talking sidewalk blues
1. cowards at the altar 2. talking sidewalk blues 3. death ain't as bad as you thought (it might be) 4. chord organ blues* 5. song for cowards 6. wallet 7. goddamn gospel 8. bastard 9. war at the altar *daniel johnston song
well i get asked just like anyone ‘son where yah from?‘ but i can’t seem to get my answer straight see every time i speak something’s changed
like just last week i was asked ‘sir please canya spare some change i gotta eat‘ i said ‘brother you got two feet how about i throw this change as far as i can see‘” would you get up and find it? or, my brother, are you too weak? he said he could, so i thought i should but instead i said come walk with me ‘i bet before long we can find you a job‘ he said ‘thank you god, they call me bob‘ where does a good man like you come from, anyway? i said ‘not from heaven but i reckon you should thank me instead of him, as far as i can see he left you on the street to freeze‘ and that’s when we got there, to a mountain of concrete stairs and each one walked is worth a penny then bob said, ‘i guess that makes sense to me but where does a smart man like you come from, anyway?‘
cowards at the altar i’m a coward i’ve whispered it before and i hoped you could hear but silence and fear make love on the hallway floor i’m a coward i’ve whispered it before and i hoped you could hear but silence and fear make love on the hallway floor
well i always liked saying ‘out west‘ but that cowboy game, it’s just not the same i mean, we got arnold to replace john wayne but old muscle brains aint no match for a pistol slinging, flask drinking, rough necking man with a short last name like ‘wayne‘ john wayne for governor john wayne for president i heard were long due for a change anyway how do we elect a man like that anyway? well we already vote for actors dont we so we might as well vote for old johnny cause as far as i can tell he didnt want no trouble with foreign land he was just passing through living on the saddle and drinking his booze, wants nothing with oil he says ‘life is hard, but harder if youre stupid,‘ but where does a hero like that come from anyway?
that ones easy, washy-town d.c. try again and watch your head i’m swinging this sling as we speak and i know they must be threatened by me they dont like davids in the holy land especially ones from bethlehem so in a way i guess thats where im from look out goliath here i come well where does a tall man like you come from anyway? no one knows from where giants come see they’re always alone, dont got anyone some say heights a blessing, but i say curse when you pass a point youre off way worse that’s why giants never have any kids if they did, the kid would be forever spot lit somebody’s always got a use for a man like that he’ll kill ten men at the drop of a hat that poor tall bastard never had any chance he was the enemy of many by circumstance now hes dead and so is his blood line but giants arent always measured by height thats when i looked to my side poor bob had died so i sat right down on the dirty ground and taught myself some guitar lines and asked some adults to think like kids and re-think their vote in politics you get a lot of ideas that way just sitting there saying, ‘hey! where does a stranger like you come from anyway?‘ and when no one knows where they come from they start saying some, and i dont know how come stuff like city names and names of states but im not so sure that that’s the case cause i come from a faraway place from my parents and their parents and so on and so on where i come from its not given a name because it was way before you and me and words and song and that’s where a homeless boy like me comes from, anyway!
death ain't as bad as you thought (it might be) You want some frustration? Well I got some right here in my handI feel it when I’m breathing, it feels like I’m breathing in sand
‘Cause I got this feeling that we’ll all be taking a trip But oh not to California, no not to California And not to Mexico, or Canada And not the Midwest, and not Florida, And not the Atlantic, or any other ocean but we’ll be free, Where we’re going you’ll see death ain’t as bad as you thought it might be It’s not easy to think it, and maybe it’ll be different than I plannedBut if you want this next line, you can eat out of my hand And if you’re scared, go to sleep, maybe you’ll have the same dream as me.
chord organ blues*
*
Daniel jOhnston song
song for cowards
You can kill me when I’m sleeping I won’t be scared, but it won’t be fair Just make sure you don’t wake me too soon When I’m awake, I’m grumpier than you What do you think you could do? I mean a big coward like you, You got no chance with that plan Give me just one hand and I’ll bury you man, I’ll bury you man Give me just one chance and I’ll bury you man Then I’ll ask you my man, ‘oh, what was your plan? Was it to climb through my window at night? Like a coward you’d sneak toward the bed where I sleep And in the dark black you’d aim for my back‘
wallet
My wallet is so paper thin I’m afraid it might blow away in the wind We’re a dying breed, we always have been and we always will be Us who feel sorry for all those others with money You got a coin? Well that looks like money to me You got a bill? Well, shit! That makes me rich And if my wallet slips from my pocket, you would not know it
goddamn gospel
Then Lord when I say your name Lord when I say your name You might answer I still feel filthy And I might swear: My sweat is dirty Now lord I wouldn’’t say this “‘Damn you it’s too late for change‘ I don’t feel you course my veins If I didn’t think Oh Lord when I say your name I’d tried everything Damn you it’s too late for change Lord you must not know my name But my faith, it’s hanging by a string I’m way past changing my ways I’m no disciple And I need that strength if I’m gonna sing These scratched chords now hold my faith I’m sure not loyal Oh Lord I need to retreat They are my Lord and they know my name It don’t matter what I say To that black ink You never answer anyway And my callused skin
They are my faith when I’m weak Then Lord, when I’m in need But you don’t give, so I’ll take what I need Maybe almighty Ain’t all it could be Lord there are braver men then me ‘Cause Lord it really don’t seem I’d hide from a giant You got enough power to help me I’d run from a lion And maybe you’re really our Lord But I’m not scared of what I can’t see but to me Show yourself now, I’ll drop to my knees What would that mean? Am I just another to ignore? ‘Cause that seems a whole lot worse
bastard No one wants to kill me cause I haven’t done a thing with my life yet That makes me want to skip to the part where I get stabbed and left for dead Maybe then you’’ll learn there’s only one thing to be gained in this life Then I’’ll die, and burn, and my smoke will rise into the smoggy sky And I hope your eyes burn so red, your Lord thinks they’re bleeding I’ll say anything you haven’t if it’ll make your ears start to scream But baby you know I don’t listen to you or anyone but myself ‘la-da-demon, are you listening?‘ Now I watch my spawn claw his way out And land in the fertile dirt blood red and dirt brown Rolling around looking for his mother so I decide to plant him there It’s what he deserves, he’s a bastard, and I know, I’m his father I’m an artist, and that makes me a bastard And if there’s a chord I can play I’ll knot my neck in it And if the sound is stale Then I will choke on it I’ll give a big kiss to a big gun to make a stronger statement when you’re undone you become what’s carved out in your grave head It says ‘I’m an artist, and that makes me a bastard‘ When I’m dead I might get some respect Is that the way to be heard I mean we’ve all seen it work Whether it’s in the trench dirt to place medals in a grave Or as an artist does starve as a stubborn slave Either side of the coin, I just want some respect When I’m dead I might get some respect. Cause I’m an artist, and you know, that makes me a bastard
war at the altar
I’ll say it before I walk out the door, ‘I’’m no coward‘ But what’’s it all for when you just get ignored? I’’m no coward Then I’’ll play these three chords and you’’ll know what’’s in store: I’’m no coward Through a mighty river roar that I’’ve come upon to ford, I’’m no coward And when I get to shore I’’ll say what I did before, ‘I’’m no coward‘ There’s a line in the f loor from the point of my sword, I’’m no coward Yes I’’m declaring war on all those blind followers; I’’m no coward! It’’ll be hard to ignore all the blood, guts, and gore, when I’’m no coward I’’m no coward.
The band Sidewalk Dave is, in order of criminal conviction: Dave Van Witt Chris Dickerson Mike Skaggs Noah Goldman
and when we are so lucky:
Gabriel Cruz John Elliott Jake Goldman Alex Mazzafaro
All songs written by Sidewalk Dave All songs mixed, and produced by John Elliott and Sidewalk Dave Rhythm Tracks Recorded at recorded at Adorea Studio (Hamden, CT) with Dave Groener Further tracking recorded at Sidewalk Studio (Oxford, CT) All songs mastered by Michael Henss at Enox Productions Album art design by Kristen Groener and Sidewalk Dave Lyric booklet layout and design by Elise Granata and Sidewalk Dave
*Track 4 is a Daniel Johnston Song Because this album was 100% made on our own sweat, wallets, booze, blood, and the huge favors of others, we'd like to very specially thank: Pappa Skaggs, Kristen and Dave Groener, John Elliott, Micael Henss, The Tribe, Aeroplane, 1929, Pale Horse Company, Travis Bell, Elise Granata, all those who supported, and those who doubted, all those who braved, and those who cowered.
Email: sidewalkdave@gmail.com Website: www.sidewalkdave.com Myspace: www.myspace.com/sidewalkdave