1. |
Gentry
02:57
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GENTRY
by Chris Garneau
i used to go to the field and to the sea
i used to smell the lilac and the tree
i had a voice
and i had eyes
i had eyes
born in a lot in gentry tennessee
thousands were caught
in a lifetime guarantee
we had no eyes
we had no voice
we had no voices
but we used to have a voice
voices
and we used to
have eyes
we saw the light
we saw the light
we saw the night
and we used to
have a voice
we sang in flight
in flight
in plight
we sang in plight
but we used to have a voice,
a song.
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2. |
Torpedo
04:08
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TORPEDO
by Chris Garneau
the land was hazel
you’re mighty and able
to wrestle the fever
you don’t have to leave her
you’ll wrestle the fever
you don’t have to leave her
come home, don’t go
the blow, torpedo.
a smoke halo :
the dead will follow
she moves with her friends
they hurt her she lets them
she doesn’t feel able
and she’s not very stable
she doesn’t feel able
and she’s not very stable
she doesn’t feel able
and she’s not very stable
come home, don’t go
the blow, torpedo.
a smoke halo :
the dead will follow
get up, swallow
your gloat, your ego.
your red shadow
will light inferno
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3. |
Ambush
05:07
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AMBUSH
by Chris Garneau
go ahead and try things on me /
maybe it’ll bring you things you never see
i can cry / i can bleed:
you can take whatever you need
only skin will remain /
wind will carry my body and brain
no more lonely / or alone /
let me be
the prettiest pile of bone /
no more tired you
i’m sure you love me you do
you can touch me still
try me then leave me
i’ll keep you still
i can’t wait / i can’t wait
when the night is done
you can come to me /
use my face /
i’ll play dumb then you run /
like that moon
that lunar ambush
that came then so soon went /
pulled me up then pushed me away
no more tired you
i’m sure you love me you do
you can touch me still
try me and leave me
and i’ll keep you still
i can’t wait / i can’t wait
i save everything like files
it’s been a long while
since you talked since you lied
you joke you smoke you’re lovely
so when do you think we could love
i told you it’s a try
guaranteed
said you can take whatever you need
so c’mon c’mon c’mon
no more tired you
i’m sure you love me you do
you can touch me still
try me then leave me
i’ll keep you still
i can’t wait / i can’t wait /
i can’t wait / i can’t wait
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4. |
Family
05:12
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FAMILY
by Chris Garneau
covers that hide you
repeat it every night for you
proud of you / proud of me
proud of me / proud of you
inner blood / inner bruise
the nightmare we had to choose
family the blood
family the blood
corpse that hung over you
disagreed with the
picture your mother drew
your mother
hung over you
the blood who raised you
the blood who raised you up
sister celebrate
sister celebrate you
mother celebrate
mother celebrate you
family bood
family blood
family blood
family blood
the beast that raised you
the beast that raised you
call him out dismember him
remember you remember me
a fucking wolf raised
if a wolf raised you
better than your family
better than you could believe
the blood who raised you
the blood who raised you
family oh oh family
family oh oh family
the mother who raised you
the mother who raised you
oh family family family
she’s family
family oh family
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5. |
Choices
03:31
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CHOICES
by Chris Garneau
come out
of the rain paul
you won’t mourn it
you’ll bleed on it
you’re not
the rainfall
you fought it
now leave it
you’ve got
choices baby
you got it
bleed on it
in the night in the night
in the nightin the night
break out
you’re a new boy
you got it
believe it
numb now
from the pain boy
you’ll mourn it
you’ll feed on it
break out
of the rain boy
you’ve got choices baby
oh you’ve got choices baby
choices bae
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6. |
Tower
05:49
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TOWER
by Chris Garneau
we chose her dress before her last breath
i held her face in my palm
oh what a horror
her eyes were my eyes
my eyes were her eyes
she made a shell for us
she hovers above
they built nothing for us
but it’s the final hour now
hour now / hour now
love came this way
she loved you by the way
it was no murder to see
her go that way without me
the rocks she chose
the building blocks
she kept them closed in her palms
oh what an honor
her eyes were my eyes
they will fossilize
they made it hell for us
we could rise above
they built nothing for us
but her life’s a tower now
a tower now / tower now
love’s made this way
it was meant to tether and sway you
it was no murder to see
her go that way without me
why don’t you come back
why don’t you come back
final farewell to us
departure of love
they made it hell for us
but her life’s a tower now
a tower now / a tower now
love came this way
she loved you by the way
it was no murder to see
her go that way without me
love’s made this way
it was meant to tether and sway you
there was no murder to see
but she went that way without me
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7. |
Yours
07:53
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YOURS
by Chris Garneau
Additional words by Anne Carson and used with permission
i’m sorry to bring this up again old guy
when you had to leave / and i said goodbye
to you / from between the avenue
and the tree, the one that blocks the window view / and me
i think back to some of the things i said that one night,
like that you weren’t with your family anymore, it was mean, it wasn’t right
but i was a stupid baby back then / i was scared
i didn’t know how to love you, didn’t realize how much you cared about me
i loved you
i loved you
this is yours
yours :
the red world,
the corresponding breezes
they’ll go on,
but we don’t
i waved goodbye to you that day
from the parking lot in the alleyway
i remember feeling terrified
not knowing if you’d come back, but you did, and we tried.
but later that fall i walked the sad stretch of my mind
and said, no we can’t go on, we’ve gotta leave this behind.
i thought IT to myself at the windowsill
as i looked out onto the tree, the church, the chill….
the leaves had all fallen off.
that tree was dead.
the neighbors, the whole town they’d gone to bed
we sat on the floor and waited for your car to arrive
and we said goodbye, and we cried.
the church bell stopped
time was dead
the neighbors, the whole town had gone to bed
our sweethearts knew, our sisters knew too
and we knew. we knew.
this is yours
yours :
the red world
the corres-
ponding
breezes
they’ll go on,
but we won’t
we are done
this is yours
yours :
the dead world
the corresponding
dead breezes
they’ll go on
but we don’t
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8. |
No Lord
06:18
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NO LORD
by Chris Garneau
i don’t like this town anymore
i gotta go now
i told you before
baby oh baby
there’s always a ghost in the floor
baby oh baby
i can’t take it anymore
we’re in the arms
in the arms
of no lord
gonna make a new home i’m going west
it’s where i think i’ll feel the best for now
baby oh baby
i’ll miss the fertile soil
baby oh baby
keep the sound on for my boy
baby oh baby
your dad left an hour before
my aunt oh baby
we knew it was coming for sure
but baby oh baby
that didn’t make it easier to ignore
they’re in the arms
in the arms of no lord
baby oh baby
your dad died an hour before
my aunt oh baby
we let her go by the shore
then little boy was gone
out the door
baby oh baby
they’re all in the arms
the arms of no lord
no lord no lord
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9. |
No Universe
08:36
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NO UNIVERSE
by Chris Garneau
i won’t speak
we won’t speak
when this
thing blows
up we all shut up
you can’t run
we can’t run
but we can
pretend
it’s all fun
they all called him a liar
i want to be his friend
a halt to rising water
no universe will lend
i won’t speak
we won’t speak
when this
thing blows
up we all shut up
i can’t
pretend
it’s all fun
they all called him a liar
i want to be his friend
a halt to rising water
no universe will lend
we can’t pretend
it’s all fun
children
children
not if
but when
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Chris Garneau New York, New York
Chris Garneau released "Out of Love" EP in December 2023. His last full-length album, 'The Kind', was released in January 2021. His earlier albums include Music for Tourists LP, C-Sides EP, El Radio LP, Winter Games LP, and Yours LP. He has toured extensively throughout North America, Brazil, Europe, China, Japan and South Korea. Garneau lives in New York. ... more
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