THE FAMILY JOSEPH ARTHUR

THE FAMILY
JOSEPH ARTHUR
Happy
unhappy
It’s how
I started
I NEVER
– not unlik
e three hun
dred
million sub
urban kids
before
and after m
e. But this
thing
in my world
as a kid
all at th
e same ti
me.
And was used
that way aga
inst
me and for m
e. And thus
began
my long, wei
rd relations
hip
with music.
This saviour
.
This damnati
on. And I wo
n’t
apologize fo
r the Emo di
rect
sloppiness o
f this descr
iption.
There’s no w
ay to soft s
ell it.
It’s a need
to transcend
love-fustrat
ion
-pain-suffering-eu
phoria
bliss-magic
A piano restorer in Carroll Gardens
found my 1912 Steinway Vertegrand piano
for me. When it came up on Craigslist,
he said he was baffled by it. It came
to my place for $1,600, all in. It was a
steal. There are famous photos of John
and Paul (The Beatles) playing identical
pianos, writing their early hits. My
piano tuning friend gave it the full
inspection and tuning, but little to no
repair was needed. It was like out of
a time capsule. It was aged, and it had
character. But nothing compared to what
it was and how old it is. It had lived
in Connecticut with the same family for
generations, and it simply had become an
artifact, despite sentimental value.
And how
unfortu
end up
n
in an i ate/fortunat
e for i
ndustri
studio
t to
al
of
Red Hoo f the coast o garage space/
k, Broo
f the w
at
kl
new lif
e it fa yn, where ear ers of
ced nea
ly in i
was onl
r d
ts
y
it on c saved by frie evastation. I
inder b
nds who
t
locks w
fuck us
hen San lifted
all.
dy came
to
BUT I
T SUR
VIVED
We SURV
.
IVED
.
“You Wear Me Out”, which became the
catalyst for the concept of this record
about family dynamics. I set out to make
an album that centered about all of the
aspects and all of the relationships of
“The Family”. And how fitting that these
songs should begin on that hundred-yearold Steinway that had only ever belonged
to one family.
So the songs just came. One after the
other. It felt like some dumb divine
clockwork. Everything else I had, or was
doing, went out the window and seemed
tired and irrelevant. I hadn’t yet
released “Boogie Christ”, but I dove
into this passionately.
stories – anything they
could recall.
FFor ex
or am
““Sisteexamppllee,, wwhheenn II
rreeffeerr to
Sisterr DDaawn”
to ‘si
wn”,
ssister
ister,, tthhoug , II’’mm nnoott ssppeeaaki‘sisstteerr’’ iinn
n
oughh II ddii
in the
dd uussee hekingg aabboouutt mmy
in he ssoong,
h
r
y
e
n
a
“
g
r
c
,
was t
T
h
a
was mee wwhho w “Thee FFaammiillyy””.. H cttuuaall nnaammee
owweevver, i
o woouulldd ccl
H
that m
o
er
t
liimmbb uupp e
tha was
evveerryy tr,eeit
It watswasnn’’ttiinnWWeesstt
t
.
ree. AAnd
VViirrggiinnia
It wasiinnAkr
nd
ia,,ee
oo
Akr
to An
nn
i
,,OO
t
h
i
h
t
.
mm
i
h
h
i
oo
o
to An
ee
o
oo
.
.
rr
r
.
B
B
e
u
u
,
t
t
w
W
r
e
e
w
e
, sttVV
and ev
e dd
ii
ddgg
ii
rr
gg
and erryChr Wes
oo
in
ii
na
iaev
ee
v
e
r
Chi
footbaevey
s
y
r
t
r
s
i
m
u
y
s
mmer
ta
ms
summ
a,
s,an
footbl
ad
ndwe
al
wedi
llth
dd
te
idplplayer
hr
ee
r.
e.
ay
ahould
Perhaps I
I used fact
s from thin
gs my folks
and then qu
told me
ickly ficti
onalized.
World
story War II fa
ctors
,
about but for
i
m
e it n heavily
was a
right war right
to th
lw
n
e
the m now. That ow—the lo ays just
’s wh
ain s
s
s
we al
y
to
dynam
l h
ics s ry, whic I let it
h is
surro ave
hape
th
u
us an
d mak e way fam nd
e us
i
who w ly
e are
.
THE FAMILY
Sister Susan
By the time she was four
She could climb up
Just about any tree
From the highway
You could see our house
She would look out
As the cars drove past
And the family
Was always
Glad you came
Said the family
Was always
Glad you came
We played football
On the gravel drive
I would take it long
Every time
In West Virginia
The stakes were high
The ball would
fly through
The sky so bright
And the family
Was always
Glad you came
Said the family
Was always
Glad you came
We may never
Pass this way again but
I’ll never let you down
(no I won’t)
I’ll always let you in
I’ll never let you down
(no I won’t)
I’ll always let you in
The family
Was always
Glad you came
Joseph Leon was
taken first
Mama Enid she lost
her mind
It was mercy that held
them close
And it was mercy that left
us behind
The family
Was always
Glad you came
Said the family
Was always
Glad you came
(Endless mercy
Hold me now
Hold me now
Hold me now
Hold me now
Hold me now
Endless mercy)
SISTER DAWN
Sister Dawn
Take care of your young
Don’t do what they did
And hide away, hide away,
hide away
Last night you were wrong
When you raged at your
youngest son
When you grabbed him by
his arm
He hid away, hid away, hid
away
Hid away, hid away,
hid away
Sister Dawn
Take care of your young
You know our folks are
getting old
It’s you and me, you and
me, you and me
You say you can’t deal
Twisted by the way they
make you feel
But they need you to
be strong
Don’t hide away, hide
away, hide away
Hide away, hide
away, hide away
Sister Dawn
Take care of your young
WITH YOUR LIFE
I’m away
Tonight
The devil will pray
For a fight
I’m driving drunk
But I still see the road
My car is flipping
And it still might explode
But I’m known here
To bite
(don’t run away, don’t run
away
don’t run away, don’t
run away)
All night long
They run
Oh girl
All night long
They run
Oh girl
I’ll throw your back
Up against the wall
Nobody here
And nobody to call
Well I’ll shut off
Your light
I’m away
Tonight
The devil will pray
For a fight
The Will of God or man
Nobody can know
The jungle laws
And the idiot show
Well I’m watching
For your knife
You got no rights here
You’re just a kid
Don’t want to hear you
Or about what you did
So just leave now
With your life
THEY CALLED HIM LIGHTNING
They called him Lightning
and he flew the war
He was from Scotland, but
he had to run to the shore
America it saw his
fortune grow
He had a family and two
sons he never would know
I never knew him cause we
barely spoke
Disowned my brother over
money,
no one would joke
His wife was drunk, but
she still needed him
He brought her money and
another bottle of gin
Now your
mother gonna waste
my time
Saying
What you are
What you are
She don’t love nothing but
a wasted spine
On a dirty floor,
on the killing floor
You know most people they
will never change
They damn you young and we
all just end up the same
I’m driving drunk but I
can find the end
I’m looking for her in the
eyes of some other friend
She looks at you and she
can see her face
She looks at me and sees
someone she wants to erase
You know one day
she’s gonna lay me down
You know one day
she’s gonna put me into
the ground
Now your
mother gonna waste my time
Saying
What you are
What you are
She don’t love nothing but
a wasted spine
On a dirty floor, on a
killing floor
Now your
mother gonna waste my time
Saying
What you are
What you are
She don’t love nothing but
a wasted spine
On a dirty floor, on the
killing floor
(There’s a darkness in the
heart of man
But you could be mine
You could be mine
There’s a darkness in the
heart of man
But you could be mine
You could be mine)
WHEN I LOOK AT YOU
When I look at you
I can see his face
I can see his smile
I can see his dream
When I look at you
I can see his trust
I can see his hope
And everything he lost
In this lonely
(purple) haze
Look at you I must
When I look at you
When I look at you
When I look at you
When I look at you
WISHING WELL
When I look at you
When I look at you
Maybe you’re the moon
When I’m in the dark
Maybe you’re the voice
In a hopeful song
When I look at you
When I look at you
I can see the maze
I can see the loss
On a long-distance Sunday
We could go to the mall
Look around but still
don’t buy much
Can’t afford a place
to fall
Oh, the wishing well
Throw your coins in there
Tell them what you want
Oh, the wishing well
I wonder who gets
the money
It’s been sitting there
for years
Those old coins they don’t
rust tho
Soaking in our dreams and
tears
Tell them what you want
Oh, the wishing well
Oh, the wishing well
Throw your coins in there
Tell them what you want
Oh, the wishing well
I know you will
Find your way
So you’ve got to hold on
You always got to hold on
(repeats)
Just one dime will get you
mercy (mercy)
A nickel is worth a place
to stay (come here)
A quarter and you’ll be
forgiven
For everything you
couldn’t say
Oh, the wishing well
Throw your coins in there
I know you will
Find your way
You know you’ve got to
hold on
You always got to hold on
I know you will
Find a way
To hold on, hold on
I know you will
Find a way
To hold on (hold on)
MACHINES OF WAR
Now I’m leaving to fly in
a warplane
Hitler’s coming and he is
a madman
I’ll be back though so
care for our children
Tell them Daddy has left
to protect them now
On a mission the sky is a
blood field
On a mission you see what
our
bones yield
Raining bodies, the jet
planes
are falling
I gotta go now the army is
calling me
Time is a jet away
Wish you would lock
the door
See how our children play
We are machines of war
They are so young I hope
they remember me
Love couldn’t make me stay
I couldn’t love you more
Just watch how our
children play
We are machines of war
Time is a jet away
Wish I could give you more
See how our children play
We are machines of war
The factory will give me
my
job back
If I make it out of
a casket
If I make it I hope you’ll
be waiting
With the kids and the love
never fading out
When you wake them please
give them a kiss now
When you wake them please
tell them I miss them
And when I’m gone please
show them my picture
Love couldn’t make me stay
(stay)
I couldn’t love you more
Just watch how our
children play
We are machines of war
And when she died she was
ninety-two years old
Bill was from Glasgow
He flew a fighter plane in
the war
But after the war he
killed a man
And ran away to America
ETHEL WAS BORN
Ethel was born
The day the Titanic sunk
Her mother died when she
was young
She took over for her
And took care of her Dad
Until she ran away to New
York City
Ethel was born
The day the Titanic sunk
Her father drowned in the
Portage Lakes
Known to be a great
swimmer
His death was a suicide
There she met a man
named Bill
He was fifteen years older
than her
And he already had a wife
But he was soon to
be divorced
You and I,
rain girl
You and I,
You and I,
rain girl
You and I,
are gonna
YOU WEAR ME OUT
are gonna reign
are gonna
You’re their mother
Start being one
I’m their father
But I can’t hold it
down alone
You should see them
When they ask for you
What should I tell them
Since I can’t tell them
the truth
are gonna reign
Like a cloud, in the sky
Like a king and queen,
getting high
Like a cloud, in the sky
Like a king and queen,
getting high
You and I,
You and I,
rain girl
You and I,
You and I,
rain girl
are gonna reign
are gonna
are gonna reign
are gonna
Yeah
You wear me out
You say you need them
But you’ve been gone
They have changed now
Boy have they grown
and grown
I know it’s speed
That’s turned you blue
The pills you swallow
Haven’t they now
swallowed you?
Yeah
You wear me out
You wear me out
You wear me out
Time
Time
Time
Time
won’t
won’t
won’t
won’t
For you
Or them
turn
turn
turn
turn
around
around
around
around
HOLD ON JERRY
Hold on Jerry, hold on
Talking to the dead
Endless highway
mercy’s song
Well I sing to you
Going home there’s no one
Gonna meet you there
As your road keeps droning
on (and on)
The dead just come to you
This life is complicated
This death is overrated
And your dream is turned
to faded blue
This love is obligated
This time is thinly stated
And your mind is
agitated too
Hold on Jerry, hold on
The family needs you now
As you come back to us all
Well we come to you
Going home to Mercy
She’s been loving you
And you’ve been loving her
so much
She’s in you now
This life is complicated
This death is overrated
And your dream is turned
to faded blue
This love is obligated
This town is thinly stated
And your mind is
agitated too
This life is complicated
This death is overrated
And your dream has turned
to faded blue
This love is obligated
This time is thinly stated
And your mind is
agitated too
YOU KEEP HANGING ON
I love you more than
my pain
Says I should
I love you more when
you’re rain
Than the desert
would/wood
You say life’s in the past
When we were strong
But I would love you
to stay
Keep hanging on
You keep hanging on
Even when I tell you to go
You keep hanging on
Even when I ask you
to leave
You keep hanging on
Even when I tell you to go
You keep hanging on
Even when I ask you
to leave
I see you on the
other side
Of your moon and your
folded knife
And I wonder
How you came into my life
I know sometimes you’re
cold inside
But I still want you to be
mine
It makes me wonder
Why you came into my life
I love you more like
a dream
Than reality
I love the way that
you seem
To be there for me
You say love is a church
And a crucifix
It will kill us in time
After saving us
You keep hanging on
Even when I tell you to go
You keep hanging on
Even when I ask you
to leave
You keep hanging on
Even when I tell you to go
You keep hanging on
Even when I ask you
to leave
THE FLAG
Though you’re gone
You’re still here
In Jimmy’s eyes
And Linda’s tears
Your picture sits
Upon the wall
I think you’d say
Don’t give up
Today I think I’ve
had enough
Without you here I’m not
that strong
There’s no one else I want
to touch
Cause I wish you were near
I wish you were near
The army came
They had your stuff
It’s in the basement
With the flag
We used to say
In God We Trust
But I’m not sure
Anymore
Today I think I’ve had
enough
Without you here I’m not
that strong
There’s no one else I want
to touch
Cause I wish you were near
I wish you were near
I wish you were near
DADDY, THE WAR MACHINE
Here comes
The war machine
Here comes
The war machine
Daddy
Has gone to war
I know
What that means
He may die there and
Never come home
Fighting those men
That want to kill us
I wish you came home
Mother was never the same
Daddy I still
Love you
The war machine
Here comes
The war machine
Here comes
The war machine
Here comes
The war machine
Here comes
The war machine
The war machine
Daddy
You were brave
I miss you
At your grave
Blake
y Tchad
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Special thanks to Peter Gabriel and Real World
who took me into their family a long time ago and
gave me a home to make this possible. And to Tchad
Blake who took what I gave him and generously
constructed something much greater. And to Peter
Wark who in this tough industry saw this project
through and never stopped believing in it.