Get all 9 Rachel Harrington releases available on Bandcamp and save 40%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Live at London's Green Note (2020), Hush The Wild Horses (2019), I Wish I Was In Austin ~ covers (2018), Makin' Our House a Honkytonk (2012), Celilo Falls (2011), In The Woods: Live In The Netherlands (2009), City of Refuge (2008), The Bootlegger's Daughter (2007), and 1 more.
1. |
Hush The Wild Horses
03:28
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All the mustangs headed for high ground
And the west was up in flame
I was lonely as a mountain
Then you whispered my name
And you lay down
You lay down
You lay down
In my bed
And you hush the wild horses
In my head
Some storms will spook the horses
Send them running through the squall
Some years seem meant to break a man
But you broke my fall
When you lay down
You lay down
You lay down
In my bed
And you hush the wild horses
Hush the wild horses
Hush the wild horses
In my head
*
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2. |
Child Of God
03:27
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Out in back of my house
There down on the ground
He took hold of my hand
Did not make a sound
He pressed a fingertip
Up against my lips
He said it would not hurt
Started with a kiss
His hand up my skirt
Could not catch my breath
My knees began to shake
Scared me half to death
He took hold of my wrist
As if in a dream
My thoughts began to twist
In what he did to me
Am I not your child
Am I not your little girl
In this garden grown wild
In this Eden unfurled
Am I just your little plaything
Am I just your little dog
Just a servant of favor
Just a child of god
Out in back of my house
There down on the ground
He took hold of my hand
Did not make a sound
Just a girl of 8 years old
I didn’t know what to do
But I prayed Jesus did
And he would see me through
Am I not your child
Am I not your little girl
In this garden grown wild
In this Eden unfurled
Am I just your little plaything
Am I just your little dog
Just a servant of favor
Just a child of god
*
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3. |
I Meant To Go To Memphis
03:54
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I meant to go to Memphis
But first I found cocaine
She was waiting
Like a lost friend
In the rain
I meant to go to Memphis
But I broke down in Baton Rouge
I was empty
She had whiskey
And the blues
Places never grieve
They just go up in flame
Lovers never leave
They only change their name
I meant to write to you
But Austin took me in
Just a place I went to
Waiting for the end to
Begin
Places never grieve
They just go up in flame
Lovers never leave
They only change their name
What I’ve come to believe
Leaves me no one else to blame
I meant to find myself
But who I was passed on
No letter goodbye
No farewell graveside
Just gone
No letter goodbye
No farewell graveside
Just gone
I meant to go to Memphis
But first I found cocaine
*
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4. |
The Barn
04:46
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They finally tore down that old barn along the highway
It’s been falling down since my mom was 17
Where she and her high school sweetheart
Took their shirts off in the dark
She wanted more but he kissed her
And said he’d never go that far
Not yet
He enlisted in the Army on the day he turned 18
And don’t you know he made the finest soldier you ever seen
On the day he was shipping out
His mama held his hand
She said I wish you didn’t want to go
You don’t have to be a man
Not yet
At night he dreams he’ll be by her side
He holds her little wallet picture so tight
It was hot day in July when the phone rang
She don’t remember now exactly what was said
All she heard was the voice inside her head
There’d be no wedding day
No picket fences, no wedding ring
No Mrs., no baby swing
No flowers all in bloom
No bride’s bouquet, no soldier groom
The future fell before her eyes
Oh no she cried, oh no
Not yet
We took a drive out past the farm along the highway
40 years come and gone and now that barn is too
Looking out the window
She smiled and she said
Honey, you should love with all your heart
Baby you should make that bet
Cuz no matter what
Someday a memory is all that you’ll have left
But I still remember
The day that we first met
And I have this flame in my heart
And it hasn’t gone out yet
Not yet
They finally tore down that old barn along the highway
It’s been falling down since my mom was 17
*
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5. |
Drinking About You
03:29
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When you walked through the door
I dropped to the floor
To pick up my heart where it lay busted
Before you even spoke
I was always already broke
En, my heartache done and dusted
Honey you came along
Like an old country song
My lust like a match and you struck it
Drinking about you
Think I’m about to
Fall so hard I don’t come back
Cuz even though I’m wasted
Ya know I can taste it
A future far from my past
You stole my heart
In two seconds flat
And baby I’ll drink to that
Drinking about you
Think I’m about to
Fall so hard I don’t come back
Cuz even though I’m wasted
Ya know I can taste it
Baby I ain’t ever coming back
Drinking about you
Think I’m about to
Fall so hard I don’t come back
Cuz even though I’m wasted
Ya know I can taste it
A future far from my past
And baby I’ll drink to that
*
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6. |
Drop Zone
02:54
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C-130 rollin down the strip
Airborne daddy on a one way trip
Mission unspoken, destination unknown
Don’t even know if we’re ever going home
If I die on the drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door
Jump right out and count to four
If my main don’t open wide
I’ve got a reserve by my side
And if that one should fail me too
Well look out below, I’m a’comin through
If I die on the ol drop zone x4
If I die on the drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
Bury speakers all around my head
So I can rock to the grateful dead
Bury speakers all around my toes
So I can rock to the rolling stones
C-130 rollin down the strip
Airborne daddy on a one way trip
Mission unspoken, destination unknown
Don’t even know if we’re ever goin home
If I die on the drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
If I die on the ol drop zone x4
If I die on the drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
If I die on the drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
*
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7. |
Susanna
03:50
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This old bus could drive itself along this highway
But this old guitar’ll need a tune before the show
I just wish you could be here right beside me
It gets lonesome being out on the road
But this LA freeway is always good for dying
Oh Sis she done rosined up her bow
Sometimes a song is only good for crying
When leaving’s a long way to go
Susanna don’t you cry babe
It won’t be long til I’m home
Susanna don’t you cry babe
It won’t be long til I’m gone
Townes is up there waiting up to greet us
With that mischief grin and mad dog margaritas
He needed you, but did he ever need us?
Don’t matter now, he’s got you, and I’m on my way
Cuz this LA freeway is only good for dying
I’m hitting this soldier’s joy hard as I can
Gotta little luck left but ain’t for lack of trying
Gotta get back to being in your arms again
Susanna don’t you cry babe
It won’t be long til I’m home
Susanna don’t you cry babe
It won’t be long til I’m gone
*
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8. |
Save Yourself
03:36
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Just a boy on a bike with a light in his eye
He leapt at life like it got him high
A Superman smile with a superhero cape
Always looking to save the day
Now he’s been wandering the backstreets of life
For so long now it just don’t seem right
Just a baby boy in the blink of an eye
Grown to a man just trying to stay high
There you are
Another shooting star
Reaching down in the pocket of the interstate
Driving home like it’s too late
And you’ve been running around like a long lost friend
Meeting your maker in every dead end
Kicking down doors and then
Just walking away
Maybe you’ll save yourself someday
Living on the street, without a name
No bad guys to beat, no one to blame
Just an empty plate and burning spoon
As folks walk by in their name-brand shoes
He’s a hell of a friend to those in need
Give you the shirt off his back, literally
But people look through him, they don’t give a damn
He grew up to be the Invisible Man
My heart’s on your sleeve, my blood’s in your chest
When you can’t eat, baby, I can’t rest
Like you’re still just a messy haired, messed up kid
But I can’t save you now like I always did
So there you are
Another shooting star
Reaching down in the pocket of the interstate
Driving home like it’s too late
And I’m running around like a long lost friend
Meeting my maker in every dead end
Kicking down doors and then
Just walking away
Cuz I can’t save you now
I tried everything that I know how
So maybe you’ll save yourself
Instead of always trying to save somebody else
Baby, maybe you’ll save yourself someday
*
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9. |
Mekong Delta
03:33
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In that picture on the shelf
I was just a boy myself
Just a boy on a bike with a light in his eyes
But that boy there that you see
Ain’t the man I came to be
And I know now he won’t be back again
Left my heart in the Mekong delta
Never felt a push or a shove
But it’s somewhere out there with the dog tags and whiskey
Somewhere out there with the boys and the blood
And I wanna go home
But I don’t know which way to go
When my dreams are the shape
Of a heart-shaped hollow
And his mother at his grave said
Now that my boy is dead
All that I have left is a picture in a frame
But that boy there that you see
Ain’t the man that came back to me
And I know now he won’t be back again
Left my heart in the Mekong delta
Never felt a push or a shove but it’s
Somewhere out there with the dog tags and whiskey
Somewhere out there beating still
And I wanna go home
But I don’t know which way to go
When my dreams are the shape
Of a heart-shaped hollow
Left my heart in the Mekong Delta
*
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10. |
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I read the news in the paper today
My liquid courage had just up and walked away
My addiction was convicted, they’ll be fair hell to pay
Said the judge from his chair and heard myself say
Oh your honor on my honor
I know not what I have done
Took the devil for a dreamer
Woke up with a smoking gun
Now I’m headed for the highway
Like a leper on the run
While I struggle to remain
So goodbye to the ball and chain
Goodbye to the silo grain
All the fields went up in flame
While I was busy getting high
Goodbye to the radio
Goodbye to the friends you know
They left a long time ago
But we never said goodbye
Now I’m headed for the highway
With a soldier by my side
And we’re goin down to Graceland
Gonna get me one last ride
After looking for the answer
In the bottom of the amber
While I struggle to remain
So goodbye to the rodeo queen
Goodbye to the music scene
Goodbye to the rock and roll bands
With the sequins and the spurs
Goodbye to the honkytonks
The pedal steel, the bucking broncs
The best songs made have all been played
Ain’t nothing left to say
Goodbye to all my friends
Goodbye that’s how this ends
Sorry if I did offend
But that’s just the way it goes
Goodbye to all my plans
Goodbye to my last stand
Hand me down my walking cane
Gonna get out while I can
Get out get out get out
Oh get out while you still can
Get out get out get out
Oh get out while you still can
Get out get out get out
Oh get out while you still can
Get out get out get out
Oh get out while you still can
*
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11. |
If Wishes Were Horses
03:56
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I’d give the snow back to winter
Give the flowers back to spring
Give the ocean to the rivers, I’d do anything
For a diamond in a coal sack
A needle in a haystack
Oh I would send the rain back to the clouds on a string
If wishes were horses
If dreams came true
If mysterious forces headed my way from you
I would burst like lightning
I would break like the day
If wishes were horses I’d be riding away
My stallion would come to me
Break out of his stall
To ride me through fire, through wind, through squall
To give back to the night sky
The stars as they fall
Give back the howling to the wolves when they call
If wishes were horses
If dreams came true
Lighting like torches the way home to you
I would burst like lightning
I would break like the day
If wishes were horses I’d be riding away
The dapples and grays
The roans and the bays
All wishes and prayers and dreams that someday
You will be in my arms
And I’ll hear you say
That wishes are horses as we’re riding away
If wishes were horses
If dreams shone through
If mysterious forces made true love come true
We would burst like lightning
We would break like the day
If wishes were horses we’d be riding away
If wishes were horses we’d be riding away
*
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Rachel Harrington Portland, Oregon
Thank you for supporting handspun music! ~Rachel
FOUR STARS: “Ancient-sounding country
noir" ~Q Magazine
FOUR STARS: “Songs that conjure the ghosts of old America”
~Mojo
FOUR STARS: “A sharply rendered sound portrait”
~Songlines
"She has a knack, like Gillian Welch, for writing new tunes for the Carter Family songbook."
~Utne Reader
"Will steal your heart." ~Performing Songwriter
... more
Rachel Harrington recommends:
This was my favorite album of the year when it was released in 2006. It's become a staple.
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