love transcends album credits

Written across a decade, recorded in a pandemic, played in a style a century old. I’m so unbelievably proud of this record and grateful for the folks that helped make it happen.

Music and Lyrics Jackie Venson
Additional music and lyrics: Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Up Above My Head), Author unknown/negro spiritual (Down by The Riverside)
Produced by Tim Palmer
Engineered by Jacob Sciba, assisted by Noah Nunez
Mixed by Tim Palmer
Mastered by James Bacon
Recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas 

Vocals: Jackie Venson
Guitar: Jackie Venson
Bass: Marcus Clark
Piano and Organ: Jon Deas
Drums: Rodney Hyder
Guest vocalists: Kam Franklin, Akina Adderley
Additional bass: Jackie Venson
Additional guitar: Tim Palmer
Additional Organ: Greg Giacona

Released on September 24, 2021

Lyrics

Track 1
One Step Forward

They say freedom is in the mind
Well we lose our freedom when we get too scared to fight
One step forward is another step farther behind

Hardly nothing can make me cry
But when I saw history repeat I wiped my eyes
One step forward is another step farther behind

You see I go out on the corner
And bare my soul
Play my guitar strings until my fingers swole
I don't make much money and they treat me mean
But I know that this creation keeps my heart beating

We lose this music when we fall for the dollar signs
One step forward is another step farther behind

[piano solo]
[guitar solo]

You see I grab pen and paper
And bare my soul
Expose my tender heart for the world to know
It ain't about the money or the popularity
It's the healing and the love and the connectivity

We lose this music when we fall for the dollar signs
One step forward is another step farther behind
What I say?
One step forward is another step farther behind

And I'll keep playing til the sun goes down on my life

Track 2
Down by The Riverside/Up Above My Head

I’m gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside
I’m gonna study war no more

I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
Gon lay down my shield and sword
I ain’t gon study war no more

Up above my head
I hear music everywhere
Up above my head
I hear music everywhere
And I really do believe I really do believe there’s joy somewhere

Up above my head
I hear music everywhere
Up above my head
I hear music everywhere
And I really do believe I really do believe there’s joy somewhere

Up above my head
I hear music everywhere
Up above my head
I hear music everywhere
And I really do believe I really do believe there’s joy somewhere

I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
Gon lay down my shield and sword
I ain’t gon study war no more
“One more time!”
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
I ain’t gon study war no more
Gon lay down my shield and sword
I ain’t gon study war no more

Track 3
Always Free

I live in a little house on the side of the street
Where the grass is dead but they water the concrete
In the summer I watch the people float by 
In the winter I watch them weep and cry I
Live in a little house on the side of the street

I live in a little house on the side of the road
Where the people starve just to feed their cars and boats
In the fall the men they stomp and shout
In the spring the women frollick about I
Live in a little house on the side of the road

Oh try to believe
That work will set you free
Only wise men see that we were
Always free

I live in a place where the people wonder why
Why the grass is always greener on the other side
In the day they go to work and wait
In the night they drink their fears away I
Live in a place where the people wonder why

Oh try to believe
That work will set you free
Only wise men see that we were
Always free

[guitar solo]

Oh try to believe
That work will set you free
Only wise men see that we were
Always free

We were always free

Track 4
‘Til This Pain Goes Away

These worries take my breath my heart is a heavy ache 
Don’t know what I’m gon do til this pain goes away
This world don’t cherish truth my spirit’s been mad for days 
Don’t know what I’m gon do til this pain goes away
I will not be fooled
Shall not be moved
Won’t sell my soul won’t live in vain

Know I was born to work until my dying day
So that’s what I’m gon do til this pain goes away

There seems no limit for the depth of human hate 
Only thing I can do is sing my songs and pray
For I see so much goodness blessings everyday 
Please let that ease my heart til this pain goes away

I will not be fooled
Shall not be moved
Won’t sell my soul won’t live in vain 
Swallow my pride
Open my mind
Forgive myself, stay awake
Be the sign
Be the proof
That love conquers blues
                        
Know I was born to work until my dying day
So that’s what I’m gon do til this pain goes away 
So that’s what I’m gon do til this pain goes away

Track 5
Rollin’ On

Do you hear that baby
That’s the sound of time rollin on
Do you hear that baby
That’s the sound of time rollin on
You wake up in the morning
Before you know the evening’s already gone

Are you sure you hear that baby
Cos i hear it every day
You don’t act like you hear that baby
Cos for me I can’t get away
The more you choose to ignore it
Faster you’ll reach your dying day

[piano solo]

How do you live
Knowing each moment could be your last
Some people drink some people smoke
All to run away from this fact
No matter how you choose to do it 
That old clock is always on your ass

[guitar solo]

Time keeps rollin
Time keeps rollin on
With or without you baby
With or without you baby
Time keeps rollin
Time keeps rollin on
With or without you baby
With or without you baby
Time keeps rollin
Time keeps rollin on

Track 6
See What You Want

When I was a young girl
My daddy told me so
He said now you’re alive girl
The blues are in your soul

I don’t understand I said 
I don’t know what you mean
He said that’s because
I see what I wanna see

I lost my favorite toy
I fell from a tree
I found my first boy
And he showed me

Now that I’m older I see more clearly
But I am still guilty I still
See what I wanna see

Live fast and die hard 
That’s what the kids say
Longer that I live
The more I wanna see another day
Live fast and die hard 
That’s what the kids say
Longer that I live
The more I wanna see another day
Oh but I don’t care I’m gonna do it my way

No matter what
This world spins around
It’ll chew you up and spit you right back out
Some stand back up, some sink in defeat
One sees it all, the other sees what they wanna see

So with my head high
I follow my nose
Sometimes I can fly 
Sometimes I lose control
I don’t understand I said my eyes confuse me
Lately I’ve seen more than I wanna see

Live fast and die hard 
That’s what the kids say
Longer that I live
The more I wanna see another day
Live fast and die hard 
That’s what the kids say
Longer that I live
The more I wanna see another day
Oh but I don’t care I’m gonna do it my way

[jam]

Oh but I don’t care I’m gonna do it my way

Track 7
Cover My Eyes

Fire all your weapons
Wave your colored flags
Cursed to see the future
Because I’ve seen the past

Oh lord
Cover my eyes
Cover my eyes
Cover my eyes I don’t want to see

Violence it protects us
They say it keeps us free
But as we sow these troubled seeds
What will we all reap?

Oh lord
Cover our eyes
Cover our eyes
Cover our eyes we don’t want to see
Cover our eyes
Cover our eyes
Cover our eyes we don’t want to see

Then I play and sing and dance
Get myself into a trance
Realize beauty that I’ve missed
Realize ignorance ain’t bliss

[guitar solo]

Unable to grow
Cos our eyes have been closed

Uncover our eyes
Uncover our eyes
Uncover our eyes yeah we need to see
Uncover our eyes before we go blind
Uncover our eyes yeah we need to see
Uncover our eyes before we go blind
Uncover our eyes yeah we need to see

We need to see

Track 8
Fall of The USA

The settlers came sailing
With souls for property
Darkness had seized them
Death had crossed over the sea
Never forget who we are

Can’t wrap our heads around
The evil that’s ingrained 
Cannot live knowing that we haven’t really changed
We just hide from who we are

Everything up in flames
Say a prayer while it burns away 
Eh yeah eh
What they say is the end
Is the birth of a new idea
Eh yeah eh
Is it the beginning
Of the fall of the USA

Scary is this story 
‘Cos we have been here before
Real change is bloody
That is written in our core
Never forget who we are

My God is there a way
To alter this dark course
Rebuild reeducate 
Unite for greater good 
Could this be who we are?

Everything up in flames
Say a prayer while it burns away 
Eh yeah eh
What they say is the end
Is the birth of a new idea
Eh yeah eh
Grasping for the past
When we could build for tomorrow
Is it the beginning
Of the fall of the USA
The great experiment 
Bursting at the seams
Built on the backs of too many lost dreams
Only time will kill the giant
Young people will rebuild
Fear has divided we can only win united
We can only win united

Everything up in flames
Say a prayer while it burns away 
Eh yeah eh
What they say is the end
Is the birth of a new idea
Eh yeah eh
Grasping for the past
Let us build for tomorrow
Is it the beginning
Of the fall of the USA