FRONT OF THE BUS

Instant karma is finally here after 240 years.

I don’t have the answer and I’m tired of the questions too.

People say this is America.  I’m not sure if that’s true.

We’re building walls between us and we’re paying for them too.

But these walls between us can block our view…

So we can’t see a woman’s unequal pay, a Muslim who prays for peace everyday, a father scared of being sent away, a factory worker, a good police officer, a transgender.

We can’t see America.  Oh no, we can’t with those walls.

But we can do so much better.  We’ve done good things before.

Regardless of position, we’re here together.

We’re many religions, black and white, rich and poor.

This is an invitation. 

We hope you’ll join us as we drive through this nation.

Everyone has a seat at the front of our bus.

Front Of The Bus

This is from the Leaves recording sessions.  It's called Library.  Special thanks to Uma and friends (and to Kate Ellsworth for providing a children's chorus)!  Danny Padgett on drums, Andrew Leonard on bass,  Dan Thorn on keys/sound effect, Sarah Smith on vocals, Michael Leyden on vocals/guitar.

Library (master) (1)

A demo of a song that should appear on the next Whistle Jacket record.  And yes, I do spell Prisoner wrong at the end of the song but kept it in there because it's kind of funny.  I did the same thing when we debuted the song live.  I have to practice my spelling.

Prisoner Demo

Blood on the merry-go-round.
Children sing we all fall down.
But today there is no sound
except echoes of 100 rounds.

Probably counting the days
until Santa and his sleigh.
Gifts never opened,
gifts thrown away,
this December someone else came.

And we know it's not right 
and we wonder why.
Theories but we can agree
that those children shouldn't have died.

The principal tried to stop
a quiet town's gunshots.
Parents wait in the parking lot.
Some children come out.
Some do not.

Intruder, intruder, intruder, intruder!
Someone please stop that shooter!
Intruder, intruder, intruder, intruder!
Someone please stop the next shooter!

Tiny desks, tiny chairs.
Alphabet on the wall.
Crayons, puzzles, winter in the air,
some not even four feet tall, 
some not even four feet tall.