Lexington Avenue Line

In a departure for me, this tune features no percussion, synths, jaw harps, scrap metal or hand held mini-vibrators, but is simply accompanied by... an acoustic guitar. Radical, huh? Anyway, as you might guess from the title, the tune is a kind of meditation on New York City. Hope you enjoy.

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by flapjax at midnite (9 comments total)

And the guitar is being played by my good buddy Ken Kawashima, who spent years in Chicago blues clubs blowing a wicked harp and teaches post-Marxist economic theory and such at the University of Toronto.
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lexington avenue line

there's just the stingiest sliver of a sky
plate glass windows capture the clouds
the wind and the rain have been subdivided
the very last singer-songwriter's wrapped
in a burial shroud
and the key to the city is buried way down deep
so let the lexington avenue line gently rock you to sleep

there's footprints on the ceiling
rumors being passed from ear to ear
a hundred thousand streets
not a single one of them lead you outta here
every little thing is expensive
except the talk of course is cheap
just let the lexington avenue line gently rock you to sleep

your mother and your father they're long gone
and all the lovers like a broken string of beads
newspapers blowing all across broadway
like some kind of crazy tumbleweeds
go ahead and let it out
y'won't be the first to just break down and weep
then let the lexington avenue line gently rock you to sleep

there's a spotllight that burns right through your curtain
your prayers are being recorded then reversed
what used to seem spontaneous and impromptu
now just seems too goddamn well rehearsed
and the lord's down on his knees
begging for a soul to keep
he oughtta just let that lexington avenue line
gently rock him rock him to sleep

i was sure someday i'd overcome against the crazy odds
but my banner of triumph's not yet unfurled
i've heard it said so often that i almost believe
this town is the smack dab center of the world
and maybe i'll never make
what they call that quantum leap
so i'm gonna just let the lexington avenue line
gently rock me rock me to sleep

Copyright 2007 Samm Bennett / Polarity Records
Published by Directional Music (BMI)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:01 PM on March 19, 2007

Nice! good follow-up to the last one, as they both seem to take different directions within your own style, flapjax.

So, did Ken recorded the guitar in Canada and sent you the digital file?
posted by micayetoca at 4:52 AM on March 20, 2007

Hi mica! Actually, Ken recorded it here in Tokyo (he makes it over here every so often) at my home studio, and I put the vocals on just a few days later.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:00 AM on March 20, 2007

Oh. It's really nice. And it's really cool when that kinda thing happens and you end up singing blues with a Japanese guitar player who also teaches post-Marxist economic theory in Canada, innit?
posted by micayetoca at 7:48 AM on March 20, 2007

Ken Kawashima, who spent years in Chicago blues clubs blowing a wicked harp and teaches post-Marxist economic theory; yea, that made me smile.

All roads lead to the blues for me. Thanks for the great song!
posted by snsranch at 4:37 PM on March 20, 2007

nice falsetto!
posted by Miko at 8:56 AM on March 23, 2007

Thanks, Miko and sns!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:59 AM on March 23, 2007

Smooth.
posted by Ynoxas at 8:09 PM on March 27, 2007

very nice!
posted by amberglow at 12:33 PM on April 29, 2007