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Manifest Destiny

by The Gunboat Diplomats

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1.
Original Sin 03:56
Original Sin When the sun creeps by and your shadow grows You can run, you can hide, but he’s by your side And he always knows Where the skeletons lie and what it’s all about You can wash your hands but there ain’t no chance You’ll get the bloodstains out Right from the very start until the bitter end Once you feel him bite, the serpent ain't your friend 'Cause when your time is up and the chips are down You'll wear the bad mistakes like a thorny crown And the past will haunt you, poison under your skin We'll all dance in the fire of original sin At the end of my chain, now it's do or die And my bones feel old, naked and cold Without an alibi I can drown the pain in the devil's brew Drop down on my knees, but I'll find no peace Until the debt comes due When the world is dark and the lights go out Well, you better believe, there can be no doubt That it's never too early to see that it's too late For all the sinner's souls and for the saints who prayed Don't matter where you're from, only where you've been We'll all dance in the fire of original sin The sins of the father, sins of the son No escape, why bother, you're under the gun You lied, tricked 'em, confessed to the priest We all play the victim, we all feed the beast Born in the crime, inherit the strife Serving hard time all your life And the prison you've built will take it's toll Like the pain and guilt that damn your soul You can hide your face, change your name But you've earned your place down in the flame You can't disguise the demons within We're all baptized in original sin
2.
Boardwalk Dreams If you’re headed east on Sixth Avenue You’ll hit a stretch of beach where the sky is blue And the sea is green Life is so serene That’s where we ditched all our hassles Man, we were grand Kings building mighty castles in the sand Like it’s always been Till the tide rolled in Young kids just chasing boardwalk dreams Mama and Daddy used to come down here The big bands would play and they danced on the pier Swaying slow and nice Under starry skies Now there’s just some twisted pilings where it used to be Ever since Dora swept it out to sea Like ashes from an urn Never to return Two souls just chasing boardwalk dreams The carousel and the tilt-a-whirl Spun me ‘round and ‘round Took the Ferris wheel to the top of the world Ended up back on the ground But the things I find turning in my mind Have all long gone away Like the sun that shined All over yesterday Lord, I remember Up on the boardwalk at the penny arcade Madame Zita told our fortune, made in the shade The old guy wearing a patch over one of his eyes Said, “Step right up, young man, you could win a prize” A greasy corn dog and a bottle of pop Drove the bumper cars, man, we could not stop No school, no cares, no plans and summer was our friend We never wanted it to end Over at The Crab Pot, they were drunk by noon Sunburned rednecks jamming to a Skynyrd tune Babes in bikinis, cold beer in hand Did the flip flop hip hop shimmy shuffle for the band They’re having a party out on the deck From the tattooed guy with a snake on his neck To the sweet young waitresses and all the in-betweens Just fools chasing boardwalk dreams The carousel and the tilt-a-whirl Spun me ‘round and ‘round Took the Ferris wheel to the top of the world Ended up back on the ground But the things I find turning in my mind Have all long gone away Leave them all behind Let go of yesterday Down at the beach I remember what I could not save Where the surfers still wait for the perfect wave They ride them in Then paddle out again Well, they tore down the boardwalk and left no trace So the Crab Pot crowd moved to Ginger’s Place They always know Somewhere to go I see a young couple strolling hand in hand Heart with initials etched in the sand Until the tide Washes it from sight New lovers chasing boardwalk dreams
3.
I'm Not Going Back To Jacksonville Can't get no rest, but I feel fine I'm headed west, track number nine That lonely whistle blows The only song it knows And so it goes on down the line There's no loose ends, just severed ties No sad events or long goodbyes A point of no return After those bridges burn I'll learn to tell myself sweet lies I tried to play my cards just right But I watched my house of cards ignite For all I know, it's burning still Before the dust had settled down I knocked off the rust and I got out of town And I'm not going back to Jacksonville Just like bad news, I travel fast But not quick enough to lose the past And all the miles between From Starke to Abilene Don't mean I'm finally free at last So what's the use, what's done is done I cut 'em loose then cut and run And once that line is crossed Just figure up the cost Maybe I lost more than I won Without a plan and without a doubt When it hit the fan I caught the last train out I'll let it roll me where it will There may be a dead end sign Waiting for me at the end of the line But I'm not going back to Jacksonville
4.
Shot At The Big Time When you're a one-trick pony in a one horse town And the sanctimony is enough to get you down Keep sitting tall in the saddle, staying in the hunt Faith is half the battle, winners ride out in front To take a shot at the big time Just like a front runner in his prime Champing at the bit now, ready to go Y'know, I'm looking for my shot at the big time First off the bell when I hear it chime My number's gonna hit, now, win, place or show I'll be a big time spender, a player who wins Just need some legal tender Some fives and tens and Benjamins I was out of the running, riding on the edge Now I'm up and gunning, number one down the stretch Yeah, I'm the main attraction, so get your bets in late I'll cover all the action, grab the lead out the gate Can't wait to take my shot at the big time Just like a dark horse, you know that I'm Fired up with speed to burn, hitting my stride And now I'm headed for a shot at the big time The way I'm winning ought to be a crime Coming 'round the last turn, letting it ride I put my money on a shot at the big time Quick as a closer getting off the dime Staying with the front pack, king for a day I'm cashing in to get a shot at the big time Straight up the leader board, I'm gonna climb Running on the fast track, going away I want my shot at the big time Ready or not, gonna make it mine...
5.
The Eyes Of The Blind Shall See As it was told, lo and behold The truth will set you free And now I know that it is so The eyes of the blind shall see I. Den of Iniquity I’m not cut out for sainthood, I’m not a perfect man The list of things I ain’t could stretch from here to Ketchikan I try to see a half-full cup, just to get along But I make sure to mess it before it all goes wrong Once, the hand of fate damn near knocked me off my rocker So I figured I’d self-medicate in a sea of Johnny Walker Things go from bad to worse when you partake without control From the liquid breakfast menu at the local watering hole My thirst sure needed quenching and each shot went down with ease Until I came to the attention of the authorities Two officers approached me, one was surly, one was gruff The surly one reproached me, said, “I think you’ve had enough” Well, I smiled and looked straight in his eyes and finished my libation But he quickly cut me down to size, “Boy, you’re going to the station.” II. Justice Roll On Like A River The bailiff said, “All rise, this court is now in session” And my counsel offered shrewd advice to make a good impression The bailiff barked, “The Honorable Judge Joseph Robert Braun presiding!” I stood up, let out a yawn, and then things got exciting For my condition was inadequate to appear in county court Before the local magistrate, who’s not the friendly sort The judge said, “Deja vu, it looks like you’re in another jam Son, what the hell is wrong with you?” I said, “I just don’t give a damn” Now, be that as it may, and it really, truly was My rebel roots were on display, I only lacked a cause And I should’a acted meek and kind, not ornery and rude But I was out of my fool mind and just not in the mood I said, “I do admit, and God knows I seek no pardon For doing all the things I did, but I’m no John Wesley Hardin It’s true that I can’t hold a job, but I can damn sure hold a grudge So tell me something, Billy Bob, who died and made you judge?” I don’t consider consequences, and they say crime never pays But he sure brought me to my senses, “Ninety days!” III. The Least Of My Brethren Sure as clockwork, without fail, it happens now and then I end up in county jail, “Hey fellas, it’s me again!” If you’ve never been to lock-up, it’s a bleak road to Perdition And nothing you can’t chalk up to your own dumb-ass decision That leads to tears and sorrow and profound misery For every lost tomorrow you’re condemned to never see The prison guard took me on that long walk to my incarceration We dispensed of small talk and sparkling conversation But he must have found it quite sublime to spout that old cliche, “You do the crime, you do the time,” Hmm, easy for him to say He didn’t change expression, kept looking straight ahead But he made a deep impression, and this is what he said “The sad dregs of humanity languish in these halls And I’ve known the sheer insanity of life inside these walls But I’ve learned a thing or two, it makes no difference whether You’re a convict or a screw, ‘cause we’re all in this together Lonely riders in the dust storm who ache for what we’re missin’ But we all wear a uniform, and we’re all stuck in prison. IV. The Light Shineth In Darkness When I stepped into my dingy cell and heard the door slam shut It rang out like a death knell that echoed in my gut In the shadows, I suspected, was a room barren and stark And then my eyes slowly detected an old man praying in the dark I could not refrain from staring and muttering, “What the heck?” When I saw that he was wearing a white collar on his neck As he knelt there on the dirty floor, I asked, somewhat sincere, “Reverend, what’re you in for, you don’t belong in here” And like a revelation, he spoke, “We all must sin For we all dance with temptation and we all give in” As an unreformed offender, it’s not my nature to console But I was coming off a bender and he was on a roll I’ve heard it all before, but I figured, his sacred words can determine If I’m born again on this here cot due to his fine sermon He slowly struggled to his feet, so frail it seemed impossible But his eyes lit up like Bourbon Street when he preached the holy gospel “Some live with the torment of Faustian agreements The good in them is dormant and they surrender to their demons And some reject The Holy Ghost for they cannot see a wraith Their hearts and minds forever closed to one small leap of faith But others seek the promised land, then founder on the shoals Before they feel His mighty hand come down to save their mortal souls Your path is what you make it, it’s always been that way, of course If you’ll just choose to take it, and the choice is always yours.” I’ve often failed to do what’s right, and I’ve never known God’s grace But I swear a glorious shaft of light beamed through the window on my face It did I sat stunned in utter silence, like a blind man when he sees And as the spirit filled my body, I fell down upon my knees Thankful for a teacher who revealed to me such glory I looked up at the preacher who had shared his blessed story And whispered, “What you say is wise. Are we truly saved, pray tell?” He looked dead in my eyes and said, “I’ll see you down in Hell” As it was told, lo and behold The truth will set you free And now I know that it is so The eyes of the blind shall see The eyes of the blind shall see
6.
Beneath A Solemn Sky By a brown and withered garden, there's a chapel in the sand Where the wicked and the faithful come to make their final stand As another bitter season ends, now the hour is at hand For the seeds of hope have fallen on parched and stony ground Can you hear the prophets calling while the world keeps spinning 'round? But it all goes with the territory and, for what it's worth, The meek and brave prepare a grave in the dusty barren earth While the bones of last week's promises are buried in the square The saints and doubting Thomases all bow their heads in prayer But the words can bring no comfort to the foolish or the wise Till the heavens rain on the brittle grain Like teardrops from the quiet, solemn sky Now the thunderclouds are gathering A shadow on the land So rejoice you sons and daughters, but wouldn't it be rich If the holy, healing waters soon undermined the bridge Rushing up to breach the levy on that long and fateful day Till the rising flood made it clear as mud All the sins are washed away Down the ancient, winding river to the dark and briny sea Now these old foundations shiver at the sacred memory Of that brief and blessed moment when providence supplied A sad lament for the penitent who are damn well sanctified
7.
By The Numbers When you need a little sunshine, but the forecast calls for rain If your odds are slim to none and there’s nothing left to gain I had me a sure thing but made a losing bet They really did a number on me, left me in the red I’ve spent a lifetime looking out for number one But my glory days are numbered and a sad day’s just begun I’ve had myself some good times, mmm, I drank deep from that cup But now my spirit’s running low and I’m afraid my number’s up You take your chances, but chances are If you got no place to go, then you go too far I’ll put it on the line, put my pride up on the shelf ‘Cause I’ve run all the numbers, but I can’t run from myself, no I had a cause to fight for, but all lost causes fall Lady Luck lost my number and then I lost it all So when you count your blessings, count the hopes that die ‘Cause nothing seems to add up and the numbers never lie *** At the first light, I’ll lay it all out on the table For a second chance to undergo the third degree And my fourth draw from this fifth of gin may just enable me to see Though I walk on, Sixth Avenue is gone Seventh Heaven looking down from the tower At the Eighth Wonder of the World in the bottom of the ninth, behind When your tenth last chance is lost in the eleventh hour, you will find The time draw’s near and the Twelfth of Never’s here Time moves on and so do we The days are numbered to set you free So count me in, count on me It’s as easy as one two three
8.
Picture Perfect Curios, pictures in folios, subjects in calm repose A glimpse of yesterday Years adorn portraits now creased and torn, images lined and worn That slowly fade away Captured in their glory, so innocent it hurts Each face tells a story of a thousand words Memories may falter, for time is like a thief But snapshots never alter such a fine motif They're picture perfect Strolls down memory lane were never meant to last Till one old photograph unlocks the past I realize something about the eyes, and vaguely recognize A man I used to know Strong and pure, eager to strive, endure...ah, but I can't be sure For that was long ago When passion was awaking and youth was on our side The world was for the taking in shades of black and white Long before the sorrows, forever in his prime Spared from sad tomorrows and the hands of time So picture perfect
9.
Get Myself Back Home Freedom, it calls to me Footloose ad far across the sea Here and there without a care, that's the way to be But freedom is never free My days of wandering are gone And now I'm pondering as I think upon All my rambling from Timbuktu to Rome I know one day I'll get myself back home Trouble, it knows my name Seems like my only claim to fame Bad mistakes and lousy breaks, just myself to blame But trouble, that's a losing game The time for close escapes is past Sad woes and narrow scrapes, behind me now at last I've been running from Timbuktu to Rome Now it's high time I get myself back home Get back... Fortune, well, you can bet The more your risk the more you get Add the sum of where you're from to what you can't forget My fortune lies straight ahead And on my odyssey I've found Right where I oughtta be, and that's just where I'm bound I've been searching from Timbuktu to Rome For the answer, I'll get myself back home Back home...
10.
Brand New Skin I went walking through my old town Where I strolled down favorite streets to say hello And so I felt inclined to ease my mind by searching high and low For the world I used to know I remember days of laughter Chasing after bright mirages by the shore But all those secret spaces, hiding places where I roamed before Don't belong here anymore (Chorus) Whoa, it can break your heart To break the chains you're living in Whoa, break them all apart Then you can break some brand new skin (Repeat Chorus) For you memories cannot save you In a brave new world where no-one knows your name But time will change and re-arrange the sacred ground you used to claim 'Cause nothing here remains the same
11.
Judgment Road Distant thunder, restless night, last smoke in the pack I stopped a stranger, bummed a light and took a long sweet drag When it burned like hell to pay and turned my fingers black I crushed it out and walked away, and I ain't looking back I feel it in my soul, there's something calling me Out where the dust clouds roll, that's where I'm gonna be This highway takes its toll before it sets you free 'Round the final bend straight to the end Of Judgment Road Racing past the break of dawn across the great divide Stuck on "E," the rearview's gone, now there's no place left to hide I drove into the blinding sun, too strung out to sleep After all is said and done, there's no secrets left to keep 'Cause sins are not forgiven and no one here forgets The guilty go on living til they die with their regrets Beyond the far horizon's edge the truth must stake its claim On that lonely, narrow ledge where there's no one left to blame For what you are and what you're not, and for the cause you serve You give it everything you've got and get what you deserve I feel it in my soul, there's something calling me Out where the dust clouds roll, that's where I'm gonna be This highway takes its toll before it sets you free 'Round the final bend straight to the end Of Judgment Road

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A tale of regret, reflection and redemption. (More songs coming soon)

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released August 14, 2017

Recorded at Zoe Tribe Studios.
All songs by K. Holmes/Lexisongs

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The Gunboat Diplomats Jacksonville Beach, Florida

The Gunboat Diplomats are a song shop recording pop rock music with a vintage vibe.

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