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Sketches For the Musical JIB

by Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley

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1.
The Box Song 04:44
Box on a desk Next to a castle of glass That they bought from the airport The price on the back Shelves overflow With photographs and bones A museum of someone That will never be known Pennies for thoughts That cost a mountain of debt Rusting in bottles They’ll never come to collect They’ll never come to collect And you were sure that you could keep it all Off in a tower where there’d always be space And you were sure that if you read it all You would eventually come across your own name Daffodils hanging off a rearview of lies You keep your foot on the pedal And you can’t see outside. Boxes of novels Fill all the seats and the trunk There’s barely room for a driver In this treasure chest of junk And the tower is crumbling And you are thinking of running From all these years of commitment To keep this dead garden growing To keep this dead garden growing And you were sure that you could learn it all And if you did than you would always be safe And you were sure that you could use it all To build a fortress they could never take It’s got to be around here somewhere Maybe you’re really going mad Maybe it’s buried in the old school Maybe you never really And now you’re starting look A little like someone in a book You’ve tucked yourself inside Your body pressed and dried Fairies and princes And the story doesn’t change He keeps slaying the dragon She’s still chained to the cage And it’s time to retire But you can’t give up the title As the head of collections For these dead letter files As the head of collections For these dead letter files And you were sure that you could keep it all locked And all the nice dark things would never get lit And you were sure that you could keep them out And you were sure that you could keep yourself hid It’s got to be around here somewhere Maybe it’s under mom and dad Maybe you wrote it in your diary Maybe you never really It’s got to be around here somewhere Maybe you have it to your son Maybe it’s time you just admit that Maybe you never really had A past worth passing on.
2.
Who’s that? Who’s there? Who’s that? Who’s there? What’s that? Who’s there? Who’s that? Who’s there? You look nothing like my father You look nothing like my father You look nothing like my father You look nothing like my father Who’s there? What’s that sound Who’s there? Hello? Is that you? Who’s that? You came back! Who’s there? Who’s outside? Who’s that? You came back! Who’s there? You sound nothing like my father You sound nothing like my father You sound nothing like my father You sound nothing like my father You said you’d be back in hour You said you’d be back in hour You said you’d be back in hour What’s this? Those eyes, that mouth, that sound Who’s that? Who’s outside? Pounding the door What’s that noise? You look sort of like my father You look sort of like my father You look sort of like my father You look sort of like my father You said you’d be back in hour You said you’d be back in hour You said you’d be back by tomorrow You said you’d be back by tomorrow You said you’d be back by tomorrow Who’s that? Smashing glass? Scratching, thrashing, screaming my name Twitching threatening and shaking the latch Dad is that you, are you back? Who’s that? Who’s that? You look exactly like my father Exactly like my father You’re exactly like my father You’re exactly like my father You said you’d be back in hour You said you’d be back in hour You said you’d be back by tomorrow You said you’d be back by tomorrow You said you’d be back by the weekend You said you’d be back by the weekend You said you’d be back for my birthday You said you’d be back for my birthday You said you’d be back for my birthday Little girl little girl let me come in Little girl little girl let me come in Little girl little girl let me come in.
3.
My baby doll Could you just go Down to the sushi bar and get me what I want I know you know I want a car I want a dress I want a bag that’s big enough to fit My seven hundred friends We’re gonna need a miracle We’re gonna need a plan We’re gonna have to find a place to go We’re out here in the water with our pockets full of sand And the sinking souls around us yelling No, no, no We’re gonna need a bigger boat For all this shit We can’t just go around pretending Everyone is gonna fit I know I told you I promised it But I have always been a liar Sorry, life’s a fucking bitch I want a castle In the country I want a loft downtown I wanna call you When I want you Honey, I don’t want you hanging around And while you’re out dear Grab me a church dear And not some strip mall shit I’m talking real stained glass And my believers People with class I’m gonna hang out on my alter in my golden robe and crown Professing all my propaganda while they kiss my ass We’re gonna need a miracle We’re gonna need a plan We’re gonna have to find a place to go We’re stuck here in a lifeboat with our amputated hands And our automated captain yelling Row, row, row We’re gonna need a bigger boat For all this shit We can’t just go around pretending Everyone is gonna fit I know i told you I promised it But I have always been a liar Sorry, life’s a fucking bitch We’re gonna need a bigger boat For all this fish We’re gonna murder the whole ocean With our fucked up wish I know i told you I promised it But I was lying when I promised And I’ve always been a liar And you’re not getting on this boat So fucking live with it.
4.
I don’t want to scare you but we need to talk It’s only fair that you know a few things about me before we start And if you determine after learning of this little issue of mine That you need to go I won’t be surprised You strike me as someone who’s seen quite a lot But in my honest opinion I doubt this’ll work like you thought There’s something specific I need you to do if you’re up to the task (Which you don’t seem to be from the way that You’re still staring back with no change of expression) But hey — you can give it a shot I wish I was I wish I was I wish I wish I wish i was I wish I was I wish I was I wash I was afraid because I’ve seen how people work I’ve watched them all these years They are not driven by ambition All their motors run on fear Each one afraid of aging, dying Being lonely, getting caught They’re terrified of moving on But scared of staying here I bared my neck to the teeth of a knife They’ve held my head under the water for minutes — I didn’t mind I’ve been blind, bound and tied at the mercy of strangers, they beat me, whatever My heart didn’t race — I was fine I got them to hang me from terrible heights They took me to places of poverty, malice, unspeakable war — I have seen people die They left me at night in the heart of the forest, the air full of noises, The creatures that eat us just feet from my face, As their wild cries sounded, and darkness surrounded And still I did not bat an eye I wish I was I wish I was I wish I was afraid because I wish I was I wish I was Afraid afraid afraid because I wish I was I wish because I wish I was afraid because I wish I was I wish I was I wish I was afraid because I wish I was I wish I was I wish I was afraid because I wish I wish I wish because If you’re not scared, you’re not in love
5.
It’s getting cold, I’m underdressed I’m still not sold on this whole mess You told me - give it all away Just trust, it will come back someday I gave my voice, I gave my time Was there a choice, and was it mine? I leant out every stitch I had I gave you everything you asked Now nothing left except this faith This old idea it’s gonna rain Do you think that the stars Are going to spend their light on you? Do you think that the stars Give a shit what you might do? Everybody’s naked in the woods And everybody’s trying to be good You say you have nothing left to lose But I know that’s just the story that you use what you’ve got you’ve got to give it to your mother what you’ve got you’ve got to give it to your father what you’ve got you’ve got to give to your sister what you’ve got you’ve got to give now hand it over It’s getting dark, I’m lost and scared I can’t find shelter anywhere You told me — give it all away Just trust, it will come back someday I gave my body and my voice But do you think I had a choice? You know what, baby, I’m in hell Nothing but stories that I tell Myself - I’ve got to keep the faith This sad old lie it’s gonna rain Do you think that the stars Are going to spend their light on you? Do you think that the stars give a shit what you might do? When there are billions and billions of us all looking for love With billions of eyes all fixed on something above And we’re all are waiting for the pyro at the end of the show But the lights we’re staring up at died out centuries ago Do you think that the stars Are going to spend their light on you? You really think that the stars give a shit what you might do? Do you think that the stars Are going to spend the night with you? You really think that the stars Give a shit what you’ve been through?

about

*POWERED BY PATRONS*….read the entire story behind this song at and support the making of more art HERE: www.amandapalmer.net/sketchesforthemusicaljib

Credits:
These recordings are demos of songs written for The Windmill Factory and Old Sound Room’s 2016 production of “JIB, or: The Child Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was”. The songs are adapted from original concepts by Michael McQuilken.

All songs written and performed by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley.

Amanda: vocals, piano, drums, banging on the door
Jason: vocals, guitars, accordion, bass, ukulele, etc

The Wolf Song, The Fear Song and The Star Song recorded by Kevin Salem at The Distortion Tank.
All other tracks recorded in the Viking Hall by Jason Webley.
Mixed and mastered by Jason Webley.

All songs (C) 2016 by Eight Foot Music (ASCAP) and Music That Tears Itself Apart (SESAC).

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released September 13, 2016

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Amanda Palmer Boston

performer, writer, giver, taker, listener, love-lover, rule-hater and co-founder of the Brechtian punk cabaret duo, The Dresden Dolls.

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