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American Primitive dropped last week and the vibes couldn’t be better. I’m out on the road with the 97’s rocking town after town, night after night, and folks are responding, which is something you always hope for but don’t always get. One of the only complaints I am hearing is that I didn’t include the lyrics on the liner notes of the album. I underestimated folks’ interest in reading the lyrics! I assumed that my superb enunciation would render printed lyrics redundant — not so much!

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In an effort to rectify this egregious oversight, please find the lyrics to all my songs on American Primitive below. Explicate, parse, sing along, enjoy!

yrs,

Rhett

FALLING DOWN AROUND YOU

CHORUS

You’ve got to dance like the world

Is falling down around you

Because it is

Because it is

And if you're lucky enough that

Happiness has found you

You better get to dancing

As your way of saying thank you

VERSE

For the spiderweb of electrical wires

And the patches of the grass that are still green

And the wind that blows

The dandelion seeds over everything

And the old brick building they haven't torn down

And the shade beneath the sycamore tree

And the stolen momentary lapse of reason

That convinced you to dance with me

CHORUS

INST CHORUS

VERSE

For the distant crumbling interstate lanes

Where the cars still somehow hum

And the cradle of what used to pass for culture

And the cave that we all crawled from

And the nervous hospital long since defunct

And the shade beneath the cell tower tree

And the accidental twisted fingers of fate

That placed you here with me

CHORUS

…As your way of saying thank you thank you

SOMEBODY

VERSE

You ain't got the power to turn me on

It won't be long till you get gone

I'm lying wide awake at dawn

A half an hour before I freak

I'm dead broke but talk is cheap.

I been saving up all week

CHORUS

I can’t feel the love no more

I need somebody

Give me somebody

Looking like our time has come

Looking like I need to find some

I need somebody

No doubt about it

All that I know how to do is

Sliding right into somebody new

VERSE

I wish I wasn’t yours to break

Too bad but it’s too late

All that’s left to do is ache

Find someone to turn me on

The lights are out now you are gone

I’m lying all alone at dawn

CHORUS

INST CHORUS

CHORUS

AMERICAN PRIMITIVE

VERSE

Is that a cherry blossom or an eastern redbud

The sun setting in the west looks like fresh blood

The orange afterglow crashes off the rocky path

You’re trying to act sad don’t make me laugh

Straight-up hawks flyin’ ‘round above the new leaves

Nothing ever lasts forever time will never freeze

The peepers comin’ out the crickets and the creek

A summer’s all I need to watch you sleep

CHORUS

I got bricks for brains and my soul is strange

Rememberin’ how to live American primitive

VERSE

I‘m always comin’ home someday I’ll finally get there

To smell the cherry blossoms lingering in your hair

The sun settin’ and the circus gonna catch fire

It feels so good to finally fall off of that tight wire

Here we are now on the corner of a king size

The sun sparklin’ in the corners of your eyes

A summer’s all I need to watch you sleepin’

I’ll tell you every single secret I been keepin’

CHORUS

You are better late yeah you’re worth the wait

Rememberin’ how to live American primitive

BRIDGE

CHORUS

I got bricks for brains and my soul is strange

Rememberin’ how to live American primitive

You are better late yeah you’re worth the wait

Rememberin’ how to live American primitive

WHERE THE ROAD GOES

VERSE

From downtown Dallas to a cabin on the coast

From the shadow of the towers to the sun in Ohio

From the bottom of a bottle to the palazzo

Who knows where the road goes

From the Blackfoot River to White Sands, New Mexico

From Salt Lake City to my honey in Tupelo

From the barroom floor to the bardo

Who knows where the road goes

CHORUS

Oh you could have died that day

Back when you thought none of this was worth it

When you thought everything was broken

Oh you didn't know yet

Someday you'd watch this big green river flow

Who knows where the road goes

VERSE

From the Great Divide to the gulf of Mexico

From the underpass to the private bungalow

From the Grand Hotel to the one in Psycho

Who knows where the road goes

BRIDGE

I'm so glad you decided to stick around

Look what you found

Look at all the beautiful things you found

CHORUS

Oh you could have died that day

Back when you thought none of this was worth it

When you thought everything was broken

Oh you didn't know yet

Someday you'd watch this big green river flow

Who knows where the road goes (2X)

HONEYPIE

VERSE

My old lady she's young at heart

She’s got a crooked smile and it's a work of art

She got legs that go all the way down to the floor

And I could not love her any more

My old lady she's a wreckin' ball

She gets me up against the wall

My legs go broke I can't catch my breath

But it's all good because I love her to death

CHORUS 1

And she likes it when call her honeypie

And she likes it when I call her pretty baby

But the one thing she don't like

Is when call her my old lady

VERSE

When we met we were fresh and green

Shiny as a page in a magazine

We figured out what we had was good

And I moved into her neighborhood

Over the years we blossomed and bloomed

Time crawled a while and then it zoomed

Stackin' up memories like stackin' up wood

She lights me up and it burns so good

CHORUS 2

And she likes it when I get her all alone

And she likes it when I go a little crazy

But the one thing she don't like

Is when I call her my old lady

INST BRIDGE

CHORUS 1

So I call her honeypie

Yeah I call her honeypie (2x)

MASTERPIECE

CHORUS

Every day’s a masterpiece even if it crushes you

VERSE

It had rained confetti filled the gutters in the 7th Ward

You had room and you were bored

As we walked

You wondered if the winter made it this far south

I said I don’t think so I had my doubts

CHORUS

I knew then it was just a matter of when

Every day’s a masterpiece even if it crushes you

Every day’s a masterpiece even if it crushes you

VERSE

So I sank to the bottom of the hotel pool

You drank sunshine like you always do

Then it rained broken glass on your paperback

The ink ran and so did I never said goodbye

Just fade to black

CHORUS

I knew then it was just a matter of when

Every day’s a masterpiece even if it crushes you

Every day’s a masterpiece even if it crushes you

I was in a coma you kissed me and I came to

Every day’s a masterpiece even if it crushes you (3X)

Even if it crushes you

INCANTATION

VERSE

Here’s an incantation I’ll perform to set you free

Let you live your natural life let go of me

What we had was tender but it has come to a end

Be free my friend

VERSE

These are magic word with which I hereby do release

You to find another who will finally bring you peace

Gaze into your grey eyes and kiss your salty skin

Be free my friend

Be free my friend my friend

VERSE

Here’s an invitation to rejoin the human race

Open up your shutters show the world your face

Happiness has found you once it wants to once again

Be free my friend

Be free my friend

Be free my friend

Be free my friend my friend

OUTRO

Here’s an incantation I’ll perform to set you free [repeat]

MAGIC

VERSE

The fools out in the forum they fandango and they fight

And I’m tryin’ to ignore ‘em but they keep me up all night

These cigarettes are lazy they’re killin’ me so slow

If you’re here to save me well you’d better hurry up

Because I’m spinning out of control

CHORUS

I believe you when you say

There’s magic in the air there’s magic in the air

Love will figure out a way to drive away despair

There’s magic in the air

VERSE

A new year’s day is dawnin’ a chance to start again

There’s folks I should be callin’ my failures and my friends

But god I feel so lonely in my soul I’m so alone

If you’re here to show me something

Hurry up and do it quick

‘Cos here’s the trick I’m turning to stone

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Why would you lie about something so true

I wouldn’t do that to you I wouldn’t do that to you

I don’t know how you made yourself disappear

Now I’m looking for you I’ll keep on looking for you

CHORUS

…I believe you when you say there’s magic in the air (3X)

WESTERN STARS

VERSE

In this quiet house on this country road

It goes tick tick tick but it don't explode

I was drunk with delight now I'm just drunk

By the time you get to heaven baby you're sunk

PRE-CHORUS

I wanna roll I wanna climb the rocks

Grab the western stars and tie 'em up in knots

VERSE

How dull it is to pause to end

To sleepwalk and wake again

I am dynamite with a unlit fuse

I wanna blow it up I wanna shine in use

PRE-CHORUS

I wanna glow I wanna split the skies

Steal the western stars and hide 'em in my eyes

CHORUS

Nobody knows me here

This idle king

Nobody knows me here

Nobody knows anything

[inst verse]

VERSE

The long day wanes the slow moon climbs

The voices moan and one of them is mine

Weaker now but strong in will

Sick to death of sitting still

PRE-CHORUS

I wanna ride beyond the bounds

Catch the western stars

Before the whistle sounds

CHORUS (2X)

OUT

In this quiet house on this country road

It goes tick tick tick but it don't explode

THIS WORLD

VERSE

DJ DJ you ain't got no swing

None o’ what you play don't say a thing

About how hard it is to be to be

This world is tryin’ to kill me

VERSE

Teacher teacher don't give me no grade

You got no idea how love gets made

This kinda test ain’t got no key

This world is tryin' to kill me

CHORUS

Paper hearts on fishing wire

Family home consumed by mysterious fire

Your favorite bar don't give a damn about you

Your dream job's just a thing you do yeah

VERSE

Doctor doctor you can’t make me right

Darkness doesn’t only come at night

These voices never set me free

This world is tryin' to kill me

CHORUS

Garage door closes while the engine whines

Cigarette tracers make infinity signs

These folks you know

Don’t give a damn about you

Getting out of bed is just a thing you do yeah

VERSE

DJ DJ dig into your crate

Make me want to cry or rollerskate

Break me in two break me in three

This world is tryin’ to kill me (2X)

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

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