Lyrics from the album Canaries
Here in the South
(Steph Gunnoe)
Here in the south (4X)
I’ve got a big old mouth
Here in the south
I’m movin’, of course,
Goin’ up north (2X)
They’re gonna love me there
Where people get their share
They got the one eye blind
When people speak their mind
The best we can do (4X)
The west coast for you
They got the most for you
They got your antidote
You’ll get your novels wrote
Here in the south (x4)
They’re gonna miss the mouth
Of the wayward ones
Gonna miss the sound
Of the native tongue
Here in the south (4x)
Ain’t gonna shut my mouth
Canaries
(Steph Gunnoe)
You’re magical, you’re magical
But you bring your old man down
If it must be him or me
I’d bring my old man down
They all say he’d be down anyway
And speaking of your mother’s love
It’s forty box cars long
And speaking of your mother’s love
She sings a worried song
Rhythm carry me
Away from the wife of the miner’s minor melody
Rhythm carry me
Away from the wife of the miner’s minor melody
It’s typical, it’s typical
To join the college-bound
It’s typical, it’s typical
For those above the ground
Books carry you away
from the man in the mines
who could not find no words for you
Books carry me away
from the man in the mines
who could not find no words for me
And all the coal dust faeries
I didn’t know they could live so long
And all the sweet canaries
Heard every radio play their song
Another bird has flown (4X)
Heard every radio play their song
Gone Again
(Steph Gunnoe)
Gone again
laughin’ with your cutter friends
Funner than
years with your comedian
And we understand
When you made your plans
Such a brave young man
More fearful then
Busted twice
Raggin’ on your daddy’s vice
Never nice
Slippin’ on your daddy’s ice
And we understand…
Born again
Drag the little kicker in
Calm him down
Make him want to stick around
And we understand…
It’s Alright
(Steph Gunnoe)
All the lonely whistle blowers of the family
Shivering in studios starting to agree
All the rules in rituals that once held them down
In the lies that organize meaning can be found
And we learn in our own day
It’s alright, it’s alright to be
creatures that lose their way
And make it up anyway (repeat chorus)
All the tired rule-abiders of the family
Pull the weight and tow the line, learn to disagree
Oh, their posture is so telling, prices can be dear
And the purpose of rebellion been coming clear
And we learn in our own time
It’s alright, it’s alright to be free
On our own dime
It’s alright, it’s alright to be free (repeat chorus)
Who’s gonna fix her her elixir and settle her down?
Who’ s gonna light his dynamite and spread him around?
Every little body has an ending, see how we run
Every little body’s offended, see how it’s done
And we learn, tho it’s never told
It’s alright, it’s alright to be
creatures growing old (3X)
It’s alright to die
Mohawk
(Steph Gunnoe)
Good girl, good girl
You goin come back, come back
And research yer look
All the years it took
To grow yer hair to yer waist
Hide in place
Research research
Sinner girl, sinner girl
You go and come back, come back
And research yer taste
Mohawk in the face
Poorest people in the states
Mohawks’re fake
Eggwhites, toothpaste
Meet me in a while
Hair care aisle
Shopping for a style
Research research
Aged girls, aged girls
You gonna come back, come back
And research the rules
Rusty rusty tools
Rusty rusty tools
Amen
(Sean McCollough)
Far away
What can I say
What can I say
Been so long
I can’t even write this song
Amen, Amen
40 years
Ain’t so long
Ain’t so long
We’ve both lived
40 years, 40 years
Amen, Amen
All my dreams
You don’t know
All my dreams
I don’t know
All your dreams
All your dreams
Amen, Amen
It’s alright (8X)
Amen (it’s alright, it’s alright)
Amen (it’s alright, it’s alright)
Trickle Down
(Steph Gunnoe)
Little children fall in line
Swearing off the taste of childhood wine
Always thirsty growing up
Thought their mama stole their love
Watch your daughters run down from the hills
Raisin babes on fire water still
Little daughter come down from on high
Where the air’s too thin for you and I
Yes, I threw little bricks at the window
When the prices made me mad
Till I learned a little trick
Only that the merchandise is sad
Watching daughters …
And if your spirit’s still around
Everything’s gon trickle down
And if that theory still is sound
Everything’s gonna trickle down
Trickle down
I’ve starred in a million dreams
Oscar-winning only made me mean
How it hurts to be eclipsed
We’re all stars in our apocalypse
Watching daughters …
And if your spirit’s still around
Everything’s gon trickle down
And if that theory still is sound
Everything’s gonna trickle down
Trickle down
Salty Song
(Steph Gunnoe)
Salty salty salty song
Oh, the sweet heart bangs along
Salty salty salty song
Oh, the sweet hearts bang along
All radios they run
On the dirty little drum
We got dirty little drums
Television married me
We birthed the babe, reality
Television married me
We birthed the babe, reality
All plots they run on nerve
And the dirty little curve
I got dirty little curves
Workin workin workin song
Fabrication all day long
Workin workin workin song
Fornication all night long
All factories they run
On the dirty little drum
We got dirty little drums
We got dirty little drums
West Virginia Soundtrack
(Steph Gunnoe)
Yes, I love you but I have no answers
For your minerals and gandy dancers
Burning holes in my walls
Dedicate me to the underdog
Dedicate me to the underdog
I’m a good hillbilly, honey am I really
You say I’m remote but I’ve been a good goat
I’m a good lover, workin with your governor
Pardon his sins – he just wants to fit in
Better off if I’m not around
All your silent women in your walls of sound
Gonna run away, play it back
I been working on your soundtrack
I been working on your soundtrack
I’m a good hillbilly…
Tough love honey, I don’t want no more
From your veterans of the culture wars
Gonna run away, make a plan
To be a softer woman in a softer land
softer woman in a softer land.
I’m a good hillbilly…
I’ll be your midwife, workin alone
I’ll help you bear what’s never been born
I’ll be your midwife, dark and alone
I’ll help you bear what’s never been born.
Blue Vinyl
(Sean McCollough)
Blue vinyl turns my baby on (2X)
She drives a white torpedo
With blue vinyl seats (2X)
1981 (4X)
I can’t compete with blue vinyl seats
Beatin’ out the blues of our creation
But time is a teaser
So you better believe her
Or she’ll keep twistin’ all our expectations
Blue vinyl…
She drives…
1981…
I can’t compete…
Smart Country People
(Steph Gunnoe)
Smart country people we came from
Made local love with the sun
They slept with ancient attitude
So fuzzy green
Made the silver seem rude to them
Made the silver seem rude to them
Smart country people running late
On innertube interstate
Oh, someone’s coming
Thumb a ride
It looks so bad
looks bad to be denied
Looks so bad to be denied
Smart country places still around
Hidin their healers underground
And when you come, please give a yell
Yeah, raise it up
Antenna’s gonna serve you well
Antenna’s gonna serve you well