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Harlem Hayride

by Karl Straub & the Graverobbers

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1.
Ruby Keeler 02:20
She can’t tap with Dick Powell in her lap, Ruby Keeler Pink and young like bubble gum, Ruby Keeler She’s got cheeks like roses, a button nose, sweet as molasses (She can’t tap, Dick’s in her lap) With the lead in a cast, she’ll take off her glasses and save our asses. (Pink and young like bubblegum) Ruby Keeler Ruby, Ruby Keeler Ruby. Shuffle off to Buffalo with Ruby Keeler, Ruby Keeler How big do bananas grow for Ruby Keeler? She’s got cheeks like roses, a button nose, sweet as molasses (How big do bananas grow?) With the lead in a cast, she’ll take off her glasses and save our asses. (Shuffle off to Buffalo) Ruby Keeler Ruby, Ruby Keeler Ruby You’re going out a youngster, but you gotta come back a star. Kaleidoscope in black and white. Ruby Keeler, Ruby Keeler Learn the whole show in one night, Ruby Keeler. She’s got cheeks like roses, a button nose, sweet as molasses (Kaleidoscope in black and white) With the lead in a cast, she’ll take off her glasses and save our asses. (Learn the whole show in one night) Ruby Keeler Ruby, Ruby Keeler Ruby Ruby Keeler Ruby.
2.
Lipstick is rolling off the line, like bottled wine Assembling in silver shining rows, like dominoes And each tube is made to catch your eye And break down sales resistance And sail you into love affairs The glitter of romance The world of magazine ads And models and shampoo And hair and nails keep growing A while after you’re dead And buried too. The dolls are passing lipstick like a joint And rummaging through closets And living just in photographs And album cover art All lit up with a flashbulb Detectives dust for prints And it really wakes the room up The streamers and the sparkle When her eyes go wild. Depositing like limestone The lipstick on your collar. You can read my lips I wonder where her eyes go, eyes go wild. At parties and cafés and cold buffets To sit in beauty parlors and salons With makeup on and dream About the life in magazines Where no one gets their heart broke And everyone has love affairs With guys with model hair Who care about your feelings. The closet light was broken I tried to pull the chain down And shoeboxes were falling Til my eyes go wild. I’m dizzy from the spinning And I can’t breathe from laughing At the lipstick on the mirror Where her eyes go, eyes go wild. Lipstick is rolling off the line, like bottled wine Assembling in silver shining rows, like dominoes And each tube is made to catch your eye And break down sales resistance And sail you into love affairs The glitter of romance The world of magazine ads All lit up with a flashbulb Detectives dust for prints And it really wakes the room up When her eyes go wild. Depositing like limestone The lipstick on your collar. You can read my lips I wonder where her eyes go wild. The closet light was broken I tried to pull the chain down And shoeboxes were falling Til my eyes go wild.
3.
You’re nothing but a baby. An open window’s razzle-dazzle Magic string of lit-up lights Every time you blink your eyes. Pretty little colored house You don’t notice that it’s made of matches. Popsicle’s just as good If it’s left out in the sun. Credit cards and candle wax Your mother’s keys and your father’s glasses Soon as there’s a minute free You’ll put ’em in your mouth. Always so much to do When you’re the size of a carpet sample So many places to have fun. You’re nothing but a baby. You’re out of milk and you’re out of coffee. Leave a message on your phone It says that you are out. You’re distracted by The crowd around the makeup counter. Wanna get some water But those lines are so damn long. Must have been a couple months Since they told you they would notify you. Soon as something opens up We’ll be giving you a call. Have a seat, fill out some forms Your maiden name and your average salary Where you’ll be living in the fall. You’re nothing but a baby. An open window’s razzle-dazzle Magic string of lit-up lights Every time you blink your eyes. Pretty little colored house You don’t notice that it’s made of matches. Popsicle’s just as good If it’s left out in the sun. Credit cards and candle wax Your mother’s keys and your father’s glasses Soon as there’s a minute free You’ll put ’em in your mouth. Always so much to do When you’re the size of a carpet sample So many places to have fun.
4.
Closet full of colors and you dress in the sad light of it Every single morning noon and night of it And dream a dream where you take all the clothes outside Light up the sky so bright it keeps the sleepiest people wide awake all night. Chimney and bikini tops, a banquet of tranquilizers, ’Lectric fans to smother all the noise outside My window’s open wide but yours is locked up tight And painted shut so stupid birds don’t keep you awake all night. Been through the looking glass and out the other side And soon you start to dream the kind of dreams you only dream at night With a lullaby, you’re tucked inside, where you can hide Flying with your eyes closed. Closet deep, the colors run, the all-cotton sheets are piled high Drifting like an angel when you close your eyes And dream a dream where you take all the clothes outside Light up the sky so bright it keeps the sleepiest up all night. Been through the looking glass and out the other side And soon you start to dream the kind of dreams you only dream at night With a lullaby, you’re tucked inside, where you can hide Flying with your eyes closed. Closet deep, the colors run, the all-cotton sheets are piled high Drifting like an angel when you close your eyes And dream a dream where you take all the clothes outside Light up the sky so bright it keeps the sleepiest up all night. Light up the sky so bright it keeps the sleepiest up all night.
5.
Sparkles, flashing lights, Hot sugar fireballs and Black lace and spirit gum Cold rubbing alcohol and I thought you would have called me by now Couple of days went by. Oh, it only hurts me all the time. Oh, it only hurts me all the time. Seedrows and cracks and locks Hen’s teeth and rows of boxes Rolled wires and pins and rows Rolled eyes and seeds and sounds and I thought you would have called me by now Couple of weeks went by. Oh, it only hurts me all the time. Oh, it only hurts me all the time. Hot flowers and paint and wires Rim shots and hothouse glasses White Russians, white and wide Wet stones and whetstone wood and I thought you would have called me by now Couple of months went by. Oh, it only hurts me all the time. Oh, it only hurts me all the time. Oh...
6.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Just before his execution Sidney Etheridge, forty-five, Temporarily still alive, Was waiting to be punished for his crime. While dead men prayed in other cells His recipe for enjoying Hell Was taken down by a journalist from Time. “You take a black cat, and you go into the woods The wind will come and bow the limbs of trees And sweep the ground clean. You boil your black cat in an iron pot Pull the bones between your teeth The wind will make a clearing for the bones. For nine straight mornings you walk backwards for nine steps and forward nine Cussing God and Jesus Christ with every breath. You’re possessed now by the Devil He’s your father and your mother.” And there’s twelve perfect files in every dozen.
7.
Reflections 03:26
8.
Honey I’m deep blue Drinking from a swimming pool Tired of knowing you Tired of wanting you I’ve got a gallon down I’ve got a fountain down my throat Swimming the pool wide And you’re the sun at my poolside. Honey I’m up and drained Raking wet leaves away Watching the evening set After a lousy day And it’s a crying shame You’re not around so you can’t see As far as a man could sink down Without your charming company. Honey I’m deep blue Drinking from a swimming pool Tired of knowing you Tired of wanting you I’ve got a gallon down I’ve got a fountain down my throat Swimming the pool wide And you’re the sun at my poolside. Honey I’m much the same After a couple years Wearing out shirts and shoes And hitting up friends for beers In from the deep end down Having a party under glass Here in the land of the blind A one-eyed man should keep his mouth shut.
9.
Monk's Mood 02:04
10.
First night when I went home Drunk as I could be There’s another mule in the stable Where my mule oughta be. Come here honey Explain this thing to me How come another mule in the stable Where my mule oughta be? Oh crazy, oh silly. Can’t you plainly see? That’s nothing but a milk cow Where your mule oughta be. Well I’ve traveled this world over Million times or more Saddle on a milk cow’s back I’ve never seen before. Second night when I came home As drunk as I could be There’s another coat on the coat rack Where my coat oughta be. Come here honey Explain this thing to me How come another coat on the coat rack Where my coat oughta be? Oh crazy, oh silly. Can’t you plainly see? That’s nothing but a bed quilt Where your coat oughta be. Been all ’round this world Million times or more Pockets on a bed quilt I’ve never seen before. The third night when I came home As drunk as I could be There’s another head on the pillow Where my head oughta be. Come here honey Explain this thing to me How come another head on the pillow Where my head oughta be? Oh crazy, oh silly. Can’t you plainly see? That’s nothing but a cabbage head Your grandma sent to me. Well I’ve been all ’round this world Million times or more A hat on a cabbage head I’ve never seen before.
11.

about

The first Karl Straub album in 14 years, finally releasing long-lost tracks from the heyday of the Graverobbers, newly mixed and mastered. Plus a couple of favorites revisited and Karl's unique Telecaster or steel string acoustic guitar interpretation of classic Monk tunes.
Karl does different kinds of music. This album has rock and roll, country, and jazz music on it, often mixed together. It was Karl's first serious attempt to mix those styles.
"It Only Hurts Me All The Time" is a re-recording of an early Graverobbers cut. This version was used in the excellent film "I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore," available on Netflix.
"Drinking From a Swimming Pool" is also a new version of an old Graverobbers song. This version has a lot of additional lyrics, and was covered by Eric Brace and Peter Cooper.

credits

released July 19, 2013

© 2013 Karl Straub, Clever Bits Music (BMI)
Produced by Peter Fox
Engineered and mixed by Peter Fox at Groovetown USA (groovetownusa.com)
Mastered by Bill Wolf (wolfproductionsinc.com)

Karl Straub: Vocals, acoustic guitars, Fender Telecasters, electric 12-string, glockenspiel
Jim Gray: Bass (upright and electric)
Martin Lynds: Drums, auxiliary percussion
Lee Wilhoit, Dave Pera: Backup vocals
Dave Van Allen: Pedal steel guitar
Peter Fox: Keyboards

“Reflections,” “Monk’s Mood,” and “Ask Me Now” written by Thelonious Monk (BMI), arranged by Karl Straub
“Carolina Moon” written by Joe Burke and Benny Davis (ASCAP), arranged by Karl Straub
All other songs © Karl Straub, Clever Bits Music (BMI)
All rights reserved.

Managing Agent for Clever Bits Music: Joel Sparks
(cleverbitsmusic.com)

Cover art by Sarah Dione (sarahdione.com)
Design by Joel Sparks

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Karl Straub Alexandria, Virginia

KARL STRAUB writes music the way birds build nests, throwing together something sturdy from whatever detritus is lying around. Bubblegum pop, Charlie Parker, Merle Haggard and Bob Wills, Rodgers & Hart, psych fuzz, the Dolls and Velvet Underground, etc.
Straub basically uses two approaches when he writes lyrics— storytelling and impressionism.
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