Drake Blake Returns - EP
Cover art: Ritchie Rayrao
We are best friends. I love him like a brother.
I met Ricky Carter on a mission to Guatemala. Not that kind of a mission, a medical mission. We hit it off and he graciously offered to session on drums for this project. When Kevin Lofgren heard Ricky was involved, he was in on bass. Ricky knew Betsy Adams and we had an amazing guitarist. Ricky apparently knows everyone and he brought in Danny Eisenberg on keyboards. Kyla Danysh, well known to my family, brought her exquisite Irish fiddle playing, and my daughters, Caitlin Tabancay Austin, Mariel Austin and Renata Tabancay Austin lent their angel voices. I don’t do any recordings without Mariel playing trombone on at least one song. I sang lead and played acoustic guitar on all songs.
All songs by Mick Austin except the lyric on “Dancing Days,” which was written by W.B. Yeats (public domain)
Songs copyright 2010 / Recording copyright 2010
Recorded at Lost Dog Sudios, Berkeley, California
Mixed and Mastered by Damien Rasmussen at Smoke and Mirrors
San Francisco, California
That’s Lester and Gracie down at the bottom, circa 1939. He would be 25 and she, 17.
(1) Love is a Finger
Love is a finger in a dam
Keeps the waters from our land
Love is a girl filled with light
Give her all you got, she won’t bite
Love, it’ a curious thing
Love is here for everything
All our begging won’t suffice
Turn it round and round, love on ice
Go on write your manifesto
You better put some love in or it won’t go
Love, it’s a curious thing
Love is here for everything
Fallen angel, missed a beat
Leave out love, feel no heat
Bold and righteous, so you say
Love is nothing, not fade away
And yet I know you must have love hidden
So let us sing with one accord
Let’s take everyone, get them on board
Clap your hands, jump up high
See what love can do in the blink of an eye
(2) Me and JoLee
Me and Jolee, took her mama’s red and white Capri
Drove it down to the coast
We knew that’d piss off her mom the most
Then we parked it out on the sand
JoLee took my hand and said: doo doo’n doo doo
Walked out in the waves – Sun boiling the sea away
Dark as the sand
Wearing nothing but your tan
And your police cap
I never knew where you got that . . . you said
I’ll never feel more than I feel right now
I’ll never come this way again – doo doo’n doo doo
My flag boy and your flag boy, way out on the wire
My flag boy and your flag boy
Oh, baby, we set that beach on fire
Eiko eiko on day
Here’s to the love we made that day . . . she said
I’ll never feel more than I feel right now
I’ll never come this way again – doo doo’n doo doo
(3) Bad Alcohol
Daddy died when I was seven
Bad alcohol, I hope he’s in heaven
Big hole in the family
I figured it was up to me
Cold every night, it’s cold in the grave
Daddy be sleeping, I know you’re brave
I know you’d risk your soul
You’d do it to make us whole
It seems that prayer brings you nothing
That’s the short sided view
What’s so noble about man
Okie jive, six into five
Anything keep the family alive
Roosevelt was still on his feet
I bet he had plenty to eat
Here with the family can’t you feel the squeeze
You’re converted baby
Screaming at the wind
You lied to the prophets right to their faces
They decided to fine you, now you’re lost in spaces
Judges of otherwise irrefutable stain
Dedicated, devoted to the pain
(4) Dancing Days
Come let me sing, sing into your ear
All these dancing days are gone
All the silk and satin gear
Crouched upon a stone
Wrapping that foul body up
In as foul a rag
I carry the sun in a golden cup
The moon in a silver bag
Curse as you may I’ll sing it through
What matter if the knave
The most could pleasure you
The children that he gave
Are somewhere sleeping like a top
Under a marble flag
I carry . . .
(5) Levon’s Curse
You go ahead – sing that Band song
Sing it sweet – Just give it a different back beat
Your CD’s are selling well in France – You’re touring Japan
You’re everybody’s favorite Betty – Archie with a plan
But soon you find your friends,
Well intentioned but ultimately misguided individuals
Who feel it’s necessary to stand right in front of you,
Look you right in the eye and tell you
There’s nobody standing next to you
There’s nobody talking about you
There’s nobody running your shit
There’s nobody, it’s just Levon’s curse
He made it in a fit of rage
Hey, anyone can err
Levon, keep your shirt on
I know you’re angry – Hell, who wouldn’t be
You see, we are but a local band just trying to get by
And we thought maybe just this once you could see your way clear to
Remove the sanctions, undo the Voodoo, ex the Hex
Release Levon’s curse
(6) Letter to Lester
Sick of these dusty roads – Sick of this stinking bus
These kids won’t leave me alone
Lester, you’re my man – You ain’t here now
So lonely, I’m empty to the bone
It’s good to see your face
When I close my eyes I feel your touch – I’m full
Yeah I know there’s a war on – Seems like I been fighting it
Going on twenty years
I know there’s machinery – I know I’m fixing it
I’m fixing to leave it all behind
I can’t go back to Oklahoma – I ain’t staying in California
I’ll be where we made our home
