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Front Porch

by Alex Wise

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1.
Waited on a Sunday borne a lazy afternoon Written on the footsteps of an old forgotten tune Listening while the river exploded in my heart Miracle of thunder with a soulful counterpart Chorus: Too late to the window, Too late in the year Too late ‘till the summer ends And the lonely ones appear A semblance of virtue like the sweet of alcohol Poisoned by the thimble, just a moan and then a crawl As the singer stops a-singing, what tune is it you hear? The new one starts a-shufflin’ and the lonely ones appear (Chorus) Covered by the bloodhounds but frozen on the trail When strangeness walks upon us the sunshine will prevail If suddenly you’re someone who can’t complete the thought Just scatter ‘bout your ashes know the search was not for naught (Chorus) A fitful case of remorse, it will only go so far But a uniformed delivery, that’ll show you where you are From the torn and tattered minstrel to the unsuccessful sleuth May the wilderness of discourse not eclipse the truth (Chorus)
2.
Too dark up in this corner And I seen much better days Whose heart has not been damaged ‘Till the lonesomeness decays Chorus: I’m touched by the willow and the mockery stings It’s the hard part of the journey One hellish fight to mend Everything ends badly Or else it’d never end (Chorus) Stronger than fear or desire And your methods are unsound The queen has fled the kingdom Now your soul has come uncrowned (Chorus)
3.
Headin’ for the nether world, all aboard…. Had we lived I’d tell it true Nothing is ever too late Plow the sea and work the wind Learn to labor and to wait Chorus: So we go within ourselves And we hold untruths Had we lived I’d tell it true Seated in my silver chair Not as wonderful as thirst A bottle of salvation (Chorus) Had we lived I’d tell it true Speak only to conceal thoughts Shapeless masses stealing steps The evil of two lessers (Chorus) Had we lived I’d tell it true These times are the ancient ones Happy highways where I went Destroyed but not defeated (Chorus) Had we lived I’d tell it true Nothing is ever too late Poetic souls of today Learn to labor and to wait Headin’ for the nether world, all aboard
4.
Sing the hymn of life melodies Feel the sound from within Shed the skin of old used-to-bes Learn to watch from within Come what may, in clothes that we once wore Step aside from old routines to breathe again once more Come what may, still longing to explore Settle back in easy chairs then open every door Come what may, what we forgave before Choosing what we want to see and choosing to ignore Life and limb, brought to its knees Answers come from within Twirl and spin, with grace and with ease Dance the dance from within Come what may, down crooked paths once more Sway the future to the past and find what will endure
5.
Muddlin' 04:47
Drift in my heart can’t pass this way again Stumbled on a new motif Deep inside reveals a whole new rig Keepsake ‘till the well’s run dry When the compass read it’s out there And the timepiece said it’s not Find a place that heads beyond care But you muddle through along Chorus: Standing in a doorway, head on fire Standing in a doorway with your head on fire Wrinkle perceives a stone is cast away Tremblin’ on a crooked shore Fervent belief in distant here and now Slightly concealed by yesterday Every maxim there could conjure it Just a shock to wake the core Like a slide upon the quarter-deck But you muddle through along (Chorus) Verse: Unrecalled by visions reminisced Neatly bundled memory gaps Launch a scull and row it over time Like a sieve but watertight Under house arrest with ankle brace Not enough to make you coil Only dredged beneath Poseidon’s lair But you muddle through along (Chorus)
6.
Tin Horses 04:48
Silver night calling, setting sun Almost time falling, little one Innocence crawling, then withdrawn Step aside darlin’, I’ll be gone Chorus: Gone astray, tin horses, They’re always gone astray Someday, tin horses They’re always gone astray Centered backwalking, moving from ’Round and ’round talkin’, hearing none Inner selves brawling, looming dawn Hummingbird stalling, dancing on (Chorus) Always see-sawing, burdensome At our heels gnawing, ‘till they’re numb Hearts that burned thawing, spell begun Through the web clawing, newly spun (Chorus)
7.
The Slow One 03:23
As my hands grow busy as the lines on my face Tend not to notice what the young girls embrace Will it be silly, or will it be wise? Tend not to notice through these old weary eyes Chorus: The known one is the sown one The grown one is the slow one It’s never too early and often too late Tend not to notice what we don’t elevate Will it be scuttled, or will it be rhyme? Tend not to notice through the thin shape of time Picture yourself as a treasured doubloon Or a jingle of a lost afternoon (Chorus) When you can’t recall days of your last somersault Tend not to notice that it’s never your fault Will it be sinful, or will it be right? Tend not to notice through this world-seasoned sight Picture yourself as the wings of a loon Or a jingle of a lost afternoon (Chorus)
8.
Wash It Down 03:32
Thirsty at the fountain no water there can slake Dance round in the ring again forgive the new mistake Conscious of my cheeseburger most mindful of my shake Suddenly I hear my intuition start to quake Chorus: So I wash it down, wash it down, wash it down When the reader is the poem then just leave love alone In a wink of eternity I find myself a home Better be my own circumstance to the unknown Suddenly I hear my intuition start to groan (Chorus) Colors seen by candlelight seem different by the day Have to have been born then to see it that old way Winter lies too long in hidden hands of those who pray (Chorus) Strange when you come to think of it and talk to me That after all this terra firma was our place to be Sunburnt by the glare of life still paint what I can see Suddenly I hear my intuition start to flee (Chorus)
9.
Love In Mind 04:07
Chorus: Love in your mind, love in your mind Can’t talk to your best friend (But) All the world is young again Not awake not so alive Soak in it to pass the time (Chorus) Weakened by hard rules forgot (Of) What is real and what is not Overpraised and underfed So many times to stand and beg (Chorus) Haunted by the ideal of you (Through) Timid silence of the blue When only mist is real it’s said Bread we broke much more than bread (Chorus) What beauty will so undermine (That) Happy hearts can lose their shine Someday maybe we’ll come around And understand it’s not profound… (Chorus)

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released May 1, 2002

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Alex Wise San Francisco, California

Fog Swamp is a Bay Area-based assemblage of first-call musicians that performs original swamp rock.
Steeped in genres ranging from rock, New Orleans funk and blues to bluegrass and jazz, Fog Swamp has headlined venues such as the Sweetwater Music Hall, The Chapel and The Boom Boom Room. The band’s members have shared stages with The Meters, Joan Baez, Wilco, Phil Lesh, and others. ... more

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