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Problems & Flames

by Lumpkins

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1.
Oh hello Mr. Death What have you got for me today? You're always showin' up Seems like you only want to play Though you have a sense of humor You've got a job to do Will this finally be the day When I will follow you? Oh hello Mr. Death Why do you show your face 'round here? You're always comin' round And I am losin' all my fear You're the boy who cried wolf And when that wolf arrives You will laugh and raise your staff And take me by surprise Oh hello Mr. Death Is it my time yet? Oh Mr. Death you are such a tease Stop toying with me please please please Oh hello Mr. Death Is it my turn quite yet The suspense it kills me And fills me with regret It's too late to reverse it After all I showed you in Why are you torturing me With your ugly, toothy grin Oh hello Mr. Death Please don't cry wolf again I can't stand any more of this Please bring me to an end Pull the plug, just let me die No more life support Don't be a tease, don't fuck with me No games of any sort
2.
I used to walk Slowly down the staircase But recently I learned a faster way Well I sit upon the handrail And now I'm slidin' down Down that spiral staircase round & round And I'll keep slidin' down that staircase Until I hit the ground Slidin' down that staircase Round & round Well my speed keeps on increasing And I keep headin' down Down that spiral staircase round & round I used to see The scenery so clearly Well I really used to enjoy the view Now it just passes by me And the wind, it is a howlin' As I ride that staircase round & round I know someday I'll fall on my face Well I know I'll reach the bottom of that staircase Well I can't enjoy the ride And I can't hear pleasant sound As I plummet down that staircase round & round
3.
I've been havin' too many of them lost weekends Memory it fades Wakin' up on the floor amongst beer cans and mirrors And razor blades No I ain't a weekend warrior it just goes on and on All through the week Every week of every month Every month of every year I'm on a losin' streak Stimulants, they keep me up And the booze, it keeps me down There's all kinds of rumors 'bout me Spreadin' all around the town And my eyes are always red And the skies are always grey I'm fightin' off them hunger pains My headaches just won't go away But hey I've got problems I've got flames All around me And it's burnin', I'm in pain I can't descend any lower I'm in the deepest pit Down at the bottom And I know that this is it Someday this hole will be filled And my wish is fulfilled I've been havin' too many of them lost weekends They're catchin' up with me I get so bent out of shape about the state that I'm in I need a remedy But I know I'll never find one So I'll just keep on boozin' And poppin' pills And I know I'll never wise up So I'll just keep hurting myself Until it kills I'm not gettin' any sun It's been 40 days of rain And the whiskey makes a void Where there used to be a brain I get angry messages 'Bout the things that I did say But I don't remember them The fleeting thoughts have gone away And I know the reaper's near I can't avoid his icy touch I've been goin' too far down And I've consumed way too much I'm fatigued beyond belief I'm feelin' tired every day I've been lookin' down and out And my old friends, they went away
4.
On the old forgotten crossways where the 14 rivers did meet The bones of our elders were lyin' in the streets On a dark and dusty desert, like a ghost I've flown I barely cried wherever I ride, I've never found a home Feel the strain of sorrow never ceasing I am a ramshackler, I go from town to town And where there is no shelter, I lay upon the ground I killed every reason they gave for me to stay Cussed and moaned and burned the bone And dragged that that thing away There's saints and there's animals They've taken what they could And it's written in the pages Do just like they should They've stood the test and burned the rest And tore them limb from limb It's marked upon their faces It's written on their skin
5.
Dying 06:21
Place my deathbed next to the record shelf Within reach so I can pick them out myself I want to hear Piaf and Holiday sing And they will comfort me through times which are trying And if I'm able I'll start the turntable And listen to my records as I'm dying Place the speakers right next to my ears It's all I've wanted after all of these years I want to block out those church bells that ring It is not them for which I am vying This will be the final time I put on vinyl And listen to my records as I'm dying So let the drummers drum And let the crooners croon And they will comfort me On dreary afternoons And now that I am here In the hospice wing It's what I need to hear as I am lying I guess this is it now I'll turn the speakers up loud And listen to my records as I'm dying No, I'm not troubled this is just reality I don't believe in hell or eternity I'm not concerned with what the afterlife will bring I hear my neighbors and their families crying As I prepare to leave I'll pull out the next sleeve And listen to my records as I'm dying
6.
I been lost And I don't think I'll be found And I don't know how long I'll be around My insides eat themselves To the core Death is knockin' at my door I can feel it My mind is goin' I toss and turn Til the break of day I'm feelin' weak I can barely stand I been dealt a dead man's hand Come on dealer I need some luck It's my last chance This is my last buck Come on dealer Won't you deal me in For once in my life I'd like to win I can't believe What they're puttin' me through Did I deserve this What did I do The consequences of my actions take their toll I guess I've been irresponsible That's why I write These desperate words Think about my life And it burns That's why I play In this dreary band I been dealt a dead man's hand
7.
Don't Lie 02:57
I told you from the start How it was going to be How I couldn't be your boyfriend Cuz all I do is cheat When I'm with other women You're engulfed in jealousy You tell me you're not bothered But it's obvious you are I can see The look on your face And that escaping tear So don't lie to me and tell me what I want to hear You know I've been up front I tried to relate That I'm too independent For you and I to date We had an understanding That was non-negotiable That if we were to do this It wouldn't ever lead to trouble But I'm afraid what's happened Is exactly what I feared So don't lie to me and tell me what I want to hear How can I impress upon you That I really care And that if you need a friend You know I will be there But I'm just no damn good At this thing called love If that's what you're lookin' for You're better off lookin' in another direction Cuz I know what you're seeking And I'm not what you need I am one of many Fish in the sea I can't stand that I hurt you And now I'm led to feel guilty But I don't know why I should You say that you're happy But I can see The sadness in your eyes Yes that is how you appear So don't lie to me and tell me what I want to hear
8.
Why do you treat me like a stranger? Don't you think we have a past? We still have things that we can talk about Even if our love, it did not last Why do you treat me like a stranger? You know these games have got to end Just because you're not my lover Doesn't mean that you are not my friend You said We would be on good terms You said that you still care Now you've got your new group of friends And you pretend like I'm not there I saw you the other day And you just looked away Why do you treat me like a stranger? I think this has gone far enough You know I stuck by when your life got hard I was there for you when things got tough Why do you treat me like a stranger? Well you just snub me left and right Why do you have to be so cruel to me I really wish that you would shed some light You said Nothing would change You seemed sincere and kind You said "call me anytime you need" But it seems you've changed your mind Cuz when I try to get ahold of you The calls don't make it through Why do you treat me like a stranger? I suspect it's what you use With all your new friends and their habits And the new poisons that you seem to choose Why do you treat me like a stranger? I don't like how you are towards me You know you used to be my best friend And now you treat me like a nobody Why do you treat me like a stranger?
9.
How Long? 04:24
It's been a long time coming And it's come to a head I don't know how I have gone so long I should already be dead Somewhere between the drink and the high You'll see my body floatin' between the ocean and the sky And I'm wonderin' how long it's gonna take Before my body's gonna break I've got a good ticker Yes I was built to last But I've thrown too many wrenches Into the gears too fast Now my engine don't run like it used to I'm slowin' down and sputterin' and don't have a pit crew And I'm wonderin' how long it's gonna take Before my body's gonna break It's been a long time comin' And I've certainly been warned After all is said and done I know I will be mourned I'm sorry that I didn't take better care I'm sorry if this song is just too much for you to bear But I don't want no funeral I would prefer a wake When my body is to break
10.
Zzyzx Road 06:11
Halfway Between Vegas and L.A. There's a sinful place that I have found Under a constellation Of a pentagram formation Zzyzx Road is the Devil's playground Well I drove my truck down I-15 I was halfway in-between Sin City and the Angel's Wasteland I had to stop and filler up And put some liquid in my cup And that's when a strange man offered his hand He said "Hey now My name is Curtis Howe You look fatigued, why don't you take a rest? I got a good book And I'm a damn good cook Are you thirsty? Cuz it's drinks I do the best" Well I sat down and began to read And Curtis was eager to feed Me stew from a vat upon the range "Whatchoo drinkin?" "Sum'n strong!" "Boy howdy you just can't go wrong, And peace of mind is what I can arrange" Well I started To feel funny in my head And Curtis was to laugh maniacally And before I could think About what was in this drink He was leadin' me into the Mojave He said "I've got to exorcize The demons I just put inside" Then ol' Curt, he tied me to a pole The vultures were to peck my eyes And despite all my screams and cries No one was around, not a soul And that's when He took some kindling And put it at the base by my shoes Lit a match And made the kindling catch Said "The lord demands that you pay your dues!" And as the flames began to creep Up my back, I fell asleep And the darkness brought a sour note It and I were tumblin' down Distortion tones and underground And images of sacrificial goat Oh lord, deliver me from evil Oh lord, watch me from above Oh lord, deliver me From demons, minions and the sea Of fire that I'm drowning in, Oh lord! Well I floated Down the firey riverbed Until I reached a chamber filled with screams And atop a throne Was a man I've never known But I swear that I had seen him in my dreams Well he spoke like a sonic boom Said "Prepare, scum, to meet your doom I'll make you slave inside my sulfur mine Because you've lived a life a sin Let's begin the extraction Of your soul, because it is now mine I said "Wait! Is there room for debate? Is there any recourse that I have?" He said "NO! It is your time to go! Your pathetic grasp for life just makes me laugh" Well I fell down upon my knees And cried out "Mister, can't you please Hear my plea and listen to what I say? I am much too young to die I was murdered by a guy On Zzyzx Road in Californ-I-A So he said "Ok, son I'd like to have some fun So I suppose I will grant your request But you need to show That you deserve to go And so I'm going to put you to the test I challenge you to a game of cards Against myself and my demon guards" Hold 'em, with the highest stakes I've played He was good, he was a shark And If I lost, I'd wear his mark But I kept winnin' hands, I'm not afraid Well it came down To the final round And pocket aces was my final hand I laid 'em down Then I was layin' on the ground Beneath the desert sun in the sand Well I swear I'll never ever see That kind of depravity Anywhere else in this whole state Excuse me if you couldn't tell But I have just returned from Hell So pardon me if I'm a little late Halfway Between Vegas and L.A. There's a sinful place that I have found Under a constellation Of a pentagram formation Zzyzx Road is the Devil's playground

about

The second album by Lumpkins

credits

released August 13, 2013

All songs written by David Ney (Strayney Music) except "Hello, Mr. Death" by David Ney and Kevin Lee, and "Feel the Strain of Sorrow Never Ceasing" by Beck Hansen
Produced by Pat Gay, David Ney, and Kevin Lee
Engineered by Pat Gay @ Sleng Teng, Bellingham WA
Mixed by Pat Gay
Mastered by Paul Turpin @ Champion St. Sound Studios, Bellingham WA
Artwork by Kevin Lee & Ross Robinette

Lumpkins:

Tyler Clarke: Electric Guitar
Kevin Lee: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
David Ney: Electric Guitar, Vocals
Ross Robinette: Drums, Organ
Christopher Stainback: Bass

Thanks:

The Shakedown, Cap Hansen's, The Conor Byrne, Redlight, Honey Moon, The Green Frog, Avielle Heath, Audra Robson, Make.shift, Falling Upstairs, Go Slowpoke, Scumeating, Dusty Pie & the Rusty Wankers, I Love You Avalanche, Biagio and the Argonauts, Lana Rebel, Maria Cantrell, Megan Blaney, Kat Bula, The Swearengens, Keaton Collective, Aaron Harmonson, Mara Fields, Karl Olson, Cam McLaughlin, Peter Woiwod, Micah and Jake Knapp, Zach Zinn, Natasha Loewy, Rod Lotter, Kari Severns, Marissa Dimick, NW Folklife Festival, The Brown Lantern, Pressgang Retail and Thomas Culvar, Django Bohren, Curtis Howe Springer, #20 Kregg Lumpkin RB, Lee Lumpkins, Valerie Brogden, Wes Davis, anybody who ever paid a cover to see us play, Hollow Earth, Matt Fu, Jessica Sele, Nicky Andrews, Avalon Discs, Spencer Wilhoft, Cherry Blossom Family Delivery, The Gooch, Slim's (PDX), Alberta St. Pub, Megan Housekeeper, What’s Up! Magazine

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Lumpkins Bellingham, Washington

Lumpkins play uniquely Northwestern Country Music

Lumpkins are:

David Ney - Guitar, Voice
Kevin Lee - Guitar, Voice
Tyler Clarke - Electric Guitar
Christopher Stainback - Bass
Ross Robinette - Drums
... more

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