Crooked Rivers

by Jason Lenyer Buchanan

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Aaron Likes Music
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Aaron Likes Music I had the pleasure of seeing Jason perform both "Crooked Rivers" and "Willie Nelson Song" in Tensleep, Wyoming. All of his work I've heard has been amazing. Anyone who is a fan of independent singer/songwriters should absolutely support him! Favorite track: Crooked Rivers.
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1.
Bury Me With a Broom 04:42
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There're some folks 'can see in her the angel that she is She rolls her eyes and slightly smiles, but she won't hear the lies She's gon' be surprised to find her room reserved in heaven Been baptized and seen the light, but she don't want to die If you get her talkin' about the way things used to be She'll tell you 'bout her paintings and maybe 'bout her dreams Now those days are fading, 'cause life's made it's demands There's work that needs its working, she smiles and stands and says Bury me with a broom, my work is not yet done My life was giv'n to others and my dreams were gave up on I'm still working out how to care for folks I love when I'm done living So bury me with a broom and I'll start cleaning heaven Her choice was made so long ago, what good is in what might She knows the way for things to be, and makes sure all is right Even when she falls asleep, she wakes with slightest sound No one else is will make things right and that's why she's around But if you get her talkin' about the way things used to be She'll tell you 'bout her paintings and maybe about her dreams Now those days are fading, 'cause life's made it's demands There's work that needs its working, she smiles and stands and says Bury me with a broom, my work is not yet done My life was giv'n to others and my dreams were gave up on I'm still working out how to care for folks I love when I'm done living So bury me with a broom and I'll start cleaning heaven I'll start cleaning heaven So ask me how she's doing One day I hope to smile and tell you about a sculpture she welded in the night Or about how painting flowers, means she's angry with the world My lady is a dreamer, but she's trading hope for love But if you get her talkin' about the way things used to be She'll tell you 'bout her paintings and maybe 'bout her dreams Now those days are fading, 'cause life's made it's demands There's work that needs its working, she smiles and stands and says Bury me with a broom, my work is not yet done My life was giv'n to others and my dreams were gave up on I'm still working out how to care for folks I love when I'm done living So bury me with a broom and I'll start cleaning heaven. I'll start cleaning heaven I'll start cleaning heaven
2.
Empty Church 04:46
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I was raised here, but its not the same Different buildings, no one knows my name Same old faces, who are they inside Empty churches, don't you wonder why I was younger, so were my friends We were stupid, times were different then Did we notice when the changes brought Empty churches and a parking lot I'm a fool to think I'm the only one N'er to grace a church since the day I'was done When you find out why, you can blame your hurt On the darkened door of an empty church Was it music, was the preaching good And the building, or the neighborhood Fix the carpet and the parking spaces Empty churches are prime real estate. Here's the church, here's the steeple Open up them doors, where's all the people Here's the church, here's the steeple Open up them doors, where's all the people I'm a fool to think I'm the only one N'er to grace a church since the day I'was done When you find out why, you can blame your hurt On the darkened door of an empty church Out of money, no one left to blame Fire the preacher, there's a dollar saved Keep the lights off when the doors are closed Empty churches, no one even knows I'm a fool to think I'm the only one N'er to grace a church since the day I'was done When you find out why, you can blame your hurt On the darkened door of an empty church Oh, of an empty church Oh, of an empty church Oh, of an empty church Oh, of an empty church
3.
Crooked Rivers 04:00
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Sittin' on the fence in a lonesome land Looking at the stars, searching for a friend There are times when the world feels a mile away No one asks the devil for a perfect day Now the sun coming up across the hills 'Neath the clouds, like a blanket, sleeping in When the crow through the sky flies alone against the wind Who can find long straight lines, but crooked rivers Standing in the sun with a view for miles Over the horizon, people livin' different lives How's it come that a mother raised a fist against a son You can raise 'em how you want, gotta love 'em how they are Let the rain settle down where it will And the wind like a mistress o'er the hills When a man builds a fence, wilderness is in a prison He'll leave behind long straight lines and crooked rivers Now the sun is coming up across the hills 'Neath the clouds, like a blanket, sleeping in When a crow through the sky flies alone against the wind Who can find long straight lines, but crooked rivers Let the rain settle down where it will And the wind like a mistress o'er the hills When a man builds a fence, wilderness is in a prison He'll leave behind long straight lines and crooked rivers Ooh, ooh, ooh He'll leave behind long straight lines and crooked rivers Who can find long straight lines, but crooked rivers
4.
Sleeping on the Porch in a Texas Storm 03:16
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Tin roof echos like an ocean Grief like waves fall from the sky Heartache winds with anxious questions Lightning breaks the peaceful night You've been sleeping through the pouring rain of heartache Lying still while rivers overflow I can't lie awake here in this bed anymore I'll be sleeping on the porch in a Texas storm Shaking timbers in the ceiling Doubt like water seeping through Storm is passing like a lifetime Silent pain is a house in ruin You've been sleeping through the pouring rain of heartache Lying still while rivers overflow I can't lie awake here in this bed anymore I'll be sleeping on the porch in a Texas storm Oh, I'm alone in a storm named for you Trees are swaying in the meadow Thunder scares away the shame Loneliness a passing shower A broken heart is a hurricane You've been sleeping through the pouring rain of heartache Lying still while rivers overflow I can't lie awake here in this bed anymore I'll be sleeping on the porch in a Texas storm
5.
The Path 03:32
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When a horse, wild and free Wanders alone in the woods Toward a salt lick, the way becomes known Over again, toward a point in the wilderness Animals follow the path And the path becomes a way, ways turn to roads Twisting our Sunday drives deep in the woods On a road made by men, but mapped out by hooves Long before ways were free, they were good Look to the sky from the ground All around there are marvels Behold there are roads upon roads Even now, space Just a point in the wilderness Everyone follows a path And the path becomes a way, ways turn to roads Twisting our Sunday drives deep in the woods On a road made by men, but mapped out by hooves Long before ways were free, they were good In all our learned ways And our ways to come There must soon come a time When will we ask Are the ways still good What we leave behind Will our daughters and sons Follow the path And the path becomes a way, ways turn to roads Twisting our Sunday drives deep in the woods On a road made by men, but mapped out by hooves Long before ways were free, they were good
6.
Love the Sinner 03:41
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There's a man who holds a sign outside a building with a crowd When a woman parks her car nearby, you'll hear him scream and shout You're a monster, killing babies Choose life! Your momma did Love the sinner Hate the sin In the spheres where angry people speak their words behind a screen No one listens but the victim while the masses popcorn feed "Love is love" with rainbow banners fighting for their right to live Love the sinner Hate the sin Oh, love the sinner Hate the sin Children hiding under tables, while a killer walks the halls Perfect silence in the classroom, save for brave 911 calls When the terror has subsided thank the blue stripe, line so thin Love the sinner Hate the sin Oh, love the sinner Hate the sin Now the words of Jesus haunt me Cause they're written down in red Love the Lord and love your neighbor But we still misunderstand Jesus never said the words We often say, and say again Love the sinner Hate the sin Oh, oh, love the sinner Hate the sin Oh, oh, love the sinner Hate the sin Oh, oh, love the sinner Love the sinner Love the sinner
7.
A Happy Song in Sad Times 04:05
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I don't know what I need Sometimes the truth is like a forest hiding from the trees Like a train wreck in my mind Still miles away but I can't stop to fix the broken lines Once, a long time ago, it took you two weeks to speak all your words Now, as I'm searching for mine, the tables have turned I need a song, when the nights are too long And I'm feeling alone, when the reasons are wrong, I need a song Help me to smile, give me new reasons why Or just a reason to sing a happy song in a sad time Just like a staircase I can't climb It's like I'm pushed and now falling, from the highest height Is there some debt to me you owe How deep are pockets for the anger and pain and you haven't sewn Once, a long time ago, it took you two weeks to speak all your words Now, as I'm searching for mine, the tables have turned I need a song, when the nights are too long And I'm feeling alone, when the reasons are wrong, I need a song Help me to smile, give me new reasons why Or just a reason to sing a happy song in a sad time I need a song, please be my song When I'm feeling alone, when the reasons are wrong, I need a song Help me to smile, give me new reasons why Or just a reason to sing a happy song in a sad time I need a song, please be my song When I'm feeling alone, when the reasons are wrong, I need a song Help me to smile, give me new reasons why Or just a reason to sing
8.
I’m Not as Good 04:41
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I'm not as good as you think I am Deep inside I'm just a broken man Every time you try to say how proud you are I know the truth is just too hard I'm not as kind as you think I am Not sounding mean don't mean I give a damn Just like what the Bible says A quiet fool looks wise these days I'm a man who left his kids No turning back, I made the best Filled the ache inside my heart While their whole world would fall apart I'm a man who lives a lie The grave is full for when I die Doin' the best with what I can I'm not as good as you think I am There's no blueprint for how a man should be At some point, the blame falls on me No matter how far I run away The truth is just as plain as day I'm a man who left his kids No turning back, I made the best Filled the ache inside my heart While their whole world would fall apart I'm a man who lives a lie The grave is full for when I die Doin' the best with what I can I'm not as good as you think I am Blame is a marriage of glass walls and stones No one is ever at home Shame is a blanket that won't keep you warm From a truth that is heartless and cold I'm not the man I used to be This brokenness is still a part of me Ten years on, the world has changed But some things still remain the same I'm a man who left his kids No turning back, I made the best Filled the ache inside my heart While their whole world would fall apart I'm a man who lives a lie The grave is full for when I die Doin' the best with what I can I'm not as good as you think I am
9.
The Long Road Back to Ten Sleep 03:10
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Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh All is calm and peace Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh On the long road back to Ten Sleep Mountains be my guide A strong wind behind Will carry me on with Godspeed No matter how far I roam It's not too far gone For the long road back to Ten Sleep Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh All is calm and peace Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh On the long road back to Ten Sleep This lonesome land rolls on To where the sky and earth are one Maybe we can make room to agree If every loud voice'd be still Our hearts might might find their fill And the long road back to Ten Sleep Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh All is calm and peace Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh On the long road back to Ten Sleep Driving alone on a long winding road With a river beside and a canyon below Don't look for too long When campfire burns strong And the music plays on Or you might never come home Singin' oh oh, Oh oh oh oh All is calm and peace Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh On the long road back to Ten Sleep Singin' oh oh, Oh oh oh oh All is calm and peace Oh oh, Oh oh oh oh On the long road back to Ten Sleep There's a long lonesome road Where the word and the music live on Where the night's alive with our songs For a moment we all join as one Take the long, long road back to Ten Sleep
10.
The Ballad of Moses and Pharaoh 04:15
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Treated like slaves, when Moses was born And thrown in the Nile, like all Hebrew boys But God made a way, and Moses was saved A time for to come, when Pharaoh would pay Oh he would pay Oh, when God killed the babies God killed the babies God killed their children And took all their gold When God killed the babies Those Egyptian babies Pharaoh would let the Hebrews go Frogs in the land, swarms in the sky Livestock made low, but the Hebrews were fine God brought the plague, and He rained down the hail Followed with swarms, darkness prevailed Oh, when God killed the babies God killed the babies God killed their children And took all their gold When God killed the babies Those Egyptian babies Pharaoh would let the Hebrews go The Passover lamb, a sprinkling of blood Spread o'er their doors, would save all their sons and daughters The Angel of Death, came in the night For all the firstborn, oh how they cried When God killed the babies God killed the babies God killed their children And took all their gold When God killed the babies Those Egyptian babies Pharaoh would let the Hebrews go Oh, when God killed the babies God killed the babies God killed their children And took all their gold When God killed the babies Those Egyptian babies Pharaoh would let the Hebrews go
11.
I’m Still Your Son 04:18
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When time came for war, you were still a young man Driving in the dark in a foreign land Your momma's proud, awaitin' your return Many boys like you never made it home Don't let your past become your best Those days are gone but what comes next When you think your life is done I'm still your son It is three AM and I think its fun Goin' to work in my daddy's car What I don't know, when the route is run You'd keep on working two other jobs Don't let the work be all you had Even though I'm grown you're still my dad Now you think your work is done But I'm still your son Nothing more to say I'm still your son I wasn't born your jailor My words ain't no gun You handcuffed yourself when momma died Waiting your turn while others cried Don't let your tears become your grave In the darkest hour of the day When you think you're all alone I'm still your son
12.
This Town 03:15
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This town is like a poison There's one street light but no warning On the outside it seems charming No one ever sees it coming The smaller this town gets Deeper the quicksand goes When you think you've made it out You've only begun the throes Of death and dying in this town Paint the walls and sweep the street Underneath is still the same You might grow up, but never leave There's a tree was used for hanging Crooked branches gone through milling Limbs where necks were breaking Are now the beams in our church ceiling Schoolhouse preps The courthouse steps And the lawman sings While the church bell rings Grandma hopes The Council votes Same surnames Oh, nothing changes Now the ghosts we keep condemning Settle into new beginnings History marches on, repeating And we call our Hell improving Now, the smaller this town gets Deeper the quicksand goes When you think you've made it out You've only begun the throws Of death and dying in this town Paint the walls and sweep the streets Underneath is still the same You might grow up, but never leave Oh, the smaller this town gets Deeper the quicksand goes When you think you've made it out You've only begun the throws Of death and dying in this town Paint the walls and sweep the streets Underneath is still the same You might grow up, but never leave
13.
Willie Nelson Song 03:49
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There's no winners, no losers, when you're running in place There's no shortcut for livin' in a one man race When the path you're on seems to ramble on Like the meanderin' tune in a Willie Nelson song Give 'em hard love 'n truth in the place you're living Cut a line with a sharp knife through all their bullshit and spitting When the ones you've loved are all dead and gone You can sing in time with a Willie Nelson song If the words ring true, let them have their time Hangin' in the air, rolling off the sides Of a well turned phrase like a long-lived life You can drink 'em straight or let 'em age like wine You can sing your life in a three four waltz Like the melody in a Willie Nelson song On days when you're feelin' passed your prime Slowing down and gettin' tired. Closer to dying Let each word have some space to roam Now they are tried and true Like a Willie Nelson song If the words ring true, let them have their time Hangin' in the air, rolling off the sides Of a well turned phrase like a long-lived life You can drink 'em straight or let 'em age like wine You can sing your life in a three four waltz Like the melody in a Willie Nelson song Like the melody in a Willie Nelson song

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released October 20, 2023

Music and lyrics by Jason Lenyer Buchanan
Produced by Joel Rousseau

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Jason Lenyer Buchanan Cheyenne, Wyoming

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