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Sweat & Splinters

by Mother Marrow

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    This CD comes in a lovely card case, with a full lyric booklet insert.
    Cover artwork by Jaqueline Maloney.

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1.
Come Home 02:58
Come home to me, lay your head upon my breast Feel my skin beneath the grass Come back to me, where you’re sure to find your rest My twinin’ limbs around your chest Come make your bed, in the folds between my flesh Drink, and bathe, and be refreshed From my dust you were born, to my dust you shall return The table is laid, now take your place Where have you been, my son, where will you be then My daughters, and my wayward son Come ravage me, break my spirit, bend my knee But you’re never gonna have my love Build your marble homes, suck the marrow from my bones Chase tomorrow from your minds Come fill your greed, take as much as you have need ’Til there’s no soil for your grave From my dust you were born, to my dust you shall return The table is laid, now take your place Where have you been, my son, where will you be then My daughters, and my wayward sons From my dust you were born, to my dust you shall return The table is laid, now take your place Where have you been, my son, where will you be then My daughters, and my wayward sons
2.
Logs of locust, cedar splits, I offer sweat and splinters Forest elders breathe their last I’ll bring them for your supper Every piece of wood I bring Carries a story in Lichen fungus, beetles maze It’s the same to you, all a -blaze When you… Burn, burn with the light of the morning’s birth Burn, burn with the heat at the heart of the earth Burn, burn with the light that reveals our faces Burn, burn with the heat that will warm these places Some may fear your endless greed But not me, no not me Some may fear your appetite But I’m at home in your light Fiery fingers curling ‘round Flaming tongues a-flutter Promise you will warm my bed I’ll satisfy your hunger If you… Burn, burn with the light of the morning’s birth Burn, burn with the heat at the heart of the earth Burn, burn with the light that reveals our faces Burn, burn with the heat that will warm these places First the tinder, light and thin The chill of winter’s creeping in I’m stacking sticks on bended knee So you will keep me company I’ll bring you branches, feed you logs So soon this wood will all be gone I’ll build you a lovely home I’ll leave you lots of breathing room Logs of locust, cedar splits I offer sweat and splinters
3.
I’m the kind of pretty face Who sees it as no disgrace To leave behind the ones who love me Got so many options lord That I can’t choose none at all And not a single one is what I’m wanting Tried to tell you how I feel But my words only come out Like pieces of my heart In fits and starts, fits and starts It’s slightly unbearable Weightless and terrible This longing for roots and for sky You know you’ve been using me While I gave you everything You never looked back once to thank me Tried to tell you how I feel But my words only come out Like pieces of my heart In fits and starts, fits and starts Like pieces of my heart, in fits and starts I know I’m not the only one To love a mother’s only son I’m just the only one who loves you
4.
On My Knees 04:17
I will build a ladder that reaches the stars Out of every arrow I wounded you with I will dig a tunnel to the depths of your heart With my bare- boned fingers I will dance naked like a fool in the street I will tear at my hair, and blacken my face I will beat a path to your balcony I will chase you down When I find you, I will make you love me I will be on my knees With my palms up, like the dogwood I am begging you please I will light the foxes tails on fire I will burn down every hiding place I will track you like a bloodhound, thru hell and high-water I will chase you down I will weave you a shirt of star-thistle down I will ruin my hands to keep you on the ground or I’ll fly with the weight of the world on my shoulders I will chase you down When I find you, I'm gonna make you love me I will be on my knees With my palms up, like the dogwood I am begging you please I will feed you like a mother, I will lift up your chin I will sit in the corner, with the cap on my head I will tuck in my tail, and do what you said But it’s all for nothing I will lick up your blood, til the wounds have healed I will carry the carcass of what I have killed I will reach for you, in the night, in the dark I will find nothing I will find nothing
5.
Good As Dead 05:18
I won’t ask you, to risk no more If I’m unsure, but I’m unsure And I know you’re not sure neither My spirit flies above my bed While I lay here, as good as dead My body growing colder still I feel as though my heart is gone A withered branch, a paper gun The question plagues upon my mind Should I fly, while there’s still time There’s just one thing I’d ask of you Stay by my side, while I see this through Hear me now Your name is on my lips “When you hear that watchdog howlin’ Somebody’s round, Buddy someone’s round When you hear that hoot owl cryin’ Somebody’s dying, oh someone’s dyin’”
6.
The Distance 04:35
Two lonely lovers, looking for others To hold all that they have to give But taking the leap, is never as steep As going the distance Constellations of fireflies, light up the summer skies We can’t help but stay out til dawn The dew on the grass, my head in your lap And you’re humming softly Cast iron and glass, makes a careful match Your down home strength, my fragile tenderness The mist of the downpour, comes in through the screen door We’re dancing by hurricane lantern You’re hand on my waist, your eyes on my face I feel like you know me All the cruel things we’ve said, some still in our heads They hover and settle, between us What do you take me for, I’ll walk out the door But I’m already looking back Cast iron and glass, makes a careful match Your down home strength, my fragile tenderness Cast iron and glass, makes a careful match Your down home strength, my fragile tenderness Are the bones of this house Ooo, ooo, oo, oo, oo, oo Two lonely lovers, looking for others To hold all that they have to give But taking the leap, is never as steep As going the distance
7.
The Selkie 04:17
Deep calls to deep, one voice will ring Clear as a bell, not hard to tell, it is mine One voice to guide, one to be led Find Ariadne’s thread, light my way Deep calls to deep, cave where the sirens sleep Sweet spirit dream, drifting slowly to the surface Silent she beckons, dives into shadow Fearless I follow, and delve into the endless Deep calls to deep, one voice will ring Deep calls to deep, one voice will ring Clear as a bell, not hard to tell, it is mine One voice to guide, one to be led Darkness has fled, there’s nothing left to hide
8.
Dry Land 04:20
Tidal waves bring me to shore on dry land Where heavy hearts evaporate and lighten Like salt they say that I’m too much Or maybe somehow not enough But really I’m both, and I can’t be told which one to be Who says there’s no blood in seas of brittle grass Dry wind that sucks the life from every breath Every tear will leave a trace of salt Each drop of sweat from bitter struggle Joins into the atmosphere, and comes down as the rain Life is pain, is life What grows green in hardship carries strength and fragrance To shed our skins we drag ourselves across those rough rocks Like salt they say that I’m too much And also somehow not enough But really I’m neither one, so don’t you point that gun my friend Sand in the ocean is an oyster’s pearl Salt sea in the desert is a juniper tree Dry land in the ocean is an island world Salt sea in the desert is a juniper tree Sand in the blue ocean is an oyster’s pearl Salt sea in the desert is a juniper tree
9.
Still 03:52
When we were children We would pretend We were like animals Mountain lion climbs a tree Great blue heron rides the breeze When we were children Naked was good We lived in our own skin Ray of sunshine, blade of grass Chilly river, mother’s lap When you dream Close your eyes, and, You’re a child still When we were children Stories were real possibilities You can’t see it, but it’s there Like the wind is more than air When we were children We believed we were truly free Free to wander, free to stay For a lifetime, or a day When you dream Close your eyes, and, You’re a child still When you dream Close your eyes, and, You’re a child still …when we were children
10.
Son of Man 03:39
Every bird makes it nest Every deer has it’s bed Every fox in it’s den But I’ve no place to lay my head I’ve no place to lay my head, I’ve no place to lay my head I’ve no place to lay my head, I’ve no place to lay my head I’ve no place I’ve no place Roads that wind away from here Witching winds won’t let me be Voices of the ones before say I will find my way I will find my way, I will find my way I will find my way, I will find my way Find my way Find my way Find my way
11.
Every wave is a mound of moving darkness Spirit creatures calling for us To swim among them become them in the depths To forget where we end and they begin We wait so long for these fleeting days We wait so long for these fleeting days We wait so long for these fleeting days Dripping wet, make a bed of hemlock needles Dream the dreams of ancient islands Birches send telegraphs along the root lines Sharing sunsets, seabirds, swimmers Leave behind, travel time To find the present Set apart, with a heavy heart Cut the ties that hold me back We wait so long for these fleeting days We wait so long for these fleeting days We wait so long for these fleeting days Fleeting days Fleeting days Fleeting days Fleeting days
12.
Mystery 05:32
You come with your own expectations Romanticize what can’t be real New world, new frontiers seem so foreign But I’m native to my own country I know ins and outs and underneath them You came to cut them down, build your fortress Build your fortress, build your fortress Don’t fear the mystery, don’t fear the mystery Don’t fear the mystery, don’t fear the mystery Mystery, mystery, mystery, mystery I know you’ve been told I’m dangerous But look who is threatening You twist and you mold, everything you hold What happens when you hold me You don’t own me, don’t deny it Just try to hush my mouth, keep me quiet Keep me quiet, can’t keep me quiet Don’t fear the mystery, don’t fear the mystery Don’t fear the mystery, don’t fear the mystery Mystery, mystery, mystery, mystery Don’t fear the mystery, don’t fear the mystery Don’t fear the mystery, don’t fear the mystery Mystery, mystery, mystery, mystery
13.
Lady Heron 01:58
There’s a pond in the field next door A murky pool of mystery Where this story does unfold To reveal it’s tragedy Crusty crawdads in their caves Stir the mud of centuries Schools of silver minnows swish Iridescent, jeweled fish Tadpoles and turtles twist and turn Deep in the mire and the muck Cloudy waters swirl and churn To see how long they can stretch their luck Lady Heron swoops so low Gliding swift and silently Sets her sights on the banks below Where she lands with graceful ease Not a ripple on the murky pond Not a shadow, not a trace Not a single feather floats To give a way her hiding place All the fish in the little pond Don’t do anything at all Intertwinin’ and shimmerin’ No idea of what’s to come…

about

Gratitude:
We are in awe of all the many hearts that joined together to create this work, and the Spirit that inspires us all. Deep gratitude to all of you who contributed to the production of this album, and to Clay Miller for being kind, professional, and working your magic (and for playing bass on “Come Home”).

Charity says thank you to:
Nonna & Grandpa for the piano lessons and the jazz tapes, Mom & Dad for everything (and for the Martin guitar that is on this album- 20 years of tunes), D.E. Vickers for all the mixtapes, The Psalters for growing me up, Aimee Wilson and Jeremy Siegrist for the songs, Joel for giving me the best thing in my life, Lively for shining bright, all the MO friends for keeping it real, Josh & Michelle Garrels for believing in me, David Brown, The Divas, Tina and Quetzal, Ryan Oslance, Patrick Kukucka, Nalu, Catiflor, Niki, Matty, Margaret, The Sacred Thread, S & V for the music, Paige and Cora, Nathan for letting me borrow your Baby, Emmalee and Matt for making dreams come true,
and Devin, for pouring your heart into this with me,
sweat, splinters and all.

credits

released August 1, 2019

Mother Marrow is:
Charity Cimarron - voice, guitar (acoustic, electric), banjo, keys, nyckelharpa
Devin Morgan Crow - banjo, guitar (acoustic, electric), voice
Emmalee Hunnicutt - cello
Matt Shepard - drums, percussion

Production:
All songs written by Charity Cimarron, except ending of “Good as Dead”
(trad. “Swannanoa Tunnel” by Bascom Lamar Lunsford)
This album was recorded at 432 hz
Copyright, Sacre Couer 2019

Recorded July 2019, at Crossroads Recording Studios, Arden, NC
Engineered and Mastered by Clay Miller

Booking:
mothermarrow@gmail.com

Artwork:
Cover art is “Georgia’s Hands”, painting by Jacqueline Maloney
All photos and layout by Charity Cimarron, except “Heron”, by Eliza Bell Rosbach

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Mother Marrow Asheville, North Carolina

The sound of Mother Marrow is elemental and powerful, with deep drones, complex acoustic finger-picking, trance-inducing melodies, and strident vocals. Bewitching and poignant, Mother Marrow's music and imagery channel the voices of the elements, and the beings that dwell between, beneath and beyond. A musical journey into the depths...these tunes have teeth and tenderness. ... more

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