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Always Rock and Roll

from If I Woke Up This Morning and Died by Fred Gillen Jr

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about

One of my favorite songs I've written. I recorded the drums with 2 microphones, a Neumann M-49 and an rca ribbon mic. I struggled with the mix until one day I was listening to Aimee Mann's great album "The Forgotten Arm, which reminded me that my intention was for the drums to be to one side in the mix, like some of that album and Beatles albums. "Just when you think you've hit bottom you find out every bottom has a trap door." Yup. Opioids suck even more than alcohol.

lyrics

Always Rock N Roll

I used to have fifteen guitars
now I’m holding onto my last one
it was my first, the closest I ever got to love
was when she sang

the moment before you pull the trigger
STOP
look deep into whatever passes for your soul
no matter how bad this world may treat you
there’s always rock N roll

eighty dollars a pill on the street
for what I used to get free
going down in the park
doing what I have to do to survive

the moment before you pull the trigger
STOP
look deep into whatever passes for your soul
no matter how bad this world may treat you
there’s always rock N roll

every last fix is worse
than every last fix before
just when you think you hit bottom
you find out every bottom has a trap door

the moment before you pull the trigger
STOP
look deep into whatever passes for your soul
no matter how bad this world may treat you
there’s always rock N roll

I’m not gonna say I’m keeping
to the sunny side of the street
but as far as any pale, old, has-been can
I’m keeping it so my ear drums bleed!

the moment before you pull the trigger
STOP
look deep into whatever passes for your soul
no matter how bad this world may treat you
there’s always rock N roll

credits

from If I Woke Up This Morning and Died, released September 14, 2019
Fred Gillen Jr: drums, percussion, bass, guitar, vocals

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Fred Gillen Jr Athens, New York

NYFA grant recipient Fred Gillen Jr has released 12 solo albums, and 6 ep’s, has toured all over the U.S. and Europe solo, and Nepal/ India with Greenheart. His songs have been on ABC's "All My Children," NPR's "Car Talk," CMJ, and his version of Woody Guthrie's "I Ain't Got No Home" was featured on Pete Seeger's "Pete Remembers Woody." He is also a founding member of THE TRIKE rock trio. ... more

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