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In the Shadow of the Seven Stars

by Swallows

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    A gatefold cover designed in stark black and white, including booklet with lyrics.

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  • Full Digital Discography

    11
    releases

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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of In the Shadow of the Seven Stars, ODIN, To Combat Loneliness: Compositions Based on the Works of David Foster Wallace, Me, My Songs, and Beer, Union County Forever, Dissonant Creatures, Keep It Coming Like A Miracle, The Sleeper Pins, and 3 more. , and , .

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1.
The Boneyard 04:44
lyrics
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A coal sky Frames her hollow face Pale with sorrow Bloodless, paper skin Through sheets of rain See her dancing In the boneyard To a sad lament A bell tower Composes eulogies Keeping time To all the dead hearts At midnight’s stroke A raven croaks Another light grows dim On the East End Calling out from the end of the world Reach to you from the end of the world On the hollow wind A melody climbs and falls Aria from the great divide A chorus grows Voice upon voice A third, a nine Haunted words Form a ghostly rhyme Nightingale Lying spread eagle Ripped from stem to stern In the mud and rubble A swell mob Beats a pounding rhythm In the cobbled streets Near the convent halls Through the Swallow Gardens To the Crown and Seven Seek oblivion In a glass of gin Feel the walls breathe Hear them rasp and wheeze Taste the pestilence In the thick air Calling out from the end of the world Reach to you from the end of the world Calling out from the end of the world Reach to you from the end of the world
2.
Wrecking Ball 04:00
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The word is on the street tonight, tonight, tonight The dogs are at my feet tonight, tonight It’s a meager thing to solve tonight, tonight, tonight Let the world evolve tonight, tonight The queen don’t know where the winds will blow Through the gaslit streets where the ripper sows Let the bridges burn and the towers fall Give ‘em one more blow with a wrecking ball Gonna start a fight tonight, tonight, tonight Gonna set things right tonight, tonight Gonna break some balls tonight, tonight, tonight Kick the stooges in their stalls tonight A pound of flesh for a pound of gold Gonna raise my glass to the prophets of the coming age Better take your bow at the Albert Hall Gotta make your rounds through the victory ball You’re gonna wanna grab a seat by the window, in the front row Watch the sky burn bright in the glow of this burning rage Let ‘em feel what they wanna feel Let ‘em squeal if they wanna squeal Watch the dogs as they lick the blood off this grisly stage Gonna draw some blood tonight, tonight, tonight Drag their entrails through the mud tonight, tonight Gonna count to ten tonight, tonight, tonight Let the piggies from their pens tonight, tonight Gonna take my bow at the Albert Hall Make one more round through the victory ball ‘Cause the queen don’t know where the winds will blow Give it one last whack with a wrecking ball No, the queen don’t know where the winds will blow Give it one more whack with a wrecking ball
3.
In the Shadow of the Seven Stars 03:29
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Lamp smokes Heart skips Shoe falls Locket slips Cold eyes Hard stare Black night Still air Player on a deadly stage Witness to a lustful rage In the shadow of the seven stars Last call of a nightingale Sorrowful her plaintive wail In the shadow of the seven stars A body turns A body stalls A body lifts A body falls Seconds come Seconds go Sound fades Movement slows Player on a deadly stage Witness to a lustful rage In the shadow of the seven stars Last call of a nightingale Sorrowful her plaintive wail In the shadow of the seven stars Mortal fear Shaking leaf Cautious steps Turn to flee A quiet voice A halting plea Time to run None must see Player on a deadly stage Witness to a lustful rage In the shadow of the seven stars Last call of a nightingale Sorrowful her plaintive wail In the shadow of the seven stars Player on a deadly stage Witness to a lustful rage In the shadow of the seven stars Last call of a nightingale Sorrowful her plaintive wail In the shadow of the seven stars
4.
Ultraviolet 04:29
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I know why you’re here The meaning is all too clear A willing mind to sear With demonic desires I’m not filled with hate An empty soul to take To hang on a string as bait When the behemoth calls You sense my fear That’s how you found me here My weakness becomes your spear The guilty will fall The deal’s been made It’s etched on your stony grave Witness becomes the slave To pay for it all My eyes can see The beauty in front of me Bereft of divinity Can’t deny you at all We’ve become the same One mind in a ruthless game For this I will surely hang To pay for it all Hear me out Why won’t you hear me out? I can’t stand and fight With whispers and moans It’s all mixed up It’s all mixed up It’s all mixed up
5.
Dead and Gone 05:13
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Thought I’d follow you to the dying lands From the chapel to death’s door Should have closed my mind when you hypnotized Should have turned from you when you called Ten steps under cold stone arches A stifled scream And now you’re dead and gone Saw your sad blue eyes in the pale moonlight Long locks and red‐stained lips Should have sheltered you when they put you out Should have come for you when you called Blood mural in the Swallow Gardens A flash of light And now you’re dead and gone Dead and gone Dead and gone Dead and gone The beast at the heart of it You never had a stake in this Piece of meat caught a vice grip A wolf had to come for it Dead and gone Dead and gone Dead and gone Now that I need you child Now that I want you child Dead and gone Dead and gone Dead and gone
6.
Watertight 03:53
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Jack, climb back in the hull Stow the sails and oars Battened down Watertight Unsinkable Boat Watch the pitch and roll Turn the rudder slow Throw the drogues Anchor down Unsinkable Boat Tell ‘em all night in We’ll ride this out a hull Morning comes Chart our course Unsinkable Boat Live another day Despite the wind and rain Change our tack Sail on Unsinkable Boat This watch is getting long Oh, I’m seeing faces in the waves Counting bodies in the stars Slow moving, slow motion, slow moving tide Still water, deep water, bone chilling dive Jack, this header’s moving slow Full and by we’ll go Turn the sails To the wind Unsinkable Boat Let it go and haul A westward lift is blowing Pass the pipe Down the grog Let’s ride it on Home This watch is getting long Oh, I’m seeing faces in the waves Counting bodies in the stars Slow moving, slow motion, slow moving tide Still water, deep water, bone chilling dive Time killing time killing Sail the ocean blue Time killing time killing Under the new moon Time killing time killing Sail the ocean blue Time killing time killing Under the new moon Jack, polish all the brass Swab the decks and brig Cut the rigs Tie the ropes Unsinkable Boat Grab the holy stone Scrub down to the bone Man the yards Watertight Unsinkable Boat Lock the wheelhouse door Let’s get this vessel moored Clean the grave Piss and spit Unsinkable Boat Climb back in the hull Stow the sails and oars Battened down Watertight Unsinkable Boat
7.
Grace 05:28
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Oh, it’s better when you’re gone Oh, it’s better when you’re gone Silence like a sickle Reaps the coming dawn Oh, it’s better when you’re gone Oh, it’s better when you’re gone Oh, it’s better when you’re gone I lie awake and listen For rumors of your song Oh, it’s better when you’re gone Rejoice Rejoice Oh, I’ll recant if you’re found Oh, I’ll recant if you’re found The walls recall your presence They shudder and they moan Oh, I’ll recant when you’re found Rejoice Rejoice Oh, when you’re buried and you’re gone Oh, when you’re buried and you’re gone They’ll steal the shroud and burn it Before the poet’s write your song Oh, when you’re buried and you’re gone Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice
8.
Bring Your Dead Back Home 03:09
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Bring your dead back home Bring your dead back Kali, Allah, Santería Bring your dead back Say their names I know your sadness I know your pain Bring your dead back home I can make them real I can make them Kali, Allah, Jesu, Shiva I can make them Feel them near us Floating beside us Inside this room I can make them real Can you hear them speak? Can you hear them, Jesu, Shiva, Vishnu, Satan? Can you hear them? Ever closer Whispering your name Wanting to be seen Can you hear them speak? Can you see this light? Can you see this, Kali, Allah, Santería? Can you see this Reaching to us? I feel their sadness I feel their pain Can you see this light?
9.
Ten Miles Down 05:17
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Ten miles down Beyond the last homestead Ten miles down Where the bulrush grows And the blackbirds nest Strange lights pulsing Dark things prowling As the pale lamps flicker Ten miles down You’ll find the river bends Ten miles down Swift waters flow Past a great oak stand Old limbs withered Dead eyes watching As the gnarled hands twist and turn Something’s calling me Away from this life The dead have followed me Miles and miles from home I’ll wait all night ‘Til the spirits pass Stand watch ‘til the light Beats the shadows back Rise high sun fire Bright light Push these voices out of my head Something’s calling me Away from this life The dead have followed me Miles and miles from home Something’s calling me Away from this life The host that’s watching me Wants to swallow me up whole
10.
Smoke of Sage 04:03
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Set the pole Bring the hide Light the fire Watch the sky Bring the elder Bring the pipe Bring the paint Bring the knife Grab the man Hold him down Make a clearing Gather ‘round Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Start the song Drum and sing Bison horn Eagle wing Shake the rattle Dip the pot Cut the skin Tie the knot Tie the rope To the pole Stick and rock Skull and bone Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Lift the man From the ground Start the dance Walk around Tighten rope Tearing skin Back around The pole again Thunder god Burning Sky Spirit vision Eagle eye Thunder god Burning sky Spirit vision Eagle eye Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Smoke of sage Smoke of sage
11.
Gravediggers 05:21
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High, low, everywhere that I go Run but I can’t slow it down Feel it all around Both near and in the distance Heartbeat pulsing through the ground Feel it all around Outflanking my resistance Run but I can’t slow it down Tick-tock can’t escape the big clock Air is filled with the sound Hear it all around The clicking and clacking Groans of coils tightly wound Hear it all around The ringing and clanging Air is filled with the sound I feel the engine slowing As we pull into the station Come to bury my body Shovel my soul down to hell Clip-clop no one let a word drop Laying my body in the ground Feel them all around Shoveling in silence No one dares to make a sound Feel them all around Covering the violence No one dares to make a sound I feel the engine slowing As we pull into the station Come to bury my body Shovel my soul down to hell I hear the chorus growing Can you hear them all rejoicing? They’re calling me to join them To add my voice to the sound
12.
Round About Me 03:57
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Over the mountains Over the sea Calling my name Following me Long have I traveled Long have I run Your voice around me This journey is done Now I hear you Round about me All of the darkness All of the gloom Now you appear Here in this room Floating beside me You hold out your hand I see you need me I understand Now I see you Round about me Over the Mountains Over the sea I saw you dying Calling for me Balancing carefully Hand on the wall Pull the rope tightly Slowly I fall Now I hear you Now I see you Now I feel you Now I want you Round about me Round about me Round about me Round about me

about

In the Shadow of the Seven Stars takes its name from a public house in London called “The Crown and Seven Stars,” which was located on Royal Mint Street in the Whitechapel District of London in 1891. The Seven Stars story begins with the murder of a 26-year-old prostitute named Frances Coles on Friday, February 13, 1891 by a killer that many believed to be Jack the Ripper. The band’s fictional story introduces a witness to the murder who is subsequently haunted by Frances’ ghost, who is desperately seeking an accomplice to revenge her murder.

credits

released March 19, 2021

Jeff Crandall: Vocals, Guitars, Organ, Piano
Aaron Kerr: Cello, Bass
Justin Deleon: Drums, Percussion
Mike Nordby: Mandolin, Piano, Percussion
Brett Hansen: Guitars
Tyson Allison: Guitars

Additional Musicians:
Randy Gildersleeve: Slide Guitar, Mandolin
Laura Harada: Violin
Ben Valine: Banjo, Viola

Engineered by: Steve Murray and Randy Gildersleeve
Mixed by: Jeff Crandall and Randy Gildersleeve
Mastered by: Tom Garneau at AudioActive
Produced by: Jeff Crandall
Recorded at Full Circle Studios and Gildersound

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Emperor Penguin Records Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Emperor Penguin Records began in 2003 in St. Paul, MN and later moved to Milwaukee, WI in 2015. The label is run by musician/producer Tyson Allison. EPR enlists and caters to singer/songwriters, introverts, experimental weirdos, bookish people, and crafters that paint pictures with words and toy with your emotions on a well-placed chord. Thank you for your interest! ... more

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