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A User's Guide to Raising the Dead (Songs of Spring)

by The Darling DeMaes

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1.
You wiped a patch of snow off the ice-lake, The April Sun somehow let it frost. Your sisters were dancing in the Orchard, You called them over to see what you had found. A man in the ice, He left it all behind, To find a better life, Frozen in the ice, Frozen in the ice, He left it all behind, To find a better life. To find a better life. With a magnifying glass, You used the rays of Sun, To melt away the past, With a magnifying glass. His blood was coming free, His eyes began to see, His throat slowly thawed, And his lungs began to breath. You pulled him to the side, His pale face surprised, Remembering the sky For the first time.
2.
I saw a show at four o’clock, maybe five, It showed this picture of a young girl who died. She lay face down, A man drove a nail through her head, And as she died Her body shook, and they had sex. The cop who found her Was a strong man, tired from years, He looked away from me and Broke down in tears. Let’s all join hands and kill the ones Who make this an evil place.
3.
Stomach Ghost (free) 04:27
Willing young man, curious girl, We fell into this world. Stole from a tree, found out the truth, We had to build a room, Walls around me and you. But things weren’t as good, reason to fight, We were running out of time, Watching the years go by. A murder took place, a child disposed, This was the life we chose, But, darling, we came so close. You my love You my love Watching us grow, Planting a seed, Spirits loving free. Falling down, We’re falling down, Learning to die, Learning to feel, Love grows in disease. The waters were rough, cut down to two, Some time for me and you To talk about things to do. More people came, a tower went high, The start of wandering eyes, Under the changing skies. Silently, Is it all to nothing? You my love You my love Watching us grow, Planting a seed, Spirits loving free.
4.
I wanna live like a teenage mom, I wanna live like a teenage mother, I wanna celebrate life despite what’s right, I wanna live like a teenage mom. We gotta dance like we can’t even stop We gotta dance like we can’t even stop I wanna close my eyes and grab your arms And wrap them ‘round my waist and hit the floor. Overflowing with milk and love and life Overflowing with hands and ears and eyes. A little worried, it’s okay A little worried, it’s okay You & me, you & me, you & me, Oh, you & me. A little flawed, it’s okay A little flawed, it’s okay You & me, we’re the same, A little scared, a bit ashamed. The competition’s not our fault, It was there before we were born, This hatred’s not our fault, It was there before we were born, The lines are not our fault, They were drawn before we were born, The tracks are not our fault, They were laid before we were born. I wanna live like a teenage mom, I wanna live like a teenage mother, I wanna celebrate life despite what’s right, I wanna live like a teenage mom.
5.
Your ghost is still here, Your spirit still haunts me, Appearing in eyes Of people around me. Two years away, Follows behind me, Watches me laugh, Sadly and silent. You opened the gate, I followed through, Cross-graves at night Waiting for you. Only you. A Thief in the night, Ghost from the past, A suicide gone horribly wrong And now look at what’s left: Skyless, Closed-off, Waters run dry, The change ain’t true. When I hold her in my arms, I want you. Only you.
6.
The beaten track is the easiest path, A girl with a fragile heart will Love you back. Dye fabric in blood, Patch Asian cloth On the valves and the veins, ‘Til it all looks the same, ‘Til it’s sort of the – The start of an Eastern goodbye, I’ll meet you in Seoul, Then come to the shore, For a “meal” . . . Whispers of white and red in a word, She lowers her head, We’re leaving again, But the last time will be the worst. Hope lights up sad eyes, A tentative smile – she gives it to you, Oh oh oh oh, Young professional hands Discovering old joys with somebody new, Oh oh oh oh I-- caught myself repeating things I said to the girl before, To the girl before you, Oh oh oh oh We’re two lonely scavengers trying To use fragments of what is left – Got to build something new, Oh oh oh oh yeah. The beaten track is the easiest path, A girl with a fragile heart will Love you back.
7.
Flip The Mirror to the back, Find out where you are, The pleasure and the mystery Behind the censor stars… What I need, Take care of me. Kick the snowdrift off your heels, Climb the spiral stairs, Dance the dance that lovers fear, Leave behind regret… Fantasy. The clouds are gray, the wind burned your face, There’s corpses on TV and children are screaming. Cold winter nights All blow away When you twirl in her summer clothes. Ice drops of rain All wash away With the sweat down your jivin’ gams. For you my love is free. Forget about the world outside, Forget about your friends, Forget about those other ones, It’s time to pay the rent, Emily. In here it’s alright, there’s fire in your eyes, I’ll turn off the TV, just come here and please me. Cold winter nights All blow away When you twirl in her summer clothes. Ice drops of rain All wash away With the sweat down your jivin’ gams. For you my love is free.
8.
The same old sun Wears you down, Lights up a darkness You can’t overcome, Shows the world, This broken place, The guiltless in pain, The grinding of teeth. But oh, The Night’s coming. Yeah, The Night comes. I held your arm, You held my arm too And in the sunset We found something new, Mixed our blood With a music that drowns the Night In glowing white minds Behind black curtains. The Night Sleeps inside inside inside inside
9.
(instrumental)
10.
Screen-test eyes and a grown-up look, I fell in love with Patty Duke, Not the blind, deaf, dumb girl, Not the TV teenager. The Valley of Dolls, a drink in her fist, Sparkle neck, curled lip, Slumps on the stairs and lets down her hair, Greed anger lust and fear.. There is love in the air. Mixing up dolls with alcohol shots, They say I’m drunk even when I am not. The actress behind the sadness and sorrow, Look in her eyes, see through her soul. Wipes a hand across her lips, Cleans the stains from an angel face. Why so sad in a diamond house? Playful eyes, open mouth.. There is love in the air. Mixing up dolls with alcohol shots, They say I’m drunk even when I am not. The actress behind the sadness and sorrow, Look in her eyes, see through her soul. We’re mixing up dolls with alcohol shots, They say we’re drunk even when we are not. The actress behind the sadness and sorrow, Look in her eyes, see through her soul.
11.
Oh, these desert stars at night, Lost in a cloud of flashing light, Oh, this terror in my bones, A heavy chest and thoughts of home. The First Twins And clubs and movie stars, One Twin on her knees And she’s going far. I’m feeling a little stressed, dad These blisters on my hands, dad, All the faces that I love, Outta sight, growing old. The First Twins And clubs and movie stars, One Twin on her knees And she’s going far. La première fois que j't'ai vu Plus triste que fier C'est pas à cause de moi C'est à cause de celui qui mène Why not go when there’s nothing to lose? Send the girls out, It’s their right to choose, Nobody sees what nobody knows, Your baby’s dying while his darling blows. There’s a gun in her hand, There’s a gun in her hand, There’s a gun in her mouth, There’s a gun in her hand.
12.
Stumblin’ Jack said, “What’s the point of being dead?” He’d rather be black-ash Then dust instead, Forget to breath, You know what I mean? When you’re finally alive, you don’t even feel it. You were here, you were here, A little while, a little while, And that inside Light Covered all the Night, And fireflies burned holes in my eyes. The Gift is like a ghost, The fireplace is full, Within your skin is cooling scars and smoke, It’s hard to know what’s real, It’s hard to know what’s real, ‘Cause a little time will change your mind. Won’t you wait, Won’t you wait, Won’t you wait A while? AREN’T YOU SCARED? That it’s gonna stop… I used to be in love, I swear I was in love, But now you just can’t be sure, I think I’ve seen enough, I might’ve seen too much, It attacks your eyes and ears and heart And it overflows But never fills your soul.

about

"A User’s Guide to Raising the Dead (Songs of Spring)" is the first full-length album from Montreal’s The Darling DeMaes (pronounced de-mays), and the first true introduction to the quintet’s darkly tales sung sweet.

Subtly shifting time signatures, surprising song-structures, and unexpected chord choices are piloted by songwriter Erik Virtanen’s unique-and-sometimes-odd-but-always-honest storytelling that blends joyful love and joyful hate.

credits

released November 8, 2008

All songs arranged by the Darling DeMaes.
Words and Music by Erik Virtanen,
except "Into the Night (Part II)" by Buz.
Produced by Erik Virtanen.

Recorded & mixed by Joseph Donovan and Adrian Popovich at Mountain City in Montreal, Qc.
Mastered by Noah Mintz.
Album Photo by Robert Klein
Album Layout by Julie Milette

Features: Erik Virtanen, Tasha Cyr, Buz (Marc-André Mongrain), Alec Ellsworth, Sami Kizilbash
with guest appearances by
Eva Boodman, Christine Ghawi, Minyeong Song and Emma Frank
contact@darlingdemaes.com
www.darlingdemaes.com

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The Darling DeMaes Montréal, Québec

The Darling DeMaes is a Montreal-based indie acoustic group.

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