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That string and its kite too

by Ricky Allan and Rodney Williams

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1.
By the river’s far bank Flows what’s current With echoes off these cliffs I’m still silent On the waves in that gulf Floats my distance In my sky-blue eyes You’ll find my blues No need to contrive Some long-term sense of drive Hard work made me thrive Let us survive Now my old designs Look like some kid’s kite Flying right out of sight From this ball of twine On some days all I do Is let things slip right through That string and its kite too Far away from you Beside the track ahead Drifts my distraction Round this corner to the right’s My conscience Low over our valley’s My depression In my sky-blue eyes You’ll find my blues Just look at these words, babe See how blue I can be Listen to these chords, girl Hear the blues in me Sing this once or twice, babe Feel how blue I can be Look me in the eyes, girl Find the blues in me
2.
Down in the back seats football fans Are loud with beer – full of boasts This train’s no Transcontinental But their team’s gone coast-to-coast Across the aisle sits a blonde girl In the groove with her headphones She’s typing away like crazy On her own but not alone With this late-night limited express Not stopping in the town where I live I’ll need to take a taxi back home When I’ll get there is anyone’s guess That tall dude by the carriage door He looks too cool to believe There’s nothing to keep his arms warm Except those tattoos for sleeves Up the front one couple’s on fire They’ve been joined lip to lip Due to set a V-Line record Kissing non-stop for the trip With this late-night limited express Not stopping in the town where I live I’ll need to take a taxi back home When I’ll get there is anyone’s guess At this stage a child starts crying On this late train heading east Please go back to sleep, sweet baby And let others rest at least Right through there’s been this older man With his pencil taking notes Feeling lonely in such a crowd Crossing out most rhymes he wrote With this late-night limited express Not stopping in the town where I live I’ll need to take a taxi back home When I’ll get there is anybody’s guess I can’t say when I last felt so alone As on this late train east – this last train home I can’t say when I last felt so alone As on this late train east – this last train home
3.
When the armies of day, trudge through the night. You can cry yourself to insomnia. When the armies of day, trudge through the night. Not sleeping with the enemy. When there's nothing left to say, you can hide away. From the black wolf that's howling at your door. When there's nothing left to say, you can hide away. Not sleeping with the enemy. At night you lay still, chained tight in you mind's cage, troubles trapped inside. At night you lay still, chained tight. Not sleeping with the enemy. When the armies of day, trudge through the night. You can cry yourself to insomnia. When the armies of day, trudge through the night. Not sleeping with the enemy.
4.
In old Sydney town – In the Twenties and Thirties – You were found with a gun You’d be found in a cell, Unless a coin could persuade That copper who’d caught you. It was a tricky time – No matter your side – If your calling was in crime. There were two rival gangs, Each with women in charge – Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh – How they fanned their feud! With deadly scores to settle – And guns too hot to handle – Either mob made a stand, They’d be face to face Cut-throat blades in hand. Kings Cross and Paddington, Tilly worked scores of whores. With stand-over jacks – And cops on the take – Protection came at a price. Sly-grog gave gangs cash At six pubs had to shut, Cocaine was the deal Where Kate made her cut. …/2 In old Sydney town – In the Twenties and Thirties – You were caught with a gun, You’d be caught up in strife. If you showed too much cheek, You’d have too close a shave. Rivals in crime, both queens of hate, Sydney knew no sharper pair Than Cut-Throat Tilly and Razor Kate.
5.
6.
When I first saw she’d flown I can’t say how much I missed her Once I knew just where she stood I never should have dissed her If I’d sensed she wasn’t straight I never would have kissed her Twister sister Twister sister If I’d known she couldn’t tell me I never would have asked her Once I’d seen her car draw level I never should have passed her If only I’d not smiled As we drove towards disaster Master blaster Master blaster Intro While she had herself a ball I never could have caught her With private battles of her own I never should have fought her When she swam against the tide she used strokes no one had taught her Water daughter Water daughter …/2 Once I first saw her spark there was no way to resist her As our fire began to cool things became a little sinister Now she’s deleted my address I’m not sure how to list her Mister blister Mister blister Intro Twister sister Twister sister Master blaster Master blaster Water daughter Water daughter Mister blister Mister blister When I first saw she’d flown I can’t say how much I missed her
7.
You’re wondering if I love you You’re looking for a pledge You’re expecting some commitment And all I do is hedge You say I’m a distant person Right out there on a ledge After all our time together That still puts me on edge Now the atmosphere’s so awkward How come it’s all so tense? It’s much better not to rush things I’ll plead in my defense You might say that’s half my problem I’m always so intense Now you’re raising all these questions And I take offence Why ask me if I’m too fussy? You know that I hate mess Why ask if I like playing games? You know that I love chess Why ask me if this is Tuesday As if I’d have to guess? Oh, so that’s the only question You’re sure I’ll answer yes! You’re wondering if I love you You’re looking for a pledge You’re expecting some commitment And all I do is hedge
8.
The stopper 01:45
9.
Crash on the levee mama water's gonna overflow Swamp's gonna rise ain't no boat's a gonna row Now you can train on down to Williams Point You can bust your feet and you can rock this joint But oh mama ain't you gonna miss your best friend now You're gonna have to find yourself another best friend somehow Now don't you try and move me you're just gonna lose There's a crash on the levee and mama you've been refused Well it's sugar for sugar and it's salt for salt If you go down in the flood it's gonna be your falt But oh mama... Well that high tide's risin' mama don't you let me down Pack up your suitcase mama don't you make a sound Now it's king for king it's queen for queen It's a gonna be the meanest flood that anybody's seen But oh mama... You're gonna have to find yourself another best friend somehow
10.
On Saturday morn In the latest cafe Without Ben she’s alone Jen’s order the same A low-fat latte Sipped on her own Her eyes, they blink back the tears As she flicks her way Through photos on her phone For Saturday lunch In a trendy hotel Ben sits with the guys Orders the same Boutique ales No words otherwise All day he’s been so remote His eyes on his phone No effort to disguise On Saturday Oh, Saturday Saturday By Saturday evening At the coolest scene Jen’s out with the girls Passing up on the same Top-shelf cocktails Already in a whirl Dancefloor, she prays she won’t see Her smooth-tongued heartbreaker With product in his curls Jennifer and Benjamin Jenny and Benny Jen and Ben Late Saturday night Back at her place She gives up romance Ends up the same With lemon, lime and bitters Jens final dance Stopped dead by the doorbell With a single red rose Ben begs for one last chance
11.
Stagger Lee 06:20
Police officer, how can it be? You can 'rest everybody but cruel Stack O' Lee That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee Billy de Lyon told Stack O' Lee, "Please don't take my life, I got two little babies, and a darlin' lovin' wife" That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee "What I care about you little babies, your darlin' lovin' wife? You done stole my Stetson1 hat, I'm bound to take your life" That bad man, cruel Stack O' Lee Mmmmmmmmmmmmm Boom Boom. Boom Boom with the forty-four When I spied Billy de Lyon, he was lyin' down on the floor That bad man, oh cruel Stack O' Lee "Gentleman's of the jury, what do you think of that? Stack O' Lee killed Billy de Lyon about a five-dollar Stetson hat" That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee And all they gathered, hands way up high, at twelve o'clock they killed him, they's all glad to see him die That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee

about

A collaboration between Piedmont blues guitarist and singer Ricky Allan and poet Rodney Williams

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released November 25, 2016

Elizabeth Cotten, Bob Dylan and Mississippi John Hurt

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Ricky Allan Moe, Australia

Ricky Allan is a solo Piedmont blues guitar player, singer, songwriter and musical educator from the Latrobe Valley. He plays with a lyrical and refined fingerpicking style and sings with a pure warmth unique in the field of blues. Ricky performs a mix of both traditional songs from as early as the 1920s, as well as his own original Piedmont inspired, heartfelt songs. ... more

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