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Snow on the Waves

by Meghan Hayes

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1.
Snow on the Waves 03:45
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It’s the only day of summer that I got When the cars are slow and the lines are hot. Now the rain is gone away, it’s only me that’s left today. I prayed to God to be alone. Now that I am up and grown, The people who are gone for fear keep saying things I don’t want to hear. You won’t tell me it’s not too late (to make a start). You don’t come around trying to placate me (and my broken heart). You block my sun more than you elate me. You’re snow on the waves. Now I close up at night when the flowers won’t bloom. During the day ghosts take my room. Some folks say the dead are never gone—that’s why I leave the TV on. You and I were the village shade All rain and no parade. Would you take that safe sadness now, if I could only get it back somehow? You won’t tell me it’s not too late (to make a start). You’re no stranger to dreams that deflate (and fall apart). Each word I say is up for debate with you baby. You’re snow on the waves. Some nights when the stars are low I search the water for something I might once have known. Past the rocks and rents that keep us home There’s snow on the waves. I don’t even need a trigger on my gun. I knock these hours down one by one. My nights are filled with western wind, days are spent for next of kin. Been dancing with a candle at my back. Believe me, honey, it’s not truth I lack. Of the millions who could have been the one, You’re just the latest whose story came undone. Still, you won’t tell me it’s not too late (to make a start). You’ve been known to stand at the gate (when I depart). You laugh at the mention of fate. You’re snow on the waves.
2.
Sepulveda 04:08
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Sepulveda is waiting for you Come on now and take her by the hand Played your records for her all night long And the cars drove by—they were singers in a lonely band Watched you walk in the house with your back to the door Your past is just prologue and your future’s on the cutting floor I ain’t gonna race against time no more Ain’t gonna turn around on a dime like before I left Sepulveda on the other shore ‘Cause that’s all she’s good for You didn’t have to run away from home It always ran away from you You could find the place up on the map But still somehow you just can’t find the clue Now you can’t even count to two And the chance passed by and the past is long past due I ain’t gonna race against time no more Ain’t gonna leave my heart open like a candy store I left Sepulveda on the other shore ‘Cause that’s all she’s good for Sepulveda, pull the blankets over me And pull the lights down too Pretend that all I ever wanted Might someday come true See that girl running? Well, she’s running towards you Say that that’s not all she knows how to do Distant planets far away Burn hot at night and dark and cold by day You the charmer she the spell A disappearing act that always works so well But I took all my star charts down ‘Cause it’s black as death in your one-trick-pony town I ain’t gonna race against time no more Ain’t gonna hammer boards across my door I left Sepulveda on the other shore ‘Cause that’s all she’s good for Sepulveda, pull the blankets over me And pull the lights down too Pretend that all I ever wanted Might someday come true See that girl running? Well, she’s running towards you Say that that’s not all she knows how to do… Sepulveda
3.
Twice as Long 04:47
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Two and two they come together, and if you’re clever, then they make four. You’re not supposed to remember that you ever imagined more. But you knew my secrets like the back of your heart. You held us together so hard we fell apart. You say we’re always in the same night with the same stars in the sky. You were a simple broken record, and I was afraid to meet your eye. But desperate treason was our favorite drink. We were always trying to ruin us, despite what we might like to think. CHORUS: Twice as long’s not long enough when you are drinking from his cup. Twice as long’s not long enough by far. I’m sorry about the piece of you that never seems to make it through. And I’m sorry for the things you think you are. There is something in the thunder that comes to you from the room above. That makes you drink right out of her hand like it was full of whole-grain love. We’re the all time losers, at the head of our class. I’d give away my whole family for just a day here in the grass. CHORUS … the things you think you are.
4.
Citadel 03:24
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Tonight was the first time I called this place my home The wettest town I’d ever lived in Tonight was the first time I called this place my home Now it’s just a face I might never see again The people come down to sell They swarm down from the Citadel ‘Cause the days of watch are over If I were Dorothy and Dorothy were me We’d have clicked our heels back to New York City But here the rates are cheaper, some say taxes are free And that makes death the only certainty The people come down to sell They swarm down from the Citadel ‘Cause the days of watch are over Come you rain down from the sky You’ve made your trip and so must I Come you rain down from the sky Come home with me I take in my returnables, I collect my cash This town is just a pan looking for a flash The circus comes around each and every day To pass the hat for the young hearts who’ve already gone grey Well the people come down to sell They swarm down from the Citadel ‘Cause the days of watch are over Come you rain down from the sky You’ve made your trip and so must I Come you rain down from the sky Come home with me (x2) Tonight was the first time I called this place my home…
5.
Get Off on a Dare 03:33
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I am calling from the right lane of the highway When I got on here it was spring You better eat before you set foot in that market Or else you’re bound to buy everything It’d been a long, hard, cold, eatin’-leather-shoe winter Even the storm clouds went broke I got out on an eighth of unleaded Haven’t even stopped for a smoke Gotta find me a snack Now there’s no turning back, now there’s no turning back I’ve been cruisin’ these aisles all day When was my last meal I don’t know how it feels, can’t recall how that feels I need a home or a place to stay Some time around four, well it turned back into summer I got bluegrass coming out of my ears The lines around this state on the map make it look like a coupon I just took 20% off of my years Gotta find me a shelf Gotta build my wealth, gotta build my wealth I gotta buy coffee in the place where I read Gotta find me a desk Gotta buy me a fax, gotta get me the rest I gotta keep myself up to speed I’m growing discontent with this billboard cocktail party Models with martinis smoking in their underwear I stopped off at that 76 pavilion But I can’t cheat at solitaire ‘Cause I know somewhere around the bend I’m gonna see your sweet face again Like a light in a house in the fall It’ll shine so bright like a red tree all alone in the night And then you’re gone and there’s no curtain call Gotta find me some love Gonna wear me a diamond and free me a dove I gotta park in the shade of desire Gotta clean the garage Salvage records and tapes, gotta salvage the Dodge Before this whole thing catches on fire I am calling from the right lane of the highway I’ll stay on ‘til I get my share Me and the rest of this steel-belted army Couldn’t even get off on a dare Wouldn’t get off on a dare
6.
Pay the Waterbill 05:23
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Will you save the baby when the bath water’s gone? Will you leave it all to me? Will you be the one to blow the candles out? Will you shine the silver ‘til it’s free? Oh, City, well you used to be so pretty And you turned some heads in your day Oh, City, well you used to be so pretty The summer ain’t gone yet, sugar, so what do you say? You be the one to pass the beer around I might just pick up the tab If you’ll be the one to wear the neon lights I’ll be the one to hail the cab Oh, City, well you used to be so pretty And I heard it said that you could dance Oh, City, well you used to be so pretty Come on, darlin’, gimme half a chance You be the one with the fancy feet I’ll be the one to just act shy You’ll know everybody everywhere we meet I’ll promise never to lie Oh, City, well we used to be so pretty And I wrote your name up in the sky Oh, City, well you used to be so pretty ‘Til I wrote the letters that made you cry And you tore them up, and you burnt them up, and you put the ashes in a cup And you sent them down the River Wye Well you broke my heart, split it right apart, put what was left in a cart And you trashed it all at Eighth and Vine Now you’re the one to turn the page I’ll be the one to hold my breath. You’re at the start and end of every age I only wish you’d take me with. You’ll be the one to pay the waterbill, I’ll be the one to leave. If you’ll be the one to make the world stand still, I’ll be the one to grieve. Oh, City, well we used to be so pretty But that was in your halcyon days. Oh, City, well you used to be so pretty, But it’s getting hard to tell the roots from the grays And the roofs from the graves And the roots from the grays And the roofs from the graves.
7.
Airborne 04:36
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When you start out in limbo It’s a long way home When you sell off your ticket You leave half yourself at home The airlines they call you Say we’re glad you’re alive You’re our most seasoned veteran You’ve been with us since you were five Are we up in the air yet? Are we up yet you say You’ve waited so long now So long for this day Well, you’ve been in the sky Since the day they first met And you haven’t come down ‘Cause they weren’t ready yet You’ve lived in twenty houses or so And now there’s rent to be paid But you’re not the one who owes ‘Cause your airborne Halfway between the tarmac and the morning Airborne And no one comes up to fix the clouds they’ve torn You thought you’d hold a song up Like a knife to his throat Thought you’d build you a castle And make him swim the moat Now his baby plays piano Tonight on the phone And you might have had some talent But you took lessons in flying alone Are we up in the air yet? Are we up yet you say You’ve got no hands to hold you You’ve got no hands to pray You took to the sky on account of some papers That freed two adults from the fruits of their capers And you might fly at heights of the most dangerous kind But there’s no child you’d sign away on that dotted line ‘Cause you’re airborne Halfway between Dulles and Wisconsin’s corn You are airborne And the miles add up and the captain’s forlorn You are airborne And you might as well start blowin’ your own horn ‘Cause you’re airborne And you’re comin’ down now with your engines roarin’
8.
Sweet Go-Between 02:38
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The handwriting never ceased It ran across the walls like a beast This part that you remember least Dishes always ‘bout to fall You’d guard your corner so you’d have a place to crawl And hide behind the eight ball CHORUS: You can look to the north you can look to the south You swear to God you hear a voice But you can’t find the mouth I dare you to build this house out of straw You’re done listening to love, you’re done listening to law The face was never at the door And paper tigers pinned you to the floor A paper soldier in the war You scratch at love like at a screen The words that are left are never all that clean They’re all you got, sweet go-between CHORUS One night you snuck out on the roof The fire from the valley smelled like the truth As if you ever needed proof
9.
Debt to Love 03:54
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Six o’clock is blue and pink on the snow As it was for the queen of Queens Under dark lights they ask me to go So I train pigeons in my dreams Well the tailor is handsome and the soldier is fine But one must fix the other’s seams So I look farther with my blue eye Past the shallow future and closed museums CHORUS: To thine own self be true To your neighbor divine Time will come looking for you And you may as well lay your heart on the line For the day your debt to love comes due It rises in the east so the west can have its wine And keep it hid from the land between the two I swear I’d die of thirst before I make it mine But a need does a thing that the word can never do CHORUS The picture on the mantel is for the Valentine Who won herself with the loss of you You kept her on the mountain that grows by and by ‘Til she finally grew up and out of view CHORUS
10.
Fight or Flight 04:55
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Daddy put your dark glasses on, Daddy take the phone off the wall. And get out tonight. ‘Cause this little girl’s been talking so tall for you, She’s taken all the falls. And she knows something ain’t right. You never learned to fly, and you’ve given up the fight. CHORUS: Suddenly the day’s much harder than the night. Suddenly the dark shines a lot longer than the bright. You lived your life like there was no end in sight. …So you never learned to fly, and you’ve given up the fight. Daddy put on your suit and tie, And go out looking like the other guys From all the other homes. God knows I lock my door up tight, Push the ghosts away with all my might. But they are life-long chaperones. You never learned what’s right, and I don’t think you might. CHORUS …You never learned what’s right, and I don’t think you might. You’re always sneaking round the bend, you don’t know if this ever ends, do you? You say your heart won’t ever mend but you know I can’t fix that thing for you. You’re a lovely bastard with a lovely wife but I ain’t gonna sit around and watch my life go Up in smoke too. You were the leader of the band back then, Thought you had a hand that would let you win When life began to take its toll. When I sweep my empty heart with a broom, I can see you up there locked in your room Smoking getting in the way of your soul. You thought that there’d be lightning for every kite. CHORUS (slow) …You thought that there’d be lightning for every kite. CHORUS …You never learned to fly, and you’ve given up the fight.
11.
Down the Shore 04:42
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You say you’ve been down the shore And it’s why we don’t see you no more You fell in your own well You were just such a quick sell The tide goes in and out You say you scream and shout We all go our own ways And we all are our own craze You caught the train of thought And you’re gonna ride it, ready or not You found yourself some shade And they say you’re all the rage But you sit on a scorched porch And you’re holding a snuffed torch We ought to know you say You’re gonna make it big someday You sing like a windchime Cut in half by the fine line You swam out to the ship of fools And they used you up like a set of tools CHORUS: Can you or can you not come home baby? Daddy says yes and mom’s a definite maybe Can you or can you not come home baby? Or are you always not here now? You sure have been gone a while It must be the brand new style You ran out of stamps, you say And there’s not enough time in the day Keep that bag by your side I know there’s no place to hide But we can’t want you back now And we can’t watch you pack now You flew on the plane of being And it’s so much harder to be staying than leaving CHORUS …And can you or can you not come home baby? Or are you always not here now?
12.
Count Your Blessings 02:47
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Have you ever seen a picture Of that very beautiful vitamin B? It gets to be all kinds of colors Before it settles down into me Have you ever seen a picture Of that migrant Woody Guthrie? Well, you know, I haven’t either But I sure hope he don’t look like me CHORUS: I wonder what you’re doing tonight I wonder if you’re doing the same thing as me If you’re staring at the wall, begging it to count your blessings Then you’re doing the same thing as me You gotta be real smart in college You gotta look like you don’t crouch to pee And we’ll see about that pretty head of yours Mixing $3.25s down at the Capri CHORUS Lately I spend all my time shopping But I’ve yet to find a store that’ll make me think And sometimes at night I’ll catch a movie But you know how I am—if I can’t swim I’ll drink And maybe I shoulda taken that job with Greenpeace Should sank some ships while I was still alert Now the only pets I have are houseplants The only people I know I keep around to flirt CHORUS … You’re doing the same thing as me

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Originally released in 2000, this record is Meghan's first. All hard copies have sold out, so the songs are available only as tracks for streaming and/or download.

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released January 1, 2000

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Meghan Hayes Nashville, Tennessee

Meghan Hayes is a singer-songwriter, Nurse Practitioner and landscape designer living in Nashville, TN. Her most recent record, Seen Enough Leavers, is a bruising post-divorce document of pain, anxiety and loss, that has been lauded as “one of the best Americana albums in recent history.” Hayes is currently interviewing producers for her next record. ... more

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