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Blooming Roses

by Doug Hoekstra

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1.
Acquired Taste Sunny days, silver skies, another plan to devise Walking through the pouring rain On a diamond studded cane Blood running black and gray I love you baby and I told you so You love me too and I have always known It’s more than acquired taste Words we speak, beads we hold, to whom we pray, stories told Born into a time and place Putting on the bravest face Masking every lucky break Chorus A mountain view, coral reef, closer to the never seen Sometimes it takes my breath away All the minutes that we waste On this endless chase Chorus
2.
Blooming Roses I was walking through public housing Flyers in my hand Screen doors rattled, the wash on the line Danced like a crazy man On the face of it, I must admit, there’s so much I don’t understand And the garden plot that lined the walk Was overgrown with blooming roses Blooming Roses She was sitting on a concrete porch Braiding her little girl’s hair Sirens roared, the wind kicked in Blowing dust into the air I wouldn’t preach, but I had to reach for a picture of my boy to share Chorus We laughed and talked of miracles Waves of thunder rolled The sky grew dark, a growing storm was Getting ready to explode Beyond the fray, another day, all we noticed was heart and soul Chorus
3.
The Best There Ever Was He said, “I want to be the best, that there ever was When I stand on the mound, the crowd will pause And wait for me to fire, and when I do retire They’ll tell stories of me to their daughter’s sons.” She said “I want to the best, that there ever could be When I stand on the stage, the crowd will weep. Treasure my finest hours, throw me carts of flowers My autograph will be worth a million bucks.” The best there ever was….the best there ever was Now, everything happened as they knew it would Through college and the minor leagues he could Dominate the hitters, throw nasty sinking splitters His legend grew, some whispered Hall of Fame She rose through the ranks, Hollywood hits Action flicks and serious bits From coast to coast, billboards called her the most Glamorous starlet of the last hundred years…. The best there ever was…the best there ever was Brother and sister on a mountain train, peaks and valleys in every frame Nothing’s ever what it seems to be The final game at Fenway Park The sun was low, it was getting dark He struck out the side, at home that night Stopped the flow with a flourish and a flash She read all about it in the L.A. Times Didn’t know whether or not cry The sun began to rise, she watched it justify All the movements that anyone ever made
4.
The Naper Vegas Scrabble Club The Naper Vegas Scrabble Club Meets every other week In a three story yellow house On a quiet shady street I’m going home - home today Well, let me tell ya, man, this place has changed This place has changed She studies her tiles for hours, He descends like a starving man Smiles come over weathered skin, And aching shaking hands Everybody knows what’s comin’, But they still act surprised It doesn’t matter who you are, You never have enough time I’m going home - home today Well, let me tell you man, this place has changed I’m going home, I’m going home, I’m going home Today….this place has changed When it rains, they ride the bus Otherwise, they drive Coming to a four-way stop Searching for a sign All that's thought or been forgot Dangles on the trees Where words fit perfect on the board Free of life's tragedies I’m going home, home today Let me tell ya, man, this place has changed
5.
Your Sweet Love Such a big world – so many places to see So many things to talk about – so many people to be I can frown when I’m happy, I can smile when I’m sad All I want is your sweet love to pull the good from the bad To pull the good from the bad Your sweet love I walk on streets of stone – underneath a castle on the hill Among the strong and the weak – and the battle of the will I can see into the future when I look into your eyes All I want is your sweet love to bridge this strange surprise To bridge this strange surprise Your sweet love Such a big game – so many things to do So many things to take apart, before I find the proof I can swim through the mountains, I can fly through the sea But all I want is your sweet love, to pull the good out of me To pull the good out of me Your sweet love
6.
Instincts 03:06
Instincts I trusted my instincts, but they led me astray Telling me of a brighter day When all that we have is in front of us now My instincts have let me down somehow My instincts were true, my instincts were wrong Should’ve given a clue instead of a song Should’ve told me to walk when I wanted to run My instincts are tired, my instincts are done I’m selling my instincts to the bidder who knows The up from the down, the way that life goes All that I have are the pearls of your love The truth that I need in a place I can’t touch My instincts come cheap, they were only a crutch My instincts are tired, but my instincts are good
7.
Subway Train 04:27
Subway Train A ladies-only subway train rides through Yokahoma In the morning hour, pink doors, little flowers A seat for mama, it rides through Yokahama In the morning The subway train, there goes the subway train A fellow on the platform watches as it flies Filled with lovely women, he feels like he’s in prison The fence is ten feet high, tips his hat as life goes passin’ by Pockets lined with wishes, heart inside his sleeve A bridge of the senses he wants to cross without pretenses For a chance to meet, the beauty of his dreams In the morning The subway train, there goes the subway train Across the world, at State and Lake, she hurries up the steps Coffee in her hand, in the car, she wants to stand Her fingernails are chipped, she ain't the kind to easily forget Watching through a window, brownstones against the gray A boy she knew lived in one, against the track the loudest sounds Would sweep them both away like the subway train In the morning
8.
Gavin Geist 04:02
Gavin Geist So many people pass us by I remember Gavin Geist Short and squat, glasses round Good at trig and figuring Pi He carried a silk handkerchief His dad was a puppateer They moved to town from New York City In the coldest part of my freshman year Ho ho ho, hey hey hey, everybody’s looking for a better day Lord of the flies every day A fight broke out in the locker room When a wrestler taunted him And the little man snapped in two Tears and jears and a little blood After that Gavin changed Where before he’d been a jolly boy He winced at the sound of his own name (chorus) So many years passed us by Our reunion rolled around A girl from the committee called Short and squat, glasses round A silk scarf hung around her neck She kissed me on the cheek and smiled When she stepped out of the dark, I saw Her name tag read Gwendolyn Geist
9.
Disrepair 04:12
Disrepair Every shop and restaurant’s closed Clouds of dirt like forgotten thoughts Land random on my restless shoes The stains regain what is lost I wonder where she is tonight The one I left behind somewhere I never think about her at all Unless I’m in a state of disrepair Hmmm, hmm disrepair I see a plank comin’ loose at the bottom of the stairs Disrepair I pass the empty factory Dilapidated last time, too One day it’ll house expensive lofts When we are all convinced to move People struggle, and are turned away From the things they love and do the best They work twice as hard for half as much The voice within whispers us or them Chorus The edges of this town are cracked Like a postcard from the forgotten past It always seems like Sunday here The first in line, their fates are cast I wonder where she is tonight The one I left behind somewhere I never think of her at all - I confess Unless I’m in a state of disrepair
10.
Part of the Problem, Part of the Solution Every time she asked a question She never stopped to wait For the answer comin' to her Like wind across the face She loved to listen to the sound of her own voice In the end, around the bend, we come back to make a choice Part of the problem or part of the solution I know a man with a calculator Maximizing deals Working out the bottom line Abstract becomes real Corner stores, historic homes, gone like a pack of smokes It looks to me like monopoly, a ticky tack burlesque show, to be Part of the problem or part of the solution So, come to me, whispered words, flicker like fireflies Here and gone we carry on throughout the lonely night There’s a crowd walking down the street Torches in their hands He said, she said, somehow it all spread Does anybody understand? I saw the anger mount on the black and white video Open up the window, baby, you can catch another show To be part of the problem or part of the solution
11.
Everywhere Is Somewhere There’s a girl by the window, waiting in the sun There’s a girl by the window, she’s waiting in the sun Bright as origami, she blinds me like a gun She’s got honey colored hair, and a navy colored coat Her hands are in the pockets of her navy colored coat Her slingshot opinions hit me like waves upon a boat She says it’s all about the moment, but I’ve got one eye on the clock It’s all about the moment, I’ve got one eye on the clock She says, open up a little, you might see what you have got There are stars up in the sky, that burned out long ago They take so long to reach us, they burned out long ago Something about the time, it passes faster than you know There’s a house in the picture, doors and windows painted black In a corridor of white, doors and windows painted black If I could get a little peace, I’d never want to give it back She said, many people play, but not so many care She said, many people play, but not so many care Everywhere is somewhere, and you’re already there.

about

Scenes of housing projects, high school reunions, home town returns, and more, “Blooming Roses” sets its varied characters and themes against a range of musical landscapes -- from the soul vibe of the title track to the Kinks-jazz of “Naper Vegas Scrabble Club” to the atmospheric groove of the closer, “Everywhere is Somewhere.“

Doug Hoekstra has quietly become an icon of Americana music and the Nashville scene, writing beautifully spare songs that contain genius-level observations about people…Blooming Roses consists of another eleven perfectly understated songs that incorporate elements of country, rock, and even jazz." (Jeff Vandermeer, Amazon / Omnivoracious feature article and review).

Apt description from Mr. Vandermeer, one of the country’s finest and most renowned “literary fantastic” novelists. "Blooming Roses" is/was Hoekstra’s seventh album, recorded in Nashville and Norway, and released in 2018 in the U.S. and Europe (WingDing and Folkwit Records, respectively), to a heap of critical praise and toe tapping enjoyment.

“Doug Hoekstra continues to deepen the emotional presence of his evocative songs. Much of their strength comes from the quiet bearing of his voice, contrasted against accompaniment that carries him aloft on the shoulders of a rollicking throng….he favors subtly soulful arrangements that give the finished songs a late-night Muscle Shoals funkiness, mixed with an inward-looking sense of space. The contrasts he utilizes create tensions that underscore the human-scaled core of the songs, enveloping the listener. (David Greenberger, Harp Magazine)

credits

released January 1, 2008

Individual musicians credits on each song…

All songs by Doug Hoekstra (Doug Hoekstra Music BMI, 2018), administered by Kobalt Music Services

Blooming Roses was recorded primarily at True Tone Recording studios in Nashville, with David Henry producing (Josh Rouse, Vic Chesnutt, Rod Picott) and a bevy of the Music City finest helping achieve its varied textures and dreamlike cohesion. The album’s closing track was cut in Stavanger, Norway at Out of Tunes Recording members of Thomas Dybdahl’s band (Oyvind Berekvam, Eirik Lye) at the helm

Mastered by Jim Demain, Yes Master, Nashville TN

Artwork/Design by Joe Montgomery, Wednesday Design, Nashville, TN

All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.

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Doug Hoekstra Nashville, Tennessee

Doug Hoekstra’s singular musical persona sets sympathetic narratives against understated vocals, memorable melodies, and subtle but unexpected arrangement turns. His albums have earned Nashville Music Award and Independent Music Award nominations, a bevy of top 10 list appearances, and a reputation as a “songwriter’s songwriter” (CMJ Music Monthly). "The Day Deserved" due out Spring 2021 ... more

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