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Sad Go Lucky

by Al Rose

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1.
Sad Go Lucky 05:19
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The saint of Ophelia has put up a wall I know that I wrecked things not hearing her call Now everything’s hidden beneath a lost stone And I’m sad go lucky all the way home Oedipus Rex has a burning desire While he kneels in the rain as he changes a tire His mother plays poker so close to the bone And he’s sad go lucky all the way home I’m sad go lucky all the way home I’m sad with abandon wherever I roam I step off the cliff like the fool on the card I’m sad go lucky at large I’m a careless myopic when I’m swinging a bat I set off alarms at the drop of a hat I fall for the curveball wherever it’s thrown And I’m sad go lucky all the way home Oedipus wrecks every perfect disguise By wearing dark glasses and hiding his eyes He’s hiding from deeds that he cannot atone And he’s sad go lucky all the way home I danced on the tomb that has nothing inside I’m laughing my way to the grave If I had a nickel for each dime I lost I’d spend every penny on pain I’ve got 25 dollars and 26 debts 29 wagers and 35 bets I bet you a nickel you’ll get my last dime And I’ll buy you a drink every time I burn every bridge when I’m halfway across I tore up the ticket before my horse lost This is some kind of madness deep down in my luck I’m sad I’m lucky I’m fucked
2.
I Feel Lik A Million Dollars 04:38
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I feel like a million dollars Minus expenses, minus taxes Minus hat and minus heart / Minus cuts and minus scars Minus ransom / Minus time Minus nickels / Minus wine Before expenses choke me blind, I feel like a king I feel like a fat old king Minus castle, minus things Minus subjects / Minus crown Minus gifts from all around Minus tellers for my dreams Minus fingers for my rings Got a jester by my side reminds me there’s no queen Find some. Lose some. Lonesome. Loathsome. Savor. Savor. Savor. I feel like a man relaxed Minus stress and minus facts Minus tears and minus hope Minus fears and minus rope Minus wires / Minus traps Minus steps / Minus snaps Stretched out on a couch of lead Minus pillows for my head I feel like a million dollars Minus expenses, minus taxes Minus travel / Minus meals Minus hunger / Minus wheels Minus gloves and minus touch Minus cake and minus dust Before expenses choke me blind I feel like a king Find some. Lose some. Lonesome. Loathsome. Savor. Savor. Savor.
3.
They Lowered The Bar Again 05:22
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They lowered the bar again The shit’s flowing further downstream We’re dumber and dumber Good looking and younger is the brand new American dream I hear that you’ve got a new blog You’re tweeting about your new job You envy your daughter and you like drinking water and You burp up your eggs when you jog How did I ever exist before I knew how much you piss? But your photo is hot on your profile Honey, now come here and give me a kiss They lowered the bar again The shit’s flowing further downstream We’re dumber and dumber Good looking and younger is the brand new American dream Look at these holes in my jeans I bought them on Tuesday at lunch I sprayed on my tan, like…you know…like…you know I can text you on Sunday from brunch About gossip and botox and you Bikinis on housewives in boots Vegans and pork eaters / I heart the dork beaters Ask but don’t tell me your views They lowered the bar again The shit’s flowing further downstream We’re dumber and dumber Good looking and younger is the brand new American dream Who is that guy on the bus? Is he famous on TV or what? I think he’s famous from TV but I don’t know why But he’s awesome. That’s really enough Being awesome is really a plus I have “awesome” tattooed on my butt But you knew that last week if you followed my tweet My attention spans 1 or 2 ruts They lowered the bar again The shit’s flowing further downstream We’re dumber and dumber Good looking and younger is the brand new American dream This newspaper looks like a website All boxes and highlights and links The top 5 news stories are fluff piece and sports and the top 7 places to drink Jeopardy used to be tough / If I got 2 per show that was rough Now “The blank in The Hat” makes them go to the mat The answer is, “what the fuck”
4.
The Day Before The Imfamy 05:39
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On the day before the infamy I stood there like a man I puffed my chest the day before the shit hit the fan Everything was in control when the fan blew clean and cool When the sun went down I slept real sound Before the gasket blew On the day before the infamy I cracked a little smile The day before my teeth were chipped I danced a country mile Everything was not half baked The dough rose up and hands were shaked Backs were slapped and fish were hooked The day before the buildings shook On the day before the infamy I felt a little sick I told you once before we can’t combine our dirty tricks The combination wore me down The numbers turned without a sound I swore allegiance to both sides Combustion was our battle cry Can I hold my ground When the deal goes down? When the deal goes down, can I hold my ground for now? On the day be fore the infamy I lost a little weight I held my tongue and stood my ground when there was quiet at the gate You held me close beyond a doubt Beyond regret beyond the house Beside the point with much at stake When silence ruled the give and take On the day before the infamy I felt so obsolete A wall of stone in an age of drone with a slingshot at my feet I stretch it back and aim it high and try to catch a breeze On the day before the infamy A pebble set me free Can I hold my ground When the deal goes down? When the deal goes down, can I hold my ground for now?
5.
Never Saw It Coming 04:57
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Tuesday morning / Bed of nails Hammerhead and screwy heart I took her to my house of cards She’s steady as an apple cart I never saw / I never saw it coming I played with fire / Now there’s a fire In the field of twigs the future’s bright All that’s left is scattered ash I’ve done my time / No questions asked I never saw / I never saw it coming I never saw the rain as it fell down on my face At the bottom of the drain as I stand drowning I never saw the hurricane after 14 days on the radar screen I just focused on the eye and called things calm I saw you once behind my back / As lightning struck the railroad track I’ve seen you go from light to dark But then you made the waters part I never saw / I never saw it coming I stepped off the cliff today / I didn’t look- I’m falling fast I’m up in arms / I’m in my face So much for that leap of faith I never saw / I never saw it coming I feel like a field of corn / Waiting for that summer storm I never saw / I never saw it coming Three packs a day for 30 years / I thought I’d cut back but now the tumor’s here I never saw / I never saw it coming I never saw the rain as it fell down on my face At the bottom of the drain as I stand drowning I never saw the hurricane after 14 days on the radar screen I just focused on the eye and called things calm I bring you flowers every day / But I always see that empty vase I never saw / I never saw it coming I’m talking to myself again / It happened quickly – Just like that “What’s with you?” / I heard me talk I turned away I know that look I never saw / I never saw it coming I never saw / I never saw it coming
6.
Scorpion Hills 05:27
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Scorpion Hills / High on the hog I feel deader than nails in a tired old dog Higher than pills/ Deeper than scars I’m slipping away in my car To Suffocate Lake/ Deeper than space I’m reluctant to admit my disgrace My hand on your hips/ Your lips on my grin Won’t you let me start over again It’s too late to fight It’s too late to grieve I’m a slave to the way you give license to leave Albatross moon/ Spitting out stars Tell me again why your eyes are so dark Everything spills when everything spins The orchids are blooming again Celebrate wind/ Devastate time I feel more alive with my life on the line I’ll surrender my coat/ I’ll surrender my shame But I’ll never surrender my name It’s too late to fight It’s too late to grieve I’m a slave to the way you give license to leave Some of the time I reminded to fly I take off and flutter a wing Most of the time I’m distracted / Can’t think of a thing Rattlesnake wind/ Shaking up dust With sugar and pepper and poison and trust Cellophane face/ Tired old mask I’d leave if you’d only just ask Transparent look/ Invisible crutch Fitting tight like a glove with a tentative touch Love on the ledge/ Adrenalin rush I’d jump if you gave me a push
7.
I Hear The Sound Of Laughing Lists 02:30
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I hear the sound of laughing lists Things to do last year I’ll change my ways, A dozen eggs, A dozen books, A dozen friends A dozen things I didn’t do I didn’t done my things From hand to glove there’s things to give And lists of things and lists of gloves Lists of books I thought to read. I thought to write while on the street A book of lists is on my list I didn’t done a thing There’s people who I meant to kiss from the bottom of my dusty list A creepy slope was skipped and missed A lengthy lust was never kissed My list of dust was swept away and floated in the mist Lately, hyperventilating like a see-saw rising in a whole tone scaled down sandstorm, chipping at the river ‘til the shoreline swivels like a see-saw rising I hear the sound of laughing lists Things to do last year I never heard my things to hear. I didn’t saw I didn’t grew I never went I wasn’t there I never wore my things to wear Things to did – I didn’t do I didn’t done my things to did I didn’t done my things to did I didn’t done my things
8.
The Girl Who Whispered Wolf 06:13
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In a January drizzle, she keeps April in her pocket And she mumbles there’s a fire in her heart She tickles with her claws while she’s pulling down the wool And with the cruelty of Cupid She’s the girl who whispered wolf She was standing on a mountain. I was standing on a hill. She had me in the crosshairs of her love I’m a victim of experience of acting like a fool And I was hit between the eyes By the girl who whispered wolf I climbed a wooden ladder and went over the fence And I jumped into her arms just like a dog She turned away invisible and I drifted to the gulf She can change the course of rivers The girl who whispered wolf I followed every river until I thought I saw a clearing I still heard her voice come calling in the breeze I thought I felt a magnet like a global polar pull And I couldn’t fight the silence From the girl who whispered wolf We had coffee on the battlefield/ She was sharpening her instincts She came at me like a human bayonet Never try to filet a love when all the knives are dull Unless you’re on a cutting board With the girl who whispered wolf She said something in Italian that reminded me of breakfast And she took some medication after lunch She never stopped ‘til dinner and it never made her full She always kept a scorecard The girl who whispered wolf Everything was better when I walked around with earplugs I spent my time just kicking up the dust But I was kicking up denial until push came to pull Then she threw a bit of rope to me The girl who whispered wolf Coffee, rust and arrogance/ Laughter and tobacco Nothing takes the bitter taste away She serves me on a platter. She deserves me like a fool. And she feasted on my innocence The girl who whispered wolf Sometimes when I’m sleeping I can hear the bells a-ringing I can hear the flowers growing on the hill The power of her silence I can never comprehend And I am swallowed by the memory Of the girl who whispered wind
9.
The Amber Waves Have Let Me Down 04:52
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Purple Mountain’s mercury From sea to oily sea The amber waves have let me down Some men sleep on currency Some men sleep on ground The amber waves have let me down Coca-Cola Teabag Halliburton Fox The amber waves have let me down Run ‘em through a combine Put ‘em in a box The amber waves have let me down Chorus: Home is where the coma is I feel so numb tonight I cannot say it better No, I cannot say it better The amber waves have let me down Disease seems like a cure to me The weeds a woven crown The amber waves have let me down This scene seems like a curse to me The burning bush is brown The amber waves have let me down Chorus So I’ll try to shed some light tonight And dream of fruited plain The amber waves have let me down Someone get a corkscrew Won’t someone pray for rain The amber waves have let me down Chorus: Home is where the coma is I feel so numb tonight I cannot say it better No, I cannot say it better The amber waves have let me down
10.
Daddy Doncha Do Me 03:01
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Tennessee come lately I’ve been waltzing with a lady from Spain She’s got a polka dot pajama and a double deckered mama named Jane Her dTennessee come lately I’ve been waltzing with a lady from Spain She’s got a polka dot pajama and a double deckered mama named Jane Her daddy’s got a crippled hand and he runs a mariachi band He’s got a veil and a dagger and a rabid german shepherd named Ray Daddy daddy daddy don’t you do me Don’t you sound the battle charge Daddy doncha, no now doncha Daddy daddy doncha daddy Doncha doncha daddy doncha do me He’s got a secret service that he hides beneath the dark of the moon He’s got a pyramid in Egypt overlooking Babylonian ruins He’s got a candle in a human skull and when life gets really dull He drinks a coconut martini from November ‘til the middle of June Tennessee come running. Salvation’s lung is breathing on me I’ve got the mariachi fever from hanging on my bended knee But I won’t give up my name or my waltzing with that lady from Spain She wants to hang my skinny body from a limb atop the nearest tree
11.
On The Shelf 04:39
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Your lipstick fell in the toilet I don’t have the heart to tell you A scrunchie and your wallet are airing out to dry An empty can of something is out cold like a soldier I’d better crack a window to let out all the steam Maybe you could keep things on the shelf Or your pocket or your purse So I don’t flush ‘em down to hell You know I’m sorry, baby for the dampness that I caused But maybe we should keep it on the shelf Candle by a hair-thing / Matches and some sunscreen A strap-on by a sandal near a band-aid and some gauze The comb and brush are tangled like a Hello Kitty hairball The dental floss is mangled There oughtta be some laws Maybe you could keep things on the shelf Or your pocket or your purse So I don’t flush ‘em down to hell You know I’m sorry, baby for the dampness that I caused But maybe we should keep it on the shelf Tampon and a tweezers The door is always open for the orange ibuprofen And the shower needs a scrub The razor’s in the basket / The toothbrush has a film out The towel needs a bracket and the mirror needs a rub Ear-brush and an eye-brush, nose-brush and a throat-brush Rosehip by the toe-clip That pipe is going south Washcloth from the hotels Soapdish has a death wish I don’t believe in mouthwash ‘cuz you already washed your mouth Maybe we could keep things on the shelf Or your pocket or your purse so I don’t flush ‘em down to hell You know I’m sorry, baby for the dampness that I caused But maybe we should keep it on the shelf
12.
Sneaky Feelings 08:30
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Sneaky feelings come around / Tap my shoulder / Knock me down A dozen saviors playing cards / Straight as razors / Cheatin’ hearts Down the mountain in the rain / Trudge the saviors with their spades Trudging lively two by two / Join the club that makes it through SNEAKY FEELINGS TAP MY SHOULDER/ KNOCK ME DOWN & MAKE IT THROUGH Scratch the surface / Skin and mud Act surprised when you draw some blood Scratch it daily year to year / There’s a scar now ear to ear Take a shovel / Lose control / Find a hill and dig a hole Dig it sideways / Make a cave Or look straight down and make a grave SCRATCH THE SURFACE SKIN & MUD/ DRAW SOME BLOOD & MAKE A GRAVE I cleared tomorrow to make a change / Find a way to clear the air Clear the field to make some hay / Move tomorrow from there to here Find a roof to stop the rain / Clean the gutters like a pro Put my options on the scale / Hang the extra from a pole CLEAR TOMORROW FIND A WAY/ MAKE SOME HAY JUST LIKE A PRO Change direction / Change it all / Change your number / Block your calls Change the seasons just like God / Part the waters with a rod Cross the ocean all the way / Don’t look back / Just drive that train Cross the desert like a crab / Raise your claw and catch a cab CHANGE DIRECTION BLOCK YOUR CALLS/ DON’T LOOK BACK & CATCH A CAB Seize the moment / Take the cake / Make your point and gather leaves Tell your story wide awake / Run the gamut fast asleep Make a promise / Run the race / Run for office / Take offense Point a finger at your foe / Spend your whole life saving face SEIZE THE MOMENT TAKE THE CAKE/ GATHER LEAVES WHILE SAVING FACE The point you make is mighty small / Like a needle on the wall There’s many ways to flip that coin / I get no comfort from your point The point you make may draw some blood / Let it heal or cut it off In the valley in the mud / Even there you’ll find a way THE POINT YOU MAKE IS MIGHTY SMALL/ LET IT HEAL OR CUT IT OFF Operator, turn the page / Whisper numbers like a sage What’s your calling? What’s your game? Is the sheriff shooting straight? Undercover like a tent / We’ll find a way to pay the rent Shaving nickels out of bone / Until the savior calls us home OPERATOR TURN THE PAGE/ TIL THE SAVIOR CALLS ME HOME On the table by the cards / Near the ashes are the bets Near the salt that rubs the cuts there’s a pair of broken hearts Punched a mountain / Swollen hand / Swollen ego / Swollen man Pound the pavement / Make it grand / Like a swollen marching band ON THE TABLE NEAR THE CARDS/ LIKE A SWOLLEN MARCHING BAND Drowsy saviors laying down / Shielding ears from tolling bells Rest assured the saving grace is saving saviors from themselves Drowsy atoms splitting hairs / In a field of sprouting chairs Tempers twinkle like the stars / Until the morning breaks our hearts DROWSY SAVIORS LAYING DOWN/ UNTIL THE MORNING BREAKS OUR HEARTS Straight and narrow / Come around / Take a picture as I fall Seize the moment going down / Run the numbers through the wall Hold me closer to your world / Crack a smile / String of pearls Sneaky wheel on a wooden cart / Squeaky feelings steal my heart SNEAKY FEELINGS COME AROUND/ TAP MY SHOULDER KNOCK ME DOWN

about

Continuing in the left-of-Americana vein of his previous disc but with the inventiveness of the arrangements more subtle almost in counterpoint to the more severe satirical edge of some of the lyrics. His continued collaboration with Grammy-winning co-producer Blaise Barton is aided by Rose’s own band and a diverse group of music contributors,The musical daring is matched specifically to the message of each song.

"The sixth album from the Chicago artist Al Rose is the best singer / songwriter album I've heard in a long time. That wonderful feeling when he finishes 'I Feel Like A Million Dollars' with a real big band blowout is reason enough to repeatedly listen.
The quirky lyrics are reason enough to own your own copy so you can easily pick up the booklet and sing when the mood hits you. Lines like, 'I hear that you've got a new blog. You're tweeting about your new job. How you envy your daughter and you like drinking water and you burp up your eggs when you jog. How did I ever exist before I knew how much you piss? But your photo is hot on your profile. Honey, now come here and give us a kiss. '(from 'They Lowered The Bar Again') is both beautiful contemporary criticism and funny. This platter is full of similar stuff.
Did I mention that he sings very well, a bit parallel to Elvis Costello? Sad Go Lucky is a beautiful album."
—Ikon, Sweden

"Al Rose from Chicago. With his cynical but exceedingly cheerful album, Sad Go Lucky, he delivers raw, socially-critical songs- so tasty you'll be licking your fingers. Moreover, Rose sometimes has a hilarious sense of humor and he brings his songs beautifully wrapped in pretty Americana packages: sometimes bluesy, sometimes with a little more country, sometimes jazzier, or sometimes leaning against the rock, but it always hits.
Highly recommended."
—Moors Magazine, Holland

credits

released May 29, 2012

Al Rose (Vocals, Guitar), Steve Hashimoto (Bass), Steve Doyle (Electric Guitar, Dobro, Vocals), Lance Helgeson (Drums, Vocals), Maury Smith (Banjo, Guitar, Vocals), Carter Luke (Organ, Piano, Toy Piano), Brian Wilkie (Pedal Steel Guitar), Sue Demel (Vocals), Jeb Bishop (Trombone), Sarah Holtschlag (Saw),
Produced by Al Rose & Blaise Barton

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