1. |
Down to the Sea
03:05
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Down to the Sea
Come down, come down, come down with me,
We'll sink our feet into the sea.
Go on, go on, go on, go on,
From the rocks we'll fish with homemade rods.
Though time and tide have pulled us separate ways,
I carry you with me in those days,
And I'm proud of you and all you have become,
So I send this song across the sea with love.
Round and round and round the apple tree,
Count to ten, then come and find me.
The pitter, patter rain upon the roof,
The foghorn sings a lullaby for you.
Though time and tide have pulled us separate ways,
I carry you with me in those days,
And I'm proud of you and all we have become,
So I send this song across the sea with love.
Niall Connolly - Nylon guitar and vocal
Chris Foley - Electric guitar
Karl Nesbitt - Bodhrán
Ryan Drickey - Violins
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2. |
The Four Faced Liar
02:30
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The Four Faced Liar
Three years in the shadow,
Of the tower that everybody knows,
Where the Clocks on every side,
Can't even agree on the time.
The women down the Coal Quay,
Selling cigarettes and bootleg tapes,
I thought I was there to stay,
Till the hour hand pushed me away
Spinning round Sir Henry's,
My childhood friends and me,
Singing, this is how it's gonna be.
This is a bad idea,
And you and I we know it well,
Well enough to do it again.
Drinking down the back of FÁS*,
Window shopping for a job,
You've been too quiet for too long,
I should have known something was wrong.
Spinning round Sir Henry's,
My childhood friends and me,
Singing, this is how it's gonna be.
*FÁS is the Irish word for grow and also the name of now dissolved Employment Centre.
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3. |
A New Road
03:34
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A New Road
Now that the shop is closed
They don't need us anymore.
I will carve out a new road
With the tools left by those
Who went before.
A simple truth, plainly told,
If you have love let it be known.
If you're holding on to hatred old
I hope you know who you're holding for.
You were the master tradesman then,
I was, I am, the apprentice still.
How I leaned to every word,
You always treated me just like a king.
A simple truth, plainly told,
If you have love let it be known.
If you're holding on to hatred old
I hope you know who you're holding for.
In the corner by the window
You took my spine and made me strong,
Within earshot of the river,
"You've got to keep on moving,
to belong".
A simple truth, plainly told,
If you have love let it be known.
If you're holding on to hatred old
I hope you know who you're holding for.
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4. |
Corridors
03:04
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Corridors- Niall Connolly
We live in boxes, in boxes on boxes,
It's a high price to pay, for a little privacy.
Still, I've got door handles and curtains,
Two rooms and three keys.
I've come with time to believe,
These things necessities.
Newborn neighbour cries,
I come home late,
I try to come home quiet,
And in the mornings,
We nod and smile,
In the corridors.
The days on the calendar,
In boxes aligned,
Like these voices as they bounce,
Around this high-rise.
We think we've got them figured out,
Based on our time,
Till we get our comeuppance,
And they take us by surprise
Downstairs neighbours fight,
When to call it in, or just let it go by,
And in the morning we nod and smile,
In the corridors.
Walking through the cemetery,
Marvel at the marble carved memories.
Downtown a new tower rising,
Through the gaping wound on the horizon,
Reminding us if we need reminding,
That all is fragile use your time well.
We are more than these mortgaged boxes,
More, than this sheet rock corridor,
Yeah, we are more,
Than these corridors.
We live in boxes,
In boxes we'll go.
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5. |
Dear Applicant
02:31
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Dear Applicant
Peace and Respect to All of You at the Office,
Yeah, I was in your army. In Kirkuk I drove forklift. Now I'm on their radar and they're baying for revenge for the part I played in your war and now I need your help.
Dear Applicant,
Your patience helps accelerate the process. Please respond with all relevant contracts and documents.
Yes, he was on our side, an ally and a friend. Contact me at anytime at the following adddress.
Peace and Respect to All of You at the Office,
Yeah, I was on your side. In Kirkuk I drove a forklift.
Now they know where I live, they've got my name, and there's no hiding, friends, from the Lightning Brigade.
Omar takes a call at the ktichen table. Says goodnight to his wife and steps into the evening...
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6. |
My Heart Goes Out
03:10
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My Heart Goes Out
From the reservation to the trenches,
And back on the street,
Thanks for your efforts in sustaining the dream.
A little girl in Bad River, Iowa,
You come back from the war,
She calls another man Pa.
My heart goes out
Misha with a flag, brave in Independance Square,
Took a generation to get what we have,
Not going to lose it here.
But I haven't seen my sister since 11 days ago,
Take a look at this picture,
If you see her let us know.
My heart goes out
Ahmed is 7, it's been 26 months
Since he and his brother got out of Homs.
They've got school, they've got errands,
The Champs Elysees in the sun,
Life behind the wire,
Life on the run.
My heart goes out
Your 9/11, Your Famine, Your Wounded Knee,
History, it's written by the winning PR machines.
Our Silence, our shame, our complicity.
My heart goes out
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7. |
The Blue Dollar
03:23
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The Blue Dollar
Got me a man in Buenos Aires,
Thirsty for the Blue Dollar
Every dime, that I make,
He can stretch a whole lot further.
Mama can you see me now?
Found me in chica in the mountains in the south
She's good with her hands, her hips, she is good with her mouth
I promise her a passport, and a blue eyed son,
A swing, a fence, a front porch, a house in Washington.
Mama can you see me now?
Mama are you proud?
Free shots and cheap cocaine,
They all kiss me on the mouth, say they're happy that I came.
No passport, no front porch, no blue eyed son,
Just another hero from the north, full of vinegar and come.
Mama can you see me now?
Mama are you proud?
I don't blame her much, I blame her a lot.
Got sick of my drinking, and my talk, talk, talk.
Still, I got me a man in Buenos Aires
Thirsty for the blue dollar.
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8. |
Summer Dress
03:02
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Summer Dress
Pick up a postcard for the pretty girl,
I made a drunken phone call home.
I've made a lot of friends and mistakes on the way,
I've got every intention, every intention,
Of making a whole lot more.
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Who's afraid of the deep blue sea?
With the funny faced fish at the bottom, not me,
No, no, no, not me. No, no, no, not me.
When I think about seeing you again,
Yeah, I'm a small bit worried for this little heart and head.
When I think about seeing you again,
All the boys turn their heads to see your summer dress.
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
In a muddle in the middle of the wrong town,
50 miles without a car an hour from the show.
Hey, I hope you're writing it all down,
Cos your life is funny, your life is funny,
Your life is funnier than your jokes.
Who's afraid of the long dark night
Of the soul, or the stars, that are really satellites,
No, no, no, not me,
No, no, no, not I.
When I think about seeing you again,
In the summer in the city, with the sunlight on your neck.
When I think about seeing you again,
All the boys turn their heads to see your summer dress.
When I think about seeing you again,
Yeah, I'm a small bit worried for this little heart and head.
When I think about seeing you again,
All the boys turn their heads to see your summer dress.
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9. |
My God
02:25
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My God
My God, he is not angry,
My God, he does not kill
Children while they're sleeping,
Onlookers laughing on the hill.
My God, he does not fire,
Mortar from a shell,
Not caring where it strikes,
Once where it strikes goes straight to hell.
My God, he does not raise,
A fist or wave a flag
Saying this side for the good,
And that side for the bad.
My God, he's known compassion,
My God, he's known true love,
And he rains down only mercy,
Only mercy from above.
My God, he is not angry,
My God, he does not kill,
Children while they're sleeping,
Onlookers laughing on the hill
My God, he is not angry,
My God, he does not kill,
My God, I hope he's listening,
I hope he's listening still.
Niall Connolly - Nylon guitar and vocals
Michael John McCarthy - Accordion, keys, and samplers
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10. |
Not My Monkey
02:56
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Not My Monkey
Not my monkey, not my monkey, not my monkey,
Not my monkey, is what Mary said.
Telll me, "When does money, when does money
Stay awake and worry, about you and me?"
I was feeling weak and the fox at my heels,
said, "I'm supposed to be here, why are you not asleep?"
The children screaming with the sunrise,
No sympathy or time for the darkness on my mind.
Singing,
Not my monkey, not my monkey, not my monkey,
Not my monkey, is what Mary said.
Telll me, "When does money, when does money
Stay awake and worry, about you and me?"
The band are rocking, drum and bass are locking,
But that boy won't stop talking,
Gonna lose my temper.
But it's not my monkey, if you win or fail,
It's not my monkey but get out of my way.
But it's not my monkey, if you win or fail,
It's not my monkey but get out of my way.
Give me back my coat, my bag of tricks,
I'm sick of your nonsense, your one horse circus,
Give me back my coat, my bag of tricks,
I'm sick of your nonsense, your tightrope theatrics.
It's not my monkey, if you win or fail,
It's not my monkey but get out of my way.
Niall Connolly - Electric and acoustic guitar and vocals
Chris Foley - Electric guitar
Len Monachello - Drums and vocals
Brandon Wilde - Bass, guitars and vocals
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11. |
Carry it with You
04:15
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Carry It With You
You've got your father's taste for Beamish,
Your mother's talent for lies,
Poisoned like the river
That the factory sat beside.
Unplanned and unwanted,
Made to know it as a child
In the schoolyard, how they taunt you,
You've got the postman's eyes.
Your father lost his job,
His patience and his pride,
Moved out with your mother
And left you both behind.
It's hard enough at the best of times
To be a child.
What chance did you ever have,
When they both gave up trying?
Oh you've got to get away,
You've got to get out,
There's a whole other world,
Past the edge of this town.
Down at the 147,
Hustling pool and selling weed,
At school they're talking opportunities,
And who you might want to be.
You say, I'm already up the walls,
man, trying to make it through the week.
My choices were made for me,
Before I ever learned to read.
One punk drunk decision,
Earned you 18 months in prison,
You get out your better part missing,
21, armed with a conviction.
All you learned inside,
How to bend without breaking,
How to survive,
Gonna carry it with you, carry it with you
For the rest of your time.
Oh you've got to get away,
You've got to get out,
There's a whole other world,
Past the edge of this town
No work for an ex-con,
In this fair and noble land,
So you run a few late night errands
For a little cash in hand.
Prea drop-off,
Or a pre-dawn collection,
They don't tell you,
you know better,
Than to ask too many questions.
Oh you've to get away,
You've got to get out,
There's a whole other world,
Past the edge of this town.
Keep on walking,
Keep on walking,
No, no, don't you look behind,
Keep on walking,
Keep on walking,
No, no, don't you look behind.
You've got your father's gift for talking,
And your mother's green eys,
Keep on walking, Keep on Walking,
No, no, don't you look behind.
Niall Connolly - Acoustic guitar and vocals
Dennis Cronin - Trumpet
Chris Foley - Electric guitar
Len Monachello - Drums
Brandon Wilde - Bass, guitars and vocals
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12. |
I Picked Stones
03:04
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I Picked Stones
I picked stones,
So the grass might grow greener,
In richer men's homes,
I answered phones,
I was polite to idiots for 13 hour shifts,
I swept floors,
I know every kind of cardbaord box,
How to build them, stack them fold them up.
I packed tulips, I picked grapes,
I learned lessons, I made mistakes,
yeah, I made loads.
So, believe me , when I tell you,
Believe me, when I say,
It's really good to have you here today.
I bought a guitar from my friend's cousin,
When I had nothing, I found something,
Never hungry, never thirsty, no, I never slept outside,
Alright then, maybe once or twice,
Don't tell my mother, not consecutive nights,
No, I've always been looked after, I've always been just fine.
I played street corners and subway stations,
festivals and embassies,
For film stars and their constellations,
The down and out, the in between.
Oh, believe me, when I tell you,
Believe me, when I say,
It's really good to have you here today.
I know that you are tired,
It's been a tough week, you've been tested,
Could have stayed at home tonight,
With a 6 pack and netflix,
But you make the noble effort,
You pull yourself together,
Toll bridges, babysitters,
It all adds up its expensive.
Oh, believe me, when I tell you,
Believe me, when I say,
I wouldn't be here without you today.
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Niall Connolly Brooklyn, New York
"Terrific. Disarming and beautifully crafted folk-pop. Connolly is a witty storyteller and a not-to-be-missed
songsmith."
- The Chicago Tribune
"Among the most vibrant, poignant, and authentic indie folk artists in New York City."
-No Depression
... more
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