#346: "Zero Gun Salute" and California shows and B-Sides!

The RIVER! One for the river. The Mississippi for me, but they are all great rivers. I owe many long overdue songs to many places and people and creatures and things, but the river has always been at the top of the list. I am glad to cross it off. I hope to one day play it for the river some day with a full brass band in a giant canoe.

I have made much of my life at both the beginning and the end of the Mississippi, from the lazy river gorge of south Minneapolis amid oak trees and bald eagles and red foxes and white owls to the deep rushing waters full of debris and industry that wind past the brackish bayous of New Orleans before shattering dangerously out into the Gulf of Mexico.

I love the river. It requires nothing of us - neither wealth, prestige, power - and the lowest and the highest of us are welcome along its banks. It feeds entire ecosystems, makes entire cities possible, and its power should never be underestimated.

Whenever Elise and I walk or bike or drive over one of the many Mississippi river bridges (which is nearly daily), we say, without exception, "hi river!", and now our son has learned to say it too.

It was nice to crack out a bunch of different instruments for the river. I wish I had been able to add some piano to it, but recording live piano is tricky with a sleeping toddler. It's begging for a thousand other instruments and musicians, but hey, here's the demo.

In other news, California, a bunch of Taxpayers shows were just added in late July. So between those and these others in June, it's gonna be a busy summer for shows.

Also, the God, Forgive These Bastards audio documentary b-sides are now available on all streaming platforms. It was only available for on the 10th anniversary double LP vinyl up until now. You folks here have had access to them for a while now, but sometimes it's easier to just find a song on Spotify or Youtube or wherever you get your music.

Lastly - welcome to you new Song of the Week Clubbers. Glad you found your way here. Shoot me an email at robtaxpayer1@gmail.com if you want some stickers. And if you're still waiting on some mail from me, shoot me a friendly reminder. My brain has pretty limited bandwidth and I flat out forget things after a day or two. I'm only able to function due to the friendly reminders given by all the people in my life, for which I am grateful.

-r

Zero Gun Salute

Lay down my

Head at the River

Head at the River

Lay down at the riverside 

Rocks and sand in my cold wet hands 

While the lazy water floats on by.

And I got no money

Got no time

I just wait and watch the blood moon rise

And lay down at the river, 

Down at the riverside.

I don’t need no fancy suit, 

Zero gun salute, 

To lay down at the riverside

I don’t need no flair to sit right there 

While the lazy water floats on by

I don’t need no money, need no time 

To just wait there and watch that blood moon rise

To lay down at the river, 

Down at the riverside.

Well, it’s sun on face and it’s wind in hair 

Down there at the riverside

It’s all birds in flight in the evening light 

While the lazy water floats on by

I don’t have no reason to agonize, 

I just wait and watch the blood moon rise

Lay down at the river, 

Down at the riverside.

Down at the river,

Down at the riverside.