1. |
Insane When We're Apart
03:46
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Insane When We're Apart
© 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies
When darkness falls these walls close in on me
The old wood floors tip like a ship at sea
The leaky faucet drips the rhythm for my heart
Seems I go insane when we're apart
The telephone it moans when you don't call
The clothes you leave behind go traipsing through the hall
The mattress and the pillows turn cold and hard
Seems I go insane when we're apart
Without your hand, I'm out of touch
Without your voice, I don't hear much
Your burning gaze fills my darkest days with light
I hope you bring my senses back tonight
When I peer into the mirror there's a face I've never seen
My perfume faintly smells of gasoline
For comfort, I curl up with a rusty wrecking bar
Seems I go insane when we're apart
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2. |
Omaha
03:36
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Omaha
© 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies
I found you in the summertime; lost you in the fall
You wanted something better and drove off to Omaha
Wandering those streets alone, wondering who to call
Winter’s not the best time to be lost in Omaha
I could have made a life for you much better than it seemed
My thinking had all leveled out in the early spring
By the time the snow was gone and ice began to thaw
I was wishing you were driving back to me from Omaha
I still send you letters though I know they’ll be returned
Telling you I’m better and not to be concerned
About the way you left me here, how you left me in that place
Someone who looks a lot like you goes by here everyday
Friends who used to know you say you have the life you chose
What I have to give you never wanted, I suppose
Still sometimes I see myself your rescue from it all
But something stops me every time I set out for Omaha
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3. |
Something Awful
02:52
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Something Awful
© 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies
The first time I saw you I fell off my bike
And I smiled as my head hit the ground
You laughed and you asked was I feeling alright
I said you turned my world upside down
You kneeled at my side and I reached for your hand
You frowned but you didn't resist
I lifted my head and got ready to stand
Then you knocked me back down with a kiss
I love you something awful
And that's the awful truth
My poor heart will break if your love starts to fade
Like the strip from that old photo booth
The way that you run with the dogs by the lake
The notes that you leave by the door
You can say all you want about timing and fate
But I know what I'm hoping for
The look in your eyes when you're looking at me
Makes me stumble and step on your toes
I will dance with chickens and talk to the trees
If it means that you'll never let go
I love you something awful
And that's the awful truth
My poor heart will break if your love starts to fade
Like the strip from that old photo booth
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4. |
The Carny
04:23
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The Carny
© 2012 The Squirrel Hillbillies
The carny came in wagons, set up at the edge of town
Ropes and cables tangled on the ground
Creaky wooden stages and saggy little tents
A crooked sign that advertised, “Admission 50 cents”
By the time the people from the factory headed home
The sun was barely in the sky, the carny was aglow
Passing by the wagons sitting empty on the rocks
Most of us lined up and dropped our coins into the box
The carny show ran through the night, I stayed until dawn
As I stepped outside the tent, I heard a little song...
The music drew me back inside and everything was wild
A monkey walked the tight rope, or perhaps it was a child?
Feathers fell from rafters tickling clowns who scratched their heads
A man appeared from nowhere and this is what he said:
"The wonder and the longing that have brought you in this tent
Are fuel for the long journey you're embarking on, my friend
If you lose your way, it's OK, just close your eyes
Listen for the little song and let it be your guide”
I still work the factory, turning knobs and gears
Making things nobody needs, my mind is far from here
I’m back at the carny balanced high on the tight rope
Or maybe it’s not me but just a monkey in a coat?
“For a little happiness to help your life along,
Step right up, step inside and listen for the song...”
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5. |
Organic Chemistry
02:59
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Organic Chemistry
© 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies
You got that free range look
Unshaved and barefoot
No artificial color schemes
You are as real as you seem
Loving you comes naturally
Must be organic chemistry
I like the way you meditate
Your gaze puts me in a state
You got that gentle healing touch
You smooth things out when life gets rough
Loving you comes naturally
Must be organic chemistry
I like the chickens in your yard
Your pumpkin patch and your Swiss chard
Your gifts are precious and so rare
You’re like a good night’s sleep
And a breath of fresh air
The solar panels on your roof
Your loyalty to local food
The way you compost and reuse
Your being green soothes my blues
Loving you comes naturally
Must be organic chemistry
The yoga poses that you strike
The way you look by candlelight
I like your elemental properties
Bonding with you requires no scientific expertise
I’m stuck on you like sap on trees
Like nectar from the honey bees
Must be organic chemistry
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6. |
Sammy's Old Country Band
03:29
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Sammy’s Old Country Band
© 2012 The Squirrel Hillbillies
I played guitar in Sammy’s Old Country Band
We hit the radio and little bars now and then
Sammy's old now; he can hardly stand
He paid us in cash, said he felt like a wealthy man
Lara arrived and Sammy said, "Boys, take five"
She packed my guitar and headed outside
Motor running, Lara said, "Would you please drive?"
We pulled away slowly and she put her hand on my thigh
Wind whistled, the car at cruising speed
Lara said, "We have much more than we ever will need
We’ll live like kings in the desert, near old Genesee"
The scenery changed and the air became harder to breathe
Oh, mama, I have gone astray
Chasing a song for so long I keep losing my way
I still play guitar but the stations and bars have all changed
Lara’s been gone now for years, said she just couldn’t stay
Things I’ve seen in the desert they rattle my brain
I wish I was with Sammy’s Old Country Band again
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7. |
What You Gonna Do
03:13
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What You Gonna Do?
© 2012 The Squirrel Hillbillies
Baby crying, ma’am
What you gonna do?
Flapping her little hands
You got them Lord-have-mercy blues
Busy talking on the phone
At the bus stop heading home
Baby feeling so alone
World weighing down on you
What you gonna do?
Boyfriend on the phone
What you gonna do?
He don’t want to be alone
You got them can’t-be-bothered blues
Stories running on the screen
Way too tired to cook or clean
Boyfriend wants to see his queen
World weighing down on you
What you gonna do?
Landlord at the door
What you gonna do?
Time to pay him more
You got them empty-pocket blues
Working hard as you can
Moving fast without a plan
Landlord ain't a patient man
World weighing down on you
What you gonna do?
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8. |
No Bone
03:21
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No Bone
© 2010 The Squirrel Hillbillies
Open up my fridge, now what do I see?
Just empty space staring out at me
Fridge say, "Now, what you gonna do?"
Little ones are depending on you
Stew pot say, "There's not much here"
(There ain't much here)
Spider moved in late last year
(Oh my, oh dear)
Stove say, "Go, before it's too late!"
(No meat, no fat, no bone)
Been so long since the little ones ate
(Go now, don't you wait)
No meat (No meat!), no fat, no bone
No meat, no fat, no bone
Well it's gonna make me shout and moan
Leave my little ones all alone
No meat, no fat, no bone
I started on down the street
(I started down the street)
A big rutabaga come after me
(How can that be?)
I took it down, I took it home
(No meat, no fat, no bone)
Fed it to my little ones, so alone
(They're so alone)
No meat (No meat!), no fat, no bone
No meat, no fat, no bone
Well it's gonna make me shout and moan,
Leave my little ones all alone
No meat, no fat, no bone
The little ones ate 'til their bellies were full
Went to sleep in the mixing bowl
Slept on through 'til half past ten
(No meat, no fat, no bone)
Said, "let's have rutabaga again!"
(C'mon let's eat again!)
No meat (No meat!), no fat, no bone
No meat, no fat, no bone
Well it's gonna make me shout and moan,
Leave my little ones all alone
No meat, no fat, no bone
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9. |
Joe & Donna
02:31
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Joe & Donna
© 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies
Joe met Donna at the bowling alley
He was sittin’ with her best friend Sally
Donna come over said, "Who’s this dude?
Sally, is this guy bothering you?"
Sally said, "Nah, he ain't no trouble
'Fact, he seems your type, baby face and no stubble"
Donna took his hand and gave him the eye
She said, "Hey boy, wanna go for a ride?"
Donna drives an eighteen wheeler
Has season tickets for the Steelers
Joe knows how to please her...
They drive on the parkway and park downtown
Dance in the fountain ‘til the sun comes ‘round
Donna’s a certified bodyguard
Joe feels safe in her arms
When she moves her freight it gives him a rush
When she flexes her muscles it makes him blush
For his Donna Joe cooks all day
She likes his cooking and she puts it away
After three dozen eggs and a half o’ cow
She says, "What you gonna feed me now?"
Donna drives an eighteen wheeler
Has season tickets for the Steelers
Joe knows how to please her...
They drive on the parkway and park downtown
Dance in the fountain ‘til the sun comes ‘round
Through the Squirrel Hill Tunnels ‘cross the Liberty Bridge
Donna steers that big ol’ rig
Eighteen wheels up McArdle Road
Over the rivers and the lights below
She parks hanging over the Mon incline, and says,
"This is when you ask me to be your bride!"
Donna loves her eighteen wheeler
‘Bout as much as a season of the Steelers.
But they're off to the new car dealer...
Gonna trade in the truck for different rig
‘Cause Joe don’t know how to drive stick shift!
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10. |
Engine Blues
03:11
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Engine Blues
© 2010 The Squirrel Hillbillies
You may think this is funny, you may say it's untrue
But without an engine, my car just won't do
It sits like a sculpture, all quiet and demure
When it wants to be a 70-mile an hour blur
My engine's missing, mislaid, it's a mystery
Lost in space someplace between Pittsburgh
And Memphis, Tennessee
I've lost lots of money and my daddy's pocket knife
But I never lost an engine in my whole entire life
Was it abducted by an alien race?
Or detained for questions in an undisclosed place?
My engine's missing, mislaid, it's a mystery
Lost in space someplace between Pittsburgh
And Memphis, Tennessee
Maybe my engine's on a street in New Orleans
Being loud, drinking hard, running rough and mean
Anyone dares to suggest a repair
It'll spit a little oil and just vanish in the air
My engine's missing, mislaid, it's a mystery
Lost in space someplace between Pittsburgh
And Memphis, Tennessee
If you see my engine, here is what to say,
"You got brand new pistons from Califor-ni-a,
So motor down to Memphis, they will fix your pings,
And send you home to Pittsburgh to a car again."
My engine's missing, mislaid, it's a mystery
Lost in space someplace between Pittsburgh
And Memphis, Tennessee
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11. |
Strange Life
03:18
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Strange Life
© 2011 The Squirrel Hillbillies
There's a crack across the windshield
Don't remember how it got there
Seems like something's always kicking up along the road
There's a book by Vonnegut
My copy worn from reading it
Years ago I circled every phrase of, "So it goes"
It's a strange life, it's a beautiful, strange life
It's a strange life, it's a beautiful, strange life
Flowers in the hallway
You bought for my birthday
Seems they should be wilting but they look just the same
Houseplant growing like a tree
Tangled in the drapery
Seems it wants to fill the world right through the windowpane
It's a strange life, it's a beautiful, strange life
It's a strange life, it's a beautiful, strange life
By the time you realize it
You're planning out your exit
Divvy up the bank accounts, stereo, TV
Documents are written
Speeches have been scripted
Saying what a wise and gentle person you could be
It's a strange life, it's a beautiful, strange life
It's a strange life, it's a beautiful, strange life
There's a crack across the windshield
Don't remember how it got there
Seems like something's always kicking up along the road...
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12. |
When I'm Gone
02:53
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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 about how I'll be saved
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 about how I'll be saved
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 about how I'll be saved
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
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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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