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The Ghost of Galapagos

by The Hermit Kings

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1.
Songbird 03:51
Kennedy came to me by an ocean in a dream pointed to the clouds and asked me what What do I see? A little white songbird sitting silently. Who else could kill her? Who else but me? I took her from her home, Put her in a cage, Where the wolves could come and get her And I do miss her. Maybe she's better off dead? Maybe she's better off dead? But I do miss her. Miss her so. And god came to me by a mountain in a dream said, "sure as the fallen leaves don't flow against the stream The little white songbird wasn't killed", she was she was she was set free
2.
I'm not an artist, a scholar, or thief. I'm not a poet, an athlete, or king. Have I let you down? I'm not a light bulb controlled by a switch. I still haven't come close to making my millions. Have I let you down? Down, down, down. No sugar my sweet there's no death in defeat like a kite with no strings caught in between two dying branches inevitably falls Down, down down. You are a song on the tip of gods tongue. a breeze blows me down and I am sung. and we all go down, down down, down, down into the ground.
3.
Appalachia 03:32
I'd give my blood to the Appalachian mud just to be called her loving son. The Kudzu is me. As is the early blooming Dogwood tree This last freeze that's coming might knock me down but it's not gonna kill me. Oh, I'd give it all for you, my precious one. What else can I do? The insane have sullied my good name, taken me for granted and left me with the blame. But the boy grows and the man that's left he knows, Not a lick of this is my fault. Oh, I'd give it all for you, my precious one. What else can I do? Push me to the curb, leave me lying in the road or hold me in your arms as if I was your own. Oh, I'd give it all for you, my precious one. What else can I do? I'd give my blood to the Appalachian mud just to be called her loving son.
4.
What hope is there now left for me? I'm wounded aimless and noisy. And you're my only flesh and blood.
5.
Clowns 03:40
You've got stars in your eyes and the universe inside your head. You've got light years and worlds you thought you'd never forget. You tried to defy gravity leave sanity. Get away from caged parakeets only know what they repeat. What a black hole of irony. We're awake when we dream and we live when we sleep. Like magicians in a daze we're illusions we created circling the circles we escape. You said we're all explorers lost at sea studying maps but begging for someone to lead. But explorers are never lost inside this machine even though we know we can never be free. What a black hole of irony. We're awake when we dream and we live when we sleep. Like magicians in a daze we're illusions we created circling the circles we escape. We escape.
6.
She finds her favorite bands in movies by Wes Anderson. She likes her NPR and that this life's American. She don't got wings on, it's cool cause I'm afraid of hights. She likes' her bourbon neat and thinks that Jason Schwartzman is alright A pot of gold is sitting at my door. What am I waiting for? She finds her favorite books in other favorite books she's read. She likes to draw robots eating other robots heads. She likes the album let it be! The one by The Replacements! If you would dare, I would dare, color me impressed. A pot of gold is sitting at my door. What am I waiting for? Like a swarm of Cupids jellyfish all stung me at the very same time. She's a lost treasure and I'm heels over head down diving. Want to tell her that I love but I'm afraid my message won't get through. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? She had a heart attack the first time she heard "Marquee Moon" and I have no idea how sing that cool.
7.
All my successes float to the surface bloated and belly up like overfed tropical fishes in an aquarium in a mountain town the size of your thumb. And everyone's got something to say. And everyone's got nothing to lose. And everyone's got it mostly wrong except us. And all of my fears are tied to the end of strings attached to a hot air balloon that rises an falls but never floats away. And never lets me down. And everyone's got something to say. And everyone's got nothing to lose. And everyone's got it mostly wrong except us. And all of my dreams have gone off to sleep with their prides like lions fully aware that we'd be nowhere were it not for a good woman. And everybody that's got something to say should speak up. And everybody that's acting like they got nothing to lose? There's good chance you got nothing at all. And everyone got it mostly wrong, except us.
8.
On the floors of the atlantic are the bons of a man that we fed to the lampreys back in '65. The bones have been picked clean by hordes of sea anemones who by now have multiplied and died. And the whole world jumped in the shitter. We all bathed and drank from the rivers. Baptized as if we weren't the sinners. Nobody's ever gonna call us quitters. Will you love me when I've got more money? Will you feed me when I get more hungry? And when I'm lonely, will you call me honey or leave me laughing cause I'm acting funny? For nearly a quarter of an entire century I've been out fighting on these here raging seas but when my shift is through and I get back home to you there's only one thing that I really want to. I just want to dance, dance, dance! I just want to dance, dance, dance! Yankee Whalers on the high seas smelled of fresh meat and victory our guts filled up with our spoils. We drank from the drum of the captains own rum and we drank by the light of fresh oil. And the whole world jumped in the shitter. We all bathed and drank from the rivers. Baptized as if we weren't the sinners. Nobody's ever gonna call us quitters.
9.
Forlorn 03:22
I probably should have said something about me never loving you from the start. But I was such a mess I might as well have had a bullet beating in my chest You took me for a drive, I thought would have lead by home. I probably should have spoken about how my heart had been broken just before. I was still a bit insane I'd been screaming in my head for days. You held me to the ground long enough to keep from drowning but I learned to run Pretty is as pretty does. Broke your heart just because. I probably should've said something about me never loving you at all I did care I just needed to be somewhere, somewhere far with no more shouting no more screams an empty room is always clean and new.
10.
Underwater 03:31
11.
I think it's safe to say I hate you more and more each day, oh well. And every time you open up your mouth something new and foul falls right out. It's not a question of if or when but why right now? And what's the point in breaking down a bridge that crosses flat ground. You're not a blessing you're as heaven sent as the rains that flooded the plains and killed all Noahs friends you're not a child but you sure do scream and cry. You don't want anything from life except for no one else to win, it's quite a pity for myself and all your kin. Coincidence is not a picture to study but a quick glance and you and me we'er nothing but a happenstance. You're not a martyr and you're not a saint you haven't died for shit and you ain't that great. you're not a child but you sure do scream and cry. Cry, cry, cry, Bent what can't be broken and I'm stuck at good enough flying high and falling hard are cut from the same cloth (all together now) I tried to kill the devil but I am his first born son and I ain't gonna take that kind of hell from anyone. I think it's safe to say I need you more and more each day, oh yeah! It's not a matter of why or how but just right now.
12.
God's Face 04:06
Had I been born a wiser man perhaps my will would be more like that of ole Abraham. And had I been born into a smaller stature, perhaps I would be somewhat a better listener yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Me and sun, were not that different. Except every day somebody's grateful for the sun. But me and the sun, we're both gonna explode some day, And I hope the sun goes first and it turns me into dust that mixes with the dust of someone more accomplished and we fly off into space hit god in the face and he wipes us off and says half of everything means nothing at all. yeah yeah yeah I lost all my friends to the same disease; my mouth and big old stupid me. They all said "hey kid, you know it can't be that bad" and they all went home to their moms and dads who looked at them with pride in their eyes and said I love you I love you, I love you, no matter what you do. yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

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released October 29, 2012

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The Hermit Kings Asheville, North Carolina

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