February 20th, 2014
Danny Speer and The Circle D Band.
Black Hats
Produced by Danny Speer and Will Russell. Cover Art by Annie Campbell, Feb. ’93. Layout by Gary Marsden. Recorded, Engineered and Mixed by Will Russellat Electric Wilburland Studio, Ithaca, NY. Feb. 92-Jan. 93.
All songs ©1993 Danny Speer. Lyrics of Black Hats and Dottie’s Cafe byDanny Speer and Chris Dillon,Gleaming Beamer Music BMI 1993 Dedicated to Eileen Hughes and to thememory of Bill Broadwell 1949-1969.
Danny Speer: Vocals and acoustic guitars. Cello on Blue Glasses and Ferry Boat. Dee Specker: Vocals, Violin on Blue Glasses. Harry Aceto: Fretless bass guitar, lead guitar on Minor Leagues, mandola on Oregon Trail. Eric Aceto: Electric guitars. Violin on Ferry Boat and Dottie’s Cafe. Michael Wellen: Drums. Bob Carlucci: Pedal steel guitar. Electric guitar on Dottie’s Cafe.Guest Musicians Walt Koken: Banjo on Black Hats. Sherman Kelly: Piano on Life After Beth. David Arnay: Piano on Dottie’s Cafe and Ferry Boal Jerry Przygocki: Cymbal on Minor Leagues.
BLACK HATS
Left the Circle-D in Pagosa headin’ south for Santa Fe a string of ponies to delivery to the Cavalry. Black Hats bushwacked me and all them horses got away. I knew there’d be hell to pay. Rounded up some strays outside Arroyo in the nick of time. It was hot and getting hotter, about to lose my mind. Found Velarde, I was glad to get to anywhere – guess who was there?
Chorus
Black Hats, the bad guys, bad business in their eyes… I was one man facing three. One drew, I shot two, then I ran, what could I do? Now the Law’s looking for me.
Wished I was back in Colorado, toasting whites, trading licks with Angelina late at night. Holed up outside Coyote, should I go to Santa Fe or back the other way? I had to ask myself some questions what was wrong and right? Could I make the law believe me or would it be a fight? Put my hat on, put my horse on, the only place I want to be is the Circle-D.
Chorus
THAT MAN FROM NASHVILLE
Once you wore a halo all around your head and they said “Isn’t she just a little angel?” Butterflies and Humming birds ate from your hand before you met that man from Nashville.
Chorus
When fall the mighty, it’s a long way down before you scrape on the rocks and wash to shore. Next thing you know, you’ve sold your soul to that man from Nashville.
You sang about the sorrow of getting left behind and the way a woman sees her downfall. Everything he touched for you, it turned to gold except your love for that man from Nashville.
Chorus
I who always loved you can’t help but wish I could have served you a little better. Held you in the innocence of your small-town ways before you met that man from Nashville.
Chorus
LIFE AFTER BETH
She left the motor running, I could hear the car door slam and then her footsteps on the stairs. She burst into the bedroom dismissed my big hello and said “This is the end of our affair”. There may be joy now in Mudville. The sun may set in the west again tomorrow. Do I even care to draw another breath? Is there life after Beth?
I’ve asked a lot of questions. I did my time in school to find why the sky is blue up there. And why the grass is greener beyond this present sphere and why life isn’t always fair. But now one question consumes me and no philosophy supplies and easy answer, do I even care to draw another breath? Is there life after Beth?
It was a one-way romance and I suppose I should have seen the writing on the wall. But when she made love to me, she made the world go away and off it, I did fall. There may be joy now in Mudville. The sun may set in the west again tomorrow. Do I even care to draw another breath? Is there life after Beth?
DOTTIE’S CAFE
Eat your heart out at Dottie’s Cafe. “Pies baked up fresh here daily”. Truckers and cowboys and folks on their way stop into Dottie’s Cafe. Gertie, the waitress, she’s been here for years and knows just the right thing to say to Lefty and Billy after too many beers, and Darlene with the tray, who started today.
As the night falls the parking lot fills, the sun gives way to neon. Now it’s Dottie’s Night Club and the locals come out to dance to Country Leon. Leon, he’s got him the band of his dream the steel and fiddle swinging. His “Walkin’ the Floor”, won the heart of Darlene but before they could sin, her boyfriend walked in.
Dottie stepped in to break up the fight that was about to happen. Everybody knows what Dottie says goes, she sent that boyfriend packin’. Dottie’s got savvy and Dottie’s got soul, and she’s a handsome woman. She hollered out, “Now let the good times roll!”… And everyone knows, what Dottie says, goes.
Eat your heart, the Special today, will cure your morning after. Just the thing to chase your headache away, the sound of Dottie’s laughter. Lefty and Billy took Gertie’s advise… they won’t be in till later. And Dottie’s got some Nashville Cats on the line, cause Leon, it seems, took off with Darlene.
BLUE GLASSES
She gave me blue glasses & I put them on when she made love to you. I couldn’t see my hand holding the gun, what did I do? When she was my lover in many bright hues, I could see colors now I see blue & I can’t get thru.
She gave me blue glasses to wear day and night knowing that she would never be true. She put me on the ultra-violet ice locked inside me so blue.When she was my lover in many bright hues, I could see colors now I see blue & I can’t get thru.
Chorus
Blue, blue glasses…..
She gave me blue glasses gun-metal blue, layers of sad that I can’t see thru & now that she’s left me smoke from the gun curls ’round my hand, what have I done? When she was my lover in many bright hues, I could see colors now I see blue & I can’t get thru.
GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST
You think that she must be happy. She’s getting all the applause. Her clothes fit her tightly. You think there oughta be a law. You followed him to the nightclub where she was singing last night. She got the men all excited but she’s a loser in her private life.
Chorus
When the girl of the Golden West goes home at night she cries herself to sleep when she turns out the light. Being beautiful and rich won’t help in the end ’cause she found she can’t hold on to her man.
Nobody comes away happy from doing the Santa Fe twist because it’s love unrequited all up and down the list. So when she dances and prances down at Ithe Golden West don’t let the glamour deceive you. She’s no different from the rest.
Chorus
Girl of the Golden West The name from Puccini’s opera. The Santa Fe twist, an idea by Dee.
JUST ENOUGH ROPE
I don’t believe you baby when you say you were at home alone because I called 3 times and got nothing but a ringing phone. I won’t be your keeper I won’t tell you where to go but if I’m not your only lover I don’t want to be the last to know.
Chorus
I wanna give you all the loving you need and when you’re sick I want to nurse you back to health. But I’ve got to give you one more thing before I wear your wedding ring. I’ll give you just enough rope to hang yourself.
You’ve got a reputation as the Don Juan of our town. You’ve got a reputation and you’re gonna have to live it down. You got my attention when you swore you would be true but everybody keeps telling me I’ve got to keep an eye on you. (chorus)
So tell me why no answer at your number when I dialed? Tell me my imagination is the only thing that’s running wild. I want to believe you that the rumors have no fact. But if I’m not your only lover I’m gonna catch you in the act.
Chorus
Just Enough Rope: Oldest song here, from Dec. 87, a year before Circle D. Dee and I first worked together in Pirates (Ithaca 1983-84)
LIFE IN THE MINOR LEAGUES
I’d walk a mile for a long home stand and some high hanging curve balls. I’d knock the smile from the Marlboro man behind the left field wall. My hometown honey said you can’t fence me in. You’ve got lo let me touch them all… Her Dear John Letter’s got me wondering how far I can fall.
Chorus
I don’t want to spend my life in the Minor Leagues. I got nothing against Kankakee. I’ve got to make it to the Bigs to be free of this life in the Minor Leagues.
I spent my birthday on a bumpy old bus to some Pony League town learning how to spit tobacco and cuss and keep the rubberside down. Was I dreaming that I got in the game with a double for my club? One pitch later I was diving back they doubled me up.
Chorus
I don’t want to spend my life in the Minor Leagues. I got nothing against Waxahachie. I’ve got to make it to the Bigs to be free of this life in the Minor Leagues.
I came to bat against a former Cy Young on his third comeback try. I must have missed the sign for bunt and run and I gave that ball a ride. Some kid caught it in the parking lot and I was slappin’ some fives when I heard this voice say: “Till you learn to follow orders you’ll be riding the pine.”
Chorus
don’t want to spend my life in the Minor Leagues. I got nothing against Albuquerque. I’ve got to make it to the Bigs to be free of this life in the Minor Leagues.
Life in the Minor Leagues: we live every day with the tragedy that Ithaca has no professional baseball.
Harry Aceto and I began our musical association in 1967 founding the Peabody Band.
OREGON TRAIL
As we rolled out of St. Joseph we knew one natural fact: once on the trail there would be no turning back. All winter long as we worked on our gear we prayed for good luck till one April day came the cry: the grass is up!
Chorus
We left it all behind on the Oregon Trail. It was a trying time but we did not know how to fall.
We followed the rivers and forded the streams 20 miles a day making Ft. Laramie sometime late in May. Into the mountains so god-awful high crossing the divide we made Ft. Boise sometime in July.
Chorus
Six pairs of oxen pulled all that we owned, horses strung behind all through that summer ol 1845. Bridger and Fremont had pointed the way west by northwest. We followed the Columbia to the Williamette.
Chorus
Now in our homes we like to sit by the fire and glory in those days. What with the railroad the Trail’s begun to fade. We led the greatest adventure of our lives and it will remain crossing the country on that wagon train.
Chorus
Oregon Trail: They pronounce Williamette with the accent on the second syllable. (Will-am-et)
FERRY BOAT IN THE RAIN
Old Man Wilson said I’m sorry the ferry boat don’t run today. With all this rain the river’s swollen like a bee sting. We tried and we’d be washed away. Someday we’re gonna fix that pulley. Someday we’re gonna build a bridge up to the sky. But it don’t matter here this morning ’cause we can’t get to the other side.
Chorus
We’re all sinners in our own way. Let them without sin cast the first stone. Cast it over that wide water and follow it there on their own.
Old Man Wilson put the flowers by the tombstone of his wife. He said my drinking might have killed her. How come it didn’t take my life? Someday we’re gonna fix that pulley. Someday we’re gonna build a bridge up to the sky. But it don’t matter here this morning ’cause we can’t get lo the other side.
Chorus
Ferry Boat in the Rain: Picture the Hudson River with no GW or TappanZee bridges.
TONIGHT WE FELL IN LOVE AGAIN
You are the one who kept me up all night till we know we both had seen the light. Our dream came true but not without a fight but now we know it’s gonna be all right. You are the one you are the only one who knows about tonight. You’ll be the one who comes lo know me like no other in this life.
Chorus
Because tonight was the night we fell in love again I haven’t felt this fine since I don’t know when. It didn’t come easy but tonight we fell in love again. You were kicking up a mighty fuss toughest time that ever happened to us. But now we made it and we’re in the clear, I love you all the way from there to here.
Chorus
Tonight We Fell in Love Again: and again and again and again.