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Birdboys

by Penelope Houston

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Signed by Penelope! 12 track CD in jewel case.

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  • Full Digital Discography Full Digital Discography

    Get all 12 Penelope Houston releases available on Bandcamp and save 40%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Avengers, On Market Street, The Pale Green Girl, The American In Me, Loners, Stoners and Prison Brides, Once in a Blue Moon, died for your sins, Crazy Baby, and 4 more. , and , .

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1.
Harry Dean 03:02
Oh Harry Dean, oh Harry Dean Oh Harry Dean, where have you been? The Winter's turned The ice has thawed And Spring has come All time is flying by without you I know you're alive somewhere I know you're alive you never wander through my dreams but I can feel you walking in a place the seasons never touch Oh Harry Dean, where have you been? The Spring has come The earth is raw and open wide The seeds are sown and the days are growing long White cherry blossoms are blowing through my hair I remember the look on your face where you lay in the summer grass, now you're far away Can't you feel me can't you feel me? Can't you feel me can't you feel me? I can feel you walking in a place the seasons never touch Oh Harry Dean, where have you been? Your picture's taped upon the wall The summer crops have long since died The milk weeds blow, the earth has dried Now wasps will suck on fallen fruit The trees are bare, the birds have flown I shut my eyes, the Winter turns and Spring has come
2.
You and me baby, are a word apart and that word is branded, letters tattooed on my heart Maybe someday we can call ourselves friends And now you're trying to tell me something I think you're trying to tell me something I really wish you'd tell me something But you've got nothing, nothing to tell me at all Talking with you is a dejevu of things I thought before and never bothered to say if there's nothing about me that you can love than I don't think we'll ever get along anyway Now you're trying to tell me something I think you're trying to tell me something I really wish you'd tell me something But you've got nothing, nothing to tell me at all like a vine crawling up your wall starts out big but it ends up small tell me something, tell me nothing at all Talking with you is a dejevu of things I thought before and never bothered to say if there's nothing about me that you can love than I don't think we'll ever get along anyway Now you're trying to tell me something I think you're trying to tell me something I really wish you'd tell me something But you've got nothing, nothing to tell me at all like a vine crawling up your wall starts out big but it ends up small tell me something, tell me nothing at all Oh, I'm talking to you
3.
Voices 02:58
voices lyrics by Penelope Houston/ music by P. Houston, A. Gibson Children are always coming and going Adults are growing old and dying off The memories saved are for ever distorting The future will cover the loss These are the voices that call me The sirens are singing my name I'm headed for enemy territory The future is taking his claim Now I'm young. I've had enough fun I'm ready to leave it behind I want to see, to plunge into my destiny and execute this fortune of mine These are the voices that call me The sirens are singing my name I'm headed for enemy territory The future is taking his claim Bring on my fate I refuse to audition I'm ready for a life That will twist my soul And give me a face That's wracked with emotion Give me a vision To grow old These are the voices that call me The voices that sing and seduce I'm headed for enemy territory I'll never return to my youth
4.
Living Dolls 03:20
living dolls lyrics by Penelope Houston/ music by P. Houston, Mel Peppas Candle, candle, burning cold and bright You burn the shadows from the night With every blaze that you ignite The sound of tearing silk we stand unnoticed in the crowd Our flames are crying out so loud With faces full of hope and proud Just like two living dolls Behind the silent walls no one sings, no one calls Behind the shuttered door shadows dancing on the floor Behind the mirrored glass a hidden eye is watching me the words come thick and fast but no one hears to turn the key Candle, candle, burning cold and bright You burn the shadows from the night With every flame you light The faces of two living dolls A tree stands lonely on the ground It¹s blossoms wither, turning brown how many seasons will go round Behind these silent doors Behind the silent walls no one sings, no one calls Behind the shuttered door shadows dancing on the floor Behind the mirrored glass a hidden eye is watching me the words come thick and fast but no one hears to turn the key
5.
out of my life lyrics and music by Penelope Houston Out of my life you go, love Out of my life you go What have you got to show, my love What have you got to show A broken heart and images Of one you can't forget Gather the parts together And you will see it yet A glistening tower of light, love Falling all around Fading into night, my love Darkness coming down You'll cry out in pain And suffer in despair When you finish your refrain then You'll no longer care Out of my life you go, love Out of my life you go You will never know, my love What was hidden there I am all around you In every song and dream Yes, I still surround you You're far far away from me A glistening tower of light, love Falling all around Fading into night, my love Darkness coming down You'll cry out in pain And suffer in despair When you finish your refrain then You'll no longer care
6.
Waiting Room 03:49
7.
Bed Of Lies 03:14
bed of lies lyrics by Penelope Houston/ music by P. Houston, K. Donahue I've fallen on a bed of lies I'm floating but I cannot fly I'm drifting in a revery and now I want to break free you took me for a lovers ride it shook me when you stole my pride I'm shaking to think all the time I hung my soul out on the line but your just playing with me like I've seen you playing around with my dolls you're not staying with me you made a bet I'd be the one who falls you're hoping I you're hoping I won't notice where you've been well I've seen enough I've seen enough to make me want to scream I'd fallen into lonely times I thought you were a friend of mine I fell for you when I was down but I'm not hanging around I saw you in an open car you're leaving but you won't go far I left you with all of my dream all the things I'll never need but your just playing with me like I've seen you playing around with my dolls I'm not staying with you to be your net when you start to climb the walls I've heard enough I've heard enough to make a bed of lies and when I tuck you in and leave we'll see what makes a grown man cry cry baby cry
8.
9.
10.
full of wonder lyrics and music by Penelope Houston and Eric Lefcowitz I was thinking, 'bout the times we had those times they weren't so good We were drinking and we had a few laughs but one thing's been misunderstood you talk about success and how much to invest and how you know what is best for me don't say another word because I've already heard about your peace, love, brutality you say, Life is full of wonder you say it's wonderful all I hear is thunder if lightning strikes me twice it would be nice now you're smiling and you're nodding your head so full of ecstacy now you're dialing going to make a pledge to your top ten best selling charity you heard it on the news all the money they can use to make a better world, just you and me don't say another word because I've already heard 'bout your peace, love, brutality you say life is full of wonder you say it's wonderful all I hear is thunder if lightning strikes me twice it would be nice you talk about peace, love, brutality... you say life is full of wonder you say it's wonderful all I hear is thunder if lightning strikes me twice it would be nice you talk about love, love, love peace, love, brutality...
11.
summers of war lyrics by Penelope Houston/ music by P. Houston, G. Ingraham Strange the summers filled with war Bear the empty promise of love Fragrant evenings as before Sunset bringing death from above Come to where my garden ends Where the flowers grow thick and wild Fed upon the blood of men There we'll lay beside them Deep in the ground One morning in the meadow I found A fair young man from far away His bones lay shattered all around I buried them where the fireflies play Come to where my garden ends Where the flowers grow thick and wild Fed upon the blood of men There we'll lay beside them Deep in the ground Now my heart lies silent and calm Like an unexploded bomb Green are the rivers, green are the fields Bitter the crop this summer shall yield Come to where my garden ends Where the flowers grow thick and wild Fed upon the blood of men There we'll lay beside them Deep in the ground
12.
Stoli 04:47
stoli lyrics by Penelope Houston/ music by Kevin Donahue You stole my Stolichnaya I could barely crawl out of bed All those times you lied to me I'll never forget Said you'd always take care of me 
when I'm broke, as long as I live
 Now you've gone and changed your tune
 that I'll never forgive Now your time is up
 you're close to the end
 you'll drink from the bitter cup 
forever, amen You stole my Stolichnaya 
I could hardly get out of bed 
All those times you sang to me 
I'll never forget Drank my gin, you spent my money
 And now you're living high on a hill
 Thought you'd make a beggar of me 
well, you never will Now your time is up
 You're close to the end
 You'll drink from the bitter cup
 forever, amen
13.
14.

about

2 bonus tracks only with this download!

Penelope's first acoustic album. The All Music Guide gives it a 4****1/2-Best-of-Artist rating. "The band provides stunning backdrops for her voice--always an impressive instrument, and now possessed with a roundness more akin to British folk-blues artists. Compares with the best of Pentangle. The skill with which the Birdboys execute their jazz-folk-blues rhythms makes the comparison appropriate. The record is a fine achievement ..something quite fresh."-Puncture. A CMJ Jackpot! review called Birdboys "light years away from the Avengers sound, though no less fervent. Penelope's voice takes on a lilt and range that is sweetly infectious enough to warm the most cynical of ears. If life hasn't meant much to you since Richard and Linda Thompson broke up, Penelope's acrobatic vocals, and lyrics that deal deftly with adult themes like love and politics will give you purpose once again."

credits

released October 10, 1988

Penelope Houston: vocals, bells
Pat Johnson: guitars, vocals
Mel Peppas mandolin, tamborine
Steven Strauss bass and vocals
Kevin Donahue: accordion, piano
with
Eric Lefcowitz: guitar on tracks 5,10
Tom Freeman: drums on tracks 5, 10
Snakefinger: bells on track 11

Recorded at Dave Wellhausen Studios, by Phillip "Snakefinger" Lithman in 1987 except tracks 2, 4, 7-9 recorded by Kevin Army.

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Penelope Houston Oakland, California

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