Xerces Blue.png

xerces blue

  1. Xerces Blue

  2. Angel of Mercy

  3. Oceans Away

  4. Dead Reckoning

  5. 10,000 Fireflies

credits

produced by Karl Digerness 
production assistance by Minna Choi 
recorded at… 
Fantasy Studios, Berkeley CA | Adam Muñoz, engineer 
25th St Studios, Oakland CA | Scott Bergstrom, engineer 
mixed by Jeremy SH Griffith at Printups Studio 
mastered by Piper Payne at Neato Mastering in Oakland CA 

special thanks to Jennifer King, Tim Fredel & Rugged Elegance Foundation for their generous support of this project.

all songs by Karl Digerness 
string arrangements by Minna Choi 
cover art by Lara Lapajne
layout by Steven Starfas

Musicians: 
Karl Digerness, vocals / guitar / banjo 
Lisa Muscat, vocals 
David Phillips, pedal steel 
Adam Shulman, piano / Rhodes 
Katy Stephan, vocals 

with members of... 
The Magik*Magik Orchestra: 
Liana Berube, violin 
Alisa Rose, violin 
Jory Fankuchen, viola 
Michael Graham, cello 
Michelle Kwon, cello (3,4)

 
 
 

lyrics

Xerces Blue

Give me a reason not to follow Xerces Blue
give me a reason to come home to you
Lavender blue and white
gossamer wings take flight
you put up a sacred fight

Breathing, flying, into the western wind
falling, never to rise again
Living, dying this is the human way
which one will it be today

You had nowhere to land
no purchase upon the sand
the triumph of modern man i guess
With delicate wings I fly; into the foggy sky
will I be left to die, alone.

like Xerces Blue…

Your papery lifeless form; in ether & chloroform
pinned to a wooden board for all to see
Darwinian crucifix; you were no match for politics
still as a a flameless wick, so well preserved

Breathing, flying, into the western wind
falling, never to rise again
Living, dying this is the human way
which one will it be today

Give me a reason not to follow Xerces Blue
give me a reason to come home to you

Angel of Mercy

in the hours of the twilight, shadows casting long
darkness has a way of creeping up
i can’t stop the rhythm of the pounding in my chest
so i guess that i’ll keep waiting on the sun
oh… what’s done is done

The angel of death come around this way
Angel of trouble is here to stay
Angel of mercy come visit in my dreams
The angel of death wanna take my soul
Angel of trouble is blowing cold
Angel of mercy come and lie here next to me 

in the silence of the waiting, all the spaces in between
sorrow has a way of catching up
i can still remember all the ways i let you down
so i guess i’ll keep on praying for the sun
Oh… God, what have you done?

Angel of death come around no more
Angel of hope is at my door
Angel of mercy come and wake me from my sleep
Angel of death gonna up and fly
Angel of daybreak fill the sky
Angel of mercy come run away with me

Oceans Away

counting down the days, like the end of time
you have lost your way, but i will give you mine
this Exodus of love, to the promised land
and as the river turns to red, you take me by the hand

“We’re going home” you say, but I am oceans away
the masses ebb and flow like the tides
I am floating here amidst these rising fears
to be free, to be free

i can feel the heat, from the black highway
the suffocating waves, of a former day
the tumbleweed cliche, rolls around my head
there is nothing left here, nothing to be said

You can rend your heart, but we are oceans apart
I have said, farewell, to the war
you know i won’t stay, we are oceans away
to be free, to be free

Dead Reckoning

All​ ​these​ ​spinning​ ​worlds​ ​in​ ​orbit
all​ ​these​ ​spinning​ ​plates​ ​held​ ​high
All​ ​of​ ​these​ ​weary​ ​conversations
when​ ​will​ ​I​ ​reach​ ​the​ ​other​ ​side?

Drifting​ ​out​ ​beyond​ ​the​ ​border
I​ ​am​ ​slowly​ ​losing​ ​light
This​ ​is​ ​my​ ​last​ ​known​ ​location
glorious​ ​the​ ​fading​ ​sight

All​ ​the​ ​stars​ ​have​ ​lost​ ​their​ ​fire
and I​ ​can​ ​barely​ ​see
Learn​ ​not​ ​to​ ​trust​ ​my​ ​eyes
In​ ​the​ ​dead​ ​reckoning, ​dead​ ​reckoning

Can​ ​I ​be​ ​the​ ​one​ ​to​ ​carry​
all​ ​this​ ​beating​ ​life​ ​inside?
All​ ​these​ ​scattered​ ​constellations
I​ ​will​ ​be​ ​there​ ​when​ ​you​ ​collide

If​ ​the​ ​stars​ ​should​ ​lose​ ​their​ ​fire
as​ ​you’re​ ​headed​ ​out​ ​to​ ​sea
Learn​ ​not​ ​to​ ​trust​ ​your​ ​eyes
in​ ​the​ ​dead​ ​reckoning

10,000 Fireflies

I gotta mouth full of dust and a fist full of stones
ain’t ‘fraid of dying, just living alone
there's 10 thousand fireflies that light up the night
the jars are all broken, lost in the fight

I cried when they told me he gave up the ghost
the people that love you, they hurt you the most
I got pictures of sunshine taped to the wall
they remind me of you when the rain starts to fall

tell me what is the matter with us
tell me how many times is enough

I never told you bout '73
the year that we planted that sycamore tree
all the leaves golden brown, now they cover the lawn
will you head for the coast now that summer is gone

angels above me encircle my head
but my feet are still walking where demons have tread
I wanna knock all the lights from the sky
but the rocks that I throw don't quite make it that high

tell me what is the matter with love
tell me why can’t I be strong enough

I had a dream, a vision of you 
I woke up believing that it could be true
I looked out the window and bright as the dawn
10,000 fireflies had carried you on...