We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

City Garden

by Jess Klein

/
1.
You want a love and you fight to get. It gives you hell and it ain't done yet. You want a lie or you want the truth? Love is the law and you are the proof. You cry and cry but you never come out clean. But you will try 'till the dirt below looks green. You want my blood, sweat, tears. You want my life, my breath, my fear. I gave you moonlight. Soft kisses for years. But you want my blood, sweat, tears. You got a pass for a greyhound bus. You brought a sign said NY or bust. You got a vision the woman said. You gotta live out what's in your head. You better dance til your feet beg for an end. Cause girl tomorrow, you're on that bus again. You want my blood, sweat, tears. You want my love, my death, my fear. I gave you moonlight. Soft kisses for years. But you want my blood, sweat, tears. You want my blood, sweat, tears. You want my life, my breath, my fear. I gave you moonlight. Soft kisses for years. But you want my blood, sweat, tears.
2.
Make Love 04:15
don't wanna run from my tomorrow. I don't wanna hide from my today. I don't wanna beg you or to borrow. Anything that my hands can't repay. I'm not gonna lie bout where my heart's been. Swinging through a big revolving door. Think it's time I made a choice to come in. Say this time I want a little more. I wanna make love, make love to someone. Make love, make love to someone. Make love, make love to someone. Make love. Didn't come to barter out my body. Lower down or worry up my mind. When I'm facin' someone who can face me. Then I'm leavin' all of that behind. And we'll say, I don't wanna grow, But to watch you grow. I don't wanna shine but to watch you shine. I'm not gonna cry but to let you know. I'm not gonna run away this time. I wanna make love, make love to someone. Make love, make love to someone. Make love, make love to someone. Make love. I don't wanna settle for a thousand yesterdays. Only wanna lay down where my heart will always stay. Didn't come to take nothin' from you boy. Unless it's what you wanna give away. Let's call that my simple grain of truth, boy. Somethin' that'll linger when the fantasies stray
3.
City Garden 04:30
Been lookin' at my city garden. For almost twelve months now. I been thinkin' bout a bargain. About tearin' that old fence down. The day that I moved in here. Found a single rusted lawn chair. And a note that said. Go and get 'em girl Go and get 'em girl Set of keys in my hand. For an empty room On a small but wild plot of land When August came there grew a billion weeds Shot out from in the core I pulled till I fell to my knees But those roots seemed to spread more and more I waved the neighbors over I said Hey look this over Shielding their eyes, they cried Go and get 'em girl Go and get 'em girl Turned back to their land But my rugged green Kept on pushing new life up to stand I used to date a boy in Paris Until I hit New York And aren't we velvet-petalled roses Til we're up against the big sharks Rooted on this island My thoughts they started climbing And it grew and grew I would leave him there I would leave him there But then he let me go He let me go He must have known That roots this deep Only can bring forth One bloom to grow Been lookin' at my city garden. For almost twelve months now. I been thinkin' bout a bargain. About tearin' that old fence down.
4.
Holy Land 04:10
Children play in a garden of Eden Hunger away, food never eaten. Storing treasures in the sand While we curse the promised land Like we've never been Run like thieves, die for riches Guilded doors and blood soaked ditches But the colors of the trees Are meant for you and me If we ever see Holy land Holy land Holy land In the palms of our hands You want a soul, find a soul full of kisses Who won't let you go Who knows what your wish is Even when you fawn or fight He'll see you in the light That you saw within Holy land Holy land Holy land In the palms of our hands Holy land Holy land Holy land In the palms of our hands I went away to be all by myself where Children don't play Hearts hide, too scared I would never have believed It still would follow me Like a prayer shot south Sat on a cold and lonely thruway Fought every old, and every new way Til I looked out of the glass And I felt it fallin' fast out of my mouth Holy land Holy land Holy land In the palms of our hands Holy land Holy land Holy land In the palms of our hands
5.
When When will we see? It ain't love If it ain't free And I'm tired of playin' it tough And these fantasies ain't good enough I want real live love For the soul of me Soldiers are terrified, governors bored Freedom's for rich people, fightin's for poor Dyin' to settle some billionaire's score Soldiers are terrified, governors bored Runnin' around with a glint in our eye Feeding on oil that's milking us dry And blowin' up engines where angels would fly Runnin' around with a glint in our eye When When will we see? It ain't love If it ain't free And I'm tired of playin' it tough And these fantasies ain't good enough I want real live love For the soul of me It could be your great end Or your sinner's sole reprieve Not to know how to fight But still to believe There's so much to see when you just crack your eyes Or when the world just takes you by surprise Force you to witness an angry wave rise So much to see when you just crack your eyes But once they're open you can't put 'em back You'll never make up for all that you lack Just put down the armor and follow the path Cause once it's open, you can't put it back When When will we see? It ain't love If it ain't free And I'm tired of playin' it tough And these fantasies ain't good enough I want real live love For the soul of me And I know how to fight So I?d willingly lay down my life For some real live love for the soul of me Real live love for the soul of me
6.
I got out of my bed I wrote a letter down Was missing several words But I could hear their sound I didn't know who I Would send the letter to But there upon my step Strange man with eyes of blue I went back to my desk I wrote six letters more Stories about a shell Washed upon a shore And when it opens up Will you be there Cause when it opens up From its armor it's scared Will you be there I thought about the way He stood so patient with My fighting, trembling hands My traps and all my tricks But then it bubbled up The endless well of doubt He'd see all I had done Figure the whole thing out And when it opens up Honey, will you be there Cause when it opens up From its armor it's scared Will you be there And all the times its bled and all the times its lied The ways that it's been led and all the times its tried To get on without love and keep killin' time Meanwhile this precious heart was shriveling up inside I wrote a letter down I'm missing several words But if you hear their sound Some way I've never heard I'll seal it with my hands I'll press it to your heart It's more than I can stand But maybe that's a start And when it opens up Will you be there Cause when it opens up From its armor it's scared Will you be there
7.
Rachel is a gilded volume Of holy scripture That I read over and over again Until I get the picture And keep upon my night stand Next to my pen and tumbler But you, you are my swimming pool My wet and holy slumber Marc is like a pyre I think of in the morning When it?s time to go to work And fear of work is dawning He?s like a pure example A sacred shrine burning But you, you are my swimming pool You take in all the yearning You calm my heady thinkin' A water bed to sink in And rise out in the mornin' For the sun to drink in When I was a little girl I had a love for swimming And you, you are my swimming pool A well of love that's brimming. Jessie is a river flowin' We never know where she's goin' But we?re happy to join her Try to know what she's knowin' She weaves around those rocks and bends Keeps the world stirring But you, you are my swimming pool. An island?s reassuring You calm my heady thinkin' A water bed to sink in And rise out in the mornin' For the sun to drink in A many-layered triptych The world that I can live in But you, you are my swimming pool A world that I can swim in You, you are my swimming pool A world that I can swim in
8.
Middle Road 04:46
I marched over a hill And through a swamp to come to this Every run and jump thrill Was followed by a cold wet ditch Now the only thing that's left to scare me so Is to keep on breathing Moving forward while the winds race to and fro Take it slow Take it slow Take it slow Cause here we go Here we go Here we go Walk the middle road of love Walk the middle road of love You don't know what's gonna break You don't know what's gonna bend You don't know what it'll take You don't know what's gonna end Tonight Now I'm manning the wheel And I'm making myself look I see planets and fields I see sun and clouds and brooks And the deepest shade of blue I've ever seen On a ground so pure I Can't believe I've thought that paint I knew was green Take it slow Take it slow Take it slow Cause here we go Here we go Here we go Walk the middle road of love Walk the middle road of love You don't know what's gonna break You don't know what's gonna bend You don't know what it'll take You don't know what's gonna end Tonight Why do they always want the most You have to give in this life? I think the most would be Relaxing while the wheels took flight Take it slow Take it slow Take it slow Cause here we go Here we go Here we go Walk the middle road of love Walk the middle road of love You don't know what's gonna break You don't know what's gonna bend You don't know what it'll take You don't know what's gonna end Tonight
9.
Alone 04:18
When I say that he left me, I know It's not that clear who rowed When I say that I'm lonely, I know It's not their fault Life isn't always a ball Everyone's got to be alone sometimes Everyone's got to be alone sometimes. You can walk alone or cry alone Or look between the lines But everyone's got to be alone sometimes. When I say that my scars are my strengths I don?t expect you to feel the same When I say that I'm not turning back I don't expect a yellow brick path Everyone's got to be alone sometimes Everyone's got to be alone sometimes. You can walk alone or cry alone Or look between the lines But everyone's got to be alone sometimes. When I learned to stand on my feet I saw the trash in the street And I knew some of it would be mine and yours But that's just one thing you see When you open the doors I know you've been here before But everyone's got to be alone sometimes Everyone's got to be alone sometimes. You can walk alone or cry alone Or look between the lines But everyone's got to be alone sometimes.
10.
I feel like I'm fighting some huge Goliath Sometimes the shadow is all I can see And it's all I can do to stand here and say this Please don't bail on me You say you don't think I'm doing the right thing But there's no knowing what one small life brings And what can I do but stand here and sing Words that you gave me All I ever had All I ever had All I ever had Was your love You're not the only one scared its too much Scared I'm a fool to think what I could touch But I've a feeling believing would change such If we two can see Cause nothing is harder than losing the background And looking the foreground so clear in its face Where some of the colors will weaken and fade down Some won?t be replaced All I ever had All I ever had All I ever had Was your love And if I fall down and no one saves me That's not the time I need the most It's when I stand up with my knees shaking And say, please don't let me go And say please, don't let me go All I ever had All I ever had All I ever had Was your love
11.
I'm goin' down to the river I'm gonna tear off my clothes I'm gonna swim in the current Cause when it dries up nobody knows And I may seal up my fate Yeah I may step up to die But lord knows I been dyin' here Just too scared to fly The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end And we don't know when We don't know when There's a man in the reeds Yeah he's slitherin' down there Throwing his venom on the world That I held dear And now he's drainin' my blood He's hissin' Dance or be dead But I'm not waitin to kick up my heels I heard what he said The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end And we don't know when We don't know when You wanna wait here that's your choice But I heard a higher voice Heard it callin' out my name Through my pain Sayin' come on girl You wanna dance again? 1-2-3-4 The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end And we don't know when We don't know when The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end The world could end And we don't know when We don't know when I'm goin' down to the river I'm gonna tear off my clothes I'm gonna swim in the current 'cause when it dries up Nobody knows

credits

released January 1, 2006

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

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

shows

contact / help

Contact Jess Klein

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Jess Klein recommends:

If you like Jess Klein, you may also like: