Speedy Delivery: A Weekly Song Editorial

The World Will Come Clean

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Jake’s Final Notes: For my last Songitorial of 2006, I decided to end with a dream. I knew that I wanted the first half of the song to chronicle some of the horrors of this year, while I wanted the second half to embrace an optimism and hope for the year to come. I allowed my stream of consciousness to make the connections for me. I spent only about 30 or 45 minutes on these lyrics. They seemed to spill out, religious motifs and all. As I wrote, I felt as if I were in a dream.

My first Songitorial began with “I woke up this morning, it was New Year’s day,” and appropriately ended with “this is gonna be one long year.” Lord, Lord how long it was. After writing a song every week for 52 weeks in a row, I’m exhausted.

From the mining tragedy to NSA wire-tapping to Hurricane Katrina aftermath to the Iraq War to Border Disputes to Darfur to Racist Barbers & Tirades to Castro's Near-Death to Elections to Tall Stacks to Snow Deaths, this year has worn me out.

It’s time for me to sleep, and perhaps to dream. Thus, I feel it’s appropriate that I exit with a dream…a dream that we’ll all come clean, one way or another, on New Year’s day.

Thank you for listening.

The World Will Come Clean
By: Jake Speed 12/24/06
The dust bound hell hounds
Tramping through the death clouds
Dirty boots stomp down piles of graves
Covered up dump yards charred up black cars
Soot-soaked air raids hate-saturated maids

Deep ocean oil slick,
tricked by a get-rich quick scam
spam-covered screened-over eyes
False pride flying in the sky, eagle high
On the list of missed survivors

Chorus: I had a dream I have a dream that the world will come clean on New Year’s day

Virus lying inside us, spouting out
Pent up passed down Mississippi scorn
Devil horns hatching out of hypocrites
Splits and rifts in the sacrificial red, white and blue

Truth muddied up in texts, old books, rejects
Making sense to whatever comes to mind
Divided by walls, appalled at calls of dissent
Desensitized to all the reasons why

The street-cleaner comes with his son
He’s a reincarnation of the chosen one
He comes from all across the world,
From all across the sea, he’s the figment
Of everybody’s last possibility

He pulls out a brush, he rushes to the
Dark streetside he’s hiding absolutely nothing
When they see him down on knees
Painting trash they laugh and point to the gutter

He rises up out of ashes, passes paint to the faint
Of heart and mind
He winds up his watch, he looks to the sky
And a rain drop drips and hits him in the eye

And two by two the rain soaks through
To every single avenue and every single point of view
A few simple strokes, a few light touches
Pretty soon a bloom sprouts up from the crutches

< Footprints in the Snow

All Roads Lead to Cincinnati >

Comments

All the songs are so dubens. You are truly the dubens.

posted by Brandon on November 2, 2007

How can I get the lyrics to Poor Johnny (without listening to it over and over and trying to write them down?)? I'm a middle school writing teacher in Cleveland and present a song and lyrics to my classes every Friday for them to respond to. I think they'd really get it, and enjoy it. Thanks!

posted by Kathy on March 3, 2007

Call me an intermitent listener. I've heard every songatorial you've posted, but not all during the week you posted them. Often I tune in for three or four at a time. Imagine my disappointment today when I click to your page, hoping to fill my entire lunch time with musical ranting, only to find that your new year's resolution only lasted one year! As is the case with the weight-loss and drinking-quitting resolutions, this was not a permanent change, but an all-too-short lived expedition.

Let me say that I loved them all and would love to hear more if you can squeeze one in every now and again. If I may make a suggestion based on an observation...to the trained mind, it is fairly clear which songs you wrote because you had to write a song and which ones you wrote because you felt the inspiration nagging at you. If you would write the ones you feel inspired to write, that would totally do it for me.

posted by pzizzle on February 20, 2007

when's the next speedy delivery?

posted by miles davidson on January 27, 2007

Hi Jake Jean and I enjoyed your songs throught 2006. Must be time for a new cd now with 2006 songs on
hoping to see you in June 2007.
Don & Jean in UK

posted by donald morgan on January 21, 2007

Congratulations Jake..I enjoyed listening my way through the year...You probably feel like just built a barn.

posted by Pete Beckmeyer on January 17, 2007

Good ending and congrats on being the first real life human to complete an actually New Years resolution. I think everyone wants to know your resolution for 2007 now.

posted by Dubens on January 3, 2007

you continue to inspire. I'll try to do my part and write a few songs to help with this clean dream world. happy new year.

posted by rob tobias on January 1, 2007

Miles, I remember you came to our show at the Fitton Center in Hamilton. How could I forget a fellow musician?!

posted by Jake Speed on December 31, 2006

DO YOU REMEMBER ME JAKE?

posted by MILES DAVIDSON on December 29, 2006

you're my favorite folk writer and vocalist

posted by miles davidson on December 28, 2006

I'm touched by the reality and the hope of your message. Thanks
Bro Bob

posted by Bob Wiethorn on December 28, 2006

Miles, thanks for your honesty and thanks for continuing to tune in.

posted by Jake Speed on December 27, 2006

not the best but..... O.K

posted by miles davidson on December 27, 2006

Speedy Delivery: A Weekly Song Editorial

The World Will Come Clean

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