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A Jester's Life

by ernie c ernst

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1.
strike a match baby, i'll strike a pose put on your best suit sugar, i'll put on my pantyhose be my lover, i'll be your clown be unguarded, i'll knock you down be a drama queen, i'll be a laugh a minute be a bathroom, i'll be the bathtub in it calling, like a wounded dove falling, into a little love be my shepherd, i'll be your flock watch the water boil, i'll watch the clock be my angel, i'll be your gabriel be a bucket, i'll be the water in the well calling, like a wounded dove falling, into a little love i'll be your napoleon if you'll be my josephine be my marc antony, i'll be your eqyptian queen be a little late, i'll be a little worried be breathless on the phone, i'll be sure and hurry take the backseat honey, i'll take the wheel teach me to pray, i'll teach you to steal be a lion, i'll be a lamb call me alice, i'll call you sam
2.
Unfortunate Son (free) 03:46
rain rain fall down, on my weary head it's too damn late for me not to be in bed down by this bottle and faded photograph is where i'll lie i feel the stars fading again tonight i'll pack my bags tomorrow and just take off i'm leaving all this sorrow for someone else who ain't had enough and you may find me somewhere between the desert and the sea with all the stars fading down on me i know that it's all been done but i always wind up the unfortunate son, begging for my father's forgiveness count backwards from a hundred and i'll soon fall asleep dreaming of a heart and soul i can keep from wondering how i ever got into this will i get through this it's hard to look at myself and not look down it's hard to know when to let it all pass me by and when to stand my ground i try not to worry about things i do not see, like all the stars fading down on me rain wash away all the things i've done another night spent chasing the sun down to my conscience, down to my pride with all the stars fading again tonight
3.
Rosalind (free) 03:14
sweet rosalind, how the sun and moon doth shine say you'll be mine, sweet rosalind like a fiery flame, your hair doth call my name walk yourself my way, you lovely dame nobody else will love you like me there's no where else that i'd rather be, than in your arms sweet rosalind, alabaster skin and lips like wine please be mine, sweet rosalind goddess of love, sent from heaven up above you're the one i'm dreaming of nobody else will love you like i do there's no one else for me to love but you, rosalind
4.
Mercy (free) 05:01
i left the bar an hour too late and one warm beer too many i searched for the answers at the end of my glass, but could not find any and i cried in my car down the interstate and gripped my steering wheel with white-knuckled fear i wanted to listen to your poetry, but all i could hear was your voice in my head, crying mercy somebody mentioned a gleam in my eye as i spoke about you and i can only imagine the blush of my skin as i realized it was all true now i'm bleeding my demons on the bedroom floor beneath my sweet lover's sleeping eyes does he hear the torch that i bear beneath my clever disguise, on my knees in the dark, crying mercy i've been hiding from me for so long, i can't remember where i left myself all of these years, i thought i was so damn strong, now i'm thinking - man, that was somebody else well your timing is lousy, but i though you should know, i'm still glad you reappeared a familiar equation from a life long ago, that just doesn't fit here and i feel like a fool, but i want you to stay i should turn on my heels, but i can't walk away it's just too damn bad it turned out this way and all i can do is laugh at myself and cry mercy
5.
Farther Down (free) 05:23
you say everything's fine, but it ain't you'd like me to believe, but i can't you've been living in the dark you've been swimming with the sharks and you're falling farther down falling farther down i guess some of the blame should fall on me i guess this is something i should have seen you ain't asking for no help but you're singing to yourself and you're falling farther down falling farther down i cry for you still don't know why, i guess i always will can you even lift your head to the light i can't say i'm sorry anymore words get in the way of every open door everything went wrong, but you can still get right it's a long way down that crooked mile but if you just keep looking, you'll find your smile i can offer you my hand and though it's not the way we planned i can keep you from falling farther down falling farther down i cry for you still don't know why, i guess i always will can you even lift your head to the light i can't say i'm sorry anymore words get in the way of every open door everything went wrong, but you can still get right you say everything’s fine
6.
A Jester's Life (free) 04:01
you: dark shades, me: off color witty remarks we: both fools to follow this dream down into the belly of a well dressed shark you: my hero but we're so much the same you stroke your own ego i yell my own name take heed my friend it's only the means to an unglamourous end make no mistake we found our way here but we did not discover this place plates of fine china these silly hearts that we chose our muses steal our pillows wherever we go frost-bitten fingers cannot bend strings so we feed off our respective fire whatever that means take heed my friend it's only the means to an unglamourous end make no mistake we found our way here but we did not discover this place we lie to each other we lie to that which lies within we lie 'round all day in this big old bed naked as sin on the left of this fine, fine line i am the king and you pour my wine on the other side you reign supreme and i lead a jester's life
7.
Saint Joan (free) 03:38
she could have given up again today instead she fell back down on her knees to pray sweet jesus, help me find my way she could have folded and laid down her cards standing naked holding nothing save for the gilded queen of hearts still, that seemed enough to keep the tears at bay, again today saint joan of the twentieth century saint joan whose heart remains a mystery saint joan - a living legend of her own history nobody bothers to ask if she's doing okay nobody seems to notice her eyes are a little bit redder today sweet jesus, help her find her way - i pray saint joan of the twentieth century saint joan whose heart remains a mystery saint joan - a living legend of her own history she gave her heart to a mere mortal man when it was returned it was nothing but a pile of dust in her tiny hand now she carves her epitaph in a cold, cold stone she gives her soul to jesus, but her heart is her own saint joan a living legend of her own history
8.
Who Are You (free) 03:58
you're looking so cool in your hundred dollar shoes you say that you are nobody's fool and you never play by the rules you say that you can help me out improve my quality of life you say i don't have to live that way always holding the sharp end of the knife i think i'm doing just fine so i'll get back to my living if you don't mind who are you to appear from nowhere and insist you've been here all the time who are you to suggest you have an inkling of what goes on in my mind who are you to try and keep me cramped between the dusty books on the bottom shelf who are you to demand that i narrowly define myself always thinking about yourself seems to be your plan discovering the easiest way to manipulate your fellow man you say that i'm a dreamer and dreamers never win but it seems while i've been dreaming you've been spreading yourself a little thin who are you to question who are you to pry who are you to try and pluck my splinter with that plank sticking out of your eye who are you to ask why who are you to criticize who are you to go so far who in the hell do you think you are who died and made you the boss of me who granted you supreme authority who are you to be so rude who do you think you're talking to
9.
Black Cat Philosophy (free) 03:27
got my ticket and i'm ready to set sail 'cause your memory likes to ride on my coattail you drown in freedom while i smother in jail but everything's gonna be alright now a black cat crossed my path today i looked at her and she looked away gave a wink as if to say girl, everything's gonna be alright now i play the cards i've been delt but i got a few tricks up my sleeve and under my belt and i felt more alive than i've ever felt when you rocked me in the rhythm of the ocean singing everything's gonna be alright you set me on fire but left me to smolder so i keep looking over my shoulder living my life like a shell shocked soldier but everything's gonna be alright now i play the cards i've been delt but i got a few tricks up my sleeve and under my belt and i felt more alive than i've ever felt when you rocked me in the rhythm of the ocean singing everything's gonna be alright got my ticket and i'm ready to set sail 'cause your memory likes to ride on my coattail standing in the middle of a pounding hail but everything's gonna be alright now

credits

released November 2, 2002

Music and Lyrics written by ernie c ernst
Arranged by e.c.ernst & Britton Beisenherz

ernie c ernst - vox, acoustic guitar
Britton Beisenherz - electric guitar, bass, keys, treatments
John Scully - drums & percussion

Produced and Recorded by Britton Beisenherz
Recorded at Ramble Creek Studios (Austin, TX)
Assisted by Jess Farr & Joel Baumwart
Executive Producer - Joel Baumwart

Additional Musicians:
Dave Brittman - percussion (track 5)
Steven Collins - backup vocals (track 4)
Jess Farr - percussion (track 8)
Chris Forshage - electric guitar (track 4)
Tim Gibbons - electric guitar solo (track 6)
Warren Hood - fiddle (track 7)
John Pointer - cello (track 7)
Matt Sleusher - mandolin and acoustic lead (track 7)
Greg Utay - drums (track 8)

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ernie c ernst montana

Texas born, Austin raised current Montanan.

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