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Naked In A Trailer

by Al Rose

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1.
VISIONARY TRACTOR MAN 04:58
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I used to be a friend of mine Now I'm just an iron gate An angel with a bitter twist I was driving home points like the interstate I used to do the tug of war I used to do the tight rope dance Fishing for a story with a whole tone scale I could live under water given half a chance Chorus: The weather in the papers say it's golden growing time Is it really any wonder? They're plowing up the grapes to make that blind sided wine Like a visionary tractor man I'm going to do the front porch dance Hide behind my backyard face Standing in a hole by the side of the barn I've got great designs of what to do with this place I'm going to plant a brand new crop I'm going to start a sun burned face I'm going to make the barnyard dance With a hey-d'lio holler and a boom-boom pace Chorus Bridge: Everybody's got a job to do (tell me something I don't know) The seamstress and the reaper will help you Reap just what you sow I'm going to need a little sun I'm going to need a little rain With a thumbnail sketch of a pile of corn I'm going to stand behind you every step of the way I'm planting everything I own I'm planting everything it takes Then I'm going to get good footing And plow and plant and rain and wait
2.
CHANNEL TO CHANNEL 06:18
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My eyes are kind of nauseous I'm only using half my brain I spent last night from channel to channel In this great big land of freedom there's so many shows to choose But then I sit and surf the dial Until I see somebody nude There's just a bit of tension here My pulse at 88 I'm sitting in an easy chair Fingers digging in my leg I'm giving up this quick cut life Just watch me walk away Just give me a minute to see if there's something on HBO-Time Chorus: There's water on the walking stick I'm sitting in the thick There's water on the walking stick slapping hallelujah I'm singing songs of instinct while I stare up at the sky I step into an open hole of channel surfing lies It's brighter than I pictured here and sharper than they said Down the steel plated exit pole the reds are really red I get everything they want me to I'm the doctor of good buy I touch the white tornado with a consumer winking eye I dial 1-900 spend my money 'til it hurts Mutual funds and sticky buns My investment in dessert Chorus An infomercial bible man says he can cure my pain From his Texas bible-belting Euro-Disney church of gain From Hollywood, the boulevard to Galilee, the sea There's a lot of syndication on the screen 2nd Chorus: Tiny Jesus was amazed Tiny Jesus has a lot to learn about being saved It's an after school oasis for a camel and his boy Out in the burning desert where they cable in the joy With his box of holy twinkies and his channel changing crown His mom is kind of lenient and his dad's been out of town My eyes are kind of nauseous I'm only using half my brain I spent last night from channel to channel I saw the future of the network news (it's where I get my point of view) The anchor was a high school girl Topless and tattooed
3.
NAKED IN A TRAILER 04:25
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I want to climb the pyramid Embrace that pointy tower Unscrew that locked career lid I really need to sell my car I need to cough up cash flow Some cabbage and a coin I'm supporting other habits Could I make it in Des Moines? Chorus: Could I make it as a tailor with a scissors and some cloth? Or will I be naked in a trailer with a gun inside my mouth I want to water ski the Nile in the gala summer show I'll just use my special style But I don't want to steal the show I'm just trying to keep my balance While I try to write my book I don't need another challenge Could I make a decent cook? Chorus Bridge: There's something about the autumn With the falling of the guard I'm the nude descending Contemplating raking up the yard I want to swim across the ocean with my lunch upon my back And though I barely got my toes in I'm expecting the attack It's just a question of endurance Could I survive another chance? Could I survive a year in prison? Could I survive a year in France?
4.
MISTER BIGGER 03:19
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Man alive he's the largest man alive and well And big he is He wears power green and green is better greener's great And green he is He stands beyond the point He's a shadow on the wall He licks the boiling point He's more than big He's tall. More than big, he's... Chorus: Bigger bigger best Bigger biggest Man alive he's the loudest man alive and well And loud he is He wears open mouth and wider's better wider's great And wide he is He's bigger than a hill But smaller than a hole He chews the bitter pill He's more than ice He's cold. More than ice he's... Chorus Bridge: More than some Moron More more more
5.
VOTE FOR ME 05:17
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Running was an accident I meant to pay my debt But I met my mortal weakness in a hole Splitting every kind of molecule we could To seal our fate Split 'em quarter, split 'em even Split 'em whole Papa was a big mouth and my momma was a gun I was raised beside a cabin in a pit But enough about my movie Take a picture for my book And I will thank you when the money has been split Chorus: Vote for me. Vote for big mouth Vote for vinegar and piss I will kiss your baby's elbow And I'll put you on my list Then I'll put you in a taxi And forget you're on my list Vote for me. Vote for big mouth Vote for piss There's an anorexic fallout All the folks are eating more They are stuffing the burritos in their shirts All the ribs and legs and sealing wax The dirty rotten hams are sucking candy and bananas 'Til it hurts I am pausing for a breath mint That I suck to change my breath I go from onion cloud to pine tree on a dime The invisible protector that has saved me more than once I am a wint-o-green believer in my prime Chorus Plaster dust is everywhere The party was a bust The revolution calls for cleaner air The clogged up drain just burps my name The tub is full of crust Renovation never will be fair The gift of being ignorant has taught me nothing new Pound for pound I lump me with a pulse I am just a crude reminder of our public schools at work And I can stretch a rubber band like no one else
6.
EVERYTHING IS FLEXIBLE 05:18
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December cloudy morning Rainy afternoon The sun come up at supper time And shined straight through 'til June Radiant and blazing It filled my appetite for bright Until another nervous horror killed the light Chorus: Everything is flexible Every fence will bend No matter what the stubborn say This stubbornness will end I live the high life I fought a war I shot a man for killing me He got what I deserved One painful moment Eternal peace I climbed the tower for the view Now I'm hanging with the trees Chorus Bridge: Around the ranch they're talking in their sleep The horses aren't paying for their keep Whispers and ideas are inhibiting abandon And the pigs are so indiscreet The trash has been collected Today's my lucky day The phones appear connected And some calls are being made Some arms are being twisted No time is being lost They're rolling out the carpet Just to get the point across Chorus You touched the stomach I touched the nerve You took the straight line And I melt it to a curve You took the ceiling I took the floor You took the window and I threw it out the door
7.
DELIRIUM EXACTO 04:07
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Glass stained arrows floating to the nexus Underneath the table there are shiny black shoes Automatic difference Shake it if you must Seal it with a river Shoulder it with rust Rave about a weakness Howl at the rules Paint a simple drama and dance inside a room Back me in a corner and ask me for a reason Focus on the corner Everything is clean Chorus: I am leading you to water But is it water that you want? Linger on a rooftop Storming without warning Rub against the lightening Thunder Vision Chance Pointing at your fingers Linger in your mood Parting of the waters Standing where you stood 2nd Chorus: I hear the delta calling... Delirium Exacto. Impossible oasis I get retro-satisfaction when you rub against my arm Reaching for the moment Reaching in the tub I touch you for a moment Everything is clean
8.
21ST OF JUNE 04:10
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Sun beats down on the longest day Sun rises to the task Sun can make the summer wait Sun will do what it's not asked No matter where I sit these days I feel like such an ass But I smile just like a lucky man Like winter with a mask Bending over backwards in the name of limber good I try to stretch imagination Like I know a good boy should Running with my eyes closed with scissors and an ax I try to keep my head on straight Like winter with a mask Soldiers marching sideways try to sneak up to the front Where the battle cries and skirmishes Will come just after lunch The sergeant and his nemesis, they share an icy flask Then they polish off their rifles Like winter with a mask Chorus: It's a textbook case of something Figure this and armchair that I've got theories full of holes Out the ass Sun beats down on the longest day Half done and half ahead Six months from this minute I'll be wishing I was dead Six months from this minute I'll be thinking of the past I'll be thinking of this minute And mistakes that last The longest day in history The 21st of June Sun beats down on everything from ashtrays to the moon The shortest day in history don't even know my name And right now it seems so far away And it knows no shame
9.
SLOW LOW RISE STYLE 02:59
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Baked on the setting sun I'm going to get me some Slow low rise style Inside an honest hand Echoes on demand Slow low rise style Saved by a southwest wind from a blistering sun with a sinister grin Blowing my troubles to a thousand reaches Spread the word We've got a friend in breezes All the letters of the moment rise to words
10.
WANDER BLIND 03:47
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Triggered by the season Triggered by the bell I overcome the weight of compromise And with nothing on my left And nothing on my right With nothing I am free to live my life Chorus: It's all right to take the time to wander blind Triggered by a notion Triggered by a drop I choose to put myself upon this spot I sing the contradiction I sing with morning breath I sing because the rhythm sets the clock Chorus Invisible reaction I need to hear a voice I need I want now gimme gimme Shiny plastic toys Tell me something overwork me Rub it in my face And let the complications set the pace Chorus Triggered by a cannon Triggered by a fight I stand before a wall that looks me squarely in the eye Improvise a recipe from melody and ice And feed the beast a worthy feast tonight
11.
REASONS TO BLEED 04:19
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Reckless and Restless are having a ball The horse and the saddle they straddle the wall The bones and the nerves are entwined in the hall Of a knowing and lovable leg The straw and the milkshake are at it again While the lake and the basement see water rush in And say "what will it take to be humble again When we're deeper and deeper in love?" Chorus: Bones are hard Blood is easy As easy as reasons to bleed Bones are hard Blood is easy Reasons are easy The tree and the bush are worth two in the hand Raise your glass to the breeze We're a forest my friend With a branch from my ribs and my face to the wind There are mirrors and mirrors for miles Take a look at your foot you got knuckles to spare When you reach second base There'll be more knuckles there You've got knuckles with corns You've got knuckles with hair You've got knuckles with buckles and... Chorus Bridge: The baker and garden has fed us for years The lights have a right to their roll The shoes and the socks have been partners for miles Underneath every rock there's a roll Reckless and Restless are at it again The horse and the saddle, they straddle the wind The breeze has the cards while the dealer looks hard For the bones and the nerves to give in The straw and the milkshake are under the bell The lake and the basement, they straddle the well Say what you will 'cause you never can tell If reasons are easy as...
12.
SUN ON BLACK VINYL 04:32
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Mountains in the rearview Insects smashed against the glass They are baking and not frying in the middle of Nebraska I am drinking boiling water from a bottle on the floor And the cheese I bought in Boulder is now dripping out They said it hit one-o-six but it felt like one-o-nine I'm just sitting in this hot seat with my secrets Breathing fire is no big deal when flames are in your diet But it takes its toll on stomach tongue and teeth Chorus: I'm holding the wheel It's steering me on Sun on black vinyl moves everything up a notch I had a grand slam at the Country Kitchen Is there a rest room up ahead? Point of interest, wishful thinking, twenty bucks a bed The mile signs play solitaire with no regard to me And the tape plays Burroughs reading because his voice relaxes Chorus Bridge: I know I say all things at all times All things so slow This day may go on for the rest of my life The weather went on a little crime spree In Chicago, five hundred died It brought us all a little closer with a touch of civic pride It took our minds off other heat, war stories and hot air My mind was wandering, keeping cool In the dry Alaskan air I think too much and pick a point And spit another hair I share a laugh The thermos is my friend My mind is playing solitaire with no regard to me I hear a symphony of interstate and wind
13.
HURRY BACK 03:50
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Blurry talk from blurry tongue I'm lost without my keys I'm haunted by the hammerheads I'm feet beneath my needs You do the aching back off it's a shame to see you shrink I should have told you on the sounding board I give thanks for all your think Chorus: So hurry back just hurry back Don't lock the door just hurry back Don't leave a note You'll miss the boat Just grab your pack and hurry Oh ball and chain you know my name You know my time of day You grab me when I'm feeling right And you burn the good away My stomach pit alarm clock goes and screams the call to arms It's a touch and go revealing wall Down the hallways to the heart Chorus I'm tempted by the blanket on this cold afternoon Pen knife in my shoulder blade I sure hope to see you soon You gave me all the maps but took away the driving light If you would only turn it on again I'd sleep right through the night Bridge: I don't know why I sail so smooth When storms are all around But ripples send me overboard And an ounce can make me pound I'd like to see you sitting here again with both those eyes I'd like to see you over me supported by your thighs You got me where you want me I can't even make a sound But I'm the sheriff of this landfill And I can run you in the ground

about

Rose captured his spellbinding musical magicianship on his second album with his band, The Transcendos. The songs are as fascinating as those on Information Overload but the warmth, the interplay, the simpatico of the musicians, glows on every track. The dynamic & stylistic spectrum ranges from his dada-gospel “Wander Blind,” to the full force of “Mister Bigger” to the quiet simmer of “21st Of June.” These are lyrics meant to envelop you. He also displayed his artistry as a watercolorist with the cover painting for Naked In A Trailer.

“With his acoustic songcraft and love of wordplay, this veteran local performer might have been right at home in an Old Town coffeehouse, circa 1972. But Rose has far grander ambitions, and though they sometimes get the better of him, Naked In A Trailer is one audaciously entertaining ride. Rose sometimes overreaches with pseudo-poetic lyrics and too-busy arrangements, but he scores with moments of surreal insight and a bemused outsider’s wit. Oddly charming melodies emerge from a varied bed of settings, incorporating everything from gospel to progressive jazz.”
— Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune

“Every once in a while, a folk artist takes a genuinely new viewpoint and carries it to its limits. Jim Infantino and Faith Soloway illustrate such integrity of vision. So does Al Rose. Let’s not invoke the name of every important new voice of the last 30 years; there’s no way of knowing if this guy is or wants to be the next Leonard Cohen, or whoever. Instead, here’s a look at Al Rose’s CD, Naked in a Trailer.” Read the entire article…
— Marilyn Rea Beyer, New England Folk Almanac Review

Al Rose, the undisputed king of Chicago quirk, has taken a giant step forward on his second record, Naked In A Trailer. Surrealist visions abound while Rose’s backing band, The Transcendos, empathically match his slow, low, rise style. Uncompromising songcraft that haunts and goads, this record is filled with metaphors, signifiers and overt symbolism. On “Channel To Channel” the vapid, addictive evils of cable TV are described in frighteningly lurid terms. The personal crisis of a starving artist is laid bare on the title cut as he sings, “Could I make it as a tailor with a scissors and a cloth? Or will I be naked in a trailer with a gun inside my mouth.” While Rose’s lyrics demand serious attention and are always the focal point of his songs, the Transcendos’ organic, instrumental accompaniment is just too strong to be ignored. Heath Chappell on drums and Steve Hashimoto on bass are as fine a rhythm section as Chicago has to offer and the harmonies of Laura Blye are no less than angelic. Yes, Chicago’s visionary tractor man has tilled the songwriter’s soil and unleashed his idiosyncratic folka-rocka-boom on the innocent masses. Not a moment too soon, either.”
— Mitch Myers, Manhattan Mirror

credits

released May 1, 1996

Al Rose (vocals, guitar), Steve Hashimoto (bass), Laura Blye (vox), Heath Chappell (drums), Carter Luke (keyboards), Maury Smith (guitar and mandolin), and Mike Smith (guitar)
Sue Demel, Nancy Walker (vocals), Andy Rubin (dobro)

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Al Rose Chicago, Illinois

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