Tolled Stories

This Is All Happening

The blinking lights of the radio tower
Are shining through my window
And somewhere off in the night, there’s a gun-shot
That reflects through alleys

And near a lake, there’s a house decomposing
And across a pond is a meadow
Under a bridge, there’s a tiny fire burning
And above your head is a halo

And I’m alone, lone, lone, but I ain’t lonesome

The screeching brakes of the Chrysler LeBaron
Destroyed the silence of the day
And the people walking by screamed in horror as they watched a young life slip away
And in a back room a deal’s going down
And on a stage a hopeless band will play
A girl will cry and her boy will die in a war-zone many miles away

And I’m broke, broke, broke, but I ain’t broken

 

Ride Ride Ride

People around here don’t get me
And the ones that do, are gone
Can’t wait for the waters to lift me
Got my education through song
‘Cause you won’t get far without a dollar
And you need many to survive
If I had a sweetheart I’d call her
Discuss the troubles of life

I could ride ride ride
Let the sun warm my face
But I won’t hide hide hide
In the shadows of this place

If you need a reason, then I got one
I feel it in my soul
It hits me at the most random times
You just gotta let it flow
‘Cause I love the warmth of my bed
But I’d trade that for the road
Just need somewhere to rest my head
A hardwood floor’s as good as gold

Brokenhearted Woman

I’m just a traveler on a broken road
Lost and alone, just trying to find my way back home
Six strings to the wind, and a heart of gold
Lost track of time and I’m headed out on my own
Well the sun is killing my eyes, but I keep walking into it
I’m on my way to see what lies up the block
And as my feet traverse these american streets
They will carry me to where I need to be

Hard nosed, brokenhearted woman
You’ve got a reason to be sad
Blacked out, beaten, and discouraged
You wiped your tears away with a bloody rag

You don’t have to be a poet just to rhyme
And there ain’t no shame in just being there for the ride
While you keep taking orders from the nine to five
I’ll be finding myself south of the Dixon line
And it’s a crying shame, but I wipe away those tears
No use losing sleep over what’s already lost
I’m hardly on the path but I can find my way
And I’ll buy my happiness back at any cost

Curse my name and cross my heart
Burn my bridge and never part
Beat me down but I’ll get back up
And knock you over

Hometown Eulogy

Lead in the procession
Divvy up his possessions
Tie on a few with the boys before you go
Borrow a suit, steal a tie
Look away while the children cry
It’s gonna be a long, long, long night

Gale force winds, and leaves and trees
decorate the day
And the sun came out for just a little while
to see him on his way

Grab hold of his ashes
Watch as the ocean crashes on the rocks
At his old drinking spot
Say a few words that he’d want to hear
Light up a joint and crack a beer
It’s time for him to go

Gale force winds, and leaves and trees
decorate the day
And the sun came out for just a little while
to see him on his way
Be on your way.

Last Words

It happened right when it all went down
It all commenced right as it turned around

An old sun shinning
A young gun binding
A knife in his boot
Treasure in the loot
I think we’re out of tune

And break this window as we leave
Don’t forget to keep the door unlocked
Leave a trail of volcanic rock
Hypnotize me into loving you
Anesthetize the ones who care
And leave only those who dare to reconcile
I’ll be here for a while
So take a chair, and listen close
To the words he wrote
To the last words that he wrote
To the words he wrote

Hometown Eulogy

I can feel it breaking
And I’m taking my time waking up
Set the alarm, and sleep through it
Avoid responsibility, there’s nothing to it

Oh, play piano with your tongue
Live and walk among the broken ones
Live for a noble cause
Die for your own reasons just because
Oh, just because

She is a killer, and I’m just filler for her fantasies
I got the heartbreak, I got the heartbreak disease

I’ll eat my dinner from a can
Make my living with my hands
Play in dirty country bands
Won’t die working for the man
I’ll make my way
Oh Lord, I’ll make my way

Live in a house up on a hill
Drink until I get my fill
Won’t pay taxes or my bills
Live for the moment and the thrill
I’ll make my way
Oh Lord, I’ll make my way

Panhandling In A Ghost-Town

Down a winding road, even farther than I know
There lies a burial spot
And behind it is a foundation of a home
Farmland used to stretch for miles and miles
Now it’s overgrown
And the people have all gone back into the soil

Don’t waste your time on it
Don’t spend your life on fences
Don’t die rich or poor
God don’t live here anymore

The sheep have all gone home
And the birds have all lost their wings
And the houses have all been looted
Of all their most valuable things

Even farther down, there’s a storefront town
That people used to go to
But the mill shut down after poisoning the water
Turning it to brown from blue
Now the alderman and the congressman
Could really care less of the plight
Oh, they say “let nature take it’s course...”
It’s out of mind and out of sight

The smokestacks still stand tall
By the river
But the caskets stack up higher than those bricks
Higher than those bricks

Victory Day

As the turnstiles turned, I broke into a run
Thought I saw a revolution but it hadn’t quite begun
By the water in a bottle there was a note from a man
Describing plans for a sailing ship

A draft card fire in a cast iron stove
Young, smiling couple eagerly waiting to elope
Blame it on the young ones, then pin it on the old
Grab hold of the unknown before we all get sold

And it’s a high and mighty price to pay
This ain’t no victory day - grey day
From the east bay, to the New York freeway

As the overpass passed over me
I wanted to break free from my surroundings
I could hear the murmuring
I could hear the churning
See books burning, people un-learning

Then the sky broke into and it started raining
The people feigning their disdaining feelings
All the lovers will kiss for the last time
As the sunshine disappears

And it’s a high and mighty price to pay
This ain’t no victory day - grey day
From the east bay, to the New York freeway
From the sea, to the sky
To the dirt buying the dead
From your feet up to your head

Not Goin' Far

This thing that I built
I made with my hands
That’s my blood, not yours
That lies on this land

Yeah, the listeners will surely turn a deaf ear
And these things to confusing will soon become clear
As the windows slam shut all the doors will unlock
Wave good-bye to the mainland as we all cast-off

Well, my knuckles are bare
And my face is road worn
As this madness ensues
I will wait to be born

Stay with me, my darling, I’m not going far
I’ll sleep with my ear right over your heart

As the whisper dies out, I’ll remember the words
And I swear that I’ll speak what was wrote
To the sun and the birds

Yeah my darling, my darling, I’ve nothing to know
I’ve learned all the lessons, now it’s time to go.

all songs written by Tristan Omand
© 2011 Tristan Omand {ascap}
℗ raised in a barn recordings {ascap}