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Back At Your Door

by Matty Charles

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1.
I don’t wanna go where the living gets too slow You see I like to be a stranger when I wanna be alone Where the neon lights the night there’s a place I feel alright It’s a long long way from Heaven but it’s the closest thing I know And they say that she’s a woman with a hammer for a heart That she doesn’t give a damn about you when you fall apart But I love her just the same, she’s beautiful and vain And even when she kicks me out I always come back home again Now the rich have got it made, or so I’ve heard it said While the rest must be contented with whatever they can get And it takes a lot of fame for a street to wear your name So that people walk upon you but forget you just the same And they say that she’s a Jezebel with pinwheels in her eyes She’ll confuse you then misuse you while she tells you pretty lies But when you play the game, you can only play a part You can’t beat the ace of diamonds if you play the jack of hearts I’ve seen Autumn’s golden rosary, Summer’s dirty street I’ve seen the Winter stop the traffic as it fell upon her feet I’ve seen her dressed in rags, I’ve seen her dressed in pearls That’s why I fell in love with her, that’s why she’s still my girl I see her as a queen with lighted jewels in her crown And she shines so bright you see her from a hundred miles around And the poet and the banker and the robber and the rube Man, they always think they own her but they never, ever do
2.
There are so many troubles without making your own And the world’s so confusing even now that I’m grown But I still find myself with my hands in the flames And I’m afraid of the tings that I’ve done All the love that I’ve scattered down the days of my time All the sorrows I’ve tattered drinking whiskey and wine The come back now to haunt me when I look in your eyes And I wonder what we’ve both begun So darlin’, so darlin’ if I fell into you Would you catch me and hold me And tell me it’s true Oh, darlin’, oh darling’ it’s so hard to believe But it seems like the best I can do Now, there’s peace in the valley when I’m by your side All the armies of heartache all run off to hide But the smoke from the battle keeps the sun from my eyes And I wonder what I’m fighting for Repeat chorus Honey, I can be grateful, I know that I can hold on But I long for a world I don’t see When you’re standing beside me it makes me feel twice as strong When the light becomes harder to see Repeat chorus
3.
Caution 02:38
I gambled once on Moses On dreams and faded roses On diamond studded rings made out of tin While others saved their money I gave mine to my honey If I had the chance I’d do it all again This world’s a burning candle and we are only matches It makes no difference if we lose or win But the rain will fall in patterns in rings around your lover While your lover throws her caution to the wind There’s a road you’ve come to know And a road that you’ve not followed Either way you go you got to move along If you lose all that you own on account of how you wander Just remember, you had much but now it’s gone This world’s a burning candle and we are only matches It makes no difference if we lose or win But the rain will fall in patterns in rings around your lover While your lover throws her caution to the wind Now, you can keep the diamonds And I will keep the roses I’ve got the queen of hearts on my left arm And the reaper’s on my right And the Devil’s on my shoulder In a ring of fire to keep me safe from harm This world’s a burning candle and we are only matches It makes no difference if we lose or win But the rain will fall in patterns in rings around your lover While your lover throws her caution to the wind
4.
Living on a caravan of misfits But we’re not going anywhere The church bells rang on Sunday morning And the grass was we beneath your hair Maybe I’m in need of something stronger To get me through the darkness I’ve been in ‘cause I hear a distant drum And the sound of voices singing But my back is tired and my eyes are growing dim I have been so careful in the sun That I never found the way to go But you made me feel like I was part of everything And you made it easier to know That the past still walks beside me It’s the flesh of my desire It’s the secrets in my heart that never show And I skip a die beside you And it told me that you’re lucky Do you have the eyes that you would know? Repeat chorus And the dream that you have dreamed That I had dreamed before Did it find you with your ear against the wall And in time, they say, we’ll understand But many have been wrong Look at all the ones that had to fall Repeat chorus I remember standin’ in the station Chasing cold and burning like the rest And you took me by the hand Through the streets that we were leaving Singing, hey there don’t you know That you are blessed?
5.
Well, mother bought us tickets for the blue parade And we grew up on the corner in the dark arcade Stealing off together to the pictureshow When the streets outside were almost burning Taking shelter in the darkness from the sun And if I make it out again I’ll see you there Far from all the madness by the river fair And honey, time can be a rover and a wrecking ball And after all these years are you still learning That we’re losing so much more that what we’ve won It’s ok if you come undone It’s ok if you put them on Just remember, just remember Pouring rain and summer days in the afternoon Sitting in the corner of a darkened room Tiny little islands just like everyone Close enough to see but never touching Big enough to feel but always wanting It’s ok if you come undone It’s ok, honey the race is almost run We gotta find a way to catch that setting sun
6.
When I was a gambler, I gambled all around When I quit my gambling ways I got a job in town But I am not a miner for the things that cannot be I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me The world belongs to me, boys, the world belongs to me I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me When I met my true love, I knew she loved me too We made each other promises like lovers often do But I am not a miner for the things that cannot be I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me The world belongs to me, boys, the world belongs to me I know it every time my darlin’ sits upon my knee And I am not a miner for the things that cannot be I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me I’ve had my share of troubles and I cry my share of tears But I believe my trials are like my own souveneers And I am not a miner for the things that cannot be I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me The world belongs to me, boys, the world belongs to me As far as I can wander, as far as I can see And I am not a miner for the things that cannot be I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me The world belongs to me, boys, the world belongs to me The breezes in the branches and the gales upon the sea And I am not a miner for the things that cannot be I belong to Heaven and the world belongs to me
7.
You walked me to the quiet hotel You put your hand upon the bell And looked upon the magazines That the porter gave you And walking down the hollow hall I put my hand against the wall I was just a Spanish boot That you were into Would you stand here next to me Would you give your sex to me You see that I’m only empty I’ve been looking everywhere For someone to touch me, dear You see that I’m only empty I was born an only child Victim of the setting sun We watched as the horses ran And we played for money I put all my cards on you You cut me with your silver touch You laughed as I fell apart ‘cause you think it’s funny Would you stand here next to me Would you give your sex to me You see that I’m only empty I’ve been looking everywhere For someone to touch me, dear You see that I’m only empty
8.
Well, I left the bar room, my old broken heart room The sound of drunk laughter and the whiskey and gin I tried to live sober, but I guess all that’s over So, if the doors swing both ways wont you let me back in Now, I been drinkin’ again with my old long lost friend Say hello to my bottle of booze I been dry for awhile but when I saw her this evening I knew that I could not refuse ‘Cause she blocks out the light that I don’t wanna blind me And she carries the fear from my soul She locks all the doors so my heartaches wont find me I And I won’t feet the pain anymore Well you get what you’re given but it’s a hard way of livin’ And its one of two ways that I know I can walk a straight line, oh, but sooner or later Some one’s gonna carry me home
9.
You could ring your golden bell Carry dreams right from your wishing well There’s nothing left between us, honey Nothing but the world Your streets are green, your skies are blue Have you done all the things you wanted to? There’s nothing left between us, honey Nothing but the world I watched your building Through my tin can in the rain You sat there waiting Like a maiden on a swing Oh, but for shame, your servants came Did they teach you anything Victoria, Victoria All your ships are setting sail As you sit there like a daughter of the king Because I’m rich, because I’m poor Because I don’t know what my hands are for No, I’d never hurt you, honey No, I’d never change a thing Your bed is warm and your breath is sweet What would it take for you to be complete No, I’d never hurt you, honey No, I’d never change a thing And a sea of soldiers keep you safe behind the walls And all your lawyers they’ll take care of you, my doll Oh, but for shame, your lovers came Did they teach you anything Victoria, Victoria All your ships are setting sail As you sit there like a daughter of the king
10.
Sixteen candles and a bottle of rye I’m gonna give you just one more try ‘Cause it’s another long night And I’m tired of just hanging around I have tried to settle down I fell in love and then I fell back out and now I’ve lost my castle And I broke my plastic crown Friday night when I get paid I’m gonna drink my cares away Maybe I won’t miss her the way I do today I lay in bed with the TV on Gets so lonely when the daylight comes And my eyes have grown tired From staring at the moon all night One more game of solitair I think of touching her long brown hair And I’m watching through the window As the girls go passing by Tried to lose myself in love But man, I just keep fuckin’ up Tried to love her better but my hearts a broken cup I catch the train on my way to work The cars and busses do the crosstown jerk And the rain keeps fallin’ like it’s gonna keep fallin’ for years I hear a song on the radio Ditty ditty wah ditty wah oh And I’m stepping on the corner Over bags full of rusty tears Friday night when I get paid I’m gonna drink my cares away Maybe I won’t miss her the way I do today
11.
I hear the girl downstairs Out singing in the rain A stranger in the crowd That came to talk to me again My, my the moon is high Wont you give your fond farewell Kicking the car wont get you far You better keep that dollar bill My old machine is running clean As the morning starts to cry Sunlight falls in rays of gold Just like money from the sky But don’t forget the cigarette In the ashtray by the door When the fire burns out All hope is gone You can’t smoke ‘em When they’re cold Some folks condescend To try to see my point of view And some folks understand me Or at least they think they do But you and I just wasted time Till there was nothing left to show And I was glad when you came by But I was twice as glad to go In every roadside diner The coffee’s just the same And the waitress smiles politely When I call her by her name But it’s never quite as good As I imagined it would be One of these days I’m gonna change my ways Oh, honey, just you wait and see
12.
Learning to live, learning to die You’ve got time enough when you’re young Walking around with your head in the clouds Unaware of the damage you’ve done Mama can’t hold you no more Daddy can’t tell you the score When some foreign girl Comes and captures your heart Will you know of the place that she’s from As you wander around all alone in the dark Will you hear all the songs that she’s sung Mama can’t hold you no more Daddy can’t tell you the score Man made the atlas, man made the cages And man loved the girl for her charms And he watered the world with the blood of the ages And went by the light of the stars Mama can’t hold you no more Daddy can’t tell you the score So put down your troubles and wait for tomorrow You’ll only be gone for awhile And long distant faces get lost in the wires As they travel for mile after mile Mama can’t hold you no more Daddy can’t tell you the score And you wish that he could but it’s good Now that you’re back at your door

about

Back At Your Door is the third solo release by Matty Charles. This record reflects a spareness of style that calls to mind major songsters like Johnny Cash or Kris Kristofferson. There is also a poetic sensibility reminiscent of Leonard Cohen with a little Paul Simon thrown into the mix.

This album begins with the catchy bounce of, “Love’s Lost Quarter”, a song inspired by Charles’ experience of living in New York City for more than a decade. Charles sings, “They say that she’s a woman with a hammer for a heart, that she doesn’t give a damn about you when you fall apart.” and then, “...but I love her just the same. She’s beautiful and vain.” And he seems in awe of her power and allure, “I see her as a queen with lighted jewels in her crown and she shines so bright you see her for a hundred miles around.” It’s a succinct description of what draws and repels people to that great metropolis.

Then the record shifts gears and Charles is accompanied by acclaimed singer/songwriter and performance artist, Cynthia Hopkins for the compelling duet, “If I Fell Into You”. Their voices have a wonderful blend as they sing, “So darling, so darling if I fell into you, would you catch me and hold me and tell me it’s true?” The upright bass and the drums intertwine with the acoustic guitar in a lilting waltz that feels almost as delicate as the emotional resolution of the words being sung.

“Caravan of Misfits” and “Victoria, Victoria” are just acoustic guitar and Charles’ vocals while, “Drinking Again” jumps into the energetic stratosphere with it’s rock-a-billy drive and celebratory, self-destructive refrain, “She (booze) blocks out the light that I don’t want to blind me and she carries the fear from my soul. She locks all the doors so my heartaches won’t find me and I won’t feel the pain anymore”.

The overarching emotion of this group of songs is melancholy with a resigned acceptance about what life and love will do to the soul. It’s exactly what makes Charles such an iconic country song stylist and it’s what makes this record so rewarding to listen to; you can relate to it!
Ray Bayard (Reel Music Revue)


“That rare blend of resignation and gritty hope one seldom finds this side of Guy Clark”
(Village Voice)

“Matty Charles’s smooth baritone and articulate guitar work are colorful and authentic.” (Time Out NY)

“Charles’ lyrics and melodies are insightful, engaging and catchy, and his guitar playing is superb. Great, great, great!” (Dagger Magazine)

“Charles writes with the broadness of his heroes, Nelson, Earle and Waits, but his singing edges towards the gravity of Waylon Jennings, the melancholy of Richard Buckner and the worldly, poetic edge of Kris Kristofferson or Paul Simon.” (Country Standard Time)

“bring to mind Johnny Cash, ...(and at) other times a less twangy Robert Earl Keen. An instant classic.”
(Acoustic Guitar Magazine)

“Instead of songs about sadness that leave listeners feeling alone, Charles’ lyrics and smooth guitar riffs wrap their arms around his listeners and hold them tight.” (SF Reporter)


“Matty is a true gem. His songs are instant classics.” (Greg Trooper - singer/songwriter)

“I didn’t know they still made voices like Matty’s until I heard it. What’s even rarer is such a voice combined with such a writing talent...It blows me away every time!” (Devon Sproule - singer/songwriter)

credits

released January 12, 2012

Josh Stark - upright bass
Alec Morton - electric bass
DJ Mendel - Drums

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