Mavis Muse - The Official Blog of Hey Mavis

Red Wine CD Lyrics - At Long Last...

2011-07-31T21:21:00.002-04:00

This post contains the lyrics for the songs on the Hey Mavis "Red Wine" CD. All songs written by Laurie Michelle Caner except "Second Chances" and "New Seattle" written by Sarah Benn. All songs and lyrics copyright 2010 Stellada Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved.

Red Light, Red Light

Chorus:
Why you always flashing your red light, red light
Don't you know I'm not the kind to slow down
Why you always putting up your stop sign, stop sign
Wanna go fast, baby, I'll show you how

Verse 1:
You quit looking in that rear view mirror
Take your hands off the wheel
Don't you want to show me
How you really feel

Verse 2:
I know the sign, it says "Caution
Dangerous curve ahead"
Lean your body into the turn, my baby
All inhibitions we will shed

Verse 3:
That road map cannot help us
It don't show the route to my heart
Just trust your intuituion, my baby
Getting lost is my favorite part

Tell Me Lover True

Chorus:
Tell me lover true, tell me lover true
Come and kneel by my stone
Sing me lover true, sing me lover true
Come sing, sing to my bones

Verse 1:
Tell me the story of our wedding day
Do I wear a linen dress of white
Look of love in my eye

Verse 2:
Weave me a picture of what could have been
What colors paint the sky
Do I sing a sweet babe a lullaby

Bridge:
To you by soul is bound
Though my body lies in this cold, cold ground

Verse 3:
My darling, why did I have to leave your side
Your love was the light inside of me
Now I’m blind and I cannot see

Knock Me Off My Feet

Chorus:
Pick me up with your melody
Your voice carries me through
Rhyme every other line with my name
I swear I’ll love you true

Verse 1:
Play those strings with your hands
Sing me a song so sweet
Write me a verse that will turn my head
And knock me off my feet
I do not care if you sing off key
Or if you’re out of tune
Just as long as you serenade me
Beneath that yellow moon

Verse 2:
Play that chromatic scale
As if you’re playing me
Liken my love to a flower
Tell me what kind would it be
I wanna know what do you see
When you look into my eyes
Oceans blue, forget-me-nots and endless summer skies

Second Chances

Chorus:
The stars at night are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas
A heart in flight has got to rely
On second chances

Verse 1:
Well, these legs had the feeling they were flying
And somehow I found my shirt
Breathin' and a running and a breathin' (not sure how to properly write that)
Disappeared into the kicked-up dirt

And I was leavin' all the wrong kinda mornin's
Decided I'd had my fill
The stars are big and bright in the night-time sky
On another Texas trail
On another Texas trail

20 miles east of Odessa
Gunnin' it and runnin' from the pain
The rain came down in a hurry
And suddenly everything changed

Well, the road lay before me was golden
The mesas around me black
I thought that I was chased by the devil
But I think the lord's got my back
I think the lord's got my back

Verse 2:
Headed up north in the winter
No matter how backward that seems
Breathin' and a runnin' and a breathin'
Just searchin' for an inner well-spring

Well, I don't suppose you ever have been there
To the bottom of your own worst fright
If you see a light shine on your face down there
You grab the rope and hold on tight
Grab the rope and hold on tight

If I Want To

Chorus:
Ain’t no tellin’, ain’t no tellin’, what I’m gonna do

Verse 1:
I can fall like a feather, and land beside your pillow
If I want to
I can float like a cloud, right into your dreams
If I want to
I can melt like a snowflake, onto your tongue
If I want to

Verse 2:
I can slink like an alley cat, follow your every step
If I want to
I can watch like a hawk, and, see you with her
If I want to
I can slither like a rattlesnake and spike your vein
If I want to

Verse 3:
I can sit like a stone, let the breezes blow
If I want to
I can rage like a storm, let the tears flow
If I want to
I can set like the sun and never see the light again
If I want to

Verse 4:
I can bloom like a flower and face towards the sun
If I want to
I can fly like a bird and soar through the heavens
If I want to
I can play like a fiddle and sing the sweetest song

Red Wine

Chorus:
Aiyeeeeeeeeeee, eeeeeeee, eeee, eeee

Verse 1:
Red wine will get me through the night
In the morning, good God I will see the light
Fire burning in my shoes
Gonna take me far away from you

Verse 2:
This old banjo, I tried to keep in tune
But it never sounded good to you
Bite my nails just to pass the time
Was not looking for what I did not find

Verse 3:
Run, run river and carry me away
I no longer fear the break of day
Cannot push that which will not move
How much more can a poor girl lose

Verse 4:
Weeping willow and white birch tree
Stand tall and stay strong for me
Mother and Father, too
True love will always see you through

New Seattle

Chorus:
If I can't make it here
Well I'll never make it anywhere
If Akron is the new Seattle
Then maybe I'll stop washing my hair and buy some flannel
No one can tell me which direction I ought to go
Do I stay true to my roots in pink cowgirl boots
Or buy a big amp and start playing in a rock and roll band

Verse 1:
You got a mention in Rolling Stone
I got it in the mail today
You're looking pretty and writing lots of songs
And I bet that you'll be moving away

People seem to like you, well they'd like me too
If I could finish recording this CD
I'm playin' weddings and birthdays and local street fairs
And your video's on MTV

Verse 2:
I never watch TV but I swear when I do
There's always someone playin' your song
And I'll be darned if it's not the same one
That I used to sing harmony on

And even in a diner when I order my grits
I hear your voice comin' from overhead
I'm rolling my eyes I just can't believe
You're the girl that used to be in my band

I Ain’t Gonna Cry

Chorus:
I ain’t gonna cry, for you no more
I ain’t gonna cry, for you no more

Verse 1:
That black leather jacket, baby
Well it kept me nice and warm
Quite a shame it was the only thing, baby
That kept me hanging on

Verse 2:
Romantic verse and chivalry
Under a moonlit sky
Quite a way to woo me, baby
Then you left me so high and dry

Verse 3:
Now I can dance alone in this old empty house
And I feel alright in my skin
Your love’s not worth the effort, baby
It’s not worth this mess I’ve been

I cried a river, baby…

Bring Back

Verse 1:
She wants to stand out in the rain
Hold her hands up to the heavens above
Let those waters drench her blue dress
Wash away all that she’s done
Bring back the tide of love

Verse 2:
He’s always waiting by the window at evening
That’s when she said she’d be back around
But lately he’s got a sinking feeling
Once again the sun has gone down
Bring back the light of love

Bridge:
Love comes and it goes
There’s no rhyme, you just don’t know
Hold still and feel the wind blow

Verse 3:
She brought her to her breast every nightfall
Calmed her fears and rocked her to and fro
“My baby girl we’ll always be connected”
Now that baby is leaving home
Hold on to the power of love

Jeans

Chorus: Only if I wear my jeans, jeans, jeans

Verse 1:
Your hair is golden like the rays of the sun
I swear on my soul I’ll be your only one
I will work my fingers to the bone
Just to have you and you alone
Grab your finest shoes and your prettiest dress,
Come’ on pretty baby, won’t you please say yes

Verse 2:
Sugar let down your flaxen hair
In the moonlight your skin so fair
Rub some ruby across your lips
Wrap a velvet skirt around your hips
Into the royal blue night we will go
Come’on lovely lady let me be your beau

Verse 3:
I need a woman who will stay by my side
I need a woman dressed in ivory white
Paint me pretty pictures and sing me pretty songs
With you in my life I can do no wrong
So I fall before you on bended knee
Come’on sweet baby won’t you marry me?

Bridge: Faded and fitted and worn at the seams
Will you love me the same if I’m in my jeans?

Sister Mary

Chorus:
Sister Mary, oh Mary
I got to confess what I done
I long to feel that sweet forgiveness from the Father and His Son
Sister Mary, oh Mary
Won’t you fold your hands and pray
Help me save my soul from this sinner’s highway

Verse 1:
The bank they came a’knockin’
While his wife was in the field
“Got two weeks to show us pay or we’ll take your next crop’s yield”
On later in the moonlight
He didn’t have to dig down far
Grabbed his brother’s savings from that dirty old mason jar
And he prayed…

Verse 2:
That man he talked so smoothly
That he led her heart astray
She packed and left her family during church that Sunday
She knew she’d bear his child
Before the summer was through
Pain and guilt she felt, well, it tore her heart in two
And she prayed…

Verse 3:
He loves that still so dearly
He knows he gotta stop
Don’t quit soon it won’t be long before his liver’s shot
But he keeps a little bottle
In the second left-hand drawer
Thinks his wife ain’t looking
Well he drinks a little more
And he prayed…

Posted by Edward Caner (aka "Stevie"--violin and viola profunda for Hey Mavis)

The Google Calendar New Look Wholeheartedly Stinks

2011-06-30T21:08:00.003-04:00

I was greeted tonight by a hideous "new look" for my Google calendars. At first glance, the packages looks "cool". But alas, beauty is only skin deep. First problem: a larger search bar narrows the field of view and I cannot see the entire day in week view. And I operate 99% of the time in week view. (My speculated reasoning for this: Google is a company based on a great search engine, so might as well remind us about it--in a big way, LOL). Second problem (and final straw): the colors are different. After more than 4 years of quickly identifying different calendars by their colors, I can't bring myself to re-learn. Call me an old dog.

Sorry, Google. This one's a rotten egg! (I hate to use the term "sucks", but I think it does!!).

Eddie (AKA Stevie)

Yonder Mountain String Band

2011-02-14T16:55:00.002-05:00

We are looking forward to this Thursday when we open up for Yonder Mountain String Band in Columbus! These guys have been working their asses off for years, touring, writing and recording. It will be an absolute pleasure to share a stage with them (and perhaps a little nerve wracking, too)!

Here is a great video of YMSB from 2002...our own Eddie Caner sitting in...sneaking in a little solo!

2011-02-01T19:50:00.003-05:00

Hey Mavis loves to sing, and tonight we are singing the praises of Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss!!! Ever since Tootsie found out she was allergic to dairy and cane sugar (and ever since those pregnancy ice cream cravings started kicking in) she has not been too much fun to be around! Then...Tootsie discovered Coconut Bliss! It is dairy and sugar free and leaves her feeling fine, oh so fine, with a big 'ol smile on her face, ready to face the stage with banjo in hand!

So, a big thank you to the fine folks at Coconut Bliss...we no longer have a cranky banjo player, thanks to you!!!!!

2011-01-24T19:30:00.003-05:00

Despite the cold weather in Cleveland last night, it was warm and cozy at the Beachland Tavern. Johnny and the Apple Stompers filled the stage with their young, energetic, foot-stomping, six-piece sound. You can check these young'uns out on their facebook page.

Hey Mavis was next on the bill. We mixed up our set a bit by performing an old tune from Mavis's and Tootsie's days in The Rhondas, our raunchy, all-female "sexicana" band (formerly known as Poontwang with Jen Maurer and Jessica Lea Mayfield). I am not sure the audience knew how to react to Tootsie singing a song about wishing everyone from the plumber to the postman was in her bed (especially with that big, pregnant belly of hers)! "Oh, yes, I wish he was in my bed, instead!"

The night ended with an awesome set by the Whistle Pigs from Carbondale, Illinois. Their rockin' rockabilly left us hoping we run into these guys again!!!!!

2011-01-20T13:03:00.005-05:00

We are sending a great, big "thank you" out to our fans who voted us #13 in the Folk Alley Top CDs of 2010 Listener Poll! We feel honored to be voted in alongside new releases by Tim O’Brien, Peter Rowan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Chieftains, and Bob Dylan. You can check out the survey results, leave comments and listen to the Best of 2010 Stream here: www.folkalley.com.

Folk Alley is listener supported and streams "a distinctive blend of the best of singer/songwriter, Celtic, acoustic, Americana, traditional, and world sounds."

Please check them out and lend them your support!

2011-01-18T20:14:00.003-05:00

Two of Tootsie's favorite songwriters are coming to town!!!! Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt will be appearing at the Akron Civic Theatre on January 29th. The Akron Civic Theatre, with it's clouded celestial and twinkiing star-lit ceiling, will be a magical place to experience what will no doubt be a wonderful and inspiring performance from these two musical mavens.

So if anyone is trying to find Tootsie on January 30th, she will most likely be holed up in her room, with banjo on knee and pen in hand, trying to write a song...

Picture from last March (2010) @ HOB

2010-08-23T22:55:00.001-04:00

Heidi1163 posted a pic of Hey Mavis from a gig at the House of Blues. Why do we always have goofy poses when the shutter snaps?!

http://twitpic.com/172i75

Blueberries....

2010-08-20T00:05:00.001-04:00

If you were near Lexington, Ohio during mid-August, you may have heard the sounds of Hey Mavis wafting across the blueberry bushes. Highlights: some really nice-looking mullets, expired diet Pepsi that was mined for its caffeine, and boy scouts dressed in combat gear directing traffic, which left the impression of Germany in 1939...

Colorado Rejects

2010-08-02T00:28:00.002-04:00

We don’t really feel that Colorado rejected us. Mavis and Tootsie just thought it was a funny name for our Colorado trip blog. Hey Mavis actually had a splendiferous time on our whirlwind trip. Our most gracious hosts, Adam Aijala (of Yonder Mountain String Band, www.yondermountain.com) and his most lovely wife Julie Rakotz, fed us, let us sleep AND bathe in their house, and poured really good wine down our thirsty Ohio throats.

Here are some worthless and worthy tidbit highlights:

*Hey Mavis drank at the Akron-Canton Airport bar before their flight. You see, Tootsie does not like onions, and she likes flying even less.

*Mavis hogged the window during landing in Colorado. While she went ”oohhh” and “aahhh” at the beautiful sight of the sun setting over the Rockies, Stevie and Tootsie stared at the back of Mavis’s head.

*Hey Mavis was greeted in the Colorado airport by a hippie, first thing, right off the bat. This was no ordinary hippie though. He was wearing southwestern styled attire, cowboy boots and was almost as tall as his didgeridoo. Sadly, Mavis and Tootsie went in pursuit of more cowboys and left Stevie alone for a while. No hard feelings came from this.

*Hey Mavis made a midnight banjo run (how does a banjo run, it has no legs, ugh, that is not funny). Seriously, a big thanks to Dave Johnston for letting Tootsie borrow his Stealth (see Dave with his sweet banjo here)!

* Mavis loved the LOVESAC at Adam and Julie’s house. Stevie had never seen a LOVESAC before, but it was the biggest one he had never seen! We are hoping Mavis gets a high-paying job as a LOVESAC spokesmodel. www.lovesac.com

*Lucky’s Café is an awesome breakfast joint. On the Sausage Gravy & Biscuits Mavis-O-Meter, they scored a 6 out of 10. Mavis thought the gravy was a tad too gelatinous. The Eggs Benedict rocked Tootsie’s world and the Pesto Green Eggs & Ham left Stevie grinning ear to ear. Stay tuned for more Mavis-O-Meter breakfast reviews…

*While Tootsie took a shower and styled her hair (ha, that is funny), Stevie, Mavis and Adam watched Jaws, specifically, this scene.

Did we forget to mention that we were in Colorado to play a wedding? It was spectacular! Mark Nicolella (of the Boulder Theater www.bouldertheater.com) and his lovely bride, Jessica Matzuk, looked stunning on their big day! What an amazing wedding it was! The hummingbirds were chirping gaily while nose-diving in between the wedding guests to sip sweet nectar from their feeders. The gardens were in bloom, the fountain of lavender margaritas was flowing and the mountain stream carried the outside world away. Mark, Jessica and their families were ever so gracious and treated us so well!

So, Hey Mavis definitely plans on returning to Colorado in the near future. Next time we hope we can stay longer!!

Marti Jones Rocked the June Whiskey Social

2010-06-27T23:42:00.000-04:00

An audibly appreciative crowd showed up to see and hear the celebrated singer Marti Jones at last month's Whiskey Social. She was incredible, folks. Her voice was velvety smooth with every fine twist that you can dream of, complemented perfectly by the tasty whiskey drinks concocted by Lockview proprietor Danny Basone and his crew.

Unfortunately, we have no photos to post. Help!!

BTW, Marti happens to make a GREAT vegan shepherd's pie.

Thank you, Marti, for your wonderful support of Hey Mavis and the Lockview!

Don Dixon Rocks & Sunday Whiskey Social

2010-04-26T09:44:00.005-04:00

Well, we just got our studio recordings back from Don Dixon...wow, wow, wow!!!! We seem to be on target for our June 1st release date. Now that we know what the cd is going to sound like, we need to figure out what it is going to look like. We are very excited for you all to hear it!!!

We have started a Sunday Whiskey Social here in Akron, Ohio! We had such a good time with our neighbors in Pittsburgh, The Mon River Ramblers, that we wanted a social here too. It will typically be the second Sunday of every month, but because of holidays and other events, it will be best to check our calendar for exact dates. The Hey Mavis Sunday Whiskey Social is held at The Lockview in downtown Akron. Make sure you bring your instrument for the acoustic jam! We were joined by the Northeast Ohio Old Time Music Group at our April Social! What a great way to kick off our Whiskey Social! Thanks to David Badagnani for the photos!

Mon River Ramblers Whiskey Social 2/21/10

2010-02-26T23:27:00.000-05:00

Despite the shock of playing in a smokey bar (it's been a few years!), we had a GREAT time as the guests of the Mon River Ramblers last Sunday at Howler's in Pittsburgh. Jo supplied some great food and deliciously potent whiskey drinks. A definite "10" on the hospitality meter.

The Mon River Ramblers played a 40-minute set of high-energy, virtuosic bluegrass consisting of a mixture of originals and classics. My favorite was the "Economic Breakdown". Please check these guys out http://monriverramblers.com/.

You can find more pics from the evening on Facebook. Cheers!

Emc

Ho Ho Ho Here We Go...

2009-11-24T11:40:00.002-05:00

Hey Mavis wrote and recorded a song for Michael Stanley's Christmas CD "Tis the Season". “Santa Knows” has a fantastic light-hearted and energetic holiday spirit. You can purchase the cd (and support local charities) at http://www.linelevelmusic.com/newreleases.asp

From Line Level Music:

"TIS THE SEASON - A HEARTLAND HOLIDAY SAMPLER"

"This 19 track seasonal release features classic and original holiday songs recorded by some of the best musicians the North Coast has to offer - Michael Stanley and all The Resonators, Alex Bevan, Jonah Koslen, Andy Pratt, Gary Jones, Colin Dussault's Blues Project, Hey Mavis, Endeavour, Daniel Szymczyk, and Rick Bell.

Portions of the proceeds from the sales of TIS THE SEASON will go to several local charities including Feed-A-Family, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital."

First Night Akron - Hey Mavis Songwriting Workshops and Performances

2009-10-10T16:18:00.003-04:00

http://www.firstnightakron.org/

Here's a description of the Songwriting Workshop:

The Hey Mavis songwriting workshop is an interactive creative experience for both children and their parents. Recommended for ages 8 and up, each 45-minute workshop will hold 12 children and their parents. The only things participants need to bring are their voices and imaginations. The band will teach kids and their parents the chorus of a song written specifically for First Night Akron (and intentionally left unfinished). Parents and kids are then separated into two groups. Through the process of brainstorming, each group will work together with Hey Mavis to craft their First Night and Akron memories and experiences into verses for the song. Hey Mavis and the workshop participants will later perform the First Night Akron song (with workshop written verses) on the children's stage before the children’s fireworks.

Times: 5:00-5:45; 6 -6:45; 7-7:45 p.m.

Date: December 31, 2009

Hey Mavis will also perform at the Graystone Building from 9:30-11:30

Howe Meadow Concert 2009 - Three's a Charm!

2009-08-14T23:56:00.001-04:00

After being rained out twice, we finally played for the Music In The Meadow concert series in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Wednesday Aug. 12. Nearly 300 folks showed up to enjoy the surroundings and beautiful weather. Our friend Ranger Karen Kopchak was the MC. Karen works tirelessly to put on this concert series. RT did a stellar job of running sound. THANK YOU BOTH!

David Badagnani was in attendance snapping some great photos. He posted them on the Northeast Ohio Old Time Music Facebook site. We also saw Brenda Moledor and her daughter Sarah. Sarah is off to France to finish her Oberlin degree (it must be in World Traveling because she is such the jet-setter!). Among so many other good friends, Chuck and Mary Auerbach made it down and had some very flattering comments about Hey Mavis. Thanks for your support!

Today (Friday) the band listened to the recording (thanks again, RT) and we will be posting a few mp3s. We were extremely pleased by the performance, especially considering that the band was coming off of a 10-day hiatus and did not even have time to warm up!

In case anyone is interested, here is our set list from the Howe Meadow show:

Johnny Cake Lock

Freight Train

Bring Back

I Ain't Gonna Cry

Knock Me Off

Song for Suitors

New Seattle

Old Lover

Jubilee>>>>>>Snowin

SET 2

Cuyahoga Calico

Second Chances

Oh Suzanna

Tell Me Lover True

If I Want To

Why Must I

Three Letters

Red Wine

See ya soon!

Stevie

CVEEC Workshops Hey Mavis Summer 2009

2009-08-14T23:07:00.000-04:00

Here is a rough video of a summer, 2009 workshop with kids from the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority who were attending a camp at the CVEEC. Tootsie and I did eleven 75-minute workshops over three weeks. Tootsie wrote the chorus to the song and the kids wrote the verses. Each group wrote at least two verses, so we have about twenty five verses that we promise to post as soon as possible (I've posted the photos of several white boards to get the ball rolling).

Lakeside Songwriting Workshops

2009-08-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

On June 30, Hey Mavis hosted a songwriting workshop before our show at the world-famous Hoover Auditorium in Lakeside, Ohio. 11 kids showed up, all between the ages of 13 and 18. Tootsie presented the chorus and a single verse to a brand new song about Lakeside. The attendees wrote two more verses. That night, Hey Mavis performed the whole song as part of our set, and about half of the kids joined us on stage. Tootsie has promised to type the lyrics soon, but here is the photo of the whiteboard.

Cheers!

Stevie

Howe Meadow Concert 2009 - Three's a Charm!

2009-08-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

In case anyone is interested, here is our set list:

Johnny Cake Lock

Freight Train

Bring Back

I Ain't Gonna Cry

Knock Me Off

Song for Suitors

New Seattle

Old Lover

Jubilee>>>>>>Snowin

SET 2

Cuyahoga Calico

Second Chances

Oh Suzanna

Tell Me Lover True

If I Want To

Why Must I

Three Letters

Red Wine

See ya soon!

Stevie