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Birds of Winter

by Steve and Kristi Nebel

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1.
The Crow 03:45
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The Crow By Steve Nebel copyright 1996 BMI Musk Ox Music Intro: Fm, Bb, Eb Fm Bb I’ve seen crows flock together Cm Ab I’ve seen crows hunt alone Eb Cm Ab Fm I’ve seen crows in pairs talking to each other in the trees Bb Eb I’ve seen crows about half way stoned Some say the crow is cruel and dirty Some observe that he is free I’ve heard cacophony of crows hold their convention in the trees Sometimes the crow reminds me of me So give me wings that I might fly Give me sharp eyes with which to see Give me the wits to go about plotting my survival But most of all - keep me free Chorus: Ab Bb So I salute the wily raven G Cm As he holds court on a windswept tree Fm Bb Cm Ab Most of all I salute the mother we call nature Bb Eb And I pray that she have mercy on me Solo for chorus Chords You can shoot crows with your pistol You can kill them by the score Old crow’s a survivor no matter what you do He’ll keep coming back for more When all of us have left this planet All our survivors in their grave They’ll hear the tale of our demise from the beak of some old raven Who’ll say we got just what we gave Chorus X 2 and out
2.
Birds of Winter 03:49
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The Birds Of Winter Intro - Dm, Gsus, G X 4 Dm The birds of winter are flying Gsus G Across a wintry sky Dm The birds of winter aren’t bothered by landscapes Gsus G Drawn in black and white C F The birds of winter aren’t worried C F Am They know they’re gonna survive Dm Gsus, G The birds of winter Dm Gsus, G The birds of winter Dm Gsus, G The birds of winter C They’ll get by Up north it’s the raven I don’t know how he survives With the blowing snow and no trees to go to What keeps him alive? Ravens they never worry, oh no. Raven he knows he’ll get by Chorus Down here there are ducks and herons Old crow the raven’s best friend On one leg in the mudflats or perched in a tree They’re quite at home in a storm The birds of winter aren’t worried They know they’re gonna survive Chorus (end sequence [sing “The Birds of winter get by”] F, Am, Dm, G, Dm, G, C, Dm, G, Dm, G, C) © Steve Nebel 12-28-94 F Gsus Flock of geese in a V formation Bb Dm Over an urban sky Bb C They’ve got their sights on a warmer climate F Dm Oh, just look at them fly Bb C F F Look at ‘em fly Dm Down here there are ducks and herons . . . Chorus
3.
Crying in Your Sleep 03:54
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CRYING IN YOUR SLEEP Intro - G, D, Em, C, D G D I heard you crying in your sleep Em C I could not tell what caused your tears D Sometimes old wounds can run so deep Em C Noone tastes the waters there D Except for you Em That’s a secret that you'll keep C D Until the day someone awakens you G When you've been crying in your sleep CHORUS C D Em Can you feel my arms around you C D Em The price of love can be so steep C D Let the feelings behind your tears surround you G C Sometimes that love can feel so deep D G When you've been crying in your sleep Solo (D, Em, C, D, G ) There was a boy that I once knew There is not one who knows him now Sometimes that boy could be so blue From thoughts he had noone could see He was alone But that's a secret that he keeps Until the day that boy awakens When he's been crying in his sleep CHORUS Repeat “Sometimes that love can feel so deep when you’ve been crying in your sleep - G, Em, C, D, G
4.
Johnny Really Fell 02:47
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Johnny Really Fell In Love CHORUS - Start with sustained chords C F Johnny Really Fell in love G C Johnny really fell in love this time C F Johnny really fell in love G C Johnny really fell in love this time Dm G And I'll be damned if Johnny C Am Knows enough to give it time F G He's always lookin' over his shoulder Am F And out the corner of his eye G I think he's goin' to let a good thing pass C Am F Johnny never lets his lovers last too long G Yeah, she'll be gone Chorus Yeah, Johhny's always been a cheater And cheaters never win He never knows where he's goin' But he's sure he'll be there again This time he found himself a winner But losers never let the winners hang around He don't know what he found Chorus Oh, Johnny I think you're old enough to know When you plant your seeds in the garden John You oughta hang around to watch them grow Oh, Johnny I'd like to call you irresponsible But the word is more like impossible Oh, oh, oh, oh, Johnny OH! Chorus with sustained chords then one more chorus regular and end
5.
Love Is 01:34
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Love is? Love is not blind Love can plainly see Love makes its’ choices Though love is seldom free Only in the moment Clocked in nanotime Love flows easy Like inspired rhyme Love checks its’ stopwatch Love keeps its’ account But love keeps on giving Though the balance has run out Love is an enigma Sometimes so hard to understand A river loves an ocean An ocean loves its’ sand I am not a river Or an ocean that is true But I will be your lover If you will love me too
6.
Musharoom 03:19
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Musharoom The old man stood across from me - Nearly every day He didn’t speak much English - I hadn’t much to say He used to bring me strawberries, I’d listen to his song His words still ring out in my thoughts - when days grow much too long Musharoom, dolly pound Money makes the world go ‘round Then it brings it back I’ve found Musharoom dolly pound Money doesn’t really matter - You’ve heard somebody say But when you’re broke it’s hard to see money quite that way I still love fresh strawberries, I really love to sing I love the bold perspective a simple truth can bring Chorus He shuffled semi-circles around the market stand His shoulders bent from eighty years, his words fell to the ground I was proud of what I had to sell as I listened to the sounds Of the old Italian’s sales pitch, “Musharoom dolly pound” Chorus That was many years ago, now I wonder “was that real” Then the old man’s face will some to me - I remember how I feel Every day I still get up and sell my very best Hoping what I have to show is better than the rest
7.
I'll Be Fine 05:23
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I’ll Be Fine Wish I could say I’m glad to see you come around Last time you saw me I was fallin’ down I was livin’ by a light at the end of a tunnel I was hiding from a world and drowning in the rain Singing my songs for anyone who would listen With lyrics like razors and music like blood Pumpin’ from a suicide vein CHORUS And it feels alright Yeah it’s OK It’ll be just fine Sometimes you can’t just touch a hurt and take the pain away But I’ll be fine You tell me there’s no way I can know the way you feel Say I’m too blinded by emotion to know what’s real You forget how many times I’ve played that role I don’t have to see twenty-twenty to see inside your soul When we are all standing naked who really cares About the clothes you wore last week or how you comb your hair CHORUS I’d never say that giving was your strong point Giving was just a way for you to get from place to place You take though you don’t know what’s being offered You take because you feel it gives you value A chill is your reward for standing too long in the rain I don’t believe I’m strong enough to go that way again Chorus Next time you chance to see me, please just walk on by Don’t pretend that we are friends That was always just a lie Don’t tell anyone how well you knew me Though I would never say I never loved you Love that’s not returned is love forgotten Though I would never say I’ll never be a fool again
8.
Sunny Day 04:01
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Sunny Day Johnny got webbed feet Down by the wild ocean beach Ooo but it’s sunny today He got his radio He got his baby oh She sits and watches him play Oooh oo oo oo Sunny Day Oooh oo oo oo sunny day He got his bottle oh Music plays soft and low Ooo baby brings out a J City so far away Clouds are all gone today Sun turns them red with it’s rays Oooh oo oo oo Sunny Day Oooh oo oo oo sunny day Johnny turns and he says to her slow Ooo baby -ooo baby She turns to John and she says to him low John this sun makin’ me crazy, I’m lazy, ooo crazy Johnny got webbed feet down by the wild ocean beach Oh, but it’s sunny today Runs through the surf and spray, water’s so cool today She sits and watches him play Oooh oo oo oo Sunny Day Oooh oo oo oo sunny day John stops to stand and stare - she looks so pretty there Hair blowing in the sea breeze John yells “Babe come and play” - water’s so cool today Ooo baby, ooo baby pleeze Oooh oo oo oo Sunny Day Oooh oo oo oo sunny day
9.
Big Floppy Hats 05:41
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Big Floppy Hats By Steve Nebel copyright 1996 I had a dream last night - A dream about a world gone mad There were people who were very, very nice There were people who were very, very bad They were talking about building big cars Cars to go very, very fast Cars with big, big exhaust Cars that would use alot of gas Chorus: I didn’t like that world - so I thought about a world I’d like Now some people have had bad thoughts But everyone was very, very nice Everyone would wear big floppy shoes Everyone would wear a big floppy hat Everyone would have a big red nose Who could be mean in a world like that In their big roomy pants - and their big floppy hat I had a dream last night About a world gone mad I saw a man with his finger on a trigger Just seeing that made me feel bad He was sitting at a big long table Everybody there had guns too They were threatening to shoot each other If they didn’t do the things they said to Chorus: I had a dream last night About a world that seemed pretty nice Everybody had a big red smile Of course it was painted on their face They were dancing in a big green field There were people from all across the planet There were people representing every race - It seemed to be a very happy place I really liked that world - I didn’t even have to think twice There was every skin color in the world And everyone was very, very nice Everyone was wearing big floppy shoes Everyone wore a big floppy hat Everybody had a big red nose Who could be mean in a world like that In their big roomy pants - and their big floppy hat
10.
Rainbow Alley 02:10
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Rainbow Alley ©1995 Steve Nebel - Musk Ox Music - BMI G G7 G C I’m going back to Rainbow Alley G G7 G C Though I’ve heard through some friends of mine it’s changed F C Time is just a needle’s eye my feeling’s sifting through Dm G Dm G C And the best is all remembered and the best I’ve got is you Bridge: CMaj7 FMaj7 If I had the time I’d like to spend a week or two CMaj7 FMaj7 Oh, to find out if my feelings there have changed CMaj7 FMaj7 Now my life’s so structured, too many bars for me to see CMaj7 Dm G It’s so strange, it’s too strange - wo wo wo I’m on my way to Rainbow Alley The meanings in the faces all have changed You cannot return the way you walked when you were younger ‘Cause the undertow’s too strong there, and it might pull you under I would bathe in ecstasy if I could turn the times Though times were not much easier to bear Though I was just a vagabond, I felt just like a king Life was so much easier, everything could be the way it seemed I’m going back to Rainbow Alley Though I’ve heard through some friends of mine it’s changed Time is just a needle’s eye my feeling’s sifting through And the best is all remembered and the best I’ve got is you.
11.
Peace With The NIght 04:02
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Peace With The Night Em C Chorus: She tells me sleep well D Em Then She turns out the light D C I’m left in the dark, and the whispers and shadows D Em To make peace with the night D To make peace with the shadows Em And the sounds of the dark D G With the places I’ve been, the faces I’ve seen Em C D Things I have done that I’ll always regret Em C D Em And the plans that we’ve made that have not come due yet May the night bring you sleep May the dark cleanse your soul May you never know the tossing and turning Constantly yearning after impossible goals May the dark bring relief when you turn out the lights My you easily make your peace with the night Chorus Deep in the night Far into the dark I awake with a start - I feel deep in my heart My dreams and desires, how I’d love to be free But the chains and the bars of my thoughts surround me Daylight or dark I will never be free I wait in the dark For the sun’s early glow I hear the birds greet the daylight again Realize how I’ve been, only then do I know No matter how much my mind struggles and fights This day I will not make my peace with the night Chorus - end of last vs - Chorus - end of last vs end Intro = Em, Bm - Em, D, C, Em Interlude Em, Bm, C - Bm, C, Em
12.
Long, Long 100 Years 03:05
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A Long Long Hundred Years (intro A, A(Ab), A(F#), A(E), D, E, A, E,] A A(ab) A(f#) A(E) (these are single notes over A chord) Grandma knew the names of all the birds, D E A E And flowers that were growing in the woods A A(ab) A(f#) A(E) In the years before she died, I'd go on walks with her D E A Grandma taught me everything she could D E A Grandmas folks had come out west from Kansas D E A E In a covered wagon eighty years before A A(ab) A(f#) A(E) Grandma lived her early years in the fields and in the forest D E A E Among the birds and flowers grandma loved Chorus D E A E It's a long, long hundred years have gone eway C#m Bm E Since grandma was born until today D E A A(ab) A(f#) A(E) It's a long, long hundred years, to the little farms that have disappeared D E A, A(ab), A(f#), A(E), D, E, A, E, And the forest we will never walk again The farm where grandma grew up is a suburb now And the flowers are all plants in someone's yard The forests have been harvested, but the songbirds all still sing And people still complain that life is hard They must have missed the beauty of the forest I don't think they hear the birds at all Sometimes when I'm driving I catch glimpses Of the birds and flowers grandma loved Chorus and end [A, A(ab), A(f#), A(E), D, E, A]
13.
Gnat Lakes 03:11
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Gnat Lakes It’s snowing in Gnat Lakes I run a silent movie in my mind The miles slip silently away I’m looking for the sunshine I’m looking for the sunny days That lie ahead I wish it was a dream An overgrown conundrum in my head The windshield wipers tell a story As they spread the mud from a passing truck across the glass And you can’t look back without the image growing smaller in your mind Meziadan Junction looms ahead There was a happier time There are happy times that now have not arrived A porcupine makes his way along the ditch It was Europe, summertime sixty-nine Just a young soldier with a bright inquiring mind You sit beside me As you have stood beside me for so long Crying over ducks caught in the road I love you. but for now you must be tough Try to hide your tears - try to callous up your fears Now we’re almost in Cache Creek Feel the border growing near Through the rhythm of the parking lot You hear the rhythm of the falling down rain It’s snowing in Gnat Lakes I run a silent movie in my mind The miles slip silently away I’m looking for the sunshine - I’m looking for the sunny days That lie ahead - ooh they lie ahead
14.
Masquerade Composer 04:36
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The Masquerade Composer He's the masquerade composer - he masquerades to write Sometimes I hear him crying in the middle of the night You know - he's searching for an answer he believes only he can see Don Quixote rides his consciousness - He's Don Juan without peyote He's a bell without a ringer, a poem that has no words He searches through his verses, but he just can't find the words No, he just can't find the words Well, he hears the wind go screaming through a world that's sound asleep And stars are bright on summer's nights, the darkness seems too deep Well now, death must be the answer, but life must still go on And he captures only sorrow in the stillness of his song He's the masquerade composer, a masquerade to write Well, he thought he knew the answer, but the answer wasn't right No, the answer wasn't right Answers run in circles, circles create a maze Dense clouds surround your consciousness, you can't see through the haze You look for truth outside you, and then you criticize You fail to comprehend the wonder that lies within his eyes Well, he sees you looking outward, you're a magnet and you're strong And he follows where you're looking, and he knows he's looking wrong He's a shadow boxer, a mystic - with only shadows there to fight I've heard his manic laughter in the middle of his night I can feel the footsteps tremble on the treadmill in his head As the world goes on around him, and he wishes he was dead For he feels the answers flowing, yet somehow he cannot act Fear pushes him in circles, someday he won't come back No - someday he won't come back He's pleased within his laughter, and he's pleased within his tears And he's pleased to follow circles, which center 'round his fears Repetition guides him wherever he must go 'til he's memorized the path of every circle river's flow He leaves a note inside a bottle at every rivers' end And they eddy in a whirlpool with the faces of his friends He's the masquerade composer, a masquerade to write He wishes every one of you a long and worthy life, a long and worthy life Em, Asus, CM7, D D, Asus, Em, CM7
15.
Papa's Playing With A Blues Band 03:18
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Papa's Playing with a Blues Band Chorus Papa's playing with a blues band Papa plays drums Papa comes home With the rising of the sun Mama say she's glad there's no law against poverty Papa says he's glad too sometimes he thinks there ought to be Mama says that papa, sold his soul to the blues Papa says he sold it for rock n' roll too Chorus Papa is a country boy, mama loves the country too Me, I love the city life - yeah I wanna play the blues Chorus Solo for verse Chorus Papa drives into the city nearly every single day Other daddy's go to work, my papa goes to play Chorus You know I love my papa. Mama loves my papa too And we love the part of papa that loves to play the blues Chorus Oh, how I love to reggae. How I love the rock n' roll. But when I hear my papa's blues, they reach me somewhere near my soul Chorus & 3 times tag

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released March 5, 2023

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Steve and Kristi Nebel Tacoma, Washington

Steve and Kristi Nebel bring passion, finesse, and beauty with their songs of social justice, knife edge observations, and pure, simple love. They have traveled extensively having done nine tours in UK folk clubs and festivals. They have recorded more than ten CDs, mostly of their own songs. ... more

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