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Songs Old and New

by Chaim Bezalel

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1.
Grace and Mercy 02:44
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We were walking on a narrow street Some foreign city summer heat Suddenly the gypsy boys came from behind Picked my pocket robbed me blind But grace and mercy Following my way, How many times I can hardly say. You shouted look out for those men I ran and caught them And got it back again. We were driving on a winding road In the mountains far away Suddenly you lost control Skidded in the rain I thought my life was down the drain But grace and mercy Following my way, How many times I can hardly say. I have been broken Seen my silver turned to brass But it's been spoken This too shall pass Grace and mercy Following my way, How many times I can hardly say. Grace and mercy Following my way, How many times I can hardly say.
2.
Seventeen Miles Away 02:44
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I wanna ride, I wanna ride away I wanna ride, I wanna ride away I wanna get down down Seventeen miles away. Take me down, down where the water is wide Take me down, down where the water is wide I want to walk the sand I want to sit and watch the tide Sometimes it’s hard, hard just to be a man Sometimes it’s hard, hard just to be a man When you face the music You can only do what you can When I came back to this country I went before the judge When I came back to this country I went before the judge I got a hundred days in prison On a misdemeanor he wouldn’t budge I’ve been high, gained the world but lost my soul Riding high, gained the world but lost my soul And I’ve been down so low Livin on the dole. I’ve had some women in my life, God knows I’ve had a few I’ve had some women in my life, God knows I’ve had a few The good the bad and the ugly Sometimes it’s hard to know who’s who I wanna ride, I wanna ride away I wanna ride, I wanna ride away I wanna get down down Seventeen miles away
3.
Raised in the Suburbs 03:41
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I was raised in the suburbs Had all that I need Of material comfort It was all guaranteed My father he worked in the material trade He commuted to the city an hour each way That was back in the mid 20th century days When the cars all had fins and hula hoop was the craze We played Davy, Davy Crockett king of the wild frontier It was before the revolution But in some ways we were freer. This morning I heard of a typical kid Made a goal for the wrong side, they still laugh about what he did Well he signed up for the army as a young high school grad Now they're shipping his body back home from Bagdad Well I fled from the suburbs halfway round the world And I've learned a few lessons as my life has unfurled But I never regretted the way I did go Now I'm singing this song from South Camano. So remember the Alamo, remember the Maine And don't declare victory till the end of the game You may score one for the wrong side fore you learn how to shoot And still land up a hero and a sung one to boot.
4.
Tyee Store 02:13
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Tyee store tyee store Everything costs just a little bit more Shut them winders and close the door I'm goin down to Tyee store. My mama brought me up to be a real gourmet No Wonder Bread or Twinkies in the house she's say But here on the South End I've been led astray Tyee Store has 'em by the tray. Well I was readin' in the paper today There's twenty different kinds of frozen waffles they say If you want just one and are willin to pay Tyee store's just a mile away If you got the cabin fever or just the blues Button yer jacket and tie yer shoes Fer half a dozen eggs whatcha got to lose Tyee store is the place to choose If you got an extra million under the bed And wondrin' what to do with all that bread Just put the cash on the barrelhead You can buy the whole store, they'll throw in the shed Tyee store tyee store Everything costs just a little bit more Shut them winders and close the door I'm goin down to Tyee store.
5.
Bury Me in my White Doeskin Shoes 02:39
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Oh bury me in my white doeskin shoes Bury me in my white doeskin shoes You didn't like them when I was walkin Now my shoes will do the talkin Oh bury me in my white doeskin shoes You didn't like to hear them slappin on the floor You didn't like to hear them slappin on the floor You said they sound like patent leather but they feel light as a feather Now you'll never hear that slappin sound again I'd take you dancin in my white doeskin shoes I'd take you dancin in my white doeskin shoes We'd a boogied all around Kinda floatin off the ground Dancin in my white doeskin shoes
6.
Watchin' the Senora Digging out the Dandelions 02:12
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Watching the senora digging out de’ dande’lions I’m out on the veranda just about siesta time The boat in the water looking like a toy And I’m feeling like a cabana boy Watching the senora digging out de’ dande’lions On my island, island in the sea Two turtle doves perchin’ in a tree Leave some of those weeds behind I don’t need an Eden but I’ll take what I can find Watching the senora digging out de’ dande’lions Watching the senora digging out de’ dande’lions She don’t sweat a lot cause de’ weather she’s so fine Just a little trickle down the small of her back And her hair hangin down from the brim of her hat Watching the senora digging out de’ dande’lions On my island, island in the sea Two turtle doves perchin’ in a tree Leave some of those weeds behind I don’t need an Eden but I’ll take what I can find Watching the senora digging out de’ dande’lions
7.
Everything is Mixed 02:20
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Everything is mixed Don’t try to get it fixed You’ll never get your kicks that way Don’t try to be so pure You never can be sure And there’s always something more to say. You are not perfect nor am I Needless to expand But the equation you and I Equals something grand Everything’s a blend Don’t try to comprehend It’s easier my friend that way It’s one day at a time That’s the reason and the rhyme If you’re ok then I’m ok We may not live forevermore Love may not extend Beyond however long we may endure But I’m sure it’s till the end.
8.
She's Got a Beaver in the Freezer 02:30
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She's got a beaver in the freezer that she found by the side of the road It's not the meat that she'll eat but the hide and fur that she stowed I'm confused how it's used but I guess to be beaded or sewed She's an old fashioned lady, she's abidin' by a whole different code Chorus: She's a Native American woman singin in a funky string band Shootin down all my suggestions She thinks that I'm soundin too bland. She lives out in the woods with a guy looks like Rutherford B. Hayes He's a man of few words but that's on his better days Calls himself a mountain man and that's just the role he plays We're all tryin to be authentic in a world of malls and freeways Chorus She's a Native American woman singin in a funky string band Shootin down all my suggestions She thinks that I'm soundin too grand. It won't be long till this song might be struck from the band's repertoire And I'll be playin kazoo instead of this old guitar Or be run out of town in a suit full of feathers and tar Cause everybody's thinkin that perhaps I've been going too far. She's a Native American woman singin in a funky string band Shootin down all my suggestions She thinks that I'm soundin too canned.
9.
Like Frogs in the Pot 02:59
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Sometimes it's hard to keep believing That everything works out in the end I'm tired of all the lying and deceiving When strangers are calling me their friend The phone rings I can't even answer anymore It's probably a robo call or scam I hear the background chatter on the call center floor And when they speak I don't understand But that's just a mild indication That we're just like frogs in the pot Too many have lost all sensation Of what is real and what is not The con man's an expert at projection He knows our desire to believe He say's that he got robbed of the election But there's no excuse for being naive A survey for every transaction They promise it won't take too much time To ascertain our level of satisfaction With every single question line by line. But that's just a mild indication. That's we're just like frogs in the pot Too many have lost all sensation Of what is real and what is not. Stand back from the crowd and of a mob beware My mother often told me as a child. They always burn their witches in the public square With their imaginations running wild. Sometimes it's hard to keep believing That everything works out in the end I'm tired of all the lying and deceiving When strangers are calling me their friend
10.
All is Vain 03:22
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The preacher was king in Jerusalem The wisest man in all the earth Wives and treasure beyond all measure Still he wonders what it's all worth All is vain the preacher is sayin' What do you gain from your sweat and strain It's all in vain don't wrack your brain Too much wisdom only brings pain Once you had your fill of wine women and song Preach me the difference between right and wrong It's all in vain as the rivers drain Into the sea and come back as rain Nothing is new under the sun Have your fun while you're still young Nothing written that hasn't been told Enjoy your life even when you're old Pie in the sky or mud in your eye No use wondering bout the by and by Don't be to wicked don't be too wise Don't be to righteous in your own eyes Vanity of vanities, keep your tongue from inanity Vanity of vanities, guard your lips from profanity The good old days have never been Enjoy the time you're living in The battle's not always to the strong But time and chance happen all along Before the silver cord is broken And the strains of music die down And the pitcher is smashed at the cistern And the dust returns to the ground And the breath to the one who imparted Be thankful for the life that you live And the love that you share open-hearted That is all the preacher had to give.

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10 songs from the past 20 years.

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released April 6, 2024

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Chaim Bezalel image

Chaim Bezalel Stanwood, Washington

My mother had a collection of 78 rpm records of folk music and I became a folk music lover from a young age. I attended festivals and concerts, sat with Libba Cotten when she sang Freight Train. I learned to pick sitting in Washington Square as a teenager. However, I did not begin writing songs until my 50's. I am also a poet and artist. I live in Wasnhington State and in Israel. ... more

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