1. |
The Rhythm of the Earth
04:51
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I remember walkin’ through the woods to the riverbank,
gone fishin’ past dusk
Didn’t even need the moon to walk by,
oh the stars were enough
I remember the taste of sweet peas and okra,
straight from the plant
Eating handfuls of tomatoes ripe off the vine,
just a kid, in Arkansas
Bare feet all summer
My soles were like leather
I could feel the rhythm of the earth
The growing and the blooming oh ooooh
I could feel the rhythm of the earth
The fading and the dying in my bones
How I love to see the ackee trees opening,
in the warm Jamaican sun
And hear the rushing of the neighbourhood waterfall
when the rainy season comes
No banana in the world ever tasted so good,
as from my own backyard
All the stars in their brilliance any night of the year,
and it takes me back, to Arkansas
At 65-years old my bare feet still hold
I can feel the rhythm of the earth
The growing and the blooming oh ooooh
I can feel the rhythm of the earth
The fading and the dying in my bones
...
The growing and the blooming
The fading and the dying
I can feel the rhythm in my bones
The growing and the blooming
The fading and the dying
I still feel the rhythm of the earth
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2. |
On Miracle Beach
04:23
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On my driftwood bench watching you,
Skipping like a calf let loose
Your little bare feet must’ve found a new tune
Tossing dollars from the ocean blue
The salty wind nipping at your heels
Had no chance of catching you
Cause you were lost in perpetual motion like a spinning wheel
A little glimpse of heaven to help your father heal
You took me home away from home
Lost in your make-believe
Till I found myself again on Miracle Beach
Playing hard in the eye of a hurricane
Not a thought of the world all in pain
You didn’t seem to mind it was threatening rain
To you it was a perfect day
Look what the tide brought in for you
Oh pick up that big moonsnail
So many creatures beneath each boulder, a world all brand new
With eyes wide open you took away my blues
You took me home away from home
Lost in your make-believe
Till I found myself again on Miracle Beach
When you feel like a bird behind four walls
And you can’t seem to make flight at all
Oh head down to the shore and put your toes in the sand
And remember this gentle call
How the clouds bowed out for you
They saw your shadow ten feet tall
And I wrote this song of how you became my long lost muse
When your wings are broken, may it bring you healing too
And take you home away from home
Lost in your make-believe
Till you find yourself again on miracle beach
And take you home away from home,
Lost in your make-believe
May you find your home again
Find your home again
Find your home again
On miracle beach
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3. |
Keeping Time
03:50
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We've never been here before
With our hearts both on the floor
I know you hate pretense
So let's forget the small talk and make amends
I looked back and I saw you falling
Falling way behind
I was glued to the horizon
And let your hand slip out of mine
When we're going strong
Love repairs our wrongs
And when we’re keeping time
Oh how I love the shape of our melody lines
Remember how we moved together
Each measure side by side?
There ain't nothing our love won't cover
We don't need no perfect rhymes
Would you join me for a number
I miss the sound of your voice and the touch of your hand
It may take a while to remember
I know it's hard to let me back in but if you can
We’ll be keeping time
I know sometimes I get carried away
A little ahead of the beat
So this time, honey, would you set the pace?
Let's make this journey sweet
Would you join me for a number
I miss the sound of your voice and the touch of your hand
It may take a while to remember
I know it's hard to let me back in but if you can
We’ll be keeping time
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4. |
Small Comforts
04:19
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He walked right up to me on that cold December night
I was riding on the music, had no clue of his plight
Eyes rimmed with regret and all his resolve spent
He was trying hard to salvage a day he’d rather forget
I could hear it in his voice, he was trying to walk that line
The most honest thing I'd heard in a long time
Begging change for small comforts on that cold December night
Begging change for small comforts on that cold December night
A little rest for the weary, shelter from the rain
Small comforts in the dead of night to ease the pain
Oh it might've been the music or the sorrow in his eyes
Got me digging in my pockets, found enough for just one pint
As we both walked on in, I saw him get his second wind
In the valley of the shadow he just saw around the bend
When his hands found that lager, he was in for a surprise
The Sunday night blues took a load off his mind
Small comforts a plenty on that cold December night
Small comforts a plenty on that cold December night
A little rest for the weary, shelter from the rain
Small comforts in the dead of night to ease the pain
I thought about his smile as I made my way back home
Of the weight he must carry all on his own
Maybe what he needed was me to listen for a while
But $5.80, it was easier, than hearing how hard he tries
Oh I could've felt the better man, like I was in the know
But really we're just walking the same road
Oh what if it was my hope sitting on death row?
God only knows the small comforts I hold
A little rest for the weary, shelter from the rain
Come and listen for a while and share your name
Small comforts a plenty on this cold December night
Small comforts a plenty on this cold December night
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5. |
He Would Ride
04:40
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Out on the eastern shore, running up and down the dunes
He lost all track of time like any child should
Glancing eastward, in no rush to get on home
Back to the confines of their cabin by the woods
Down at the schoolyard, trying to make his weekend plans
Hoping to have a sleepover with one of his good friends
He didn’t see it coming, an’ it hit him like a truck
His friend said, “I'm not allowed cause your parents are drunks.”
Why would anyone, if his son asked for bread,
give him rocks instead?
If only he had known how far he’d go
He would ride upon the highways
All the way from coast to coast
Right into the headwinds and always stay the course
For the thirsty children who don't have it so good
Ride on till the water flowed
Out at the neighbours, safe away from home
Tubing down the river, lost in another world
Out in the pasture, taking care of Little Guy
The gelding he bought full of pride on his own dime
Toothless and ailing, he was the joke of the neighbourhood
He nursed that horse back to health with lots of love and attaboys
All the burdens would’ve left him for lame,
but for amazing grace
How sweet the sound of Michael on the road
He would ride upon the highways
All the way from coast to coast
Right into the headwinds and always stay the course
Cause home was where the harm was
No shelter from the storm
Ride on till the water flows
He would ride upon the highways
All the way from coast to coast
Right into the headwinds and always stay the course
Cause home was where the harm was
No shelter from the storm
Ride on till the water flows
Ride on till the water flows
Ride on till the water flows
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6. |
Down to the Coast
05:44
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Lately our words all seem to fall short
When I put up my guard, what you mean gets ignored
I'm tryin' to own my hurt before it owns me instead
Cause it feels like we're oil and water, not friends
They say that iron sharpens iron
But I think we've gone and drawn blood again
I know it ain't easy to learn how to love
The wayward stranger I've gone and become
Caught in the whirlwind
I lost who you are
Long nights moved in
And I looked past your heart
But one thing holds true
When we lose our ground
I’ll find my way to you
Sure as a river runs down
Down to the coast
I remember the day your dad said with pride
That you'd met your match and I've grown to know why
He called you a force to be reckoned with
And to tell you the truth, it'd be pretty hard to miss
But I wouldn't have you, oh any other way
You're a fire I don't wanna tame
Each and every flame with its own hue
All the right shades of you
Caught in the whirlwind
I lost who you are
Long nights moved in
And I looked past your heart
But one thing holds true
When we lose our ground
I’ll find my way to you
Sure as a river runs down
Down to the coast
We've got this table for eight all set in its place
It's a little worn around the edges
But a perfect place to say grace
But one thing holds true
When we lose ground
I’ll find my way to you
Sure as a river runs down
Down to the coast
Sure as a river runs down
Down to the coast
Sure as a river runs down
Down to the coast
Even in the grip of our own cold war
You’re still my favourite person in the world
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7. |
Leaving Real Soon
03:15
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Weather worn by a thousand suns
I needed shelter just to carry on
And then my dearest friend, that’s when you came along
I saw more clearly with your set of eyes
Made it further with you by my side
You could see the way even in the dimmest light
All good things must come to an end it seems
I know you have to go and follow your dreams
I love to see all the joy in your eyes
But I don’t know if I can say goodbye
Oh you’re leaving real soon
I brought the verse, you brought the chorus
Two melodies meant to find us
Then our voices rose in bittersweet harmony
I can’t help but feel the weight of loss
Things may never be the same with us
But one day my friend, I hope we pick up right where we left off
All good things must come to an end it seems
I know you have to go and follow your dreams
I love to see all the joy in your eyes
But I don’t know if I can say goodbye
Oh you’re leaving real soon
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8. |
Higher Ground
04:45
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To his neighbours he's a stranger from another world
The incarnation of the shadows that they fear
He’s a prophet without honour in his own town
He’s heading up to higher ground
There’s a fight he knows all too well, ‘round every bend
A tug-of-war from the inside out and the outside in
Up on the mountains the winds of mercy are blowing strong
He’s finally free when he’s standing on
Higher ground
Wo, woah wo, wo oh, wo oh, oh, oh
Wo, woah wo, wo oh, wo oh, oh, oh
Ten thousand arrows flying at him from every side
Trying to silence all the slander and the “godly” lies
He’s a lamb among wolves, and they’re trying to take him down
But he’s got his honour out of town
There’s a fight he knows all too well, ‘round every bend
A tug-of-war from the inside out and the outside in
Up on the mountains the winds of mercy are blowing strong
He’s finally free when he’s standing on
Higher ground
Wo, woah wo, wo oh, who oh, oh, oh
Some lust for power only to die in their greed
But deep in the heart of a good man is love that heals
There’s a fight he knows all too well, ‘round every bend
A tug-of-war from the inside out and the outside in
Up on the mountains the winds of mercy are blowing strong
He’s finally free when he’s standing on
Higher ground
Wo, woah wo, wo oh, who oh, oh, oh…
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9. |
Headwaters
05:03
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Your wheels are turning, you’ve got that look in your eye
Oh how I’d love to know what just made you smile
Your restless passion is bursting at the seams
There's no limit on every dream
May your arrows fly true
May they soar and find their mark
And even when your aim is off
Just know I’ll love you and that won't stop
And when you falter or take a hit from behind
I hope the scar you bear is something you don't hide
Wise as a serpent, but gentle as a dove
When you have to fight, speak the truth in love
May you grow into your name
May your heart be soft and brave
Run and take the higher ground
Beside the headwaters, you’ll be found
Beside the headwaters you can drink all you need
Know you don't have to bring a perfect offering
Beside the headwaters there's a song that only you can sing
Beside the headwaters I hope we’ll meet
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Michael Jantzen Abbotsford, British Columbia
Fraser Valley recording artist, Michael Jantzen, carves out his own space between folk and country. He has a gift for
weaving introspection into poetic narrative and stick-in-your head melodies.
Combining his nuanced baritone and delicate guitar playing, he creates a distinct brand of roots music inlaid with rich imagery and personal stories.
... more
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