We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Song A Week Sessions: Volume 1

by Charlie McCarron

/
1.
I’d travel like a bullet would Careening round your neighborhoods As a train As a train In transit, was pedantic I got lost in the semantics Of the rules in how to travel Ties started to unravel Just a train wreck in a necktie Work myself right off the tracks But i’m suited for destruction So there’s no route for turning back When I pushed towards the Mississippi And all your streetlights that had kissed me Started glowing in my frame But I pushed on just the same And all the steam that I would muster Would like the dazzle of that luster It stitched the path that trailed The whistle sounds its brightest wail This is just an evolution Of one vessel’s constitution But there’s nothing quite as pretty As the absence of the city
2.
Canto di Caino, Canto de moribundo I sing of Cain, walks the whole mundo, Wanderlust aching, corazon breaking, He looks free but won’t see what he is forsaking His brother, Abelito, lies in the dust For work of Cain’s hands made a jealous thrust And we have passed on to another age now But all of Cain’s children still wondering… How do we till the soil, how will we be free? Who will deliver the fruit from our tree? Sordo with anger Bitter with pain Pinchada con pride and human disdain We march in production, we dance in our flight We wake to the light for a self-imposed night Walk and we don’t know which way we will turn How best to distract from how we still yearn How do we till the soil, how will we be free? And who will deliver the fruit from the tree Sordo with anger, amarga con pain Swollen with pride, do we toil in vain? How will I by solita become what I should My spine, a serpent that soon strays from good My hands, two birds, that disown their own kin My belly bare soil depraved from within I bend down like spider and reach everywhere Electric, world shrinking web of despair How can I till the soil, how be freed? Which Cain can deliver the fruit from my tree? So swollen with anger, so swollen with pain Pinchada with pride, labor of the vain Canto di Caino, Canto de moribundo I sing of Cain, walks the whole mundo, Wanderlust aching, Corazon breaking, He looks free but won’t see what he is forsaking
3.
I would be lying if I said that I didn’t worry Because all my friends got hitched in such a big hurry I sit round thinking what’s the rush? But then again I’ve been drinking and sleeping too much. I better start making some money off playing these chords, Because I’m developing high class habits that I can’t afford. They tell me I gotta change, But I don’t want to sing a song that’s out of my range. I want someone who doesn’t need me A woman of her own A girl who can’t stand me But won’t leave me alone A wise old man gave me a kindly reminder He said “As soon as you stop lookin, that’s when you’ll find her.” He said “Impatience is the greatest sin of all. It’s why we lost paradise and it’s why we’ll fall.” I want someone who doesn’t need me A woman of her own A girl who can’t stand me But won’t leave me alone
4.
It isn’t safe for a sailor boy to live far from the ocean His lungs will start to dry out if he doesn’t get his quotient He’s in his happiest state When his fingers are calloused And he’s ferrying freight To provide his own ballast (Oh-oh-oh-oh) Give him something old to love, give him something new to covet If he’s seen it before, then I know he’s likely to love it When it’s worse to live inland than to die on a reef, When he’s not beside the ocean, he’s beside himself with grief It isn’t safe for a mountain man to live far from the highland Whatever voice of god he used to hear will soon fall silent But when his spirit is battened To the top of a glacier He’ll never be flattened By the force of erasure (Oh-oh-oh-oh) Give him something old to love, give him something new to covet If he’s seen it before, then I know he’s likely to love it Now walking through the flatlands is a flatline postmortem When he’s not beside the ocean he’s beside himself with boredom It isn’t safe for your lover to be miles from where your home is Wherever he should lay his head he’s sure to feel homeless Now he’s far from the bedroom Where your moves are the cleverest But he’s looking for headroom From Manhattan to Everest (Oh-oh-oh-oh) Give him something old to love, give him something new to covet If he’s seen it before, then I know he’s likely to love it Now the cities are empty and the landscape is haunting When he’s not beside his lover he’s beside himself with wanting (Oh-oh-oh-oh) Give him something old to love, give him something new to covet If he’s seen it before, then I know he’s likely to love it
5.
My interests were seen as a fad for the wealthy A donation or two couldn’t hurt But when I finished the job they all called me profane My patrons dismantled my work So I figured a way not to ruffle their feathers Or set them out on a crusade But a bird in the hand is worth more than I bargained I’ve given myself that in spades But it won’t stop now because the Gears keep turning, that is all they want from me I work so hard but they still hold on to fantasy That artificial beast that got in my way Mechanical fraud that will follow me to the grave But I refuse to sit still And I cry foul at your shadow Quickly people took note of this marvelous invention And no they could not understand That when the creature would eat and deposit the remnants It was trickery and slight of hand And everyone talked of my next innovation Intently while holding their breath But when it arrived they proclaimed it inferior And I was wrapped in their detest And so I let the Gears keep turning, that is all they want from me I work so hard but all they want is fantasy That artificial beast that got in my way Mechanical fraud that will follow me to the grave But I refuse to sit still And I cry foul at your shadow The closer that I get To perfecting my invention The further I push flesh and blood away As I get closer I isolate myself But it wasn’t my intention I only want to help So the Gears keep turning, that is all that’s left for me I work so hard towards achieving my own destiny The work of my hands is valuable still I’ll fund it myself if I have to then I will Cause I refuse to sit still I’ve gotta press on because the Gears keep turning, there is never rest for me I can’t stop now I’m closer than I’ll ever be Society’s ills are problems to resolve A puzzle so complex that I’ll die before it’s solved But I will never sit still I’ll never sit still because the Gears keep turning…
6.
Start of the day I’m on patrol Don’t mess with me I’m in control I feel the wind as it blows beneath my cape The time is now I’ve got a city to save My mild and manner have disappeared And I’m the one the villains fear My muscles are strong and ready to attack My awesome powers will stop them in their tracks When the sun is up above my head I won’t have to go to bed And I’ll stay the hero of the day He’s plotting to freeze the entire town But I wont let the people down The bigger they are the harder that they fall And now I’ve got him up against the wall As I land the final blow The sun is setting the shadows grow I’m getting worried as the sunlight fades I’m helpless as my powers slip away When the sun is up above my head I wont have to go to bed And I’ll stay the hero of the day The end of the day I lie in bed The shadows are moving around my head My heart beats faster as the darkness grows The sun’s gone down and now my nightlight glows My muscles are tight my eyes are closed My fists are clenched and I don’t know If I’m alone or something’s under the bed And I’m the one that needs a hero instead
7.
Hey don’t you fret now I know you’ll make it You’re feeling blue and your thoughts are racing Just breathe in slow and let me squeeze my baby Hey baby don’t wait too long to stop thinking You keep so quiet, you’re not helping anybody Well don’t be afraid, you can tell me I don’t know why you keep me so far away But I’ll wait, I’ll stay Until you think you’ve got something to say You keep me so far away But I’ll wait, I’ll stay Until you think you’ve got something to say You’re so composed but I know you’re faking You try to smile but your lips are shaking So I’ll be here when you just can’t take it anymore Hey baby don’t wait too long to stop thinking You keep so quiet, you’re not helping anybody Well don’t be afraid, you can tell me I don’t know why you keep me so far away But I’ll wait, I’ll stay Until you think you’ve got something to say You keep me so far away But I’ll wait, I’ll stay Until you think you’ve got something to say Until you think you’ve got something to say Cause if you think you’ve got something Then say it to me baby If you think you’ve got something to say Think you’ve got something to say
8.
It’s time to talk about the way that I feel It’s like a fantasy romance, but it’s real All the places that I go with you And the feelings that we show And the love you’ll never know You could say I’m still not the man for you But oh Build up your walls you know what I’ll do Well I I’ll break through I try to find my way alone, in the dark I light my lantern with the flame of your heart And the places that I go with you And the seeds I’ve tried to sow But the love would never grow You could say I’m still not the man for you But oh Build up your walls you know what I’ll do Well I I’ll break through It’s time to talk about the way that I feel It’s like a fantasy romance, but it’s real And the places that I go with you It’s time to talk about the way that I feel…
9.
10.
But who could tell? Memories haven't served us well And who could know Exactly where we are to go? From here Skies are clear And from here Skies are clear This kingdom's falling down and I'm okay, I'm okay Our king is crawling out of his cave, of his cave Our home is burning down, we can't escape I'm not afraid I'm not afraid
11.
Frozen, forgotten What’s the difference? So now wish me luck I’m full of hate I’m full of You’re the coldest shoulder to lean on, Silver glazing eyes Gazing over the ocean, Waiting for the sunrise Frozen, forgotten What’s the difference? So now wish me luck I’m full of hate I’m full of Soon, with the toll of the turning season, Like the fading tide, The coldest shoulder to lean on Forever mine Frozen, forgotten What’s the difference? So now wish me luck I’m full of hate I’m full of
12.
Let’s try the one where we Feed the bears Oh what love Oh what terror I will mix sugar With blood And feed, feed us To the young Uh oh, uh oh Uh oh, uh oh What is happening? Uh oh, uh oh Uh oh, uh oh I am stuck again Uh oh, uh oh Uh oh, uh oh Let’s try the one… Let’s try the one where we Shoot the gun Oh what hell Oh what fun I’ll eat rocks And shards of glass Oh discomfort never lasts Uh oh, uh oh Uh oh, uh oh What is happening? Uh oh, uh oh Uh oh, uh oh I am stuck again Uh oh, uh oh Uh oh, uh oh Let’s try the one Where we bash our skulls Up against the wall What am I saying? Which one is this thing? The one where I- Where we- But wait But please I get thinner I get faster I get perfect For disaster
13.
I’m so lonely You’re the only one I’ve known The only one I’ve shown The way I am on the off days No one knows the ways No one knows those days Our secret selves, on shelves Tucked away Time with you Nothing to do get it back And your lack of regret has it just not surfaced yet I’m so lonely You’re the only one I’ve known The only one I’ve shown The way I am on the off days
14.
Act I And then there was you The gosh of my gush By floss or by brush The pup of my slush You The source of my rush How indulgent You are captivating I looked up the word “indulge” in the dictionary And it was colloquial To yield to the wishes of oneself or another It wasn’t what you thought it would be The exact opposite Use indulge in a sentence A hat tip to indulge a fellow pedestrian No, no! The wind indulges a toy boat’s tiny sail Take me captive in your tiny boat You might indulge me You think that I am able to float As boats may float? No, as aeroplanes do And then there was you The gosh of my gush My floss and my brush The pup of my slush Darling, are you strange? Or are you estranged? Which would you wish me to be? You answer questions with more questions That’s a calming strategy that proves rather boring, don’t you think? Did you happen to visit The produce aisle of the Outdoor farmer’s market? Yes How large was their selection? Copious Did they have orahnges? Yes Und dee tomahta? Ja Chaquita Banana Oui Tofu? Si Spice? No, no, no Why no spice? Because . . . . Because Ah-chooooooo Act II I love you, dove, oh yes Please! Calm me down with a cool washcloth on my forehead Bead me with it, that I may not overheat! But dab, don’t scrub! Oh! The word is out, and the body sank like a stone tablet Don’t diddle with doodles of great dawdling Deliver, like a sweet goose with no feathers! Please! I can’t say anything more In other words, hush Eye burn and the No sleeps and the Blister feets He’s got the going aways and the Tomorrow todays and the Can’t waits A beauty queen with a bag on her head smiles on the inside I can’t breathe Probably cause of all of the smog But I’m going to attribute it to you Because I’m feeling dissatisfied in this relationship How could you do this to me? Attributing the world’s problems to me Without a care in the world? Screw the world! Your fly is down The barn door’s open so the cows may mow through How dare you stomp on the bubble gum streets And breathe the hairspray air That dogs once licked and parades once passed And parrots . . . once breathed What about the ozone layer? Hark, a train travels quickly down a steep pass! Perhaps we could be married in that train, someday That’s out of the question Out of what question! There is no question! I demand you marry me! You must! Oh silly boy, you should go eat a cake He’s got the Eye burn and the No sleeps and the Blister feets He’s got the going aways and the Tomorrow todays and the Can’t waits A beauty queen with a bag on her head smiles on the inside She’s a lady friend with an eye for fashion And a doubt to pass round the table I’m sickened by my efforts It’s all for nothing No one will ever love me! Look at how pitiful I am Look! Look! I am pitiful! Pity me now! Look! Look! I am pitiful! Pity me now! Got the Eye burn and the No sleeps and the Blister feets He’s got the going aways and the Tomorrow todays and the Can’t waits A beauty queen with a bag on her head smiles on the inside I am a mule A stupid, stupid fat mule! Oh lord, spare me of this miserable person You’re absolutely right! What about the ozone layer? You can hardly see it anymore Humanity is a disease! And I am the one to blame Act III It’s not poetical, something much more lackadaze Something you can’t break off without smearing We can become ambidextrous when we kiss A hot commodity of errors and true humanness and peopledom It’s no hazard, my billiard’s coupledom compels me to come forth Well then, bring your guns and your horses, but do not swagger How becoming of you my driftfulness Pretty is as Pretty does Listless, adorn You can human me to death, and I won’t budge but an inch Please! Penny for your budge? There is nothing more that I am above How do you figure, in this great amount of dark twinkling? May I ask you, what is heaven doing in there, but practicing? Hark, you’ve turned me No less the crisp than the madrigal How’s about a sweet one, right on the kisser I shall not be compelled with you, yet Perhaps another time in some far away living room? Perhaps, then What shall I bring? A carefree attitude Pretty is as Pretty does Listless, adorn You can human me to death, and I won’t budge an inch Please! Penny for your budge? There is nothing more that I am above I am keen enough to witness that you’ll not be bludgeoned Oh, you can hug me that I never lose my balance Something sweet in that piety Why do you freeze me? Because a smile you’re wearing like saran wrap Oh, I want to remember you, but should I forget I am the belly button of the world, you said The center of everything Something you can’t wipe off without smearing And then there was you The gosh of my gush My floss and my brush The pup of my slush The source of my rush My indulgent, begrudgeoning crush And then, there was you
15.
16.
A penny around my neck, a place for you in my heart Time and Life proceeded to try to tear us apart Life’s funny like that, it will never cease to be. I will always be there for you, you’ll always do the same for me What if we never met? How much different would we be? Sometimes I think about that and laugh, it helps me to believe That we were brought together, a family to the core It reminds me of this penny from 1964 Chorus: It was the year we met the Beatles and surrounded by candles Dylan taught them all how to turn on He said “The national bank at a profit sold roadmaps for your soul” Everybody was diggin’ that rock and roll We convicted old Jack Ruby for killing a patsy Malcolm left the nation of Islam Mandela he was sentenced to serve his life inside And Martin Luther King he won a Nobel peace prize To Kill a Mockingbird won an academy award And three Civil Rights Workers brought tears to our eyes Have we come any further since that year? A lot has changed between us but keep this one thing clear I want you to know what this penny means to me Hanging around my neck constantly Chorus A penny around my neck, a place for you near my heart Time and Life proceeded to try to tear us apart Life’s funny like that it will never cease to be I will always be there for you, you’ll always be my lucky penny I will always be there for you, and you’ll always be my lucky Penny!
17.

about

Read more about each song on the blog: charliemccarron.com/songaweek

credits

released January 12, 2012

license

Some rights reserved. Please refer to individual track pages for license info.

tags

about

Charlie McCarron's Song A Week Sessions Minneapolis, Minnesota

Every week for 4 months, Charlie McCarron asked a new MN songwriter, composer, or band to let him produce one of their original songs.

contact / help

Contact Charlie McCarron's Song A Week Sessions

Report this album or account

If you like The Song A Week Sessions: Volume 1, you may also like: