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Better Days Ahead

by Kate Weekes

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1.
I never watched the seasons change while sheltering in place I came to know the forest like I came to know your face That path became a lifeline and your love became my grace Never did you falter in that liminal space In that liminal space We came up for every passing wave The mirror held up to us when we found the children’s graves We said that black lives matter, but white lives matter more We convoluted freedom, then joined another war In that liminal space Tears became a stain on my face as it aged Standing on the threshold we determined what to save The concert hall fell silent was we re-set the stage But I still can’t pay my bills living on an artists wage In this liminal space I found my place in the space between Pushed the edges stretched the seams With a bit of a stagger and a running lean I come to you from the space between
2.
Who did he, who did he, who did he, who did he Think it was, that smeared his name Was it long blonde hair and the trusting air of the innocent Was it hard to know better when they just let her out of the gate? Was it being told that he was too old for anything? It was all in the letter, it was all too late Who did he, who did he, who did he, who did he Think would win, that kind of game Where spinning lies was his disguise for the passion play That stole her youth with the grizzle of his age? Did she believe the loving words he wrote for her? It was all in the letters, it was all too late Who did he, who did he, who did he, who did he Think was next, that he could tame? Selfishness, betrayal, promiscuity Her memory was tangled and dismayed Distance grew with all she knew who cared for her It was all in the letter, it was all too late I’ll grow up and marry the boy next door We’ll have three kids, maybe we’ll have four White dress and a picket fence for me Perfect life for the perfect family Who did he, who did he, who did he, who did he Think he was, to act that way? That prison fence was the consequence of his tyranny Of a list of women deafened by his rage Of using words to threaten and for punishment It was all in the letter, it was all too late
3.
I was floating face-down on the Thames again, I was headed for the sea I passed under London Bridge and the water tasted pretty good to me The night had begun for the theatre crowd, it was full of fury and sound But I didn’t hear ‘cause I was facing down I was floating face-down on the Thames again, I was wearing my mother’s dress I bumped into bottles and soda cans, I gathered them to make myself a nest Up on the stage the players played and a hand reached for my gown But I didn’t see ‘cause I was facing down Down to the river we went down to the river, merrily on our way Down to the river my love and I, merry on a late summer day We rowed that boat, down the stream We gently made our way With no one around to hear my scream Or see him rowing away I was floating face-down on the Thames again as the theatre was letting out The players had strutted their hour and no one knew what the story was about It turned out the fool with his dusty death was clearly not a clown But I didn’t care ‘cause I’d already drowned Down to the river we went down to the river, merrily on our way Down to the river my love and I, merry on a late summer day
4.
I watched from the wings as he entered our hall When he stood on our stage I was shattered I told my daughters to be brave and stand tall There will be better days There will be better days Whispers of a melody came over the sea Voices to lighten the darkest of mornings Ascending a chorus that championed our need There will be better days There will be better days Standing together we watched the one fall Who preyed on the bruised and the battered Why should my daughters be made to feel small? There will be better days There will be better days There will be better days There will be better days
5.
Sinking Ship 03:38
Lightening flashes, thunder rolls Mackenzie lowlands, taking hold I will not cower at your breath All who suffer find peace in death Blow your whistle call my name You and I will never be the same Cut the rope let go your grip You cannot save a sinking ship Muddy water comin’ down Silt and satin stain my gown Muddy water rising high Bow your head boy, as I drift by Rope and saddle come undid Horse thief knot and a drowning kid Tattered tarp and loosened hip Try to save that sinking ship Make an offer of broken bone My resistance now exposed Wager I lost, it’s the river’s deal So I surrender to the Keele Patch the holes and mend the sail Grab the bucket, start to bail Grab the gunnel, make the flip All abandon the sinking ship
6.
Evelyn 02:51
Ten years passed since I traced the lines of Evelyn’s face She’s not aged it’s me that’s changed but in the same old place She’s throwing off the undergrowth and still maintains her grace I feel like time is standing still when I stare at her A decade of my life gone by and here I am again To say goodbye to Evelyn Say goodbye to Evelyn Ten years ago if I had known I’d still be here I’d have never come, I’d have turned and run, there’d be too much fear The dogwood and the roses grow to keep her company Can I tell her all that’s happened since she last saw me A decade of this life gone by and here I am again To say goodbye to Evelyn Say goodbye to Evelyn When ten years pass I’ll remember the night you traced my face Will your lips recall the love they left, each kiss you placed? In throwing off the undergrowth we still maintained our grace A decade of this life gone by and here I am again To say goodbye from Evelyn Say goodbye from Evelyn
7.
I reach out for empty bottles, stacked against the wall Spare them please if I should stumble, do not let them fall I came down to the cellar, as fire rained from the sky I pass my fingers over bottles, find one that isn’t dry There’s an urgency to this plan If you can hear me, please come if you can There’s an urgency to this plan There’s a man in the house with a gun in his hand We are 20,000 leagues beneath a war I cannot see 20,000 leagues beneath a war I cannot see Feel my way up to the attic, brick and knife in hand Sea of Flames in my pocket, silent as I can Father tells me to be careful as music plays for the dead Below the rubble someone listens, hears the words I’ve said
8.
Red brick buildings in a row, cedar hedge and maple grow Watch the children come and go from the red brick buildings in a row Jumpin’ on a waterbed, one fell off and bumped his head Mamma yellin’ from the dead, but they don’t hear a goddamn word she said Come home when the streetlights come on Supper time in summer I gotta go ‘cause I hear my mom Can’t you hear, can’t you hear, can’t you hear Or are you too far from home? Waiting for that yellow bus, the back is the best and the kids all rush Older kids gonna spit on us, at the back of the yellow bus Climbin’ up that water tower, strip the ghosts of all their power Fearless in his falling hour, climbing up that water tower Red brick buildings in a row, hoppin’ scotch and skipping rope Cigarettes and late night shows, call my mom to take me home
9.
Come the rain to this forest The sky has settled into grey All of the pain I felt this morning Says it’s here to stay All the weight, hard and heavy Stops to take a rest Day after day, please won’t you let me Take this off of my chest But the pain won’t go and the rain keeps on flowin’ And lines creep onto my skin It could turn to snow, I could stop thinking of going Let winter settle in The sound of my voice, the words that run through me Time to go away It comes out as noise, so don’t listen to me It’s just another day
10.
I fell in love with you keeping time by the moon That Moon Time Waltz playing for you I fell in love with you keeping time by the moon That Moon Time Waltz playing for you

about

For her fourth solo album Better Days Ahead, singer, songwriter, guitarist and nascent banjo player Kate Weekes dove deep into “the liminal space created by lockdowns and cancelled plans” to unearth a stirring, picturesque collection of 10 original songs ranging from Appalachian-influenced murder-suicide ballads to anthemic folk-pop to whimsical instrumental waltzes, all buoyed by an eclectic assortment of instruments including (but not limited to) fiddle, flugelhorn, frame drum and fretless bass. Alongside long-time producer and multi-instrumentalist James Stephens, Weekes guides listeners on vivid sonic journeys inspired by nature but nurtured by imagination.

credits

released February 3, 2023

Words and Music by Kate Weekes (except 'Better Days Ahead': music by Brenda Berezan, lyrics by Kate Weekes)

Produced, engineered and mixed by James Stephens at Stove Studios in Chelsea, QC

Kate Weekes: acoustic guitar, electric hollow body guitar, 5 string banjo, lead vocals, harmony vocals

James Stephens: 4 and 5 string fiddles, harmonium, fretless bass, 5 string electric mandolin, lead vocals, harmony vocals, electric tenor guitar

Christine Graves: harmony vocals (‘All in the Letter’)

Brian Sanderson: sousaphone, flugelhorn, trumpet, venetta, jaw harp, pochette, mellophone

Rob Graves: djembe, bendir, Massai goat bell, shaker, cymbals, congas, kalimba, udu, snare

Philip Shaw Bova: (‘Empty Bottles’) drums, bongo, tambourine, shaker

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Kate Weekes

Kate Weekes is a songwriter, singer and instrumentalist based in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec. Her songs reflect time spent canoeing the rivers of northern Canada, living as a dog musher exploring life as much as possible. Kate has released 3 solo albums alongside collaborative projects and singles. ... more

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