1. |
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Anna
I pretended to know
Who you were at the show
You came up so sure
Anna
I didn’t wanna disappoint ya
It was the furthest thing from personal
my memory — it’s been failin me lately
holdin only onto such strange things
over n over
over n over
over n over
over n over
over n over
like a hair tie
looped into an infinity sign
forever tangled, holdin tight
Anna
I pretended to know
Who you were at the show
Can I blame it on the road —
all the time spent alone ?
You came up so sure
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2. |
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five dollars on cheap white wine
the kind that tastes like sweat and apple juice
forty dollars, a late night drive,
too much of my time for something to not have fixed the problem
And I thought I knew how to handle myself
But you said I was being an asshole
I thought I knew how to handle myself but I don’t
I don’t
not always
tonight I feel small
but not always
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3. |
hazards (may 3)
02:13
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4. |
pink brick (may 4)
01:34
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I let the sun burn red my chest
Im gonna learn to keep it simple
I’m gonna look you in the eye
Pink brick against your grey blue cap
I’m really glad you made the drive down
I’m really glad you take the time
On the front porch we keep it simple
I tilt my chin up to the sky
Chickpea salad for dinner
Is seven dollars too much for a bumper sticker?
One day I’ll drink enough water
sleep tight I’ll see you tomorrow
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5. |
plus one (may 5)
01:37
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I would stay right here sittin next to you
if you wanted me to
if the time were had
we (sew / sow) our stories up n down western avenue
the sign read “big blue”
the tulips bloom
plus one, an open palm cast in a violet hue
in the listenin room the singer spoke
you offer green room Diet Coke
a passing chance, a moment's pause
we tap our chests, makeshift applause
no tooth out my mouth
just another foot or two
and a cheek of rouge
fast yellow light
a faster flash, but not for you
tap the Honda roof
I would stay right here
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6. |
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7. |
mammatus (may 7)
01:43
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8. |
catching up (may 8)
02:38
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9. |
crystalline (may 9)
04:44
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I love you crystalline
I love you true
I love you true
to kiss both your eyelids
to smell both your armpits
to write write songs to you
I wake in the morning to one perfect curl between your shoulder blades and I love you
I don’t always have the right words to say
but I try anyway
and thru all of these changes, I love you
I’ve never had anybody else stay
in the way that you’ve chosen to -
across this broken country, across time and space,
across every cliche yes I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
(I’ll put it plainly)
I love you
in this life in this home in this bed that we’ve made
I’ll wake up every day and I’ll love you
and when the last light reclaims me and all fades away
how my love will remain and surround you
and surround you
and surround you
and surround you
I love you crystalline
I love you true
I love you true
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10. |
deja vu (may 10)
01:28
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you slice the radishes
you've got déjà vu
you go to band practice
I think about you, I think about you
can you leave it behind?
or put it somewhere else
building by Frank Lloyd Wright
I think about you, I think about you
it thinks about you too
-
you win the race by a hair
am I chasin my own tail?
climb another flight of stairs
scuff up my boots
I slice the radishes
I’ve got déjà vu
I think about you, I think about you,
I think about you, it thinks about you too
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11. |
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You kicked the wish off a dandelion
You thought it wouldn’t hurt
To say what you meant this time
I kick the wish off a dandelion
I watch the seeds disperse
Adrift, the gossamer abundance
-
One silver bullet to the neck
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12. |
harding (may 12)
03:29
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tender foot
a yard of clover
sheddin water
gettin older
on the red steps
small dog barking
outside 1818 Harding
take the scraps and
weave them into
something that feels
both trash and true
tender foot
a yard of clover
morning dew
to evening shoulder
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13. |
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its two in the mornin
you’re on your way out -
but i wanted you to know that it heals me
untangling the mystery of trusting again
you wrap up my cables
you lend me your ears
you give me so much of your time
for no money
for very, very little money
i don’t think i know how
to thank you
for what you have given me
clock in
drive safe
ill see you soon
and you’ll see me, too
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14. |
farmer's market (may 14)
01:48
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15. |
fairy lullaby (may 15)
01:55
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for Sing Me A Story
based on a story called "It's Cool" by John (age 6)
-
Wrap your wings around us and be here with me
Til we fall asleep
We will have sweet dreams
Thru thick and thin
Thru thunder and thru lightening
Thru it all
It’s so cool to know you and for you to know me
You’re my fairy
You’re my fairy
We’ve got two arms two eyes two legs, you’ve got two wings
You’re my fairy
You’re my fairy
You’re my fairy
You’re my fairy
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16. |
kitchen window (may 16)
02:43
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we’ve never seen our neighbors cook a meal
their kitchen window looks directly into our living room, but still
our other neighbor we once saw naked thru their front window from the sidewalk accidentally
they don’t have curtains up and neither do we
little signs of life, or lack thereof,
through our paned portals take a peek
warm weather means a wave to Maria
as she sits on her front porch
as we walk on down the street
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17. |
post-portal (may 17)
02:34
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18. |
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she ripped up the scratch off and threw it in the yard -
the spending money's easy, the makin money's hard
this game wasn’t made to win, baby
might as well fold, you’ve got a losin hand, baby
this game wasn’t made to win, darlin
been fixed and broken from the start
how to go on lovin when the livin breaks your heart ?
a knife to the iris
a poison kiss
a slap from the hand that has never once fed
it’s not irony
it’s something more sinister
it’s not bad timing
it’s not mercy
this is not mercy
this is a game that wasn’t made to win, baby
might as well fold, you’ve got a losin hand, baby
this game wasn’t made to win, darlin
been fixed and broken from the start
how to go on lovin when the livin breaks your heart ?
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19. |
roots (may 19)
03:00
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take the cards off of the table
shuffle that deck when you’re able
I don’t know if I am ready to let go of what I said I would be
I thought my roots grow wide not deep
watch that worm wriggle in bird beak
on your way out grab some parsley
garden growing garden growing
I don’t know if I am ready to let go of what I said I would be
roll the dice snake eyes or all threes
one dollar bills heavy lifting
house show / email / kiss blown / same thing
earn yearn learn end of the world and
I don’t know if I am ready to let go of what I said I would be
portland, chicago, chattanooga, new orleans
hudson, seattle, lafayette, astoria
I don’t know if I am ready to let go of what I said I would be
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20. |
d's dreams (may 20)
05:14
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21. |
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green hour in the kitchen again
our lips touched in a dream
I don’t know what it means
If means anything, if it means anything
-
I remember the smell of their breath
I hope that that show went well
I’ve got a blister in the shape of a memory, shape of a memory
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22. |
two left feet (may 22)
02:35
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I’m sitting here naked alone in bed again
I have two left feet and they’re both in my mouth
I wish I hadn’t said that
wish I hadn’t said anything
I see the parts of you I fear the most in me
takin up too much space without tryin
can’t speak to my shadow now without cryin, hardly
without cryin, hardly (without)
'n I wish that it didn’t but it hurts so bad it’s breaking me down,
it’s breaking me
I wish that it didn’t but it hurts to bad it’s breaking me down,
it’s breaking me
can’t finish conversations I started -
hard-headed fool but tender-hearted
some people do, but I don’t carry it well
don’t carry it well, it’s heavy as hell
it’s heavy
I’m sitting here naked alone in bed again
I have two left feet and they’re both in my mouth
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23. |
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how does anybody get out of bed before 11?
have i lost my way again?
have i lost it?
or maybe I’m just built to drive and drive and drive
to a new city every day
and sleep in someone’s guest bed every night
people are so generous
its true
people are kind
and i can count on change - it’s constancy,
it’s malleable dependency,
and i will go to therapy again this monday evening
talk about how hard it is to strike some balance in this life
and i will leave feeling the same way i felt walking in
or maybe with some burden lifted
maybe with some burden bare
and i will do the dishes that i meant to do this mornin
and ill brush my teeth
and go to bed
and try again
and try again
and try again
and try again
and try again
and try again
and try again
and try
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24. |
dream water (may 24)
03:08
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open water,
I am treading water
but it is thick as molasses - it is cold, it is black
in a dream a door is open, but I cannot pass thru it
that’s what you told me, at least
that’s what you said
and I walk thru it anyway
put on our paper crowns
tossed backwards over shoulder
I am treading water
mmmmmmm
grey cat bounding in my headlights in the alley
I am lost,
I am home,
I am wounded
I don’t write the song - instead I cry my way to dreams of open water
I am treading water
we put on our paper crowns
tossed backwards over shoulder
I am treading water
mmmmmmm
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25. |
prayer (may 25)
02:57
|
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somehow it’s always
2 in the morning
with a 3 mg moon
coulda been towed, but they just left a warning
show me mercy
I’ll see you soon
-
6 stages, 10 days, and still I cannot pay a quarter of my due
(it’s all nickels and dimes)
(a wake / awake) for the show and alive but in (mourning / morning)
show me mercy
I’ll sing the tune
-
somehow it’s always
2 in the morning
may slowly turnin to June
n if this damned dream don’t ever chase me back
please just show me mercy
I’ll sing the tune
-
amen
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26. |
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27. |
||||
|
it makes me wanna throw up, makes me wanna cry
how many ways can you let down your lover?
in the mornin waking up, I will take my time
I found a four leaf clover in the yard,
in the yard for the first time of my life
spider in my lap, left my phone inside
I spy the tomcat under the grapevine
water the garden, it is enough
it is enough
it is enough
it is enough
I don’t need to look for luck
it is right at
my feet
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28. |
sunburn (may 28)
01:25
|
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29. |
summer sheets (may 29)
02:43
|
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|
we put our summer sheets on the bed today
i drank two beers at the foldout table in your yard
late may in chicago will make you wanna stay right where you are
is it a good thing
is it a bad thing
is it anything at all
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30. |
anytime (may 30)
03:00
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|
(any time I)
half a cigarette hidden in front porch skull
made myself a nice dinner, ate it till I was full
kasha caterwauls under the kitchen bench
I’m fine makin a fool of myself again
(any time I)
move that sofa down three flights of stairs
we say our goodbyes and we pray our prayers
a hug, a whistle, and a letter and a charm
crooked heartbeat, break the curse, and do no harm
“anytime”
(anytime)
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31. |
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I’m sitting under a painting of a robin
by my late grandmother
I’m watching the thunder roll in
I mean to be kinder
despite the circumstance
I’m sitting under a painting of a robin
by my late grandmother
I called my mom while I made salad
tomato and cucumber
I mean to be kinder
despite the circumstance
I believe in tomorrow
even when I cannot see it
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hemlock
swamp-raised, ATX/chicago-based, phone-fi post-folk
-
(heart archive)
-
hemlocksounds@gmail.com
-
xo,
carolina
hemlock recommends:
Peaceful Waters: A Tribute to John Prine
by Various Artists
beautiful john prine tribute album full of faves reimagined
go to album
Desolation Horse
by Desolation Horse
mind-blowin PNW alt pop variety pack from cooper. tastes like drinkin orange soda at a dive bar, laced with all of the nostalgia n sugar rush n cigarette smoke
go to album
Musicians for a Free Palestine
by Musicians for a Free Palestine
free palestine
go to albumIf you like hemlock, you may also like:
supported by 6 fans who also own “may”
I love this album so much. I hope to see his show in Japan someday.
go to album
Texas Gold: A Comp Benefitting Whole Woman's Health of Texas
by Little Mazarn x Dear Life Records
supported by 5 fans who also own “may”
go to album
The latest from the UK’s Chris Brain is a gorgeously wrought album of tender acoustic folk music.
go to album
