The Secret of the Open Sky

Steve Unruh
Clawing up the deep black well
toward a shaft of light above
One canary climbs the coalmine
gone to mingle with the doves
Is there anybody there?
Bloodied fingers, broken nails
muscles shaking from the climb, but
Soon Ill reach the space to spread these clipped wings and
sing the strongest song of all time
Is there anybody there?
Hello, is there anybody there?
Bathed in sunlight, I reach the world
so bright yellow I can barely see
I release my melody to these clear skies
but it seems no one is listening to me
Is there anybody there?
Hello, is there anybody
There, there, dont you cry. Its a secret everybody sees eventually
said the old man deep inside
The secret of the open sky, where the stars at night are shining bright with promise and such purpose
is how everyone competes for a feeling of completeness its so cold here on the surface
We are prisoners of our dreams for were taught to gauge the meaning of the song by fame and fortune
You see that scene that called your soul? Its commercially controlled to hold the wealth out of proportion
Seldom now a day goes by without one more implication I am useless and unwanted
in this scene thats seen it all (if we need you we will call) as Im stuck all progress stunted
Bloodied fingers, broken nails
muscles aching from the fall
Every day another little piece of me dies and now I
sing the strangest song of them all
Is there anybody there?
Hello, is there anybody
Hello, is there anybody
hello, is there anybody

Beyond This Masquerade

Steve Unruh

Staring at the tracks, waiting for the train to come

Plotting my escape, down those distant rails Id run
Standing at the ledge, I feel like crossing over
But on the rumbling ground my feet are frozen
as another train rolls by
Lion in a cage, how long must we play this game
Mediocre everything, severing my dreams while I remain
tame until an atrophy of vision
Look at me. let this curtain fall
ah, another train rolls by
Lights out I feel like the play is ending
Im out of any big ideals
Just let go the time has come for growing far beyond this masquerade
Singing in the mud, trying every trick I knew
to save myself by striking something up in you
Flailing as the both of us go under
Sinking into ever-deeper blue
ah, another train rolls by
Lights out I feel like the play is ending
Im out of any big ideals
Just let go the time has come for growing far beyond this masquerade
What could I say thats not been said a thousand times?
What could we play that isnt burned out on our ears?
What could I sing to bring some feeling back to you,
so disillusioned?

Guitar solo: Fran

ah, another train rolls by
Lights out I feel like the play is ending
Im out of any big ideals
So, let go the time has come for growing far beyond this masquerade

Ether
Fran Turner. Lyrics by Steve Unruh

I am the ember burning

underneath your grave
I am the smoke escaping
from your burial cave
Ether rising
I am the vapor creeping in through tiny holes
I am what ancient mystics used to call your soul
Ether rising

Instrumental craziness!
Guitar solo #1: Steve
Guitar solo #2: Fran
I am the atavistic reawakened drive
you are my sleeping vessel soon to come alive
Ether rising

Mimosa
Music Steve Unruh and Fran Turner, Lyrics by Steve

canopy leaves beautiful breeze morning mimosa take pity on me

Ill rest in your shade unfold a new day morning mimosa take pity on me
sever the ties I can feel myself unwind never mind what it does to me this time
here is a river to eden here is a path to get back where I began ease me into erasing what I am
canopy leaves grant a reprieve morning mimosa take pity on me
here I will stay unfold the new day morning mimosa take pity on me
sever the ties I can feel myself rewind never mind what it does to me this time
here is my river to eden here is a path to get back where I began ease me into erasing what I am

Flute solo: Steve

wipe a slate clean clear out the memory morning mimosa take pity on me
enter my veins nothing remains morning mimosa take pity on me
sever the ties I can feel my self unwind never mind what it does to me this time
double trigger darkness suddenly snapping understanding deep is eating me
little brittle touch-me-not so mistaken taken out and dissolved away..
out seems a dream, so surreal out of time
gripping tighter fighting helplessly over-bearing sense of new uncertainty
river running red Im feeling my eden speeding spiraling
a way out seems a dream, so surreal out of time
slipping, tripping, spiral out of control Im falling farther down the rabbit hole
to the bottom, blackness total decay Im feeling conscience slip
a way out seems a dream, so surreal out of time

Violin solo: Steve

a way out seems a dream, so surreal - out of time
chemical breeze everything is not what it appeared to be, as discovery takes its toll on me
here I decay rusting remains mimosa take pity on me
I severed the ties and I felt my senses die only to find what its done to me this time
drowned in the river to eden losing the path I get back a broken man ease me into erasing what I am

Guitar solo: Steve

The epic ending, aka Silkwrm

Guitar solo: Fran

The Land of No Groove

S. Unruh, F. Turner, R. Winslow, B. Farrands, Lyrics by Steve

[i. PROLOGUE]
This is the tale of the Land of No Groove
where music got stuck in a rut
and four daring travelers desperate to prove
an inkling that gilded their gut
that somewhere beyond all the drivel and fluff
blasting from megaphones high
there might be a land filled with spiffier stuff
it could be fiction, but they had to try
Get a good rest, at the dawn were leaving
off to travel far away
set a compass for the far horizon
walk on - out toward the dusty plain
Barry and Francis and Robby and Steve
packed up their drums on a cart
With guitars on their backs, and their hearts on their sleeves
it was off to the lost land of art
Get a good rest, at the dawn were leaving
off to travel far away
set a compass for the far horizon
walk on - out cross the dusty plain

Flute solo: Steve

So, get a good rest, at the dawn were leaving
off to travel far away
set a compass for the far horizon

walk on out cross the dusty plain

[ii. DUSTY PLAIN]

Guitar Solos:
Steve,
Fran,
Steve
Walking the whole day, away from the din
like some ancient caravan crew
Tired by nightfall, they stopped at an Inn
but little did they have a clue
The Inn had a megaphone nailed to the wall
of the lobby where they had to dwell
blithely rebroadcasting drivel and fluff
Expanding the boundaries of hell!
So, get a good rest, at the dawn were leaving
off to travel farther way
set a compass for the far horizon
walk on - out toward the jagged mountain

[iii. JAGGED MOUNTAIN]

Our band of travelers did not get the good rest they had hoped
Awakened repeatedly by radio chatter, and all-night disco music thumping through the lobby wall
But that was neither here nor there now; it was morning and they were at the base of the jagged mountain
daunting, yet with the promise of the great blue sky above
Heave, ho they all pulled together and drug their uncooperative cart up the slope
No way would they leave their instruments behind (or the canvas tent they bought after the last nights experience)
As morning slowly turned to afternoon (and their legs into metaphorical gelatin)
a little white puff came floating by (a magical sight!), as they crossed above the cloud line
Tired-legged travelers were rising to the peak, weak, but still their spirits rose
like finally they had escaped they were above it all
in the land beyond the megaphones and woes
The air was brisk, and just below, the sun lit the tops of puffy little clouds
Terra Incognita maybe the lost land was found
When gradually, behind the peak, arising with each step they spied an ugly metal spire (argh)
Boosting the signal, ubiquitous drivel had scaled these heights and was bringing them right back down
Cursed rebroadcasting antenna, I would smite thee!
if only I had a hacksaw.
No lost land of art, just the backside of a mountain
Down down down.
[iv. LANDS END]
Weary travelers tethered to a dream
feel the energy ending
Down the mountainside, to this lonely beach
resolution out of reach
Now its evident everywhere we go
only avarice follows
Blast the eminent megaphones on high
far above this tiny cry
Light up a candle, then blow the wish away
We come down defeated for another day
Lost at the lands end, lay to rest upon the shore
a dream forever more
Night was coming and so they built a fire
mind and body both tired
Weary travelers put their shoes away, and then
from the heart they played

Guitar solo: Fran

Light up a candle, then blow the wish away
We come down defeated for another day
Lost at the lands end, lay to rest upon the shore
a dream forever more

[v. OFF TO SEA]

But the sun rose again the next day
and you cant keep a desperate dream at bay
They tore their tent into a sail, as persistent winds prevailed - Their cart they converted to a rickety raft
Rob had once sailed the sea (and none of the other three but that was OK. they set sail anyway)
[vi. SEA MONSTER BATTLE]
The breeze fell in a lull
The cart floated aimlessly on eerie, calm waters
Francis couldnt shake the feeling that something dangerous in the deep was stirring
The ocean swelled, and the boat rocked
A creature started rising
Eyes of yellow, a tailfin green and thirty feet of Sea Monster in between!

Rarrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
Ancient, dragon-like eyes fixed on the helpless four
Terrified, Robbie and Steve froze in the creatures massive shadow
But Barry was trained in Eastern Meditation, & combined with the adrenaline, he experienced an odd clarity of focus
He assembled his drumkit and prepared to chase away the beast by unleashing a frenzied flurry of drum fills!
Barry vs. the Sea Monster!

Sea Monster/Drum solos: Steve/Barry

Raaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhh!
And as the waves subsided, the mighty Sea Monster looked upon them and said,
Simon: Hey, your drummers pretty good! Grab onto my tail, and Ill pull you to a secret island with a bunch of
cool musicians you can jam with.
[vii. THE ISLE APPEARS]
And as the monster towed them round
they raised their eyes and felt the sound
as out of the mist a mountain peak was rising
Simon: Welcome to our secret isle of groove
Im Simon, its protector, and you fellows four have proved
youve a part to play in my friends favorite tunes
which theyve practiced now for decades since their jam band got marooned
back in nineteen seventy-nine
oh, the times they were a changin
mainland music became an assembly line
til finally they saw no point to return, so
they settled here forever, where their songs ring out eternal
their radios were all shut down
they formed their own live music town
and never wondered if the mainland missed them
And as the raft was pulling in, Steve sensed the battle he must win, was
to convince this band to go back with them and play the mainland

[vii. CONVINCING THE ISLANDERS]

Islanders: Welcome to our island, were so glad youre here
we have had no visitors, in over 30 years
Fire up the barbeque, we can grill some leeks
drink some cool papaya juice weve been ripening for weeks
Your tiny raft looks suspicious if you press your luck you might sink
so, youre stuck here. Have another drink.
Come tomorrow morning, well give you the tour
visit the vegetable garden & get a taste of the local allure
Sail the coastline in our fancy boat
Simon kindly tows it, since our fuel ran out years ago
Now go grab your guitar, man bring those cymbals and drums
jam in 5/4 til the morning comes

Simultaneous guitar Solo: Steve L, Fran R

Food and music were stunning, as the red sun went down darkness fell on the isle!
Steve: Listen close to what I tell you: Such a tragic tale of woe
Our home towns been taken over! Fluff and dreaded megaphones!
Islanders: Sad, but not our problem, how things have devolved
Mainland music is terrible do you think thats something youll solve?
Now do you get it - why we settled here?
Only groovy live music, and no mega-phonies to fear
Steve and Rob were confounded, Francis just shook his head. Simon suddenly said:
Simon: Whats the point of all the singing if deep down nobody cares?
Pale platitudes, friends, to meaningless ends, if this next generation is destined to fend for themselves
Wont you help? Just one show?
Islanders: All right, Simon. Bring the boat, lets go.
[ix. JOUNEY HOME]

Guitar solos:
Steve
Fran
Steve
Simon the Sea Monsters flippers were fleet, as the band played the evening sun down
His nautical knowledge was true and complete, and he knew of a port close to town
Sailing at twilight and on through the night, back to the Land of No Groove
They were tired but finally feeling all right, as the hope in their hearts was renewed
From the big quest, at the dawn returning
grand adventure far away
at the shoreline, now the sun is rising
sailing back to the tales beginning
The band stepped ashore, waving goodbye to Simon. He was off to the sea they, to lead a revolution

[x. GROOVE REVOLUTION*]

* Guest musicians, The Secret Island Band: organ, congas, tambourine

Guitar solo: Steve

Storming home with a 16-piece band
waves of sound pouring out, sweeping over the land
Blasting out from the towns center square
the long lost groove moving through the air
Singin, You cant stop it now, the musics taking over, people!
Singin, You cant fight it now, the Groove is gonna overthrow!

Guitar solo: Fran

One by one the megaphones fell
from rooftops, retransmitters, distant hotels
The meaningless music that ruined the sound for a whole generation
was finally brought down!
Drivel got drowned out, feet started to move
then the crowd went contagious and danced to the groove, in the
RE VO LU TION, cause
You Cant Fight The Music Taking Over People
Singin, You cant stop it now, the musics takin over, people!
You cant fight it now, the groove is gonna overthrow!
Sing it, You cant stop it now, the musics takin over, people!
You cant fight it now, THE GROOVE IS GONNA OVERTHROW!