Recorded September 2004 and April 2005 at Norm Dugas Studio Productions, St. Boniface, Manitoba.
Dan Frechette - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica.
Tania Elizabeth - Fiddle
Gilles Fournier - Upright Bass.
Bill Bourne - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Slide Guitar.
Jeremy Rusu - Accordion (on Piper Road Spring Boogie).
Lianne Fournier, Sarah Dugas - backing vocals.
Haley Catton - Ukulele (on Ukulele Haley).
Dave Lawton- Trumpet (on Horse and Buggy Rag)
Leonard Podolak - Clawhammer Banjo (on Where the Water Tastes Like Wine)
Jordan Mcconnel - Whistle, Uillean Pipes
All songs copyright Dan Frechette/SOCAN 2005. Published by Agnes Music/SOCAN.
Produced by Bill Bourne. Executive Producer Mitch Podolak.
Photographs by Angela Browne. Design by A Man Called Wrycraft.
Engineered and mastered by Norm Dugas at Norm Dugas Production, St. Boniface, Manitoba.
Tania Elizabeth, Jordan McConnell, and Leonard Podolak of The Duhks appear courtesy of Sugar Hill Records.
Lyrics (all lyrics copyright 2005 Dan Frechette/Socan)
Going Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
I’m going where the water tastes like wine
Where the lovers and the gamblers have gone.
Will you comfort me when the fog rolls in
I mistook you for being alone
Once upon a summer every road was mine
Every traveller had a jealous bone
But this time I’ve come to settle down
With the lady I would like to call my home
Something was always failing me
I had nothing to do nothing about
But then when you kissed me in my dreams
There was nothing left to try to figure out.
You can be an angel If you want
I’m going where the water tastes like wine
He’s pretty and he’s sweet but he’s got dust on his feet
And I can show you a much better time,
You can be an angel if you want
I’m going where the water tastes like wine
He’s pretty and he’s sweet but he’s got dust on his feet
And I can show you a much better time.
St. John’s Shore
Did you wake up misty flying free
when your daddy was a fisherman on the sea?
and you could have quite a laugh with his company
off the banks of me old St. John's ?
when the cod was clean and plentiful as air
you could net a whole school a few feet under there
never thinking about the political fare
off the banks of me old St. John's .
sail away from St. John's shore
sail until you fail no more
sail until the justice rises
like sunshine over their lies
Did you dream of someday sailing that boat
that your father sold with his weather coat?
He fished until the coast was clear
then retired to the town of Carbonear.
When in the days of fancy free
there was a dream waiting there for you and me
and we all parted ways with the fishery
and the banks of me old St. John's .
sail away from St. John's shore
sail until you fail no more
sail until the justice rises
like sunshine over their lies
the nets are met with less and less
we find nets in offices
tangle futures hedge our bets
sail away from the St. John's shore
Your father's gone to his early grave
the children have dreams and they scrape and save might afford to go to school someday
near the banks of me old St. John's
You say you will sail on a yacht at sea
but it wouldn't mean a damn to your family
cause you say you'll just be wishing for a fishing spree and the banks of me old St. John's
Lucky Day
I’m living on a mountain, people
And I’m hiding from the world
I’m in the middle of the view – and you can’t see me but I can see you
You can’t see me but I can see you
This is my lucky day, this is my lucky day, I spent my money on a rocking chair and a ticket to get me out of here.
I’m happy that you treat me kind
I’m happy that you treat me kind
Even though we don’t see eye to eye
Even though we don’t see eye to eye
You see me and I can’t see you.
I’m standing on my mountain.
Dancing in a stream –
Staring at all the naked people
Standing out there staring at me
Standing out there staring at me
I don’t mean to say it so I ain’t hiding from the world
I’ve shown you all my money tree, you can climb it here or you can leave me be.
I’ll take a little walk when I need to, and I’ll score a little weed, I’ll catch it between my toes, little girl, come and take a walk won’t you come with me?
Romania
Always been messed around, tore up and down
Always had a love last too long, stuck me around
But I never seen Romania
Never seen the sun rising there
Never smelt the grass or felt emotion melt me there
I never seen Romania
Had a stride, stood so proud so long
Walked a mile in everybody’s life
Should have made it down the cobblestones
Where accordions and shoe shiners survive
I been to Kansas City
Took my pack and my compass
Walked around downtown Kansas
I met a million destroyed people
Too hurt to turn away
I found out love was mine to give
So I stayed
And I never seen Romania , Never seen the port of Constanta
The black sea, and the waves from the port of Burgas
I never seen Romania.
My Bride and I
Echo of blue water I’ll never leave your side
Your ocean sky my blanket your starlight as my guide
Drift along this weightless whale so festooned in the sea
And my bride and I, my ship, my sail, my dream dreaming of thee
For many nights and moonlights I’ve waited on ‘ere shore
For the sea to come to rescue me from loneliness and war
The broken hearts cast aside as ships were floating free
And My bride and I, my ship, my sail, my dream dreaming of thee.
Without an answer to my shadow I foretold the tombs
The hollow ghost broke open, the rising of typhoons
Whispers turned to storms anchors held onto debris
And my bride and I, my ship, my sail, the dream was lost on me
I died inside her breasts I kissed the last of air farewell
The morning sun was rising as she floated through the dell,
My love was sinking low but I thanked the Lord for thee
My bride and I, My ship, my sail, my dream dreaming of thee.
The Drunkard
The good Lord is my sunshine,
He rises with me and sets me in the cold
I spend my nights alone , cold in terror and the moonlight is my home
I’m just a poor young drifter, nothing I can do to gain control,
But pray to the good lord that the life I lead won’t sting me when I’m old
Singing “Here’s to the sunshine
Here’s to the grass
here’s to the bed I’ve made my home.
Here’s to the people
Who hand me their spare change
Although there’s better places for their small change to go
Here’s to the waitress who takes all my money
Pities me as I stumble out the door
I must be getting older – these burdens hurt my shoulders
So don’t step on the drunkard anymore.
I want the love of a good woman
To keep me free from darkness in my heart
She’s a hunter and a fighter for the good things to keep me warm and keep me smart
I’m just a poor young drifter
A bunch of hippies taught me where to go.
Now I’m just a cowboy with a problem and a pocket full of holes.
Horse and Buggy Rag
What could I do to get those horse and buggy days back?
What I’d do
What I’d do
To get the water from the well and the fat from the land not the fast track
What’ I’d do
What’ I’d do
Sure I’d have to drink some liquor if I had a cut to stitch
And I wouldn’t be rich
Or in high demand
But I’d sure love to take my horse and buggy home, mac
'Deed I would
'Deed I would
And I wish I was there at the battle of deputies run
'Deed I do
'Deed I do
I’d be wearing my best and standing out there in the sun
'Deed I would
'Deed I would
I’d have the butt end of my pistol pointing to the mess
And I’d pull that pistol
My law wouldn’t let me rest
I wish I was there for the battle of deputies run
'Deed I do
'Deed I do
And I could wait for my lassie while she’s bound on the homeward train
'Deed I would
'Deed I would
And we could marry on a word and never have trouble again
'Deed I would
'Deed I would
I could be a high rolling tycoon in the moonshine trade
Roll into town in my buggy coach and make my daily promenade
What could I do to get the horse and buggy days back?
What I’d do
What I’d do.
Creeping Around
I been walking cuz I’m losing sleep
I been hiding I’m in trouble deep
My body’s aching and I ain’t got time to creep around this town no more
My heart is busy keeping the beat
I’m feeling lonesome and there ain’t no need
It’s all right to be walking around
But I ain’t to be creeping no more
I been hauling up and down these tracks
Find me baby there’s no turning back
The train is coming and I’m praying for change
My mind won’t do what anybody says no more no more no more No more -
This here walk will take me to the end
Evening is getting and I’m giving in
Say farewell and I’ll pray for your blues
Mandolino Waltz
Confusion has made a mystery of me
Nowhere I go do I feel free
Seems now and then when I meet you again
I can’t think of what to say
It makes no sense to love you when you’re taking my senses away
When I look to the ocean the horizon has no faults
When I’m in your horizons let’s dance the mandolino waltz
This poor boys in love with you and can’t do somersaults
But I can ask you, “kind miss, may I steal a kiss?”
As we dance the mandolino waltz
I sit down to have a smoke, collect my memories
But nothing comes to mind but this old Spanish melody
Where do you go when you float on conversation?
I wish I could find that place in my imagination.
You don’t know how much I wish I could give you a laugh
How can I kiss you when I ain’t made it past a paragraph?
You’re quickly losing interest to that old man across the room
He’s told you about love he wants to be my doom
Piper Road Spring Boogie
A couple guns and an old guitar
Ain’t all this old girl needs
All this old girl needs
All this old girl needs
Is some whiskey and some money
To take her where she leads
To the Saturday Piper Road Spring Boogie.
Well she’s going to be dancing, she going to be chancing and prancing and romancing
At the Saturday Piper Road Spring Boogie.
She knows that life is short
And there’s a whole world left to court.
At the Saturday Piper Road Spring Boogie.
She wishes she were a cowgirl on the plain
So she’s searching for her man
As the sun is creeping down
Slower by the day
Slower by the day
Slower by the day
It leaves twilight to find
Her cowboy young and stay
At the Saturday Piper Road Spring Boogie
We can only dance so long
With no one to dance along
No one to dance along
No one to dance along
She will leave the days behind
When she worked the five and dime
And she took me to the Piper Road Spring Boogie
Sweet Ukulele Haley
When the sun went down sweet Ukulele Haley played a song that sang so high
In the trees sang the wind neath the moonlight glistening and hiding all the stars in the night
She was a mystery
And I was longing to hear her again
When the sun went down sweet Ukulele Haley played a song that could take me away.
Many years had passed since the music had moved me
Nothing seemed to carry me through
I sought the lure of the tiger and the mists of the jungles and the drops of brandy too.
Then one day I was riding on the horseback and saw Ukulele Haley singing for a crowd
I stood in that valley and was taken away by every note she played no doubt
She sang of the mist in the jungles and she sang of drops of brandy rum
She sang of the music from the lure of the tiger how the magic never seemed to come
When she played her song she looked my way and I galloped to her side so proud
When she finished her song she jumped up on my horseback going where the spirit allowed.
Sweet Little Things
Sweet little things
That you do
Make me want to be with be with you
Just your kisses
Remind me of mama’s wine
The way that you hold me with your words
Most softest music I’ve ever heard
When you’re around me
I’ve got a good reason to smile
Saying “you’re gonna love this I’m talking about a good time.
You’re gonna love this I’m talking about a good time.
Sweet little things that you do
Make me want to be with you
How you close your letters
You are my special friend
The way you brush your hair
In the breeze
Whistling like the birds up in the trees
When you laugh – when you know what’s coming round the bend.
Money in the Wind
I was a farmer in the 20’s until I took farmers lung and died.
I was a revolutionary hippy, whose bottle became his bride
I was an Aztec empire hunter who took gypsies in the dark
Back in the time of David, I slay every king who made their mark
But It’s never getting better and I’m never coming back again
So just throw the money in the wind when I’m gone
Just throw the money in the wind when I’m gone
And let the wind sing an empty song.
Necessary evils turning good lives upside down
Television visions helping the dreamers lose their ground
Too much of everything the volume always high
I don’t know if I want to be here the next time that I die
Cause It’s never getting better and we’re never coming back again.
I remember visions of Rome and the slaves that I kept
Of Atlantis’ tragedy how the world drowned while it slept
I now think of my children who may now remain unborn
They wouldn’t want to be here the dream that we’re living is going to see the morn,
It’s never getting better, we’re never coming back again.
If Money makes you happy then baby, why don’t you smile?
You’re living cozy, nobody’s fool, but your smile ain’t worth a dime
It must be all the corruption; it must be all the poor
But every morning don’t matter that business suit has got to be worn
You’re never getting better; you’re never coming back again
It’s time to wake up people, don’t you wait another day
Cause this world is a car and your drunken driver is starting to cuss and sway
The road is getting darker and we’re climbing up too many hills
And this International’s fifth gear is bound to get us all killed
It’s never getting better and we’re never coming back again
I Love Everything About You
I know everywhere you’ve been
I love what you’ve seen even when you’ve sinned
It’s funny and I love everything about you
And they say that to know is to love
But how can I ever know enough?
From what I’ve seen I’d say I love it all about you.
I‘ve been guilty of having dreams without leads
Lies without words, prayers without deeds
But it’s okay, cause there’s no returning now.
And I know everywhere you’ve been
I love what you’ve seen even when you’ve sinned
It’s funny and I love everything about you.
I’ve been a sun in your sky
And you wouldn’t cry when I came around
And I’ve been a moon shining down
When the blues could gain ground they wouldn’t even try
When you say “let’s be friends” it frightens my poor heart again.
It frightens me to know that you’re real
Cause I would give it all to you, tears I’d hide I’d show you too, and I can’t change how I feel.
Read more...