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One

by Avi Fox-Rosen

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1.
“All I’d Like To Say” I'd like to say that I could give you my heart, but I can't. It's still beatin in my chest, and I need it for the time being. I'd like to say that I wake up with a smile, but I don't. All the day's questions way heavy on my shoulders. I already gave my heart away. I had to find a new one at the morgue. And I'm lucky it's still beating in it's Frankenstein kinda way. I already gave my smile away, and she pawned it that afternoon. I was passing by chance when I saw it in the window. I'd like to say that I say what I mean, but I only say what I'm thinking. And my thoughts circle round the truth in the most skittish of ways. The truth seems to change from day to day. But I'm stuck in the same way of gazing. Seeing double, crossin over my lazy left eye. I already gave my sight away. I chose to live in the dark and stumble. It's romantic kind of ideal, that Tyresias had sold me on a couple years back. But I see things much sharper now. And your absence cuts into me like a knife. But the blood that flows is sweeter than wine. I'd like to say I could give you my heart, but it's not mine to give. And who am I to give a gift that you unwrap to find broken. I'd say that it'll heal in time. But time just lends me shades of grey. And everything that's lent must be returned. I have got nothing to give you. I have got nothing to give you.
2.
“Contradiction” So if I reach down, into the heart of the matter, Oh Lord, I fear what may come to be. And if I reach down into the belly of the beast, Oh Lord, I fear the truth could devour me. CHORUS Cause if we all live in contradiction, why not sing out loud, Sing it Hey Hey Hey. And if you fear the repercussions of letting the truth out, Just sing it Hey Hey Hey. So with each and every choice that we thought we could master, We still messing with transgressing in this beautiful disaster. I don’t believe in no original sin, But denying contradiction seems the place to begin. So reach down low, pull it out of the dark, If you gonna make a mess than do it with your whole heart, As division segmentation become relics of the past, your religion nor you nation will appreciate the task. CHORUS And if you all live in contradiction, sing it out loud, Sing it Hey Hey, sing it real proud. So reach down now with me into the deep dark belly of the unspoken leviathan. Every big boned woman, every skinny little man, All you scurrying in the dark, moving fast as you can. Scream it up to the heavens as you lifting up your eyes, The same God that’s up in heaven is the one between your thighs. CHORUS If you hoarding all your money While you criticize the poor, Sing it hey hey hey. If you for equal opportunity, but money got you in the door, Sing it hey hey hey. If you color blind with your eyes wide shut, Sing it hey hey hey. If you gender blind but you call a woman a slut, Sing it hey hey hey. In the land of the brave and the home of the free, If you sit in your apartment with your quivering knees. If you came to the city for creative expression, But you’re dealing most with you economic oppression. If you want all of your leaders to be tried and true, But you cheating on your lover and you don’t know what to do, You live in contradiction. You want to heal the world because he died for all our sins, But you killing half the world that don’t want to let Him in, well that’s a contradiction. You live in contradiction.
3.
“Alone In The City” Let's sit here waiting all alone. Let's sit here waiting for the phone, to ring. Let's sit here waiting in the dark. Hand throwing shadows at the wall, to keep me company. To be alone in the city, is to gesture at the white walls. Waiting for life to begin with the next telephone call. To be alone in the city, is the only way to reach that sleeping stillness, where your scream becomes you. Let's walk down by the bridge tonight. Lonely shadows looking for some light, I can see you, y'know. Just as you can see me. As I walk your way, you nod and then you turn. You invite me to light up the city, til it burns. And there's a matchbox waiting in my pocket, waiting for your sign to spark it, to turn the walls dividing us into ash. To be alone in the city, is to gesture at the white walls. Waiting for life to begin with the next telephone call. To be alone in the city, is the only way to reach that sleeping stillness, where your scream becomes you.
4.
Man 03:55
“Man” A man’s home is his palace. A man’s palace is his mind. A man’s mind is his weakness, A man’s weakness is his sexual desire. Delusional is he who thinks he can possess his lover, But I’ve not been one to cling to the precipice of my sanity. If I could I would cage you in my palace. If I could I would break these chains that enslave my mind. CHORUS A man walks tall, carries a big stick, And doesn’t take no shit from a little man. A man smiles not, a man cries not, A man takes who he pleases as his lover. A man does not desire other men, Except as allies in war and conquest, A man dies alone.
5.
“Drizzle” Drizzle drizzle, the heaven’s let it down. Puddle puddle, collects it on the ground. Window window, protects me from the rain. Summer in the city can make you go insane. Trickle trickle, down my front cheek. Crying crying, ‘bout what I can’t speak. A woman a woman, is laughing in the rain. Juxtaposition, can make you go insane. Thinking thinking, ‘bout where I come from. Loving loving, wherever I run. A woman a woman, is alway in the way. A woman a woman, makes me want to stay. Drizzle drizzle. Puddle puddle. A woman a woman, makes me want to stay.
6.
Burn 03:50
“Burn” Burn Burn Burn, Everything I see. Burn burn burn, It all comes back to me. When I open my eyes and see, And check out what’s around. I see flames that my tear drops can’t put out, And how can I fight this fire? Burn burn burn, Let the flames rise up to the sky. Burn burn burn, Let the heavens wonder why. It must be the times that we live in, It must be our neighbors to the east. It must be the servants all around me, Stoking flames for my feast. So let it burn! What’s a little bit of heat anyway? As I let it burn, As I sit back drinking my tea, As I let it burn, I let it offer up a prayer For more prosperity, For the likes of me. So what is wrong with this picture? And why do loved ones stay so far away? Why does the number of my enemies, Seem to double every day? So Burn, as I search for my answer, And burn as they try to tell me why, I can truly see now, I can truly see now, See the flames bursting forth from my eyes.
7.
Tumbao 03:39
“Tumbao” CHORUS Hey now darling don’t you cry, The sun is shining, burning high. Life will blossom, open wide, Beckoning for you to come inside. The earth is dying, suffering long. We must heal her so come sing along. Gently rock her in your arms, Gently kiss her, do her no harm. The powers that be, they will push us so small. But when we sing now we rise up tall. Singing for freedom, singing for joy, Sing for the safety of each girl and boy. Sing for education and for sustenance, Not for bullets, not for violence. Sing for summers, for grass so green, Of skin so soft, of eyes that gleam. Please beckon, please open wide, Please beckon to come inside. CHORUS Shake for me darling, shake little girl, You move so sweet, save the whole damn world. Your hips are the pendulum of God’s good grace, Your lips are the lips of God’s true face. Please beckon, please open wide, Please beckon to come inside. CHORUS
8.
Prophets 02:16
“Prophets” The prophets they still walk among us. She tells me from my sullied sheets. They curse and fuck and drink straight bourbon, As they look you in the eye. She could channel the burning insights of Elijah. Level them at my naked in my bed. Embarassed I would look to the open window, Follow the arc of the branch up to the sky. CHORUS A sudden memory of words spoken by my mother, Tearfully conferred just before bed. They’re still resonating round and round in my head. So I turn back now away from the open window. She smiles knowing how I lose track of time. I smile, growing, wanting to be inside her. She smiles as she helps me lose my mind. CHORUS
9.
Jerusalem 04:28
“Jerusalem” You just can’t control it, You just can’t. Your mind’s of no use to you now. You’re stupider than you’ve ever, You’re slower than you might have been... You might have been the world. Out of the ashes, rise up from the dust. Your bridal gown’s in tatters. Your long dry tears a river of dust and decay. Another year of wandering, Of exile, a perpetual guest in your own home. CHORUS Jerusalem is torn in two, Each mother is clutching one half the body. King Solomon presides over this. You’re stupider than you might have been, yeah.
10.
Dawn 05:36
“Dawn” Dawn looks so lovely on you darling, It lends a purple orange hue to what last night was black and blue. And a twinkle twinkle dissipate as the stars melt back in to the sky, Into the sheet you pull back, to let you sleep off what makes you cry. Tears look so lovely on you darling. Let them flow like the river Jordan, Down the lines cut down your face. Do I sink or try to swim on my way down to the sea? Dare I survive? Would you let me see? CHORUS Don’t hide your light. The world is dark enough with its demons. Don’t delay the mist covered sun from poking through purple orange hue, Because the day must come, Even for you. God looks much smaller on you darling, Still, I’m trembling just the same. The shoes are off my feet, Just like you told me to, So come to me. Break my chains and be me. CHORUS

about

Avi Fox-Rosen's debut album. Listen!

credits

released September 1, 2007

All songs, vocals, guitars, arrangements - Avi Fox-Rosen
Engineering, mix, production - Aaron Nevezie

Drums - Chris Berry
Bass - Patrice Blanchard

Keys - David Moore
Lap Steel - Myk Freedman
Percussion - Matt Kilmer

String Quartet:
Jake Shulman-Ment, Leanne Darling, Jeremy Brown, Ward Williams

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Avi Fox-Rosen Brooklyn, New York

Avi Fox-Rosen makes music with a sardonic sense of humor, dense and dark lyrics, and enchantingly twisted melodies. In 2013 he's releasing an EP of brand new material every month. New York Music Daily has heralded Avi's album-a-month project as "one of the most ambitious jobs anyone in the rock world has taken on lately". Damn straight. ... more

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