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Every Man a King

by Martin Van Ruin

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1.
in this world while we're living some people say the worst of us they can but when we're dead and in our caskets they'll always some lillies in our hand. won't you give me my flowers while i'm living and let me enjoy them while i can? please don't wait 'till i'm ready to be bured and then slip some lillies in my hand.
2.
Wilderness 05:59
We broke all our promises the charter was annulled We cast sights on some strange place where no one walks alone. I got my bag, my woman, my vices saw somebody's daughter got her hands on a rifle we're all holding on to what we know not sure where this will go. i stood on these tired legs and held you by the hand said, "i built this house, i'll burn it down i'll prove myself a man" to the bridge, to the woods, to the town, to the steeple factory is ahead all teeming with people we're all making plans in the day's last glow not sure where this will go. we'll walk into the wilderness we'll wash our hands of this. i'm not young but the sun's still shining an old friend that just won't stop smiling down. living room piano's playing i've walked enough, oh, i think i'm staying now. we wrote journals as kids still yearning all the pages keep on turning now. the gold teeth of a city snarling i'm not leaving, i'm staying darling now we're not young, but the sun's still shining we thump bibles, the trash keeps piling up we're not young, but the sun's still shining our old friend just won't stop smiling down.
3.
someone tried to warn me the city's not for dreams the people in the buildings are never what they seem saw them writing on the walls of some long, forgotten hall where you lay sleeping. it said "the cemetery is filled with invincible men the peasants and the poets told us how the world will end." and when you told me what you need i just wondered what it's like to need me. oh, you've seen such awful things hope some other day can bring what you are seeking. the world you knew was wrong. the world you knew is gone. someone tried to warn me we're sleeping our feet there's trouble here and all we fear will bind us to our seats oh, for all those you know now how many do you really know now? someone tried to warn me these words are not my own "I said that when I was your age kid, your song's already sung." so I asked them what to do they said, "take that broken voice and sing it new." oh the workaday is scared saying, "if history's on its way, will I be spared?" the world you knew was wrong. the world you knew is gone. someone tried to warn me the city's not for dreams (the world you knew) the cemetery is filled with invincible men (the world you knew) someone tried to warn me we're sleeping on our feet (the world you knew) someone tried to warn me these words are not my own (the world you knew is gone)
4.
Put it Away 04:24
mary got drunk, she blamed new orleans she left her kids at the cigarette machines. she drew a line to kansas city said, "this life is mine now while i'm still pretty." well, george got a job at the age of 14 and a decade later, he was Man Mountain Dean in a little town in oregon, they crowed him champion said his golden robes are what kept him standing are we standing, or singing? singing, hey, put it away. the streets are calling, the clocktower's falling. and you're left putting away all that you might have been. jack penned prose in the town and the city he burned like candle, he lived like deity in three little weeks, did what a chosen man would in three little weeks, did what i never could. he's singing, hey, put it away. the streets are calling, the clocktower's falling. and you're left putting away all that you might have been. hey, put it away. the city's sleeping mayflower's leaving. and you're left putting away. all that you might have been.
5.
Sayanara 03:55
The seasons rose and fell with a whimper and all the trees we climb turn to ember. the sea was drained, it turned to plains our children running free. A man he spoke of days he remembered where cities fell and armies surrendered and all our pain, it left our veins our blood it filled the sea. Saying, Saya, sayanara we tried to hold you when you were young. Your sadness rose, it called out a warning sons were leaving, mothers were mourning and we awoke to the stereo playing "castles made of sand" and miles away, a dead man was walking family was silent, TV was talking and we don't know where this will go we just know it's gonna end. Singing, Saya, sayanara we tried to hold you when you were young. but the fire crawled inside you it will remind you of all that was.
6.
the street where you woke up the town you were born the lights in the warehouse all broken or gone well, your face looks older mine still looks young. let's lay where we laid then but let go of what was. when broken hands were held up like they won and our dying breath was still here in our lungs this time around, you'll come around. the promise, the pavement the panhandler's change at the warehouse you're waiting for a reason to stay. but you can't go back now but you can can't go on get the change from your pockets let's play the songs we once sung. you've stayed awhile but you can't stay the same your brother's voice is calling out your name. this time around, you'll come around this time around, you'll come around. well, you've said lately that this town went crazy but i know it will save me when i'm wrong.
7.
lights burn red in the city of the blues with the bus stop, overpass, dead tree news the capitol scrapes the sheen from the sky as the tin can salesman left you behind. and life got tired of waiting the earth grew old and dim but i am still here waiting up with gold and love and gin. lights burn red in the city of the blues with gas station phone calls and new leather boots the good will girl and the chrome of the night and the fire from your postcard still burning white and life got tired of waiting your heart needs breaking in. but i am still here waiting up with gold and love and gin. lights burn red in the city of the blues with farewell freeways, the drunks on the roof streetsweeper storms and a child from the south she's got something strange always coming out her mouth. and life got tired of waiting your heart needs breaking in. but i am still here waiting up with gold and love and gin.
8.
Easy Answer 03:50
everybody's looking but we ain't found one everybody's looking but we ain't found one you call, you call from the disaster we're still looking for the easy answer. oh, oh. i don't know what here belongs to me we found the keys to the penitentiary if we free them all, they'll ask us who to thank and at the prison wall, they'll see that things have changed. everybody's looking but we ain't found one policemen are looking, but they ain't found one we saw the seconds ticking faster we're still looking for the easy answer. easy answer easy answer. i don't know what here was built to stay a wind will come and take this all away. our friends are gone, they caught us at the door and we've been stumbling, wondering, waiting for everybody's looking but we ain't found one strangers are looking, but they ain't found one we saw the future coming at us we're still looking for the easy answer. easy answer.
9.
our kids will disappear down the flight of stairs for all that happened here, we were unprepared water's rising, revolution came and we don't know now, what here's left to save. 'cause something rose and something fell like all good plans, it went to hell. we took our fathers' names, we cut our hair and when our papers came, we said our prayers but we're still sleeping 'neath the american moon and all are coming days are coming soon. 'cause something rose and something fell like all good plans, it went to hell. i saw you at the riverside mouth closed shut as your lips turned to white. we were bleeding dogs were barking roads were leading us home. and we're still sleeping 'neath the american moon
10.
Storm Coming 03:59
at the birthplace of an ocean i will drown in the commotion let me crawl inside your head and play my dreams. i am drifting off to nowhere i will leave you now to go there where the desert is alive and the sun does sing. there's a storm coming to a town near you. i heard the heavens fill with shouting heard the drums all getting louder as the waters rise, and so our fingers do. i've been asking for forgiveness oh, dear god, will you forgive us? because your men are here but we still look for you. there's a storm coming to a town near you. there's a storm coming to a town near you. i know why you told me the red ground is holy and i heard what you told them as the sun turned them golden like you. as you wait through the water for your son and your daughter the sky washed away. there's a storm coming to a town near you.

about

Released January 2014, Every Man a King is the full-length debut of MARTIN VAN RUIN. The new project from some familiar Chicago faces (members of Derek Nelson & The Musicians, Jenny Dragon, Planetsexploder), Every Man a King was written over a year and recorded and engineered by Neil Strauch (Bonnie Prince Billy, Iron and Wine, Andrew Bird).

"One of the best local albums of the year. A sprawling folk-rock work with vintage country and chamber elements, it’s dark but erupts into ecstatic stretches and Neil Young-inspired guitar work. "King" holds together song to song, and is an album in the classic sense."
- Chicago Tribune (Jessica Hopper)

"Seriously epic folk-pop chops"
- Chicago Reader (Gossip Wolf)

"5 Chicago Songwriters You Need To Hear. Fans looking for Chicago’s next Wilco might like to check out Martin Van Ruin and its debut album."
- American Songwriter Magazine (Davis Inman)

"An album of unchecked ambitions and carefully wrought details; the band is equally capable of creating a big, propulsive sound and intricate, occasionally ominous undercurrents. The band steeps its Americana in art- and noise-rock sounds, coming across like Arcade Fire without all the pretense and discotheque dreams. One of the best records to emerge from the Midwest during this young year."
- Columbia Daily Tribune (Aarik Danielsen)

"The Bob Dylan and Neil Young comparisons are inescapable for this new folk rock supergroup. Jeff Tweedy would be proud."
- Chicago Sun-Times (Selena Fragassi)

"15 Chicago Artists to Watch in 2014. The band’s debut is a folk-rock monster worthy of its majestic title."
- Chicago RedEye (Andy Downing)

"From front to back, this is an album as cohesive, focused and deftly played as any in the Americana genre released this year … Meandering and melancholic, “Put it Away” is arguably one of the finest [songs] of the year and the very reason why Martin Van Ruin just might be one of Chicago’s most undervalued bands."
- AbsolutePunk (Gregory Robson)

credits

released January 6, 2014

Alex Winter: bass
Brian Sharpe: lead guitars, piano
Cathy Starr: violin
Derek Nelson: vocals, guitars
Sarah Jane Goldstein: vocals, percussion, melodica
Pete Falknor: drums
Philip Vickers: lap steel, guitars, trumpet

Recorded and Mixed by Neil Strauch
Recorded at MINBAL and Strobe Recording in 2013
Produced by Martin Van Ruin and Neil Strauch
All songs written by Martin Van Ruin (except “Give Me Flowers (While I’m Living)”, a traditional song)
Mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room

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Martin Van Ruin Chicago, Illinois

Martin Van Ruin is a collective project from some familiar Chicago faces (members of Derek Nelson & The Musicians, Jenny Dragon, Planetsexploder). Their debut led them to being named "5 Chicago Songwriters You Need to Watch" by American Songwriter Magazine. A new release is coming soon. ... more

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