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Careful in the Future - LP

by James O'Brien

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Nathan Pyritz
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faboo
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1.
Whirlpool 01:34
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When first you feel the whirlpool it’s a tugging at your heel a dominance of voices in the streetscape that you feel it’s nothing like a cloudburst, you realize too late the whirlpool’s claimed another, it’s an old machine of fate A-ha When next you feel the whirlpool you are certain you are saved the ceiling bends above you, in the tunnels you’re unscathed in the cave the water’s rising and your flame it flickers low that’s the nature of the whirlpool and the way the race runs, so A-ha I have rectified the whirlpool, the last chapter of the book forgiven five forefathers for not permitting me to look in the whirlpool every lover is a life raft and a knife and both are instrumental to the outcome of the night A-ha A-ha
2.
Everybody Wins 02:34
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Everybody wins when the targeter is right everybody wins in the middle of the night with tracers incandescent and trajectories green everybody wins, do you know what I mean everybody wins when the fixer gets it fixed everybody wins when the wag-the-dog sticks when the payoff is un-trackable, the alibi is tight everything is plausible, evidence is out of sight Everybody wins darkest ashes blocking up the sky Now, everybody wins, are you tired of what he’s saying everybody wins, even atheists are praying for the washing floods to thunder down and strip this juke joint clean everybody wins in the purifying stream Everybody wins darkest ashes blocking up the sky everybody wins darkest ashes blocking up the sky Now, if your pain it is intolerable, your bill’s too big to pay your heart is inconsolable and your conscience in the way just put your bloodstained money on this cool green velvet tray because everybody wins in the third act of the play Everybody wins darkest ashes blocking up the sky everybody wins, baby darkest ashes blocking up the sky everybody wins everybody wins everybody wins
3.
Careful in the Future 04:06
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Slipped into the time stream to find you tell you, “Careful in the future” this kind of thing, you’d tell me not to do not seek you, give no warning too late, though, it’s in the waves now too late, though, the path’s unwinding One thing you should know is no one will tell you in time Found you back there in the time stream with your T-shirts, tops still sleeveless you were angry, disbelieving I was desperate, I was not fawning yeah, the secret to your convincing a whispered name that you were keeping One thing you should know is no one will tell you in time one thing you should know is no one will tell you in time Well, what else could I tell you yeah, you’ll write more before it’s over some words they get hot, like to blow up some words stay cold, words are slow growers but hey, be careful in the future and hey, stay clear of snowblowers One thing you should know is no one will tell you in time one thing you should know is no one will tell you in time one thing you should know is no one will tell you ha
4.
Simple Twist of Fate 04:57
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5.
Go First 02:54
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Every chance you missed, everything you didn’t do every mouth you kissed, every line that you cut through every sad song you wrote down, every list and every look You gotta to count yourself yourself and all your friends count your books, count your blessings you can go first but you can’t go back again You were born in water, you were born in blood you were raised in battles, baby, you did the best you could there’s a wave that’s coming and it’s different than a flood there’s no absolution but the ride is pretty good You gotta count yourself yourself and all your friends count your books, count your blessings you can go first but you can’t go back again yeah, you can go first but you can’t go back again you gotta to count yourself yourself and all your friends count your books and count your blessings you can go first but you can’t go back again yeah, you can go first but you can’t go back again
6.
White Leather 03:06
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John Jacob, desert rat naked, grizzled, mud-flap, middle-income, broken-knuckled mother stealing cars in Arizona hog-fat gasoline intestine, swollen flanks of insurrection ready, willing, dripping, blowing loads like rocket boosters when stopped, he says, “That isn’t blood, it’s mustard mister” Your sister’s in the back seat, high-school dress around her neck White leather white leather white leather In the morning, when I’m mean like broken marbles like I’ve monstered down six six-packs, Seagrams Seven, salt-milk smile you may find me in the shower, taking chrome off of hot-water faucets trying on pajamas, smearing Vaseline on apples later in the afternoon, I’m rolling, taxi driver taking tolls, picking up passengers lifting all White leather white leather white leather It’s a dream, it’s unlike any dream the coffee tables crawl like spiders, armchairs rolling like gorillas yeah, your father’s in the backyard staking Kafka mother’s in the kitchen, Salmon Rushdie tickling with feathers both her thighs it’s a box, it’s unlike any box, I worry at it daily picking splinters from under fingertips bloody splotches all over White leather white leather white leather
7.
Rabbit, Run 02:02
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Rabbit, run nothing once did is ever undone whatever you slipped through whatever you stole whomever you tricked and all the people you told however you blistered all the months that you healed the thoughts you were thinking locks you thought you unsealed Rabbit, run Rabbit, run nothing once woven is ever un-spun only careful messiahs gather followers first only devils in deserts offer drink for this thirst were you willing to throw down good money for bad in the final equation buy back what you had Rabbit, run Rabbit, run nothing that’s singing is ever unsung it’s a hot-wired system it’s a passworded curse path of greatest resistance and it only gets worse did you show up and listen did he make you feel good well, nothing was offered you have misunderstood Rabbit, run rabbit, run rabbit, run
8.
I Didn't Save You 02:52
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I didn’t save you I didn’t know you I didn’t save you yeah, the demons threw you around I didn’t save you though you said my name I didn’t save you I didn’t save you it was arranged upon the phone I didn’t save you the ticket was unsold I didn’t save you a voice said, “No one will be saved” I didn’t save you I didn’t I didn’t save you it wasn’t written in the book I didn’t save you baby, don’t look, don’t look I didn’t save you though you told them all my name I didn’t save you I didn’t save you save you save you
9.
Weaponized 04:17 video
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Take back the words take back the news take back the facts, theories, and views take back the theaters take back the malls wash the blood from high-school halls take back the marches if ill wind’s no good take back the rallies, white shields, and hoods take back the churches take back the stage stop up the barrels of every gauge Millions of voices and upturned eyes the sky is silent we’re weaponized Take back elections take back the cash take back the loopholes tear up the past take back the reasons take back the rhymes the clock’s still ticking, but we’re out of time Millions of voices upturned eyes the sky is silent we’re weaponized millions of voices upturned eyes the sky is silent we’re weaponized Take all of this thinking take all of these prayers take the long hallway take the back stairs stack magnum apostles, blackboard John Waynes, survivalist bibles in a tower of flame Millions of voices and upturned eyes the sky is silent we’re weaponized millions of voices upturned eyes oh, the sky is silent we’re weaponized

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released August 15, 2018

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James O'Brien New York, New York

James O’Brien toured the U.S. and the U.K. from 1998–2004 playing politically aware songs, sometimes solo and sometimes with a band, sharing billings with artists such as Hamell on Trial, Dan Bern, Michael McDermott, John Sinclair, Bill Miller and Freedy Johnson.

In 2017, after a 13-year hiatus, he began to release archival and new material, expanding his catalog to fourteen albums as of 2022. ... more

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