Get all 93 Bill Mallonee releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of "Glimmer" Vol. 1 (It's out today!), WELCOME TO STRUGGLEVILLE (Remaster by Pete Lyman) 2024, Comes To Life (New single & free download), NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, & WEST, ABOVE, BELOW & WITHIN (single from Orphan Songs), HERE IT OPENS WITH A PRAYER, BUT IT CLOSES WITH A SONG (2022), A CLAMORING OF GHOSTS (2021), THE LOT OF EVERYMAN (a free download today), STUNNED (an anniversary song), and 85 more.
Excludes supporter-only releases.
1. |
||||
THE CANDLE'S ALWAYS BURNING DOWN
(FROM BOTH ENDS) w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
I think this'll be last furrow we'll turn.
The land is dry and the mule is burned
Autumn's always taken me by surprise
S'all been crumbling in our hands
Land & Peoples and our spirits within
chorus:
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down from both ends
The preacher quoted me chapter & verse
He said everything's tainted since the curse
So just how does one shake
hands with the universe?
There's river of tears to fill up again
and all those fences you gotta mend
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down from both ends
Now, there's a party tonight with a fella I'm told
He turns water to wine & hearts to gold
and if you're thirsty?
Well, that might be something to behold
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down from both ends
|
||||
2. |
YOU OLD COW-PUNCHER
04:45
|
|||
YOU OLD COW-PUNCHER w&m: Bill Mallonee admin BMI 2018
This land is littered with heart-break & blues
No one knows that quite like you
No one knows that truth like you do
You old cowpuncher
This is what happens when you answer the call
with a guitar & a suitcase full of cowboy songs
It'll take your whole life long
you old cow-puncher
chorus 1
She said she'd be listening in for your song on the radio
maybe you'll get lucky at....that next bend in the road
Once every new turn held a new surprise
Every cloud broke through to sunny skies
You let it all immortalize
You old cow-puncher
chorus 2
She said she'd be singing' along to your song on the radio
maybe you'll get lucky at....that next bend in the road
Now, everybody wears a sad disguise
in these bars full of neon & alibis;
You've heard all the lies (haven't you)
you old cow-puncher
chorus 3
She said she'd be callin' in....for your song on the radio
maybe you'll get lucky at....that next bend in the road
This land is littered with heart-break & blues
No one knows that quite like you
And about that heart?
The one the wind blows through...
You old cow-puncher
|
||||
3. |
BROKEN ARROW
06:11
|
|||
BROKEN ARROW w&m: bill mallonee c. BMI 2018
It was your eyes that I first noticed
But, your name i didn't catch
You were wise beyond your years
Ah, but there's a price to pay for that
The world's full of weary voices
Begging you to just believe
The questions with no answers
tuggin' at your sleeve
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I'll bring you a vial of tears
Shield you from the cold, my love
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years
I met you in Durango
if my memory serves me right
I offered you a drink
You said: "Gin will do me nicely."
You were staying at the boarding house
till some things got re-arranged
You said it's only temporary, baby,
or until your luck does change
There was promise in those eyes
Some whiskey on my breath
We spoke long about our past
and the moonlight did the rest
No one can pick the time or place
where miracles occur
One kiss and all my chains fell off
and I gave you my good word
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I will bring you a vial of tears
I will shield you from the cold
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years, (x3)
|
||||
4. |
||||
Rev. Casey w&m by: bill mallonee c.BMI 2018
I don't know what you ever expected outta me
I've gotta penchant for only lookin' out after me
Ain't nothing much good ever
come outta this county...
'cept the preachin' of Rev. Casey.
I asked him once just how he'd come by
such spiritual insights
into things like God & Man & Grace
and things one day being put right
he put his hand on my shoulder and said:
"It doesn't happen over night..."
The preachin' of Rev. Casey
Bridge:
I've seen him jump up on the pulpit
a man possessed by just one hope
He had a tear in his eye for all mankind
and a lump in that dusty throat
Now there are 3 things I know
that are good for the soul
one is Jesus and the other two are
reverb and tremolo
One makes you whole, and one'll make you clean
and the preachin' word of Rev. Casey...
|
||||
5. |
FOOL'S GOLD REQUIEM
05:35
|
|||
FOOL'S GOLD REQUIEM w&m: Bill Mallonee admin BMI 2018
v1. See me through the night
Till I get used to the cold
half of life is learning
just when to let go
the other half's forgettin'
just who ditched you on the road
See me through till morning,
Then you are free to go
v. 2 There weren't nothing in those rivers
Even less in those hills
What is it that'' blind a man's eye
and enslave his will?
You pay for it with sweat & blood
but never see the show
See me through till morning
And you are free to go
v. 3 He'll fight for it with knives
And swear by it with guns
He'll play the thief with pen & ink
In the Name of The Blessed One
It all comes to naught
It all turns to rust
Skin & bones & the pride of man
It's all ground to dust
Bridge:
It's top dollar for your food & drink
Your pick-axe, tent & pan
And all the while they grinned & smiled
and said they were my friends
V. 4 I am wayward, but not lost
at least I do hope so
But, brother I know the difference
'tween the real & the fool's gold
there's treasure & there's riches
in each & every soul
Darlin', see me through till morning
then you are free to go
See me through till morning then you are free to go
See me through till morning then you are free to go
See me through till morning then you are free
You are free to go
|
||||
6. |
||||
AGUA ES LA VIDA (Water is Life) w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Out here they have a saying: "el agua es-la vida"
Water is always Life until the heat drives it away
And drive it away it surely will, if the heavens do not send
It's not a matter of "if," just a matter of when.
You were a showgirl in Durango, so I asked where you where staying
something 'bout your dancing, struck me more like praying
she said "You know you're entertaining royalty & romance"
She said, "I'll save you from a life of crime, if you give me half a chance"
Maybe there's a land where truth & grace collide
you stumble forth in shabby clothes and your ill-fitting lies
Maybe it all gets stripped away, just like a bad dream
To reveal the one you are and the one you'll one day be
Now the jury may still be out; But the evidence seems strong
Some were born to get it right; some were born to get it wrong
thirst is all i ever brought to your eyes, your kiss, your whisper,
there is a saying out here..."el agua es-la vida"
|
||||
7. |
THE LIGHT WITHIN
04:39
|
|||
THE LIGHT WITHIN words & music: Bill Mallonee
And in the end we traveled
mostly 'neath the moonlight
and in the darkest night?
by the river bed
I confess, I've seen this happen
time & time again
When you eyes get adjusted
To the light within
To the light within
From the very start?
Well, you just had the sense
Nothing would prevent
"Nothings" march
Hearts lonely & grasping
A whirlwind of sadness
Lonely & coming a part
Slowly coming a part
Sometimes the wagon wheels
knew the path to follow
Sometimes a trail manifest
A hawk soared above the skies
and drew our eyes
our eyes to the spirit of the west
our eyes to the spirit of the west
The mountain? She is high
but, that's just where we'll meet
There's no gold that'll save
No secret that you'll keep
I confess, I've seen this happen
time & time again
Your eyes get adjusted
To the light within
To the light within
To the light within
To the light within
|
||||
8. |
I STILL HEAR YOUR VOICE
04:48
|
|||
I STILL HEAR YOUR VOICE w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2019
beautiful rumors and scandalous stories
the tide's getting higher...time to take inventory
There's a map you can trace...right back to the sea
But, you can only get there on your hands & knees
I still Your voice...coming on strong
I still hear your Voice...in the gathering storm
Here's how it goes... 'cause there's how it went
Love is the only currency never over spent
sweetheart, just your whisper...fills new day with light
let it shine & et it burn...long into the night
radio relay towers; lonely cross the Pontchartrain
Armstrong & Chenier grace the midnight rain
I still hear Your voice so I know I'm not alone
I still hear Your on a path that leads you home
I still hear Your voice from a Love that will not do you wrong
I still hear your Voice...in the gathering storm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(alt ver)
Now history moves in pendulum swings
First comes misery...then the fat lady sings
If the curtain falls and if you're wonderin' why
Could be the human heart; could be the devil's pride
|
||||
9. |
||||
BOOTS, BADGES & SHOOTIN' IRONS w&m: bill mallonee c. BMI 2019
I've worn these boots for many a season
from the cradle to how the West was won
sometime they helped me stand tall
sometimes i think they helped me run
Stand tall against every vestige lawlessness
that seems to be-devil this fair land
One time I put away some desperados
They gave me this badge
Brother, there's no meaner vocation
than being the long arm of the law's claims
I did my best to get the job
Sometimes it made me ashamed
Now boots, badges and shootin' irons
Could never win your heart
When i first laid eyes on you? I swear to you the waves did part
And if i get a little distant? Probably just a little time i need
Sometimes, I catch myself a-pondering
how i might have done things differently
|
||||
10. |
||||
Albeit of a Different Kind w&m: bill mallonee c.BMI 2018
Just a solitary man with his solitary pan
And this river may have secrets left untold
She sparkles like a diamond
and washes clean your sins
Today the sun is warm upon my skin
chorus:
I came here for the riches and those weren't hard to find
albeit...of a different kind
It may have been the last time the country was ever great
Year was '49; California was the State
But greed took hold of hearts, till it all went to hell
every promise clogged with a banker's fine print that drags off to jail
Now God, he may speak in the wind or in stars overhead
I have seen the Spirit moves across this riverbed
She cascades just like water you scoop up in your hands
Darlin,' from the time our eyes met i began to understand
Baby, who knew such salvation could come from the flesh?
Your voice is Joy; your Touch a treasure, I could not resist
chorus:
I came here for the riches and those weren't hard to find
albeit...of a different kind
|
||||
11. |
LEAD ON, KINDLY LIGHT
05:05
|
|||
LEAD ON, KINDLY LIGHT
w&m bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Like the muddy traces of old Arkansas
I know these symptoms like the back of my hand
One night in your dreams it seems they drag you off to hell
That's when you know you've got it bad
chorus:
For all that glitters...and all that's gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices and the pleas
Springing from a deeper need
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
I didn't get here over night
it came by slow degrees
like the adagio of Autumn's gentle rain
Coming in in fits & starts
blowing my lines, and forgetting parts
but, the old human heart
is slow to awaken to it's pain
Now, it's true there are some stories
that are better left untold
the ones you whisper to yourself at night
when there's nothing left to reach for
'cause there's nothing left to hold
Lead on, Kindly Light
For all that glitter...and all of that gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices; For all the pleas
Well-springing from your deepest needs
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
Somehow, you showed up on these shores
a little worse for the wear
sporting a few extra holes
a broken bone here or there
a little less blood
making the rounds
Gee, it's good to see you here ...all safe & sound
|
||||
12. |
||||
LONG RIDE HOME w&m bill mallonee c. 2018, 2019
Admin. BMI
1. Well, the news? It was the kind
that falls hard on the ears
You know it hasn't really been
all that good for years
Are you bundled up, my love? 'Cause it sure is getting cold...
It's gonna be a long ride home
2.The movie? it was sad
I'd say it broke my heart heart
and the pacing? It came stumblin'
in fits & starts
what about those parts we left on the cutting room floor?
It's gonna be a long ride home
3. well, the snow is fallin' hard beneath a blue moon
We blew out the candle and the world became a womb
I'm forgetting how to shine, and i'm afraid to be alone
It's gonna be a long ride home
Maybe one day we're all swept up &kissed just like a newborn...
It's gonna be a long ride home
long ride home
long ride home
|
||||
13. |
||||
I CAN SEE THEIR RANKS ARE THINNING (BY THE DROVES)
words & music: bill mallonee (admin BMI 2018)
I was hangin' by a dream...Hangin' there it seems
Hanging there for years and just pretending
I use to have a few friends...but they all fell away
and the few that stayed? I can see their ranks are thinning
Its the dawn of realization and the harsh crystallization
of every vulnerable...new beginnings
trying to draw it's first breath
and stumble through it's first steps
My, my, so much losing...before winning
Chorus:
It all crumbles to dust it seems
and distractions are a "center that won't hold"
and all the ones who once believed in a land of new beginnings
i can see their ranks are thinning by the droves
Now old scratch is more obvious with each passing day
It's worn out it's welcome & pathetic wardrobe of disguises
But, we all live complacent in a house that stands adjacent
in a town that's festering & full of compromises
Chorus:
It all crumbles to dust it seems
and distractions are an anchor that won't hold
and all the ones who once believed in a man of new beginnings
i can see their ranks are thinning by the droves
Now the sky? It grew yellow as the shells dropped in the trenches
unjust judges cleared the benches & held on to their ass
Peace & Love were a "no sell;" In my hour of deepest peril
not given decent burial as I fumbled for my mask
Chorus:
It all crumbles to dust it seems
and distractions are a "center that won't hold"
and all the ones who once believed in a land of new beginnings
i can see their ranks are thinning by the droves
|
||||
14. |
A BORROWING OF BONES
05:47
|
|||
A BORROWING OF BONES w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Life's a gift..by slow degrees
No blinding flash & few epiphanies
No one really leaves with anything that is his own
you get these doubts & a borrowing of bones
Chorus:
The Shakers & The Movers...the Givers & the Takers
Yer trying to throw a noose around your inch of hell's half acre
Love is what is left to you; It'll always get you home
You may have to walk it lonely; this borrowing of bones
borrowing of bones
There were some milestones scattered everywhere
There were stars all tangled in your hair
There was poetry hangin' in thin air
and that scrap of faith you got from who knows where
The winners and the losers...the devils & the Savior
You keep trying to build a fence around your inch of hell's half acre
Love is what is left you; it's the path that gets you home
You may have to walk it lonely; this borrowing of bones
Taking down this tent;
Save it for a rainy day
You can count the truths on one hand
You picked up along the way
The Saints & the Sinners...the real ones & the fakers
You keep trying to throw a rope around your inch of hell's half acre
Love is what is left you; It'll always get you home
You may get to walk it with a Friend; this borrowing of bones
This borrowing of bones
Borrowing of bones
|
||||
15. |
WHEN THE WALLS CAME DOWN
04:56
|
|||
WHEN THE WALLS CAME DOWN
words & music by bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
When the walls came down
It was all wreckage and ruin
When the walls came down
It was by our own doing
You're gonna need a good horse
And Someone on your bond
When the walls came down
When the walls came down
So did a Light from Heaven
Enough to sweep you away
Like guitars on "11"
Next to that ocean of doubt
Where it's too easy to drown
When the walls came down
Oh, to win your heart
Baby, what could I do?
there's no stars in the heavens
except for you shining through
When the walls came down
after the die was cast
On our table of days
And we took off our masks
And put on our new skin
Went out and did the town
When the Walls came down
|
||||
16. |
SHAKE DOWN
05:55
|
|||
SHAKE DOWN
w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Everyone I know carries a heavy heart
One they try and to keep hid outta sight
And everyone I know feels just like a ghost
Who'd wanna bring that up to the Light?
Shake Down...everything is broken
Shake Down...to the bitter end
Ear to the ground
Is there Anyone approaching?
Guaranteed to put you back together again
Back...together...again
It was out there on the trail
it filled the burning sky
Comfort of the moonlight overhead
sitting in the shadows
It drank with you at the well
More than a dream inside our heads
Shake Down...everything is broken
Shake Down...to the bitter end
Ear to the ground
Is there Anyone approaching?
Guaranteed to put you back together again
Back...together...again
It was sometime in late Autumn
Black Hills of South Dakota
The Spirit hovered over the terrain
You gathered leaves of gladness
& sorrow from the start
Everyone I know carries a heavy heart
Shake Down...everything is broken
Shake Down...to the bitter end
Ear to the ground
Is there Anyone approaching?
Guaranteed to put you back together again
Back...together...again
|
||||
17. |
PLACE OFF THE HIGHWAY
06:08
|
|||
PLACE OFF THE HIGHWAY words/music: bill mallonee
admin BMI 2019
I know this place off the highway, just off the beaten path
where the drinks are poured w/ a strong right arm, a place where we can laugh
and stare down the sadness, that's the face of the age
I know a place off the highway...where we can be saved
I know this place off the highway past that old abandoned house
those poor folks worked like the devil
till the banker-man forced 'em out
But, that's another story, we don't have to tend those graves
I know this place off the highway...where we can be saved
I know place off the highway where we can seal the deal
ain't nothing wrong with dreaming when the waking world's un-real
Baby, give me your hand, but please keep your soul
It's a tight-rope act they say
I know this place off the highway...where we can be saved
I know this place off the highway, I think we'd better start
Stay close baby, and i'll keep you warm, on these back roads of the heart
'Cause my high-beams have never shined so bright, ever since you smiled my way
I know this place off the highway...where we can be saved
|
||||
18. |
||||
ALWAYS CRAWLING BACK TO YOU (6/8 time)
w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
You can vanish like the rain in the heat of the west
Where the sun shines like silver from the hottest furnace
You can come out a ghost after the test
and i'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
It's this dance that we do out on the floor
In my better moments? It's you I adore
But such moments are fleeting and if you're keeping score
I'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
Now, I've doubted my words and I've doubted my deeds
Only thing I'm sure of is this deep, aching need
holdin' out like i do with a card up my sleeve
I'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
Bridge:
The wind shakes the branches, the tides never sleep
The Spirit broods over the face of the deep
there's no gold you can save, there's no secrets you'll keep
We all come to the cross-roads, same time, same place
with the lives that we live and the ones that we waste
On the banks of a River called Amazing Grace
and I'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
|
||||
19. |
||||
WORLD OF HURT & VEIL OF TEARS
w&m bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Well, I live here by this river; it flows clear & clean to taste
But lately i've been wonderin' if there might be some other place
some other place...some other place
So I set out after supper; into that good night
took a Bible & my harbor coat; it pays to travel light
to travel light...to travel light
And just what did my eyes behold?
What filled my heart with fear?
Something that would stop yer mouth
and make deaf your ears
Baby, it's a world of hurt, so let's get one thing clear
Baby, it's a world of hurt seen through a veil of tears
there was violence there was bloodshed strewn throughout the land
violence upon every tongue...weapons in every hand...
in every hand
Just what did my arms embrace? What did i taste upon my tongue
I shall not forget the ruins, I learned to hide among
Baby, it's a world of hurt, but let's hold one thing dear
Baby, it's a world of hurt seen through a veil of tears
Was it something that I chose? Or maybe it chose me?
Does everybody wind up...where they're supposed to be?
supposed to be...
Just what did my spirit sense? What made my heart grow cold?
ya' steal a little fire and go looking for your soul
Baby, it's a world of hurt below this thin veneer
Baby, it's a world of hurt seen through a veil of tears
I traced my steps back to the river ever-flowing clear & clean
Having seen all that my eyes have seen? I will never leave again...
Never leave again. Never leave again...
(No, No, No!)
Baby, it's a world of hurt, but I will be right here
Baby, it's a world of hurt seen through a veil of tears
|
||||
20. |
TRAVELIN' ADVICES
04:15
|
|||
TRAVELIN' ADVICES w&m: Bill Mallonee BMI c. 2019
I gotta tell ya' kid...there are no guarantees
Life has her fingers crossed, w/ every promise that she makes
and never be ashamed to get down on your knees
don't let the brutish world steal your faith
don't let the world steal your faith
in the basic goodness...of everyone you meet
people hardly speak...of that heavy load within
and try to learn to listen...from the heart now & again
after all we're all livin' in the same skin
we're all living in the same skin
Call 'em travelin' advices; or call 'em pious platitudes
A good wife? She's a treasure beyond all that folks call wealth
And through every losing streak...you gotta learn to preach
that sermon about Mercy to yourself
that sermon about Mercy to yourself
If I could ask the good Lord...for a solitary gift
I've known just what I'd request for long while
In the face of greed and hate...masquerading as "great"
I'd melt their cold hearts with just a smile
melt their cold hearts with just a smile...
|
||||
21. |
INTO THE NIGHT
05:15
|
|||
INTO THE NIGHT w&m: bill mallonee c. BMI 2019
It was somewhere 'long the border
it was finally resolved
there are no winners on either side
when bloodshed is involved
a poet and a pauper pervaded my dreams
and a priest, just for good measure,
to absolve me of my sins
Chorus:
Into the night.....when there's nothing left to save
Into the night. Let the star-shine light your way
Take every president, king & Emperor
and lock 'em all in a cell
Give 'em swords or give 'em pistols
let us farm boys know who fell
We'll sort out the details
but plantin' time has come
and if there is no harvest
our kids who will succumb
Into the night when there's nothing left to save
Into the night.
Mother Mary light my way
You may hear the drum roll; You may see those banners wave
You may see yourself in a motorcade of a ticker-tape parade
the poet gave the pauper his gold pen and said:
"Sir, you're now the scribe."
The priest? He blessed the both of them
and ran into the night
Into the night.....when there's nothing left to save
Into the night. Let the star-shine light your way
Into the night when there's nothing left to save
Into the night.
Mother Mary light my way
Star-shine light my way....
|
||||
22. |
THIS WORLD & ONE MORE
05:27
|
|||
THIS WORLD & ONE MORE w&m bill mallonee & muriah rose
God, knows it'll wear you down;
Till you feel just like a ghost
A grief & loss?
They rob the till & tie you to the whipping post
In dreams I walk down corridors;
who knows just what's in store?
Baby, it's this world...This world & one more
Baby, it's this world...This world & one more
My mother was a poet; my father made up things
They both loved Virginia; and they both loved to dream
Now what'er you think you see; it's through a glass darkly
I'll say a prayer for you, my Love; if you'll say one for me
In dream I walk down corridors
from here & now to yonder shores
Baby, it's this world...this world & one more
Baby, it's this world...this world & one more
This world? It is a mountain; Most days you'll barely crawl
I hope you find your sweetheart to catch you when you fall
'Cause fall you surely will; let there be no doubt, my friend
It's not a matter of "if;" It's just a case of "when."
In dreams I walk down corridors;
Is that laughter behind every door?
Baby, it's this world...this world & one more
Baby, it's this world...this world & one more
Baby, it's this world...this world & one more
|
||||
23. |
HEART FULL OF WEEDS/GRIT
06:25
|
|||
HEART FULL OF WEEDS (Grit) w&m: bill mallonee
Well, well, well...the river? She is rising
such times as these are brutish & they're mean
If you've got a hankering for pepper spray & water cannons?
well, let's head down to the scene
Brothers & sisters, if you feel your spirits flagging
please remember never to forget
God gives to us His angels
and we give them back our grit
Chorus 1:
I'm am standing on the patch of ground
just as pretty as you please
just as lost as I was ever found
with a heart full of weeds....
Now, I am not a learned man
but I know enough to get by
here's to some marrow in your soup, my friend
and some mud in your eye.
I'm am standing on the patch of ground
just as pretty as you please
just as lost as I was ever found
with a heart full of weeds....
Now Jesus, with some clay & His spittle
Gave blind Bartimaeus back his sight
The river? She is rising
as the city sleeps tonight
To Chorus 2 & 1
welcome to the lockstep of the new world order
the devil is always pushing borders
standing on this barren plain
gold & dross? It''s all the same
Chorus 1:
I'm am standing on the patch of ground
just as pretty as you please
just as lost as I was ever found
with a heart full of weeds....
outro
|
||||
24. |
FERAL
05:53
|
|||
FERAL w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
I'm not sure how we got here
but we arrived here just the same
scratching out the land...
for the minimal gain
once there was the mother country
but that's all gone & left
now it's all snickering & glares
and curses beneth the breath
Chorus:
And the news is wrapped around my feet
to try and keep them warm and dry
Feral? That would be all of us
most of the time...
Now, dreams can be a dangerous thing
to pin your hopes on
working making little ones
out of the big ones
A strike is bound to bury dreams
and every act of will
and send you scrapping for the bread lines
...to keep out the chill
Cast your grain upward to the sky
and the chaff disappeared
The ways and means of life's threshing floor
are made abundantly clear
Play a new chord and the old king dies
but another stakes his claims
I'm not sure where we came from
but we got here just the same
|
||||
25. |
|
|||
BROKEN ARROW w&m: bill mallonee c. BMI 2018
It was your eyes that I first noticed
But, your name i didn't catch
You were wise beyond your years
Ah, but there's a price to pay for that
The world's full of weary voices
Begging you to just believe
The questions with no answers
tuggin' at your sleeve
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I'll bring you a vial of tears
Shield you from the cold, my love
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years
I met you in Durango
if my memory serves me right
I offered you a drink
You said: "Gin will do me nicely."
You were staying at the boarding house
till some things got re-arranged
You said it's only temporary, baby,
or until your luck does change
There was promise in those eyes
Some whiskey on my breath
We spoke long about our past
and the moonlight did the rest
No one can pick the time or place
where miracles occur
One kiss and all my chains fell off
and I gave you my good word
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I will bring you a vial of tears
I will shield you from the cold
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years, (x3)
|
||||
26. |
|
|||
LONG RIDE HOME w&m bill mallonee c. 2018, 2019
Admin. BMI
1. Well, the news? It was the kind
that falls hard on the ears
You know it hasn't really been
all that good for years
Are you bundled up, my love? 'Cause it sure is getting cold...
It's gonna be a long ride home
2.The movie? it was sad
I'd say it broke my heart heart
and the pacing? It came stumblin'
in fits & starts
what about those parts we left on the cutting room floor?
It's gonna be a long ride home
3. well, the snow is fallin' hard beneath a blue moon
We blew out the candle and the world became a womb
I'm forgetting how to shine, and i'm afraid to be alone
It's gonna be a long ride home
Maybe one day we're all swept up &kissed just like a newborn...
It's gonna be a long ride home
long ride home
long ride home
|
||||
27. |
FERAL
06:08
|
|
||
FERAL w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
I'm not sure how we got here
but we arrived here just the same
scratching out the land...
for the minimal gain
once there was the mother country
but that's all gone & left
now it's all snickering & glares
and curses beneth the breath
Chorus:
And the news is wrapped around my feet
to try and keep them warm and dry
Feral? That would be all of us
most of the time...
Now, dreams can be a dangerous thing
to pin your hopes on
working making little ones
out of the big ones
A strike is bound to bury dreams
and every act of will
and send you scrapping for the bread lines
...to keep out the chill
Cast your grain upward to the sky
and the chaff disappeared
The ways and means of life's threshing floor
are made abundantly clear
Play a new chord and the old king dies
but another stakes his claims
I'm not sure where we came from
but we got here just the same
|
||||
28. |
|
|||
I STILL HEAR YOUR VOICE w&m: bill mallonee
beautiful rumors and scandalous stories
the tide's getting higher...time to take inventory
There's a map you can trace...right back to the sea
But, you can only get there on your hands & knees
I still Your voice...coming on strong
I still hear your Voice...in the gathering storm
Here's how it goes... 'cause there's how it went
Love is the only currency never over spent
sweetheart, just your whisper...fills new day with light
let it shine & et it burn...long into the night
radio relay towers; lonely cross the Pontchartrain
Armstrong & Chenier grace the midnight rain
I still hear Your voice so I know I'm not alone
I still hear Your on a path that leads you home
I still hear Your voice from a Love that will not do you wrong
I still hear your Voice...in the gathering storm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(alt ver)
Now history moves in pendulum swings
First comes misery...then the fat lady sings
If the curtain falls and if you're wonderin' why
Could be the human heart; could be the devil's pride
|
||||
29. |
|
|||
THE CANDLE'S ALWAYS BURNING DOWN
(FROM BOTH ENDS) w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
I think this'll be last furrow we'll turn.
The land is dry and the mule is burned
Autumn's always taken me by surprise
S'all been crumbling in our hands
Land & Peoples and our spirits within
chorus:
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down from both ends
The preacher quoted me chapter & verse
He said everything's tainted since the curse
So just how does one shake
hands with the universe?
There's river of tears to fill up again
and all those fences you gotta mend
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down from both ends
Now, there's a party tonight with a fella I'm told
He turns water to wine & hearts to gold
and if you're thirsty?
Well, that might be something to behold
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down
The candle's always burning down from both ends
|
||||
30. |
|
|||
YOU OLD COW-PUNCHER w&m: Bill Mallonee admin BMI 2018
This land is littered with heart-break & blues
No one knows that quite like you
No one knows that truth
You old cowpuncher
This is what happens when you answer the call
with a guitar & a suitcase full of cowboy songs
It'll take your whole life long
you old cow-puncher
chorus 1
She said she'd be listening in for your song on the radio
maybe you'll get lucky at....that next bend in the road
Once every new turn held a new surprise
Every cloud broke through to sunny skies
You let it all immortalize
You old cow-puncher
chorus 2
She said she'd be singing' along to your song on the radio
maybe you'll get lucky at....that next bend in the road
Now, everybody wears a sad disguise
in these bars full of neon & alibis;
You've heard all the lies (haven't you)
you old cow-puncher
chorus 3
She said she'd be callin' in....for your song on the radio
maybe you'll get lucky at....that next bend in the road
This land is littered with heart-break & blues
No one knows that quite like you
And about that heart?
The one the wind blows through...
You old cow-puncher
|
||||
31. |
|
|||
A BORROWING OF BONES w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Life's a gift..by slow degrees
No blinding flash & few epiphanies
No one really leaves with anything that is his own
you get these doubts & a borrowing of bones
Chorus:
The Shakers & The Movers...the Givers & the Takers
Yer trying to throw a noose around your inch of hell's half acre
Love is what is left to you; It'll always get you home
You may have to walk it lonely; this borrowing of bones
borrowing of bones
There were some milestones scattered everywhere
There were stars all tangled in your hair
There was poetry hangin' in thin air
and that scrap of faith you got from who knows where
The winners and the losers...the devils & the Savior
You keep trying to build a fence around your inch of hell's half acre
Love is what is left you; it's the path that gets you home
You may have to walk it lonely; this borrowing of bones
Taking down this tent;
Save it for a rainy day
You can count the truths on one hand
You picked up along the way
The Saints & the Sinners...the real ones & the fakers
You keep trying to throw a rope around your inch of hell's half acre
Love is what is left you; It'll always get you home
You may get to walk it with a Friend; this borrowing of bones
This borrowing of bones
Borrowing of bones
|
||||
32. |
|
|||
LEAD ON, KINDLY LIGHT
w&m bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Like the muddy traces of old Arkansas
I know these symptoms like the back of my hand
One night in your dreams it seems they drag you off to hell
That's when you know you've got it bad
chorus:
For all that glitters...and all that's gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices and the pleas
Springing from a deeper need
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
I didn't get here over night
it came by slow degrees
like the adagio of Autumn's gentle rain
Coming in in fits & starts
blowing my lines, and forgetting parts
but, the old human heart
is slow to awaken to it's pain
Now, it's true there are some stories
that are better left untold
the ones you whisper to yourself at night
when there's nothing left to reach for
'cause there's nothing left to hold
Lead on, Kindly Light
For all that glitter...and all of that gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices; For all the pleas
Well-springing from your deepest needs
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
Somehow, you showed up on these shores
a little worse for the wear
sporting a few extra holes
a broken bone here or there
a little less blood
making the rounds
Gee, it's good to see you here ...all safe & sound
|
||||
33. |
|
|||
SCARECROW HEART words & music: bill mallonee BMI 2016
before you awake...before you come to
before you get your bearings...in this room
brush off the dust, kick off the mud
breath in the fresh air...after the flood
chorus:
they take it piece by piece
till they've stolen every part
and what you get to hold onto
is a scarecrow heart
now all the guages are rusted; the instrumenets are wrecked
the calibrations and measurements are equally suspect
to navigate the sad terrain; where one must bear witness
and listen to the slow dark train...whistlin' in the distance
and youth always sees it...coming way in advance
just when you learn your steps, they've call a diffence dance
before you awake...before you come to
before you get your bearings...in this room
|
||||
34. |
|
|||
BETHLEHEM STAR w&m: bill mallonee c.BMI 2018
I've been looking for you since my days began
with every breath I take the Autumn is settin' in
Listening for that sound beneath your skin
the one that pegs your hearts VU time and again
You show up with the words from somewhere else
but forget what to say
I had my script for the scene, but i threw it all away.
I've been chasing you, elusive though you are
I 've been chasing you like Bethlehem Star
There were songs inside this old guitar
just like a book of prayers
and some Love to bring me there
We were beggars for bread; we were moths to the flame
In the bar-room temples singing songs in the halls of shame
You show up with the words from somewhere else
but forget what to say
I had my script for the scene, but I lost it on the way.
I've been chasing you, elusive though you are
I've been chasing you like a Bethlehem Star
|
||||
35. |
|
|||
ALWAYS CRAWLING BACK TO YOU
w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
You can vanish like the rain in the heat of the west
Where the sun shines like silver from the hottest furnace
You can come out a ghost after the test
and i'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
It's this dance that we do out on the floor
In my better moments, it's you I adore
But such moments are fleeting and if you're keeping score
I'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
Now, I've doubted my words and I've doubted my deeds
But I never have doubted this deep, aching need
Holdin' out like i do with an ace up my sleeve
I'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
Bridge:
The wind shakes the branches, the tides never sleep
The Spirit broods over the face of the deep
there's no gold you can save, there's no secrets you'll keep
We all come to the cross-roads at about the same place
with the lives that we live and the ones that we waste
On the banks of a River called Amazing Grace
and I'm always crawling back to you
always crawling back to you
|
||||
36. |
|
|||
LEAD ON, KINDLY LIGHT
w&m bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Like the muddy traces of old Arkansas
I know these symptoms like the back of my hand
One night in your dreams it seems they drag you off to hell
That's when you know you've got it bad
chorus:
For all that glitters...and all that's gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices and the pleas
Springing from a deeper need
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
I didn't get here over night
it came by slow degrees
like the adagio of Autumn's gentle rain
Coming in in fits & starts
blowing my lines, and forgetting parts
but, the old human heart
is slow to awaken to it's pain
Now, it's true there are some stories
that are better left untold
the ones you whisper to yourself at night
when there's nothing left to reach for
'cause there's nothing left to hold
Lead on, Kindly Light
For all that glitter...and all of that gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices; For all the pleas
Well-springing from your deepest needs
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
Somehow, you showed up on these shores
a little worse for the wear
sporting a few extra holes
a broken bone here or there
a little less blood
making the rounds
Gee, it's good to see you here ...all safe & sound
|
||||
37. |
|
|||
LEAD ON, KINDLY LIGHT
w&m bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
Like the muddy traces of old Arkansas
I know these symptoms like the back of my hand
One night in your dreams it seems they drag you off to hell
That's when you know you've got it bad
I didn't get here over night
it came by slow degrees
like the adagio of Autumn's gentle rain
Coming in in fits & starts
blowing my lines, and forgetting parts
but, the old human heart
is slow to awaken to it's pain
chorus:
For all that glitters...and all that's gold
You're still as cold as ice
Beneath your vices and your pleas
Springing from a deeper need
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
Now, it's true there are some stories
that are better left untold
the ones you whisper to yourself at night
when there's nothing left to reach for
'cause there's nothing left to hold
Lead on, Kindly Light
For all that glitter...and all of that gold
You're still as cold as ice
For all the vices; For all the pleas
Well-springing from your deepest needs
Lead on, Kindly Light....Lead on, Kindly Light
Somehow, you showed up on these shores
a little worse for the wear
sporting a few extra holes
a broken bone here or there
a little less blood
making the rounds
Gee, it's good to see you here ...all safe & sound
|
||||
38. |
|
|||
BROKEN ARROW w&m: bill mallonee c. BMI 2018
It was your eyes that I first noticed
But, your name i didn't catch
You were wise beyond your years
Ah, but there's a price to pay for that
The world's full of weary voices
Begging you to just believe
The questions with no answers
tuggin' at your sleeve
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I'll bring you a vial of tears
Shield you from the cold, my love
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years
I met you in Durango
if my memory serves me right
I offered you a drink
You said: "Gin will do me nicely."
You were staying at the boarding house
till some things got re-arranged
You said it's only temporary, baby,
or until your luck does change
There was promise in those eyes
Some whiskey on my breath
We spoke long about our past
and the moonlight did the rest
No one can pick the time or place
where miracles occur
One kiss and all my chains fell off
and I gave you my good word
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I will bring you a vial of tears
I will shield you from the cold
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years, (x3)
|
||||
39. |
|
|||
I STILL HEAR YOUR VOICE w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2019
beautiful rumors and scandalous stories
the tide's getting higher...time to take inventory
There's a map you can trace...right back to the sea
But, you can only get there on your hands & knees
I still Your voice...coming on strong
I still hear your Voice...in the gathering storm
Here's how it goes... 'cause there's how it went
Love is the only currency never over spent
sweetheart, just your whisper...fills new day with light
let it shine & et it burn...long into the night
radio relay towers; lonely cross the Pontchartrain
Armstrong & Chenier grace the midnight rain
I still hear Your voice so I know I'm not alone
I still hear Your on a path that leads you home
I still hear Your voice from a Love that will not do you wrong
I still hear your Voice...in the gathering storm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(alt ver)
Now history moves in pendulum swings
First comes misery...then the fat lady sings
If the curtain falls and if you're wonderin' why
Could be the human heart; could be the devil's pride
|
||||
40. |
|
|||
FOOL'S GOLD REQUIEM w&m: Bill Mallonee admin BMI 2018
v1. See me through the night
Till I get used to the cold
half of life is learning
just when to let go
the other half's forgettin'
just who left you on the road
See me through till morning, darlin'
Then you are free to go
v. 2There weren't nothing in those rivers
Even less in those hills
What is it that blinds man's eyes
and seems to enslave his will?
You pay with sweat & blood
but never see the show
See me through till morning
And you are free to go
v. 3 He'll fight for it with knives
And swear by it with guns
He'll play the thief with pen & ink
In the Name of The Blessed One
It all comes to naught
It all turns to rust
Skin & bones & the pride of man
It's all ground to dust
Bridge:
They charged me for a tent
a pick axe and a pan
all the while they grinned & smiled
and said they were my friends
V. 4 I'm wayward, but not lost
at least I do hope so
Ya' learn tell the difference
'tween the real & the fools gold
there's treasure & there's riches
in each & every soul
Darlin, see me through the night
then you are free to go
See me through the night then you are free to go
|
||||
41. |
|
|||
BETHLEHEM STAR w&m: bill mallonee c.BMI 2018
I've been looking for you since my days began
with every breath I take the Autumn is settin' in
Listening for that sound beneath your skin
the one that pegs your hearts VU time and again
You show up with the words from somewhere else
but forget what to say
I had my script for the scene, but i threw it all away.
I've been chasing you, elusive though you are
I 've been chasing you like Bethlehem Star
There were songs inside this old guitar
just like a book of prayers
and some Love to bring me there
We were beggars for bread; we were moths to the flame
In the bar-room temples singing songs in the halls of shame
You show up with the words from somewhere else
but forget what to say
I had my script for the scene, but I lost it on the way.
I've been chasing you, elusive though you are
I've been chasing you like Bethlehem Star
|
||||
42. |
|
|||
BROKEN ARROW w&m: bill mallonee c. BMI 2019
It was your eyes that I first noticed
But, your name i didn't catch
You were wise beyond your years
Ah, but there's a price to pay for that
The world's full of weary voices
Begging you to just believe
The questions with no answers
tuggin' at your sleeve
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I'll bring you a vial of tears
Shield you from the cold, my love
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years
I met you in Durango
if my memory serves me right
I offered you a drink
You said: "Gin will do me nicely."
You were staying at the boarding house
till some things got re-arranged
You said it's only temporary, baby,
or until your luck does change
There was promise in those eyes
Some whiskey on my breath
We spoke long about our past
and the moonlight did the rest
No one can pick the time or place
where miracles occur
One kiss and all my chains fell off
and I gave you my good word
I'll bring you a broken arrow
I will bring you a vial of tears
I will shield you from the cold
And hold your heart so dear
But, there ain't no getting around
The mean-ness of these years, (x3)
|
||||
43. |
|
|||
BETHLEHEM STAR w&m: bill mallonee c.BMI 2018
I've been looking for you since my days began
with every breath I take the Autumn is settin' in
Listening for that sound beneath your skin
the one that pegs your hearts VU time and again
You show up with the words from somewhere else
but forget what to say
I had my script for the scene, but i threw it all away.
I've been chasing you, elusive though you are
I 've been chasing you like Bethlehem Star
There were songs inside this old guitar
just like a book of prayers
and some Love to bring me there
We were beggars for bread; we were moths to the flame
In the bar-room temples singing songs in the halls of shame
You show up with the words from somewhere else
but forget what to say
I had my script for the scene, but I lost it on the way.
I've been chasing you, elusive though you are
I've been chasing you like Bethlehem Star
|
||||
44. |
FERAL session "20"/mix 9
05:57
|
|
||
FERAL w&m: bill mallonee admin BMI 2018
I'm not sure how we got here
but we arrived here just the same
scratching out the land...
for the minimal gain
once there was the mother country
but that's all gone & left
now it's all snickering & glares
and curses beneth the breath
Chorus:
And the news is wrapped around my feet
to try and keep them warm and dry
Feral? That would be all of us
most of the time...
Now, dreams can be a dangerous thing
to pin your hopes on
working making little ones
out of the big ones
A strike is bound to bury dreams
and every act of will
and send you scrapping for the bread lines
...to keep out the chill
Cast your grain upward to the sky
and the chaff disappeared
The ways and means of life's threshing floor
are made abundantly clear
Play a new chord and the old king dies
but another stakes his claims
I'm not sure where we came from
but we got here just the same
|
Bill Mallonee
Bill Mallonee is an Americana artist w/ 80 plus albums over a 30 year career. Voted by Paste Music Magazine #65 in their
"Top 100 Living Songwriters" poll. He was the
founding member of Vigilantes of Love. He has worked with Mark Heard, Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, & Peter Buck from REM.
His most recent work, "Lead On, Kindly Light" is a 23song double Cd released Feb 2020.
... more
Streaming and Download help
If you like Bill Mallonee, you may also like:
Bandcamp Daily your guide to the world of Bandcamp