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Durango

by The Coal Porters

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1.
I got my daughter, I got my gun You got a nerve, you’ve had your fun Placing your bets, taking your time What once was ours is now just mine You got another, you gotta leave I my got heart broke, I gotta grieve I’m moving out, you’re moving on They’re saving my place out at Forest Lawn Let’s say goodbye like we said hello With sweet smiles and laughter as if we don’t know Your Somebodys waiting and now you must go Let’s say goodbye like we said hello She says it’s “mee-know”, I say it’s “my-know” She says “we’re fee-no”, I say “that’s fine-oh” I’m playing the game tho’ I’m long in the tooth I feel like a beer ‘n’ she’s cravin’ vermouth So let’s throw a party lasting till dawn With jugglers on horseback & all kinds of songs With friends of the bride a-whispering to The one who spent life in love with you Let’s say goodbye like we said hello Why should we try, does anyone know? We’ll call it a day, like a sun setting low Let’s say goodbye, like we said hello (so) hurry up honey, I’ll put down the gun I’ll redo the lyrics, I’ll put in more fun You’ll get to laugh n’ you’ll get to smile And I’ll get to cry like I ain’t for awhile Let’s say goodbye like we said hello with sweet smiles and laughter, as if we don‘t know Your Somebodys waiting and now you must go Let’s say goodbye like we said hello
2.
No more chains around my neck, Lord No more chains to keep me beat No more chains around my ankles I’ll walk along a free man’s street No more chains to weigh my arms down No more chains to hold me back No more chains to sound my capture The air I breathe tastes mighty sweet One of these days and that day’s arrivin’ One of these days full of joyful noise The road to joy awaits my footprints where Angels rock my soul to sleep No more chains from dawn to dusk, Lord No more chains now the whip don’t crack No more chains a new day’s coming I’ve come along way ain’t goin’ back No more chains no more darkness No more chains no more incomplete My soul is one with the brightest Heaven The air I breathe tastes mighty sweet All souls are one with the Almighty Heaven This air I breathe tastes mighty sweet This air I breathe tastes mighty sweet
3.
If you ever feel lonesome And your down in San Antone Beg steal or borrow two nickles or a dime and call me on the phone And I'll meet you at Alamo mission Where we can say our prayers The Holy Ghost and the Virgin mother will heal us As we kneel there In the moonlight in the midnight In the moonlight midnight moonlight In the moonlight in the midnight In the moonlight midnight moonlight If you ever feel sorrow For the love you have wronged With no hope for tomorrow In the setting of the sun And the ocean is howling With dreams that might have been The last good morning sunrise Will be the brightest you've ever seen In the moonlight in the midnight
4.
The wind is rising & the sun ain’t shining The rain rules the roost all day Come in & come hither n’ don’t ‘ya dare dither Honey, I got something to say While you’re sitting there lonely I love you only I’m gonna, gonna beg you to stay as the flames in our fire stretch ever higher ‘cause I’m not going away Chorus I’m not going away No packing the very first bag Not gonna miss all the fun I’m not going away I’m not going away Why let the love we can share Drift off on the air When we can waltz our way to the sun A Cadillac gleaming & a red rose teeming Each full of grace & power Is little compared to the time that we shared Or the way we could spend the next hour So your heart took a beatin’ from all of his cheatin’ Well, your singing solo days are through Come to my café n’ share a warm latte I’ll tell you all about the view
5.
One is way too many Three thousand's not enough Before I tasted any I was counting on that stuff Water is too wet for me Martini's way too dry Milk's a drink for cows and kids And gin just makes me cry A beer and whiskey diet Is sure to lose me pounds I swear my wallet's lighter I can't hardly get around
6.
My soup is cold my room’s too small my train is late Is that my main course or just a dirty plate? I used to wonder, ask myself is it just me? Who has to turn the tables, spin a protest melody Chorus The squeaky wheel gets the oil no lubrication in a quiet nation The squeaky wheel gets the oil, no peace I there’s no grease The squeaky wheel gets the oil, no conversation if there’s no libation A quiet kettle will not boil, The squeaky wheel gets the oil Thank God I’m in the bar, I raise my glass and cheer My pint is genuine, it’s looking bright and clear I say “bartender, could you fit a dram in here?” He says “I think there’s space” I say “If that’s the case, why don’t you fill it up with beer?" Chorus The squeaky wheel gets the oil no lubrication in a quiet nation The squeaky wheel gets the oil, no peace I there’s no grease The squeaky wheel gets the oil, no conversation if there’s no libation Pedals crank and the cheques are blank, the squeaky wheel gets the oil I think the manager respects a range of views I read the comment book on any page I choose I don’t agree with everything I read in there I’m satisfied somebody wrote enough to care It’s all gone quiet why is everyone so glum? We threw a party we said anyone could come Our bar ran dryer than we ever thought it would We kept on way part closing time ‘cos we never understood Chorus The squeaky wheel got the oil The loudest mule drank all the fuel The squeaky wheel got the oil Now it’s too dry to cry The squeaky wheel got the oil, no rotation, no irrigation Can’t bank on an empty tank, as the squeaky wheel got the oil
7.
Pretty Polly 03:35
There used to be a gambler who courted all around There used to be a gambler who courted all around He courted Pretty Polly such beauty had never been found Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly come go along with me Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly come go along with me Before we get married some pleasures to see She jumped up behind him and away they did go She jumped up behind him and away they did go Down into the valley that was far below They went a little further and what did they spy? They went a little further and what did they spy? But a new dug grave with a spade lying by Oh Willy dear Willy, I’m afraid of your way Oh Willy dear Willy, I’m afraid of your way I’m afraid you might lead my poor body astray Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly you’ve guessed it just right Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly you’ve guessed it just right I dug on your grave the better part of last night He stabbed her in the heart til her heart’s blood did flo He stabbed her in the heart til her heart’s blood did flo Down into the grave Pretty Polly did go Now a debt to the Devil that Willy must pay Now a debt to the Devil that Willy must pay For killing Pretty Polly and running away
8.
Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar Dancing on the light from star to star Far across the moonbeam I know that's who you are I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire You are like a hurricane There's calm in your eye And I'm gettin' blown away To somewhere safer where the feeling stays I want to love you but I'm getting blown away I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream You could have been anyone to me Before that moment you touched my lips That perfect feeling when time just slips Away between us on our foggy trip Chorus You are just a dreamer, and I am just a dream You could have been anyone to me Before that moment you touched my lips That perfect feeling when time just slips Away between us on our foggy trip
9.
Though my name is important you can pay it no mind Till I’m sipping the breeze on those streets there outside But today’s like the day that’s just gone before As I lay frozen, quiet on this fifth V.A. floor We were stationed in Bazra on our Captain’s orders In a forcible change of some government’s borders When I lay down my boot on a hidden tick mine N’ the shrapnel near blind me as it severed my spine My comrades, though wounded, did carry me back To a surgical unit not safe from attack Thru the heat & the dust & the dirt & the wind Then they turned & went back to the battle again I would march if I could to the sound of the guns But I can’t move a muscle to walk or to run & though perceptive to light I can’t see you at all Yet here in my darkness I still watch comrades fall From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli I would fight my country’s battles if only I could see If God gave me back my vision & they’d give me back my gun Then I would will my body to any war we needed won But your days are my evenings, your mornings my nights My time is now spent in a permanent twilight I’m pleased that you’d visit tho’ you know I can’t stand Tho’ my looks my deceive you this soldier’s still a man Though my name is important you can pay it no mind Till I’m outside these walls on the streets feeling fine But today’s like the day that’s just gone before As I lay frozen, quiet on this hospital floor Now all you young ramblers who think you’re so fine N’ your country’s so noble its rivers run wine Remember the man whose days are his nights And the land mine that gave me permanent twilight Permanent twilight
10.
11.
Just like a little drop of water, wets the branch to give it new leaves I’d would lend you a hand or give you my ear Its better that we speak than you just grieve We have the kind of love which seems to confront us To astound us and bring us to our knees But I’m the kind of friend, who’ll be there in the end Lookin’ for a soft place to fall Just like my old landline phone, dear, the one you never ring at all I’ll quietly await for you to sound my bell Our silence broken by your timely call You are the only one who seems to consume me To confuse me and make me feel so small seems I’m the kind of friend who’ll cry into the wind Lookin’ for a soft place to fall Just like a shadow in the late night, so hard to see the next step to take To choose to walk with me & feel you’re never free But baby, I would never let you crawl You’re the only one who seems to soothe me so stay with me & be there when I call If not you’ll see me searchin’, stumblin’ on the ground Lookin’ for a soft place to fall Lookin’ for a soft place to fall
12.
Pass me the bottle, Do me no harm I’ll have two fingers one from each arm Say you can’t help me, say I can’t hear I‘ll start on the whisky, I’ve finished the beer Refrain Smart when I walked in, I‘m much smarter now This closing time genius, is thinking much more than his brain will allow Wit, yes, and wisdom, I got ‘em in spades Leave the amateurs crying, in their lemonades Set ‘em up join me, hey I can dream This guy with no water, can’t run out of steam Smart when I walked in, I‘m much smarter now This closing time genius, is thinking much more than his brain will allow Oh but I don’t understand why there’s no sparkle in this wedding band Ah but it’s like it was planned my IQ rises with the minute hand Smart when I walked in, I‘m much smarter now This closing time genius, is thinking much more than his brain will allow
13.
Ain't no use to sit and cry sail away, ladies, sail away you'll be an angel by and by sail away, ladies, sail away don't you rock 'im, daddy-o don't you rock 'm, daddy-o don't you rock 'im, daddy-o sail away, ladies, sail away! I got news from Charlotte Town sail away, ladies, said away big St. Louis a-burning down sail away, ladies, said away I got a home in Tennessee sail away, ladies, sail away that's the place I wanna be sail away, ladies, sail away come along, boys, and go with me sail away, ladies, sail away we'll go down to Tennessee sail away, ladies, sail away hush, little baby, don't you cry sail away, ladies, sail away you'll be an Angel by and by sail away, ladies, sail away
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about

Durango is a career-defining release from the ever popular Coal Porters who are taking their Bluegrass inspired oeuvre to even wider horizons.

The album was produced by the legendary Ed Stasium, (Ramones, Phil Spector, The Smithereens, The Long Ryders, Gladys Knight, Mick Jagger, Jeff Healey) and recorded in Colorado USA April 2009 via the ‘Basement Tapes’ style with the musicians playing live and the band all looking at each other as they played…not a soul separated by glass or partitions.

Guest artists on the record are Peter Rowan, who sang and played guitar on his song “Moonlight Midnight”, and Tim O’Brien who played mandolin on “Roadkill Breakdown”.

credits

released July 2, 2020

Durango - The Coal Porters

Produced, engineered and mixed by Ed Stasium, Bayfield, Colorado USA

Neil Bob Herd: guitar, dobro, vocals
Sid Griffin: mandolin, harmonica, autoharp, vocals
Carly Frey: fiddle, vocals
Jeff Kazmierski: doghouse bass

Special guests-
Dick Smith: banjo, backing vocals
Tim O’Brien: mandolin solo on Roadkill Breakdown
Peter Rowan: vocals, guitar on Moonlight Midnight
Ed Stasium: backing vocals and brainwaves

No varmits or critters were harmed in the making of this album.

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The Coal Porters London, UK

The Coal Porters claim to be the world’s first “alt-bluegrass” act, demonstrating the power of fiddle, mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar and doghouse bass when matched with four-part harmonies and memorable melodies.

They have taken this sound around the world being featured on NPR’s Morning Edition in the USA and having recorded a live session for Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2.
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