Music
Witness (2008)
Witness (2008)
Witness (2008)
All songs written by Vanessa Torres, with the exception of:
(Old-time Chorus) in 'Aint no Grave'
(Gospel Intro., and call back) in When the Levee Breaks
Produced by David Goodrich, Associate Producer Tamara Torres
Recorded and mixed by Mark Thayer at Signature Sounds Studios, Pomfret CT
Mastered by Ian Kennedy, New Alliance, Cambridge MA
Vanessa Torres: lead vocals, supporting harmonies, guitar, harmonica
Tamara Torres: harmony vocals
Ra Criscitiello: banjo, accordion, supporting harmonies in Track 10
David Goodrich: nylon, resonator, electric and ebo guitar, piano
Corey Dimario: Double Bass
Phil Nyokai James: Shakuhachi flute
| Bluest of Valleys | Bluest of Valleys
Track 1: Bluest of Valleys
If a freight train could haul all our memories clean Past these fields full of cotton, the blood on our sleeves Past your red cherry blossoms, softened with spring There’s a mockingbird sitting there, she watches and sings About ghosts in the woodwork in the hulls of old ships She hears gospel in the rafters trying to rise out of it And she hears Emmet Till calling from Mississippi I can never leave the South so it can never leave me Oh, looking back on my home Those doorways to freedom were doorways of stone Where the old kings of Memphis have all lost their crowns It’s the bluest of valleys but such a long way down There’s a footpath that winds down a long dusty road Where the peaches and oranges are packed into rows And that high reaching fruit will spoil on the ground If there’s no hands to pick it and carry it down Hands that are calloused, hands that are brown And backs that are bent now from sun up to sun down ‘Cause the border is a high way, it’s dangerous and wide And the crows peck the fruit that is rotting inside Oh, looking back on my home Those doorways to freedom were doorways of stone Where the old kings of Memphis have all lost their crowns It’s the bluest of valleys but such a long way down There’s the mines that are hollowed with the silence they keep Tracks laid by the light of the chain gangs’ dreams There’s the crosses that are held up to look down on it all And somewhere in the shadows that mockingbird calls Oh my song is the echo of every song gone by From the softest of whispers to the loudest of cries And you’ll know me by sight, oh you’ll know me by heart And I’ll sing through the light, and I’ll sing through the dark Oh, looking back on my home Those doorways to freedom were doorways of stone Where the old kings of Memphis have all lost their crowns It’s the bluest of valleys but such a long way down |
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| Witness | Play | Witness
Track 2: Witness
There’s not enough space in me, not enough room To hold all the love, I have for you I gather it like snow, trying to outlast the sun You are my song when the day is done, You are my song, you are the one There’s not enough space in me, not enough skin To hold the pain of this world, feel it rip, feel it sink in The trees teach about breath in slow time And I let the echo of your heart call out to mine It’s calling out, it’s time There’s a suicide jumper about to take flight And bombs are splitting open Lebanon and Palestine Under heavy skies we wonder, under heavy skies we pray But today there was a harvest and the flowers opened anyway Today there was a harvest and we gave it our hands I just want to gather all I love close to me My body is strong, you can make a shelter out of me Your eyes are so clear, I swear it’s your soul opening And if this is it, I found what I came to see If this is it then I believe, I believe If this is it….I believe |
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| Drive Me Home | Drive Me Home
Track 3: Drive Me Home
You can drive me home Tucked in tight to your car Your strong hands steady as gospel music As bass notes, as a lullaby sung to a child You can drive me home Your leg muscles flexing as you brake, and accelerate A soft look slid my way Between headlights down and over highways And your eyes, a mixture of light and rain Tonight they bruise my heart and beauty causes pain So baby would you drive me, drive me home? Tonight my heart feels like a minefield Walking when I should be standing still My feet keep searching uneven ground It’s a tangled mess of love and fear It’s like the memory of blood pumping someone’s name Then cutting out midway through the last syllable We’ve been cruising on empty for some time But with you driving I know I’ll be all right, I’ll be all right So baby, would you drive me, drive me home? There’s a bubble in my chest about to burst So drive me somewhere the ground doesn’t rumble so I’ll lay my head between your bicep and your breast Just take me somewhere wordless now Now maybe I’ll cry this whole night through Or press my lips to the warmth of you Maybe I’ll slip into the gray green sea of dreams I don’t care just let me crawl into you please Please Baby would you drive me, drive me home Yeah baby, please drive me, drive me home |
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| Ain't No Grave | Play | Ain't No Grave
Track 4: ‘Aint No Grave
I’ve been knocked down in my tracks And I’ve been raked down to my bones My heart’s been squeezed till it went dry, I’ve been left alone But my momma taught me struggle and my sister called me blessed My father made me stronger each and every time he left And there ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down So when I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna get up outta’ the ground There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down So come on river take me, won’t you bring me to my knees It’s you who taught me how to swim, to rise about and breathe My soul is on a journey though I can’t see round the bend I got light to match your thunder, I got waves to match your wind And there ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down So when I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna get up outta’ the ground There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down There’s a song inside me singing and it’s calling out to me There’s a warrior that’s drumming and she’s not afraid to bleed Though I might be tired of drawing water from the bottomless well I’ve spent some time in heaven and I’m not afraid of hell ‘Cause there ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down So when I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna get up outta’ the ground There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down So meet me in the desert I’m waiting here for you Thirst can make you do things that you never thought you’d do But I won’t drink down this bitter, won’t let the world make me mean There’s no way out but through, I gotta hold onto m And there ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down So when I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna get up outta’ the ground There ‘aint no grave gonna hold my body down |
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| The Struggle | The Struggle
Track 5: The Struggle
Pushing both hands, head bent, and her heart is caving in It’s been one life, this fight, and it’s just the state she’s in And there’s always one foot on the brakes, And then it’s double the gas And there’s lots to be afraid of When you’re moving that kind of fast She says someone’s got to save me Someone’s got to know There must be some kind of formula ‘Cause all I know, is what I’ve done wrong It’s what I’ve done But in my dreams, I’m screaming And I reach out to the lonely space at my side And if struggle is the legacy I’m leaving Then my children will know how hard I tried Her love is a fickle thing She wants nothing, she wants everything She looks at me hard with that softness in her eyes She says, it wasn’t easy babe, but I gave you everything I had Oh everything I had, I had But in my dreams, I’m screaming And I reach out to the lonely space at my side And if struggle is the legacy I’m leaving Then my children will know how hard I tried And if struggle is the legacy I’m leaving Then my children will know how hard I tried, tried If struggle is the legacy I’m leaving |
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| Listening | Listening
Track 6: Listening
It’s your most beautiful intention Tied up in all your grace That’s what tethers me to you As the ground beneath us shifts You are a brilliant light refracted By a million shadows in the wings And I’m a reflection I’m drinking you in So let’s take a long drink To loving blindly Let’s raise our cups before we turn away And let’s take a long drink To magic happening There’s an echo in this darkness, and I I’m listening Well you came to me heart-broken Wilted flowers in your hands Your eyes were deep as tunnels And your knees were buckling There’s was just one breath between us And on three we both drew in It felt like eternity When our lungs opened like wings And let’s take a long drink To loving blindly Let’s raise our cups before we turn away And let’s take a long drink To magic happening There’s an echo in this darkness, and I I’m listening I’m listening, I’m listening, I’m listening, I’m listening Well there’s bulbs you planted last year But this spring we just got snow And there’s sap beneath the surface though you think, you lost it now Emptiness is full of hunger And your sleep is full of dreams When I leave I’ll take both with me and I’ll sing your memory So let’s take a long drink To loving blindly Let’s raise our cups before we turn away And let’s take a long drink To magic happening There’s an echo in this darkness, and I I’m listening I’m listening, I’m listening, I’m listening, I’m listening |
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| When the Levee Breaks | When the Levee Breaks
Track 7:When the Levee Breaks
Wade in the water, Wade in the water children Wade in the water, God’s gonna trouble the water Wade in the water, Wade in the water children Wade in the water, God’s gonna trouble the water When the levee breaks where will your church be? Laid in ruins on the banks of the Mississippi When the levee breaks and the truth lays you down There in the dark, too small a loss, to be found Who to fix this ravaged home? How to heal this gasping heart? Where’s the door, where’s the door to board This rocking ark, this rocking ark? When the levee breaks There’s no safety in poverty We don’t run this government We don’t trust the police When there’s a flood that comes to take you away Just dig your heals in ‘cause there’s no help on its way No not today Who to fix this ravaged home? How to heal this gasping heart? Where’s the door, where’s the door to board This rocking ark, this rocking ark? When the levee breaks The ghost of New Orleans is what’s stirring all around They set us up, and watched us fall, knees to the ground They kept their money ‘cause they called us too far gone Instead it’s funneled to the war in the name of freedom Yeah that’s your freedom Who are the children dressed in black? (God’s gonna trouble the water) Well they must be the ones too poor to pack. (God’s gonna trouble the water) Who are the children dressed in red? (God’s gonna trouble the water) Well they must be the ones you left for dead. (God’s gonna trouble the water) Who are the children dressed in blue? (God’s gonna trouble the water) Must be the police who ran out on you. (God’s gonna trouble the water) Who are those children dressed in white? (God’s gonna trouble the water) Must be the government who ignored your cries…when you cried: Who to fix this ravaged home? How to heal this gasping heart? Where’s the door, where’s the door to board This rocking ark, this rocking ark? When the levee breaks And now vultures descend ‘cause there’s profits to be made Where there’s misery and death, someone’s getting paid We call this business, we call this democracy For every dirty dollar there’s blood draining out of you and me Into the Mississippi… So just Wade in the water, Wade in the water children, Wade in the water God’s gonna trouble the water Wade in the water, Wade in the water children, Wade in the water, God’s gonna trouble the water, now God’s gonna trouble the water, Your God’s gonna trouble the water |
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| Sacred | Sacred
Track 8: Sacred
Give me something sacred Show me something real Break me off a piece of that Just lead me out of here Highways wrap around us And there’s misery for news I feel just like an island Eroding slowly with the sea Feed me something sacred That my heart can climb like a tree Let it take root, let it blossom Ask it to please hold me The heavy is pushing down And we’re tired in our tracks We’ve locked ourselves in our houses And there’s a cancer growing fast Dream me awake Dream me alive Give me the strength Not to lay down, not to fade before my eyes Would you show me your pulse Would you walk with me a while the T.V., turn off the phone Let’s make our news in this fading light Give me something sacred Show me something real Break me off a piece of that Just lead me out of here I think I’ve lost some kindness On this journey here The work week’s got me running Survival’s got me sick with fear I don’t want your riches Don’t make me a shrine I just want to touch what’s living underneath Hold hands with what’s divine It’s something sacred It’s the memory of God It’s the weight of all that we know We have to dare to fill our lungs Fill them with something sacred Can you show me something real Break me off a piece of that Just lead me out of here |
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| My Little Man | My Little Man
Track 9: My Little Man
My little man, got into trouble again He’s found a market for all the recklessness In which he’s grown And with his two small hands He’s found the tools we left standing And he’s gonna bend, well he’s gonna break into The pain he’s known Barely 15 years old, he’s got a cynical mind He’s used up eight lives, ‘cause he was told he might get nine He’s in a rush ‘cause he’s got so much to prove Now he’s dug himself a well because his thirst was just too much And he’s sitting at the bottom, it’s hard to tell if he wants out So you just throw one end of rope, try to peer into the dark You can try to shut him out, say he’s not worth the trouble Try to keep him quarantined, you better keep him separate But these walls keep getting thinner between us and him So do we give up on ourselves, or do we let him in? Do we let him in? His dad’s a prisoner of war hell bent on getting his revenge His mom’s got her hands in the air, she just can’t stop crying No one knows how our little boy became this man I think we’re in denial, I think we’re terrified ‘Cause he’s a cracked mirror showing off what’s broken in our lives So we just find clinical terms to diagnose his rare disease So go ahead and shut him out, he’s not worth the trouble Just try to keep him quarantined, you better keep him separate But these walls keep getting thinner between us and him So do we give up on ourselves, or do we let him in? Do we give up on ourselves, or do we let him in? Do we let him in? Do we let him in? Do we let him in? My little man, he’s got into trouble again… |
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| Love Some More | Play | Love Some More
Track 10: Love Some More
He was prepared for our parade, with a camera ‘round his neck He thought he’d, capture us in sin, and broadcast it after that But we just kept on holding hands, we kissed for the photograph ‘Cause I’ve cowered long enough, yeah today it’s my turn to laugh And I’m not trying to prove you wrong, ‘cause I won’t This isn’t political, it’s personal And you can call this your crusade, go ahead and wage your little war I tell you what I’m gonna do, I’m gonna love I’m gonna love some more I’m not welcome in your churches I can’t get married in your courts The army says ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ But they’ll use me on the front lines of a war The Boy Scouts don’t trust me with their kids So why don’t I just take a back seat ‘Cause if I’m nice and quiet, you might not persecute me And I’m not trying to prove you wrong, ‘cause I won’t This isn’t political, it’s personal And you can call this your crusade, go ahead and wage your little war I tell you what I’m gonna do, I’m gonna love I’m gonna love some more Doesn’t this sound familiar I think we’ve all been here before ‘Cause we all know civil rights weren’t really won with that Civil War And I can see you’re still hoarding privilege for your chosen few You like to call it family values, Well I have a family too And I’m not trying to prove you wrong, ‘cause I won’t This isn’t political, it’s personal And you can call this your crusade, go ahead and wage your little war I tell you what I’m gonna do, I’m gonna love I’m gonna love some more So if our ship was sinking I think I’d lend you a hand If you could just be kind and share, you might even make a friend Now there’s not too much space between us, there’s no too much time to spend So c’mon now let’s all pretend Your world it’s not gonna end And I’m not trying to prove you wrong, ‘cause I won’t This isn’t political, it’s personal And you can call this your crusade, go ahead and wage your little war I tell you what I’m gonna do, I’m gonna love I tell you what we’re gonna do,we’re gonna love I tell you what you’re gonna have to do, you’re gonna have to love You’re gonna love some more Try and love some more Love some more |
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| Look to the Sky | Look to the Sky
Track 11: Look to the Sky
If I don’t water your rose, look to the sky If you’re sitting at a red light See my train pass you by Well I won’t follow, I won’t speed Write me a ticket when I leave And if I don’t water your rose, look to the sky Hey babe, if I don’t water your rose, look to the sky Seems like you’ve got a lot of leaving left to do So I’ll try and make it easier, oh easier on you I broke my windows then I took out all those screens I miss your heat babe but the breeze feels good on me Oh well, I miss you but this breeze feels good to me And all around us we got this space So I’ll wish you happiness try and let go of your face I’ll punch holes in all these clouds and then I’ll drink in the rain Cry my eyes out and learn to laugh again And if this distance makes it hard for you to tell Just know I loved you well Oh babe I love you so well So if your leaves are straining for some other light If you’re feeling like you’re losing ground you need to stand upright Well let your sails fill with the mighty wind I’ll meet you on that bright horizon I’ll meet you on that bright horizon And if I don’t water your rose, look to the sky If you’re sitting at a red light see my train pass you by Well I don’t follow, I won’t speed ‘Cause babe you know it’s plain to see That if I don’t water your rose, look to the sky Hey babe, if I don’t water your rose, look to the sky Yes, if I don’t water your rose….look to the sky |
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| Giddy-up | Giddy-up
Track 12: Giddy-up
I’ve got to hop a train Through the country’s hills I’ve got a cup that’s emptying from all these spills I’m gonna chase this summer before it turns to Fall I’m gonna pawn my memory on a glimpse of shooting stars I wish I knew a pirate, ‘could lend me a map Show me the beauty of a storm, or where the treasure’s stashed But I’m far from legends, and I’m far from tracks I’ve just got this guitar and a monkey on my back And he tells me ‘Giddy-up’ My job has got me penned in Like a tired sheep I’m just walking the fence line up and down my constant week But once I get some saved up I’m gonna skip this town And leave a dust trail with all the promises I held I wish I knew a cow-girl, ‘could show me how to ride Out on the open plains, and sleep beneath the stars I think I need a campfire, a flask of whiskey ‘Cause I’m getting older and the wind keeps whispering And she tells me, ‘Giddy-up’ I don’t want to learn to settle down I won’t trade my wings in for your milking cow ‘Cause I don’t have good credit but I’ve got these calloused hands And I’ve got a dream of something wilder than we’ve planned Once I was a traveler, far beyond these roads Airplanes taking off, that was my favorite kind of home But now I’m driving circles on an empty tank I think I’m going faster but I can’t seem to get no where I’ve heard of a bean stalk, and some magic seeds I wonder if there gold and giants high above these trees Sometimes it takes believing, or maybe just a fool To put their ear to the ground to hear that deep rumble And it sounds like giddy-up, oh giddy-up C’mon girl now giddy-up, would you giddy-up |
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| Live Again | Live Again
Track 13: Live Again
If I could live again I’d be a tree Hold my arms to the wind gracefully I’d be something strong and silent, my story kept for me If I could live again I’d be a tree If I get one more chance I’ll be a bird Take to the air when I want to leave this world I’d know freedom beyond borders If I get one more chance I’ll be a bird If I could try again I’d start from seed Be an Iris painted blue for just two weeks Then I’d tuck away my beauty, the rest of the year If I could try again I’d start from seed If I could wear forgiveness all year ‘round Then I’d let go your mean words, your hateful sounds I’d see you newborn when your smile could turn the whole world upside down If I could wear forgiveness all year ‘round If I had time enough for just one song Then I’d play this with all the sweet breath in my lungs I’d dedicate it to all the wishing, all the trying that we’ve done If I had time enough for just one song, one song Then I’d play this ‘till the morning came along |
Sacred (Abridged) (2007)
Sacred (Abridged) (2007)
$10.00
Sacred (Abridged) (2007)
Vanessa Torres- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
Tamara Torres- harmony vocals
Lauren Snead- djembe, ashiko, bass, mandolin
Ra Criscitiello- banjo, accordion, supporting harmonies
