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When the Lights Come On

by Dan Vaillancourt

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1.
A Million Lullabies - February 1, 2013 Thunder sounds, January Rain like sheets on your window In your bed I hold you tight We sing every song you know CHORUS: Fell asleep and dreamt Floodwaters to my neck But I'll hold you safe over my head Cross my heart Hope not to die I'll love you 'til the end of my time Jolt awake, howling wind Get out of bed, tuck you in Protect you from all things scary The wind blows straight to February BRIDGE: Brush those tears straight from your eyes I'll sing a million lullabies Just go back to sleep
2.
The Gospel of Late Night TV - February 24, 2013 If you ain't got money And you want a piece of the pie If you want the remedy Send me your last dime CHORUS: I wish I could believe In the gospel, of late night TV I'd be healthy, wealthy, sexy and saved For a series of small payments Plus shipping and handling If you ain't got salvation Just look into my eyes I have all the answers Send me your last dime You ain't got abs like mine If you ain't got time Put down those chicken wings Send me your last dime Money can buy a lot of things A fact I won't deny Buy yourself a TV slot And make the other suckers buy ALTERNATE CHORUS: Make them believe In your gospel on late night TV Say words like healthy, wealthy and saved Throw in a some worthless junk And add a few hidden fees
3.
Brains, Brawn and The Four String Revue - January 17, 2013 You got a 4-string guitar I got this old mic You got a car And rack for my bike You bring the money I'll just bring me You be my sugar mama I'll be your honey bee Bring your pretty dress I'll bring my suit I'll go barefoot You wear your sexy boots You bring the brains I'll bring the brawn I'll carry all the heavy stuff Before we go on You play your tenor I'll sing baritone We take the show in the road And never come home
4.
Binary Code 01:40
Binary Code I miss the days of record stores Do you remember what record stores were for? Stand in line on the Tuesday That your favorite records dropped Talk to people next to you that Love all the same bands you do Now, I record albums Well not LPs But Mp3s and CDs Sent to DJs Who actually breath Which is somewhat rare these days When radio's decisions are primarily binary code, monetarily controlled I still care about Liner notes And to see you perform The songs you wrote Sing to the lines I love Breathe the same air you breathe After the show, stick around for drinks Talk to the people instead of Updating your Twitter feed Even though I've never smoked There something about a digital glow That will never replace the flames of 1000 lighters Turn off your phone Or leave it at home Keep your hands free to hold and dance the one that asks you Comments
5.
Eyes like Wildfire - February 9, 2013 She has eyes like wildfire Darting around the place The most contagious smile Plastered on her face She can hold her own with whiskey She drinks full-bodied beer They say you are what you drink Which is apparent to everyone here CHORUS: Everybody knows she is trouble But nobody stays away Even though she burns all of her bridges And cuts every single tie It must be the way she looks at you She's got fire in here eyes Let it burn... She is a shark with a pool cue And the men, they stand in line Regardless of the outcome She wins free drinks every time She sits on the jukebox Despite the forbidden sign She likes to feel the music inside of her Bartender never pays her any mind - She had a penchant for breaking hearts And break your heart she will Men always out to hit on her She is always dressed to kill Ending: And you're bound to get burned.
6.
Ragged 04:01
Ragged Well, I feel ragged Like a tree that's lost it's leaves You don't need to say anything to me It's not hopeless But the storm waters are getting deep And I can't save everything CHORUS There you are with your light up on my shore There you are with your foot holding my door Your hand pulling me up To make sure that I never drown Inside my own mind - My windows shattered There is a hole straight to my chest Don't be surprised by what you see I am restless I can't get no sleep Without you next to me - The highway calls me But not as loud as it did before But it still knows my name Easier to be broken Than to let you fix the broken parts With twine, glue and open arms
7.
Easiest Thing to Do - February 23, 2013 You're drinking wine in the morning You've been up all night Guess I needn't ask if you've been doing fine Your eyes wide Like you're on amphetamines You've got the cleanest house, I've ever seen I'll pass on the wine But I'll have a cup of tea I think it is time that you are honest with me CHORUS: I've know you for so long We both know that it is true I've know you for too long That I can't give up on you Even though sometimes That'd be the easiest thing to do Let's go for a walk I think the sun will do you good Ain't nothing like a little hike through our old neighborhood Remember back in grade school We were 9 or 10 Nothing was real, everything was pretend Tomorrow will be today Is it is never the same You have got to find your own path, learn your own name ENDING: It is hard to know What you should really do It is hard to know What is really true I'd be lying if i said It was an easy thing to do
8.
The Way it has Always Been - February 15, 2013 Her hair laid into the garden Feels this twitching from within The earth is growing inside of her Just the way it has always been She lifts the dirt on her hands Feels the earth with her feet She wears dresses like she always wears She can grow anything CHORUS For thousands of years Twirling and she spins Mother Earth, May I have this dance? - May, June, July Flowers in the Spring A summer romance Through the sun and rain we dance Colors brush the canvas of Autumn The fruits of our love Flourish, nourish Throw our bodies to the ground - With Winter comes death With a promise of rebirth She cuts off all of her hair Slowly closes her eyes Lay her hair into her garden With spring comes twitching from within The earth is growing inside of her Just the way it has always been
9.
When the Lights Come On - February 18, 2013 Imagined that it would be bright and sparkly Just like it always is on TV It was always that way in your dreams and mine Sometimes it is (k)nights, lights and a perfect dress But the rest of us will solidly confess Televisions lie, it is always dingier and darker in real life CHORUS: When the lights come on, you have to be honest with yourself When the lights go out, you gotta be able ...........to sleep through the night --- Thrill and adoration is what draws you in All bright eyed and smiling Not saying it is a trap, just watch your back for the attack To every adoration is an opposite reaction To say "equal" would be relative Because it is the negative words that sting and linger ---- I keep my dignity as my lucky charm I keep it close to my chest All through the night, through the darkness, clutched tight ----Ending----- Be honest with me, how do you sleep? With a pillow full of lies and covers full of your spiteful ink
10.
In the Meantime - February 8, 2013 She wears slight wrinkles in the corners of her eyes Like yesterday's top fashion You would never doubt that it was beautiful You could read that in everyone's reaction But it was just that it wasn't quite timeless And none of us are. CHORUS: I know.... I can feel it in my bones I know... We all will get old I know... We are born and then we die In the meantime... There is me... and there is you. The simplest equation, 1 + 1 Why do we complicate things? Contemplate the details, would you change everything If you knew then what you now do It just didn't pan out the way I thought it would be I guess it never does BRIDGE: I guess it isn't true Facts and history we learned in school The things we see on T.V. Corrupt the way we think about love The magazines we read Distort our sense of beauty ENDING: I know... Things don't always turn out how we plan I know... The mirror reminds me of time past I know... Life is to live before you die And in the meantime... There is me and you.
11.
Wood & Kerosine My hands are cracked and bloodied like I got into a fight With the cold Michigan winds and her brutal appetite It is tearing at my flesh It is tearing at my flesh And I, try to run from the attack CHORUS: Keep the fire burning with wood and kerosine Wide-eyed with terror from the things that I have seen They say that a poet holds secrets in his hands All I have is this pencil, but it is good medicine Just to write it all down Just to write it all down Because my, mind is like an over-wound clock Like a half-wild dog, it is always coming back.... When it gets cold, this time it brought the whole pack Now they've tasted blood Now they've tasted blood Oh my, I'm losing ground fast
12.
13.
Devils and Angels - Feb 5, 2013 Devils and angels, can't tell what is true Devils and angels, can't tell what is true Demons deep inside of me, demons inside of you Pray the heavens open up, feel I am walking through hell Pray the heavens open up, feel I am walking through hell My throat is parched, but there is poison in the well Walk towards the light, but I got hellhounds on my trail I walk towards the light, but I got hellhounds on my trail I built my own coffin, Satan hammered in the nails Glory, Hallelujah, lay your your hands upon me Glory, Hallelujah, lay your your hands upon me Peacherman says, throw your coins in the coffer, he could heal me When I'm dead and gone, light a candle for me When I'm dead and gone, light a candle for me It will take a hell of a lot of saints, just to save me
14.
Guess we both know that it's time Guess we both know that it's time Guess we both know that it's time Kiss me once before you go Time we both be movin' on Time we both be movin' on Time we both be movin' on Kiss me once before you go On the first of March you'll be gone On the first of March you'll be gone On the first of March you'll be gone Kiss me once before you go Gone before the morning light Gone before the morning light Gone before the morning light Kiss me once before you go Don't kiss me twice, I might make you stay Don't kiss me twice, I might make you stay Don't kiss me twice, I might make you stay Kiss me once before you go Kiss me once before you go Kiss me once before you go Kiss me once before you go Kiss me once before you go

about

About the Album:
This album is a collection of songs written and recorded in February 2013 as part of FAWM (February Album Writing Month). Dan plays all of the instruments on the album, even the ones that he doesn't really know how to play. Stylistically, the album weaves and bobs in and out of many genres. Lyrically, the songs cover diverse topics, including love, death, infomercials, gardening, the music industry and fatherhood.

Dan's Thoughts on Writing and Recording This Collection of Songs:
I was recently thinking about what connects much of the music that I've enjoyed throughout my life from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Ben Harper and Paul Simon to Bela Fleck and Chris Thile. It begins with a good song, but I was pondering why I like certain recordings. Most of my favorite music has one or both of these characteristics: 1. A person (or people) playing music live in a room so that the recordings have a feeling of spontaneity and interaction and 2. Parts of songs or instrumentation being written in the studio or improvised.

There was a time, not long ago, when recording an album began as soon as the lights came on and the tape began rolling. During such sessions, something real happens in the room, real people creating and playing music. In that same spirit, all of the lead vocals on this album were recorded live, while the main instrument in the song was being played. The editing on each song has been very minimal. All of the songs and accompaniment were recorded in February and mixed in March 2013.

There is a certain excitement, immediacy and spontaneity that I feel when I first play through a song that I write. The versions of the songs recorded for this album are often one of the first times that I played through each song. These songs will continue to change and evolve as time goes on, but this is a record of what happens when the lights come on.

I feel that different instruments have different stories to tell, especially old instruments. Several of the instruments that I used for these recordings are over twice as old as I am and many have been glued back together, repaired and/or set-up by B's Music in Mount Pleasant, MI. Only three of these songs were written on a standard flattop acoustic guitar. For the rest, I opted for various other guitars (classical guitar, electric, archtop, 4-string tenor guitar, square-neck slide guitar, etc.) as well as a banjo and mandolin.

I've always had a love affair with recording music. It started in the mid-90s when I began recording songs on handheld and 4-track cassette recorders. I have been lucky enough to get to record at a handful of professional studios with engineers who I've been able to watch and learn from. In 2004, I built my first recording computer and borrowed a decent microphone. I have continued to upgrade my recording gear and have recorded hundreds of demos as well as a good portion of the instruments/vocals on my studio albums and albums for a couple of other bands. This album is the first album for which I have recorded and mixed all of the songs.

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy the songs.

- Dan

[Many thanks to all of the FAWMers and 50/90ers! You are the best songwriting community, ever.]

credits

released November 5, 2013

Dan is responsible for all of intentional and accidental sounds on this recording, including vocals, guitars (electric, classical, tenor, bass and acoustic), banjo, mandolin, harmonica, washboard, glockenspiel, hand claps, theremin, foot stomps, chair squeaks and laughs.

All songs written, performed and recorded by Daniel L. Vaillancourt in February 2013 and mixed in March 2013.
Mastered by David Laney at Channel Fuse Media in Memphis, TN.
ⒸⓅ 2013 Daniel L. Vaillancourt (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.

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Dan Vaillancourt Midland, Michigan

Michigan-based singer-songwriter Dan Vaillancourt has performed nearly a thousand concerts in 40 states, has been heard on the radio in all 50 states and many other things that sound impressive, but his friends will tell you that he is a dork.

"...Truly one of the eclectic original and iconic wordsmiths writing songs today." - Bob Gottlieb, Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange
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