cowards at the alter
talking sidewalk blues
I m a cowardTell me what that s worthI m knelt at an altar Cause cowards keep quiet And hope that their praying works
And what s it all for? My knees are getting sore cause I m a coward
I m a cowardI ve whispered it before And I hoped you could hearBut silence and fearMake love on the hallway floor
well i get asked just like anyoneson where yah from?but i cant seem to get my answer straightsee every time i speak somethings changed
like just last week i was asked sir pleasecanya spare some change i gotta eati said brother you got two feet how about i throw this change as far as i can see
would you get up and f ind it?or, my brother, are you too weak?he said he could, so i thought i shouldbut instead i said come walk with mei bet before long we can f ind you a jobhe said thank you god, they call me bobwhere does a good man like you come from, anyway?
i said not from heaven but i reckonyou should thank me instead of him,as far as i can see he left you on the street to freeze
and thats when we got there,to a mountain of concrete stairsand each one walked is worth a pennythen bob said, i guess that makes sense to me but where does a smart man like you come from, anyway?
well i always liked saying out westbut that cowboy game, its just not the same
i mean, we got arnold to replace john wayne
but old muscle brains aint no match for a pistol slinging, f lask drinking, rough necking
manwith a short last name like wayne
john wayne for governorjohn wayne for president
i heard were long due for a change anywayhow do we elect a man like that anyway?
well we already vote for actors dont weso we might as well vote for old johnny
cause as far as i can tell he didnt want no trouble with foreign land
he was just passing through living on the saddleand drinking his booze, wants nothing with oil
he says life is hard, but harder if youre stupid,but where does a hero like that come from anyway?
that ones easy, washytown d.c.try again and watch your head
im swinging this sling as we speakand i know they must be threatened by me
they dont like davids in the holy landespecially ones from bethlehem
so in a way i guess thats where im fromlook out goliath here i come
well where does a tall man like you come from anyway?
no one knows from where giants comesee theyre always alone, dont got anyone
some say heights a blessing, but i say cursewhen you pass a point youre off way worse
thats why giants never have any kidsif they did, the kid would be forever spot litsomebodys always got a use for a man like that
hell kill ten men at the drop of a hat
that poor tall bastard never had any chancehe was the enemy of many by circumstance
now hes dead and so is his blood linebut giants arent always measured by height
thats when i looked to my sidepoor bob had died
so i sat right down on the dirty groundand taught myself some guitar lines
and asked some adults to think like kidsand rethink their vote in politics
you get a lot of ideas that wayjust sitting there saying, hey!
where does a stranger like you come from anyway‘
and when no one knows where they come fromthey start saying some, and i dont know how come
stuff like city names and names of statesbut im not so sure that thats the case
cause i come from a faraway placefrom my parents and their parents and so on and
so onwhere i come from its not given a name
because it was way before you and me and words and song
and thats where a homeless boy like me comes from, anyway!
death ain't as bad as you thought (it might be)wallet
goddamn gospel
chord organ blues* song for cowards
You want some frustration? Well I got some right here in my handI feel it when Im breathing, it feels like Im breathing in sand
Cause I got this feeling that well all be taking a tripBut oh not to California, no not to California
And not to Mexico, or CanadaAnd not the Midwest, and not Florida,
And not the Atlantic, or any other ocean but well be free,Where were going youll see death aint as bad as you thought it might be
Its not easy to think it, and maybe itll be different then I plannedBut if you want this next line, you can eat out of my hand
And if youre scared, go to sleep,maybe youll have the same dream as me.
Everythings big in Texas, you know it isI think I might have made a big mistake,Chord organ bluesSinging those chord organ blues
Wherever I go its a wild windMaybe someday itll blow me back home againChord organ bluesSinging those chord organ blues
For every chord that is playedThere is a reward in my heart that is paid‘Cause my soul loves music and it loves to hear it madeSinging those chord organ blues
You can kill me when Im sleepingI wont be scared, but it wont be fair
Just make sure you dont wake me to soonWhen Im awake, Im grumpier than you
What do you think you could do?I mean a big coward like you,
You got no chance with that planGive me just one hand and Ill bury you man,
Ill bury you man Give me just one chance and Ill bury you man
Then Ill ask you my man, oh, what was your plan?Was it to climb through my window at night?
Like a coward youd sneak toward the bed where I sleep
And in the dark black youd aim for my back
Lord when I say your nameI still feel f ilthyMy sweat is dirtyI dont feel you course my veins Oh Lord when I say your nameLord you must not know my nameIm no disciple m sure not loyalIt dont matter what I sayYou never answer anyway
Then Lord, when Im in needMaybe almightyAint all it could beCause Lord it really dont seemYou got enough power to help meAnd maybe youre really our Lordbut to me What would that mean?Am I just another to ignore?Cause that seems a whole lot worse
My wallet is so paper thinIm afraid it might blow away in the wind
Were a dying breed, we always have been and we always will beUs who feel sorry for all those others with money
You got a coin? Well that looks like money to meYou got a bill? Well, shit! That makes me rich
And if my wallet slipsfrom my pocket, you would not know it
Now lord I wouldnt say thisIf I didnt think Id tried everything
But my faith, its hanging by a stringAnd I need that strength if m gonna singOh Lord I need to retreat
To that black inkAnd my callused skin
They are my faith when Im weakBut you dont give, so ll take what I need
Lord there are braver men then meId hide from a giant Id run from a lionBut Im not scared of what I cant seeShow yourself now, Ill drop to my knees Then Lord when I say your nameYou might answerAnd I might swear:
Damn you its too late for change
Damn you its too late for changeIm way past changing my waysThese scratched chords now hold my faithThey are my Lord and they know my name
bastard
war at the alterNo one wants to kill me cause I haven t done a thing with my life yetThat makes me want to skip to the part where I get stabbed and left for deadMaybe then you ll learn there s only one thing to be gained in this lifeThen I ll die, and burn, and my smoke will rise into the smoggy sky
And I hope your eyes burn so red, your Lord thinks they re bleedingI ll say anything you haven t if it ll make your ears start to screamBut baby you know I don t listen to you or anyone but myself la da demon, are you listening?
Now I watch my spawn claw his way outAnd land in the fertile dirt blood red and dirt brownRolling around looking for his mother so I decide to plant him thereIt s what he deserves, he s a bastard, and I know, I m his father
I m an artist, and that makes me a bastard
And if there s a chord I can play I ll knot my neck in itAnd if the sound is stale Then I will choke on itI ll give a big kiss to a big gun to make a stronger statementwhen you re undone you become what s carved out in your grave head
It says I m an artist, and that makes me a bastard
When I m dead I might get some respectIs that the way to be heard I mean we ve all seen it workWhether it s in the trench dirt to place medals in a graveOr as an artist does starve as a stubborn slaveEither side of the coin, I just want some respectWhen I m dead I might get some respect.
Cause I m an artist, and you know, that makes me a bastard
I ll say it before I walk out the door, I m no coward But what s it all for when you just get ignored? I m no coward
Then I ll play these three chords and you ll know what s in store: I m no cowardThrough a mighty river roar that I ve come upon to ford, I m no coward
And when I get to shore I ll say what I did before, I m no coward There s a line in the floor from the point of my sword, I m no coward
Yes I m declaring war on all those blind followers; I m no coward!It ll be hard to ignore all the blood, guts, and gore, when I m no coward
I m no coward.
All songs written by Sidewalk DaveAll songs mixed, and produced by John Elliott and Sidewalk DaveRhythm Tracks Recorded at recorded at Adorea Studio (Hamden, CT) with Dave Groener Further tracking recorded at Sidewalk Studio (Oxford, CT)All songs mastered by Michael Henss at Enox ProductionsAlbum art design by Kristen Groener and Sidewalk DaveLyric booklet layout and design by Elise Granata and Sidewalk Dave‘Track 4 is a Daniel Johnston Song
Because this album was 100% made on our own sweat, wallets, booze, blood, and the huge favors of others, we'd like to very specially thank:Pappa Skaggs, Kristen and Dave Groener, John Elliott, Micael Henss, The Tribe, Aeroplane, 1929, Pale Horse Company, Travis Bell, Elise Granata,all those who supported, and those who doubted,all those who braved, and those who cowered.
and when we are so lucky:Gabriel CruzJohn ElliottJake Goldman
Alex Mazzafaro
The band Sidewalk Dave is, in order of criminal conviction: Dave Van Witt
Chris DickersonMike Skaggs
Noah Goldman