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1. |
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The day I shut my eyes for good
I’ll wonder where it all went right
I’m gonna look my daughters in the eyes
And pray they photosynthesize
Instead of death by candlelight
And all this shouting slows me down
It wastes my minutes, chokes my hours, day by day
Don’t wanna know what Trump or Palin said
Don’t wanna talk about books we’ve never read
Just wanna thrash all night, then sleep for days
My intuition stinks
I have never seen the light
Maybe ‘cuz I sleep ‘til 3.
And Mama tells me that my concentration needs to find one course
But it’s all the same to me
And they go
“You’re brash. You’re callous. You don’t know.”
It’s true I bleed more than I show
That’s what you get, a slap or four
A slut-shamed Jesus runnin’ for the door
But when I’m old, I’ll still be new
I’ll be much more than something borrowed, something blue
I’m not the kind who looks for easy praise
Keep the pedigrees
I want the strays
We’re gonna thrash all night, then sleep for days
We’re gonna thrash all night, then sleep for days
We’re gonna thrash all night, then sleep for days
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2. |
Dog of Aokigahara
03:02
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I feel the pinch of the collar
And the smell of my own fur makes me wretch
I brace myself for the rough patch
Point my calloused snout down low
And inhale
As the briars fit their fangs into my flesh
I am watchful
I am wrecked
And the questions I can’t answer keep me strange
Am I just too common simple?
Am I needy and abhorred?
Am I merely mediocre across the board?
I’d say “I’m sorry”
But that’s a lie
He said I haven’t the reverence
As he dusted down the trophies on his shelf
I made demands on his patience
Or at least, that’s how it seemed
Everytime that he made a subtle reference to his wealth
“You ain’t nothing”
“Honor’s free”
And “The people that you love ain’t money-made”
Am I just too common simple?
Am I needy and abhorred?
Am I merely mediocre across the board?
You say “That’s livin’”
But that’s a lie
And everytime I rise above a sniff, they snap the chain
They disalign my structure, ear to paw
I quicken up my pace as I withdraw
‘Cuz I’ve still got blood to lose, so why complain?
Whoa-oh-oh
Am I just too common simple?
Am I needy and abhorred?
Am I merely mediocre across the board?
You say you love me
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3. |
Best of Me
03:44
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It was a Sunday morning
I was hammered shit, simple and plain
Your jacket was tattered, worn-in
A hungry neckline blessed in chain
And who am I, feeling somewhat powerful?
Who am I to find myself praying your name?
Well, thank you.
Thank you, mother, for shallow skin
And thank you, thank you.
Thank you, father, for I have sinned
And damn it, it’s the best of me.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for the mess I’m in
‘Cuz damn it, it’s the best of me
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4. |
Rebuttal in F#
02:41
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Is it ‘cuz of my hair? Is it something stupid like that?
Is it ‘cuz I don’t care what the fuckables do?
Am I being unfair? Well, it’s never too early for that
Is it ‘cuz I’m aware of the coward in you?
Can’t say I’m wise.
I mean, neither of us is grown for our size
So it’s no surprise That I’m into you, into you
But your mama frowns, she says I’m such a sinner
Well, your mama don’t know what I’m gonna do, gonna do
I’m gonna hate myself as hard as I can for you
Are we so desperate for the calm, we’ll chew through our tongues?
Are we not tumble-dry do-or-die Queens?
Are we walking regret? Are we circuitry and cold sums?
Have we forgotten what “Do-or-Die” means?
Heartbeats come, heartbeats go
But I’ll be damned if doubt kills the light in those eyes
So it’s no surprise that I’m into you, into you
But your mama frowns, she says I’m such a sinner
Well, your mama don’t know what I’m gonna do, gonna do
I’m gonna hate myself as hard as I can for you
I will hate myself
I will hate myself
I will hate myself as hard as I can for you
I will hate myself
I will hate myself
I will hate myself as hard as I can for you
Yeah, I will hate myself
I will hate myself
I will hate myself as hard as I can for you
You lose your friends? They’re all asinine, low-brow.
You lose your job? We will make it work, somehow.
Your family kicks you out?
I’m your family now.
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5. |
Against the Grain
03:00
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The rough-hewn etch of your new-chosen name
Stenciled high in relief through the dark wood frame
Of the lacquered, old picnic table I knead with my knuckles
The sandwich shop that we couldn’t afford
Liquor in a bag and the dog next door
Reminding me all of a time when I honestly loved ya
But I did what I do, and you, you shaved your head
And we both brushed our reasons off our shoulders
I’m a shelter-shed, I’m a hospital bed,
If you’re falling in love, you must be nearly dead
Or maybe you just like cutting against the grain
She fights off migraines with her off-color jokes and casual smokes
She prefers to have her self-assessment unaided by strangers
Molten memories amass and burn through the soot in her spine
Her reasons, excuses, misuses are all dead on the vine
Geography takes hold, she sings aloud as she cries
“The Lost shall overcome the myth of heaven”
Keep the passion raw, keep a strong lower jaw
Drag a fist through the mist from which the demons draw
But most of all keep cuttin’ cuttin’ cuttin’ against the grain
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6. |
Taking on Water
03:49
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She saunters in. She draws the blind.
And I collect a broken mind
She breathes in deep. Thinks I don’t see.
But how can a ship never notice the lighthouse’s decree?
I hold a brittle breath to lengthen out the day
I won’t be scared if you won’t be strong
It’s simpler here when folk just play along
You can stay, if you wanna stay, you’re allowed to be on your way
If I twist and turn, it’s just the cure
I may strain, breathing through the pain
And this cancer may eat my brain
But I can still hold your hand without my spine,
I’m doing fine
I watch her read to me
Wonder when she’ll love again
Will they be sweet? Will they be tall?
Will they lift her high or will they bring the fall?
When all is said and barely done
Every bridge I lay stands to fall away
My muscle strands throb and fade day by day
Oh stay, baby, stay all day
I don’t care what the nurses say
Every barb I grow is just for show
This bitch ain’t merely carbon clay
And you’re the only reason they survived
So, baby, don’t let ‘em beat you down
No, don’t let ‘em beat you down
No, no, don’t let ‘em beat you down,
You’re doing fine
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7. |
Babyboy
03:29
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I don’t know about the daily news
I don’t care what kind of soap you choose
All I care about is mama’s love and turning ten
Stevie always had a lot to say
Married mama in a stubborn way
Took her heart, her hand and then
She lost track of tempo
Gave up her lead
And she’d feel ashamed to know what I’ve seen
Like bloodstains on his shirt-sleeve
Colors shining through
“Don’t tell him what to do, Steve.
You don’t tell him what to do.”
There’s bloodstains on his shirt-sleeve
Colors shining through
“Don’t tell him what to do, Steve.
You don’t tell him what to do.”
Feels like March in the midst of June
With Stevie screaming in the other room
Mama’s voice is steel against the snow
Ain’t it funny how the house can shake?
How the tables turn and bend and break?
She comes from the silence
Sits me down
Reinvents the world with a hidden smile
And bloodstains on her shirt-sleeve
Color shining through
“Don’t tell him what to do, Steve.
You don’t tell him what to do.”
Bloodstains on her shirt-sleeve
Reddish Black and Blue
“Don’t tell him what to do, Steve.
You don’t tell him what to do.”
“You don’t tell him what to do.”
Don’t tell me what to do.
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8. |
Rock
02:12
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Well, if you wanted my trust then why’d you try to sell me?
And if you’re not keeping score then why you taking stock?
If you wanted my love then why’d you try to wreck me?
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
The smell is stuck in my guts; the bruises never left me
My friends are telling me “Babe, this comes as quite a shock!”
I’ve got no gun in my grip, no means of violence handy
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
I’m tired of your easy violence
I’m done with your jilted lover shtick
My throat will not suffer silence for the hammer click
Your sour and shit-stained instance had better start making tracks
And quick
You wanna rip right through me, crush and brew me, revel in the sick
If nothing else, you should have been decent
If nothing else, you could have been kind
If nothing else, your dick is not gospel
If nothing else, this body is mine
Well, if you wanted my trust then why’d you try to sell me?
And if you’re not keeping score then why you taking stock?
If you wanted my love then why’d you try to wreck me?
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
I won’t be gone
I will take field
I will breathe on
I will not yield
Well, if you wanted my trust then why’d you try to sell me?
And if you’re not keeping score then why you taking stock?
If you wanted my love then why’d you try to wreck me?
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
You said you wanted to chat, so why’d you bring a rock?
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9. |
Bridge to Home
05:18
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Babyboy pounding pavement all through Queens
With leash draped over shoulder and collar ‘round his sleeve
Mama said “Be home by quarter-twelve!”
It’s two-fifteen.
But they don’t understand, they don’t understand the stakes
Letting paw-prints wander aimless, letting Darwin have his day
Oh Babyboy, head back for now. Get some rest.
But he says “I ain’t going back tonight.
I ain’t losing that pup to bitter sidewalk singing.
From the soles of my shoes to the corners of my eyes, don’t be surprised
If by morning I am bringing you back home.”
Anna’s slowly making headway
Fighting riptide to the shoreline
Doctor says she’s doing just fine
Made her post-op plans on Wednesday
And her friends are all but faithful
God, her mom and dad are angry
Kicked her out without a Plan B, so she takes a ride for days
And plays her favorite songs
The ones we all know wrong
She is soulful and then she turns woeful again
And I…I stupidly say “What’s the dif?”
She turns around, stands her ground, and says
“I ain’t backing down tonight. I ain’t giving one inch of this here blessed body.
From Adam’s apple bump to the hairy toes nobody knows
Understand me, I am finally coming home.”
Everyday seems a shallow rotten path
Plagued by bitterness and worry
By sinew, flesh, and bone
Keeps me panting wide-eyed through the dark ‘til the sun
And I don’t understand, I don’t understand the shakes
Fears that babyboy long conquered
Doubts that Anna never had
I feel them breath, I shift my weight, and ask
Am I worth my salt tonight?
Am I doing good or am I empty swinging?
Though the fated hand reaches coldly from the skies for your demise
Keep your head up
Time to build a better home
And I ain’t losing sleep tonight
I ain’t losing sleep tonight
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10. |
Hey Nana
03:30
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Sun is lemonade
Dirty worms are dancing through the shade of the tree top fade
Ain’t ya glad we scrapped our plans and stayed?
Daddy doesn’t know what he’s missing strapped to that radio
Though it calms my tangled tongue
My brains itch and my legs would rather run
Would rather press stone
Would rather leave the folded grass to explore the brandless bushes on my own
Would rather chew gum
Would rather break the skin, or bruise to bone
Or dance along to the Almighty Overtone
Step and touch away
Life is short, at least that’s what they say
Splash of color stemmed in grey
Hands raised with a “Hey, Nana! Look what I did!”
Is it too cold, is it too deep?
Will the rising water overflow and sweep her off her feet?
Have I taught her all the ways to fight the fiends she’s gonna meet
Along the way?
Am I just the breathing in?
Am I hoarding every drop of hope like sweat beneath the skin?
Did I bleed myself away at the peril of my kin?
Summer cradles tree
“Little Sylvie, play where I can see!”
Were it up to me, I would trade the world to keep you free
Show me swing and sway
Show me wonder roughing up polished day
I’m buried ten-feet deep, I’m cluttered love with no relief
But you are old renegades
You are stillness made of chi
You are everything my hunger wants to be
I never took love
I watched it sputter, grow, reach, slink away
But as you play, I think “God damnit, look what I did.”
Would you look what I did
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11. |
Last Words
02:55
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Take my records down and wash my face
Share a meal but keep it free from grace
Learn to break the bread
Keep the dog well-fed
I’m done
Let your loved ones fight
Kiss ‘em every night
I’m done
Sacrifice some wingspan for some speed
Sacrifice the things you think you need
If you lose your grip, trust the fortune-flip
I’m done
If it makes you free, don’t remember me
I’m done
Oh, my Dear, I don’t mean to scare you so
But you’ll be here one day
And Love, that needs to be okay
So cast aside the contests they construe
Find the soil the feeds the You in You
It’s a lonely sky but you can’t deny that sun
Some will make you pay
Love ‘em anyway
I’m done
Yeah, some will make you pay
Love ‘em anyway
I’m done.
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theythem New York, New York
BOOKING:
Chris.theythem@gmail.com
facebook.com/theythemrock
"This is not your average Folk radio. The sound that [theythem] creates is pure gold, and Notes to My Blood is a charming, artistic record, that will draw new and old fans alike."
- No Depression, The Journal of Roots Music
"Tasteful and refined, Chris Norwood’s 'Year of the Bear' represents the future of folk."
-Skopemag.com
... more
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