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    Scott Cook

    • shows
    • tunes
    • press
      • bio
      • resources
      • hi-res press photos
      • press quotes
    • travelogue
    • videos
    • words
    • politics
    • contact
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    • fellow travellers
      • subscribers-only content

    lyrics from Go Long 

    Long Weekends Theme 

    Judging by the angle of the sun 
    I'd say it's beer o'clock 
    Judging by the damage that we've already done 
    To that cooler, we might need to re-stock 

    Talk about a late one last night 
    Swapping songs and laughing well past dawn 
    When the seagulls and the early risers arrived with the daylight 
    We weren't phased, just put on our shades & carried on 

    I don't know where the nighttime went 
    Or where my urge to sleep has gone 
    But everyone outside my tent is 
    Just too damn entertaining on 
    A long, long weekend 
    It might be the death of me, but what a sweet death it would be 
    On a long, long weekend 
    I don't think I ever wanna go back home 

    If you're gonna whip it, whip it good 
    If you're gonna live it, live it strong 
    If you're gonna trip it, you take it easy, knock on wood 
    And if you're going out for the weekend, go long! 

    Some might say I'm slow getting started 
    But you don't sprint in a marathon, you see 
    And you know, I've been known to sometimes have a bit too much of the party 
    And once or twice the party even had too much of me 

    You might get to worryin' about the parts of your vacation gone 
    But what you lose in memories you'll gain in reputation on 
    A long, long weekend 
    It's all about the pacing, son, no need to be racing on 
    A long, long weekend 
    Party legs, don't fail me now 

    There's a funny thing about us Canadian boys 
    Most need a certain amount of booze before they can dance 
    But all these pretty women and the sweet music have filled me with such joy 
    I think I might even give the hula hoop a chance 

    This right here is a cure for alienation 
    This right here can solve wage slavery 
    It put me on the rocky path to self-realization 
    And I found myself a paved road to poverty 

    But I'd trade all the cash in the bank for this big lovin' family 
    And I have you kind folks to thank for supporting my delinquency 
    On the long, the long weekends 
    The longest are the sweetest kind, fill my heart and blow my mind 
    Those long, long weekends 
    It might be the death 
    Well, it just might be the life 
    Oh, I do believe it's the life for me 

    Will the Circle Be Unbroken? 

    It's anybody's guess out in the campground 
    The Banana Man's got a new dance 
    By the drum circle there's a drunk circle 
    They say play something we can sing, but they can't 
    They talked this one guy into American Pie 
    Then Me and Bobby McGee, the poor kid 
    When they sang you can check out anytime you like 
    We took a hint, and we did 

    We followed the call of a doghouse bass 
    The promise of new songs and sounds 
    And stumbled upon a cluster-folk 
    A bunch of folk buddies, just folkin' around 
    They had concertinas and autoharps 
    Singing hey, ho, blow the man down 
    And it won't be long 'til She'll Be Comin' 'Round 
    The Mountain When She Comes comes around 

    Will the Circle Be Unbroken has broken up a few 
    And if I hear I'll Fly Away again, that's just what I might do 
    Somebody says, "Yo! Play something we know" 
    And the lonely hearts whisper, play something blue 
    And that guy with a djembe, just a campfire away 
    He wanna jam it with you 

    Some songs just need puttin' out to pasture 
    Hang up the jersey in the rafters 
    They served 'til it hurt, they were well overworked 
    They earned their sweet hereafter 
    I wish Sally's Mustang was impounded 
    And the Wagon Wheel rolled off eternally 
    I won't be redeemed by Redemption Song 
    And please don't put The Weight right on me 

    I realize it's a matter of perspective 
    But a guy's gotta draw a line somewhere 
    Then again I read some scientist said 
    Every possible universe is already there 
    So when that fella started singing Oasis 
    And up 'til then I hadn't took him for a fool 
    Rather than be ungracious 
    I believe in an alternate universe in which that's cool 

    Tax Free Money (by Scotty Dunbar)

    Waitresses and strippers, come with me, we know where it's at 
    You can tell by the sound it makes that it's a toonie in the hat 
    Just sing it more like Timberlake or Beiber and watch the cash roll in 
    Cauterwaulin' on the corner's how I pay my rent, I'm earnin' 

    Tax free money, tax free money 
    Tax free money, that's what I want honey 
    Tax free money, tax free money 
    If you can spare a brother some, lay it on me 

    Nobody pays taxes, when you get paid it's already gone 
    They are orchestrating crises to take your pension fund 
    We are so meek my friends, robbin' us doesn't even take a gun 
    You think they're worryin' about the deficit? I think they're having fun with your 

    Well, GM pays no taxes, Apple pays no taxes 
    Oil giants pay no taxes, man, 'cause they know what to do 
    You see another year go by without nothin' to show 
    Can't you hear 'em my friends? They's a-laughin' at you, they got your 

    If I'd been a little bit smarter, I'd've been a bank robber 
    Singing these songs's just the best I can do 
    But around campfires and bars, I'm already a star 
    Just come and see us now and then and we will sing a few for you, and take your 

    A Lifer for a Wifer 

    A lifer for a wifer, is that too much to ask? 
    I'm far enough down this road, I won't be coming back 
    Lots of buddies' wives were nice as pie, 'til they got 'em in that ring 
    I'll take a lifer for a wifer or I'll skip the whole damn thing 

    Lots of buddies' wives were nice as pie, they let 'em have their fun 
    'Til all of a sudden they were husbands and all of that was done 

    I'll take a lifer for a wifer, otherwise I won't get caught 
    It ain't lovin' me to want me to be something that I'm not 
    And this ramblin' 'round singin' songs ain't a hobby, it's a life 
    Only lifers understand, only a lifer could be my wife 

    I don't care if she's tall or short, or if she's rich or poor 
    I'm just hopin' she can pick and grin, and harmonize of course 

    And doesn't mind going camping, and doesn't mind bars 
    Extra points if she knows a thing or two about fixing cars 
    She's gotta have her head on straight, so I can trust her take on things 
    And if she can diddle the big bass fiddle I'll be wrapped around her strings 

    If you see her, can you tell her we'd make a real good match? 
    I still got my looks, and I love to cook, my friends say I'm a catch 
    My bills get paid, and I'm not afraid to talk about how I feel 
    And my favourite place is the jade gate, and I ain't too proud to kneel 

    Could be I'm asking too much of one special one 
    But if the shoe don't fit, I'd just as well get my lovin' on the run 

    A lifer for a wifer, it's the only way I'd go 
    I'm far enough down this road, don't you think by now I'd know? 
    And I'll be content to wander on alone through this sweet life 
    But if I'd ask one last blessing, it'd be a lifer for a wife 
    If I'd ask one last blessing, it'd be a lifer for a wife 

    I Live Down Here (by Raghu Lokanathan and Scott Cook) 

    Don't you make a tomb of my town 
    I live down, I live down, I live down here 
    Don't know about forever but at least for now 
    I live down, I live down, I live down here 

    They say it's a dodgy place 
    But it's here that I know everybody's face 

    Like that's my friend upstairs with my ex 
    That's losing your turn with sound effects 

    Gollum said to young Bilbo 
    "She's my precious, don't you know?" 

    And Job said to God most high 
    "Won't you pick on someone your own size?" 

    What did the South Dakotan say to the North Dakotan? 
    What did the Mexican say to the Minnesotan? 

    A snail walks into a bar, says 
    He says, "Have you heard my low C#?" 

    Don't go poopin' on me, seagull 
    I have a friend named Mr. Eagle 

    And don't you make a tomb of my town 
    Don't you lay that pipeline down 
    Oh, don't you make a tomb of my town 

    Sweet Maddie Spawton 

    Sweet Maddie Spawton 
    Where are you now? 
    No tellin' where you'll go, you're a rambler, don't I know 
    In your sweet time, get back somehow 

    If you're traveling in the north country 
    Bring your long johns 
    Bet your life, overalls and a jackknife 
    By the time they see you, you're long gone 

    You swear like a sailor 
    And you lean like the sea 
    When your blood's running, you smell like a woman 
    Who just might be harder than me 

    Sweet Maddie Spawton 
    Where are you now? 
    Runnin' down the road, oh, I love to watch you go 
    In your sweet time, get back somehow 

    No lord and no master 
    No god and no king 
    Own your own labour and you don't need a saviour 
    I guess you could get away with anything 

    Ballin' in the country 
    Bummin' in the town 
    Look at us high-rollin, all this stuff was stolen 
    It'll get real when the shit goes down 

    Sweet Maddie Spawton 
    Where are you now? 
    Blowin' on through, that's just what ramblers do 
    In your sweet time, get back somehow 

    Here's to tucker when you're hungry 
    Whiskey when you're dry 
    Friends when you're hard up, ignition when you start up 
    And sweet freedom when you die 

    Sweet Maddie Spawton 
    Where are you now? 
    No tellin' where you'll go, you're a rambler, don't I know 
    In your sweet time, get back somehow 

    Drink Poverty History 

    Wouldja look at that Bono on TV again? 
    He's Bob Geldof with a costume change 
    And there's still no snow in Africa this Christmastime 
    And good, 'cause wouldn't that be strange? 
    Who does this Russell Brand guy think that he is? 
    Isn't he just another self-important poseur? 
    I get my kicks lookin' at chicks 
    And hanging out with you hosers 

    Drink poverty history 
    Drink this thing into the black 
    Drink to the things that you wish you were rid of 
    They'll be there for you when you get back 

    The afternoon world, with a two-beer shine's 
    'Bout as perfect as anything can be 
    And if you can keep it right there on the line 
    You're a much better person than me 
    It's partying with you, then it's partying alone 
    Then it's do you even have to ask? 
    Some people got video games and pizza 
    I got a case and a flask 

    Wouldja switch up the channel? I can't stand the news 
    Saying the whole country's broke 
    While I'm going in the hole just tryin' to make a living 
    Someone's making a killing I know 
    But they still take my card right here at the bar 
    So I say just keep 'em coming 
    There's still a sunset to ride off into 
    As long as they keep the taps running 

    Talkin' Anthropocalypse Blues 

    Remember Y2K? 
    Remember what you did that day? 
    Were you scared the machines would turn on us all? 
    Or maybe your phone just wouldn't work? 
    Maybe aliens would come to earth? 
    Could've been a mushroom cloud, or heaven's bugle call 
    Me and some friends took a trip down south 
    And we were on a beach, hanging out 
    With folks from all over the world, feeling nothing but fine 
    We drank until we got demented 
    Counted down for each time zone represented 
    And partied like it was 1999 
    'Cept it actually was, it wasn't just a figurative thing 
    And when it turned 2000, well, we kept on partying 
    Getting kinda silly by that point 
    Stumbling around, yelling at clouds 
    The new millennium was looking pretty messy so far 

    But you can't always party daily and nightly 
    And not everyone takes those kind of things lightly 
    Some folks got more serious concerns 
    Take William Miller, back in 1818 
    With all the scripture he'd been studying 
    He got to figuring out when Jesus would return 
    Once he was done calculating 
    He got to proselytizing & debating 
    And within several years he rounded up thousands more 
    They had pamphlets and meetings, the more the merrier 
    Saying God would cleanse the sanctuary or 
    Something like that, October, 1844 
    And after waiting years for their coming king 
    They started giving away everything 
    Unconcerned with possessions or employment 
    But when the day finally rolled around 
    And Jesus was nowhere to be found 
    They had what was called "The Great Disappointment" 
    Some said they'd botched their calculations 
    Used the wrong calendar or computations 
    And He was still coming, just a few months or years later 
    Some other folks just figured they'd been wrong 
    Figured they'd better try and keep their home 
    And think of a way to explain it to the neighbours 
    And somehow find the wherewithal 
    To stock that pantry after all; 
    Heck, maybe they should even go and see the dentist! 
    But some other folks insisted it really did happen 
    Just not on earth, but up in heaven 
    And they became the Seventh-Day Adventists 
    Now, if there's any Adventists listening 
    I really don't want to offend you... 
    Really, I've got friends who are Adventists! 
    I mean, I met one one time 
    Besides, we've all got crazy ideas of our own 
    For instance, I thought this would be 
    A nice little subject to write a song about! 

    Back in the first century, off the Turkish coast 
    On a little Greek island called Patmos 
    A guy wrote down a bunch of visions he thought reliable 
    And rather than asking "what's this guy on?" 
    People named it the Apocalypse of John 
    And 300 years later they decided it was in the Bible 
    And I grew up believing it'd all come true 
    Just when and how nobody knew 
    But God was coming back to get His biz done 
    First time by water, next time fire 
    Righteous and wicked to divide 
    And we'd get a new world in exchange for this one 
    And it was gonna happen soon! 
    'Cause things are obviously getting worse 
    There's no turning it around 
    There's no saving this Earth 
    Nothing worth saving anyway! 
    You got men marrying men, men marrying dogs, trees... 
    Next thing you know some guy's gonna marry his truck! 
    It's just wrong! 

    Now some cheeky folks offer a service 
    To believers who are getting nervous 
    To ease their mind about their dogs and cats 
    'Cause pets don't get raptured, you see 
    So these folks say, for a small fee 
    They'll feed and walk 'em in the unlikely event of that 
    And boy, if it happens like they say 
    And all the believers are borne away 
    You can be sure those atheists'll come around then! 
    Once they find out they lost the bet 
    They'll take real good care of your pets 
    It might be their last chance left at gettin' in! 
    It's written no man knows the day of the Lord, 
    But I saw it on some big billboards! 
    Harold Camping figured it out, and wrote it up high 
    God must've thought, who's this hack? 
    Maybe He was even planning to come back 
    And then didn't, just to spite the poor old guy! 
    After May 21st went by, people laughed but he stuck to his guns 
    Said it'd been a spiritual event, not a physical one... 
    And the real thing was coming, October 21st, 2011... Poor Harold! 
    He kinda lost his enthusiasm for predictions after that 

    2012 was gonna be big, right? 
    That shit was gonna be tight! 
    They had special calculations we could rely on 
    This wicked old world's gotta make room 
    It's the start of a new baktun 
    According to the calendar of the Mayans 
    Well, those Mayan dudes may've been rough 
    But they sure did make some amazing stuff 
    And they really must've been rapidly evolving 
    They didn't waste time with messy elections 
    They put the pedal down on natural selection 
    By cutting off your head if you lost a ballgame 
    But what'd they think 2012 would mean? 
    Would the poles reverse? Would the sun turn green? 
    Would we see the planet Nibiru? Would it destroy Man? 
    Or was it the dawn of the Aquarian Age 
    Our ascension to another vibratory stage 
    Without war, injustice, materialism, or boy bands? 
    Terence McKenna predicted the singularity 
    With all the hard-earned sincerity 
    And certainty that goes with dedicated research 
    See, he made a computer program, threw the I Ching 
    Ate psilocybin mushrooms and some other things 
    And as a result, he was 'bout as sure as anyone on Earth 
    Funny thing about being sure: 
    The more you are, the less I believe you 
    Especially if it's that crazy-eyed, foaming at the mouth kind of sure 
    The kind where no matter what happens, it still proves you're right! 
    And if you don't see it 
    Well, it was just more of a hidden, spiritual thing... 
    Anybody see a pattern here? 

    We're pretty good at getting it wrong 
    This song'd be even more stupidly long 
    If I tried to tally up everybody's guesses 
    One thing in common with all these tales 
    They depend on someone besides ourselves 
    As if we won't have to clean up our own messes 
    As if we're the last people on earth 
    As if these times are the craziest there ever were 
    As if we're not just holding space here for our grandkids 
    As if it's all gonna turn to black and white 
    And everyone's gonna see the light 
    And convincing won't be as hard as it always is 
    Like we won't have to change minds one by one 
    It'll just happen, it'll just get done 
    We won't have to take time with all the messy stuff 
    Of building bridges, loving people in 
    Realizing when we're wrong even 
    And learning how to stop when we've had enough 
    Sounds like a pretty tall order, right? 
    God help us, you say? Or what? 
    It's gonna take a miracle to save us from ourselves, right? 
    What if we're the only miracle we've got? 

    This world has gotta end 
    This world has gotta end 
    It's on us to make a new one my friends! 

    The Kid with the Comic Book (by Trevor Mills) 

    The Earth was shipped in a cellophane wrapper 
    To a godlike kid by galactic courier 
    He'd placed an order from the back of a comic book 
    He'd read when he should've been in school 
    He had a project due in his socio-anthro- 
    Eco-geo-bio and creationism course 
    That he should've been working on instead of playing games 
    With his gang of omnipotent pals 
    The project was due in a hundred thousand years 
    Which can hardly be construed as enough time 
    To populate a planet with intelligent beings 
    Who can live in a self-sustaining way 
    But he saw in the comic book an ad for a planet 
    With a species on the brink of developing intelligence 
    That could be shipped in a cellophane wrapper 
    And he thought, it's my ticket to an A! 
    Now it might seem to you like a hundred thousand years 
    Is a long time, but if you just consider 
    That the kid with the comic book would see a hundred thousand 
    Years pass like the twinkle of a star 
    So the kid put the Earth on his desk in his bedroom 
    Underneath a heat lamp that he kept on a timer 
    On his walls he had made constellations 
    That were stars that could glow in the dark 
    And he worked as the species on the brink of intelligence 
    Grew, found fire, built bombs and exploded them 
    He cried when he learned the killing was so often 
    Interspersed with the praising of his name 
    So the kid with the comic book turned on the heatlamp 
    Took a magnifying glass from his leftmost cupboard 
    And looked to the Earth, picked a symbolic bush 
    And focused, and set it on fire 
    And when the bush was burning the people got the message 
    And the leaders agreed to take responsibility 
    And base their actions on accountability 
    And promise that they'd try to get along 
    So the kid took the Earth to his teacher, who looked 
    And saw good work and the room for improvement 
    Not a bad first try, B plus, and excitement 
    For your many more creations still to come 
    And now the Earth lies wrapped in bubble-wrap there 
    On the floor of the closet of the kid with the comic book 
    His mother checks in every now and then 
    To ensure that things will work out in the end 
    And so everything will work out in the end 

    Come This Far 

    This old world it started out mean, getting meaner still 
    Some folks get religion, some folks take a pill 
    Some folks just check out, and some folks stay 
    You can be sure I didn't come this far not to go all the way 

    If you gamble on your heart, if you bet it all on grace 
    They can read it on you like a tattoo on your face 
    But you got to lay your money down if you wanna play 
    You can be sure I didn't come this far not to go all the way 

    Woody said the fascists are bound to lose, but man they sure do linger 
    Last I heard the invisible hand was giving us the finger 
    But if Dr. King was here, you know what he would say 
    You can be sure we didn't come this far not to go all the way 

    We didn't plant these shade trees, we didn't dig this well 
    The old folks did it way back when and as far as I can tell 
    Forward's the only way left to repay 
    You can be sure we didn't come this far not to go all the way 

    You got a restless heart, that's alright with me 
    You go on and do your thing, honey I still believe 
    You're gonna let me cook you breakfast some fine day 
    You can be sure I didn't come this far not to go all the way 

    So I believe I'll just stay hungry, keep on askin' why 
    Keep living for a living, lighter as the years roll by 
    "Dream on," they said, and I said, "okay" 
    You can be sure I didn't come this far not to go all the way 

    The Day that You Were Born

    Well, I'm not that old but I've heard it told 
    That fourteen billion years ago 
    There was nothing at all, and then something so small 
    And so heavy it had to explode 
    And there was more than enough primordial stuff 
    To make sextillions of stars 
    And when some cooled down there were planets around 'em 
    And one of those planets was ours 
    And thanks to water in the ocean and molecules in motion 
    And heat and who knows what else 
    Some proteins entwined and recombined 
    And started making copies of themselves 
    And of all the mutations and strange combinations 
    The weirdest one without a doubt 
    Could stand up tall and wonder at it all 
    And even figure this kinda stuff out 
    Well, that big of a coincidence doesn't make a lot of sense 
    And nobody knows what for 
    Could've been unplanned or by God's hand 
    But the only thing of which I'm sure 
    Is that you are the fruit of something inscrutable 
    Spanning untold millennia 
    And now here you stand with a drink in your hand 
    So I suggest you get it in'a ya 

    It's the day (it's the day) 
    That you were born (that you were born) 
    And we got plans for you, hope you're not workin' in the morning 
    Your mama remembers proudly and your friends get drunk and rowdy 
    On the day (on the day) that you were born (that you were born) 
    The lucky day that you were born 

    (You remember that day? Of course you don't! 
    Don't worry, I'll tell you how it went...) 
    Well, your dad was frettin' and your mom was sweatin' 
    And you had your own share of strife 
    Then you came out crying and everyone was sighing 
    'Bout the wonder of the cycle of life 
    But of all the mysteries in your history 
    There's really no riddle as hard as 
    How such a little doll, so precious and small 
    Could grow up to be such a big smart-ass 

    I said it's a-lucky for us and that's just because 
    There's really nobody quite like you 
    You're a good friend to have, and we get lots of laughs 
    At all the goofy-ass things you do 
    I've heard the wisdom of a sage comes with old age 
    But I don't see how that's true 
    Cause no matter how old you get, you're still full of shit 
    You're welcome, and I love you too 

    Last chorus: If you don't act your age, you just might feel it in the morning 

    That's Life (Loving You Right Back) (by Corin Raymond) 

    In the bottle there's a half a glass of red wine 
    On my floor there's a trapezoid of sunshine 
    If I could crack my head and spill out all my daydreams 
    You'd find rhyme schemes, self-esteems, and moonbeams 
    If I could show you everything my skin hides 
    If I could peel me back and look into my insides 
    You'd find a love burnin' a hole in my heart 
    All the love I give away's gonna ricochet back my way someday 
    I say, all the love I give away's gonna ricochet back my way someday 
    I think today I'll stop keepin' track 
    And just say, that's life, loving you right back 
    That's life, loving you right back 
    Makes me wanna get my bare feet on and do a little boogaloo 
    Makes me wanna write you a song for when you're feeling blue 
    Something you can shake it to, send a shiver through your sacroiliac 
    That's life, loving you right back 
    That's life, loving you right back 
    Living you right, loving you right back 
    That's life 

    A song is an act of premeditated beauty 
    A song is joy, and I consider it my duty 
    On a Saturday in the middle of September 
    To sit in the sun and sing this little number 
    That says I got a love burnin' a hole in my heart 
    All the love I give away's gonna ricochet back my way someday 
    I say, all the love I give away's gonna ricochet back my way someday 
    Makes me wanna get my bare feet, makes me wanna run through the rain 
    Makes me wanna laugh and shout and sing a bold refrain 
    That goes against the grain, rolls just like a train down the track 
    That's life, loving you right back 
    That's life, loving you right back 
    Living you right, loving you right back 
    That's life 

    While the Party's Still Going 

    I'm a sucker for fun, passing it 'round 'til it's done 
    Staying up 'til the sun comes a-blaring 
    See, I just wouldn't wanna miss the ridiculousness 
    and the songs, and the drunken feats of daring 
    But if you see something worthy in waking up clear and early 
    It means leaving while the campfire's still glowing 
    Though I wish it weren't so 
    Oh, sometimes you just gotta go while the party's still going 

    When you're out with a gal, and all your good-timing pals 
    Are doing shots and the band is a-rockin' 
    And she puts her hand in yours 
    Says would you waltz me outdoors? 
    There's a starry cathedral for talking 
    'Neath the full-bellied moon, with the sweet fading tunes 
    You slip out without anyone knowing 
    When she asks you just so 
    Oh, sometimes you just gotta go while the party's still going 

    We were tying one on when the word came from home 
    That our good buddy Fred had crossed over 
    He'd seen the world with the bands, gave us young bucks a hand 
    He was gracious, and steadfast, and sober 
    Now I remember those things with each song that I sing 
    And the river of music keeps flowing 
    Wish I could tell him so 
    Oh, sometimes you just gotta go while the party's still going 

    I been all 'round this world, fell for all kinds of girls 
    And I thank every wrong turn that brought me 
    Still I long for certain places, and beautiful faces 
    And the bittersweet music they taught me 
    Ah, but leaving's not to fear, it's what landed me here 
    And it's what keeps this heart overflowing 
    I could stay here, I know 
    Oh, sometimes you just gotta go while the party's still going

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