Rain comes down a-fallin’ on the city of squalour
Another fly’s crawlin’ into some spider’s parlour
Everybody’s in despair but they’d rather die than show it
You could lose your mind and soul down here and never even know it
I’ve been readin’ all the headlines, I’ve been waitin’ in the station
I’ve been lookin’ for the good life, all the good lives have been taken
A man comes in with good intentions, gets them thrown back in his face
He sees that he should leave but it seems like such a waste
And the birds don’t fly, and the sun don’t shine
Between the walls of the city where love crawls to die
Hey pretty baby, don’t ya think that maybe
You’re the one to save me, or drive me out of my mind?
The sign ahead says “Danger” but no-one thinks of stoppin’
It’s like half the world is dyin’, the other half is buildin’ coffins
Everyone’s hysterical, waitin’ for a miracle
But up inside the boardrooms it’s just business as usual
You know I love ya, you know I need ya
If I ever hurt you you know I didn’t mean ta
It’s just that I get nervous with this rope around my neck
This shackle on my leg, this rifle at my back
And the birds don’t fly and the sun don’t shine
Between the walls of the city where love crawls to die
Hey pretty baby, don’t you think that maybe
You’re the one to save, or drive me out of my mind?
With a shake of the hand and a slap on the back
It all starts out so ordinary
A lifetime to carry that weight down the track
Till there’s nothin’ left to bury
Now they’re suckin’ back that champagne, swingin’ from the chandeliers
They say it’s all under control but it’s just a trick they do with mirrors
One minute you were here, one minute you were gone
Twenty years from now I’ll still be tryin’ to figure out just what went wrong
And the birds don’t fly and the sun don’t shine
Between the walls of the city where love crawls to die
Hey pretty baby, don’t you think that maybe
You’re the one to save, or drive me out of my mind?
Well I never had a thought that got
Thought out, not lost in confusion
Well I never did a thing without
Thinkin’ there was somethin’ else I should be doin’
I’m not dumb enough for success, I’m not smart enough to fail
Don’t wanna marry the captain’s daughter, be cannon fodder, or go to jail
But don’t think you’ve seen the last of me, I’ll be wherever you go
This ain’t my last chance, baby, I blew that one long ago
And the birds don’t fly and the sun don’t shine
Between the walls of the city where love crawls to die
Hey pretty baby, don’t you think that maybe
You’re the one to save, or drive me out of my mind?
The haunting new record from Canadian folk artist Avi C. Engel bridges old and new traditions with a minimalist approach. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 24, 2024
Sanguine but uplifting, the Toronto singer-songwriter's "transfigured" folk songs ponder existential themes with grace and wonder. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 21, 2023
This collection of '90s work from folkie Patrick Regan and friends will appeal to fans of Fairport Convention and Pentangle. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 17, 2023
Montreal singer-songwriter Myriam Gendron's sophomore album, a mix of standards and originals, keeps living folk traditions vital. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2021
The British-Somali poet draws upon everything from leftfield folk to minimalist spoken-word, bound together by simple-yet-cutting wordplay. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 28, 2021
