Strange And Wonderful

Great Big World

Written by: Karisha Longaker
 

Hey I hope you find your way out there
Where you're going
Hey I know you'll find you way out there
When you're gone
I'll be near you all along
I'll be here
I'll be singing songs of adoration and support
Like I do
Like a fire in the night
Warming light to surround you in the dark
In the dark, in the dark
It's a great big world out there
I know you know
And you like it where it's wild
And where it's clear
So you must go
Just remember that I love you
Here at home
Aaaaaaaah
Hey I hope I find my way out there
Where I'm going
Hey I know I'll find my way out there
When I'm gone
Please be near me all along
Please be here
Just be thinking thoughts of adoration and support
Like you do
Like a fire in the night
Warming light to surround me in the dark
In the dark, in the dark
It's a great big world out there
You know I know
And the music
She is calling loud and clear
So I must go
Just remember to remind me that you love me
I want to know
Aaaaaaah

Springtime

Written by: Karisha Longaker
 

If you don't believe in summer
And you don't believe in winter
Won't you take me in the springtime
Only you can cure this fever
Ah ha….Ah ha
I am boiling over, boiling
I am hotter than the water
That was heated for the birthing
Of your mother's only daughter
Ah ha….Ah ha
If I had a horse I'd ride him 'round
Ride him all the way in to town
If I had a hound I'd teach him how
Teach him how to sniff you out
Ah ha….Ah ha
Boy, have mercy on me
Boy, have mercy on me, 
It's springtime
Mmm hmm….Mmm ha
I am sitting in the meadow
All the meadowlarks are singing
There is a stirring in my body
That this early spring is bringing
Ah ha….Ah ha
And all of my creeks are overflowing
Flowing over former banks
If you'll only say you'll help me
I'd repay you a thousand times
Uh huh…Uh huh….Uh huh
If I had a horse I'd ride him 'round
Ride him all the way in to town
If I had a hound I'd teach him how
Teach him how to sniff you out
Ah ha….Ah ha
Boy, have mercy on me
Boy, have mercy on me, 
It's springtime
Boy, have mercy on me
Boy, have mercy on me, 
It's springtime
Uh huh….Uh huh
There is a way in which spring's moisture
Just keeps creeping up from under
If I give you what I got
You'll feel me like lightning and thunder
Ah Ha….Ah Ha

If you don't believe in summer
And you don't believe in winter
Won't you take me in the springtime
Only you can cure this fever
Ah Ha….Ah Ha
Boy, have mercy on me/ If I had a horse I'd ride him 'round
Boy, have mercy on me/ Ride him all the way in to town
It's springtime/ If I had a hound I'd teach him how
Teach him how to sniff you out
Boy, have mercy on me/ If I had a horse I'd ride him 'round
Boy, have mercy on me/ Ride him all the way in to town
It's springtime/ If I had a hound I'd teach him how
Teach him how to sniff you out
If I had a way to make you true
I'd finally have my way with you
If I had a way to make you true
I'd finally have my way with you

Strange & Wonderful

Written by: Sarah Nutting

Landscapes pass in picture frames
A styrofoam cup full of monkey dust
And a foxtail groomed by the ravens
At dusk
One Ford van with Alabama plates
Old tail light and weary brakes
And the bed in the back is big enough
For the three of us
Uh ho---this is strange and wonderful
Blue eyes pierce the rear view mirror
Inscense mingles with gasoline fumes
And the songs in our heads
Are radio tunes
All night drives
Leather poetry
We awaken to your totem scream
You are redefining
The American dream
Uh ho---this is strange and wonderful

And it takes a strong leader
To keep things alive, she says
And the strides of a warrior
Are wide I do believe
And if I could, I would vote for you

Don Juan comin' down the mountainside
Hold the reins, hold the reins
These gusty winds bring change
Hold the reins, hold the reins
These gusty winds bring change
Hold the reins, hold the reins
These gusty winds bring change, change, change

King of lions in the valley of Gods
Water dragons with their peeling bark
We walk through this desert Oz
Who is behind the red curtain, you ask
And then the bones appear
We are beating on the earth for those who still linger here
And oh ho
This is strange
Oh ho,
This is strange
Oh ho, 
This is strange---and wonderful

Hold the reins, hold the reins
These gusty winds bring change
Hold the reins, hold the reins
These gusty winds bring change
Hold the reins, hold the reins
These gusty winds bring change, change, 
Strange and wonderful
Strange and wonderful
Strange and wonderful
Strange and wonderful

Just Fine

Written by: Sarah Nutting

Let go of all your worries
Like you take off all of your clothes
One piece at a time
Place them into your closet
Out of sight and out of mind
Let the cold in
You're doin' just fine
And take a walk down old familiar streets
Exposed shoulders and bare feet
Ah ha ha ha Ah ha
The light is coming back, light is coming back
As of today
The light is coming back, light is coming back
As of today
Ahhhhh. . . . . .
You're doin' just fine
Find a spot off of the pavement
Let your feet remember the Earth
You're a child of hers
It's been your right since birth
I know it's cold
You're doin' just fine
Ah ha, oh you're doin' just fine
Just fine
You're doin' just fine
Here comes the sun (just fine)
Here comes the sun (just fine)
Here comes the sun
It's all right
You're doin' just fine
Take your worries from out of your closet
Place them on your favorite window sill
Watch them fly away
While your mind sits still. . .

Lilliana

Written by: Sarah Nutting

Once upon a time
I knew the Earth was mine
And she knew I belonged to her
And I knew I belonged to her
Lilliana, oh oh oh

And the moon robs the Earth of golden brush
Replaces it with silver sage
The shadows of the night meet the sun rise
She bows to a new day, She bows to a new day
You can trace any tendril of Interstate line
She is not on the map
The smoke gallops behind her
And it presses against her back
Presses against her back
And she places her ear close to the ground
Listenin' with her body to the ancient sound
It is the pulse
The beat, beat, beat
It is the heartbeat of the world
It is the heartbeat of the world
Lilliana, your story is safe

And the swallows, they are made for the dew
They sip it, sweet desert wine
She too, finds the source where
Earth nectar is sweetened by time
Earth nectar is sweetened by time
And the cottonwood trees make their presence known
Clip, clap, clappin' in the wind
They echo off these canyon walls
They tap a knowingness within
A knowingness within
And she places her ear close to the ground
Listenin' with her body to the ancient sound
It is the pulse
The beat, beat, beat
It is the heartbeat of the world
It is the heartbeat of the world
Lilliana, your story is safe

Into the belly of the ancient ones
Sage lingers on the path
Communion begins, the song is sung
You can look, 
But we are not on the map
You can look, 
But we are not on the map
And we place our ears lose to the ground
Listenin' with our bodies to the ancient sound
It is the pulse
The beat, beat, beat
It is the heartbeat of the world
It is the heartbeat of the world
Lilliana, your story is safe
Once upon a time
I knew the Earth was mine
And she knew I belonged to her
And I knew I belonged to her
Lilliana, your story is safe

Howl

Written by: Sarah Nutting

What lives below this granite crust
Flourescent moss and rose-tinted brush
Mid-afternoon
The season is early winter
The larch are gold and becoming, on a northern slope
My feet dangle over the edge
Will you throw me a rope
They say that it's an Indian summer
And 'though I'm tired of being the wind
I'm howlin' again
Oooh, ahhh. . .

I listen for the owls breaking
Of midnight bones
I listen for the messages that speak
From my own
And 'though I don't know what time it is
I know I am alone
And 'though I'm tired of being the wind
I'm howlin' again
Oooh, ahhh

The sky is sighing snow
I'm singing in harmony
Take a bit of refuge
Beneath an old weathered tree
And slowly, slowly I befriend the wind
Ooh, ahh

On The Altar

Written by: Karisha Longaker

I woke up this mornin'
Stumbled out of bed
The first thing that happened to me
I found myself
In a remote desert church
I laid down on the altar to sing

I'm gonna lay down on the altar
There is no better place, no better place
To lay down on the altar, and sing

Up from the stone
The moss and the bone
Arose a benevolent song
I opened my mouth,
My hands and my heart
And sang to the ceiling above

I'm gonna lay down on the altar
There is no better place, no better place
To lay down on the altar, and sing
Lay it down
Give it up
Lay it down
And sing

There are sixteen candles
In the corner
Patiently awaiting the light
The Good Book is open
To a page about the barren womb
Of a women
For whom singing is right

I'm gonna lay down on the altar
There is no better place, no better place
To lay down on the altar, and sing
Lay it down
Give it up
Lay it down
And sing

By the old slave block auction
In a tunnel full of breeze
Way down in New Orleans
The winds conjured up
Every slave in my heart
And decided to set them free

I'm gonna lay down on the altar
There is no better place, no better place
To lay down on the altar, and sing
Aaah. . .
. . .And sing

I woke up this morning
Stumbled out of bed
The first thing that happened
I found myself
In a remote desert church
I laid down on the altar to sing

Salem

Written by: Sarah Nutting

The sun wouldn't shine
And the corn wouldn't grow
Little baby's sick
In the house next door
So much disaster
And who's to blame
So they called her out
And they made her pay, made her pay
Fingers pointed
Accusations flew
You killed my cow
You killed my chickens, too
Oh poor little girl
What could you do? 
Nothin'!

One two three four
Will she hold her breath
A few seconds more?
Five six seven eight
Will she sink to the bottom
Or burn at the stake?

Then they marched them through
That dusty little town
While the children hung
On the backs of their gowns
There must have been a hundred
Or maybe two
But I swear I never saw nothin'
Of a witches brew, of a witch's brew
Hey mister, when I look in your eyes
All I see is fear of a woman who's wise
If she's a witch
You must be the devil in disguise

One two three four
Will she hold her breath
A few seconds more?
Five six seven eight
Will she sink to the bottom
Or burn at the stake?

Will she sink to the bottom
Or burn at the stake

Bye, Bye Mother
Bye, Bye Sweet Mary Sue
You were taken
From our little home
Now at the bottom of the river's
Where we'll find your bones
Oh, God, what have we done
A town of motherless children
Meanwhile. . .
Their torches still burn

One two three four
Will she hold her breath
A few seconds more?
Five six seven eight
Will she sink to the bottom
Or burn at the stake?

One two three four
Will she hold her breath
A few seconds more?
Five six seven eight
Will she sink to the bottom
Or burn at the stake?

Will she sink to the bottom
Or burn at the stake?

Red Bird

Written by: Karisha Longaker

Here near black waters divine is
Dangling from every branch
Black waters
Swallow up our hollow fears
Steer us on
On
Faith
On faith we come for miles around
Just to hear that precious sound
Of harmony
From the mouth of the fool
Fool
Fool, who is the innocent
Courageous words are heavensent
To remind
Strike the chord while it's hot
Lead us to that sacred spot
Where, believe it or not,
We are found
Chorus
I give thanks for what is given
Offer up to the next, downstream
Row row, row your boat
Gently down
May the circle be unbroken
Merry go round
Again, again

Red Bird
Who weaves the elders' song
Into a message nest
We are not alone
We are the wellspring of those
Who came before
Of theirs, our voices born
Our song so ancient,
Older than we can imagine
The gift of fearless love-givers

Natural Order

Written by: Karisha Longaker

All the little birdies in the trees
They wake up singin' happy songs
The squirrels go up and down
They're so busy runnin' 'round
They seem to know that they belong
All the veggies in the garden
And the trees in the yard
They all grow in the same direction
And I never met a flower
Who'd deny the higher power
That was born to shine on everyone

Me, I ain't been no mornin' glory
I have lived another story
I've been afraid to get out of my bed
When the daylight rolled around
You'd find me hiding underground
Paralyzed by fear and dread

Why would I wake up
Try to resist the morning
That can only totally
Inevitably be
I want to open my eyes
And give thanks to the dawning
Singing bring it on
I believe I am home
I'm givin' over
To my place
In the natural order of things

I was talking to my brother
About the things that give us trouble
You know we both get awful blue
The thing I saw we had in common
Was this kind of faithless belonging
Had us wanderin' 'round
Wonderin' what we're here to do
Oh, tryin' to go this thing alone
Is like tryin' to eat a mountain
It's like tryin' to swallow the sea
It's like wakin' in the morning
Not believin' you belong here
Then you got nothing to give or receive

Hey bring back my faith
It is the root and the structure
To this tree of life
Upon which we all thrive
I see spirit as to the land
As is the left to the right hand
Of the same body, different sides

Why would we make it up
That we don't belong here
When we can only totally
Inseparably be
I want to open my eyes
And give thanks to the dawning
Singing bring it on
I believe I am home
I'm givin' over
To my place
In the natural order of things
I'm givin' over
To my place
In the natural order of things

Red Bud

Written by: Karisha Longaker

Little Red Bud
So brave to bloom in early spring
Oh
Bright as you've ever been
Vulnerable to everything
Warrior you are
Quite a sight to see in pink
Oh
Taking on the cold, the rain, the sun
Barely wielding shields of green
Not to mention that
You still have some of last year's brown
Hangin' 'round
Oh
The memory of seasons past
Still has yet to reach the ground

Trust your heart
For it's opening
Trust your heart
It hears the call
of the sun
Gone are the days
Of being small
Oh you know that you know
And you know your heart will
Show you where to go
And so
Go on opening up fearlessly
When you do what you do
And you do it true
All the way
All the world will see you through it
Beautifully
Aaah
Little red bud
Oh you know your time has come
Oh
There's no use to resist it now
When you play along
It's certainly more fun
Little lady there
There's no need for you to explain
Oh
For when a bloom must bloom must bloom
She's going to, weather shine or weather rain
And some are gonna try to tell you that
It's too cold and it's not safe
Oh
Girl, I've heard it all before
And I say
Go on, do it anyway

Trust your heart,
For it's opening
Trust your heart
It hears the call
of the sun
Gone are the days
Of being small
Oh you know that you know
And you know your heart will
Show you where to go
And so
Go on opening up fearlessly
When you do what you do
And you do it true
All the way
All the world will see you through it
Beautifully

The Great Debate

Written by: Karisha Longaker

On the night of the great debate
We waltzed beneath the starry sky
We held tight beneath the crescent moon
The coyotes sent out their cry
And the wind spun a tale
Of a people who dwell
In the canyons
Of red rock and sage
As the sage sang her song
Every spirit sang along
To the music this holy land made
Oh. . .
On the night of the great debate
The darkness echoed your tune
You called out
To your father's forefathers before you
They arrived not a moment too soon
And the wind spun a tale
Of a people who dwell
In the canyons
Of red rock and sage
As the sage sang her song
Every spirit sang along
To the music this holy land made
Oh. . .
On the night of the great debate
In the distance
The twinkling city lights
While the world below
Watched the figures made of snow
We kept warm by the glow of the fire
And the wind spun a tale
Of a people who dwell
In the canyons
Of red rock and sage
As the sage sang her song
Every spirit sang along
To the music this holy land made

As the sage sang her song
Every spirit sang along
To the music this holy land made