1. |
A Good Day In Nashville
04:38
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A popcorn ceiling with recess lighting
A red brick house with aluminum siding
Above ground pools by a chain-linked fence
The next-door neighbor, she's a little bit dense
I got radon gas coming through my floor
Concrete lions on my front porch
Metal swing-sets out frying in the sun
The next-door neighbor, she’s waving her gun
There’s a hard rain in my front yard
Sunny and dry in my back yard
Whatever the time, there’s time to kill
It’s a good day in Nashville
I got a plumber and a roofer and an electrician
Every single one used to be a musician
No one is immune, we all change course
My plumber and my neighbor, now they’re getting divorced
My electrician used to be a producer
He’s talking to my neighbor and he’s trying to seduce her
She fell head over heels, they had an overnighter
It was over when he learned she’s a songwriter
There’s a hard rain in my front yard
Sunny and dry in my back yard
Whatever the time, there’s time to kill
It’s a good day in Nashville
My neighbor’s at the store with her slippers on
Her kids are sleeping, they don’t even know she’s gone
Dumping five mason jars of nickels and dimes
In a Coin Star, baby, that’s Nashville time
I got a doctor and a lawyer and a chiropractor
They all love me I’m their benefactor
Paying bills like an above ground fool
I’m sending all their kids to a private school
My lawyer went to high school with my neighbor
He gives free consultation and charges double for labor
Condos going over retail stores
We’ve got gentrification and political whores
The skyline’s gone, it’s a fatal strike, but…
Yo quiero a mis amigos en Nolensville Pike
There’s a full moon in my front yard
A Solar eclipse in my back yard
They’ll nickel and dime, when they send you the bill
It’s a good day in Nashville
Whatever the time, there’s a city to kill
It’s a good day, it’s a good day here
Here in Nashville
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2. |
No Hard Feelings
03:16
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Passive aggressive
Makes me aggressive
Abusive power
We’re in our final hour
Can you hear the ticking clock?
I’m on the starting block
You were given every warning
I’m leaving in the morning, there’s…
Procrastination
Makes me impatient
I’m sick of waiting
I’m sick of figure skating
On the paper-thin ice
I done told you twice
That I gave you every warning
I’m leaving in the morning with…
No hard feelings
I got no hard feelings
Your indecision
Makes an incision
I’ve been bleeding on the inside
You’re sitting ringside
Turning the tables
You cut the power cables
My battery’s out of juice
It’s time I turn you loose
See, it all accumulated
And now I’m liberated
From the hesitating, dominating, isolating, suffocating…
Victim routine, my little wolverine
Perfecting your moves
Since you were seventeen, I got…
No hard feelings
I got no hard feelings
You’re undermining my silver lining
Your full of animosity and brilliant mediocrity
I'll take it on the chin
My lip’s bleeding again
You’re the winner, queen bee
At the cost of losing me, I got…
No hard feelings
I got no hard feelings
No hard feelings, no hard feelings for you
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3. |
Seventeen Days
04:28
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He was a white knight in distress
She was a damsel in shining armor
He was a big flat tire, man, he was a mess
But she never said no to a charmer
He took her out to the Megaplex
He held her close whenever they kissed
Always in a crisis, he was so complex
He was everything she couldn’t resist
She loved his potential, but she didn’t love him
What was wrong in the beginning was still wrong in the end
Here she comes...
Here she comes, coming to the rescue
She can’t stop taking in strays
Here she comes, coming to the rescue
He’s only got seventeen days
They moved in, they rescued a dog
It was better off than being alone
She went to work while he slept like a log
That’s when she co-signed his loan
Everything was working when everything was broken
There was always something for her to fix
He was larger than life, she was too soft spoken
Too afraid to give him the deep six
He never showed up when things went well
He only paid attention when she put him through hell
She loved his potential, but she didn’t love him
What was wrong in the beginning was still wrong in the end
Here she comes, coming to the rescue
She can’t stop taking in strays
Here she comes, coming to the rescue
He’s only got forty-two days
A year went by and the voice in her heart
Said, “We’re all better off if we kill it”
Here she was again and she knew from the start
She’d have to dig a hole before she could fill it
She grew cold and tired of picking up the check
For his mother and his father and his daughter and his ex
She loved his potential, but it’s time to escape
So she can laugh about the time when they all used to say…
Here she comes, coming to the rescue
She can’t stop taking in strays
Here she comes, coming to the rescue
Now he’s only got…Now he’s only got seventeen days
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4. |
Cronkite and Cosell
04:06
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Some of us never paid attention
Some of us never knew
But some of us remember them well
I used to sit there on the floor
Watching news with my old man
We trusted every single story they’d tell
We saw a President step down
After we saw them cover up
Stepping back instead of looking ahead
And the ratings all soared
For a mouth that roared
We listened, we heard what they said
And that’s the way it is
Yeah, that’s the way it is
Yeah that’s the way it is, just as well
No, it doesn’t matter, it isn’t news
If I can’t imagine it coming from
Walter Cronkite and Howard Cosell
We all cried on a Monday night
When a headline broke through
Tragic news that shook the whole world
Cosell told you the truth
That he knew from the booth
And the heavens and the stars unfurled
Shots rang out in New York City
And the whole world took pity
That same year came the beginning of the end
Little boxes in our homes
With a hundred TV shows
A 24-hour channel called CNN
CHORUS
There it is, ladies and gentlemen
There it is, there it is
There it is and he could go all the way
No, he never played the game
Never made it to the hall of fame
In the end he just slipped quietly away
And what I want now more than anything
Is too far out of reach
At the bottom of my wishing well
Is to sit there on the floor
By the chair with my old man
Watching Cronkite and Howard Cosell
And that’s the way it is
Yeah, that’s the way it is
That’s the way since he said farewell
Now I’m sitting here in this chair
Watching news by myself
Missing Cronkite and Howard Cosell
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5. |
Miss Communication
03:35
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She’s Miss Communication, she runs her own nation
She don’t call you on no telephone, she don’t send no invitation
She’s Miss Communication, she’s runs her own plantation
She lets go of the reigns, but you’re on secret probation
She’s Miss Communication, she’s got no destination
She speaks in hypotheticals and she lives on speculation
She’s Miss Communication with an ideal recommendation
She’s herself every Halloween in suspended animation
Slipping and sliding her whole life
You still think she’d make you a good wife
Slipping and sliding with your life
You still think she’d make you a good wife
She’s up on her high horse, high up on a pedestal
High up on her soapbox, so inaccessible
Has too many choices so she never makes one
She keeps her options open leaving you with none
She’s Miss Communication, she likes her fornication
She’ll take your pound of flesh, leave you with no remuneration
She’s Miss Communication, she runs the whole nation
She likes to ride and sing along to her classic rock station
Slipping and sliding her whole life
You still think she’d make you a good wife
Slipping and sliding with your life
You still think she’d make you a good wife
She’s up on her high horse, high up on a pedestal
High up on her soapbox, so inaccessible
Has too many choices so she never makes one
She keeps her options open leaving you with none
She’s Miss Communication, she’s Miss Miscalculation
She’s Miss Misinformation, she’s Miss Representation
She’s Miss Retaliation, she’s Miss Appropriation
She’s Miss Assassination, give her a standing ovation
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6. |
I Sold It All
02:15
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I sold a ride cymbal, I sold my big bass drum
I sold it all so now I’m ready for whatever may come
I sold a microphone, I sold my hi-hat stand
I sold a vintage Les Paul so we can stick to the plan
I sold it all, I sold it all
I sold it all so I could call and say I’ll pay for it all
I sold it all, I sold it all
I sold it all so I could call and say I’ll pay for it all
I sold my stereo, I sold your SUV
I sold that money pit before it sucked the dreams out of me
I sold my Subaru, I sold my Persian rugs
I sold an old can of paint so I could pay for my drugs
CHORUS
I sold my yellow Gretsch drums to some guy in Quebec
And I went out like a coalminer with a paycheck
I’m selling out to get us rolling on the inside track
I had enough I turned around now I want it all back
I bought a ride cymbal, I bought a big bass drum
I bought a hi-hat and crash and I paid it in cash
I bought a microphone, I had a great big laugh
They paid a grand over the counter I bought it for half
CHORUS
I sold my yellow Gretsch drums to some guy in Quebec
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7. |
Murder Shows
03:47
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My wife lies around watching murder shows
She drinks Modelos and paints her toes
I remember back when I decided to propose
She didn’t lie around watching murder shows
Our air conditioner broke down on the 4th of July
She said I’m a still-waters-run-hot-and-cold kind of guy
I remember back to our first summertime
The air conditioner didn’t break down on the 4th of July
It used to be so exciting
(Background: From the start he was a shame)
She said I had so much promise
(Background: No, he would never take the blame)
I said, “When did you become such a dark cloud?”
She said, “When you became Doubting Thomas.”
She filed for divorce on Valentine’s Day
She says things’ll work out a whole lot better this way
I remember back when I never thought I’d say
She filed for divorce on Valentine’s Day
She’s about to leave me now for a guy who’s about to leave her
She doesn’t know yet all the damages he’ll incur
I remember back before it all became a blur
She’d never leave me for a guy who’s leaving her…
CHORUS
He’s not about to leave her anymore, he’s already gone
I paid him a visit while she was at the beauty salon
I don’t know nothing about those tire tracks on his lawn
He’s not about to leave her anymore, he’s already gone
Now I’m sitting around watching murder shows
I got out of town right before the sun rose
I died my hair, I bought some new clothes
I’m just sitting around here watching murder shows
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8. |
Jesus and Fireworks
04:11
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Saying grace in public at a fast food restaurant
Your head bowed low and your eyes are closed
So blessed you just have to flaunt it
That’s okay. Yeah, that’s okay
In record-breaking drought, brown grass, dry leaves
You lit that wick on a liberty stick
And the place went up in flames, you believe
That’s okay, you still believe
I could be somewhere else
I could love it or leave it
I could live free or die
I could say I don’t need it, but here I am…
Living in the land of Jesus and fireworks
Bible thumpers thumping, knocking on my front door
I bend down low like I’m not home
Now they’re looking in my windows, I’m done for
That’s okay if we all pray
A boy holding a sparkler on Independence Day
It went into his eye and it made him go blind
It’s a good thing Jesus saves, it’s okay
We can heal the blind if we all pray
CHORUS
With unicorns and leprechauns
Peter Pan and The Sandman
The Easter bunny and a preacher with his own network
Black dynamite, five hundred grams
Cherry bombs and Roman Candles
Everywhere I turn is a tax-free church
I’m living in the land, living in the land…
Saying grace in public, at a fast food restaurant
A man walked in with a liberty stick
And he did his own shock and awe, it’s too late
CHORUS
Saying grace in public
BGVs: Living in the land, living in the land
Saying grace in public
BGVs: Living in the land, living in the land
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9. |
Badgering The Witness
03:13
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Is it not true? Do you recall?
It’s a simple yes or no
You said too much, you dropped the ball
She’s got your number, a light over your head
She raised her voice about the dust under the bed
She asks the same question until you get it wrong
No, she’ll never play nice or fair
She’s breaking you down, you’re just not that strong
She blew your cover everywhere
And there she goes, getting up in your business
She’s badgering, badgering the witness
It’s clear to me she’s into physical fitness
She’s badgering, badgering the witness
Is it not true? Is it a fact?
She’ll stab you in the heart
Before she’ll stab you in the back
You know she’s different, when she’s at home
There’s more to her than brass, behind the chipping chrome
She spins you around, on her wooden wheel of death
She loosens up to throw her knives
She’s taking you down, you take your last breath
Then she steps back and closes her eyes
CHORUS
Check out her 9 to 5 essentials
For the boardroom and beyond
She has elevated looks
She’s your favorite dirty blonde
She tangles and weaves
Look how her muscles are in shape
Has a tiger lily skirt
She’s putting on her cape
She rips you in half until there’s nothing left
If you win she’ll be back someday
Distortion begins and you lie to yourself
You never liked her that much anyway
CHORUS
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10. |
Come Here Go Away
03:42
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I’ll call you up when things slow down
Swing by when you’re on my side of town
Let’s hook it up when I can’t stay
Don’t remember your hair looking so gray
Take a number and get in line
Don’t be a stranger, good friends are hard to find
We’ll make your record on spec and you’ll get played
So you can spec not to get paid
Come here, go away, come here, go away
It’d be so good to see you, I just can’t make it today
Come here, go away. Hey, old friend…Come here, go away
I know it’s hard, I know it’s wrong
You’re new in town and you don’t belong
It’s not an insult, it’s an oversight
It’s been too long so keep it brief and light
Oh, bless your heart, your eyes are glazed
You’re not from around here, it’s how I was raised
I’ll let you in my world when you have more cache
You’ll get a card after Christmas Day
Come here, go away, come here, go away
I never want to lose you, I just don’t want you to stay
Come here, go away. Hey, old friend…Come here, go away
Hey, old friend. Hey, how’ve you been?
I didn’t know how much your son had grown
I didn’t know, didn’t know you lost your home
I didn’t know your father passed away
Nobody asked you to come, nobody asked you to go
Nobody asked you to stay, I don’t want you to know
I never say what I mean, I never mean what I say
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Matt North Nashville, Tennessee
“I started writing songs in my 30's and started finishing them in my 40's.” – Matt
North
Raised on equal doses of Hee-Haw and Soul Train in Champaign, IL, North began as a neighborhood drummer jamming to Devo and Kiss albums in his garage. His father’s family were Scotch-Irish coal miners in Harlan County, KY. At 15, he worked at Farm Aid I picking up trash. He blames that day for pursuing music.
... more
Matt North recommends:
The Wilderness
by Jesse DeNatale
He's never written a bad song. Every album is a masterpiece.
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Hi My Name is Jonny 25th Anniversary reissue
by Jonny Polonsky
There's no one like Jonny Polonsky
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His 2nd album. 1st and 3rd are just as good.
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Thoughtful and poetic folk with a Cosmic Americana flavor from the Brooklyn singer-songwriter.
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Echo Dancing
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The legendary Alejandro Escovedo returns with another country-rock scorcher.
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24th Street Blues
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Tom Heyman documents life in San Francisco circa 2023, refusing to succumb to easy characterization & instead capturing the city’s nuance.
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