Songs from Lincoln Durham's
Exodus of the Deemed Unrighteous

All songs written by Lincoln Durham / Published by Rayburn Publishing, SESAC

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1. BALLAD OF A PRODIGAL SON 2:15

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Vintage Samsonite Suitcase, Guitar • Rick Richards: Drums • Alissa Durham: Backup Vocal • Andrew Hernandez: Backup Vocal
Father don't you recognize your own kin? • It's been a lifetime, or maybe two • My hair is longer, and my face drawn thin • From years of searchin' for the truth • Whoa-oa-oa-a-oa-oa-oa • In the valley of the bones • Whoa-oa-oa-a-oa-oa-oa • They're gonna rise up and head on home • We all wander through this shattered old world • Gettin' more glass in our feet • Leavin' bloody tracks everywhere we turn • Like a morbid hide-and-go-seek • Chorus Repeat • Two plus two ain't always four • And sometimes black ends up white • There's a million shades of gray in between • When you manage to shed a little light • Chorus Repeat • I've been in every patchwork revival tent from here to yon • So brothers don't you recognize your own kin? • I have returned like a prodigal son

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2. RISE IN THE RIVER 2:50

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar, Lap Steel • Rick Richards: Drums, Claps • Alissa Durham: Claps • George Reiff: Claps
There's a rise in the river • There's a whisper on the wave • Sins in the water that cannot be repaid • There's hope in the valley where the children they sing • Dark clouds are rollin' while they shake their tambourines • When there's a rise in the river • When there's a rise in the river • When there's a rise in the river • You got to get up to higher ground • Moon testifying that the blood that stains these shores • Will be cleaned by a flood and swept away by the mornin' • A pale horseman warnin' of impending doom • Befalling every man, woman, child and child in the womb • Chorus Repeat • Brothers and sisters • Ladies and gentlemen • Let me beseech, • Nay, implore you to heed my words today • You better head for the hills • Abandon those cheap thrills • Pour out all your corn liquors and Nyquils • 'Cause you got to stay awake • If not for yourself, then for your little family's sake • Lest you make a grave mistake • And find yourself death deep in water • Chorus Repeat

 

3. ANNIE DEPARTEE 4:09

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Cigar Box Guitar (a broomstick stuck in a cigar box with a G string on it. Yeah, a G string) • Rick Richards: Drums, Claps • Alissa Durham: Claps • George Reiff: Claps
This here's a little story about a girl who can't seem to quit killing men • Annie lay your six-guns down • Lest you find you're six foot under ground • Put on your rouge • Powder your nose • Hide your bow-legs under knee-high hoes • You done shot a man, girl • One...two...three, put him out of misery • Four...five...six, just to please them wicked kicks • You been burnin' powder • You better burn the breeze • Forever legend as Annie Departee • Annie lay your six-guns down • You've been spreadin' lead all over town • Better take your black hat and paint it white • 'Fore a buscadero puts you in his sights • You done shot a man, now • Chorus Repeat • Let me tell you a little story about Annie now • You see, Annie was known for her nasty reputation • Born with a short fuse already lit, and suffered from a chronic frustration • Most men would cower underneath the persecution of her pistol point • But every now and then, there'd be one seeking fame and find her at a local jip-joint • Somehow Annie always knew, and her eyes'd turn red • And all of a sudden there'd be a bullet in the belly of Fred, or Steve, or George, or Rick • It don't matter • Oh Annie, you done done it again, girl • You better change your evil ways • First Verse Repeat • Chorus Repeat

 

4. BEAUTIFULLY SEWN, VIOLENTLY TORN 3:03

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar, Wind Chimes • Rick Richards: Drums
Screen door blowin' in the wind that's dryin' up the blood on the ol' wood floor, • Dead-man's shadow's still dancin' from a 40-watt bulb swingin' back and forth, • Record is skippin' in the middle of Son House singin' 'bout an old death-letter, • Little Ellie Mae's still cryin' in the corner, sayin' "daddy should've known much better" • Ol' dirty washtub • Won't getcha' clean enough • Sinnin' from the day you're born • Beautifully sewn, violently torn • Ellie Mae's life is like an ol' carney ride gone wild and shakin' off the tracks • Mama's in the kitchen ain't hearin' what she heard, and takin' comfort from a bottle in a sack • What she can't figure is if you're still sinnin', how can you ever call yourself saved? • She's singin' "knick-knack, paddy-whack, a broken glass of cognac, I bet he can't hurt me from the grave" • Chorus Repeat • Big bad wolf in pretty sheep's skin showed his teeth when he took to the drink, • Little bitty girl is capable of terrible things when she's pushed to the brink, • Some folks are just victims of the times, and some from their own wicked ways • But now the law is at the front door • Ellie's out the back door • Mama hangs her head in shame • Chorus Repeat • Hush, Ellie Mae • You're safe and sound • Daddy won't be showin' his face around • He's gone to join ol' death for tea • He gonna tell him about the little girl who grew big teeth

 

5. STUPID MAN 2:56

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar • Rick Richards: Drums
Stupid man with your pockets jingling • Lips bright red, stained with wine • Will you shake your change to buy your soul? • Reduce yourself to nickels and dimes • Pray to be raised from the grave so cold, but you'll be a might heavy with all that gold • Silly girl with your face painted • You bat your eyes and flash your pearls • But your naked skin won't save your hide • From a fate that is both mine and yours • Chorus Repeat • Little child with your baby curls • Never had your chance to choose • But your innocence it don't mean a thing • You done lost the life you never had the chance to lose

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6. STRIKE US DOWN 1:52

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal (through a Vox Amplifier), Harmonica • Rick Richards: Drums, Oil Pan • George Reiff: Backup Vocal
Preacher man turns himself another page • He ain't teachin' what it say, but it gets him paid • Mama's gonna raise a little baby up right • She gently puts it in the dumpster in the middle of the night • Lord strike us down • So we may see • That all mankind can bleed • Mr. Jones he's making his briefcase bigger • You better keep up 'cause his wallet's thicker • Ninety pounds, but she gets a little bit thinner • And Mrs. Barbie Doll gets some more plastic in her • Chorus Repeat • Green-eyed creature with a face of gold • Is always one step ahead, or so we're told • Nightmares and dreams mixed in the mud • It doesn't matter which is which when it's in your blood • Chorus Repeat

 

7. KEEP ON ALLIE 3:56

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar, Piano • Rick Richards: Percussion (patting his leg)
Standing at the corner of Mary and 1st • Wind dancing through her cotton dress • She gonna make through her life come better or worse • All the time wearing her Sunday best • Keep on • "Ruby Tuesday" on the radio • You'll always hear her sing harmony • She keeps the demons at bay with a shot of Old Crow • Too proud to concede, too ashamed to pray • Keep on • Keep on, Allie • Allie, keep on • Keep on, Allie • Allie, keep on • Fresh ink in her skin says remember this truth: • "The deepest old wounds make the prettiest scars" • She says tears are wasted on the ignorance of youth • She gonna bottle her's up in a little glass jar • A believer in mercy where mercy is due • And a certain kind of beauty in every sin • The chip on her shoulder ain't from me it ain't from you • It's to remind her where she going and how far she been. • Keep on • Chorus Repeat

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8. SINNER 4:15

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar • Rick Richards: Drums
My youngest daughter, I have regrets • To say I have none, well that'd be another one yet • Would be another one yet • Don't let your faith in life, for too long reside • In the hands of the Devil, for him to twist and pry • For him to twist and pry • I am a sinner • For tomorrow I die • I am a dead man • This is a dead-man's rhyme • I swear to the Lord, through the kindness of His son • I ain't done not even half, of what they all say that I done • What they say I done • Chorus Repeat • So I'll shine my soul, and I'll wash away all my sins • 'Cause if they're gonna take me out, they're gonna have to take me with a grin • Chorus Repeat

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9. EXODUS WALTZ 2:37

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Fiddle, Banjo • Rick Richards: Drums
You ain't seen my soul for nigh upon ages • But you say I stink from the things that I've done • They cling to me with their wretched little fingers • As fresh as the holy you put on • I was born to the hand that raised me unrighteous • Or so you all preached upon high • I had some love left for the taking • You'd have seen if not for the rafter in your eye • Whoa is me • Whoa is me • I sway to the "Exodus Waltz" • So I'll flee to the cold dark corners of this world • And I'll flaunt my scars and lost blood • And I'll pray for thee and those of like kind • "Judge not, lest ye own self be judged" • "Judge not, lest ye own self be judged" • Chorus Repeat • 1...2...3 • 1...2...3

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10. MAMA 3:25

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Piano (strings plucked from inside piano), Guitar • George Reiff: Kalimba • Rick Richards: Drums
Mama lay me down • Gently rock away the tears • Mama lay me down • I still need you after all these years • Mama whisper to me • Tell me to pick myself off the floor • Mama whisper to me • I haven't the fight to fight anymore • Mama raise my head • Help me fight against the pain • Mama raise my head • Help me remember who I am again • Mama wish me sweet dreams • To put these nightmares to bed • Mama wish me sweet dreams • And a new path for my feet to tread • First Verse Repeat

© 2013 Droog Records / Rayburn Publishing, P.O. Box 41962, Austin, Texas 78704. All Rights Reserved. FBI Anti-Piracy Warning: Unauthorized copying is punishable under federal law. 00EOTDU-13

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Songs from Lincoln Durham's
The Shovel vs. The Howling Bones

All songs written by Lincoln Durham / Published by Rayburn Publishing, SESAC

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1. Drifting Wood 4:23

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar / Derek O'Brien: Guitar / Rick Richards: Drums
One path leads to destruction I got two idle hands that'll get me there Three stand before me to enlighten I'd reach for the shores if I dared Chorus: Let the wind act as a savior Let it guide like a savoir should May the river have mercy have mercy on the drifting wood I may be hanging from a tree come next morning Gone to from whence I came My world is burning down to ashes By match or by chance it's all the same Chorus repeat These waters are deep and they are unheeding I could swim upstream or just go along for the ride The latter of which has this clear warning That's to doom myself to a passive suicide Chorus repeat

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2. Last Red Dawn 3:10

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar / Jeff Plankenhorn: Mandolin / Rick Richards: Drums
I walk through the valley I see no stars tonight They've all died away Because the blood they're spilling floods like a crimson tide Chorus: Red skies turn black as night It means you'll see that next sun come But if they're fiery red in the morning light It means you'll see that last red dawn I see all the misery Of what is dead and gone And the sails, they cry in vain Because the ship they're sailing is made up of skin and bones Chorus repeat I feel a storm coming It whispers in the night And the sea it just trembled When it sees that last red light

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3. Living This Hard 3:26

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar, Harmonica / Rick Richards: Drums
Stick our fruit mason jars Snapping peas in the backyard Been a year now with my hands in the dirt Blood on my fingers can't show it hurts We gonna see if next Sunday comes I ain't gonna make it if the working ain't done Working ain't done 'til the setting sun I got an old dreadnaught through a Bell and Howell It ain't the best of ways but it'll work somehow I don't need me a little band Because Mr. Davis says I got a sporting right hand We gonna see if next Sunday comes I ain't gonna make it if the working ain't done Working ain't done 'til the setting sun Chorus: Look out boys you're about to learn There comes a time when the cactus burns Life ain't never gonna spare the rod I can't keep living, living this hard My kin folks say don't forget who you are Them's words that's got me living this far There comes sometimes when I get real low I wish my memory didn't serve me so We gonna see if next Sunday comes I ain't gonna make it if the working ain't done Working ain't done 'til the setting sun Chorus repeat

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4. Clementine 3:22

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar, Harmonica / Ray Wylie Hubbard: Guitar / Bucca Allen: Grand Piano / Rick Richards: Drums
Clementine, don't you cry for me When the smell of the roses fades eventually Just go for now and leave me to my sleep I'm free from this world, from this painful heartbeat Chorus: Hey, Clementine Don't you cry for me Clementine, may your path be blessed Never again to wear your black veil and dress Let each step take you far from pain Don't let this world leave its dirty old black stain Chorus repeat Clementine, now it's time to part There's no breath in me, but still an ache in my heart Just give me one last smile and dry your eyes We had our time, and now it's time to say goodbye Chorus repeat

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5. Mud Puddles 3:27

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar (1929 Gibson HG-22), Wooden Cone Resonator, Fiddle / Rick Richards: Drums
I got a nickel that I keep here in my pocket I got these snakeskin boots here wrapped around my feet I got a picture that I keep here in a locket Of a woman who's much too good for me Chorus: I said drifters they don't step in mud puddles For fear they'll fill it up with their own blood I said drifters they don't step in mud puddles For fear they'll fill it up with their own blood I got a pocket knife my daddy gave me when I was 20 I found this dusty old hat here at 25 The years of my living add up to plenty But I doubt I'll ever make it to 29 Chorus repeat In these familiar streets I used to tread I see only shadows and demons instead Constant reminders Of the sins that I've made Blood that I've lost And the price I've paid Chorus repeat

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6. Reckoning Lament 3:10

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar, Harmonica / Rick Richards: Drums
Old sawbones got some age on him, that's why you show respect He's long past his prime, his mind's a derelict Another man with an open book, he laughs at your every move He's reciting chosen verse of some Robert Johnson tune He's singing: Chorus: "Whoa, the sun has gone to burnin' Whoa, and the creek has gone dry Whoa, black birds are circling Over the hills, where the dead folk lie" Sister runs the table, now she's shaking a pile of bones Preaching to lose with the double-six cannot be condoned Old blues man feeling might poorly, that's why he screams and howls You ain't heard the slide guitar since the likes of Fred McDowell He's playing: Chorus repeat Ne'er-do-well in the dark corner, raising anxiety Says the safest place in the world, is in-sanity Strangers come from the four corners, with passion and discontent They sing in harmony of the Reckoning Lament They're singing: Chorus repeat

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7. How Does A Crow Fly 2:36

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar (1964 Gibson J-45) / Rick Richards: Drums, Bird Feeder, Trash Can
I met a dove once white as snow I turned her a shade of gray A dove she wants to spread her wings But a crow clips her dove wings away Chorus: How does a crow fly like an eagle How does a crow fly like an eagle How does a crow learn to fly so high Where he can rise up to heaven again I went down to the depths of despair I wanted loose dirt on my grave I felt around in the dark for a while Among the wicked and depraved Chorus repeat How does a heart turn black as coal How does a heart turn black as coal How does a heart turn black as coal How does a crow save his own wretched soul Chorus repeat

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8. Love Letters 2:57

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar / Rick Richards: Drums
I've been picking all the wallpaper off the walls I've been calling all the numbers on the bathrooms stalls I'm walking down a gravel road kicking a can I've been trying to figure out just who I am Chorus: I'm searching for some peace of mind To steady my steep decline If you're gonna live, then you're bound to learn I've got love letters to burn I've been washing myself in muddy water I don't want to be clean, but I think I oughta' I've been putting my sins right up on a shelf To forget your past is to lose your self Chorus repeat Asked a part-time thief, "What should I do" He said, "Use that pain to sing them blues" He said, "One more thing that'll help my brother Before you can open that door, you'd better close the other" Chorus repeat

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9. Georgia Lee 3:19

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar (1964 Gibson J-45) / Clay Berkes: Backup Vocal / Rick Richards: Drums
Georgia Lee she's like a springtime storm She's gonna teach me to be withered, weathered and worn Dresses all tattered and torn She's gonna wallow in the mud Born on the front porch of an old wood shack She keeps everything she owns in a torn up burlap sack Gives no account for where she's at When she gonna wallow in the mud Chorus: Hey Hey Hey, Georgia Lee We're gonna wallow in the mud She's got an old guitar she claims was blessed by Muddy's hand She can't play for much, but she can sure play that "Hoochie Coochie Man" She's glad to show you anytime she can That she can wallow in the mud She's a wild child of the age of 32 You ask her what she's looking at She says "Oh, boy I'm looking straight at you Now whatcha' gonna do" We're gonna wallow in the mud Chorus repeat

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10. People Of The Land 3:23

Written by Lincoln Durham
Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar (1929 Gibson HG-22), Wooden Cone Resonator, Fiddle / Idgy Vaughn: Backup Vocal
Alissa Durham: Backup Vocal, Cardboard Box / Ray Wylie Hubbard: Backup Vocal / Rick Richards: Drums, Cardboard Box
I've been around since the days of old I'll stick around for years untold I've faced the fires, and I've seen the rain I've felt some pleasure, and all the pain Seen my brother's blood fall into the sand Shed by his neighbor's hand We are the people of the land And we ain't, and we ain't gonna die away Silk and thread make a noble man But it don't put the scars across his hand A long gray beard and a wise old face Won't be seen in your fancy place Though my brothers are falling all around You ain't gonna keep us down We are the people of the land And we ain't, and we ain't gonna die away We're tilling up the land and we're staying strong We're gonna be around when your money's gone There'll be a time when you can hear them say "Here come the people of the land, We'll be fortunate to be one of them one day" We are the people of the land

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11. Trucker's Love Song 4:46

Lincoln: Vocal, Guitar / Derek O'Brien: Guitar / Bucca Allen: Accordion / George Reiff: Guitar
Idgy Vaughn: Backup Vocal / Rick Richards: Drums
Another road, another city The wheels keep rolling, on down the line The price I pay, for this lonely life Is getting higher, as time goes by The only friend I know, is on the CB We talk about the weather, because it kills the time But, he'll soon fade away on that open road And leave me thinking about you and I Chorus: I ride on through these dirty old towns And every road sign says, that you ain't around Another hard life long forgotten On this lonely, dark highway Through Amarillo, on my way to Colorado It makes me remember how much I like that song I'll be there long before morning Thinking about you long after I'm gone Chorus repeat Another road, another city The wheels keep rolling on down the line Singing along to "You Were Always On My Mind" With my best Willie, it's getting better each day Alt Chorus: You were always on my mind And every road sign says, how far I left you behind Another hard life long forgotten On this lonely, dark highway

©2012 Lincoln Durham/Rayburn Publishing. P.O. Box 41962 Austin, Texas 78704. All Rights Reserved. 00TSVTHB-12