(Craig Rafuse)
You need him but you don't know why He isn't the kind of guy You want if you're gonna fly . . . You are the sun, the moon and stars You are a heavenly delight You are the reason the oo-la-lahs Tremble when they go to sleep at night. He's merely a firefly Flick, flick, flickerin' in your eye A mysterious passerby . . . But you are the sun, the moon and stars You are a heavenly delight You are the reason the oo-la-lahs Tremble when they go to sleep at night. Major obsession and depression Fickle folly and melancholy Procrastination, no destination If I could shake you I would rattle the keys to your heart. Sweet sister, it's time to fly Look up at the clear, blue sky Sweet sister, my oh my . . . You are the sun, the moon and stars You are a heavenly delight You are the reason the oo-la-lahs Tremble when they go to sleep at night. Sweet sister, it's time to fly It's time to fly . . .
(Craig Rafuse)
Still got all my fingers, still got both my eyes But I ain't got the time of day, now, that ain't no surprise Still got my integrity and I still got what it takes But all the rest I've given to them lowdown, dirty snakes. I'm talkin' `bout the Tax Man That feller never gets enough I'm talkin' `bout Workman's Comp That feller sho'nuff do play rough I'm talkin' `bout Insurance On my truck, well it's highway robbery Talkin' `bout the Lending Institutions That got me up a tree. I've got Eisenhower prices in my mind A Herbert Hoover paycheck in my hand So, when Robin Hood-in-reverse Ronald Reagan robs me blind The difference is more than I can stand Now, I'm not what you might call a minimalist `Less is more' don't make no sense to me I am what you might call A Man Who Is Pissed Sick and tired, yearning to be free. You know, Jesus was a carpenter I wonder what he'd a done? Then again, what would he know? He quit when he was young Long before the wear and tear Of tender joints that ache Talkin' `bout losin' my hair Over stuff that keeps me awake! Still got all my fingers, still got both my eyes But I ain't got the time of day, now, that ain't no surprise Still got my integrity and I still got what it takes But all the rest I've given to them lowdown, dirty snakes.
(Craig Rafuse)
(Trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle) Even though I never lack the finest food and drink Being God's not always as delicious as you'd think As I look around and see how depraved these mortals be I stick my head into the kitchen sink... BLECHHH! (Trickle, trickle, trickle) I haven't got the stomach for Mankind Uninterrupted up in Heaven, I can wine and dine Eat my fill and, when I'm through, toss them down a bone or two And the occaisional watermelon rind. Oh, let's have a Grand Old Party! Bring on the National Pie (in the sky) There's no need to slice, the entirety will suffice A hundred per cent, you can give it up for Lent Oh, let's have a Grand Old Party! Bring on the National Pie (in the sky) We'll throw down the crumbs for the tummy-tum-tum-tums And trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle Trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle down, down, down Down (Six feet under the ground). I must admit, it's lonely at the Top No one likes you when you're Super Cop Except a handful of police and, well, Edwin Meese But I would never ever want to swap 'Cause when you're livin' it up on the High and Dry Side Where everything is strictly Supply Side With a little Economic Voodoo completely full of doo-doo You can take the tummy-tums for a ride. Oh, let's have a Grand Old Party! Bring on the National Pie (in the sky) There's no need to slice, the entirety will suffice A hundred per cent, you can give it up for Lent Oh, let's have a Grand Old Party! Bring on the National Pie (in the sky) We'll throw down the crumbs for the tummy-tum-tum-tums And trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle Trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle down. Yeah!
(Craig Rafuse)
Just the other day I heard them call my name Righteous pointed fingers and dark clouds of blame Did begin to sprinkle little drops of pain Then the heavens opened with a hard, hard rain. City streets got slippery, playgrounds turned to mud Two by two God's children soared above the flood But I'm a no-good sinner, so I'll have to drown Say good-bye to Jesus when the sun goes down. Sunday morning finds me harrowed by the night Begging from the churches rudely locked up tight Fundamental preaching, Babylon must fall Well, it's the same old story, as you may recall. The Book of Revelations scatters flesh and bones While the Jerry Falwells rapture on their thrones All the rest of us are burning in the lake All of God's creation is just a big mistake. Just the other day I . . .
(Craig Rafuse)
Come-a come-a sunny day Come-a come-a breeze to blow me away Come-a come-a Cloud Nine Say good-bye to grey And the rain slap 'gainst my windowpane. Come-a come-a moonlit night Come-a come-a love ever so right Come-a come-a Cloud Nine Say good-bye to grey And the rain slap 'gainst my windowpane. Clear skies and real eyes See me, I'm drenched to the bone Reach out now, and shout Heart, take me home! Come-a come-a change of scenes Come-a come-a field of dreams Come-a come-a Cloud Nine Say good-bye to grey And the rain slap 'gainst my windowpane And the rain slap 'gainst my windowpane And the rain slap 'gainst my windowpane.
(Craig Rafuse)
You work computers and I work in wood White and blue collars are up to no good It pays the bills but it don't clean the house All the creatures are stirring, even the mouse. Ashes and ashes, dust upon dust Cleanliness isn't a god we can trust The kitchen's `off limits' so no one can peek `Cause some of the dishes are left from last week. Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous A butler, a cook and a maid Someone to wipe off Uranus Will never be ours I'm afraid. Lucky for us, spiders abound Scarfing down roaches and flies by the pound They make a difference, they make a dent And that is the reason we don't charge them rent. Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous A butler, a cook and a maid Someone to wipe off Uranus Will never be ours, I'm afraid. Partners in grime, partners in sloth The bedroom is strewn with the clothes we took off Sweep all the loose ends under the rug Blow out the candles and give me a hug Blow out the candles and give me a hug.
(Craig Rafuse)
All of this workin' for a livin' in the city, It'd like to drag you down Everybody cussin', fightin' and a fussin', Runnin' it into the ground Me? I can only take so much, Til it zaps my brain I start to thinkin' `bout the evergreens And goin' with the grain. All of this under-and-over-the-counter Stuff to make you sick Everybody stealin', wheelin' and a dealin', Whatever does the trick Me? I can only take so much Rock `n roll `n beer And if it don't get me through the night, You know, I'm out of here. Straight for three days straight I take the Inner State Leave the mess behind And start to unwind Head up in the hills I listen to the whipporwhills Thinkin', ain't life great Straight for three days straight. Out in the country there's a heaven full of stars And every time you see one shoot, you get to forget who you are Now, it ain't at all like that back in the city Where the air is thick and foul And the only thing they never ever let you forget Is how to throw in the towel. All of these kooky politicians on the TV, Tryin' to buy the vote Run of the mill with a hand in the till And a promise to rock the boat Me? I can only take so much, And when they `up' the dose I change the message on the telephone: "Adios, muchachos!" Straight for three days straight I take the Inner State Leave the mess behind And start to unwind Head up in the hills I listen to the whipperwhills Thinkin', ain't life great Straight for three days (tell the boss) Straight for three days straight.
(Craig Rafuse)
Well, it was twenty years ago today That I left my home sweet home Flew off in a rage, The wide, wide world to roam Said I'd never look back, And wished that it were true But, when I got to wherever it was, I got to thinkin' `bout you. I was angry at my father And I was lite years from myself Made a big fuss and bother Due to lack of mental health There you were with a smile and a wink And a sweetheart just for me But I was a doggone stick-in-the-mud, Blind as a boy could be. It was a matter of timing, and mine was off Oh, how could I have been so thick? Pullin' the plug on the midnight show When you were waitin' for me to click With that frizzy head of auburn hair And those deep, dark, emerald eyes I may have won the contest But I never picked up the prize. Oh, I wish that I knew then what I know now I'd have said "I love you" somehow... But, when I was seventeen, competin' with the teachers And a heart shot full of holes Competin' with the preachers And the fire in my soul There I was on the parallel bars, Watchin' you cheer me on But I was afraid to come up with the words, And then you were gone. It was a matter of timing, and mine was off Oh, how could I have been so thick? Pullin' the plug on the midnight show When you were waitin' for me to click With that frizzy head of auburn hair And those deep, dark, emerald eyes I may have won the contest But I never picked up the prize I may have won the contest But I never picked up the prize.
(Craig Rafuse)
So, you think it's wrong, wanna make it right? When you're cryin', lyin' in bed at night Listen to the wind ticklin' the leaves. Locked up in your room, you can't help yourself Come down, come down off of that cupboard shelf Open up your heart, it's just a wish away. Reach out and take a hand One by one across the Promise Land Breathe deep and let it flow Make the sunshine grow Over hill and over dale Following the rainbow banners trail If peace could ever fly Now's the time to try Flap your wings if you care.
(Craig Rafuse)
Jerry, we will miss you today and forever Jerry, we will not fade away as we weather. Thank you for the cup of bliss we sip Goin' down the road feelin' nice Thirty years, it's been a long, strange trip Rockin' and a rollin' the dice. Jerry, we will miss you today and forever Jerry, we will not fade away as we weather. Thank you for the pebbles that you tossed Those ripples hit me where I live To remind me, when I'm feelin' lost This old darkness got to give. Thank you for your Merry Prankster face You are the headlight on our train The gift of sweet, amazing grace Shine through the cold snow and rain. Jerry, we will not fade away as we weather Jerry, we will miss you today and forever. And forever And forever And forever . . .
Singer/songwriter Craig Rafuse travels fertile territory on Promise Land, occasionally plowing up some fresh earth. His version of Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty" places the classic American tale of dustbowl drifters to a curious conga drum beat, eventually converging on familiar ground with traditional banjo accompaniment. "Sweet Sister," "Lite Years" and "If You Care" are all smooth pop rendered in a gentle, airy style; and "Head Up in the Hills" chronicles Rafuse's happiness at a hasty mountain getaway. However, this songster's talents burn brightest on "Partners in Sloth" -- an extended, grotesque description of a monstrously messy house in which spiders battle roaches over week-old unwashed dinner plates. The song concludes with the image of the two homeowners, oblivious to the filth, discarding their clothes in yet another heap and tumbling into bed to make love. There are a few cobwebs on "What It Takes," Rafuse's political bandstand grandstand in which he complains that, "Ronald Reagan robs me blind," but the happy ragtime piano break by guest musician Scott Hooker blows much of the dust off this pre-Clinton gem. Similarly "Trickle Down Rag" -- a novelty number with a cute kazoo break -- advertises its vintage with its title alone. On Promise Land's final track, "Jerry," Rafuse leaps up into the '90s with, ironically, a sweet remembrance of the late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. "Thank you for the cup of bliss we sip," he croons. "Thirty years, it's been a long strange trip...."
The CD release party for Craig Rafuse's Promise Land takes place at the Seven Stages Theatre on April 28.
