cowards at the alter

talking sidewalk blues

i’m a cowardive whispered it before and i hoped you could hearbut silence and fearmake love on the hallway f loor

im a cowardive whispered it before and i hoped you could hearbut silence and fearmake love on the hallway f loor

well i get asked just like anyone‘son where yah from?‘but i cant seem to get my answer straightsee every time i speak somethings changed

like just last week i was asked ‘sir pleasecanya spare some change i gotta eat‘i said ‘brother you got two feet how about i throw this change as far as i can see‘”

would you get up and f ind it?or, my brother, are you too weak?he said he could, so i thought i shouldbut instead i said come walk with me‘i bet before long we can f ind you a job‘he said ‘thank you god, they call me bob‘where does a good man like you come from, anyway?

i said ‘not from heaven but i reckonyou should thank me instead of him,as far as i can see he left you on the street to freeze‘

and thats when we got there,to a mountain of concrete stairsand each one walked is worth a pennythen bob said, ‘i guess that makes sense to me but where does a smart man like you come from, anyway?‘

well i always liked saying ‘out west‘but that cowboy game, its just not the samei mean, we got arnold to replace john wayne

but old muscle brains aint no match for a pistol slinging, f lask drinking, rough necking man

with a short last name like ‘wayne‘john wayne for governorjohn wayne for president

i heard were long due for a change anywayhow do we elect a man like that anyway?

well we already vote for actors dont weso we might as well vote for old johnny

cause as far as i can tell he didnt want no trouble with foreign land

he was just passing through living on the saddleand drinking his booze, wants nothing with oil

he says ‘life is hard, but harder if youre stupid,‘but where does a hero like that come from anyway?

that ones easy, washy-town d.c.try again and watch your head

im swinging this sling as we speakand i know they must be threatened by me

they dont like davids in the holy landespecially ones from bethlehem

so in a way i guess thats where im fromlook out goliath here i come

well where does a tall man like you come from anyway?

no one knows from where giants comesee theyre always alone, dont got anyone

some say heights a blessing, but i say cursewhen you pass a point youre off way worse

thats why giants never have any kidsif they did, the kid would be forever spot lit

somebodys always got a use for a man like thathell kill ten men at the drop of a hat

that poor tall bastard never had any chancehe was the enemy of many by circumstance

now hes dead and so is his blood linebut giants arent always measured by height

thats when i looked to my sidepoor bob had died

so i sat right down on the dirty groundand taught myself some guitar lines

and asked some adults to think like kidsand re-think their vote in politics

you get a lot of ideas that wayjust sitting there saying, ‘hey!

where does a stranger like you come from anyway?‘

and when no one knows where they come fromthey start saying some, and i dont know how come

stuff like city names and names of statesbut im not so sure that thats the case

cause i come from a faraway placefrom my parents and their parents and so on and so on

where i come from its not given a namebecause it was way before you and me and words and song

and thats where a homeless boy like me comes from, anyway!

death ain't as bad as you thought (it might be) wallet

goddamn gospel

chord organ blues* song for cowards

You want some frustration? Well I got some right here in my hand-I feel it when I’m breathing, it feels like I’m breathing in sand

‘Cause I got this feeling that we’ll all be taking a tripBut oh not to California, no not to California

And not to Mexico, or CanadaAnd not the Midwest, and not Florida,

And not the Atlantic, or any other ocean but we’ll be free,Where we’re going you’ll see death ain’t as bad as you thought it might be

It’s not easy to think it, and maybe it’ll be different then I planned-But if you want this next line, you can eat out of my hand

And if you’re scared, go to sleep,maybe you’ll have the same dream as me.

Everything’s big in Texas, you know it isI think I might have made a big mistake,Chord organ bluesSinging those chord organ blues

Wherever I go it’s a wild windMaybe someday it’ll blow me back home againChord organ bluesSinging those chord organ blues

For every chord that is playedThere is a reward in my heart that is paid‘Cause my soul loves music and it loves to hear it madeSinging those chord organ blues

You can kill me when I’m sleepingI won’t be scared, but it won’t be fair

Just make sure you don’t wake me to soonWhen I’m awake, I’m grumpier than you

What do you think you could do?I mean a big coward like you,

You got no chance with that planGive me just one hand and I’ll bury you man,

I’ll bury you man Give me just one chance and I’ll bury you man

Then I’ll ask you my man, ‘oh, what was your plan?Was it to climb through my window at night?

Like a coward you’d sneak toward the bed where I sleepAnd in the dark black you’d aim for my back‘

My wallet is so paper thinI’m afraid it might blow away in the wind

We’re a dying breed, we always have been and we always will beUs who feel sorry for all those others with money

You got a coin? Well that looks like money to meYou got a bill? Well, shit! That makes me rich

And if my wallet slipsfrom my pocket, you would not know it

Lord when I say your nameI still feel f ilthyMy sweat is dirty

I don’t feel you course my veins Oh Lord when I say your name

Lord you must not know my nameI’m no disciple

I’m sure not loyalIt don’t matter what I sayYou never answer anyway

Then Lord, when I’m in needMaybe almighty

Ain’t all it could be‘Cause Lord it really don’t seemYou got enough power to help meAnd maybe you’re really our Lord

but to me What would that mean?

Am I just another to ignore?‘Cause that seems a whole lot worse

Now lord I wouldn’t say thisIf I didn’t think

I’d tried everythingBut my faith, it’s hanging by a string

And I need that strength if I’m gonna singOh Lord I need to retreat

To that black inkAnd my callused skin

They are my faith when I’m weakBut you don’t give, so I’ll take what I need

Lord there are braver men then meI’d hide from a giant I’d run from a lion

But I’m not scared of what I can’t seeShow yourself now, I’ll drop to my knees

Then Lord when I say your name

You might answer

And I might swear:“‘Damn you it’s too late for change‘

Damn you it’s too late for changeI’m way past changing my ways

These scratched chords now hold my faithThey are my Lord and they know my name

bastard

war at the alterNo one wants to kill me cause I haven’t done a thing with my life yetThat makes me want to skip to the part where I get stabbed and left for deadMaybe then you’ll learn there’s only one thing to be gained in this lifeThen I’ll die, and burn, and my smoke will rise into the smoggy sky

And I hope your eyes burn so red, your Lord thinks they’re bleedingI’ll say anything you haven’t if it’ll make your ears start to screamBut baby you know I don’t listen to you or anyone but myself‘la-da-demon, are you listening?‘

Now I watch my spawn claw his way outAnd land in the fertile dirt blood red and dirt brownRolling around looking for his mother so I decide to plant him thereIt’s what he deserves, he’s a bastard, and I know, I’m his father

I’m an artist, and that makes me a bastard

And if there’s a chord I can play I’ll knot my neck in itAnd if the sound is stale Then I will choke on itI’ll give a big kiss to a big gun to make a stronger statementwhen you’re undone you become what’s carved out in your grave head

It says ‘I’m an artist, and that makes me a bastard‘

When I’m dead I might get some respectIs that the way to be heard I mean we’ve all seen it workWhether it’s in the trench dirt to place medals in a graveOr as an artist does starve as a stubborn slaveEither side of the coin, I just want some respectWhen I’m dead I might get some respect.

Cause I’m an artist, and you know, that makes me a bastard

I’ll say it before I walk out the door, ‘I’m no coward‘But what’s it all for when you just get ignored? I’m no coward

Then I’ll play these three chords and you’ll know what’s in store: I’m no cowardThrough a mighty river roar that I’ve come upon to ford, I’m no coward

And when I get to shore I’ll say what I did before, ‘I’m no coward‘There’s a line in the floor from the point of my sword, I’m no coward

Yes I’m declaring war on all those blind followers; I’m no coward!It’ll be hard to ignore all the blood, guts, and gore, when I’m no coward

I’m no coward.

All songs written by Sidewalk DaveAll songs mixed, and produced by John Elliott and Sidewalk DaveRhythm Tracks Recorded at recorded at Adorea Studio (Hamden, CT) with Dave Groener Further tracking recorded at Sidewalk Studio (Oxford, CT)All songs mastered by Michael Henss at Enox ProductionsAlbum art design by Kristen Groener and Sidewalk DaveLyric booklet layout and design by Elise Granata and Sidewalk Dave*Track 4 is a Daniel Johnston Song

Because this album was 100% made on our own sweat, wallets, booze, blood, and the huge favors of others, we'd like to very specially thank:Pappa Skaggs, Kristen and Dave Groener, John Elliott, Micael Henss, The Tribe, Aeroplane, 1929, Pale Horse Company, Travis Bell, Elise Granata,all those who supported, and those who doubted,all those who braved, and those who cowered.

and when we are so lucky:Gabriel CruzJohn ElliottJake Goldman

Alex Mazzafaro

The band Sidewalk Dave is, in order of criminal conviction: Dave Van Witt

Chris DickersonMike Skaggs

Noah Goldman