1. |
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Rod Picott
Dark clouds gather on the western range
This time it feels like more than just another cold hard rain
Rivers rising over old flood lines
Here come the prophets, calling out the end of times
When the night comes creeping in
And the day has left a mark
I’ll take you by the hand
Together through the dark
We nurse our bruises and we touch our scars
We look up to the night, seeing chaos in the stars
Through endless time the same old dance
We stray out into the dark, in search of one last chance
When the night comes creeping in
And the day has left a mark
I’ll take you by the hand
Together through the dark
I'll tend the fire through the night and through the doubt
Can't fight the storm outside, but we can wait it out
This world is hard from the day you’re born
You can't pick up the rose without a handful of thorns
Holding on to the slimmest hope
You can beg for mercy or you can pray for a little more rope
When the doubt comes creeping in
And life has left a mark
I’ll take you by the hand
Together through the dark
When the night comes creeping in
And the day has left a mark
I’ll take you by the hand
Together through the dark
Together through the dark
Together through the dark
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2. |
Puncher's Chance
03:21
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Brian Koppelman
I lit a candle for the lost and lonely
And I stepped out into the night
When I heard a voice call out my name
From under the streetlamp light
I knew him from my bar room days
Those were rough and rowdy times
Just two old men talkin' 'bout a life long left behind
He said, I know that I ain’t ever going back to that old life
But I'll admit I sometimes think about those wild, wild nights
I could never pass up defending
The honor of a working girl
From some tanked up low life poser
Tryin' to take her for a twirl
Or schoolin' some low down rounder
For dealin' that bottom card
If you messed with me, boys
You'd go down hard
Oh the headaches and the handcuffs, I'm glad to leave behind
And these days I remember where I was last night
But sometimes, I still think that I could win one last bar fight
[instrumental]
Then I saw the old man smiling
I saw the laughter 'round his eyes
All them stories of my glory days, he said
Those are mostly lies
And when it came to throwing hands
How that whiskey made me dance
But I never had any more than a puncher's chance
He said, I know that I ain’t ever going back to that old life
But I'll admit I sometimes think about those wild, wild nights
I could never pass up defending
The honor of a working girl
From some tanked up low life poser
Tryin' to take her for a twirl
Or schoolin' some low down rounder
For dealin' that bottom card
If you messed with me, boys
You'd go down hard
Oh the headache and the handcuffs, I'm glad to leave behind
And these days I remember what I did last night
And sometimes, I still think that I could win
But with a crooked nose and a battered jaw and a shoulder that never healed right
Maybe in the end, I guess it's best, I've had my last bar fight
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3. |
Next Heartbreak
03:02
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Rod Picott
I saw it comin' but it came down hard as a stone
Laid my brother down in his grave
We had one last whiskey over his bones
He was a fighter but he knew he was facing the end
Hope I'm as brave when it comes my time
And we're gathered round the bedside again
I don't wonder 'bout it anymore
Now I know how much a heart can take
I count my blessings and I carry on
Until the next heartbreak
I hold my wife a little closer now in the dark
I say a prayer for the ones I know
Who make it through the night with just one heart
Got through the hard times, boxed 'em up in the past
Back to the living, back to sunny days
But we're old enough to know it won't last
I don't wonder 'bout it anymore
Now I know how much a heart can take
I count my blessings and I carry on
Until the next heartbreak
[instrumental]
You chop wood, carry water, should be simple enough
Till your down on your knees, looking up
At the sky with a fear that you’re not that tough
All is quiet now, but the mind races on
Reach for the bottle on the old nightstand
Good times keep rolling along
I don't wonder 'bout it anymore
Now I know how much a heart can take
I count my blessings and I carry on
I don't wonder 'bout it anymore
Now I know how much a heart can take
I count my blessings and I carry on
Until the next heartbreak
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4. |
At Christmastime
02:01
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Duke Levine
I stayed in town too long I guess
I can't afford regrets
I saw the writing on the wall
We all pinned our hopes upon
The politician's song
But all is silent in the empty union hall
Was a time, when factories hummed
Enough for everyone
We didn't notice what we had
Today I'll drive to the Dollar Tree
I work from 8 to 3
And then nursing home, to check on Mom and Dad
Sister married, moved out west
Took the civil service test
Delivers bills and junk mail
On the streets of the big city now
Younger brother joined the Corps
And on deployment number four
Took some shrapnel in his knee
And puts up with the pain somehow
And as for those who moved away
I wonder if they'd say
They think about this place they left behind
This old house is all that's left
A family once so blessed
The memories echo off the walls at Christmastime
The memories echo off the walls at Christmastime
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5. |
Double Shift Tuesday
02:44
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Terri Hendrix, Lloyd Maines
It’s double shift Tuesday on minimum wage
(How'd you end up here?)
I'm treadmill running on a wheel in a cage
(How'd you end up here?)
Headline says the economy's boomin'
(How'd you end up here?)
You work all night till you stop feelin' human
(How'd you end up here?)
I'm rolling up nickels and dimes
For a meal and a bottle of beer
I know my momma's lookin' down on me, sayin'
How'd you end up here?
People pass me on the street, don't even see me
(How'd you end up here?)
I blend right in with the trash and grafitti
(How'd you end up here?)
I made some mistakes, yeah, that's on me
(How'd you end up here?)
You live and learn that nothing's ever free
(How'd you end up here?)
I once had a dream so bright
But dreams tend to disappear
I know my momma's lookin' down on me, sayin'
How'd you end up here
So tired of singing the same old song
(How'd you end up here?)
I know this isn't where I belong
(How'd you end up here?)
Don't wanna be a pawn in a rich man's game
(How'd you end up here?)
Someday everybody gonna know my name
(How'd you end up here?)
Someday everybody gonna know my name
Someday everybody gonna know my name
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6. |
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written by Adam Carroll, Slaid Cleaves
In a dusty old church basement
My daddy lit his second cigarette
Spoke of all the years he wasted
Letting go of all those old regrets
And as I watch my own smoke settle
It's not too hard to understand
That so much of who I am today
Well, I just picked up second hand
Was a time that I was searching
For something I could call my own
Guess I didn't really have the goods
Now I'm rolling over one more payday loan
Took a load down to the local pawn
Went back to work for my old man
Drivin' home tonight to the wife and kids
In a Plymouth that I bought second hand
Cactus growing 'round that old blue van
We used to roll out across this land
Feeling brave and free, we were singing Born to Run
I go and visit her from time to time
Sun settin through that old red pine
Just held together with spare parts and duct tape till you’re done
I know I'm not the one she fell for
She smiles but I can see it in her eyes
And when she stares into the distance
I know there's only so much she can hide
I’m headed to the tent revival
Where lost souls reach for heaven's plan
I gotta find some kind of light tonight
Even if it's only second hand
Cactus growing 'round that old blue van
We used to roll out across this land
So many times, I can’t remember where we started from
I go and visit her from time to time
Sun settin' through that old red pine
Just held together with spare parts and duct tape till you’re done
In a dusty old church basement
My daddy lit another cigarette
Blew the smoke up to the ceiling
Letting go of all those old regrets
And as I watch my own smoke settle
It's not too hard to understand
That so much of who I am today
Well I just picked up second hand
I just picked up second hand
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7. |
Arnold Nash
04:49
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written by Slaid Cleaves
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half his life in prison
The other half on the run
I'll tell you all the story of Arnold Nash
I got a call from the warden
When they found the empty cell
I said, I'm retired, but I'll tell you what I know
Most men do their time
Wishing they were back at home
But Arnold, well, he's got no place to go
We were buddies back in grade school
He'd come to the house and play
No one knows what set him on his path
Some would say a broken home
Can turn a good kid bad
Some insist he was never more than trash
In '81 my dad was sheriff
And I aimed to fill his shoes
As Arnold was starting up his own career
He'd work twice as hard at stealing
Than he would at an honest job
He'd take anything from dope to fishing gear
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half a life in prison
The other half on the run
This here is the story of Arnold Nash
Well, I chased him through the woods of Maine
A good many times
Once through a driving snow in his stocking feet
He'd be locked up for a while
A year or two at most
And then he'd be right back out on the street
He was a burglar and a thief
With two escapes to boot
In '91 he crossed over the line
He beat to death his neighbor
For a VA check to cash
And so Arnold went up state for the big time
[instrumental]
With a 45-year sentence
He thought he was in for good
He spent a quarter century inside
And for his good behavior
They shaved off 18 years
They said, Arnold, you'll soon pack your bags and ride
So I reassured the warden
No need to worry, son
This old prisoner, he won't be going far
Sure enough, when he got hungry
He come out of the shady woods
Walked right up to the blue state trooper's car
These days I'm in retirement
And I guess old Nash is too
And I know what he saw on the Bangor Road
He saw comfort in that cruiser
Saw three squares and a bed
Relieved to come to the end of this episode
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half a life in prison
The other half on the run
Now you all know the story of Arnold Nash
Now I've told the true story of Arnold Nash
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8. |
Put the Shovel Down
03:16
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written by Slaid Cleaves
Way back in Blanco County
I knew a troubled soul
This cowboy couldn't get out of his own way
A chip upon his shoulder
Quick to lose control
Diggin' himself deeper every day
Losing friends and family
Stumbling along
Kicked out of every drinking hole in town
Every day just singin'
The same old jukebox song
Until he learned to put the shovel down
Some guys keep right on diggin'
You could say they're trouble bound
If you want to get out of the hole you're in
The first thing you gotta do is put the shovel down
Well, I don't mean to be a preacher
And I know that I'm no saint
You can ask all the people I have hurt
What I've got to say, boys
You can take or leave:
Quit your diggin' and climb up outa the dirt
Some guys keep right on diggin'
You could say they're trouble bound
If you want to get out of the hole you're in
The first thing you gotta do is put the shovel down
I woke up this morning
Watched the climbing sun
Counted up my blessings one by one
And I will be here standing
When that sun goes down
Because I learned to put the shovel down
Some guys keep right on diggin'
You could say they're trouble bound
Some guys just won't stop diggin'
Till they're six feet underground
Some guys keep right on diggin'
It's no mystery, I've found
If you want to get out of the hole you're in
The first thing you gotta do is put the shovel down
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9. |
Terlingua Chili Queen
03:39
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Ron Coy
Sandy worked in Dallas in an office in the sky
Chattin' up the oil men, her hair piled high
Bought designer clothes at the Galleria Mall
Dancin' in Deep Ellum, she was fairest of them all
The huSbands and the houses, they'd come and then they'd go
And when the dust would settle, she'd be right back on her own
If you want to get ahead you got to do the shuck and jive
So every day it's out of bed and onto 35
Putting on mascara in the rearview mirror
In the back seat of her mind there's a little flash of fear
Is this the life she wanted when she was a little girl
Or is there something more out in the great big world?
She started feeling crazy, she started thinking wild
She wondered what would happen if she drove 600 miles
She planned her getaway, she had the motive and the means
That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen
After twenty-too many years chasing wedding rings
She traded in her Lexus, sold off all her things
Goodbye to fancy dinners, goodbye to therapy
She headed west on 20 with a chili recipe
On the dash a pack of Salems and a half a pint of gin
Not caring if she'd ever see the Metroplex again, no
She drove all through the night toward that little border town
It's time for starting over, no time for backing down
Sunrise in Terlingua on that truck stop caffeine
That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen
[instrumental]
She found a place in Agua Fria with a kitchen out the back
Bought some pots and pans and she started to relax
Stirrin' and a-tastin' out in the open air
Sunshine on her skin, desert breezes in her hair
She won the chili cook-off, went off to celebrate
Dancin' at La Kiva like she's 'bout to levitate
She kissed a river rat, they started singing drinking songs
Said, I'm here for a good time, I'm not here for long
Now they're headed for the desert in search of mescaline
She planned her getaway, she had the motive and the means
Sunrise in Terlingua on that truck stop caffeine
Dancin' at the Starlight like she was seventeen
That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen
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10. |
Sparrow
03:10
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Rod Picott
Bedroom curtains sway
By a window fan
He brings a faded pillow
To his face
A hint of her perfume
Haunting the room
Hiding in the shadows of this place
Tenement concrete steps
Pretty, young and pale
A cigarette on her lips
Leaning on the rail
He pulled up in his car
Asking her name
A thrill, that her heart could not contain
A life that started hard
Turned soft with age
The disappearing years
Blew by like days
A calendar in the picture show
Tears off page by page
Life unwinds
Today, his little sparrow flew away
Bobbins and pins
Needle and thread
The quilt that she made
For their wedding bed
Chisel and saw
Hammer and plane
The pine box and a cross
Where he carved her name
By the open barn door
He drinks alone
In the elm a lone crow looks away
No more to be done
Losing the sun
In the silence, watching the sky turn gray
A life that started hard
Turned soft with age
The disappearing years
Blew by like days
A calendar in the picture show
Tears off page by page
Life unwinds
Today, his little sparrow flew away
Today, his little sparrow flew away
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11. |
Nature's Darker Laws
02:58
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Karen Poston
Ancient mountains sleep below the gentle sway of pines
Where ancient traumas linger in the murky mists of time
Where some men claim to carry on a lost, alluring cause
Their better angels ever led astray by nature's darker laws
See the man, from humble home he goes to work each day
Until he's told a stranger soon will take his job away
The sun goes down, and in his heart a quiet anger gnaws
In his veins there runs the quickened blood of nature's darker laws
"You must go on," our Father said, "Your faith will see you through."
And all day long he trudges on, he wants it to be true
But when he hears the demagogue, the rapturous applause
He's found the voice that fills the emptiness with nature's darker laws
On every screen the fear and blame is all that he can see
The nightly news, it shows him how to see his enemy
The radio, it feeds the lies the grievances because
There's money to be made by tapping in to nature's darker laws
He holds a gun and feels he's in control for the first time
His captain yells that fighting for your country is no crime
He joins the crowd and holds a flag that stands for what once was
In violence he's found a brotherhood through nature's darker laws
[instrumental]
Ancient mountains sleep below the gentle sway of pines
Where ancient traumas linger in the murky mists of time
Where some men claim to carry on a lost, alluring cause
Their better angels ever led astray by nature's darker laws
By nature's darker laws
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12. |
Make Your Own Light
03:17
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written by Slaid Cleaves, Rod Picott
You won't find it in a bottle
It's as quiet as a prayer
It's quicker than rain, thinner than air
You can't ask it of another
It's more valuable than gold
Ever out of reach
A mystery to behold
It always follows truth
It dwells deep inside
Though you search the world from low to high
You listen in the dark
In the deep of the night
You try once again, and again
You try to make your own light
You might find it in a lover
That only works for a while
Your hunger to quench, your soul to beguile
You only glimpse it for a moment
Turn your gaze away, it's gone
Everywhere and nowhere
The universe's song
If you long to go home
First you'll have to leave
If you want to laugh, you’re gonna grieve
You listen in the dark
In the deep of the night
You try once again, and again
You try to make your own light
[instrumental]
It always follows truth
It dwells deep inside
Though you search the world from low to high
You listen in the dark
In the deep of the night
You try once again, and again
You try to make your own light
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13. |
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Ballad of the Silver Dollar
written by Slaid Cleaves, Jeff Elliott, Robert George and Mike Morgan
I started out as just a lump of silver ore
In Denver, minted as a dollar back in '34
Traded through the Dust Bowl and the swamps of Louisian’
My journey is what made me what I am
One day a drifter found me in a dusty barn
Put me in his pocket, kept me for a lucky charm
Shined me with his ragged shirt and hopped a freight that night
He vowed that he would soon start living right
Up out of the ground come dust and silver
And a wise man comes to know what each is worth
Dreaming up and building out a life for all to see
Till dust and silver return to the earth
The young man enlisted after Pearl in '41
Got a uniform, a paycheck, and an army issued gun
From Normandy on to Ardennes, in the battlefields of France
He held me, in his trembling muddy hands
Somehow we made it back to the old USA
With the G.I. Bill and a couple of years of saved up soldiers pay
He raised a family, prospered, was respected in the end
He'd show me off to family and friends
Every day he turned me with his fingers and his thumb
Placed me on his bedside table when the day was done
Bowed his head and said a prayer of gratitude, sincere
As I grew smooth and thinner year by year
inst
It was late one night on his old back porch rockin’ chair
He dropped me by his boot heel as he said his final prayer
And now we rest together, our travelling days no more
In the quiet earth, just like a lump of ore
Up out of the ground come dust and silver
And a wise man comes to know what each is worth
Dreaming up and building out a life for all to see
Till dust and silver return to the earth
Dreaming up and building out a life for all to see
Till dust and silver return to the earth
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14. |
Mister Morgan
04:02
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Mister Morgan by Slaid Cleaves
As I sat upon my porch one day a truck came up my road
Unsettling the quiet of my Hill Country abode
The man said, It's your lucky day, there's money to be made
The wells out west are flowing and there's pipeline to be laid
He said a Mister Morgan made this offer genuine
And promised untold riches if I signed here on the line
Well, breaking up my land doesn't sit so well with me
I don't want a man from Houston to control my destiny
My father bought this land, and I've roamed it all my life
It's here I'll spend my golden years with grandkids and wife
So please tell Mister Morgan I'll be passing on his deal
I'm not interested in promises, I'll stick with something real
His face turned dark and angry and he quit his jolly tone
Said, Buddy, I would hate to see you lose your pretty home
He said, You best be careful, you don't know what's in store
Home and family matter still, but Mister Morgan matters more
He said, Think it over mister, I'll give you 30 days
We'll sue for a hundred thousand if you don't do as I say
I looked across the rolling oaks and asked how could this be?
That a man can pay some lawyers to take this land from me
So I looked up my rep and said, I checked a box for you
I'm a voter in this district, must be something you can do
Mister Morgan wants to tear into my fathers legacy
Sometimes I get the feeling no one's looking out for me
Morgan doesn't live here and he can not vote for you
I suppose he lines your pockets, though, 'cause that's what rich men do
The politician smiled and said, There's things I can't ignore
I appreciate your vote, sir, but Mister Morgan matters more
Now there's birdsong in the breeze, a distant neighbor mows a lawn
Bluebonnets in the meadow that soon will all be gone
I've seen the surveyors, and tomorrow come the trucks
And the backhoes and the graders, kicking up their dust
Like a death in our own family, that's just how it feels
A slow and painful ending to what we thought was real
To all of you shareholders, I hope you know the cost
I hope you know your dividend was paid by someone's loss
And when you count your money, sir, I hope you know the price:
A scar upon my land, my little bit of paradise
I won't forget the words spoken by the old screen door
Home and family matter still, but Mister Morgan matters more
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Slaid Cleaves Wimberley, Texas
Modern day traveling folk singer. He’s telling your story. Writes and records songs that strike people’s hearts and become a part of their lives.
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