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A Plea For Dreamland

by Jason Myles Goss

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James Brady
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James Brady I love how Jason can draw from a single life event and turn it into a beautiful song. I understand that many songwriters, if not all, do the same thing. But there is something special about Jason. It tells me that everything that happens in Jason's life, no matter how small, means something to him, and he takes nothing for granted. I wish we all thought the way that Jason does. Thank You for your music. -Jim Brady Favorite track: Put A Record On.
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1.
January 03:00
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January hits you like a ball and chain Like cigarettes in the pouring rain Singing Hail Marys for all the Februarys that I’ve got left Well I’m Marching after hours in the desert sand And April’s just a flower in the devil’s hand May I drive you through the city so big and so bright Watch June through the window wrapped in neon lights I’m haunted by a sadness in this heart of mine July is electric like a bottle of wine And August keeps crying and she don’t know why She’s dreaming of September in a wedding gown Well October’s never over it just hangs around And all the embers burn in November skies I watch them die like soldiers in lullabies December is a heaven that the angels hide December is a heaven that the angels hide
2.
Put A Record On 03:21
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Put a record on babe and let me see you shake it 'Cause I’m singing this song like someone’s trying to take it Well the weather outside is cold and its making me lonely And all these battle lines are a thousand rhymes removed Well they busted up the windows and they broke them all over Broadway So turn the radio loud ‘cause we got no heroes here Keep on preaching to the choir 'til this fire rages underneath the doorway Put a record on and sing it loud as they break through the walls Ooh, I can see the mortar blasts Ooh, Johnny grab the quarters fast ‘Cause Mary is blowing wind across the moor And it’s rumbling against the door So sing it loud above the palisades Put a candle in the window and run like hell ‘til you make it Let the melody ring like a hurricane in your ear Oh these chariots are swinging down in Egypt land Oh Lord let me die with a hammer in my hand 'Cause I ain’t leaving and I ain’t giving in I ain’t giving in So put a record on...
3.
Mississippi Red 04:04
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I climbed out instead, through the back windows of your Chevy Mississippi Red, like a bourbon you feel so heavy Hanging in the air, like the flicker of your cigarette Curling ‘round your hair, like the silver of your butterfly barrettes Let me share your Let me share your Let me share your bed Mississippi Red Your daddy wrote you a letter that said you better not come back home no more Because the bright lights of the city and temptation’s got you headed in the wrong direction You hopped a train in Meridian, with your head dead set on those Hollywood skies And now you’re running from another Casanova blackening your bluebird eyes Let him share your Let him share your Let him share your bed Mississippi Red You’re dancing real slow You hear the hollering of a drunk in the front row You put the make-up on, you put the make-up on But now there’s something wrong, there’s something wrong Well honey now where else can you go? Oh shake it like a fireball burning bright but under motel lights you’re looking so older You bought a ticket for a bus back home, you’re growing so tired of looking over your shoulder Take it down, oh take it down Queen Jezebel won’t you swing those hips around Won’t you stay around, to light the lonely and the pretty like the moon over this city Let them share your Let them share your Let them share your bed Mississippi Red
4.
Brooklyn 03:56
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You were always the best at leaving the rest up to chance Well tomorrow is a photograph album but tonight is the dance So leave your light on babe because I’ll be escaping soon And fall into my arms like a daisy falls into June Though I know I only call you when I’ve been drinking I watch you roll away like a wave, trying to save me from sinking Oh well Brooklyn has eyes and they shine like a light in your room With the ghost of another lover you left howling at the moon Hey, she holds me like a lover Hey, and she steals me when she goes …and she goes, and she goes She sings “Hey, Hallelujah” And in the morning she’ll be weeping But if truth defines my love, I’m coming home I’m coming home
5.
Peace of Mind 04:35
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Peace of mind, I’m trying to find Just one more day, not one behind I try to walk through the fire, live close to the rind I keep losing myself trying to find peace of mind Peace of mind, I try to define Its like juggling knives when your eyes have gone blind Well I can’t see the difference between the cruel and the kind I’m lost in the mire, looking for a sign Somewhere in the kingdom, they talk of silver, talk of gold All these voices and no wisdom There ain’t no wisdom truth be told And now there’s nothing to hold on to And you don’t even care You’re running but you don’t want to And you’re gasping for air Moving through the crowd, I’m trying to find my way Peace of mind, I’m walking down the line Down a street full of sirens and no vacancy signs Am I dreaming of love or am I knee deep in lies? Am I staring at the real thing, or some clever disguise? I saw it flashing on my TV screen I watched the killers chase the clowns They were shooting pistols made with magazines Firing their gossip all around Now is there anybody out there? Is there anyone at all? A thief, a judge, or a millionaire A local hero we can call? And I’m still haunted by the sounds out on Desolation Row I see Baby Blue, he’s got his arms out and his chin tucked low He’s swinging hammer in the fairgrounds, shouting that he will never die He jumped the stage and pulled his mask down and they dropped the curtain on the fly And then he was outside, he could hear the crowd, they were breaking down the door They were screaming out for more Peace of mind, I’m trying to find I’m trying to find, this peace of mind
6.
Judas 02:32
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Judas thinks the world of you He’ll steal your heart in the dark and he’ll pierce it through For silver, gold, and diamond rings No one bleeds like me when Judas sings And like a wicked wind rumbling at your door He’ll be charging like a devil in the holy wars And like a spear dug deep in a soldier’s side Like the thorn in the crown where the blood has dried That’s where you will find Judas Calling you a liar Saying you can’t do this Dragging you down in the fire So play a fiddle for Rome I’m standing on my own Oh Judas, you’re the one You’re the one, you’re the one Who will fall
7.
Coffee and Wine 03:07
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Coffee in the morning and wine at night If I have coffee and wine everything is alright Oh it was just a little bluebird swinging on a vine Won’t you listen to that bluebird singing so fine Oh give me coffee in the morning and wine at night Its just that coffee and wine make my days so bright But sometimes you wake up with a case of the blues And all these gray skies make you get your hours confused And then its wine in the morning and coffee at night Oh darling keep filling my cup until the morning light Oh won’t you listen to that bluebird, still swinging on that vine Singing day and night, keeping my head so light all the time So, give me coffee, no pour me some wine Something to keep me feeling right Oh darling, keep filling my cup until the morning… Keep on filling my cup until the morning…. Keep on filling my cup until the morning light
8.
June 03:57
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Hold on with your lights on Keep your hands warm Because the radiator is broken You try ways to see those highways But every blast of thunder Pushes you further under When every man in the street wants to know your name Sleeping dead on your feet on a crowded train And every morning you wake to the same things again Lying cold and lonely June, soon, please come and save me I know who you are, I know who you are In this crowded room I lost what you gave me In the darkness please wake me June, won’t you sing when I’m gone? I’ve got this coupon for a cup of coffee I’ve got half a mile left to go And as long as I’m breathing, I won’t ever believe in What they say about these winter gates Where all we love disintegrates We fall up in arms for hearts that break I’ve seen it all Like a satellite that burns into oblivion I’m a good man but I’ve found myself here again And in the evening the walls keep on closing in Moving oh so slowly June, soon, please come and save me I know who you are, I know who you are In this crowded room I lost what you gave me In the darkness please wake me June, won’t you sing when I’m gone?
9.
There's A Light Up Ahead 03:02
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There's a light up ahead There's a light up ahead Will it bring me home or far away to roam There's a light up ahead I spent most of my better days Chasing all your love away With reckless hearts and renegades I staggered deeper in the dark I grew tired of that anchor chain Working fish boats off the coast of Maine "Oh this ocean will drive a man insane" Captain Ahab once said, lying awake in his bed But there's a light up ahead There's a light up ahead Will it bring me home or far away to roam There's a light up ahead If I could see past that thin line then I would know If it is better to be scattered by the light above or swallowed by the darkness below And then I heard the voice of Gabriel in an instrument of war And he was howling out a country blues I never heard before Could he reach us anymore? Was he calling us to shore, howling out loud And that's when I knew we were out of luck A force eight gale with that anchor stuck Spinning that wheel, I fell when it struck I heard a rumbling below I had to let it all go
10.
Flying By Your Window 04:15
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I am not your long lost lover I am not your only friend If you look up in the sky my brother You will see me coming ‘round the bend You will hear me over church bells ringing Through sacred windows streaked with violet Because Heaven is not a place we fly too Its an engine with two wings beside it From darkness to the light of morning I fly because I am a pilot And this plane is the love I leave with you Its my heart that pumps so deep inside it And I’ll keep you safe, watching over you And I’ll keep you safe, watching from above And I miss you, I see your shadow in the kitchen light I’m flying high above my hometown And I’m looking down so I can see it I see hardworking people looking for a sign That angel wings will carry them home when they need it And I’ll be flying by your window in the night time And in your sleeping dreams I’ll be landing And if you look up at the sky at the right time You’ll see me circling above the balcony where you’re standing And I’ll keep you safe, watching over you And I’ll keep you safe, watching from above And I miss you, I see you turning off your bedroom light
11.
Dive Bars 02:59
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I don’t want to drive fast cars, drink champagne or smoke cigars I’ll smash a hole in this guitar, singing songs in these dive bars Now Mary’s yelling in the backyard, she’s tired of looking at the bright stars Noboby gives a damn who we are, down in the darkness of a dive bar Down in the darkness of a dive bar Down in the darkness of a dive bar Nobody gives a damn who we are Down in the darkness of a dive bar The flesh is willing but the spirit is gone Like dead soldiers with their swords still drawn At last call we’ll sing the last song And when we leave we’ll leave the lights on No mother Mary’s falling into the street, and Chester’s leaning on the edge of his seat They raise a glass to tragedy and defeat, but they ain’t nervous they’re just bad on their feet Down in the darkness of a dive bar Down in the darkness of a dive bar Nobody gives a damn who we are Down in the darkness of a dive bar Down in the darkness of a dive bar There ain’t no piano or pinot noir They get you drunk and tow away your car Down in the darkness of a dive bar Look up at the stars, won’t you Mary
12.
Do Right By You 04:05
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I fell asleep on the back roads I got myself in a jam I’m running low on tobacco And I don’t know where I am Remember dancing in the ballroom of a seaside hotel? You were dancing all alone, yes I remember well I don’t care nothing for love songs They’re too pretty and too bright Just sing me something full of rain water Something I can howl through the night Oh we were running through the tunnels like two robbers on the run You gave me one last chance to make right what I done And I want to do right Just want to do right Right by you I tell myself it’s the last year I’ll keep hanging on I break away, I end up back here It must be where I belong I left you standing in your doorway shaking in a Tuesday rain But now I’ve fallen off track and so I’m crawling my way back again And I want to do right Just want to do right Right by you And now I’m waiting by this pay phone back behind the station door And I remember you were dancing in the dark light of that ballroom Rolling like a wave that strayed too far from shore And I want to do right Just want to do right Right by you
13.
Chester Copperpot 04:11
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Chester Copperpot, thanks a lot You know a good man is surely hard to find out here I’ve been weeping in the parking lot I’ve been weeping for the ones who disappear Did you really disappear? Well it started out as a memory I watched them drag you down by the bottom of your feet You said, "I think these pirates got the best of me I can see their daggers in the eyes of everyone I meet, I’ve suffered terrible defeats" And I hang my head Ooh sweet silver dollar, but I know that help is on the way They take me down below the water but I try to be brave Chester Copperpot drank a lot He would sleep by the rail yard and hide inside his coat He never quit when the times got hard He wore a pair of black laces in a pair of brown leather shoes He had nothing to lose Some of us stand with our face to the fire But all of us breathe the smoke Love, will always get you in the end Unspoken, lost not broken, love Did you take me for a fool, I’m a shipwreck swimming back to you Ooh sweet silver dollar, but I know that help is on the way They take me down below the water but I try to be brave Well I try to be brave, I try to be brave You’re my sweet silver dollar, you’re my sweet silver dollar
14.
A Plea For Dreamland 04:55
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Watching the Cyclone at Coney Island, watch it roll away Didn’t win no prizes in Coney Island, wasted all my pay Well the Boardwalk was a mess, she was fumbling with her dress Dealing pills from a plastic bag, she really looked fantastic She was washed out like a summer rain Smile at the camera I don’t understand why you never want to stay You blinked when I took it but you said "just look, its much cooler like this anyway" Without a smile or a laugh, just a faded photograph And this blackberry brandy, I’ve had enough Did you have to buy the cheapest stuff? I guess you’re waiting for me to walk you home And you can always count on me to hide away all you want to see I probably owe you an apology anyway But somewhere up above you see there’s someone looking down on me From a ferris wheel swinging out to sea, where the cold wind blows your lost and lonely heart far away Dancing in front of a skee ball machine, the lights are shining bright You rolled for the hundreds but missed every one, now I’m your only ticket tonight We’re sipping brandy in the dark, while they’re closing down the park They hose down the sidewalks at quarter to four, I’ve got a room up the street with a view of the shore Where you can hear the waves like they’re crashing just for you Just for you... You can hear the waves crashing just for you, until morning comes With the waves, crashing just for you, sleeping in your jeans with the waves With the waves

about

Pirate ships, rail yards, skee ball machines, blackberry brandy, and the Coney Island boardwalk—these are just some of the sights, sounds, and smells found in the dimly lit thoroughfares of A Plea For Dreamland, Jason’s third full-length album and first since relocating to Brooklyn. From the opening track it’s clear that this change of scenery (along with four years between records) has brought about many changes in Jason’s singing and songwriting, with many new influences at hand. Here Jason is heard singing in a notably lower, more resonant voice, with lyrics that are more acutely poetic, darkly playful, and, at times, just plain quirky.

“When I moved from Cambridge to Brooklyn, I began writing a lot. I bought this notepad for scheduling temp jobs and I ended up scribbling all over it, whatever came into my head. It was fun then piecing these characters and various threads together, without worrying how they related to me or where they would end up.”

As the title suggests, these songs evoke a feeling of somewhere else—the ballroom of a seaside hotel, a bus station in Meridian, Mississippi, or a dingy car on the Coney Island Wonder Wheel. We find places and characters who are far from perfect but are making their way nonetheless. This is a common theme that runs through the album, with Coney Island taking center stage as a place where the bizarre and fantastical comes face to face with the grit and grime of city life.

“Dreamland was one of the earlier parks in Coney Island, which ended up burning down in 1911. It had the usual thrill rides, but it also had world exhibits like imitation Venetian canals, Alpine landscapes, and a massive Tower of Pompeii. It was like this magically bizarre land from far away. I was taken in by how Coney Island, over time, has become this beautifully wounded corner of the world. Its this place that’s totally laid bare, unapologetic, and equal parts tragic and magic. When we began recording, I wanted the songs to sound magical but also have that dog-eared and exposed feeling."

A Plea For Dreamland, released in June of 2009, was recorded at Glass Eye Music (Brooklyn, NY), Ceramic Lady Studios (Cambridge, MA), Austin’s Studio (Somerville, MA) and Great North Sound Society (Parsonsfield, ME); and was mixed by Rafi Sofer at Q Division and mastered by Ian Kennedy at New Alliance East. It features Joel Arnow (Heather and the Barbarians, Julian Velard) on drums, Zack Hickman (Josh Ritter, Mark Erelli) on bass and pump organ, Austin Nevins (Josh Ritter, Anais Mitchell) on electric guitars, lap steel, banjo, and glockenspiel, and Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Langhorne Slim) on keys and vibes. It was co-produced by Jason Myles Goss, Austin Nevins, Zack Hickman, and Joel Arnow.

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released June 15, 2009

Copyright 2009, Jeswaldo Sounds (ASCAP)

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Jason Myles Goss New York, New York

Jason Myles Goss is a singer-songwriter and musician hailing from Massachusetts who now calls New York City home. Over the years, Goss has built a small, grassroots following the old fashioned way—by making records on his own dime and by playing any stage that would have him. ... more

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