We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Welcome to Hawkstown

by Richard Haxton

/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

1.
Welcome to Hawkstown 00:50
lyrics
buy track
Welcome to Hawkstown. It’s the healthiest town in the land We restore your inner balance with a method that some don't understand We nurse your inner predator back to health the way you would your inner child And we release your inner predator back into your inner wild Are your inner sheep grazing in your inner forest? Are your inner crows munching all your inner corn? Are your inner cattle knocking down your inner fences? With healthy predators you will be reborn So welcome to Hawkstown. It's the healthiest town in the land
2.
Random Play 00:36
lyrics
buy track
You wanna get loose with the music? There's only one way You got to set you mind On random play You got to set it, set it On random play Precisely
3.
Follow the Mountain 01:40
lyrics
buy track
Lost on a street downtown. All I want is to go home I find an unlocked warehouse. I think I'm all alone A man says - Hey what are you doing? I say - I'm just looking 'round In his hand he holds a pistol. Is he gonna shoot me down? He says - Come out where I can see you. We both step out into the light I can't believe it, my childhood friend is a security guard at night I say - Is this what I gotta do to reach you? You haven't returned my calls in years But he doesn't smile, no more questions. And he wipes away his tears I say - I want to go back home. I'm out here on my own He says - Follow me to the roof. He points his hand, says - I have no proof, but if you just Follow the mountain The tall one covered with snow Keep your eyes on the mountain It will show you where to go Just follow the mountain And you will be all right Keep your eyes on the mountain That mountain is my guiding light
4.
A Good Idea 01:24
lyrics
buy track
A good idea is like tempered steel Forged in the fire, its strength revealed Like a samurai sword with layers beat so thin It can keep its shape with every shock and bend It's gotta be lived as well as told Gaining strength with every blow and fold We are a good idea A good idea is like a bristlecone pine Able to stand the test of time Rooted in rock through the wind and cold Through the drought and heat it keeps its hold Like a baby's laugh, like a seasoned wine Like a perfect blend of heat and mind
5.
They Cloned a Dog Today 01:11
lyrics
buy track
They cloned a dog today Somewhere in South Korea And now that dog is on display Wailing for everyone to hear If I had my way I'd whisper that doggie's ear And after what I had to say That little dog would dry his tears I'd say - We are the clones Though you cannot tell to look We've learned everything we've known From the same TV, movies and books And we will always be alone Till we find out why we're here And that will come from God Not some dude in South Korea Cuz home is in the heart Not in some petri dish Though even Jesus got his start When he cloned them breakfast fish They cloned a dog today
6.
Boulevard of Affirmations 01:09
lyrics
buy track
I'm a bad muthafucka cuz I'm on the street And I'm on the street cuz I'm a bad muthafucka It may sound silly to you but this is the affirmation I have to keep repeating night after night after night just to keep myself from going completely bananas. This damn boulevard, I just hate it out here, I hate it. It's dangerous. The people are unpleasant. But soon I'll have enough money for the down payment on my dream house so I've got to keep going just a little longer. Oh, God, there's another car slowing down. Try to look pretty and say it one more time
7.
Song for the Discriminating Listener 01:03
lyrics
buy track
The beginning of this song was designed specifically for the discriminating listener like you So in it we steered clear of any and all use of the words "fuck," "flagellate" and "doo doo" For these words are bad and wrong and have no place at the beginning of this song Or any direct relationship with its essence which is right and good The middle part of this song is irrelevant And since we were paid a lump sum and not by the note This song will end now
8.
I Believe 01:38
lyrics
buy track
I believe when I walk out my door the world will still be there I believe that gravity will keep its hold on the air I believe when I step on the earth that I won't fall through I believe there'll be a better day for me and you I believe there's a unifying principle to this place I believe that it is not sex or age or race I believe the one who says he knows what's gonna come to pass Should maybe try to wrestle his head out of his ass I believe very deeply in the laws of probability Whatever in the name of God those turn out to be I believe in the theory of non-locality And that my butt near the speed of light might approach infinity This is the age of uncertainty and that breeds conformity And that breeds rigidity and that breeds uncertainty in me I believe in the beginning that there was the word I believe the Saturday night before that the word was not heard I believe that danger is always an easy sell I believe that Vegas is the Spanish word for hell I believe that most things around here are subject to change And the ones that ain’t are way out of my price range I believe that everybody else here is just like me We all have our moments of uninterrupted clarity Those moments when we all can fly and we all are free And then we wake up and it's back to reality
9.
There's Always Somethin' 01:02
lyrics
buy track
Books would be so cool if you didn't have to read War would be so cool if you didn't have to bleed Love would be so cool if you didn't have to cry Life would be so cool if you didn't have to die There's always somethin' Standin' in my way So here I'm gonna stay There's always somethin' So I ain't gonna do nothin'
10.
Permission 01:00
lyrics
buy track
I searched all over the world to find somebody who Could give me permission to do the things I want to do First I tried my mama. Tried my daddy and my brother, too I tried the man on the street. Tried my cat. I even tried you But now I can be the man I want to be. Cuz I got permission Though it came kinda late I got permission I was squeezed by the hand of fate But I got permission Now I never have to wait Cuz I got permission. I got permission from me Now take that guitar and get back inside OK
11.
Let's Don't Get Involved 01:32
lyrics
buy track
I met her in a dance cafe All she wanted was to dance the night away We felt the music and we felt the heat As we moved into the street She took me to her apartment And there the passion began to stir We made love in the darkness And from the darkness I heard from her I want to be a part of you Know the art of you Be something very special in the heart of you You will be the one I build my hopes upon But let’s don't get involved At night the city is a beautiful place See the happy people with the happy smiling face Everybody is so friendly here This town is smaller than it appears Making friends is so easy I'm making new ones all of the time Some of them think I am teasing When I lay my heart right on the line
12.
The Gravity of Love 01:07
lyrics
buy track
He jumped off a bridge With a feather in each hand There were two minor details That he didn't understand The first one was the law Of the below and the above The other was the dynamic And the gravity of love
13.
Paul MacCready 01:33
lyrics
buy track
He used to play with paper airplanes He loved to watch them as they'd sail He saw the future of human travel Where the others saw small and frail He rode the wind across the English Channel It should have brought him riches and fame Though he was just a few feet above the waves, he went over our heads But someday, everyone will know his name Paul MacCready, student of the wind and sun Paul MacCready, he was here to save everyone Paul MacCready, when we realize how much he's done And we're ready, he will be Our favorite son
14.
Gimme Back My Gills 01:28
lyrics
buy track
Way down deep under the sea I know there is a better place The pressure gets you under the sea But if I could take it I could stay I want to go as deep as I can But these physical limitations make it hard on a man I could learn the language. I could master the style I could grow my eyes out on stalks If I could live beneath the sea one mile Breathing this air, I've had my fill Waged war on my brother against my will I'm sick of running this life on whiskey and pills Gimme back my dignity. Gimme back my gills
15.
Go Back Bipeds 01:08
lyrics
buy track
There's a rumor in the barnyard your human race started out in Africa And like a cancer you spread all over the world. I can walk on two legs. Hey look at me Bring slavery to all the cows and sheep. Riding horses everywhere you go Why don't you bipeds just go back home so things can be like they used to be Why don't you go back bipeds Spend some time outdoors. Get down on all fours Why don't you go back bipeds. We’re gonna void your lease So we can get some peace Why don't you go back home And leave us quadrupeds alone
16.
This Is Not Me 01:30
lyrics
buy track
You have to be true. Work hard and long So no trace of you winds up in your song You have to be pure, be your own detective Just to make sure you’re always objective Always avoid your own point of view And don’t drop a clue that leads back to you Always say us. Never say me And you will achieve authenticity Always stand well outside of yourself To make sure you they think that you're somebody else No personal cry, no personal laugh Keep everything totally choreographed So when they hear the electronic voice It won't limit their options, won't limit their choice So they won't think you're the villain or hero Ask "What part is you?” Cuz it's absolute zero This is not me You're listening to It sounds like me it’s true This is not me You’re listening to I do not do me. Do you? Always be distant, always be hip They’ll ask for the iceberg if you show them the tip
17.
High-Classed English Dude 00:44
lyrics
buy track
All I wanna do is move to London England and be a high-classed English dude Hang out with the queen and play me some polo and eat some high-classed English food They tell me the first thing you gotta do is learn how to pee indoors And when you learn a Greek myth and git your upper lip stiff You git a butler to do your chores And you can’t talk rude If you wanna be a high-classed English dude Blimey bloat
18.
Soul Archeology 01:23
lyrics
buy track
None of us belong here but don’t none of us know where Somebody else’s dream of power turned into our nightmare We learned to speak the master’s tongue and learned to fear the master’s rod Learned to dream the master’s dreams and pray to the master’s god But one day we will be mighty. One day we will be free And we will recover the treasure Living in the heart of you and me It’s hidden in our accents. It’s hidden in our dreams It’s got to come out. We’re busting at the seams And we will keep digging til the day we finally see It’s soul archeology
19.
Official Version 01:06
lyrics
buy track
To read the manual was rough but it did not lead me to the truth And when I’d finally had enough I called the hotline about you But not one of all the techs could help me see my problem through Cuz I compared you to my ex, that software I used to use Hardware and software sometimes do not interface I thought I should upgrade. You have dazzling features I know But you never will replace version 1.0
20.
Face in the Window 01:31
lyrics
buy track
There’s a game out in the shadows but I can’t raise the stakes to play There’s a face in the window but I can’t hear what it has to say There’s a pain in my memory and it’s the same every day There’s a face in the window but I can’t hear what it has to say
21.
Okey Dokey Tokyo 01:07
lyrics
buy track
Long ago ‘made in Japan’ was jokey and it gave us trash But soon it gave us everything and corporations cash Now Japan has teenage suicides. They’re searching for the calm Ain’t no motivator quite like two atomic bombs Okey Dokey Tokyo Tu y Yo. Tu y Yo. One upon a time she knew herself, now she just don’t know New York looks in the mirror all she sees is Tokyo Bejing New Delhi burning bright to write the epitaph But it may be the robots that will get the final laugh
22.
The City on the Hill 01:24
lyrics
buy track
So I sold my heart and sold my butt, did not ask what or why Told myself that everything I did, I did just to survive Told myself that everything is fine if I keep it in context Then I was shocked that I got locked out when they passed out the respects It all depends on the game you’re playing, and who controls the ball Whether you’re standing on the corner where the hookers meet or on a million dollar call With big numbers it’s easy to con yourself, and big numbers do come back Til your shining castle on the hill’s a shill for some corporate shack You only go around once, get it while you can Everybody’s doing it, grab the hand Just shake the shake, whoa, they shook you down Your tombstone reads, “corporate clown” In a hundred years when the company’s gone And you’re forgotten, and they need a song And they run across yours, they won’t need your name Cuz by then your shame will be public domain It may take a little while til promise is fulfilled George Washington smiles from the dollar bill But I ain’t gonna buy it cuz now I know the drill Cuz everybody’s smiling in the city on the hill
23.
Wedded to the Primordial Slime 01:26
lyrics
buy track
Don’t talk about salvation it won’t do no good Don’t burn a prayer candle don’t knock on wood Don’t need to cross your fingers when you tell a lie Hey, everybody‘s looking for a great alibi We’re all headed for the end of time We’re all wedded to the primordial slime So do you put trust in the celestial team? Is Jesus talking to you nightly in your dreams? Do you see the devil hiding everywhere? Don’t worry you ain’t going to hell, baby, you’re already there Chorus Ain’t nowhere to hide Let’s have another slice of wedding cake Enjoy your romantic ride Out on the fiery lake
24.
Mammals Suck 01:07
lyrics
buy track
Reptiles crawl and mammals suck But there’s only one mammal that can drive a truck And they’ll drive all night just to find a tit Mammals suck that’s the size of it So if you’re a mammal Been walking all day Need to get somewhere that’s far away And you decide you want to ride a bit Just find you a mammal in search of a tit That has a truck Cuz mammals suck Say you’re a CEO. You want to move your goods You got to bring them mammals out of the woods You got to repack their inner luggage Control the nature of their suckage You know they know all about the breast Take them from tit to TiVo. They’ll be impressed Just dangle a breast to put them in the mood They’ll mistake that crap you sell for food Got to repack the inner luggage To harness the power of the suckage Then you make the buck Cuz mammals suck
25.
Like the Back of My Hand 01:03
lyrics
buy track
The top is dead skin that always gets replaced So nothing is exactly the same from day to day And underneath that is the living blood and cells But you can’t see them unless you cut yourself Then there are the muscles if you go down deep There you got control unless you’re crazy or asleep Then you got your bones. They complete the list And you’re gonna need them in case you want to make a fist Down to the molecules where much more is revealed Then your atoms, then you’re in the sub-atomic field Where there is no certainty just laws of probability Then there is the biggest part that nobody can see Next time it happens I know you’ll understand When somebody tells you, “I know that Like the back of my hand"
26.
Expert Needs Wife 01:24
lyrics
buy track
If you are someone with a lonely life Answer my ad ‘expert needs wife’ And you can listen to me all the day long But don’t try to speak cuz you’ll only be wrong To achieve this level of expertise took me many years So don’t think for one minute that your beguiling or your tears Are going to put a dent in this perfect temperament I understand that it must feel lonely to be As misguided as you probably are with no one to see So come answer my ad and you can bask in the light Of you own special one who always happens to be right Expert needs wife
27.
If You Get a Good Idea (Don't Do It) 01:18
lyrics
buy track
I fall down, I'm embarrassed, bust open my lip But the moment I remember is right after I trip What did I do between then and hitting the ground? What do you do between the time you’re lost and you’re found? It’s just like the moment right after a wreck Some are jumping into action, some are craning their neck Cuz that’s the holy moment when the world shines through And you don’t know if you’re doing it or it’s doing you You’re completely connected, you’re open, you feel Ain’t no doubt about it, right now is real You’re up on the horse, the saddle is gone You wanna take that ride, you better hold on You’re Einstein in the bathtub, you’re a bird in the air This is the moment. Are you prepared? This is no time for thinking, it’s the time to go through it So if you get a good idea don’t do it Half of me is laughing – I’m glad it ain’t me But the other half cries – If it was me I’d be free
28.
Akiyu 01:06
lyrics
buy track
You are black. I am white. Akiyu. You are red. I am blue. Akiyu. You are blue. I am grey. Akiyu. You are Chief. I am Cowboy Akiyu. You have no penis. I have penis. Akiyu. You have what? Akiyu, Akiyu, Akiyu You like Jesus. I like Muhammed. Akiyu You like Muhammed. I like Krishna. Akiyu You like Krishna. I like Buddha. Akiyu. You like Buddha. I like Confucius. Akiyu. You like Confucius. I like Tao. Akiyu. You no like Akiyu, Akiyu, Akiyu You like forest. I like job. Akiyu. You like redwood. I like hot tub. Akiyu. You have skin. I need shoes. Akiyu. You have habit. I sell tobacco. Akiyu. You are postman. I am dog. Akiyu You bring bad news... Akiyu, Akiyu, Akiyu You no have legs. I have 2 legs. Akiyu. You have 2 legs. I have 4 legs. Akiyu. You have 4 legs. I have six legs. Akiyu You have six legs. I have eight legs. Akiyu. You have eight legs. I have two legs. Akiyu You have one leg. Akiyu. You write bad review... Akiyu, Akiyu, Akiyu You make mistake. I am state. Akiyu. I make mistake. I am state. Akiyu. It's for your own good... Akiyu, Akiyu, Akiyu
29.
Evil White Man 01:23
lyrics
buy track
I am the evil white man It is impossible for me to have a good thought or do a good deed Many of my ancestors were evil white men We came from the evil white monkeys Who came from the evil white fish Who came from the evil white amoebas Who were conceived in the evil white ooze Which studied evil all the time The other ooze hated the evil white ooze And with good reason – it was evil In the past it had tried to subjugate and even enslave some of the other ooze But it didn’t work out too good, not for the evil white ooze Now I walk the earth spreading the evil white man code of evil I say never ask questions Never look into mirrors Learn to write Record everything so you won’t forget Notarize your stool There are no contradictions I am the evil white man
30.
The Prisoner and the Guard 01:34
lyrics
buy track
I used to live in the prison camp. I did what I was told For the enemy I fixed radios, and now I'm sick and old I held my tongue when my family died with numbers on their arms And now police watch my every move. I know they wish me harm I could tell you of unfathomable horror. Just to listen would be too hard And only two understand me now the prisoner and the guard the prisoner and the guard
31.
Trapped Inside This Song 01:18
lyrics
buy track
I worked so hard on this song To build it true and not too long To make it groove. Make you jump and shout But I built it too tight now I can’t get out Help me! Help me! I’m trapped inside this song Can’t you see I’m lost Help me get across Don’t care what it costs Somebody help me build a bridge? Too late. There ain’t no time for a bridge Can you help me break it open? I’ve been stuck in here for years I will give every penny back Just get me out of here
32.
We Recycle 01:28
lyrics
buy track
I’m standing on the watch tower with my megaphone I’m watching everybody coming in We’re a combination cemetery / compost heap and more Got the latest gossip. Got the latest news You wouldn’t believe some of the things that have washed up on our shore We’ll take anything that anyone can use We’ve got radios, TV’s dogs and cats, children, women men We’ve got wrist watches, kitchenware, pillows, sheets and clothes We’ll take it here no matter what kind of shape it’s in And our specialty is we recycle souls So take anything you want everything is free Stay as long as you like, all you have to do is choose If it’s just a few minutes or the rest of eternity Everybody’s always welcome, so what have you got to lose We’ll try to make you comfortable, make you feel at home I know we’ll find the right thing for you But the door is always open if your soul needs to roam Though recycling is our specialty, we burn and bury too We recycle Did somebody throw you away?
33.
The Cave and the Grave 01:38
lyrics
buy track
There's a grave at the end of the cave And at the bottom of that grave You will find another cave And if you follow that cave
34.
Let It Rain 01:35
lyrics
buy track
Give us just a little bit of sunlight So we can see where we’ve been Give us a little piece of ground to plant one tiny seed And we will plant it deep, so love can grow again Give us all of the hungry Give us the broken and maimed Give us all a chance to look into each other’s hearts Then let it rain, let it rain, let it rain

about

Selections from a universe of songs about war to relationships...ecology to consciousness... in styles from reggae to blues, but mostly rock.

credits

released October 13, 2011

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Richard Haxton Los Angeles, California

From the middle of Mississippi, served in Viet Nam in Thailand, lives 5,000 feet from the world's oldest freeway. Searches for transcendence - or something - where science meets the spirit. Never quit fighting the war for the groove!

contact / help

Contact Richard Haxton

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like Richard Haxton, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Saxophonist Isaiah Collier chats about his new LP and the influence of Pharoah Sanders.
listen now