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Behind a Veil

by Jess Klein

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1.
Has your world fallen apart Or is this your work of art Are you scrambling on your knees Or is there something down there you should see When you can’t run away no more Is there still one final door Which hides an unseen room Where the devil and his dogs Or the angels wait for you Chorus: The beauty lives behind a veil In every trick you try and every trial you fail When you pray to find a way and you exhale The beauty lives behind a veil Like the child you never were Are you shaking and unsure How to do this strange new dance Where fallin’ on your face Means giving it a chance Chorus And you step up to that door And your legs shake even more…
2.
Start my day off in the bedroom I start my day by tryin’ To reclaim my own headroom I start my day by lyin’ I stare into the bathroom mirror And I fight to light a brand new fire But all the sparks they drop like tears ‘Cause it’s your reflection I desire Baby I miss you in the mornin’ I miss the sound of your voice singin’ I miss your kiss to start my day I miss your evenin’ doorbell ringin’ In the kitchen with the papers I try to focus on the headlines But the only words I’m seeing there Are the ones running through my mind Chorus When I come home to my living room I can’t stand to see myself just sitting Since you walked out this ain’t no home I’m survivin’ but I ain’t livin’ No this ain’t livin’ Baby I miss you in the mornin’…
3.
I had a hell of a half of a year The levee came down The lifeboat appeared Four people rowed up and pulled me ashore Now I don’t think I’m God or the devil anymore Chorus: And that’s how it is with lovers and friends Neither the bliss nor the trouble will end And that’s how it is And that’s how it is And that’s how it is With lovers and friends Brought me to shelter and sat me down Cooked up a good meal And took off my crown They laughed like children who play at the fair I’d never felt so sweet And I’d never been so scared Chorus Oh and sometimes they look angry And I fear I’m falling backwards But somehow when we take action We’re free from the exact words And that’s how it is And that’s how it is And that’s how it is And that’s how it is With lovers and friends With lovers and friends With lovers and friends You got lovers and friends
4.
God grant me the strength To thank him for all he gave me All I want is to hate him for saying goodbye God if you would take Take this worry from me I would have a clearer way to fly Chorus: I have stood here before I have stood at your door But I never stood this close ‘til now If you show me the way If you show me I’ll stay If you show me I’ll stay your beautiful child I don’t mean to ask Why why why I just complicate the task You make so plain It’s not for me to know Why some people seem to let you go Or how you love them just the same Chorus I know you won’t let me go Why does it take so much pain sometimes just to know?
5.
I don’t wanna see the gypsy Look into her crystal ball In her shop out on the boardwalk Where she probably tells them all “You will meet a handsome stranger. It will be a lightning bolt from above” I don’t need another jolt dear Just tell me this is love I don’t wanna see your mama With a twinkle in her eye ‘Cause she’s dreamin’ bout our future If she’s dreamin’ bout a lie I just wanna see the roadside rollin’ by And on the wheel God’s driving gloves While you lean over to my side And tell me this is love All I want is something real Oh but who can say what’s real? All I got is what I feel And I don’t wanna feel I don’t wanna feel like stone No no no no no no So don’t leave me singin’ all alone When your love could bring me home I don’t wanna talk about it If there’s nothing more to say I don’t wanna be a martyr until my dying day But baby if you got it Boy if you believe in all this stuff Push a little harder And tell me this is love Yeah honey if you want me Boy if you believe that it’s enough Sidle up and haunt me And tell me this is love Tell me this is love
6.
Riverview 05:15
I’ll remember the wisdom I took from you On that morning I woke before the dew In borrowed flat that overlooked the river Where I gave you all a night girl could deliver ‘Cause your poetry and soft voice made me quiver Your skin on my hands too Off to Paris, or wherever the intellects call Hey there baby, you know I’ve seen ‘em all So don’t taunt me with your hazy words and merlot I’ll be off to Detroit, Michigan tomorrow And don’t think I’m carrying all that much sorrow Or that much hope for you Chorus: I only get down when my love comes though I only get down when there’s nothing else to do Don’t pull me around I’m a mess I’m a fool I’m a seven story wreck But my love ain’t no lie It’s just streaming out of check The one thing I still know is how morning comes around Out on the riverview You could paint me the way the kingdom fell Serenade me ‘bout a world gone straight to hell Yeah but you won’t ask me who here is in danger Or who in their own world feels like a stranger Just get your wine and cheap dope from my manger Your lips from my ears too Chorus Well now baby, if the wishin’ could make it true Would my heart be as covered and cold as you? When I’m pounding on the table ‘til you’ll hold me And I screamed for what I knew you’d never tell me I know I took a lot out of you But I could take a lot too Like I took in your round face and your cologne And those scribbled, crumpled notes that I took home And some other things my heart just won’t condone Alone on the riverview Chorus
7.
Simple Love 04:53
I like it when the breeze blows Through my doors and my windows I like it ‘cause I don’t know the time You’re the breeze comin’ to me Feel the ease runnin’ through me Like you already knew me Oh my Chorus: I could travel the world, mining diamonds and pearls Tell me what could I find To compare to this simple love, so pure and fine I got nothing to fear when you’re standing right here With your smile so kind Shared through simple love, yours and mine Yours and mine All the hours I spent so lost All the years counting the cost Don’t I know it’s a coin toss, this life? When the world tries to chain me Hold me down or restrain me I know your love will save me from the lies Chorus
8.
Mona 04:03
God’s plan Is it like the scriptures say? I am not a faith-filled man But every dog must have it’s day Golden It can kill you as a rule It’s the kindest acts that burn Leave you feelin’ like a fool Chorus: Mona I can never know all the pain I cause to you Only How I changed your life And now you’re changin’ my life too Dry eyes When you came to me your tears Ran hot and free from lies Teardrops I’d run from for years Chorus And I cried just a little Wondered why just a little Felt surprised how you would haunt me But when I drift from the light It’s still you who makes me fight To believe that you could want me God’s plan Is it like the scriptures say? I am not a faith-filled man But every dog must have it’s day
9.
Hear that clock tick, The one above the kitchen door, The one you picked up at a yard sale, long before Still won’t stick Been hanging crooked all this time Kept you thinkin’ you had an extra hour to mind There’s the wood floor Where you would dance around the room Thinkin’ every song every singer sang was sung for you On the stereo Well it’s kind of dusty now Every time you go to turn it on, you turn around Chorus: You’re in an empty house You’re feelin’ all alone You’re quiet as a mouse You hear the shudders groan And he’s not comin’ back It’s time to find your own way home In a room of your own Foreign movie You don’t know what it was about But you stopped tryin’ after some time to figure out Why these blue jeans The ones you’ve almost thrown away Still remind you of the words he couldn’t say Chorus Don’t give up on your dreams ‘cause they’re the best you’ve got Don’t let their schemes make you believe you’re not You can love a lot Chorus
10.
I can see that you’ve been cryin’ From your lowered eyes And your puffy cheeks I can see how hard you’re tryin’ Tryin’ to keep it in Tryin’ not to speak I know it’s not always easy To say the words When you’re unsure yourself But the very words you fear the most Might be beautiful to someone else Chorus: I wanna hear your unwritten song I wanna be here to sing along To the words you don’t say When you think them anyway I wanna see your omitted scenes I wanna watch while your dream gets dreamed Watch and listen on replay To your unwritten song On the days when you’ve got nothing left I wanna help you ask “Now what is next?” And help you feel you have a choice to make To make this life yours For heaven’s sake In the times when your pulse races Like the moment the batter hits the ball And runs all four bases I want their cheers to get to you I wanna help you ask “What are the great things I can do?” Chorus

credits

released April 18, 2012

Produced, Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Professor Feathers
Assistant Engineer: Mike McCay

Executive Producers: Phil Collins, David Christopher Decker


Vocals, guitars, mandolin: Jess
Guitars, banjotar, tenor guitar: Billy Masters
Bass, piano,organ, reed organ, guitars, dulcimer, arp synthesizer, vocals: Mark Addison
Drums, percussion: Jeremy Bow
Saxophone: Rick Moore
Vocals: Wendy Colonna, Noelle Hampton

Photography: Rodney Bursiel
Design: Robert Hakalski

All songs written by Jess Klein/ASCAP/House of Leo Music except:
Mona: Jess Klein, House of Leo (ASCAP) and Mark Addison, Manico Music (ASCAP) Wilson Street Serenade: Jess Klein, House of Leo Music (ASCAP)/ Matthew Sever, Whistle Boy Music (ASCAP)/Danny Schmidt Publishing (SESAC)


Thank you to:

Dad, Killer, Rachel Klein, BJ Mansuetti, Mark Strain, Feathers, Billy Masters, JBow, Mike McCay, Wendy Colonna, Noelle Hampton, Rick Moore, Andre Moran, Katharine Flynn, Deb Gray, Gilbert Ramos, Robbie Carcoba, Jimmy LaFave, Ashley Warren, Dipak, Woody and the Whip In, Kevin Laux, Arlo Guthrie, Siobhan Begley, Matt the Electrician, Danny Schmidt, Carrie Elkin, Rodney Bursiel, Jamie Barnard, Mike June, Steve Andrews, Charlie Best, Christopher D. Brown (in recognition of the Amala Foundation), Lisa Goldthwaite, Mike Hall, Dino Jobe,Thom Reda, Gerald and Sharon Jones, Andreas Laemmermann, Jack and Pam Neville, Dana Samuelson, David Schunck, Al Weiss, Sarah Wolfkins, Christen Genga and Spoke Visuals.
This album is for my father, Dr. Mark Klein, and for everyone who has generously supported this recording, come to shows, and listened. Thank You.

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Jess Klein Hillsborough, North Carolina

Rochester, NY native Jess Klein is known for staking out brave lyrical and musical territory with such albums as Wishes Well Disguised (1998), Draw Them Near (2000), Strawberry Lover (2005), City Garden (2006), Bound to Love (2009), Behind A Veil (2012) and Learning Faith (2014) which Folk Radio UK calls “unquestionably the finest album of [her] impressive career.” ... more

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