14 Stories - buy the album
Listen to 2 of the soundfiles from the record, I Accept and Painkiller,
recorded at Sound Logic Studio, Santa Barbara
These recordings engineered by Tony Riparetti Guitar, harmonica, vocals and songs by Jan Smith
Background vocals on i accept by Tony Riparetti song lyrics
1. birds and foxes
2. bring it on
3. honey
4. i'm your man
5. anchored in the flight
6. blue car
7. i accept
8. goddess of broadway
9. betty
10. my little girl
11. didn't pass
12. painkiller
13. sister mine
14. dance fuel
on the back of a full moon and a small black crow
faster and faster I fly and call
to what I am after trying to hold it all together
to what I am after, come to me
come to me as if to birds
come to me as if to foxes in the field
come to me as if to dreams
i am so still they take me for a leaf
so on the back of a full moon and a small black crow
faster and faster i fly and fall into all
i know and do not know
©2010 jan smith
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i'll take this it's mine
miracles and troubled times
the moon, the stars, the rain
and the sacred fire
i look it in the eye
from my soul
i look it in the eye
in these bones, this blood is a deep
deep love
and this love is true
so bring it on
i've got a mighty fine man
and a wild bringer of miracles as my son
friends who have reached into the golden sun
to bring me everything
that can be brung
and i've got my walkin' stick
and my dog's here too
and there's a road worth walkin'
into the winding
perfect
shining
blessed
blue
so bring it on
©2010 jan smith
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there are birds and bells and morning
it's the honey that i roll against my tongue
in a conversation with you, my son
i spoke with you about these things
we talked a long winding road
as I press my ear against the phone
to hear the changes in your face
as we spoke about songs
the sailing ships of will
your will
my will
and you've been sailing
along the veins of leaves
sailing deeper
deep into the trees
trees are slow
they've got a long way to go
and that reminded you of something
that you wanted me to know
this moment
there are birds
and bells and morning
the swallows rattle in the eaves
the pans tap, tap, tapping
a drop of water
from the faucet
onto metal
then another and
the light just laid itself down
on the hill
it's the honey that i roll
against my tongue
this conversation
with my son
©2010 jan smith
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if you want a lover
i'll do anything you ask me to
and if you want another kind of love
i'll wear a mask for you
if you want a partner
take my hand
or if you want to strike me down in anger
here I stand
i'm your man
if you want a boxer
i will step into the ring for you
and if you want a doctor
i'll examine every inch of you
if you want a driver
climb inside
or if you want to take me for a ride
you know you can
i'm your man
ah, the moon's too bright
the chain's too tight
the beast won't go to sleep
i've been running through these promises to you
that I made and I could not keep
but a man never got a woman back
by begging on his knees
or i'd crawl to you baby
fall at your feet
howl at your beauty
like a dog in heat
i'd claw at your heart
i'd tear at your sheet
and i'd say please
i'm your man
if you want to sleep
a moment on the road
I will steer for you
and if you want to work the street alone
i'll disappear for you
if you want a father for your child
or only want to walk with me a while
across the sand
i'm your man
©leonard cohen
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built inside the sun and the moon
is a house my mother made
in dreams and early in the day i try to find my way
anchored in the flight of birds
and the songs of water
is a boat my father made
in dreams...
i walk the broken road
i watch the constant star
my boat is a boat that carries me as far
as far is far
guide me, father
you know these ropes and sails
guide me, mother
i feel you but i want to see your face
in dreams...
©2010 jan smith
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when i open my eyes i see the morning star
through the dusty window of my old blue car
and i try real hard to tell myself the truth
but i just say lies and there is no use
so i keep on driving but i get nowhere
'cause wherever i go i end up here
holding on tight to the thing i lost
and i never get done counting up the cost
if i weren't broken
if i was free
if i could trust you
if i had what i need
if i was loving
if i was kind
if i was safe
if i could find you
when i open my eyes i see this big night sky
with a falling star streaking through the bright moonlight
and i lift up my arms and i swear i could fly
and it's all too much, but it feels just right and i'm not broken
i'm still free
i can trust you
i have what i need
i am loving
i am kind
i am safe
and i did find you
©2002 jan smith
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brought on board with some shoes to fill
cold-cocked but hard to kill
taken aside and told that i'm soft
but i like to fight so i shake it off
i keep sluggin' but you don't salute
if you weren't so stupid i'd be twice as cute
wavin' me in, but i won't take my bow
going on guts and they're spillin' out
if i could do it i would have done it by now
wake up blinkin' in a bright white light
the nurses all say i'll be alright
but here where it's so sanitized
i finally see that i'm no prize
cool and blue and red and white
hats and gloves and lips and eyes
they keep me here where i do no harm
a tight white jacket is my right arm
if i could do it i would have done it by now
baby dolls and training wheels
popcorn peanuts and orange peels
bright colors and candy corn
padded walls and endless thorns
if i could do it i would have done it by now
i accept
©2001-4 jan smith
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who cracked you wide open today
i see your face and you are beauty
you are lightening in a cage
you are 2 grey cats with 4 green eyes
watching the endless days
i want you to run and keep runnin'
i want you to stay stay stay
i want you to be here when the light breaks
i see your face and you are beauty
©2010 jan smith
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betty didn't have a dollar in her pocket
she didn't have a dollar but she didn't let that stop her
hard to get far without a dollar
betty didn't care, there was nothing that could stop her
betty didn't care she had no dollars in her pocket
'cause you don't need much when you feel like a rocket
betty woke up when the brick broke the window
cleaned up the mess and went to work at the kum and go
she told her boss why she was late
he told her he was tired of hearing her complain
betty shut up -- she didn't bat an eye
betty wasn't used to ever wondering why
betty got home and her mama was mad
told her she could go live somewhere else and be bad
told her if she hadn't dated jimmy (like she said),
there wouldn't be bricks getting thrown in her bed
she said, betty betty betty, what will i do with you
i've tried to train you right, but honey i'm through
you've been more trouble than a girl should ever be
i always thought you'd be the death of me
betty didn't say a word. she didn't even cry
betty wasn't used to ever wondering why
betty thought she could use a little fresh air
her mom was crying and it was hard to care
she went outside and it was better there
and then she smelled the cigarettes and beer
betty saw jimmy standing on the corner
waiting with his friends and she knew it was for her
he didn't turn but she could tell
that he was smiling cause she knew him so well
betty stopped looking as her life flashed by
betty just started wondering why
betty started walking
walked right past the corner
had her eye fixed on what was before her
suddenly as if light was coming through a crack
she knew that she was leaving she was never going back
betty didn't stop as the tears rolled from her eyes
betty didn't plan to keep wondering why
betty walked clear to the outskirts of town
hopped a slow train that was headed south
slept in a boxcar a couple of nights
got off in birmingham and stayed at the Y
got a ride to jacksonville and got a good job
working with a really nice guy named bob
betty didn't have a dollar in her pocket....
©2001 jan smith
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my little girl - joel arant and the sojourners
through the grass and the trees i was running
through the grass and the trees i did fly
as i fell to my knees in the water
there was not time to tell you goodbye
there was not time to tell you goodbye
through the station in hopes that I'd catch you
through the station with tears in my eyes
for forever I wanted to hold you
as I watched you say goodbye
yes I let you go goodbye
and I wish that I could have been better
and I wish I could have been there
and I hope that someday my looking
will show me the how why where and what
what ever happened
to my little girl
in the sleepy wee hours of the morning
in the sleepy wee hours of the day
as i watch you there sleeping beside me
i can watch as you slip away
guitar, harmonica - joel arant
drums - jeff farber
bass, vocals - jan smith
©joel arant
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didn't pass inspection and getting smaller every day
put out for collection and trying to be brave
i had a hundred second chances that i begged for on my knees
while the ground kept getting harder - please please please
counting on an idea i lose track of every day
cause i look into your crystal ball and i can't look away
i still only want the one who says that it's too late
your love feels like hate
deep inside the palace the silk is red and warm
the incense coils like smoking vines and i don't feel the war
i'd do almost anything to be inside and safe
your love feels like hate
there could still be chances to slip inside the gate
and if i made it back inside couldn't it be fate
i still want to give you my head upon this plate
my love feels like hate
©2001-4 jan smith
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gave a way my pain killer
now i feel pain
hits me when i don't expect it
and i remember what you say
i want to tell you that it drops me to my knees
to feel this world
gave a way my pain killer
now i feel love
hits me when i don't expect it
and i remember it's enough
i want to tell you that it drops me to my knees
to feel this world
gave a way my pain killer
now i feel
it comes softly when i don't expect it
like light across me it steals
i want to tell you that it drops me to my knees
i want to tell you
to feel this world
©2001 jan smith
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remind me of the holy ground
low and high, all around
where step by step and falling down
we make our way
sister mine, sister mine, i call to you
this midnight moon pulls me apart
and pours her heart into my heart
and now the darkness is not dark
sister mine...
i took a turn i lost my way
i was scared i was afraid
i tried to live inside a little golden ring
sister mine...
there was a storm it was so cold
the lightening fell into my soul
it made me young
it made me old
sister mine...
remind me of the holy groundlow and high, all around
where step by step and falling down
we make our way
©2006 jan smith
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music man fingers on the light man
tail weaver, straight dealer
step by step until it's a sky scraper
a picture maker
and i'm falling, so you're falling and we're falling
and you hold my hand
music man fingers on the light man
touches the bones of the wild animals
and calls 'em to the edge of fire
fur all jewels and light, hearts all breaking
breathe in that moon, breathe in that night
cause we're gonna use it
for dance fuel
music man
fingers on the light man
song traveler
soul waker
heartbreaker
pain taker
converter
magic maker
highstaker
earthquaker
fire shaker
straight dealer
tale weaver
step by step until
it's a sky scraper
a picture maker
©2010 jan smith
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