Sign up for our mailing list Real artists creating records on their own terms
Close

Sign up for our mailing list

Joe Henry - Civilians Civil War

Contributors

  • ISRC:USEP40719103
  • Recorded:2007 The Garfield House - South Pasadena, CA
  •  ©2007 Anti Inc.
  • Backing Vocals:Loudon Wainwright III
  • Upright & Electric Bass:David Piltch
  • Drums, Percussion:Jay Bellerose
  • Electric & Acoustic Guitar:Bill Frisell
  • Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Weissenborn, Lap Steel:Greg Leisz
  • Piano, Chamberlin, Pump Organ:Patrick Warren
  • Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Handclaps, Knee Slaps, Corduroy:Joe Henry

Lyrics

I don't know you to wear a hat
But I came home late and there it sat,
You rose to show what hats are for
When living through a civil war,
When living through a civil war

Christmas mornings and New Years Days
They flood with dreams and drift away,
They cling to logs and cupboard doors
Riding out this civil war,
Riding out this civil war

Some fighters came and pitched a tent
And everyone around here, we went,
The fix was in, but we bet and we swore
From both sides of a civil war...

We build this up and we knock this down
We call our little mob a town,
We nail a sign up above the door
"God bless our little civil war,"
"God bless our little civil war"

Three dogs at a party an a boat at night
Play checkers in a lantern light,
They sing a song out to the shore
Of women, gold, and civil war...

Every truth carries blame
And every light reveals some shame,
Progress rides with thieves and whores
The stowaways of civil war,
The stowaways of civil war.