James Vincent McMorrow Album

Burn slow, burning up the back wall
long roads, where the city meets the sky
most days, most days stay the sole same
please stay, for this fear it will not die

chorus

If I had a boat, I would sail to you
hold u in my arms, ask you to be true
once I had a dream, it died long before
now I'm pointed north, hoping for the shore

verse 2

down low, down amongst the thorn rows
weeds grow, through the lillies and the vine
birds play, try to find their own way
soft clay, on your feet and under mine

chorus

bridge

breaking at the seams
heaving at the brace
sheets all billowing
the breaking of the day
sea is not my friend
seasons they conspire
still I choose to swim
slip beneath the tide

once I had a dream
once I had a hope
that was yesterday
not so long ago
this is not the end
this is just the world
such a foolish thing
such an honest girl

Chorus

verse 1

hear, hear the noise that moves so soft and slow
that's the sound of freshly fallen snow
your love is gold, your love is gold
seems, seems as though we'll be stuck out here for days
to bang upon these drums that we have made
you never know, you never know

chorus 1

my one, my only one
lies sleeping in the sun
gave chase and so we run
nothing breaks your stride like whats become
ohhhhh

verse 2

stack, stack the frozen wood next to the shed
pile it up so high then paint it red,
confuse the dogs, confuse the dogs
and time, time we lost is resting on the stairs
the window out reveals the cooler air
and so we go, and so we go

chorus 2

my one, my only one,
lied twice to keep me on
gave chase and so we sung
everything that ends has still begun

outro

from the inside of my mouth
and the slow migration south
it's not to be denied
it's not to be denied

verse 1

sparrow and wolf lay as still as the blades of the grass
like worn leather boots, of colour and size that would last
caught them a lark in a trap, and each held a wing
then they tore it apart, before that small bird could sing

confused by the wind, bruised by the size of the rain
she turned in to him, begged for the light to remain
but plans have been made, all the furniture sold
so store up your hate, use it for warmth when you're cold

chorus

for I have seen no joy, only danger,
I see no joy, only strangers,
I see no joy, see no joy in this world
should you, choose to go, please be careful of,
lonesome roads, men who travel them,
will not know, will not know of your ways

chorus 2

still I have, seen no joy, only dangers, I
see no joy, only strangers, I
see no joy, see no joy in this world,
you should choose to go, please remember what
you have learned, from the little bird,
always dear, always dear to my heart

You can stop your crying, I'm never coming back
You can stop your crying, just walk down the tracks again
I just can't take the pressure, it's all too much for me
I just can't take the pressure, please just let me be

See I've been, breaking hearts, for far too long
Been loving you, for far too long,
Making plans now, for far too long
Yes I've been breaking hearts, for far too long
Loving you, for far too long,
It's time I left, it's time I'm moving on.

I'm gonna find a city, call the streets my own
I'm gonna find a city, drink until it's gone
The girls there, look so pretty, treat me oh so well
The girl there look so pretty, all just empty shells to me

See I've been, breaking hearts, for far too long
Been loving you, for far too long,
Making plans now, for far too long
Yes I've been breaking hearts, for far too long
Loving you, for far too long,
It's time I left, it's time I'm moving on.

When I need the shelter, I'll know just who to call
When I need the shelter, I'll be knocking on your door
But when it comes to dying, I'll do it on my own
I've never been too clever, I've always just hung on.

See I've been, breaking hearts, for far too long
Been loving you, for far too long,
Making plans now, for far too long
Yes I've been breaking hearts, for far too long
Loving you, for far too long,
It's time I left, it's time I'm moving on.

If this is redemption, why do I bother at all
There's nothing to mention, and nothing has changed
Still I'd rather be working at something, than praying for the rain
So I wander on, till someone else is saved

I moved to the coast, under a mountain
Swam in the ocean, slept on my own
At dawn I would watch the sun cut ribbons through the bay
I'd remember all the things my mother wrote

That we don't eat until your father's at the table
We don't drink until the devil's turned to dust
Never once has any man I've met been able to love
So if I were you, I'd have a little trust

Two thousand years, I've been in that water
Two thousand years, sunk like a stone
Desperately reaching for nets
That the fishermen have thrown
Trying to find, a little bit of hope

Me I was holding, all of my secrets soft and hid
Pages were folded, then there was nothing at all
So if in the future I might need myself a savior
I'll remember what was written on that wall

That we don't eat until your father's at the table
We don't drink until the devil's turned to dust
Never once has any man I've met been able to love
So if I were you, I'd have a little trust

Am I an honest man and true
Have i been good to you at all
Oh I'm so tired of playing these games
We'd just be running down
The same old lines, the same old stories of
Breathless trains and, worn down glories
Houses burning, worlds that turn on their own

So we don't eat until your father's at the table
We don't drink until the devil's turned to dust
Never once has any man I've met been able to love
So if I were you my friend, I'd learn to have just a little bit of trust

verse 1

spring it came upon us,
every insect filled the air
dropped their wings upon my brother,
cast their shadows on his hair

if we follow where they're leading,
we will surely come before
some unseen and wondrous magic
made of visions to explore
chorus

near the town where we were living
was an old abandoned farm
every year we'd plant an orchid
in the shelter of it's arm
to protect us from the madness
of the future still to come
it will be like this forever
I will keep you safe from harm
verse 2

then they caught us in the summer
dressed in fathers finest clothes
you the hat he wore to market
I the jacket filled with holes

I've been searchins all these hours
for a hand as pale as bone
that would keep the strongest sunlight
and reflect the brightest stone
chorus 2

near the town where we were living
was a warm and fragrant smell
of the orchid we had planted
now a forest tall and well
what a statue to our greatness
what a story all will tell
they'll remember us forever
they'll remember where we fell
bridge

this old dark machine, it shakes and it shudders
pulls to the left, then dies near the gutter
but still in the road, the traffic is silent
the people they stare, and then they turn violent
if they should touch, the hem of your dress
I would rise like a lion, strike out again
the faithful they wait, the faithful they wait
by the sign

chorus 3

near the town where we were living
came a loud and joyous sound
as the earth and all her beauty
picked us up from off the ground
carried far across the mountain
to a kingdom never bound
we will live like this forever
I will love you
I will love you
I will love you

verse 1

follow you down to the red oak tree
as the air moves thick through the hollow reeds
I will wait for you there until someone comes
to carry me, carry me down

verse 2

see I have not I have not grown cold
I have stole from men who have stole from those
with their arms so thin and their skin so old
but you are young, you are young, you are young

bridge

then somebody laughs like it's all just for hell
as though we could not be saved from the depth of the well
but the cloth that I make is a cloth you can sell
to pay for the gossamer seed

verse 3

names get carved in the red oak tree
of the ones who stay and the ones who leave
I will wait for you there with these cindered bones
so follow me follow me down
follow me follow me down
follow me follow me down
follow me follow me down

When the hills let go
Slowly fade into the water like some ancient lover
On a ship filled with ghosts
It's something to behold

When the paper thin girls
With twisting little braids in their hair,
They take off their coats and throw
Pebbles and stones from the side of the boat,
Crying out
The stones they float, the stones they float
Oh my God, the stones they float, the stones they float

Down the burning ropes
Past the places where the steal beams meet concrete skies
You make your bed under the moonlight
I think it's time we said goodbye

Cause nothing moves in the warm air
And words that once would cut like a knife,
They just hang in the cloud and you're
Pushed by the lord,
But you're pulled by the crowds and
You're overboard, you're overboard
Oh my God, she's overboard

My love she's overboard
She's overboard
My love she's over board

Not a shell unbroken
In the valley where my heartache and the timbers lay
It's not the time to be hanging around here
You know what some might say

That people get too reckless
That even with the simplest of crimes
They leave, blood behind,
As I clean the knife for the very last time
I think she knows, I think she knows
Oh my God, I think she knows

I think she knows

From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
Riding horses cloaked in gray
Make their way, to my door
Lay their boots upon my floor
Wash their hands and start to pray
But I am gone, I am not there
I have followed mountain bears
To a cave of deepest tome
There I wait, by the mouth
As the smoke it flushes out
Then I'll slowly drag one home

All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost

From the woods, from the woods
Once a vision from the woods
At a point between two tracks
Bound by tape, and by wire
Bruised and beaten in the fire
So the metals faded black
Newer ropes, stronger nets
Have us plumbing further depths
For the wolves we’ll never be
Should we go, would we die
If the weight it was to slide
Drag our secrets to the sea

All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost

I taste the sulfur on my breath
I see the blood pool on the step
The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh
And all is well....

From the woods, from the woods, they are coming
From the woods!!
(Ahhh)

verse 1

the wind changed, the first day that you came through
cut the corn, washed it clean
now everything that's ever gone before, is just a blur
it's all because of you
and now i find, this cities like a stranger to me
I once was fooled by cadillacs and honey
but no one feels like you
not like you
not like you
not like you

cause even though the flower fades something takes it's place
a marching band on a sunny day, two pretty eyes or a a pretty face
chorus

then in the forest i made my home
lay down on hard and ancient stone
then if my heart should somehow stop
I'll hang on, to the hope
that you're not too late
that you're not too late

verse 2

and there are times I know when I will have to chase you
the further from my side you go, the longing grows
and though I hate this, I'll still want you,
I will hate this, but I'll still want you

even though the flower dies somethings by it's side
a helping hand or a kiss goodbye, to ease it on it's way

chorus

bridge

chorus

verse 1

early in the morning, I'll come calling, I'll come calling after you
darling if you answer, oh we'll wander, down the garden where it's cool
later we'd discover, all in covers, children silent as the stars
early in the morning, in the morning, everything at once is ours

verse 2

early in the morning, I'll come calling, I'll come calling after you
though you seldom answer, still i wonder, what will pass here when you do
delicate in grasses, bright and ashen, breathing sweet a ruby nest
early in the morning, in the morning, withered, singing we will rest
bridge

early in the morning, in the morning, I will call for you
even if the words aren't clear,
and even if my voice seems cruel
early in the morning, in the morning, red and almost true

outro

dressing in my finest suit
my cleanest shoes
making sure the crease is true
pressed and fresh and blue.