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Week 11 - Piece By Piece (03​-​11​-​16)

from Song A Week, Volume 1 by James Tristan Redding

/

lyrics

Troubled I left Memphis, forgot to pack my ears
Really thought I’d need ‘em but not the last few years
You see I left there with a hunger and a brand new way to hear
The tiny sacred moments when our details disappear

At the old West Prairie Palace pretty sure I lost my mind
But I found I didn’t need it so I let it all unwind
To my great surprise it was not a loss that I sustained
My thoughts are with the outlaws now, wild horses on the plains

For all this time I’ve been so confused
I’d lie and cheat and steal to win but I would lose
But if I open up and give it all away
Sweet sunlight shines upon my path today

To a girl in Veracruz I gave my broken heart
She’s free to try n’ fix it, or sell it off for parts
I still find I can feel it when I’m barefoot in the mud
Like a djembe to the rhythm of the ocean in my blood

On a beach in Frisco my eyes just walked away
They had enough midwest I guess, they were ready for C-A
An urchin gave me his to use so he held onto mine
My world’s a little brighter but we’ll trade back down the line

For all this time I’ve been so confused
I’d lie and cheat and steal to win but I would lose
But if I open up and give it all away
Sweet sunlight shines upon my path today

What do I have left you ask? And that’s the funny part
Each ounce of me I gave, not only did it leave no scar
But I received the same in turn exactly piece by piece
This patchwork man complete I stand, a reverse amputee

So when they ask me for my hands I’ll give both left and right
And feet they’ll say, those too I’ll offer up without a fight
Knees and elbows, legs and arms, yes they can have it all
My maker will replace it, make me strong, not let me fall

I may be multi-colored with stitch marks everywhere
And limbs of different sizes, a real Frankenstein affair
But each piece of the puzzle in which my soul resides
Was traded with another creator in disguise

credits

from Song A Week, Volume 1, released February 12, 2017
Words and music copyright 2016 by James Tristan Redding. Registered with BMI. All rights reserved.

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James Tristan Redding Nashville, Tennessee

British-American songwriter, singer, audiobook narrator, studio player, Godin Guitars official artist.

Founded global collective www.SongAWeek.org, performance art experience The Under Over: tinyurl.com/uoxuo (song circle underneath a highway) and writing retreat www.TheNashville24.com (annual challenge: write 24 songs in 24 hours).

Cuts by Sarah Harralson, Eli Alger, Emma Gale, David Easterling ... more

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