Her Lovely Name
featuring cello by Michael Duggan

So be that way and stay away. 
I forget you never will upset your girl, 
I know you love her. Still, it's hard to say her lovely name. 

And all those times you slipped away 
Without a word, I thought at least you'd say, 
So long, my flower. I always will remember your lovely face. 

You know I warned you, I could love you more than you want me to 

And I've never seen light like the Fourth of July, your hand held in mine just for that night. 
And you know how I hate it when you ask me the time. 
Well, I'm not a baby, I just thought you could save me from my loneliness. 

You know I warned you I could love you more than you want me to. 
Let me stay here. I can't make you see what it's done to me. 

So be that way and stay away. 
I forget you never will upset your girl,
I know you love her. Still, it's hard to say her lovely name.

Her Lovely Name

Candle

Where does the night go?
I put the clock / over here
I put the cross / over there
I put the candle on the water.
Oh, how my longing grows.
When, oh when oh when oh when will I know?
When I know, I will come to follow you – 
Again… Again…

Wait for your ascension.
I put the clock / over here
I put the cross / over there
I put the candle on the water.
Oh, how my aching grows.
When, oh when oh when oh when will I know?
Oh, how my shadow grows,
When, oh when oh when of when will you come?
When you come, I will love and follow you – 
Again… Again…

Halloween

1. Candle

Shape Shifter

Confutatis / Maledictis / is a little prayer you say / when you want to run away / 
From the beating of your heart / from the hiding in the dark
For you know it’s coming soon / the moon, the moon, the silver moon
And it changes you right there / in your eyes there’s no one there.

Confutatis / Maledictis / it’s another world away / when the garden to grey /
If you could you would have stayed / a million miles away
And all you want to do is die / But all that you can do is cry
With the full moon in your eyes…

And who will save the little children? 
Come on, and let us light our Jack-o-lantern,
From now on, the nights are gonna get longer, 
So come on, and light your little Jack-o-lantern.
And the breeze is gonna come calling, 
And the wind is gonna rattle your window.
In the trees, there’s always someone watching,
If you sneeze you’ll get taken by a shape shifter.

Confutatis / Maledictis / is a little prayer you say / when you want to run away
But you want this / Can’t resist this /
And the pounding in your brain / has driven you insane.
Insane.

2. Shapeshifter

Blame Stars

Blame / stars / for what’s to come, love.
I don’t know, love / why it comes / why it goes
What / have / you to say, love.
But in the meantime, there we will move on.

And in the middle of the night when you are gone –
I hope you found what you’re looking for.
And in the morning when you say I’m still the one – 
I hope you found what you’re looking for.

Blame / stars / for sleepless nights, love.
But after all, he was insane.

And in the middle of the night when you are gone –
I hope you found what you’re looking for.
And in the morning when you say I’m still the one – 
I hope you found what you’re looking for.

I hope you truly find your answer.
Whatever you’ve become is so cold.
I hope you – I hope you realize your question.
I took the rose from your hand.

I hope you find what you’re looking for.

3. Blame Stars

Red Dawn

Red dawn / nothing but the morning sun / crossing the horizon / 
I’m coming home to you.
Werewolves / changing back to human form / though the witching hour was long /
I’m coming home to you.

I could not understand the visions in my head.
I guess I thought some things were better left unsaid.
But in the midnight how could I ever forget / well, how could I possibly?

Red dawn / you’re definitely still the one / and the colors send me /
Coming home to you.
And wait up / I know what this means.
Wait up / I am gonna save me.
What am I / gonna do without you.

I could not understand the visions in my head.
I guess I thought some things were better left unsaid.
But in the midnight how could I ever forget / well, how could I possibly?

‘Round the fence, and up she goes.
Everybody slept through the witching hour.

4. Red Dawn

5. Trick Or Treaters

This song is off my first collaboration album with Joe Frawley called Dolls Come To Life. Please find us on Bandcamp to listen to Part 2. Happy Dolls Day!

Dolls Come To Life - Part 1

Written by Michelle Cross
Inspired by the poem, Shadwell Stair by Wilfred Owen 1893-1918
Produced by Joe Frawley
Piano and vox by Michelle Cross
Violin and other instrumentation by Joe Frawley


I am the ghost of Shadwell Stair / along the wharves, I’m waiting there /
Inside the water house / my shadow walks in there.

And yet my lips are soft and cool / my eyes are burning like a jewel /
And in the dusk the sails go / wavering down the pool.

I could not think of any better way to spend an hour.
Although there are very many way to make a lover smile.
I could not think of any better way to spend an hour.
Although there are very many ways that I could pass the while.

Make your way down the purple street / bare feet, that’s how you’ll find me /
As you descend the stair / the crowing syrens blare.

I could not bear to watch you go / I tied my ribbon ‘round your throat /
And in the salty air / the ghost of you appeared.

I could not think of any better way to spend an hour.
Although there are very many way to make a lover smile.
I could not think of any better way to spend an hour.
Although there are very many ways that I could pass the while.

I can see you…
I can see you…


Shadwell Stair

This is a version that I recorded with my 8th graders in Nagasaki. It was especially poignant because Nagasaki has an anti-war component to their curriculum in schools. It was a very fun day!

The files were then sent to my band mates in Chicago and it all came together like this! Thank you, MP (producer and guitar), Tom (bass), Henry (drums)!

Happy Xmas (War is Over)

Remixed by Joe Frawley
Song written by Michelle Cross
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe
Bass, Horn, Organ -  Christophe Gardette
Piano, Vocals - Michelle Cross

A Thousand Injuries - Catacombs Remix by Joe Frawley

Come Together by The Beatles, performed live at the Beat Kitchen with Rafe Bradford on bass, Michael Duggan on cello.

05 Come Together

Nancy Hazelgrove: A dear painter friend of mine, a mother figure in many ways, was dying of ovarian cancer in 2000.  She painted my Cinderella album cover.  She told me all about Matisse and the Left Bank in Paris.  We used to love listening to Native American chant music together.  She often traveled to Arizona to visit the artist colonies.  She always marveled at the number of bison she saw on her trips.  Towards the end, the drugs were making her incoherent, but she spoke often about her drawings coming to life in her sketchbook.  Somehow, I link painters to rabbit spirits and that makes its way into the song too. 

This was recorded at Bubblehaus, Chicago by Matt Crowley in 2000.

Bison Song

Michelle Cross - vox, piano, organ
Henry Jansen - drums
Tom Heslin - bass
Mat Prock - guitar
Recorded and produced by Mat Prock

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, 1959
Piano/Vox - Michelle Cross
Cornet - Kevin Ray Clark
Additional instruments - Joe Frawley
Produced by Joe Frawley
Recorded by Mat Prock

The Secret of Christmas, featuring Kevin Ray Clark (cornet)

Track 5 off Smoke Like Perfume

Why should you cry? There's nothing left for you to hide - it's all right.
I've heard it said, there's more to life than this so I - I'll be all right.
And I will walk and walk to the River of Seine, where I can lose myself, never think again,
About the loneliness inside my heart.

Why should you cry? You were the one who said goodbye. 
It's always been about you - I was there, to catch you at your every fall.
And I will walk and walk to the River of Seine, where I can lose myself, never think again,
About the loneliness inside my heart.

And love is a happy thing in the beginning.
Let me tell you love is a funny thing, oh yeah.
And love is a happy thing in the beginning.
Let me tell you love is a funny thing, oh yeah - oh yeah.

And I will walk and walk to the River of Seine, where I can lose myself, never think again,
About the loneliness inside my heart.

River Of Seine

Singer, pianist, a musician for a really really really really really long time.

Michelle Cross 1

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