Josh Ritter "Harrisburg" & "Golden Age of Radio"

Here's two more from Josh Ritter -- "Harrisburg" and "Golden Age of Radio":



Romero got married on the fifth of July 
In our Lady of Immaculate Dawn 
Could have got married in the revival man's tent 
But there ain't no reviving what's gone 
 Slipped like a shadow from the family he made 
In a little white house by the woods 
Dropped the kids at the mission, with a rose for the virgin 
She knew he was gone for good 

It's a long way to Heaven, it's closer to Harrisburg 
And that's still a long way from the place where we are 
And if evil exists its a pair of train tracks 
And the devil is a railroad car 

Could have stayed somewhere but the train tracks kept going 
And it seems like they always left soon 
and the wolves that he ran with they moaned low and painful 
sang sad misery's to the moon 

It's a long way to Heaven, it's closer to Harrisburg 
And that's still a long way from the place where we are 
And if evil exists its a pair of train tracks 
And the devil is a railroad car 

Rose at the altar withered and wilted 
Romero sank into a dream 
He didn't make Heaven, he didn't make Harrisburg 
He died in a hole in between 
Some say that man is the root of all evil 
Others say God's a drunkard for pain 
Me I believe that the Garden of Eden 
was burned to make way for a train

and



Picture they took of you in your cowboy hat
Makes you look like you are one of the boys
Out on a Saturday night, meanwhile on the outskirts of the dance hall
I'm a joke that you'd probably enjoy
On the outside of Memphis all the building look big
And the white picket fences all dare to charge around the lawn
And hold their heads up high when my headlights find them out
They'll be the first to put their hands in the air with my radio on
Singing a country song soft and low

Oh when I've got a worried mind I know
I hear the ghost of Patsy Cline
On the Grand Old Opry Show

Living on the edge of the city limit line
This is where the boundary finally ends
And I swear that we're the last living souls in a populated ghost town
All the billboards are our best friends
Which way did our last chance go and can we
Get out if we go right now?
It seems that with the malls and the mega-church stadiums
We would get out if we knew just how with the radio on

Oh when I've got a worried mind I know
I hear the ghost of Patsy Cline
On the Grand Old Opry Show

Standing in line to get my self-help book signed off
On by the reverend who shouts to the converted
Have mercy on this boy he did it all by the book
But still kind of has his doubts
Oh you look pretty good in that jonquil dress
But your smile is a wooden nickel's pride
and I know that it ain't worth much but it feels good to touch
And I think that I could dance if I tried with your radio on

Oh when I've got a worried mind I know
I hear the ghost of Patsy Cline
On the Grand Old Opry Show

Josh Ritter "Girl In The War"

Found Josh Ritter's "Girl In The War" plus also his description of the meaning behind it:

Describing his most recent album, The Animal Years, Ritter told The Irish Sunday Tribune, “I was trying to write about what I believed in, and the only way I could do this was to write songs about confusion.” He shared one of those songs about confusion, “A Girl in the War,” with the audience at the dinner. The song portrays the disciples Peter and Paul debating the dangers of maintaining an inflexible worldview while a young man fears for the fate of his lover who is serving in Iraq. Ritter searched the audience and explained: “It’s about a bunch of people talking about problems and not getting past just the talking. So I hope you do.” 

Peter said to Paul you know all those words we wrote
Are just the rules of the game and the rules are the first to go
But now talking to God is Laurel begging Hardy for a gun
I got a girl in the war man I wonder what it is we done

Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul the only thing I know to do
Is turn up the music and pray that she makes it through

Because the keys to the Kingdom got lost inside the Kingdom
And the angels fly around in there but we can¹t see them
I got a girl in the war Paul I know that they can hear me yell
If they can¹t find a way to help her they can go to Hell
If they can¹t find a way to help her they can go to Hell

Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul her eyes are like champagne
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain

Learning about Josh Ritter

For those unfamiliar with the background of Josh Ritter, this article contains some interesting information.

Here is Ritter's site.

Below is a video of "Harrisburg"
 


Below is a video of "Girl In The War"



Below is a video of "Thin Blue Flame"