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The Second Hand (2014)

by Susan Gibson

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1.
Introduction 00:53
2.
WIDE OPEN SPACES Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about Who’s never left home, who’s never struck out To find a dream and a life of their own A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone Many precede and many will follow A young girl’s dream no longer hollow It takes the shape of a place out West But what it holds for her, she hasn’t yet guessed She needs wide open spaces Room to make her big mistakes She needs new faces She knows the high stakes She traveled this road as a child Wide eyed and grinning she never tired But now she won’t be coming back with the rest If these are life’s lessons, she’ll take this test She needs wide open spaces Room to make her big mistakes She needs new faces She knows the high stakes As she packs her things she feels she’s left something out Her friends and her family her dog and this house She turns around to find her old room bare Looks at the U-Haul, it has to fit in there As her folks drive away her dad yells, “check the oil!’ Mom stares out the window and says, “I’m leaving my girl” She said it didn’t seem like that long ago When she stood there and watched her own folks go She needs wide open spaces Room to make her big mistakes She needs new faces She knows the high stakes
3.
27 days & still no word what am I supposed to think you’re leaving me to draw my own conclusions & I’m running out of ink we’ve made arrangements and we’ve set dates & we’ve broken everyone tryin like hell to avoid our fates like the moon avoids the sun I would answer if you would knock I wouldn’t leave you hanging around & I would listen if you would talk cuz baby that’s the sweetest sound hearing those walls come down I kept on thinking we were right on track We were moving up the ranks It’s hard enough to hit a moving target & it’s tougher when you’re shooting blanks I keep on buggin you to let you know I won’t bug you anymore With every phone call another brick in the stonewall & I cannot find the door I would answer if you would knock I wouldn’t leave you hanging around & I would listen if you would talk cuz baby that’s the sweetest sound hearing those walls come down I would answer if you would knock I wouldn’t leave you hanging around & I would listen if you would talk cuz baby that’s the sweetest sound
4.
Cactus 03:27
CACTUS She’s a cactus, a desert flower She’s a Mexican weed with superpowers Velvet petals, hooker red & two inch thorns to kill ya dead Pretty from a distance a miracle up close She’ll make you sorry for confusing her with a red rose You never saw a rose like that growing out of a rock Cuz roses are for sale on every city block She’s got thick skin so she can take the heat Don’t’ go stomping around or she’ll get under your feet She can take root in a barren place But she ain’t from here, she’s from outerspace She belongs on the big screen, she belongs in the pictures I think I saw her in a western or maybe it was science fiction She let me steal her beauty without feeling the thorns She don’t need the audience like she needs to perform She’s got thick skin so she can take the heat Don’t’ go stomping around or she’ll get under your feet She can take root in a barren place But she ain’t from here, she’s from outerspace
5.
Baby Teeth 04:23
Baby Teeth You’re such a silly girl, & such a wise old woman You think you can fix this world with rubber bands and bubblegum You’re going to see it all in your high top tennis shoes Days when you’re in the pink & day’s in your skinned up blues Sometimes it hurts to grow, sometimes it’s such a relief When you gotta give up what you got to get what you need………those are just your babyteeth You’ve got some big blue eyes & they don’t miss a thing You’re known for you smart mouth and a smile like butterfly wings You gotta way with words, you got your song & dance You could wear your party dress, you could wear your camouflage pants You’ve got a heart of Gold. It shines just like a sunny day. Save a little bit for yourself, don’t give it all away. Sometimes it hurts to grow; sometimes it’s such a relief When you gotta give up what you got to get what you need………those are just your baby teeth You’re the queen of all you see, you rule on high from a beanbag chair. No flower on the wall, you got the dirt and the flowers right in your hair. Sometimes it hurts to grow; sometimes it’s such a relief When you gotta give up what you got to get what you need. Sometimes you gotta wiggle it loose, sometimes it gets knocked clean out Making room for a brand new tooth in that little bitty hole in your mouth Those are just your baby teeth Your baby teeth Your baby teeth
6.
TOGETHER STRONG Two folks, living together He’s an oak and she’s a cedar Over time they’ve intertwined She tries to choke him out and now he needs her They need sun, they need rain And each other’s help to gain The strength enough to bend or else they break They need room enough to grow And the courage to get too close Alone they won’t last long but together strong Deep roots below the surface It’s the only way they can survive Without the roots the branches are worthless She shoulda killed him now she keeps him alive They need sun, they need rain And each other’s help to gain The strength enough to bend or else they break They need room enough to grow And the courage to get too close Alone they won’t last long but together strong Just like those two trees out in my front yard How did they get this far Thriving in spite of each other Instead of growing apart They had sun, they had rain And each other’s help to gain The strength enough to bend or else they break They had room enough to grow And the courage to get too close Alone they won’t last long but together strong
7.
Trophy Girl 03:30
TROPHY GIRL Mount my head on the wall Take my hand and break my back You don’t think that it’s wrong To show me off just to see them react I sit high on your shelf Gathering dust and losing myself You call them over to see I stand up straighter when they look at me Trust me trophy girl I won’t give you away But I’ve got to have something to show For the games that we play Dusty trophy girl Someday again you’ll shine There’s a clock next to you counting the hours Biding your time For now you are mine You got me locked in a tower Close your eyes I’ll sing you to sleep Then slip out in the quiet hours No one knows of the prisoners you keep Trust me trophy girl I won’t give you away But I’ve got to have something to show For the games that we play Dusty trophy girl Someday again you’ll shine There’s a clock next to you counting the hours Biding your time For now you are mine
8.
9.
2 Hometowns 03:17
Two Hometowns Gas up the pickup This ain’t no stickup If anyone asks I’ll be heading up north If they try to find me I’ll see them behind me & lose them when I change my course Follow the road sign To the right of the yellow line My town looks good in my rearview mirror Follow directions to my destination I gotta get outta here Never get anywhere running from something & nothing is something I spose Never get anywhere running away from the ghost 3 hours into nowhere wind dancing in my hair keeps my mind occupied Close calls with road kill 18 wheels on steep hills the 2 lane ain’t no place to hide I don’t need no road map I’ll find my own way back I know the landmarks by heart I’ll just keep driving The road keeps on winding Between my two hometowns so far apart Back & Forth I’m going home Never get anywhere running from something & nothing is something I spose Never get anywhere running away from the ghost
10.
Last of His Kind (Susan Gibson, Pie-Eyed Groobee Music, BMI, Bug Music) He’s a young man at 56 He’s learned to sing I say you can teach an old dog new tricks Cuz youth is lingering His hands are strong but have a feather touch He’s got work under his nails He can hold a babe in his embrace & throws the switch on the rails he’s one of a kind standing out in a crowd a man of his mind and a breed of the proud now he’s the last of his kind the last of his name He’s got lines etched around his eyes They are roads his feet have not touched Paths of tears in sadness and joy He’s my only, my only, my only he’s one of a kind standing out in a crowd a man of his mind and a breed of the proud now he’s the last of his kind the last of his name He goes to find his family Their name is etched in stone Coming to rest in a single place But he is not alone he’s one of a kind standing out in a crowd a man of his mind and a breed of the proud now he’s the last of his kind the last of his name
11.
12.
IF I’D THOUGHT If I’d have thought what I’d had said woulda hurt you so bad those word’s would never left my head I told the truth and I got caught. Where in the world would I be now if I’d a thought? You asked me what. & I told you what. Remember that you asked for it & then you said I took a cheap shot You give me grief and I said thanks a lot. Never woulda turned out this way if I’da thought I thought that I could smooth it over with a little eloquence I don’t think that the worst is over til we’re handed our consequences Don’t you know they get expensive More than I bargained for, that’s what I got. & all the while you’re selling out I bought and bought and bought and bought I tried to strike while the iron’s hot. I wasn’t kicking you while you’re down if only I’d have thought. I thought that I could smooth it over with a little eloquence I don’t’ think that the worst is over til we’re handed our consequences Don’t you know they get expensive
13.
STOP THE BLEEDING If a wound is going to heal You got to stop the bleeding Guard against infection Or there’s no use in treating it Apply a little pressure Keep your wound above your heart You got to clean up your mess there Stop the bleeding before you worry about the scars What is your emergency You say it was an accident It’s not your fault, it’s no one’s fault Just one of those things you can’t prevent Sometimes you keep it covered Or you expose it to the light You can do a lot more damage If the bandage is too tight Use a little alcohol First it burns and then gets number Soon you’re not limping anymore You’re walking to the beat of a pounding ear drum Tired from the false alarms Now you’ve got a snowball’s chance Shotgun down the getaway Your chariot, your ambulance We are the walking wounded And we’re addicted to the cure Long after we need the crutches Our footsteps are still unsure So if a wound is going to heal You got to stop the bleeding You got to stop the bleeding You got to stop the bleeding
14.
CHRISTMAS IN HOUSTON Get outta Houston by Christmas It’s at the top of her wishlist Cuz her family is coming to town Wouldn’t wanna get caught with her pants hanging down Keeping secrets and keeping score I don’t see her around here that much anymore What’s she been doing with her time She’s been serving as though she’s committed a crime She is tired of cat & mouse She is tired of playing house She don’t need a new job, she don’t need a new man She’s just trying to do the best that she can On her way out of town, she’ll go quietly A couple years of school under her belt Didn’t teach her to play with the hand she’d been dealt Out with the old in with the new A fresh deck of cards, another round or two She is tired of cat & mouse She is tired of playing house She don’t need a new job, she don’t need a new man She’s just trying to do the best that she can On her way out of town, she’ll go quietly You could call her a gun for hire She’s got plenty of ammo & she’s ready to fire She starts wars, she keeps the peace She could be the bad guy she could be the police She is tired of cat & mouse She is tired of playing house She don’t need a new job, she don’t need a new man She’s just trying to do the best that she can She is tired of playing ball She is tired of being tired at all She is tired, she is tired, she is so sick and tired S he would ask for some help but it’s never free On her way out of town, she’ll go quietly
15.
16.
Best of You 04:56
Don't let it get the best of you baby Don't let it take away your hope When you can't see the bright side You get out your telescope The stars are shining to bright You can't see them when the sky is blue It's gonna take everything that you've got Just to make it through Don't let it get the best of you Don't let it get the best of you baby Don't let it take away your faith Don't blame the dealer for your hand Cause forever, that's just a passing phase How on earth can you heal your wounds when you're always running out of itme when your body has betrayed you don't let that spirit die Don't let it get the best of you Every single breath is borrowed Let it in let it out let it go Every single breath is borrowed Let it in let it out let it go Every single breath is borrowed Let it in let it out let it go Don't let it get the best of you baby Don't let it steal away your joy You've got love and strength and courage That no cancer can destroy You may lose some battles but you will always win the war that's why you're called survivor what's what your fighting for Don't let it get the best of you
17.
UPON RE-ENTRY We strive to fly so high Find that hole up in the sky Along the ride you live and learn Coming home, a safe return Upon re-entry A million miles away from home Out of touch, drifting all alone Everyone is looking up at you Everyone just waits for your next move A star lighting up the universe Have you forgotten who you were Before you were a star A star defying all gravity But when you’re falling everyone can see That you were a star Getting there took all you had Didn’t leave enough to even get you back What goes up surely must come down You hit hard on solid ground Upon re-entry A star lighting up the universe Have you forgotten who you were Before you were a star A star defying all gravity But when you’re falling everyone can see That you were a star
18.
Evergreen 04:39
Evergreen Just when I think I’m lost, something brings me back As my train of thought slips off the track Feeling my way through, crossways and blind I guess it’s what you seek, not what you find I don’t mind things that don’t matter these days Time I’ve spent on worry never pays Now the leaves are changing from green to gold So I’ll change with them I’ll be so bold Vivid color dreams Nothing’s what it seems I’ve turned inside out and back again Stuck out on this limb, dancing with the wind How I long to be evergreen Now I’m 10 years gone in strange scenery Like an old dust devil chasing round a tumbleweed I tried to lay down roots so I could just stay here Blew out my candle & prayed a little prayer Vivid color dreams Nothing’s what it seems I’ve turned inside out and back again Stuck out on this limb, dancing with the wind How I long to be evergreen So I can’t complain, I’ve enjoyed the ride Just cuz I’m runnin’ doesn’t mean I’m hidin’ This wanderlust puts me off the map I followed my heart ‘til it brought me back Vivid color dreams Nothing’s what it seems I’ve turned inside out and back again Stuck out on this limb, dancing with the wind How I long to be evergreen
19.
20.
Chin Up 04:58
CHIN UP Third grade, gotta get weighed For the presidents fitness test No hope of getting up that rope Even if I tried my best I already tried that trick of calling in sick Earlier in the week The test got postponed Disaster strikes my big bones Cuz I look strong but I’m weak Chin up, you got to keep your chin up Don’t let your head rest in your hands Sure, it gets hard, they keep raising the bar Everybody understands You keep your chin up You can make it a game When they call you by yer last name Pretend it ‘s just a firing squad I still bear the scars Of my time behind the monkey bars More on my brain than on my body 4/10 of one second, it was my old school record I wasn’t carrying my own weight Needless to say I remember that bad day When I didn’t get the “I passed the President’s fitness test” certificate Chin up, you got to keep your chin up Don’t let your head rest in your hands Sure, it gets hard, they keep raising the bar Everybody understands You keep your chin up Years since I last hung, Man I seem too young For 20 year old memories That memory is still fresh like I burned it into my flesh Sometimes I check to see if it’s still bleeding So I’m walking with my hound past old St. Mary’s playground I could swing back and forth for hours But I can feel the need for something just beyond my reach So I go to the monkey bars & I reach out my arms, tighten my grip knuckles white so my hands won’t slip I clench my teeth I can hear my breath I am using every ounce of strength To keep my chin up I got to keep my chin up Don’t let my head rest in my hands Sure it gets hard, they keep raising the bar Everybody understands You got to keep your chin up
21.

credits

released March 22, 2014

Live at the Bugle Boy:
Susan Gibson - vocals and acoustic guitar
David Carroll - upright bass
Billy Masters - guitar
Ray Rodriguez - drums
Mixed by: Billy Masters

Chin Up:
Produced by Daniel Barrett at Rubicon Recording
Susan Gibson - vocals and guitar
Daniel Barrett - guitars
Jack Saunders - bass
Rick Richards - drums
Derek Morris - piano

Mastered by Mark Hallman at Congress House Studios

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