Stuck down in your rut, and open like a cut
‘cause you push my buttons, baby
And wake me if you can, I may be dead again
‘cause it feels like nothing to me.
You’ve got me deep in debt, ‘n you come on with the threats
But you must owe something to me
So take all you can steal, you know I only feel
When you push my buttons, baby.
‘n oh, the road
Oh, the road
It follows you around
It follows you around
And you can’t, slow down.
And you push my buttons, baby.
Toby - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Harmonica
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Lap Steel Guitar
Eric Heywood - Pedal Steel Guitar
BOTTLED TOWN
Come in on a Sunday night
With the rocks in my head
Said “You look such a fright,
just go back to bed.”
Said she’s running away
To that town in the rain.
Come in on a Sunday night
In her coat threadbare
Said “Every living thing must cry,
this heartless sky don’t care.”
So let the rain fall down
On this bottled town
Just so she has to hang around.
Come in on a Sunday night
Woke me from the dead
Said “I really gotta go this time,
I’d take you if I could.”
So let the rain fall down
On this bottled town
Just so she has to hang around
Just so she has to hang around, this town.
Toby - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Electric Guitar
Beth Balmer - Piano
AMBER LIGHTS
This lonely little voice,
is filling up my phone
Now every little choice,
is ringin’ in my bones
Tonight, beside, amber lights.
It’s midnight by my watch,
so take what you have not lost
Mistakes cost you time,
and it’s fuckin’ with my mind
Tonight, beside, amber lights.
But the streetlight held you in one place
And in my mind it holds your face
So tight
Goodnight, amber lights.
This lonely little voice,
is filling up my phone
But we got no other choice,
‘cause yer miles away from home
And those bright, amber lights.
But the streetlight glow all goes to waste
And in my mind still holds your face
So tight
Goodnight, amber lights.
Toby - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Piano
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Electric Guitar
Eric Heywood - Pedal Steel Guitar
THE SHORELINE
The shoreline, has shrunk again
To be home, is at the end
So rock me slow, while I am safe below.
Friends will, hold me up
And force forth, another cup
They all adore, that I pretend so poor.
And she’ll be the last one to know.
So lie down, and how I’ve lied
To keep, good, eyes so dry
And rock me forth, as I pretend so poor.
Got my head up, looking for love
Won’t let it catch me again.
And she’ll be the last one to know.
I pretend so poor.
Toby - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Banjo
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Electric Guitar
THE ROCKS AND THE WAVES
Turn the locks, on an ordinary life
All my worst, lies are promises
But she’s not all the things she does or says
Right before, we both hit the bed.
n somebody, always knows a better way home,
for you
But the rocks and the waves, broke your heart
The rocks and the waves, broke your heart.
So turn your back, on an ordinary life
Cut the slack, tied to promises
Then we’re only all we’ve done and said
Right before, we both hit the bed.
n somebody, always knows a better way home,
for you
But the rocks and the waves, broke your heart
The rocks and the waves, broke your heart.
And we’re miles apart.
The rocks and the waves
The rocks and the waves
That broke your heart
They’re miles apart.
Toby - Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitar
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Lap Steel Guitar
THE CALMING EFFECTS… OF RUM AND TRUE FRIENDSHIP
(Instrumental)
Toby - Acoustic Guitar
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Electric & Baritone Guitar
Beth Balmer - Accordion, Piano
CHANTY (FOR A DROWNING SINNER)
When the roll of a dice, it takes your precious life
Don’t say your silly prayers, to me
I’m not God or a man, I cannot understand
Those pretty little words, you need.
When the rise of a wave, takes you to your grave
Don’t throw yer dyin’ arms, t’ward me
I’m as cold as the sand, and all yer Ten Commands
Don’t mean a single word, to thee.
When the gates of the south, open like a mouth
I’ll greet you baring all, your greed
In my eyes will reside, the years of foolish pride
You bore from land to land, by sea.
Oh, oh, oh… Remember me.
Toby - Vocals, Nylon String Guitar
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Electric Guitar
Beth Balmer - Violin
H.S., Beth, Zak & Krevis - Last Hoorah; including all spikes & shakers, cymbals & squeezeboxes, swears & shouts.
NORTH & SOUTH
There’s no way, that you’ll be back tonight
So don’t say, one more little lie
‘cause I can see, through you to the North
And I won’t be, there when you open your mouth
To send me on my way.
Cold days, warm me for the nights
n old ways, are passing with the time
Can you see, through me to the South?
There’s no need, to stay, or to scream, or to shout
My hearing’s not the same.
The long trail, will strengthen our resolve
You can’t fail, just for growing old
n when we see, from North unto the South
There won’t be, more to figure out
Just earth in which to lay.
Toby - Vocals, Guitar
Beth Balmer - Violin, Viola, Cello
LEARNING TO PROVE
When the bridge won’t take the load
We’ll just find another road
To walk you through.
And when the wind is at your chest
You’ll just see me at my best
To walk us through
I still want you.
Lord don’t take me now, I’m still learning how to prove
I still want you.
Toby - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Clint - Drums
Jeff - Electric Guitar
Liner Notes
ALL SONGS WRITTEN… by T.F.X. Burke
PRODUCED… by Zak & Krevis, with Horse Stories.
RECORDED… by Krevis at Indigo Ranch, Malibu, California.
MIXED… at Mama Jo’s, Burbank (?), California by Zak & Krevis, with Horse Stories… and assistance from Dean Nelson.
ART… Jose Cuello
DESIGN… Jeff Holmes
PHOTO… Jessica Holmes
THANKS
Our families.
Our friends… from Melbourne, to Los Angeles, to London.
Adam for legal. Scottie & Miles of Music. Wyndham. Felipe & Jessica for pics. Tom & Mark. Richard (from Indigo, surname??). Sophie Best. Jessie at Chaos. Peter Bruntnell & Band. And the good people of Swansea, for saving the Chanty.
A note about the lyrics (website only):
"The first two Horse Stories records had quite distinct lyrical themes. Travelling Mercies was very road-based and although the idea of movement stuck with me, during a period where I'd re-ignited my interest in reading about shipwrecks and other sea stories, the water presented itself in many of the lyrics I was writing for One Hundred Waves.
Ironically though, the song off this record that probably got the most attention, 'Push My Buttons', is decidedly land-based. An ode to difficult-love, the melody is so gut-wrenching I can only attribute it to the fact that I wrote the basis for it after finally turning off the television on the morning of September 11th, 2001.
'Chanty' is possibly the weirdest thing I've ever written. I've been asked if it's "an old Irish folk song?". It was written whilst screwing around on a very distorted electric guitar, it came from somewhere I can't call up at will. Oh, and it's written from the perspective of the Devil. That was a strange day.
All in all, when I read over these lyrics now, they seem so sad. I may never really understand why, as One Hundred Waves was written during a very happy period of my life. That being said, I was moving in with a girl for the first time, a great reception for Travelling Mercies came with new pressures and the world was on the brink of war... I guess it was a pretty scary time too.
Toby
2007
P.S. Fun fact: The use of a single 'fuckin'' in the 'Amber Lights' lyrics earnt the record a WARNING sticker for 'coarse language' in Australia. It remains the only curse word I've ever written in a song."
