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Lorraine

by Lori McKenna

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1.
You know when I’m coming home You know when I’m coming to bed You know when I tell you that I love you I mean every word I said You know I’m a bit too proud You know that I know how to pray You know I won’t give this up unless I have to give it up You know I won’t walk away But baby you’re like a diesel truck Shifting gears and the pedals stuck Headed straight to the edge and showing no signs of slowing And I don’t have the luxury of knowing You know that I like to dance But only when I’m dancing with you You know I must be bad at lying Cuz I’ve only ever told you the truth But just when I think you’re a hurricane You freeze right over and all that rain Turns to ice and your whole world just starts snowing And I don’t have the luxury of knowing Damn it must be easy Being in love with someone so blind Cuz - I’ll tell you right now the only thing I really know Is that you might change your mind Any day you could change your mind You know when I’m coming home You know when I’m coming to bed Repeat chorus And I don’t have the luxury of knowing You know that I’m a bit too proud You know that I know how to pray
2.
The Most 03:05
My life is a grocery store line A “We’ll be just fine” Don’t know how we survive, but we do My life is an early spring snow The last thread of hope That I just keep hanging on to My life is pieces of paper that I’ll get back to later I’ll write you a story, how I ended up here Why the little things make us and how long it takes us To figure out what matters the most. . . . . My life is a two dollar beer Friday nights here With friends that I’ve known since high school My life is an order to go A rainy car ride back home And someone you love to lay next to My Life is pieces of paper that I’ll get back to later I’ll write you a story, how I ended up here Why the little things make us and how long it takes us To figure out what matters the most . . . . . Someday well I’ll look back and wonder Someday comes around quicker than they told you Asking “Did I do, what I was suppose to” In my Life Don’t know Why the little things make us and sometimes it takes us To damn long to figure what matters the most . . . . My life is green grass through the snow A sweet reckless hope And baby I know...what matters the most
3.
If He Tried 03:24
words & music: Lori McKenna It’s finally breaking me down To my credit I feel like I held on as long as I could I barely recognize myself now I’d teach my heart to lie if I thought that it would I don’t need the whole world to think I’m special I don’t need him to hang the stars in the sky Pay for all my sins or save me from drowning But wouldn’t it be nice - If he tried It’s finally tearing me apart An impossible mending you can’t see from the outside No one knows where all the pieces are Do you love me I say, “sure” he replied I don’t need the whole world to think I’m special I don’t need him to hang the stars in the sky Pay for all my sins or save me from drowning But wouldn’t it be nice Oh wouldn’t it be nice If his eyes would light up - when he spoke my name If he’d run to catch me in his arms At the end of the day I don’t need the whole world to think I’m special I don’t need him to pull the stars from the sky Just to string up my name in tiny sparkling lights But wouldn’t it be nice Wouldn’t it be nice If he tried
4.
Lorraine 04:13
(Lori McKenna) The kitchen smells like orange peels Her stomach turns like a spinning wheel Put the baby down in her little seat You should rest now ma’am you should eat It ain’t right you been working all day All us kids getting in your way So she goes to bed as soon as the kitchens clean That don’t mean a thing to you but it does to me Well I don’t know if this part is true How memories lie they way they do But I can see her in our living room With a smile on her face she’s dancing to Judy Garland, Carnegie Hall, Sunday April 23rd She said her cousin had a balcony seat That don’t mean a thing to you but it does to me Oh Lord, am I good enough When this world spin as hard as it does We both know how it shakes some people up So how did you decide to give me so much love She never said a word to me About dying, about how she’d leave In all her pain she would never cry Me and my best friend Tina would ride our bikes From Lelland Road up Daily Drive We took a paper route one summer time Tina’s mom said I was part of the family That don’t mean a thing to you but it does to me No one’s had a bigger say In who I am today I swear I’ve tried to be worthy of The name they gave me when I was young But I ain’t that pretty and I ain’t that brave My kids have seen me cry They should have given her name to my sister Marie That don’t mean a thing to you but it does to me
5.
(Lori McKenna) Well, they ain’t gonna make a movie About a couple of fools like us No one’s gonna write a book About our little love You don’t get your picture on the local front page For falling in love at a reckless age no no For saying I do when you’re 19 In a hand-me-down dress with a pawn shop ring For having no money for a honeymoon Cuz you’re saving it up for the baby boom For knowing a love dies hard when it starts this young Well, you don’t get much - no no But you get a love song Well, this Sunday’s sermon won’t mention All the work we put into this love They ain’t gonna hang a billboard Congratulating us For surviving every rise and fall For being more hard headed than a wrecking ball no no For letting me chase a hopeless dream For giving up on trying to change me For drinking your way so far down I almost thought I couldn’t pull you out But knowing the only thing harder than letting go is holding on Well, you don’t get much - no no But you get a love song Next time a hurricane comes through They won’t name it after us And how could you paint a picture That looked anything like love The 6 o’clock news don’t give a damn That by the grace of God we worked it out again For working overtime and living week to week For letting your dreams fall into me For being a man with a damn true heart I’m gonna hold you through the hardest parts For being a love that will last - even after life is gone You don’t get much - no no But you get a love song
6.
(Tom Douglas / Lori McKenna / Barry Dean) They say it ain’t complicated Any fool can understand Until the fuse is lit and It blows up in your hand It all looks good on paper Step by step, you follow the plan In the sky watch the desperate vapor Til It blows up in your hand Love is rocket science What comes up it must come down In burning pieces on the ground We watch it fall Maybe love is rocket science after all Not if, but when, you crash and burn Somehow you survive But you’ve touched the hem of heaven For a time you felt alive CHORUS From the distance in the twilight Love is such a beautiful thing Dry your eyes beneath the night sky And I’ll hold you, I’ll hold you I’ll hold you like your dream Love is rocket science What comes up it must come down In tragic pieces on the ground It’s worth it all Baby love is rocket science
7.
(Lori McKenna) If I could buy this town - I’d keep it small and rough Full of 3rd shift dreamers - And high school love I’d keep the Church of Christ - And the bowling alley open Where the bud light signs - Crackle while they’re glowing If I could buy this town If I could buy one night - I wouldn’t buy the one you’d think I’d buy the one when my eyes teared up by the light above the kitchen sink And you held me tight - and you begged me not to cry If I could buy the sweetness of one kiss - that’s the one I’d buy If I could buy one night All the money in the world couldn’t buy a drop of real love could it? And it really shouldn’t - should it If I could buy the stars - I’d polish them so bright If I could buy your pain - first I’d buy the great big sea I’d put that pain inside a box - and bury it so deep If I could I’d buy you back - the years you worked yourself to death I would buy and waste your suffering - until there wasn’t any left If I could buy your pain All the money in the world couldn’t buy a drop of real love could it? And it really shouldn’t - should it But I’d gladly give you every piece of my whole heart If I could buy this town - I keep the Friday night bleachers Full of kids falling in love - and unlikely believers And the firefighters are there - cuz their kid’s in the game And we don’t win too often - but that ain’t why we came If I could buy this town
8.
(Natalie Hemby / Lori McKenna) I turn the lights on in the hallway Walk down the stairs without a bit of grace TVs on and the weather man says It's just another sunny day Open the curtains in the bay window Look at the neighbors we don't get to know All the cars are in the turning lane And everybody waves All I ever do is work All I ever do is pray But I do know that I have for you A love that never fades And it's ok If it's all I ever do You and I were gonna leave our little town Find a bigger city go and settle down And finally have the chance to see our dreams Come springing into life You sold your guitar when the baby came We gave her Joni as her middle name And cluttered up the house with fisher price Never sleeping through the night All I ever do is work All I ever do is pray But I do know that I have for you A love that never fades And it's ok If it's all I ever do You finally pull into the drive way We're both exhausted from a long day You wrap your arms around me with a kiss You look at me and say All we ever do is work All we ever do is pray But I do know that I have for you A love that never fades And it's ok If it's all I ever do I turn the lights off in the hallway
9.
(Andrew Dorff / Lori McKenna) When you take the train to midtown to have coffee by yourself Pull the pictures from the drawer and put them back up on the shelf When you hear the sound of church bells And they don’t make you wanna cry And you’re not getting drunk just so you can hide That’s how you know That’s how you know When you open up the curtains - start answering the phone Stop driving around for hours - cuz you hate going home When you can talk about it - even say their name When you start thinking you’ll survive even though You’ll never be the same That’s how you know That’s how you know That’s how you know That’s how you know There’s no such thing as a long goodbye When you wish it would’ve lasted your whole life When you don’t need a cigarette or a pill to help you sleep When you don’t end every night on the hard wood on your knees When you wake up one morning surprised to see the world exists And your eyes ain’t full of tears Your heart ain’t full of bitterness That’s how you know, that’s how you know That’s how you know, that’s how you know When you’re thankful that you ever knew a love this strong When you finally find the courage to write this song That’s how you know That’s how you know That’s how you know You’re moving on
10.
(Lori McKenna) Next time he tries to leave I’m gonna help him to the door Won’t be no sorrow from me cause there’s no sorrow anymore I tried like hell to make him happy but lord I’m no magician Just don’t know what happened to my sweet disposition My daddy and my sister call me and say little girl you sound so tired I wanna tell them all the truth but instead I just hide it If ever I feel alone it is alone by my own volition I just don’t know what happened to my sweet disposition Sweet disposition, keeps me warm when the world gets cold Sweet, sweet sweet disposition, when are you gonna save my soul I believe everyone is good but I’ve been wrong a time or two When a friend kicks you in the gut there’s not much that you can do Oh but that friend she was never my friend The only thing she feels is ambition Still I’m left searching for my sweet disposition Repeat chorus My soul My mother left me a wedding band and impossible shoes to fill Something I’ve always tried to do but I know I never will If you ask my children about me I wish in their brief description They say I love them with a true heart and a sweet disposition Say lord I love them with a true heart and a sweet disposition
11.
(Lori McKenna / Barry Dean) She’s crying again You lay quiet on her chest She knows you’re a dangerous comfort But you haven’t broken her heart yet She wants to feel safe again She thinks that you understand Maybe it’s crazy maybe it’s brave Either way it’s a losing game She’s hoping she’ll know what to do With a 6 shot 22 When the only one who’s innocent is cold blue steel For the first time someone’s listening to how she feels Lord knows you can’t save her You can’t stop or change her plans Just an American revolver You’re proof she means what she says It’s a fairer fight with you around To rescue her if things get so bad There’s no other possible way out She keeps going back and forth Between herself and the door When the only one who’s innocent is cold blue steel For the first time someone’s listening to how she feels Lord knows you can’t save her You can’t stop or change her plans Just an American revolver Too late now for I’m sorry - American revolver He’s coming up the front steps - American revolver He’s been drinking again She keeps going back and forth Between herself and the door When the only one who’s innocent is cold blue steel But this time someone’s gonna listen to how she feels Lord knows you can’t save her You can’t stop or change her plans Just an American revolver
12.
(Andrew Dorff / Lori McKenna) I spend my whole life climbing ladders Playing catch with the stars A million miles away from disaster And invincible unbreakable hearts I spend my life floating backwards And not because I want to be free I have no choice I must surrender Close my eyes and Jump from the dream Cuz the world is full of ups and downs Highs and lows ain’t that the truth But don’t you know that’s why God made ladders & parachutes I’ve had love so perfect Even Heaven looked up to see me there And I have been so damn broken Crashing hopelessly through thin air Cuz the world is made up of ups and downs Highs and lows ain’t that the truth But don’t you know that’s why God made ladders & parachutes Repeat 1st chorus Oh don’t you know that’s why God made ladders & parachutes
13.
Lori McKenna / Barry Dean St. Peter says “You picked a real good day” Your lungs fill back up with air - your worries float away Jesus smiles - he’s a handsome man He’s taller than you thought - eyes so warm - reaching out his hand In the Holy Kingdom angels sing a hymn For all your good behavior they handed you your crown & wings You don’t feel the sorrow, there’s no pain no fear don’t forget about me - don’t forget about me I’m still down here Everyone knew - you were on your way Earlier than expected, said the papers that day You saw your family - some for the very first time There were smiling faces, strawberry cake and a welcome home sign In the Holy Kingdom angels sing a hymn For all your good behavior they handed you your crown & wings You don’t feel the sorrow, there’s no pain or fear don’t forget about me - don’t forget about me I’m still down here Here in the shadow-land - Here where there’s doubt Here where we must learn to live - With what we live with out Clouds of silver and streets of gold Where no shadow is cast - and nobodies growing old You find an old friends and take a walk around But believe them when they say - “tell you one thing - just don’t look down” In the holy kingdom - angels sing a hymn stay there above the clouds now - don’t ever shed one tear Don’t forget about me - don’t forget about me I’m still down here

credits

released January 25, 2011

Produced by Barry Dean
Engineers: Ryan Gore, Reid Scelza
Mixed by: Ryan Gore, Garth Fundis, Justin Loucks, Reid Scelza
Mastered at YES MASTER by Alex McCullough
Drums/Perc: Will Denton, Eric Darken, Jeff Roach
Bass: Craig Young, Jimmy Lee Sloas
Acoustic Guitar: Lori McKenna, Pat McGrath
Electric Guitar: Mike Durham, JT Corenflos
Mandolin: Pat McLaughlin
Solo Cello: John Catchings
Strings: Chris Carmichael at Stonehurst Studio
BGV: Kim Carnes, Perry Coleman, Barry Dean, Sean McConnell, Jonathon Singleton, Walt Wilkins, Jaime Hanna & Vicki Hampton

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