About the EP
When my follow-up to "The Roots" was delayed, I put together a release so as not to have a dead year.
Since Always Gold was doing the best of any track from that album, I was asked to build a small release around it to support my upcoming tour. I tend to always have half-finished songs lying around, so this one came about much the same the "Touch the Sky" EP did.
Always Gold (Short Attention Span Mix)
Back when we used to worry more about radio plays, it was fairly common to cut songs down to shorter, more immediate versions referred to as “radio edits.” I never liked doing this, so my title here was a small jab at the concept itself.
Always Gold (Short Attention Span Mix)
we were tight knit boys
brothers in more than name
you would kill for me
and knew that I'd do the same
and it cut me sharp
hearing you'd gone away
but everything goes away
yeah, everything goes away
but I'm going to be here until I'm nothing
but bones in the ground
and I was there when you grew restless
and left in the dead of night
and I was there when three months later
you were standing in the door, all beaten and tired
and I stepped aside
everything goes away
yeah, everything goes away
but I'm gonna be here until I'm nothing
but bones in the ground
so quiet down
we were opposites at birth
I was steady as a hammer
no one worried 'cause they knew just where I'd be
and they said you were the crooked kind
and that you'd never have no worth
But you were always gold to me
and back when we were kids
we swore we knew the future
and our wits would take us half way 'round the world
but I never left this town
and you never saw New York
and we ain't ever cross the sea
but I am fine with where I am now
this home is home, and all that I need
but for you, this place is shame
but you can blame me when there's no one left to blame
oh, I don't mind
all my life
I've never known where you've been
there were holes in you
the kind that I could not mend
and I heard you say
right when you left that day
does everything go away?
yeah, everything goes away
but I'm going to be here 'til forever
so just call when you're around.
Echoes
The music for this was written during "The Family Tree" period, but not the words.
I wrote the lyrics afterward when putting this EP together. I often find that my feelings about the things I make are pretty inconsistent. I can like things when I dig them back up more than when I first make them, and vice-versa. So I'm always glad I keep records of all my ideas and demos.
Echoes
Father was drunk on the porch
Quietly cleaning his guns
While we sat and watched the sunset from the roof
Drinking stolen beer the day I turned twelve
Mama was losing her mind
So we built a home in the woods
And I carved our names in the side with a knife
We found beneath the house the day you turned twelve
And I am always reminded of lies
That we told but never meant
And at night, well I still hear you grin
Like an echo sounding from my sins
Come on, let me in
I remember the cast on your arm
From when we were convinced we could fly
And we covered it up in fake names to make it seem
Like you were famous when you came back to school
Sure we never had much
But we did just as we pleased
We had no concern for anything beyond the day we were living in
We had no need to dream
And I am always reminded of lies
That we told but never meant
And at night I could still hear your grin
Like an echo sounding from my sins
Come on, let me in
Wandering
I like chopping up drum samples.
This song started purely as a drumbeat. Just something I made from cutting out individual drum sounds from famous breakbeats. I wrote the piano to go along with it, thinking I might give it to one of the people I'd made beats for in the past. But I started getting ideas for a vocal melody, and then words.
In the end, I just finished it on my own and it sat on a hard drive, the way lots of material does with me.
Wandering
I fall asleep in a comforter nest
The room is yellow and the windows are dentist white
I smell the ghost of your dinner
And the space heater is glowing like a miniature gate to hell
I hear the dogs as I dress myself
I pen a letter on the back of a paper plate
It tells you that I'm gone now
And I'm sorry if I don't make it back
Well, I know it's a good life
Yeah, I know it's a good life
But I've gotta keep moving
I was made to keep moving
And I know it's a long shot
It was always a long shot
But I'm trusting my aim now
Yeah I'm trusting my aim
And I know it's a good life
Yeah, I know it's a good life
But I've gotta keep moving
I've gotta stay on the move
I had a dream but I called it a plan
A stream of hopes that I figured would serve me well
But then the dream turned sour
Sometimes delusions ain't the comfort you want them to be
Now I'm broke and my luck's run out
My new acquaintances will never be someone to trust
My house is now a grave yard
It's hard to fall asleep with no one watching your back
Well you've got my name
Now it's all the same
It don't mean much
But you can have it all
And I sold my heart
For another start
I had my fix
But I shouldered it off
Now the price is a big one
Well, I had me a good life
Yeah, I had me a good life
But I had to keep moving
Oh, I was made to keep moving
And I know that I messed up
Yeah, I know that I messed up
But I still gotta keep moving
Yeah, I still gotta move
Though my mind is made up
And I'm no different now, but
I follow the questions
Because I'm bored with the answers
I'm bored with the answers
Sure I miss a lot
And I'm no better off
But sitting idle ain't a thing I was built for
I gotta keep moving
Gotta stay on the move
I've gotta ...
Well, I had me a good life
But I've gotta keep moving
Well, I had me a good life
But I've still gotta keep moving
Always Gold (Acoustic)
Whenever I'm working on an album, I often record songs in multiple styles.
In this case, I couldn't decide if I was going to use a smaller sound or something more involved. Once I laid out the tracks for "The Roots", I chose the version with the larger arrangement.
In more extreme cases, I've wound up with eight different versions of the same song the song "The Crooked Kind" on The Branches is an example.
Always Gold (Acoustic)
We were tight knit boys
Brothers in more than name
You would kill for me
And knew that I'd do the same
And it cut me sharp
Hearing you'd gone away
But everything goes away
Yeah everything goes awayBut I'm going to be here until I'm nothing
But bones in the ground
And I was there when you grew restless
Left in the dead of night
And I was there when three months later
You were standing in the door all beaten and tired
And I stepped aside
Everything goes away
Yeah everything goes away
But I'm gonna be here until I'm nothing
But bones in the ground
So quiet down
We were opposites at birth
I was steady as a hammer
No one worried 'cause they knew just where I'd be
And they said you were the crooked kind
And that you'd never have no worth
But you were always gold to me
And back when we were kids
We swore we knew the future
And our wits would take us half way 'round the world
But I never left this town
And you never saw New York
And we ain't ever cross the sea
But I am fine with where I am now
This home is home, and all that I need
But for you, this place is shame
But you can blame me when there's no one left to blame
Oh, I don't mind
All my life
I've never known where you've been
There were holes in you
The kind that I could not mend
And I heard you say
Right when you left that day
Does everything go away?
Yeah, everything goes away
But I'm going to be here 'til forever
So just call when you're around
We're On Our Way
For information about this song, see the album "The Bastards".
We're On Our Way
Show your hands
If you need a new coat of paint
If your bones are now heavy things
Like anchors hidden somewhere 'neath your skin
Or if your head's just an empty box
If your heart has become spare parts
If your days are now just something you must bear
Oh, it seems you're a lot like me
You dug yourself into places
You never thought you would be
But don't you fret, and don't you mind
The only constant is change
And you never know what you'll find
Yeah, tomorrow I might wake up nice and clean
And I might believe the things I said I didn't mean
And this might turn and wind up just the way we'd dreamed
And I might become the things I swore I'd always be
Well, we're always on our way
We're on our way
Well, we're always on our way
We're on our way
Well, we're always on our way
We're on our way
Well, we're always on our way
We're on our way
Always Gold (Album Version)
A lesson in redundancy.
I was starting to work with more music industry people at this point in my music career. I was headlining my own tours for the first time and people were showing up. And I was making a pretty consistent living, all out of dilapidated tool shed in Florida. But this EP was one of the times I took the advice I was given, to include all three versions of Always Gold, even though it made no sense to me.
Well, over a decade later, it still doesn't. Who wants to hear the same song this many times? But I learned to take my own council from moments like these. So that's my silver lining.
Always Gold (Album Version)
We were tight knit boys
Brothers in more than name
You would kill for me
And knew that I'd do the same
And it cut me sharp
Hearing you'd gone away
But everything goes away
Yeah everything goes awayBut I'm going to be here until I'm nothing
But bones in the ground
And I was there when you grew restless
Left in the dead of night
And I was there when three months later
You were standing in the door all beaten and tired
And I stepped aside
Everything goes away
Yeah everything goes away
But I'm gonna be here until I'm nothing
But bones in the ground
So quiet down
We were opposites at birth
I was steady as a hammer
No one worried 'cause they knew just where I'd be
And they said you were the crooked kind
And that you'd never have no worth
But you were always gold to me
And back when we were kids
We swore we knew the future
And our wits would take us half way 'round the world
But I never left this town
And you never saw New York
And we ain't ever cross the sea
But I am fine with where I am now
This home is home, and all that I need
But for you, this place is shame
But you can blame me when there's no one left to blame
Oh, I don't mind
All my life
I've never known where you've been
There were holes in you
The kind that I could not mend
And I heard you say
Right when you left that day
Does everything go away?
Yeah, everything goes away
But I'm going to be here 'til forever
So just call when you're around
