1. |
Word
02:04
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In the beginning was the word
And I wonder what word it was
A shout from the heart in ABC
A buzzing from the brain in 123
The shapeless wail of a new baby
I wonder what word it was
And then he said that it was good
I wonder what good he meant
The good of a flower in the sunrise
The good of my reflection in my lover’s eyes
Or the hope and the sadness as we say goodbye
I wonder what good he meant
The shape of a word the shape of a bird
Or that of a turd for all I know
And all I know is not a lot
I knew it once but I forgot
I’ll never know but fun to guess
As I sit here and write my mess
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2. |
Notebook
02:55
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Everywhere you look
Everything you see
Everywhere you go
No one is ever free
Defined by tongue and teeth
Masticated into shape
How much do we lose
Nobody can say
Never hurts to try
Can’t be harm in that
All of my attempts
Are pretty much just crap
Others get so close
The tears spring in my eyes
A scent of alpine meadows
So far away so high
Everything you hear
And touch and taste as well
Someone has a word for it
How bad they want to tell
Tell the executioner
Tell it to the judge
Who out there is listening
Who really cares that much
So scribble in your notebook
And think and think some more
Pause and wonder to yourself
What do I do this for
These marks are saying nothing
But I’ve learned not to care
It’s fun and makes me happy
Every fire needs air
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3. |
Tinker
03:52
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Shoulders forward
Head down
Eyes locked
On the ground
What happened
To the man
The man with a plan
Doctor lawyer movie star
How I wonder what you are
Is this all that’s left of me
Turn the bright lights off
Cuz I can’t see
A place in this world for me
Nothing solid
Nothing sure
Not the people
We once were
Random acts of
Human love
Patterned in
The clouds above
Above everything
Doctor lawyer movie star
How I wonder what you are
Rich man poor man beggar thief
Turn the bright lights off
Cuz I can’t see
A place in this world for me
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4. |
Maria
03:52
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There was no sacrifice
No stones to turn
You showed me I
Have so much to learn
You lay on the bed
Eyes closed and smile wide
And I started falling
For you way inside
A song by a master
Again and again
It’s 30 years later
How are you my friend
You were on the run
You weren’t allowed
We stood for a moment
On neutral ground
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5. |
Future
04:00
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The future is waiting for you
The one you swear you’ll never get to
What to gain by worrying
What to lose but everything
La la la
Empty mind best-laid plans
Do not go well hand-in-hand
On a whim and a smile
We could go on for miles
La la la
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6. |
Demon
03:25
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Please don’t look
There’s nothing to see
Nothing to see here
Nothing to see here
Turn away
There’s nothing to see
You don’t want to witness
You don’t want to witness
Oblivion
So close I can smell it
I know what is coming
I know what is coming
No doubt about it
No room for Providence
I know all outcomes
I know all outcomes
There’s only one
There’s only one
And I’m taken in
I’m taking it
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7. |
Treefort
04:04
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Was it all about flesh
Or body or bone
Something to give or
Something to own
Were we just exploring
The same stepping stone
A step on the journey
A phase to outgrow
We were just kids
Weren’t we
Didn’t know what we were doing
Did we
We did it anyway
We were just playing
Hide and go seek
A fortress of plywood
High up in a tree
No one to show us
So we showed each other
You beautiful thing
My secret lost lover
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8. |
Ducks
04:51
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Ducks!
Look at all the ducks!
How they scrabble and fumble
Over one another
In a frantic frenzy
As they go for the seeds
Just one more morsel
Just one more mouthful
Of birdseed or whatever
The benevolent well-meaning
Human hand that feeds
Has to give out that day
Just one more fuel pellet
To keep the fire burning
Warm throughout the coming winter
The alternative is hunger
And starvation in the iron cold
That does not care at all
Ducks! Look at all the ducks!
No niceties here
No social graces or acts of kindness
This is jungle law writ large
A double helix twisted tight
So it cannot snap
Ducks!
Look at all the ducks!
This is what we really are
Or really must be to survive
Eat the seeds to pass our seed
On to the bright and shining future
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9. |
November
06:47
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Late morning
Grey silence
Birds on wires
Remember
Balcony
Cold beer or
Hot coffee
Remember
Shivering
In the dark
With a grin
Remember
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Merlin Ball Vancouver, British Columbia
Merlin Ball draws on many musical atmospheres to create a singular space and mood. Net result: indie-driven stuff that blazes along under sombre skies and brilliant sunrises. How do you talk to someone 10,000 years away? This is Merlin Ball's attempt.
Merlin Ball recommends:
DRIFT Series 1 - Complete
by Underworld
Amazing stuff. It does not get better than Underworld.
go to album
One Cello x 16: Natoma
by Zoe Keating
Got this album a couple years ago and love it. Dreamy, percussive, tuneful.
go to album
The music and experimentation coming out of Hel Audio is exciting and very, very cool. Heard about this particular artist via the 99% Invisible podcast a few years ago. Ok Ikumi is go-to chill music.
go to albumIf you like Merlin Ball, you may also like:
Enchanting music from the Mojave marries piano, strings, and synths with Melissa Ann Sweat's crystalline vocal.
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S P A R S E
by Michael Denis Ó Callaghan
Delicately constructed free jazz that reveals its details slowly, gradually unfolding to reveal beautifully considered compositions.
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Trevor Powers, formerly known as Youth Lagoon, offers "music for our digital coma" across a melancholic surprise LP.
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