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The Bells Of Saint Mary's

from Quarantine Kitchen by Jim Ballard

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about

The bell tower of St. Mary's Church, just south of downtown Akron, has been standing since long before I was born and is something I've always seen. In the middle of an ever changing city and neighborhood and life, it has been a constant. A touchstone in time and place. The original of this song is on the album Ask John Steinbeck as well as on the live album One Night.

lyrics

The Bells Of Saint Mary’s © Jim Ballard 2016


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 Saint Mary's are ringing
like a mother's voice calling you home
And the bells of Saint Mary's are ringing
Throw a stone Throw a stone

Now Billy and me wanted just to get free
Of 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 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 Saint Mary's are ringing
like a mother's voice calling you home
And the bells of Saint 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 old Billy and me

And now there's no takers to cross Hell's Half Acre
And breathe in the fire we all knew
So the silence is still from this campanile
Where the voices of angels rang true

And the bells of Saint Mary's are ringing
like a mother's voice calling you home
Yeh the bells of Saint Mary's are ringing
Throw a stone Throw a stone

credits

from Quarantine Kitchen, released February 8, 2021
Piano~Tim Longfellow
www.paypal.me/typhoonmacpro

Bass~Bill Watson
paypal.me/BillW65P

Mandolin~Wes McCraw

Guitar/Vocal~Jim Ballard

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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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