Goodbye Uncle Buzz CD

Goodbye Uncle Buzz

"Goodbye Uncle Buzz" was co-produced by the Rosses and Gregg Williams (Dandy Warhols, Wallflowers, China Forbes) and was recorded atypically by laying down Rindy's lead vocals and Marv's acoustic guitar parts first. Marv explains, "We played all the overdubbed parts to just those two elements to keep the focus on the lead singer and the primary chordal instrument. In previous recordings, we would spend endless hours creating huge drum and guitar sounds and then try to find "room" for Rindy's lead vocal. By starting with the finalized lead vocal, it forced everyone to play and shape their sounds to complement her voice. It worked beautifully - never has Rindy sounded better."

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Goodbye Uncle Buzz Guitar Tunings

Crazy Quilt

I've been walking in the mornings,
With my worried friend,
And she's been working on this crazy quilt,
For months on end,
And she's fighting with the colors and the stitches,
And the batting and the backing,
And the chemo in her hands,
And she's piecing it together the best that she can.
And these quilts that she's made,
They cover all her walls,
She's run out of places to put them,
And she says, What do I do? What do I do with them all?
I don't know who I am.
And she's piecing it together the best that she can,
And she's piecing it together the best that she can.

And it's all we know,
So we sing and sew the best that we can.
Just keep walking, keep on talking up and down these hills,
Just keep singing, keep believing in this crazy quilt.

I've been walking in the mornings,
With my worried friend,
And I've been working on these crazy songs,
For months on end,
And I'm fighting with the meaning and the meter,
And the voicings and the choices in my hands,
And I'm piecing it together the best that I can.

Goodbye Uncle Buzz

I was just fifteen, at my cousins - we were playing,
When we found Uncle Buzz dead in the basement,
Dad shut the door and no one said that word - that word,
We found a note that he wrote on the mantle,
And I felt like shit 'cause I wanted his piano,
But I got his records and his arch-top Kay guitar.

CHORUS
Goodbye Uncle Buzz I know I should've cried,
But I couldn't just because,
Goodbye Uncle Buzz everything's covered,
But nothing's what is was,
Nothing's what it was - nothing's what it was.

The paper said he died from hypertension,
And the word, 'suicide' - was never mentioned,
Mom said it was his heart,
I guess it was in a way - in a way,
I played his records on our Sears turntable,
Heard Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, and Mavis Staples,
And I tried his old guitar,
But it wasn't what the Beatles played anyway.

CHORUS

It was ten years later met my cousins at the station,
But nobody said a word about the basement,
Though everybody there had a drop of Uncle Buzz in our blood,
And now and then I find I think about my uncle,
And our mothers and our fathers and our secrets in the basement,
And the children in the dark, the children in the dark,
The children in the dark, the children in the dark.

CHORUS

Trying To Find A New Way

It was '71 when I wrote our first song,
Mom was still sleeping - Dad was still gone,
So I snuck out of bed - wrote down a line,
I liked the words but they seemed out of...
Time, time, time is the enemy,
Trying to rhyme in a line what you meant to me,
I thought I had it when I found that diminished,
Seventy verses later I was still trying to finish,

CHORUS
I was trying to find a new way to get to you,
Trying to find a new way to make it true,
Trying to find a new way...

It was '82 before we broke their hearts,
Always pedal to the metal - unsettled from the start,
It was touch and go and up and down,
And we held onto each other like a merry-go-round,
Round, round like a satellite,
I tried to sing it like you wrote it but it wasn't right,
I sung for millions and I sung for tips,
And all them sons of bitches on the Sunset Strip and...

CHORUS

There we go long ago I know you remember,
Yelling at me even though I never heard a word you'd say,
That was me, absentee, you see I was always living,
In the make-believe looking for another way to say I loved you.
I've been your lover and I've been your beast,
And your worst critic when you needed one least,
And you cut me down and I make you cry,
I tried to change you and I still don't know why,
Why, why do we go thru this,
I can see it in your eye that you're getting pissed,
Don't ask me if I like your suggestion,
If you don't want the answer, Baby,
Then don't ask the question, I'm just...

CHORUS

Nothing Runs As Deep As You

I feel the sum of everyone I've ever loved run through me,
But it doesn't run as deep as you,
I feel the waters flowing from the river of life renew me,
But they never run as deep as you.

And in my darkest times I feel I've lost my mind,
With the fear of losing you,
And why I'm so afraid,
I know I'd lose my way,
I don't know what I'd ever do - it's true,
'Cause nothing runs as deep as you.

I fed my bloodstream with a dream,
Under my skin and it soothed me,
But it never ran as deep as you,
I prayed to sad-eyed lovely gods,
Hanging on walls and it moved me,
But it'll never run as deep as you.

And when you're lying here,
The pain just disappears,
And every part of life rings true,
And there's no wall too high,
No river too deep or wide,
There's not a thing I wouldn't do - it's true,
'Cause nothing runs as deep as you.

Rise Above

I sat on the edge of my grandmother's bed and I combed her hair,
While the mother of Jesus looked on from a five-and-dime frame,
The three of us waited, the light outside faded, the moon came up,
While Grandmother dreamed up her wings to rise above.
She said...

CHORUS
Love isn't having the things that we want,
It's wanting the things we have.
Life is deciding whether we cry or laugh,
Oh, remember you're part of the moon and the stars,
A part of those you love, oh, hold on to these things,
They're your wings to rise above.

A doctor in Texas wakes up again scared and he don't know why,
His life is a tangle of suture, money, and blood,
He says, "I touch without feeling, I fix without healing, I do not cry,
I can't find the will or the way to rise above.

CHORUS

Brothers

I should try to call my brother,
I don't see him all that much,
Though I shared my room with him for years,
Didn't share enough - didn't share enough.

I should try to call my brother,
We were always on a different track,
When we were young I'd pick a fight,
He'd never hit me back,
I wish that he had hit me back.

CHORUS
I should call my little brother,
Lift him boots and all,
Put him on my handlebars,
Never let him fall - never let him fall.

I should try to call my brother,
And race him thru the grass,
Let him win - let him grin,
Let him kick my ass - let him kick my ass.

CHORUS

In The Air

Crying in your car,
Praying for the girl that filled your life,
Ah, life is such a fragile wing that keeps us,
In the air from falling, falling down.

It's all that you can do,
And so you keep it all inside a song,
But songs are only fragile wings that keep us,
In the air from falling, falling down.

Oh, draw yourself a sky and fly above it,
Paint yourself a deeper blue and try,
To let it slip away - let it slip away.

Crying in your car,
Praying for the girl that filled your life,
Ah, life is such a fragile wing that keeps us,
In the air from falling, falling down.
It keeps us in the air,
Keeps us in the air,
Keeps us in the air.

Home

He put on his fish hat and walked out of town,
No shoes on - no wallet,
That's how Dad was found by the river,
Confused and alone,
Just trying to find his own way back home.
Home to our rivers our kitchens and cars,
Home's where we go when it gets dark.

Mom pulled down the garage door and started the car,
Rolled down the windows,
And breathed in the stars of Montana,
Where buffalo roam,
Then started to find her own way back home.
Home to our rivers our kitchens and cars,
Home's where we go when it gets dark.

I see them together alive in my dreams,
They're younger - I'm older,
As strange as that seems,
Now we're driving to rivers unknown,
Trying to find our own way back home.

The Child Who Raised Her Mother

The child who raised her mother peeked inside the door,
At her forty year old baby passed out on the floor,
And she made her mother breakfast - washed and changed her sheets,
Went back to bed instead of school and drifted off to sleep.
And then she drove away,
And then she drove away - drove away.

The child who raised her mother made excuses for her mom,
Lied to friends and teachers - told them, "nothing's wrong".
And she often fell asleep at school and sometimes she would dream,
That her dad came back and picked her up in a magic limousine.
And then they drove away
And then she drove away - drove away.

Above the trees and houses - above the school and cars,
Far above her mother's house - among the moon and stars.

When the child who raised her mother turned sixteen she was told,
That another man would live with them - the house was being sold,
So she packed up in the night - took only what she'd need,
Walked out to her mother's car and finally turned that key.
And then she drove away and then she drove away.

Opening Doors

I was thinking of taking a drive,
Back to the house where I was born,
Where I was born.
I keep seeing myself on our porch,
Looking thru blinds that we kept closed,
All the time.

CHORUS
Opening doors - letting in air,
Finding a place for everything there,
Opening doors - letting in light,
Patching the holes - making things right,
Making things right.

I imagine I'm swimming the lake,
Where we would stay when we were young,
Before it changed.
I'm walking through the cabin that burned,
Looking for keys that I might turn,
That I might turn.

CHORUS
I keep dreaming I've found another room,
One that I've never seen before,
I don't know why.
I was hoping that you'd find it, too,
So I could play you all the songs,
I wrote for you.

CHORUS

This Business Of Music

(Megan: Mr. Jones will see you)
So, how ya' been? I got your package,
Was gonna call - but it's been wacky,
I love the stuff - it's all amazing,
I plan to check it out after my vacation.
(Megan: After his vacation)

Now, about your songs... you might consider,
Is there a way to make them bigger?,
Just a thought - but would you ever,
Let me find someone to help you make 'em even better?

CHORUS
Well, I don't wanna drag this out,
I think were moving in the right direction now,
I'll have Megan show you out,
Feel free to call me anytime.

Oh, I forgot - I meant to tell you,
Your last deal - I guess it fell through,
Don't take it wrong - we dig your vision,
I'm hope you understand this wasn't my decision,
(Megan: It's never his decision)

Hey, have you heard of Milo d'Venus?
The kid's a freak - a friggin' genius,
Just sixteen - totally new,
Now that the kind of thing,
We think that you could do.

CHORUS

Oh, before you go I wanted to show you,
My new home in Barcelona,
I took this picture - I love the light there,
My son's a pilot - we always get a great fare.
(Megan: Always gets a great fare)

I'm glad you came - I hope this helps,
I'm always here or somewhere else,
And don't worry - I got your back, Babe,
I'm your man, Babe - just relax.

CHORUS

At Least I Tried

Now that it's over the fun can begin,
Watching me twist in the wind,
And I'll take the blame here,
For things that I've botched,
But I never stood by and just watched.

And don't it all look so easy,
When you just point fingers and hide,
Yes, I may have hit the ground at ninety,
But at least I tried - at least I tried.

Playing it safe - protecting your heart,
Might be your way,
But you'll never be - never be a part of love.

Now you'll be 'the beauty',
And I'll be 'the beast',
And this is the story we'll release.
Man, don't it look like nothing at all,
When you're looking in from outside,
Oh, I may not stick the landing,
But at least I tried
And don't it all look so simple,
When you're just watching from the side,
I may have fucked up the finale,
But at least I tried - at least I tried - at least I tried.