought and sold
With alligator smiles and crocodile tears
We might as well be fugitives, a thousand miles from here

There’s a world wide war goin’ on
In case ya didn’t know
But it’s not the one that you see on the news
Or any television show
The battlefield is everywhere
The casualties displayed
Upon the streets of our fair cities
Or on video parade

We might as well be fugitives, livin’ under different names
Greeting each other in disguise with secret handshakes pre-arranged
Among these worshippers of wealth, among these connoisseurs of doom
You’re never quite sure who to trust, or whose soul belongs to whom
Somewhere beneath the hurricane, somewhere above the undertow
We might as well be fugitives, on the loose in Mexico

And as you look around the world
Two kinds of people will you see
The one who feels we’re never free to choose
The one who knows we’ve gotta choose to be
The one who believes that the lame may walk
And that the deaf may hear
The other becomes mute with rage
And paralysed by fear

We might as well be fugitives, settin’ off at dawn
Along a loose chain of connections, out into oblivion
Weavin’ in between the monuments of all the ones who froze
Into positions that they settled for when they all gave up the ghost
Beyond the silence of the graveyard we hear the music from afar
We might as well be fugitives, followin’ a star

I’m Not Sayin’

I never felt so free till I began to live in You
When you’re born into a lie it’s so hard to know the truth
I’m not sayin’ I’m worthy of your love but I’m tryin’ to be

Nothing could be easier than to criticize each other
To step over our own mess as we’re pointin’ out our brothers’
I’m not sayin’ I’m worthy of Your love but I’m tryin’ to be

I’m tryin’ everyday to fulfill the vows I made
Tryin’ everyday, but sometimes I feel so afraid

Spendin’ your whole lifetime tryin’ to be cool
Finally end up with a fistful of dust and you see who’s the real fool
I’m not sayin’ I’m worthy of your love but I’m tryin’ to be

I’m tryin’ everyday to fulfill the vow I made
Tryin’ everyday, but sometimes I might get waylaid

But if I ever should desert you, or make you feel abandoned
May a bolt of lightning come and strike me where I’m standin’
I’m not sayin’ I’m worthy of your love but I’m tryin’ to be

Tryin’ everyday to fulfill the vow I made
Tryin’ everyday, and sometimes I know I’ve got it made

When you’re born into a lie it’s so hard to know the truth
I never knew the truth till I was born again in You
I’m not sayin’ I’m worthy of your love but I’m tryin’ to be

All the Love

God sent His grace into my life
In a way that amazes me still
I’ve never gotten over it
And I don’t expect I ever will

It’s one thing to believe, it’s one thing to know
But it’s another to feel inside
The mercy that announces itself when His will
And our prayers are workin’ side by side

Givin’ us all the love, givin’ us all the love
Givin’ us all the love that we need to get by on

It was a perilous time when our luck had run out
And it seemed that the end was at hand
As our hearts opened wide in the time of our need
He entered in and His work He began

So how can I doubt the glory that is?
To see your face is all I need to do
To know the love of the One who cared for me so much
To send me somebody like you

Givin’ me all the love, givin’ us all the love
Givin’ us all the love that we need to get by on

Keep me far from the wiles of smug hopelessness
Or of sophisticated despair
Let the fire of Your being stay fresh in my blood
Keep Your majesty closer than air

For though the days may be stormy there’s now a light in our hearts
Like a beacon on a hill
That sends all the lies runnin’ for the dark
And makes the truth shine brighter still

Givin’ us all the love, givin’ us all the love
Givin’ us all the love that we need to get by on.

When the Spirit Calls Me

Got my heart stripped naked
Got my soul laid bare
Seems to be the only way
That I can see You everywhere
I got my mind wide empty
There is nothing left to say
There’s just a tiny voice that’s whisperin’
That it’s always been this way

When the spirit calls me
I want to be waitin’
When the spirit calls me
There will be no hesitatin’

I used to entertain some strange delusions
Not so long ago
I used to think I was goin’ somewhere
I used to think there was somewhere to go
But now I’m lookin’ up at the blue sky
And I know that if I don’t have it by now
What it is I want and need
Sure ain’t gonna come along someplace later anyhow

When the spirit calls me
I want to be waitin’
When the spirit calls me
There will be no hesitatin’

This world will betray you
Till you’re like a beast bein’ led to slaughter for its meat
Who you gonna bow down to, and pray to
But the One who bows before you now to wash your feet?

Now I’m sittin’ on my doorstep
Feelin’ like I’ve just been born
I lost my passport and my papers
My millstone and my crown of thorns
I’ve given up all loyalties
To this ragged bag of bones
Down the street crickets are chirping
As the whole world’s overthrown

When the spirit calls me
I want to be waitin’
When the spirit calls me
There will be no hesitatin’

Lord Help Me

Lord help me
I don’t want to be
Another television talkin’ head
Spoutin’ my opinions on ideas long dead
Polluting the air with useless trash
Singin’ for the man and dancin’ for the cash

Lord help me
Lord save me
Save me from myself, don’t let me be defined
By all the lowest thoughts to crawl across my mind
Keep my hands from wanderin’ where they don’t belong
Keep my feet upon the path, keep my courage strong

Lord help me
I don’t want to be
Just another sitting duck
For some psychopath marksman to try his luck
Don’t wanna die on this battlefield grim
Because of some politicians’ misguided whim

Lord help me
I don’t want to be
Another piece of waste goin’ along with the flow
Sittin’ on the fence with both eyes closed
Washin’ my hands with a smile so bland
Of all the pain around me, never tryin’ to take a stand

Lord help me
I don’t want to be
Another follower who gets lost along the way
Who quits when it gets tough and leaves it to another day
Keep me in Your heart, don’t let me into their game get drawn
Let Your truth be the foundation that my life is built upon

Lord help me
Lord save me
Help me to survive and turn the other cheek
When the flesh and the spirit are both so weak
I’m seekin’ Your protection from
The world that You have overcome

Thank You

How can I ever thank You
For what you’ve done for me?
You made my life into everything
Anyone could ever hope a life should be

You pulled me from my dozy dreamland
And opened up my eyes to see
Just when all of my worst inclinations
Had begun to get the best of me

And I just want to thank You
From the bottom of my heart
And I just want to say “Thank You”
For givin’ me a brand new start

You reached right through my shame to find me
Right through the pain no other eyes have seen
You saw right through the rags that I was wearin’
Into the very heart of me

No-one else could walk that lonesome highway
No-one else has the kindness or the strength
No-one else would lay themselves upon the line to find me
The way that you do everyday.

And I just want to thank You
From the bottom of my heart
And I just want to say thank You
For givin’ me a brand new start

I could feel it creepin’ up upon me
That death-like coldness all around
Who would have ever dreamed that You’d be the one
To come and claim me at the pound?

Who’d ever dare believe in love
In such a lost and lonely grave?
But I was able to, just because of You
And because of Your love I was saved

And I just want to thank You
From the bottom of my heart
And I just want to say thank You
For givin’ me a brand new start.

Calm Down

Well I got to calm down when times are tough
Got to calm down and trust your love
If I try every way and continue to fail
Got to calm down, believe the truth will prevail

Got to calm down when I want to attack
Just do the best I can and then step back
And give grace the time and the space to move in
Got to calm down to let healin’ begin

‘Cause all of our worryin’ and all of our strife
Won’t add a minute to anyone’s life
And all of our days pass by in a blur
As we worry about things that never occur

Got to calm down when the stakes are high
And stop bein’ controlled by what I should just pass by
Do I always have to jump at the bait, must I always respond?
Got to calm down when the pressure’s on

So much on our attention is makin’ demands
But you can count what’s important on the fingers of one hand
I don’t need an interpreter, I don’t need to be led
I don’t need to go out my door to know what’s goin’ on in my head

I got to calm down when things go wrong
Why should I get lost in the notes if I can follow the song?
When I feel hung out to dry, like an also-ran
Got to calm down and believe there’s a plan

Man on the Cross

When you’ve been freed from the bondage of Satan
There’s no more weepin’, there’s no more waitin’
Heaven opens up before ya
Everything you need’s provided for ya
God will give of His grace
And it’ll restore ya

When you fly with the wings of the Spirit
Don’t have to hate your life, don’t have to fear it
You can soar so high above
And your Father’s love
Will never let you fall
His strength is more than enough

You can gather up all your possessions
And judge your worth by their final cost
As for me and my house,
We’re followin’ the Man on the cross

I was lost, but no more lost than most
Followin’ the commandments of a ghost
Believin’ in what history
Had to say to me
Keepin’ me locked up in the chains
Of the world’s brutality

But life is a train wreck, I think you’ve heard it said
There’s just the walking wounded, the survivors and the dead
I became what I was meant to be
Through the blood He shed for me
I ain’t goin’ back anymore
To what used to be

You can study your astrology
And believe your life is up with the stars
As for me and my house
We know it’s with the Man on the cross

I know He’ll be good to me
He pulled me from the tomb and opened up my eyes to see
Saved me from the promises and lies
Of so many devils in disguise
He speaks for the humble and the low
Not for only just the faces everybody knows
His yoke is free and light
It’s not the kinda love that keeps you up at night

The grave is a doorway of a curious kind
You can’t take nothin’ with ya, you don’t leave much behind
In the fleeting moment we’re here
It seems to me to be so clear
We got to search for the truth
And it ain’t in the mirror

Naked we’ve come, naked we’re gonna go
There’s no rehearsal, only the show
Don’t you think the time has finally come
To pray for mercy to the One?
Start livin’ by forgiveness
Instead of by the gun

You can fight another war
To decide who’s gonna be the boss
As for me and my house
There’s only one boss
As for me and my house
It’s the Man on the cross

Devil’s Got a Foothold in Your Heart

Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Is he leanin’ in your brain?
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Makin’ you insane
Does he make you feel crazy like you’re always on the run?
Make you feel queasy like you’re too long in the sun?
Make you feel finished when you haven’t had the chance to start?
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart

Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
And does it keep you weak?
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
You’re not unique
You see’em everyday, they’re called the walkin’ dead
Lost in their addiction, their bitterness and dread
In a mental labyrinth no map could ever chart
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart

Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Do you feel him ever-near?
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
You ever see him in the mirror?
Does he take you by degrees into his pit?
Givin’ you everything you need to keep you locked in it?
You think you’re livin’ life, but you’re just playin’ a part
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart

Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Makin’ you think that you’re the top
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Makin’ you think you’re never gonna drop
Puffed up with pride and arrogance on your little throne
Elite and so important you can’t talk to anyone
Might even be a genius, but you just ain’t that smart
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart

Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Makin’ you wanna fade away
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Tellin’ you it’s always been this way
Does he blind you with temptation so you’re always on the take?
Betrayin’ yourself and the ones you love with every move you make?
With the kind of ruthless greed tearin’ the world apart
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart

Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Makin’ you lose everything
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart
Have you forgotten how to sing?
How can he be banished, how can he be overthrown?
Gotta trust the One under Whose power it already has been done
Get on your knees and seek God’s mercy, that’s the only way to start
Devil’s got a foothold in your heart

Seek And Ye Shall Find

Seek and ye shall find or stay and you’ll go blind
From all of the distractions that the devil has designed
To re-arrange, derange, and estrange your troubled mind
To keep you left behind, to keep your soul in line
With all the oh-so-angry and the many so resigned

Keep knockin’ on that door for one million years or more
Whatever did you think this life was given to you for?
To be another brokenhearted soldier in an endless war?
Or to know you are a child of God in His care forevermore?
Once you feel Him movin’ through your life you’ll know the reason you were born

God is merciful, God will understand
Whatever you got buried in whatever land you’re standin’ in
But first you got to call to Him, reach out with your hand
And He’ll meet you half-way, if you just give Him the chance
To show that mercy, love and forgiveness are the foundation of His plan

Don’t doubt He’s gonna heal you, don’t doubt He gonna come
Don’t doubt He’s gonna free you from whatever drug you’re strung out on
He’s everywhere around you, there’s no place that you’ve gone
That He’s not been watching over you, over everything you’ve done
What did you expect? You’re His daughter, you’re His son

Once I was so doubtful, I was so convinced
Of the bitter truth of a heartless world there’s no defence against
But now I know that God is love and I cannot pretend
Like a remembered song from childhood it’s comin’ back again
After so long in exile, so long beyond the fence

I searched and I did find, I looked and I did see
I knocked upon the door and it was opened unto me
I stepped inside and was born again into the one reality:
The miracle of God’s compassion stretching to infinity
Now I’m never goin’ back again – Thank God – I’m finally free

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