Digital Booklet - Strange Land

7/30/2019 Digital Booklet - Strange Land

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I am the elephant king, the one and only

I am the blood o the lamb, I am the holy

I am the teller o tales, I am a story

I am the elephant king but I am lonely

I am the prophets conession on his deathbed

I am the soil o the earth, I am the purebred

I am the listener hearing all thats unsaid

I am the magazines hiding under your bed

And you cant take my kingdom away rom me

I am the elephant king, the one and only

I am the voice o the song, I am the lowly

I am the chosen protector o the dreary

I am the elephant king but I am lonely

So take my jewels and gems, take all that shines bright

Take all the signs o my power away rom my sight

I will go to a land o constant daylight

I will talk to mysel til I am alright

But take good care, Ill be back sooner than you think

Cause you cant take my kingdom away rom me

Alex: vocals, guitar

Michael: drums, vocalsJon: bass, trombone, euphonium, rench horn, vocals

I wont let you bring me down

Said the man with his grin

Im in this war with an army,

and were not letting you win

Well make it complicated or you

Ive read all that you have written

I know they say youre a star

But Ive heard stories rom your daughter

In the back o your car

Well make it complicated or you

We can make a deal, I know it

Well Ive got things that you want

And youve got what I need

So why dont we be men, pretend were riends, and then move on

(We can make a deal, I know it)


Michael: drums, vocals

Jon: bass, baritone sax, tuba, trombone, euphonium,

trumpet, cornet, peck horn, fugelhorn, vocals

When I was a boy o seventeen, I know its mean, but I

I told my riend to give up on her dreams, she hated me, but I

I knew that dreams were or the best o us, not or the rest o us,

and I

I didnt want to share with anyone

I need a way to sing the greatest dance, and make

them laugh,

I could win the wars, or lose the battles too, whichevers true

I can live in other peoples lives -I CANT STOP PUTTING ON OTHER PEOPLES CLOTHES

I love them til I leave

I am a marathon runner

and my legs are sore

and Im anxious to see

what Im running or

I am a hot air balloon

on a sailboat

I would make this my home

i Id learned to oat

So take my treasures, take my earthly lie, Ill try to cry,

I will live without the things I love the best

So hold them to your chest

I will lose my aces, lose my stolen wigs, the heads o kings

I will run until I know what to believe

I am a marathon runner

and my legs are sore

and Im anxious to see

what Im running or

I am a hot air balloon

on a sailboat

I would make this my home

i Id learned to oat


Michael: drums

Jon: bass, organ

I got no time or you

When you were seventeen, I was nothing but a thought

because you were then in 53, theres nothing yet o me

When you were taking your frst steps

my grandather took his test to get into the second grade

a million miles away

So I got no time or you

I saw the pictures o the day when you grew up and moved away

Your mother, she looked proud o you

Its all that she could do

I saw the photos when you cried, I saw the photos

when you died

I saw the start, I saw it all

I know you better than yoursel

But i I was a live when you were alive

Things would be better

So I got not time or you

Alex: vocals, piano, guitar, Korg MS-20

Michael: drums

Jon: bass, bass clarinet, Korg MS-20

Beau: Korg MS-20

I I see you, then youll know this has gone too ar

Cause our romance can only live behind all the walls there are

No we never can meet

We never can greet

We never can say hello

Cause our bones are too weak

to be sold on the street

To survive we must stay at home

Ill think o you every other day just to throw them o

Ill know you by the color o your walls and the beauty o thought

Cause out there, every little bird

is shivering and cold rom the spiteul air

and out there, every little sparkis quickly ading dark rom each strangers stare

No we never can meet

We never can greet

We never can say hello

Cause our bones are too weak

to be sold on the street

To survive we must stay at home

Inside, inside

is where I will hide rom you

Alex - vocals, guitar

Michael - drums

Jon - bass

I want your love

I dont know i were still riends

I dont know i youre happy

But I will love you til the end

Cause Ill still want you badly

I want your love

All that I take or granted

is always right beside me

And all the things I most want

are miles away and happy

Cause you wont know me i you try

cause Ill make you a stranger

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And that is how Ill get by

its my idea o danger

I want your love

I never said this to you

when we were close together

I I could take one thing back

I would have known you sooner

I know you live so ar away

but thats where all my dreams are

I I could take one thing back

I would have known you sooner

I want your love

Alex - vocals, optigan, piano

Michael - drums, djembe, donkeys jawbone

Jon - bass, baritone sax, bass clarinet, Korg MS-20

Sadie, can you break me?

Cause Im calm now, but I could come around

and Ill make you, i I see you

in the Shakedown

Sadie, bring your arms to me

Cause I cant be still until Ive had my fllAnd these people, they are so cold

and their stories, they get so old

in the Shakedown

But every now and then I see

that no one is in ront o me, no

The people like to laugh and stare

but I can live i there is someone there

Sadie, can you save me?

Cause Ive made up my mind not to ask you twice

and these people, they are so cold

and their stories, they get so old

in the Shakedown


Michael - drums, vocals

Jon - bass, vocals

Im coming home and I dont know why


Its three a.m. and I fnished the lie


I read about places Ill never see

I sing about things that Ill never be



Ive got the same people at my door

Ive got the same way o waiting or more

Though I can run, I can never escape

all o the things that w ill keep me the same

Im writing stories that Ill never live

Im making presents that Ill never give


Im coming home and

Wear suits and talk about the utures o all your children

Sing o serious things that kill you

Wear suits and bring your love a ower

Dont come home or hoursSmile when asked about it




Its three a.m. and I fnished

Wear suits and talk about the utures o all your children

Sing o serious things that kill you

Wear suits and bring your love a ower

Dont come home or hours

Smile when asked about it


Michael - drums

Jon - bass, trombone, euphonium, trumpet

To get to my home

To get to my home, make known

all o the things youd rather not say

To get to my home

To get to my home, breathe low

The balance, it is hard to maintain

I understand it all

it never was so clear, but I see

the answer staring right back at me

I know it, I swear

I know it, I swear, come near

You tell me yours, Ill tell you mine then

I can see it all now

Up in the mountains I will be ound

There will be ponds and horses to ride

and I will be ree

I could leave this behind

all o the people making me sigh

Ill be gone

Maybe youll be there too, its up to you

To get to my home

To get to my home, be alone

You cannot trust what you cannot control

You leave it all behind

You leave it all behind or me

I am so grateul, youll be so relieved

I can see it all now

Up in the mountains I will be ound

There will be ponds and horses to ride

and I will be ree

I could leave this behind

all o the people making me sigh

Ill be gone

Maybe youll be there too, its up to you

Alex - vocals, guitar, piano

Michael - drums

Jon - bass

When the bridges all all down

and you think your words are dead sound

I will wait or you

Thats all I will do

When the bears and tigers are chasing

all the streetcar vendors erasing

The ashion stops

The curtain drops

When your boyriend leaves or the outside

but hes cold the minute the horns cry

I will see you then

when weve reached the end

A mass o black to pierce through

a chance to ocus on you

The hunt o one

The journeys done

When all is dead and I am

the only one with legs to stand

Will it be right when were at the end?

And to Adam, Eve was the only

Cause nobody wants to be lonely

So they settled down

and she came around

So i they could do it, its easy

I you have no choice but to love me

Will you settle down?

Will you come around?

When all is dead and I am

the only one with legs to stand

Will it be right when were at the end?


Michael - drums

Jon - bass, baritone sax, trombone, trumpet,

cornet, Korg MS-20

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Produced by Yellow Ostrich and Beau Sorenson

Engineered and mixed by Beau Sorenson

Recorded at The Isokon in Woodstock, NY and The Drawing Room in Kingston, NY, in August 2011

Mixed at Type Foundry in Portland, OR in September 2011

Mastered by Je Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA

Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice

All songs written by Yellow Ostrich (Eastman Locker Publishing, BMI)

Alex Schaa, Michael Tapper, and Jon Natchez

Cover and back photographs taken by CJ Foeckler in Milwaukee, WI

Layout by Michael Fusco

Thanks to all our riends and amily, Ryan Matteson, Beau Sorenson, Je Lipton, D. James Goodwin,

Justin Rice, Darbie Nowatka, Molly Nearman, Eli Walker, CJ Foeckler, Trey Many and everyone at

Billions, Josh Roseneld and everyone at Barsuk, Andrew Joanis, Alex Bunke, Michael Fusco, Adam

Selzer, John Strohm, Michael Azerrad, Ever Kipp, everyone at Bank Robber, NH87sm, and anyone

who has come to a show, bought a record, or supported us in any other way.

www.yellowostrich.com

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Digital Booklet - Strange Land