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OUT OF STATE PLATES

by Bloodkin

/
1.
NEVER IN VAIN we labor in obscurity but never in vain play our hearts out in this dirty little bar never in vain now we're sleepwalking through the soundcheck turn 'em all up to 10 I'm wondering if tonight we'll make it fly again (chorus) I love this ghost we're chasing patterns we keep tracing scattered and strange never in vain it's like screaming in a deaf ear sometimes but never in vain unspendable riches and secret fame never in vain if the van breaks down tomorrow just more of the same we'll beg and steal and borrow make it fly again (chorus) I do admit it's hurting my feelings we're going broke while everybody's stealing but we made a new friend, gonna let us all spend the night never in vain looks like a drowsy old crowd tonight boys but we're never in vain wake 'em up time to make a little noise never in vain we're tripping all over our destiny don't it look like rain and there's really no place I would rather be never in vain (chorus) if the van breaks down tomorrow if the van breaks down tomorrow make it fly if the van breaks down tomorrow and if the band breaks down tomorrow
2.
Taboo 05:14
TABOO the cops are in the basement and the roof is leaking blood nobody paid the power bill nobody paid the judge it's been the loudest summer I could never get no sleep but I brushed up on my knife throwing stuck one into next week (chorus) hey, the truth is the truth but the law is the law taboo is taboo but I know what I saw I bought illegal medicine at the Cantina yesterday it was not hashish or cocaine it was a ripped out Bible page I heard the rumor going around the narc is going to die looks like somebody's finding out somebody's telling lies (chorus) I got a monkey on my back and he looks just like me looks like a fight right to the finish one of us got to be free the funny thing about a prison is you lock yourself take a lot of little steps down then you bitch about how far you fell (chorus) so I pray for my enemies but I take good care of my own the faces I call family the four walls where I make my home and that's the spot where I am standing and I'm telling you the truth that ain't as easy as it sounds try for yourself see how you do try letting it loose and good luck to you baby too (chorus) I told the truth one time
3.
WET TROMBONE BLUES when the rain comes down on your small town and you're too tired to sleep it's too late to ask any hanging judge where the water's gonna get too deep you can call up your circus friends and make some plans try to find peace of mind in the desert sun but the rain's been found to move around anywhere your hat is hung (chorus) good luck I think you're gonna need it when you're caught out in the storm I ain't no detective don't come begging to me when it rains on your trombone your drummers they will shut up and your majorettes will all run home the lightning will lash and the rain will drop down all over your trombone you can push your parade through that howling desert better keep one eye on the sky when the clouds swell up with their big grey skulls I don't know where you're gonna hide and your strongman won't be no help at all and your clowns their makeup will run and your elephants will shiver, baby and your pink ballerinas will wither you'll wish you'd stayed in the cellar (chorus) everybody gets tired of waiting here everybody tosses while they sleep everybody screams or swims when the water gets too deep so you can stay or you can go you'll find the same old stop sign on every street and angels will laugh at you when you trade your soul for meat (chorus)
4.
WHO DO YOU BELONG TO? (chorus) who do you belong to I'm sure it's not yourself who do you sing love songs to 'cause you sing them all day long but that's not your voice not as far as I can tell you're on your own this time the doctor said to the dying man yes and honey that's just the way you make me feel each time you let go of my hand you let go of my hand and that ain't right (chorus) honey I saw you looking in the mirror and you acted so surprised each time I'm ready to get near you you always close your eyes you always close your eyes and that ain't right (chorus) bad blood flows out and never stops it turns the bridge between us into sand last night your best friend called the cops on me then laid the receiver in your hand she laid it right into your hand and that ain't right (chorus)
5.
Yeah 06:24
YEAH that morning I fell asleep beneath the willow tree had a big dream when I woke up you were there with me you broke that little silver chain off from around my neck I told you, Darling, I've got no one to protect (chorus) and you said, Yeah yeah yeah that's the way it always goes round and round she spins and where she stops nobody knows we went walking down along that flashing river you touched my stomach and I sure did start to shiver you tied a dreamcatcher around every arrow in my quiver I told you, Darling I don't know where to deliver (chorus) that first winter your brother really worked my nerves every joint I'd sneak into he'd be there drinking he couldn't quit singing them crack-up alarm clock blues one night I had a big dream I guess I was only learning I saw a series of portraits he painted of you and me sleeping tossing turning (chorus) half way across the river the boat began to crack I threw them oars overboard and I begged you to scratch my back you just kept laughing you said, Well I guess we're doing alright then we kinda moved in close and watched them oars drift out of sight (chorus) I woke up again in your canopy bed I didn't have nothing left to lose I heard your daddy in the kitchen bitchin' What the hell did I do with my shoes you were on the back porch you were sweeping off some ice you always work so hard but you always look so nice and I say Yeah...(chorus)
6.
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS baby cross your fingers baby witch us up some luck you know if it's good if it's good enough it's sure gotta be tough but I swear my God my Angel I'm going with you when you fall don't believe don't believe the bad news some fools love to talk they love to talk (chorus) just like something out of Tennessee Williams when you're sassin' that way at me hey we're crackin' up beneath the branches of that old half-dead shade tree you could give me a call sometime on your powder blue princess phone it ain't no good for somebody like you to spend the summertime all alone so do you want to pass the red wine over here from your tongue to mine don't believe don't believe the bad news some fools love to lie they love to lie (chorus) I know you're not right hey ain't we all not right sometimes it's gonna be a long night before the Sunday morning chimes church bell chimes I could wear your makeup I could wear your jewelry too I could dress it up for you like them Crescent City boys all used to do but I swear my God my Angel I'm going down with you when you fall don't believe don't believe the bad news some fools they ain't going no place at all (chorus)
7.
Lifer 04:52
LIFER I was playing this joint before they were born I ain't no civilian ain't no greenhorn we stay open from dusk til dawn I'll be here singing long after they're gone long after they're gone I know you're hurting I know it's hard but don't come around here showing off your scars we all got whipped got a few of our own they're crossing my back like a roadmap son (chorus) hey but I don't want to cuss my fate and moan just want to get my life's work done listen here buddy for your information I signed on for the duration we've all had to slave we've all had to sweat we've all done a few things we'd rather forget but that's what happens when a war is on you keep your gun clean if you ever wanta see home if you ever wanta see home I never went to college I never had a job but I never had to beg or gamble or rob money don't mean nothing on the front line you just keep your eyes open keep marking time (chorus) we stay open from dusk til dawn I'll be here singing long after they're gone...
8.
SOMETHING TO SAY flashbacks and bad trips I'm dreaming 'bout when I thought I was high as a bird so many loud voices were screaming I couldn't make out a word (chorus) but true love has something to say and you love you're talking that way I was bitching and moaning and blaming I got my receipt talk is cheap this morning I'm learning to listen and your voice is so sweet (chorus) (first verse) (chorus) you have something to say
9.
TRANSFUSION (the magic show) yes I want a transfusion I don't mind an illusion if it helps me through another day there's no price I would not pay when my life gets too real I can't move I can't feel that's when I need a little make believe and I always got one up my sleeve (chorus) let's go to the magic show baby I wanta go to the magic show when I'm down on my sickbed and my soul is solid lead I hold my breath and I close my eyes and I teach myself how to fly just like I did a thousand times before but I need one more it's getting harder every time but heaven's always worth the climb (chorus) yes I want a transfusion I don't mind a little bruising if I'm hung over on the next day that's a price I'm glad to pay I pull a rabbit from my tophat saw a sweet young lady in half and the crowd is never certain if she's in one piece behind the curtain (chorus)
10.
LITTLE BLINKING LIGHTS a Baptist church on the bad side of town me and my high school friends would sneak into at night behind the pulpit we would pass the joint around and fill our minds with little blinking lights you see the mirror ball a-spinning the first time in your life you get it right the first time it's alright me and Carson Jones we started up a band we practiced in a warehouse and we debuted down the street not much of a turn out but we didn't turn around because the music filled our minds with little blinking lights you see the mirror ball a-spinning the first time in your life you get it right the first time it's alright (chorus) it's alright living and loving the glow living and loving the glow it's alright living and loving the glow living and loving the glow yeah now I am older and I know the world is round I know that heaven is the dirt beneath my feet born in your bedroom so I dream until I drown because you're filling up my mind with little blinking lights I see the mirror ball a-spinning and the party's just beginning the first time in my life I get it right the first time it's alright (chorus)

about

This was a transitional time for the band, particularly in the sense that different drummers were passing through. We were looking for some solid ground, and we found it first in the form of our manager and dear friend Zac Weil, who secured the financing for this project, and second in the production and all-around creative collaboration of David Barbe. We recorded this at his then-brand-new recording studio, Chase Park Transduction, a place that proved to be the real deal. It's been our studio home ever since.

credits

released September 5, 1999

Produced by David Barbe.
Recorded and mixed on scattered dates, August 1997 through August 1998 at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA.
Mastered by Rodney Mills at Rodney Mills Masterhouse, Duluth, GA.

All songs written by Daniel Hutchens
except "Taboo", "Wet Trombone Blues" and "Transfusion (the magic show)", written by Daniel Hutchens and Eric Carter
and "Tennessee Williams", written by Daniel Hutchens and Chris Barrineau.
All songs published by Wet Trombone Music BMI.

Photos by Chris Patras.
Graphics by Michael Lachowski for Candy.

Daniel Hutchens--vocal, guitar, harmonica
Eric Carter--guitar, dobro, backing vocal
David Barbe--keyboards, percussion, backing vocals, guitar, bass
Chris Barrineau--bass
Dave Blackmon--mandolin on "Never In Vain"
Jack Dawson--drums
John Hermann--keyboards on "Yeah" and "Transfusion (the magic show)"
Michael Houser--electric guitar and mandolin on "Wet Trombone Blues"
Kevin Leahy--drums
Todd Nance--percussion on "Taboo"
William Tonks--dobro on "Lifer"
Moe Tucker--backing vocal on "Lifer"
Jay Wilson--keyboards on "Who Do You Belong To?" and "Something To Say"

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