Get all 26 Joel David Weir releases available on Bandcamp and save 60%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Embrace, Gethsemani (Unabridged), Little Sign Of Life, "American Streets" Anthology, Fault, Quieting, Sisters, My Quarantina, and 18 more.
1. |
Ebb
02:52
|
|||
|
May was shattered. When I opened my eyes I was upside down in a ditch outside of Gethsemani Kentucky. Josh Ritter was still playing through the speaker - “I became a thin blue flame Polished on a mountain range And over hills and fields I flew. Wrapped up in a royal blue” that’s what Josh sang - helluva song - kinda spooky though - i coulda slid down that kentucky hill- after an overcorection on a hairpin turn - gravel, gravel, grind grind, impact -
St. Columba, the patron saint of floods, bookbinders, poets among other things - got in some trouble once and decided to self-exile - he set sail from his home in Ireland until he couldn’t see it anymore - walked up on a hill - you can still visit that hill today - its on the Island of Iona in the outer Hebrides in Scotland - and said I can no longer see Ireland - I’ll stop here - actually this is what he said - Delightful to me to be on an island hill, on the crest of a rock, that I might often watch the quiet sea; That I might watch the heavy waves above the bright water, as they chant music to their Father everlastingly. That I might watch it's smooth, bright-bordered shore, no gloomy pastime, that I might hear the cry of the strange birds, a pleasing sound;
That I might hear the murmur of the long waves against the rocks, that I might hear the sound of the sea, like mourning beside a grave; That I might watch the splendid flocks of birds over the well-watered sea, that I might see its mighty whales, the greatest wonder.
That I might watch its ebb and flood in their course, that my name should be--it is a secret that I tell--"he who turned his back upon Ireland;" That I might have a contrite heart as I watch, that I might repent my many sins, hard to tell;
That I might bless the Lord who rules all things, heaven with its splendid host, earth, ebb, and flood…
|
||||
2. |
Shattered
04:46
|
|||
|
Let my heart be unified
Not torn asunder wrent apart x2
Or shattered like glass on impact
Turned my back on Eire
Face the waves to pull me back
When i am drifted do not leave my side
When i am drifted do not leave me
Shattered like glass on impact
Fae my eyes may water flow
Let no more wrath be stirred
Mangled soul caught on the brae
Or brae mae be my final rest
Shattered like glass on impact
If i be damned or drowned
Let it be done swiftly now
But if there be a shard of hope
For this disfigured frame I pray
I will to lose most everything
Save all you have to bring
|
||||
3. |
Gethsemani
04:46
|
|||
|
I wasn;t kidding
I wasn’t saying it for show
I’m on the edge of this thing
If you’re a sculptor
If its just potions for the stunned
I’ll have to take a raincheck
I gave my life for this
I gave my kids a challenged sum
I left a fortune at your feet
Yeah I left a fortune at your feet
Gethsamani
Gethsemani
Gethsemani
Oooh…
Did I demand too much?
Like an ungrateful eldest son?
Like a woman at a well?
I just know the rivers runnin
I know the plough still digs the earth
I know my conscience is clean
Gethsamani
Gethsemani
Gethesemani
Ohhhh..
|
||||
4. |
The Contorionist
01:52
|
|||
|
There are some folks who you’ll never understand - and some folks who will never understand you. Best advice I’ve been given in some time. There’s a real difference between compromise and cowardice, peacemaking and passivity. But that line is so blurred sometimes. Some of us learn that lesson the hard way. Maybe it took brushing up with death to realize I had been doing a contortionist act too long. Sometimes I figured I was doing some sort of trapeze act - or maybe a tight rope walker - the applause makes you keep doing it - add some midwestern guilt in there and you have the right mixture for one helluva drug. Self-exile - not resignation or remaining - became a place of clarity — Doesn’t mean the wounds don’t still flare up sometimes - but at least I know what they are -those contortion wounds - it affects places in the spine - the nerves - there are dislocations that occur — those things take time for healing.
For it was not an enemy that reproached me - then I could have borne it - if it was he that hated me that did magnify himself against me - then I would have hid myself from him. But it was you - my equal, my companion, my familiar friend - we used to share sweet fellowship - we walked in the house of God together
|
||||
5. |
The Defense
03:19
|
|||
|
Contempt is so much worse than
Just agreeing to part ways
Cuts like a rusty sawblade
Poison in your veins
We used to break this bread together
Used to sing familiar tunes
But I can’t change who I am for you
Remember when you told me
I should be the one to leave
You listed your conclusions
Of my motives and my deeds
I used to bring defense
but that would only make me bleed
Bleed right through
I won’t lose who i am for you
I have tried to be the bridge
I have tried with all my might
But i lost myself in sorrow
And i’m tired of the fight
May God forgive my weakness
But I only have one life - one life
I wish no curse upon you
But I cant stay in this place
I’ve seared my soul for far too long
On the fire of saving face
I must attend these wounds
In a manner that is true
I won’t change who i am for you
|
||||
6. |
Emerald
03:55
|
|||
|
Dare you sing me out of this room
I’ve been afraid
Shaking silent so long
I can’t come
Cant emerge
This fear is louder
Than your clever song
I’ve been reading green poison
Terrifying tomes
Inscribing incantations in my bones
I need the poem of some old holy christ
Sung to me to sing me out of this room
Dare you to sing me out of this tomb
I’ve been alone
Shaking hands with the
I can’t come
But i need to purge
This fear that has shouts over
All my favorite songs
I’ve been reading emerald poison
Terrifying tomes
Inscribing incantations in my bones
I need the poem of some old holy christ
Sung to me to sing me out of this room
|
||||
7. |
The Missing Years?
02:54
|
|||
|
I got to visit London for the first time in my life last summer. As an American it was kinda wild just how old everything is, and how its like no big deal. Like yeah - this pub - been here for for five hundred years - this spot on the road here is where the gallows were back when that happened - yeah - its real wild - so - while we were in London we had to go to all the old places - one of those was the tower of london - the tower of london - that’s a spot, right by where all the royals lived at different times - well - where they kept prisoners - thing is - they wanted to preserve the graffiti really - but back then graffiti was like carving in the wall - so - you had really commit to what you were gonna say I guess - but there’s these carvings - in the stone - from, like, way back - there were famous people - people you never heard of - but - preserved those - those - messages under glass so it wouldn’t fade over time – and I’m looking at all these - you got you know religious prisoners, and political prisoners - people you know - maybe saying that the gallows were bad - but - I’m looking at all this graffiti - and I see this one and its some latin - latin carved real big - carved in 1568 and translated it said ‘the word of the Lord remains over all’ - under that inscription was a name - and that name - i kid you not - not making this up - John Prine - so - i came to a few conclusions - first - well - how to explain this - either John Prine is a time traveler - or an immortal - of - John pulled one of the most amazing pranks in history - all of those explanations give me great comfort - well - next to john there was this other guy - can’t remember name - he carved something like ‘i hope next year is better than this’ - huh - so the other conclusion I came to was that there was a song in this somewhere - so I got thinking and well I decided to write a song from the perspective of John Prine’s cellmate - so - hope you’ll bless this John - wherever you are - but I have a good idea where you are - and its a whole lot better than the tower of london
|
||||
8. |
Tower of Hurt
04:33
|
|||
|
Tower of London
1563
Sitting there lonesome
Wishing I were free
Just then some poor soul
Got thrown in my cell
Jacket was torn
Boots shot to hell
He said my names Johnny
I said what on earth
Has landed you here
In this tower of hurt?
He said I was just singing
Just singing my song
And I guess I said something
That caused some alarm
It was the autumn or winter
1563
Tower of London
John Prine and me
He said I was singing
At the old mitre inn
The ladies were dancing
And the boys were all kin
Then I said something bout
Jesus and then
How cuttin off heads was probably a sin
It was probably ol Georgie
that ratted me out
Something about that fella
I can’t figure out
Never trust a fellow
who won’t raise a pint
But spends his time tellin everybody he’s right
Tower of London 1566
They dragged Johnny out
I assumed what that meant
So I took me a rock
Clinched up my fist
And carved I hope next year
Is better than this
Spring or summer 1568
Missing ol Johnny
Staring at my plate
When all of a sudden
I saw carved in the wall
The word of the lord shall remain over all
|
||||
9. |
Mull Interlude
03:07
|
|||
10. |
Creation v. Madmen
03:29
|
|||
|
There are places I’ve been that likely won’t be here when my grandson, granddaughter - maybe even my daughter or my son is my age, or if they are its gonna be unrecognizable. Spend some time in a place that is disappearing because the water keeps rising - the storms keep getting worse, the heat’s getting unbearable - see the eyes of people - ‘i opened the door - and the water was already so high - that’s when i knew it was fatal… that’s when i knew it was fatal…
Been there’s a verse in the wisdom of solomon - not everyone knows it - its one of those so-called extra books - the ones that were always there but got taken out… for some reason —
The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;
he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet;
he will take holiness as an invincible shield, and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen.
- huh - how long, o lord? Or do I want to ask? I might be the one struck down - or perhaps I should be the one - should be me instead of the ones who can’t leave cause of - well all the reasons people can’t leave - or don’t want to leave - i wouldn’t want to leave - but what do i leave for my kids, my grandkids? “That’s when i knew it was fatal” - a guy in Ft. Myers Florida told me that - seeing the waters rise in his house quicker than he thought - unable to leave he made raft out of a cooler and made his way to safety - you know they were shooting sharks off the coast in the days after - to try to find remains for identification - at Tina's bar they meet in the evening to exchange those stories - only place open - it got wiped out too - beers in coolers and charcoal grilling will do - free for anyone - gonna be music this Friday - no cover - come out…
A little less than livable conditions? Plenty of people with plenty of ideas - plenty of reasons given to do something - do nothing - do anything - do what you can - can you do anything? Gotta do something…
|
||||
11. |
Says Loretta
03:46
|
|||
|
The sun went down in Loretta
Sun went down so they say
The waters stirred
There were words exchanged
The sun went down in Loretta
Philanthropists stole the stage
But the tidings didn’t follow the schedule
In Loretta
You’re a coward You’re a coward
Said Loretta
The sun went down in Loretta
The price we paid for everything
We leave behind a little less than livable conditions
For Loretta
|
||||
12. |
Don't Forget
03:19
|
|||
|
Don’t forget to take time for silence
Don’t forget to listen to the birds
Don’t forget to walk down to the river
Don’t forget to write down what you heard
Cause there’s so much that distracts us for real life
We can forget our own heart and our own breath
So raise a glass of love and mercy to each other
Don’t forget have mercy on yourself
Don’t forget to let go of your grudges
Holding on is only poisoning yourself
Don’t forget to get help when you need it
Cause were all just walking wounded in this mess
|
||||
Joel David Weir recommends:
Cha Cha Palace
by Angélica Garcia
What can I say? I learned about AG from NPR, listened to "Cha Cha Palace" once..then again..then..I've lost track. It has made me rethink everything I thought I knew about songwriting. Its that good.
go to album
I love Wrest. Lots of heart and honesty under beautiful, smart song craft. I'm sharing this album because it was what got me hooked but the new EP is just as dazzling.
go to album
IT WON/T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME LIVE
by The Twilight Sad
Another Scot band. This live record, released during the pandemic reminds me what I love about concerts. The energy is palpable on this. Life goal is to see The Twilight Sad, or open for them one day!
go to albumIf you like Joel David Weir, you may also like:
American Streets: Anthology 2005-2019
by Joel David Weir
supported by 6 fans who also own “Gethsemani (Unabridged)”
go to album
Thin Lear's sophisticated rock music is tempered with soaring chamber pop accents and an undeniable gift for melody.
go to album
The Convincer (20th Anniversary Edition)
by Nick Lowe
Released in 2001, “The Convincer” is a gentle gem in the Nick Lowe catalog; an anniversary edition provides opportunity for rediscovery.
go to album
