Album Notes

new song at http://www.indie-music.com/bands/andy_harrington_band Messy Little World Messy Little World Messy Little Life It’s a Messy little world, It’s a Messy little life. Nothing ever fits Nothing goes right. And you get Blisters on your fingers When you have to Play at night. It’s a messy little world. It’s a messy little life. And it’s a Blessed, blessed thing, When it’s quiet in you heart. But let the wind hear quiet And it blows it right apart. You will shiver in the daytime, Sweat with fever in the night. And the thing that you like the most Well, it just ain’t right. And still you do The best you can Even when it’s very clear It’s not enough. Messy Little World! Messy Little Life! Ambulance Last night late, I, while sitting in my den, I heard a warning. There came a sound, sent a shiver down my spine. It was a sound, sent hot flashes through my mind. It was the sound of a siren, far, far away, but getting closer. Later on, I, from the window, looking through the glass, I saw it coming. First the flood of awful, hot, bright light. Then came the roar of roars when it screamed into sight, I go Hey, Hey, I know what I saw, I saw an ambulance. And I, I heard its siren. Sure enough today the hearse come by. Bye-bye, my friend bye-bye. Someone that I know, though not well anymore, is going, his friends say home. After a moonless night, I recall a journey and I wonder, yah I wonder, Where home might be? Hey, Hey, I know what I saw I saw an ambulance. And I, I heard its siren. Hey, Hey, why don’t you believe me? I, I saw an ambulance. And I, I, I heard its siren Brooklyn Going home to Brooklyn. Going home in the morning. Going home to Brooklyn In the morning. Nighty night. Hey you, you made me happen, Brought me alive. You touched my fingers, Said I had soul. I’d love to stay But now I know It’s time To go. Home to Brooklyn. Home in the morning. I’m going home to Brooklyn In the morning Nighty-night. I shan’t forget you and the smile you smiled But I had nothing left to give But now that’s done Here comes the sun It’s time to go I’m going home to Brooklyn I’m going home in the morning To be with friends that I used to know When I was younger And we’ll walk down streets and We’ll groove down avenues. I’m going home to Brooklyn. I’m going home in the morning How many times you’ve heard me say These very words I say today And still I am right here where I belong By your side. By your side Where I belong By your side Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah... Heal The Hurt Stand back brothers Give her some room. The damage is done. You know what to do, You gotta Just give her some time To make her own mind up. Give her some time. Just give her some time To drive the demons out Give the girl a little bit of time To heal the hurt. She got cut bad this time. ‘Cuz it hurts so bad! Now listen up people! I’ll do my best. Don’t gotta act the animal To act the man. Just give her some time To make her own mind up. Give her some time. Just give her some time To drive the demons out Give the girl a little bit of time To heal the hurt. She got cut bad this time. ‘Cuz it hurts so bad inside! He took the ring off her finger. And now the hurt, well it lingers. Her mommy and her daddy said, “That’s a bad deal.” And it’s gonna take time this time For Angel to heal, Heal the hurt (repeat) Make her better! Jenny Jenny lived here for five years And then one day, she was gone. Now all I have are memories And the hurt Of knowing I was wrong. And I sing Jenny come home. Jenny come home. There’ll be good times again. The sun will shine again. Just you wait and see. Oh my Jenny, wait and see. The porch swing’s empty Blowing in the wind. I’ve got an awful hollow feeling Things will never Be the same again. And I sing, Jenny come home. Jenny come home. There’ll be good times again. The sun will shine again. Just you wait and see. Oh my Jenny, wait and see. Harry Harry borrowed from Peter ‘Cuz He had to pay Paul. Paul is a little worried. He wants his money, that’s all… I was working for Paul And paid a call on Harry Shaking like he was about to break The man had nothing left to give or take… And I believe in Harry. I believe in Harry ‘Cuz Harry is good people. I won’t call Paul. I believe in Harry. I believe in Harry ‘Cuz his old heart is big as all out doors I believe in Harry. Turns out Peter and Paul Were playing both ends. Yeah, that’s Harry, stuck in the middle, But what’s a little blood between friends? Harry’s got the money. He’s got it hidden away. He is bound and he’s determined His kids are gonna get a break one day. And I believe in Harry. I believe in Harry ‘Cuz Harry is good people. I won’t call Paul. I believe in Harry. I believe in Harry ‘Cuz his old heart is big as all out doors I believe in Harry. Even though some folk say He must pay for his mistakes Peter and Paul Won’t get my sympathy At all. Not at all! And I believe in Harry. I believe in Harry ‘Cuz Harry is good people. I won’t call Paul. I believe in Harry. I believe in Harry ‘Cuz his old heart is big as all out doors I believe in Harry. Meat Packing World (Rationalize) In a meat packing world The floors are covered in blood. And when I think about that, Oh, yeah, I think about that. Well, just a shot to the head And then the party begins. In circles and in squares The bloody knifes fill the air. I rationalize Everyday and every night I rationalize. To make some sense Out of this life of mine. In a meat packing plant The blood is washed down the drain. It leaches into the field Where the sweet cattle graze. And then a shot to the head The party begins again. In little circles and squares The bloody knifes fill the air. I rationalize Everyday and every night I rationalize To make some sense Out of this life of mine. In a meat packing plant The floors are covered with blood. Want you to think about When you bite your big mac… Breathe in, Breathe out Breathe in, breathe out. Let your loved one know what it is You're talking about. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. And when the lights go dim, You take her by the arm. Tell her not to be alarmed. Walk her out the gym, Go down behind the barn. Tell her not to be alarmed. Why should she, You got her by the arm. She's closing her eyes And she's parting her lips. She is waiting. She’s waiting, she’s waiting. She's breathing in, she's breathing out. Come on breathe. Breathe in, breathe out Tell the whole wonderful world Just what you’re all about. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. And when the time is right You lay her ‘neath the sky Tell her not to be surprised. You gotta be true Tear down your disguise Tell her not to be surprised Why should she? Keep looking into her eyes. She's closing her eyes And she's parting her lips. She is waiting. She’s waiting, she’s waiting. She's breathing in, she's breathing out. Come on breathe. Come on breathe. Everybody Breathe! Don’t Be A Buffalo You're on your own. You can make it! You can make it! Yes, you will be stoned. But you can make it! You can make it if you try. It’s your ticket. Take the ride. Don't you ever, Ever be afraid To make your own world. Make your own world. Make your own world. Don't be a buffalo! Yes, you are alone! It's a long night Without moonlight. Yes, you will be atoned. But you can make it. You can make it if you try. It's your ticket. Take your ride. Don't you ever, Ever be afraid To make your own world. Make your own world. Make your own world. Don't be a buffalo. Animal Love There’s nothing wrong with you He hits, you turn black and blue. Girl I can understand What it is you’re going through. It’s Animal Love. Very, Very, Very contrary Animal love, Girl, they do what they please. But I can’t blame just him When you go crawling back Again and again. Hungry for those broad shoulders, Hungry for that waist so thin. It’s Animal love, It’s very, Very, very contrary Animal love, Girl, they do what they please. But I could never understand animal love. I could never understand love, animal love. Animal love, Is very, Very, very contrary Animal love, Girl, you just do what you please. But I could never understand animal love. I could never understand love, animal love. Artist’s Prayer I poke my shovel Into the soil, I give a flip The dark brown loam. Open the earth, Watch it bleed From its wound Creatures and things Of ungodly doom. A little gusher, A bubbling spring Of weirdness, Embryos, blood And other things. Other really neat things. Amen. new film, "tight" up @ http://www.last.fm/music/Andy+Harrington+Band... the fiction behind the facts... World Tour begins on the shores of the Known World, a messy little place we think we know. We visit first the streets of Brooklyn, and take a ride in an Ambulance that runs on pure anxiety -- from where does this anxiety spring? When the sun sets, and we begin to question what we do know, the tour crosses the Singing Bridge over the Big River to the new place, Dingee. We meet a young girl there whose heart has been broken and who seeks to be healed. We say a prayer and reluctantly leave her to her salty tears. And ferry across the Sea of Discord to the Dream Dump where we are serenaded by Jenny, Harry, Peter and Paul -- people who all thought they knew. On this small gray island that smokes, Andy Paper Heart takes us on a special tour -- a meat packing plant! Where are we now? We wave goodbye to all our friends at the Dream Dump because it's time -- take a deep breath – breathe in, breathe out -- to set sail upon the dangerous waters of the Straights of nkan (the unconscious) bound for the uncertain shores of the great unexplored territory where we will learn the world to make is your own --don't be a buffalo. Finally, over the Sunlit Sea, we make a dreamy trip to the Neo-Known Sea and the Neo-Known World, back to the ever-present problems of animals, love, eternal reoccurrence and dizziness. We hope you enjoy your trip. the facts behind the fiction (more or less)... Andy Harrington met Pooh Sprague and Tim Augustinowicz through mutual acquaintances Davey Davis and his brother Rick Davis in Brownsville, Vermont in 1980 and began a very informal musical partnership which later became the Andy Harrington Band. Generally speaking, in the beginning, Andy wrote the songs, and Tim and Pooh picked out the “good ones." Andy sang (no one else wanted to sing his songs) and faked it on rhythm guitar, Tim played drums, and Pooh handled the bass. They all sang. After playing together in the Rick Davis Band, the three rehearsed as a three-piece but the inner-critic roared, "too many holes, too much empty space.” They enlisted guitarist and songwriter Mike Veitch to fill the holes – holes were thought to be bad in the early 1980's. The band debuted at the Davey Davis pig roast at Mt. Ascutney in Brownsville – we forget the year – and it was a good thing -- no one threw bottles and that was thought to be a good thing in the early 80's. But following engagements in a seaside bar (Jonah on the Half Shell), around a campfire and in a horse barn, Pooh decided to ditch and brokered a deal with an unsuspecting Bob Neale and Jenny Adams Neale to join Andy, Tim and Mike and form a new band. The old band broke up, a new band started up, the years peeled away, the new band broke up, the old band woke up and Andy, Pooh and Tim got back together to hash out old tunes and piece together some new ones -- in reality, Tim needed someone to practice with for a wedding gig. And more time passed... In 2000, some 20 years on, Davey Davis (once again) was on the hunt to fill a summer playbill and persuaded Andy, Pooh and Tim to dust off for a gig at Hawk Mountain in Plymouth, Vermont. At Pooh’s urging, Doug Southworth joined to play keyboards – the hole thing, again. The band, with help from Davey, Kevin Forrest and Ken Norcross, caught the attention of the Pentangle Council of the Arts in Woodstock and was hired to play the council’s summer concert in 2001 and the fourth of July concert in Woodstock, Vermont in 2002. Longtime band collaborator Dave Baldwin came out from California and recorded the July 4th concert and thus began what would become ‘world tour.’ The band was concurrently recording songs at Norcross Studio in Hammondsville, Vermont – “Brooklyn” and “Jenny.” In the fall of 2002 the band performed at Davey Davis’ wedding in Cornish, New Hampshire and when no opportunities surfaced, they enjoyed a hiatus over the winter to pursue other interests. Ken Norcross joined the band in 2003 for several gigs at a club in Bradford Vermont. And Dave Baldwin again came in from California and recorded the last concert on Dec. 18th. Another lengthy hiatus ensued. However, it was during this lull that David managed to scrape together enough decent tracks from the live recordings to offer a glimmer of hope for a new album. Finally and very quietly, in 2006, the band released “world tour”, a 10-song album that captures the warmth and humor of the band in both live and studio settings and documents for posterity its longtime commitment to its music and its own understanding and treatment of ‘the hole thing' which has since come to be called the exploration of space. Thanks for listening!