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Siren

by Five Letter Word

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1.
Her daddy was the preacher and her mama hated sin She was never told the trouble that a man could get her in When she found herself a-waiting on a flood that never came She signed away her freedom and her name God loves a shotgun wedding, only Jesus loves a whore So her feet stood at the altar while her heart ran for the door As mama kissed her baby’s cheek, relief was in her eyes She handed her a wedding gift then quickly said goodbye It was a cast iron skillet, an old frying pan To feed those little babies, to satisfy her man To be seasoned with virtue, made rich with sacrifice, and Heavy as the fear she has inside She always dreamed of getting out, she was big city bound But every dream she ever had came crashing to the ground Now she spends her days in the kitchen and her nights waiting alone He’ll spend their money drinking and then maybe he’ll come home. And her cast iron skillet, that old frying pan Every morning on the stove to feed that selfish man It is seasoned with bitterness, made rich with tears she’s cried And burning like the rage she has inside And it’s burning like the rage she has inside He always stuck to useless till one day he went too far He blacked her eye and split her lip then head out to the bar But when she heard him stagger home she stood behind the door One hollow thud and he crumpled to the floor With that cast iron skillet that old frying pan She found the power that had once been taken from her hands And it was seasoned with vengeance, a deadly battlecry But at that moment emptiness was all she felt inside
2.
Easier To Go 03:20
In a world of uncertainty there is one thing I know You are no good for me but when you darken my door I get to feelin’ so high and get a feelin’ below If your lovin’ weren’t so good it would be easier to go And even though I know I’m above this mess Every time I get in front of you I just want to undress ‘Cause when your eye catches mine I tend to lose control If your lovin’ weren’t so good it would be easier to go It could be easy if you listened to me It could be easy if you set your conscience free It could be easy, we could throw out all the rules But the way that it’s goin’ right now we’re just lookin’ like fools Your romantic expression, it remains to be seen You wanna live up to my past boy you gotta treat me like a queen Every attempted goodbye turns into hello If your lovin’ weren’t so good it would be easier to go It could be easy if you listened to me It could be easy if you set your conscience free It could be easy, we could throw out all the rules But the way that it’s goin’ right now we’re just lookin’ like fools In a world of uncertainty there is one thing I know You are no good for me but when you darken my door I get to feelin’ so high and get a feelin’ down below If your lovin’ weren’t so good it would be easier to go 'Cause when the lovin' ain't no good it's so much easier to go But your lovin' is so good you're makin' it hard for me to go
3.
When you walk around wearing red letters When the worses have outweighed the betters When you’re falling asleep, ‘stead of falling more deep Feeling loneliest when you’re together When you’d rather just come to an ending ‘Stead of keeping on breaking and mending When the heart that’s not yours, though it pleads and implores Don’t agree with the heart you’re defending It’s time to hold your own To find your peace all alone To go where you’ve been afraid to go And know that you will hold your own You’ll hold your own When the day always seems to escape you And your demons all tell you they hate you When you have all the things but you still dash your dreams Cause failure’s so easy to relate to When you know there’s a spark somewhere in you And that’s how you manage to continue When the matter of time’s at the front of the line Better wake up and start to dig in, you know it’s Time to hold your own To find your peace all alone To go where you’ve been afraid to go And know that you will hold your own You’ll hold your own
4.
Well Josie was a widow, and all the people said Her husband had left her a hundred thou and it was hidden in a lockbox under her bed She had two sisters whose hearts were full of greed They heard about that hundred K and they talked about how sweet it would be if they could Find a way to take it so Josie wouldn’t know; they’d break into her bedroom, take the loot, and steal away to Mexico One stormy summer evening as the thunder boomed They broke the lock on the kitchen door and quietly crept into the room Cause they knew that every evening before she went to bed Josie took a nightcap from a bottle of Johnny Walker Red And the bottle was on the counter near the sugar tin They slipped in a powerful sleeping potion then they popped the cork right back in The very next night they waited till all the lights went dim They gave it one more hour, then went to the back door and broke in And they saw the whisky bottle broken on the floor They walked past it, down the hall and quietly opened Josie’s bedroom door When they saw that she was sleeping, they went under the bed And felt around for the metal box, just like the people in the town had said But they still hadn’t found it when Josie began to stir, The sisters panicked, they climbed on top They held her down until her breathing stopped Then they searched the house from low to high And that’s how they found out the rumor of the money was a lie
5.
You said you were tired of living day to day Said you could make it this winter in Santa Fe You said you would write just as soon as you were paid And I’m still holding out for the promise you made Cause I got bills in the mail but not one letter So many bills in the mail but not one letter Nothing but bills in the mail, but not one letter from you At first I was dreaming of the way You’d come back and chase my worry away But time has gone by and the money’s all gone There’s not even enough to keep the lights on Cause I got bills in the mail but not one letter So many bills in the mail but not one letter Nothing but bills in the mail, but not one letter from you When you first left the thing I missed most Was having a taste of your honey Three months later I don’t mind sleeping alone But I sure wish you would write me and send me some money Cause I got bills in the mail but not one letter So many bills in the mail but not one letter Nothing but bills in the mail, but not one letter from you
6.
This is a dream This is a drill Though the branches pound on my window sill Chances are I’ll be safe tonight But everyone’s saying the big one is nigh This is a game This is a test Who is it now that you love the best Sure as the sun That siren will sound And when that day comes where will you be bound Swept out to sea, I won’t be afraid I know you’ll find me if that is my fate Chaos around but I will be stand still If the water don’t drown me my loneliness will This is a dream This is a drill Though the branches pound on my window sill
7.
You still call me sweetheart You still tell me I’m your only one But where once you held my gaze, now you just look away Please don’t leave me wondering whether we’re done Well you used to lean into my touch Used tremble beneath my caress Now you walk just ahead, was it something I said Please just tell me and don’t leave me to guess So now my darlin’ tell me Have you lost the love I used to make you feel If you’re leaving, let your words be the ones to break the news to me dear Instead of this silent message that only my heart can hear I know that something is amiss dear By the way you keep to the far side of the bed Still you say that everything’s fine here, Making me wonder if it’s all in my head I suppose I’ll just walk away now There’s no way to save this, oh no Somehow I thought you’d never let me go So now my darlin’ tell me Have you lost the love I used to make you feel If you’re leaving, let your words be the ones to break the news to me dear Instead of this silent message that only my heart can hear So if you’re leaving, let your words be the ones to break the news to me dear Instead of this silent message Instead of this silent message Instead of this silent message that only my heart can hear
8.
I have been loved deeply I’ve been loved completely And still I have yearned for something more I’ve been loved without condition Still I’ve been left wishin’ For new love to greet me at the door I’ve found heads-up pennies Turned one wish into many And still I‘ve wished for 15 more I’ve been one to test my luck To see if it is strong enough To keep our love from washing up on shore Like the wind, like the waves Like the storm that lasts for days I can crash, I can rage I can bend you till you break Oh but still……… still you stay I have been a quitter I’ve turned sweet love bitter Said some careless words that left you scarred I have carved some distance on the path of least resistance Turned my back when easy times got hard Like the wind, Like the waves Like the storm that lasts for days I can crash, I can rage I can bend you till you break Oh but still……… still you stay
9.
60 minute calling card, I’ve used up 52 On the phone with my lover over in Duluth I’m tired of the distance, I’m tired of the cold I need my lover’s hand to hold I did my time in Michigan, and now I’m on parole Law says that I gotta stay, but my heart tells me to go Soon as I cross the border I’ll make that dreaded call And I’ll have eight minutes to try to explain it all Oh my PO may not forgive me But if love is a thing he ever knew Maybe he’ll take pity on me In my eight minute call to Kalamazoo I thought I’d have forever to spend with my man But he got called up yesterday by good old Uncle Sam Now they’re counting down the hours till he gets shipped away I can’t let a single minute go to waste Oh my PO may not forgive me But if love is a thing he ever knew Maybe he’ll take pity on me In my eight minute call to Kalamazoo I explained my situation as the minutes ticked on by I coulda sworn I heard that stern old man choke up and cry I waited for his answer white knuckled on the phone But instead of his voice I heard the dial tone Oh my PO may not forgive me But if love is a thing he ever knew Maybe he’ll take pity on me In my eight minute call to Kalamazoo In my eight minute call to Kalamazoo
10.
Well I’m looking for love and I’m looking in your direction You know I don’t need a lot all I need is a little affection Why is it so hard to find what I need I don’t wanna beg and I don’t wanna plead I don’t ask for much, my standards aren’t high There’s just one thing that I need in a guy You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You don’t even got to love me a lot You just gotta gotta gotta gotta gotta love me more than your dog Now I’ve been with men who don’t wanna sit down and dine Going to the dog park is their idea of a good time You see it ain’t gonna work if you seem to think That picking up shit is more fun than drinks I don’t wanna share a bed made for two With someone else who’s hairier than you You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You don’t even got to love me a lot You just gotta gotta gotta gotta gotta love me more than your dog If you get fleas I won’t scratch your itch Unless I know I’m your #1 bitch You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You don’t even got to love me a lot You just gotta gotta gotta gotta gotta love me more than your Dog, your dog, your dog You’ve got to love me more than your dog, your dog, your dog You don’t even got to love me a lot You just gotta gotta gotta gotta gotta love me more than your dog

credits

released January 11, 2019

Recorded by Bart Budwig and Nevada Sowle at The OK Theatre in Enterprise, OR
Additional recording by Christopher Andersen, RadioUnready Recording
Mixed by Bart Budwig
Mastered by Jon Neufeld, Treehouse Mastering
Art and design by Chelsea Stephen | leftpebble.com

Five Letter Word is:

Clara Baker ‒ vocals, guitar, fiddle, banjo
Leigh Jones ‒ vocals, guitar, percussion, harmonica
Audra Nemir ‒ vocals, bass

Additional Players:

Bart Budwig ‒ trumpet (track 5)
Sam Fribush ‒ Rhodes piano (track 10)
Nevada Sowle ‒ percussion (tracks 4 & 7)

Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7 written by Audra Nemir
Tracks 2, 3 written by Leigh Jones
Tracks 6, 8, 9, 10 written by Five Letter Word

Special thanks to our families, to the Peninsula Arts Center/Willapa Bay AiR program, and to Ear Trumpet Labs

© 2019 Five Letter Word, all rights reserved.
www.fiveletterwordband.com

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