Band Lineup:
Mary Ramsey: vocals, viola, violin, guitar (6), and percussion (8)
John Lombardo: acoustic guitars, electric guitars (11), vocals (7), and percussion
with:
Joe Rozler: organ, piano, acordian, and guitars (2, 9)
Jerome Augustyniak: drums and percussion
Nelson Starr: bass guitar
Stan Barton: mandolin (7, 8, 10, 11)
Armand Petri: tambourine (8)
Salvador Garza: violin (2, 6, 5, 9), space keyboard (6), violin solo (10), string arrangement (6, 8)
Robert Buck: backwards guitar (12)

Produced by: Armand John Petri with John & Mary
Engineered by: Armand John Petri
Recorded at: The Funhouse: Silver Creek, NY and at Starfields Productions:Buffalo, NY
Mixed at: Tarbox Studios: Cassadaga, NY by Armand John Petri and John & Mary
Mastered by: Mike Atherton at Blue Summit Studios: Ft. Erie, Ontario

Additional recording and studio treatments by: Salvador Garza at Sutton Sound Studios: Galactatascadero, CA

All songs by: John Lombardo & Mary Ramsey except 4, 6, and 9 by Mary Ramsey
Published by Theme Park Music (ascap) ©2002
10 by G.E. Root/H. Washburn and 8 traditional

Mary Ramsey photo by: Chris Santuci
CD package design: John Lombardo
Production assistance: Joe Rozler and John Shotwell

Special Thanks To: Dave Fridmann, Stephen Crowley, Mike Moran, Adam Zeitz, Jim Iarocci, Dan Griffen, David Seehausen, Billy LaBeef, Michael Cimino, Dennis Drew, Steven Gustafson, Hearsay Magazine, Karl Mullen.

6-92863-03822-3

A BRIGHTER DAY (Lombardo/Ramsey)

in the dawning, praise the dawning
little grey lines upon my head
looking around the broken shed
comin’ on me, praises on me
pick all the lies upon my head
pick all the lies that someone said
pick all the poppies on the lane
to sell them on my way
for a brighter day

saints alarm me, fail to stop me
shock of my weight upon my head
my own delights were never said
I’ve been haughty, feeling naughty
crumpled reminders on the shelf
I could remember for my —
I can remember now awake
oh! bless be the ties that bind
for a brighter day

I can remember now awake
oh! bless be the ties that bind
for a brighter day
sad belongings, tired yawning
it could surround my own blue sky
pickin’ the apple of my eye
comin’ on me, praises on me
pick all the lies upon my head
pick all the lies that someone said
pick all the poppies on the lane
to sell them just in time
for a brighter —
pick all the lies upon my way
oh! to sell them just in time
for a brighter day

BEYOND LOVE (Lombardo/Ramsey)

peer around the bend it couldn’t be seen
I’d have thought it was, it never will be
you told the other lie: “it wouldn’t be the same”
in spite of the warning voice today, oh today

you were wide awake and starting the day
sleeping at the wheel I’m sorry to say
a dinner all alone could never feel the same
my hope is the other side away, oh away

beyond love, beyond love

oh, now and then, at times I dream away
clear and cool am I and walking away
dim lights the final round in twilight come what may
I’m hugging the running boards to stay, oh to stay

beyond love, beyond love

LILIES OF THE VALLEY (Lombardo/Ramsey)

once upon a time a story goes
“time’s a wastin,’” I was told
peeling through the pages of my mind
in a manner kind of shy
oh boy, another light has faded deep
oh boy, lilies of the valley in my mind

runnin’ runnin’ runnin’ runnin’ away
that’s the story of the day
time is ticking time another while
all the trouble all the guile
oh boy, another light has faded deep
oh boy, there beneath the valley and the sky,
the forest for the trees

oh boy, another light has faded deep
oh boy, couldn’t ever see it in my mind
the forest for the trees

oh I wouldn’t say that I knew
no, I wouldn’t say ...

another moon, take the luggage, I’ll leave soon
runnin’ runnin’ runnin’ for my life
I could feel you, oh so high
oh boy, another light has faded deep
oh boy, there beneath the flowers and the sky,
the forest for the trees

SUMMER STREET (Ramsey)

moving over space and time, wondering what to keep
in a room these memories lie, boxed in sacred keeping
track of the little things, said intricately
home together: a place, a smile, you’d see

when we’d spend the afternoon, water rushing over
can’t you feel the salty spray, golden memory calling
track of the little things, said intimately
home together: a place, a smile, you’d see

track of the little things, said intricately
close together, with grace you’re light in me

free from the burden now, all in their place
sacred upon my heart you will stay
deep in my own brown eyes, memory traced
there lock the key is mine to replace

moving over space and time, wondering what to keep
in a room these memories lie, boxed in sacred keeping
track of the little things, said intricately
home together: a place, a smile, you’d see

free from the burden now, all in their place
sacred upon my heart you will stay
deep in my own brown eyes, memory traced
there lock the key is mine to replace

even the passing rhyme, so you remain
there in a portrait prized you will stay.

THE DRONE (Lombardo/Ramsey)

in a boat along the river
the sails you were sailing, old, out with the new
and I remember days when so happily we sailed
the paddle on my arms, and lo, my hands

we were late, delayed, far away

“never a day was filled with work” was said to you
the words the words the words that we didn’t mean
and I rehearsed the scene where I watched you growing old
the night the love stars crossed that we didn’t see

you’re the hole in my soul
and I could never come back

now we are in a way far away
on broken strings starting to play
and I’ve come this far just to hear your voice in song again

the harmony sentenced to stay

you’re a hole in my soul, you’re all alone
you’re a hole in my soul, and I could never forget
you’re a hole in my soul, I could never come back
you’re a hole in my soul

GAZE (Ramsey)

like a miracle happens
chance to see you
not forgotten maybe
and if fate makes its play
would it be me you would capture
in your gaze, in your gaze

I keep track of the dreams
in which you enter, not forgotten baby
and I stand in their place
never see you why oh why
escape your gaze
escape your gaze

turn around can’t you feel my eyes
a blind spot you’ve forgotten maybe
and I think of those days
spent entwined together
captured in your gaze
captured in your gaze
escaped your gaze
in your gaze

HALO OF STARS (Lombardo/Ramsey)

take my hand I will guide you
through the mountains and prairies, the ocean on your heel
take my life I’ll surround you
the tempest has broken, the calm empty sky

but in your kindness is a light all around you
and in your kindness is a halo of stars

raise a toast to the winner
and we’ll press on beside you on a trail up the hill

and with your kindness is a light all around you
and in your kindness is a halo of stars

I saw mountains and I saw open plain
the dark clouds of winter and the falling of rain

in a bonfire of memory, here’s a ballad of our lives

and in your kindness there’s a lot to remind you
I’ll see your likeness in the dark of my room

I saw the mountains and I saw open plain
the dark clouds of winter and the falling of rain

forever you’ll see it, the light all around you
and in your kindness is a halo of stars

LADY MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM (Traditional, arranged by Shirley Collins)

Sweet William arose one May morning
and dressed himself in blue.
“we want you to tell us something about
the long love between Lady Margaret and you”
“I know nothing of Lady Margaret’s love,
I’m sure she don’t love me ...
but tomorrow morning at eight o’clock
Lady Margaret my bride shall see.”

Lady Margaret sat in her own hall door
a’combin’ down her hair
when she saw Sweet William come riding by
bringing his new bride home
she first threw down her ivory comb
tied up her long yellow hair
and out of the door when this lady came
to never return anymore

now late that night when William was in bed
and most all men was asleep
Lady Margaret’s ghost came to Sweet William’s side
and stood at his own bed feet
saying “how do you like your snow white pillow?
how do you like your sheet?
and how do you like the new-found bride
that’s a’lyin’ in your arms asleep?”

“very well, very well do I like my pillow
better do I like the sheet
but the best one of all is this pretty little girl
that’s a’standin’ at my own bed feet.”
so early next morning when William awoke
and most all men was at work
Sweet William said he was troubled in his head
by the dream that he dreamt last night

“such dreams such dreams I do not like
such dreams they are no good
I dreamed that my hall was filled with wild swine
Lady Margaret was drowning in blood.”
so he called his comrades to his side
and numbered them one two three
and the last one of them go tell my bride
Lady Margaret I’ve gone to see.

“now is she in the garden?” he said,
“or is she in the hall?
or is she in the upper parlour
among them ladies all?”

“she neither is in the garden,” she said
“nor yet into the hall —
but yonder she lies in her cold coffin
with her pale face turned to the wall.”

Lady Margaret was buried in the old churchyard
William lay a nigh her
and out of her grave grew a red red rose
and out of his a briar
they grew and they grew round the old church tower
till they could grow no higher
they met and they twined in a true lover’s knot
the red rose around the briar.

VACANT CHAIR (George F. Root and Henry S. Washburn)

we shall meet but we shall miss him
there will be one vacant chair
we shall linger to caress him
when we breathe our evening prayer
when a year ago we gathered
joy was in his mild blue eyes
but a golden chord is severed
and our hopes in ruin lie

we shall meet but we shall miss him
there will be one vacant chair
we shall linger to caress him
when we breathe our evening prayer

at our fireside sad and lonely
often will the bosom swell
at remembrance of the story
how our noble Willie fell
how he strove to bear our banner
through the thickest of the fight
and uphold our country’s honor
in the strength of manhood’s plight

true, they tell us wreaths of glory
ever more will deck his brow
but this soothes the anguish only
sweeping o’er our heartstrings now
sleep today, oh early fallen
in they green and narrow bed
dirges from the pine and cypress
mingle with the tears we shed

IN A LITTLE WHILE (Lombardo/Ramsey)

in a little while will come the harvest
autumn darkness, ashes grey and cold
I flung open all of my windows
in the distance, cities spun from gold

in time all is forgotten, my sermon for today
the land and sea awakened, you walk the earth alone

spring has come again with storms and showers
April flowers, sparrows at the gate
the road is blocked with no one coming/going
good intentions have no time to wait

in time all is forgotten, my sermon for today
the land and sea awakened, you walk the earth alone
alone. ... listen, I’ll whisper: “you’ll see my eyes were blind”

MY SHATTERED ILLUSIONS (Lombardo/Ramsey)

forgetting all that you knew,
he doesn’t feel that it’s true
he longed for something to do, why —
in the middle of the night, in a midnight hopeless time
hear a riddle: we couldn’t we wouldn’t
we played on, we stayed on, my shattered illusions

small trinkets all that we liked
trays on the very long flight
and in a midnight hopeless time
and in the flower of our lives
blind by the blaze of light

it’s Saturday, our holiday, my shattered illusions
such charity, such clarity, my shattered illusions

how or why could I or anyone surmise
mean words to break through to you
real crying to break through to you
I couldn’t do that to you

a ribbon blew in the wind
a walk to look for a friend
the summer never should end
and in the middle of the night
in a midnight hopeless time
just silence
we wouldn’t, we couldn’t, my shattered illusions
we stayed on we played on, my shattered illusions

how or why could I or anyone surmise
mean lies to break through to you
real crying to break through to you

sparkles of light shine below
dance on the feathery snow