Get all 4 Curtis McMurtry releases available on Bandcamp and save 15%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Pollen & The Rot, Toothless Messiah, The Hornet's Nest, and Respectable Enemy.
1. |
1/27/17
00:49
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how are you adjusting to the new regime?
I find that I crave blood
I think it might be worth the scars
you say it's not
there are lines we never cross
no matter who's in charge
or so you thought
and are you still resigned to least resistance
while our opponents do their worst
embrace divisions and incisions
that can never be reversed
while we still have our teeth
I pray we find the strength to bite
for I find I have lost hope
but not the will to fight
how are you adjusting to the new regime?
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2. |
Food On The Table
02:37
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you expect subordination
unrelenting dedication
no regrets or hesitation
stay in line
we keep our fingers on the trigger
selling to the highest bidder
you demand and we deliver
not this time
why should we fight if we can still run and hide?
it's too early in the war for you to make us choose sides
if you want us to be faithful
lay your cards out on the table
'cause even when you think it's stable
the world will turn
now you think you're in the lead but
all we have to do it reach up
even if you do not teach us
we will learn
heroes for profit, promotions for pawns
from last to first, but never for long
if you've got nothing to offer don't ask us for help
we need food on the table like everyone else
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3. |
Toothless Messiah
02:44
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here you come to beg and borrow
my old fair-weather friend
you've known me long enough to ask for favors
but we are not as close as you pretend
and though you say that we have suffered
you still look handsome through the smoke
your voice as smooth as honey
dripping slowly down my throat
(chorus)
boy you have jumped into the trap with both feet
and now if you fight they will know you are weak
the years have not been gentle or forgiving
I'm too worn down to push or pull
you don't see too many my age
lining up to fight a bull
so I'm loyal until I get hungry
and there's never been enough to go around
so if they say your name and offer me the silver
you should know I can't afford to turn it down
(chorus)
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4. |
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now that everything's on fire
you tell us to take our time
you say we have no patience
I say you have no spine
and you are tangled in tradition
never daring to offend
but if they are not your enemies
than we are not your friends
(chorus)
my teachers taught me not to trust
my teachers taught me not to trust
my teachers taught me not to trust
my teachers
they will take it all and you will let them
you would have us fall without a fight
the leader matters less than the direction
being older doesn't mean that you are right
(chorus)
you don't see it, but you need me to betray you
you cannot stand and fight on feet of clay
old shadows that refuse to pass the mantle
in the light my heroes fade away
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5. |
Feeding On Parasites
01:13
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is there any other kind of power
besides old names on old buildings
old friends in new uniforms
big fish in small oceans
when you fall, no one will catch you
get used to starting over
don't sink your roots too deep
and when they come to cut us down
run until they lose your scent
some of us will stay behind
setting traps
feeding on parasites
yeah when they come to cut us down
I want you to run and don't look back
as long as some of us survive
we have not lost, we all live on
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6. |
The Cavalry Is Here
02:43
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the cavalry is here
but they have already surrendered
we turn against ourselves
divided by defeat
and all that we have built
it will not be remembered
we will fall together now
the wretched and the weak
at first we were too proud
too slow to notice
they covered up the sun
still we waited for the dawn
and I still hear your voice
like a swarm of locusts
telling us to compromise
'till everything was gone
and turning back the clock
it's like bargaining with cancer
blinded by belief
we took the devil at his word
don't bother with your prayers
can't you see they have been answered
every now and then we catch the hell that we deserve
yes every now and then we catch the hell that we deserve
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7. |
Praise Caesar
03:02
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always at your service I'll remain
I'm still loyal to the bone
and I will break whoever's in your way
just tell me where to throw the stone
(chorus)
my love for you is deeper than the ocean
endless, unbending and raw
even though you don't need my protection
still I guard you like a dog
like a dog
I believe the people need a leader
and a leader needs a strong and steady hand
so put me where you think I will be useful
I am ready for whatever you command
you are not without your faults, but I forgive you
and though some may disapprove
I know sometimes it takes a tyrant
to get the rest of us to move
(chorus)
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8. |
Lion On A Leash
02:16
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why are you trying so hard to be gentle?
how does it feel to be a lion on a leash?
all your allies can't wait to bite you
and you won't even show them your teeth
you tie your hands as if that makes you stronger
as if it is noble to crawl
but taking the high road's for suckers
it just means you have further to fall
further to fall
your compassion counts against you
they don't give medals for restraint
they want a monster that can protect them
they want a winner, not a saint
so kick when your enemy stumbles
don't be afraid to get blood on your shoes, boy
we're still on the side of the angels
and our weapons demand to be used
they demand to be used
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9. |
Saltwood
02:43
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10. |
Around My Neck
03:07
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you bring out the worst in me so quickly
you make the struggle seem like such a thrill
you still see yourself in shining armor
no matter how much blood you spill
and all your misguided disciples
drink your fire just as I did before
but now I can admit I was mistaken
I don't smile at your madness anymore
(chorus)
your voice is soft, but every word is still a threat
gently you close your jaws around my neck
the ease of this deception
the shadow and the spark
smoke and misdirection
dreams colliding in the dark
and though you never keep a promise
still they believe you are sincere
you're patient as a spider
your intentions just as clear
(chorus)
there will be some resistance
one or two you cannot bend
and they will stand against you
like leaves against the wind
and you will hit them like a train
I feel the thunder down the track
here in all your crooked glory
no one left to hold you back
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11. |
Dinosaurs
03:04
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we would not be here without them
obsolete as they may seem
all our elders in high places
we once rebels with a dream
in their day they were tenacious
but it's been a tiresome track
remember that they moved us forward
since today they hold us back
once they pushed against tradition
but the years have made them tame
now they're old enough to struggle
for everything to stay the same
so though we strive now to replace them
have some sympathy as well
one day the world will change around us
and we will be too blind to tell
we would not be here without them
though we make the fight our own
they were titans of their time
and from their shoulders we have grown
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12. |
Time Will Eat Them
00:53
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13. |
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we make submission our resistance
the only way we've ever known
we rise graceful and resilient
as flowers growing through the stone
so like the pines that fuel the embers
we resign ourselves to burn
to the fire we surrender
from the ashes we return
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Curtis McMurtry Austin, Texas
Curtis McMurtry writes apocalyptic indie folk about the selfish and the cowardly. Influenced by Fiona Apple and Tom Waits, Curtis' music combines sinister lyrics with sophisticated orchestrations. He specializes in sad songs and mean songs, and considers his catalogue to be “music for people that like to read.” ... more
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