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WATCHLIST

by Aaron Earl Short

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1.
The Devil's Bar I drank my soul from a bottle, a bottle I stole from the devil’s bar. Even that old snake turns his head once in a while. I got a chance to run but not far. I ran and hid in a corner. Found me in the shadows just like every other time. Singing every gospel song I could remember. The Devil said it’s not so simple as a rhyme. That good old book is just an old book. Amazing Grace is just a song. Just another way to tell you how to look And I wrote it all along. Sweet Jesus himself would not save me. Said you got into this on your own. Raised his hand and waved goodbye to me. Turned his back and was gone. I’ll be damned. The Devil said well I guess it’s back to me. Believe you’ve got a due to pay. ‘Cause once you go blind, you ain’t never gonna see. I don’t care what the good people say. That good old book is just an old book. Amazing Grace is just a song. Just another way to tell you how to look And I wrote it all along.
2.
Eminent Domain Terry doesn’t know the same people I know, Terry’s friends come from other places. They’ve got a whole lot of money in tow and they’re more than just a little bit racist. They could get away with murder and they snake all they can steal. Spill their lies all across the land so nobody knows what is real. Eminent domain, eminent loss and eminent pain. Living under your luxury, we are all standing out in the rain. Oil will feed the war machines while the snakes feed on our nation. When they seal the deal their families will be fed for generations. Terry’s got a taste for the money. That old bull he can’t get enough. He’ll take a shit in your canteen and tell you it’s the good stuff. But Terry doesn’t go the same places I do so I can’t say I know him too well. I’ve never been a religious man but I’m sure he’s got a place in hell. Eminent domain, eminent loss and eminent pain. Living under your luxury, we are all standing out in the rain. Oil will feed the war machines while the snakes feed on our nation. When they seal the deal their families will be fed for generations. It’s eminent domain, look away and step aside, hands bound, face down on the ground, tear gas in the eyes. But those old boys, they know the next move because they’ve played this game for years. They know the mud covers up the truth and the money dries up the tears. Eminent domain, eminent loss and eminent pain. Living under your luxury, we are all standing out in the rain. Oil will feed the war machines while the snakes feed on our nation. When they seal the deal their families will be fed for generations.
3.
Watch Yourself Green light means go, red light means stop. Yellow light means watch yourself Watch out for the cops. Just watch yourself Best keep looking both ways. You may not believe it now but you are going to know it one day. Arrow says move over. Watch out for the curve. Lines on the road tell you where to be. Now don’t you try to swerve. Just stay in line. Don’t be blazing no new trails. If they catch you out of line, you won’t be blazing nothing new in jail. Hands in the air means that I give up. I prefer to drink my lead from a coffee cup. Just stay cool. No need to make no sudden moves. See that trigger finger is looking for something to do. Green light means go, red light means stop. Yellow light means watch yourself. Watch out for the cops. Just watch yourself. Best keep looking both ways. You may not believe it now but you are going to know it one day.
4.
Governor’s Boy The governor’s boy was a prick in school. He didn’t need to follow the same rules. Yeah, the governor’s boy, he never wore those hand-me-down shoes. Yeah, the governor’s boy, he never had a clue. Now the governor’s boy, he had it all, Mansion on the hill and a fancy car. His whole life had the green light, the right of way in a no passing zone, A license to kill and a heart of stone. Now the governor’s boy, all he knows today, Keep on throwing money, it’ll go away. Because life is just like money, paper thin, it all spends the same. He’ll just keep on spending ‘cause he’s the governor’s boy.
5.
Get In Line 03:59
Get In Line My job is to lay down some lines. They don’t all have to be perfect but a few would be nice. Lay it all down to melody rhythm and rhyme. Just do it once and then time after time. Just think of the homeless, heart-broken, enslaved, Victims of timing wave after wave, Ignorant and brave souls fighting both sides of the line. Not believing the truth because the truth has been denied. Hail, hail U.S. of A! If you don’t want ran over better get out of the way. It’s a great big machine, we can’t stop this thing now. If we try to slow down we might crash to the ground. I don’t think it’s what the Natives had in mind. Reservations and casinos won’t make it all just fine. Sorry for the slaughter of your sacred ground. Nothing says sorry like throwing money down. Hail, hail U.S. of A! If you got ran over, shoulda got out of the way. Don’t block the path of our beautiful dream. You can even have your own, just ask Dr. King. You can buy lot of things made by blood sweat and tears. But it’s hard to buy anything made around here. And with credit you can spend more than you’ll ever see. If it’s good enough for the government, it’s good enough for me. Hail, hail U.S. of A! Get right in line or get out of the way. ‘Cause we got the right to say all we believe. And if you don’t like it, you can always just leave. Hail, hail U.S. of A! If you don’t want ran over better get out of the way. It’s a great big machine, we can’t stop this thing now. If we try to slow down we might crash to the ground.
6.
Cut Heads With the Devil I’d cut heads with the Devil if it was for a good cause. But I bet he’d pick a mean guitar, with all that soul under his claws. And I bet he’d pull out all the stops when push came down to shove. I’d cut heads with the Devil if it was all for love. I’d play games with the Devil. If Buddha is dealing the cards And Jesus is watching on surveillance and all the other Gods were standing guard. Because we both have an Ace up our sleeve and a mean looking poker stare. Yeah I’d play cards with the Devil if we kept the cheating fair. Yeah I’d shoot dice with the Devil, in the alley so dark and hot. Where his barrels burn old souls for sins even he forgot. Me, I’ve been here before and I’ve held those red-hot dice. Yeah, I’ve rolled dice with the Devil. I’m not afraid of his snake eyes. I’ve matched wits with the Devil ever since I was a pup. I know I haven’t seen every trick that old Devil can make up. And I’ll be damned if he won’t try me at least one more time, I bet. He might outsmart me one day, but he ain’t done it yet. I’d cut heads with the Devil if it was for a good cause. But I bet he’d pick a mean guitar, with all that soul under his claws. And I bet he’d pull out all the stops when push came down to shove. I’d cut heads with the Devil if it was all for love.
7.
Backyard 03:56
Backyard We tried to dig to China. Starting right in our backyard. A rusty shovel and three filthy boys diggin’ and workin’ hard. I still don’t know how far down that we ever did get. I know we never made it to China, but we found a dead family pet. It’s not how big you dig the hole, it’s the cool stuff that you find. If you’re digging a hole to win a race you already fell behind. Rolling down our backyard hill in a rusty garbage can, gravity and fate my only future plans. The world spinning into a blur, hard to tell up from down. Just close my eyes, hope for the best, taste the luck and dirt of the ground. I don’t know how none of us ever lost our heads. But if you’re not livin’ like you’re a day from dying, you might already be dead. In that old abandoned shelter, just up that gravel road, I saw my first dirty magazine some older kid had stowed. Underground, concrete walls, I really learned a lot. If nothing else, four years old, I really learned a lot. Sometimes you learn what you don’t want to know from what gets left behind. Don’t leave your thoughts just laying around that should be left in your mind. We walked in on the burglars. They ran out the back door. The dog pursued, Dad did too but stopped to check for more. All good things come to an end, sadly that place did too. If you can’t beat them and won’t join them, we’d rather start anew. Some folks want to help you see the light. Some want to rob you blind. Some folks just ain’t worth the fight, best to leave them behind.
8.
Line of Powder He lays a line of powder on a strip of foil. Straw between his lips, he burns the midnight oil. Got enough of it to last a couple of days. He’ll deal with the come down when it comes down his way. Basements dry so it’s a place to hide to count excuses for countless lies. He might unravel but he won’t unwind. He won’t blink for the fear of going blind. He lays a line of powder on a strip of foil. Straw between his lips, he burns the midnight oil. Got enough of it to last a couple of days. He’ll deal with the come down when it comes down his way. Once he gets started man, he just can’t stop. Doesn’t matter if it’s from Mexico or Mom and Pop. Started on the weekends, then at work in time. Now he’s tweaking and twitching in the unemployment line. He lays a line of powder on a strip of foil. Straw between his lips, he burns the midnight oil. Got enough of it to last a couple of days. He’ll deal with the come down when it comes down his way. Never liked that job anyway, the boss on his case and freeze on his pay. Never stole a damn thing and they are never going to make him sing.
9.
Born to Need 04:26
Born to Need I don’t care where you’re from. If I have extra I’ll give you some. I don’t mind your last name. I’ll treat you well just the same. We all hurt and we all bleed. We were all just born to need. I don’t care which way you vote. I don’t worry what floats your boat. I don’t mind how your money spends. If you like peace I’ll be your friend. We all have pain we all have fear. We all need each other here. I don’t care where you live. Everyone’s got something they can give. I don’t mind how you pray. Every life is day to day. We’re all weak but we’re all tough. We were all just born to love. Take me now by the hand, out where the water meets the land. Where the water meets the sky, where the starlight meets your eyes. Because we all need to learn to play. It couldn’t hurt to start today. I don’t care where you’re from. If I have extra I’ll give you some. I don’t mind your last name. I’ll treat you well just the same. We all hurt and we all bleed. We were all just born to need.
10.
So Far So Good I hardly even bat an eye any more when I drive by my old liquor store. It’s been a few years, maybe even more. I just don’t need to get that high anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I still long for whiskey nights and whiskey songs. But whiskey mornings and whiskey days make a whisky life a whisky haze. Live and learn is what they tell to those who learn to live in a living hell. Hell is hot but hell can be cold. They say hell has a spot for the young and the old. No longer chasing the drunkards dream of the steady flow of the whiskey stream. Deeper the whiskey the thinner the blood. Any fool will drown when the whiskey stream floods. Sometimes late at night I still turn on every light in the house just to check to see that I’m still alive. Sometimes I check twice because I’m not sure the first time. But so far, so good, knock on wood. Some nights I can’t get nothin’ off my chest, I toss, I turn and I sweat. And these nights sure put my will to the test. But to bend is to break at best. Live and learn is what they tell to those who learn to live in a living hell. Hell is hot but hell can be cold. They say hell has a spot for the young and the old. Sometimes late at night I still turn on every light in the house just to check to see that I’m still alive. Sometimes I check twice because I’m not sure the first time. But so far, so good, knock on wood.
11.
Pour It Down the Drain Water is dripping down from the kitchen ceiling. Lightning cracks outside in the rain. It’s when my wife asks me, “How’ve you been feeling?” I catch it in a bucket and pour it down the drain. Just pour it down the drain. Don’t let it hit the floor. It will leave a stain like you’ve never seen before. Fishing for an answer but I just keep on reeling, time and again, just casting in vain. But if it’s too easy it just feels like stealing and nobody wants to gut a whole stringer full of pain. Just pour it down the drain. Don’t let it hit the floor. It will leave a stain like you’ve never seen before. She said, “I knew it would do this. It’s raining like the dickens.” Water is drippin’ in pretty good this time. All summer long the storm clouds have been ripe for the pickin’. Lightning strikes a dozen for a dime. Just pour it down the drain. Don’t let it hit the floor. It will leave a stain like you’ve never seen before. Like a broken clock that’s left only ticking. They only dealt with your ticks just to hear you chime. They say time doesn’t slow down and time cannot quicken but sooner or later it’s going to stop sometime. Just pour it down the drain. Don’t let it hit the floor. It will leave a stain like you’ve never seen before. Water is drippin’ down from the kitchen ceiling but I catch it in a bucket and pour it down the drain.

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Watchlist is an exploration of the effect our political climate has on us - fear, compassion, anger and a whole lot of confusion.

This album was written to keep the conversation going. The world can't have too much awareness. We all have pain, we all have fear, but we need each other here." - AES

credits

released April 26, 2017

Recorded at Old School Records
Produced by Todd Partridge and Aaron Earl Short
Mastered at Sonic Factory by Jon Locker

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Aaron Earl Short Des Moines, Iowa

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