The Union Electric will release its first full-length album this July.
The new release is called "Time Is Gold" and the lyrics to the eleven songs follow.
1 - Truman (or That Great Atomic Power Scared Charlie Louvin More Than God)
There's a White House war machine, the one Wilson switched on
waited long enough and joined the side that won
Roosevelt was dying, they had to find a man
who would keep things running just like they planned
Henry Wallace said what he really thought and there's no room for that
no chance for that to move up in Washington
When Roosevelt died, they had Truman move in
left all the furniture exactly how it had been
Independence to Washington
Show me a man who would seem to take a stand
got the White House blues all across this land
MacArthur covers a whole nation's eyes
and he waits for William Laurence to come claim his prize
Hiroshima to Washington
That great atomic power, scared Charlie Louvin, scared him more than God.
Drop the little boy and the fat man
now you got the whole world with the Marshall Plan
The doctrine was in order, they just needed a name
almost any other man, it would have been the same
it's a shame in Washington
Now you have to close your eyes to deny the rumors
the working class, we're all consumers
Truman left the White House, his job was done
left all the furniture for the next one
Eisenhauer to Washington
The Rosenbergs were still in prison, going to the chair
now there's a new man in the White House
it doesn't change a thing, in Washington
because that great atomic power scared Charlie Louvin
scared him more than God.
2 - Saint Francis Of Illinois (for Vachel Lindsay)
Saint Francis of Illinois says
only poverty will bring our redemption
walk the muddy roads
like they were the paths of heaven
stay away from the main road
stay away from the big town
beg a meal at five o'clock
and find a place to settle down
for the night
and tell your stories to pass the time
when I was the king of birds
I slept in the stables of horses
tell your stories to pass the time
trade them for bread, it's better than toil
distance yourself from the machinery
of the cities bleeding oil
Saint Francis of Illinois says
only poverty will bring our redemption
walk the muddy roads
like they were the paths of heaven
When I was the king of birds
I slept in the stables of horses
3 - Center Of The Storm (for Lucy Parsons)
Up from Waco, where we're not welcome
up from Waco to Chicago
to the center of the storm
to the center of the storm
I said I still see slaves with longer chains
they said leave town or you will hang
you can vote for bread clothes and shelter
you can vote but they won't give you these things
leaders make the laws and live real comfortable
live off you workers like foreign kings
what you produce is no guarantee
toil and pray your time is gold
your time is gold and when you have no means
that's what gets sold
Up from Waco, where we're not welcome
up from Waco to Chicago
to the center of the storm
to the center of the storm
I said I still see slaves with longer chains
they said leave town or you will hang
The following will be reprinted soon but can also be found by searching The Union Electric lyrics already posted:
4 - Tunnels (Under the Hotel Imperial)
5 - Thyalcine (written by Stefene Russell)
6 - Bugs (based on the true story of Ross Lessor)
7 - Casino Janitor
Kinsale to Congo, displacement displayed
heavy drinking and a collapse of any structures ever laid
out of your element from the farm to the town
a wasted life wondering how it all broke down
I wonder about the help here and where they came from
I wonder what we're doing and how anything gets done
8 - Bucket Of Blood (based on various tales, including Mr. Townsend's own)
Henry he hopped that north-bound train
jumped off in the yard in east st louis
henry was a shoeshine boy
fronting for that bootlegging man downtown
henry learned to play that mean guitar
henry learned to play that sweet guitar
had some folks jealous with the way that he played
JD Short got him in the back
that coward with a knife got him in the back
Henry was a bleeding he nearly died
when that coward snake got him in the back
henry wanted to take his revenge
went hunting JD Short through all the joints
cornered him at the bucket of blood
Henry stepped up and short pulled his knife
Henry drew his gun and he took a shot
Short jumped up yelled and fell down
Henry left the yard same way he'd come in
Short lay bleeding hurting on the ground
Henry he's an old man now
stack-a-lee's been long dead now
with many a song to sing and many a tale to tell
the city Henry knew it ain't there no more
the Booker Washington theatre been torn down
the city Henry knew it ain't here no more
9 - Necklace Of Shoes (for Muntadhar al-Zaidi)
Roll out all the red carpets
Put up a castle out in the sand
Put up a throne out in the desert
go to hell where you'll bother no one
This is a farewell kiss, you dog
Now you’ll wear a necklace of shoes
A ridiculous disgrace
Ridiculous and ready to kill us
Keep moving to stay alive
Oh, the people…
Keep moving while asleep
The people are sharks
Corrupt but loyal, it’s the customer’s money
It’s about money it's a rich land
It was a rich land and now it’s a poor one
by the sleight of a government magic hand
Wars and walls all around ourselves
Roll out the carpet so full of sand
Put up a throne out in the desert
now you're king of a forsaken land
This is a farewell kiss, you dog
Now you’ll wear a necklace of shoes
A ridiculous disgrace
Ridiculous and ready to kill us
10 - Sentence (see note above)
11 - The Laughing Song (written by Hunter Brumfield III)
He's sorry that things turned out as they did, it's a god-forsaken shame
small was the box in which that he hid to temper his poisonous brain
he reached for the stars, came back with stumps
in a downpour, yearning for rain
happiness got him once he hit bottom
gonna laugh his way through all the pain
Believe him it's easy to drink and be sleazy
as your conscience just limps along
mistaking freedom for license, he screamed in the silence
and his echo said boy you're all wrong
well, life is absurd, haven't you heard?
keep laughing boy, that's your best bet
Life is absurd, haven't you heard?
keep laughing boy, that's your best bet
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Return of Robert Blake, Robert Sarazin Blake that is
For several years now, Robert Sarazin Blake travels from the northwestern-most corner of the most northwestern state to visit us here in Missouri.
The first show was a chance encounter in a basement. The Seven Shot Screamers and Bad Folk were both asked to play. Members of both bands, but neither band in its complete form, showed up to play acoustic sets. Despite the person who booked the show not being there nor the people who lived in the house above, those that were there in the basement were treated to a nice evening of music.
The following year, Bad Folk, once again without its complete line-up, joined The Adversary Workers in another basement for a show with Robert Blake.
Out of the underground, Blake has staged shows on actual stages in the intervening years. One of my current projects, The Union Electric, played its first show at Off Broadway with Robert Blake and his drummer Jordan Rain in 2009.
Now, seven years after that first basement show, former Bad Folk Tim Rakel, former Seven Shot Screamer Chris Powers, and former Adversary Worker Glenn Burleigh will reconvene with Robert Blake during a series of shows around the area.
Here are the details:
Wednesday, February 22 - RSB at the Urban Chestnut Brewery
Wednesday, February 29 - RSB, Irene Allen, The Union Electric and The Red Headed Strangers at El Lenador. Spend your extra leap year hours drinking Stag beer, won't you...
Thursday, March 1 - The David Mafield Parade, Bob Reuter's Alley Ghost and Robert Sarazin Blake at The Heavy Anchor
Saturday, March 3 - Robert Sarazin Blake and The Griddle Kids (featuring Chris Powers) at Mangia Italiano
Blake / Union Electric tour:
Thursday, March 8 - Springfield, MO with Angry Panda
Friday, March 9 - Columbia, MO
Saturday, March 10 - Kirksville, MO
The first show was a chance encounter in a basement. The Seven Shot Screamers and Bad Folk were both asked to play. Members of both bands, but neither band in its complete form, showed up to play acoustic sets. Despite the person who booked the show not being there nor the people who lived in the house above, those that were there in the basement were treated to a nice evening of music.
The following year, Bad Folk, once again without its complete line-up, joined The Adversary Workers in another basement for a show with Robert Blake.
Out of the underground, Blake has staged shows on actual stages in the intervening years. One of my current projects, The Union Electric, played its first show at Off Broadway with Robert Blake and his drummer Jordan Rain in 2009.
Now, seven years after that first basement show, former Bad Folk Tim Rakel, former Seven Shot Screamer Chris Powers, and former Adversary Worker Glenn Burleigh will reconvene with Robert Blake during a series of shows around the area.
Here are the details:
Wednesday, February 22 - RSB at the Urban Chestnut Brewery
Wednesday, February 29 - RSB, Irene Allen, The Union Electric and The Red Headed Strangers at El Lenador. Spend your extra leap year hours drinking Stag beer, won't you...
Thursday, March 1 - The David Mafield Parade, Bob Reuter's Alley Ghost and Robert Sarazin Blake at The Heavy Anchor
Saturday, March 3 - Robert Sarazin Blake and The Griddle Kids (featuring Chris Powers) at Mangia Italiano
Blake / Union Electric tour:
Thursday, March 8 - Springfield, MO with Angry Panda
Friday, March 9 - Columbia, MO
Saturday, March 10 - Kirksville, MO
Labels:
basement shows,
live music,
Missouri,
Sarazin Blake
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