Produced by Steve Carr and Georgie Jessup @ Hit and Run Recording in Rockville, Maryland
Engineered by Steve Carr
additional engineering on track #4 by Mike Hamilton of Mission Road Recording Studio
Mixed and Mastered by Steve Carr, Georgie Jessup
Recorded between December 2010 and May 2013
Graphics and Art Direction by C. Maxwell-Hadley
Photography by Bonnie Schupp
In Memory of Waz On Lay Ke Ko Ka Haus ( Snow Owl a.k.a. Ronald Lynn Flood) 4/3/1948 -Journey well my brother & ‘Mystic Man’, you sang your death song and died like a hero going home! 8/17/2011.
And to:
Miracle Max Mauler (1999/2000 – 11/22/2013) my four legged medicine man; Blaze and I will be in that F3 1952 Ford pick-me-up with you riding through the cosmos, wind in our hair and grins on our faces before you know it! Special thanks to Dr. Terry Maskol of Dundalk Animal Hospital (Max & Blaze’s Doctor).
And also:
Yolande Morganti, my friend and family from Soultzbach les Bains. Journey well my Alsace Sister! Eric & Christine Freymuth & family
There are so many people to thank! No performing songwriter could have any success without the support of family, friends and fans. Here are just a few who have given extra help and support! I thank you all.
Above and Beyond:
Mary “Sunshine” Mauler, The Philosopher Dogs: Max and Blaze Mauler, Alice Blum, Mary Lou Bartram, Gary, Val Robbie, and Steven Mauler, Virginia Mauler, Steve Carr, Erin Marcus, Keith “Mac” McNamee, Carmin Karasic, Jacquie Rosenborough, Faith and Ken Miler, Bonnie Schupp and David Ettlin, Justin Crown, Dirk Hamilton, Sonia Rutstein, Cat Maxwell-Hadley and family, Karen Sykes & Rebel, Paul Steinmetz, Two Bears & family, John Tomakos, Woody Lissauer, Christina Van Norman, Mark Delaney, Rachel Curilli, Caroline Coshow, Smiling Otter Woman, Everet & Audrey Warren, Jonathan Boettcher & family, Janet & Tony Heatwole, David Salyers
The Support:
Michelle Oxley, George & Barbara Wagner, SIerra Condon, Sherry Wilson, Stephanie Condon, Jane Seleski, Nape Waste Win, Guy Dayhoff and famioly, Joseph Agonito, Randy Johnson, Jacob Panic, Chelsea McBee and band, Angela Martin, Charlene Morganti, Elane Thomas, Treve Stose, Rob Hinkal, Chip Taylor Communications, A[[alachian Blue Grass, Trax On Wax, Jen Ferguson-Smith, DeGroff, David Sam – KNBA, Danny Preston – KNBA, Ethan St. Pierre (Trans FM), Candye Kane,Gordene MacKenzie, Nancy Nangeroni, Marlene LaFleur, Sharon Bos, Demetrios Kakavas, Alan Oresky, John Seay, Kass Bettinger, The Duck (Marty Lind), Pecosa(Mrs. Flood), Jennifer West, Bill & Edie Shannon, Pat & Irm Cubello & family, Aurelie Kammerer, Peggy Raley, Donald BlackFox, Michael Macey, Mati Iben
Lyrics
Philosopher Dogs
My two boys Max and Blaze went with me pretty much everywhere I could take them. Watching them it occurred to me they had their own take on life, Dog Philosophy if you will; If you can’t eat it, play with it, or have sex with it …then fuck it.
Humans don’t seem to get that and waste a lot of time on things that, in the end aren’t really important. Watching how the world, and especially American politics, were heading it seemed to us we’d best to sell the van, load up only what we need and find the place where the pavement turns to sand. We would join like-minded folks who felt the same and wanted to leave this mess of a world behind.
Those boys were the best! I still miss them after all this time!
Lyrics
Verse:
I traded in my Chevy van. I traded my Cadillac too.
I picked myself a pick-a-me-up, it was an F-3 1952.
Hank was singing. Elvis was dreaming. Every new generations got a time.
Grabbed my guitar and I threw it in the back had to leave my piano behind
Chorus:
Too much baggage ‘ll make you weak. And too much stuff brings you down.
So you can turn the key and clear the fog. Tonight we ride with the dogs.
Me and Philosopher Dogs.
Verse:
Someone can sit in the middle, but Max has got the door
And Blaze is in the back of that old truck saying, “Man, I love this Ford!”
His head is a bobbin’, his mouth is slobberin’, but we’re in heaven now.
Max is grinnin’ with his head through the window then we all begin to howl!
Chorus:
Too much baggage will make you weak. Too much stuff weighs you down.
So you can turn the key. Clear the fog. Tonight we ride with the dogs.
Me and Philosopher Dogs!
An old cowgirl, a couple of dogs, and a tank filled with dreams.
With all the love inside this truck, ya’ know, we’re passing limousines.
Verse:
We used to sit home in the evening and turn on our local news.
Max would yawn and Blaze would sigh. They’d think, “Man if they only knew.
Those crazy two leggeds got lots to say, but very little is ever true.
I wish they’d shut up get to the stove and start mixin’ up our stew.”
Chorus:
Too much baggage will make you weak. Too much stuff weighs you down.
So you can turn the key and clear the fog. Tonight, we ride with the dogs.
Me and Philosopher Dogs!
Outro:
Bag full of bones and all this love…me and Philosopher Dogs.
I’m just an old cowhand…my dogs are hunting dogs!
With all the love inside this truck…me and Philosopher Dogs…
Words and Music by Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
The Philosopher Dogs Chorus:
Miracle Max Mauler (a.k.a. Medicine Max), Blaze Bear Mauler ( a.k.a. Blazy Bones), Cassie Martin, and Dorothy Thomas, barking harmonies
Georgie Jessup – lead vocals, piano, organ, harmony vocals
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Justin “the Wimp” Crown – bass guitar track
Dave Chappell – electric telecaster guitar
Dede Wyland – harmony vocals
Geronimo’s Bones
When George Bush the younger was president and John McCain was still alive, I read an article about Apaches calling on McCain to investigate the Yale/Harvard “secret” club, the Skull & Bones.
According to some evidence and legends or rumors, Prescott Bush and two other cadets stationed at Fort Sill, OK dug up the great Geronimo’s bones and took some items. As my song says, ‘Two femurs, bit and saddle horn, and his skull is missing still.’ It was claimed that they use Geronimo’s Skull as a ceremonial drinking vessel for new inductees’ rite of passage into the secret organization.
It occurred to me that this story had to have a song and so I sat down and wrote Geronimo’s Bones. The chorus is those elite clowns, (all I assume, or at least most, members of the Skull and Bones) explaining why the Indian’s had to go!
Most of the song is sung with a sense of sarcasm, if not humor. But the last verse gets down to business and is more serious. I am sure Prescott and his fellow racist never knew true happiness! I suspect Geronimo is free.
Lyrics
Verse:
Now my mother’s father had a mother who had a father,
Related to the great Geronimo
We use to drive his Cadillac to the prairie and then back,
Traded it for seven white buffalo.
On a dark and lonely night in the Oklahoma hills,
Rich boys digging up dirt from the grounds of old Fort Sill.
Geronimo’s bones lay sleeping in that hard cold earth.
Two femurs, bit and saddle horn, and his skull is missing still.
Chorus:
Too many buffalo and not enough steel.
Gotta roll this country over, gotta make some sweet, sweet deals.
Important people in office looking for the government loans.
Lots of free labor now and we’re digging up Geronimo’s Bones.
Verse:
It doesn’t matter anyway, just how they use his bones.
They’ll never have his power and never know a peaceful home.
You cannot become a hollow bone when you got your mind on greed.
Fools will never know happiness ‘til Geronimo’s freed!
Words and Music by Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
Georgie Jessup – lead vocals, piano, organ, rattles, dance bells
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Justin “the Wimp” Crown – bass guitar
Dave Chappell – electric telecaster guitar
Dede Wyland – harmony vocals
Takeya Gray – harmony vocals
Ieesha Gray – harmony vocals
Who’s Gonna Be My Valentine?
My good friend and photographer Bonnie Schupp and her husband David Ettlin stopped by my house for a visit. I had just written this song so I performed it for them. Both of them were impressed with the song and a few weeks or maybe a month or so later, Bonnie called me and asked me if I had a recording of the song. I did not. She asked me to get a good professional recording of the song.
Bonnie had been working on a slideshow video and wanted to use my song for the music. My friend Christina Van Norman told me about Steve Carr at hit & Run recording so I contacted him. Once we finished the song I decided to keep going and this song became the first song we completed for this album (Philosopher Dogs).
Steve still thinks this is the definitive song for Valentine’s Day. I’d have to agree.
Lyrics
Chorus:
Who’s gonna be my Valentine? Who’s gonna watch my beauty shine?
I’ll shine right through your walls of steel.
I’ll shine until I make you feel a little more than a moment in time.
Who’s gonna be …my Valentine?
Verse:
Who’s gonna get me through this night?
Who’s gonna kiss and hold me tight?
Young lovers are watching the same moon as I.
As Stars will fall my wishes will rise!
Verse:
Someone is smiling as I sing this song.
Are they wishing and hoping and singing along?
Are they walking a tight-rope up on a high-wire?
Are they looking like me and stoking the fire?
Chorus:
Who’s gonna be my Valentine? Who’s gonna watch my beauty shine?
I’ll shine right through your walls of steel.
I’ll shine until I make you feel a little more than a moment in time.
Who’s gonna be …my Valentine?
Verse:
Is there anybody out there? (then) pick up the phone.
Call on my neighbor, tell them I’m home.
Tell them I love them and I wish them kind.
I’m searching the cosmos… for my Valentine!
Chorus:
Who’s gonna be my Valentine? Who’s gonna watch my beauty shine?
I’ll shine right through your walls of steel.
I’ll shine until I make you feel a little more than a moment in time.
Who’s gonna be …my Valentine?
Words and Music Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
Georgie Jessup – vocals, harmony vocals
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Ira Gitlin – acoustic bass, accoustic guitar
Brian Simms – accordion
Mark Delaney – mandolin
Dede Wyland – harmony vocals, accoustic guitar
Room for One More Sinner (Rehoboth)
My family were among the first folks to buy and build a house in Dewey Beach, DE (circa 1920). Until the 1980s it was a sleepy little town except in the summer months. Even then things closed early compared to its northern neighbor Rehoboth Beach.
As kids, we would walk the mile up to Rehoboth where there was a boardwalk with the arcades and stores. That was fine with me.
Some residents decided to incorporate in 1981 and that was when the corporate greedheads saw dollar signs and moved in. The town motto was Dewey Beach – A Way Of Life. Those days are gone, I suspect forever, or until Grandma Ocean gets rid of us.
Anyway, Rehoboth was a Christian revival town and the religious zealots owned the place until the 1960s came along and the Hippies and LGBT folks started investing there. Rehoboth is a word from the bible and it means “Room For One More”. There was a small book in our Dewey home that was called Room For One More Sinner and that title stuck with me for a long time.
Of course to the eruo-american invaders the Indians were not using the area as good Christians should, and anyway, they were the Devil’s Children until they accepted Jesus. The success of the coastal ports attracted Pirates who did their thing. All sinners, except the Indians ironically. They got it. So this is the story.
Lyrics
Verse:
This place use to be a pagan town. Sand, sun and natural sounds.
Swim in the ocean catch a wave.
Every summer we’d pack our things. The men would drum, and the women would sing.
We’d thank Creator for the day.
Chorus:
And there’s room for one more sinner
In a pretty little seaside town
We got all kinds of sinners here.
And if you’re coming down, there’s room, for one more sinner.
Verse:
The settlers started pouring in. The pirates with their corporate kin,
On Dickinson Street we’ve had our fill.
Everything that tries to live, and everything that a mother gives,
Her children grow up and they learn to kill.
Repeat Chorus
Instrumental Bridge
Verse:
Soon enough the preachers came. Whole forest fell in their Father’s name.
They built their sacred churches in the sand.
Still the sinners kept rollin’ in, Money Is God was their favorite hymn.
It’s hard to make a sinner an honest man.
Repeat Chorus
Bridge:
And there’s room for one more sinner.
Always room for me and you
Thank the Lord that we’re all sinners.
Thank the Lord, thank the Devil too.
Words and Music Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/asacap
Georgie Jessup – vocals, piano
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Ira Gitlin – acoustic bass
Woody Lissauer – banjo
Sahffi Lynne & Shelly Work – harmony vocals
Geronimo
I was a bit hesitant to have two songs with Geronimo as part of the title. I have been a big fan of singer songwriter Dirk Hamilton since I discovered his 1978 album – Meet Me At The Crux, while living in Los Angeles from 1977 until late 1979. I saw him perform at the Whiskey A-Go-Go while in L.A.
I lost track of his career until I was back in Maryland and a Tower Records opened in the 1990s. Looking through the CD’s I found a new CD by Dirk under the H section. It was also around the time that the internet really came into play and I discovered Dirk had a website. I started ordering other CDs and then he released his ‘sufferupachuckle’ album and I wrote him a little note and he responded. That started a friendship which grew until I met him in 2004 while he was playing near a friend’s house in Massachusetts. In 2008 he contacted me because he going to play in Philadelphia and wanted to know if I could hook him up with a gig in Baltimore. I tired to get him in a room but I was offered my own show at the One World Coffee House in Columbia, MD. I okayed it with the folks who booked my show and offered Dirk the headliner slot and I opened for him. In fact, I opened for his whole eastern tour. He is like family now.
Lyrics
Check on your 44, look at the blood you made.
There’s bodies on the floor and rifles at the barricades.
See the indigo bandana tied your head by your lover’s hand Geronimo.
oh…Geronimo.
Proud Apache Chief ride into your destiny.
They’re gonna give you peace, if you’ll bargain with your dignity.
To lick the boot and walk in step, they’re never gonna get Geronimo.
oh…Geronimo.
Bridge:
Its always in the cards. It’s in the cards.
Right from the start, your heart was growing.
Stronger than the white man’s law. Stronger than the fear that eats them all.
When they looked up, they saw a living man.
Men of spirit, men of will. The kind of men they love to kill Geronimo.
oh…Geronimo.
it’s in the cards.
oh…Geronimo,
and in your heart
Oh… Check on your 44.
Words and Music Dirk Hamilton © 1980 Rabbit Music/BMI
Georgie Jessup – vocals, piano, organ
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Hudson Penner (a.k.a. J.C.) – acoustic guitar
Steve Carr – electric guitar
Ryan Madora – bass guitar
Woody Lissauer – madolin
Sahffi Lynne & Shelly Work – harmony vocals
Reluctant Phoenix
As a transwoman I suffered from depression much of my life. I have had a really good life if you just considered my white privilege and material advantages. Depression don’t care. Inside, as a young child dealing with the gender issues, I was very depressed. IN my late twenties I decided to talk to a therapist.
One of the things I got from therapists was that your depression comes from inside you. Something you have to fix or get beyond. After I transitioned I noticed I felt a sense of quiet and peace but depression would always come back.
I finally realized that if you live in this dysfunctional world and you are not depressed, you probably aren’t a thinking or caring human being. Most of us (and not just transfolk) become depressed trying to live in a dysfunctional world. So take another day and carry on please!
Lyrics
Maybe I should kill myself? Could do it with some pills.
Blow my brains out on the wall (or maybe) poisons cleaner still.
Or maybe I should run away? I could simply disappear.
I would go where they can’t find me, who would shed a tear?
Chorus:
But I love this life and all it gives I love the morning song.
I Love the way the sun shines through my dress while I sing along.
Another day I find a way to carry on.
If you look inside my heart, you will find some love, some pain.
You’ll find someone who found a way to be singing with the rain.
Solo thru chorus
Maybe I have pissed them off, if I’m living then it’s true.
But late at night when I’m all alone, they’re the ones who bring the blues.
Repeat chorus/outro:
I’ll carry on / I’m Makin’ my way…
I’ll take another day / Gonna carry on…
Words and Music by Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
Georgie Jessup – vocals, harmony vocals, keyboard – sampled horns, cello
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Ryan Madora – bass guitar
Takeya Gray – harmony vocals
Brian Simms – accordion
John Heinrich – tenor & baritone sax and horn arrangement
Steve Hermann – Trumpet
Kajun Kelley – electric guitar
Brad C. – harmony vocals
Lauren Raymond – harmony vocals
Alsace Daughter
In 1996 I traveled to Bear Butte in South Dakota to do my first of four hanbleceya or vision quest. This is where my spirit name was revealed to me. In 1988 my maternal grandmother had come to me in a dream and said what sounded like Donna Leaseman to me. For the next eight years I searched for the meaning of the dream, but had given up by the time I got to South Dakota. Turns out my grandmother was saying Donnerlieschen which in Alsatian means Beautiful Thunder.
So in 2011 for my fourth quest I went to Soultzbach les Bains in the Alsace region of France. When I came down from the mountain, I wrote this song.
The sacred salt springs that run through the town are well known throughout history for their healing powers.
Lyrics
The day the Cosmic Cowgirl, came to the Alsace hollow.
All the people of Soultzbach said, ‘welcome, take a swallow’.
She drank of sacred Water.
And she climbed the old Vosges Mountains,
And stared at the stars, and cried for everyone,
Hear my prayers, don’t let me falter!
And the Spirits said, ‘ Bienvenue Alsace Daughter!’
Ancient family live there, they walk these fertile lands.
The wine, it flowed with water, God made those green thumb hands.
And the cosmic cowgirl stood there.
On top of the old Vosges Mountains,
And stared at the stars, and cried for everyone,
Hear my prayers, don’t let me falter!
And the Spirits said, ‘ Bienvenue Alsace Daughter!’
Let your song keep you grounded. Love comes from new friends.
Creator’s voice blows softly; Heaven winds will souls to mend.
Returning from her journey
There’s Beauty and Thunder within.
She rode a shooting star, and sang with everyone
Hear our prayers don’t let us falter.
And the Spirits said, ‘Bienvenue Alsace Daughter.’
[and in French for my Soultzbach les Bains relations]
Fille D’Alsace
Le jour ou la Cosmic Cowgirl
Est arrivée en plein Coeur de l’Alsace,
Tous les villageois de Soultzbach se sont écriés:
Bienvenue, buvons un verre
Elle a bu de l’Eau Sacree
Et elle gravit les vieilles montagnes des Vosges,
A contemplé les étoiles et prié pour tout le monde,
Ecoutez mes prières, soutenez moi.
Et les Esprits lui ont repondu,
“Bienvenue Fille D’Alsace !”
D’anciennes familles vivent ici,
Elles pétrissent ces terres fertiles,
Le vin y coule comme de l’eau
Dieu fait de ces terres des prairies fertiles
Et la Cosmic Cowgirl se tenait la,
Au sommet des vieilles montagnes des Vosges,
A contemplé les étoiles et prié pour tout le monde,
Ecoutez mes prières, soutenez moi.
Et les Esprits lui ont repondu,
“Bienvenue fille D’Alsace !”
Que ta chanson te laisse les pieds sur Terre,
L’amour vient avec de nouveaux amis
Words and Music by Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
Georgie Jessup – vocals, piano, harmony vocals
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Brian Simms – accordion
Ira Gitlin – acoustic bass
John Heinrich – pedal steel guitar
Dede Wyland – harmony vocals
Lost Paradise
While I was recording my Woman In A Man’s Suit album the producer/engineer and his wife were having a relationship crisis. He cheated on her with another singer and it broke her heart…it was fucked up.
Turns out his infidelity took its toll on more than just his wife. There are lots of friends who feel like he screwed them when he up and left. I decided since his wife and I have become good friends and do some music together that maybe she deserved her own song. I really thought she’d wind up singing lead on it but as it turns out I put it on my Philosopher Dogs album. She does sing harmony with me.
The second verse says it all, that was how it was.
Lyrics
He walked the streets of this little town.
Stealing hearts from whoever’s around.
He took what he wanted never gave back a thing.
(He) said, ‘all that I’m giving came from the King’.
Eve was a cowgirl, and she played the guitar.
In a joint east of Eden, she made wish on a star.
She danced for the Serpent, she danced for him.
Got kicked out of Eden and she’s blamed for his sins!
Chorus:
We found Paradise and we had the glory.
I thought we’d sing sweet harmony for the rest of our story.
But this ain’t Heaven. This is Hell’s front door.
And this ain’t Paradise anymore:
Now how in the world did we come to this place,
Where the light that made us has to end in disgrace?
I’d sing up to Heaven if I’d done something wrong.
So, you just finish that apple then you’d better be gone!
Words and music Georgie Jessup Mauler Copyright 2011 winkte music
Georgie Jessup – vocals, piano
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Ira Gitlin – acoustic bass, accoustic guitar
Tad Marks – fiddle
John Heinrich – pedal steel guitar
Christina Van Norman – harmony vocals
Red Cloud’s Room
I found a children’s book about Red Cloud. It had some great pictures in it and one was a picture of the home the government built for him as the “big chief”. One of the pictures was taken inside Red Cloud’s bedroom. I am not sure if it was taken before he crossed over or after. My guess is after, because there are more U.S. flags on the wall than any home should have, white or Indian. There are five. There is a picture of Mary with her “sacred heart” exposed and one of Jesus with a crown of thorns. There is one bed with an Indian blanket.
Later, during my research, I found another picture of his room. In this picture there is a woman sitting on the army cot with a Star Blanket. There is a wood stove in the room and only one big American flag. I kind of hope this is the older picture and that the flag was one he took in battle from American troops.
This song just poured out of me late one night. Red Cloud was a great chief indeed. He forced the American invaders to sue for peace. Not long after the peace treaty was signed he brought his people onto the rez. Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull (in Canada) would hold out until they could no longer feed their People. Crazy Horse surrendered on May 5th 1877 – 11 months after the victory at the Little Big Horn. He was murdered by September 5th 1877.
Sitting Bull returned to the American borders from Canada July 19th 1881. Nine years later he too was murdered on December 15th 1890. Fourteen days later Big Foot and his followers, who fled the Standing Rock reservation after Sitting Bulls murder, were massacred at Wounded Knee.
Red Cloud lived until his death in 1909. I imagined him as an old man thinking about the choices he made as the Ghost Dancers (some were his relatives) danced through his tiny room.
Lyrics
Verse:
Mary’s picture on the wall with her heart out.
Too late to save her son.
Father, Father can you forgive them?
Mother, Mother look what they’ve done.
Chorus:
Ghost Dancers knockin’ at your door.
Old Ones dance across your floor,
To a long-lost tune, in Red Cloud’s Room.
Verse:
There’s one bed with an Indian blanket.
Old Glory is there to hide a stain.
And Sitting Bull’s holed up in Canada
While Crazy Horse still roams the plains.
Repeat Chorus
Verse:
Big Foot rides for your protection.
Wounded Knee, another winter storm.
Saddle up, gather all your weapons.
Don’t let the women and children mourn.
Repeat Chorus
Words and Music by Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
Georgie Jessup – vocals, piano, second electric guitar
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Hudson Penner (a.k.a. J.C.) – acoustic guitar
Justin “the Wimp” Crown – bass guitar
John Heinrich – pedal steel guitar
Christina Van Norman – harmony vocals
You’re The One
My first relationship after transitioning was with a biological woman. She was a lesbian but she found me interesting enough to hook up with. I really admired her a lot.
She went on to be my band, Winkte & Crazy Sacred Dogs’ manager and was mainly the producer for my album American Holocaust. She was hard on me and I needed that at the time. I was working my day job in drag as a man and she is the one who told me to shit or get off the pot! Over the years we were together she became more of a teacher to me. She was a medicine woman in every sense of the word. I use to call her Road Kills Woman.
This song is about her. It is one of my best! The box that represents this song is below the Crazy horse and Valentine box. The disappear fear heart is because Sonia Rutstein sang with me on this song.
Lyrics
Verse:
Not many people can break through hate,
And face their fears before it’s too late.
Reach out and grab me by the throat.
Shake me up before I miss the boat.
Chorus:
You’re the one that makes me shake!
You’re the one they’ll never break!
Verse:
You said, “I’ve seen a lot of what the world can do.
It’ll beat you up, oh baby nothing’s new.
Hold on real tight my love and take that ride.
They can take your life but not what’s inside.”
Repeat Chorus
Verse:
Watching the hawk flying up above,
Crying for her mate the one she loves.
She morns his loss as she drops a feather.
I picked it up and now we’re here together!
Repeat Chorus
Words and Music by Georgie Jessup Mauler © 2014 winkte music/ascap
Georgie Jessup – vocals, piano
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
John Heinrich – pedal steel guitar
Ira Gitlin – electric bass, accoustic guitar
David Salyers – mandolin
Sonia Rutstein – lead vocals, harmony vocals
Ring of Fire
I always loved Jonny Cash’s Ring of Fire, but I hate just copying a classic. If I can’t find a way to make it my own go listen to Johnny or June’s version. Her sister Anita also did the first recording that was released.
I had been fooling around with a half capo on my guitar and used that for my song Post Op Freeway. Then for some unknown reason I thought hey what would this sound like on Ring of Fire? Well dang it, I think even Johnny and June would approve.
The outro was all Christina Van Norman’s idea. She kept sending me back into the sound room and told me to “give (her) more, I want more”. After about fifteen takes Steve said I think we have enough. Steve and I worked some magic in the arrangement. There ya have it and Bob’s your uncle!
Lyrics
Verse:
Love is a burning thing,
And it makes a fiery ring.
Bound by wild desire,
I fell in to a ring of Fire
Chorus:
I fell into a burning ring of fire.
I went down down down.
And the flames went higher.
And it burns, burns burns,
The ring of fire.
The ring of fire.
Verse:
The taste of love is sweet,
When hearts like ours meet.
I fell for you like a child.
Oh, but the fire went wild.
Words and Music June Carter (Cash) and Merle Kilgore Painted Desert Music, Inc.
Georgie Jessup – vocals, acoustic Guild guitar
John Thomakos – drums/percussion
Ryan Madora – bass guitar
Don Evans – electric guitar
Christina Van Norman – harmony vocals, outro production