￼Lyrics:

Come inside
Crazy ride
Deep breath
Hold your head
Almost dead

Come alive
Make you cry
Hold me
We were born to ask why

What I left in part
It’s a kind of weather
It’s a lot
I’m sorry I was a tornado

After this rocket ship
Takes a dip
Flare out
On your knees
High seas

This is it
The exit
Take it
You don’t have to say goodbye

What I left in part
It’s a kind of weather
It’s a lot
I’m sorry I was a tornado

What I left in part
It’s a kind of weather
It’s a lot
I’m sorry I was a tornado

Tornado

Lyrics:

This way
This way I’m an angel
It’s all I’ve got for you today
But this is just my way

It was only honestly
An honest mistake
Leaving all this longing,
Love, and blood in my wake

This way
This way I’m a weapon
Forget the blacked out spaces
Focus on my graces

It was the only love that I could belie
And I became a goddammed disguise

You and I
You and I

This way
This way I’m a prism
It’s in my atmosphere today
Now it’s just my way

It was just the pace of it
Would not let me be
And it burned up my integrity

You and I
You and I
You and I
You and I

This way
This way I’m a menace
I’ll get your mouth agape again
But this is just my sin

It was only honestly
An honest mistake
Leaving all this longing,
Love, and blood in my wake

You and I
You and I
You and I
You and I

You And I

Lyrics:

Wouldn’t you know
You’re the growing kind
You can die and then re-light
You can fortify any fire
You can untie and rewind

And it wasn’t just a little bit
Strange to me
All these emergencies
Opened up my eyes to see
Who I am
Who I can be

You really have this spiral style
You can spin a thousand miles
You can wake from any desire
You can re-create your mind

And it wasn’t just a little bit
Strange to me
All these emergencies
Opened up my eyes to see
Who I am
Who I can be

It’s you to take another try
You can order up on the fly
You can unlock anytime
You can mix and you can rise

And it wasn’t just a little bit
Strange to me
All these emergencies
Opened up my eyes to see
Who I am
Who I can be

Strange To Me

Lyrics:

Didn’t you know you were
Wonderful always
Even through wages of sin
Wonderful always

Just in case you forget
You were wonderful always
Even through stumbles to the dirt
Wonderful always

Lily pads have nothing on you
Practicing the art of renew
It’s your forgiving giving in
Love knows why
I do

Now that you know you were
Wonderful always
Make it a habit to give away
Wonderful always

Lily pads have nothing on you
Practicing the art of renew
It’s your forgiving giving in
Love knows why
I do

Wonderful Always

Lyrics:

Where is it you live
Is it in a room
Next to your home
On a hill’s ridge
Open to the sky
Under the sun

Going it alone
You notice
You notice you’re the light
You notice

How have you been
Are you in a state of disarray
Or have you faced your fears
Letting go of
What could have been

Going it alone
You notice
You notice you’re the light
You notice
Knowing it’s enough
You notice
You notice you’re enough
You notice

Are you where you live
Or is it a place where
You come from
Full moons, weeds, and tears
Aren’t everything
That you’re made of

Going it alone
You notice
You notice you’re the light
You notice
Knowing it’s enough
You notice
You notice you’re enough
You notice

Going It Alone

Lyrics:

Where did you find your way
In a backyard magic trick bouquet
On a ’72 summer day
Could you ever be more
Than what you saw

To the one that feels alive
To the one that feels in love

Wasn’t it earth and art
And the afternoons
Spent making sparks
To the wonder
That is in your heart

May you never be lonely In the dark
May you never be broken
For too long

To the one that feels in love
To the one that feels alive
To the one that feels
To the one that feels in love

What did you see that day
Was it over, poof,
And then it stayed
In a major, deep,
And mystic way

Can you ever be lonely with a song
Can you ever be more where you belong

To the one that feels in love
To the one that feels alive
To the one that feels
To the one that feels in love

What did it take to fly
Jumping up into the sky
In puffs of smoke you’re vanishing
Could you ever be more
Than what you saw
Could you ever be more
Where you belong

To the one that feels in love
To the one that feels alive
To the one that feels
To the one that feels in love

The Wonder That Is In Your Heart

Lyrics:

Is this where I left off
Sipping at a silver trough
I’m on the town

Curious I never knew
How you make it
Through the stew
I wanna know

Don’t fail me
Don’t make me ashamed
Don’t be the last one
At the party tonight
Don’t give me that
Sideways stare

Are you always in a mood
I’m not trying to be rude
Get on your glow

Don’t fail me
Don’t make me ashamed
Don’t be the last one
At the party tonight
Don’t give me that
Sideways stare

Wouldn’t it be a scene
If you showed off your careen
I never know

Don’t fail me
Don’t make me ashamed
Don’t be the last one
At the party tonight
Don’t give me that
Sideways stare

Sideways Stare

Lyrics:

Just when you thought that
I needed the energy
Just when you see that
I’ve been laying prone
She comes and circles around me

I believe, I believe
In a little love, little love

Just when you knew that
It would be a good thing
Just when you knew my
Inner heart was halt
She brings in her surround sound

I believe, I believe
In a little love, little love

Never did I feel so musical
Never ever will be freer
To have out interplanetary family
Taking ourselves orbiting

Just when you knew that
The next show was solo
Just when I’m tuning it
Down a half step
She comes and breezes the leaves

I believe, I believe
In a little love, little love
You can take the rhythm
Take the lead but

Never did I feel so musical
Never ever will be freer
To have out interplanetary family
Taking ourselves orbiting

I believe, I believe
In a little love, little love
You can take the rhythm
Take the lead
You can make the mono stereo but

Never did I feel so musical
Never ever will be freer
To have out interplanetary family
Taking ourselves orbiting

Little Love

Lyrics:

This could be our plot
On a higher ground
Between aspen tree, goldenrod,
And a rocky mound
And this is, ah,
A place to start our living art 
Get digging
Save this shovel
You will be my gardener

This could be victory
In a virgin soil
Over history where the house burned down
You’ll find a new toil
And this is, ah,
A secret home
A treasure zone
Get digging
Raise this rubble
You will be my gardener

This could be where we talk In hollyhocks
By pear and rose, lilac grove, And a path of rocks
And this is, ah,
A magic bloom
In nature’s room
Get digging
Turn this trouble
You will be my gardener

Gardener

Cover of a Kristin Hersh/Throwing Muses song from their album University. Originally meant for Tornado, it felt better as a single.

Teller

Steeped in drum machines, synthesizers, loops, samples and beats along with James Raftery’s voice, his new album EVERYTHING was born on a mountaintop hideaway after a death, a move, a breakup, and a recovery. James Raftery was known for 15 years as Rat Wakes Red. After 4 albums and opening for artists like Bob Mould and Hayden, he decamped from New York City to the upstate countryside. A new solitude and hard-won clarity led him to retreat to his home studio where he began work on EVERYTHING, an album
that marks a new beginning and a brand new sound for an artist that had relied heavily on the acoustic. EVERYTHING’s music was made entirely on computer and synthesizer; the only acoustic instrument is James’ voice. Its songs are exuberant, passionate, driven, reflective and hopeful. James wrote, performed, recorded, mixed and produced while Scott Hull mastered for digital and vinyl at Masterdisk. EVERYTHING is for anyone who loves synths and drum machines and infectious choruses. Influences include Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Giorgio Moroder, John Carpenter, Lorde, Wild Nothing, Egyptian Lover, Sufjan Stevens, School of Seven Bells. EVERYTHING will be available March 24th on vinyl, CD, and digital.

Everything

Just Believe

Mirroring

The Goal

Sun Roof

Rip Tide

Seed

Frame

Steeped in drum machines, synthesizers, loops, samples and beats along with James Raftery’s voice, his new album EVERYTHING was born on a mountaintop hideaway after a death, a move, a breakup, and a recovery. James Raftery was known for 15 years as Rat Wakes Red. After 4 albums and opening for artists like Bob Mould and Hayden, he decamped from New York City to the upstate countryside. A new solitude and hard-won clarity led him to retreat to his home studio where he began work on EVERYTHING, an album that marks a new beginning and a brand new sound for an artist that had relied heavily on the acoustic. EVERYTHING’s music was made entirely on computer and synthesizer; the only acoustic instrument is James’ voice. Its songs are exuberant, passionate, driven, reflective and hopeful. James wrote, performed, recorded, mixed and produced while Scott Hull mastered for digital and vinyl at Masterdisk. EVERYTHING is for anyone who loves synths and drum machines and infectious choruses. Influences include Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Giorgio Moroder, John Carpenter, Lorde, Wild Nothing, Egyptian Lover, Sufjan Stevens, School of Seven Bells. EVERYTHING will be available March 24th on vinyl, CD, and digital.

Hidden Mind

TORNADO OUT NOW. Click "Buy all" to purchase. Check out my other music as Rat Wakes Red.

James Raftery

Popular tracks