This song was written by James by at least July of 2018, but was sent to the back burner in favor of other projects that sounded similar.  In March of 2020, Covid-19 brought to an abrupt hiatus to all Blind Squirrel’s collaboration—songwriting, practicing, and rehearsing.  While apart we tried to keep up with our skills, but also wrote music in isolation.  After months of separation, slowly we began collaborating again, and this song was one of the first to be rekindled.  After many weeks (months???) of work, we completed our final mix on May 6, 2021.  We hope you enjoy.

Lyrics:
My heart’s been stolen
I witnessed the crime
It was taken by force but I don’t mind
My heart’s been abducted
Kidnapped from my chest
Other missing items include my courage and my breath

And I don’t know why I need you
When I started lovin’ you I can’t say
You may be a hell of a thief, but don’t
But don’t think that I will let you get away.

My hearts been stolen 
You left no clues
Now that it’s gone I got nothing to lose
So I’ll tell you I love you
And I’ll give you my pride
Let you tear down my walls so I got nowhere to hide

And I don’t know why I need you
When I started lovin’ you I can’t say
You may be a hell of a thief, but don’t
But don’t think that I will let you get away.

Missing Items

"Lie to the Children" is an original track written, performed, and produced by Blind Squirrel.  The song features James Hutcheson on vocals and acoustic guitar, David Marbain on acoustic guitar, and Phillip Sanderson on banjo and harmonica.  Release date: 6.5.21

Lyrics:
Cry ... Cry yourself to sleep
Leave ... running with the sun
Lie ... lie to the children
Never tell them ... things that you’ve done

Never tell the story
How you left and went away
Left her with her hunger
And gave up the right to play

Write ... write her a letter
How you ... you forgot to cry
Speak ... speak to the others
But don’t ... don’t you tell them why

Can’t forget it all, ... don’t try
Keep it out of sight
Cloaked from the light

Keep it hidden in your Bible
The note that explains the truth
Read it in the darkness
If you’re looking for the proof

Photo:  New River Gorge, WV--May, 30 2021 (PLS)

Lie To The Children

James brought the words and music to “I’m There” in a nearly completed from right from the beginning (lyrics and chords).  The song describes one of the strange ways that love works: over time, inevitably, with patience, sneaky, and sometimes without your heart knowing what has happened.

The only question was, how can we “Squirrel-up” the song?  Writing the other instrument parts to the song (bass parts, acoustic parts, and lead work) took a lot more time, and was an evolutionary process.  How do you imbue the song with the energy and feeling that we know to be the song’s potential?  We hope we have done it justice.

Release date: 11/23/21

Credits: lyrics and music by James Hutcheson, performed by Blind Squirrel

Personnel:
	James Hutcheson—guitar, lead vocals, percussion
	David Marbain—bass guitar
	Phillip Sanderson—acoustic guitar, lead guitar

Lyrics:

I'm There

Call out the guards,
muster all your troops,
tell them watch for spies
Tell them I’m at large,
give ‘em orders to shoot if they see white in my eyes

Fortify your defenses, go ahead and prepare
You can try to resist me, I don’t even care

I’m coming in like a thief in the night, 
I’m jimmying doors you thought you locked up tight
Before you know that I’m inside, I’m there 
And you don’t care

Sound the alarm,
tell your heart’s sentries
to be on alert
Tell them there’s no harm
if they trust in no one then you can’t get hurt

Fortify your defenses, go ahead and prepare
You can try to resist me, I don’t even care

You can resist me only for so long
You can say no until it just feels wrong
But in the blink of your eye I’m there
And you won’t care

I'm There

We knew from the start that “Josephine” was going to be a problem.  Phillip started writing the song as early as 2016 and re-wrote off and on for the next four years (with hours of research) before showing it to James, who took it home, immediately put it to music, and made a demo recording that was very cool.  But recording Josie was an issue.

First, even though James said Phillip’s lyrics worked right away, as is, without adjustment, still the lyrics were pretty jam-packed.  But the real issue was James’ vision for the recording: Full band with drums, electric guitar, bass, and tons of layers.  You see the problem.  James was pretty certain that this song would never see the light of day.

But what turned out to be a challenge also turned into an opportunity and a turning point for the band.  It turns out that Dave has a friend in Virginia Beach who is a drummer.  With an extra drum kit that he loaned Dave.  Along with five microphones designed to record drums, stands, cables, and an audio interface able to handle up to 12 inputs.  Then Dave put on headphones and taught himself how to play drums with James’ demo of Josie.  The band was in business and Josephine was alive again.

James and Phillip knew that this would be Dave’s drumming debut, but Dave surpassed all expectations.  We were in love with having real percussion, and, as James and Phillip both put it, once you have the drums in one track, there is no going back and future songs would need to be written with that in mind.

Here’s to the future and the evolutionary process of the Squirrels.

Josephine
Blind Squirrel

My streets are empty tonight—
So I walk them alone
I tried to bring you the world
So you would bring me home.
Slip down in the dark where
Ghosts don’t fade the morning sun
cause only in my dreams
Can I be with my

Sweet Josephine
Sweet Josephine
Sweet Josephine

If I could feel your touch
Would it cure all my pain?
Or would it set me on fire
Like burning ropes and chains?
They’ve taken all that I own
And stolen all I am
This empire I have dreamed
for the love of

Sweet Josephine
Sweet Josephine
Sweet Josephine

Send for my ships or build me a bridge
Call for my captains, and muster my men
Just get me off of this godammn forsaken island

If I could swim the river Styx,
I could go where she’d be.
I sent her ghost far away
She no longer waits for me
don’t hear the guns in my sleep
But I awake full of you
You’re all that I have left
Everything I do
All that I can taste 
and all that I can see
Are dreams of

Sweet Josephine
Sweet Josephine
Sweet Josephine

Josephine

Gaps
lyrics and music by James Hutcheson.
Published:	August 3, 2023

Lead vocals:  James Hutcheson
Backing vocals:  James Hutcheson and David Marbain
Percussion:  David Marbain
Bass:  David Marbain
Lead electric guitar:  Phillip Sanderson
Acoustic guitar:  Phillip Sanderson
Keyboards:  Phillip Sanderson
All other guitar work (rhythm guitar, lead riffs):  James Hutcheson

“Gaps” could also be called “The Six Month Song” because that’s how long it took us to record and turn it into a finished product.  Along the way there were a host of interruptions, and the fact that every time we got back together we picked up where we left off and resumed the process speaks to the dedication of the band to make this song a reality.  We believe the work has paid off and have created a product that we are proud of.

Gaps

Production Info:
Released: 12.8.23
Engineered and Produced by Blind Squirrel
Music and lyrics: Blind Squirrel
Lead vocals:  Dave Marbain and James Hutcheson
Background vocal:  James Hutcheson
Acoustic Guitar:  James Hutcheson
Acoustic Guitar:  Phillip Sanderson
Harmonica:  Phillip Sanderson
Keyboards:  James Hutcheson and Phillip Sanderson
Acoustic solo:  Phillip Sanderson
Bass:  Dave Marbain
Percussion:  Dave Marbain
Electric guitar:  Dave Marbain
Software tech:  Phillip Sanderson

Lyrics:
Verse 1:						
As the years go by
Faces fade to gray
With every morning sun
The memories slip away

Carefree days with you
So hard now to recall
All I have for proof
Are these pictures on the wall

Chorus:						
No one waits at home anymore
I’m not sure why
Staring out the window at night
Cars just passing by

Verse 2:						
Every face I pass
Strangers on the street
Smiles we never give
Words we’ll never speak

[Repeat Chorus]

Bridge:						
Not sure why my days flew by so fast
Tried to keep them all from slipping
Like sand through some hourglass
Some say time is like a river
I’m too weak to swim upstream
That’s why I’m striving to remember
Strain to see you in my dreams
I know the more I look behind
The less I get ahead
But I don’t care until I’m dead
I wanna remember every smile you made

[Repeat Chorus]

Nobody Waits At Home Anymore

Done as part of our Loft Sessions (live and pretty low-tech) this is our cover of the great Son Volt song recorded when we first started playing together.  Still love the vibe we had even then!

Tear - Stained Eye (Live/Cover)

This is the Blind Squirrel cover of the 1972 Pink Floyd track "Wot's...Uh the Deal" from their 1972 release "Obscured by Clouds."  The song features Dave on lead vocals with James handling backup vocal duties.  Dave is playing acoustic and his playing is featured on the intro and throughout the track.  James plays his Ibanez jazz guitar and does an incredible job with the first 2/3 of the guitar solo heard on the track.  Phillip's Martin guitar can be heard in the harmonics of the opening, playing higher notes behind Dave's acoustic picking, and on the last third of the guitar solo.

Wot's...Uh The Deal (Pink Floyd cover)

Music by James Hutcheson, lyrics by Phillip Sanderson and James Hutcheson, "Don't Take Me Home" is performed by Blind Squirrel.

Don't Take Me Home

This is our version of The Shins' song from their 2012 release "Point of Morrow." Much credit goes to James for seeing the Squirrel potential in this song--not obvious at first.  The final mixing for the track was on 5.18.17 and is notable because it is our first release with Sandy Beamer on cello.  Additionally, the song features James on guitar, vocals, and percussion, Dave on guitar and vocals, and Phillip on banjo and percussion.   We hope you enjoy and that the members of the Shins appreciate our treatment of their track.

No Way Down (Shins Cover)

The Dark was written written in early 2019 (maybe February?) with both music and lyrics by James Hutcheson and additional music by Dave Marbain and Phillip Sanderson.  Final mix: 5.24.19.

Credits:   Lead vocal: James Hutcheson, acoustic guitar: James Hutcheson, backing guitar: Dave Marbain, slide guitar: Phillip Sanderson, keyboard: Dave Marbain

"The Dark"

So perfect, I see the parts you try to hide
You stay out of the light 
You’re lonely, but you keep it all inside,   
Outside can be too bright

It’s safer here in the dark where you reside
The shadows like a blanket for your heart
When I ask you why ... You say you like the dark

Your smile sometimes fits but some days it’s hard to wear
But you leave it on your lips till no one’s there
When the lights grow dim you can be yourself again 
And no one seems to care

It’s safer here in the dark where you reside
The shadows like a blanket for your heart
When I ask you why ... You say you like the dark

    I don’t ask you if you’re alright
    You won’t tell me as long as we’re in the light

I’ll stay right here in the dark where you reside
The shadows like a blanket for our hearts
When you ask me why ... I say I like the dark

The Dark

Published 6.27.19.  The music and lyrics for this track were written by James Hutcheson, with additional music from Blind Squirrel, and is dedicated to a good friend of ours.

James sings lead and backing vocals, with Dave Marbain providing additional backing vocals.  James plays acoustic guitar throughout the track, with the break being shared by Dave and Phillip Sanderson (you'll have to guess who played which part).  Phillip also plays acoustic guitar throughout much of the track.  Special thanks to EH for her vocal suggestions.

Lyrics:
You plant a seed, you water it and watch it grow
And time flows by much faster than you know
The tree it grows, you harbor in its shade
And fall asleep and dream of futures that you made.

Don’t say my name, I know the things that you’re about to say
How hurting me was not your plan
And how you had hoped I’d be adult about this and stay calm
You knew that I would understand.

We bought a house, which we made into a home
We built that dream together but you tore it down alone
You’ve changed my crimes I stayed the same
You stole all of my feelings you didn’t even leave me pain.

Don’t say my name, the mouth you use to call her can’t hold mine
No that can never be.
I’ll walk away don’t have a thought about it I’ll be fine
Why would you now think of me?

Sometimes I wonder if things shouldn’t hurt me more
If it can’t be broken what is this heart for?
For all the things you’ve done I probably should feel bad,
But its hard to miss the things you never had
Yes it’s hard to miss the things you never had.

Don't Say My Name

Published 8.15.19.  This is our cover of the Ryan Adams track, though perhaps closer to the Zac Brown Band's version.  Both are worth listening to, Adams' version especially for the appearance of Emmylou Harris.

The track was recorded 8.13.19 as what we call a "Squirrel Jam," one take from start to finish, in this case using two microphones.  David Marbain took the lead on vocals, with James Hutcheson on background vocals.  Dave, James, and Phillip Sanderson are all heard on the track playing 6 string acoustic guitars.

Oh My Sweet Carolina (Ryan Adams Cover)--Squirrel Jam

Published 8.21.19.  Words and music by Blind Squirrel: James Hutcheson, Dave Marbain, and Phillip Sanderson.  Dave plays acoustic guitar and sings first lead; James also plays acoustic guitar, sings second lead and background vocals; Phillip plays acoustic and electric on the track.

The song explores the tension that a culture feels as they struggle with the tension between moving forward to new ways of thinking and needing to hold on to the established patterns and traditions that may seem safe.

People Say

Blind Squirrel is a trio of guitarists, each who just wanted other people to play and sing with. We started playing together in June of 2013, knocking ideas around and rotating hosting duties so we didn't annoy our families too much. We'd play covers of American music and try to write our own stuff. Every now and then we would play a song that sounded like magic, better than we would have thought we could sound. Pretty cool, we thought. But then, even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Blind Squirrel

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