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LYRICS

Dark Americana 2: Mojave

LIKE A HOUSE WITH BROKEN WINDOWS

Stuart Pearson

​

Like a house with broken windows,

The voices waft out and waft in.

Painted words on the crumbled drywall,

List all of the bad men I've been.

And the weeds push through the cracked foundation,

as the earth reclaims my mistakes,

And the wind through broken windows cries.

ahh oooh...

 

Like a house with broken windows,

with shards of glass under foot.

Rays of light beam through the ceiling,

That fell into ashes and soot.

I can hear the long haul semis on the highway,

Their horns howling low and alone.

As the wind through broken windows cries

Ahhh oooh.

​

DOWN THE RAVINE

Stuart Pearson / Hunter Lowry

 

When the tar black night pulls the full moon out
And the fog rolls into the trees
We'll be dancing where the shadows collide
I'll take you down there
Down the ravine.

Tell your mama that you're gonna be out all night
Tell your daddy not to intervene
Tell your sister that she better be ready to ride
Ain't no taxis down the ravine.

And the wind will yowl
And the ground will growl
And the wolves will howl
Can you hear it?

There are stories of orgies of darkness and light
Of the sainted and the obscene.
Where the souls get sold to the devil's delight.
He comes collectin' down the ravine.

Tell your mama you gotta go wander
Tell your daddy you wanna be free
Gonna play with impiety yonder
And taste the midnight down the ravine.

​

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DRAGGING THE LAKE (on the Day of the Dead)

Stuart Pearson / Hunter Lowry

​

They're dragging the lake on the Day of the Dead

Pulled out the body but they can't find the head

Bangin' the drums and rollin' the bones

Been walking these streets since I woke up alone

My love lies deep in dark despondence

Tears of grief, tears of loss tears of love

And I look on with gentle fondness

Can't seem to find the me she's speaking of

 

Cherrytops blaze in the gathering dark

Little kids gape through the fence at the park

Watching from here like i'm part of the throng

The party's for me but I can't play along

The mad parade, so loud and gaudy

Screams of life, screams of life screams of life

But I'm lost here without my body

Facing night, only night, always night

 

They're dragging the lake on the day of the dead

The muddy shore calls me to come back to bed

Banging the drums and rolling the bones

Now I don't know how to unknow the unknowns

The mad parade has turned the corner

My love wears black and prays upon her knees

I slip away before I warn her

Things here are not the way we thought they'd be

 

Draggin' the lake... draggin' the lake

​
 

ARE THEY DIGGING YOUR GRAVE (or are they digging mine?)

Stuart Pearson

​

The sky’s the bluest, that I’ve never seen.
The hills are dressed in the deepest shade of green.
The birds are singing songs as old as time,
Are they digging your grave,
Or are they digging mine?

The smell of grass rides on a lazy breeze
That shakes the leaves on a shady tree.
A gentle wave laps on the splayed shoreline,
Are they digging your grave
Or are they digging mine?

Are they digging mine?
I don’t want to die,
Are they digging mine?

From a little baby laughing carelessly,
To the darkest monster hanging from a tree
We will take our slumber in the Great Divine,
Are they digging your grave
Or are they digging mine?

YOU DON'T SEE ME (Jimmy Crack Corn)

Stuart Pearson / Public Domain

​

You don’t see me, but I love you just the same.

You don’t see me, but I love you just the same.

You don’t see me, but I love you just the same.

You don’t see me, but I love you just the same.

 

I would ride in the afternoon

You'd follow after, with a hickory broom

You’d pass the bottle when I got dry

And brush away the blue tail fly  

 

You don’t see me, But I see you just the same

You don’t see me, But I see you just the same

You don’t see me, But I see you just the same

You don’t see me, But I see you just the same

 

I’d ride around on grandpa’s farm

The flies so numerous, they did swarm

I was bitten on my woeful thigh

The devil take the blue tail fly, singing

 

You don’t see me, But I’m with you just the same

You don’t see me, But I’m with you just the same

You don’t see me, But I’m with you just the same

You don’t see me, But I’m with you just the same  

 

You laid me under a persimmon tree

My epitaph is there to see

"Beneath this stone, I'm forced to lie

A victim of the blue tail fly"

 

You don’t see me, But I’m in you just the same

You don’t see me, But I’m in you just the same

You don’t see me, But I’m in you just the same

You don’t see me, But I’m in you just the same

​

THE INTERSTATE

Stuart Pearson / Hunter Lowry

​

I know that southbound train's a-cryin'

Must be 20 miles away.

I'd take some other road But there's no use in tryin'

I can't drive on the Interstate.

These rails are murder on my axles.

I hear them scratch and screech away.

I don't know how much longer They can keep on grinding

But I can't drive on the Interstate.

 

I know that southbound train's a'comin'

Must be 15 miles away.

It ain't got many stops To give me time to think

But I can't drive on the Interstate.

I hear the sirens in the distance

They're adding more along the way.

They haven't found me yet So they just keep on driving

Up and down on the Interstate.

 

Remember how we'd go out dancin'?

Been 20 years if it's a day.

We'd put the top down and we'd blast the radio

And we'd drive down the Interstate.

Why did you have to keep on pushing?

Why did you have to test my rage?

You knew my trigger's spent And anything could trip it

Now I can't drive on the Interstate.

 

My tears know you're not here beside me

The love you gave I choked away.

I don't know why But the sirens are all fading

Ain't no sounds from the Interstate.

I hear that southbound train's a'comin'.

Its maybe half a mile away.

I ran out of crossroads And the tracks lead to a bridge

And I can't get to the Interstate.

​

ONE CUT

Hunter Lowry / Stuart Pearson

​

I can’t leave you my sweetheart my darling

You’re part of my heart and my soul

We’re commingled, entwined, both body and mind

When you’re with me our two halves are whole

I pull the blanket of darkness around me

Hide where the sun cannot see

Thoughts of trouble and strife as I finger the knife

But I know that one cut sets me free

Yes I know that one cut sets me free.

 

I can’t leave you my dearest, my lover

I owe you my tenuous life

You’ve been my support, my dock and my port

Since the minister made me your wife

We are all such delicate vessels

Just help together with skin

But under that fragile gift wrapping

All of humankind’s evils within

All of humankind’s evil within   

 

I can’t leave you my angel my sweetheart

I live only to save you from pain

I took on the burden of saving your soul

When I took on your ring and your name

But the blackness embraces me gently

I’m sure that you know and agree

We both must relinquish the pain and the sin

And I know that one cut sets you free

Yes I know that one cut sets us free

YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW

Stuart Pearson

​

You never really know
When the other shoe is droppin’
When the curtain’s gonna call
When the revenuer’s knockin’
For all your home made bathtub alcohol


No matter if you swear you control your winds of fortune
And master all the forces above you and below
You boast, you crow,
But you never really know

You never really know
If there’s madness in the method
And was that madness overdue
When you’re reading between the lines
If the lines are really reading you


And will you be aware of your midnight sayonara
And take the down elevator to your final home?
You reap, you sow
But you never really know.

It whispers in your ear
Something fatally magnetic
Some jagged Juliet to your ragged Romeo
So sweet, so low
You’ll never really know

You never really know
When the gold doesn’t glitter
When the wheel doesn’t turn
When the brimstone hits the fan
Your bridges aren’t the only thing you’ll burn


And oh you’ll tear your robes
And confess you are a sinner
And throw your self upon the mercy you could never show

You’ll never really know.

​

TOMORROW'S GONNA HUNT YOU DOWN

Stuart Pearson

​

Say what you want but your words will fail

Tomorrow's gonna hunt you down.

Try what you might But you won't prevail

Tomorrow's gonna hunt you down.

Draggin that leg as the shadows grow

Wolves are howlin on the hill

Still

‘Til today you’ve been safe and sound

Tomorrow's gonna hunt you down.  

 

Build your walls and your barricades

Tomorrow’s gonna make you cry.

Scheme escapes but your bed is made,

Tomorrow’s gonna make you cry.

Plead your case to the darkest court

Pray Hell's punishment is brief

Thief!

Evil just eats and will served you fried.

Tomorrow’s gonna make you cry.  

 

Soon you’ll be a forgotten stain

Outlived by everything you hate

Fate

Weights your chains and removes your crown Tomorrow’s gonna hunt you down.

​

DANCE SKELETONS DANCE

Stuart Pearson

​

I rode the rails of ghost trains

of haunted hopes and shameful refrains.

Instead of closeting all I recant

I'll set them free, dance skeletons dance.

Come on and dance you skeletons dance.

Come on and dance you skeletons dance.

 

I've hung my head bemoaning my crimes

and I'd repent for my spent feral prime.

My sad sack world of skewed circumstance

It's time to dance, you skeletons dance.

Come on and dance you skeletons dance.

Come on and dance you skeletons dance.

 

My better angels surrendered their wings

Now I don't care about anything

Instead of pining for lame happenstance

I'm gonna dance to my skeletons' dance

Come on and dance you skeletons dance.

Come on and dance you skeletons dance.

​

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All performances by Stuart Pearson

"One Cut" sung by Hunter Lowry

All songs

(c) 2021 Margie and Art Publishing ASCAP

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