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On the Loose

by The Squirrel Hillbillies

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1.
On the Loose 02:40
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On the Loose © 2015 The Squirrel Hillbillies Mama say, Son, I gotta run The music’s on the loose The band is on the corner Ain’t no time to snoozaroo Drummer’s making thunder With the rumble of the bass Folks swinging from the lampposts In the latest dancing craze Billy the Baker banging pans and pots and Lookout in the fire tower shouts: “Things are getting hot!” Mama say, Boy, did you hear that noise My banjo popped its strings Hand me down my old trombone Gonna make that metal sing Blues are at the crossroads Playing diddley bows and rags Weatherman, he call for rain But we got razzmatazz! Lil’ Cousin Lizzie, belting out high C's and Prisoners in the pokey yell: “We think we found the key!” Mama say, Child, it’s going wild Stretching far and wide Rhythm section’s pounding And the horns are screeching high ​ No time to find your boutonniere Or shine those old black shoes Just grab your axe and pork pie hat I hear my favorite tune! Old Uncle Ernie plays his clarinet and Bones in the graveyard singing: “We ain’t dead yet!”
2.
Dharma Jane 03:06
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Dharma Jane © 2015 The Squirrel Hillbillies Down by the place where the three rivers flow The waves paint your face on the waters below The lilt of your voice softly chanting the line Returns as an echo that settles my mind Om mani padme hum Crows in the graveyard, blacken the trees Filling the branches with feathery leaves A lift of your hand as you bid them goodbye The darkness erupts and a storm takes the sky Om mani padme hum High on a hillside, city below Following footsteps left long ago Mind full (mindful) of storms and then still by the edge Whispering words of the mantra you said I’m feeling your spirit today Where have you gone, Dharma Jane I'm hearing your voice in the rain Where have you gone, Dharma Jane Om mani padme hum
3.
Bury Me Green 03:27
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Bury Me Green © 2019 The Squirrel Hillbillies If I die in New York City I won’t need an airplane ride Float me up the Hudson River To Duchess County’s burial site Nestled in among the hanging vines If I go in Shenandoah Keep the campsite fire ablaze Send me down to Duck Run graveyard Bury me green in a bygone way Seeds and flower petals mark my place Hallelujah, Hallelujah Rising like the sun Rooted in the ground Hallelujah, Hallelujah! The sky my mausoleum The earth my endless vow If we’re sailing on the ocean And my life decides to leave Trim the sails for deeper waters Give my body to the sea I’ll feed the fish and hope they like the feast Hallelujah, Hallelujah Rising like the sun Rooted in the ground Hallelujah, Hallelujah! The sky my mausoleum The earth my endless vow Lingering a lifetime Drifting like the clouds When this life is over Wrap me in a shroud The moon a precious jewel The wind a sacred sound Creatures bearing witness As you lay my body down ​if I die right here in Pittsburgh As the last breath leaves my lungs Haul me over to Penn Forest Tell Pete my song’s been sung Pet the goats and give the trees a hug Turn the compost for the hungry bugs ​”No trace” is a way to show love I hope to leave this world as it was
4.
Soldier 04:27
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Soldier © 2015 The Squirrel Hillbillies The army sent my daddy home with shrapnel in his hands Uncle got him working at the plant He said he felt like he was back behind a prison wall Ma said it was a shame he came home at all The neighbor left us rosaries and magazines and cards She prayed as I played in the yard Daddy left his work boots in the dumpster up the street The foreman said take all the time you need He took up carving figures with a rusty pocket knife His broken hands brought the wood to life He whispered and he hummed while he whittled with his thumbs And told me fairy tales that he made up He talked about the desert and a soldier on a quest And he twitched as he described the sun's relentlessness He pulled the window curtains down and next he took the blinds I wonder if he thought the sun might need his help to shine The flag was like a lookout high above the clinic steps 50 stars and countless cast off cigarettes Mama left the bus fare on the counter with a key I let Daddy have the window seat At night he'd often pace and then he'd curl up on the floor He had a favorite spot near the door One morning Mama kicked him as she hurried off to work He groaned but he didn't say a word When he woke he grabbed his coat and reached out for my hand Then he vanished like an etching on the sand Ma told me that she always knew he'd end up on the street She said it even when the tears rolled down my cheeks Mama got new curtains and a man to share her bed Time for me to move along, she said Uncle bought my ticket and a shiny pocket knife And I'm leaving for the desert with a shadow at my side
5.
When I'm Gone 02:54
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When I'm Gone © 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies I spill the milk, I spill the beans I've run every stoplight I've ever seen I play the wrong chords and I sing out of tune and I tell all the punchlines way too soon When I'm gone pour beer on my grave Sing me a song with a crooked refrain Drive my old car into the sea Just don't forget about me (Singing off key) Don't forget about me I drink too much coffee and keep you awake With stories of nonsense adventures I take I talk to the trees and I sing to the stars And I dance with the chickens out there in the yard When I'm gone pour beer on my grave Sing me a song with a crooked refrain Drive my old car into the sea Just don't forget about me (Talking to trees) Don't forget about me Give my guitar to the girl down the street My coat to anyone cold that you meet When I'm gone I won't cry anymore About hunger and greed, anger and war When I'm gone pour beer on my grave Sing me a song with a crooked refrain Drive my old car into the sea Just don't forget about me (When you're sipping your tea) Don't forget about me (When you smell Patchouli) Don't forget about me
6.
Bittersweet 03:11
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Bittersweet © 2015 The Squirrel Hillbillies Mama called me Sugar Plum And topped my bottle off with rum That's how I got rotten teeth And my taste for bittersweet Cupboard full of pixy stix 'Frigerator on the fritz A growing child has gotta eat I got my fill of bittersweet Bittersweet Bittersweet Before I even got my teeth I got my taste for bittersweet If you like your peaches ripe And soaked in syrup overnight Find yourself another shop 'Cause bittersweet is all I got Milky chocolates in a box Glass o' bubbly on the rocks Did you miss the candy gram? Bittersweet is who I am Bittersweet Bittersweet Check your box of recipes I'm under "B" for bittersweet Bittersweet Bittersweet Lord knows I’m no beauty queen With my skinny bones and rotten teeth But you can have a piece of me If what you crave is bittersweet
7.
Fat Cat Skinny Cat 02:41
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Fat Cat, Skinny Cat © 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies Skinny cat eat on the microwave Fat cat eat on the floor Fat cat eat what skinny cat leave When skinny cat eat no more Skinny cat only like fresh food Fat cat he don't care Skinny cat always hanging out Fat cat hiding somewhere Fat cat, skinny cat Live just two doors down I stop in to see them When their family not around Skinny cat he get a kitty treat But I can't remember when Fat cat he get hairballs Gotta brush him now and then I read all the instructions Put them in this song Fat Cat Skinny Cat They always sing along Fat cat, skinny cat Live just two doors down I stop in to see them When their family not around Skinny cat say to fat cat, "Hey the chickens flew the coop! Time for us to have some fun Let's go and shoot some hoops Paint our nails, curl our hair Play some air guitar Raise the door on the shed out back And drive that nice sports car!" Fat cat, skinny cat Live just two doors down I stop in to see them When their family not around Fat Cat say to Skinny Cat, "Don't want no trouble, man Just leave me be and let me eat There's tuna in that can Them folks of ours they tight, you know They limit what I get Now they gone I'm gonna feast So hand me that baguette!" Fat cat, skinny cat Live just two doors down I stop in to see them When their family not around
8.
Old Dry Bones 04:07
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Old Dry Bones © 2012 The Squirrel Hillbillies Old dry bones left along the road I still hear the lows of the cattle when the wind blows How they make my heart grieve These old dry bones Out on the farm there ain’t much alive Dust fills the air when trucks pass on by Dirts road I used to cross every day Broken pipes covered in rust block the way Them papers I signed with my daddy’s old pen While I joked with the bankers and the company men Told how the gas and the dollars would flow Both ran out a long time ago Now there's old dry bones left along the road I still hear the lows of the cattle when the wind blows How they make my heart grieve These old dry bones I think of my daddy and the way that he lived And I know there’s no chance he’d a done what I did I picture him turning these bones in his hands And mourning what’s happened to his sacred land The load that I carry around in my heart Is enough to tear anybody apart I buried my daddy and all of my kin All I got left is memories of them and these Old dry bones left along the road I still hear the lows of the cattle when the wind blows How they make my heart grieve These old dry bones
9.
Stink Bug Family Reunion & Semi-Formal Ball 02:04
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Stink Bug Family Reunion © 2012 The Squirrel Hillbillies Heard the buzz? They're here in town! Flew all night and just touched down For the Stink Bug Family Reunion and Semi-Formal Ball Looking smart the way they're dressed In their prehistoric best For the Stink Bug Family Reunion and Semi-Formal Ball Buzzing as they dance through the night Do-si-do-ing left and right Country two step, what a sight! Buzzing as they dance through the night Shake and shimmy left and right Chicken dance, what a sight! Picnic tables full of loot Stolen soybeans, kale and fruit At the Stink Bug Family Reunion and Semi-Formal Ball Parties can be so much fun But we'll be glad when this one's done The Stink Bug Family Reunion and Semi-Formal Ball

about

All songs written, arranged, performed and recorded by Gary Crouth (vocals, guitar, ukulele, upright bass) and Jenny Wolsk (vocals,
ukulele, upright bass, cello, percussion). Special guest Eleanor Bain singing harmony on Track 2. Mixing and mastering by Jesse Naus,
Red Caiman Media. Cover art by Madeline Bain. Dedicated to the memory of Paul Wolsk and Joe Crouth.

©℗ 2020 The Squirrel Hillbillies. All rights reserved.

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released December 31, 2020

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The Squirrel Hillbillies Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

From deep within the urban forest of Pittsburgh's East End, the Squirrel Hillbillies often emerge to share their eclectic mix of acoustic roots, spanning folk, country and blues. Duo partners Jenny Wolsk and Gary Crouth have been writing, arranging, recording and performing together since 2010. Their original songs have been played on radio programs in the US, Europe and around the world. ... more

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