Released 17 June 2003
Label Arena Rock Recording Co
Mastered Rick Fisher at RFICD
Split EP between Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow.
JA:
“When The Lights Go Up” recorded at Captain Kirsc’s, “Beautiful” and “All U People” recorded at the G Spot, then assembled and mixed at the Halfway House, all by Jon Auer.
All instruments and noises performed by Jon Auer except: Violion on “When The Lights Go Up” by Christine Traxler and drums on “All U People” by Joe “Hombre Leche” Norcio
KS:
Recorded: The Soundhouse, Seattle, 2002 by Kip Beelman
“Prequel” recorded at Soft Sound, Seattle, 1997 by KS
Performed by: Ken Stringfellow
With: Jill Sobule (courtesy Ponydor Records) — banjo, guitar, percussion, and humane beatbox
Cover concept: Jon Auer & Ken Stringfellow
Design: Dawn Pierson
Photography: Nathan Breskin-Auer
01. JA – When The Lights Go Up
02. JA – Beautiful
03. JA – All U People
04. KS – Ask Me No Questions
05. KS – Don’t Break The Silence
06. KS – Prequel
Jon Auer – When The Lights Go Up
If you’re still here
When the lights go up
I’ll know you finally
You finally showed up
And if you think no one sincerely appreciates
Then let me tell you before it gets too late
I never needed you to tell me
All the words you knew to say
And I’ve been looking
I’ve been looking for a long time
Waiting for the day
Waiting for the day
So if you’re still here
When the lights go up
I’d like to thank you for the moment you showed up
And if you’re still here
When the curtain falls
I’d like to thank you more for being here at all
And as the audience is leaving
Blessed hope that you will stay
For you are more
You are more than I imagined
Waiting for the day
Waiting for the day
I never needed you to tell me
All the words you knew to say
For you are more
You are more than I imagined
Waiting for the day
Waiting for the day
Waiting for the day
Waiting for the day
Jon Auer – Beautiful
What a calculated place
Has ?? picking up the pace today
Women’s race today
And the paper’s all advised
To cover up your ?? today
Run and hide today
And ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that mad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that mad
So I take a walk outside
And I’m waiting through the wasting ??
The sensation ??
And it’s harder to believe
But I curse the air I breathe today
No relief today
And ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that mad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that mad
Mad
Mad
She was just a friend to me
But I took away her time to be
Sweet and close to me
Guess I’m better off this way
Think I’ll make a place to hide today
Stay inside today
And ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that mad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t that beautiful
Ain’t that mad
Mad
Mad
Jon Auer – All U People
I can see all you people
Looking round
I can see all you people
Looking down
All your stiff little fingers
Keeping score
You ain’t got nothing to cling to
Anymore
Well it’s the way things are going that I detest
As the world keeps on turning
We digress
Well you know that I gave you
All my best
Now it’s my time to try on all the rest
And if you think that you’re the only one that wanted it all
I can see all you people
Looking round
I can see all you people
Moving down
All your stiff little fingers
Keeping score
You ain’t got nothing to cling to
Anymore
I can see all you people
Ken Stringfellow – Ask Me No Questions
written by Bridget St. John
Ask me no questions
Tell me no lies if you don’t mind
And come with me
There where the sun flies
There where the skies are bluer still
Is where we’ll be
Take nothing with you
I’ll give you everything I can
Have no fear
For if you stumble
Or should you fall along the way
I’ll be here
Close your eyes my love
Close your eyes gently
And in the morning
Don’t tell a soul of you saw
It’s just for you
Keep it a secret
Make me a promise that you will
I’ll make one too
Close your eyes my love
Close your eyes gently
Ask me no questions
Tell me no lies if you don’t mind
And come with me
There where the sun flies
There where the skies are bluer still
Is where we’ll be
Is where we’ll be
Ken Stringfellow – Don’t Break The Silence
She’s not for sale
She’s deliberately not yours
But you can’t own ?? violence
She can’t be counted
She’s a wave and an ocean
But don’t break the silence, don’t break the silence
Let her hold your face
Like the summer sun’s raise
She burns so bright into the night winds
But the winds don’t ask her
Of what she’s made
But don’t break the silence, don’t break the silence
Because what she didn’t tell you
Is that he broke her life
The roots break the sidewalks
So don’t make plans for her
It doesn’t work
To map her like an ancient catacomb
She’s free to roam
And you’re free not to stop her
Just like her mind gaze
On a frozen mystery
She’ll fill you in when she finds it
She’s got her own pain
Don’t make her give it up
Because what she didn’t tell you
Is that he broke her life
The roots break the sidewalks
So don’t make plans for her
It doesn’t work
To map her like an ancient catacomb
She’s free to roam
And you’re free not to stop her
She’s not for sale
She’s eternally not yours
Respect the woman and the silence
Just feast your eyes
On her cold sunrise
But don’t break the silence, don’t break the silence
Don’t break the silence
Don’t break the silence
Don’t break the silence
Ken Stringfellow – Prequel
I changed the words to a lover’s hymn
When you told me that you still loved him
You pushed me away then you told me so
And if you must go, you must go
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For nothing, oh for nothing
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For nothing, oh for nothing
And even though we share this house
It’s from your heart I’ve been locked out
The future – we talked about it a lot
It’s been dragged out to the yard and shot
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For something, oh for something
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For something more than nothing
You came to me a year ago
And six months later I was at your door
You said we left our pasts behind
But he never ever left your mind
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For nothing, oh for nothing
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For nothing, oh for nothing
I’m leaving me up to you
The decision you make, you better think it through
And when you’re lying there with him
The hymn ??, baby sing the lover’s hymn
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For nothing, oh for nothing
The sad thing is
I could wait forever
For something more than nothing