1. |
Whippoorwill
04:21
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Whippoorwill
Aint no song left in my heart dear
Aint no beauty on the plain
Aint no point in hanging round here
Aint no point in flyin’ away
You sit alone above this crumbling
Like a walenda on a wire
Doing everything it takes dear
To sing yourself above the mire
Whippoorwill
Sing my heart please
High above the clouds
Where angels wing and pray
High above myself
and all the sooted sills
Oh whippoorwill
In my dreams a trumpet blows now
All across the shadow land
The heart is just the skyline breaking
falling to the dirt here on the land
Knowing seems to take the place of doing
Since I done it all before
Show me how to keep on moving
When I feel I just must close the door
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent wheel Song/BMI
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2. |
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All Dolled Up Like Michigan
All Dolled up like Michigan
she appeared out of time
with a mask of the earth
organized in crime
a crumbling beauty
in a dirty ol town
all dolled up like Michigan
she swallowed me down
With heart made of chrome
she said a prayer for the dance
it had potholes for eyes
a campfire in its pants
twas a reflection of wonder
on the blade of a knife
all dolled up like Michigan
with one headlight
and I gave her myself
born of the dirt
alone in the trees
hung in the hurt
a siren of son
a tick for a dog
and the sky opened up
as a place to belong
sleepwalking in rhyme
where love it met fate
stumblin' the path
to a new golden gate
on a highway of thunder
for a just a second in time
that rewired the moonlight
in the back of your mind
all dolled up like Michigan
we met at the well
with a rope and a bucket
and a story to tell
spoke words bout a future
only the broke could spell
all dolled up like Michigan
in love we both fell
Jeff Finlin
Copyright Bent wheel Songs/BMI
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3. |
Wings
04:06
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Wings
she don’t cook dinner on Sunday
She don’t quote magic on high
But a piece of the sky she’ll give me tonight
In a glimmering moment
Of her love and his light
We don’t talk near enough Even often
When this life leaves our hearts in a daze
But its freedom that ring us past all of these things
and rolls us on out where the sky cuts the haze
she don’t give me comfort grief or regret
she hoist me a sail with her heartstrings
and gives me wings
of asphalt and gravel
wings
without the sound of a gavel
wings
she knows a heart that unravels will
weave its way back on home
the skeleton boys in my closet
they rattle my bones by the day
till the wicked red road
loosens that load
and rolls me on out
like the washing of a rain
she don’t pound a hammer with a broken duet
she hoists me a sail with her heartstrings
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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4. |
Lightning Days
04:05
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Lightning Days
Well them long gone days are like a chain a dragging
In back of my heels and back of my mind
Just to hear their hum would set my poor tail a waggin
And sew some holes in this soul of mine
Take me back to them lightning days
Where sticks and stones never broke my bones
Where the loads as deep as the next river flying
and the hum of them wheels keep me rolling home
there a raggy old girl I see sometimes
she got a poison in her pocket
that makes you feel the light
an eight ball for answers
cause I got lots of questions
about the lost highway that rolls up her spine
what Id give for them sunset days
the smell of burning flesh that filled the night
what id give to hear the soulful say
freedoms the only word
freedoms the only world
freedoms the only word
freedoms the only word
that keeps you holding on
Jeff Finlin
Copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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5. |
Tears Roll By
05:15
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Tears Roll By
The rain dulls the midnight and the highway from the headlights
We make bets for cigarettes till dawn
The neon streams by like some bad diesel dream
Still your glad you left her heart back on the lawn
Now the motor may grab ya but it never quite save you
as the coffee curls your mind from a yawn
and the ten tons of silence that sing lonely in the moonlight
it never quite hits ya till your gone
But you shrug it on off
Like all the other times before
Throw back some more white lines and shut that door
Look out the window and smile
As the tears roll by
Nothing can't be beat with good time
Let the tears roll by
Cause in the morning you know
You’ll be closer to fine
Bootheels dug deeper with each mile that winds
Nothing to feel
But the end of the line
As the tears roll by
Tried to settle my emotions at the Cherokee stop
With a beefalo burger and home fires
But they wouldn’t have none of it
Told me to get out
They didn’t like the crazy in my eyes
So I moved on through the sagebrush
With her heart on my heels
And when daylight broke she was gone
But then she always creeps back
As the night drops her eyelids
To remind me-I could have been wrong
Jeff Finlin
Copyright Bent Wheel songs/BMI
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6. |
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Unknowing
Johnnies in the big car
dodging the ditches again
thrushes in the willow
moonlight his best friend
the longing for a love babe it strikes its chord
ringing on the road between the lamb and the lord
unknowing
unknowing
Queenies at the freak show
lost in the color of mind
drinking down the shadows
hanging in the hollows of time
her longing for a love it strikes a chord
somewhere on the road between the lamb and the lord
unknowing
unknowing
Hey Babe
the red roads running
turning all the water to wine
Hey Babe
waiting in your heart space
doing its time
aint no reason or rhyme
Stepping through the turnstiles
boarding that inbound train
her Love is in the doorway
punching my ticket again
my destinations lost in the sound of the chord
ringing in the grace between the lamb and the lord
unknowing
unknowing
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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7. |
Valentines Day
03:47
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Valentines Day
Walking through your heart
the world came apart
head a million miles from the scene
the touch of your hand was the promise of fate
explod9ong right there inside me
I remember your face shining bright
keeping all my plans at bay
It was Valentines day
yeah the massacre began and as hard as I ran
I wound up right back on my heals
as hard as i tried to hold on inside
my heart busted right at the seems
we sat on that bench out on twilight lake
a hoot out bellowed in rhyme
bad became good
wrong turned right
and brought us to the ending of time
i remember your face as the cattails swayed
lifting my feet from the clay
it was Valentines Day
well now cupid it seems dreamt and Indian dream
under a stary night the color of you
Safire and violet trimmed in gray
sparkling in the light of the moon
walking through the grace of the love in your heart
it changes a man for good
i can feel all my pride bubbling inside
showing me all that it should
i remember your face on that sunny day
bending your bow back to slay me on
Valentines Day
Valentines day
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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8. |
Love Is The Last Word
04:02
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Love Is The Last Word
In the wilderness walking
Under a redwood tree
the dream unfolded
onto a timeless sea
all burned up in the lightning
was a heart unbound
humming fugues for the night birds
in the miracle now
yeah I’d set out for flying
And gave my word
To an Indian Idol
And a gallows bird
still in the ether
was desire undone
And an old prayer wheel
That id become
There's a place
We’re going to
High above the world
Behind your eyes glowing through
where love it is the last word
beyond my power of expression
and a shining star
and this road of longing
honey there you are
hanging in the mystery
a reflecting sun
dancing on the water
where two become one
all i got left here
in this city of bones
are memories in the attic
i no longer own
free as a birds
together alone
in the flow of this river
we now call home
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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9. |
Hannah In the Air
03:23
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Hannah in the air
Know i'm on the last line
Heading back to daylight
Hannah hanging heavy in the air
Know I traveled too far
Got to get the next car
Hannah hanging heavy in the air
In the fields out above the crops
On my skin when the curtain drops
All alone on the late night trains
Hannah in the air
Know I’ve seen the end come
Heading back where I'm from
Hannah hanging heavy in the air
Know i’ve seen the sun rise
Through the darkness of my own eyes
Hannah hanging heavy in the air
In the face out on the fire escape
Through the bars on my window ledge
In the lines running in my head
In the blue rain falling in my bed
In the fields out above the crops
on my skin when the curtain drops
All alone on the late night trains
Hannah in the air
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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10. |
The Cowgirl In Forever
04:14
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The Cowgirl in Forever
Cowgirls ride in the light on the edge of never
Angels hide in the trees at night with time
Pick me up now dust me off I know I”ll feel better
Let me Polish my guns-so I can live to run
Hold me now-
Cowgirl of forever
Hold me now
Cause ill be leavin soon
mama for my broken room
So hold me now
Show me a sign
Tell me its alright for living
The streets at home ya know they’re
drunk with evil and dying
there's nothing here left in my heart
for the art of giving
let me kiss your breast
so I can pass the test
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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11. |
Lovers Day
04:06
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Lovers day
Lovers day
Blowing in the willow
Laying light on my head and on my pillow
Songs in blue
laughing in the rain
How I long for you
And
Lovers day
Take my hand
And wander out till morning
Feel your face
Smiling without warning
Olive skin
breaking bread and conversation
Blowing kisses
To the world at every station
Ravens tears
Black as night
Drowned in you
And candlelight
Churchyard songs
Barren as amen
Till lovers day
Comes round again
Con the train
That’s rolling out toward nowhere
Making time and love
are memory oh so fair
Pass that bottle
Give me peace and sweet surrender
This lovers day
Is what i'm longing to remember
Lovers day
Jeff Finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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12. |
Taking the Blue
03:30
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Taking the Blue
I'm taking the blue
out of all your kisses
turning your sorrow
into blisses
taking the end out of each beginning
seeing the grace in all my sinning
taking my mark
finding my grace
taking the goal
out of every race
I'm lighting the candles
giving you my wishes
taking the blue
out of all your kisses
I'm taking the summer
out of every winter
dropping the wall
so our hearts might shimmer
taking my mind
and all its spinning
and seeing the crime
in all this winning
I'm making it great
by not making it mine
taking the high road
one last time
seeing our fate
in each decision
stumbling this path
with your permission
I'm lighting the candles
giving you my wished
I'm taking the blue
out of all your kisses
jeff finlin
copyright Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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13. |
Volunteers
04:44
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Volunteers
Driving through the fear
Walking in a shallow rain
Of all our tears
And all the things we can't explain
We were Waving our flags
we stood upon the precipice
But what we thought was love
Turned out to bet denial of it
Stuck on this train
The night so clear
Willingness my name
resigned to be a volunteer
no one here to blame
Nothing more to hear
I Found a friend in you
And Giving is its name
Walking through the golden leaves
Underneath the sycamores
Draggin my heart again
Down the street once more
I'm sorry that i hurt you dear
I was lost inside an ignorance
Oh how many more years
Will this ach in me remain
Stuck on this train
The nights so clear
Willingness my name
Resigned to be a volunteer
no one here to blame
Nothing more to hear
I found a friend in you
And giving is its name
I Remember you in St.Germain
Walking through the barrio
A Thousand shades of Paris gray
You stuck inside a cream puff glow
Romancing our destiny
Dissolving our delusions dear
So happy that we stuck it out
happy were still sleeping here
Stuck on this train
Traveling the timeless years
You taught me how to be my love
To be another volunteer
no one here to blame
Nothing more to hear
I found a friend in you
And giving is its name
jeff finlin
copywrite Bent Wheel Songs/BMI
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Jeff Finlin Fort Collins, Colorado
In 2023 jeff finlin was named one of the top ten Americana artist of all time by Americana
UK
Born in Cleveland, Ohio
Jeff Finlin is a fascinating and singular artist with the expressionist soul of a misplaced beat poet.
"Finlin writes with the minimalist grit of Sam Shepard and Raymond Carver - tune in and you will hear an elusive magic." -- Chicago Sun Times
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