Get all 4 CANANDAIGUA releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Slight Return, Diamonds, A Dime and a Ribbon, and Real Fakes Vol. 2.
1. |
||||
|
What do it take to be seen as a man
red flowing these veins just as sure as i stand
generations that layer this skin
a history of joy and pain held within
son of a land that would seem to betray me
yet the lord it is said gives no burden to break thee
Yes an, we may rise, weighted with anger
though branches my fall its the roots what endure
the road it is long the travelers beyond weary
though we spill our lungs words fall on dead ears
a desolate wish for a calm through the clearing
and respite from torment of living through fear.
Woke up this morning the blues in my bed
The radio man tells of another child dead
streets swell with sadness, swelled with sorrow
enraged for all this repeating tomorrow
the road it is long the travelers beyond weary
desperately wish for a calm through the clearing
When will the past be taken as such
A wretch of a beast, we stay in its clutch
The grip of the pain, its hers and its his
and all the while seeming to say,
"That’s just how it is”
When do we, become truly free
Delivered from oh such iniquities
The road remains long, and may outlast us all
one foot ‘fore the next till the day that we fall
|
||||
2. |
||||
|
Pull us two on through to what remains of the day
Traveling briskly over what to us is unfamiliar terrain
Left that common comfort of her touch
In a place we called home
Set our sights on the unknown
To arrive by leather and chrome
We show but know
our time should expire sometime
And leave our milk white bones
In the bone white moon light
Though that seems long from now
I've still got my big plans
I'm gonna take this spark and make my mark
I'm gonna be a big time man
There's a quiver in her voice
That shows she seems to doubt my choices
That I've left her all alone
To tend to our bonny boys
It's the little things, they say
And those things might be okay
To say, maybe even once more
Before I cross the front door
But remember that I love you
And my heart always points towards you
And I'd never ever leave
Except to help our family
|
||||
3. |
||||
|
His hammer rings
Clear out through the rails
That stretch out as far as anyone could see
He'll drive that steel
and beat back the earth
They'll give him 10 dimes a day
Say that's all that he's worth
The myth of his strength
The myth of his speed
Myth of a man
Punching holes in the Alleghenies
A symbol of effort
A symbol of work
But a man who'd be damned
From the moment of his birth
Came on up that mountain high
And break on through to the other side
She'd have all her children live free
Oh! however, conditionally
Marble-eyed John
When he left for the bend
From the half light of dawn
Began days with no end
Men who would change the landscape before them
Laid a half a million miles of timber and track
Breath taken by dust
And to dust we return
Birthed of this land
For her love we do yearn
Came on up that mountain high
And break on through to the other side
Words penned by mortal men
Should deliver us from fear
And yet we do find
So little room for us here
Flesh and blood bound
Fettered voices still resound
Man ain't nothin but a man
Who died, nine pounds in his hand
Came on up that mountain high
And break on through to the other side
|
||||
4. |
||||
|
The clearest day can still call out for the rain
Diamonds shimmering upon the window pane
The winds they hiss and moan
And beckon me with their songs
I wonder when it was it might have all gone oh so wrong
A night spent hugging that ol' Tennessee rail
I step outside, I hope I tipped her well
And its a shame, grasping at what to blame
The spirit of fear that knows all of our names
Why should I choose to quit
When I'm so close to the end
Why should I forsake
The helping hand of an old friend
Sometimes it just feels
That choice is really no choice at all
Bad luck it seems, overcasted dreams
We succumb to the weight of it all
Mountain highway maundering
In a big body sedan
Expect me gone, long gone for long
Like ol' Mama Maybelle sang
This weight remains alone my burden
As I drive headlong across this land
We must take them
Hold dear whatever constants one can
Why should I choose to quit
When I'm so close to the end
Why should I forsake
The helping hand of an old friend
|
||||
5. |
All Of Us
02:50
|
|||
|
Daylight came so sudden
Caught every last one of us off guard
A tangle of memories
But now which ones can we discard
It's really no surprise
If we're honest with ourselves
The story of our time
That book, it was always on our shelves
What do we do with you?
What do we do with you?
What do we do with you?
What do we do with you?
The truth today inevitable
But tomorrow, it's much the same
That which once denied we'd hide
But today we sing our new refrain
These words I wrote for you
Though my hand you never knew
And If I'm all a lie
Then which parts of you are true?
What do we do with you?
What do we do with you?
What do we do with you?
|
||||
6. |
The Margins
04:12
|
|||
|
How close our proximity
As we approach the wonder,
Oh, that place where we oughta to be
The distant glow of the stars
Lighting my way afar
A silhouette you barely see
Vanishing, yet I am leaving
From a wilderness
That so heavily obscured me
I maintain to hold my place for posterity
Oh! Will it be the wicked hand
Or will it be the timid.
Who does the most or does the least
Ensuring I’m not in it
I know who the heroes are supposed to be
I know who the heroes are supposed to be
The ones on which we always fixate
Histories and narratives
You tell us who to celebrate
I know who the heroes are supposed to be
A canon that were assigned
According to my recollection
I found there to be cast
More a shadow than a reflection
We shift the margins
We push we pull we draw them in
We’ll sharpen our words
To reframe and hew the shape of things
How many times has the sun stood watch over our folly
Which version of ourselves will be present for the grand finale?
Will it be the wicked hand
Or will it be the timid.
Who does the most or does the least
Ensuring I’m not in it
|
||||
CANANDAIGUA Washington, D.C.
Uncommon folk tunes handmade in Washington, DC.
Helmed by Raul Zahir De Leon, Formerly of Stamen & Pistils, Radel Esca, and Dead Artists
CANANDAIGUA recommends:
Long time follower of Ripley's projects, but the vibe on this one hits just right. This is my perfect summertime record, though I'm sure Im going to be playing it just as much in the dead of winter.
go to album
Howdy High-Rise
by Croy And The Boys
Super into Croy's sound. I've long been into Norteño music but never really knew how to integrate it into what I was doing. I love how they pull it all together. Perfect tex-mex marriage.
go to album
My Heart Is An Open Field
by Tenci
Just found out about Tenci and I'm now a fan. Her voice floats through the ethereal musical landscape in such a beautiful way. Love this album.
go to albumIf you like CANANDAIGUA, you may also like:
Dakota Blue Moon
by Jackson Harden
Gorgeous acoustic Americana from North Carolina, stripped-back and sublime.
go to album
All New
by Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
The sound of classic country music abounds on the latest from Grammy-winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer.
go to album
Old Habits
by Kat Wallace and David Sasso
This New Haven duo write bright and emotionally resonant folk music where sweeping strings elevate gorgeous melodies.
go to album
