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PROMISED LAND
Body Politic
Track List
- Atlas
- Emerald Eyes
- Walking in the Shadows of Love
- Promised Land
- Little White Lies
- Time
Credits
Writing Credits
All songs written and arranged by Steve Klingaman
Humuncules Music BMI
Except:
Time
Cliff Baker
Administered by Humuncules Music BMI
Produced by Steve Klingaman, Cliff Baker and Jim Lincoln
Steve Klingaman ~ guitar, vocals
Cliff Baker ~ bass, vocals
Jim Lincoln ~ drums, vocals
Guest Artists
Damien Rasmussen ~ backup vocals on “Emerald Eyes”
John Doe ~ keyboards on “Walking in the Shadows”
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Damien Rasmussen at Dancing Dog Studios, Emeryville, CA
Manufactured and distributed by Body Politic & Co., San Francisco, CA
Humuncules SK101
Lyrics
ATLAS
Atlas knelt upon the mountain
the killing wind tore at his face
he was condemned to kneel forever
vanquished by another race
Upon his shoulder rose the pillar
that holds apart the earth and sky
always to wait for a replacement
with no one to hear his cry
With the weight of a world upon his shoulders
with the weight of our dreams upon his back
we built the crushing world on the strength of his arms
now I think that Atlas was black
There was a war against the new gods
where the titans met their fate
Atlas betrayed by his own brother
to suffer and bear the weight
With the weight of a world upon his shoulders
with the weight of our dreams upon his back
we built the crushing world on the strength of his arms
now I think that Atlas was black
How many generations can this go on?
what kind of bondage did they mean?
what kind of man can force his brother
to be crushed by the weight of this machine?
With the weight of a world upon his shoulders
with the weight of our dreams upon his back
we built the crushing world on the strength of his arms
now I think that Atlas was black
There is a place between light and darkness
where the howling winds do blow
and he kneels there like a fighter
who has taken too many blows
Like the gods we split the atom
our weapon is a lightning strike
like the gods we vanquished Atlas
next time Atlas will surrender the sky
With the weight of a world upon his shoulders
with the weight of our fears upon his neck
we built the crushing world on the strength of his arms
now I think he is due some respect
EMERALD EYES
Have you see Jane with her man?
he’s good for her, I understand
I used to be where he is today
no I don’t think we were ever that way
Janie’s in love but it ain’t me
it looks like complete recovery
she’s biting her nails and pacing the kitchen
her friends all remind her but she doesn’t listen
She’s got emerald eyes—here’s one for the poets now
emerald eyes—she don’t lead and she don’t follow
emerald eyes—she’s living like there’s no tomorrow
she falls, she falls, she falls, like the rain
Jane doesn’t come here no more
nobody answers her door
I don’t get jealous and I don’t get hurt
but she looked so good in her jeans and my shirt
Jane doesn’t change doesn’t change
nothing can be arranged
who would have thought that it would come to this?
separate lives, sealed with a kiss
She’s got emerald eyes—here’s one for the poets now
emerald eyes—she don’t lead and she don’t follow
emerald eyes—she’s living like there’s no tomorrow
she falls, she falls, she falls, like the rain
She falls like the rain
she falls like the rain
She’s got emerald eyes—here’s one for the poets now
emerald eyes—she don’t lead and she don’t follow
emerald eyes—she’s living like there’s no tomorrow
she falls, she falls, she falls, like the rain
She’s got emerald eyes—tears of love rain all around me
emerald eyes—the way she used to…way she used to…
emerald eyes—tears of love will shatter me
she falls, she falls, she falls, like the rain
WALKING IN THE SHADOWS
Strange days in the city of brotherly love
where all good people are watched from above
city lights for winners on Fortress Heights
desperate nights where the homeless are shadows in flight
If we had world enough, time would be on our side
if we stop tearing it up it’ll be a better world tonight
Countdown to the end of the century
this ain’t the script that I thought I’d see
break down, it’s a permanent injury
I always thought you’d remain with me
If we had world enough, time would be on our side
if we stop tearing it up it’ll be a better world tonight
I was just walking on a dark street
“fifty cents,” said the man lying at my feet
he said you could call it a permanent loan
then he said, ”if you lose, you sink like a stone”
when will we be walking in the footsteps of love?
when will we be walking in the footsteps of love?
walk on, we’re dreaming in the shadows of love
we all still live in the shadows of love
If we had world enough, time would be on our side
if we stop tearing it up it’ll be a better world tonight
it’ll be a better world tonight
PROMISED LAND
It would corrupt anyone
regardless of previous addictions
let them land in Key West, anyone’s liberation army
would never make it past Miami
having succumbed to the quick-fry burger
the waitress, her Panama Primo
her boyfriend’s Chevy, his six-pack
“Five hundred years wasted manufacturing their tradition,” said Wu
thumbing through the classifieds from the Sunday Times
Lao Tsi added, “If it is themselves that they despise
it is an air which they display quite self-possessed,
the noble bearing of petty thieves to be hung publicly.”
“Incorrigible!” shuddered Wu.
“Examples to their peers,” said Lao,
passing the binoculars to his comrade
and reaching for another from the fridge
reaching for another from the fridge
Five percent of the world’s population does 50% of the world’s cocaine.
What is it about this place that makes us feel so good?
Step right this way, gentlemen.
if money is music to your ears
I think we ‘ve finally found their Achilles heel
the poison pill in the land of the brave & the business deal
Money, music, magic, in the promised land.
Money, murder, madness, in the promised land
And he reached down to still his left leg, which had been twitching for some time,
and smiled sweetly saying, “There are of course terms and conditions, but these
details can be arranged.”
You can call me any name you please
I am a friend to those in need
I can remedy your emptiness
The poison pill in the land of the brave & the business deal
Money, music, magic, in the promised land.
Money, murder, madness, in the promised land.
And you are part of a great current
dancing past people in long lines
‘til the man with the shiny shoes, slicked back hair, no features
takes that cigar outa yer mouth
so you see, gentlemen, the trick is to give them what they want
we are diplomats from hell, my friends
the poison pill in the land of the funeral motorcade
Money, music, magic, in the promised land
Money, murder, madness, in the promised land
LITTLE WHITE LIES
Won’t things be jumping when Julia
brings her loving straight on to ya
won’t things be jamming when Celia
brings her medicine & says she’s gonna heal ya
you can hear them singing in the back street
hey now, hey now oh way oh
two girls grooving to the back beat
you can feel it moving your feet now
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
Those girls are so flirtatious
& their bodies are way bodacious
they gaze directly in your eyes
& they tell those little white lies
you can hear ‘em giggling in the girls room
have mercy, mercy on me
two girls, Julia & Celia
good god ya got to let ’em tease ya
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
break down and cry
you ‘ve got to tell yourself those little white lies
Movies star looks—little white lies
alittle bit of leather—little white lies
little red pills—little white lies
little white lies little white lies
Those girls are so contagious
but they got nothing on my back pages
the women down in New Orleans
make ’em look just like upscale orphans
Who’s Julia underneath the makeup?
hey now, when you gonna wake up?
here’s Celia cutting up the cocaine
I’ll drive ’em home or they’ll be standing in the rain
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
I ‘m not gonna break down, break down
break down and cry
sometimes you listen to those little white lies
TIME
Lyrics by Cliff Baker
Well, they say, time is money
if time is money I think I spent my last dime
you said you would like to get to know me
now you won’t give me the time
times are wasting and so am I
Time stands still, time waits for no one
and I’ve got no time to spare
you said you would love me forever
now you say, “Au contraire”
clock is ticking, time marches on
I’ve got a deadline
and I wonder where you’ve gone
How many times do I have to tell you?
how many times must you leave me flat
Why do I always lose the race against time time time time
Time’s a funny thing and I don’t get it
what is the measure of time?
there was a guy once
he thought he understood it
I think his name was Einstein
time’s flying…there it goes
How many times do I have to tell you?
how many times must you leave me flat
Why do I always lose the race against time time time time
Tempus fugit, I think it’s Latin
don’t even know what it means
A stitch in time, it will save nine
or come apart at the seams
Father Time, he’s a nasty man
he takes his time and then he leaves us in a jam
How many times do I have to tell you?
how many times must you leave me flat
Why do I always lose the race against time time time time
About Promised Land
Body Politic was my rock trio based in San Francisco in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I handled lead vocals and electric guitar. Cliff Baker played bass and Jim Lincoln played drums. They both sang backup vocals. The band played all originals either by me or by Cliff and myself.
A trio is a tricky thing. It’s a bit of a highwire act. You can make a really big sound, with lots of room for everything but one wrong move and all the wires and pulleys are revealed. Actually, it drove me nuts handling lead vocals and lead and rhythm guitar. I developed a nasty case of stage fright.
Approaching the stage, I would become convinced I had forgotten how to play guitar. I would look at the fretboard and think, “What is this?” It was not glamorous. But when that band worked—when we’d follow some six-piece band and we’d kick ass—there was nothing like it. And as a guitarist, being in a trio forces you to focus on what’s necessary. No frills or party favors.
It was great fun working with Damien Rasmussen at Dancing Dog Studios in Emeryville, and some of the songs, like Emerald Eyes, are real gems. I wish we had had a budget to make a full album because we definitely had the songs.
