Get all 22 Thom Dunn releases available on Bandcamp and save 65%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Forfocséic, Vol. 3: Love & War, Ní Neart Go Cur Le Chéile, Forfocséic, Vol. 2: Whiskey & Work, Quaranteenagers From Mars (Pandemic Demos 2020-2021), Forfocséic, Volume 1, Essential Songs For Essential Workers — Live From Quarantine, Come Out, Ye Black and Tans!, Ten Years Too Late, and 14 more.
1. |
Old Atlantic
04:09
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CHORUS:
Take me to the old Atlantic
Where I'll drown with all my friends
Let the sea-stank salty waves roll in
And wash me home again
I don't need a new New England
Bury me back where I'm from
I'll go roving 'round the world
But bring my bones back when I'm done
And I'm done
Trapped out on the open road
Far away from all the cow paths that I've known
With 600 miles to go
'Til my toes can touch that frozen seaweed loam
That reminds me I can't do this on my own
CHORUS
Feel our fathers 'neath our feet
In the shameful shards of history that stain the street
And the dirty water that we bleed
To cleanse the sins we cast upon a shining sea
'Til we find a way to finally make it free
CHORUS
Oh, I know it's home
With all its faults we've yet to own
Shuck this oyster of a world
We've got all the shit we need to make a pearl
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2. |
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He made shit talk like an art in the parking lot
Outside the show, after the opener got off
He helped the headline bands load in, then he went to find his friends
Somehow we still lost him in the end
It was the last thing that you said:
“You sing like yourself.”
Tried to sneak inside when I was underage
Scotty stepped out for a smoke, and gave me away
He didn’t know he’d done it, but it was already too late
For a decade, he made sure my drinks were paid
Scotty’s smile could spark a room just like a song
Throw your fist up, grab your friend and sing along
Scotty listened closely, even when it got too loud
Never let your words get lost out in the crowd
But the last time that we talked
Scotty left me sort of shocked
With the truth that he unlocked:
“You sing like yourself”
Not like anybody else
Take the Orange Rhyming Dictionary back down from the shelf
Sing-alongs that keep me strong like you’re right in this room
I wish I could’ve been there too
To sing along with you
Before I heard the news:
I’ve been trying to find the line to start this right
You were dying just to fill something inside
I wish I knew what haunted you
On the day you went away
Though I guess it wouldn’t matter anyway
But the last thing Scotty said
That he left inside my head
Though I’d trade it all instead
“You sing like yourself.”
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3. |
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I tilled these fields until you washed them all away
The gas tank yield won't keep the winter wolves at bay
But I thought you'd save yourself
For me, and no one else
I'm April's Fool
I should have known it all along
Fool me once, it's such a shame
Fool me twice, now I'm to blame
I knew you needed someone who could love you
But I thought that I could trust you
April's Fool
Your toxic tears rained down beneath that harvest moon
That burned the raptor's blood and left this fertile wound
How it rumbled in between
Your legs, that great machine
I can't fight the fate in your industrial eyes
I'm left to starve until the fire finally dies
Now it's getting hot in hell
But I guess that's just as well
I'm April's Fool
I should have known it all along
Fool me once, it's such a shame
Fool me twice, now I'm to blame
I knew you needed someone who could love you
But I thought that I could trust you
April's Fool
The water's rising now, the air's too thick to breathe
I told myself next year that you'd come back to me
But it's time I faced the truth:
I did this all to you
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4. |
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Oh, Dolours
You were born at the mouth of a war
For your nation, your sex, and your soul
And you fought them all the way
When you were younger
You would flirt with the RUCs at the bar
Sneaking snitches and guns in your car
With a wink and a smile
You took arms in the fight
With your sister in spite
All the scars on your family line
The cause only wanted
Your body, your blood and your mind
Oh, Dolours
Oh, Dolours
When you flew to the heart of the crown
Lady Justice came tumbling down
And they found you at Heathrow
That Iron Lady
Wanted someone to shoulder the blame
For playing those Patriot Games
On legitimate targets
So they fed you to death
Locked you up in your head
But you still wouldn’t swallow your pride
And all that it cost was
Your body, your blood, and your mind
Oh, Dolours
Oh, Dolours
Ní saoirse go saoirse na mBan
St. Stephen thought you were the one
But you were a bomb
All the vodka and pills
Couldn’t help you to kill
All the loneliness left in your eyes
By a cause that you’d given
Your body, your blood, and your mind
Was it worth it
Misadventuring down to your grave?
Will the children remember your name
Or drown it in shame?
Oh, Dolours
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5. |
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I’ve got a picture from your birthday
Printed out on laserjet
On the windowsill, just so I don’t forget
Maybe they can use that pixelated watermark
To trace it back to me when it all falls apart
Without the sirens and the trucks
At least I can sleep a little more
And hear the nurses long before they reach the door
The food all tastes like cardboard, and it always shows up late
But I guess I’m lucky I still have my sense of taste
CHORUS
If you could see my face
You’d know the weight of all these doubts
If you could see my sleeves
You’d know the veins are all worn out
So I’m taping this cassette
Between the panels and the pain
Hoping someday, someone might see me again
I used to have a roommate, ‘til they moved six feet away
But that’s far enough to quiet their decay
I’d give up one good day to see another human smile
Instead of eyes that trade me pity for denial
CHORUS:
It’s been a hundred days since I’ve seen family or friend
That’s just not the way I thought this lump would finally end
And I know I’m not the only one who’s waiting for a call
But there’s only one grim visit in this hall
There’s a picture from your birthday printed out on laserjet
On the windowsill — it’s all that’s left
CHORUS
If you could see my face, you’d know the weight of all these doubts
If you could see my sleeves you’d know the veins are all worn out
So I’m taping this cassette between the panels and the pain
Wishing maybe I won’t die before this ends
Hoping someday, someone might see me again
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6. |
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7. |
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I’ve got a picture from your birthday
Printed out on laserjet
On the windowsill, just so I don’t forget
Maybe they can use that pixelated watermark
To trace it back to me when it all falls apart
Without the sirens and the trucks
At least I can sleep a little more
And hear the nurses long before they reach the door
The food all tastes like cardboard, and it always shows up late
But I guess I’m lucky I still have my sense of taste
CHORUS
If you could see my face
You’d know the weight of all these doubts
If you could see my sleeves
You’d know the veins are all worn out
So I’m taping this cassette
Between the panels and the pain
Hoping someday, someone might see me again
I used to have a roommate, ‘til they moved six feet away
But that’s far enough to quiet their decay
I’d give up one good day to see another human smile
Instead of eyes that trade me pity for denial
CHORUS:
It’s been a hundred days since I’ve seen family or friend
That’s just not the way I thought this lump would finally end
And I know I’m not the only one who’s waiting for a call
But there’s only one grim visit in this hall
There’s a picture from your birthday printed out on laserjet
On the windowsill — it’s all that’s left
CHORUS
If you could see my face, you’d know the weight of all these doubts
If you could see my sleeves you’d know the veins are all worn out
So I’m taping this cassette between the panels and the pain
Wishing maybe I won’t die before this ends
Hoping someday, someone might see me again
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8. |
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Wear it on your chest:
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid, I can’t make kings from my own flesh
The world was burning yesterday
But you came into it anyway
Joining the chorus of cries for a change
But everything breaks and slips away
and I can’t always keep you safe
Can’t even afford to exist anymore
A nation built under their feet
Then they poison the air we breathe
Blaming the Blacks and the poor and the immigrants
But they won’t teach you that in school
They just want you to play the rules
Until you bleed for a dollar sign
Wear it on your chest:
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid, I can’t make kings from my own flesh
Bosses want to wear you down
And the cops’ll push you around
But not for your body the way you were born
They take it away by hook or crook
If they don’t like the way you look,
Who you love or the wild ways you work
Wear it on your chest
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid I can’t make kings from my own flesh
But I hope you find hope like a small town kid
Who made a life in a Metropolis
Wrapped in that blanket just to say
That we could save the day
If you’re wondering
Why I brought you here
To a dying world that’s
built on hate and fear
Guess I wanted one good
Thing to leave behind
So I hope that you’ll be kind
And sing along with these uncertain rhymes
Wear it on your chest
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid I can’t make kings from my own flesh
But I hope you find hope like a small town kid
Who made a life in a Metropolis
Wrapped in that blanket just to say
That we could save the day
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9. |
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Oh, Dolours
You were born at the mouth of a war
For your nation, your sex, and your soul
And you fought them all the way
When you were younger
You would flirt with the RUCs at the bar
Sneaking snitches and guns in your car
With a wink and a smile
You took arms in the fight
With your sister in spite
All the scars on your family line
The cause only wanted
Your body, your blood and your mind
Oh, Dolours
Oh, Dolours
When you flew to the heart of the crown
Lady Justice came tumbling down
And they found you at Heathrow
That Iron Lady
Wanted someone to shoulder the blame
For playing those Patriot Games
On legitimate targets
So they fed you to death
Locked you up in your head
But you still wouldn’t swallow your pride
And all that it cost was
Your body, your blood, and your mind
Oh, Dolours
Oh, Dolours
Ní saoirse go saoirse na mBan
St. Stephen thought you were the one
But you were a bomb
All the vodka and pills
Couldn’t help you to kill
All the loneliness left in your eyes
By a cause that you’d given
Your body, your blood, and your mind
Was it worth it
Misadventuring down to your grave?
Will the children remember your name
Or drown it in shame?
Oh, Dolours
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10. |
||||
|
I’ve got a picture from your birthday
Printed out on laserjet
On the windowsill, just so I don’t forget
Maybe they can use that pixelated watermark
To trace it back to me when it all falls apart
Without the sirens and the trucks
At least I can sleep a little more
And hear the nurses long before they reach the door
The food all tastes like cardboard, and it always shows up late
But I guess I’m lucky I still have my sense of taste
CHORUS
If you could see my face
You’d know the weight of all these doubts
If you could see my sleeves
You’d know the veins are all worn out
So I’m taping this cassette
Between the panels and the pain
Hoping someday, someone might see me again
I used to have a roommate, ‘til they moved six feet away
But that’s far enough to quiet their decay
I’d give up one good day to see another human smile
Instead of eyes that trade me pity for denial
CHORUS:
It’s been a hundred days since I’ve seen family or friend
That’s just not the way I thought this lump would finally end
And I know I’m not the only one who’s waiting for a call
But there’s only one grim visit in this hall
There’s a picture from your birthday printed out on laserjet
On the windowsill — it’s all that’s left
CHORUS
If you could see my face, you’d know the weight of all these doubts
If you could see my sleeves you’d know the veins are all worn out
So I’m taping this cassette between the panels and the pain
Wishing maybe I won’t die before this ends
Hoping someday, someone might see me again
|
||||
11. |
||||
|
Wear it on your chest:
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid, I can’t make kings from my own flesh
The world was burning yesterday
But you came into it anyway
Joining the chorus of cries for a change
But everything breaks and slips away
and I can’t always keep you safe
Can’t even afford to exist anymore
A nation built under their feet
Then they poison the air we breathe
Blaming the Blacks and the poor and the immigrants
But they won’t teach you that in school
They just want you to play the rules
Until you bleed for a dollar sign
Wear it on your chest:
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid, I can’t make kings from my own flesh
Bosses want to wear you down
And the cops’ll push you around
But not for your body the way you were born
They take it away by hook or crook
If they don’t like the way you look,
Who you love or the wild ways you work
Wear it on your chest
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid I can’t make kings from my own flesh
But I hope you find hope like a small town kid
Who made a life in a Metropolis
Wrapped in that blanket just to say
That we could save the day
If you’re wondering
Why I brought you here
To a dying world that’s
built on hate and fear
Guess I wanted one good
Thing to leave behind
So I hope that you’ll be kind
And sing along with these uncertain rhymes
Wear it on your chest
You were born to be the second best
A working class wretch
Kid I can’t make kings from my own flesh
But I hope you find hope like a small town kid
Who made a life in a Metropolis
Wrapped in that blanket just to say
That we could save the day
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12. |
||||
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Oh, Dolours
You were born at the mouth of a war
For your nation, your sex, and your soul
And you fought them all the way
When you were younger
You would flirt with the RUCs at the bar
Sneaking snitches and guns in your car
With a wink and a smile
You took arms in the fight
With your sister in spite
All the scars on your family line
The cause only wanted
Your body, your blood and your mind
Oh, Dolours
Oh, Dolours
When you flew to the heart of the crown
Lady Justice came tumbling down
And they found you at Heathrow
That Iron Lady
Wanted someone to shoulder the blame
For playing those Patriot Games
On legitimate targets
So they fed you to death
Locked you up in your head
But you still wouldn’t swallow your pride
And all that it cost was
Your body, your blood, and your mind
Oh, Dolours
Oh, Dolours
Ní saoirse go saoirse na mBan
St. Stephen thought you were the one
But you were a bomb
All the vodka and pills
Couldn’t help you to kill
All the loneliness left in your eyes
By a cause that you’d given
Your body, your blood, and your mind
Was it worth it
Misadventuring down to your grave?
Will the children remember your name
Or drown it in shame?
Oh, Dolours
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13. |
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Hey!
Thought I heard you say
You were talking up
Some thing that I just learned about
You!
Looking like a fool
Let me tell you
Every thing that I just figured out
CHORUS
(Whoaaa)
‘Cause I’ve got these opinions
(Whoooa)
Don’t you know I want to share ‘em with you?
(Whooooa)
I can’t let this silence go
So come on baby and tell me what you wanna know
Oh!
I’ve been to Tokyo
And I read a book on
Modern Monetary Theory
Why can’t we
set the market free
It’s the only way to
Build a Martian colony
CHORUS
(Whoaaa)
I’ve got all these great ideas
(Whoooa)
Rattling ‘round up here
(Whooooa)
Can you hear me when I say
I know the way to convey if you’d only stay —
Come on, baby, and tell me what you wanna know
BRIDGE
I heard a thing about the government
On a podcast, this is what it meant —
Hey where ya goin, baby, we can talk it out
Thought you were cool but I’m beginning to have my doubt
Why does everybody walk away
Before I ever get the chance to say
Every way that I could work it out
What I learned from the Randian devout
I’m being censored every time that I speak
If everybody doesn’t listen to me
What I’m saying is that actually
I’m alone
So come on baby, and tell me what you want to know
CHORUS
(Whoaaa)
In this market of ideas
(Whoooa)
Now there’s no one around to hear
(Whooooa)
Or believe me when I say
I’m okay for today if you listen to me (may)
Come on, baby, and tell me what you wanna know
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14. |
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I'm drinking online
I'm drinking online
Ain't seen my friends
In a god damn long time
So I'm
Drinking online
I'm out of my mind
Cuz I'm in quarantine
The world's gone to shit
And I can't deal with it
So I'm
Drinking online
I used to walk to bars in town where I could
Hang with my friends
Talking trash and catching up and doing nothing
Every age and race and way of life, whether
He or she or them
We'd sidle up and share a pint until we
Almost felt human again
Let's get fucked up on Zoom
Until our lives can resume
I won't see you soon
'cause it's all doom and gloom
So let's
Get fucked up on Zoom
What's the point of life if you can't waste it with
The ones that you love
Talking trash and hanging out and doing nothing
Now we’re trapped inside to stay alive and
We long for the time
When we can sidle up and share a pint until we
Almost feel human again
This whole world’s on fire
And I know I sing to the choir
But I’m scared to die here
In this great divide, dear
That’s why I’m drinking online
I'm drinking online
I'm drinking online
Ain't seen my friends
In a god damn long time
So I'm
Drinking online
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15. |
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Thom Dunn Boston, Massachusetts
Thom Dunn is a Boston-based writer, musician, & new media artist. He enjoys Oxford commas, metaphysics, and romantic clichés (especially when they involve whiskey), and he firmly believes that Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is the single greatest atrocity committed against mankind. He is a graduate of Clarion Writer's Workshop at UCSD & Emerson College. thomdunn.net ... more
Thom Dunn recommends:
Songs About Comic Books & Mid-30s Malaise
by The Roland High Life
Our newest EP is called "Songs About Comic Books & Mid-30s Malaise," but you can get our whole discography for just $5
go to albumIf you like Thom Dunn, you may also like:
Hold The Door For Strangers
by Labrador
Philadelphia-based Labrador make unfussy and empathetic alt-country meant to sincerely bolster the downcast in times of strife.
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Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub produced this lush and hooky collection of pop songs.
go to album
Suburbia Space Program
by Wolf Collage
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jul 23, 2013
go to album
An easy-to-love combination of emo and jangle pop, the first full album from Spirit Night in eight years feels bathed in a golden glow.
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Dig into the big hooks and tight production on the latest from rock band Buddie.
go to album
