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Ghosts of Radio

by Patrick Bloom

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1.
Minnesota 05:13
I crossed my arms against my chest I closed my palms and stamped my feet to guard against the evening's chill and keep my best wits about me I stole into the tarry night a coat of wool down to my knees they say I am a crazy man but they don't know the things I see every one is just the same they hide their eyes and turn away I do not envy them their fear I let them believe what they may they whisper madness in my ear they tell me things that are not true but all the falsehood in the world could not keep me away from you when I reach Minnesota I will fall to sleep I will wake with the sunshine washing over me and by Saturday I will surely find a way to be by your side all these tears I've cried my father was an honest soul he lived a life of poverty but he heard things they could not hear and he saw things they could not see they turned like jackals at his back because they did not understand and I was with him when he died a kind and brokenhearted man when I reach Minnesota I will fall to sleep I will wake with the sunshine washing over me and by Saturday I will surely find a way to be by your side all these tears I've cried the hospital where I was kept was made of mortar and of stone for seven years I held my tongue they left me well enough alone but fortune is a tricky hand slick and silver as a spoon and so fourteen days ago I slipped away beneath the moon when I reach Minnesota I will fall to sleep I will wake with the sunshine washing over me and by Saturday I will surely find a way to be by your side all these tears I've cried
2.
Union Suit 04:17
when your momma smiles I see she got real big ears talk from a mile away and she is sure to hear go and see the family maybe stay a while your mom's got real big ears she got a great big smile maybe we can play in your big back yard we can play go fish we can do tricks with cards take off your union suit put on your birthday suit you got love for me I got love for you Friday evening and they played our song imagine my surprise when they told me you were gone someday I'll run away and they will come undone give my regards regards to each and every one she is weeping through her falling hair please forgive me but I cannot be there once we were cherished and our hearts unfettered now we live for postcards and old love letters Friday evening and they played our song imagine my surprise when they told me you were gone someday I'll run away and they will come undone give my regards regards to each and every one I was walking and it was something I heard singing like Gabriel's trumpet voice like a loon voice like a cannon ball please pay them my respects say that I miss them all Friday evening and they played our song imagine my surprise when they told me you were gone someday I'll run away and they will come undone give my regards regards to each and every one
3.
Prophetstown 05:26
a river runs hard with rain a broken vein beneath the sky a cannon stands dead and proud beside the bell of Prophetstown the Indian Wars of '32 brought Lincoln through swimming in blood he took a torch and left the night baptized in light and ash and mud everybody burn another one our heroes turn once again once again we'll watch the starry sky fall down on Prophetstown the Civil War betrayed her men housed them like wrens inside her breast they shuffled off their beds turned down leaving their hearts in Prophetstown everybody burn another one our heroes turn once again once again we'll watch the starry sky fall down on Prophetstown now all the boys with bloodshot eyes and muscle cars hypothesize how it might feel to kiss a girl and leave their world drunk and alive everybody burn another one our heroes turn once again once again we'll watch the starry sky fall down on Prophetstown
4.
Rosalie 04:47
oh Rosalie you are standing in my light you are as tragic as the morning and as fragile as the night do not say I do not love you do not tell me this is right Rosalie I see you in such anger and I see you in such pain and I see that in your passion you are pushing me away you can talk at me forever there is nothing left to say Rosalie oh Rosalie you are dancing in my garden you are talking about everything you need do you really think you know me well you do not know a thing Rosalie Rosalie Rosalie sometimes when you're sleeping and you fade away to rest I would surely think you dead but for the beating in your chest these moments are my solitude but moments still at best Rosalie this then is my problem and the craziness it brings am I stubborn am I stupid am I blind or am I mean I have built all my defenses on a thousand different things Rosalie oh Rosalie you are dancing in my garden you are talking about everything you need do you really think you know me well you do not know a thing Rosalie Rosalie Rosalie sometimes I still miss you and sometimes I still cry and I'm sorry that I hurt you and I wish we'd said goodbye do not say I did not love you do not say I did not try Rosalie oh Rosalie you are dancing in my garden you are talking about everything you need do you really think you know me well you do not know a thing Rosalie Rosalie Rosalie
5.
it fell apart it fell apart I left my gal with a broken heart picked her up in a red Dodge Dart I swear to god it was not my fault hook a left and you just might see her I left her standing by a parking meter her dress is loose on account of the fasteners you best slow down before you scare all the passengers listen here listen here either watch the road or let me steer she said that I was insincere she slapped my hand and she spilled my beer quit it with your analyzing I just got tired of her criticizing please watch the hell you're driving oh sometimes I don't know why sometimes I just need to cry unforeseen unforeseen I said some things I did not mean nicest girl I ever seen there's the sign for Muscatine another turn around the wheel now I know how her sister feels I left her all alone alone oh sometimes I don't know why sometimes I just need to cry it fell apart it fell apart I left my car with a broken heart I tried the keys but it would not start I swear to god it was not my fault hook a left and you just might see her I left her standing by a parking meter I left her all alone alone oh sometimes I don't know why sometimes I just need to cry
6.
mockingbird mockingbird sing one two three my body hangs from the sycamore tree swings to the West and swings to the East sycamore tree sycamore tree sycamore tree sycamore tree 10,000 magpies gather and sing she lifts up her branches and gives me a wink sycamore tree sycamore tree heaven is the prettiest thing in this life every day's shiny and new and the catfish are fried it's all right it's all right sycamore tree sycamore tree fair are these words which she whispers to me bound in the body wistful and free sycamore tree sycamore tree heaven is the prettiest thing in this life every day's shiny and new and the catfish are fried it's all right it's all right mockingbird mockingbird sing one two three my body hangs from the sycamore tree swings to the West and swings to the East sycamore tree sycamore tree
7.
the Jesuits were praying on the platform at the station while the locomotive began to moan the Lutherans were laughing as they passed around a bottle and the Quakers all got stoned the train left heaving with a rattle like bad cough big steel wheels turning in the wind a Cadillac was waiting with its windows rolled towards heaven and the Baptists piled in sweet summertime and the air smelled like brine ladies in pea coats with afternoon eyes hair done in ribbons and falling like vines the idle signs of summer at the corner by the postal lived the widow Crawford in her small white house and her dressing gown she would always sit in judgement as she nodded from her front porch with a brandy and a frown but that Sunday was a warm one it came on like a bulldog harder than a rooster on a Jersey hen so she walked down to the river with everybody watching and set her body in sweet summertime and the air smelled like brine ladies in pea coats with afternoon eyes hair done in ribbons and falling like vines the idle signs of summer Pastor Stephens was a good man he adored his congregation led his flock with faith and love but he got a bit permissive with Mrs. Genoveve Delancy atop her ten plate stove and her husband came home early and he found them by the back door nude as babies all flushed with grace so her husband grabbed his pistol and the Pastor took off running with a smile on his face sweet summertime and the air smelled like brine ladies in pea coats with afternoon eyes hair done in ribbons and falling like vines the idle signs
8.
Oh My Soul 05:36
monkey in a tree monkey in a tree I hate the monkey and the monkey hates me monkey getting up monkey getting down monkey goes swinging from the branches of the branchy tree oh my soul oh my soul monkey in a tree rooster in the corn rooster in the corn I swear that bird ought not been born rooster getting up rooster getting down come 5:00 am and he's blowing his horn oh my soul oh my soul rooster in the corn rooster in the corn at six o'clock that CRANDIC line comes rolling loudly in at eight o'clock that CRANDIC line comes rolling through again well I would not mind that CRANDIC line but it hurts my ears at half past nine and sure enough at twenty five past ten that CRANDIC line comes rolling through again piggy in the bush piggy in the bush squealing like Sinatra and shaking his tush piggy getting up piggy getting down it's too dang early but the piggy won't hush oh my soul oh my soul piggy in the bush weasel in the house weasel in the house hiding in the liquor and he's getting soused weasel sneaking in weasel sneaking out drinking the molasses and dancing about oh my soul oh my soul weasel in the house weasel in the house at six o'clock that CRANDIC line comes rolling loudly in at eight o'clock that CRANDIC line comes rolling through again well I would not mind that CRANDIC line but it hurts my ears at half past nine and sure enough at twenty five past ten that CRANDIC line comes rolling through again
9.
Baltimore 04:23
she will close his worried eyes and hold his hollow frame she will lay him down in that muddy place and whisper not his name he will float away as the willows part and the lilies move aside she will be at peace again beyond the by and by each knuckle in his bony hand each crack upon his lips each arthritic waking hour each calloused fingertip each drunken slur each hateful word each foolish shift of pride she will be at peace again beyond the by and by she will lift she will soar she will fly to Baltimore all the way to Baltimore weeds below and weeds beside and sweet release above no condemnation will she hear no hard or spiteful tongue she will yield not one salt tear she shall not grieve nor cry she will be at peace again beyond the by and by she will lift she will soar she will fly to Baltimore all the way to Baltimore

credits

released August 23, 2009

Liner notes

Patrick Bloom- vocals: all songs, acoustic guitar: all songs, percussion: 2, 7

Ghosts of Radio:
Randall Davis- electric guitar: 2 (lead), 8, 9
James Robinson- drums: all songs
Eric Straumanis- electric guitar: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (lead)
Billy Valencia- bass: all songs
Megan Valencia- organ: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

Special Guests:
Katharine Ruestow- harmonies: all songs
Nathan Basinger- electric piano: 1, organ: 2, 8
Lynne Hart- saxophone: 5, clarinet: 4
Greg Young- trombone: 4, 5, trumpet: 4, 5
David Zollo- piano: 4, 8, 9

Produced by Patrick Bloom
Recorded by Justin Kennedy at Minstrel Studios (Iowa City IA)
and by Luke Tweedy at Flat Black Studios (Iowa City, IA)
Additional recording by Simon Willard at Minstrel Studios
Mixed by Luke Tweedy at Flat Black Studio
Mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering

All songs © 2009 Small Man Music (ASCAP)
Mud Dauber Records MD0005

Outer disc photography by Matt Kollasch
Inner disc photography by Patrick Bloom
Graphic design and layout by Dustin Duwa
Lyrics available online at www.PatrickBloom.com

My appreciation to everyone involved in the making of this album.

This album is dedicated to Ghosts of Radio: Billy, Eric, James, Megan, and Randall. Thanks so much for the friendship and the music.

This project was support in part by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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