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Sam Steffen (EP)

by Sam Steffen

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1.
Tom Joad’s Promise copyright 2013 sam steffen Hey ma, wake up it’s me, it’s your boy, Tom Joad I’d love to but I can’t stay long, I’ve gotta hit the road In the morning they’ll be lookin for me high up and down low Cops from every county from Salinas to Frisco But I only got a minute here so I won’t make this long I ain’t always done the right thing, hell, sometimes I been wrong But as long as I am gonna be an outlaw from now on Wherever there’s a stone unturned, hereby, I swear— I will be there, I will be there Wherever you can go to think some lonesome thought I will be there, I will be there I will be there, so help me God I’m ingredient to humankind, a partial to the whole Tho I walk upon the stage of life I play a minor role I am portion to the giant universal human soul Which exists within everybody everywhere So I’ll be there when you’re weary, when you’re lonesome and afraid When the delivery of all that you’ve been promised aint been made When there ain’t no superhero to come rushin to your aid When you got everything to lose and no time to spare I will be there, I will be there When the road becomes too narrow and the wilderness too broad I will be there, I will be there I will be there, so help me God I will be in every crevice of this bright world that’s gone dark I will be in every desperate hallow achin broken heart Long after its all over and well before it starts Anyplace that folks can’t go or just don’t dare Wherever there’s a stranger sayin I’m too young to die Wherever there’s a prayer that’s bein prayed up to the sky Wherever there’s an angry cop just beatin up some guy And the fight just don’t seem justified nor fair I will be there, I will be there So the one’s that go unseen unheard won’t be forgot I will be there, I will be there I will be there, so help me God Wherever fights’re brewin up so that hungry folks can eat Wherever there’s a cry for revolution in the street Wherever there’s a stranger who ain’t marchin to the beat Who repels his last companion as he draws a stare In the way that guys start yelling when they’re stark raving mad In the sighin folks’re doing who’ve lost everything they’ve had In the singin and the laughin of the children when they’re glad In the cryin and the quiet of when they’re scared I will be there, I will be there In the worry of the guilty ones that ain’t yet been caught I will be there, I will be there I will be there so help me God I guess I’d better go now, ma, cause soon it will be dawn I’d just like to say I’m sorry for all the screwing up I done But just cause I ain’t here no more it doesn’t mean I’m gone I will be with you on every step of every stair Tomorrow when they come for me, you tell em I was here Tell em that you saw me but that you didn’t see me clear Tell em I’m the echo that’s been whispering in your ear Tell em if they’re looking for me anywhere I will be there, I will be there Wherever someone’s lonesome in a stranded spot I will be there, I will be there Wherever folks are thirsty and can’t find a drop Wherever there’s a road that ain’t been tried or trod Wherever I am wanted pursued or sought I will be there, I will be there I will be there, so help me God
2.
The Ballad of Trayvon Martin copyright 2013 sam steffen Come mothers and fathers, come sisters and brothers Lend an ear to the stories they’re telling Of the neighborhood watchman in the Florida town Who shot and killed Trayvon Martin O, the time it was night and the evening was cold And the month it was late February Trayvon Martin at only seventeen years old Too young for an obituary On his way back home from a convenience store Through the yards of his neighbors was walkin George Zimmerman spied him while making his rounds And made a call down to the station “HQ, HQ,” ficer Zimmerman said, “This is officer Zimmerman calling, I have just spied a suspicious black male In our gated community walking— “How shall I proceed, shall I make an arrest Shall I follow and see where he takes me? Could this be the man whom we’ve been looking for Who committed those robberies lately?” “Well this is HQ,” the headquarters said, “To officer Zimmerman calling, Do not pursue—repeat—do not pursue, For you haven’t the grounds to suspect him.” “Ten four, ten four,” ficer Zimmerman said, But he pulled up to roll slowly by him, And when the young man saw the slow police car He took off a fearfully runnin “No grounds? No grounds?” ficer Zimmerman thought “If there’s no grounds then why is he running?” And quick as a flash he leapt out of his car Bringing his handgun with him Well over a fence and through the back yards The armed officer chased Trayvon Martin A distance in excess of one hundred yards Til he finally cornered and caught him O down, O down to the ground they did fall The ground where they both had been standing Trayvon to fight for his life gainst the cop The cop for to somehow subdue him “Submit, submit!” ficer Zimmerman cried “Submit and throw down your weapon!” “I will not submit!” Trayvon Martin replied, “For I’m unarmed and I haven’t done nothing!” And as the two fought on the ground in the dark A gunshot rang out clear as crystal Trayvon Martin had been shot through the chest At close range by Zimmerman’s pistol Come mothers and fathers, come sisters and brothers Lend an ear to the stories they’re telling Of the neighborhood watchman in the Florida town Who shot and killed Trayvon Martin For a day and a night the body went without name As he was when his mother had birthed him Until a call came from his father at home Saying that his son had been missing O down, o down to the morgue he was called To see if this was his son who’d been missing “O, God, it’s him!” his bereaved father cried, “That’s the body of Trayvon Martin,” “My son, my son, O Trayvon, my son—” His poor mother cried, nearly wild, “He wasn’t no symbol, didn’t die for no cause, He was only my baby, my child, “And what did he do, for what was he killed, For wearing dark clothes and a hoodie? Is it just me or does it still feel Like it’s a crime to be black in this country?” Well charges were pressed and a trial was set And a jury was formed all at random And of the twelve who were chosen to serve, There wasn’t one black face among them “The defendant, George Zimmerman,” the prosecution declared, “He is getting away here with murder, How can you defend a defender of peace Who says shoot first and ask questions later?” “Yes, that was my gun, I fired that round,” George Zimmerman finally admitted But despite all the facts in the end he was found Not guilty and was fully acquitted The defense lawyers claimed he had just stood his ground And no evidence showed the contrary Trayvon Martin by then for more than a year Neath six feet of ground had lain buried And for all you who say that here justice was done, Here is something for you to consider When an officer shoots and unarmed black man to death They do not define it as murder Come judges, come kings, come you counselors on down Who maintain the law’s fair and equal Come look what they done in a florida town And say it would be the same for all people
3.
Two Geese 08:06
Two Geese copyright 2013 sam steffen Two geese flew over the house lastnight, a gentle music played upon their wings The sun had softened to an evening light, my mind was overfilled with things They came from somewhere well behind the sun, made their way out over the pond And tho I didn’t see from where they’d come, I watched them til they’d gone Perhaps it was the way they flew so close That silence seemed to sail between them both Perhaps I’m only more bemused than most And by the simplest things I see But something bout the way those two geese flew Reminded me of you I turned from the window and I went downstairs, and I stepped out into the yard December’s always been this wet and cold, but it’s never felt this hard I pulled the clothes in down from off the line just as the stars began to cloud And tho I hadn’t in the longest time, I said your name out loud Perhaps it was the way they stayed in stride Flying freely tho side by side Perhaps I haven’t anything to hide Or very much that’s left to lose But something bout the way those two geese flew Reminded me of you I brought a log in down from off the pile and I tossed it on the coals I fanned and coaxed it for a little while until that flame burned bright and full And as the fire raged within the hearth and I grew more conscious and wide awake A peace within my soul was perched, but those two birds I couldn’t shake Perhaps it was the way they flew so fast Out of the future right into the past Perhaps there’s nothing that’s really meant to last That wasn’t born to stay But something bout the way those two geese flew Reminded me of you Now, the midnight sky in east Vermont is darker than you might suppose And the stars you wait upon and want are seldom undisclosed I read for a while, and then I went to bed, feeling distracted to say the least And for a long time after I put down my head, I thought about those geese Perhaps it was the way they seemed to fear That they were too far north for this time of year Or something about the way they disappeared Right when they were close enough to hold But something bout the way those two geese flew Reminded me of you I woke this morning to a shade of sun, pressing warmly up against my face And tho I knew I’d be the only one, I did not disturb your place I got to my legs and then I stood upright, before the window I threw wide the blinds Two geese flew over the house last-night, this morning you were on my mind Perhaps it was the way it seemed their fate That after nearing they would separate Perhaps it’s just that it was getting late And they’d come right out of the blue But something bout the way those two geese flew Reminded me of you
4.
The Restless Wanderer’s Lullaby copyright 2013 sam steffen Might be raining, might be snowing That old north wind, she might be blowing Through the treetops, down the sidewalks, Past the rest-stops of this restless world But tonight, babe, I am not afraid I will not be roused before the dawn For I have travelled a thousand miles And cept to sleep I don’t know where I’m goin Come tomorrow but please come slowly Shine your lights on but shine them lowly For in the nighttime sweet sleep she takes me Through my dreams until she forsakes me Beyond the brink of what I can think of With my weary waking mind Let her lead me, let her deceive me, But o please let me leave my cares behind I may be unlovely, may not have money Seldom a ceiling over and above me May come a beggar and leave a debtor Having only my dreams to offer But in my dreams you are always with me Lying beside me up within my bed And dreaming’s easy, when you’re weary I do it every place I rest my head
5.
A Twenty-Something College Graduate’s Talkin Blues copyright 2013 sam steffen A while back I spose it hasn’t been too long To a certain institution I used to belong Where I spent four years and learned all the rules And how to tell between the wise and the fools I’m not talking about prison It was a college, of the liberal arts variety Well we all got told to save the date As the time was comin for us to graduate And I guess you could say we were pretty excited Everyone we knew had been invited Folks and friends, friends of friends, Heck, even the neighbors were there Well until at last the day was come And our dean was standin up at the podium And he made this speech it didn’t sound too subtle He said, I’ll be honest, you’re all in trouble And I’m not talking about academics I’m talking about life now, now’s when the learning starts I can say right now it didn’t feel too good To have to hear all that I knew I would But we all went up and we shook his hand And he said someday we’d understand And I took my diploma No secrets, that thing was just a piece of paper Well somehow I had made the grade, Had a scholarship for my financial aide And everyone was saying it would all be fine You just take it easy, now, and take your time You’ll have a job soon Just gotta see what’s there—stay positive Well before I cleared out they sent me a notice Said they wanted to see me at the financial office So they called me in, said Take a seat Wrote me out this big receipt I said, what is this? They laughed at me, said, You’re kidding, right? Well I told the woman to knock it off It’ll take me ten years to pay this off She said that’s right it’s called a ten year plan That should be easy enough to understand Aint it? for a smart-looking college graduate like you She said not to worry though, I’m sure Youll find a job somewhere with that degree of yours She said maybe I can help you, say what’s it in I said 19th century American Literature—she laughed again A veritable cackle that woman had I never knew I was so funny Now in college you can learn to think To read to write to speak to drink And all of that can be put to use As a post-graduate on the career caboose Especially the drinkin—job huntin And no luck on account of you’re overqualified Well it wouldn’t be so bad I guess Cept the conomy’s broke and the world’s a mess And you can’t get hired for a minimum wage And there’s nothing for you on the classifieds page You just sit around, feeling sorry Got lots of time to read though Well, when I was finally through procrastinatin I filled me out a labor application Took a little math test, they gave me a cup Showed me to the bathroom and said, filler up! I passed that math test The other one came back inconclusive Few days later they got a hold of me Said they had a job waiting for me at the factory Said to show on up and to be on time You’ll be standing all day on the ssembly line And they weren’t kidding—I stood in one place for 8 hours Didn’t have a productive thought the whole time Well I did this I guess for about a week Losing all kinds of time to work and sleep And one day the foreman says I look like hell And I says I know it man, he says well— What can you do? Sometimes life just slips away You gotta work though, or its hell to pay He said you know I always meant to go to college To fill my head up with all kinds of knowledge I said if I were him, I’d be apprehensive It’s grand and all, but man, it’s expensive He looked at me, he said, you mean you been to school? I said, yeah, of course! Well I don’t think my comments were appreciated Next day I found out I’d been terminated I said what gives he says You wont miss it You got a diploma—go do something with it Well I’ve had a couple of jobs since then Couple of gigs with a couple of friends Bought a bus ticket, pulled an all-nighter Moved to Nashville, became a songwriter It’s a pretty shabby way to make a living All tips, and not too many of em, either—

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released November 21, 2013

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Sam Steffen Boise, Idaho

Sam Steffen is a Pennsylvania-bred, Boise-based singer-songwriter whose songs are the torch-wood for a new generation of folk music that has learned from the best stuff in the tradition and aims in spite of everything to keep the human spirit alive and kicking. A versatile musician and skilled finger-picker, Sam is at heart a story-teller, and a prolific one. ... more

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