1. |
Long Dark Highway
05:07
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Long Dark Highway by Arthur Davenport (1994, 2016-17)
We are riding on down
a long dark highway.
It can go on
ninety years or more.
We come down.
It starts in your hometown,
right outside
your mother’s front door.
We are riding on down
a long dark highway.
Asleep at the wheel
we go down the road.
We fly through the night,
on freeways and byways,
to the City of Lights
that burns evermore.
Then in the morning,
the sun comes up rising.
The shadows fade back
with the darkness at bay.
We are riding down
a long dark highway.
It don’t matter
if we’re coming or going.
There is no map.
The stars will guide us,
on to where lies
our destiny’s shore.
We are riding on
a long dark highway,
with a motor, headlight,
steering wheel, and a goal.
We stop for fuel,
or to pick up, or drop off, a load.
Then return to rolling
down the highway,
and hope all is clear
on down the road.
We are riding down
a long dark highway.
Can’t see too far,
up ahead down the road.
The light shines out,
parting the curtain of darkness,
and by that light,
we find our way home.
We are riding down
a long dark highway,
singing songs to the radio.
Our hearts beat in time,
without out hesitating.
We keep moving on,
just watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
and watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
watching it roll.
We keep moving on,
watching it roll.
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2. |
Hilo Town
03:13
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Hilo Town
G-Em-C-D (3X) G=Em-C-D-C-D (1X)
Your eyes, they looking tired,
sleep away awhile.
We’ll ride down to Hilo Town,
to watch the ships come in.
Forget about the past,
you can afford a little while.
We’ll ride down to Hilo Town,
to watch the waves roll in,
The tide’s coming in,
to Hilo Town, town,
riding down, to Hilo Town,
Hilo Town, town,
riding down, to Hilo Town.
Your ship is coming in,
and the waves are rolling in,
they’re rolling in, rolling in,
The tide’s coming in, in Hilo Town.
G-Em-C-D (1X) G-Em-C-D-C-D (1X)
Your mind is at its end these days.
All of your good friends, they say,
With all your work and all your play,
how can you afford to be that way?
No matter what the road your on,
it’s hard to tell the time,
I can’t wait ‘til I find,
Hilo Town, town,
riding down, to Hilo Town,
Hilo Town, town,
riding down, to Hilo Town,
Your ship is coming in,
the waves are rolling in,
rolling in, rolling in,
The tide is coming in,
to Hilo Town.
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3. |
Warm Up in A
01:35
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4. |
Jonathan Leviathan
04:00
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All along the watery way,
so good to find a friend to play
and keep the rhythm of the waves,
as we sail away.
I’m floating in my boat they call “The Dave”.
He flies through the water, beneath the waves.
Passing the hours that spin by,
with ballads, chanteys and lullabies.
Just off shore, I found a friend,
'twas, Jonathan Leviathan.
Strange it seemed, though is true,
he came up from the blue.
I was out fishing, but not catching,
when the whale came by.
Much to my wonder, he came over,
looked me in the eye.
He told me without saying,
“we shared a dream last night”.
Your melody, my harmony,
it was musical delight.
Now all of this came to me in his language,
I don’t know how we managed
to understand without words.
It was wonderful, and so absurd.
I was half way to seventy,
captain of a dingy.
He, a young whale,
out of academy.
He looked at me intuitively,
right through me,
and said his name was Jonathan,
then we played a song,
It went… (Instrumental break)
For three of us we come here,
we only leave alone.
In between awake and dream
we’re living nature’s songs.
The dancing drummer dives
into the rhythm of the waves.
So good where me and you
can find the time to play.
Jonathan Leviathan,
you have been such a good friend.
I hate to see you go away.
But I know you’re hungry
from your long journey.
And it’s time for dreaming on,
into the great beyond,
down through the inky blue,
the deep blue beyond.
Fare thee well dear Jon!
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5. |
Waltz in G
00:57
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6. |
La Rosa Dulce
03:50
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Won’t be too long, no more waiting.
Close your eyes.
Dreams on wings, they'll take you far away,
up above the clouds, floating on sweet cream,
heart on wings,
angels come to take you off to sleep.
See the river run thousands of miles to nowhere,
and the road stretches on.
Through the desert we’ve been wandering,
on the journey of the lost ones, En la jornada de lo muerto.
There on the hill, see the crosses,
they tell their tales of woe.
But that was a long time,
such a long time ago.
We’ve found paradise,
for the rose of the morning light will show you.
So sleep sweet my love,
though the storm rages outside your window.
Your friends have come to play,
and in our garden, es la dulce rosa.
En la jornada de lo muerto (on the day of the man dying, literally. Also a name-place of a region of New Mexico, USA, north of Las Cruces and South of Soccoro where many travellers perished during migrations.
es la rosa dulce (is the rose sweet)
(Put in Body of Works, Metaphysical 2016.12.05)
(Written as lyrics for music by Steve Young in Las Cruces, NM, about a Grandfather who is dying, singing his grandson to sleep, telling a tale of their ancestor's lives, while the storm rages outside the window.
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7. |
A Melody
02:01
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8. |
Family Reunion
03:52
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Say, my friend, did you know that
all the tribes came from one man?
We are a family, all the children of Abraham.
Oh, would you gather ‘round brethren.
Have you heard the good news coming?
Grandfather made a plan for a family reunion.
He sent the word ‘cross land and sea
to all the tribes in the family,
Joshua, Levi, Ali and William.
All the children of Abraham are asked to come
to a family reunion.
It has been a long time since we have come together.
So long, that some forgot, we’re sisters and brothers.
Even those far away, across the sea, they’re all in the family.
All the children of Abraham are asked to come,
to a family reunion.
He says in his invitation, all should come as United Nations.
Often the hardest lessons bring the greatest blessings.
He says in his invitation, Grandfather has one wish,
is that we heal each other with forgiveness.
All the children of Abraham, he loves everyone,
and he wants a family reunion.
All the children of Abraham are asked to come
to a family reunion.
Oh, do you believe we’re in the land of milk and honey?
So few know it’s true, now doesn’t that seem funny?
Spare the lamb, the grass needs grazing.
Spare the rod, the child needs praising.
May all the good you do, someday come back to you.
All the children of Abraham, he loves everyone,
and he wants a family reunion.
All the children of Abraham are asked to come
to a family reunion.
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9. |
Drop D Waltz
01:21
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10. |
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From the day that we’re born
to the day that we die
we are filled with a promise and a lie,
that if we tow the line, there’ll come a better time,
and we’ll all live in comfort one day.
But in the highest courts,
and on the senate floor,
a poor man’s voice is never heard.
Where money speaks so much louder than words.
And the rich man always gets his pay.
The rich man always gets his pay.
Oh, the common man works all his days
to live and eat on little pay.
But he’s cargo and freight, just a number on a slate
where the rich man always gets his pay.
With a hammer and a nail.
With a plow and a bale.
With a wrench, and a sewing machine.
The poor man toils
while the rich man gets the spoils.
Yeah, the rich man always gets his pay.
Oh, the rich man always gets his pay.
The rich man always gets his pay.
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11. |
Mountain Song
03:08
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I have dreamed on this mountain
since first born to my mother,
and you can’t just take my dreams away,
without me watching
No, you can’t just take my dreams away.
You may drive a big machine,
but I was born to a great big woman.
No, you can’t just take her dreams away,
not with me watching.
No, you can’t just take her dreams away.
This old mountain raised up my family.
Some moved on, some are still living.
If you come here for taking our mountain,
well, you not gonna get it.
No, you can’t just take our dreams away.
I have dreamed on this mountain
with my sisters and my brothers,
and you can’t just take our dreams away.
You may drive a big machine,
but you can turn around and leave.
No, you can’t just take our dreams away,
not with us protecting,
no, you can’t just take our dreams away.
This old mountain raised up my family.
Some moved on, some are here living.
If you come here for taking our mountain,
well, we’ve not come here to give it.
I have dreamed on this mountain,
since first born to my mother,
and you can’t just take our dreams away
with us watching.
No, you can’t just take our dreams away.
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12. |
Oh No, Uh Uh
03:14
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It’s been a long time,
good to see you again.
I wondered what
that you’d been doing,
and might I call you a friend?
I said with a grin.
She says, “You messed around on me.
It hurt me so.
I appreciate your invitation,
but, I got to let you go.”
Oh, no, no, no.
No, no, no, uh uh.
What did you say?
No, no, no, uh uh.
Sorry you feel that way.
Didn’t mean to ruin your day.
Didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I did not mean to ruin your day,
I’m sorry you feel that way.
Yea, I’d been wondering.
I thought I’ll give you a call. Hello!
I didn’t know it would be such a blow.
Excuse me,
I’m going to crawl under the door.
There’s no need to get up.
No. No. Uh uh.
Hmm, what did you say?
No. No. Uh uh.
I’m sorry you feel that way.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I did not mean to ruin your day.
So sorry you feel that way.
So you think I’m crazy.
I need some therapy?
Might be true,
the things I’m going through,
have got me down on my knees.
She says, “Please.”
No. No. No. Uh uh.
What did you say?
No. No. Uh uh.
Sorry you feel that way.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I did not mean to ruin your day.
I’m so sorry you feel that way.
Fading
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
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13. |
Marjorie
02:01
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Marjorie,
where you going all alone?
Saw you were by the water side,
again, skipping stones.
Can’t you see, won’t you see,
that today is almost gone.
You and me, I’d hoped that we,
could be, heading home.
I’m heading home, with Marjorie.
Instrumental Break
Marjorie,
you know only time will tell.
Saw you were passing the day
at your wishing well.
Can’t you see,
it’s time for fare-thee-well.
You and me, I’d hoped that we,
could be, heading home.
Heading home,
with Marjorie.
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14. |
Jennifer's Rabbit
03:11
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ennifer’s Rabbit Lyrics by Tom Paxton
Jennifer slept in her little bed,
With dreams of a rabbit in her little head.
Jennifer's rabbit, brown and white,
Left the house and ran away one night,
Along with a turtle and a kangaroo,
And seventeen monkeys from the city zoo,
And Jennifer too.
They ran through the forest and they all held hands.
They came to the ocean with the cookie crumb sands.
They called it the sea of the very best dreams,
And they all built a castle of the best moonbeams,
And milky way streams.
And there on the sand where the star fish play,
The ship sailed in from the moonbeam bay,
And they all went sailing on the starlight sea,
Where they all had cookies with oolong tea,
And Jenny had three.
They danced on the decks of the red-sailed brig.
The monkeys and the sailors did a whirling jig.
Turtle played the fiddle and the rabbit played kazoo,
And they bowed to each other as polite folks do.
And Jenny bowed too.
Then, "My!" said the turtle as the clock struck three,
"The hour is growing very late for me."
"Not at all," said the rabbit. "And I'll tell you why,
We still havn't counted every star in the sky".
Said Jenny "Let's try."
So they counted on the ship and they counted on the shore.
They counted through the forest to the bedroom door.
They counted in bed till they could count no more.
Then they all fell asleep and the final score,
Was a trillion and four.
Yes the rabbit and the turtle and the kangaroo,
And Jenny fell asleep like sleepy folks do,
Just like you.
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15. |
||||
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All along the watery way,
so good to find a friend to play
and keep the rhythm of the waves,
as we sail away.
I’m floating in my boat they call “The Dave”.
He flies through the water, beneath the waves.
Passing the hours that spin by,
with ballads, chanteys and lullabies.
Just off shore, I found a friend,
'twas, Jonathan Leviathan.
Strange it seemed, though is true,
he came up from the blue.
I was out fishing, but not catching,
when the whale came by.
Much to my wonder, he came over,
looked me in the eye.
He told me without saying,
“we shared a dream last night”.
Your melody, my harmony,
it was musical delight.
Now all of this came to me in his language,
I don’t know how we managed
to understand without words.
It was wonderful, and so absurd.
I was half way to seventy,
captain of a dingy.
He, a young whale,
out of academy.
He looked at me intuitively,
right through me,
and said his name was Jonathan,
then we played a song,
It went… (Instrumental break)
For three of us we come here,
we only leave alone.
In between awake and dream
we’re living nature’s songs.
The dancing drummer dives
into the rhythm of the waves.
So good where me and you
can find the time to play.
Jonathan Leviathan,
you have been such a good friend.
I hate to see you go away.
But I know you’re hungry
from your long journey.
And it’s time for dreaming on,
into the great beyond,
down through the inky blue,
the deep blue beyond.
Fare thee well dear Jon!
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Arthur Davenport Hilo, Hawaii
Singer-Songwriter, Poet, Supporting Artist on Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Ukulele. Contact me for collaborations.
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