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1. |
Jonah's Song
04:23
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Do you remember that summer night when it rained so hard?
Rich neighbours up the street - it set off their car alarm
Wind pushed the rain right through my window screen
Little drops of water on the pages of my magazine
C'mon now, baby, let's you and me go for a ride
Can't see through the windshield, but it should be alright
These days I mostly drive by intuition it seems
There's something strange going on, but I don't know what
It's the middle of July, but it seems like our apartment's gonna flood
There's so much water outside you could swim up the street
Smile and nod to all the people and the little fishes that you meet
But surprised at this condition as my soggy brain may be, you know
I would not wish the water into sand
I would let the raindrops wash me of the heavy clouds within me
And I would pray that I may one day set my feet on dry land
When Jonah jumped into the arms of the deep blue sea
The storm calmed, the sailors looked at one another, said I guess it wasn't me
If I could dive like that into this city street
There's something strange going on, but I don't know what
It's the middle of July, but it seems like our apartment's gonna flood
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2. |
A Passionate Year
05:16
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There's a lesson we learn every Easter
Of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ
But those lessons are gone by September
When you're certain that God rolls the dice
And you can't keep your thumb on the button
At least not without paying the price
And here's to a passionate year
When I come to you in the evening
I can't keep my hands to myself
But your gold - it just slips through my fingers
I'm a prodigal son with your wealth
So let's lift up a glass with our old friends
And drink to good fortune and health
And here's to a passionate year
This time we'll light it right here
Let it burn inside me and not disappear
And let it bloom inside me
Like the way a flower grows
To help me keep what's beautiful alive
'Cause one pessimistic word from me
Will wither all its tender leaves
Let passion be my dignity
'Cause I don't want to die
There's a curse on this Calvinist country
We've conquered our joy with our guilt
And the salvation that comes from hard working
Is the foundation on which it was built
Would it help to remember the reason
That God sent his son to be killed?
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3. |
More Tender than Tough
03:29
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A spoon is a knife but a dull one
Its edge is just sharp enough to cut
For some things it would take forever
For others, it's sharp enough
My heart is a muscle in my body
It beats every second of my love
When you carve into my heart with your dull spoon
I hope it's more tender than tough
'Cause the pain would be excruciating
And I don't want to suffer for a long time
So do it with surgical precision
And swift as a sprinter racing for the finish line
For days, I've been writing you a letter
Composing each line in my head
I'm nervous of computers and e-mail
'Cause I always forget what I've said
So I'm writing it all down on paper
With dates and my signature and stuff
It says I'll forgive your misgivings
And try to pretend you're enough
'Cause the pain would be excruciating
If we were to separate this time
So I'll cling to your bow like an arrow
And pray that when you shoot me, I fly in a straight line
Love, love don't leave me now
Until I've figured out how
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4. |
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5. |
Daughters of Etobicoke
03:11
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Daughters of Etobicoke, do not weep for me
Everything that happens here is what was meant to be
By the steps of the brewery, I knelt alone and prayed
I was looking for an answer somewhere other than the grave
Mary Magdalena, why are you so far away?
I met her at a bar last night and hoped she'd come today
At the Greyhound bus station, I sat alone and cried
In a beatup station wagon, she was offering a ride
Shopping for my groceries with Peter, James, and John
Supermarket saviours - I see Christ in every one
At the Tim Horton's Drive-Thru, I blessed my Boston Cream
It was richer than the kingdom, far more vivid than a dream
Daughters of Etobicoke, do not weep for me
Dead wood doesn't stand a chance, if I'm a sapling tree
At Bloor and Spadina, I closed my eyes and died
At first, I was indifferent - now I'm ready to decide
Yeah, at first I was indifferent, now I'm ready to decide
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6. |
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The distance from your door to mine
Is measured not by miles but time
Portland, Crosby, Chaffey's Lock
I'm always staring at the clock
How long til I touch your hair
And how will you love me when I'm there?
Elgin, Morton, Seeley's Bay
When I get there I've nothing left to say but
Time, again I've worn it
Like an unfortunate coat
I would like to shed it when you
Are at the end of
The second hand - it won't tick
The digital numbers don't change
Two hundred clicks keep us apart
And six days on the calendar are marked
Portland, Crosby, Chaffey's Lock
Other lovers would be taking stock but
All this makes perfect sense and
Our love is our best defence and
Elgin, Morton, Seeley's Bay
I can't even count our love this way and
My fingers drum, my mouth is dry
The traffic's never on my side
If the other drivers knew, then
They would clear my path straight back to you
Back to you
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7. |
Instead
04:30
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Time goes by like a fiction novel
Each day a page turned to keep me awake
Chapters later, I'm not much further
Make conclusions I should not make
I get drowsy when you're not with me
There's something heavy pulls at my eyes
If you walked past and saw me sleeping
I know that you would not pass me by
But would you lie with me instead?
Curl up carefully to not disturb me?
Rest your head beside my head instead?
You're the sunlight each blasted morning
You're finding cracks in my venetian blinds
Must I always be stimulated and
Must you always disturb my mind?
Or would you lie with me instead?
Pull the covers back and watch me breathing?
Rest your head beside my head instead?
If my arm crossed over you
Well, I hope that you would tarry
We could stay right where we are
And it is not necessary
To leave
Just close your eyes and dream
To leave
Just close your eyes and breathe
There's this feeling - I feel it sometimes
And it can linger for quite a spell
Is it indolence masked by liberty?
Am I fooling myself as well?
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8. |
Just Proximity
02:56
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There's a picture on my wall
Covered now with dust
Of the two of us
Back when we were small
Playing hockey in the driveway
With a tennis ball
As well as I recall
Though it seems like you were smiling
You weren't there at all
Your house was Number Four
Up the road from me
We'd drink Cokes there after school
Sit around and watch TV
You'd be bored and disrespectful
I would laugh reluctantly
And now it seems to me
We didn't share a common interest
It was just proximity
I spent one summer travelling
You spent it playing ball
We went to different high schools
When it started in the fall
I tried to see you on the weekend
Your mother said you'd call
I waited for your call
And every time I rang your doorbell
You weren't there at all
As well as I recall
Though it seems we were together
You weren't there at all
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9. |
The Farthest Shore
04:26
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Live beside the ocean
It's just a tiny strip of sea
A little distance growing greater
The further out of sight you go from me
But I can't run from you forever
And I can't make you my own law
But if there's kindness in this inquisition
Then I've been understanding mercy wrong
If I head north, you're heading with me
There is no cave where I can hide
But if I turn around and face you
Can I take you back inside?
Oh, but I can't live like this forever
A prisoner of my shame
If I embrace you like a brother
You wear my name
You wear my name
They say you're just imagination
Well, I'm not running anymore
You seem less like my own creation
When I meet you here at the farthest shore
My mind is clear and I am free now
Of all the things I've left behind
If I embrace you like a brother
Then the truth will live inside my mind
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10. |
Standing Near
05:35
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You should be careful when you're talking
You never know who might hear
Not just a shoulder to lean on
But also inquisitive ears
The secretest revelation
The news you wanted to keep
Has ways of trickling backwards
To me
I don't mind forgiveness - that suits some people just fine
Backrooms are easy for listening
The party's over somewhere
Meanwhile, you hide and confide in
A heart that you expected to care
Me, I'm still off in the corner
Pretending everything's fine
The only business I'm minding
Is mine
I don't mind forgiveness - that suits some people just fine
I never cared for forgiveness - I never thought the need was mine
You should be careful when you're talking
'Bout things you don't understand
Like how much I'm willing to ask for
And what you have a right to demand
The truth is here in the papers
It's there for everyone to see
No need to keep up pretenses
For me
A forest fire is required
That's how the new trees can grow
The needle stitches your wounds
Painfully slow
I don't mind forgiveness - that suits some people just fine
I never cared for forgiveness - I'm just repaying in kind
You should be careful when you're talking
You never know who might hear
It could be me in that corner
Standing near
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11. |
Top of Mind
05:52
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Wake up early and throw the kettle on
Draw a bath because there's no one home
Read the headlines of the morning news
(You can get indignant, but then, what's the use?)
Join the people on the subway train
All crushed together to escape the rain
Sometimes it gets so much
It's enough to drive you insane
But if you're far away
And your day's begun
And every face seems strange
I hope you think of me
I will be dreaming of you
Top of mind in your day's consideration
All alone now in the afternoon
Cup of coffee in a quiet room
The rain has thinned out to a misty grey
But there's no point in going out today
And there's a magazine that you meant to read
Another line in your bibliography
But there's a letter on your table
And it's addressed to me
And if you're far away
And you need relief
From the loneliness inside
I hope you think of me
I will be dreaming of you
Top of mind in your day's consideration
Meanwhile I'm waiting on the other side
Six hours from you as the airplane flies
I pour myself another drink
And think about the reasons why
So if you're far away
From my arms tonight
Let it not be from your thoughts
I hope you think of me
I will be dreaming of you
Top of mind in your day's consideration
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Michael Munnik Cardiff, UK
Acoustic indie-folk with words of value at the heart of the songs, crafted in the finest tradition of Canadian singer-songwriters.
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