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Retrospect

by The Milk Carton Kids

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1.
Permanent 05:09
lyrics
PERMANENT I think I'm going to work construction just to make something of myself I can't live off these childhood trophies on my shelf I want to get my hands dirty I want to feel a burning in my legs i want more than a receipt for what I paid everybody loves something new 'cause you can open it and plug it in and it feels like a good night's sleep like the girl you like paid you a compliment they can keep the change and they can keep 'em coming they can talk to who's listening I'm still looking for something a little more permanent I am not a poet show me the easy way and I'll do it no one could ever say that I've been trying way too hard everything that I have ever owned got dusty and old so I threw it out just to make myself some room I'm like everybody I love something new 'cause you can open it and plug it in and it feels like a good night's sleep like the girl you like paid you a compliment they can keep the change and they can keep 'em coming they can talk to who's listening I'm still looking for something that I can die with If my luck is running out Please don't let it be so with love It's been a long year, but I'm not ready to give up Even If I lay ten million bricks And they break through the summer haze Someone will come around and bulldoze them down some day Because everybody loves something new You get rid of what came before And it feels like a long hot shower like getting in your bed when the sheets are warm So they can keep construction and they can keep em coming and I wont be listening I found something a little more permanent I found someone that I can die with
2.
Laredo 05:56
lyrics
LAREDO we lost the train through old Laredo yesterday you turned your back on the tracks while I held on to those words you said just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way how dare you run away from all that promise it's apropos of all the things that we have left behind us, all we'll ever know just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way your kisses haven't felt like this is honest, your breath is held at bay wild as the dream I'll never catch and you would sooner chase just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way I don't know if it's over right now, this is all that I can say just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way i'll write the same old song of sorrow the same way you know the one where this old town can't show them shelter and I can't get away just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way i see that shallow sheltered promise i proposed falling gently passed a trembling crescent right off your nose just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way I don't know if it's over right now, this is all that I can say just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way we lost the train through old Laredo yesterday you turned your back on the tracks while I held on to the words you said just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go just let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go whichever way
3.
Broken Headlights 03:20
lyrics
BROKEN HEADLIGHTS It hasn't rained hard for the better part of seven months Everyone's listening All I see ahead of me are glistening lights This city stays up at night Droning along like a dissonant song by an amateur symphony How come I can only tell you I love you when you're sleeping in the passenger seat? And all the fast cars with the broken headlights Run the red lights in the canyon But I can taste it, the rain is coming To clear the air over Los Angeles Maybe it'll bring the hillside down Maybe it'll flood the streets Maybe when I tell you that I love you forever I'm gonna make a fool of me But I've got the windows down, the heater on my feet And the skies are opening It's gonna come pouring down it's gonna come pouring out I'm gonna say everything And all the fast cars with the broken headlights Run the red lights in the canyon But I can taste it, the rain is coming To clear the air over Los Angeles The road is winding and it's barely lit You never know how far you're really gonna get But when you live here you just learn to get used to it And all the fast cars and the broken headlights And running red lights in the canyon Now it's raining, the haze is drowning The air is clear over Los Angeles
4.
Charlie 04:00
lyrics
CHARLIE Charlie, I'll make a deal with you after which you can do anything you want to I know I've got the leg up, as you're still only made up but baby you know I wrote this song for you don't go kissing boys, don't make a lot of noise let daddy sing his songs, and be real good just treat your teachers nice and find a healthy appetite for what you really, really want to do and if in fact your married before the day I'm buried follow just my one and only rule for everything you do just remember through and through be my best friend 'cause i'll be one for you Charlie, you'll be strong Charlie, you'll be smart Charlie, you'll be anything you want to from the start Charlie, oh my baby, you'll be every bit the lady that'll go on breaking this old lonely heart I know just how you'll be cause you'll be just like me charming, so alarming & a little crazy the queen of some sand castle, an abrasive, rowdy hassle but kind and loving, fresh and bright, I know come to me with problems, I swear, I won't go try to solve 'em I'll only tell you everything I know like standing tall was all I had like boys are bad and love's a fad that no one ever learns to just let go Charlie, there's just one little thing before we meet some lovely spring I have to go and you find you a nice momma she'll be just like me and you, perfect in just what we do a love as strong as father and his daughter Oh, darling, Charlie
5.
Maybe It's Time 04:26
lyrics
MAYBE IT'S TIME Did someone hurt you many years ago? Did someone desert you when you needed them the most? And the pain stayed with you everywhere you'd go, And it's been so long now but you just can't seem to let it go, Maybe it's time to tell it you don't need it anymore. Did you lose someone that you loved? Did they move far off or do you picture them above? There's an emptiness inside you and it's worse when you're alone, And it feels so heavy now like you're carrying the weight of a stone, Maybe it's time to tell it you won't carry it anymore. We ain't got a long time and there's a lot to do But first you gotta decide to leave some things behind Maybe it's time to leave your chains behind Did you ever love someone so much that you can't explain? When you're with them it's like thunder keeps rolling through your brain, Maybe you've had someone before, but this one is not the same, You can feel it in the depths of your soul but you still can't bring yourself to say it, Maybe it's time for me to tell you I can be without you anymore.
6.
Trouble In These Parts 04:21
lyrics
TROUBLE IN THESE PARTS beauty, i know, lurks here right 'round the corner, i fear dear, you can't be serious judgement is near my mind's always gone there there's trouble here in these parts that I've found on my own a solemn and safe little home slow dance to a lone romance out on the road my mind's always gone there there's trouble in these parts here you'll learn how to fit & right in you'll slip i'll wait up for you black turns to blue beauty, i know, lurks here right 'round the corner, i fear dear, you must be serious mercy, i hear my mind's always gone there there's trouble in these parts here you'll learn how to fit & right in you'll slip i'll wait up for you black turns to blue between all the lines all four of my sides to cover me in time
7.
Girls, Gather 'Round 04:54
lyrics
GIRLS, GATHER ‘ROUND "don't you let the lessons stop, time ain't just hands on a clock" that's what I'm gonna tell Pop when i leave a vision on the lonely road, it's something that i gotta know: if i can drive this car all on my own i guess i'll leave my girl behind i should have done that long ago sometime I'm sure the pain will go away it wasn't working anyhow the burners on the stove burnt out a shame I didn't figure it out before girls, gather round and let that long hair down sing along with me before I go let us have a drink and, by god, don't let us think about the things that we ain't never gonna know i met a man in San Francisco he told me he did the same thing fifty years ago, he left his gal behind he sits there in the park one hand is strumming his guitar, songs he found inside a bottle of wine i saw the same things on his face, the ones that made me race away from everything i'd ever really known the scare to take responsibility from here -and put her there- where everyone can see the seeds you've sown girls, gather round and let that long hair down sing along with me before I go let us have a drink and, by god, don't let us think about the things that we ain't never gonna know if you think about the Creature that you might have thought would teach you that our hearts are just the thing right from the start it would keep us from the worries, safe from sound and safe from fury, safe at home besides the ones we know we loved if you told me from the start that I could never be apart from her, I'd tell you, "go to hell, get out of my way" but i've come back with my tail between my legs I didn't know the way a man can't be a man all on his own girls, gather round and let that long hair down i'll sing a song i learned out on the road let us have a drink but still, by god, don't let us think about the things that we ain't never gonna know the sun is going down on this lonesome town but i got you here to keep my company you ever had the feeling that we're living for a reason? for that reason I won't ever let you go you ever had the feeling that we're living for a reason? and for that reason I won't ever let you go
8.
As It Must Be 04:37
lyrics
AS IT MUST BE Maybe we'll come out of this Maybe we'll come out of this unscathed Just like the story said Ever after we shall be okay I know that you don't know where we go when we go I know that it's hard so we can't go alone Let it run right over you Let it run like water to the sea Nothing lasts forever darling Everything is as it must be I know that you'd never let me go on my own I know that I'll never make it alone Look at your reflection Casting your own image in the stream Though it moves right through you Something of you soul remains within
9.
Memoirs of an Owned Dog 04:08
lyrics
MEMOIRS OF AN OWNED DOG the food was as I like it... cold, wet & in that wonderful tin can shape I had it marked in a paw print on the dog door the day that I finally planned my escape the milkman, he tried you can bet I wanted to survive but the truck it just came far too fast So I write on these scraps, my remembrances past, so you don't blame yourself that I've died they put horses out to pasture and the birds come home to roost ain't nothin' for a puppy but the backyard on the loose now I know my job was to lie idly beside the way the sun retreats for the moon i had dreams of walking the world on my own four on the floor, every night all alone i was ready to work for the scruff on my neck yearning to find something of my own to protect my bark, then, was surely bigger than my bite chewing the cud could've been my biggest dog fight and you know how they say we only hear certain things that you say well, it never mattered much to me but for the will of the way they put horses out to pasture and the birds come home to roost ain't nothin' for a puppy but the backyard on the loose now I know my job was to lie idly beside the way the sun retreats for the moon now I loosen this collar for a dog bone bow tie to go up and meet the big dog in the sky i'll tell him when I get there I was spoiled in your place with the hopes that my spirit is honored by your grace so after you read this memoir one day or after you hear my lonesome song play don't you trouble your mind, this old hound's doin' fine you know, goodbyes are just words like a clock is to time so sorry I'm not with you so sorry I can't be please know I was the best friend this old mutt could be if you remember that spot where my favorite tree grows i hung up my leash on a branch, now it's yours
10.
Queen Jane 03:55
lyrics
QUEEN JANE It took me 17 days in the pouring rain and 2000 miles alone making my way through your kingdom on the wrong side of the road Eating at the service stations, sleeping in motel rooms When I leave I'll miss some friends I made, but this time I won't miss you No and I wont miss these gray skies That hang over me like fate Sometimes you think you need something new then you get it and it's just not the same Goodbye rain, Goodbye Queen Jane I'm going home to the Golden State to fix all of my mistakes Goodbye rain, Goodbye Queen Jane I ventured in to this foreign land relying on the satellite Just when you're lost at the roundabout It tells you to go left or go right But now l long for familiar roads when I know how to take the turns I can't wait to get out of this place with all of my lessons learned Goodbye rain, Goodbye Queen Jane I'm going home, whatever the stakes, never's worse than late Goodbye rain, Goodbye Queen Jane I used to think I could love you But you have proven me wrong The only thing you've been right about Is that we don't belong Goodbye rain, Goodbye Queen Jane ROCK & ROLL ‘ER dance her slower rock, then roll her right you can whisper what you say but there ain't no better way to start a fight stand up taller square your shoulders right there's no better way to listen than kissin' in the middle of the night it can be hard I know but a fresh start will show it's right can't you feel it in the beating of your heart? an empty chest that beats relentlessly when you taste it in the air when foul turns to fair you'll know you're free don't you worry bet you've heard these cries ear to ear you'll sing like the color that you bring into my eyes it can be hard I know but a fresh start will show it's right can't you feel it in the beating of your heart? dance her slower rock, then her roll her right can you hear the song that's playin'? it's perfect way to end a perfect night time is wasting get up off your feet the only one to save you has the very face you've used to capture me
11.
Rock & Roll 'Er 05:03
12.
Lake Skaneateles 03:53
lyrics
LAKE SKANEATELES hush'd now august heat in the air we’re free and now clear the Russian's upon us to greet without care our innocence on the side of the road a dandelion mine explodes in a cheer Lake Skaneateles deep in the heart of the echoes I hear and it's you only you who takes my breath away be still Puget Sound the mountains are out the wave is in your hair i've abandoned my pride cast off with a sigh and hardly a care i can dance all alone to the hush of this song and swoon unaware for my silence is yours my breath is a fort and i'm holding it there but it's you, only you, who takes my breath away only you who takes my breath away
13.
California 04:43
lyrics
CALIFORNIA California, California Know I love you, California When I leave I know you wait for me In the sun and in the weather no one else has loved me better California you're the place for me Los Angeles, Los Angeles My heart goes out to you and if I make it back I'd love to drive around Your streets are wide and dirty You have raised me in a hurry You're the city of the angels yes indeed San Francisco, San Francisco Always busy, you're always pretty I can see you just across the bay Your red bridge over the sea keeps me safe and warm and free On a clear day, theres no place I'd rather be In the mountains, in the mountains No one knows you like I do In summer streams or knee deep in the snow Just like the giving tree you have made a man of me Everyone needs someplace beautiful I think everyone needs someplace beautiful In the valley, in the valley Give me life and cradle me The sun is setting as I drive ahead Keep us and sustain us Give us food and love and I trust That without you we'd all soon be dead In the forest, all the trees You make a little child of me How I long to know what you have seen All the people who are gone All the ones who once were strong Oh won't you keep their fate from claiming me In the ocean, in the sea We have seen eternity How can I tell when you really end I'll imagine that you lead to other worlds entirely Where we can save ourselves and start again Yes we need to save ourselves and start again Nurse me like a mother Raise me strong just like my father Let me wander off, discover who I am I'll have learned your deepest lessons gathered up your finest blessings Return to California once again I'll come home to California once again California, California Know I love you, California When I leave I know you wait for me Cause in the sun and in the weather No one else has loved me better California you're the place for me California you're the place for me California won't you save a place for me
14.
Like A Cloak 05:13
lyrics
LIKE A CLOAK Since you've been around honey It feels just like a cloak has been wrapped around me and nothing could ever go wrong Since you've been around honey it feels like a thousand stones have been lifted off me and I've never felt so strong Nobody knows what they should believe It could be lies But when I come back home to you I realize I know the only truth And I have got to let you know That since you've come along the troubles in my mind have gone And I insist on being everything You've wanted for so long

about

Their songs disguise the youth of the members of the band. Befittingly, so do the old guitars they play and old clothing they wear. But to be sure, The Milk Carton Kids have something new to present: harmonies & minimalist instrumentation which are a clear reference to times passed, but with an eye intently on the future; a perspective on coming-of-age in the eye of a present-day storm; and the chronicling of an American struggle for simplicity, at least musically. To present it they use two guitars and two voices, they labor over the arrangements, they record themselves live, and they release their music on their own label, and for free.

A performance by The Milk Carton Kids is a quiet and intricate affair. Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan have enjoyed intently listening audiences across the country and abroad in their respective solo careers, but an even greater sense of urgency and demand of attention is palpable now that they've come together as The Milk Carton Kids. Their songs are written together, but you won't know there is more than one author.  Their history together spans only one short year, but you won't know that either. They stand close together when they play, facing each other and using microphones instead of plugging their guitars in. And if they looked more alike, they'd fool you that they were brothers.

As solo artists they have 10 releases between them. As a band their career is off to an auspicious start. Starting from a highly regarded position among their peers, they've opened for the art-piano-pop critical darling Vienna Teng, Grammy nominated friend and fan Sara Bareilles, and now will take to the entire U.S. and Canada this summer supporting one of the consummate songwriters of their generation, Joe Purdy. Despite the decision to stick to acoustic guitars in their own show, both Ryan and Pattengale are multi-instrumentalists and will also comprise Purdy's backing band, joining him on bass, pedal steel guitar, piano, and harmonies.

Their first collaborative release, RETROSPECT, is a live album due out March 15th, 2011, that represents the culmination of the past year of live performance. A collection of songs from each of their solo careers, written separately but reinterpreted and performed as the duo now called The Milk Carton Kids, RETROSPECT will be released under the name "Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan".

The first official release of The Milk Carton Kids, entitled PROLOGUE, is comprised of original songs written by the duo for this project. It is slated for release later in 2011, on their own Milk Carton Records.

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released March 15, 2011

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The Milk Carton Kids Los Angeles, California

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