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Pride of the Valley

by Martin Rivas

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1.
Take a damn, damn, damn, damn, damn good look around Take a damn, damn, damn, damn, damn good look around There's less time than you realize It's later than you know Take a damn, damn, damn, damn, damn good look around ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
2.
The tenements again Hi and how you been Oh, imagine it Oh, imagine it The ghosts I chance to meet On Cross and Orange Street Oh, imagine it Oh, imagine it Dancers spring to flight In the gaslit night And from long-dead eyes Life italicized Oh, imagine it Oh, imagine it Snow in Chatham Square Melting in her hair And her skin is then Soft and warm again Oh, imagine it Oh, imagine it ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
3.
North 03:56
I'm going north Going where the sun is always bright Going where I always feel alright I always feel alright Tuck me safely in my bed tonight Throw me where my heart is always light Throw me where I get to sleep all night I dream away the night Tuck me safely in my bed I wish I could remember everything you've ever said to me Oh, the pleasure of another hour or two to be with you I'm going north Going where the sun is always bright Going where I always feel alright I always feel alright Tuck me safely in my bed I dreamt that just the same, the morning raged But nonetheless somehow they found you You came home where you could finally take your rest But nonetheless Where would you rather be? Let your thoughts collapse upon you And the echo set you free Oh my, the sky, the sky is awfully gorgeous Fly away with me It's beautiful Fly away with me You've got to see it Where would you rather be? Let your thoughts collapse upon you Let your thoughts collapse upon you What keeps us far apart will surely someday bring us back together On a day that I'm not meant to comprehend Once again I'll see you then Going north Going where the sun is always bright Going where I always feel alright I always feel alright Tuck me safely in my bed tonight Where would you rather be? Let your thoughts collapse upon you And the echo set you free Oh my, the sky, the sky is awfully gorgeous Fly away with me It's beautiful Fly away with me You've got to see it Where would you rather be? Let your thoughts collapse upon you Let your thoughts collapse Let your thoughts collapse upon you ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
4.
Hope 03:56
Every roadblock out of town has been taken down I thought you'd be the first one out I can't believe you're still around Before anybody implicates you Use every opportunity that awaits you I know I'll hear your name I'll be listening I hope your jaw is broken, but you can go another round I hope your ears are bleeding, but still you hear your favorite sound I hope you're in the time that you feel is best for you And no one ever gets to make your choices for you I hope you do all that's meant for you I hope each morning is an adventure waiting to begin I hope you wake up and you're psyched, somewhere that you've never been I hope the Good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise up I hope the eavesdropper drops his peeping eyes Somewhere far off when we can meet again And I'll tell you then It's alright I hope you write with lightning, and that your message isn't missed I hope you're dashing and gorgeous and impossible to resist The Pan American, I hope it whips your hair And I hope you're thrilled, 'cause at 5:08 you're there Here it comes again On the L&N WSM I hope you take the kids out and show them what it's all about I hope you take the kids out and show them what it's all about Otis Redding, Sam & Dave ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
5.
Memphis Pig 04:24
What I say Wasted day What I write Wasted night Half awake Haven't slept There's no rest in my bed There's no comforting thoughts in my head except Memphis Pig Barbecue Slowly cooked Day or two Mississip Pulled apart Like the pig Like my heart You can talk, you can say anything you wanna Anything at all Chances are you will say anything you wanna Chances are I'll be saying barely anything along the way Mind to hand Hand to mouth Side by side Deeper south 7" 45 Ardent, Sun Stax & Hi Keep it here Keep it real Keep it live Memphis Pig Ain't it good It's the rub It's the wood Mississip Flowing by Sure as life As it should Drop me off, let me out anywhere you wanna Anywhere at all I am fully aware of how to get where I wanna Don't expect a call In the end Nothing said In the end Nothing said Swallow words in your head In the end Nothing said In the end Nothing said All your hopes lying dead ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
6.
Life is designed to break your heart Watch it tear your soul apart Life is designed to break your heart First you love your mother, sister, and your brother Then you love another Hurt and can't recover Voices disappearing faster than the wind I know I'll never feel that innocent again Life is designed to break your heart ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
7.
Out in the shade, I found a place I can lay I came here to rehabilitate, no longer lying in state, or needing to From where I've been to where I want to go From what I've been told to what I want to know A moment, beloved, to barely recover All thought delayed out in the shade The sun is at work closing the door on a day I'd rather forget My fingers should be sparking electricity They haven't yet Something that's felt instead of thought, but still very real is all I've sought A moment extended Perhaps never ended Rewound and played out in the shade Words fail incessantly to describe how I feel now, how I always Up and down I came here to tame all that has brought me to shame Maintain myself I cannot escape My thoughts are committed to tape Reclaim myself Can it be years? I've barely walked a day Harmless but puzzling Is that it? Do I just tick away? I'd rather remember a kinder September Content to stay out in the shade ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
8.
Jockey silks presented, colors pressed and recommended Sharpened heels and ties and handwriting The Mutuel pool's awaited, combinations anticipated In the daily number happening Winning, with flowers And it won't be long 'til the crowd is cheering And the record holds, but you feel it nearing Don't be shy, you'll take it anyway that they'll give it Come around The grass is trimmed, the lines are drawn, the diamond's cut, created Sharpened cleats and bleached white gathering Angels pulling favors, and they're paid They're paying angels Drop you down right where you pay to be Winning, with flowers It's a bitter taste, but it's expensive Eat it It isn't natural, someone else conceived it Don't be shy, you'll take it Don't pretend that you hate it Come around, come around, come around Come around I'll catch you later I'll catch you later And when you're gone I'll won't miss you, there's too much I'm working on Success is too elusive Results are too conclusive to ignore I won't miss you, there's too much I'm working for You missed the presentation, 'cause you had the realization That the gains are only temporary Your hobby's an addiction, it's a family affliction Face-to-crotch with your worst enemy Winning, with flowers Come around I'll catch you later I'll catch you later And when you're gone I'll won't miss you, there's too much I'm working on Success is too elusive Results are too conclusive to ignore I won't miss you, there's too much I'm working for ©1994 Mayflower Kingdom/Ensign Music (BMI). All rights reserved.
9.
Take your guitar and play another winner For the folks who came out to see you Half of whom would rather be elsewhere And half of whom would rather be you Miniature engine whimpers to life and stalls in the alley All this and more monitored by the Pride of the Valley School is out They're tying their boots and racing out into the snow Radio plays to an overcast sky By moonlight you walk to the glow Helmets gleam and clash in the lights A fourth-quarter rally All this and more monitored by the Pride of the Valley Sticks are all wet, leaves on the ground Takes air to make fire and wood Open the hatch Smoke turns to flame How many centuries it stood Ships are sailing with containers of gold And crumbs in the galley All this and more monitored by the Pride of the Valley Trucks are en route Unaware of the name of the street which they currently roll down They hold on their backs important deliveries For some other important town Take a right at the blinking yellow light The interstate rally All this and more monitored by the Pride of the Valley ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
10.
Every street is a poet Every being a theater Brushed clean by pride Scrubbed by johnny-pump rain Unaware, unnoticed In the turmoil of the day It's delicious skyline veiled As the city loses its way Look away and it's torn down Gone before you have a chance to stare Farewell, beloved People in the way And all they do is care Doric columns, winged eagles, granite angels Dumped in a swamp somewhere Coming from ruins but not ruined The el is a rainbow in the gray It never was what we think it was Just explains the thing we are from day to day Coming from ruins but not ruined The el is a rainbow in the gray It never was what we think it was ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
11.
Centuries of adventure beneath the earth Get your money's worth Kicking up the dirt as you fly around Is your visor down Always feeling worse than I really am Never felt as good as when I began US-20 drips with our travel plan Narragansett can One accelerator to make you go One for overflow Usable routine at the gas machine Run the classic screen Standing near the door at the package store What'cha waiting for? Always feeling worse than I really am Never felt as good as when I began Come on over Crops are brown Sky is lit up all around ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.
12.
But Still 02:39
I will heal, yes I will Everybody heals But still If there's a lesson you want me to learn I ain't getting it I will laugh, yes I will Everybody laughs again But still If there's a message you want me to hear I ain't hearing it Lift back the sheets of thought to summer's wistful glow The clouds will part You no longer need to know I will remember, yes I will Everybody remembers But still Damn memories Try as they might Ain't bringing either one of us back I died along with you ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI). All rights reserved.

about

"Martin Rivas just needs to be heard!" - bbqchickenrobot.com

Mart's 3rd solo release brings forth a darker-but-still-hopeful sonic palette. Deep looped grooves meet melodic acoustic guitars on the Lower East Side.

credits

released June 6, 2005

Played, produced, recorded and mixed by Martin Rivas.

All songs written by Martin Rivas except "Winning, With Flowers," written by Bavaro/McGivney/Rivas/Wieland.

All songs ©2005 Martin Rivas (BMI) except "Winning, With Flowers," ©1994 Mayflower Kingdom/Ensign Music (BMI). All rights reserved.

Cover Photo: David deLisser
Interior Photos: Patti Landy

Lyrics, contact info & such: www.martinrivas.net

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Martin Rivas New York, New York

Brooklyn native Martin Rivas has been a stalwart participant and supporter of NYC-based underground music since his days in early-90s critical darlings & CBGB regulars Serious Pilgrim. Martin’s music has always taken the listener on a sonic journey that feels new and familiar; now that fatherhood has introduced him to his greatest passion, his 7th album is certain to take some compelling twists. ... more

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