Omaha the Cat Dancer
They Call Her Omaha
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- Category: Shakers Songs
- Published: Thursday, 04 February 2016 21:19
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 2702
The Omaha Song
When we set about to create an Omaha picture disk, the first item was to compose a theme song for our comic book. It didn't take long for me to write this 70s rock ballad, using material from the original story.
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By REED WALLER I’m talking ‘bout the lady who’s dancing on the stage And she calls herself after a city on the plains, She moves just like a cheetah, and she sparkles like a star, And the boys all love her, but nobody knows her name. A dollar bill on the stage isn’t much of a wage For showing everything she has to give. And you can’t really see how someone lovely as she Would need to work in a place like this to live But soon that laughing lady has vanished from the stage And you’re dazzled by the magic that you saw. And no one in the barroom can tell you who she is, Or why they call her Omaha. The next night in the barroom there’s no one on the stage And you ask about the dancer, Omaha. The barkeep says, “We’re closing, and she has disappeared, And this town ain’t safe for no one anymore.” Now you wouldn’t have dreamed that the girl you had seen Could ever be a woman of mystery. But it’s really insane, nobody wants to explain And no one knows a single thing about her history. But somewhere in the darkness, a woman and her man Are running from his father and the law. They won’t say why they want her, or what’s their master plan, Or even why they call her Omaha. Some women dance from desperation. And some dance to get away from home. Some women dance ‘cause it’s their one and only chance To make themselves a name that they can call their own. And if you stand outside the barroom, maybe someday she’ll return To the scene of all the happiness she caused, And you’ll be free to wonder, if only you could learn Just why they call her Omaha. |
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A Man Could Hurt Himself
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- Category: Shakers Songs
- Published: Thursday, 04 February 2016 21:18
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 1546
Kate Sings Sandy
We'd always been fond of this tearjerker by Sandy Andina, and Kate and I both thought it would make a great character song for the inimitable Joanne. But when it came time to cut the record, our producer told us we didn't have room for everything, and one track had to go. Kate, being unsatisfied with her vocal performance (why?), insisted on removing this from the picture disk. But here it is, anyway. It's my personal favorite of all the songs Kate ever performed.
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By SANDY ANDINA Just another day The sun’s awake before you open your eyes Time to take another look at the lies You told when you were closing in for the kill. Just another day You rise and cut another notch in your belt Was it really satisfaction you felt When your spirit triumphed over his will? A man could hurt himself You better watch what you do A man could hurt himself on you. Just another face But one that puts a Botticelli to shame Hearts quicken when they mention your name You leave a trail of broken dreams in your wake Just another face Atop a body carried supple and high Lives turn upon the curve of your thigh You’re known to bend, but fabled never to break. A man could hurt himself You better watch what you do A man could hurt himself on you. Flip your hair back over your shoulder Velvet skin and elegant bone Steely eyes that blaze as they grow colder Keep those edges keenly honed. It’s just another dream But one that glistens damp and shiny as dew Fact or fancy, it doesn’t matter to you It matters to the one who’s calling your name. Just another dream But one you’ve sowed the seeds of on countless nights You slip away before they turn on the lights Players change, the script is always the same. A man could hurt himself You better watch what you do A man could hurt himself on you. © 1983, 2000 by Sandy Andina |
Catseye
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- Category: Shakers Songs
- Published: Thursday, 04 February 2016 21:16
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 1661
The Sight
This haunting, unforgettable song by the brilliant Howard Ashby Kranz became an instant favorite of ours the first time we heard it (from Nate). We had to include it. It made us think of "To Kill a Mockingbird." And Howard Kranz soon became one of our favorite songwriters. He can be very funny, but here he's serious about the outcast, and says something about the woman who doesn't fit in, but still doesn't mock them for having one foot in another world like very special, very memorable people sometimes do.
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By HOWARD ASHBY KRANZ By the creek, in the sand, to older eyes unshown, Maggie Green, ten years old, finds a glowing stone. And it looks like a catseye, and she takes it home, And she puts it in her special chest with her Grandma’s comb. And later she takes the catseye to her own, And she begins to scan. And I can’t believe what I’m seeing Angry colors flashing ‘round everything Like hands that grasp at me in the air And I can’t quite see them, but they’re always there. Pretty girl, Margaret, her pride will be her fall. The fine young men she turns away, soon she’ll have none at all. And while plainer girls have families, she’ll be too old soon. She has an old maid’s oddness and an old maid’s gloom, Since a younger man she seemed to like ran from her room, His face hidden in his hand, Saying, “I can’t believe what I hear And I can’t stop hearing it since she touched my ear. The howling voices, the mouths that gape, And their strength is rising, and there’s no escape.” Crazy old, old Miz Green, lives on down the block. And the kids won’t step on her sidewalk squares, And they tell how in the dark Her eyes, like a cat’s eyes, seem to glow And Mother says, “Don’t torment the woman so.” And Father says, “It only goes to show that a woman need a man.” And you can’t believe what you hear. And the crazy lady says, “We need not fear. The outer forces are turned back for a time. We must turn the fight inward,” and she lowers her eyes. © 1985 by Howard Ashby Kranz |
Cinnamon Jam
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- Category: Shakers Songs
- Published: Thursday, 04 February 2016 21:17
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 2176
The All-American Acid Weekend
Legal considerations force me not to reveal the now-legendary suburban location where many weekends were spent eating, drinking, relaxing, camping on the lawn and making lots of music while in an expanded state of consciousness. Many wonderful people made these events all memorable, treasures I will cherish for the rest of my life. This song was Kate's anthem to the fine, wholesome American tradition of getting high on the farm. (If you recognize any names, it's a coincidence.)
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By KATE WORLEY ey Babe, you know what I’d like to do tonight? Let’s do a little something make us feel all right And call up the gang, and go out to Steve and Reen’s. We’ll play a little music, maybe drink a little wine, Look up at the stars and all get feeling fine And generally make ourselves a real good scene. CHORUS: You gotta get out of the city sometime Get out of your job and into your mind. Aren’t you glad you came? I know I am. With sparklers we can make it the Fourth of July. It’s as American as music and apple pie. Like eating home-baked bread, spread with cinammon jam. I get a little crazy from the magic all around I go dancing up the drive and here comes Steve dancing down To the boys who are boppin’ it out so sweet and clear. Sharon discovers the apple tree, she throws one for you And here’s one for me. We try to give one to the horse, but she won’t come near. (chorus) Incense orbits fly like comets, but no comet ever smelled that sweet. It’s no trouble, catch the moon in a bubble, Just bring it down and lay it at your feet. Richard is running his magic machine And he’s showing me colors like I’ve never seen He’s got the Universe dancing on the ceiling of the living room. There’s a bushel of apples lying next to my head, And Reen is baking pies to the Grateful Dead, Let’s be sure to do this again real soon. (chorus) Well, I learned that I could dance whenever I took the mood And why peanut M&M’s are the perfect food. It’s the best vacation I’ve had since I was ten. Lord, we all must be crazy, but boy, ain’t it great. Now it’s back to reality, but I can’t wait Until whenever it’s “whenever” again. You gotta get out of the city sometime Get out of your job and into your mind, Aren’t you glad you came? I know I am. With sparklers we can make it the Fourth of July. It’s as American as drugs and apple pie, Like eating home-baked bread, spread with cinnamon jam. © 1988 by Kate Worley |
Rhythm Blues
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- Category: Shakers Songs
- Published: Thursday, 04 February 2016 21:15
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 1704
Birth Control for Dummies
Kate could wring endless changes out of the most unpromising of material. And when she had a genuinely funny subject, there was no limit to how far she could go. This piece of "Women's Music" spins out so outrageously, our guest soloist, Rick O'Dell, had to stop several times to laugh while recording this. It's a great example of Kate's ability to be devilishly funny while still staying solidly human. PS: Kate is survived by two very much wanted children.
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By KATE WORLEY Well my baby and me are so good for each other I never dreamed I’d find such a perfect lover But we have one little problem, maybe you have it too. Since we weren’t yet ready to be Mom and Dad, We looked at all the options that we had, And now my baby and me are singing those Rhythm Blues. The Pill was announced as the perfect cure, Just as long as you were sure To take it every day, it prevents ovulation with ease. But besides possible stroke and other side effects I lost all of my interest in sex. Might as well just hold an aspirin between my knees. The diaphragm gave me the strangest dreams, All about little babies bouncing on tiny trampolines. I had an IUD once, a Copper-7 Seemed like a solution sent from Heaven It was out of mind, for it was placed where no one could see. But at the airport, it set off the metal detector. Had a hell of a time trying to tell the inspector Just where I was concealing my weaponry. Kinda liked the sponge, it made me feel so clean, Only just one little problem, started getting all excited When I’d get around a washing machine. Then we went to a Natural Method lecture Seemed like the almost perfect fertility detector But it’s really not as easy as it might seem to you. First you have to wake each day at the very same time, Take your temperature and other things, and plot a line, And I was never good at charts in school. Now before we fool around we have to check all our charts, Put coverings on all of our moving parts, Coat everything with the human equivalent of DDT, Hang the sacred amulet over the bed, With the purest of thoughts inside our heads, And now I’m tired, and I’d really just rather go to sleep. Well, we tried everything from abstention to Zen Tried ‘em once, and tried ‘em all again. Now which would you rather have, a girl or a boy? Though kids might keep us on the run, Being childless isn’t being any barrel of fun. I think I’d rather try a bundle of joy. At least we wouldn’t have to hold hands for the duration, And baby, after everything that we’ve been through, Labor sounds like a vacation. With all of the hassle and all of the grief, Being Mom and Dad might be a great relief. We could just try a little one, If we liked it maybe try two. It’ll mean poverty, it’ll mean strife, It’ll mean changing our whole way of life. But at least we could stop singing those Rhythm Blues. © 1988 by Kate Worley |
