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Raven Hotel

by Matt Harlan

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  • Raven Hotel - Physical CD
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    “…a very accomplished collection of insightful song writing.”
    exclaim.ca/Reviews/FolkAndCountry/matt_harlan-raven_hotel

    “…the finest song collection I’ve stumbled across this year…and in many a year, for that matter.”
    www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/matt-harlan-raven-hotel-album-review

    Includes unlimited streaming of Raven Hotel via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.
The streets are alive with the sounds of the morning. The hustling engines are off to the show. The highways a’glitter like the skin of some dancer With a late night addiction and a few miles to go. I’ve heard enough of this radio station – Ain’t sayin’ much, just talking to talk. The curtains come up, we all take our places And shuffle-ball-change through the tailpipe exhaust. Hard times and trouble are weighing on you One way or another it’s bound to cut loose Down by the water, it’s time to get lost And dance ‘neath the trees with that Old Spanish Moss I wish we could laugh like the clumsy old river That trips though the hills with his eyes on the moon. He sings as he sways that the lord loves a giver And we whistle along to a different tune It’s a bow to the caller as you hold your arms wide. And it’s a turn for the babies and a turn for the bride. We just work to keep workin’, it’s a waltz to a waltz But we’d rather be dancing ‘neath the Old Spanish Moss. Now the dancer she's dreaming of a hillside confession -- The smell of salvation on the soft country wind. Jesus says, “Baby, life’s a 3-chord progression. We’ll pick it back up when it comes round again.” Hard times and trouble are weighing on you One way or another it’s bound to cut loose Down by the water, it’s time to get lost And dance ‘neath the trees with that Old Spanish Moss
2.
I woke up this morning with just a whisper on my lips But my head was screaming loud enough for two After trying so damn hard to drive the day out of the night You know the sun came ‘round to find me and collect the debt that’s due And he told me I was keeping too much time asleep inside So I went walking out on Main Street with my eyes all open wide And I was hungry for a taste of something, I was hiding for a time Tried to start a revolution and all I got was this old rhyme You know some days you wake up wrong You’re like a half-developed song All your pieces they don’t seem to get along Still you try to face the day With all the rules and all the ways You try to keep yourself from bending close to breaking And take stock of all these chances you are taking When all you got is questions and a pocketful of time You know it’s hard to keep from ending up there on the welfare line There’s so many roads to choose from and why you just can’t tell But all the boys down at the crossroads say that this one leads to hell And you know last night at the bar I guess I made more than I spent But all that money ain’t enough to pay the rent Sure it adds up in the tip jar and it’s enough to buy some smokes and rent a cheap motel And if that sun comes up tomorrow, I guess it’s just as well Cause we’re just trying to get a glimpse, take a look under the sheets And there’ll be time to make a face for all the faces that you meet And time for sharing secrets and the wishes that we’ve made There’ll be time to lay your head down in the shade. But, you know some days you wake up wrong You’re like a half-developed song All your pieces they don’t seem to get along Still you try to face the day With all the rules and all the ways You try to keep yourself from bending close to breaking And take stock of all these chances you are taking
3.
Second Gear 03:11
Drop it down another gear The roads are slick this time of year That curve will come up quick and send us flying You know I’ve been around Traveled up this way and down No rush out here is worth the chance of dying These tracks are flat and worn so let them guide you The scars will leave a compass on your skin You’ll find a higher place that you can climb to Just leave a trail to show them where you’ve been See those smooth spots on the wheel That’s experience you feel White knuckles gripping down and holding tight I stayed on the road for days Truck-stops and KOAs That dashboard picture got me through each night The edges rounded down, the image faded Two children and a wife all hand-in-hand My place behind the lens, insinuated By a shadow and the footsteps in the sand Don’t it all seem to pass Like a spring storm on the glass If you weren’t there you’d swear It never rained a drop But outside looking in Is where I’m left to start again You grew up ‘fore I knew it, Now I wish that you’d just stop And drop it down another gear Til the dark clouds disappear Just think of how your mother’d end up crying You know I’ve been around Traveled up this way and down No rush out here is worth the chance of dying
4.
Riding with the wind Sleeping in the clouds Thinking that the whole world stops when you roll your windows down Climbing through the trees Hanging on a limb Tracing every old address ‘til you find yourself again Riding with the wind Bleeding with the hearts Singing to the choir Staring down a loaded gun like some white dove on the wire Talking with the ghosts Spinning on the page Floating through the friendly fire and the white lights of the stage Then time stands still Your heart beats slow That familiar chill When it’s time to go Flagging down a car Living on the wing Chasing every broke down dream like the past don’t mean a thing Laughing at the sun Dancing in the light Going where the sidewalk ends and the dead flames reignite Riding with the wind Riding with the wind
5.
Lately I’ve been thinking on how I ain’t no perfect man ‘Cause he had lived and died so long before I walked across this land Still I see the shadows and I try to fit inside But my old shape was badly bent before I knew my wrong from right Still I try every day to make one less mistake And give you all you say you wish you had But I ain’t got no time machine For when you say that you wish we never met Well it’s hard to be your lover and it’s hard to be your friend When you don’t offer no forgiveness it’s a game nobody wins Still I broke that law so sacred – I broke that old Golden Rule You know I never would want done to me the things I’ve done to you So I try every day to make one less mistake And give you all you say you wish you had But I ain’t got no time machine For when you say that you wish we never met Well I guess all me and Jesus have in common is long hair And that I love you even when you tell yourself that I don’t care Still I did not come to save you – I could never be so bold I just wanted to stay with you ‘til we both grew tired and old So I tried every day to make one less mistake And give you all you say you wish you had But I ain’t got no time machine For when you say that you wish we never met
6.
Rock & Roll 03:44
The holy ghost and all his friends were throwing out their useless battle plans Where “peace be with you” and the last “amen” looked just like bullets in a gun. The earthly sinners closed their eyes, elected leaders they could idolize And said, “We’ve come too far to compromise.” They said, “What’s done is done.” “Don’t it make you wanna rock n’ roll?” We couldn’t play that song today. We’re swimming in the foreign policy. We’d miss the irony anyway. Still they’re singing sweet and soulful We just can’t recognize the words John, the relevance is gone, we’ve got a scarecrow for a song but we can’t move a single bird. “I voted for the living end,” I heard a young one tell an older man. “I’ll have a mansion in the promised land. The Revelation’s at the door.” I saw a poster choosing sides, but not one person seemed to have it right. Still they agreed that it was worth the fight, “We just can’t take it anymore.” “Don’t it make you wanna rock n’ roll?” Twist and shout the blues away. We’re on the edge of someone else’s dream. We’re probably standing in the way. Still they’re singing sweet and soulful We just can’t recognize the words John, the relevance is gone, we’ve got a scarecrow for a song but we can’t move a single bird. “Don’t it make you wanna rock n’ roll?” Stoning saviors in the streets. Dropping bombs in foreign neighborhoods While half the world is fast asleep. Still they’re singing sweet and soulful Sick and spinning in the sound. John, the relevance is gone, sold our spirit for a song and left it buried in the ground.
7.
Raven Hotel 04:43
There's a full moon in the sky above the Raven Hotel I'm locked out of my room again and stumbling to the lobby Saw an old friend from a distance, but it was nearly hard to tell If it was true. He said it's been a long time, it always seems to happen, The months turn into lost phone numbers, people move around The second hand was twitching when I asked about his family The room was ready for his check-in. He said I'm living in my own world now, you can stop by if you like 'Cause I'll forget to call and I'll forget to write. Between the airports and the hotel rooms, I spend 3 nights out of 10 in my own town. Nowadays that's settled down. I'm in my own world now. You know it's not that often -- if you really know me well -- The times I'm feeling lucky for the things I take for granted But to see a knot untwisted and a poor man come unwound, I think of you. My guitar's on the bed like some old preacher at confession, Just there for conversation when there's no one else to bother, I ask him if he thinks you'll be there when I'm home in Houston, But the holy wood and steel, they did not have an answer. I'm living in my own world now, you can stop by if you like 'Cause I'll forget to call and I'll forget to write. But if you need me you can find me out there, Singing at the bar somewhere in town, Until they shut it down. I'm in my own world now. Well the bottle's half-way empty at a quarter past eleven It’s only way to sleep inside these temporary cages. And the late night men are desperate as they try to bring some light into the room. Tomorrow we'll be out among the modern population -- Call home if we have the time, tell the kids "Good morning." It's hard to wonder if we're not all products on a shelf When the moon is high above the Raven Hotel.
8.
Smoke’s rising high past the trees in the pasture We’re burning the fields down for spring Preparing the dead leaves and wood for the harvest Turning the rust back to green There’s a ranch that I tend out on Old Allen Road More work than we ever have men From the looks of us seems like we’re modern-day cowboys There’s good and there’s bad and they mix ‘em all in ‘Til you can’t tell a fiend from a friend There's a Texaco star past the first hazard light Where the workers all gather at dawn With rolled cigarettes and fresh cups of coffee, The headlights roll in and they're gone – They load 'em all in and they're gone. The sun’s low if you’d like to go There’s work left to do out on Old Allen Road But I’ve seen the darkest of things Way on down Old Allen Road If that radio squawks about building a wall Those boys’ll crack wise in the cab as we roll Down that long, gravel road and I’ll try to keep calm ‘Cause I don’t plan on working here long, boys I don’t plan on working here long. There’s a girl named Maria and she lives in my head When we’re done with this pasture she’ll be in my bed So I keep to myself and I mind to my crew And try hard to ignore the work that I do I just do what they tell me to do The sun’s low if you’d like to go There’s work left to do out on Old Allen Road But I’ve seen the darkest of things Way on down Old Allen Road Those boys were lying flat on their backs in the flatbed Speaking Spanish, spitting seeds on the ground And when the sun finally set and that fire done quit We dropped ‘em off somewhere in town boys Off on the dark end of town But now Jimmy won’t say and Tommy won’t talk And I swear there were four when I left in my truck But the highway patrol said there’s two that remain And there’s blood out on Old Allen Road Out here in the pasture it’s calm and it’s quiet Ain’t much that’s changed in the last 20 years A few telephone poles and new roadside reflectors Since the last folks moved in around here But if you let your mind wander the fence-line horizon There’s live oaks and cedar and a wildflower mound You start to forget all your trials and your troubles The evil you find and the shape you’re in now Just seem like a movie somehow The sun’s low when I have to go Another day’s work out on Old Allen Road But I’ve seen the darkest of things Way on down Old Allen Road
9.
It’s grey outside my window and the winter’s taken hold – Like some poor man’s fingers wrapped around a broken saxophone. There’s time enough for thinking and time for doing right. We’ll race the kitchen to the hall and dance away the frozen night. I’ve got some empty pockets, you’ve got some ragged shoes, But our dreams are wrapped in blankets made of burgundy and blue. I had a way of being that never served me good. My thoughts were unbecoming me, my heart was made of painted wood. But you threw off my shadows, left me standing in the light. You laid my soul wide open ‘til I thought I nearly died. Our lives are not suspended like some hummingbird in June. I’ll leave these dirty rags behind for burgundy and blue. You are my true companion – a shot to chase the clouds. A Summertime reminder of the ways that I am now. We’re young until we’re older, and half that time is hell. The other half is worth it when you find you’ve settled well. Oh, I am not a rich man, but I tell you this is true, One day I’ll buy you dresses made of burgundy and blue.
10.
At night when I find myself too wound up to calm myself I sit and I listen, and wait for the whistle of a slow-moving train When the light of the day goes dark and inspiration’s a dying spark, I wander alone, where the poets have roamed to seek their own way. And I can picture the miles of track, heading northbound and coming back. Old conductors and rusted cars, but all the hobos have long since passed. So I can’t hitch a ride myself, but when I’m worried I find myself With my ears trained to listen and wait for the whistle of a slow-moving train I wish I could stroll away and leave the wreck far behind me, But I can’t hardly roll away with all that’s buried inside. So at night when I find myself too wound up to calm myself I sit and I listen, and wait for the whistle of a slow-moving train. I sit and I listen, and wait for the whistle of a slow-moving train.
11.
The Optimist 04:17
Raindrops in my coffee cup Help to cool it down. 'Cause everything does something good. I could streamline this coming summer season. Buy an AirStream cheap from Idaho. Get a friend of mine to front the money easy-- Just lift my dress and strum this old dobro. 'Cause everything does something good, It's just hard to make out. Like these yellow lines in my strawberry hair And this old guitar I found. Sometimes I tune in to empty pages And this tongue can only roll out broken phrases. But when the sun shines, I got whisky for the cravings And a place to land when I shoot away my savings. 'Cause everything does something good. It's just hard to make out. Like these train lines across my dusty skin Serve to roll me home now. I'm a sun child and a virgin for the day (yeah) 'Cause each day's new somehow. And my birthname is Katherine Mary Lee, But you can call me baby for a ride on into town. 'Cause everything does something good. It's just hard to make out. And the grey clouds are just shades for your eyes. And the rain means everyone's allowed to cry. The rain means everyone's allowed.
12.
Is this a road? Is this a road? Is this a road I wanna travel? All the baggage left to gather and so much to throw away. Short, white lines lay broken down beside me, Up ahead and far behind me In the rearview display. In a long, black night a mind will tend to stop believing All the things the eyes are seeing beneath the pale moon light Is this a road? Is this a road? Or is it just some broken highway? Another trick to mystify me with it’s soft midnight ways? It’s a calling – a fire on the mountain. And many will trample that old hallowed ground. But there’s falling stars across the landscape – Surrounded by the wishes that dragged them all down. Is that a slow sunrise or just a tired sun setting? In a westward direction or easterly bound? If you close your eyes, you can hear the road singing, “Another mile, another burden for the freedom I’ve found.” Is this a road? Is this a road? Is this a road I want to travel? All the baggage left to gather – so much to throw away. Short, white lines lay broken down beside me, Up ahead and far behind me in the rear-view display.

about

The 12 guests of Raven Hotel are songs that celebrate the bright sides of dark places. Like a tapestry hung in a flophouse window, they reveal the ordinary splendor of optimism and second chances. In the first three tracks alone we see a glitter-skinned dancer find salvation in a haze of fiddles and exhaust fumes, a drunken troubadour quoting T.S. Eliot to justify his wandering, and an absent father finally teaching his kid to drive. Throughout this album, Matt Harlan makes the mundane magical.

credits

released June 24, 2014

Produced by Rich Brotherton & Matt Harlan
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Rich Brotherton at Ace Recording, Austin, TX

The Players:
Bukka Allen - Accordion, Organ, Piano
Maddy Brotherton - Violin
Rich Brotherton - Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Banjo, Lap Steel, Dobro, Bass, Synth, Vocals
Floyd Domino - Keys
Glenn Fukunaga - Upright & Electric Bass
Jon Greene - Drums & Percussion
Matt Harlan - Vocals, Acoustic Guitars
Rachel Jones - Vocals
John Mills - Tenor Saxophone
Mickey Raphael - Harmonica

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Matt Harlan Houston, Texas

Matt Harlan is a troubadour of the first degree, bringing songs of bus-stops, coffee-shops and lives overlooked to stages across his home-state of Texas, the USA and Europe. His expressive vocals recall Chris Smither and Chris Knight, shading his poignant songs with soaring heart and aching grit. ... more

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