Tell Her No

William Bates does The Zombies'
Tell Her No

The Reedy River Flows

in my hometown
there is nothing much before around
the northern wind brought it down...brought it down

the reedy river flows
under a $ 4 million bridge everyone knows
while the hungry have no clothes...no clothes

the mayor is so proud
but his honor it is in a shroud
would the millworkers be proud...be proud

the bankers they are thieves
they mortgage our past with no belief
in city view there is no relief...no relief

they put up a statue for our hero
black betsy in the hands of shoeless joe
but who is this man they claim to know?...claim to know

out on woodside avenue
where the factory whistles once blew
and young men went off to world war two....world war two

there is a stillness in the air
something even worse than despair
where the people just dont seem to care...seem to care

as for me i'll remember meadowbrook park
and the home runs sailing into the dark
sometimes a fire can start without a spark...without a spark

the reedy river flows
words and music by w. bates
t21music2009

Hear: The Reedy River Flows

Unforgiven

Having just watched the classic Clint Eastwood western Unforgiven.
I felt moved to write a song based on its story. Here it is...

he rode his mare in the west kansas rain
under the brim of his hat, unspeakable pain
the sky she cried like his soul in the night
why is it so hard for a man to stay right?

we all got it comin
there's no lying about that
we all got it comin
no gettin round that

in the town of big whiskey in 1881
little bill laid down his law for everyone
his boots of hardened leather callous and cruel
beat with savage precision those he cast as fools.

repeat

will and ned and the schofield kid lookin for their reward
in the ruins of a womans face, they were employed
for the wages of a whore and the vengence of the deed
the calm sight of a springfield rifle was all they would need...

repeat

ned took aim but couldn’t bear to kill no more
will took the springfield rifle and avenged the whore
and when the time came for the second killing scene
the schofield kid filled him with lead and felt sickened by what he'd seen..

repeat

so little bill captured ned and tortured him with whip and word
until he passed without a gasp he had fallen on will's sword
they put him out for all to see, his lifeless form a mockery
of all he came to live for so far beyond his history

repeat


and so it was on a stormy night, wills shadow framed the room
his shotgun and his pistols stilled the crazed saloon
with fatal speed little bill fell along with his deputies
will cursed the town as the rain shot down like a steel breeze

repeat

cut to the kansas farmhouse where his wife lies beneath a lonesome tree
silhouetted by the sunset and all he came to be
the past it is alive it seems no matter where we go
and all the rain in the world wont wash it down, but in the end who knows...

repeat

unforgiven
words and music by william bates
t21music 2009

Unforgiven