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One Night

by Jim Ballard

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    Recorded "One Night" September 12th, 2020 at The Rialto Theatre on the Kenmore BoulevARTS Strip, the 14 performances include songs spanning Jim Ballard's dozen previous albums along with three new previously unreleased songs. Jim is backed on every song by his band The Strangs. Bill Watson, Wes McCraw, Tim Longfellow and Joe Lang. The set, originally meant to be a live concert, was recorded during the 2020 pandemic, all in one take, live and in concert to an empty hall.
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1.
Seven Trains 06:21
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Seven Trains Seven trains come rollin' by my door Seven trains come rollin' by my door. Seven trains rollin' by my door, every one longer than the one before Seven trains come rollin' by my door. first train gonna make you wanna ride first train so pretty make you wanna ride first train make you wanna ride, once you buy a ticket, ain't nothin' inside first train, well it make you wanna ride second train is loaded to the door second train is loaded to the door second train loaded to the door, lord have mercy still ask for more second train is loaded up to the door Seven trains come rollin' by my door Seven trains come rollin' by my door Seven trains rollin' by my door, every one longer than the one before Seven trains come rollin' by my door third train carry bags full o' money third train carry bags full o' money third train carry bags full o' money taken from the land of milk and honey third train carry nothin' but bags full o' money fourth train ain't never go nowhere fourth train ain't never go nowhere fourth train never go nowhere tyin' up the track and he just don't care fourth train ain't never go nowhere Seven trains come rollin' by my door Seven trains come rollin' by my door. Seven trains rollin' by my door, every one longer than the one before Seven trains come rollin' by my door. fifth train got up a head of steam fifth train got up a big head of steam fifth train got a head of steam jump the track kill a everything fifth train got a great big head of steam sixth train all loaded down with coal sixth train all loaded down with coal sixth train all heavy with coal, drivin' wheel made from 'a some fool’s gold sixth train all loaded down heavy with coal seventh train all painted up bright and new seventh train is shinin' all bright and new seventh train all bright and new loaded to the top and empty too seventh train all painted up bright and new Seven Trains come rollin' down the track Seven Trains come rollin' down the track Seven Trains rollin' down the track, coal fire burnin' make the sky turn black Seven Trains come rollin' right down the track... Seven trains come rollin' by my door Seven trains come rollin' by my door. Seven trains rollin' by my door, every one longer than the one before Seven trains come rollin' by my door © Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
2.
The Lowlands Of L.A. 04:50
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The Lowlands Of L.A. All them bully boys braggin in the backstreet Makin’ big noise on the back beat Ain’t nobody you gonna wanna meet In the lowlands of L.A. Mamas all yellin across the yards Daddy’s at the corner playin twenty one cards Annie just wanna be a movie star In The lowlands of L.A. Taggin’ all the bars with a shoeshine kit Tryin ta make change tryin a make it legit Take it home to mama, gone lickity split In The Lowlands Of L.A. Somebody’s dreamin somebody’s markin time Somebody’s thinkin its ok Somebody’s hustlin’, tryin a make a dime In The Lowlands Of L.A. Now Richie got a telly and a real loud band Tryin’ a make a noise out in radio land Damned if he didn’t, well I’ll be damned In The Lowlands Of L.A. Annie gonna meet you by the walking bridge At the end of the street by the old Wolf Ledge Layin every chip on the bet she hedged In The Lowlands Of L.A. Somebody’s dreamin’ somebody’s buyin’ time Somebody thinkin its ok Somebody’s hustlin’ turnin’ on a dime In The Lowlands Of L.A. Now the bully boys are all dead or in jail Annie’s got her movies, knows every detail Richie’s on the road reachin’ for that grail In The Lowlands Of L.A. Mama always told me “gotta do what ya must but I tell ya right now, if you rest you gonna rust” I spit on the ground I kicked up the dust In The Lowlands Of L.A. Somebody’s dreamin’ somebody’s doin time Some’ll never get away Somebody’s hustlin’ ain’t ever got a dime In The Lowlands Of L.A. Somebody’s dreamin’ somebody’s markin’ time Somebody thinkin its ok Somebody’s hustlin’, pocket full o’ dimes In The Lowlands In The Lowlands In The Lowlands of L.A. ©Jim Ballard Music HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
3.
City With No Walls 05:38
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City With No Walls I’ve seen bagmen under bridges where the campfire girls make their deals Where the taxis take no riders and the angels ain’t got no wheels And in the smoky hours of twilight frownin’ I hear my name called and I look down an’ See my boots kick the concrete curbside stalls Where the City’s got no walls... All the dancin’ eyed hobos, their pockets full o’ promises Find the answer to their hunger in the cloud covered emptiness They know it ain’t no use to keep the doorman waitin’ They can smell the rain they know its gettin’ late n’ The wind is gatherin’ prowlin’ dancin’ howlin’ through the halls Where the City’s got no walls... In the shadow of the canyons in the alleys where the sun comes up blue Written in the overcast sleep the ones who keep fallin’ through And it hangs in the sky by gossamer webs Morning to night it flows and it ebbs And its warm then its gone then its gone and that’s all Where the City’s got no walls... Then the sloe eyed drummer taps off eight to the crowd’s delight His brushes and his digits beating wild in the black hole night And he wakes to the dancers gathered all ‘round Swayin’ out of time to the steam-grate sound Of the souls and the heels and the underground waterfalls Where the City’s got no walls... Now the blindman stumbles in the stairway as he taps his cane Hears footsteps up above in the dark and dusty subterrain Where the doorways have dreamers days spent in dives Who’s treasures are the flotsam of all the other lives Whose ironbound pillow carries no dreams at all The famous gypsy wire walker starts his journey in the evening air He works without a net as the crowd is gatherin’ in the square He knows he’s rollin’ it all on this one trick He ain’t ever had a fall but now he’s starin’ at the bricks While all the faces passin’ by him down below him all begin to call Where the city got no walls... Well now the girls by the fires and the hobos starin’ at the flames Got one eye on the doorman while the taxi driver’s takin’ names And the drummer’s rollin’ cadence in the alleyway While the crowd in the square has all drifted away And they’re takin’ down the wires from the buildings that once were so tall Where the city got no walls... Where the city’s got no walls.... © Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
4.
Africa 04:30
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AFRICA Ten thousand years, the trials and the tears Have given you the skin of the rhino Armies of fear Legions of famine Have given you the legs of the wino Africa Lyin' in the dust like a white hot diamond Africa Will it be just like it's written this time in Africa Give with one hand take with another Carrot and stick beyond the reachin' When will this land, this soil, this mother Be returnin' to her teachin' Africa Lyin' in the dust like a white hot diamond Africa Will it be just like it's written this time in Africa When too much sun a desert's makin' So much light is gonna blind ya When from the land so much is taken While havin' one hand tied behind ya Cradle of man, Cradle of woman What will become of every nation? Will the last stand of every human Point us to our destination? Africa Lyin' in the dust like a white hot diamond Africa Will it be just like it's written this time in Africa Africa Lyin' in the dust like a white hot diamond Africa Will it be just like it's written this time in Africa ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
5.
Love Run Out 03:21
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Love Run Out Sweet Sister Mary was no ordinary one she knew the way of the world Dark eyed and curly she found out early you never fly feelings unfurled A perfectly modern girl Ah, but I know the truth babe You lie thru every tooth babe I ain't no Babe Ruth babe, but I can hit home Don't let your love run out You got to scream and shout Don't let your love run out Run out on you Lost in her summer dress queen in her game of chess Makes every move with her head She don't let her heart get mixed up in nobody's tricks She don't take chances. Instead She believes everything that she's read Ah but I've seen the light babe And it just ain't right babe That every night babe it shines alone Don't let your love run out You got to scream and shout Don't let your love run out Run out on you Sweet Sister Mary is no missionary she don't carry nobody's word She's got herself to feed nobody else can lead her to believe what she's heard 'cause she's chained to the sky like a bird Don't let your love run out You got to scream and shout Don't let your love run out Run out on you Don't let your love run out You got to scream and shout Don't let your love run out Run out on you ©Jim Ballard HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
6.
Ask John Steinbeck 05:03
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Ask John Steinbeck Turtle. Two lane. Makin' his way Just tryin' to get where he's goin' Sun up. Risin'. Start of a day Red shadows are glowin'.............. Head turns nose up smellin' the air Tryin' to tell what is comin' Rumble in the distance far off somewhere Two engines are gunnin' One swerves to hit him, one swerves to miss Ain't that the way that it goes Pieces of silver all from a kiss Just ask John Steinbeck. He knows.... Kid down playground little and thin Just tryin' to get where he's goin' Head up feet down checkin' the wind Which way is it blowin'? Steps off curbside into the street Cycles on the horizon Both directions feelin' the heat Now he's got both his eyes on ) Family walkin' out on the street Just tryin' to get where they're goin' No one talking, not much to eat Hard row to be goin' Move left move right move anywhere Just never get any nearer Heads turn eyes look every which way Ah, but not in the mirror One turns to help 'em, one turns away Ain't that the way that it goes Pieces of silver get in the way Just ask John Steinbeck. He knows From Okema to Cannery Row Just Ask John Steinbeck He knows He Knows ©Jim Ballard HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
7.
Bones Of The Boulevard 03:42
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Bones Of The Boulevard On the pavement where the sidewalk starts In the doorways of a thousand hearts Ah, stories and the mem'ries still linger on And somethin' else you just can't put your finger on Like a pulse in the veins the Bones Of The Boulevard There are footsteps like ghosts in the wind And the whisperin' Like the voices of your kin Watchin from the rooftops Watchin' from the street While the underground rises to the bottoms of your feet Don't have to look too hard to find the Bones Of The Boulevard Humans Hearts Dreams and Hope Mortar Brick Steel and Rope and its Stone on Stone on Stone the Bones .. Bones of the Boulevard If the threadbare shop-worn walls could tell all the stories and the lives that they know so well Or the people in the trolleys at the curbside crawl The singers and the drummers in the music hall Gonna roll it all On the Bones of the Boulevard ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
8.
The Bells Of Saint Mary's 04:52
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The Bells Of Saint Mary's Kickin' a can down Washington street Stealin' my old man's smokes Tryin' to steer clear of old Crazy Karl So we don't have to laugh at his jokes That ain't all that funny plus he'll take our money And lose it all in some corner game So we cut through the park past the tramps in the dark Who ain't got a dime to their name And the bells of st Mary's are ringing like a mother's voice calling you home And the bells of st Mary's are ringing. Throw a stone Throw a stone Now Billy and me wanted just to get free from the corners and the cops and the kings Who ran all the games Who knew all the names Who seemed to own most everything Except for the packs we had on our backs And the medals that we tossed in a drawer And when I returned with the stories I learned Billy didn't come home no more And the bells of st Mary's are ringing like a mother's voice calling you home And the bells of st Mary's are ringing. Throw a stone Throw a stone Kicking a can through the old neighborhood Where Washington street used to be Till the freeway came through cut the city in two Split up ol' Billy and me And now there's no takers to cross Hell's Half Acre And breathe in that fire we all knew So the silence is still from this campanile Where the voices of angels rang true And the bells of st Mary's are ringing like a mother's voice calling you home Yeh the bells of st Mary's are ringing. Throw a stone Throw a stone ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
9.
Rag Tag Gypsies 05:07
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Rag Tag Gypsies The rain fell hard on the stony street soakin through my jeans soakin through my feet But its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight I was up in the alley when the deal went down I was talkin to Noah he was leavin town And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight EmC D And the ragtag gypsies get by EmC D Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by I been to the city where the women are mean been out on the street where they love like machines And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight I saw Jesus out walkin with Robin Hood he said there ain’t no heroes in this neighborhood And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by Now Matt the Cat be your friend sometime cause he knows what its like to be scufflin for dimes And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight ‘Cause if you do what you say and say what you do there aint nobody who can argue with you And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by So here’s to all of you dreamin dreams Sittin in school rooms comin loose at the seams Workin a job with your eyes on the clock Waitin for some magic ship to dock It feels so good when you’re under the lights you forget your troubles you forget your fights And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight Then you sit em all down and you tell em the story how you stood all alone on the field of glory And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight ‘Cause the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by So i found myself somewhere in hollywood they were talkin in tongues like i knew they would And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
10.
If I Told You 03:59
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If I Told You Same old story different faces Restless hearts beat different paces Me, I'm finding out it ain't no thrill You and I have been thru this Enough to know we shouldn't miss the time When there's not time enough to kill If I told you. If I told you. If I told you would you hear me say? Wouldn't it be just like heaven. Carry 1 makes it eleven Feeling like we've never lived before Give me something I can trust in. Tell me words to keep me just in time. I'll know the heart you're looking for If I told you. If I told you. If I told you would you hear me say? If I told you how I feel tonight, would the door swing open and the light shine in..... Points connected thru the motions disappear into the oceans washed away by time and tide until Same old story different faces. Restless hearts beat different paces Me, I'm finding out. It ain't no thrill.... If I told you. If I told you. If I told you would you hear me say? ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
11.
Speed Demons 05:57
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Speed Demons The air is heavy ain’t no breeze tonight crowd o’ youngboyz gathered by the street lamp light In the atmosphere you could cut with a knife somebody gonna hear about the street lamp life Everything’s quiet on the east side front ‘cept for Jacknife Lenny and his paradise punks talkin bout skippin out them night school classes catch a cross town ride kick some rich boyz asses Speed Demons on a one way street Sucked in by the light burned up by the heat Where muscle and blood is all the promise you get Some make it through and some are caught in the net In the naked night in the final toll You can give up the fight or you can give up your soul Swallowed up by the night One child thinkin was i born to this? to survive among the dead end streets to never know the kiss of the well off widows of the debutantes growin fat and contented in their restaurants Somewhere in the sidestep of a tire iron dance Is this some kinda joke or this some kinda romance Hard lessons learned early never wanna die that a young man surely ain’t supposed to cry The flower girls on the promenade The shoe shine boys with their razor blades With every kind of dream that won’t be stilled tonight Risin from the ruins of another rigged fight Stormin the beaches of this conquered land In every that’s diggin in to make a stand Swallowed up by the night I know the lessons that they tell ya in the school make it sound so sweet But the pavement never learned the golden rule you got to stay on your own feet or be swallowed up by the night ©Jim Ballard 1987/2020 HandMade Music All Rights Reserved
12.
Three Quarter Time 05:13
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Three Quarter Time I aint much at dancin Thats why I play this guitar Lean in lean out I can do it without lookin down Eye to eye...toe to toe...this do si do three to the bar yeah the dancin begins and the music it spins you Round and round and round All them cowboys and sailors tinkers and tailors couldnt a been far off the dime Oh my how they fill ya every waltzing matilda my heart beats in three quarter time Now livin aint what it once was when it becomes just killin time but hearts always let ya know when to speed up or slow down Hand in hand circle down every step sayin that Im Payin the piper hes playin it all in threes Round and round and round All them cowboys and sailing ships Irish girls ruby lips couldnta a been far off the dime Oh my how they thrill ya every waltzing matilda my heart beats in three quarter time Yippee ay and Yo ho ho Sixteen Men and a bottle o' rhyme Yippee ay and Yo ho ho My heart beats in three quarter time Stories Lies Mysteries Funny how things come in threes Father Son Holy Ghost Dancin our lives mostly Round and round and round All them cowboys and sailors tinkers and tailors couldn t a been far off the dime Oh my how they thrill ya every waltzing matilda my heart beats in three quarter time All them cowboys and sailors Guy Clarks and James Taylors couldn’t a been far off the dime You dont know until ya go waltzing matilda your heart beats in three quarter time Yippee ay and Yo ho ho Sixteen dancers all in a line Yippee ay and Yo ho ho My heart beats in three quarter time My heart beats in three quarter time ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved
13.
Well Well Well 05:21
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Well Well Well Well Well Well Did it come around Did it take you by surprise open up your eyes pin you to the ground Well Well Well Did the wire snap Did the mirror break did the sudden earthquake shake you from your nap Ah, well Well Well Well Well Well Well So the ground’s been laid And the die is cast the lines stand fast The piper’s been paid Well Well Well Is there no last chance No lesson learned no stone unturned No time for the dance Ah, well Well Well Well Well Well Well Did it come around Did it take you by surprise open up your eyes pin you to the ground Ah, well Well Well Well Ah, well Well Well Well ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 1988/2020 All Rights Reserved
14.
Painter On The Shore 08:13
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Painter On The Shore The years pile up like dusty books in a third floor corner where no one looks But the past is only what you think it is I may have taken the hard road but I found out what I needed to know And it done me good i think it done me good But sometimes i wish with all my might when i’m lost and lonely late at night And the rain comes down like the walls of Jericho That i could have a word or two with you I didn’t always mean to seem so angry But part of me always had to fly free I guess these sound like empty words to you I never asked for your surrender I only want you to remember That time can renew I believe that’s true When the evening sun was in your sky you showed me how to use my eyes Like a painter on the shore you pictured every view But i guess i stood too close to see the colors that you showed to me So i sat up late and wrote this song for you They say that strong men stand alone but i don’t know if i’m all that strong When the rain comes down like the walls of Jericho ‘Cause i need to have a word or two with you I didn’t always mean to seem so angry But part of me always had to fly free I guess these sound like empty words to you I never asked for your surrender I only want you to remember That time can renew I believe that’s true When I hold my child upon my knee, I can see your blue eyes smilin’ at me ©Jim Ballard/HandMade Music 2020 All Rights Reserved

about

Fourteen tracks all recorded live from Kenmore's Rialto Theatre on the evening of Sept. 12th, 2020. Jim Ballard and his band The Strangs played a LiveStream concert with no audience, due to the Covid 19 Lockdown. Jim appears on guitar and vocals. Wes McCraw is on guitar, mandolin and vocals, Bill Watson on bass, Timothy Longfellow on piano and organ while Joe Lang played the drums. Of the 14 songs tracked, there are three new previously unreleased songs included in the set.

credits

released December 2, 2020

Joe Lang~Drums
Bill Watson~Bass
Timothy Longfellow~Piano, Organ and Backing Vocals
Wes McCraw~Lead Guitar, Mandolin and Backing Vocals
Jim Ballard~Guitar and Lead Vocals

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Jim Ballard Akron, Ohio

Jim Ballard
A native of NE Ohio, Jim Ballard has been, for many years a part of the recording/performing community. After touring and performing all over the country with artists from 10,000 Maniacs to Gordon Lightfoot,The Mekons to Pete Seeger, he moved into his studio, Skylyne. There, he has recorded and worked with artists from Michael Stanley to Don Dixon and Alex Bevan. ... more

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