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Foothill Freeway

by Pete Mancini

/
1.
Sweethearts of the Rodeo Born out in the west Hippies flying over Nashville Fringes on their vests They flew so high Got shot down At the Ryman no one cared When they sang You ain’t goin’ nowhere How could they know? Sweethearts of the Rodeo Sweethearts of the Rodeo Hidden gem from the stack McGuinn, Hillman and Parsons Never looking back They changed the world How could they know? With a sound so pure and rare When they sang You ain’t goin’ nowhere Oh no Sweethearts of the Rodeo Sweethearts of the Rodeo Moved on down the line The sun set over Laurel Canyon In 1969 They flew so high Got shot down Left their mark most everywhere When they sang You ain’t goin’ nowhere How could they know? Sweethearts of the Rodeo
2.
Every time I see you crying It’s another dance on your floor I’m starting to think you’re lying I just can’t tell what for I wanna know all the secrets The thoughts behind your eyes It stops today, you’re gonna change Or I’ll be gone before tonight You always call on Sundays I guess your bruises never heal You decompressed, turned intense And took what you could steal I’m sick to death of all the secrets The thoughts behind your eyes It stops today, you’re gonna change Or I’ll be gone before tonight There’s nights I want you by my side But your bleeding heart has left me dry Oh yeah Forget about all of the screaming Forget the tears you cried It seems to me that all you see Are parts of me that died I’ve got no room for secrets So please don’t waste my time It stops today, you’re gonna change Or I’ll be gone before tonight
3.
High Wind Slick Roads Am I gonna get home? Will I see my baby, My beacon in the snow? Mud slide, closed bridge A fifteen year old map The weatherman says stormy I say no clue to that The phone lines down Diner is closed Roads posted cautious Fuels running low A neon light shines Our saving grace The Dew Drop Inn is the name of the place High Wind Slick Roads Am I gonna get home? Will I see my baby, My beacon in the snow? Mud slide, closed bridge A fifteen year old map The weatherman says stormy I say no clue to that Called you on the first phone I could find I’m under the weather You’re on my mind A clear blue morning A brand new start An empty bottle A broken heart High Wind Slick Roads Am I gonna get home? Will I see my baby, My beacon in the snow? Mud slide, closed bridge A fifteen year old map The weatherman says stormy I say no clue to that
4.
Waiting on an outlet to the outside Loneliness defined, you’re worse than gone Your closest friends kept you in the spotlight Cataloged the nights that all went wrong It’s six months to the day that she left you And all you’ve got are questions and lies You think about the night that you first met her She seemed to have the answers in her eyes And you hope that she still loves you But she made it hard to tell When you learn how to love You forget to love yourself It’s the hardest way The hardest way to part Alcohol, basement walls and bruises And all the calls and texts from other guys Nights that seem to play out like a movie You know you can’t forget them but you try, try, try She told you that she loved you But she made it hard to tell When you learn how to love You forget to love yourself It’s the hardest way The hardest way to part I feel her coming back again I hear her name inside my head Just like before I locked the door Before you found an outlet to the outside Loneliness defined you, now it’s gone Your closest friends kept you in the spotlight But you are not the nights that all went wrong You remember how she loved you But she made it hard to tell When you learn how to love You forget to love yourself It’s the hardest way The hardest way to part
5.
Started my story One night in Pasadena Born in the backseat Of a Crown Victoria During Reagan’s 80’s In a land of shining cities My dad, he left The day that I turned five Couldn’t make the pieces fit Switched schools until I quit Lit fires in the backyard And took to running wild Always speeding Down a road misleading Shoulders to cry on Where the big rigs roll by All those years I used to roam The Foothill Freeway was my home I could still trace out the exits in my mind All the words I tried to say Are lost along that old highway I can’t recall them even if I tried Foothill Freeway, take me home tonight Fell in with the trade parade Union dues I gladly paid Blue blood and a collar For the rest of my days When my glass was empty The toil melted off me I went down, down To see what I could find All those years I used to roam The Foothill Freeway was my home I could still trace out the exits in my mind All the words I tried to say Are lost along that old highway I can’t recall them even if I tried Foothill Freeway, take me home tonight One night in a K hole I swear to God that I saw Jesus Out there on the freeway one night He said “Don’t worry Close your eyes and you can see me” I took his hand and joined him by his side All those years I used to roam The Foothill Freeway is my home I could still trace out the exits in my mind All the words I tried to say Are lost along that old highway I can’t recall them even if I tried Foothill Freeway, take me home tonight
6.
To Be Alive 02:41
Send a message to the boys And see if they’re down I heard their parents got a place Far away from this town So pack the car and together we’ll ride We’re gonna find out what it means To be alive Nothing ever seems to change around here We’re still working by the hour and not by the year Rows of houses we’ll never call home The more we laugh The more we feel alone There’s something waiting for us Just around the bend We’re damaged goods But we’re on the mend So pay no mind ‘til we’re out of sight We’re gonna find out what it means To be alive To Be Alive To Be Alive I made it all this way And now it seems our time has passed So let’s make this last Chasing things We never seem to find Sent a message to the boys To see if they’re down They all moved away But I stuck around Drink to the days when we used to drive I guess that’s what it means to be alive Oh I guess that’s what it means to be alive
7.
On our way to see some blues rock Brit-pop Six hours from my hometown Got a tow when the gasket blew up We’re Knowlton County Township bound Saw the smoke when we hit the turnpike We didn’t make it that far Before long the repairman showed up He lost his arm on the job Pneumatic lift took it off at the elbow It never slowed him down Told myself I should be more careful If we ever make it out of this town On our way to see some blues rock hip hop Six hours from my hometown Rental cars and a streak of bad luck We’re Knowlton County Township bound Shotgun behind a burnt out trailer Just to pass some time “I’m sorry son” the repairman told us “You’re gonna need a new ride” Junked the car, scalped our tickets Left the cans on the ground Got the keys to a beat up Ford Put the pedal to the floor, heard the sirens loud On our way to see some hipster big shots Six hours from my hometown Tried to leave but the speed trap caught us We’re Knowlton County Township bound
8.
Rented Room 03:58
Tightened down on the east coast 18 wheels to old Frisco Made a few stops along the way Caffeine pills and getting weighed Truck stop girl behind the bar Smiled and said “You’ve travelled far” I said “I hammer like lightning across this land Seen empires returning to sand” I’ve seen a generation forgotten A land of big box stores and oxycontin People making ends meet in a rented room Threading the needle with a spoon Tiny towns on the interstate Burnt out mills and factory plains Families living out in the street Trespassing signs laid at their feet District attorney on a TV screen Pundits gathered at the scene Said they won’t get away with it this time Then they poisoned the water to save a dime I’ve seen a generation forgotten A land of big box stores and oxycontin People making ends meet in a rented room Threading the needle with a spoon Paid my tab I was on my way Spent my paycheck at the bar in the middle of the day Slept it off in a Wegmans parking lot We can’t keep pretending we’re someone we’re not
9.
Been hoping just waiting for the right sign Been dreaming of a bigger life Opportunity comes sneaking through the back door I’m waiting, just biding time Tired of living on the inside Time for getting mine I’m sneaking through my mind’s eye Time for getting mine God knows I’m never looking for a free ride Cause God knows I’ve had enough of them I’ve got my ticket now I’m running from the landslide Turn down the requiem Tired of living on the inside Time for getting mine I’m sneaking through my mind’s eye Time for getting mine Are you with me so far? (Are you caught between the gonna's and the got-to-dos?) Are you with me so far? (Can you dig it am I getting this across to you?) I’m sitting at the window on the big ride Cartwheel Avenue And I’m not living in a big lie And I’m not forgetting you Tired of living on the inside Time for getting mine I’m sneaking through my mind’s eye Time for getting mine
10.
Riding past your house in the rain I’m waiting on a phone call Wondering what you’ll say We both try hard but nothing seems to change It’s something that i feel I wish I could explain Nothing seems to help When you’re like this You’re writing all these songs I sing I’m trying hard to reach you But there’s something missing I wish I knew How to get through to you Sitting by myself thinking late I’m wearing my crown You’re somewhere out of state Tap my glass and drink to you and me My friends say I should leave you I don’t see what they mean Nothing seems to help When you’re like this You’re writing all these songs I sing I’m trying hard to reach you But there’s something missing I wish I knew How to get through to you

about

The debut solo record from Pete Mancini of Butchers Blind, released in 2017 on Paradiddle Records.

credits

released May 4, 2017

Pete Mancini - Vocals, Guitars, Dobro, Mandolin, Piano, Tambourine
Brian Reilly - Bass
Bill Herman – Drums
Paul Anthony – Drums, Harmony Vocals
Christopher Smith - Piano
Russ Seeger - B-Bender, Fiddle
Buddy Woodward - Banjo
Skip Krevens - Pedal Steel
Jonathan Preddice – Cello
Cassandra House - Harmony Vocals
Iain Matthews - Vocals on 'Cartwheel Avenue'

Produced by Pete Mancini
Recorded and Mixed by Bill Herman at Paradiddle Studios
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering

Cover design/layout by Diana LoMonaco
Photo by Shelley Fromm

All songs by Pete Mancini (Milkman Paperboy ASCAP) except 'Sweethearts of the Rodeo' by Russ Seeger/Gary Grant (Young Mesa Music ASCAP), 'High Wind Slick Roads' by Wes Houston (Wes Houston Music BMI), 'Knowlton County Township' by Pete Mancini/Travis McKeveny (Belle Weather ASCAP), and 'Cartwheel Avenue' by Iain Matthews/Pete Droge (Omnivore Publishing).

Special thanks to friends and family, the players, singers, and songwriters, Paradiddle Records, Norm Prusslin, NYRMA, Eric Ambel, Andy Falco, Anthony Pravata, and Lauren Hamill for their help in making this record.

© Milkman Paperboy 2017
© Paradiddle Records 2017

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Pete Mancini New York, New York

NYC Americana Power Pop

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