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The Lonestar Companion - Vol 2

by Don DiLego

/
1.
Runaway, runaway, runaway Miss Louise From everything you please It’s ok, it’s ok, it’s ok Miss Louise We understand why you must leave I hope to be around When you decide to find yourself another towne But if you please, could you leave me your keys? MISS LOUISA’S DAFODILS ARE GONE FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING SHE’S DONE COME ON LOUISE, WHERE YOU GONNA RUN? YEAH, MISS LOUISA’S DAFODILS ARE GONE Runaway, runaway, runaway Miss Louise From everything you see It’s ok, it’s ok, it’s ok Miss Louise Cause we have always known why you must leave But I hope to be around When what you’ve done comes up from your broken ground But if you please, would you sell me your trees? MISS LOUISA’S DAFODILS ARE GONE FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING SHE’S DONE COME ON LOUISE, WHERE YOU GONNA RUN? YEAH, MISS LOUISA’S DAFODILS ARE GONE She’s gone away, so far away To spend some time alone with her new sins For me, and for you Runaway, runaway, runaway Miss Louise From everything you please It’s ok, it’s ok, it’s ok Miss Louise We’ll all be here when you get your release MISS LOUISA’S DAFODILS ARE GONE FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING SHE’S DONE COME ON LOUISE, YOUR FLOWER’S WILTING IN THE SUN YEAH, MISS LOUISA’S DAFODILS ARE GONE
2.
Desperado, you’re my hero Riding horses made of clay The river widens for the fortunate few Like you, so tragic and true Deperado, where have you gone to? Now that I need someone like you Walked a million lonely miles Past a million lonely smiles But it’s the heart that grows alone That leaves us cold Now this is me here, biding my time Walking my line, straight and free Singing my songs, hoping that you’ll sing along Desperado, there’s no one left but you It’s the Last Desperado Song.
3.
This day I completed my 31st year I reflected I had done very little indeed To further the happiness of the human race Or to advance the information of the succeeding generation I viewed with regret the many hours I’ve spent In indolence, and now soarly feel the want Of that information which those hours would have given me Had they been judiciously expended Hey, have you been judiciously expended? Guess it’s all a part of something Bigger than One Guess it’s all a part of something Bigger than One I dash from me the gloomy thought And resolve, in future, to redouble my exertions Nature and fortune, they have shown on me And I will shine on them And I will shine on them Yeah I will shine on them And I will shine on them Cause in the future I will live Cause in the future I will live Cause in the future I will live for mankind As I, have heretofore lived for myself.
4.
Eleven-eighteen and I'm still in bed It's all I can do to wait for the day to begin My trash paper map is covered in oil My favorite escape is lying awake Silently under the sun Where we’re swimming in trees Riding the breeze beneath our wings And we’re swimming in trees Holding the wind beneath our wings I followed my thumb to places I know, know, know The lightning ahead Is playing a game with me And I know that today, I'll end up inside The rain washed my map, as I watched the road Oh, it's wasted away Well we’re swimming in trees Riding the breeze beneath our wings And we’re swimming in trees Holding the wind beneath our wings I found this place where I could wind down, down, down Got a ride in a plane, from someone who claimed he knew me And I thought about your name hoping to see You staring up, and me in the trees Silently under the sun And we're riding out under the sun Where we’re swimming in trees Riding the breeze beneath our wings And we’re swimming in trees Holding the wind beneath our wings And we’re swimming in trees
5.
Blue Avenue 05:52
Far away, where the angels all stay Who do you want to be And what do you want to find out? Hey, don’t you know, There’s a lot of things you don’t know S get me on my way Forget about myself and pray Get my car And I’m leaving for the day Drive away, until I find a better oasis Get my feet back on Blue Avenue So what’s with you? Where you going to? Far way, you thought that you’d always stay the same Do you remember where you left yourself behind? Hey, don’t you know, There’s a long way left to go? But I’m the King of the New Road Get my car And I’m leaving for the day Drive away, until I find a better oasis Get my feet back on Blue Avenue So what’s with you? Where you going to? Get my car And I’m leaving for the day Drive away, until I find a better oasis Get my feet back on Blue Avenue So what’s with you? Where you going to? Where you going to?
6.
Well Ol' Hank Williams, found his voice again Beneath the whiskey and rye But he couldn't find me, cause I couldn't find myself I was stuck up on the shelf With books I haven't read "Well Ol' Hank Williams", I called his name and ran on a red-ant highway in the sand But he didn't wonder where the road was gonna go He was looking for the gold But he just found himself a friend The last thing I remember was forgetting my name And the first thing to return Was the color of the sun And the beauty of someone Trying to see what you see Well Ol' Hank Williams, found a phonograph and fame In the dusty grooves of a crooked age But hallelujah there's a voice to hide the pain Cause I've been feeling so ashamed I think I've found myself a friend I think I've found myself a friend
7.
Election 07:19
All we are is all we are Something in the way that we were made Of chromosomes and crooked bones Happiness is all that remains But sometimes it seems, I’m hopelessly just pushing for the world to elect me I believe in Novacane The numbing of the senseless and the vain And if I held a loaded gun Would you reveal to me your compassion? Fashionably, I wearing down the inches of Mercury, in me Won’t somebody please Please choose me And if I found the way to purge I’m confident I’d forget the words I’m thinking again The truth is never all that it seems, seems to be Won’t somebody please Please elect me Please choose me

about

The album…

The “Companion” idea was something I had even before recording “The Lonestar Hitchhiker”. I knew that a debut double-cd was perhaps overly ambitious and a wee bit unwise considering my record label scenario at the time, but it always remained a thorn in my side to complete. For three years, I found myself writing nothing other than songs about “The Lonestar Hitchhiker” character. Songs on the road, songs about being on the road, songs about wanting to be on a road, and finally, songs about not knowing exactly what road I was on. It got so that I became unable to broach another subject and wound up with several “extra” songs on the same theme but that didn’t quite fit onto the manically thought out “Hitchhiker” LP.

Hence “The Lonestar Companion-Vol. 2”. I had been worshipfully listening to “Pink Moon” by Nick Drake over and over and was fully convinced that would be my role model for the “Companion”. As an artist, it’s extremely hard to not emulate what inspires you. I was convinced that the record should be short, sweet, and acoustic with only my voice as an accompaniment. It took me about a year or so after I finished recording the first record to realize that I was, in fact, not Nick Drake. I failed miserably in my attempt to be him. Discouraged in my foray into recording “Pink Moon 2”, I decided to follow the footsteps of whom I know best…me. Mind you, this was no easy decision.

There’s a lot of my father’s spirit in both records, but especially this one. “The Last Desperado”, which is specifically about him, reminds me a great deal of what I heard him listening to before I cared what he was listening too. Of course now, I can’t tell him, “Oh, I get it now dad!”. But I feel a song like that validates his unwitting contibution to my musical wanderings. He wanted me to be a baseball player after all.

“August 18, 1805” was a song I wrote while reading “Undaunted Courage” by Stephen Ambrose. Recounting the incredible journey of Lewis & Clark, it includes the wonderfully poetic journal entries of Meriwether Lewis. I found myself very drawn to this person and realized that he truly was the original “Lonestar Hitchhiker of the US of A”. There was a particular entry written on his 31st birthday that was compelling and that I related to heavily in my own little world. I tried putting these thoughts to words with a chorus I had that went “I guess it’s all a part of something bigger than one”. I failed miserably to say what Lewis had already so eloquently stated. So I just used his words. Almost exactly, I put his journal entry of August 18, 1805 to melody and chord. Though at points awkward to sing, his words are powerful and timeless.

“Ms Louisa’s Dafodils” was just simply the result of this reoccurring line “Runaway, runaway, runaway miss Louise” that refused to stop driving me nutso. I can’t imagine I spent more time than the songs’ actual length writing it.

One of the earliest tracks written here, and probably the one that most inspired the direction and idea of doing this album was “Swimming in Trees”. I don’t know what really to say about it other than it’s one of my songs that I’m most proud of both musically and lyrically. I feel lucky to have had this one come my way.

Listening to the late-great Hank Williams is a right of passage for any self-respecting musician interested in anything twang. His music more than speaks for itself. “Ol’ Hank Williams” is simply my humble tribute to his grand musical contributions.

“Blue Avenue”, I think, was written as a closing number. At least that’s how I want to remember it. This is one of my absolute favorite songs to play live because the outro is so raucous and unpredictable. The non-artist side of me should have faded the song well before it does, but I just love listening to the cacophony of out-of-tune instruments and voices that create a kind of mardi-gras at song’s end.

Finally, there’s this piece called “Election”. This is the result of Erik and I experimenting with any instrument we could get our hands on. Hence the ending of this one. Definitely sparked my fondness to alternatives uses of banjo as well as a new appreciation for the Casiotone monotone keyboard.

So there you have it. Perhaps more information than you needed. Ultimately, this album just ended up being the me of the “here-n-now”, and that’s what I get most out of it. It closes a long chapter for me personally and clears the way for a new train of thought. It is also a small personal victory in just completing it. From the cardboard packaging that I desperately searched for, to the hand stamped icons and text. I hope you enjoy this bookend EP. And thus concludes the saga of “The Lonestar Hitchhiker”. At least through my eyes.

Harry, wherever you are these days, enjoy your continuing journey. And thanks for the last three years of my life.

credits

released April 1, 2003

The Artists & Musicians…

Paul Garisto: drums
Erik Olsen: bass, harmonies
Eladia Hayman: cello
Daniel Palmer: harmonica
Imani Coppola: violin
Stephen Hamilton: spaghetti electric
Gregg Williams: drums, percussion
Michael Aranella: trombone
Bree Sharp: vocals
Don: acoustic, banjo, harmonica, mandolin, piano, wurlitzer, dijembe, casio,
electric guitar, casio, harmonica

The Songs…
Ms. Louisa’s Dafodils
The Last Desperado*
August 18, 1805
Swimming in Trees
Blue Avenue
Ol’ Hank Williams
Election

All songs written by Don except *by D. DiLego/E. Olsen.
Published by 23Willow/SESAC ©2002

Produced by Don DiLego
Recorded all over the damn place, 1999-2002.
Additional engineering by Gregg Williams (Blue Avenue,
Election) and Vassos (Swimming in Trees).
Mixed byDon.
Mastered by Ken Heitmeuller for Independence, NYC.
Legal: Josh Grier (Pryor, Cashman & Flynn, NYC)

For info…
info@dondilego.com
www.dondilego.com
Velvet Elk Records

Thank Yous…
An unrepayable thanks to everyone who contributed to this work in every way imaginable, from moral support, to a musical hook, to a nickel in the album fund. I was not in this alone thank goodness.
A special nod to Hal Isaacson & Michael at Underscore, Jennifer Silver at Hear Music, Trevor Gale et al at SESAC, CB’s Gallery in NYC, Bono, the city of St. Louis, and especially my band for always supporting the cause. Thank You.

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Don DiLego New York, New York

Formerly NYC based singer-songwriter now chopping firewood in the Poconos. Still recording that damn new album at his studio on the woods.

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