Get all 98 Chris Anderson releases available on Bandcamp and save 70%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Goodbye Eden (fdm152), The Trials Of Henry (fdm154), Ghost Town (fdm153), Standing Sideways On The Sun (fdm151), The Catalyst (fdm150), Storm Free EP (fdm149), A Thousand Heels Abound EP (fdm148), Dented (fdm147), and 90 more.
1. |
Glass Parade
02:41
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GLASS PARADE
take me down to the ground
i heard a sound the other morning
it sounded like a thousand birds
dancing at the dawn
they were dancing at the dawn
in the skies are the eyes
of the buildings, what a surprise
the tourists wait, but the hour's getting late
you know you can contain everything inside
but you know you can't say
what you didn't want to hide
take me down
look around again
it's out of sight
hey, it's alright
take me down
look around again
it's alright
take me down to the morning tree
it echoes like a rose
at the end of the world parade
some can see their reflection
it's cold
and it's as lonely as the last charade
it's as lonely as a glass parade
-10/29/07
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2. |
Steering Wheel
04:23
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STEERING WHEEL
like a roll of the dice
on a two-party line
don't try and act nice
when all you do is whine
the ghostly alliance
is breaking down your door
it's a cold kind of scrape
like the ones on the air
loose heads keep on talking
but they just don't care
who saw the new fool
dancing out on the floor?
if you wanna get out
you gotta hide and conceal
and take into account
everything that you feel
if you wanna get out
you gotta keep your hands
on the wheel
like a press-on star
or a liar's parade
you can only see as far
as the horizon fades
into swatches of red
and puddles of cold cold grey
to believe what is real
is to toss it aside
with all of your poisons
and all of your pride
until the best of intentions
are fit up to be tied
if you wanna get out
you gotta break the seal
and weather every storm
with an even keel
if you wanna get out
you gotta keep your hands
on the wheel
it’s a fight, it’s a phase
it’s a ruse, it’s a wreck
like the lines of your face
with their hands on your neck
you could take it in stride
or just write another check
to get away from it all
you must first take the wheel
and drive into the walls
once or twice, to get a feel
then close your eyes and pretend
that it's no big deal
if you wanna get out
you gotta borrow or steal
or beg for a pardon
if you think that it's real
if you wanna get out
you gotta keep your hands
on the wheel
-11/30/07
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3. |
Incidentally
07:24
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INCIDENTALLY...
you see a magician with his hands on his hips
you kiss his assistant and taste the blood on her lips
the funeral director says you'd better get a grip
as you draw down the blinds in your home
the fear & the fever in the stones of the way
can choke every cynic and the patrons of the play
it's all in the script if you don't know what to say
is it a yes? or a no? or maybe so?
all the pigs in the pulpit with their hooves in the ink
they might buy you breakfast or perhaps a stiff drink
if you hang up the telephone, for a moment just to think
of all the promises you gave when you were all alone
you stand at the entrance, you're dumbfounded once again
she offered you burgundy but she poured you bathtub gin
you took it like needles and it pierced right through your skin
and then you sang the national anthem and then threw up
you poked and you prodded and you called them all fools
just like cleopatra, you were one of his jewels
how can the soul of one man come to be so cruel
when the name on the epitaph matches the door?
the kings and the queens and all the jokers step aside
with all the professors and the jurors who have lied
they stagger and stumble until you meet them back inside
with the pariah from the last known revolution
marauders and misfits and the evilest of eyes
they storm all the banquets and take leave with every prize
it's just like the owl, to know just who is wise
at the end of every war, there is a throne...
-12/12/07
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4. |
Gordian Knot
05:18
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GORDIAN KNOT
we all come from nothing
i see where you are
huddled with the mass
on the edge of the stars
you sweat like a snake
it's as cold as the night
your spirit may break
but you can't stop the fight
and it grows
like the woods and the trees
and it flows
like the creeks and the seas
and it glows
like the oracle's keys
and we all consider
what we need
if you look to the south
there's a piece of a mind
sitting in silence
for most of all time
to rage is to reckon
to cause, to effect
we could say we were sinking
but we're not there yet
and it shows
in the wind and the rain
and the snow
on the tracks of the train
and i know
how you take your pain
we all remember
what it is
and time
will clear the killing frost
and make us the keepers
silence the weepers
on the other side of the toss
this time
we've seen all we can see
we've been all we
pretend to be
it's time to take a breath
and let it be
like the dirt and the stones
that get in the way
like the houses and homes
where the memories stay
like the tablets and forums
the senator's seat
is lost in the aura
of where we have been
and will be
there's nothing like the thrill
of getting your way
it's all in who's killed
and the ones who have stayed
but if peace is a wage
let us throw in our lot
forget how we got in this
gordian knot
and we throw
all our reserve to the wind
and we grow
with resolve to the end
and we grow
with resolve to the end
and reconsider
what it is
-8/30/07
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5. |
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AUTUMN GROUND (the peacekeeper)
sitting at the top by the railway station
watching all the trains roll out
thinking of the days when they weren't so patient
and wishing that they'd all move on
shattered shells and the trees fall down
in a circle on the autumn ground
we were there but they made no sound
the peacekeeper folds his hands and frowns
all the little people in their fly-by-nights
gathered for the photo shoot
space is the place where they read their rights
for a moment til they all move on
tiny kings and the walls fall down
in a circle on the autumn ground
hidden deep in the lost and found
the peacekeeper laughs and he shakes his crown
tripping through the air of the air of grace
basking in the last sunny day
and so the crown is the last replaced
as the court and cabinet move on
stony stares and the sky falls down
in a circle on the autumn ground
and the liars all come unwound
the peacekeeper smiles and he takes a bow
-9/4/07
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6. |
Rue
04:41
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RUE
she reacts like an outlaw
she reflects like the rain
i left her down in penn daw
just a player in the game
she got a hand in my obsession
is it absurd? or is it sane?
or a stony, cold impression
on an evil, withered brain?
she commands like a general
but understands it's never fair
and the wisdom keeper's tangled
in the roots of her hair
he speaks out for her
coz she's never really clear
how many times
must we go back to this?
how many times
must we rue what we've missed?
how many times
must we remember that kiss?
she got a face like an angel
she keeps it back behind her screen
you can see it from these angles
if you know just where she'll be
she sings a song about the glory
whatever she may think it means
so many sides to that old story
that it's enough just to see
she speaks like an actress
of a golden hollywood
she could not forget the pressure
even though she thought she would
she holds her hands up to the light
and hides behind her sequined hood
-4/20/07
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7. |
Twelve Little Caesars
05:32
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TWELVE LITTLE CAESARS
crimson gold and suncatcher blaze
forever in two blinking eyes
scream from the rooftops
in incredulous ways
and refer to the thief on the sly
down, drifting spiral
to tether with those
magical keys to the maze
unlock the two doors
do a dance on the floor
and join all of us in the chase
startled and spinning
she points to the wall
and laughs in her own
profound way
as deep as the roots
of the trees in the fall
sometimes she don't
know what to say
with eyes all aglow
she's taken control
of the bishops
and kings and the pawns
and scatters them loose
in three separate groups
between the blades of grass
out on the lawn
like twelve little caesars
all wound into one
her heart is her one greatest link
her hands are like iron
her voice is a wail
that dissolves every effort to think
her eyes are like diamonds
she gives it away
and pretends that it's not a big deal
until it comes time
to wreck all the lines
and bend, with her mind,
bars of steel
placid and postured
her hands tell it all
every story, emotion,
or threat
tangled and tossed
and pinned up on the wall
with the thorns of the
cursed cadet
she laughs it all off
and staggers around
clapping hands
in her one-off parade
and flashes a grin
and does it again
and again, and again
and again
-12/10/07
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8. |
Absolutely Queen Liana
08:40
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ABSOLUTELY QUEEN LIANA
the tax collector talks circles
around the wielders of the guns
pointing fingers at the armor
suggesting they're the ones
but me, i'm in a phone booth
and i'm talking down the reds
from the ledges where they're hanging
in the infirmary, in their beds
and absolutely queen liana
shows them to the door
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
don't live here anymore
the priestess of the playground
is counting backwards, ten to one
she's got a gavel in one hand
and in the other is the sun
but me, i'm in my armchair
and i'm dreaming of a place
where invitations are forgotten
and they don't recognize my face
and absolutely queen liana
takes another pill
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
burn down the pious mill
the two-tongued split reactionary
delivers to the trade
his diatribes are wild
and his eyes wander in the shade
but me, i've just forgotten
everywhere i've been before
and i crawl across the kitchen
sucking crumbs up from the floor
and absolutely queen liana
blames it on the fates
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
are left waiting at the gate
the flourescent king is speaking
in a language all his own
and marie, her will has weakened
and her wisdom is two-toned
but me, i'm just an innkeeper
with a room or two to rent
all my money has been drunk
and all my whiskey has been spent
and absolutely queen liana
sings a battle hymn
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
bow down against her whim
the magnetic poet trembles
as he reads his own last rites
his arms and legs are tangled
like the strings of thrity kites
but me, i'm in the grass, asleep
i'm dreaming of a bird
she carries me to hell and back
but she never says a word
and absolutely queen liana
knows that she is right
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
steal away and reunite
the last of all the go-getters
is getting up to go
he leaves his card out on the table
and his umbrella down below
but me, i'm just a cloudseeker
with an excuse, or maybe two
and she, a sequined, stoned disaster
who slipped out without a clue
and absolutely queen liana
sleeps away the pain
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
and the lepers join the game
the carbon postal renegade
on his way to meet the king
swallows coin and cabbage
and shits out a diamond ring
and me, i'm in the garden
and i'm digging for the gold
to waste on queen lianna
who left me there, to catch a cold
and absolutely queen liana
brings it to the fore
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
keep on knocking on the door
the daft, inept reactor
makes a scene at the inquest
he paints his thoughts on the courthouse wall
and says he knows what's best
but me, i'm just a fugitive
on the run from i and i
one day, we may shake hands
but you'll never see me cry
and absolutely queen liana
tallies up the score
the ace of wands and the king of clowns
they don't live here anymore
-12/11/07
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9. |
Gravel
14:11
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GRAVEL
lucid annie took her mother for a spin
two laps in the garden
just to get back home again
she prayed for rain
just so she wouldn't have to feel the pain
let it grow, let it grow, let it go
diamond molly looked the mirror in the eye
she saw in her reflection
all the years gone flying by
she stopped to point her finger
at the flower in the sky
let it die, let it die, let it die
when will it go?
when will they know
it's nothing but
the gravel in the road
and where will they go?
how does it grow
when the rain keeps
missing the ground below?
even the mice can see it glow
even the wise know where it goes
even the dice know where they're thrown
captivate the moment, break it
and sing out....
crystal martha with her telly on her wrist
speaks in code and sings about
the poison in her fists
just how much she saved depends
on just how much she kissed
what it is, what it is, what it is
feral vera sees her days go flying by
she has no time to catch it
and no time to sit and cry
she forgets how much she wants it
every time she blinks her eyes
let it die, let it die, let it die
when will it go?
when will they know
it's nothing but
the gravel in the road
and where will they go?
how does it grow
when the rain keeps
missing the ground below?
even the mice can see it flow
even the wise know where it goes
even the dice know where they're thrown
captivate the moment, break it
and sing out once again
sing out - let's break the cycle from within
sing out - you can feel it in your bones and on your skin
how many times do we have to hear them cry?
how many times must we stand in the corner of their eyes?
it's a cold lie - to believe is to waste, is to wait too long
it's a cold lie - believing the chase is where you belong
it's been so long....
plastic penny sees the walls have fallen down
she's gathered all the stones out on the fringes of the town
she always stirs great mystery coz she barely makes a sound
is it found, is it found, is it found
sad clarissa in the evening of her life
wipes the makeup from her face
and thinks about the knife
to dull away and sink away
another bloody wife
let her rise, let her rise, let her rise
when will it go?
when will they know
it's nothing but
the gravel in the road
and where will they go?
how does it grow
when the rain keeps
missing the ground below?
even the mice can see it flow
even the wise know where it goes
even the dice know where they're thrown
captivate the moment, break it
and sing out once again
sing out - let's break the cycle from within
sing out - you can feel it in your bones and on your skin
-8/22/07
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10. |
Coltrane
05:54
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COLTRANE
i want to talk about you
you are one of my favorite things
i get a great impression
every time i see your face
impressions tell me everything
one up, one down
you're my favorite thing
-2007
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11. |
Drunk Dialin'
06:24
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DRUNK DIALIN'
yesterday was the coldest day
i've ever seen and so i drank it all away
i stumbled down the sidewalk
and ducked into an open bar
by the time i crawled out
i was only seein' stars
when i came to i had the phone up to my ear
and heard a voice i hadn't heard in many years
whatever we had said just made some drama reappear
and through the tears, through the tears
i gotta make it clear
i didn't mean to call you
i didn't mean to make you lose your smile
i didn't mean to waste your precious time
i was drunk dialin'
it's been a long time
since i heard your sweet sweet voice
ever since that day we walked
away, who made the choice?
it's not my style to think about the past
sometimes it is too precious
and sometimes it goes too fast
but then that moment came and went
without a fight
and all those memories
sent cold shivers up my spine
and i sat and thought about the way
we left it all behind
so i got you on the line,
yeah i got you on the line, but...
i didn't mean to call you
i didn't mean to make you lose your mind
i didn't mean to waste your precious time
i was drunk dialin'
i never thought that we would take another spin
or ever wanted to go down that road again
it's just the novelty and i guess it's wearing thin
in another twenty years, i'll call and we'll do this all again
i didn't mean to call you
i didn't mean to make you lose your mind
i didn't mean to waste your precious time
i was drunk dialin'
-8/24/07
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12. |
A Song For Kaya
05:40
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A SONG FOR KAYA
the circus maids with their hula hoops
got their feet wet in the park
abandoned with the pigeons
in the alleys in the dark
loosely based on eloquence
they know that it's just talk
they're tearing down the fences
and they're learning how to walk
they sing a song for kaya
when she's crying for her ma
or lying in her bed, she smiles
amidst the caterwaul
forgetting that they got there
on the ledge and on the wire
to sing a song for kaya
and skip away, into the light
the destitute romancer
wears his pity like a grin
he done with taking chances
but he'd do it all again
and there, she's like a rainbow
all the hypocrites look on
she's got them all entranced
she knows that she could do no wrong
so they sing a song for kaya
with a choreographed routine
reminiscent of a mayan
sacrifice to kin or cizin
against the howling flames
of a ticker tape parade
they sing a song for kaya
and go back from whence they came
the angel of the turnstile
beats her brow and takes it back
on her chest, there hangs a lantern
and her hands are painted black
she thinks about the sidewalk
and the fever in the street
and blinks her eyes and coyly grins
and sweeps them all off their feet
and they sing a song for kaya
when they lay their heads to sleep
and she moves like genus maia
through the shadows of the deep
to suggest she's a messiah
wouldn't be too slant or steep
when they sing a song for kaya
never weep...
-12/10/07
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Chris Anderson Alexandria, Virginia
Chris is a wildly prolific songwriter who has hovered among the outskirts of the music world for over 30 years. On his own
label, Flying Dachshund Music, Chris has released 154 CDs, 96 of them being full-length albums. That's just the tip of the iceberg and there are no signs of stopping. Ever.
chrisanderson-earlyfdm.bandcamp.com/music
chrisanderson-bg.bandcamp.com
... more
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