Free event. Music throughout Roslindale. https://roslindaleporchfest.org
SMALL CIRCLE OF LIGHT: SONG LISTING, CREDITS, & LYRICS
SONGS
1. Hero
2. State of Being Grey
3. Salt of the Sea
4. Idiot's Delight
5. Dropped E
6. Big Fat Lie
7. Small Circle of Light
CREDITS
RS: vocals, guitar, organ, piano, melodica
Guitar: Thomas Juliano
Bass: Kimon Kirk
Drums: John Sands
Bass on Idiot's Delight and Dropped E: Jim Haggerty
Guitar on Big Fat Lie: Free Hallas
Salt of the Sea trumpet: Corbin Smith
Salt of the Sea gang vocals: the Hallas family
Small Circle of Light additional vocals: Dan Hallas
Recording and Mastering Engineer: Dan Hallas, Roslindale, MA
Mixed by Brian Charles, Zippah Recording, Boston, MA
Assistant Engineer: Annie Hoffman
Salt of the Sea mixed by Dan Hallas
CD Art Design by Matthew Nutter
CD Art Coach Road photo by Erica Pelaccia
CD Art RS photo by Liz Linder
All songs Ramona Silver, copyright 2011 Tootsie Music, ASCAP
LYRICS
1. HERO
I’ve got a hero from far away
He’s gonna come for me any day
And take me and make me for good
Shape me the woman I should
May be an Indian with long brown hair
A proud swaggering sailor, I just don’t care
As long as he tells me the truth
Gives me the keys to my youth
Hero you’re breaking my will
Bleeding me, holding me still
When you gonna stop beating round the clock and own me?
I’d like to believe that you will
When I’m emoting and call to him
That’s when he hears me and reels me in
Then I can settle me down
Put back my feet on the ground
But when I’m lonely and on my own
Desperately wandering so far from home
That’s when he sends me a bird
And little by little unravels my every word
Hero you’re breaking my will
Bleeding me, holding me still
When you gonna stop beating round the clock and own me?
I’d like to believe that you will
When you gonna stop beating round the clock and own me?
Yes I do believe that you will
2. STATE OF BEING GREY
I have a love, he has me, too
We often don’t know what to do
We waste our time on incidents
Until the sky comes all unglued
And it’s a state of being grey that I’m afraid of
I have a mom and she has me
It’s taken years to grow the seed
As steps grow frail and hearing fades
I long to pull us to the shade
And it’s a state of being grey that I’m afraid of
Yeah it’s a lonely blank of page that we must stand upon
When in the middle of our lives
Whether to dream or let it die
And it’s a state of being grey that I’m afraid of
State of being grey
I have an earth on which I lean
I often disrespect her needs
As waters flood and fires rage
We manufacture her disease
And it’s a state of being grey that we’re afraid of
Though it’s so lonely out in space still we can’t get enough
When in the middle of our lives
Whether to breathe or let her die
And it’s a state of being grey that we’re afraid of
Oh and I’m afraid of, afraid o
3. SALT OF THE SEA
Map on the ceiling I get the feeling
That you’ll never tell me where to go
Cause there’s so much water between what I’m after
And I never really learned to float
But I’m a lucky me to be free
I’m a lucky lung just to breathe
I’m a lucky soul to smell the salt
Have you seen Beaufort or Bering or Chuckchi
Where the water’s always blue with ice?
Walrus and whales and their spiritual tales
I hear the fishermen they treat you nice
Hot is the water of Java and Banda
As it boils on the sands of time
Inside them fishes lay all of my wishes
I could swim off to the other side
But I’m a lucky me to be free
I’m a lucky lung just to breathe
I’m a lucky soul to smell the salt of your sea
Weeeeee, I smell the salt of your sea
I’m a lucky me to be free
I’m a lucky lung just to breathe
I’m a lucky soul to smell the salt of your
I’m a lucky hip with a swing
I’m a lucky eye to be seeing
I’m a lucky soul to smell the salt of your
I’m a lucky hair sometimes clean
I’m a lucky thumb, never green
I’m a lucky soul to smell the salt of your sea
Weeeeee, I smell the salt of your sea
4. IDIOT’S DELIGHT
I’ve been lovin you so long now
Aint it time I got it right
All these moments we lose honey
Every time we fight
I can feel half of me leaving
When you’re walking out that door
And the half that stays home tells me
I’m a fool once more
There’s no option to live this way
When we could make it right
Not a moment too soon to say
I’m an idiot’s delight
There’s a silence in the kitchen
Never heard eggs fry so loud
Cook above all the tension
Hovering like a cloud
There is laughter in the hallway
And I wish that it was mine
Only gloominess hangs on me like a vacancy sign
There’s no option to live this way
When we could make it right
Not a moment too soon to say
I’m an idiot’s delight
I’ve been lovin you so long now
Aint it time I got it right
All these moments we lose honey
Every time we fight
So hang it up tonight with with me your I.D.
5. DROPPED E (Instrumental)
6. BIG FAT LIE
You make my heart ache, mostly for me
Some things I can’t take, should never be
Please send a love for him
Would be easier on a friend
These unsure eyes need a ride
Take his time away from me
Then the grip will finally ease
And sure to die, this big fat lie
I know I’m whistling Dixie again
It covers my heart of hearts as you round the bend
Please send a love for him
One to woo and drag him in
His big bold eyes need a prize
There’s a better place to be
Then wasting away on pretty dreams that only lie
Tell me a sad story
One to mask the pain of glory
So I don’t feel so lonely in my shame
If this be a true allusion
Bound to make a big intrusion
I know my boundaries but not my name
History whispers “Deeds I have done.”
Years of a drugged out heart, withdrawal’s begun.
Please send a love for him
Would be easier on a friend
These unsure eyes need a ride
Take his time away from me
Then the grip will finally ease
And sure to die, this big fat lie.
More than a big intrusion
Got myself a bad infusion
I know my boundaries
God bless those boundaries
I know my boundaries but not my name.
7. SMALL CIRCLE OF LIGHT
From where I sit, the water’s flooding in my shoes
The skies rain down a heavy blues around my mind
It seems each day I’m always washing dirty things
But still the guilt it clings to all that’s left behind
From where I stand, the birds are always calling names
They rule the roof and weathervanes right next to owls
And every spring they lay their eggs as God intends
Only to fall to cracked cement on my bullseye
I know we were only young for 20 years of life
But dreams I had with you I meant until the end of time
And as for me, did I succeed?
From where I lay, the clouds are all about a man
and a woman held his hand when they were young
They met in fields when barns were newly red and brown
Before they leaned sad windows down to say goodbye
I know we were working hard at 40 years of life
And verses we would read to help us love each other right
But as for me, did I succeed?
Tell me please.
I know we weren’t always truthful 60 years of life
And these are pills we have to take to help us sleep at night
And I know someone promised us we’d see eternal life
But “come as you are” is where I’d like to stay with you tonight
But as for me, I need reprieve
Put my mind at ease
Help me, please, make a small circle of light.
Social Media
Upcoming Performances
NEWS
AUGUST 1, 2018, NEW MUSIC RELEASE -- EXERCISE THE SPIRIT revisits the energy and grit of You & Me & Hell (1995), with new lyric armor. RS continues to tout a love of eclectic chord changes and rhythms, a sweet-tooth for harmonies, and vocals sung full-voice or cautiously up close. Not just colorful 2-guitar pop/rock, but eclectic, edgy, electric sounds with sincerity.
This brief collection of introspective songs pushes hard against forces many of us need to talk about these days: insecurity, depression, and separation. "Run to Hide" and "Lazy Bones" are direct conversations with the self-saboteur. Landmine is a love song to a dear one battling a dark, impenetrable lowness. "Ageless Pill (Called Playing)" and "Exercise the Spirit" call out the crazy speed of life and the need to lean on more than humanness to be kind to ourselves and one another. "Exercise..." is the last track, believing in the end, the Spirit can transport us, transform us, if given the invitation.
Artwork
Exercise the Spirit Graphic Design:
Jim Haggerty
RS rainy sky photo: Julia Hoffman