to make music think twice

think twice

david roth

"This will be our reply to violence: to make musicmore intensely, more beautifully, more devotedlythan before."

Leonard Bernstein

produced by David Rothrecorded and mastered by Mark Dannat Mark Dann Studios ~ Woodstock, NY

additional piano tracks recorded by Chris Andersonat Nevessa Studios ~ Saugerties, NY and David Lange at David Lange Studios ~ Puyallup, WAvocal arrangements by Penny Nichols (2,6,11,12)

photography by Tricia Duffy-Roth and DRdesign by DR/Ric Allendorf & Cheryl Hughes

Booklet_Final.qxd 12/17/03 1:45 PM Page 1

Kripalu, Kari Miller, David Broida, Paul Channic, GinnyWeissman, Rich Warren, Ed Townley, Ed Tossing, Ana

Arias, Susan Howell & Niels Anderson, Lisa Timmons,Marianne & Kevin Ort, Molly Linton, RobbyGreenberg, Eileen Baker, Russ & Leddy Hammock, SueKroupa, Polly O’Brien, Pitney Bowes, Points of LightFoundation, Erika Rogers, Carol Numrich & Eric

Cooper, Kim Kaplan, David Eisner, Pam Burns, Rob &Marlene Lieb, Steve & Kay Coccia, Elizabeth Lesser,the Omega Institute, Richard & Maureen Levy, GeorgeKeeney & Lauri Taylor, Gerrie Wilson, KarenCiabattoni, Milt & Joy Keiles, Nancy Slonim Aronie,

Pamela Polland & Bill Ernst, Paul Harrison, BarrettWolf, Steve Carty-Cordry, Ahrre Maros, Nina Gibson,Phyllis Barney, John Robison, Luke Seaward, FranStone, Janet & Frank, Kathy Pinkham, Chad O’Shea &Lytingale, Helen Spielman, Jack Graf, Joel & Margie

Goodman, Kenny & Ingrid Einstein, Rebecca & BarryRosenstein, Gunter Pauler & Stockfisch Records, ChrisJones, Mark Moss, Anne Hills, Steve Gillette & CindyMangsen, Karen Haas, Margaret Graham, MicheleBaker-Pickett, Stephanie Mitchell, Robert Brown,

Claudia, Linder & Mahtee, Beryl, Sam, & Joe Levinger,Renee Bodie, Russ & Julie Paris, Rod Kennedy, DalisAllen & the Kerrville Folk Festival family, Joe & BevAngel, Bruce & Liz Rouse, Dan Hazlett, Dave Siglin &the Ark, Lui Collins, Jon Stein, Joyce & Tony Sica,

Steve & Sherry Panzer, Ric Allendorf & Cheryl Hughes,all the other Allendorfs, Pete Farrell & family, LindaChapin, the National Wellness Institute, CraigWashington, Priscilla Johnson, the National Associationof Unity Churches, UU Fellowships, Science of Mind,

Bill Raines, Robert MacPhee & family, Cathy Kanter,Joe Henry, Vic Fleming, Sandy Queen, Joe DeLucia,Jim Sulzer, Frank & Nancy Winkler, John Lamb, ElixirStrings, Martin Guitars, and...

Also by David Roth on Wind River (www.folkera.com/windriver)

Rising in LoveDigging Through My ClosetNights at the ChezIf You Can’t Fly

Another Side of David RothIrreconcilable Similarities

on Stockfisch Records (www.stockfisch-records.de)

Pearl Diver

for correspondence, booking, and appearances

visit www.davidrothmusic.com or contactMaythelight MusicPO Box 495Orleans, MA 02653

1-800-484-2367 ext. D-A-V-E

David uses:Elixir Strings(www.goremusic.com)

and Martin Guitars (www.martinguitar.com)

disk one

Round and Roundauthor unknownDavid Roth, Cindy Mangsen,Sloan Wainwright ~ vocals

Rosa and the Three K’s© 2001 David RothMissouri State Senator Bill Clay, Jr.sponsored the bill to rename a stretch of highway I-55 near St. Louis after it had been “adopted”.

Rosa Parks from TuskegeeMade her mark in historyA bus ride in MontgomeryBegan the turning of a tideShe wouldn’t give her seat upTo a white man in the front, you seeShe’d had enough and took a standWhile sitting on a bus that day

While sitting on a bus that dayShe must have bugged the KKK“You’d have to sit in back” they’d say,But Rosa Lee would not be swayedShe sat her ground and there she stayedUntil the sheriff came and said“I’ll take you to your jail bed,Who do you think you are?”

I’m Rosa Parks, that’s who I amWon’t give my seat up to that manI worked all day, I’m tired andI’m Rosa Parks, that’s who I am


It’s time to playWe slapped our boots on, grabbed the dogWe bought him in some cat-alogueThat’s what they send this time of yearHow did they get our address here?

We took a stroll around the pondOf Tricia I am very fondLast summer she made me a blondI looked a bit like Eminem

Our nieces’ very favorite rapperSwears a lot, that whippersnapperStrikes some kind of chord it seemsWith certain disaffected teens...

Here’s my little Christmas songMight play it wrong, it’s kinda newishDon’t expect too much when Christmas songsAre sung by someone Jewish

Except for maybe Adam SandlerNightly lights Menorah candlesMerry Christmas, HanukkahSolstice, Ramadan, and Kwanzaa

I know I left some holidays outSo choose that to which you’re devoutThat’s what the Dali Lama does,When asked what his religion was

Replies with just one single word“Kindness” is what he prefersAnd so do I, so now I askIs humankind up to the task?

DR ~ vocal, piano

Dance for the Nations© 1995 John KrummSloan Wainwright, Steve Gillette, David Roth ~ vocals

bonus/penalty

DDCClive at the Humor ProjectSaratoga Springs, NY4/6/03 ~ recorded by Mark Waters

Whew, it’s good to get this one out there. Been a long time coming and just little less time making. Immeasurable thanks to those who inspiredthese songs, offered friendship, support, assistance,

passed along stories, shared musical knowledge, werepatient, and in one way or another somehow got myPiscean attention in this busy, complicated, and distracting world...Tricia, Gloria Roth, Deborah &Ralph Mero, Marcia Minot, Mark Tucker, Penny &

Kathy Duffy, Tom Duffy & Terry Calamito, Ian, Rose,& Sophie Hatch, Mark Dann, Pam Rivers, Penny &Rory Nichols, Mark Rothe, Sloan Wainwright, theSummersongs family, Chip, Sue, Liz and Julia Kramer,Kim & Reggie Harris, Greg Tamblyn, Jana Stanfield,

Karen Taylor-Good, David Lange, Benjamin, & PatriceO’Neill, Larry & Karla Pattis, Cosy Sheridan & TRRitchie, Allan Shaw, Karen Rumaner and all at WindRiver, Lisa Klotz, Vito (2!) Jr. & Sarah, Michael Moore,

Tim Robbins, Greg & Audrey Greenway, Artie Traum,Tom Prasada-Rao, Jim Harrington, Kathi Tighe, JeffLevin, Wanda Fisher, Sonny Ochs, Sonia, Terry Irons,Magpie, Pat Humphreys & Sandy O, Bob Franke,Jason Blume, John Platt, Barbara Shiller, Joyce & Copi

Saltman, the H.E.L.P. Institute, Freebo, SeverinBrowne, Carl & Annie Lukens, Stephanie Campbell,

This was back in ‘55And times have changed, she’s still aliveBut so are those in ignoranceWho’d still keep others in their placeBut that’s a risky p.r. planThe image-makers told the KlanYou’ll have to clean your act upAnd start moving with the times

So very quietly one dayAn application with three K’sWas filed with Missouri’sDepartment of TransportationThe Klux’s joined a civic planAdopt-A-Highway Program andThey’d get their name up on a signProclaiming their damn nation

But modern folks in MissouriEspecially at the D.O.T.Denied that applicationSo the K-boys had to make a planThey lawyered up and with a snortThey won a judgment in the courtWho said the state could notDiscriminate against the Klan

So there it stands, that awful sign For one cursed mile of highway lineBut the people of Missour-i-ayThey drew their own and had their sayNow the joke is on the KKKThey’re cleaning up the newly christened “Rosa Parks Freeway”

I’m Rosa Parks, that’s who I amWon’t give my seat up to that manThe time has come to take a standI’m Rosa Parks, that’s who I am

DR ~ vocals, guitarsDavid Lange ~ pianoMark Dann, bassBrian Melick ~ drumsReggie Harris, Sloan Wainwright,Penny Nichols ~ vocals

Elijah© 2001 David Rothwritten for our young Oregon friend to celebrate his story of conflict resolution

Elijah, starting the first gradeHit some trouble right awayReally, trouble hit him firstA bully’s elbow, nasty words


Mom and Dad, or Mom and MomOr Aunt along with UncleSoup and sandwich, Will and GraceSimon...and GarfunkelBut other words might not as ablyCoexist in tandemThus care should be appliedThat they’re not coalesced at randomJumbo shrimp, computer jockGood riddance, plastic glassesAirline food, same differenceSynthetic...natural gases

Living deadFound missingIn a sanitary landfillPretty uglyBusiness ethicsTwelve ounce pound cakeTiny mouthful

But of all the words in EnglishThat should never go togetherSoft rock butt head small crowd tight slacks...

“Governor Schwarzneggar”

live at Good Folk Concerts, Fayetteville, AR9/14/03 ~ recorded by Mike Shirkey

Little Christmas Song© 2002 David Roth

Here’s my little Christmas songIt’s new so I might play it wrongBut that’s okay, it’s not like I could say Or sing one single thing

That’s never been expressed beforeLike “peace on earth” and “no more war”That’s easier to say than do, Just read the paper, watch the news

Don’t read the paper, walk in natureThat’s what we did last ThursdayWhen six or seven inches fallDown from the sky

Elijah told his parents he was scaredThey told him not to be afraid“Elijah, stand up for yourselfTell that bully that you’ve had enough.”

Next day first grade much the sameElijah came home cross againIt didn’t work, the same effectElijah wondered what was next

This is where Elijah’s mom stepped inShe said “I have a thought” to himSuppose we ask his family hereIt’s up to you Elijah dear

Elijah took that thought to bedWednesday gave the go-aheadThe weekend came, and so did theyAway from school, the two boys played

Eddie’s mom expressed regretShe felt her son didn’t mean the threatsBut no one ever looked beyondA bully and his anger til now

Elijah’s grooving on first gradeBecause of the new pal he madeAnd Eddie’s even having funAnd much more kind to everyone

All because a little manEmbraced his fear and made a friendWith arms of love, not retributionSo begins ... a revolution

DR ~ vocal, guitar, Yamaha PSR-280 (harp)Mark Dann ~ guitar, bassBrian Melick ~ cymbal

Halloween© 1999 David Roth

HalloweenWas my favorite holiday as a kidI got to dress upLike many people that I wanted to beI was a pirate one yearAnd my big sister was a princessWe were poorSo next year we switched

Just kidding

Then I was PaladinHe was played on TV by Richard BooneI got my costumeAt the Walgreens in a cardboard box


I pop the bag, it’s full of stuffI never quite unload enoughBut I’ll make room, I’ll get a gripI’m packing for my ego trip

CHORUSI’m packing for my ego tripI’ve got a lifetime membershipI’m well rehearsed and well-equippedI’m packing for my ego trip

I’ll start with pride and self-esteemEternal youth and fading genesI always stuff some extra socksRight underneath my writer’s blocksMy shaving kit is six feel tallIt holds the mirror on the wallReflecting me, myself and IMy three most favorite passersby

CHORUS

Today I’ll start by ending world hungerTake a break for lunch and win Olympic GoldJust before my nap at threeI’ll sell a coupla million CDsMy wing at the SmithsonianIs something to behold

Sometimes I walk, sometimes I driveSometimes I crawl, sometimes I flyMy travel agent loves meCuz I’m tripping every minuteAnd when I'm not in my right mindMy left one’s overflowingThen I know I’ve gone way pastMy psyche’s legal baggage limit

CHORUS

DR ~ vocal, guitarDavid Lange, pianoBrian Melick ~ drumsMe, Myself, and I ~ background vocals (with help, unnecessary tho it may have been,from Reggie Harris, Sloan Wainwright,and Penny Nichols)

Never Go Together© 2003 David Roth

There are lots of words in EnglishThat go well with one anotherLike Abbott and Costello, salt and pepperBread and butter

It was a one-piece suitWith a pistol and a holster drawn in glitterFor a dollar ninety-eight you had to useYour imagination

I had a crush on Amy AuerbachAnd Suzie Gomberg in the second gradeThe most popular girls in schoolI didn’t have a chance with themBig feet, crooked teethAnd two-tone glassesI had a built in costume for HalloweenEvery day in second grade

End of OctoberMy big revelry had rolled around fastAnd Doctor KildaireWas a popular show on TV that yearSo my mom went out and boughtA little doctor’s shirtAnd I decided that I’d wear it to schoolI’d be Ben CaseyCuz he’s the one who had the dark hair

When I showed up at school that dayAll the girls were gigglingAnd I couldn’t figure out what forTil I saw Amy AuerbachShe was all dressed up like a nurseAnd me like a doctorWe were instantly romantically linkedAnd everyone was tittering

I was embarrassedI wanted to run outside and dig a big holeAnd jump to China

Or even further if I possibly couldThen Amy smiledI think it was at Joey Romanelli

So I tossed that doctor’s shirtTraded it in for a capeNext year I began my career as The Man of Steel

DR ~ vocal, guitarVito Petroccitto Jr. ~ guitarMark Dann ~ BassBrian Melick ~ drums

Playing Catch© 2001 David Roth

I used to play catchEvery chance that I couldI’d find Craig CasteelEvery day after schoolHe’d stand on his front lawnAnd I’d stand on mineFlinging clotheslines and rainbowsAnd grounders

I’d toss my knucklerAnd he threw it hardWe spent half our timeSearching other folks yardsBut the feeling of hearingThat pop in my gloveWas my introduction to love

CHORUS


One Day at the Gates© 2000 David Roth

St. Peter perusing the old Pearly GatesHe was working the swing shift, 2008It was slow for a Monday, five minutes to nineThere were only two spirits in line

The first began knocking, St. Peter said “Come, tell me what did you doDown on Earth there, my son?”“Well I was a preacherMy word was the Lord’sAnd for decades I lectured how God I adored”

“Come on right in friend,You’re most welcome hereWe’ve built you a cabin just off to the rearAnd when you’ve settled inHere’s a coupon that’s goodFor a nice cotton robeAnd a staff made of wood.”

So then came the secondA short balding manWith an old blue beretAnd two wrinkled old handsSt. Peter began with his questions again“Tell me, what did you doIn the world of men...and women?”

“For the last thirty years sir, I drove a big cabOn the streets of ManhattanI’d zoom and I’d gab”St. Peter said “Sir you need say nothing more”And quite quickly relinquishedThe keys to the door

He said “Come on right in friendYou don’t have to waitWe’ve built you a palaceRight by the front the gateWith a big fireplace so you’ll never get coldAnd a set of silk suitsAnd a staff made of gold”

But the preacher who’d gone in before himCaught word of this opulent dwellingAnd then when he heardOf the difference in garments and stavesHe was furious, perplexed and bewilderedAnd partially curious

“Tell me why does a chauffeurGet all these fine gifts hereWhen I served the LordAnd all he did was shift gears?”

And this was the reply that St. Peter made“When you preached, people sleptWhen he drove, people prayed!”

DR ~ vocal, guitar, piano

Ego Trip© 2001 David Roth

I drag my suitcase down the hallAnother day, another ballStraight outta bed and off I goMy very favorite travel show

I love to play catchThrow a ball, see what happensThe curves and rotationsThe caroms and rollsThe whole thing depends onThe way that you hold itAnd the way that you let it go

Then I played catchWhere the stakes were much higherOn top of my gameIn my prime, at my peakWhen she held her hand outAnd she gave me that targetI laid it all down at her feet

But this was when I becameProne to more blundersIn judging the distanceAnd getting the callsThe harder I triedTo eliminate errors The more that I bobbled the balls

CHORUS

Put a big “E” on the scoreboard for DavieThe once curly hair that was darkIs now grayingDid I stop playing because I grew olderOr have I grown olderBecause I stopped playing

Here we are, you and meDeep in the seasonYou know that I love youThe best that I can

Some days you make it so easyIt’s crazyOther days I make it hardPlease forgive me

A man who loves catchThrow a ball, see what happensThe curves and rotationsThe caroms and rollsThe whole thing depends onThe way that you hold itAnd the way

That you let it go

DR ~ vocal, pianoCindy Mangsen ~ accordion

Seven Wonders© 2002 David Roth and Severin Browne

Monday morning historySixth grade buzzing aroundOne shy girl in the back of the roomHardly making a soundIn runs teacher carrying booksLatte in one handOkay, here’s the plan for today

Got a little pop quizGot a question for youTake out a pencil and paperThat’s all you gotta doNumber down the left hand side of the pageOne through seven, all rightHere we go, let’s see what you know


Uncle Davelive at the uNi Coffeehouse, Springfield, MA1/11/03

Hank and Hymie© 2002 David Roth and Greg Tamblyn

Hank and Hymie, unemployedLaid off in LaVerkinStood in line to get the doleBecause they were not workin’

Hank was first up to the deskThe clerk began his query“What was your last job” he asked“And why d’you look so weary?”

You’d look weary too my friendAnd both you’re hands be hurtin’If elastic into women’s drawersYou’d spent your life insertin’

The clerk began to check his listInsertion of elasticTwo hundred bucks a week you’ll getHank said “that’s fantastic!”

Now Hymie’s turn, he stepped right upA mild case of jittersWhen asked about his last employWith pride said “diesel fitter”

Diesel fitter, here we goIt says four hundred dollarsHymie blushed, his face aglowBut Hank began to holler

This isn’t fair, for forty yearsI stood right there beside himSo why should he get twice as muchFor doing much what I did

The clerk said I thought you put rubber bandsInside the undiesAnd he fit diesels all that timeHow’s that the same, I’m wondering?

True, I’d insert those stretchy strapsHard work, but I’m no quitterThen I’d hand the shorts to Hymie, he’d say

“Dese’ll fit her”

DR ~ vocal, piano

CHORUSCan you nameThe Seven Wonders of the worldCan you show me on our shiny globeThe greatest tricks we’ve twirledCan you nameThe Seven Wonders of the world

The students started scribblingTime was tripping byFifteen minutes laterPens were dripping dry“Who can tell us what they wrote”Hands began to wave

CHORUS

Dave said “Egypt’s Pyramids”Tom said “Taj Mahal”Severin added EverestBob, Niagara FallsCindy put Grand CanyonVito, the Great WallSteve and Sloan, the Barrier ReefAnd Panama Canal

Everyone respondedBut the one girl in the backShe was still quite busy writingTrying to get on trackThe teacher ambled back to her desk“Penny, what have you got?”

CHORUS

This was kinda hard for meI did the best I couldI think I’ve got it narrowed downFrom what I’ve understoodWhen I think of wondersAnd all of humankindHere are just some of the thingsThat came into my mind...

To touch and taste and feelTo hear, to smell, and seeTo breathe and laugh and love someoneAre all wonders to me

The class fell silent as she spokeThen they heard the teacher say“A...you got an A”

CHORUS

DR ~ vocal, Yamaha PSR-280 (piano, organ,sitar, water, shamisen, electric piano)Mark Dann ~ bassBrian Melick ~ drums, congas, bongos, trianglePenny Nichols, Sloan Wainwright ~ vocalsLisa Klotz, Sara and Alyssa Dann, Sarah and Vito Petroccitto Jr., and Sam ~ class


Come on, I would never use a word like thatWhen there are children presentThough the words they hear and use at schoolMay not be all that pleasant ... either

Right here on nature’s sandy armThe Fleming family did commenceThe preparation of this treatFor which they rose to prominenceWith elbows jostling torsos every morningBooties shakingWhere the local crowd would gatherTo partake of their fine baking

Boston cremes and honey dippedCoconut and chocolate coveredAnd the ones all stuffed with jellyOr with shiny icing smotheredDon’t forget the muffinsOr the Maxwell House’s coffeeThis is probably not the placeTo ask you waitress for a latte´

All was going smooth for yearsUntil one rueful dayWhen the world’s largest donut nationSailed into the bayThey thought they’d sneak right into townOut by the cemeteryWith those wash-a-shores down from VermontWhose names were Ben and Jerry

But Cape Codders are a wily lotThey saw the frosting on the wallAnd mounted up a protestTo curtail this corporate sprawl

“We don’t need your You-Know-Who-nutsHere in town amongst our neighborsWe’ve got Donut Shacks and Hole in One’sTo do our pastry labors

So take your franchise somewhere elseTo make your big dineroIf I gotta have a croissantI’ll just hit the Chocolate SparrowYet in spite of all the protestYou-Know-Who-nuts got their storeFirst in Chatham, then in EasthamAnd by now there’s several more

Don’t deny it, I have seen you thereIn line with all the touristsWhere they claim the world’s finest coffeeThat’s a joke to puristsBut if you pause to ponderThen this song will have succeededRight here at home you never knowHow much your dough is kneaded

So if you gotta have a sweetThere’s something you can doConsider local merchantsAnd the years that they’ve been here for youThey’re the ones who’ve earned your businessSo make sure that they don’t go nutsGo spend more money at their stores

And less at You-Know-Who-nuts!

DR ~ vocal, guitarMark Dann ~ bassBrian Melick ~ cardboard boxes

Another Day at Moses Brown© 2003 David Roth and Bill HarleyBill, Debbie, their two sons and I were sittingaround the dinner table one night when Dylantold us about something that had happenedat his school.

Another day at Moses BrownA high school in Rhode IslandAnnouncements every TuesdayAnd a forum for the kidsTo have a chance to stand and speakTo share their feelings once a weekNever had that kind of thingWhen I was back in school

So here was Tuesday, 10 AMRight in the school gymnasiumSilently some 40 studentsRose up from their seatsWalked down to the frontAnd formed a line to face their classmatesEach held a paper signWith one big letter on each sheet

This was a day of silenceFor many ‘round the countryTo lower their voice in unionWith all people who are gayThe 40 kids who held their groundWere spelling out a question"What will you do to end the silence?"Is what they didn’t say

A roaring stillness filled the airThe hush eventually provoked

A couple other students muttering“This is what we’ll do...We want to form our own groupIt’s called the DFD”Different silence followedWith a stifled laugh or two

But those three letters caused a stirThat ripped right through the school that dayEmotions had been triggeredThat could no longer be deniedNotes on the opinion boardOpened up the floodgatesSoon everybody knew those letters stoodFor “die fag die”

Next morning came, the word was outA nerve had been exposedA special meeting in the gymAnd everyone was thereFurious, the principalDeclared her disappointmentThat such a thing could happenIn the halls that they all shared

"We’ve always prided MosesAs a place where all are safe” she said“Regardless of our differencesBeliefs, and what we doThese words that we heard yesterdayDiminish human dignityI thought our school a havenNow I know it isn’t true”

One by one now others roseBoth faculty and students


Neither

That’s the truthNo matter who you chose to win There’s just about precisely one more personWho had picked some other way Not exactly what I’d callA mandate from the peopleWe had a really hard Election Day

I love this country yes I doThere’s freedom in red white and blue But colleges that don’t existI do not get a kick fromWith all the brilliant minds we’ve gotIt doesn’t really say a lot When these two are what’s leftFor us to pick from

How ‘bout a teacher or a chefAsocial worker, someone deafA farmer or some clergyOr an actorNo, we tried thatA secretary or a nurseIt’s no so bad, it could be worseA songwriter for president,Would (your state here) certify that?

Just anyone with common senseNot straddling some middle fenceWith courage and convictionSome compassion and some solaceMaybe all those absentees in FloridaWill count them please

Or maybe we’ll ask Mickey MouseOr Elian Gonzalez

We had a really hard electionStrong and stiff, with no protectionLawyers paratrooping into every Florida cityIt’s clear we can’t find one we likeWould both of you please take a hike We’ll run our own darn country by committee

Another thought, perhaps the best thing

Inaugurate the cast of West Wing

live at the Linda Norris AuditoriumWAMC studios, Albany NY 9/28/02emcee ~ Sonny Ochsrecorded by Sarah Briggs

Makin’ Dough© 2002 David Roth

There appears to be a movementIn this culture we call oursFor some quickness and convenienceWhen it comes to eating flourThere are many transmutationsMany shapes that wheat is sized inAnd as many folks who eat itAs are things it is disguised in

One such kind, the doughnutIs a favorite of the massesWho flock to local doughnut shopsTo fatten up their

Some defensive, others outragedAll would have their sayBut as each person stood and spokeA wall was slowly buildingBrick by brick, a wall of painWas rising there that day

The meeting nearly over nowThe room on razors edgesNo one knew just how to bridge this gapOr what to sayThen Corey Clinton stoodAnd cleared his throat, the gym fell silentEveryone at Moses BrownKnew Corey Clinton was gay

Corey Clinton, gay, they knew,He’d never tried to hide itHis notes on the opinion boardWere there for all to seeHe raised his voice and looked aroundAnd spoke to all assembled"All I’ve got is love for youWhat do you have for me?"

“What do you have for me?” he saidAnd simply sat back down againInstead of adding to that wallHe’d opened up a doorAnd afterwards a bunch of kids Came up to Corey cryingIncluding some who’d hassled himSo many times before

Another day at Moses BrownA high school in Rhode Island

Announcements every TuesdayNever know what they might beTho Corey’s off to college nowHis words still echo through those hallsAll I’ve got is love for you

What do you have for me?

DR ~ vocal, guitarMark Dann ~ bass

Woodstock Wind© 2003 David RothDR ~ triple chambered ocarina

Someone Standing There© 2000 David Roth

At this club I noticed someone standing thereIn a t-shirt and a pair of faded jeansWith stringy brownish shiny longish hairI recognized him immediately

I used to play his songsWhen I was back in collegeBack when LPs spunMy whole wide world aroundBack when I wasn’t smart enough to knowI’d be traveling down that road one dayAnd here he was in the flesh in a club in LA

All my attempts at acting coolWent down the toiletAs I fumbled for a way to say helloIt looked like he was leaving and I panicked


Across the aisle Marines are talkingI turn my headThey’re flashing documents of serviceWords like purple by their namesThe movie screen’s a videoOf Elvis Presley’s daughterSinging something about MemphisWhile some car goes up in flames

I’m curious to knowWhat Leslie’s take is on the warBut all she talks about is going homeShe’s going homeShe’s looking forward

I’m looking sideways

Just spent a week in GermanyHad to change my dietThere were many late night conversationsCigarettes, and beerPlaying music, foreign films, IraqAnd what the Germans thought aboutThe U.S. going over there

I look aroundLeslie’s got some headphones and a CDHer head is swaying side to sideThe cover’s in her lap“Moonlight Piano Favorites”She starts to snap her fingersAnd I just stop and take a look at that...

Can you picture LeslieAs her thumb and fingers snapIf these “Moonlight Piano Favorites”Turn a soldier into that

Then I’m sending off some headphonesTo leaders everywhereWith some “Moonlight Piano Favorites”And a prayer

DR ~ vocal, guitarMark Dann ~ electric guitar, bass

Gush or Bore© 2000 David Roth

I won’t say who I voted forOr even if ‘twas Gush or Bore Nader or BuchananOr that natural party person But I knew things were boding badlyWhen they beat my boy Bill Bradley And now we’ve gone from worseTo even worsen...

On one hand we’ve a whinerWho was prone to groan and grunt, it’s true While disagreeing in debateThis practice did perplex usAnd then we got the other oneA good ol' boy, his father’s sonWe can’t expect too muchWhen he had trouble running...

Americans from coast to coastHave chosen whom they like the mostThe voting has all come and goneAnd now we need a breatherThe count is in, the tally’s doneAt least the sixty and seventh oneThe clear cut winner of that day was:

I didn’t want to let this moment go

And so I stopped himAnd put his hand in mineI looked him straight into those deep sad eyes

“You inspired me a long long time ago...”

He said thanks and he was goneMy seven-second moment there in LA townI never even said my nameThe night that I shook hands...

DR ~ vocal, piano

Catherine and Georgia© 2000 David Roth

Francis and Joseph Cardullo had childrenEnough for a basketball team out in YonkersA son and four daughtersThe light of their livesLittle did they imagineThe future they harbored

Catherine and Georgia, MaryEllen and NickyAnd Nancy the youngestThey moved to Cape CodMore suited to raising of kids than a cityThe sand and the breakersThe old promenades

Catherine, the eldestGave birth eight times overGeorgia had two of her own along the wayCatherine and GeorgiaBoth stricken with cancerSurvived by their parentsWere Catherine and Georgia

Nancy the baby, now fast turning fortyA picture of health, diminutive bodyA call from the clinicIt’s still in the familyThe world upside down,The world topsy turvy

Her doctor said“Nancy, I’ll be here to help you...We’ll use every option, we’ll do all we can”Alternative treatments


So a Caravan became my new companionI was feeling proud and proletarianTil I found it was assembled near TorontoAnd the engine ‘neath the hoodWas from Japan

So much for buying local, I’d been thwartedAnd to top it off, my wife could not believeI would opt for such a middle-classy chassisInstead of something with a bit more “Joie-de-vivre”

But that mini van endured my rigorous pacesCouple hundred thousand miles, eleven yearsTil this spring when it no longerPassed inspectionTime again to face those roadster racketeers

If you’ve ever bought a buggy from a dealerThere are several things I knowWould hurt you lessLike a root canal, an avalancheA plague or twoOr an audit from your local IRS

Did some surfing on the webCompiling researchI would not be fooled again by pedigreeTil I chanced on something perfectFor my purposeNeither minivan, sedan or SUV

It’s an auto like no other, I assure youDefying all description, heretoforeIt’s the bane of someThe pure delight of othersAn American original I adore

Friends, I’m standing hereTo testify and witnessThat I chose a chariot that I’m really fondaAnd the whole darn thing from head to toeWas made right here in Ohio

I’m finally in my Element...a Honda!

DR ~ vocal, guitar

Moonlight Piano Favorites© 2003 David Roth

I am flying home from FrankfurtI am sitting next to LeslieIn the Air Force stationed overseas for 57 daysFueling US airplanesThat had stopped off in BulgariaNow she’s headed home to see her babies

The strength of your spiritWe’ll find our way through this...

My name is Katherine”

The winter was whipping the snowRound the cottageWhere Nancy was shedding The shell of her soulKatherine the doctorTurned Nancy’s care overTo a registered nurseFrom the local hospice

Who entered the bedroomAnd took Nancy’s handLooked in her eyes and said“You’re not alone...With five of your loved onesAnd me here to help youWe’ll find our way through this...

My name is Georgia”

DR ~ vocal, guitar, keyboardMark Dann ~ electric guitar

Fateful Intersection© 2002 David Roth

A seven year old named GavinOn a sidewalk with his cousinIn the Crown Heights part of BrooklynAugust 1991A few blocks down a motorcade

Would head in their directionAnd a fateful intersection had begun

The motorcade was carryingThe Rabbi of a Jewish SectThe neighborhood had many JewsAnd also many blacksUneasy tensions simmeredJust because of who seemed differentNow a car and two young childrenWere on track

A limo in the entourage lost controlAnd hopped the curbIt struck the playing cousinsKilling one and nearly twoThe neighborhood electrifiedThe tension proved unbearableThe victim was a black kidAnd the driver was a Jew

A private Jewish ambulanceWas first to find the mayhemIt’s crew began to help the childPinned beneath the carWhile angry blacks began to beatThe driver of the limoAs frustration and offense became a blur

A New York City ambulance cameIt’s crew chief saw the escalation of the sceneAnd got that beaten driver whisked awayWhile two young children still lay bleedingOn that Brooklyn sidewalkIt wasn’t fair, that’s what some would sayIt meant another Jew would have to pay


I’ll frame your deckI will sheetrock your wallsAs long as it’s prepaid

Go tell my bigger sisterNot to do what I have doneI laid the tile, Tricia changed her mindWe’ve only just begun

My mother was a singer,She sang with the big bandsMy sweetheart teaches yogaHas a Masters Degree in counselingAnd is a massage therapistAnd I work with my hands

I used to play the folk guitarNow I hammer and I screwDon’t let your twisted minds go thereI’m talkin’ nails and glue

There is a new house in OrleansWay back of Bakers PondIt’s been the project of many a grown personAnd God, I know I’m one

Dear Lord, we’re still not done

DR ~ vocal, guitarVito Petroccitto, Jr. ~ electric guitarMark Dann ~ bassBrian Melick ~ drumsJim Harrington ~ toolsLisa Klotz, Mark Dann,Vito and Sarah Petroccitto ~ choir

American Car© 2003 David Roth

Back in ‘89 I bought a little Escort Though I should have known a FordWould flop and bendEver since my mom’s convertible TorinoLemon yellow, no coincidence, my friend

But I drove that pre-owned pushcartWith abandonTil the moment when her engine gasket blewAt which point I could no longer DodgeThe obviousTho the gods of indecision blurred my view

In the shadow of the door at Jimmy’s ga-rageGoing back and forth, to fix or not to fixWhen conspicuous consumptionSeized my psycheHad a hot flash, kinda like the Dixie Chicks

I said Jimmy“Don’t repair that faithless wagon”There’s a brand new auto dealer ‘Cross the streetThus I marched into that showroomWith my checkbookAnd drove outta thereIn brand new bucket seats

In the purchase of this rig I was determinedThat America would be where it was madeThus supporting auto workers in our countryWho were union men and women, fairly paid

That same night not far awayA young man in a yarmulkeWas walking in the neighborhoodLike many times beforeBut now this night is differentFrom all other nights, on this nightYankel Rosenbaum was walking into war

A mob of angry men observed his clothingAnd came running toward himGaining speed and getting crazedWith cries of “Get the Jew”And get the Jew they did that nightThey crushed a total stranger’s lifeA mob of angry men had come ungluedA Holocaust in Brooklyn now renewed

Tempers strong, deep and wrongTalk is cheap, families weepingNo one loving, pushing shovingAnger growing...blood is flowing

Fast forward to the present timeEleven years and countingThat part of town has never quiteRecovered From that dayWill bigotry and blindnessesThat run through every cultureEver go away

A black hand and a white oneReach through time and touch the presentIt’s the father of the little boyThe brother of the JewToday they’ve come togetherTo find meaning in two madnesses

Embracing one another in plain viewThis is what the father had to say

“We are strong, we are lovingWe will keep that loving going...”

DR ~ vocals, guitarDavid Lange ~ pianoMark Dann ~ electric guitar, bassBrian Melick ~ drums, kenjira, doumbekReggie Harris, Penny Nichols ~ vocals

Rise We Will© 2001 David Roth

I walked our dog down to the pond The day they crashed the flying bombsDestroying buildings great and tallAnd rise we will, above it all


Cape Cod, love hate, Route 6, be lateShopping, Oh God, Summer, Cape Cod

Seafood, whale watch, sailboat, sun blockDolphins, drag queens, ice cream, caffeineNo beach sticker, too much liquorLighthouse, windmill, eat out, big bill

If you get to the tip of the armThat’s where Provincetown callsJust a little bit different from ChathamAll in allAnd you haven’t hit the spotIf Hyannis is as far as you gotYou can’t watch a sunsetIn a movie or a mall

Cape Cod, love hate, Route 6, be lateP-Town, oh God, Summer, Cape Cod

This parcel of sandThat’s where my sweetie is fromSo we picked up and moved from a placeWhere my heart was at homeBut I guess that we’ll give it a tryThe Friday night Elks Lodge Fish FryThere’s a charm in a small townThat you just can’t deny

Cape Cod, love hate, Route 6, be lateFish Fry, Oh God, Summer, Cape Cod

DR ~ vocal, guitarDavid Lange ~ pianoMark Dann ~ bassGreg Greenway ~ harmonyBrian Melick ~ congas, caxixi, clave´,guiro, triangle, chimes, silverware

General Contractorlive at the uNi Coffeehouse, Springfield, MA1/11/03

New House in Orleanstraditionalnew lyrics © 2000 David Roth

There is a new house in OrleansWay back of Baker’s PondAnd it’s been the projectOf many a grown manAnd God I know I’m one

If I hadn’t listened to what Tricia had saidI’d have a home todayWay out yonder, way out westSeattle, WA

Instead we build and build and buildI’ve learned a whole new trade

As I filled the feeders for the birdsMy neighbor brought the shocking wordsThe air was clear with autumn sunUnlike the smoking Pentagon

Where plans are hatched and blueprints madeOf consequences - unafraidUntil today, in urban pallAnd rise we will, above it all

CHORUSRise we will, rise we willFrom these ashes steadfast stillRevive, restore, renew, rebuildRise we will, oh rise we will

Now we know how others feelAssaulted with such mindless zealWith senseless loss of life and spiritStaggered, stunned, and brought to fear it

But what no bomb can e’er destroy Nor any of those who deployResilience, faith, and reconnectionHope, resolve, and resurrection

CHORUS

Consumed with hate, they hit and runSome think we are the evil oneThe poison stains so many handsAmerica...Afghanistan...

I walk our dog down to the pond The birds still eat the seeds we’ve hungI pray that we may break this fall

And rise somehow above this all

CHORUS

DR ~ vocal, pianoSloan Wainwright, Penny Nichols ~ vocals

What Can I Do© 2003 David Roth

I heard somebody had a hard day out thereI had a hard one tooWe could count ‘em all up and see who winsWho do you think would have moreMe or you?

Feeling sorry might work, but not for longWe don’t have that luxury of timeGot an idea, might help us bothAnd it starts with a question of mine


CHORUS

We can cross the bridge togetherWhen the bell starts to ringFind shelter from the weatherUntil the birds can sing

Canoes are by the waterLet’s take one out and have funWatch out for mosquitosAnd wear your hat in the sun

CHORUS

DR ~ vocal, piano

disk two

Cape Cod© 2000 David Roth

You’re sitting at workAnd you dream of the beach and the dunesYou hop in your car on FridayAt the crack of noonApproaching the bridgeYou’re reduced to a crawl and a prayerAnd it’s anyone’s guessHow long until you get there

You get to your room or your cottageIt’s dark and the soundsOf the city are long now behind youInstead you’re surroundedWith the crickets and breezeAnd the moon in a cloudy disguiseAnd tomorrow you’ll wake with a longingFor lobster and fries

Cape Cod, love hate, Route 6, be lateOne lane, Oh God, Summer, Cape Cod

Saturday morningIt’s coffee and doughnuts first thingThen you start to remember the belongingsYou forgot to bringSo it’s t-shirts and sunglassesBelly-packs, blankets, flip flopsThat you bought for a buck ninety nineAt the Christmas Tree Shops

CHORUSWhat can I do for you todayHow can I help in some small wayIt would be such a gift to me, it’s trueIf you’d let me do one little thing for youWhat can I do

There’s a whole lotta things that I can’t makeI can’t build a house or meditateBut I know there’s one thing I can createI can make some time

Tho the older I get, the faster it fliesI spend it like crazy, no surpriseBut when my pockets are emptyAnd my credit’s declinedI’ll know that at least I gave you some time

CHORUS

Such a noisy and crazy earth out thereWe are neighbors in crisis everywhereJust in case you were thinking no one caresSomeone may prove you wrong

People all over this world need loveSome won’t be lucky to get enoughThat’s why I’m hoping that you’ll understandHow we’ll both get ahead if I give you a hand

CHORUS

DR ~ vocal, guitarCosy Sheridan, Siobahn Quinn ~ vocals

Beautiful World© 2000 Rory and Penny Nichols2000 Smiles (BMI)

How green the trees are,So green they grow to the skyThe leaves and birds that live thereAre just learning to fly

CHORUSThere’s so much life around hereIt makes you feel so goodNow I know why God madeSuch a beautiful world

There’s water all around usLet‘s swim with the fish in the pondThe pier goes down to the bottomThe bridge goes swinging beyond


Documents

to make music think twice