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1.
A Long Long Way (free) 03:29
1) A Long Long Way m.litton We live a fable, we live a dream, in this sweet land of liberty You’re free to doubt, free to believe, all in America all are free We come from Africa, from Native tribes From Ireland, Germany, Judean scribes Italy, Spain, Russia, China too All are Americans, me ‘n you Chorus: And I wanna love and live a long long day ‘Cause we still need to go a long long way We’ve done some wrong, we’ve done some right There’s still much to do with all our might If there’s ever justice beneath the stars It beats deep in the American heart Some claim they know, others ask All live in question beneath the same blue sky We plow ‘n plant the same hard earth Out of many comes our nation’s birth (chorus) Bridge: Sunrise on an empty street, gray sky starts to glow A bus rolls to a stop, a young soldier is coming home In the American night, on the American shore To the American dream... You may be Chicano or a big cowboy Come from Montana or old Detroit From the Rocky Mountains to the shining sea All are Americans, you ‘n me (chorus)
2.
2) Gingerbread Man m.litton Put the gingerbread in your pan Bake it in your oven, baby, fast as you can Turn it on, get it hot, I’ll jump out before I am caught Gonna roll- roll, I’m a gingerbread man Gonna roll- roll, I’m a gingerbread man Aw chew-chew-chew, cha-cha-cha Your meat’s so sweet, girl you’ve got The kind of move that drives me loco I’ll stay with you tonight then it’s hasta luego Gonna roll- roll, I’m a gingerbread man Gonna roll- roll, I’m a gingerbread man Bridge (1): They knock-knock at my door Get one taste then they want one more But you can run as fast as you can You’ll not catch me, I’m a gingerbread man You’ll not catch me, I’m a gingerbread man Gonna roll- roll, I’m a gingerbread man Gonna roll- roll, I’m a gingerbread man I come to a river, water wide A foxy little lady offered me a ride Her rosebud lips, pearly white teeth She said she was hungry just for me She said, “Climb on little gingerbread man” She said, “Climb on me little gingerbread man” Bridge (2): Now I thought I should say no to her But I liked the feel of her soft warm fur And when we made the opposite shore The gingerbread man he was no more Little gingerbread man he was no more She said, “Climb on little gingerbread man” She said, “Climb on me little gingerbread man” Now the candy man and salty dog They was my daddy and my ol’ grandpa But the taste has changed like the lady said She don’t want no candy, she wants gingerbread She said, “Climb on little gingerbread man” She said, “Climb on me little gingerbread man”
3.
Coleen 03:38
3) Coleen m.litton She was one for the road, she’d make a man smile Forget all his troubles awhile A pleasure to touch, but a little too hot If you loved her more than a little you were in for a lot Her name was Coleen, she worked in a bar She’d play a man’s heart like a strummin’ guitar Take all your money and never be bought If you loved her more than a little you were in for a lot Chorus: A lot of the reason a man goes to drinkin’ Is to cloud up his mind and keep him from thinkin’ About a woman he’s known and can never hold If you love her more than a little, better let her go Let her go…yeah, let her go… Like old wine and whiskey she’ll eat at your brain Till there ain’t nothin’ left but regret and shame So spend your last dollar and down you last shot If you love her more than a little you’re in for a lot (chorus)
4.
4) It’s A Short Life m.litton Born of a woman what had no man She’d been had in a one-night stand I called her “Ma,” she called me “Kid” It never much mattered what I did Had my first bar-fight in El Dorado He flashed a knife, I swung a bottle Come out alright, hey never fear He got smashed ‘n I jumped clear Chorus: It’s a short life, it’s a true life It’s my life... Married Darlene, I’s 22 She was skinny 15, but she still grew Had a boy ‘n girl by 17 She turned 20 fat ‘n mean So I joined the Army to get away Got a haircut, clothes ‘n a raise in pay A brand-new Hummer with 4-wheel drive I toured Iraq, I’m still alive (chorus) I’ve had my trouble with alcohol Easy women and the local law Got tattooed while doin’ time Found sweet Jesus and peace of mind Now I’m back livin’ with my dear Darlene Our boy ‘n girl are both preteens I steer ‘em right when they’re doin’ wrong And wake each day to a country song (chorus) ‘Stray-dog Ike’ is my call sign I pay my tolls, I pay my fines I drive big rigs over-road Guess over time we all grow old There ain’t no moral to my tale I could curse you all or wish you well Can’t win, break ever or get out alive It’s a downhill run till the day ya die (chorus)
5.
5) Another Cold Cold Beer m.litton There was a time I didn’t drink so much beer My neighbor called me “Mister,” my woman called me “Dear…” Now high above the avenue I watch the neon through the rain Beneath the sky I see my life is cut through with stain She said, “For you my precious there ain’t nothin’ I won’t do “Turn to the right, to the left, I’d turn inside out for you…” But I gambled on her love, I was not true She said, “Oh no, you go, I won’t turn my back for you…” Chorus: Another cold, cold beer, amber tears in the rain Bring back her memory, sharpen the pain I keep whiskey and laudanum locked in the drawer The day’s gonna come I’ll need something more It will soon be Halloween and everyone is running scared Behind the autumn’s colored mask waits the winter’s cold ol’ stare The birds they’ve flown south, the corn’s in the shed The scarecrow still stands there though he’s a long time been dead (chorus)
6.
6) Down By The River m.litton Goin’ down…yeah…down by the river…hey… Goin’ down, down there by the river, far from the road, deep into the night Goin’ down, down there by the river, slip into the shadows where dreams come alive Down by the river, yeah, down by the river… See the moon shine upon the water…yellow, yellow moon on the deep dark wate And all them stars way out in the distance, burnin’ from a time before we ever came Down by the river, yeah, down by the river… Come dance, dance down by the river, come ‘n dance with the wind thru the trees Come dance, dance down by the river… I’m calling you, girl, won’t you come to me Down by the river, yeah… Down by the river! Yeah! See the mushrooms growin’ in the mud…old trees root into the earth Feel the night close upon your skin, girl, feel it, feel it, feel the feeling givin’ birth Down by the river, yeah, down by the river… There’s a ripple, ripple in the current…an old snake crawlin’ through the grass And there’s a time, it’s surly comin’, girl, we each ‘n all gonna breathe our last Down by the river, yeah, down by the river So come ‘n dance with me in the changin’ wind, child of the thunder, child of the rain Come light that fire ‘n burn it down to ashes, let your soul rise up in the flames Down by the river, yeah… Down by the river! Yeah! Hear those drums… O Lord, hear those drums…yeah… Hear those drums drummin’ by the river, drummin’ from a time before we ever came Feel those drums drummin’ to your feet, girl, feel those drums drummin’ to your thighs Feel those drums, gonna make your hips shake… Hear your heart drummin’, bring your lips to mine Down by the river, yeah… Down by the river! Yeah!
7.
7) Gravedigger’s Wage m.litton I’m drivin’ at the end of a winter rain Empty streets ain’t got no one to call my name I left all my friends, Lord, it seems so long ago In a land where the wind will always blow I carry the memory of a man Of his love, his pride, his hard old hand I can’t recall the image of his grave He never worked for no gravedigger’s wage Beneath the painted vaults they call the city Where neon spirits gather in silent pity Walk their weary souls down dark alleyways All a’huntin’ for a gravedigger’s wage That voice I hear is cold ‘n hollow He says, “Put all ya got, boy, down on tomorrow” But if I’ve got the blues I’m goin’ to sing ‘em today Ain’t gonna sing for no gravedigger’s wage
8.
Breakaway 05:04
8) Breakaway m.litton Late night closes round a little prairie town Lone car on the highway, moon cuts through the clouds Two young hearts are trying to break free “Take my hand, girl, come break away with me “Feeling hunted like two shadows on the run “Only wantin’ to escape this dead-end that we’re from “Feel your long hair blow against mine “Don’t wanna die till I reach the sky… Chorus: “Where does the road lead beyond the distant hill? “We reach the horizon we’re standing here still “Why is there no answer when the question gets real? “Aw, stab me in the heart, ask me how I feel “Caught like a tumbleweed in a barb wire fence “I tremble without moving just touching your skin “All my life I’ve been longing to break free “Take my hand, girl, come break away with me “Break away-ay-ay… “Red fox in the headlights he trots along the road “His eyes flash yellow as he jumps the ditch to go “Deep into the night to vanish in his dream “He answers no one, he’s always been free “Let it all pass away, it’s all been said before “Keep what we’ve got today, don’t need nothing more “Take you in my arms, draw your breath to mine “Don’t wanna die till I reach the sky…” (chorus)
9.
Bad Seed 05:09
9) Bad Seed (for Terry Householter 1948-1969) m.litton His grandaddy ran a pool hall, his daddy lay run to ground Terry could outrun any boy in any Kansas town. They say he was a "bad seed" 'cause he smoked, drank, and cursed But in any race he ever ran he always came in first. He was an ace, deuce, joker wild, he'd dust you with a grin He played it fast, died hard, left his shadow in the wind... They say he was a bad seed... He went down to a college town to party for a spell A war was on, he soon was gone to try a taste of hell. He joined up with the Marines, the boys of Semper Fi, They sent him off to Vietnam where the game was do or die... They say he was a bad seed... His first day in-country they hit a hot L-Z He soon had cause to "git some" if you know what I mean. They hit the ground a'runnin', mortars fallin' left 'n right They hit the dirt face down, hearts pumpin' full of life. He yelled out to a buddy as they clawed their hands to dig, "I never knew these fatigue buttons were so damn big!" They say he was a bad seed... He won the V for valor in a fight with the NVA He raced 200 meters of fire-swept terrain To reach three wounded buddies, yeah he outran them guns, Then carried each to safety 'neath the hot jungle sun. If you say he was a bad seed, go tell it to the wind, He ran through that hellfire again and again... They say he was a bad seed... On R 'n R down Tu Do Street, drinking beer in ol' Saigon He hit the bars and brothels, yeah he loved to get it on. He'd say, "Let's do right tonight, boys, gotta try 'n taste it all, "'Cause you never know, good buddy, when that black card may fall." He was an ace, deuce, joker wild, he'd dust you with a grin, He played it fast, died hard, left his shadow in the wind... They say he was a bad seed... Near a year of blood 'n battle, only 29 days to go A buddy swore one morning, "I can't do no more patrol." Terry said, "Don't sweat it, man, I'll walk this point for you." He stepped down the jungle path and a bullet cut him through... They say he was a bad seed, yeah they say he was a bad seed... Well if you say he was a bad seed, go tell it to the wind 'Cause he ran through that hellfire and he died for a friend... Like a hawk above the praire they flew his body home They laid him up on Pleasant Hill beside his daddy's bones. One thousand stood in witness as they put him in the ground The only race he ever lost was to the gun that shot him down. He was an ace, deuce, joker wild, he'd dust you with a grin He played it fast, died hard, left his shadow in the wind... They say he was a bad seed... They say he was a bad seed... Lance Corporal Terry A. Householter KIA Vietnam, June 23, 1969 1rst Platoon, Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines...
10.
10) Because Of You m.litton And it’s the same, same ol’ thing each day Seems like nuthin’, Lord, nuthin’ ever goes my way I throw the dice, hit the races, lose all my wages Even knell down on my knees and I pray Still the same, same ol’ thing each day… You know I dream, but my dreams never come alive They fade each morning before my eyes I go to work shovel in hand, answer to the man You know I laugh but deep down I cry To see my dreams, all my dreams slowly die… Each night I come home so tired ‘n blue I stand like a shadow in this shadowed room I gaze up at the ceiling where the old paint is peeling Then your smile, sweet smile comes shinin’ through Each night I come alive again, Each night I’m alright again, Each night I fall in love again because of you… Because of you…ah, sweet girl because of you… Because of you…yeah, yeah, because of you… Each night I come alive again, Each night I’m alright again, Each night I fall in love again because of you…
11.
11) Stickhorse Blues m.litton Momma’s got a broom ‘n she’s sweepin’ Daddy’s got a shovel ‘n he’s a’diggin’ But baby’s on a stickhorse...he’s out a’ridin’ I’m a bull-legged bandit, ain’t got a dime No gas for my car If you don’t pay your taxes you’re stealin’ From ol’ Uncle Sam while he’s a’sleepin’ Well if you’re ridin’ them ridges Better burn your bridges a’leavin So if they come your way they won’t get too far Hey my old friend Bill he moved too slow That woman got him married Now he spends his nights at home Goes to work every morning, get off half-past four Lately I hear he’s drinkin’ more ‘n more Chorus: Got the stickhorse blues... Got the stickhorse blues, stickhorse blues I’d like to lose these stickhorse blues Like to stick these stickhorse blues Right up, oh Lord, you know whose... Now I went down to read the job bulletin Talked with old Easy Fortune He said, “There’s alotta money these days “To be made dishwashin’ “Y’ain’t goin’ nowhere, boy, pickin’ that ol’ guitar” So I’m outa work, ain’t got a dime My pockets are empty, I laid it all out on a line Bought a midnight special Couldn’t make my payment on time Today I had to hock it just to pay for my crimes (chorus)
12.
12) Go Down Ol’ Hanna (traditional – arr. border band – last verse m.litton) Go down ol’ Hanna, don’t you rise up no more But if you rise up in the mornin’, set the world on fire It was early one morning, the sun did rise I was thinkin’ about my pretty baby Hung my head and I cried Go down ol’ Hanna, don’t you rise up no more But if you rise up in the mornin’, bring Judgement Day Should’ve been down by the river in 1910 They was drivin’ our women like they drove the men I told the Captain that ol’ John he lay dead The Captain didn’t do nuthin’, just nodded his head Go down ol’ Hanna, go down ol’ Hanna When I went to school, teacher, she asked me one thing “Say tell me little partner, who learned you to sing?” I said, “My ol’ daddy, he taught me these songs “He plowed the hard earth ‘n to the earth he has gone” Go down ol’ Hanna, go down ol’ Hanna By the red of my blood, by the white of my bones By the deep river mud each man dies alone Go down with my shovel, go down dig my grave Go down with ol’ Hanna come Judgement Day
13.
Sky Road (free) 04:45
13) Sky Road m.litton I knew a man called Horse He was a hard-drinkin’ hoss, a freeborn Eskimo We were both young, friends for a day Workin’ down a long hard road I’d play my song, my sad dark song Horse would close his eyes ‘n dream He made me a hatband of many-colored beads Said, “Hey listen, I’ll tell ya what they mean “Yeah, look to the sun, the bright rising sun “For there is the path you should walk “Don’t ever look back on the dark-water past “Don’t listen to dead spirits talk “Walk the sky road, walk the sky road...” When Horse was a boy he hunted with his father For seal in the Arctic cold One day he heard a sharp sound And when he looked around His father fell in a dark-water hole “No don’t ever look back on the dark water past “It’ll swallow you beneath the ice “Look to the birds, the spirits in the sky “They’ll lead you to the light “To the sky road, to the sky road...” At a fork in the road Horse headed north I south with my one-man band The years circled back, one day I found him in a bar Too drunk to speak or even stand He’d lost the sun, the bright rising sun The birds had fallen from the sky The dark-water past had taken him in hand And I could not lead him to the light To the sky road, to the sky road I knew a man called Horse He was a hard-drinkin’ hoss, a freeborn Eskimo We were once young, friends for a day And once was a long time ago But maybe what was once will once come again When we meet the spirit in the sky And we’ll look down on the long hard road And go with the birds where they fly To the sky road, to the sky road
14.
14) Bottom Of The Mine billy hunsinger & m.litton There’s a mine pit in Picher where many bodies lie There’s a mine pit in Picher ‘neath the Oklahoma sky There are crocked gamblers and the guys who run shine And their bones lie bleachin’ at the bottom of the mine That circuit-ridin’ preacher pointed his finger at me He said, “Boy, you’re a heathen just plain as can be “Better git off the devil’s highway and back on Jesus time “Or your bones will lie bleachin’ at the bottom of the mine” Chorus: At the bottom of the mine in those Oklahoma hills Where fortunes were made and the scree lies spilled At the bottom of the mine where the iron turns to rust And the rattlesnakes coil in the windblown dust I heard tales of Stand Wattie at my grandpa’s knee He was the last Confederate general and chief of the Cherokee They say his heart was true and his tongue never lied Unlike those whose bones bleach at the bottom of the mine (chorus) My momma was a poor girl bought ‘n sold My daddy was a half-breed with a Cherokee soul They caught him runnin’ cattle ‘cross the Kansas line And left his bones to bleach at the bottom of the mine May the spirit of Stand Wattie help me git away And I’ll say “goodbye” to this Oklahoma clay I’ll cross the Red River before flooding time And pray my bones never bleach at the bottom of the mine (chorus)
15.
15) There Liz A Diamond m.litton & dave melody Some say love shines like a diamond Then melts away with the morning dew But your love is always where I can find it Cut from the old rock, tried and true Chorus: Take a rock and mold into a diamond Two hearts build a treasure over time I’ll take all the time you give me Take your hand and fold it to mine I’ve hunted gold high up in the mountains Cut timber by a flowing stream Built a fire all alone at sunset Warmed there by your memory Bridge: In the deepest coal there lies a diamond In the darkest night a star shines through There is no grain of time so empty As the time away from you (chorus) If I were lost I’d roam the far desert Until I found a cactus flower in bloom I’d reach and gently touch its essence And in its beauty hold a part of you (chorus) (bridge)
16.
16) Jaloeb Corley m.litton Jaloeb Corley was his name, he weren’t one of fame, I knew ‘im back when I’s a lad of 10 and he was 40. He rode from the distance as he came to our town All the people stood back from him And even the ol’ hounds they did howl For y’all see, Corley was a hangman Jaloeb his name and he was a hangman It was in my day a poor man could hang For layin’ a hand before the weddin’ band on a high-born dame His name was Jimmy Sage and they charged him in the rape Of Beau Fontaine’s black-eyed daughter of 15 years They stood Jimmy up in a barroom trial They stood Jimmy up an’ he cried like a child The day of the hangin’ was clear ‘n cold with the rope Set to strike poor Jimmy’s young neck like a long dull knife When they set Jimmy swingin’ the crowd sang shrill The sky fell black an’ down the street come a blowin’ chill For Jimmy was not brave, he screamed to his grave No, Jimmy was not brave, he screamed to his grave When the deed it was done the children went runnin’ And the old men cursed Mr. Corley’s purse of 50 dollar gold But Mr. Corley just sneered, he could smell their fear As he stared back ‘n said, “Now he’s dead, what’s it matter you so” And he drank his brandy all alone by the hotel window And he drank his brandy all alone by the hotel window The gibbous moon shone and the prairie wolves cried As the winter clouds came and buried each shadow And the night fell so blind That next lone mornin’ it started to snow, I walked out back Found a man dressed in black with his neck stretched long Hanged from our tree I found Jaloeb Corley Hanged from our tree I found Jaloeb Corley

about

Songs from the eye of the storm where fate and music plays. Whether a young soldier, a gingerbread man, a teenage lover trying to break free, a hard drinker or a hangman in the old west, all roads lead to the eye of the storm where our music is made. If that leaves us a shadow in the wind or a shade in the flame, so be it. We play our own song cuz it's a short life.

VILLAGE RECORDS www.villagerecords.org – “Another alt-country classic…” Nov. 30, 2011: “This group has the perfect name. Their music straddles all aspects of Americana and the forefathers of the genre. Albums like this are not meant for radio programmers and focus groups. It is meant for drivers of rust colored pick-up trucks that have old mangled chrome bumpers, and past their prime cars with big engines. You'll find these parked outside of end of the trail roadhouses, not Starbucks. For this all new recording they don't get above their raising and deliver another alt-country classic...”

credits

released September 13, 2011

Melvin Litton - rhythm guitar and vocals on 1,4,7,9,11,12,13 & 16
Roger Holden - lead guitar
Dave Melody - drums and vocals on 2,5,8,12 & 14
Daniel Weaverling - bass and vocals on 3,6,10,12 & 15
Recorded by M.Litton & The Border Band at Wolfdog Studio
Mixed and mastered by Mike West
Front and back cover by artist/filmmaker Alec Joler
Band photo (inside panel) by Gillian Broadfoot

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The Gothic Cowboy/The Border Band Lawrence, Kansas

I'm a creekbank ghetto boy. Began my singin' near half a century ago in Canada, then hit northeast, down thru Nashville, Austin, out to Colorado and back to Kansas where I started out and will likely remain. My influences are Leadbelly, Jimmie Rodgers, CCR and The Band, while the juices of a hundred others flavor my music, not to mention the devil himself if that's what it takes to make a song... ... more

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