A Part Of Me That’s Lonely (written by Hayward Williams & John Hardin, Copyright 2017 Green Canoe Music & Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
I could be in the middle of the city
Faces passing me by like lights on an empty highway
I could be at home with friends and family
Surrounded by laughter and still have nothing to say
I could walk forever in a dream
With my baby right beside me
But there will always be a part of me that’s lonely
I could feel in my bones, each color in the sunrise
The cool morning breeze as it flows down my back
Some angel band could be singing my tune
All that I’d hear are the notes that I lack
I could discover those chords with you
In such blessed harmony
But there will always be a part of me that’s lonely
The days move with the wind
Each break and each bend brings me closer
To the end of the line
It’s all taking to long
Once the good is all gone
Living becomes the wasting of time
You could lead me past the ancient marker
Surrounded by its kindly hosts
Still I’d look behind the curtain
And I’d see nothing but the gathering of ghosts
We could reach our final reward
In that garden, so heavenly
But there will always be a part of me that’s lonely
Alberta Goddamn (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Ol' Alberta, curses in her sleep
Skin as dark and shining
Like the moon on a raven's wing
Rides a painted Appaloosa
Wear's a blood stained, beaver skin John B.
Ol' Alberta, back in '93
Playin' Bones with Billy Lyons
And that bad man, Stackolee
Billy cried "Domino!"
claimed Stack's treasured, beaver skin John B.
Then Ol' Alberta, what did she see
But Billy Lyons take a homemade slug
From the Colt of Stackolee
'Berta stood where Billy lay
Said "Stack, you ain't alone in holding heat"
He said "where'd you get that Henry Rifle?"
"And that twitch in your trigger hand?"
"Goddamn, Alberta. Goddamn.
Ol' Alberta, what a sight to see
Skin as dark and shining like the moon on a raven's wing
Ride that Appaloosa stud
Wearing the hat she took off Stackolee
She said "I'll bury it with Billy Lyons"
"Give him a crown for Beulah Land"
Goddamn, Alberta. Goddamn
Dharma Blues (written by John Hardin, copyright 2015 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
I went to the Earth, my mother
To be a blossom, a spirit she bore
Perhaps a lotus of white shooting out of a spring
I was holy then, my purest in form
There I came upon a sage
He boasted knowledge for my age
Held a primal book and keys to my tomb
Said "for the truth, son, you must pay"
He stole my coin, was on his way
Left me nothin' but the Dharma Blues
It gave me reason enough to doubt you
What could I ever learn about about you
Except that our fusion feels so warm upon my skin
I feel like Daedalus in his maze, or Joe Hill in his chains
Or Casey Jones rapping engines 'round the bend
As if you need temples for your fame, or another army in your name
We build the walls that trap the wildness of our youth
Still there you're rushing down those halls
A wrecking ball on the loose
To leave us nothin' but the Dharma Blues
Ferryman row me back home
To the dome on the hill
I built to watch the heavens for life
I painted glyphs upon the wall of a man and his fall
Built telescopes to reflect the light
But constellations in the sky
Don't solve the mysteries in my mind
I'd forsake the stars in search of a truth
'Cause when I stare into that pool
I see the picture of a fool
Left with nothin' but the Dharma Blues
Get The Livin’ Done (written by Hayward Williams, Copyright 2016 Green Canoe Music. ASCAP)
Mama was born in Canton
Grew up in FLA
Spanish moss and lip gloss
Launchin’ into outer space
Daddy took a hand in DC
Had his own quiet way
Cover’s blown, now he’s flown
Daddy’s In the CIA
Sister one had it real hard
Got herself a PhD
She took an ocean liner, down to Carolina
Like Moses floatin’ in the reeds
Sister two’s in the Good Book
Says she don’t believe in sin
The game is rigged, its all too big
She’s lookin’ for a new way in
Little brother took the long way
Burned every bridge in town
Runnin’ out of time, lost his mind
Guess he’s gotta settle down
Now we’re all up with demons
Waitin’ on the next to come
You take slow and you take it fast
But you’ve got to get the livin’ done
Holy Rollers (written by John Hardin, Copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam
And he don’t mind if I get stoned
He commanded “Love your neighbor”
Then rolled be a little number for the road
All those holy parables are lost on me
I can’t tell as Seraphim from a Pharisee
That don’t mean a lick to the satisfied mind
That finds their own little light and lets it shine
Whether it be honey
From the Rock of Ages
Or the nectar from the vine
As long as you’re a witness
To a little kindness
You’ll stumble straight on through That By and By
There’s no time for temperance
When the sun is burnin’ out
There’s no room to keep them Holy Rollers around
A flask of Thunderbird
stashed in my boot
I traded in them shimmerin’ robes
For a Nudie Kohn suit
So to all my drunkards
And strung out junkies
To all my broken down, honkeytonk queens
Spread a little gladness to all God’s children
We’ll shine with sequin halos
And ribbons on our wings
London Dry (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
London Dry and smokes in bed
Lies about the books she’s red
A tender heart and a reckless head
A curtsey with a curse under her breath
When I’m weary and I take my rest
It’ll be her love I loved the best
On my mind until the very end
And on the other side we’ll do it all again
Twirlin’ b’neath the Spanish Arch
A cheater when she’s dealin’ cards
Livin’ hard, never keepin’ score
Passed out on the bathroom floor
When I’m weary and I take my rest
It’ll her love I loved the best
On my mind until the very end
And on the other side we’ll do it all again
I can be a real bastard, babe
Stitchin’ barbs to the things I say
But I’ve gotta do better by you my friend
So I’m worthy when my ship comes in
You’re the lighthouse on the other shore
You’re the lantern in the nevermore
On my mind until the very end
I will find you there and we’ll do it all again
Lucky Ones (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Katie can you hear the kingfisher’s song?
It’s a blinding rapture
To the wonder of the dawning of the day
Where each flicker of the sun is a funeral pyre
Don’t that requiem sound so sweet
A reverberating symphony
That’s gentle as the jubilee
Of the morning bird choir
When the night is nearly done
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
When the race is nearly run
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
We’re the lucky ones
A saline drip and blown out veins
Polished parquet floors and dark corridors
Home to holy water, still the blood remains
Come the morning that kingfisher’s gone
When the night is nearly done
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
When the race is nearly run
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
We’re the lucky ones
The night is nearly done
And I know that we are the lucky ones
The race is nearly run
And I know that we are the lucky ones
We’re the lucky ones
Mockingbird (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Oh Mockingbird, what must you think when you look at the world?
Do you see a dying and disfigured shell
Or do you see mother of pearl?
Do you see the briars, or do you see the bloom?
Oh how our venom turns to ash
At the sound of your voice
Will you find forgiveness for us
When the breadth of our folly’s unfurled
What must you think when you look at the world?
Oh Mockingbird, what must you think when you see just what we have become?
Look how we see ourselves as canon fire
But fall as feathers from the gun
Won’t you call our coward’s bluff?
Oh how familiar the song that the caged bird sings
Tethered and the clipping of wings
By our hands
Oh what have we done?
What must you think of what we have become?
Oh Mockingbird make a new song
So sweet a sound
Honeybee’s will surround your mouth
And in the half light of a new day
Be free from us, Mockingbird, fly away
Palmetto Wine (written by John Hardin, Copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Leave the crow to cry in them cypress trees
He’s finding his tune
Every bleedin’ heart’s got a song to sing
Once the bleedin’s through
Release me, Persephone
I must be moving on
I’ve got to see my Marie
Before I’m too far gone
We all get a little high in our own way
We all do what we must for a steady mind
As for me I find my peace with that raven-haired Marie
And a bottle of her palmetto wine
She went missin’ come the mornin’
An empty bottle and a note
Said “it ain’t for daybreak that I’m leavin you”
“It’s the thrill of lettin’ go”
We all get a little high in our own way
We all do what we must for a steady mind
As for me I find my peace with that raven-haired Marie
And a bottle of her palmetto wine
I could be in the middle of the city
Faces passing me by like lights on an empty highway
I could be at home with friends and family
Surrounded by laughter and still have nothing to say
I could walk forever in a dream
With my baby right beside me
But there will always be a part of me that’s lonely
I could feel in my bones, each color in the sunrise
The cool morning breeze as it flows down my back
Some angel band could be singing my tune
All that I’d hear are the notes that I lack
I could discover those chords with you
In such blessed harmony
But there will always be a part of me that’s lonely
The days move with the wind
Each break and each bend brings me closer
To the end of the line
It’s all taking to long
Once the good is all gone
Living becomes the wasting of time
You could lead me past the ancient marker
Surrounded by its kindly hosts
Still I’d look behind the curtain
And I’d see nothing but the gathering of ghosts
We could reach our final reward
In that garden, so heavenly
But there will always be a part of me that’s lonely
Alberta Goddamn (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Ol' Alberta, curses in her sleep
Skin as dark and shining
Like the moon on a raven's wing
Rides a painted Appaloosa
Wear's a blood stained, beaver skin John B.
Ol' Alberta, back in '93
Playin' Bones with Billy Lyons
And that bad man, Stackolee
Billy cried "Domino!"
claimed Stack's treasured, beaver skin John B.
Then Ol' Alberta, what did she see
But Billy Lyons take a homemade slug
From the Colt of Stackolee
'Berta stood where Billy lay
Said "Stack, you ain't alone in holding heat"
He said "where'd you get that Henry Rifle?"
"And that twitch in your trigger hand?"
"Goddamn, Alberta. Goddamn.
Ol' Alberta, what a sight to see
Skin as dark and shining like the moon on a raven's wing
Ride that Appaloosa stud
Wearing the hat she took off Stackolee
She said "I'll bury it with Billy Lyons"
"Give him a crown for Beulah Land"
Goddamn, Alberta. Goddamn
Dharma Blues (written by John Hardin, copyright 2015 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
I went to the Earth, my mother
To be a blossom, a spirit she bore
Perhaps a lotus of white shooting out of a spring
I was holy then, my purest in form
There I came upon a sage
He boasted knowledge for my age
Held a primal book and keys to my tomb
Said "for the truth, son, you must pay"
He stole my coin, was on his way
Left me nothin' but the Dharma Blues
It gave me reason enough to doubt you
What could I ever learn about about you
Except that our fusion feels so warm upon my skin
I feel like Daedalus in his maze, or Joe Hill in his chains
Or Casey Jones rapping engines 'round the bend
As if you need temples for your fame, or another army in your name
We build the walls that trap the wildness of our youth
Still there you're rushing down those halls
A wrecking ball on the loose
To leave us nothin' but the Dharma Blues
Ferryman row me back home
To the dome on the hill
I built to watch the heavens for life
I painted glyphs upon the wall of a man and his fall
Built telescopes to reflect the light
But constellations in the sky
Don't solve the mysteries in my mind
I'd forsake the stars in search of a truth
'Cause when I stare into that pool
I see the picture of a fool
Left with nothin' but the Dharma Blues
Get The Livin’ Done (written by Hayward Williams, Copyright 2016 Green Canoe Music. ASCAP)
Mama was born in Canton
Grew up in FLA
Spanish moss and lip gloss
Launchin’ into outer space
Daddy took a hand in DC
Had his own quiet way
Cover’s blown, now he’s flown
Daddy’s In the CIA
Sister one had it real hard
Got herself a PhD
She took an ocean liner, down to Carolina
Like Moses floatin’ in the reeds
Sister two’s in the Good Book
Says she don’t believe in sin
The game is rigged, its all too big
She’s lookin’ for a new way in
Little brother took the long way
Burned every bridge in town
Runnin’ out of time, lost his mind
Guess he’s gotta settle down
Now we’re all up with demons
Waitin’ on the next to come
You take slow and you take it fast
But you’ve got to get the livin’ done
Holy Rollers (written by John Hardin, Copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam
And he don’t mind if I get stoned
He commanded “Love your neighbor”
Then rolled be a little number for the road
All those holy parables are lost on me
I can’t tell as Seraphim from a Pharisee
That don’t mean a lick to the satisfied mind
That finds their own little light and lets it shine
Whether it be honey
From the Rock of Ages
Or the nectar from the vine
As long as you’re a witness
To a little kindness
You’ll stumble straight on through That By and By
There’s no time for temperance
When the sun is burnin’ out
There’s no room to keep them Holy Rollers around
A flask of Thunderbird
stashed in my boot
I traded in them shimmerin’ robes
For a Nudie Kohn suit
So to all my drunkards
And strung out junkies
To all my broken down, honkeytonk queens
Spread a little gladness to all God’s children
We’ll shine with sequin halos
And ribbons on our wings
London Dry (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
London Dry and smokes in bed
Lies about the books she’s red
A tender heart and a reckless head
A curtsey with a curse under her breath
When I’m weary and I take my rest
It’ll be her love I loved the best
On my mind until the very end
And on the other side we’ll do it all again
Twirlin’ b’neath the Spanish Arch
A cheater when she’s dealin’ cards
Livin’ hard, never keepin’ score
Passed out on the bathroom floor
When I’m weary and I take my rest
It’ll her love I loved the best
On my mind until the very end
And on the other side we’ll do it all again
I can be a real bastard, babe
Stitchin’ barbs to the things I say
But I’ve gotta do better by you my friend
So I’m worthy when my ship comes in
You’re the lighthouse on the other shore
You’re the lantern in the nevermore
On my mind until the very end
I will find you there and we’ll do it all again
Lucky Ones (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Katie can you hear the kingfisher’s song?
It’s a blinding rapture
To the wonder of the dawning of the day
Where each flicker of the sun is a funeral pyre
Don’t that requiem sound so sweet
A reverberating symphony
That’s gentle as the jubilee
Of the morning bird choir
When the night is nearly done
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
When the race is nearly run
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
We’re the lucky ones
A saline drip and blown out veins
Polished parquet floors and dark corridors
Home to holy water, still the blood remains
Come the morning that kingfisher’s gone
When the night is nearly done
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
When the race is nearly run
We’ll know that we are the lucky ones
We’re the lucky ones
The night is nearly done
And I know that we are the lucky ones
The race is nearly run
And I know that we are the lucky ones
We’re the lucky ones
Mockingbird (written by John Hardin, copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Oh Mockingbird, what must you think when you look at the world?
Do you see a dying and disfigured shell
Or do you see mother of pearl?
Do you see the briars, or do you see the bloom?
Oh how our venom turns to ash
At the sound of your voice
Will you find forgiveness for us
When the breadth of our folly’s unfurled
What must you think when you look at the world?
Oh Mockingbird, what must you think when you see just what we have become?
Look how we see ourselves as canon fire
But fall as feathers from the gun
Won’t you call our coward’s bluff?
Oh how familiar the song that the caged bird sings
Tethered and the clipping of wings
By our hands
Oh what have we done?
What must you think of what we have become?
Oh Mockingbird make a new song
So sweet a sound
Honeybee’s will surround your mouth
And in the half light of a new day
Be free from us, Mockingbird, fly away
Palmetto Wine (written by John Hardin, Copyright 2017 Piasa Recordings. ASCAP)
Leave the crow to cry in them cypress trees
He’s finding his tune
Every bleedin’ heart’s got a song to sing
Once the bleedin’s through
Release me, Persephone
I must be moving on
I’ve got to see my Marie
Before I’m too far gone
We all get a little high in our own way
We all do what we must for a steady mind
As for me I find my peace with that raven-haired Marie
And a bottle of her palmetto wine
She went missin’ come the mornin’
An empty bottle and a note
Said “it ain’t for daybreak that I’m leavin you”
“It’s the thrill of lettin’ go”
We all get a little high in our own way
We all do what we must for a steady mind
As for me I find my peace with that raven-haired Marie
And a bottle of her palmetto wine