1. |
Ghosts of Kansas
04:09
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Ghosts of Kansas by Dennis James
Tired eyes chasing down the lines
Of a midnight blacktop highway on a runaway drive
Radio coming on strong
South of Wichita where the ghosts ride along
Just looking to stay outta the rain
Thirteen hours locked behind the wheel
Snowblind and outta my mind from the way you make me feel
Ain’t no use looking for the truth
Got a broke down shattered heart with nothing left to lose
Just looking for something to ease the pain
Something to rock my soul like an old gypsy song
Talking ‘bout the kind you never heard
And when it plays I’ll turn it up too loud
And I’m gonna sing every goddamn word
I see your face hidden in the starry skies
Past the place where the headlight shine dies
I shout your name straight into the wind
Where the echos howl back through the places that you’ve been
Places where your shadow left a stain
Dark as wine like the eyes of the dirty south
I drank your lies as they tumbled from your mouth
Your sweet soul twisted and never missed a beat
While my dancing heart lay there helpless at your feet
Rows of crosses bringing me to my knees
While your devil’s laugh, well it hangs there in the breeze
You smile at me and say you mean me no harm
While you twirl a chain with my name on a charm
But those ghosts of Kansas are gonna sing
Something to rock my soul like an old gypsy song
Talking ‘bout the kind you never heard
And when it plays I’ll turn it up too loud
And I’m gonna sing every goddamn word
I’m gonna sing every goddamn word
I’m gonna sing every goddamn word
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2. |
Starflower Blues
03:39
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Starflower Blues, by Lauryn Shapter
The gossamer is glistening on a mist-enveloped morn
April’s wedding gown
A thousand pearls of light draped on a sea of evergreen
You only see rain falling down
The summer sun is rising but a storm’s surely brewing
On some far distant shore
So shutter up the windows from the starflower blues
And don’t forget to seal the door
Why do you run from the sun and rail at the moon?
You’d put the rain back in the clouds if you could
‘Cause the day lasts so long but the dark comes too soon
And nothing acts the way it should
Now the autumn breeze is singing to the whispering wild rye
I want to dance to their song
Ain’t no time for that, you say, ‘cause winter’s coming soon
Mark my words it won’t be long
And you and I are standing ‘neath the same November sky
It feels like heaven to me
Rose dipped in gold falls on those whiskey painted hills
But I can’t make you see
‘Cause you run from the sun and you rail at the moon
You’d put the rain back in the clouds if you could
‘Cause the dark stays so long but the day comes too soon
And nothing acts the way it should
The winter light is weaving through those tall noble trees
Long shadows full of grace
The waltz of the sun and the snow on the creek
They keep me tethered to this place
I want to run to the sun and drink in the moon
I’d let the rain wash us clean if I could
‘Cause the dark stays so long but the day’s coming soon
And everything is as it should be
Yes everything is as it should be
Everything is as it should be
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3. |
A Hundred Miles
05:36
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A Hundred Miles, by Dennis James
A hundred miles of railroad tracks
In a pair of worn out boots
I’ve been there and back
Trying to find you
Up all night dusk 'til dawn
I’ve seen right and wrong
A hundred miles of railroad track
In a pair of worn out boots
A hundred days of cloudless skies
Sweating right through my clothes
Sing the song of the corvidae
While the road gives up her bones
One for sorrow and two for joy
On hallowed ground I raise my voice
A hundred days of cloudless skies
Sweating right through my clothes
Rattling bones and burning sage
They won’t do me no good at all
There comes a time to pay the wage
For those of us who fall
I chased a sorrow down a gravel
On my hands and knees
Found myself there all alone
With nothing left to grieve
Shadows weeping in a mad ballet
They saw me coming and they danced away
Chasing sorrows down a gravel road
Bleeding on my hands and knees
Rattling bones and burning sage
They won’t do me no good at all
There comes a time to pay the wage
For those of us who fall
Said a prayer to an afternoon moon to chase the devil away
He starved my soul and he fed my rage until all that remained
Were bloodshot eyes and trembling legs
Battered and broken hands
Holding nothing but the naked truth
With no place to stand
A fevered night of fitful sleep
Lying next to your ghost
The song of you it strips me clean
And it burns these earthbound clothes
Let the night undress our sins
Sanctified we begin again
A fitful night of fevered sleep
Making love to your ghost
Rattling bones and burning sage
They won’t do me no good at all
There comes a time to pay the wage
For those of us who fall
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4. |
Witness
05:58
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Witness, by Lauryn Shapter
I don’t need a hero and I don’t need a hand
I don’t need someone to rescue me from the places that I land
And I don’t need your pity, sure as hell don’t need your scorn
I just need someone to walk by me when I walk through the storm
And I don’t need you to clean up all the messes that I make
I don’t need you to sweep up my spectacular mistakes
And I don’t need you to fix me ‘cause I like just who I am
I just need you to meet me here, right where I stand
What I need is a witness for the fight
For the wounds and the stories that I bleed
For the rust and the spurs and the scars on my heart
A witness for this wild life that I lead
And I don’t need perfect tulips standing straight in a row
I don’t need a perfect life wrapped up in a goddamn perfect bow
My roses are drunk but they’re just what I need
And my daisies are making love by the garage there in the weeds
Will you be my witness for the fight
For the wounds and the stories that I bleed
For the rust and the spurs and the scars on my heart
A witness for this precious life that I lead
And I don’t want you to keep your demons locked up good and tight
I want them to be free so we can shine in the light
Our skeletons are getting restless locked behind that closet door
Let’s invite them outside and we’ll all tear up that dance floor
Let me be your witness for the fight
For the wounds and the stories that you bleed
For the rust and the spurs and the scars on your heart
A witness for this wild life that you lead
A witness for this precious life that we lead
This one and only life that I lead
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5. |
Pretty
05:02
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Pretty, by Lauryn Shapter
I only like pretty things
Pretty flowers on postcards
Pretty sparrows who sing
Pretty songs of love and harmony
Yeah, I only like pretty things
My father, he liked pretty girls
And my mother was a pretty girl
Who knew her place in the world
They told me that everything would be fine
If I would only be a pretty girl
‘Cause pretty girls don’t yell
And pretty girls don’t cry
And pretty girls know how to be
The apple of your eye
And pretty girls don’t bleed
Pretty girls don’t try
And pretty girls don’t watch
The world pass them by
I used to like ugly boys
The violence, the tattoos,
The leather, and the noise
Of people who just didn’t give a shit
Yeah, I used to like ugly boys
And I used to like ugly things
Like the taste of my blood
And the pleasure I could bring
When I’d draw the blade across my skin
Yeah, I used to like ugly things
‘Cause pretty girls don’t yell
And pretty girls don’t cry
And pretty girls just get to be
Candy for your eye
And pretty girls don’t bleed
Pretty girls don’t try
But pretty girls don’t watch
The world pass them by
Now my walls are all painted white
And the nurses are kind
But they never turn out the lights
In the hall outside of my room
Yeah, my world is all painted white
So if you come to see me in this place
Bring lilies and daffodils
And daisies in a vase
But make sure it’s not made of glass
If you come to see me in this place
Where pretty girls don’t yell
And pretty girls don’t cry
And pretty girls don’t even get to be
Candy for your eye
And pretty girls don’t bleed
Pretty girls don’t try
But pretty girls just watch
The world pass them by
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6. |
April's Moon
05:39
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April’s Moon, by Dennis James
April’s moon is shining in a corn crib sky
Underneath the carnival glass of your dreams
A winking crescent light against a window closed up tight
Dancing with the worn and tattered screen
Well the lightning from the storm left your branches scattered and torn
Strewn about the yard they lay in waste
Limbs piled high ready for the fire
Gonna burn their way to heaven’s gate
The birds above the churchyard they’re kettling the signs
It’s time for you to pack your bags and go
Lonely yellow rose on a dashboard cracked and old
Calling for to carry you on home
You left your saddle on the fence ‘cause you no longer ride
And now it lies there drying in the sun
What would your daddy say if he saw things left this way
It just might be best to cut and run
The birds above the churchyard they’re kettling the signs
It’s time to shake the sleep out of your eyes
Let them bells ring throw back your head and sing
‘Cause there ain’t no one who likes a long goodbye
Earthly bones and clay left outside alone to play
Running around they stayed out way past dark
In a song shaped hole they hide all the treasures that they find
Stole away inside their smiling hearts
The birds above the churchyard they’re kettling the signs
It’s time for you to spread your forlorn wings
Your pleading hopeful eyes got nothing left to hide
Let ‘em shine bright, let ‘em shine
Let ‘em shine bright, let ‘em shine
Let ‘em shine bright, let ‘em shine
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7. |
Lay to Rest the Ghost
04:24
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Lay to Rest the Ghost, by Lauryn Shapter
Hey darlin’ I just found a couple of bucks
Why don’t you go and gas up the truck
With a little bit of faith and a whole lot of luck
Bet we can make it outta here
When the sheriff comes ‘round looking for you
Like we know he’s wont to do
Won’t be anyone to answer the door
‘Cause we won’t live here anymore
Buried in my drawer there’s that last bottle of shine
We said we’d open when the good lord gave us a sign
We’re gonna make it love, gonna be just fine
If we can make it outta here
When the debtors come ‘round looking for pay
We’ll be well along our way
Won’t be anyone to answer the door
‘Cause we won’t live here anymore
And we’ll keep on driving ‘til we reach the coast
We can sleep out under the stars
On a bed in the hidden pines gonna lay to rest the ghost
Silent redwoods standing guard
Tell me I’m a dreamer, tell me I’m a fool
But don’t you tell me to live by someone else’s rules
Don’t need their riches, babe, don’t want their jewels
I just want to make it outta here
When the demons come ‘round looking for me
Trying to bring me to my knees
Won’t be anyone to let ‘em in
Ain’t going back to where we’ve been
So put this thing in gear and point it west
I’ll put the pistol in the pocket of my vest
Bring along those tattered dreams, leave behind the rest
So we can make it outta here
When the wolves come ‘round looking for blood
Draggin’ our good name through the mud
It won’t do any good to bust down the door
‘Cause we won’t live here anymore
No it won’t do any good to bust down the door
‘Cause we won’t live here anymore
I don’t want to live here anymore
Ain’t gonna live here anymore
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8. |
Broken Bouquet
06:46
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Broken Bouquet, by Dennis James
You won’t look at me when you break
You don’t seem to think about what it takes
To ball up your fist and fight the wind
Hoping it’ll give just a little bit
So when the rain it won’t come
And there’s nothing to wash us clean
Take my hand and we’ll run
‘Cause there’s something you gotta see
It’s a winding silver ribbon
Wrapped up in Queen Anne’s lace
With wild rye and black-eyed susans
Bar ditch flowers in a broken bouquet
Tattooed there on my heart
Laid bare for the world to see
Is a jagged ugly scare
But all the while you stood by me
And you took all, all my many faults
And all your crazy ways
And you tied them up in a pretty knot
We went driving for days
Down a winding silver ribbon
Wrapped up in Queen Anne’s lace
With wild rye and black-eyed susans
Bar ditch flowers in a broken bouquet
Bar ditch flowers in a broken bouquet
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9. |
Fortuna
04:45
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Fortuna, by Lauryn Shapter
On a long-suffering barstool with your sad barbed wire heart
The end of the day surely finds you
While the smoke from the ashtray like seven silk veils
Seduces you into the bitter blues
And you watch as a girl with more tattoos than years
Pours the escape you’ve come in here for
But the gold in the glass on the old polished bar
Just reminds you of the dangers of wanting more
Then Fortuna steps up to the nicotine keys
With a flick of the wrist she spins the wheel
Of the worn wooden perch atop clawfoot and glass
A minor chord, a broken song, a soul revealed
And the microphone drinks from her cracked crystal voice
And she breathes in the gin and the bourbon and beer
Of the ghosts and the demons, the saints and the whores
Who’ve lived inside these brick walls for a hundred years
So you stare down your whiskey in its hazy etched glass
And it dares you to get up and walk away
From the bar to the stage and that cracked crystal voice
And the wistful song her Mardi Gras piano plays
Then Fortuna looks through a curtain of black
That she draws off her face with a porcelain hand
Will the midnight and the pale and the sunset-smeared chords
Pull you into her tarnished and her holy land
How sweet her tarnished and her holy land
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10. |
Wings on a Prayer
05:07
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Wings on a Prayer, by Dennis James
Give it up
There’s no place left to hide
You’ve been running for so long
That you’re running out of time
Hand it over
And heed the past
I know it wasn’t what you wanted
But it was never meant to last
So hand it over
Walk away
It’s okay to let it be
You know you’re not the only one
We’ve all been poisoned by that sting
So lay it down
And bare your naked soul
For the never ending sky
Is just dying to be told
Look at all our misbegotten dreams
While heaven just keeps dancing there by whatever means
And I declare to every star in the sky
We’re all just wings on a prayer looking to fly
Looking to fly
Open up
Sing your broken-hearted song
With all these feathered symphonies
You know it can’t be wrong
Dry your eyes
And rhyme yourself a smile
With finger-painted poetry
You’ll just thrive all the while
Look at all our misbegotten dreams
While heaven just keeps dancing there by whatever means
And I declare to every star in the sky
We’re all just wings on a prayer looking to fly
Looking to fly
Let it shine
This light you cannot see
For it burns all through the night
Just begging you to believe
And set her free
This bound and wounded child
Spin her in a million circles
With her laughter mad and wild
Look at all our misbegotten dreams
While heaven just keeps dancing there by whatever means
And I declare to every star in the sky
We’re all just wings on a prayer looking to fly
Looking to fly
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Society of Broken Souls Fairfield, Iowa
Society of Broken Souls is the songwriting duo of multi-instrumentalists Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter. From stripped down, bare-bones acoustic arrangements to a denser and edgier electric sound, their songs confront our shared, raw humanity all while celebrating the beautiful mosaic of the human experience. ... more
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