Lyrics
Lyrics from Exploration
Dr. King
(written by Pete Seeger)
Down in Alabama 1955
Not many of us here tonight we then alive
A young Baptist preacher led a bus boycott
He led the way for a brand new day without firing a shot
Don’t say it can’t be done
The battle’s just begun
Take it Dr. King
You too can learn to sing
So drop the gun
Oh those must have been an exciting 13 years
Young heroes, young heroines
There was laughter, there were tears
Students at lunch counters
Even dancing in the streets
To think it all started with sista Rosa
Refusing to give up her seat
Song, songs, kept them going and going
They didn’t realize the millions of seeds they were sowing
They were singin in marches, even singing in jail
Songs gave them the courage to believe they would not fail
We sang about Alabama 1955
But since 9-11 we wonder will this world survive
The world learned a lesson from Dr. King
We can survive, we can, we will
And so we sing
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3 and Piano
Gary Louris ~ Electric Guitar
Ruthy Ungar ~ Fiddle and Vocal
Tao Rodriguez ~ 12 String and Vocal
Micheal Merenda ~ Banjo and Vocal
Christopher Merenda ~ vocal
Pierce Woodward ~ vocal
Johnny ~ Electric Guitar and Rhodes
Sarah Lee ~ sang and shook a tamborine
Exploration
(written by Johnny Irion)
Rt. 8 Music (ASCAP)
As I look up at the stars
Exploration on Mars
There’s a lotta left here to do
People askin’ us for change
People sleepin’ in the streets
Politicians still don’t have a clue
Lookin’ out my door
at the downtrodden for sure
But they ain’t in their neck of the woods
Chorus
It’s gonna be a nice vacation
For you and me
We need to get some sleep
You know we all need our peace
Before another day passes by
Health is everything
Count your blessings and sing
Listen to the kids and you’ll fly high
Fear is what they want
Don’t let ‘em get your goat
Even if the boats about to rock
Somewhat’s always strange
No risk can be plain
And the time is running off of the clock
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bowed upright Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3
Gary Louris ~ Electric Guitar
Johnny ~ electric guitar, piano, and vocal
Sarah Lee ~ vocal
Georgia Pine
(written by Johnny Irion)
Rt. 8 Music (ASCAP)
I’m as high as a Georgia Pine
Since you’ve been on my mind
Change comin like the weather
It’s rollin’ in cold
I’ve cut a cord of wood
So get yourself on home
I know down below it never shines
No longer do I worry
About the needle pine
I’m as high as a Georgia Pine
Since you’ve been on my mind
I can see cloud nine honey
From way up here
It’s just around the corner
So give me your hand sweet dear
There’s a new star gonna shine
No longer do I worry
Your not the cheatin’ kind
I can see cloud nine honey
From way up here
It ain’t got nothin’ to do with no money
So give me your hand sweet dear
I know down below it never shines
No longer do I worry
About the needle pine
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3
Eric Heywood ~ Pedal Steel
Sarah Lee~vox/acoustic guitar
Johnny`~ vox/ acoustic guitar/harp
Gervais
(written by Johnny Irion)
Rt. 8 Music (ASCAP)
Downtown Cola brown
Hottest city when July rolls around
But it don’t melt those old time ways
An eye for an eye and we’ll go blind
That’s what the man said and it stuck in my mind
Reverberating off these walls today.
Still flying the flag up on Gervais
Was a battleflag, now we can put it away
Young James Meredith
Enrolled to Sweet Ol’ Miss
Years filled with torment and harassment
I can still hear those freedom rides
They were just like suicide
But they had to move us down the line
Still flying the flag up on Gervais
Was a battleflag, now we can put it away
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3
Gary Louris ~ Electric Guitar
Johnny ~ sang and played electric guitar/ harp
Sarah Lee ~ sang and played acoustic
Gotta Prove
Written by Johnny Irion (but Sarah Lee helped a little)
I gotta prove you were in my arms
I gotta prove your were in my arms
The verdicts out that ya stole my charms
i gotta prove you were in my arms
the word is out
they wantin' essentials
the crowd i around town
thinks I'm in a fix
they wanna see all my credentials
they think I'm holdin nothin but couterfeit
Ch
that night after the football game
under the the bleachers in the pourin rain
you were sportin that sweater with the letter
comin unstiched
but when Monday rolled around
you claimed nothing went down
tell me baby why’d ya lie
Ch
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Eric Heywood ~ Pedal Steel
Dave Boquist ~ Fiddle and Banjo
Tom Rothrock~ drum machine
Sarah Lee~ vox/ guitar
Johnny~vox/guitar
Holdin Back
(written by Sarah Lee Guthrie)
Sweet Milk Creek Music (ASCAP)
Baby let me take you by the hand
You don’t even have to understand
You’re living a path to paradise
So don’t think twice
You got a gift to carry on
So just you smile and be strong
I know that sometimes it hurts a lot
But you’re holdin back-a- what you got
Holdin back, holdin back –a-what you got…
It’s not too late to turn around
Everybody here is sorrow bound
I think there’s something that you forgot
You’re holdin back –a-what you’ve got
Just remember that time will tell you
And everything will be just fine
Give and take but take it easy
And everything will be just
Oh everything will be just
Everything will be just fine
Holdin back….
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3
Eric Heywood ~ Pedal Steel
Gary Louris ~ Electone
Johnny ~ dobro, tamborine, and vocal
Sarah Lee ~ sang and played piano
In Lieu of Flowers
Johnny Irion
Rt. 8 Music (ASCAP)
What would it take
To put a smile on your face
I can’t seem to make
Heads or tails of your heart
Standing in front of the florist for hours
I’ve come up with this for you in lieu of flowers
What would it take
For you to have some fun
One day you want to slow down
Then we run
I’ve been studying on this for hours
I’ve come up with this for you in lieu of flowers
The weatherman called for sun again today
But as I peer out my window
All I feel and see is rain
On the floor scattered
Pieces of our broken days
Standing in front of the florist for hours
I’ve come up with this for you in lieu of flowers
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass and mandolin
Greg Readling ~ piano and back-up vocals
Eric Heywood ~ Pedal Steel
Gary Louris ~ back-up vocals & glockenspiel
Johnny ~ sang and played acoustic
Sarah Lee ~ sang and played acoustic
Kindness
Johnny Irion
Rt. 8 Music (ASCAP)
Walkin through town with a nor eastern blowin
Got my head outta tune don’t know where I’m goin
It’s just another day of tryin ta get back to you
Like a raspberry seed in my wisdom tooth
I sometimes wished I’d never met you
But it’s all the same when you’re tryin ta get back ta blue
All the towns’ people’s directions ring true
Ch
Give 'em your love when your sad babe
Ain’t that kindness
Give’em your love when your mad babe
Ain’t that kindness
You bring your own god and I’ll bring mine
We can lay down are arms and get along fine
It’s just another day of dreams ridin on a wave
But waves close out and ya can’t ride no more
Just swim straight down and touch the ocean floor
And when ya find it there you’ll make it back to shore
All the church steeples with all the town’s peoples
Ring true for sure
Ch
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3
Eric Heywood ~ Pedal Steel
Sarah Lee ~ acoustic guitar and vocal, glockenspiel
Johnny ~ vocal, harmonica, and acoustic guitar
Mixed Blessings
(written by Johnny Irion)
Rt. 8 Music (ASCAP)
White collar crimes and greenback rhymes
Its just the order of the dress today
The hawks are flying they need blood
And the doves are singin’ hey man what about love
She said she saw the ghost of an old lumberjack
He’s still workin’ off his karma
For killin’ his wife with an axe
Now what else more can we ask for
While we’re down on these prayin knees
Cause they’re getting sore
Maybe I mixed my blessings
Perhaps I missed my boat
But you won’t catch me falling
For you miracle water joke, miracle water joke.
Trial balloons and pewter spoons
Just a gift for a little baby
Love to smell her hair in the morn
I’m just prayin’ there’s some land she’ll be livin for
Now everybody’s captured with scenes from the rapture
Comin’ down the pike again
Johnny Irion ~ sang and played acoustic / harp
Sarah Lee ~ sang and played acoustic
Gary Louris ~ sang and played acoustic
Mornin’s Over
(Sarah Lee Guthrie)
Sweet Milk Creek Music (ASCAP)
When the mornin’s over
And you gotta get up
How you gonna get along
With an empty bed
And an aching head
Singing a lonesome song
I would’ve asked you baby by now
But the questions still at hand
You go your way and I’ll go mine
It’s all part of the plan
We’ve been throwing horseshoes of the flowers baby
Chasing rainbows of blue
A four leave clover’s getting’ harder to find
Tell me what do we do
I should’ve asked you baby by now
But the questions still at hand
You give yours and I’ll give mine
And we can share this great big land
Sarah Lee ~ vocal and a gut string guitar
Marc Perlman ~ upright bass
Dave Boquist ~ violin
Swing of Things
(music by Johnny Irion words by Sarah Lee and Johnny)
Heard the engine of the movin’ truck
Pulled the shade to have a look
I could see it in the passenger mirror
That love was closer than it ever appeared
I know our goals were all mixed up
Its hard to drink from an empty cup
The way it was we knew we couldn’t last
But now there’s nothing that we can’t get passed
And we’re back in the swing of things
We’re lovin -n- wearin’ our rings
From our lips we sing
All the joys that love can bring
We had enough time apart
To realize we need our hearts
Honey I’ll do anything
To keep us in the swing of things
I know not every night can be like the first
The excitement you long and thirst
But I knew we could work it out
When our good times they hit the couch
I used to sit up thru the nights
Anticipating your headlight
But now we’re back on the dancin’ floor
You know it’s made me love you even more
Chorus
Now that we learned how to fight
I know you tried
Everythings gonna be alright
And I cried
Realizing these conflicts at hand
Thing we kept inside
It’s just communication my friend
It’s been a ride
I know our goals were all mixed up
Its hard to drink from an empty cup
But now we’re back on the dancin’ floor
You know it’s made me love you even more
Chorus
Zeke Hutchins ~ Drums
Marc Perlman ~ Bass
Greg Readling ~ B-3
Eric Heywood ~ Pedal Steel
Ruthy Ungar ~ Violin
Jay Ungar ~ Violin
Sarah Lee ~ vox/acoustic guitar
Johnny~vox/acoustic guitar