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Long Way Down

from Learning Faith by Jess Klein

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Martin Fischer
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about

I was part of a weekly songwriting challenge run by my friend Matt the Electrician. Every Thursday morning he’d email us a phrase and we’d each have to turn in a recording of a song including that phrase by the next Wednesday. The phrase that sparked this song was “under the northern” which as you can see is not a full thought which leads me to believe that Matt might have been really stoned when he came up with it. At any rate I’m very grateful to Matt for the inspiration. The phrase ‘long way down’ - I just feel like whatever drives me to create, to survive, to put myself out there for the sake of my art is some really deep seated thing I’ll probably never fully understand. I’ve just learned to listen to it because it’s gotten me this far.

lyrics

I had been there before
old man worry hangin’ round my door
heard his heavy silence outside
wishin i could run away and hide

poured myself a stiff drink of gin
looked around that hole i’d been in
felt the old man’s whiskers
ticklin’ my fingers
as i opened the door and
pushed him aside

and it’s a long way back
its a long way down
it’s a long way
won’t get there today
but i won’t be turning around

Hailed a cab and sped up the road
to my lover’s abode
thinkin’ bout the good times
thinkin’ bout those sweet rhymes
and all those funny dreams i hold

I swept in there ready for the kill
tried to move him by the sheer force of my will
I pulled his arms around me
said, ‘ain’t ya glad you found me?’
and he just stood there, stone still

chorus

And I don’t know how long the road
don’t know how hard the right
only that I’m goin’
though I’m only knowin’
of one friend
who’ll stay by my side

Now I’m here by the northern line
and I am lost as a lone turtle dove
watching lovers kiss
in their lovers’ bliss
while that old train rattles above

chorus

credits

from Learning Faith , released July 24, 2014
Jess - electric guitar
Professor Feathers - bass, arp synthesizer, electric guitar, mellotron, vox organ
Billy Masters - electric guitar
Rob Hooper - drums
Wendy Colonna - backing vocals

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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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