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Sovereignty

by The Ben Gunn Society

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1.
Instrumental
2.
The sky is getting gray For the afternoon shower And I'm starting to believe That I'm gonna be fine Life goes on But I need to drop out for an hour And you've got to understand That the hour's mine Staring at the distance Where the sky meets the ocean And the seam is being stitched By the needles of rain I'll be lost in thought And ignoring the motion Of the world around So let me tell you again Don't bother to call on me Don't bother to call on me I don't understand What prevents me from leaving For the comfort of habit Isn't good enough to stay Sitting on the beach I would often be dreaming Of a ship under black sails To come and take me away The spirit of adventure Is alive - I'm just waiting For a definite sign To tell me which way to go If you bring the Articles Then my pen is ready But other than that You should already know Don't bother to call on me Don't bother to call on me
3.
Sailing on the ocean I feel as free as ever My only concern Is a chance of certain weather When the horizon Turns to black I shall be counting On the deck The seventh wave Life in the society Feels to me like prison If I can escape I don't really need a reason If I could only Sail away I'm not afraid To meet one day The seventh wave
4.
Pirate Queen 02:42
I was born to high society Learned to drink tea and how to curtsey Always wore gloves and never got dirty Like a bird in a cage it was not much fun When I was fifteen they said I was a Lady And brought me to meet the man I would marry He was old, cantankerous and ugly That's when I knew that I had to run The night before the wedding I slipped outside Knowing in my finery I could not hide So I stole some rags from the servant's quarters And signed on as a ship's boy to await my orders The first mate laughed when he saw my dainty hands But promised me that soon enough I'd be a man My lungs grew strong in the salty sea air I learned to drink rum and how to swear As for my former life I did not care From now on it's a sailor's life for me In a few short weeks I'd become the first mate's favorite That's when he told me he was secretly a pirate A mutiny was planned and he asked if I would join it From now on it's a pirate's life for me The night before the mutiny I slipped on deck Knowing that my actions would risk my neck I saw him standing in the pale moonlight And there and then I told him all about my plight The first mate laughed as he held my ragged hands And promised he would marry me when we reached land The very next day I killed my first man I felt so proud as his scarlet blood ran I looked up at my Captain, so handsome and tan And the first mate, now, that's me I'll never give up this pirate's life Even if I weren't the captain's wife I love my cutlass, my pistol and knife But most of all I love being free
5.
Sunshine 02:56
Hey sunshine What am I gonna do with you When the world is gone? I don't want to think I don't want to worry I just want to live In your shining glory Hey sunshine What am I gonna do with you When the world is gone? I want to live today As happy as tomorrow Where will I find my joy? How can I lose my sorrow? Hey sunshine What am I gonna do with you When the world is gone?
6.
Dagger 02:13
Don't tell me you didn't know Don't tell me you got me wrong Your dam cannot stop my flow Your love never was so strong My hopes were slowly dying You never gave up your pride Right now you may be crying But you were too long too blind I hope you will recover I hope you will be fine Brought gifts from another lover You will be forgetting mine I found a different road My own way under the sun Don't build impossible hopes What's gone is forever gone
7.
'Twas the evening 'fore a trip across the water I'd arranged a romance with the Squire's daughter I became apoplectic Learning she's narcoleptic The night would become my crewmates' fodder Pheasant, prunes, turnips, I prepared a feast Wine from Portugal she didn't care in the least Of sips she took a few Yet never got to chew Before long she was snoring like a beast Now I hate my life on the open seas The salty water and dusty decks make me sneeze All I hoped was a night of bliss I couldn't even catch a kiss Instead I got to hear Rip Van Winkle wheeze Finally she stirred to life, refreshed, awake We then went to see what shadow puppets we could make A dog, a bunny, a swan We laughed 'till the flame was gone In darkness I found a slumber that could not be fake Revive, dear Suzanne, revive Your father will cry harlot Your maidens' cheeks will flush scarlet Revive! I threw the listless body into a carriage Mentioned the Squire's name and paid the fair-age In the morrow I return to sea Sixty men, four monkeys and me Never getting to know the secrets of marriage
8.
Tannic Wine 04:26
When I think It really hurts And so I live Without much thought And then I see Some friends of mine Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Don't Panic! Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Release your mind It's just divine When I dream I see pitch black That helps me sleep Below the deck A monster waves From murky brine Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Don't Panic! Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Release your mind It's just divine I stand my watch Beneath the stars I am the man Before the mast I try to steer The charted line Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Don't Panic! Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Release your mind It's just divine My parrot wants To fly away I clipped his wings So he would stay They will grow back Just give it time Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Don't Panic! Drink tannic wine Drink tannic wine Release your mind It's just divine
9.
Under the waterline everything's damp And I hardly can see my hand before my face With forty men sharing the light of one lamp Oh how I wish I were out of this place But the day's work is done and there's nowhere to go We've finished the rum and sung our last yo ho ho So I climb into my hammock and peer down below To wait for the rat cotillion The band strikes up softly in snores and in groans The slap of the waves and the creak of the sails While down in the gloom of blood, vomit and bones I hear the faint stirrings of whiskers and tails The queen of the rats is the first to arrive Her ladies in waiting flank both of her sides They circle the dance floor with confident strides Make way for the rat cotillion The king and his court follow closely behind Soon all the guests have filled up the great hall They're greeting each other and drinking their wine Till finally everyone's here for the ball The dancers gavotte, waltz and minuet Like ladies and gentlemen high on their toes They curtsy and bow and turn gay pirouettes The better to show off their fabulous clothes The young debutantes in their rustling gowns Of velvet and satin in pink, grey and brown They're coming in droves from all over the town Tonight for the rat cotillion!
10.
Lord Admiral 03:00
When I was a pirate I went around the world For my country's glory And to earn a little gold Now I have it made Now they call me a Lord And I won't hesitate To convict any pirate in court You know to win the game You need to bend the rules For it's plain to see That they were made for fools But if you get caught You'll be severely dead 'Cause power at the top Simply can never be shared I'll erase the history To make me look pristine I'll silence all the witnesses To anything obscene When I was a pirate I went around the world For my country's glory And to earn a little gold Now I have it made Now they call me a Lord And I won't hesitate To convict any pirate in court
11.
Broadside 02:20
Just because you are You are in trouble Just because you are Misunderstood Rise up your flag And brace yourself for battle For your own good Various ideas for improving the world Are the better-off classes' favorite sport But if you can't wait for them to decide Fire a broadside Just because you are You are in trouble Just because you are Misunderstood Rise up your flag And brace yourself for battle For your own good The ocean is wide but there's nowhere to hide And for your freedom you have to fight And if your heart sinks so will your ship And there's loot to keep Just because you are You are in trouble Just because you are Misunderstood Rise up your flag And brace yourself for battle For your own good
12.
Long Pig 02:11
Let the cannibals sharpen their teeth In anticipation of long pig Let sharks cut the sea with their fins But the piece for them is just too big I'm not afraid of all the mistakes I made And there's always something to celebrate And I would only plead under pressing weight And I would be my own counsel I'm not going to be a meal Keeping the hope alive is my skill I'd take the amnesty but I will Return to my favorite sins
13.
Leonard come swim with us Free yourself from the ship Leonard come swim with us You can control the sea Grow your fins in a week Come give it a chance Leonard come take the leap We will teach you to breath Under water so deep Right now make up your mind You don't have too much time What is your decision? Let me back it up folks I was at the end of my rope Suffering on this boat Of the rum I had two nips Watching the moon get eclipsed I thought I heard my name Yet nary a soul to blame I looked behind me - not a soul I looked heavenward - nothing so Nervously I craned my neck to look below Perhaps the salt air and rum has taken its toll There amidst the waves and froth Were two sea-women Beckoning me to go swimmin' All I could do was blink my eyes and cough I tell you, it was really no decision When promised a two fifty year dive I briefly glanced at the mast and leapt with precision At last, I enjoy this being alive I'm free Sovereignty Liberty Dignity Till nineteen hundred eighty three A merman I shall be
14.
Lucky 02:53
Freedom is difficult to gain And even then difficult to keep They think you're going astray And send the dogs to round you up like sheep One famous pirate was told As his trial came to the end "You wouldn't die like a dog If you had fought like a man" Maybe I'm lucky Or maybe I'm lucky In another way As fate has been good enough to me The biggest treasure That I could ever find Is just enough happiness for me Skeletons in the iron cages Hanging from the execution docks Never deter their brethren A pack doesn't turn into a flock Judges in powdered wigs Always declare they're right But I'm somehow unconvinced Strike their gavels as they might Maybe I'm lucky Or maybe I'm lucky In another way As fate has been good enough to me The biggest treasure That I could ever find Is just enough happiness for me Treasure may lie under the X But you have to get there somehow Carefully selecting your path Trying to account for the unknown There's no time to lose If you've got anything to gain Dreams have nothing to prove They just come to you to entertain Maybe I'm lucky Or maybe I'm lucky In another way As fate has been good enough to me The biggest treasure That I could ever find Is just enough happiness for me
15.
A sinful life I have led But it earned me buttered bread And that's really what matters In the end I am washing my hands But I'd like to make amends To the two of my dearest Of friends And the parrot will fly back to the jungle And the monkey will follow his example They'll be happy like pirates at a tavern When debauch starts to turn into a rumble I have nothing to say Let them be on their way I just hope they don't end up As prey I have treasures untold Spices, jewels, silk and gold But they bring me no happiness At all And the parrot will fly back to the jungle And the monkey will follow his example They'll be happy like pirates at a tavern When debauch starts to turn into a rumble
16.
Somebody said something important But I can't recall what it was 'Cause time is irrelevant It always runs toward the end The end of the universe And you can drink your glass of water But I'll charge life all that it's worth Whatever the sentiment It won't matter in the end The end of the universe I don't understand all the reasons For history running its course It means what it means today But it will just end one day The end of the universe Somebody said something important But I can't recall what it was 'Cause time is irrelevant It always runs toward the end The end of the universe

about

You'll be surprised, amused and entertained! The Ben Gunn Society joyfully delivers its quirky blend of power pop, garage punk and psychedelic rock. Somewhere between the Grateful Dead and They Might Be Giants, they're something completely different.

credits

released October 9, 2007

Igor Koyfman - vocals, guitar
Zarina Silverman - vocals, fiddle, art
Elliott Marx - guitar, keyboard, theremin, vocals
Taeo Marx - drums
Mike Navarrete - bass
Oscar Rene Fuentes - guitar, backing vocals
Joe Bulum - keyboard
Kristafari - percussion
Stephen W. Kratzet - trombone
David E. Kratzet - trumpet
Produced by Elliott Marx
Recorded by Kristafari at 4bros Studio
Mixed by Glen Laughlin at Roundhouse Recording
Mastered by Bob Fisher at Pacific Multimedia Corp.

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The Ben Gunn Society Los Angeles, California

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