1. |
Sandy River
04:01
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Down here, there’s a river with a wide, sandy bend
Big water rolling green and deep
by fir and the cottonwood stands
Kids that don’t know each other
shouting as they play in the sand
There’s something ‘bout a river
with a wide, sandy bend
And the buses bring the youngsters
escape the city for a week
We hike ‘em through the forest
get their hands in the mud and the cedar tree
Strangers teachin’ strangers
and helping each other to see
There’s somethin’ ‘about a river
makes a child feel free
Sandy River, bending true and deep
Hope you never stop running, hope you’ll always be
A haven to the hungry-hearted
for something ancient, unbroken and clean
There’s something about a river makes a child feel free
Come evening we gather by the bright campfire
Shootin’ sparks up to heaven
and back down to where we are
All screaming and singing together as the frogs and the crickets creak
And the sound of the river singin’ us to sleep
Sandy River, bending true and deep
Hope you never stop running, hope you’ll always be
A haven to the hungry-hearted
for something ancient, unbroken and clean
There’s something about a river
makes a child feel free
As the week wears on, we can see the children change
They don’t carry so much worry
Their clothes all damp and dirty
Their limbs all interlinked
Say good-bye, and we whisper a prayer
Keep ‘em safe from those cold, city streets
And thank God they’ve known a river
And what it’s like to feel free
So I don’t care about your budgets
or your broken economy
And I don’t want to hear excuses
for the fake world that we’ve made
‘Cause when I’m down here by the river
I can see what you may not see
That there’s something ‘bout a river
Makes a child feel free
And every child deserves a river
To set his soul free
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2. |
Davis Street
03:43
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Well it’s not yet dawn on Davis Street, but there’s a house already getting warm
Inside all its people are waking to a symphony of alarms
Somewhere upstairs the birdsong blares, why won’t someone pause it?
Turns out we can’t ‘cause it’s a pair of pigeons roosting in a closet
Well on Davis Street we rake our leaves together
And on Davis Street we light campfires in every weather
And on Davis Street we make meals for each other
Who needs a friend should come to Davis Street
Well the work-a-day’s over on Davis Street, dinner’s on the stove
It might be paleo or gluten-free, or pizza if we’re running low
The front porch beer has lost much of it’s cheer and the kombucha smells like toes
So let’s “Netflix Roulette” and pour a sparkling water toast
‘Cause on Davis Street we paint our hopes into the walls
And on Davis Street we shower rarely if at all
And on Davis Street there’s always someone you can call
Who needs a friend should come to Davis Street
-- Instrumental Break --
Well it’s a Saturday night on Davis Street, the living room’s a bar
A headlamp will serve as a strobe light ‘cause it’s a dance party, y’all!
And in the morning we all wake up to guitars splayed out like drunks on the couch
And the after party is the best part, after all
‘Cause on Davis Street we fix all our problems with duct tape and floss
And on Davis Street, a baby Beagle is the boss
And on Davis Street we keep up with Rachel and Ross
‘Cause we know that show was actually written about us, on Davis Street
Oh Davis Street, so much more than just a shelter
Oh Davis Street, yeah you knit our lives together
Oh Davis Street, let’s do more than just remember
And always be the friends of Davis Street
And always be the friends of Davis Street
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3. |
Polar Bear Child
03:56
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Polar Bear Child
with a heart for the northern sea
where the hermit crabs scuttled and the tides brought
Beach glass to my pocket
I was afraid
Of the starfish, purple and glistening
To the underbelly rocks they’d cling
What if I squished one under my feet?
Oh give me a song, Lord
That I can sing to bring ‘em back
That I can sing to bring ‘em back
Bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back
Mud Puddle Child
Tromping under tall fir trees
Where boughs were for bouncing
And we played pioneer run-aways
But I was afraid
of the wind in the tall fir trees
Oh those branches, how they would sway
What if they crushed us under their weight?
Oh give us a song, Lord
That we can sing to bring ‘em back
That we can sing to bring ‘em back
Bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back
Well now I am grown
I heard the starfish are wasting away
They’re diseased and the northern sea
isn’t so cold these days
And now that I’m grown
the wind is in the tall fir trees
And they are burning
Well the summer’s so dry these days
Oh give us a song, Lord
That we can sing to bring ‘em back
That we can sing to bring ‘em back
Bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back
Don’t tell me we already lost them
Don’t tell me that I’m alone
Chin up, my dears, God hears our heartsick moan
The stone age didn’t end because we ran out of stone
So is there a song, Lord?
That we can sing to bring ‘em back
That we can sing to bring ‘em back
Bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back
Let this be our song, Lord
That we can sing as we bring ‘em back
That we can sing and bring ‘em back
Bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back, bring ‘em back
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4. |
Anne & Gilbert
02:26
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Tonight I wish that you and I
could take a walk down “Lover’s Lane”
Frogs would sing to our reflections
in the twilight evening lake of shining waters
Like Anne and Gilbert, two kindred spirits were they!
But tonight, I sit on my front porch
and strum this ukulele alone
Missing you, and longing for romance
of a world that never was
And isn’t it tragic that I’m not red-headed
and you are not a farmer’s son?
And you’ve never rescued me from a sinking dory
and it isn’t 1901?
Ba ba da...
But tonight I sit on my front porch and strum this ukulele alone
Waiting for you, my handsome Canadian
to call me on the telephone
‘Cause what if a hundred years from now
a girl under a lonesome moon sighs
For days of front porches and telephones
And strumming under starry skies
Just like Matt and Rachel, two kindred spirits are we?
Well I guess God saved a little romance
For the 21st century, for you and me
For you and me, for you and me
For you and me
Ba da da da
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5. |
29
03:39
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I guess you were pretty smitten, but I was pretty dumb
You tried to hold my hand, I ran away
I didn’t think that love could be for anyone as weird as me
So I watched you date girls scared less easily
But that was 18, that was 18
And now it’s terrifying how much I like you
And how my heart towards one mortal could turn
But when I close my eyes, I know that God is smiling
Because he loves to give us things we haven’t earned
I moved to New York City, you called me now and then
And I was always glad to hear your voice
But another voice was calling me, one that’d been there all along
And I didn’t think that you would understand
But that was 22, that was 22
And it was 23 or 25, every break and every time
Like that snowy, mountain coastal drive
It was to the zoo or to the park, we watched the swifts, we played guitar
It never felt like dates back then
But now we have all these sweet “remember when?”s
Now I’m back here in Portland, you’re teaching in a foreign land
Your heart has changed so much and so has mine
I know God loves surprises so I don’t ask what our future holds
But we are his, I am yours, and your are mine
Now that we’re 29, yes we’re 29
And yes it’s terrifying how much I love you
And how my heart towards one mortal could turn
But when I close my eyes, I know that God is smiling
Because he loves to give us things we haven’t earned
Yes the things for which our hearts do cry and burn
Things too good to be ever, ever, ever, ever earned
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6. |
Blueberry
02:09
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(Ba-dum bum bum) Rollin along, each hummin’ a tune
9 years we’ve been together, me and Blue this June
From Junior Lifeguard at Creston Pool
To working downtown, piano lessons & school
Yeah we’ve done it all, and we’ll do more, still
Me and my Blueberry, Blue
(Ba-dum bum bum) My blueberry, she’s bright and merry
With 21 gears, and a rack to carry
All my books and clothes and keys
Even groceries
Me and my Blueberry, blue
(Ba-dum bum bum) Cruisin’ together over Portland streets
Back and forth to Boring, Oregon
Through Walla Walla wheat
We’ve saved a lot of gasoline and fresh, clean air
Yeah you and me together we can get us there
Ba-da ba da ba doo dah doo dah doo bah doo
Me and my Blueberry, Blue
(Ba-dum bum bum) My blueberry, she’s bright and merry
With 21 gears, and a rack to carry
All my books and clothes and keys
Even groceries
Me and my Blueberry, blue
Well wouldn’t it be such a wonderful world (wa-wa-ooo)
If all the kids had bikes, yeah every boy and every girl (wa-wa-ooo)
And we’d grow up traveling with our own two feet (wa-wa-woo)
The wind in our hair, face-to-facin’ folks we meet (bum-ba-dum dum)
Yeah I think that would be paradise for you and me…
Me and my Blueberry, Blue
(Ba-dum bum bum) My blueberry, she’s bright and merry
With 21 gears, and a rack to carry
All my books and clothes and keys
Even groceries
Me and my Blueberry, blue
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7. |
East of the Garden
03:31
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Up to the mountain
every morning I go
Come home in the evening
tired to the bone
Lord, won’t you teach me
how to show
the children of the mountain
how deep your love goes?
Down to the valley
every morning I go
Come home in the evening
discouraged to the bone
Lord, won’t you teach me
how to show
the children of the valley
how deep your love goes?
East of the Garden
every morning we go
Tryin to fix a bit of broken
in this old, tired world
Lord, won’t you teach us
how to hope
Cuz East of the Garden
is all that we know
All things bright and beautiful you made them all
The outcast and the lonely even me, though I fall
East of the Garden
every morning we go
Come home in the evening
and you’re with us, still
Lord, we see you teaching us
how to hope
Though East of the Garden
is all that we know, oh oh…
Because you made us a garden
for when we come home
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8. |
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They’re taking away the fathers
fathers coming home from the fields
Yes they’re taking away the fathers
when we don’t have enough as it is
And they’re taking away the healthcare
I heard it on the morning news
And I remember when our family lost the home we built
to those hospital bills
And they’re taking away the young Black men
putting ‘em up behind bars
Filling up their deep pockets
putting fear in our hearts
They’re taking away our kindness
I hear it in the high school halls
Boys who used to be brothers
yelling, “build that wall”
And they’re taking away our courage
we could almost hear that ceiling shatter
Millions march in the streets but the suits that scoff
tell us which stories matter
And they’re taking away our safety
with bomb threats and burning slurs
A woman’s body is something to ravage
a man’s skin shows who deserves to be heard
Oh let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like a mighty stream
Oh let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an everflowing stream
‘Cause they’re taking away the fathers
fathers coming home from the fields
Yes they’re taking away the fathers
when we don’t have enough as it is
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9. |
I Remember Beauty
03:51
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I remember when the winter was cold
The mountain white, the mud froze
Every twig was etched in silver
Oh I remember beauty
I remember fewer of us
Quiet roads on the mountain
And the city ended where the country began
Yes I remember beauty
And the fields felt my own
Never lonely, though often alone
I reveled in the beauty
Driving home, the traffic’s fierce
Sending more troubles up to the skies
But for myself, who can I blame?
We’re all just trying to live our lives
Baby’s talking in the back seat
With a voice so dear, it’ll break your heart
We hold her close, and kiss her cheeks
But will she remember beauty?
Will she remember beauty?
And the fields are turned to homes
So many lonely, though hardly alone
The air is warm, the poppies bloom
They don’t know that it’s December
In a busy life there’s hardly room
To consider what we wager
But I remember beauty
Oh I remember beauty
Yes I remember beauty
Yes I remember beauty
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10. |
So Much Better
03:12
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Free wheelin’, hitch-hiking
So many places I called home
A train caboose in the rainy seasons
And island when the sun was shining
And my parents’ basement when the money ran low
Road-trippin, back-country skiing
A day off was for adventuring
Made a home with forever friends
A sweeter life I could not imagine
But change was on the wind
It was so good
how could I know it would be
so much better with you?
Now we’ve got a spot by the river
A bean bag by the fire
Turns out it’s perfect for snuggling
Dinner’s cooking
Music’s playing
And all the songs are about you and me
It’s so good
how could I know it would be
So much better with you?
Yeah it's so good
how could I know it would be
so much better with you?
But that wind of change
Will she ever stop blowing?
Or will I ever outgrow feeling this way?
No that wind of change
No she never stops blowing
Just when I’ve found my footing again…
Mama’s knitting, my belly’s growing
We’re counting the weeks as they fly by
Wondering is this the end of restful nights? Fun with friends and ill-planned hikes?
Or will we be singing a new lullabye...?
It was so good
how could we know it would be
so much better with you?
Yeah it was so good
how could we know it would be
so much better with you?
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11. |
Songbird
04:51
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There was a time when I lived lightly
on a farm, and an old train car
With just an amp and an overstuffed Nissan
we played our songs at all the bars
No, we did not make any money
and how we made each other cry
But oh was it ever a grand adventure
even as we longed for something, someday more
But are they gone, gone, gone
the songs I used to wake up singing?
Now that I am a 9 to 5 girl
am I still a songbird
with a lionheart?
Lord, I thought I heard you calling
Was that you, or was it me?
Lord, you gave our hearts a longing
I got what I wanted, but was it a trade?
Can I still be everything I love to be?
Or are they gone, gone, gone
the songs I used to wake up singing?
Now that I am a wife and a mom
am I still a songbird
with a lionheart?
Well is a song just a little seed?
that needs some tears for water?
Or is a song just a little seed
waiting in the dark for me
to shine a light and let it grow?
Are they waiting in the dark?
Are they waiting in the dark?
Are they waiting?
Or are they gone, gone, gone
the songs I used to wake up singing?
Well who am I to be complaining?
I love our life and our sweet family
I’m just scared I won’t even see
what I’m neglecting
Till they’re all gone, gone, gone
the songs I used to wake up singing
Now that I’ve got a love I always wanted
am I still a songbird?
Am I still a songbird?
Am I still a songbird
with a lionheart?
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12. |
Little One
03:06
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You kick me, I poke you
it’s a little game we play
We’ve never met, but I’ll bet
we’re gonna love you, anyway
But are we old enough, are we wise enough?
Have we really thought this through?
On the other hand, we’re older than
we’ve ever been
Oh may God keep you, our little one
cuddled in your cozy water bed
Yes may God keep you, our little one
‘cause truth be told we might be in over our heads
Well there’s a pink sunrise, and a white mountain top
and a river running right outside our door
We’ve got the fireplace, and the big stacks of books
and hand-me-downs, galore
Grandmas and Grandpas, friends close and far away
all can’t wait to see your face
And a parent up above, so much better than us
who can right the wrongs we silly grown-ups make
Oh may God keep you, our little one
when you’re big and when you’re small, and in-between
Yes may God keep you, our little one
and we’ll love you more than anything
Yet as I step outside, I smell those wildfires
growing fiercer every fall
Under an alien sky I read the angry lawn signs
oh the world’s so big and your’re so small
So may God keep you, our little one
when you’re brave and when you’re scared, and in-between
And may God show you, our little one
that in giving love away more love is gained
so we don’t need to clench our fists or be afraid
because giving love’s the way we’re born to be
You kick me, I poke you
it’s a little game we play
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Arbielle Portland
Feel free to visit arbielle.com for the artist's bio, show & tour dates, photos, and blog!
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