Lyrics
Making Something New
By Eli Conley
Some afternoons the words come easy
Some days they all sound wrong to me
Sometimes the notes fall out exactly where I want them
But I often chase them down for weeks
So when I face the empty pages
I try to trust the mystery
I’ve spent long hours circling spirits
Come back with bruises on my knees
I don’t know why I need to do this
To keep on searching for what’s true
I only know that when I stop I ache
So I keep making something new
I love trans folks with all my being
We paint our lives in vibrant hues
Scribble outside the lines we’re given
And we make our own damn dancing shoes
I don’t know why we need to do this
To keep on searching for what’s true
I only know that when I stop I ache
So I keep making something new
Finding beauty in the wreckage
Making meaning of the grief
When we tell our stories right we find release
I don’t know why we need to do this
To keep on searching for what’s true
I only know that when I stop I ache
So I keep making something new
Making something new
We Will Show Up
By Eli Conley & Talia Cooper
This song was inspired by the Movement for Black Lives' call to #DefendBlackLives #DefundThePolice and #InvestInBlackFutures.
It is meant to be taught, sung, and shared. Please spread it widely.
Chorus:
We will show up (We will show up)
We will not hide (We will not hide)
We will show up cause we’ve got justice* on our mind *freedom, abolition, love, liberation
Verses:
We feel the pain, we feel the rage
We will not numb ourselves, we will not look away
Though we are scared, we will be brave
We will be bold, cause we know Black lives are at stake
We won’t get stuck in guilt or shame
Yes we will mourn, and we’ll give space for our heartbreak
And as we grow we’ll make mistakes
We’ll help each other learn, we know that’s what it takes
We have our children by our side
And all the ancestors, they both will be our guide
So here we are with all our heart
In this together knowing we will do our part
We will keep on, we will stay in
For the long haul, cause we believe that we will win
By Eli Conley
Some afternoons the words come easy
Some days they all sound wrong to me
Sometimes the notes fall out exactly where I want them
But I often chase them down for weeks
So when I face the empty pages
I try to trust the mystery
I’ve spent long hours circling spirits
Come back with bruises on my knees
I don’t know why I need to do this
To keep on searching for what’s true
I only know that when I stop I ache
So I keep making something new
I love trans folks with all my being
We paint our lives in vibrant hues
Scribble outside the lines we’re given
And we make our own damn dancing shoes
I don’t know why we need to do this
To keep on searching for what’s true
I only know that when I stop I ache
So I keep making something new
Finding beauty in the wreckage
Making meaning of the grief
When we tell our stories right we find release
I don’t know why we need to do this
To keep on searching for what’s true
I only know that when I stop I ache
So I keep making something new
Making something new
We Will Show Up
By Eli Conley & Talia Cooper
This song was inspired by the Movement for Black Lives' call to #DefendBlackLives #DefundThePolice and #InvestInBlackFutures.
It is meant to be taught, sung, and shared. Please spread it widely.
Chorus:
We will show up (We will show up)
We will not hide (We will not hide)
We will show up cause we’ve got justice* on our mind *freedom, abolition, love, liberation
Verses:
We feel the pain, we feel the rage
We will not numb ourselves, we will not look away
Though we are scared, we will be brave
We will be bold, cause we know Black lives are at stake
We won’t get stuck in guilt or shame
Yes we will mourn, and we’ll give space for our heartbreak
And as we grow we’ll make mistakes
We’ll help each other learn, we know that’s what it takes
We have our children by our side
And all the ancestors, they both will be our guide
So here we are with all our heart
In this together knowing we will do our part
We will keep on, we will stay in
For the long haul, cause we believe that we will win
Strong and Tender, 2017
All Songs © 2017 Eli Conley, BMI
How Do We Know
Every morning you wake up
You make the toast and brew the tea
You pet the cat and keep her quiet
So she will not wake me
How do we know when it’s time to seal the deal?
How do we know when it’s time to take all the things we feel and make it real?
How do we know? Oh...
At night we go out on the roof
And watch the stars as they appear
And I’ll admit I’ve looked for proof
That love can still work out
I’ve tried to let go doubt and fear
How do we know when it’s time to seal the deal?
How do we know when it’s time to take all the things we feel and make it real?
How do we know? Oh...
Four years ago you drew some diamonds
Geometric, pen and ink, you gave them to me
And then this spring you made a ring, a little silver thing
And we told ourselves it meant nothing, oh no
In truth, I’ve never cared for marriage
But I hoped we’d settle down
I’ll take the roses and the carriage
But not the paperwork
We don’t need no clerk downtown
I think I know that it’s time to seal the deal
I think I know that it’s time to take all the things I feel and kneel
I think I know, Oh...
Lucky Star
We were walking on a hillside, we had just met in the bar
When you pointed at Orion and said that one would be ours
And I gazed at you in wonder as you pulled me to your car
So I made a wish upon our lucky star
When I woke up that next morning you had left a note for me
In the middle of your pillow, where your head was supposed to be
It said “Billy, oh I love you, but I’m married, I ain’t free
So remember me beneath our lucky star”
Now every night I go back to that goddamn bar
Now every night people laugh cause no one there knows who you are
So I go back up on that hill and ask the stars
I am out in east Kentucky chopping trees as thick as men
On a ridge that’s eighty miles from Abingdon where we first met
I am building us a cabin just in case we meet again
Cause I made that wish upon our lucky star
Do you ever wish upon our lucky star?
All That Ends
Maybe we’ll die of cancer
Or we’ll die of old age
Maybe we’ll go like a wrecking ball
We’ll drop dead in a rage
Maybe we’ll hold each other
till the sweet and solemn end
Maybe we’ll just give in
I don’t know ‘bout you, but I would love to see 85
I hope I can still drive but it’s all right if I can’t
I don’t know what you see
When you look at me that way
Are you looking at today or at tomorrow?
There’s always tomorrow
Maybe we’ll die of alcohol
Or World War III
Maybe the revolution’ll come
But they’ll put poison in our tea
The only thing I know for sure
Is when we go it’s not for good
Look for me out in the woods
I don’t know 'bout you, but I would love to see 75
Go out for a drive along the ocean
There’s always the ocean
Maybe the ozone’ll open up
and we’ll all go to our graves
Maybe we’ll end this mess we’re in
I believe we can still be saved
I’m not afraid of death anymore
Like I was when I was three
Cause all that ends with death is me
I don’t know ‘bout you, but I would love to see 65
I hope I have the drive to keep singing these songs
I don’t know what you see
When you look at me that way
Are you looking at today or at tomorrow?
There’s always tomorrow
Until we fade away
What I’m Worth
I bus the tables at Sam’s Pizza Place
Sometimes your kids ask when they see my face
Are you a girl, are you a boy?
I wish that I could say “Why yes I am”
“Matter of fact, I am a happy man”
But I don’t know what my boss would say if he found out
Don’t think you’ve met another man like me
Maybe you’ve seen a couple on TV
We all have to fight
For you to take us seriously
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
Stay in my room sometimes on Saturdays
And lie alone behind the lowered shades
Just read my novels, smoke cigarettes and stare out into space
I got a little dream I’ll chase someday
Drive out to Houston, someplace far away
And nobody there will know who I used to be
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
Each day I wake up and I’m still right here
Using the same damn license to buy beer
Cause it’s nine hundred dollars to change your name in Doylestown
But I am the man that I was meant to be
I think it’s time that you caught up to me
I won’t change myself because you dislike what you see
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
Broke Song
Maybe you get to a certain age and you get nice furniture
(What age is that?)
I haven’t got there yet, but I’ll let you know
My things are used or they’re particle board
From a place I’m loathe to name
And I’m damn ready for something steady
Wish money would call my name
It ain’t no joke being broke all the time
There’s no romance or hope
In the unemployment line
I’ve got five bucks the bank and
In my pocket just a dime
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Back to the grind
Baby we’ve got a lotta love but our love won’t pay the rent
Our story’s old as mud and fresh as dew
It wasn’t us who made this bed
It was bankers, it was suits
But here we lay and we’ve got bills to pay
And the straps broke off our boots
It ain’t no joke being broke all the time
There’s no romance or hope
In the unemployment line
I’ve got five bucks in the bank and
In my pocket just a dime
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Lord I think it’s by design
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
You know that I once dreamed it would be easy
That I’d grow up and the money it would flow
I wish that I’d get used to having little
But it ain’t so
I watch the birds as they fly along with no need for bank accounts
I know that humans too could do without that mess
Just think if we all raised the kids, grew the food and built our homes
And there weren’t no bosses
No more gains and losses
We would all feel less alone
It ain’t no joke being broke all the time
There’s no romance or hope
In the unemployment line
I’ve got five bucks in the bank and
In my pocket just a dime
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Lord I think it’s by design
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Back to the grind
Give It Up
Leave a note, make the call,
Walk on over, don’t stall
Say it’s over, that’s all
Give it up
Dear you said it your yourself
He is hurting your health
All of us want to help
Give it up
When you leave you’ll be lonely
But that is the only way out of this mess that you’re in
You’re not bad, you’re not good
You have chopped all the wood
But your fire will not be rebuilt
When it’s done, you must leave
Try your best not to weep
Till you’re home in a heap
Give it up
When you leave you’ll be lonely
But that is the only way out of this mess that you’re in
You’re not bad, you’re not good
You have chopped all the wood
But your fire will not be rebuilt
Take a break, take a pill,
Take a bath if you will
There are times when you must
Give it up
Strong and Tender
Sometimes people say things about you
That are so damn far from true
There will be those who’ll believe them
But those folks lose out on you
And it’s so hard to remember
Yes it’s so hard to follow through
You must love yourself strong and tender
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
I take a walk by the cathedral
My belly’s empty as my mind
I hardly think of him at all now
Except when people are unkind
And it’s so hard to remember
Yes it’s so hard to follow through
You must love yourself strong and tender
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
Let the people that you love hold tight...
I know I hurt him and I’m sorry
Goddamn, he cut me to the bone
He tells his friends a different story
Than when we were alone
The cannon sounds on the horizon
The cannonball falls where I lay
He’s left no space for me to walk on
No way that I can have my say
And it’s so hard to remember
Yes it’s so hard to follow through
You must love yourself strong and tender
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
Get In My Own Way
I wrote it down — From 10 to noon
I’d sit at home and I’d write a tune
At 10 am I was checking e-mail
At 12 noon I was still derailed
So many ways that I get in my own way
So many ways that I get in my own way
So many ways that I get in my own way
So many ways that I get in my own way
At 1 o’clock I waited on a call
At 2 pm I’d heard nothing at all
At 3 o’clock my friend finally phoned
Cause he was in the Mountain Time Zone
Chorus
At 4 pm I needed a late lunch
At 4:30 well I got hunch
At 5 pm my baby would come home
And I can’t write when I’m not alone
No I can’t write when I’m not alone
I just can’t write when I’m not alone
No I can’t write when I’m not alone
Chorus
Well now it’s midnight and my love’s asleep
It’s seven hours till the cell phone goes beep beep, beep beep beep beep, beep beep
Crawl in the closet with the coats and shoes
Get an idea but I start to snooze
Chorus
Strong
I dressed myself in black today
Without thinking why
Too many people who I love
Are watching people they love die
And every step they take
It feels so wrong wrong wrong
They’re almost gone
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together
We will always do it better
When we’re moving all together, pushing on
Everybody we are strong
Every day in this America
Another Black life is wiped out
At the hands of a policeman
Who thinks he knows without a doubt
That every breath they took
Well it was wrong, wrong, wrong
And now they’re gone
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together
We will always do it better
When we’re moving all together, pushing on
Everybody we are strong
Oh the dead, make no noises
Yes, the dead they make no sound
But the living left behind them
Rend and thrash the air around
For all the cries we make
Oh death is long long long
And they’re still gone
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together
We will always do it better
When we’re moving all together, pushing on
Everybody we are strong
The End
I know you’re angry, I know you’re sad
I know I’ve never lost my dad
I hope it’s a long time before I got through what you’re going through
The year you started seventh grade
He made you watch the pride parade
He said no boy of his would prance, you never did let yourself dance
But you tried to stand beside him while he faced it
There was nothing you could change or fix or plan
In the end you held his hand
He wrote his memoir that last year
And all the nurses came to hear
He didn’t mention you at all, you left to stand out in the hall
But you tried to stand beside him while he faced it
When there was nothing he could change or fix or plan
In the end you held his hand
He never liked you much
I wouldn’t blame you if you’d left him there without your touch
So feel the wind upon your face
And know you’re in the only place
That it is possible to be, you’ve gotta let your body grieve
Cause you tried to stand beside him while he faced it
When there nothing left to change or fix or plan
In the end you held his hand
How Do We Know
Every morning you wake up
You make the toast and brew the tea
You pet the cat and keep her quiet
So she will not wake me
How do we know when it’s time to seal the deal?
How do we know when it’s time to take all the things we feel and make it real?
How do we know? Oh...
At night we go out on the roof
And watch the stars as they appear
And I’ll admit I’ve looked for proof
That love can still work out
I’ve tried to let go doubt and fear
How do we know when it’s time to seal the deal?
How do we know when it’s time to take all the things we feel and make it real?
How do we know? Oh...
Four years ago you drew some diamonds
Geometric, pen and ink, you gave them to me
And then this spring you made a ring, a little silver thing
And we told ourselves it meant nothing, oh no
In truth, I’ve never cared for marriage
But I hoped we’d settle down
I’ll take the roses and the carriage
But not the paperwork
We don’t need no clerk downtown
I think I know that it’s time to seal the deal
I think I know that it’s time to take all the things I feel and kneel
I think I know, Oh...
Lucky Star
We were walking on a hillside, we had just met in the bar
When you pointed at Orion and said that one would be ours
And I gazed at you in wonder as you pulled me to your car
So I made a wish upon our lucky star
When I woke up that next morning you had left a note for me
In the middle of your pillow, where your head was supposed to be
It said “Billy, oh I love you, but I’m married, I ain’t free
So remember me beneath our lucky star”
Now every night I go back to that goddamn bar
Now every night people laugh cause no one there knows who you are
So I go back up on that hill and ask the stars
I am out in east Kentucky chopping trees as thick as men
On a ridge that’s eighty miles from Abingdon where we first met
I am building us a cabin just in case we meet again
Cause I made that wish upon our lucky star
Do you ever wish upon our lucky star?
All That Ends
Maybe we’ll die of cancer
Or we’ll die of old age
Maybe we’ll go like a wrecking ball
We’ll drop dead in a rage
Maybe we’ll hold each other
till the sweet and solemn end
Maybe we’ll just give in
I don’t know ‘bout you, but I would love to see 85
I hope I can still drive but it’s all right if I can’t
I don’t know what you see
When you look at me that way
Are you looking at today or at tomorrow?
There’s always tomorrow
Maybe we’ll die of alcohol
Or World War III
Maybe the revolution’ll come
But they’ll put poison in our tea
The only thing I know for sure
Is when we go it’s not for good
Look for me out in the woods
I don’t know 'bout you, but I would love to see 75
Go out for a drive along the ocean
There’s always the ocean
Maybe the ozone’ll open up
and we’ll all go to our graves
Maybe we’ll end this mess we’re in
I believe we can still be saved
I’m not afraid of death anymore
Like I was when I was three
Cause all that ends with death is me
I don’t know ‘bout you, but I would love to see 65
I hope I have the drive to keep singing these songs
I don’t know what you see
When you look at me that way
Are you looking at today or at tomorrow?
There’s always tomorrow
Until we fade away
What I’m Worth
I bus the tables at Sam’s Pizza Place
Sometimes your kids ask when they see my face
Are you a girl, are you a boy?
I wish that I could say “Why yes I am”
“Matter of fact, I am a happy man”
But I don’t know what my boss would say if he found out
Don’t think you’ve met another man like me
Maybe you’ve seen a couple on TV
We all have to fight
For you to take us seriously
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
Stay in my room sometimes on Saturdays
And lie alone behind the lowered shades
Just read my novels, smoke cigarettes and stare out into space
I got a little dream I’ll chase someday
Drive out to Houston, someplace far away
And nobody there will know who I used to be
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
Each day I wake up and I’m still right here
Using the same damn license to buy beer
Cause it’s nine hundred dollars to change your name in Doylestown
But I am the man that I was meant to be
I think it’s time that you caught up to me
I won’t change myself because you dislike what you see
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
I’ve got a name, it’s not the one they gave at birth
I’ve got a name, don’t try to tell me what I’m worth
Broke Song
Maybe you get to a certain age and you get nice furniture
(What age is that?)
I haven’t got there yet, but I’ll let you know
My things are used or they’re particle board
From a place I’m loathe to name
And I’m damn ready for something steady
Wish money would call my name
It ain’t no joke being broke all the time
There’s no romance or hope
In the unemployment line
I’ve got five bucks the bank and
In my pocket just a dime
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Back to the grind
Baby we’ve got a lotta love but our love won’t pay the rent
Our story’s old as mud and fresh as dew
It wasn’t us who made this bed
It was bankers, it was suits
But here we lay and we’ve got bills to pay
And the straps broke off our boots
It ain’t no joke being broke all the time
There’s no romance or hope
In the unemployment line
I’ve got five bucks in the bank and
In my pocket just a dime
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Lord I think it’s by design
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
You know that I once dreamed it would be easy
That I’d grow up and the money it would flow
I wish that I’d get used to having little
But it ain’t so
I watch the birds as they fly along with no need for bank accounts
I know that humans too could do without that mess
Just think if we all raised the kids, grew the food and built our homes
And there weren’t no bosses
No more gains and losses
We would all feel less alone
It ain’t no joke being broke all the time
There’s no romance or hope
In the unemployment line
I’ve got five bucks in the bank and
In my pocket just a dime
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Lord I think it’s by design
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Back to the grind
Give It Up
Leave a note, make the call,
Walk on over, don’t stall
Say it’s over, that’s all
Give it up
Dear you said it your yourself
He is hurting your health
All of us want to help
Give it up
When you leave you’ll be lonely
But that is the only way out of this mess that you’re in
You’re not bad, you’re not good
You have chopped all the wood
But your fire will not be rebuilt
When it’s done, you must leave
Try your best not to weep
Till you’re home in a heap
Give it up
When you leave you’ll be lonely
But that is the only way out of this mess that you’re in
You’re not bad, you’re not good
You have chopped all the wood
But your fire will not be rebuilt
Take a break, take a pill,
Take a bath if you will
There are times when you must
Give it up
Strong and Tender
Sometimes people say things about you
That are so damn far from true
There will be those who’ll believe them
But those folks lose out on you
And it’s so hard to remember
Yes it’s so hard to follow through
You must love yourself strong and tender
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
I take a walk by the cathedral
My belly’s empty as my mind
I hardly think of him at all now
Except when people are unkind
And it’s so hard to remember
Yes it’s so hard to follow through
You must love yourself strong and tender
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
Let the people that you love hold tight...
I know I hurt him and I’m sorry
Goddamn, he cut me to the bone
He tells his friends a different story
Than when we were alone
The cannon sounds on the horizon
The cannonball falls where I lay
He’s left no space for me to walk on
No way that I can have my say
And it’s so hard to remember
Yes it’s so hard to follow through
You must love yourself strong and tender
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
Let the people that you love hold tight to you
Get In My Own Way
I wrote it down — From 10 to noon
I’d sit at home and I’d write a tune
At 10 am I was checking e-mail
At 12 noon I was still derailed
So many ways that I get in my own way
So many ways that I get in my own way
So many ways that I get in my own way
So many ways that I get in my own way
At 1 o’clock I waited on a call
At 2 pm I’d heard nothing at all
At 3 o’clock my friend finally phoned
Cause he was in the Mountain Time Zone
Chorus
At 4 pm I needed a late lunch
At 4:30 well I got hunch
At 5 pm my baby would come home
And I can’t write when I’m not alone
No I can’t write when I’m not alone
I just can’t write when I’m not alone
No I can’t write when I’m not alone
Chorus
Well now it’s midnight and my love’s asleep
It’s seven hours till the cell phone goes beep beep, beep beep beep beep, beep beep
Crawl in the closet with the coats and shoes
Get an idea but I start to snooze
Chorus
Strong
I dressed myself in black today
Without thinking why
Too many people who I love
Are watching people they love die
And every step they take
It feels so wrong wrong wrong
They’re almost gone
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together
We will always do it better
When we’re moving all together, pushing on
Everybody we are strong
Every day in this America
Another Black life is wiped out
At the hands of a policeman
Who thinks he knows without a doubt
That every breath they took
Well it was wrong, wrong, wrong
And now they’re gone
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together
We will always do it better
When we’re moving all together, pushing on
Everybody we are strong
Oh the dead, make no noises
Yes, the dead they make no sound
But the living left behind them
Rend and thrash the air around
For all the cries we make
Oh death is long long long
And they’re still gone
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together and we’re strong
Everybody get together
We will always do it better
When we’re moving all together, pushing on
Everybody we are strong
The End
I know you’re angry, I know you’re sad
I know I’ve never lost my dad
I hope it’s a long time before I got through what you’re going through
The year you started seventh grade
He made you watch the pride parade
He said no boy of his would prance, you never did let yourself dance
But you tried to stand beside him while he faced it
There was nothing you could change or fix or plan
In the end you held his hand
He wrote his memoir that last year
And all the nurses came to hear
He didn’t mention you at all, you left to stand out in the hall
But you tried to stand beside him while he faced it
When there was nothing he could change or fix or plan
In the end you held his hand
He never liked you much
I wouldn’t blame you if you’d left him there without your touch
So feel the wind upon your face
And know you’re in the only place
That it is possible to be, you’ve gotta let your body grieve
Cause you tried to stand beside him while he faced it
When there nothing left to change or fix or plan
In the end you held his hand
All Songs © 2013 Eli Conley, BMI
At The Seams, 2013
When God Sets His Sights on You
Mary Ann waits tables nightly
Down at Jack’s on Highway Two
Her daughter Jean started acting strangely
She cut her hair, she’s wearing old men’s boots
Then at home they were getting dinner ready
Jean said she had something to tell
“I’ve started seeing someone pretty steady”
“And mom,” she said, “her name’s Danielle"
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god sets his sights on you?
Mary Ann stared at her daughter
She said “I taught you better, I am sure”
Now let’s get on our knees and pray out these demons
I can’t see my daughter anymore
Jean grabbed her coat and she set out running
Down to the river and the creaky bridge
Said her own prayer, sent it up to heaven
Opened up her mouth, and she did sing:
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god sets his sights on you?
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god sets his sights on you?
She’s got love to give, and she’s got a life to live
Jean spent all night staring at that river
a-splashing and a-racing off so far
the she grabbed her truck, her favorite kitten
her toothbrush, a couple of shirts and her mom’s guitar
She turned the key, flipped on the headlights
They blazed up against the autumn corn
Mary Ann’s face flickered in the doorway
Jean just drove off for Californ’
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god
When god
When god
When god sets his sights on you
Mary Ann waits tables nightly
Down at Jack’s on Highway Two
Her daughter Jean started acting strangely
She cut her hair, she’s wearing old men’s boots
Then at home they were getting dinner ready
Jean said she had something to tell
“I’ve started seeing someone pretty steady”
“And mom,” she said, “her name’s Danielle"
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god sets his sights on you?
Mary Ann stared at her daughter
She said “I taught you better, I am sure”
Now let’s get on our knees and pray out these demons
I can’t see my daughter anymore
Jean grabbed her coat and she set out running
Down to the river and the creaky bridge
Said her own prayer, sent it up to heaven
Opened up her mouth, and she did sing:
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god sets his sights on you?
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god sets his sights on you?
She’s got love to give, and she’s got a life to live
Jean spent all night staring at that river
a-splashing and a-racing off so far
the she grabbed her truck, her favorite kitten
her toothbrush, a couple of shirts and her mom’s guitar
She turned the key, flipped on the headlights
They blazed up against the autumn corn
Mary Ann’s face flickered in the doorway
Jean just drove off for Californ’
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
If you believe in the word of god, what are you gonna do
When god
When god
When god
When god sets his sights on you
Call You Out
It’s true I haven’t met you yet
But I can tell I’d like to make you sweat
Cause I have watched from afar
And I know just what you are
I’m gonna call you out
You’re gonna scream and shout
Cause I can see what you’re all about
I’m gonna call you out
You’re strong of arm and pure of heart
And I know things like to make you start
So as skin grazes skin
Won’t you please, let me in?
I’m gonna call out
You’re gonna scream and shout
Cause I can see what you’re all about
I am a hawk and you’re a hummingbird
Could this be foolishness, is this absurd?
Well mark my words, ooh
That when you fall I’ll kiss you sweet
And you’ll forget who tripped your feet
As we lie on the ground
there’ll be birds all around
I went and called you out
You’re gonna scream and shout
Cause I can see what you’re all about
I’m gonna call you out
Dry As Sin
They’re building prisons in Appalachia, where my family comes from
To keep the brown folks from the city, far away from their homes
And the only other job you can find
Is in the dregs of the old coal mine
Chorus:
They’re building coal plants in Virginia again
And prisons full of thousands of Black and brown men
And guards all make maximum wage at that pen
And the coal dust coats everyone’s lungs
Dry as sin
Senator Byrd put stock in a lie
Coal will be clean and donkeys will fly
Now mountains that stretched from the creek to the clouds
Are craters of dirt, wide gaping mouths
Chorus
When the rain rolls off
The bare mountain tops
Creeks turn to sludge and the fish flop on the moss
We are never too far from the valley of death
And these holes in the hills bring us all closer yet
Name each white man a cop, each brown man a thief
And you’ve paved every back road with certainmost grief
Chorus
I Found You
Hey rock that cradle, hey ring that bell
I found a man, who loves me well well well
And I was searchin’ searchin’ searchin’
For that good lovin’ man
Yes I was flirtin’ flirtin’ flirtin’
But no one does me like he can
Chorus:
Well I found you right where you’d always been
I found you, the one who’d been the best of friends
Just as I was getting ready to give in
I found you, you
No fame nor fortune could fuel my soul
I’ve got a hunger that won’t let go go go
The only thing that feeds my hunger
Is love from you, you love me true
And no I don’t believe in always
But I believe in me and you
Chorus
Here comes the train and it’s a long one
They wrote our names there on the side
I think I’ll ride it till it’s all done
And then say thank you for the ride
Chorus
What is it about me?
Why don’t you do me like you do me when you do me in my dreams?
Cause if you do me like you done me I’d be bursting at my seams
Yeah it’s high time I found a man who gives it like I want it
I can dish it out as well as take it, yeah I’ll make it worth your while
Chorus:
What is it about me that attracts these quiet shy types?
Heaven knows I’m angry and insensitive, I spit and chew and bite
What is it about me?
Why don’t you come around more often, why don’t you stay when you have come?
I crave a moving violation, violate me with your tongue
I know handfuls of boys who’d love to watch me in my underwear
But when you’re in my bed you roll away as if I wasn’t even there
Chorus
So here I am on highway five
Your seat is empty as I drive
Don’t need no man to tell me I’m
The prettiest, prettiest boy alive
I’m gonna do me like you do me when you do me in my dreams
Cause if I do me like you done me I’ll be bursting at my seams
Yeah it’s high time I found a man who gives it like I want it
I can dish it out as well as take it, yeah I’ll make it worth my while
What is it about me?
Draw the Line
Wish I could write you a letter
Of all the things I coulda done better
And all the hopes I have for you now that you’re free
It feels like spring in February
And I am not the kind of fairy
Who makes to move like I can carry this sadness so easily
Chorus:
Cause I got all this time
And you are always on my mind
So heaven help me draw the line
That you ain’t mine
Wish there was some way I could say
I never meant it to end this way
You pulled the trigger and I swayed to meet the music
But now it’s all been done
Whether the battle’s lost or the battle’s won
It’s time to empty out our guns and scrub ‘em till they shine
Chorus
How long how long how long till I get it right?
How long how long how long till I find the light?
How long how long how long till I sleep through the night without missing you?
Chorus
Siren Song
I rise in the early morning
And watch the ocean and the sun
At daybreak the sailors are yawning
They’re not expecting anyone
I know the days of storms are yet to be
Cause the blue horizon never stays with me
I got fever in my bones and blood between my teeth
For every ship that goes down in this blasted coral reef
Their souls are bundled up with mine
(I know) It’s just a matter of time
Till I cut this line
At first it was so easy
To while away the days and nights
Weaving my seaweed purses
Braving those endless seagull fights
I’ve found that as the days grow long
I tire of singing siren songs
Said I need to get on board this ship and sail away
Drink whiskey, wear a red dress and paint my face
I’ve had enough of salt and sand
I’ll give Poseidon the upper hand
I’m gonna join a band
How many oceans must I cross to find the end of this?
Hey what’s the use of song if each man dies upon my kiss?
Is love a myth that has lived out its usefulness?
So now I sing a new song
Sling my guitar across me tight
The boys all sing along
My words have lost their deadly bite
But listen to the bass line creep
My music stands to make them weep
Now I got marrow in my bones and blood here in my veins
And every man who hears my song will rue his mother’s name
Their souls are bundled up with mine
You know it’s just a matter of time
Till I cut this line
Now I'm Doing Me
What made you have to do that?
It’s like you stabbed in the chest just to see if I’d bleed
You dropped me on your doorstep
And now you have the nerve to get on your knees
And beg and plead for one more chance
Well not under under any circumstance
Would I kiss your mouth again
We are over, get it through your fickle head
That we are over, go find some other fool instead
And I’ll do like I did before — You set me free
Now I’m doing me
I saw you at the party
All gussied and laughing with your friends
I tried to hold my head up
And wait until the spinning in my brain would end
I guess I had to see your face
There was no proper hiding place
But I wish I’d gone and left no trace
Cause we are over, I’ll get it through my fickle head
That we are over, I’ll find some other fool instead
And I’ll do like I did before — You set me free
Now I’m doing me
Now I’m doing me
The photos fade
The daisies rot
And in the end ourself is really all we’ve got
I’m walking down the road now
Instead of kissing your sweet face goodnight
I don’t know which way I’m headed
But I will know when it is right
So though I miss your yellow room
And the way you hold your fork and spoon
I’m gonna sing my own damn tune
That we are over, we’ll get it through our fickle heads
We are over, we’ll find some other fools instead
And I’ll do like I did before — You set me free
Now I’m doing me
Now I’m doing me
Now I’m doing me
Take It Slow
You’ve got me smelling roses
You’ve got me cleaning up my house
You knew just what I wanted
You filled me up, don’t let me down
There is more to life than falling in love
And there is more to love than letting go
Let’s take it slow
I see you in the papers
And in the rocky river banks
Your face pops up in movies
From Doris Day to young Tom Hanks
I had a lovely life before I met you
But something in your smile says not to let you go
Let’s take it slow
We all got a row to hoe
Let’s plant these seeds and watch ‘em grow
Let’s take it slow
It’s true I haven’t met you yet
But I can tell I’d like to make you sweat
Cause I have watched from afar
And I know just what you are
I’m gonna call you out
You’re gonna scream and shout
Cause I can see what you’re all about
I’m gonna call you out
You’re strong of arm and pure of heart
And I know things like to make you start
So as skin grazes skin
Won’t you please, let me in?
I’m gonna call out
You’re gonna scream and shout
Cause I can see what you’re all about
I am a hawk and you’re a hummingbird
Could this be foolishness, is this absurd?
Well mark my words, ooh
That when you fall I’ll kiss you sweet
And you’ll forget who tripped your feet
As we lie on the ground
there’ll be birds all around
I went and called you out
You’re gonna scream and shout
Cause I can see what you’re all about
I’m gonna call you out
Dry As Sin
They’re building prisons in Appalachia, where my family comes from
To keep the brown folks from the city, far away from their homes
And the only other job you can find
Is in the dregs of the old coal mine
Chorus:
They’re building coal plants in Virginia again
And prisons full of thousands of Black and brown men
And guards all make maximum wage at that pen
And the coal dust coats everyone’s lungs
Dry as sin
Senator Byrd put stock in a lie
Coal will be clean and donkeys will fly
Now mountains that stretched from the creek to the clouds
Are craters of dirt, wide gaping mouths
Chorus
When the rain rolls off
The bare mountain tops
Creeks turn to sludge and the fish flop on the moss
We are never too far from the valley of death
And these holes in the hills bring us all closer yet
Name each white man a cop, each brown man a thief
And you’ve paved every back road with certainmost grief
Chorus
I Found You
Hey rock that cradle, hey ring that bell
I found a man, who loves me well well well
And I was searchin’ searchin’ searchin’
For that good lovin’ man
Yes I was flirtin’ flirtin’ flirtin’
But no one does me like he can
Chorus:
Well I found you right where you’d always been
I found you, the one who’d been the best of friends
Just as I was getting ready to give in
I found you, you
No fame nor fortune could fuel my soul
I’ve got a hunger that won’t let go go go
The only thing that feeds my hunger
Is love from you, you love me true
And no I don’t believe in always
But I believe in me and you
Chorus
Here comes the train and it’s a long one
They wrote our names there on the side
I think I’ll ride it till it’s all done
And then say thank you for the ride
Chorus
What is it about me?
Why don’t you do me like you do me when you do me in my dreams?
Cause if you do me like you done me I’d be bursting at my seams
Yeah it’s high time I found a man who gives it like I want it
I can dish it out as well as take it, yeah I’ll make it worth your while
Chorus:
What is it about me that attracts these quiet shy types?
Heaven knows I’m angry and insensitive, I spit and chew and bite
What is it about me?
Why don’t you come around more often, why don’t you stay when you have come?
I crave a moving violation, violate me with your tongue
I know handfuls of boys who’d love to watch me in my underwear
But when you’re in my bed you roll away as if I wasn’t even there
Chorus
So here I am on highway five
Your seat is empty as I drive
Don’t need no man to tell me I’m
The prettiest, prettiest boy alive
I’m gonna do me like you do me when you do me in my dreams
Cause if I do me like you done me I’ll be bursting at my seams
Yeah it’s high time I found a man who gives it like I want it
I can dish it out as well as take it, yeah I’ll make it worth my while
What is it about me?
Draw the Line
Wish I could write you a letter
Of all the things I coulda done better
And all the hopes I have for you now that you’re free
It feels like spring in February
And I am not the kind of fairy
Who makes to move like I can carry this sadness so easily
Chorus:
Cause I got all this time
And you are always on my mind
So heaven help me draw the line
That you ain’t mine
Wish there was some way I could say
I never meant it to end this way
You pulled the trigger and I swayed to meet the music
But now it’s all been done
Whether the battle’s lost or the battle’s won
It’s time to empty out our guns and scrub ‘em till they shine
Chorus
How long how long how long till I get it right?
How long how long how long till I find the light?
How long how long how long till I sleep through the night without missing you?
Chorus
Siren Song
I rise in the early morning
And watch the ocean and the sun
At daybreak the sailors are yawning
They’re not expecting anyone
I know the days of storms are yet to be
Cause the blue horizon never stays with me
I got fever in my bones and blood between my teeth
For every ship that goes down in this blasted coral reef
Their souls are bundled up with mine
(I know) It’s just a matter of time
Till I cut this line
At first it was so easy
To while away the days and nights
Weaving my seaweed purses
Braving those endless seagull fights
I’ve found that as the days grow long
I tire of singing siren songs
Said I need to get on board this ship and sail away
Drink whiskey, wear a red dress and paint my face
I’ve had enough of salt and sand
I’ll give Poseidon the upper hand
I’m gonna join a band
How many oceans must I cross to find the end of this?
Hey what’s the use of song if each man dies upon my kiss?
Is love a myth that has lived out its usefulness?
So now I sing a new song
Sling my guitar across me tight
The boys all sing along
My words have lost their deadly bite
But listen to the bass line creep
My music stands to make them weep
Now I got marrow in my bones and blood here in my veins
And every man who hears my song will rue his mother’s name
Their souls are bundled up with mine
You know it’s just a matter of time
Till I cut this line
Now I'm Doing Me
What made you have to do that?
It’s like you stabbed in the chest just to see if I’d bleed
You dropped me on your doorstep
And now you have the nerve to get on your knees
And beg and plead for one more chance
Well not under under any circumstance
Would I kiss your mouth again
We are over, get it through your fickle head
That we are over, go find some other fool instead
And I’ll do like I did before — You set me free
Now I’m doing me
I saw you at the party
All gussied and laughing with your friends
I tried to hold my head up
And wait until the spinning in my brain would end
I guess I had to see your face
There was no proper hiding place
But I wish I’d gone and left no trace
Cause we are over, I’ll get it through my fickle head
That we are over, I’ll find some other fool instead
And I’ll do like I did before — You set me free
Now I’m doing me
Now I’m doing me
The photos fade
The daisies rot
And in the end ourself is really all we’ve got
I’m walking down the road now
Instead of kissing your sweet face goodnight
I don’t know which way I’m headed
But I will know when it is right
So though I miss your yellow room
And the way you hold your fork and spoon
I’m gonna sing my own damn tune
That we are over, we’ll get it through our fickle heads
We are over, we’ll find some other fools instead
And I’ll do like I did before — You set me free
Now I’m doing me
Now I’m doing me
Now I’m doing me
Take It Slow
You’ve got me smelling roses
You’ve got me cleaning up my house
You knew just what I wanted
You filled me up, don’t let me down
There is more to life than falling in love
And there is more to love than letting go
Let’s take it slow
I see you in the papers
And in the rocky river banks
Your face pops up in movies
From Doris Day to young Tom Hanks
I had a lovely life before I met you
But something in your smile says not to let you go
Let’s take it slow
We all got a row to hoe
Let’s plant these seeds and watch ‘em grow
Let’s take it slow
All the Livelong Day, 2011
All Songs © 2011 Eli Conley, BMI
Pinocchio
I am not a real man, I'll tell you why
It's not the reason you are thinking of
Lean in close, I'll share with you a secret
No one is a real man at all
Chorus:
Pinocchio, you are a boy
it doesn't take no fairy blue
much less a therapist, three doctors and a knife
to cut your flesh and make you real
you are as real as dreams come true
I'm tired of tracing one straight line back through our lives
Let's crack up this geode they call boy and girl
to see what pretty stones that it elides
Kinda like this geode, there is more to us
than ever possibly could meet the eye
I think I've found a way to make it through
I'll let you in, I've got a tip or two
we get together, organize, it's true
We've got a lot of work to do
Chorus
I am not particularly interested
in being illegible for its own sake
I have been illegible to most everyone
Relative to that, manhood is cake
It feels much better to be seen each day
sometimes it's hard to keep the wolves at bay
who say forget who you were yesterday,
come out with only boys to play
Chorus
I am not a real man, I'll tell you why
It's not the reason you are thinking of
Lean in close, I'll share with you a secret
No one is a real man at all
Pinocchio
I am not a real man, I'll tell you why
It's not the reason you are thinking of
Lean in close, I'll share with you a secret
No one is a real man at all
Chorus:
Pinocchio, you are a boy
it doesn't take no fairy blue
much less a therapist, three doctors and a knife
to cut your flesh and make you real
you are as real as dreams come true
I'm tired of tracing one straight line back through our lives
Let's crack up this geode they call boy and girl
to see what pretty stones that it elides
Kinda like this geode, there is more to us
than ever possibly could meet the eye
I think I've found a way to make it through
I'll let you in, I've got a tip or two
we get together, organize, it's true
We've got a lot of work to do
Chorus
I am not particularly interested
in being illegible for its own sake
I have been illegible to most everyone
Relative to that, manhood is cake
It feels much better to be seen each day
sometimes it's hard to keep the wolves at bay
who say forget who you were yesterday,
come out with only boys to play
Chorus
I am not a real man, I'll tell you why
It's not the reason you are thinking of
Lean in close, I'll share with you a secret
No one is a real man at all