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Heartmind

by Cass McCombs

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1.
Once upon a time, I told myself Music was all there was Like a ghost town in quarantine No road in, no road out Music was my mistress My one true witness The prayer of a desperate nation; a cheap fragrance Penetrating light Out of mind, out of sight There’s not much more to say! I wouldn’t have any other way I love her She loves me She loves we She loves you Music is blue She had me in chains at her altar Busking in The Village like a real punter A jealous maid, I stole to feed her That’s the lie told by a cheater We robbed Pluto, we ate nothing but beer Made love on Sunday We wept and wept and howled and howled And played hooky on Monday There’s not much more to say! I wouldn’t have any other way I love her She loves me She loves we She loves you Music is blue Once upon a time, like Martinez slime Music was all there was Like a private island in quarantine No boat in, no boat out Then I found another love; I see music loves you too The fairies’ lie must have been true To bring me to you Now everything, everywhere, is blue There’s not much more to say! I wouldn’t have any other way I love her She loves me She loves we She loves you Yes it’s true Music is blue
2.
Karaoke 03:41
You took to the stage, a Chiffon, a Supreme And reading from a tv screen You sang with genuine emotion Or so it did seem Your eyes expressed a Vision Of Love Your arms outstretched to me We met Under The Boardwalk But did it mean anything? You sang a melody, unchained But will your love godspeed to me? Are you going to Stand By Your Man Or is it just karaoke? Words from Cyrano are easy to ape Anyway though it’s fun to escape In the intoxication and fantasy That’s much sweeter than the grape I’ll live either way The vapor or that other thing If be the vapor, flood the lights If be the other, Your Love Is King You sang a melody, unchained But will your love godspeed to me? Are you going to Stand By Your Man Or is it just karaoke? Is it karaoke, all your words? Is it karaoke, your antics? Or is it all some kind of pantomime? Playing the role of romantic? Don’t let’s answer this question now I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore Guess I’m a load of karaoke too Unable to say more You sang a melody, unchained But will your love godspeed to me? Are you going to Stand By Your Man Or are you just karaokeing me? You sang a melody, unchained But will your love godspeed to me? Are you going to Stand By Your Man Or is it just karaoke?
3.
New Earth 04:11
Today is the day after the last day on Earth It’s such a glad day! After a very bad day After today, who can say? Today is the birth of a new Earth The birds all returned To their original form Dinosaurs lumber down Market St. The junky is reborn It was a bad day Tweeting was muted all season Now it’s a glad day For the same reason It was a bad day Mr. Musk was in a bad way Stewing in his bullion like a phony chef So he left The Bay Now orchids mock him Spread so wide With such a lurid flavor His foul name could not hide Today is the day after the last day on Earth It’s such a glad day! After a very bad day After today, who can say? Today is the birth of a new Earth Rain! Rain down a heavenly lube Drown your phone, kill your television You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube Sleep in fields Elysian Sleep! Sleep, for time has ended Thank God time has ended Catholic saints have too done their part The universe beats as one heart It was a bad day Music was forked like a soul infernal Today we play And ring the tones eternal Today is the day after the last day on Earth It’s such a glad day! After a very, very, very bad day After today, who can say? Today is the birth of a new Earth
4.
September the second, two thousand seventeen That’s your discharge date, etched in your soul It’s been nearly two years now, gone by so fast Like the fast food restaraunts they built while you were away Pull into the drive-thru, speak into a box Discard the paper wrappers when you’re through These people can’t comprehend the choices you made So you don’t tell them a thing Unproud warrior Unproud warrior Unproud warrior You made your house your own Some blame their actions on their government It’s all orders for these lily-white comrades They hang up their guns on a nail of rosewater And participate in their grandson’s parade But you know you had more choices than they let on A soldier is not a cog, but a man, like any other These thoughts you revisit everytime you turn on a movie And see a depiction that is far from your own experience Unproud warrior Unproud warrior Unproud warrior You made your choice alone You were only seventeen when you enlisted, you remember SE Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was just fifteen Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was nineteen At twenty-three, Stephen Crane published The Red Badge Of Courage Which is still known as one of the most realistic depictions of war Eventhough Crane was born after the Civil War ended Maybe sentiments of regret are not all that unrelateable You’ve always taken lengths to be aware of your own choice Unproud warrior Unproud warrior Unproud warrior You built your house alone You made your house your own
5.
Krakatau 04:58
Take my shirt but not the thread Take my mind but not my head Take my body not my bones Take my rocks but not the stones Take my impatience Take my intolerance Hate and avarice Take it from me now Take my temptations Take it from me now Take my frustrations I don’t need them anyhow I’m gone to Krakatau Take it from me now Take my image but not my face Take my charm but not my grace Take my life but not my breath Take my decline but not my death Take my impatience Take my intolerance Hate and avarice Take it from me now Take my temptations Take it from me now Take my frustrations I don’t need them anyhow I’m gone to Krakatau Take it from me now Take my brooding but not my fear Take my false clarity but not my tears Take my resentment, I’ve had plenty I surrender them all effortlessly Take my impatience Take my intolerance Hate and avarice Take it from me now Take my temptations Take it from me now Take my frustrations I don’t need them anyhow I’m gone to Krakatau Take my impatience Take my intolerance Hate and avarice Take it from me now Take my temptations Take it from me now Take my frustrations I don’t need them anyhow I’m gone to Krakatau Take it from me now Take it from me now
6.
They come all the way from Virginia City, Nevada A blue, blue band They broke down once or twice in their blue van A blue, blue band (And the mechanic said, “You all look like strangers to these parts. I’ll do my best to get you to your show on time.”) And when they pulled up to the club The crowd was ready to rub And the lights went all blue A blue, blue band A blue, blue band And they started to play a blue, blue song A blue, blue band A blue, blue band A blue, blue band The trumpet player Otis Makes a sound like a lotus A blue, blue band And on bass fiddle, Fritz Cooks it hotter than grits A blue, blue band (But don’t take my word for it! Next time you feel like dancing, go see for yourself!) There’s a tremendous harmonica player Whose name now escapes me A blue, blue band A blue, blue band And the singer, she’s a ringer Her name is Belle A blue, blue band A blue, blue band A blue, blue band The clientele changes every so often A blue, blue band But whoever is playing turns the listener blue A blue, blue band (The sound they make together is like no other; their music stands apart) Listen to them playing what’s been weighing Heavy on your heart A blue, blue band A blue, blue band You feel a release in your body From the instant they start A blue, blue band A blue, blue band A blue, blue band
7.
I remember you on the street at night All glitter and chainmail but no time to fight A grease fire burning bright Now you belong to Heaven Always stealing from the plebs A rosary of Dos Equis beads Instant film from the grocery Now you belong to Heaven Music was all we needed Yeah, you’ve got to give it away to keep it You surrendered undefeated Now you belong to Heaven Now you belong to Heaven Now you belong to Heaven Now you belong to Heaven You were totally lunar You had a gallows at City Hall and gallows humor Wish I had met you sooner Now you belong to Heaven For all the questions I want to ask I hope that you find peace at last While the world keeps turning fast So far away from Heaven So far away from Heaven So far away from Heaven So far away from Heaven So far away from all that now I guess it doesn’t matter anyhow How now, brown cow? How’s Heaven? Through all your madness and magic and stuff I wonder if Heaven has finally called your bluff Call me anytime for bail From the jail In Heaven Now you belong to Heaven Now you belong to Heaven Now you belong to Heaven
8.
Heartmind 08:28
Heart stops and starts each day Giving itself away Like a piece of candy on the sidewalk It tastes the same, candy, crushed or not Mind evicts heart for stealing its boots Mind says You have no respect for property! And Heart says That’s true! At Turk and Taylor, Heart goes into seizure Fumbling for meds at Pan’s seder Heartmind Heartmind, that burnt spot where they had met Old friends, doctors, teachers, all out on the street Tucked under the city’s tongue Who will Heart stumble over next, its children? Empty ketchup packets may inherit the city Heart stops and starts, giving itself away Heart stops and starts, giving itself away Heart stops and starts, giving itself away Heart stops and starts, giving itself away Heart stops and starts and starts and stops Giving itself away Heartmind

credits

released August 19, 2022

All songs Cass McCombs (BMI)
Produced by Cass McCombs and Shahzad Ismaily (tracks 1, 4, 5, 6 & 8), Ariel Rechtshaid (tracks 2 & 7), and Buddy Ross (track 3)
Engineered by Phil Weinrobe
Studios: Figure 8, Brooklyn/Heavy Duty, Burbank
Additional tracks recorded in Portland, Nashville and New Jersey.

Mixed by Rob Schnapf/Assisted by Matt Schuessler
Mastered by Mark Chalecki

Layout: Trevor Hernandez
Photos & drawings: Cass McCombs
Logo on labels: Daniel Bermudez
Special design thank you to Tran Huynh and Sasha Vine

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