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The Ropes

by Hugh Christopher Brown

supported by
Mike Garrett
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Mike Garrett The stripped-down approach (mostly piano/organ, bass, drums) favoured here puts the spotlight squarely on Brown's soulful, meditative lyrics and vocals, which are frequently augmented by the sublime Kate Fenner. The arrangements are no slouch either, with perfect flourishes of horns, harmonica and guitar that add to the overall warm folk-soul vibe.
Right on target, so direct, this album feels as natural as the changing seasons and weaves a spell that lingers long after listening.
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1.
You do not ask the river where it’s going, you drink from it the same And this is how we love Not by maps Not by aims Just go out and come back as something different And by your own change recognize the music in everything that’s constant I’ve seen it in your eyes Yes I’ve seen love in your eyes And it feels like a pattern, some word from above ‘bout all these space in my life You’re unafraid to express And unwilling to live for less than the joy in your heart Our conversation is so clear Without expectation, and without fear I guess I loved you from the start And I don’t know your patterns I just feel what your capable of As these spaces in my life fill with love Such strange courage that has been mine since we met, I don’t trip over the past anymore It’s hope that you encourage It’s doubts that I forget What could I have ever used hem for? ‘Cause I’m just trying to earn my heart To live up to what I feel And the more I learn about your joys and concerns The more I know it’s real And I don’t care about the patterns I care what I’m capable of Now that your face is in my life
2.
Waterfall 04:26
Funny how sometimes Without notice You appear And it begins I don't know Where it comes from But I'm so glad To let you in Remind me of Everything That's beautiful And makes me sing That's you Oh you When it's late And I'm feeling tired I call you up With my heart I don't wait When I'm inspired By the dream That we're apart And I can find you here Where time won't keep us Like you're sitting by my side Still, I'm wondering when I will see you again ‘Cause there's the song And then there's you And somewhere in between the two There's a dream that we're apart You touched the curtain of my heart I felt it part Like a waterfall You touched the curtain of my heart I had a dream we were apart Your heart is true / I felt it all Our love like a river Now without you It’s a waterfall
3.
San Diego 04:48
Waiting for you On the streets of San Diego Knocking around Meditating on the sand I didn't know you well But my heart could tell Something I have no need to understand Because the way we we love feels like a belonging Let's begin from all we want to give/this life It's all too easy to live for others Let's take our hearts and focus them like lights Because this world Needs your love And this love needs your heart Don't give it away to play anyone's part You will First Love Yourself Or resist the unknown- For Love can't be given It can only be shown Hope you never do anything because it is expected Hope you never showed anyone but yourself to me And if you did, I hope the thing that you protected Is not the part of you that's scared, but the part of you that's free Because this world needs your love To be clear and be strong Like the feeling we had in each other's arms Those nights on the lawn Were like learning God's name Will we try Will we fall Or resist every pain... What have you survived? We'll meet at the center of ourselves Unnannounced but recognized.... Beneath all fear and all disguise You let me see myself, said music to the dancer You moved... I caught my reflection in your face All too soon, the call will not be answered Love: to have and to hold In silence and in space Now this world needs your love And this love needs your heart Don't give it away Don't play anyone's part a piano On the street song for the night Can you feel who you are? This is what love feels like
4.
Goldmine 06:23
Wildness- the world begins Recklessness- how it ends Too bad we don’t know there is a difference. All you thought was silence Was all you could not hear And all you thought to worship was your fear (not sung :You don’t choose god... What isn’t god?) if you choose to pray Pray to the Gulf of Mexico On a wing, oil glistening, God is listening Unable to fly And if you choose to look for gold Find it, please, in your own soul Love , unconditional, one life Goldmine, goldmine ^^^^^^^^^^^ They showed the child the cross, And all he saw was wood They showed the child the prison, And all he saw were men Put money in his hand, You’d think he’d understand But all he ever felt was one life Goldmine, one life, goldmine
5.
Methods 04:11
One of these days We’ll Learn not to fight Over what was never ours In the first place In the morning When the thoughts Come And I can’t sleep Just might need some Protection From my methods One of these days I will learn not to fight With all these people who live Inside of me ‘Cause they’re all different And they’re alright Especially if I just Let them be What do I know? With my worry, And my ‘work so hard’ And my hurry Forgiveness, You ask me for my time Compassion, You need me to be kind Doubt, still waiting for a sign What if I Was Mistaken? What if it’s already shown? So much to be forsaken… Peace You’re painful And you’re slow. One of these days I’ll write you a song But I’m so afraid of what it would reveal A heart that holds you in such high regard That it would need you if you knew how it feels Ask her to dance Ask her to choose You live your whole life like you have nothing to lose It’s time to put at stake What you call the truth Not as a gamble But as proof.
6.
1st Snow 03:21
First snow of the year / never thought I’d find you here Storm clouds in my mind lighten all the time Come from California / Where the breezes warm you All that sage and tarmac- say you might go back Bag of bulbs on my front porch The earth is cold But warm enough to sow Come the spring, there’ll be colours all around If I get em in the ground Have you seen the papers? / the good news makes folks nervous Have you seen the lovers?- carving up their hearts Mostly saying “please” / mostly meaning “thankyou” I believe your laughter is a place to start Bag of bulbs covered in snow The earth is cold But tender to snow Come the spring, they’ll be colours from the ground And I hope you come round Conversations play all the time When I’m alone, you’re on my mind Illuminations of spaces between The will to love and peace of being First snow of the year / never thought I’d find you here Warming my heart so like this fire burning low.
7.
St Francis 02:08
8.
From the blistering heat of worry And the withering sun of doubt Knowing you is shelter Like a tree you shade me from myself Oh honey you know what it’s all about When it starts again It starts again I can’t name it, I can’t see it But it hits me like a train When It starts again It starts again Like something trying to escape me Or find some way in There’s an ache that doesn’t quit Clinging tight to emptiness And between cause and effect You can dream up every kind of loneliness But your love puts it all to the test When it starts again It starts again I’ve been confusing right for wrong I’ve been braiding love and fear It starts again It starts again And until you came along I just couldn't see it clear Oh I want to be a better man And I love this world , You know I do I trusted you and you understand Won't you let me do the same for you? When it starts again it starts again Can you trust me with your sadness? Do you know you've made a friend? When it starts again It starts again Is it all to be repeated Or somewhere to begin? When it starts again
9.
Esselen 04:26
I like running our time backwards From yesterday to our first encounter Just to feel what was contained In that first hello on an Autumn day There's a new way of living And it's been there all the time Where there's no cost to giving It just takes love to find California's future lovers Beneath the stars still above the covers Feel the waves and hold the space These fields of gravity and grace Did you find me? Did I find you? Did we find ourselves? Do we make love? Does love make us? And there's something else We don't hold on to Songs rose by the firelight While our feeling glowed like embers Now the heart is open wide more to be than to remember And your soul is a garden It will be revealed To yourself and no one How the past gets healed Now you dance inside of me With the peace of that September And a heart that's open wide More to be than to remember
10.
Oconomowoc 02:59

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released July 24, 2020

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Hugh Christopher Brown Ontario

songwriter, organist and pianist, clavinetist, what-is- necessaryist, to translate loveist, HCB makes music on Wolfe Island, in New York City and many other places. Founder of the pros and cons program producing music in prisons.

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