There’s a story that’s been in my life
And I’ve taken it as gospel sure as the day
But now I’m starting to see that it’s just an invention
That really wasn’t about me
And I’d like to kick it to the corner
But it’s hard to eject a tape that’s played forever so

I need to be the witness to stop this crime
Cause the criminal inside me has lost her mind
All the things she tells me well they’re all lies
So I gotta be the witness to cut this evil vine

I’ve been playing the part of a prisoner
In a fable created by none other than me
And my mind, well she’s more than just dirty
She’s a rascal who’s set on setting fire to all
That I’ve learned
I’ve earned the wisdom of this story
Too many times
I’m starting to get angry so

I need to be the witness to stop this crime
Cause the criminal inside me has lost her mind
All the things she tells me well they’re all lies
So I gotta be the witness to cut this evil vine

The war is over
There is nothing left to say
The pile driver's got to quit
and it's gonna happen today
I will crack the motor
Jam my stiletto into that machine
Yeah I took the power
Got to kick myself out of the dream

I need to be the witness to stop this crime
Cause the criminal inside me has lost her mind
All the things she tells me well they’re all lies
So I gotta be the witness gotta be the witness
To stop this evil
Need to be the witness to stop this crime
Cause the criminal inside me has lost her mind
All the things she tells me well they’re all lies
So I gotta be the witness gotta be the witness
To cut this evil vine

I didn’t say anything that I wanted to say to ya
I got to talking and your eyes well they blew me away yeah
Oh this is how I start
My love letter
But I may have missed my mark
My best seller
Here it goes my friend
I need to see you again and then
I’ll show you what you do to me

You’re like finding the Holy City
Right there in front of my eyes
Setting me free, Yeah I’m ready
To get up on your wailing wall.

After my confession well I,
I’m feeling freer than the wind
But then I start to shut it down fearing,
I’m wondering what it would have been if I had only
Only I have no command
Over tomorrow
So I may as well be grand
And shoot my arrow
Cause the ocean’s wide
But I can swim it
The tide is high
Want to get in it
I feel the fire
C'mon let's fan it
You ask me why
Cause every minute with you

Is like finding the Holy City
Right there in front of my eyes
Waiting for me, Yeah I’m ready
Oh oh oh Get Up
You're like finding the Holy CIty
Right there in from of my eyes
Waiting for me, Yeah I'm ready
To get up on your wailing wall.

I can't feel it
I can't feel it anymore
I can't feel it anymore

You're like finding the Holy City
Right there in front of my eyes
Setting me free, Yeah I’m ready
Oh oh oh
You're like finding the Holy CIty
RIght there in from of my eyes
Waiting for me, Yeah I'm ready
To get up on your wailing,
up on your wailing,up on your wailing wall.

I am home in your arms
And I feel like this is living
It’s been a long
Rocky road I have run

Could it be
That you’re all
All I need to get by

And I love how it feels
To be so high without sinnin’
It’s been an almighty
Drop into your heart

And it feels
Like I made it
Made out with all I was hoping for

Could it be that you
You are the one

And we blow through the air
Like we’re floating on a feather
Rock and roll is for sure
Here to stay

And this song
We’ve been singing
Feels like it’s always been sung

Do you know what that’s called?
Archetypal, you’re the classic
Yes, you hummed me the tune
That enraptured my heart

And you threw out
All my devils
To make room
For monumental love

Could it be that you
You are the one

No I never felt the sun
Warm my heart in the way you do
No I never felt the rain
Fill my tears with joy like you do
No I never felt the earth
Fluster the butterflies like you do
No I never felt anything like you

I am home in your arms
And i feel like this is living
It’s been a long
Rocky road I have run

And it feels
Like I made it
Made out with all I was hoping for

Could it be that you
You are the one?

Remember the first time
On second thought please
don't remember the first time
'Cause going there and feeling that
don't do me any good

But wasn't it special
Oh no no no
It wasn't so special
'Cause what would i be doing here alone
and what about it

It's in the way (heave ho heave ho)
you always want to go there
you wanna mine the gold of
what we had or did we really have it
Don't wanna see those eyes
Don't wanna take that ride
No I'm not driving down your sentimental highway
Don't wanna be nostalgic
Don't want to be nostalgic for something that never was

Well you were a looker
and you still are
you're a looker
But looking at you looking at me
don't do me any good

I thought we were good together
Yes i did
I thought we were good together
but i was wrong
and i've been wrong before so many times

It's in the way (heave ho heave ho)
you always want to go there
you wanna mine the gold of
what we had or did we really have it
Don't wanna see those eyes
Don't wanna take that ride
Lord knows i'm not driving down your sentimental highway
Don't want to be nostalgic
Don't want to be nostalgic for something that never was

You will find me at the back of the bathhouse
waiting for the heat
Oh holy night at the back of the bathhouse
turn the lights down low

Won't you meet me at the back of the bathhouse
I'll be waiting for you
Oh holy night at the back of the bathhouse
Turn the lights down low

Don't want to be nostalgic
Don't want to be nostalgic
Don't want to be nostalgic for something that never was

If you would be mine
we could be happy
If you wouldn’t mind
we could be happy

So how about it?
It’d be so easy to do
Start with you and I just feeling out
the love we have for living
throwing out the old bath water
It’s elementary

The corner of my eye
Well it’s got some business with you
I’d like to spread your fingers wider
quit the lights and take you higher
find the place that we’ve forgotten
It’s elementary

Don’t take the tangle for my past
I left that ruin long ago
and I moved out to deep end
braced myself in case a piece like you
would walk on, walk on by
Oh baby please

Now I know nobody owns nobody
What i’m trying to say
I wanna get spitting distance to you
up close and personal
Let’s get personal
Let’s get direct
Let’s get direct
Let’s get experimental

You and me
imagine us happy
Yes happy

What would you do if you saw me dying
What would you do it you saw me dead
What would you do if you knew the story
What would you do if you were the only one

Oh would you hesitate at all
or fear breaking it to my family
No I don’t really care if you mind
got to lay it on the line

What would you do if you caught me leaving
What would you do if I told you look away
What would you do if you heard me screaming
What would you do if you were the only one

Oh would you hesitate at all
or fear losing me to my misery
Cause I've already lost you
I've already lost you
So I don’t really care if you mind
got to lay it on the line

Listen to yourself
There will always be something to learn
however painful
Fear is only what you feel
when you’re hitting new ground
Listen to yourself
cause there will always be a way in and out

Sell it to the sky
Tell it to your shyness
It never goes away
This ache i feel today

Take it like a man
Say it like you mean it
This is the final round
Lord lead me to the sound

'Cause I am so convincing
I have almost tricked myself into thinking
I would want to do it all on my own

But I'm tired of my lies

Always in a state
A state of overstating
Why can't I find the grace
That let me quit this place

I fear I've lost my power
'Cause even when the feeling is off
When I am asked to dance
I can’t resist romance

Yeah I am so convincing
I have almost tricked myself into thinking
I would want to do it all over again

But I'm tired of my lies

You won't find me here
No you won't find me here
This New Year's Day

Shame
Give me a reason to keep it around
Shame
Cause I am tired of wearing the crown of thorns
Hey hey I’m not here
to be the sufferer
for the fears of all humankind
I’m here to sing and get up in your everything

I didn’t know it by sight but believe me
It was snarling at the essence of being alive
And I began to see my way out it looked easy
Just had to kick the double dealer out of my life

But it’s a cool player
A greater persuader
It worked me over and
I fell back down into shame

/chorus

I reckoned all I had to do
is start on the good foot
and I’d be on my way out of the zoo
but when I tried to put my good foot into it
I tripped up on the doubts I’d been dying to undo

Yeah It’s a dictator
A dirty space invader
It worked me over and I
fell back down into shame

/chorus

What would I be without it?
I might be so alone
But I could be free without it
I don’t need an evil twin, a spitting imagine, a Ms. Hyde,
I don’t need
Shame

It's time
I won't be a part
of double-crossing my heart
It's time
Bring the future

I just watch your hands
They move me
Touch my war my world
And even when I
Try to deny
My dirt-white flag unfurls

Why don't you stay
Why don't you stay
Why not
Why not

I found the fountains rare
Rinse off my burdens there

Desire is a strength,
Unwieldy,
Wild and come undone
I'm flashing eyes on you,
My island,
Feel the midnight sun

Why don't you stay
Why not

I found the fountains rare
Rinse off my burdens there

Could you know
How close you make me
Feel to feeling me?
I release another piece
Of my soul to you
And you hold it
With your own

Did you say that you’d love me
when I’m old and confused
Would you open up the
window and let the light in

Impossible maybe
but I’ve never known
what it is to give up a fight
so I’ll have to take it from you

You only loved me
more than yourself
I never wanted that kind of love
but maybe someday I'll get into to it

I know that it hurts you
Well it hurts me too
but I don’t know
any other way to tell you I love you

I keep turning back
I keep turning back
I keep turning back
turning back

If we’re only dreaming
I love this dream we’re in
Let’s keep it going

Impossible maybe not
As i watch the fine peel of your clementine
I want you now like I never have before

Please will you ask me
Oh ask me
Cause you might be surprised
at my reply at my reply

If we’re only dreaming
I love this dream we’re in
Let’s keep it going

sing to me
and begin our mythology
i can feel the melody in your mouth

sing to me
and begin and begin again
i can feel the gravity in your sigh, in the dust of dawn in your song

who would know
if life was really worth living
and who would care
to live it anyway
but what i know is true
when i hear you, i just wanna make it through

sing to me
and sense the change in the atmosphere
you can feel the softening of my heart

sing to me
bring the noise supernatural
through your voice
the capturing of the wild
you mesmerize this child
enchant the wild

i hear music and the laughter in it

sing to me
that life is really worth living
I want to care
to live it anyway
and what i know is true
when i hear you singing well i want to sing too

who would know
if life were really worth living
and who would care
to live it anyway
but what i know is true
when i hear you lover
i just want to thank you.

All songs written by Joan Wasser

Produced by Tyler Wood and Joan Wasser
Engineered by Tyler Wood at 2-od, Space Is The Place and Vibromonk
Mixed by Tyler Wood except for The Classic mixed by Adam Sachs

Additional Engineering by:

Adam Sachs at Trout Recording: horns, backups & additional overdubs Murray Trider at Ground Control: RW beatbox on The Classic, RW vocals on Holy City 
TJ Doherty at The Maid's Room: recorded basics on New Year's Day, Stay, Your Song
Jack McKeever at The Maid's Room: assisted on New Year's Day, Stay, Your Song
Dan Shatzky at Vibromonk: assisted on basics on Shame, Ask Me

//

JW Joan Wasser
TW Tyler Wood
PK Parker Kindred
NL Nathan Larson
JA Joseph Arthur
RW Reggie Watts
TR Toshi Reagon
MZ Michele Zayla
SM Stephanie Mckay
SB Steven Bernstein
BK Briggan Krauss
DW Doug Wieselman
OB Oren Bloedow

1. THE WITNESS
JW vocals, clavinet, strings • TW moog bass, organ, percussion • PK drums • TR, MZ & SM backup vocals • SB slide trumpet • BK & DW bari sax

2. HOLY CITY
JW vocals, backup vocals, wurlitzer, guitar, strings • TW moog bass, trumpet, organ, piano, backup vocals • PK drums, percussion • DW bari sax
TR, MZ & SM backup vocals • RW outro vocals

3. THE CLASSIC
JW vocals • RW beat box • JA, TR, MZ & SM backup vocals

4. GOOD TOGETHER
JW vocals, backup vocals, guitar, strings • TW moog bass, juno, programming, percussion • PK drums, percussion, backup vocals • OB guitar • TR, MZ, SM, NL & JA backup vocals

5. GET DIRECT
JW vocals, juno, strings, wurlitzer, backup vocals • TW moog bass, backup vocals, programming • PK drums

6. WHAT WOULD YOU DO
JW vocals, backup vocals, wurlitzer • TW moog bass, organ, clavinet, percussion , backup vocals • PK drums, percussion, backup vocals • SB slide trumpet, alto horn • BK alto and bari sax • DW tenor and bari sax • JA, TR, MZ & SM backup vocals

7. NEW YEAR'S DAY
JW vocals, guitar, strings • TW moog bass • PK drums, percussion

8. SHAME
JW vocals, backup vocals, clavinet, strings, percussion • TW moog bass, organ • PK drums, percussion • MZ, TR, SM & JA backup vocals • OB guitar • SB trumpet • BK alto sax • DW tenor sax

9. STAY 
JW vocals, wurlitzer, strings • TW moog bass, juno, percussion • PK drums, percussion • NL, MZ, TR & SM backup vocals

10. ASK ME
JW vocals, backup vocals • TW moog bass, backup vocals, wurlitzer, organ, melodica, percussion • PK drums, percussion, backup vocals

//

Graphics and Layout Stephanie Sidjakov & Lance Scott Walker
Cover Photo by Dan Monick
All Other Photos by Stephanie Sidjakov

//

Special shout-out to Parker Kindred and Tyler Wood, the Sly and Robbie of Brooklyn

TO you: Thank you for supporting music, recorded and live, and the musicians who make it. Thank you for finding ways to make your own music. Thank you for staying alive, remaining curious and helping others do the same. Thank you for loving. Thank you for reading this.