Get all 15 Seth Mountain 이산 releases available on Bandcamp and save 45%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Hush: Songs for Christmas, songs that sing me, Vol. 2, songs that sing me, Vol. I: a personal anthology, THROUGH DARK VALLEYS / 이산 II, "Please Come Home": Menders! Live at Circle of Hope (8.18. 2013), 이산 Live at No Country: An Introduction to Seth Mountain, 이산: This Mountain, Halfway Home, and 7 more.
1. |
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Ain't it fine to have our little babes around us?
Our old TV and our coffeepot, and all the other things we've got
All safe and alone, with no one there to hound us
New shingle roof no little rain can drown us
We've never seen a lawn so green and we cut it all with a big machine
And that's alright
Our yard and fence surround us
Ain't it fine to have so much to hang on to?
They cash our checks at the grocery store, we don't have to know who lives next door, we don't have to think
If we don't want to
Ain't it fine to know our country is the best?
Though other people may think and read we know all that we really need
is the Bible
And the Reader's Digest
But look outside somebody's bombs are falling
And as they bend and break the sky, we have no time to question why
The last thing we hear
Our little babes are calling
Ain't it fine to have our little babes around us
Our old TV and our coffeepot, and all the other things we've got
All safe
And alone
With no one there to hound us
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2. |
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Look out, look out from your schoolroom window,
Look up young children from your play,
Wave your hand at the shining airplane
Such a beautiful sight is Enola Gay.
It's many a mile from the Utah desert,
To Tinian Island far away,
Standing guard by the barbed wire fences
That hide the secret of Enola Gay.
High above the clouds in the sunlit silence,
So peaceful here, I'd like to stay,
But there's many a pilot who would swap his pension
For a chance to fly Enola Gay.
What is that sound high above my city?
I rush outside and search the sky.
Now we are running to find the shelter.
The air raid sirens start to cry.
What will I say when my children ask me
Where was I flying upon that day?
With trembling voice I gave the order
To the bombardier of Enola Gay.
Look out, look out from your schoolroom window,
Look up, young children from your play,
Your bright young eyes will turn to ashes
In the blinding light of Enola Gay.
I turn to see the fireball rising,
"My God, My God" all I can say,
I hear a voice within me crying,
My mother's name was Enola Gay.
Look out, look out from your schoolroom window,
Look up, young children from your play;
When you see those war planes flying,
Each one is named Enola Gay.
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3. |
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Feeling So Cold (Ballad of a Winter Soldier)
Oh, been feeling so cold. Oh, been feeling so cold. Oh I still own all of my soul, but everything else of mine’s been sold. Oh, been feeling so cold. Oh, been feeling so cold.
Oh, I tell you no lies. Oh, I tell you no lies. Well, we told ourselves when those kids were dying, oh we had no other choice, ‘cause the evil they was hiding. Oh, I tell you no lies. oh, I tell you no lies.
Oh, now my fingers so thin. Oh, now my fingers so thin. Well, I had so many fine friends back then, when
the war it had me killing evil women and men. Oh, now my fingers so thin. Oh, my fingers so thin.
And oh, I fought in that war. Oh, I fought in that war! Well she died in her living room, screaming what for, I shot that old woman and she fell to the floor, and oh, I fought in that war. Oh, I fought in that war!
And oh, I won lots of medals. Oh, I won lots of medals. Yeah, ground them children yeah into the gravel and I watched those big old cities being leveled and oh, I won lots of medals. Oh, I won lots of medals.
But oh, when I came home. Oh, when I came home. Came home called a savior but left all alone, waking up every night still a’ hearing their moans, and oh, when I came home. Oh, when I came home.
And oh, it’s the truth, they will say. Oh, it’s the truth they will say: well, we made big money by the war in those days, and we never let poor kids get in our way, no, oh, it’s the truth, they will say. Oh, it’s the truth they will say!
But oh, I’ve been asking the old. Oh, I’ve been asking the old. Many poor fight and die in these rich folks’ wars but never heard of no poor getting rich folks’ gold. Oh, I’ve been asking the old. Oh, I’ve been
asking the old.
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4. |
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A god in wrath was beating a man
He cuffed him loudly with thunderous blows
That rang and rolled over all of the earth
And all the people came running to see
And all the people came running to see
A god in wrath was beating a man
He cuffed him loudly with thunderous blows
That rang and rolled over all of the earth
And all the people came running to see
And all the people came running to see
The man screamed out, and he struggled and wept,
And bit madly at the feet of the god
And the people cried: ah, what a wicked man!
Yeah the people cried, ah what a wicked man!
Then, thanks be to god, forever and amen.
Yeah, thanks be to god, no more wicked man!
Ah, and all the people came running to see.
Ah, and all the people came running to see.
Ah, and all the people came running to see.
Ah, and all the people came running to see.
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5. |
O Constantine!
05:52
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I was terrified like all the rest
blessed and fat and ignorant like babies in a viper's nest
primed and pumped, conditioned for a new crusader's terrorist war
i heard you scream all would be right, the drums began and when you prayed,
i closed my eyes and mind and clenched my fists amidst the charged collective rage and felt the joy of knowing god was on our side,
hide
and before that moment i had never felt so real and so alive
you raised your sword, i praised you lord
and before your final words had fully rung around a lonely nation numb and impotent with blood and fear and melted fat and pride then from a million pulpits wealthy blessed evangelists raised up their hands to mammon crying out amen thy will be done
thy will be done
and as we sold our stocks and melted all our crosses into guns, we sang amen thy will be done
thy kingdom come thy will be done
o constantine!
o constantine!
i have seen that you are a fraud
i have watched you crucifying god
i have seen, i have seen, how could i have been so blind?
i ate the bread i drank the wine i bought it all i got in line
but now i know and i am not alone
now i know and i am not alone
and as i stand before your royal throne
o constantine!
o constantine!
i am angry, i am torn, look around the sheep are shorn
i am fat and naked, like a babe that's just been born!
but i am nothing new, and covered in the blood and wool that's scattered on the shearing floor
i am murder, i am shame
but i opened my eyes up while you prayed
and saw a vision of the land your shepherds razed, oh!
martyrs-blown with smarter bombs, but they're not ours so nothing's wrong
and tanks a' rollin' oil spillin' from a cup that's overflowin'
the vision is a strong one and i can see it now as well
us and them, either/or, life and death, heaven and hell
all eyes closed, all heads bowed, thank god, thank god we've got the infidel
the infidel!
and god look what we get to buy and sell!
o constantine!
o constantine!
i have seen that you are a fraud
and i have watched you crucifying god
and i have seen, i have seen, how could i have been so blind
i ate the bread i drank the wine, i prayed with you and got in line
but now i know and i am not alone
now i know and i am not alone
and as i stand before your royal throne
oh mediating sword of truth and patriotica
faith of man and greed of father god!
i have seen that you are a fraud
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6. |
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I am tired of running in place
I am tired of always saving face
I am tired of trying hard to please you
I am tired of fighting to appease you
I am tired of running in place
I am tired of running in place
I am tired of majesty
I am tired of all that I can be
I am tired of selling myself cheap
I am tired of tuning out the screams
Oh, I am tired of majesty
I am tired of majesty
But I! I love you, I love you darlin'!
I, I need you, I need you baby.
I, I'm sorry for you, sorry for this-
I, I'm sorry for myself.
I am tired of bringin' it on
I am tired of censoring my song
I am tired of watered front lawns
And I am tired of every God-damned bomb
every god-damn bomb!
I am tired of bringing it on!
I am tired of bringing it on
I am tired of red white and blue
I am tired of silencing the truth
I am tired of worshipping youth
and I am tired of every torture booth
every torture booth!
I am tired of red white and blue
Oh, I am tired of red white and blue
But I! I love you, I love you darlin'!
I, I need you, I need you baby.
I, I'm sorry for you, sorry for this-
I, I'm sorry for myself.
We are tired but we're not sleeping
Who can rest amidst such weeping
All you warlords heed this morning
dawn is breakiing, soon be morning
wwe're awake and we're not waiting
ravaged world screams restoration
dawn is breaking soon be morning
dawn is breaking soon be morning
dawn is breaking soon be morning
we are tired but we're not sleeping
dawn is breaking soon be morning
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7. |
Friendly Beasts
04:09
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Jesus our brother kind and good
Was humbly born in a stable rude.
And the friendly beasts around him stood
Jesus our brother, kind and good.
"I," said the donkey, all shaggy and brown,
"I carried his mother up hill and down
I carried his mother to Bethlehem town."
"I," said the donkey, all shaggy and brown.
"I," said the cow, all white and red
"I gave him my manger for his bed
I gave him my hay to pillow his head."
"I," said the cow, all white and red
"I," said the sheep, with curly horn,
"I gave him my wool for a blanket warm
He wore my coat on Christmas morn."
"I," said the sheep, with curly horn.
"I," said the dove, from the rafters high
"I cooed him to sleep so he would not cry
We cooed him to sleep, my love and I
"I," said the dove, from the rafters high.
Thus every beast, by some good spell
In the stable rude was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel
The gift they gave Emmanuel
The gift they gave Emmanuel
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Seth Mountain 이산 South Korea
Seth Martin (aka Seth Mountain or 이산), is a roots musician originally from the Pacific Northwest
(US).
Continuing in the radical tradition of artists like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Utah Phillips, Martin has been living in Seoul since 2015. He regularly performs with Korean and foreign folk, indie and rock acts.
"Quite possibly the closest thing we have to Woody Guthrie."
--Bill Mallonee
... more
Seth Mountain 이산 recommends:
Life Everlasting
by Jon Felton and his Soulmobile
Rooted, happy, tragic. Real.
go to album
When I Rise
by Samuel Lockridge
A gorgeous album from a beautiful soul.
go to album
FOR YOUR HELLTH EP
by Two Tone Wolf Pack
Honored to call 'em friends.
go to albumIf you like Abandoned Tracks, or The Darkest Hour Is Just... The Darkest Hour, you may also like:
ch. VII carry the bones
by psalters
supported by 4 fans who also own “Abandoned Tracks, or The Darkest Hour Is Just... The Darkest Hour”
Psalters are a gift. Their passionate music never fails to touch my heart.
go to album
she/her/they/them
by Evan Greer
The singer-songwriter and activist considers the very purposes of protest songs.
go to album
Songs of my land
by Chiyomi Yamada
Ancient Japanese folk songs are presented with Western folk-pop arrangements to haunting, elegant effect.
go to album
