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Persephone Is Dead, Long Live Persephone!

by Dogwood

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zenbyfire
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zenbyfire I love dogwood and their music! there's an amazing energy connection with every song.. it's my go to road music and share it with everyone.
Mitch Barchi
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Mitch Barchi Sublime vocals and lyrics! Favorite track: Pygmalion.
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It's hard to pick a favorite, since I love every song on this album. Dogwood's voice is powerful, emotive and just gorgeous. Favorite track: Pygmalion.
stormfay
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stormfay This music is absolutely beautiful. I love the voice, and I love the energy. The Lyrics give a more intimate perspective on the stories of Greek Mythology. Favorite track: Persephone.
Richard Lewis
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Richard Lewis Dogwood is the very best singer I've ever heard, bar none. She's got an amazing vocal range, with absolutely perfect portrayal of emotion for each song. To give some context, my previous favorite was Norah Jones. Dogwood makes her look like an amateur. Favorite track: Pygmalion.
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1.
Persephone 06:26
Persephone was a friend of mine Warm hair and honey eyes Taken from her mother’s side Persephone was a friend of mine She sailed so far away from me I didn’t miss what I didn’t see But how could I not feel that breeze She sailed so far away from me Baby, come home We miss you so These fields won’t grow Without you by my side Baby, please stay I need your strength I can’t plant these seeds on my own She slipped into the loin’s den The chasm closed over her head Thought that I’d never see her again She slipped into the loin’s den Oh God, what have you done? You’ve gone again and took away the sun How will my love see to run home? Oh God, what have you done? Baby, come home We miss you so These fields won’t grow Without you by my side Baby, please stay I need your strength I can’t plant these seeds on my own Persephone was a friend of mine Warm hair and honey eyes Taken from her mother’s side Persephone was a friend of mine She slipped into the lion’s den The chasm closed over her head I never saw her again She slipped into the lion’s den There is so much danger when we fall in love There is so much danger when we fall in love There is so much danger when we fall in love There is so much danger when we fall in love with death... Death... Oh, Persephone was a friend of mine Warm hair and honey eyes Taken from her mother’s side Persephone was a friend of mine Oh, Persephone was a friend of mine Oh, Persephone was a friend...
2.
The moon lost her first love today Twas the shepherd that laid in the hay He bore her fifty daughters all bright and gay The moon lost her first love today The shepherd was a shepherd of men He reached to the stars and then When he first touched his darling, he never slept again The shepherd was a shepherd of men Ohhh, an astronaut is washed upon the tide Ohhh, never to return to his old life But a man cannot outlast the moon For his life is a flower in bloom And his father will call him home again soon A man cannot outlast the moon She will take him in her arms And keep him safe from harm And from the skies they will hear all the wars and the psalms She will take him in her arms Ohhh, an astronaut is washed upon the tide Ohhh, never to return to his old life Ohhh, the moon lost her first love today Ohhh, but in death she might love him again But in death she might love him again
3.
Counted up the death toll this New Year’s Found that I was short a soul or two Lookin’ around, there was blood on the ground And the vacant eyes showed not a trace of fear I rode ‘ore the valleys and crossed the oceans wide Searching for the one that got away But when I saw it was you, well my heart burst in two Didn’t think that this would be your day Oh, whatcha been doing Oh, to the folks back home I hope that you know now That neither me or God will ever leave you alone Don’t call me a hopeless romantic Don’t think that I am anyone to judge It’s just that I believe in better days Although it’s true that death can conquer love I am the one that ferries souls to Heaven It’s not a job for the weak at heart But I’ll carry on long after you are gone And the loneliness will tear me apart Oh, whatcha been doing Oh, to the folks back home I hope that you know now That neither me or God will ever leave you alone I’m doing my time until my time comes I’m doing my time till it comes I’m doing my time till I see that light I’m doing my time till it comes Yes I’m doing my time, I’m doing my time I’m doing my time till it comes I’m doing my time till I cross the line I’m doing my time till it comes...
4.
Pygmalion 03:26
Your body is growing on me I’m getting so close that I can’t breathe Your body is growing We keep on growing older... I’ve set myself up to fail Always cutting the wind from my sails I’ve set up myself Built up myself for permanent winter... All the sheets are cold in my neighborhood And it’s not worth it anymore to stand where I’ve stood White is the color of marble, powder and bone My pedestal was raised to high and I’m tired of this throne When did these boys all get so bold Barely out of their mother’s mould I don’t wanna hurt you, babe But I’m not a goddess I am man-made... So you can touch me if you’d like I am the statue coming to life I am not perfect and that’s not fair But it still happens so I don’t care... My maker carved my eyelids see-thru And even when I close them tight, I can’t shield from the beauty of you As stone is constant, so am I Even with this ancient heart you come as a surprise Come as a surprise...
5.
The Pressure 02:52
I awoke to the sound one night of two birds Fighting outside my window Cawing and tearing, cussing and swearing Each thinking their heart was in the right Oh birds, oh birds, won’t you lay to rest All that fluttering, fluttering inside my head For I got enough that’s laid on my chest I don’t have the heart for this But oh, blow for blow they traded their words There was nothing that I could do to stop those birds So I found a tune to carry me through And help me pretend that I hadn’t heard what I heard None of your poems were written about me My pain is a giant, so bring on the cavalry This is a list of all the reasons why You’ll never be perfect or useful so stop fucking trying It’s just not healthy, we’re not getting better Don’t patronize me, I won’t wear this damn scarlet letter I can’t take the pressure, I can’t take the pressure I can’t take the pressure, I can’t take the pressure! Oh birds, oh birds, you sing so loud That you’re filling the air and you’re drawing a crowd Don’t make your cries into my morning shroud Light is coming through my windows now Oh birds, oh birds, won’t you lay to rest All that fluttering, fluttering inside my head For I got enough that’s laid on my chest I don’t have the heart for this Sing loud, it’ll go away Sing loud, it’ll go away Sing loud, it’ll go away Sing loud and it’ll go away Sing loud, it’ll go away Sing loud, it’ll go away Sing loud, it’ll go away Sing loud and it might stop
6.
I’m gunna drink the flood before I die, I’ll drink the flood my son I’ll stem off the rising tide until the battle’s won Tie me to the masthead and set a course to go I’m gunna drink the ocean’s dry before the Devil gets me ‘low The last time the flood it came, it took my dearest friend We were lovers, we were fighters and together till the end But the rising waters took the breath of life forever more And he left me standing weeping and a-wailing on the shore Now you may think that I am only a sailor’s poor widow But my love drowned in not the sort of way that you may know But he was not a sailor boy, and I no sailor’s wife But the bottom of the bottle was the thing that took his life I’m gunna drink the flood before I die, I’ll drink the flood my son I’ll stem off the rising tide until the battle’s won Tie me to the masthead and set a course to go I’m gunna drink the whole place dry before the Devil gets me ‘low I’m gunna drink the flood before I die, I’ll drink the flood my son I’ll stem off the rising tide until the battle’s won Tie me to the masthead and set a course to go I’m gunna drink the whole place dry before the Devil gets me ‘low Before the Devil gets me ‘low Before the Devil gets me below
7.
Lost Boys 02:57
The gulls and the crows are in the midst of a turf war It’s a screaming song of sadness that I’ve heard somewhere before Didn’t you say the same thing while we waited for the train? Well we saw the lightning, we chased the black storm Followed it down the tracks till the early morning Electricity bleeding with the dawn Seagulls never get lost on their way to the sea So if you’re not a seagull, don’t worry Just get lost with me Picking out the feathers from your hair one by one You’re flustered and you’re honest and that’s attractive to some I don’t see you as a burden, your wing is broken just like mine Tanning on the rooftop, ship-shape, sails drop Roaring over this lonely ocean and we can’t stop Lost Boys don’t give a shit about unhappy thoughts Seagulls never get lost on their way to the sea So if you’re not a seagull don’t worry Just get lost with me Lost Boys don’t give a shit about unhappy thoughts Lost Boys don’t give a shit about unhappy thoughts Lost Boys don’t give a shit about unhappy thoughts Lost Boys don’t give a shit about it These air currents are sublime, though we’ve had our rough times As long as you’re happy, I’ll have my piece of mind I wouldn’t want this leviathan city to catch you in it’s jaws If the wind blows us apart for miles We can still kill pirates with our crocodile smiles Let’s stay lost.......for a while
8.
Poison purple vine, I see you reaching for the sky Twisted up and twining in the green of my love’s eyes This land is full of patient marshes Deception in the sand And I’m ready, sink me down down down, oh... In the shadows of the raptors all my secrets are held captive I’m passing over state lines, sunlight trapped beneath my eyelids I try to sleep with no one there It’s twenty-eight miles to Delaware And I’m ready, sink me down down down, oh… These barren pines leave me dripping with regret That there’s nowhere left to lay my head But the sinking sands And the world just keeps on spinning as the gravestones keep on grinning Over all the land they’re creeping till the world deals out its ending I feel the heel of time upon my neck And I won’t stop loving you until I’m dead And I’m ready, sink me down down down, oh… His body fills the caverns of my desolated rapture His tides are tumbling blindly, gladly drowning every pasture I welcome every ache he brings my way My lungs are filled without any pain As I sink down….oh These weeds leave me as barren as my bed And breathing in the longing in my head I disappear….into the sinking sands In my lust and in my longing, something’s missing something’s wanting Being buried in the mud can’t quench the fire in my blood And the way the air is hanging is just so delicately haunting Each breath of wind the touch of your hand clenched around my heart If this is how it feels to be apart, I want no part of it Help me, hold me love, before the trouble starts Ohh, I’ll do my best to swallow it No landscape can feel like the circle of your arms… Oh I’m fallin’ all apart And these barren pines leave me dripping with regret That there’s nowhere left to lay my head And these weeds leave me as barren as my bed And breathing in the beauty of your hand I disappear….into the sinking sands Into the sinking sands Into the sinking sands The sinking sands….
9.
Loom Years 05:33
God bless her, my mother, while thinking of lonely me And trying to help bought me the highest pedigree Of fictionalize, scientific sex magazines That shock and amaze the whole world with their accuracy And it’s not that I’m one for pity or jealousy But I’ve been at this loom since 1993 Before you had left you carved our bed around a tree The last night we made love for a shorter eternity But I don’t have faith in lifetimes or bureaucracy And I’ll never know why you’re so fucking nature-y So I guess I’ll have to sit here imagining Why for twenty years you’ve been gone and blown out to sea I don’t want to disappoint you I’ll hold my breath till my face turns blue Cuz you asked me to Oh brave gallant warrior you’re lost in your artistry And taking your time is just not a nice way to be Regardless, I’ll wait here, and smile so happily While the inside’s turning black-and-green crazy The suitors at the door are unraveling the tapestry Although let’s be real, none of them really love me So when I’m not busy I read all those magazines Though your face is in all the papers and TV screens Wherever you are, with whoever you please This isn’t me begging, I’m not on my knees There’s no lying, no cheating, I won’t stoop to pleading This queen is a coward, but the waiting is killing me I don’t want to lead the poor fools on I’ll be patient, I will keep us strong I am fine, I am fine, and there’s nothing wrong! I am fine, I am fine and there’s nothing wrong! Twenty years you’ve been at sea Who do you fuck when you’re not fucking me? I don’t want to disappoint you I’ll hold my breath till my heart turns blue Cuz you asked me to... Cuz to asked me to Because you asked me to You asked me to You asked me to You asked me to You asked me to
10.
All of Paris is burning And you’re eyes are on fire Though it’s dark in this cavern To your dreams I aspire I see it in your heart I see it in your mind It’s not a question of love and loss It’s a matter of desire I am here of my own free will My arms can keep you from Tartarus’ chill Cling to me on your blackest days Don’t listen to their lies, I know the truth of your ways Your wealth is not in riches alone And I will never leave you alone When the King of Death closes his eyes Then my fierce love is no surprise When the King of Death falls asleep It takes all my strength not to weep I know you are feared Lamented and reviled But your judgements are righteous And they’ve never seen you smile I live for that smile Just for that smile So take off your heavy crown, my love And rest for awhile I don’t feel ugly around you I hope I make you feel that too When the King of Death closes his eyes Then my fierce love is no surprise When the King of Death falls asleep It takes all my strength not to weep When the King of Death closes his eyes Then my fierce love is no surprise When the King of Death falls asleep It takes all my strength not to weep

about

**WARNING**
Thar be some curse words scattered about here, as well as some mentions of sex. Please preview before sharing with any little ones!

credits

released September 24, 2015

Copyright Dogwood, September 24th 2015
All songs written by Dogwood (Kate McKnight),
except "Neil & Selena" written by Dogwood & Adam Bratman

Producer/Engineering: Nathaniel Johnstone
Cover Art: Kate McKnight & Laura Zakroff
Layout: Laura Zakroff

Dogwood: Vocals, tenor ukulele, percussion
Nathaniel Johnstone: Guitar, percussion
Adam Bratman: Guitar, guitar hysterics ("The Loom Years")
Erik Brown: Bass
Andy Lowe: Upright bass
Tom Coyne: Drum kit
Aaron J. Shay: Banjo
Sarah Shay: Washboard
Betsy Tinney: Cello ("Persephone")
SJ Tucker: Djembe ("Persephone")
Frog Chorus: Backyard frogs
and Dan McKnight: Banjo ("Sinking Sands")

Friendship Chorus:
Annie Hughes, Aaron J. Shay, Sarah Shay, McLean Sloughter, Jody Ellen, Nathaniel Johnstone

Dedicated to the donors for the album fundraiser, my fellow storytellers, and Sarah B-H
With Love,
Dogwood

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

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Dogwood Seattle, Washington

Hailing from the hedge and loam of Seattle's undergrowth, this chimerical songbird aims to weave historical and wax hysterical in the old-new traditions of mountain men, shantymen, and their fellow men as they tromp and twirl acro'st both ancient myth and accidental malady. This mighty troubadour delights in bringing life to the voices of the past, so come and share a pomegranate seed or two! ... more

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