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Gratitude (2014)

by Chip Kramer

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1.
Live This Way 03:48
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Morning comes, the sun is up and fills the sky With a light, so clear and bright to shows the day You and I, greeting sweetly through the fog of Waking up, not quite awake enough to say It’s OK to live this way It’s afternoon, we’re busy doing tasks to keep Up with the tide, of dust and bills and broken things Can’t throw away, we pause a moment for a kiss It makes the day, a pleasant place that leads to this It’s OK to live this way I could do this every day ‘til there are no more You’re the one that I simply adore Night is night, dinner’s gone we are conversing ‘Bout our lives, all the things we did today Simple things, don’t mean much by themselves But what they are, it is all in the details It’s OK to live this way Morning comes, the sun is up and fills the sky With a light, so clear and bright to shows the day It’s OK to live this way Live This Way (C.Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass Lisa Bowker: vocal David Mosher: mandolin solo & ending Will Oster: drums
2.
Over & Over 02:52
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There are some things you do over and over again They fill your day just like there was no room to contend Is it a choice or are you controlled by your life? Doin’ things to sacrifice Went to the store just the other day Did what I do when I’m in my way I bought some things that I didn’t need How the hell am I gonna succeed? These are the things I do over and over again Can’t seem to stop no matter what I put in my head I should know better there’s no way this will work How can I be such a jerk? Went to my friends to laugh and to eat Drank too much which was a repeat If I stop what a world this would be Everything perfect, fantastic and free I learned my lesson now I’ve stopped doing things That are bad for me or for what they bring Every move I make is spiritually clean This lasted a day if you know what I mean These are the things I do over and over again Can’t seem to stop no matter what I put in my head I should know better there’s no way this will work How can I be such a jerk? Over & Over (C.Kramer) Chip: vocal, electric guitar, organ, bass, horn arr. Jordan Litvak: harp Ryan Dolan-trumpet, Alec Cooper-sax, Terry Kimura-trombone Will Oster: drums
3.
Gratitude 04:49
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How do thank everyone in your life? A place to start is with your wife And all the others who have given to you Don’t keep it quiet express your gratitude Thank you Mom and Dad for getting me here Grandmas and Grandpas who lived through the years And don’t forget families go back For generations and generations Thank you Dan, Judy, Doug, Greg and David We form a circle that can be trusted And our families form a network of love We are connected from below and above I say it loud, from my heart. I speak with love. It’s time to start Want you to know, It's the truth. I’ll sing it out, my gratitude Thanks to my cousins, my uncles and aunts Thanks to my in-laws who gave me a chance Thanks to all who ever looked my way Thanks to the Earth, grateful for every day A special thanks to my friends Some that I have known since I don’t know when A friend you chose or they chose you If their a friend they’ll see you through Not the least my kids are the last They are so special nothing will pass Of course they come from their mother and me My gratitude extends to all three So say it loud, from your heart Speak the truth, time to start Let them know it’s from you Sing it out, your gratitude Gratitude (C.Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, synths, bass Lisa Bowker: vocals David Mosher: vocals David Kramer: lead guitar Will Oster: drums
4.
Caryl's Song 05:19
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I’d like to build you a house in the mountains With beams in the ceiling and a cast iron stove We’ll live there together and work for the county You as a teacher and me building roads A home near the river of fresh running water I’ll build you a ship out of oak and of gold We’ll sail to the seas with our friends and their lovers We’ll watch all the sunsets and weather the cold. If I could show you the dreams that I have Nothing would stand in our way, But that’s been my problem you know it by now I can only be sure of what I’ve done today I’d like to fly with the wings of the angels With the wind in my sails and you by my side, And I’d like to buy you a castle and garden With great halls and flowers and you for my pride. If I could tell you the things that I dream You’d think I was dreaming away But all of my wishes could crumble to dust Save the one wish that we be together today I’d like to build you a house in the mountains With beams in the ceiling and a cast iron stove We’ll live there together and work for the county You as a teacher and me building roads Epilogue: Two years have now past and the songs are all changing Two years since I left you, three months since I cried This learning to love is a thing that’s not easy Especially for lovers who failed but tried Can you imagine the places you’ve been Think of the people you know Wonder if someday your house in the mountains Will give you a shelter from being alone Caryl's Song (D. Roth, Arr. C. Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitars, piano, synth, cello & string arr. Lisa Bowker: vocal David Mosher: vocal, fiddle, viola Stefan Koch: cello
5.
Write A New Song 03:12
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If I could write a new song One that no one else had heard I’d use new chords that no one had used Creating something that had never been before Who am I fooling? What was I thinking? How can a song be completely new? There’s just twelve notes for arranging It surely will sound just like someone’s song If I could write a new book One that no one else could write I’d use new words that no one else had used Creating something that had never been before Who am I fooling? What was I thinking? How can a book be completely new? My ideas must have been thought before It surely will read just like someone’s book If I could live a new life One that no one else had lived I’d feel things that no one else had felt Creating something that had never been before Hey wait a minute, this is my life This life is completely new This is my life not like any other I surely can’t be somebody else If I could write a new song One that no one else had heard I’d use new chords that no one had used Creating something that had never been before Creating something that had never been before My life has never been before Write a New Song (C.Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass Lisa Bowker: vocal David Mosher: vocal, fiddle WillOster: drums
6.
Martin Guerre of Artiget 05:00
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It’s a story that’s been told for over four hundred years About a man who lived another’s life, a life that was not his He pulled it off convincingly for three long years He played the role and lived the life as if he was Martin Guerre Martin Guerre married young He was a peasant in old France In the time of Michelangelo And St Vitus dance It took eight years to sire a son But then he went away No one knows the reason why he went He left his wife and child there to stay Eight years later The word spread through town Martin Guerre returned to Artigat To claim family ground He called them all by name He knew the stories of the town And despite the doubts and questions They thought that Martin Guerre was finally found It’s a story that’s been told for over four hundred years About a man who lived another’s life, a life that was not his But he pulled it off convincingly for three long years He played the role and lived the life as if he was Martin Guerre There were some in the village who doubted he was Guerre The one who was sure of that was Martin’s Uncle Pierre A conflict rose between them when Martin claimed his due Pierre resolved to prove him false and went to court to sue The trial consumed the town Everybody had their say Some were sure his claim was true Some swore he was a fake But in the final hour The real Martin did arrive He proved the impostor false Armand du Tilh was sentenced to die Who’s to say the man was wrong To take another’s place Though his wife must have known the truth She never gave him away For he had treated her with kindness And there’s an honesty in that And so ends the story of Martin Guerre of Artigat An it’s a story that’s been told for over four hundred years About a man who lived another’s life, a life that was not his He pulled it off convincingly for three loving years He played the role and lived the life as if he was Martin Guerre He played the part and loved his wife as if he was Martin Guerre Martin Guerre of Artigat (Lyrics: C.Kramer & D. Mosher, Music: C. Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, synth, cello arr. Lisa Bowker: vocal David Mosher: vocals Stefan Koch: cello
7.
Hold Me Tight 02:21
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Susie Q likes to dance the jitterbug She told me she likes how I cut the rug On Friday nights we’re out dancin’ ‘til two I’ll wear black, she’ll wear a party dress We’ll dance all night without a rest Come on Baby, it’s what we do Hold me tight just a little bit closer It’s alright, hold me in your arms We have all night to fall in love Hold me tight tonight All the guys have their eyes on Sue And she knows just what to do She smiles at them then turns away All night long she’s by my side I am filled with enormous pride This is just the thing to make my day Hold me tight just a little bit closer It’s alright, hold me in your arms We have all night to fall in love Hold me tight tonight Susie tells me she wants to be closer She says she wants a whole lot more I freeze in my steps, don’t know what to say Then it comes to me in a flash of lightening Something that couldn’t be more frightening I tell her I’ll see her on our wedding day Hold me tight just a little bit closer It’s alright, hold me in your arms We have all night to fall in love Hold me tight tonight Hold me tight tonight Hold me tight tonight Hold Me Tight (C.Kramer) Chip: vocals, electric guitars, organ, tambourine, bass Lisa & Matt Bowker: vocals Will Oster: drums
8.
The Road to Balnagown 03:55
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It’s a long road to Balnagown It’s high above the sea The mist covers the rowan trees And you are here with me The Earl of Ross, he married sister Maud. He built the castle strong as an act of God The castle passed from Ross to Ross Through the battles and the wars From Alexander to David and It filled esprit de corps Admiral Sir John Lockhart-Ross Fulfilled the castle’s dreams Sir Charles Lockhart-Ross Built the gardens green Sir Charles Ross left Balnagown In Canada he hid The castle fell to disrepair Til Al-fayed made his bid All of Scotland was Celtic we believed Scota came from Egypt, Fayed said so do we It’s a long road to Balnagown It’s high above the sea The mist covers the rowan trees And you are here with me The Road to Balnagown (C. Kramer) Chip: vocal, acoustic guitars, recorder arr. Robert Rose: vocals, mandolin, bouzouki, bass Lisa Bowker: vocals David Mosher: vocals Tyler Duncan: uilleann pipes
9.
Nelson Dimato 02:46
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He was a sad man who couldn’t do right He was a bad man who ruined with fright He was a slick dude who got his way He was a charmer who would make you pay Nelson Dimato got what he wanted Never had to wait a day Always taking from others Would steal from his mother Couldn’t care less what you say In Chicago the deal went down It was Nelson who wore the crown He double crossed the Edison gang He was delighted to play the game Never thought he’s ever lose to Sonny Avenue He never picked up the tab Everyone thought he was clean as a whistle He simply had the gift of the gab {Nelson, how do you sleep at night Seems like, nothing you do is right} At the moment everything was in place Nelson Dimato wore his poker face And he let them walk into the trap It was a sweet thing and he never looked back Nelson Dimato got what he wanted Never had to wait a day Always taking from others Would steal from his mother Couldn’t care less what you say Nelson Dimato (C. Kramer) Chip: vocal, acoustic guitar, bass, percussion, horn arr. Lisa & Matt Bowker: vocal David Mosher: vocals Ryan Dolan-trumpet, Alec Cooper-sax, Terry Kimura-trombone Will Oster: drums
10.
Til the End 04:03
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We use to be tight as ever we used to be thick as thieves Something came between us now it’s got me on my knees We’re passing ships out in the night I barely knowing you are there No common thread to hold us tight The separate lives we’ve never shared Look in the eyes of a stranger. Hear the words of a friend See the ones that you call family. Hold your lover ‘til the end How long before we have forgotten? How long before it slips away? Too many times we learn the lessons Before the end comes to stay Look in the eyes of a stranger. Hear the words of a friend See the ones that you call family. Hold your lover ‘til the end Til the End (C. Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, percussion, bass Lisa & Matt Bowker: vocals David Mosher: slide guitar Will Oster: drums
11.
Life, Liberty & Happiness 02:40
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Take a word The word is life it means we’re here We’re here to live, to breathe and play We’re here to live another day Another word Another word is liberty It is another way to say That the way we live is free We hold these truths To be self evident that all Are created equal That we’re endowed By our creator with Certain unalienable Rights Take a word Happiness can be pursued Follow you dream, open your heart Live your life, give it a start We hold these truths To be self evident that all Are created equal That we’re endowed By our creator with Certain unalienable Rights Life, Liberty & Happiness (C. Kramer) Chip: vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass Lisa Bowker: vocal David Mosher: vocal, accordian Will Oster: drums

credits

released December 23, 2014

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Lead Vocals, David Mosher's Instruments &
Will's Drums recorded in By The Lake Studio, Brighton MI
Engineered by David Mosher

Lisa & Matt's Vocals recorded in Rising Son Studio, Munster IN
Engineered by Chip Kramer

Robert Rose recorded in Peregrine Studio, Elmhurst

Everything Else recorded in Dreamweaver Studio, Ann Arbor
Engineered by Chip Kramer

Mixed by Chip Kramer & David Mosher
In Dreamweaver Studio, Ann Arbor MI

Mastered by Chris Goosman, Baseline Audio Labs, Ann Arbor

Thanks to Sue, David Mosher, Lisa & Matt Bowker, Will Osler, Stefan Koch, Robert Rose, Tyler Duncan, David Kramer,
Jordan Litvak, Ryan Dolan, Alec Cooper, and Terry Kimura

Cover art by Kozyndan - "The Audience" (2002)
Photo of Chip by Julia Kramer (2010)

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Chip Kramer Ann Arbor, Michigan

In fifth grade at ten years old, I chose the trombone to play in the grade school band. At twelve years old I learned to play
I’ll Get You by the Beatles on my brother Dan’s Silvertone acoustic guitar and then in the summer of 1966 I joined a band called The Rising Sons. Thirty years later in 1996 I began doing more songwriting and started producing CDs of original material. ... more

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