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The Longest Street In America

by JOHN COMMON

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1.
How 'Bout You 03:47
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HOW 'BOUT YOU written by john common hey baby this must be your day I got a feeling 'bout the 3 dog and I think we've got it made I've got my lucky rock I hold it in my hand all we need's a little green to take us to the promised land my mother was a gypsy my father was a king I was born in mississippi near new orleans I grew up in the fields cuttin' cane all day it didn't take too many summers before I hopped a train it's a trifecta moon I'm feeling lucky… how 'bout you? I feel a streak comin' it's coming like a train it calls me like my mama by my christian name you could live a hundred years and never feel like this I got the hand of god upon me and I know that I can't miss when the dog comes in we won't scream and shout play it cool up at the window let him pay us out we can live like kings throw money to the wind then go back to the track and do it all over again it's a trifecta moon I'm feeling lucky… how 'bout you? how 'bout you? I just need a little green how 'bout you? I'm gonna take us to the promised land I'm gonna take us to the promised land come on baby
2.
Emma 05:43
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EMMA written by john common emma I know you're out there somewhere down the road probably waiting tables and doing what you're told emma I'm coming for you hope I get there soon gonna take you away from everything that makes you blue makes you blue emma when I get there I'll walk in kind of slow you might not recognize me as someone who you know I'll sit down at your table and watch you for a while we could drink some coffee and talk about those long, lonely miles lonely miles conversation conversation how did you get here why'd you disappear I didn't volunteer to be your souvenir I guess you left for a reason I guess I'll leave it too even though you're miles away I'll always carry you I'll guess I'll just keep waiting for this to go away but baby in the meantime I hope that you're okay you're okay conversation conversation how did you get here why'd you disappear I didn't volunteer to be your souvenir
3.
Road Between Two Towns 04:44
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ROAD BETWEEN TWO TOWNS written by john common that girl behind the bar she's a lump of stone when she tells the boys to all go home she's wears it beautifully that permanent frown and I'm wondering what would it take to melt her down? I grab my coat and pay my tab she's behind the bar counting cash her eyes are dark and her hair is brown and I'm wondering what it'd be like to see it down I walk out and get in my car and drive on back to the way things are and I see the lights of my home town and I'm driving through the snow with my window down
4.
Five Dollar Shower 02:47
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FIVE DOLLAR SHOWER written by john common tulsa tonight was a helluva sight but I'm sure as hell glad we're leavin' the crowd was just fine and the bar towed the line they kept the booze flowin' all evenin' but we played 'til two, gotta drive 'til noon and that'll leave a man smellin' kinda sour gotta find a little truck stop, buy a cold sixpack and take a long five dollar shower now we eat when we can and sleep in the van unless somebody got himself a honey we got some new songs and it won't be long till a label gonna give us lots of money we'll have hundred dollar suits and big shiny boots and we'll always smell pretty like a flower but until that day we're gonna save, save and take a long five dollar shower five dollar shower, it comes with a towel they make you pay up front 'cause you smell so foul travel size soap and plenty of room makes you feel like a million buckers… when you shower with a stop full of truckers now there may come a day when we stop and say this band aint never gonna far cause I've been told that when a man gets old he gets tired of beatin' on his… guitar but I'll tell you this, if we every quit don't you dare call us cowards cause the road makes you tough and when you smell rough you take a long five dollar shower five dollar shower, it comes with a towel they make you pay up front 'cause you smell so foul travel size soap and plenty of room makes you feel like a million buckers… when you shower with a stop full of truckers
5.
She Scared Me 03:27
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SHE SCARED ME written by john common she plays the clarinet in all my dreams now, now I know just what, what that means she was the one the one I should have held onto oh I used to hold her when the rain fell down all the things I should have told her but I never made a sound by now, now you know she's found another man didn't take her too long to make some other plans yeh, she was the one the one I should have held onto oh I used to hold her when the rain fell down all the things I should have told her but I never made a sound
6.
Real Man 03:50
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REAL MAN written by john common all I ever write are blues songs 'cause all I ever feel is bad and one too many blues songs is turning this good boy bad I'm a real man I'm a real, a real bad man sometimes you can't find a reason to kick yourself out of bed I feel like it's open season on all the happy thoughts in your head I'm a real man I'm a real, a real bad man I said I needed you to save me but you knew that I was telling a lie I'm not sure if I'm even worth saving but it's be fun just to watch you try it's time for us to kiss this good love I'm a real man I'm a real, a real bad man
7.
Wrong Way 04:29
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WRONG WAY written by john common they tried to calm me down umpteen times and now I've showed up here at your house in a stolen car. I guess it's true I got all the wild blood all the bad blood from uncle jim you're just like him my momma always said… I gotta find my own way even if it's the wrong way and who knows, maybe one day I'll find my way back to you the sun is going down I'm miles from home and all alone I got the radio loud but something's wrong… I guess it's true I was the rough one the tough one who made you try too many times but that's all gone I gotta find my own way even if it's the wrong way and who knows, maybe one day I'll find my way back to you I'm chasing something maybe it's really nothing but if I don't find out I'll never find my way back to you and if I make it through years from now I'll roll through town walk up to you, smile and say… I was the needy one the seedy one who made you cry every single time but now I'm back I gotta find my own way even if it's the wrong way and who knows, maybe one day I'll find my way back to you I'm chasing something maybe it's really nothing but if I don't find out I'll never find my way back to you
8.
Can't Hide 05:05
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CAN'T HIDE written by john common have I ever showed you have you ever thought to ask did you every wonder or worry about the things in my past sometimes, you catch me thinking I'm far away standing in the middle of the kitchen with a strange look on my face I should do a better job I shouldn't lock you out I'm gonna swing the doors wide open and let you walk around I can't hide from you I don’t try anymore I'm an awful liar and I hate closed doors besides it makes me tired I can't hide from you (I don’t want to) I want to take you to memphis, texas to a little bar I know I want to take you to flowers, mississippi when the cotton blows like snow I want to take you to pensacola all the way back home introduce you to my brothers show them why I'm not alone I can't hide from you I don’t try anymore I'm an awful liar and I hate closed doors besides it makes me tired I can't hide from you (I don’t want to) sometimes, early in the morning I watch you sleep lying there just like an angel and it makes me think I should do a better job I shouldn't lock you out I'm gonna swing the doors wide open and let you walk around I can't hide from you I don’t try anymore I'm an awful liar and I hate closed doors besides it makes me tired I can't hide from you (I don’t want to)
9.
Let Me Come Back Home 04:36
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LET ME COME BACK HOME written by john common one of these days when I'm sad and blue I'm gonna find my way right back to you I'm gonna call you up on the telephone and say baby let me come back home let me come back home I was out drinking with a bunch of the guys and when I called you up it was no surprise I'm begging baby with my baritone let me come back home let me come back home we've done it before so what makes this new you walked out the door and I've done it too it's broken and sad so just let it be but who's going to love you… who's going to know you like me I know it's been about a year and a half since we were together and had a couple of laughs but I learned a few things and I've changed my tone let me come back home I swear to God if you take me back I'll tow the line and I'll stay on track I've done it enough, I don't want to roam baby let me come back home baby let me come back home baby let me come back home
10.
Wasted Away 03:38
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WASTED AWAY written by john common I'm about to start missing you, I can tell last night's heaven turned into hell I was out with a bunch of my friends that's always how the story begins I got that old feeling… I'm afraid that it's here to stay wasted away, listening to records that we used to play wasted away, I've been drinking all through the day I'd be better off dead… better off dead every unlucky girl that I meet, I compare to you I know that's truly unfair, but it's true all the hours I've wasted today thinking of things that you used to say I got that old feeling… I'm afraid that it's here to stay well it's 2 am and I'm drunk on the kitchen floor and my dog looks at me and walks out 'cause he's seen it before I dial your number and wait for you to pick up and tell me it's way too late I've got that old feeling... I'm afraid that it's hear to stay wasted away, listening to records that we used to play wasted away, I've been drinking all through the day I'd be better off dead… better off dead
11.
Get In The Car And Drive 03:28
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GET IN THE CAR AND DRIVE written by john common I've been feeling bad I've been sleeping late everything everything every little thing we had has gone away it's late at night there's no reason to stay let's get in the car and drive get in the car and drive get in the car and drive I don't know why but I feel alive when we get in the car and drive we could leave right now and say screw the rent let 'em sell let 'em sell let 'em sell our stuff for whatever they can get we've been talking about it for far too long we gotta get in the car and drive we've been dreaming of driving way out in the dirt come over here baby now don't be a flirt I just cashed my paycheck it's here in my shirt you can call all your friends from the road well it takes some guts to leave what you know and if we think if we think if we think too much we just might never go it's a big ole world and there's plenty of road so let's get in the car and drive get in the car and drive get in the car and drive I don't know why but I feel alive when we get in the car and drive

about

A followup to 1999's excellent Collecting Empties, Rainville's second CD is another impressive showcase for songwriter John Common, who's emerged as Colorado's most authentic heartland-style rocker. Now playing as a four-piece with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Ian Hlatky, Rainville displays a growth and dexterity on The Longest Street in America, dipping even more into the disparate styles the band braved in the studio three years ago. -- Westword

credits

released July 1, 2002

RAINVILLE
THE LONGEST STREET IN AMERICA
Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.

All songs by John Common (BMI).

Produced by Rainville
Engineered by Ian Hlatky
Recorded at Woodshed Studios
Mixed by Bill Thomas at Rav’en Studios
Mastered by Airshow Mastering
Art direction and design by John Common

John Common
vocals, guitars, piano, organ, guitjo,glassware, iron pipe,

Ian Hlatky
guitars, piano, vocals, organ, iron pipe

Steve Richards
drums, percussion, vocals

Matt Sumner
electric bass, upright bass, vocals

Also
Bret Billings – Pedal Steel on ‘Let Me Come Back Home’
Paul Childs – Guitar on ‘Wrong Way’
John Horan – Harmonica on ‘Wasted Away’, ‘How ‘Bout You’ and ‘Let Me Come Back Home’
Paul Ewald - Trumpet on ‘Get In The Car And Drive’
John Jacobucci - Trombone on ‘Get In The Car And Drive’
Satchi – Vocals on ‘Wasted Away’

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JOHN COMMON Denver

Confession: I like broken shit. I’m just drawn to it. Always have been. I like it even more if it used to be shiny, beautiful, innocent or full of promise. See, the way down is so interesting to me. The way it actually happens, why it happens, the little details that break off as it’s happening. ... more

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