1. |
Maybrook Line
03:48
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Maybrook Line
(Van Buren)
When I was a child of five, heard those freight trains rumble by
The coal trains to New England from the Pennsylvania mines
The whistle and the rumble was my lullaby
High above the river on that old Maybrook Line
High up on the trestle
I'd hear them rumble by
As they steamed across the river
They were my lullaby
My mama told me stories 'bout ridin' on that train
Trips to see her family, she'd relive again
Dad showed me stations where the tracks used to be
I grew up hearing stories of the old P & E
High up on the trestle
I'd hear them rumble by
As they steamed across the river
They were my lullaby
One day I woke up to the news on the radio
The trestle was on fire ... It burned a week or so
The trains have been rerouted. The Maybrook rails are gone
But still in my memory, the coal trains rumble on
High up on the trestle
I'd hear them rumble by
As they steamed across the river
They were my lullaby
High up on the trestle
I'd hear them rumble by
As they steamed across the river
They were my lullaby
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2. |
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Their Dad Was Just a Picture
(Mishler)
Their dad was just a picture hangin' on the living-room wall.
Folks roots out in coal country can run as deep as a dark old mine
In western Pennsylvania they grow up strong, as true as a towering pine
They're quick to help a neighbor, especially in hard times
To give their all and have faith that somehow things are gonna work out fine
My Grandpa Bill was turning thirty, back in 1925
His two-year-old daughter and his baby boy Billy made him glad to be alive
He walked a mile and back each day to a Bethlehem steel coal pit.
His lovin' wife washed his back each night, scrubbing out the dust and grit.
Young Bill and old Gene Potter, they dug coal often side by side
They learned a bit from each other. In their miner's trade they took pride
On a cool spring mornin' outta nowhere rang the knell of a terrible crack
Bill sprinted out to daylight, stopped, turned around and took a look back
He never hesitated when he saw no sign of his old friend
He ran back into that cold black cave, but for both men it was the end
The folks in Spring Run Hollow wailed when they heard how young Bill died
His widow held their two children, too young to know why she cried
Their dad would be a picture hangin' on the living-room wall
Of the house he and his pappy built, done in 1924
A rockslide left him dead and gone in the spring of '25
But the walls of that home spoke love forever, that part of him is still alive
Not much came easy for workin' folks during Great Depression times
And the climb is even steeper when your dad's been killed in the mines
Their mom worked two jobs in town and trudged up the hill from the trolley each night
She too paid a price of sacrifice, loved those children with all her might
What greater love can a man show than to lay down his own life?
He left behind a coal miner's daughter, a namesake son and a wife
His kids could not recall his smile, nor the sweet sound of his voice
But they lived their lives inspired, having been told of his choice
Their dad was just a picture hangin' on the living-room wall
Of the house he and his pappy built, done in nineteen and twenty-four
The walls, they kept his family safe and warm, protecting them from harm
But his son and daughter had no memory of being held in their daddy's arms
Their dad was just a picture hangin' on the living-room wall.
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3. |
Brand New Day
03:45
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Brand New Day
(Purdum)
Life before I met you was bitter and alone
It never seemed to work out right for me
Then we found each other and took some time to hone
A little bit of our own harmony
Now we start our lives together: It's a brand new day
Learning more about each other along the way
Sharing all the good and bad times, with you I'll stay
Now it's time to celebrate, it's a brand new day
Getting us together, it was no easy feat
Always something getting in the way
Now we've found each other, and life's much more complete
We can start tomorrow now today
Now we start our lives together: It's a brand new day
Learning more about each other along the way
Sharing all the good and bad times, with you I'll stay
Now it's time to celebrate, it's a brand new day
With you here I feel so full inside
And it finally makes me want to try
All the things that never worked out before
We can have our love and even more
Now we start our lives together: It's a brand new day
Learning more about each other along the way
Sharing all the good and bad times, 'I do,' I say
Now it's time to celebrate, it's a brand new day
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4. |
Gila Bend
04:46
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Gila Bend
(Van Buren)
Walked out in the desert
By an old highway
The sun beat down upon me
Just another lonesome day
Left a bar in Tucson
Or was it Santa Fe?
Headed for the sunset
A place they call L.A.
Life has got more lonely
Than this bitter wind
If a rattlesnake should bite me
Lord, I would poison him
Ever since she left me
It's never been the same
Like the sand that's blowin'
It's just a losin' game
I pretend I'm happy
As I roam from town to town
Tryin' to taste the honey
But there just ain't none around
Life has got more lonely
Than this bitter wind
If a rattlesnake should bite me
Lord, I would poison him
If a rattlesnake should bite me
Lord, I would poison him
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5. |
Spirits on the Wind
02:12
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6. |
Dallas 4 July
02:48
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Dallas 4 July
(Van Buren)
Ridin' in to Dallas
This 4th day of July
It was hotter than a pistol
I felt colder than your eyes
We both come to this meeting
On this 4th day of July
One of us will ride away
But one of us will die
At the time the sun will be
So high in the sky
The dust will blow out in the street
A ghostly wind will sigh
We both come to this meeting
On this 4th day of July
One of us will ride away
But one of us will die
It's the law of the six gun
The justice of the West
Which one of us is faster
Will be put to the test
We both come to this meeting
On this 4th day of July
One of us will ride away
But one of us will die
We both come to this meeting
On this 4th day of July
One of us will ride away
But one of us will die
Yes, one of us will ride away
But one of us will die
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7. |
Horizon
03:03
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Horizon
(Van Buren)
Ridin' on that pony
Travelling 'cross the land
Till we reach the point at which
The sky will touch the sand
Ridin' on forever
Never knowin' why
When we reach the end of time
Will the answer be close by?
So many questions
To try to understand
What is the reason
What is the plan?
From the gates of heaven
To the depths of hell
We travel on between then
In Midgard we dwell
Some men read the Bible
Others the Koran
I think that the answer is
That fate is in our hands
So many questions
To try to understand
What is the reason
What is the plan?
So many questions
To try to understand
What is the reason
What is the plan?
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8. |
Country Project
01:33
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9. |
Green Shoots
02:49
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Green Shoots
(Mishler-Purdum)
Green shoots
You see them everywhere
The sweet smell
Of blossoms in the air
Who ya gonna trust?
The ones pickin' up
Or the fools who wrecked the train?
Blamin' the guys turnin' things around
Is a little bit insane
Green shoots
You see them everywhere
Green shoots
You see them everywhere
Wing nuts
Keep preaching woe and despair
Who ya gonna trust?
The ones pickin' up
Or the fools who wrecked the train?
Blamin' the guys cleanin' up the mess
Is a little bit insane
Green shoots
You see them everywhere
Green shoots
You see them everywhere
Some folks
Keep sayin' they're not there
Who ya gonna trust?
The ones pickin' up
Or the fools who wrecked the train?
Followin' guys livin' in the past
Is a little bit insane
Green shoots
You see them everywhere
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10. |
In Memory of 610
03:54
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In Memory of 610
(Van Buren)
Heading down to Huntington in an old Chevrolet
My friends and I were lookin' for a train that had gone away
When we saw that smoke and steam we knew we'd found our way
To that old Ohio River and the train that had gone away
They don't run those fan trips on CSX no more
The southern mountains no longer hear the rumble and the roar
The train that had gone away has gone away again
I'd like to sing a song in memory of 610
Lookin' for that train yard where the Big Sandie flows
Into the Ohio River. It's where we want to go
When we saw that smoke and steam we know we'd found our way
To that old Ohio River and the train that had gone away
They don't run those fan trips on CSX no more
The southern mountains no longer hear the rumble and the roar
The train that had gone away has gone away again
I'd like to sing a song in memory of 610
They don't run those fan trips on CSX no more
The southern mountains no longer hear the rumble and the roar
The train that had gone away has gone away again
I'd like to sing a song in memory of 610
They don't run those fan trips on CSX no more
The southern mountains no longer hear the rumble and the roar
The train that had gone away has gone away again
I'd like to sing a song in memory of 610
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11. |
Talk to You
04:30
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Talk To You
(Thompson)
I wanna talk, to talk to you
You ain't around and I'm so blue
It's gettin' to the point I don't know what to do
I try and call you on the telephone
You ain't here, and I'm all alone
But you never answer 'cause you ain't home
Why you runnin' around with me all alone?
I wanna talk, to talk to you.
You ain't around and I'm so blue
It's getting to the point I don't know what to do
It's a long time that I've felt this way
An' it's a feeling that is here to stay
But when I try to tell you, you got nothing to say
What'm I s'posed to do with you actin' this way
And I bet you don't know what it means
But you're about the best thing I've ever seen
I know you'd learn to like me if you gave me a chance
I'll even cut my hair and learn how to dance
And I don't know why you treat me so bad
When you're about the best girl I ever had
We could get together once in a while
I think that I could give you a reason to smile
I wanna talk, to talk to you
You ain't around and I'm so blue
It's gettin' to the point I don't know what to do
I try and call you on the telephone
You ain't here, and I'm still alone
But you never answer 'cause you ain't home
Why you runnin' around with me all alone?
And I bet you don't know what it means
But you're about the best thing I've ever seen
I know you'd learn to like me if you gave me a chance
I'll even cut my hair and learn how to dance
(And I really hate to dance)
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12. |
Could've Gone to Phoenix
04:23
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Could've Gone to Phoenix
(Van Buren)
Some times late at night, after all the songs
I think about a moment that has come and gone
I think about what might have, maybe should have been
I think about a red-haired girl, hear her songs again
Could've gone to Phoenix so many years ago
But I stayed in California 'cause I was scared to show
Now sometimes I think maybe I will go
To where she is livin' now in New Mexico
Many years I've wandered so wild and so free
If I say I love you, that would cease to be
So I climbed aboard that Greyhound headed for L.A.
The bus to go to Phoenix is just a step away
Could've gone to Phoenix so many years ago
But I stayed in California 'cause I was scared to show
Now sometimes I think maybe I will go
To where she is livin' now in New Mexico
But she found another, so the time has gone
I stayed in California way, way too long
Now the sun is comin' up and the dream is gone
Maybe today in San Jose another will come along
Could've gone to Phoenix so many years ago
But I stayed in California 'cause I was scared to show
Now sometimes I think maybe I will go
To where she is livin' now in New Mexico
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13. |
The More Things Change
03:49
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The More Things Change
(Mishler)
New kitten in the window just ate some apple pie
New kitten in the window; the apple of her mama's eye
Black kitty in the sunlight gives her fur a touch of gray
New kitten in the window; it's the start of a beautiful day
Sweet baby in the playpen got its whole life ahead of it
Makin' no big decisions, just whether to roll or sit
Sweet baby on the school bus gonna live the future we make
Sweet baby in the real world, facin' an uncertain fate
The more things change, the more they stay the same
If we don't make some changes now, we'll only have ourselves to blame
Activist on the corner knows what's comin' down
Wants an end to war and hate, waves a sign and shouts
One minor detail, he didn't take into account
Foxes in the henhouse are not easily thrown out
The more things change, the more they stay the same
If we don't make some changes now, we'll only have ourselves to blame
New leader in the White House got a big mandate for change
Big Oil and Insurance just wanna keep the rules of play the same
Gouge you at the gas pump, arbitrarily deny your health claim
Lobbyists and lackeys think freedom is the name of that greedy old game
The more things change, the more they stay the same
If we don't make some changes now, we'll only have ourselves to blame
New kitten in the window just ate some apple pie
New kitten in the window; the apple of her mama's eye
Black kitty in the sunlight gives her fur a touch of gray
New kitten in the window; it's the start of a beautiful day
The more things change, the more they stay the same
If we don't make some changes now, we'll only have ourselves to blame
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14. |
I Only Wish It Was Me
04:21
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I Only Wish It Was Me
(David Hayes)
The sight of you began it all again for me
Now the glow of discovery's behind your eyes
I can almost forget you until I see you again
Now the newness about you makes me want to realize
I only wish it was me ... me
Who was lucky enough to get that close to you
I only wish it was me
Who was lucky enough to get that close to you
Your blond hair shinin' brightly in the mornin' sun
All that pride you got in someone else's baby
It makes me feel that we're both comin' undone
Well you're only as perfect as I keep wishin' you would be
I only wish it was me ... me
Who was lucky enough to get that close to you
I only wish it was me
Who was lucky enough to get that close to you
When you walked in you set my heart on fire
One more time it happened: I found love again
Now I'm down with the blues, days spent in melancholy
Oh I wish it was me to get that close again
I only wish it was me ... me
Who was lucky enough to get that close to you
I only wish it was me
Who was lucky enough to get that close to you
I only wish it was me
Oh, me
I only wish it was me
Oh, me
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The Stragglyrs San Jose, California
Original songs featuring harmony vocals and rootsy, guitar-driven folk-rock and country rock are the hallmark of the Stragglyrs. Members are Larry Ingenthron on guitar and vocals; Bill Mishler on drums, harmonica and vocals; Chris Purdum on bass, rhythm guitar, flute and vocals; and Autumn Rose on banjo and vocals. ... more
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