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Joe Henry — Civilians
Album: Civilians
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 619









Released: 2007
Length: 4:32
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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The carriage horses stamp and fume
Until all color's gone
They leave the street in black and white
And bring the evening coming on
Lovers tug their way out of gloves
Out of shoes, and gray chiffon
The driver pulls his blanket high
And pretends to look beyond

Oh, pray for you, pray for me
Sing it like a song
Life is short but, by the grace of God
This night is long

Girls crowd into bathroom stalls
The boys smoke in their cars
The general, he's in civilian clothes
Standing at the bar
He waves at the deaf flower lady
"Come sit by me, sweetheart"
He draws a napkin battle plan
Says, "this is where we start"

Oh pray for you, pray for me
Sing it like a song
Life is sort but, by the grace of God
This night is long

There are no more hummingbirds
Like there used to be
They're fat and slow and careless now
They've turned blue and mean
And the parrots sound like monkeys
Screaming from the trees
As the decent people
Fumble for their keys

We used to spend the night in town
Down by city hall
And the water works of Irish Beach
Just below the falls
We'd walk down to the Park Hotel
Past the Baptist Veteran's Mall
Back then, a man in uniform
Might mean anything at all

Oh, pray for you, pray for me
Sing it like a song
Life is short but, by the grace or cruel heart of God
The night is long
Comments (51)add comment
 EssenceLumin wrote:
OK but sounds too much like Tom Waits who has a more interesting voice.

 
It sounds like a much less interesting voice than Tom Waits' to me, but he's a good singer.  Cool instrumentation and production too.
Posted 8 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
Super interesting and cool guitar
Posted 8 years ago by Geowiz    [ Reply ]
 Cynaera wrote:
A quote from Joe Henry from his website, regarding his new album out in October:

 

Reverie is an all-acoustic production, though I will confess to you (as I already have to my parents) that it is a raw and raucous and messy affair. It had to be: the songs animating its body are themselves disheveled and unsettled; stitched together like one living scarecrow made from five...its arms and legs of varying lengths, head held with bailing wire, but still determined to run in the Labor Day picnic's race for charity, poor thing.

 


 

Super cool
Posted 9 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
funky but chic
Posted 10 years ago by Emwolb    [ Reply ]
 superfido wrote:
EssenceLumin wrote:
OK but sounds too much like Tom Waits who has a more interesting voice.
 

It sounds like a sober Tom Waits, that's all. {#Drunk} 

 
No, no. Tom was born drunk. 
Posted 11 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
 superfido wrote:
EssenceLumin wrote:
OK but sounds too much like Tom Waits who has a more interesting voice.
 

It sounds like a sober Tom Waits, that's all. {#Drunk} 

 
Never really sure about it, but I often hear Sting inflections in the voice.
Posted 11 years ago by andreicio    [ Reply ]
 WonderLizard wrote:
I have no idea why I'm making this connection, but this particular genre conjures an image as the film noire of rock. Henry, Waits, Cohen, and to a lesser extent McMurtry, spin vignettes of the down-and-out. Like old men in threadbare sport coats, nursing bad coffee in a greasy, ill lit diner.

 

Funny if I close my eyes and don't apply a gender to the voice, I'm hearing arrangemnets similar to Ella Fitzgerald, or Lena Horne
Posted 11 years ago by citybiker    [ Reply ]
pray for peace people everywhere 
Posted 11 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]
Is that a hammered dulcimer or a tack piano?
Posted 12 years ago by ThePoose    [ Reply ]
A quote from Joe Henry from his website, regarding his new album out in October:

 

Reverie is an all-acoustic production, though I will confess to you (as I already have to my parents) that it is a raw and raucous and messy affair. It had to be: the songs animating its body are themselves disheveled and unsettled; stitched together like one living scarecrow made from five...its arms and legs of varying lengths, head held with bailing wire, but still determined to run in the Labor Day picnic's race for charity, poor thing.

 



Posted 13 years ago by Cynaera    [ Reply ]
EssenceLumin wrote:
OK but sounds too much like Tom Waits who has a more interesting voice.
 

It sounds like a sober Tom Waits, that's all. {#Drunk} 
Posted 13 years ago by superfido    [ Reply ]
I started praying for your parents again...
Posted 14 years ago by peacockangel    [ Reply ]
 EssenceLumin wrote:
OK but sounds too much like Tom Waits who has a more interesting voice.
 
just thinking the same thing

Posted 14 years ago by rp1125    [ Reply ]
OK but sounds too much like Tom Waits who has a more interesting voice.
Posted 14 years ago by EssenceLumin    [ Reply ]
Very nice!!
Posted 14 years ago by helgigermany    [ Reply ]
Louche.
Posted 14 years ago by Govi    [ Reply ]
IMHO, Joe Henry is a songwriter/poet on the level of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
Posted 15 years ago by mimimommy    [ Reply ]
I like this.
Posted 15 years ago by Jazbo    [ Reply ]
 WonderLizard wrote:
I have no idea why I'm making this connection, but this particular genre conjures an image as the film noire of rock. Henry, Waits, Cohen, and to a lesser extent McMurtry, spin vignettes of the down-and-out. Like old men in threadbare sport coats, nursing bad coffee in a greasy, ill lit diner.
 
Well said.
Posted 15 years ago by rtrudeau    [ Reply ]
I have no idea why I'm making this connection, but this particular genre conjures an image as the film noire of rock. Henry, Waits, Cohen, and to a lesser extent McMurtry, spin vignettes of the down-and-out. Like old men in threadbare sport coats, nursing bad coffee in a greasy, ill lit diner.
Posted 15 years ago by WonderLizard    [ Reply ]
 a_genuine_find wrote:

Tom Waits like?
 

Mos-Def, "Waitsesque".
Posted 16 years ago by Chi_Guy    [ Reply ]
very cool!
Posted 16 years ago by philinnz    [ Reply ]
Why so much airplay?
Posted 16 years ago by Papernapkin    [ Reply ]
..."life is short but by the grace of god this night is long" - yeah, like that one too
Posted 16 years ago by ellenaut    [ Reply ]
I agree..this type of music has been playing all morning and I am dying{#Beat}

EDIT......IT'S STILL PLAYING!.....ARG!
EDIT2....this song is too long

Posted 16 years ago by treepop    [ Reply ]
Please, no more.
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
*Sigh* this guy is getting really tiresome. He's decent, but the overexposure on RP has completely turned me off of his music.
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
Lyndra_Ski wrote:
Reminds me of Tom Waits
yes, just thinking same.
Posted 16 years ago by babyjuice    [ Reply ]
Excelsior wrote:
Is it really necessary to hear this guy 4x daily?
Yeah, it's starting to get kind of relentless. He doesn't repeat well.
Posted 16 years ago by RadioDoc    [ Reply ]
Reminds me of Tom Waits
Posted 16 years ago by Lyndra_Ski    [ Reply ]
Why can't I fast forward to the next song?
Posted 16 years ago by byerh    [ Reply ]
As an average hard working Civilan I support this song 100%.
Posted 16 years ago by coolhandak47    [ Reply ]
Is it really necessary to hear this guy 4x daily?
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
The more I hear Joe Henry on RP, the more I like him. Really good song. Reminds me of New Orleans.
Posted 16 years ago by nevar23    [ Reply ]
joanie wrote:
The lyrics are great...insightful...reminds me of some of Leonard Cohens material.
Yes, with a little Tom Waits thrown in for color.
Posted 16 years ago by bitbanger    [ Reply ]
The lyrics are great...insightful...reminds me of some of Leonard Cohens material.
Posted 16 years ago by joanie    [ Reply ]
Agree with the TW lyrical similarity, which has to be a very good thing, very nice music indeed for thoughtful adults!
Posted 16 years ago by nigelr    [ Reply ]
The lyrics -- I listened closely this time, it's still new to me -- KICK ASS! and his singing style is cool, if slightly tune-less...my early impressions are that this is good, solid songwriting!
Posted 16 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
Finally Joe Henry's getting some play. Thanks RP. I was turned on to Joe Henry 10 yrs ago, but felt somewhat alone in my listening to his stuff. Much of the earlier stuff is somewhat downbeat & some would say droning, but his uniqueness has always come through. His lyrics are very visual, IMO. Give King's Highway a listen. Not the brightest subject, but it is thought provoking, that's for sure.
Posted 16 years ago by jptl    [ Reply ]
Listen to "Trampoline" and you'll think Tom Petty rather than Tom Waits. Not bad artists to emulate.
Posted 16 years ago by troydog    [ Reply ]
Tomesque and Winehousish, too. Might have to get the cd.
Posted 16 years ago by Geecheeboy    [ Reply ]
ThePoose wrote:
Yeah--decidedly Tomesque.
I like Tom. But Joe is as original as any songwriter out there. On par with the great Costello. Music that requires repeated play and concentration.
Posted 16 years ago by Dragonfly_Launch    [ Reply ]
Tomesque? Hmmm... A bit. This is what I love RP for: hearing artists I never would have otherwise. Artists that don't suck, like Radiohead. (Snap! Had to get that in there....)
Posted 16 years ago by shanester    [ Reply ]
mefrombrazil wrote:
WHAT'S THE MEANING OF 'TOMESQUE'
Tom Waits like?
Posted 16 years ago by a_genuine_find    [ Reply ]
mefrombrazil wrote:
WHAT'S THE MEANING OF 'TOMESQUE'
It's a play on words. He means Joe Henry reminds him of Tom Waits.
Posted 16 years ago by Leslie    [ Reply ]
ThePoose wrote:
Yeah--decidedly Tomesque.
WHAT'S THE MEANING OF 'TOMESQUE'
Posted 16 years ago by mefrombrazil    [ Reply ]
sirrus wrote:
"Henry..." "Joe Tom Waits Henry."
Yeah--decidedly Tomesque.
Posted 16 years ago by ThePoose    [ Reply ]
"Henry..." "Joe Tom Waits Henry."
Posted 16 years ago by sirrus    [ Reply ]
seems like SPOON.
Posted 16 years ago by mefrombrazil    [ Reply ]
I like this Joe Henry guy - livin the life I'm sure
Posted 16 years ago by bdwelch    [ Reply ]
First impression was, ick! But then after listening to the whole thing, I kind of like it.
Posted 16 years ago by bronorb    [ Reply ]