We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Tales Of Misfortune And Woe

by Dusty Stray

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      €7 EUR  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 13 Dusty Stray releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Fire Place, Happiness Strikes, Special, Lists, Estranged, You Couldn't Wait To See Me Cry, Through The Atmosphere, USA, and 5 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      €24.50 EUR or more (50% OFF)

     

1.
Winter's Day 02:29
I set out one winter’s day Through the woods but lost my way Darkness fell and froze me so I lay down on a patch of snow Tangled branches reached for me My heart pounded rapidly Icicles formed from the tears on my face I felt myself pass away Woodland creatures came to see They all took a bite of me Scavengers came swooping down And bits of me were passed around Mama came to look for me With the village search party My remains were plainly seen Her boy’s bones there picked so clean Mama don’t you cry my dear I am safe forever here Though my life was short and sweet I gave of myself to eat Woodland creatures came to see They all took a bite of me Scavengers came swooping down And bits of me were passed around
2.
Hard Times 03:50
Heard about her Dirty and dirt poor Drowned her children Six, five and four She took them by their little fingers To the place where darkness lingers Pushed them under till she couldn’t Hear their screams no more Lord please make them welcome there Here for them I couldn’t care Hard times – can’t make a dime What else could I do You gave them to me and now I give them back to you Heard about him Married very young Had some jobs but Couldn’t keep down one His only daughter suddenly died His wife wandered through the dark side He decided on some poison So she wouldn’t feel a thing Lord please make her welcome there Here with me it wasn’t fair Hard times – can’t make a dime What else could I do Now she’s with our baby and I’m comin’ too
3.
Other Way 02:41
You mouth “hello” And “I missed you” Through the baggage claim window You put on a show When you came through Your new suitcase and a smile Yeah – it’s been a while But that’s your style And you wouldn’t want it any other way Then in the morning After lovin’ you Throughout the whole evening You were off again Sayin’ “I would love to Stay with you but then We’re so different That’s not what I meant Don’t take what I say in some other way” Have fun Take care See you Somewhere Have fun Take care See you Somewhere
4.
Brother 03:56
My life was boring, uneventful Until the day my brother lay dead We were out hunting duck and pheasant My brother shot himself right in the head I thought at first he had not meant to But later on I thought otherwise He’d held his rifle to his temple I heard the shot then followed his cries I found my brother’s eyes wide open His golden hair now turning dark red He weakly whispered out my name then And I can still hear the words that he said These words he said Hold my hand Try to understand In this world I couldn’t be happy I just had to set myself free I called for help but it was pouring The ground around us turned into mud I sat beside my brother’s body Till it was stiff and bathing in blood When help arrived I told my story But I was handcuffed and carted away Awaiting trial for 13 years now I often wonder what my brother would say What would he say? Hold my hand Try to understand In this world I couldn’t be happy I just had to set myself free
5.
The Girl 03:25
I was taking a nap on the floor I awoke to a tap on the door A girl with tears in her eyes there I thought I knew her from somewhere “Come in and sit by the fire Tell me what is wrong” “Kind sir, I see you are wealthy I’m hungry, poor and unhealthy My mother, brothers and sisters Caught fire – they’re covered in blisters I’m told that you are my father Help me sir, I pray.” “I’ve slept with so many witches Only after my riches Getting my money was easy But first they all had to please me So leave your clothes on the chair there And lie here by the fire” He smiled as I reached out and grabbed him My knife repeatedly stabbed him His eyes shining bright red I wiped off my forehead He fell down by the fire Laughing all the while I ran – I ran all around there Helped myself to what I found there She rolled me into the glow Through the flames I saw her go I lay there on the fire He lay there on the fire Then I slipped away Then I slipped away
6.
Sad Song 03:07
She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She’s got her personal radio And when she’s down she wants something slow So she can smile while letting go Then don’t you know She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She tunes into stations specialized In those songs that long to make you cry And gets so lost that she don’t even try To dry her eye She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She fills the bath and gets her radio She places it upon a bar of soap Turns it on and lets the music flow Takes off her robe Gets in the water Puts her head under And she can smile again Then her radio slips in And as her body jumps about Her sad song is fading out She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song She’s caught right up in the middle of a sad, sad song
7.
Cindy was our youngest daughter Innocent and sweet She went out to fetch some water In pajamas and bare feet When the bucket came up empty She looked down into the well Leaned a little too far over Then into the well she fell No one heard her screams of bloody murder The radio was on We went out, forgot about her Till the new day’s dawn Sparky barked and led us to her There she was alive but frail Cindy sat down on the bucket And we pulled her from that well Then we had a big ol’ breakfast Our Cindy lost and found Cornbread, ham and eggs, and pancakes Passed it all around We were pleased but still a shakin’ For we had us such a scare All held hands around the table For our daughter we said a prayer Thank you Lord for our dear Cindy Amen
8.
In My Memory 03:41
In my memory She caused such misery Kept it all from me and smiled all the while Once she went away Friendly little holiday With a group to play survivor in the wild Some thing crawled into her tent Some big beast, he came and went Yet she let him in In my memory We tried so desperately To start a family but it just didn’t work Results came back to me Proving my sterility We thought it would be the end of everything No more real communication Then she somehow became pregnant And then things got strange In my memory That child never looked like me I began to see exactly what was happening After years of lies It came as no surprise I came to despise her body and her soul But your honor I would never Try to harm her with a mirror Or a razorblade In my memory
9.
Little Wendy wandered Through the forest near her school She found her favorite place there Beside a quiet pool Tossed pebbles in the water Watched the tiny splashes and rings Then she saw something He couldn’t have been dead very long His body soft and warm Wendy cried to heaven As she held the furry form “Please Jesus work a miracle For my poor innocent friend Give him life again” All at once the creature he shook His tiny nostrils flared His beady eyes began to open up Sharp yellow teeth he bared And sank them into poor Wendy’s chest Clenched his claws and scratched up her legs Then he crept away Little Wendy lay there In the forest near her school Only her remains there Beside the quiet pool
10.
Down Below 03:44
There were stars draped over me On a blue bright and clean And they all gathered there My love said a prayer for me Nowhere to be seen Every evening I see her leaving Wildflowers on my stone Up here floating Out of body Never been so alone How can I stay so far away When the one I love is below I want to go Down below So I watch as she goes in her new black clothes Hurriedly I can see her move through the hills When she reaches my grave, my love bold and brave Empties a bottle of pills Her vision blackens Body weakens She falls upon my stone As she enters Sleep eternal I can hear my love moan, “How can I stay so far away When the one I love is below I want to go Down below”
11.
Hey little birdie up in that tree Why are you lookin’ at me? You can see the tear in my eye Though I’d like to I can’t cry Leaves are fallin’ it’s colder each day Why don’t you fly south and stay Most of your family surely have flown What makes you stay here alone Fly here closer Let me see you better Something so familiar in your eyes Some killer’s knife took Carrie’s life She was soon to be my wife I came out here ready to die Then you happened to fly by All of my sadness faded away When you came to me today I look at you but it’s her that I see She has come to comfort me Fly here closer Let me see you better Something so familiar in your eyes Stay right here little birdie Sing to me, sing to me
12.
From my balcony up on the top floor Where thousands of windows were glowing below I watched you through my telescope I feel I know you now better than most As though I’ve been courting you much like a ghost And I yearned to be closer I found your apartment so effortlessly Followed you everywhere for a few weeks Yet you never saw me Until the night I was right by your door You caught my eye though the lighting was poor And I could see you were frightened When I scared you I really scared you And when I scared you You were mine

about

"It’s all delightfully dark and the trick of allying beautiful and tapalong music to dark words has rarely been performed as well"
Americana UK

“Makes the eyes cry not because of sorrow but joy”
Maverick

"...he performed a miracle....Brown’s songs about murder and misery sound intimate, almost cozy. The arrangements are ingenious and controlled...beautiful harmony vocals..."
de Volkskrant

"Prima de luxe: Tales of Misfortune and Woe is home to a dozen delicate, high quality murderballads”
Altcountry NL

"The music is beautiful, but you’re guaranteed to get disturbed by the stories that accompany it: topics
include depression, suicide, falling into wells, losing loved ones, and freezing to death in the forest
while the animals scavenge your parts. This stuff is vital."
WUAG Radio, North Carolina

"The concealed bitterness of Tales of Misfortune and Woe lifts the already excellent songs to a higher
level" Heaven

credits

released February 7, 2009

TALES OF MISFORTUNE AND WOE

ORDER CD HERE: www.musicglue.com/dusty-stray/products/tales-of-misfortune-and-woe-cd/

Written and recorded by Jonathan Brown at his home in Amsterdam
Mixed by Bart Whijtman at Boemtak Audio Rotterdam
Mastered by Berry Kamer at Buurman Audio, Amsterdam
Produced by Gert-Jan Blom and Jonathan Brown
Executive producer: Jeroen van der Schaaf

Jonathan Brown: voice, guitars, banjo, mandolin, etc.
Marjolein van der Klauw: additional voices
Gert-Jan Blom: bass
Jac Bico: slide guitar on first two songs

Graphic design: Piet Schreuders and Sonja van Hamel

All titles © J. F. Brown, published by Basta Music

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Dusty Stray Amsterdam, Netherlands

DUSTY STRAY features the alt-folk repertoire of Texan expat Jonathan Brown. He delves into universal themes of heartbreak, loneliness and death with a twisted sense of humor and a soothing touch.

New album FIRE PLACE out now!
... more

contact / help

Contact Dusty Stray

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Dusty Stray recommends:

If you like Dusty Stray, you may also like: