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Gravity Of Crow

by Al Rose

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    With color 10 panel fold out with lyrics

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1.
All The Fixin's 03:35
lyrics
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Hide longer than breath Breath sooner than now Now that the siren’s gone Step longer than feet Feet stronger than still Still as the morning song Run faster than touch Touch deeper than down Down lower than understand Talk bigger than mouth Mouth wider than sound Sound softer than falling sand Chorus: Pan’s waiting to bake Pot’s waiting to boil Knife’s waiting to cut All the Fixin’s Drink deeper than thirst Thirst deeper than lake Lake deeper than ocean tide Pull stronger than string String stronger than rope Rope tighter than what we tide Chorus Bridge: Nothing exploded Something eroded inside Skin harder than stone Stone harder than wind Wind harder than bone Ride longer than train Train longer than snake Snake further than all the tracks Word quicker than tongue Tongue slower than thought Thought curving like melting wax Wish bigger than blood Blood redder than sun Sun closer than all the rest Rest deeper than death Death slower than time Time richer than deepest breath Hand’s waiting to give Arm’s waiting to take Wrist waiting to twist Back’s waiting to break Chair’s waiting to sit Stair’s waiting to step Floor’s waiting to crawl Wall’s waiting to crest Swing’s waiting to swing Slide’s waiting to slide Ground’s waiting to grind All the fixin’s
2.
Open Wide 04:28
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I woke up on my knees And there wasn’t any light Had a bruise a mile deep And a scar a mile wide I finally caught my breath And I caught a glance of light Eyes adjusted to the dark Open wide I’ve seen every single snake In temptation’s dirty hand I know cowards on the take They’re just slivers in the sand With a smile on the mask And a mask upon my face I faced every single day But I never took a taste Chorus: I’ve seen the scene a hundred times I’ve had the time a hundred ways I’ve waited all my living life Open wide Bridge: I couldn’t believe how many times I circled every destination Hammer for a signal Like a headlight in my possum eyes Ground zero’s looking deep into my glaze I’ve got copper in my joints Just for sitting all my life There’s a door on yonder wall Open wide A thousand miles, a thousand miles With just a ribbon for my guide At a hundred miles an hour Open wide
3.
Random Hollow Diesel Train 04:39
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The random hollow diesel train speeds across the land With a Diamond Vision screen on its side showing videos of trains And big speakers blaring train sounds with whistles and screeches and car wrecks And the people gather round, do the wave, get bored, go home And dream of logos I over heard a man of god standing at the bar My god shines a brighter light and he drives a better car My god and your god were hanging out their robes My god gets the whiter whites, brighter colors, golder golds And more suicide bombers Makes me so proud. Glory Hallelujah So proud. I just can’t look away So proud. I’m trying to find the exodus So proud. Shit like this you can’t make up The random hollow diesel train burns a lot of oil Smiles a vapor smile while it’s poisoning the soil And the people that are driving are the ones I trust the least You can tell the way they smile their smiles that we’re nothing to them Slightly less than half the voters voted with their ass Then the circus came to circus town and they got to do their act Now we got a frat boy president but the president can’t read The president can’t talk and the president can’t breathe ‘til they say breathe Makes me so proud It’s like living in a drug test, baby So proud. He’s like a monkey with a stroke So proud. I just can’t look away So proud. Shit like this you can’t make up The random hollow diesel train burns its light on me No restriction factory cooking abandon makes the light hotter and hotter Greedy leaders bleeding sleaze, paying back contributors on their knees Sizzling the earth in the name of money Makes me so proud. It’s either a good nightmare or a bad dream So proud. I just can’t look away So proud. Shining like an eagle with a melanoma So proud. Shit like this you can’t make up
4.
Shut 02:05
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I think I’d better hurry / I think I’d better run I think I’d better understand that tonight I’m not much fun I think I’d better leave the road before I crash the truck I think I’d better shut the fuck up I think I’d better stay the course / I think I’d better fly I think I’d better hold my breath/ I think I’d better try I think I’d better shut my mouth before it opens up I think I’d better shut the fuck up Bridge: I’ve been talking with my mouth full since before I learned to talk My nothing fills up buckets and the bucket’s had enough My vapor fills a canyon and my yadda yadda blahs My life is like a tractor pull I think I’d better look away / I think I’d better duck I think I’d better shut my eyes before I push my luck I think I’d better shut my trap before my tongue is cut I think I’d better shut the fuck up I think I’d better shut the fuck / I think I’d better shut I think I’d better shut the fuck / I think I’d better shut I think I’d better shut the fuck / I think I’d better shut I think I’d better shut the fuck up
5.
Gravity Of Crow 03:17
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Climbing up the old crow’s nest / The old bird welcomes me She tidied up the nest sweet nest / She served me over easy Like blackened coal her feathers shone / Her call a piercing scream Her wings can darken half a house / At the end were old crow’s feet Toast and jam and cakes from pan / Juice from fatty bacon That sweet old crow just let me know she’d put a big old steak on She served me up a rabid stew / So good on many levels I washed it down with an icy mush / And pudding made from pebbles Ratty tar with a mouse eared crust / All dripping gravel gravy She wiped my mouth with a sewer cloth and bid me happy landing Falling out the old crow’s nest / The old bird empties me Her wings could darken half a house / She served me over easy My Daddy told me what’s his name had told him such and so But nothing stuck inside my craw like the gravity of crow
6.
Rummy And A Slave 06:05
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I’m a rummy and a slave with my heart on my grave Take the rum from me or I won’t live the night My baby’s my light but the rum runs my life I’m a rummy and a slave Six years ago in the winter of no snow I bundled my wool and dug in for the haul No work and no dime / Just plenty of time But I always rise up when opportunity calls My daddy and his wife taught my mom to use the knife They cooked up a scandal and laughed while she cried They made mom look bad and I hate to hurt dad But I did what I did and then somebody died “I wish I could help”, my brother stepped back “But I’ve got to preach in this town for a while” My brother’s a rat in a black preacher’s hat So I grabbed the damn hatchet / There’s work to be done Now word’s on the street that my blood runs like sleet But I wouldn’t hurt nothing unless nothing does wrong Now my hand’s full of blood / But the light’s from above The light’s getting dimmer when the bottle is strong Chorus Bridge: Run and come with me for I’ve got to hide I buried that hatchet and I’ve buried my pride And I’ve buried my life full of truth and regret And I love you forever for now No mountain or train will ever move me again / I’m a rummy and a slave My eyes are like stones from running alone And this bottle feels empty when the bottle is full I walk down the path like a man with no map I’m a rummy and a slave
7.
Hope 05:10
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Got me letters Tuesday day / Reminds me of an alibi Cannot read them eye to eye / Dissection day I wear my message on my sleeve / This coat’s so old I call it &dlquo;Breeze” I cannot stand to see you leave Spent the winter on my knees / One got sore the other’s fine I eat you like a fantasy Choke on butter scrambled pain / Swallow river choke on rain Reminds me of the weather vane Chorus: Hope is no friend of mine Hope is no alibi Hope is my kind of guy I dropped the ball and tried to hide / stranded runners double play I can’t believe you’re on my side I slipped a disc paralyzed / You come on by and put it back I need you like a vertebrae Chorus Bridge: Sometimes I breath so freely / Drawing deeply from the source Sometimes those breaths release me / Free Free Free Cup of coffee diesel train / Side by side and coast to coast Train man gives a little wink / Tunnel vision shotgun blast Train man gives a little push / Makes the most of better days Shows the asses where to sit / Punches tickets in the face Train man gives a little cure / Cracks the window for a breeze Turns the tables like a pro / Pins and needles rocks and greed Train man gives a bitter pill / Conducts his business on the side Makes a snack of guys like me
8.
Linger On 04:47
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I’d like to spend a little time without the monkey Spend a little without the claw Breathe a little air that’s not been turned into a word And linger on I’d like to spend a little time without the watchband Dancing on the corners of the wall Dropping all the beats I lost my sense of time To linger on Chorus: Hold me so silently It’s warmer on the other side Where the waters tend to take their time And the intimate hours survive I want to spend a little time without the toolbox Spend a summer day without the saw Find a wooden chair that’s not been hammered to a pulp And linger on I’d like to spend a little time without the cargo Spend the crooked voyage looking out Perched upon the mast Yonder the horizon lingers on
9.
Wasting Gas 04:41
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Same old horses same old cart / State lines stretched from heart to heart Snapping forces thermos wind / I’m boiled Overheated carcass hills and folded maps of country waters Greasy treasures drilling me for oil Don't drive by me / I take two lanes / I shoot to kill I go too fast / I always will / I'm always lost I'm out of town / I'm wasting Gas Layers tapped and love revealed / Now sparks are loose and heat concealed Beneath the cool surface of desire Driving for a better kill / With flashers on the stakes are higher The one who's got the lucky gun will fire Don't drive by me… Chorus: If Jesus had a dime for every song that dropped his name He'd come running back to pick us up and drive us all to Spain Where we'd drink the wine and sing the song And every word would rhyme with wine And every song would pay that dime again Glove compartment hornet’s nest / I played the tape and you're inside it The clock is on the wiper's rhythm now Static shifts to lighter gear / The high beam lights are all in focus The fuel is burning cleaner than a star Don't drive by me… Driving in my dreams / I'm understanding spinning wheels All rolled and spoken for / Surrender to the toll Poking life and tempting snakes with sticks and gravel / Tempers rising Warning rattles make a shaky point Begging for a better view of back seat luck and trailer hitches Battle scars and licking wounds for years Don't drive by me…
10.
Cherry Pie 04:06
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We built this basement brick by brick Put a big tower in the middle of it Landlady come at a quarter to ten Chorus: Oh my cherry pie You know you’re gonna get gravy And you’re gonna get by She’s a shoulder length girl with a big wet mouth See through hips and a see through blouse I can see myself in a couple of days Chorus Bridge: First big bite golden brown on the side Butter crust Butter shine Drive by thief yells to raise ‘em high Be back in an hour to get all your pies Put ‘em outside in a front porch box Chorus I spent last night in Caroline You know she’s calling me back but I’m taking my time Virginia’s the state I’d like to be in Chorus Bridge Oven pre-heat to 415 Center rack to get all the heat Windowsill’s waiting for its moment to shine
11.
Egg Me On 05:36
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12.
New Coat Of Paint 03:16
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It’s the middle of March and we’re miles from the start There’s no going back for a coat I’m tempted to hide in the mountains with all the old goats I’ve got a fashion disorder with chips on my shoulder I’m buckled and faded and stained I need a new coat of paint The weather’s been tough and I’m chipping away I look like that guy in the mirror Scraping some layers, I’m nuder than usual here Down to the bone, to the essence alone Stripped down to my virtual frame Goes my new coat of paint Bridge: The emperor came up from behind and he rode by my side The emperor told me alone you could cover my hide Now I’m standing so proud / Tailored to order Brushed on according to grain Some sanding and primer and texture to cover the pain Rolled on my back either satin or matte For a while I’ll stay out of the rain In my new coat of paint Ideas alarm me/ Alarms can disarm me We all march alone in our minds I’m older/ I’m older/ I’m over it Over the crime They’ll all smell the fumes when I enter the room With the brushed on veneer of a saint In my new coat of paint
13.
Truer Than The Cold 04:22
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The story’s truer than the cold / I tapped the liquid from my soul I held a lantern in the hole between the darkness and the teeth I count blessings just like that sheep / I stab the darkness in my sleep I see the turning point beneath the twisted branches of the tree The purple sting of howlin’ wind / Like icy knuckles to the chin I can’t believe I made a fool of me again I touched the waterfall at night / I walked the path by firelight I saw the clearing just beyond the crooked smile of crescent moon I saw you sitting on the log / With a blanket at your feet To keep your distance from the fog and woven from the painted loom Expectations in my face / Give the moment bitter taste I dug that hole so many times I’m out of strength I see the highway like a friend / With gravel shoulders end to end I lost my way so many times / I can’t believe you got me home The front door brought me to my knees / I’ve got a main street up my sleeve I’ve got a notion to believe this kitchen table was made by hand The ghost of dreams just turns and coughs / Slaps a bone and has a laugh In the garden where the morning glories bloomed Dusty clutter on the ledge / Kitchen knife has lost its edge I tear the bread apart and wipe the greasy window with my shirt The light comes through the greasy haze / Reminds me of those greasy days Filled with dreams when disappointment was a luxury of time I took a breath and cleared the shelf / Told my dreams to fuck themselves Made an offer to the wind it can’t refuse

about

“At his best, Rose writes intimate songs, bristling with sharp turns of phrase and a level of introspection that by itself would be worth venting accompanied by little more than an acoustic guitar. But Rose doesn’t stop here. Gravity Of Crow, his fourth album, sidesteps categorizations that might befall less ambitious singers: ‘folk,’ ‘pop,’ ‘Dylan wanna be.’ The arranging on Gravity is as ambitious as Rose’s lyricism, an orchestral country-blues that magnifies and dramatizes his wordplay: the dark comedy of ‘Shut,’ to the majestic chorus of ‘Egg Me On.’ Too many would-be poets treat sonics as an afterthought, but with Rose his language was music.”
— Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune, February 2003

“Listening to Al Rose is like standing in a huge gallery of abstract art. As you stare up at the paintings entitled, “Egg Me On”, “New Coat Of Paint”, and “Random Hollow Diesel Train”, you can’t help but wonder, “Am I the only one here who gets, or doesn’t get this?” Indeed, Al’s lyrics challenge description. So much of the joy is in following the words through frequent and mysterious twists and turn, brought masterfully together by Al’s unique and controlled voice. Throughout Gravity of Crow, Al shares his views on current and recurrent events with whimsy and imagery that occasionally dips intriguingly dark and cold. His powerful and passionate singing is supported by fine arrangements and polished production techniques which include the use of woodwinds, strings and dobro. As good as he is on this latest project, he’s best caught live. You won’t be disappointed.
— Singer Magazine, June 2003

credits

released January 1, 2003

Al Rose (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica, flute) Steve Hashimoto (bass), Steve Doyle (electric guitar, dobro), Maury Smith (acoustic and electric guitar, slide banjo, vocals), Sarah Allen (drums), Laura Blye (vocals), Carter Luke (keyboards).
Additional Musicians: Steve Gibons (violin), Sue Demel (vocals on Gravity Of Crow), Heath Chappell (drums on Wasting Gas), Diana Parmeter (cello)
Produced by Al Rose and Blaise Barton

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