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at the feet of old bristlecone

by Joshua Lowe

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1.
When I met you I was hungry I was hungry and sleepy too I woke one day and I realized that I’m not sick of love I’m just sick of you When I fell in love I was in a hurry and you made my heart act the fool you filled my head full of doubt and worry but I’m not sick of love I’m just sick of you I’m not tired of the stars in the night or the sky full of blue I’m not tired of being held close and tight I’m just tired of you When I said I loved you we’d been drinking and out the window reason flew This six month hangover’s got me thinking That maybe I’m not sick of love just sick of you I’m not tired of the sky at twilight or the rising of the moon I’m not tired of being kissed goodnight I’m just tired of you Hope there’s no hard feelings we all got to do what we got to do Maybe it was just the wrong season, I don’t know either way I’m not sick of love I’m just sick of you I’m so tired of fighting all night long I’m so tired of feeling blue I’m so tired of singing this same damn song But I’m not sick of love Just sick of you
2.
I sit on the hillside looking down to the dark valley below the morning sky is black as the night and the wind is heavy as stone this fires been burning and this storms been brewing ever since the day I was born but nobody pays any mind to flames at the door the people in town will run you down chasing some invisible score on every street corner comes the tired sad laughter of old forgotten whores the courthouse is covered in mud and ash and the snake oil man owns the stores cash on the barrel head everyone’s looking for more this town’s on fire every since yesterday’s rain I got one burning desire to leave here and never come back again the sheriff in town he dresses in white but he stole the devil’s right hand speaking in tongues only the cold wind seems to understand he wears an iron gate around his neck as he stumbles drunk cross this here land leaving in his wake the streets paved with quicksand and the deputy’s in charge with the knife in his mouth that cut off the old bull’s tail his shotgun’s always smoking his aim never seems to fail he’s building a tower of coffins, yeah he’s laying each rusty nail with a hundred mile boxcar of death he’s riding the rails Chorus I'm leaving today, yeah I’m on my way tomorrow’s too long to wait the very last thing I want to do is stay here and suffocate somewhere down the road someday maybe it won’t be too late but right now hard travelin’s everybody’s fate Chorus
3.
Last night I fell into a dream all alone or so it seemed saw a lady by the silver stream and the snow began to fall she was dressed all in white I called out but she did not reply and how the wind did cry and the snow began to fall... I followed her down to the cemetery Saw her praying beneath the sycamore tree All alone in the lone valley And the snow began fall The sky turned black overhead She cried on the bones of the dead I went to see what the tombstone read And the snow began to fall… It read here lies Shawn McGee Devoted husband and father of three I shook in my head disbelief And the snow began to fall I looked into her pale blue eyes Oh Lord to my surprise The woman in white was my darling wife And the snow began to fall… Wiped her tears and walked away I fell down on my knees to pray The wind cried this where you’ll stay And the snow began to fall
4.
killin' time 05:03
Hey buddy how you doin’ looks like your just getting off work oh yeah I was doing construction too before I got hurt But you know the worker’s comp gets me by and the painkillers make me feel fine and lately I’ve just been killing time Yeah I hurt my back its been about 7 or 8 months now I think Shit I’m sorry my name’s Charlie let me buy you a drink Cause I know the feeling when a man needs to unwind and spend the evening kicking back killing time Killing time, Killing Time Lately I’ve been killing time Its like my little cousin Eddy started smoking at age twelve And soon came daddy’s whiskey and momma’s prescription pills By fifteen he was selling grass by seventeen he was cutting lines On his twenty first he got busted and now he’s killing time And my big aunt Shirley got knocked up at age nineteen By some pretty boy college kid passing through on his way to Abilene And since then she’s worked night and day just to keep that family alive And she’d give anything just to kill some time Killing time… I’ve been watching the six o’clock news every night from this bar stool And I’ve come figure the government takes us all for fools Cause even a drunkard like me can see right through the lies I mean god damn that man just sitting there killing time
5.
The days they are a beggar man the nights a thief The twilight is the praying soul who finds no relief Fire in the belly Storm cloud in my head The sky is drunk and ragged. Stained and torn All the stars are dead tonight and they fall one by one Fire in the belly Storm cloud in my head The north wind haunts my dreams and I cannot rest The cold blood dawn lingers on like whiskey on the breath Fire in the belly Storm cloud in my head The past is the widow bent beside the lonesome grave The past is the pinewood box buried beneath the clay Fire in the belly Storm cloud in my head The preacher and the devil walk hand in hand Like all wrath that comes to pass, it’s death on the payment plan Fire in the belly Storm cloud in my head
6.
In my time of dyin' Don't want nobody to mourn All I want for you to do Is to take my body home Well, well, well so I can die easy Well, well, well Well, well, well so I can die easy Jesus gonna make up my dyin' bed. Meet me Jesus meet me Meet me in the middle of the air If these wings should fail me Lord Won't you meet me with another pair Going down to the river side Gonna stick my sword in the sand Praise the Good Lord above I made it to the promised land In my time of dyin' Don't want nobody to cry All I want for you to do Is to take me when I die Well, well, well so I can die easy Well, well, well Well, well, well so I can die easy Jesus gonna make up my dyin' bed.
7.
bristlecone 09:17
Sweet Potatoes and a Mountain view Right there my family grew Sweet Potatoes and a Mountain view Deep deep belly laugh Sucking wind room turning black Deep deep belly laugh Heart and feet and roots and paws A tree in the forest the dusk and the dawn Heart and feet and roots and paws Got me a big fucking heart My tiny little brain thinks he’s so smart Got me a big fucking heart Unroll your tapestry Dust off them old words for me Unroll your tapestry Light and darkness dance between Pretty much ‘bout everything Light and darkness dance between Got me a Big Fucking Heart… Silly little mutt what have you done You laughed all day at the singing sun Now it’s time to take your rest now its time to bury that bone Where magic is always blessed At the feet of old bristlecone I’m not a house I am home Drop on by if you feel alone I’m not a house I am home Got Big Me a Big Fucking Heart Silly little mutt what have you done… Laughing…Bristlecone Dancing…Bristlecone Singing…Bristlecone Whistling…Bristlecone
8.
It’s hard to admit let alone accept Such a blessing such a gift But right now I can’t deny You’ve been with me all this time I thought I lost you right from the start I’ve felt emptiness in my heart I’m coming to realize what’s yours is mine Yeah you’ve been with me all this time I’ve been stumbling down this same stretch of road I’ve been dragging that same heavy load I thought you was lost but I’ve come to find You’ve been with me all this time I have a hard time trying to make it alone Wandering lost from a broken home But I am coming to realize you’ve been right by my side And you’ve been with me all this time I’ve been fighting so hard to keep us apart I don’t want to admit that we had to part But I am done fighting and trying to hide You’ve been with me all this time I’ve been stumbling down this same stretch of road I’ve been dragging that same heavy load I thought you was lost but I’ve come to find You’ve been with me all this time I’ve been wanting to apologize For all the years shame has kept me blind But I feel forgiveness from somewhere inside I know you’ve been with me all this time

about

"With an appreciation for the acoustic life and a gather-'round-the-mic-y'all recording style, Joshua Lowe and The Juncos is a group that understands the strength of a good song and how to let it stand on it's own. They can coax the sweet out of some harmonies, get the floorboards jumping with their foot-stomping tunes and wind their way through just about any roots-based genre. From jug music and rockabilly to folk, honkytonk and old-timey, the Juncos whip up a thick and hearty musical stew." - SC Weekly, June 2011

"Joshua Lowe (lead singer and songwriter) has one foot in the American roots past with songs about down and out drunkards, sick of love ramblers, and snow bound ghosts. With a sense for both storytelling and poetics Joshua Lowe has been dubbed "his generations Woody Guthrie, a great teller of tales," by the infamous acoustic engineer, Cookie Marenco, co-founder of Blue Coast Records and owner of OTR studios in Belmont, CA. (bluecoastrecords.com)

This session was recorded live in the studio directly to 2" analog tape without the use of headphones (except for a few overdubs). This style of recording lends itself to a more musical interaction and results in emotionally charged performances combined with superb sonics. Dynamic Mastering is a proprietary mastering technique developed by Cookie Marenco and was used for this project. It uses no compression to create the CD master. The listener may want to TURN UP THE VOLUME to enjoy this record and to hear the full dynamic range without distortion

credits

released July 10, 2010

Joshua Lowe - lead vocals, guitar, tenor banjo
Chris Lynch - violin, mandolin, piano, harmony vocals
Jeff Kissell - double bass, harmony vocals
Artwork - Jeremy Lowe
photo - Jordan Swank

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Joshua Lowe Santa Cruz, California

"Ripping their way through the American roots music landscape in high-energy style, the Santa Cruz-based Juncos are a down- home band that is more throwback than revival. With an appreciation for the acoustic life and a gather-'round-the-mic-y'all recording style, this is a group that understands the strength of a good song and how to let it stand on it's own." SC Weekly - June 2011 ... more

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