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1.
Badlands #1 02:15
Despair is a tight rope and when you slip it slits you in two Leaving one for the highway & one for getting through Now I live out in the badlands, just my dog & me It's only been two summers since Edna left me Just you wait & just you see These godforsaken badlands don't make for such good company The knife is forthright & it'll sing when it sinks deep I feel the winter in my bones; I hope the night, it takes me Just you wait & just you see These godforsaken badlands, well, they'll be the death of me
2.
James Kelly 04:00
I’ve escaped the hangman’s noose And I’ve escaped from Broadmore too Left England’s foggy plains Across the ocean and into your dreams I bring a holy war unto your shores My whole life I’ve been down on whores Got the pox when I was 16 Hand on their mouth so I don’t hear them scream Jersey City was loud and brash New Orleans, heard the girls laugh Went upstream just as far as I could Headed west, looking for blood The Lord only knows what our future holds Ain’t nobody knows what our future holds By Rapid City I was feeling bad Voices in my head, wonder if I’m mad Feel a fever coming on Rent a room right before dawn The next night I met Carrie Brown She’s an old whore who hung around Sent her to rent room 208 Little did she know what was her fate The Lord only knows what our future holds Ain’t nobody knows what our future holds Woke up next to Carrie at morning’s light She’d been ripped open during the night Blood all over her and me My knife slit her throat, swift and clean I was horrified by what I’d done The voices in my head, they told me to run Headed east, out of town Back to England is where I’m bound The Lord only knows what our future holds Ain’t nobody knows what our future holds Made it to England in a week or so Voices in my head were screaming NO Knocked on Broadmore’s giant door Wanted in before I hurt anyone more Before I die I must tell my tale Of how I bloodied the American trail I’ll die here locked in chains Hope history will forget my name The Lord only knows what our future holds Ain’t nobody knows what our future holds
3.
Badlands #2 03:49
I got a pickup; I got a gun I'm wearing a black mask 'cos I'm on the run Well, I'm heading out to the badlands 'cos they ain't no place else to go So I'll hang around but I'll hang low Ask me no more questions & I'll tell you no more lies Don't you stand in my way, buddy, 'cos I gots to hide Well, I shot that sheriff just outside the bank He's kind to my momma but I shot him just the same Now it's getting hard out here I think my safety net's done come unglued Now I took that money but I didn't want to shoot Yeah, well, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do Now ain't that the truth? Now, Sweet Lucinda, don't you rag on me I just did what I had to do so you & them babies could eat Now, ain't nobody seen my face so you don't have to fret You can't stand the sight of blood? Well, don't look at it
4.
Flood of '81 03:26
We left our home near Harper’s Ferry The heat there got a little too hot We decided to get back to our roots And be where the revenuers are not We settled on the Missouri outside of Yankton And built the biggest still that we could The people around town they were friendly Yeah, the summer of ’80, it was good Me and my brother were happy Keeping those folks full of our shine Going into town to see the ladies But the Missouri never makes up her mind The winter of ’81 was a rough one It snowed like you never have seen It shut down the town and the river But by the end of March it hit 60 degrees Hour by hour we watched that water rise As we grabbed what we could for higher ground Soon that water was you to our knees And parts of the still could not ne found <CHORUS> By evening that river was twice as wide That copper pot started floating downstream My brother grabbed our stiff and set out Trying to hold on to our dreams The next morning I started walking downstream That river was angry and full 3 miles in I found that copper pot But my brother and the skiff they were gone <CHORUS>
5.
Badlands #3 03:35
I got a job in the badlands working in the mines for a spell I up & married this redhead, well, she knows how to give me hell I got this truck & this bad buzz real cheap & it'll take them both just to carry me on down Down the road, away from the river where you first laid hands on me Held me down, pushed me under, nary a light did I see The sky was blue, the faces were smiling, your mother was singing to me You cried & so did I, I tried, but I couldn't believe in you You & me just dancing under them cigarette trees Smoking Big Rock Candy Mountains Wishing we had something to eat And now we don't even roll 'em up We just sit around & have entire conversations without making a sound I gotta leave these badlands, I gotta get out now When they find your body, I'll be well on my way south I think I took the wrong stuff, now I cannot see Is this your ghost choking the life out of me?
6.
Hoss was a Rapid City cowboy He drove a big truck and went to the rodeo Mama always said he was her favorite He rarely got drunk and he almost never stole Estella worked all day in the bakery She sold empanadas and listened to the radio Her brother Ramon picked her up at 6.30 Protecting his sister’s reputation was his goal Where oh where is my true love? Where oh where is my sign? Where oh where is my justice? The Lord is vengeful; He’ll cheat you and rob you blind Ramon took Estella to the rodeo She noticed the gringo with the big brown boots Hoss walked over to sat hello When she looked into his blue eyes she almost swooned Hoss and Estella sere sitting in his truck Listening to what George Jones said Hoss was asking Estella out on a date When Roman’s snuck up and put a .38 in Hoss’ head <CHORUS> Estella worked all day at the bakery She had walked home cause now Roman’s in jail Hoss was the only chance at love she’d have She cries herself to sleep thinking that she’s failed <CHORUS>
7.
Badlands #4 03:03
Johnny got the keys to the store I didn't ask him how I didn't need to know more I thought: here's a payday I just said: let's go I set it up for the next night Johnny, Marcus, & me didn't even bring masks We thought we'd come off clean They were waiting at the door 6 cops or more I didn't need to see more I started dropping them One after the next I saw Marcus fall too I put another badge on the deck Back in the car, Johnny bleeding out under them badland stars I seen men gut-shot before I knew there was no hope for him I said: take this Vicodin He started in on his rosary I told him we had one last stop to go The Little Missouri: up & running from the rain The Little Missouri: carry him away from the pain
8.
Eloise 04:12
Standing on the corner of the dark store, The air was warm and sweet Waiting for the man with the money, so he can give it to me He wouldn’t give me the money, He wouldn’t give me shit So I shot him dead and took it, Guess I’m on the run for a bit Eloise will be angry Eloise will cry I Know we got 3 little kids But baby I’m afraid to die Baby I’m afraid to die The sheriff would be happy to grab me, The judge would see me hang I don’t want to see either of them, so I’m leaving town again Left my woman in White Rock, Stopped in Aberline Sent Eloise all my loot in the Badlands you don’t need money <CHORUS> Left the Badlands for Pine Ridge, On the rez I will be safe Sheriff’s posse met me at the border, Guess we’ll have a little race My tired horse is slowing down, But the posse is keeping pace 30 feet from freedom I pulled my empty gun, And met my maker face to face Eloise will be angry Eloise will cry I Know I left you with 3 little kids But baby I’m afraid to die Baby I’m afraid to die
9.
Badlands #5 03:15
The crossing was hard Oh how that rain had fallen The stream swelled to swollen to burst First went the young steer Then snapped the wheel The wagon washed down the Cheyenne The plains wouldn't settle Oh how them arrows found home Winter struck early: catching us off-guard The stock had to go Oh how that baby did cry The ice spread over the Cheyenne We lost your mother then Little Sally Mae We peppered our barley gruel with little dobs of clay We lost your mother then Little Sally Mae The mountains they loomed Oh how the wolves they called We lived with great horned owls All sorts of claws The living was risky Even them kids grew hard We named the youngest after the Cheyenne
10.
3 Angels 03:15
Three Angels I saw 3 angels on a pillar of fire Gonna prove to God I ain’t no liar Left my home and set out for the Badlands The Lord has given me a plan The blood of the Lamb will lead to the slaughter Doesn’t matter if their sons or daughters Madness and righteousness go hand in hand I answer the Lord’s demand Killed a lot of savages living on my land Jesus was guiding my hand A vengeful Lord has wrought blood upon the land Through his grace I’ve made my stand

about

A.S. Coomer & Z.P. Kunkle wrote and recorded these ten songs about the Badlands.

They made the record with a four-track, a few friends & family, and a lot of booze.

credits

released June 28, 2019

Badlands #1-5 Written & Performed by A.S. Coomer.

James Kelly, Flood of '81, Estella's Lament, Eloise, & 3 Angels Written & Performed by Z.P. Kunkle.

Pickers, Singers, & Sinners on Badlands: A.S. Coomer, Z.P. Kunkle, Michael Joseph Peters, Vester Frey, Vivian Kunkle, & Rachel Coomer.

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A.S. Coomer & Z.P. Kunkle Toledo, Ohio

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