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Welcome to our town, the finest town in all creation
Whose downtown association urges you to-
Come explore the land where you might spend your holiday
We rigged it up at that way, there’s the café, and by the way-
It’s not a town that’s founded on a lover’s exaltations
But rather machinations, awww, this is the town we built…
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There were two sisters, down by the dock throwing stones into the deep
A stranger came on his tall white horse, whistling a melody
He said to one sister, "You look fine. Gonna ask your pa to make you mine”
And he rode away on his tall white horse singing, “Oh cruel wind and the rain”
There were two sisters, down by the dock. One pushed the other one in
She said, "Dear sister, I’ve had enough , "You’ll never see your lover again”
She watched that girl drift from the bank and sometimes she swam, sometimes she sank
Sometimes she made a little bubblin’ up, going, “Oh cruel wind and the rain”
Then the cruel sister skipped back home, getting her story straight
She told her pa that sis had gone to the big city, o’er the gate
Pa, he cried, and the stranger heard, and he came up to the cruel sister
Picking her all up in his arms, sighing, "Oh, cruel wind and the rain”
The poor dead sister washed on shore, right beside a caravan
A group of kids called the River Rats were sitting in the sand
These River Rats were musicians. Musicians and magicians
They fished her out and laid her flat, singing, “Oh cruel wind and the rain”
From her skull they made a little drum and they beat out a dirge right there
From her spine they made a little harp and they strung it with her golden hair
From her arm they made the smallest pipe and they played all the way through the night
And the only song that came a whistlin’ out was “Oh, cruel wind and the rain”
Well that cruel sister and her stranger man chose to get hitched that day
The town, they threw a wedding feast and got the River Rats to play
They came and played their magic flute and the flute, it told the saddest truth
All about what the sister’d done - wailing “Oh cruel wind and the rain”
The town, they grabbed the cruel sister and they hung her from a locust tree
The River Rats and the stranger man stuck around and they could not leave
The stranger bowed and said “hello” as they watched that sister hanging low
He pulled out his pipe and began to blow - playin’ “Oh cruel wind and the rain”
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3. |
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Y’should have seen that boy jumping high
Hearing that proud recruiter’s cry
“Looking for some brave young men
“Who want to see the Holy Land.”
He always wanted to leave that town
Nothing to do but sit around
He’d rather go on a pilgrimage
Just like his daddy did
Hey, hey, he was 12 years old
Papa always told him he was bold
Ha, ha, on the road
For the very first time, alone
The Pope, he smiled (Onward, soldiers)
Their fate was dialed (Onward, soldiers)
Cross your heart and hope to die
And fly, young soldiers, fly…
Well, they all got blessed, and away they went
They headed down south like the heaven-sent
Like angels in the sky
Like they would never die
Our boy was set (Onward, soldiers)
On his way, you bet (Onward, soldiers)
Headed for Jerusalem
With daggers in his hands…
Onward soldiers, can y’hear them crying
“All! All! Kill ‘em all! Let Jesus sort ‘em out!”
On the road to glory, shout it:
“All! All! Kill ‘em all! Let Jesus sort ‘em out!”
Hack and slash and bash and slice
It’s every young boy’s paradise
Come on now, join that war
He never sent a letter home
Knee-deep in the combat zone
Grinding heathen bone
He never sent a letter home
Well, all good things must come to an end
And a war will cost you an arm and a leg
When the end was called from Rome
Our boy hobbled on back home
Nowadays see him at the inn
Nothing much exciting him
Back then, he was so saintly
Now he’s just a memory
Who he was (Onward, soldiers)
And who he is (Onward, soldiers)
Who he was and who he is
Just ain’t your damn business
Onward soldiers, can y’hear them crying
“All! All! Kill ‘em all! Let Jesus sort ‘em out!”
On the road to glory, shout it:
“All! All! Kill ‘em all! Let Jesus sort ‘em out!”
And if life needs a little spice
It might seem like some strange advice
But, hey, won’t you join that war?
Yes if life needs a little spice
It might seem like some strange advice:
Hey, kid, won’t you join that war?
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4. |
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Forgive me, men and women of the honored cabinet
But can you hear the tempting clicking of a castanet?
‘Twas many years ago, I travelled off to Spain
Dyed my hair and changed my name
Never to return again…
I left my home with those whose foreign music spoke to me
Leaving nothing but my father and his misery
We took a ship in Lubeck, sailed unto the night
And everything felt right
For the first time in my life…
On the ocean, deep and wild
I looked overboard and cried
Right beside my music man
This is what I said to him…
“Please forgive me all I do and say while I’m at sea
“It’s just the moonlight, dear, and what the moonlight does to me
“And if I should die before we reach the shore
“Then I won’t cry anymore… No, I won’t cry anymore
“No, I won’t cry any more…”
When we pulled into Seville
My friends went looking for some thrills
One by one, they slipped away
Left me all alone again
And the truth will set you free, oh yeah
The truth will set you free
Maintain my blood and bile, the spirit’s acting up again
Feed me fennel when I’m down and when I’m up, valerian
A yellow cross around my neck, just to keep
My mind in check, just to keep
My mind in check, just to keep…
And if I should die before we reach the shore
Then I won’t cry anymore… No, I won’t cry anymore
No, I won’t cry anymore…
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5. |
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A storm has just hit
There was no sign of it
And the town’s only children are caught in its grip
Our men of renown
All huddle round,
Locked in the windowless building of stone
As the wind whines and whips,
They're squeezed to the pips,
‘Till out of the huddle a baritone rips
"I'm sure the kids are fine.
"They'll be fine.
“Let hurricanes lash and tamarinds clash,
"We'll waltz, my dear gentlemen: pass the calabash!”
They all take the chance
It’s a dance
Truth be known
The children are gone
Buried in ice, left outside alone
But we are safe for now
Safe for now
As sleet and snow fly
Stick this in your eye:
You can perish in truth or stay warm with a lie
Yes, it’s freeze or play house
You’re in or heraus!
You’re friends with a rat or a cartoon mouse
You know which choice is mine
Every time
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6. |
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Have you heard?
The Baden Boys are prowling down the path
Y’hear the reeds whistling?
Cover up your shiny jewels and glass
Y’know they won’t last long
Just some lads with a minor impediment
Looking for some strange entertainment
Ya-da-da-da-dum… Here come the Baden Boys
Did you know?
The Baden Boys will cut your lip, now now
Even if you look left
Rough your hair and slice your cheek, now now
Even if you look right
Face it, mate, you’re in a predicament
Now find someone to help you to pay the rent
Ya-da-da-da-dum… Here come the Baden Boys
Have you heard?
The Baden Boys can be your greatest friends
They sure come in handy
Just be sure you give them due respect
And tasty sugar candies
Plain as day, there’s just no debating it
This town here is ripe for an accident
Ya-da-da-da-dum… Here come the Baden Boys
Did you know?
The Baden Boys are orphans to the bone
Fell out of the carriage
Or maybe mama left them all alone
And Papa didn’t care
And if he did, he had a strange way of showing it
Now these lads have a new kind of government
Ya-da-da-da-dum… Here come the Baden Boys
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7. |
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I hear there’s something going around the land
People hearing music they just don’t understand
They get up and shake, they shuffle their feet
They don’t stop to sleep and they don’t stop to eat
They call it the Dance of Death
Where the roads criss-cross ‘neath the rain
The Devil made the world with a tap of his cane
I heard the Piper was with him and they shook their hands
That’s why his music’s heard around the land
They call it the Devil’s deal
In the Garden of Eden, man was free from sin
The snake gave Eve fruit that was forbidden
He leaned in close to be sure she could hear
Was it words he spoke, or just a whistle in her ear?
They call it the serpent’s tongue
Way down south, in the jungle so deep
The Piper went a-walking, down the main street
People to the East felt a anger inside
People to the West felt a miserable pride
They call him Hell’s Hound
In the desert far away, across the infinite sea
The Piper and the Devil are scattering seeds
Making men’s blood boil, ravaging beasts
And making little girls get weak in the knees
They call it the Devil’s moan
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8. |
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I spent the night beneath the yellow moon
When I was just little boy, a diamond in my eye
I told my mommy and my daddy not to wait
That I’d be home when morning broke, and spread across the lake
Oh the hills were so inviting
But foreign winds brought something frightening
Howling hounds had approached the woods
When I awoke, I saw them all around
I held my breath inside my chest, as not to make a sound
There must have been two dozen, maybe more
Ghastly dogs with orange coats, all rusted to the core
Oh their teeth were scraps of iron
And their claws were tangled wire
And their eyes, I shall never forget
And it’s never a-roaming I’ll go, I’ll never go a roaming
Though the hills look very wonderful tonight
No, it’s never a-roaming I’ll go, I’ll never go a roaming
Won’t you be a brother, pour another pint
Now I light a fire from the cold
And if I ever leave this town, my feet stay on the road
I feel all right, and nothing’s out of reach
With my summers at the cottage, and my winter’s by the beach
Oh, the town is mine to shelter
I’ll keep it safe in stormy weather
And everybody knows my face
And it’s never a-roaming I’ll go, I’ll never go a roaming
Though the hills look very wonderful tonight
No, it’s never a-roaming I’ll go, I’ll never go a roaming
Won’t you be a brother, pour another pint
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9. |
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Just beyond the crossroads, there’s a tidy little town
A quant place in the county, oh now won’t you come around?
I wouldn’t call it metropolitan, wouldn’t call it colorful
But you’ll have to admit, my friends, it’s kinda wonderful
Shouldn’t it be wonderful?
Now the downtown’s coming back, they’re laying out a railroad track
The architect is glorious, erecting an emporium
With shops and cafes, open air, a marble block of cheese, oh yeah
That’s our image, that’s our brand, that’s my business, consider me your middle man
Ooh! It’s just my frame of mind I guess I’m just artistically inclined
I want your loyalty, and if you need a little more, I can call in the cavalry
This town is open for business, we’re just chomping on our bits
Bring your spouse and your family; bring your darling little kids
We will fill up your belly, we will fit you like a shoe
We open for business with you!
I’ve got a question for you, tell me if my thinking’s wrong
But what that hamlet needs is a brand new Hamlin song
Something fresh and welcoming that shows a little leg
Something bold that shows them that we’re not afraid to beg-in
It’s very wonderful
Ain’t it kinda wonderful?
Couldn’t it be wonderful?
Shouldn’t it be wonderful?
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10. |
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I seen something o’er the gate
I seen a crow or the gate?
Or a man with whiskers like horns
Getting high on his pale rocking horse
I seen something o’er the gate
Flyin’ like those dandelion wishes that I make
And I wish I was a thousand miles from home
Yeah, I wish I was a thousand miles from home
I can see such distant lands, an underwater school
Where some odd fish is learning how to up and leave the pool
Endless dreams and trackless hollows
Don’t think, just listen and follow
And I wish I was a thousand miles from home
Yeah, I wish I was a thousand miles from home
I know there’s something more to find, I’ll not stay here too long
I’ve carried with me all their lies kept safe behind my tongue
And they told me to chew and swallow
Don’t think, just listen and follow
I seen something o’er the gate
Flyin’ like those dandelion wishes that I make
And I wish I was a thousand miles from home
Yeah, I wish I was a thousand miles from home
I can see them names and faces clear enough
But as I close my eyes, they oxidize and crumble into dust
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11. |
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This is my lullaby
So, darling, close your eyes
Ever since my ears picked up on your laughter, dear
I’ve been singing like a myna bird
I’ll climb that hill for you
I’ll slay that dragon, too
I’ll shout into the sky, I’ll sit silently by
I’ll send you a blood red rose
Hang your head down low
Now it’s time to go
Feel the breezes lift
My song…
My song is ther gift
I can’t pause to think
I’ve drunk a magic drink
My train is on your track and I know it won’t come back
Heading I know not where
I’ll come to you in disguise
Just to meet your eyes
I’ll circle and I’ll stare like a vulture in the air
I’ll give you a song to sing
Hang your head down low
Now it’s time to go
Feel the breezes lift
My song…
My song is the gift
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Well here we are. And with that said
Wouldn’t you agree it’s time we all went back to bed?
Because it’s never here, it’s always there, it’s never here, it’s always where
The other people live beyond the hill…
Beyond the veil of every town, our stories’ teeth are bared
The stongest stories spoken loud, the weakest never shared
And I offer you this bedtime tale that ought to hit the spot
It’s not a pretty tale, it’s not…
It’s not a town that’s founded on a lover’s exaltations
But rather machinations, awww
This is the town we built…
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released October 31, 2013
