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The Recent Future

by Alex McMurray

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1.
nathan jones i’m a future man you could see my soul there in my hands see me walking down the track i’m gone to texas ain’t never coming back hear them singing in the pines they all going east with the turpentine from nachitoches out to farraday i’ll be rambling round with all my pay sayin boy what you gonna do nobody got no use for you one day you gonna see it ain’t no way to be when i was a baby boy crosscut saw would be my toy now it’s time i’m leaving home cuz the sawmill won’t leave me alone lay me down take off my skin you came to me upon the wind saw your lips a painted red and the saw mill singing in my head saying boy what you gonna do nobody here gonna marry you now you played out your string all that’s left to do is sing in my dream i was so free i was fifteen miles below the sea where i can’t hear the gears a rust it’s just me and the octopus got a faraway feeling in my head i’m sleeping rough ain’t got no bed can’t you hear the sawmill moan? i’m a saw mill baby and i’m almost grown…
2.
Good News 04:18
just a little good news would be so fine it’s been a long time since the world’s gone wrong just a little good news might keep you going when nothing can heal you and steel you and the light is almost gone when you’re no one a face in the crowd and you ain’t allowed to sing from your soul though there’ll be days when the sun shines cold if you can hold out and hold on good news is going to make you whole and when your life is over and everything you trust turns to dust and your song is not your own you can never fall apart if you hear what’s in your heart i know you will never ever be alone with a little good news once in a while make you feel like a child on a sunny day a little good news more precious than gold so if you can hold out and hold on i know you can find your way you just got to hold out and hold on your good news is coming today
3.
they stopped the world and now it’s safe to go it’s coiffed and it’s curled somehow they made it so tell me stranger—weren’t you here before? the note on the table they say that it’s yours your coat’s on the nail and your teeth in the drawer out in the streets everything’s going to hell everyone meets here at the same hotel over and over to sing the sad refrain the gang’s all here but it ain’t the same tell me more tell me more what did you come here for? did you leave something precious behind the famous door? check with the desk there might be a message for you but your friends they have left who knows what’s true? they say what they say and they do what they do take this key see if it fits the lock nothing is free anywhere on this rock hear what i say you’re playing a dangerous game the rules are familiar but they ain’t the same come here quick come here quick jules and pietro are here with the pills and the papers get you away from here go past the verandah where everything’s bought and sold people are carrying what they can hold nothing to do but do what you’re told in all this confusion how could it be a crime life’s an illusion merely a piece of time you’ll disappear nobody knows your name the future is here and it ain’t the same
4.
when its quiet you can hear the drums but i don’t really care they denied that it was coming but they got it written down somewhere when the children talk in code and the smart ones take to the road when the skies expand and the spaceships land would you wait for me? when they sell us on the hue and cry on that fateful day when they tell us that its do or die let’s slip away let the others have their fight there’s only one more night darling come with me ‘cause soon there’ll be nothing left to see would you sit by me tonight? you can still see a little bit of light take our shoes off and dance real slow while we wait for the fireworks show i was whistling in the dark waiting for my world to begin had a ticket for the ark when you came drifting in now that the end is near we can simply stand right here when the oceans cry and the bullets fly there’s just we two… would you sit by me tonight? you can still see a little bit of light take our shoes off and dance real slow while we wait for the fireworks show the world the world who wants a world? we’re giving it all away hang it on a nail then a weep and a wail get down on your knees and pray its a crashing and a dying everybody knows why and we’ll all expire in the water and the fire and we’re lost in the mud and the moon fills with blood and the trumpet’s gonna sing through the heaven it rings and jesus come around said its all going down he says, “it’s all on you” tells us, “baby i’m through” he’s gonna wash his hands but maybe i got plans… would you sit by me tonight? you can still see a little bit of light take our shoes off and dance real slow while we wait for the fireworks show
5.
you can wish on an ancient star you can beat on a cheap guitar you can sweep up around this bar and make it pay it didn’t matter who you hurt if you were sweating through your shirt if ernie only knew you, burt he’d be gone…far away ‘cause if you can’t make it clean you can always make it shine and no one will ever see your crime is gonna pay this time you hung around with the boys once or twice you lost your poise with the guy who made that noise on his stratocaster it’s slippery down in the soil so who is gonna be your foil? will it be the one who paints in oils or works in plaster? and if you can’t make it clean you can always make it shine ‘cause no one will ever see your crime is gonna pay your crime is gonna pay if you can’t make it clean you can always make it shine and stay right on the scene your crime is gonna pay this time so throw down your sword and shield save it on your reel to reel sit down to your last meal and eat your fill ‘cause one day this will all be dust so do exactly what you must these rules are for the rest of us for good or ill ‘cause if you can’t make it clean you can always make it shine and no one will ever see your crime is gonna pay your crime is gonna pay if you can’t make it clean you can always make it shine and stay right on the scene your crime is gonna pay this time
6.
Amarillo 03:21
you say you’re through with louisiana well that’s ok we’ll pack the car and start to driving out texas way where the road goes on forever and nothing feels the same find a place off the highway nobody knows our name it’s been a long and lonely winter nowhere to hide we only walked around in circles while the dishes dried this rain came all the way from texas just to make us clean the biggest storm up in the heavens that you ever seen and when we get to amarillo in the midnight air i’ll throw away my denim jacket and you can cut your hair i guess we made it through december but we almost froze will we make it to the springtime? only heaven knows
7.
the clock’s on the ceiling the band’s on the floor your senses are reeling you can’t take anymore will you find your way home in the broad daylight? somewhere between sunday or saturday night it’s a million it’s a million o clock can’t you see that a new day is dawning? it’s a million, it’s a million o clock in the morning on the edge of the circle like a broken old tooth all your friends will be waiting in the front corner booth are you uptown or downtown? nobody can say better know where you’re going or you might lose your way it’s a million it’s a million o clock came on without a warning it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning the air is hazy but your table is clean you can be with your baby by the ice machine and it shines like a diamond if you squint just right and it’s where you can find me about every other night it’s a million it’s a million o clock even the future is yawning it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning won’t you give me slim harpo at maximum speed all the lefty frizell that you’re ever gonna need better turn off that racket on your radio cuz if kelly don’t like it it ain’t never gonna go it’s a million it’s a million o clock they’re hanging six deep from the awning it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning caroline she’s flying she’s up to no good and stephanie says we never do like we should one day this will vanish it will all disappear but for now we can dance because everybody’s here it’s a million it’s a million o clock left us a little bit wanting it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning would you pick up your head help me close up the bar we can go to the quarter put your bike in my car the sun is a coming so we better get lost go and set the alarm it’s the sign of the cross it’s a million it’s a million o clock came on without a warning it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning it’s a million it’s a million o clock gotta live with the skin that you’re born in it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning it’s a million it’s a million o clock in the morning
8.
Crazy World 04:17
its a crazy world and i’m selling tickets it’s a sticky old wicket i know right this way to the end of the line you’re just in time for the show see the boy with his whip w the kung-fu grip and the strongman the stagehand the freak it’s a crazy world but it’s all we got and we been held on for one more week the clowns are all here ain’t no mistaking can’t fake all that cake in their brains pie for the face of the whole human race while they loading us onto the trains little lady of lourdes she’s swallowing swords on a horse that can bark in chinese and at the end of the night move this trash out of sight to a place no one ever sees if your own bed of nails is getting you down don’t frown cuz the end times are here we can all pick our nose we can all pick a side but you can’t pick your friend’s side it’s clear but you can watch it for free on your porn-o-graph did i say its free? cuz it definitely ain’t free… you can take it from me we’ve already paid with our souls it’s a crazy world but who knows maybe today is the day that everybody say to hell with this screaming let’s do a little dreaming roll up our sleeves and see who believes that this might be worth saving and while we’re behaving let’s slip out of this trap while the devil is napping stranger things have certainly happened

about

Here's what I was up to during the Great Upheaval... the songs are all from early Covid days or just before, and were recorded between 11/2020 and 04/2022...Thanks to Kourtney and Max, Mike and Ani, Jim and Karen, Poncho and Lefty...and to these fine musicians: Carlo Nuccio, Glenn Hartman, BC Coogan, Susan Cowsill, Jason Jurzak, Michael Jenner, Andrew Wolf, Helen M Gillet, Rex Gregory, Rick G Nelson, Scott Frock, Charlie Halloran, Jonathan Freilich, Ashlin Parker, Kenny Claiborne, Jeff Albert, Anthony Cuccia, Cesar Bocaro and Joe Cabral..

credits

released August 30, 2022

Produced by Alex McMurray and Mike Napolitano
Recorded and mixed by Mike Napolitano at The Nappy Dugout, New Orleans, LA
Mastered by Brent Lambert at Kitchen Mastering, Carrboro, NC
Photos by Kourtney Keller and Jim Merrill
Layout by Kourtney Keller
A Diphthong Records Release

Bookings/inquiries info@alexmcmurray.com
All songs by Alex McMurray c Velvety Pod Music (BMI)
www.alexmcmurray.com

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Alex McMurray New Orleans, Louisiana

I'm a New Orleans based singer songwriter type. I play in a bunch of bands. I make recordings sometimes. Some of them are here. Thanks for supporting my work. Drop me a line--I'd love to hear from you.

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