Ten Songs

Discography

Tree House

Adam Again ~ Ten Songs

Tree House
Some kids from the apartments
Were out playing in a field
When they came across a clubhouse in the sky
But the big kids pulled the ladder up
Once they got inside
And the little kids below began to cry

In the valley city families struggle to survive
Minimum wage becomes their self esteem
And the real estate developer
Took over their hillside
A thousand homes like only in their dreams

One of these days
We might understand
The last will be first in the end
And if we wait too long
For them to come down to the rest of us
There's gonna be a fire in the treehouse

Children ought to play together
Someone throw the ladder down

Small children and their mothers
Brave the winter all alone
They pray their sun will shine another day
I know they call it the homeland
But it must not feel like home
Go on and hang your heads, Daddy's far away

One of these days
We might understand
The last will be first in the end
And if we wait too long
For them to come down to the rest of us
There's gonna be a fire in the treehouse

Children ought to play together
Someone throw the ladder down
Children ought to play together
Someone throw the ladder down

Must we beat our brothers down?
Must we make our sisters frown?
If we look into their eyes
Surely we will recognize
Our own true flesh and blood
Our own flesh and blood
Our own

Beat Peculiar
Wise girl, blind man
See if you can walk the line
Hold tight to my hand
Straight ahead your doing fine
Old beat, new dance
Rythm of another kind
It's alright to tremble
Everybody sways and heaven knows
It's hard to walk my way
Beat Peculiar
It's strange
Strange and it's wonderful
To sway cause it's hard to walk my way
Now isn't that a wonderful groove

Vengeance, so wrong
Drop the gun, forgive the girl
My love, so strong
Mercy is a silver pearl
Old heart, new song
Virtues of another world
Just don't look down
Heaven knows your planet spins around
Beat Peculiar
And it's strange
Strange and it's wonderful
Better not be looking down
When your planet spins around
Isn't that a strange tamborine?

Beat Peculiar
It's strange
Strange and it's wonderful
Beat Peculiar
Strange and it's wonderful
Isn't that a strange
Isn't that a strange tamborine?
Beat peculiar...

Who Can Hold Us
We're supposed to live and learn
But everyday the world becomes more of a place
Where none of us belong

I hadn't seen her in a while
She says "Gene, I'm broken up inside
And lately I feel like talking to somebody
Who knows a place to hide."

Who can hold us? Who can hold us? Who can hold us? People say...

I believe that there's a God
And in my heart I know He truly loves us all
And if the world would fall into his arms
We'll find our answer there

Who can hold us? Who can hold us? Who can hold us? People say...

Babylon
Based on Psalm 137

I've Seen Dominoes
See the black tile line up
A thousand in a row
And if the beginning one topples
One by one they start to go
Creeping demolition
Gradual collapse
The foundation we built on
Becomes a twisted scene
Of falling dominoes
And my sorrow grows

A midnight knock on my door-
Wants to sleep on my living room
He said "Bec and me have gotten so bad
I couldn't stay there anymore."
I tossed him a blanket and remembered
How they used to be
How they loved each other
One after another
The bonds between them tumbled
Just like dominoes
And my sorrow grows

Mother and child
Woman and husband
I've seen the reaction
(Lifechain)
Looks like a mild breakdown in communication
I've seen dominoes
Oh, I know how they fall
I know how they fall

See the neighborhood lineup
A hundred houses in a row
So many wounded families
Feel the anguish overflow
I met a boy this afternoon
Kicked out, someone said for his own good
I don't know who was right
I don't care much who was wrong
This boy don't belong on the street
And my sorrow grows

Mother and child
Woman and husband
I've seen the reaction
(Lifechain)
Looks like a mild breakdown in communication
I've seen dominoes
Oh, I know how they fall
I know how they fall I know how they fall

And my sorrow grows
Children, can't we stay together?
God in heaven, give us love forever
Can I get a witness?
Can I get a witness?
Can I get a witness, people?
Can I get a witness?

Trouble With Lies
They unveil their latest crusade
It's some moral outrage they're stopping
Worldwide, religious arcade
It means their income was dropping
The host looks sincere
Irrelevant facts aren't a part of his career

The trouble with lies
When you tell them you still got to sell them
With the look in your eyes
Oh, that's the trouble with lies
As far as I'm concerned
With the lessons I've learned
I'm determined to try and survive
Without lies

This time it's her out 'til two
He hears the car in the driveway
He wonders what story she'll use
Did she get lost on the highway
He knows what it's like
He had to come up with a good one last night

I wish you could just tell the truth
I hear your voice getting nearer
It brings back the crimes of your youth
Avoid your eyes in the mirror
The trouble with lies
Is that you start to forget where the real man hides

Ain't No Sunshine
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away

I wonder this time where she's gone
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
This house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away

I know, I know, I know (etc.)
Oh, leave the young thing alone
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Ain't no sunshine
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
(Though I act like nothing's wrong)
Only darkness everyday
(Don't know how I get along)
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
This house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away

Eyes Wide Open
Today if I called you
Will you call me your own
Well you may not recognize me
The way that I've grown

Well, I've been through a maze of doubt
A hundred miles of life without you
Here's my shadow on your door
I don't know what I'm waiting for
I've got my eyes wide open
I'm coming back
I'm coming back with my eyes wide open

I didn't want to play
But you had to keep score
I've turned a big table
And left the cards on the floor

Well, I've been through a maze of doubt
A thousand miles of life without you
Here's my shadow on your door
I don't know what I'm waiting for
I've got my eyes wide open
I'm coming back
I'm coming back to you with my eyes wide open

Today if I called you
Would you tell me I'm wrong
With the way I've come to believe
Will I ever belong

Well I've been through a maze of doubt
A million miles of life without you
Here's my shadow on your door
I don't know what I'm waiting for
I've got my eyes wide open
I'm coming back
I'm coming back to you with my eyes wide open

Now I've seen
I've realized
That I've seen
I've realized

I Mean Every Word I Say
Everybody is talking, many words are spoken
And they're telling me things they think I wanna hear
Enough is enough it's time to get serious
If you tell me you love me
Well it better be the truth

I mean every word I say

Well I know that the things that we say are sometimes automatic
We just follow a script like a character reading his lines
Enough is enough it's time to get serious
And if you talk about love
Know the meaning of the word

I mean every word I say

From my heart to my head
From my head to my mouth
Can the words cross the air between us
Oh, and be true?

I mean every word I say, etc.

The Tenth Song
When I remember you
I remember that your body was broken
I remember that your blood was spilt
I remember that you didn't have to do it

TEN SONGS BY ADA M AGAIN

Produced and arranged by Gene Eugene

Played and sung by:
Gene Eugene
Greg Lawless
Riki Michele
Paul Valadez

WITH
Dan Michaels - All Saxophones
Nathan Alford, Jr. - All Percussion
AND
Archie Robinson, Arveal Johnson, Larry Simpson, Lanette Elkles, Laura Smith - Vocals on "Tree House", "Who Can Hold Us", "Eyes", and "Every Word"

Recorded by Dave Hackbarth at Neverland, Los Alamitos, CA.

Tree House
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

When I think about Aparthied, I can hardly believe that a system like that actually exists in the same world I live in. But then again, I realize that the same kind of divisions exist throughout life. The basic need to be superior to others is one that works to destroy friendships, churches, even nations. "Drop the ladder down."

3rd verse lyric by Steve H.

Beat Peculiar (Extended Mix)
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

"It's strange and it's wonderful."

Additional lyrics Steve H.

Who Can Hold Us
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

We played a gig a year or two ago in San Diego, California where a couple of gospel groups were on the show. We loved the group "Joy" so much, we were determined to have them on our next record. When we finally tracked them down they graciously agreed to make the long drive to L.A. and spend a very long Saturday with us. Recording vocals. This was the last song we did that night, and their performance here is particularly beautiful.

The idea for the string arrangement comes from a Stevie Wonder song "Pastime Paradise"

Babylon**
(Traditional)

A hymn from Psalm 138

(*A note from the webpage editor: Upon examination, I've come to the conclusion that this song is probably based on Psalm 137)

I've Seen Dominoes
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

Nothing to do with pizza.

A song about relationships, specifically families in trouble. The failure to communicate starts the dominoes falling one after another, until there is nothing left standing at all.

Trouble With Lies
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

I hate to lie.
It seems like lying has been the cause of every bit of trouble I've ever gotten into.

"The trouble with lies is that you can start to forget where the real man hides.

Ain't No Sunshine*
(Bill Withers) Interior Music/BMI

I wish I had written it, but I'm glad someone did.

Eyes Wide Open
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

Some of these lyrics were written by my friend Doug McKelvie. He recently had to make a decision whether or not to reenter a situation where he no longer seemed to fit. His beliefs had changed, coming back now with eyes wide open. Since it is a challenge I also face, I was able to add my own words as well.

Every Word I Say
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

Another song about telling the truth.

The Tenth Song
(Gene Eugene) CHENKA CHENKA MUSIC

"When I remember you
I remember that your body was
broken
I remember that your blood was spilt
I remember that you didn't have to
do it."
Thank God. Gene Eugene

Mixed by Dave and Gene
Occasional Engineering (Dave's not here)
Greg, Riki, Gene, Glenn Holland
Photos: Brian Ray for Norman Fog
Art direction & design: Norman Fog etc...
All songs copyright 1988 Chenka Chenka Music/ASCAP
If you want us to rush you a complete lyric sheet with technical notes, put you on our mailing list, put you on the Broken mailing list, and forever keep you posted, send one dollar and your address to: Adam Again P.O. Box 2556 Chino, CA 91708

Thanks for making it happen: Derald Daugherty, Barry Hill, Joey Taylor. Thanks for lending us stuff: Derald, Steve Hindalong, and especially John and Dino Elefante. Thanks to our crew: Dave, Jim and John Griffin, Buzz Bolton, Burt Moellir. We'd like to offer our special thanks to our families and friends. We love you very much. Treehouse, and The Tenth Song mixed at Pakaderm Studios, with Mike Mierau.

BROKEN

Broken Records, P.O. Box 2556, Chino, CA 91708, copyright & patent 1988 Brainstorm Artists International Inc., Manufactured and distributed by: Word, Inc., 4800 Waco Drive, Waco, Texas 76796. In Canada: Word Records Limited, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 4B5. Warning: Unauthorized reproduction of this recording is prohibited by Federal Law.

TEN SONGS BY ADAM AGAIN

2002 Lo-Fidelity Re- Release

produced under exclusive license from KMG Records

Executive Producer jeffery k.

Mastered By Kevin Fromer @ energy Glass

Design Marc Ludena with jeffery k.

Thanks to: Greg Lawless for his support and input on this project. Dan Michaels for the bonus track. Buddy Killen for saying OK. John Thompson for the advice. Adam Again for recording such an amazing record in the first place. Gene...you are missed.

www.lo-fidelity.com

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