- The following is a production of the main public broadcasting network.

- Some of us born to choose, some are born to cruise and the rest get by somehow.

A crazy world.

For most of us, it's legacy of is hard to keep the horse before the plow.

But you're all right now.

You're all right.

Now you can fly like a bird if you believe that you were right.

Now I knew a girl the summertime, her hair was long and her eyes did shine.

She hung out with the dangerous crowd just now she come to mind.

She was long gone Valentine and I'm hoping she's all now.

Alright now all now she fly like a bird if she's, I had a friend, my old pal one time he went to jail for moving some bad stuff around.

But he got, he went playing find himself and I hear that he's alright now.

Alright now.

Alright, now he can fly like a bird if he believes that he's alright now some walk barefoot in their dreams, some dive deep, become up, clean some dream that never have to stoop and bow.

But there's a thing that I have learned.

You right?

Alright, now.

Alright, now you can fly like a bird if you believe that you all right now.

Alright now.

Now you can fly like a road if you believe that you All right now.

- Thank you.

- The song came to me sort of in a dream a couple years ago.

It's closest thing I ever got to a patriotic song.

This is where the journey ends here, where the river bends rough Watertown line.

This old boat is pasture prime.

We can still make her come about here in this.

This is where the, and this is where the east meets west.

This is where we are our best.

Goodbye to the good old days.

Put all that stuff away.

Our belief is bigger than our dog.

Time to begin.

This is where the north meet south calling all of wisdom and cloud time to dig in.

This is where the north be south.

This is where we start to heal hill.

It's a brand new deal.

Listen to the old bell ring.

This is where they did those things all by fighting and flailing about.

This is where it end.

This is where the north, we all got us here.

We gotta get us out.

Time to begin.

This is where the - Thank you.

Of - Course I was.

Thank you.

I was speaking about northern and southern Maine there actually when that song, everything right out there.

Now my old man was not a mover nor rush shaker, just a dreamer.

I'm a lot like him.

He used to talk a lot about the old days, Mr.

When the times was tough in the money most then he used to go a fashion battle once here, laugh himself silly on a couple of leaders, tell an old story to a will ear.

And then he turned right around to tell it again.

My old man talking about my old man, he was there at the start with the willing heart.

He was there.

When world begin, my old man, my old man, I'm just sitting there thinking about my old man now.

My old man was a daddy till I got to go look all of that anymore.

And it took my mother to the green hall.

Dancing wants to across the floor.

It took us to town on Friday night.

Used did two tobacco, good uptake just to sitting and spitting in the fading light in the car in front of the grocery store.

My old man talking about my old man, he was there at the start.

He was there.

My old man, my old man.

I'm just sitting here thinking about my old man.

Well, my old man was a dragon in the pants man, when he get home from the mill.

But the chores and the weeds and the kits to feed, you know, he never had a minute to kill.

But he always, always had a twinkle in his old gray eyes.

Fell a lot better when he worked outside.

Worked right up until the day he died.

And up at the Lord's got him Still my old man talking about my old man, he was there at the start the heart.

He was there when the world helped me out here, right bro?

My old man, my old man.

I'm just sitting here thinking about my old man.

Hey, I'm just sitting here thinking about my old, I'm just sitting here thinking about my old man.

- Yeah, thank - 10 men in black hats got together one night time to get the whole thing while the gid is raid.

The 10 men in black cats in a shack only at your town.

You might think I'm crazy, but that's where the deal went.

Down.

10 men with big hands and eyes for the blood.

It had the steel to make that deal.

And the drizzle and the mud, the smell like kerosene.

There was a shotgun standing by.

The only line in the 10 men in black hats on cold, cold, light attend.

Black cars are idling in the globe with the red leg.

10 men with black hearts cutting up the spoil, the wind howl and the tall tree.

There was a bucket in to pour a one man got the silver.

One man got the gold.

A one said, I don't want nothing that just don't ever want to grow.

A one said, I get the water.

You said they need it everywhere.

One said, I get all the messages people send out through the air.

They divvied up the green grass, they divvied up.

So a one man got all the iron over and another man got all the oil.

A womb said, I got the people, they all work for me.

Another, his little brother said, I get all the fishes in the sea.

10 men in black hats with faces cold and hard.

So this is good for everyone.

Somebody gotta take charge.

And then they all let their stoke in the back, in their chairs.

10 men black hats.

Are you sure he wasn't there?

I keep going on that.

These tunes, a lot of these tunes are from my newest record came out last year.

It's new to me like the last one.

And this one, I was writing a batch of songs.

I like to sit down, I write an album.

Usually I feel I need a record.

So I sit down and write enough songs for one.

And I was sort of stuck a couple years ago.

I had a great little riff and I had a great little melody in my head.

And the first line that came to mind was, I have no idea.

So I decided to go with that innocent time.

I have no idea how it all came to pass, but of all this noise, only a bit will last.

Words that fall soft on your ear.

You remember all those years.

And as you grow, it stays in a place in, and I have no idea when I first heard those lines, life by open, oh how the Sunday shine and I was wide eyed.

And 90 I thought all I needed for Saturday night and a pair of shoes to shine and a two from an innocent time and time, time again, it just keeps slipping.

And I have of how it all came down.

Seems like a spent my whole life riding around where the guitar in a van, doing all I can to calm you.

Something that resembles an opening line of a from an innocent time, time again.

It just keeps slipping in from innocent time.

- Thank you.

Great.

- What a pleasure.

What a pleasure, what a great, I can even see the crowd.

That's nice.

I've been at this a long time.

My brother Neil and I started out in 62 on Spotlight on youth.

And I did, we used to do a lot of country tunes in those days, including this one.

This is a country song from 1961 that I always really liked a lot.

And these guys, I'm not sure they know it, but it's easy to learn the stuff.

How's that tempo?

Yeah, that's an old song by a name game.

Bobby Edwards back in 1961.

Sometimes I can't sleep at night.

I toss and I turn love and you soul.

I oh, my heart turns, honey, with all reason I don't slay.

But night I walk the floor feeling so blue, smoke, sas, drink coffee too, honey.

Or the reason I don't slay, but night now I'm, you are not losing.

But if I'm wrong, don't fail.

Call come over and keep me coming.

I go for a walk, take a look at the moon, my guitar sing all of tune.

I don't now I'm betting you are not losing sleep.

But if I'm wrong, don't fail.

Call come over and keep me company.

I can't sleep at night.

I toss in, I turn love and you soul.

All my heart burns, honey, for the reason I don't sleep at night, I go for a walk.

Take a look at the moon st from my guitar, single of tunes.

The reason I don't sleep at night one night.

- I love I'm, - I'm sort of convinced that my next record convinced my next record should be a record of old country tunes.

But there's so many good ones.

Well, somewhere when I was in college at Orno, I started to think about writing songs.

Took me three, four years to get my my wheels under me.

And this is one of my first tunes.

I started this in s back one day with my old man when we were working in the garden.

And I finished it that night in a friend's house in Old Town.

And this is the garden song In and row by road going make this garden road.

All it takes scissor and a piece of fertile ground and inch by row by someone blessed.

These seeds are so someone warmed them from below till the rains come tumble and down and pulling weeds and picking stones.

Man made dreams and bones.

Build the need to grow my own because the time is close at hand and rain for grain, sun and rain.

Find my way nature to my body and my brain to the music from the land.

You can jump in here if you want to h by going to make this garden room.

All it takes is a go and a piece of fertile brown and, and someone bless these seeds us.

So one, warm them from below till the rains come tumbling down and plant your rose straight and long.

Temper them with prayer and song.

And mother earth will make you strong if you give her love and care at an old crow watching hunger relief from his virgin.

And in my garden, I'm a free as the feather thi Here we go here going to make this garden.

All it takes is a r bow at a piece of fertile round, inch by inch and row by row.

Someone bless these seeds us.

So, so more them from below to the rain.

Come to down.

- Thank you.

I was, - Lot of times when I'm in a strange town far away, sometimes I get asked to go into school and sing that song for the kids.

And I often do.

I was in Alaska a few years back and they, this woman wrote me an email.

She said, we don't, we have a little school with like 20 kids and we'd love you to come and sing the garden song and we'll give you lunch.

We don't have anything to give you.

We don't have any money.

But I said, that's okay.

I said, I went back to her and I said, I'll work for salmon.

And, and all the kids brought me their, they brought me their home recipe of, of smoked salmon.

It was pretty cool.

It worked out pretty well till the airline took it all away from me.

- 1, 2, 3.

- I had a sweetheart in my younger birthdays.

I thought she'd leave me never.

But some things go and they no trace.

But the vote goes on forever.

And I've had good friends in my life around me.

They did.

And without them, I, the goes on for forever.

But when I fell from the arms, but when I fell from the I down deep in my all at us all and the rain, NoHo in the steel, we all just take water.

But like I always, I love when I fell from the look of the draw as I drove down deep in my fitful sleep.

The highway was all I saw.

And sometimes when I'm standing, still smell like a shiver.

The rain, no mansion, no no hill, just road goes on for river.

And sometimes when I'm standing still, it hits me like a the rain.

No man.

No, just road - On.

Just road on.

Just - Yeah's getting a little high there.

I, when we were young, we were out on the street rocking and rolling upon our feet, burning a candle, keeping a beat.

We ran wild in the sixties and when and smell right on fire.

Crazy hell.

Guess we all drank water from different, well we ran wild in the sixties.

And if you wonder in what went wrong and where the flowers gone, you, you sure look a lot different than a little more sa and a little more sin.

Save the world at the party begin.

We ran wild in the sixties and gro got cut down by one some to the fast lane, some to the gun.

And we all cried and kept on in the sixties.

And if you wonder what went and where in a, where the Been a long time since it all come down, nothing much change when you get downtown, there's guys on the sidewalks hunkering down that ran wild in the sixties and known nothing really changed.

That much of them in charge still out of touch.

And the rich get richer and the poor gets stuck.

Just like back in 16.

And if you, what went wrong and where the dreamers go, you are living in a time where you don't belong with.

And if you wonder in what went wrong and where have all the flowers gone, you're living in a time where you don't belong in the sixties.

- Hey, thanks.

- I knew this place.

I knew it well.

Every sound and every smell and every time I walked I fell For the first two years or so, they were across the grassy yard are a young boy running hard, brown and bruised and battle scarred and lost in the sweet illusion.

From my window, I can see the fingers of an ancient tree reaching out.

It calls to me to climb.

Its surly branches.

But all my climbing days gone in these tired legs I'm standing on would scarcely dare to leave the spot upon which they are standing.

And I remember every word from every force I ever heard, every frog and every bird just, this is where it starts.

My father's laugh, the sighing wind.

This is where my life begins.

This is where I learn to use my hands and hear my heart.

And this house is old that carries on like lyrics to an old time song always changed but never gone.

This house will stamp the seasons and our lives pass on from door to door, dusty cross the wooden floor, feather rain and thunder roar.

We need not know the reason.

And all these thoughts come back to me like ships across the friendly sea, like breezes blowing endlessly like reverse running deep.

The day is done, the lights low and the wheels of life are turning slow.

And as these visions turn and go, I lay me down to sleep.

And I knew this place, I knew it well.

Every sound and every smell and every time I walked a fell for the first two years or so, the day is done.

The lights slow, the wheels of life are turning slow.

And as these visions turn and go, I lay me down to sleep.

Thank you.

We're gonna take a little intermission now intermission.

- Don't go away.

The second half of David Mallet live at the Gracie is coming right up after the band takes a short break.

But first Frank, you sat down recently with David Mallet for one of your upcoming episodes of conversations with Maine.

- That's right Suzanne.

The episode that we did with him can be seen in its entirety when conversations with Maine returns to MPBN television and radio.

It's gonna be in January.

We have an excerpt from that show for you to show right now.

- Great.

Let's take a look and then we'll be back with more David Mallet live at the Gracie.

- Sounds good.

Well Dave Mallet, thanks for being here on conversations.

It's great to have you here.

Thank you.

You remember your first guitar?

- Oh, absolutely.

It was 1963 Martin.

Oh 18, which is a little small body auditoriums, the the bottom of the line Martin guitar.

Yeah.

But I'd been playing my brother's Gibson, so I knew a good guitar and I had to have a Martin and it cost $140.

I got it at Weiner's music up in Bangor on Broad Street.

Yeah, I always remembered that.

- Yeah.

But that was your first real good guitar.

My - First real guitar actually I'd played, the only guitars I'd played had been my brother.

He had a couple harmonies and we had a, a silver tone kicking around the house.

Yeah.

But the Martin was my first guitar.

Yeah.

- Now you and your brother were the original Mallet Brothers - Band?

We were.

We were.

- Tell me about that.

- We started, our debut on television was in November of 1962 when we went on Spotlight on Youth and did did the contest and we won the first couple of rounds and then we eventually started playing with country bands like Hal Long Pine.

- Yeah.

- Who would go into a small town in a Grange hall and they'd have a talent show.

And we got, so we'd follow him around every week and win $5.

It was kind of fun.

And then he invited us on his television show and then we became a duo.

And we did a lot of different venues throughout Maine in the mid sixties.

Had a little television show in Bangor for a while in the Yeah.

- What kinda material were you - Doing folk?

Pretty much folk music and some country songs thrown in and some pop songs that had a folk twist.

But mostly it was anything two young guys could do with an acoustic guitar, - You know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I read on your website that you were a theater major.

- I was.

- And you decided at some point, and I'm interested in this, that you got tired of doing other people's words and thought maybe you should write your own.

It just seemed, - I think, I think the theater was a way to get me in school and be on stage and just be around.

But my real passion was music.

And I'd started to discover songwriters about the same time and it just seemed to make much more sense for me as a singer.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- And then in the late seventies, I understand you met Paul Stookey.

- I was, after college, I was sort of dubbing around writing songs and playing in bars and sleeping on couches.

And I had a handful of songs and I saw on the newscast that, that Paul Ooky had moved to Maine and he was one of my heroes from my boyhood.

And I called him up and I said, I wanna come visit you.

And we went, I went down and we hung out and I showed him my little batch of songs and we became lifelong friends.

- And he recorded You Recorded Me one of your first records, - Right?

He recorded me my first three albums actually.

- Yeah.

- It was a great thrill.

In the late seventies there weren't that many recording studios around and his was one of the best.

And it was, we had eight, eight whole channels to work with.

It was kind of mind blowing at the - Time.

And was that just solo with guitar?

- No, I had a little band.

I had different players come in.

Yeah.

Some of the people I still stay and stay in touch with today.

- Yeah.

Cool.

It - Was a lot of fun.

- Tell me about the garden song that that's probably one of your better known songs.

And it's been recorded.

It's been recorded how many times?

Hundreds of times.

- Yeah.

- Where did that come from?

- That just came from the act of helping my father in the garden in the spring.

I was in my twenties and I was really into, I was trying to write songs and I didn't know, you know, you didn't know what to write about.

So suddenly one drops down in front of me and it became a good song and it, it just became sort of an innocent little thing, inch by inch, row by row.

It was sort of a hymn to the earth and to the act of planting things inch by inch, row by row, going to make this garden.

All it takes is a rake and a piece of - Fertile round.

You seem to have a knack for, for Lyric.

Where do you think that comes from?

I don't - Know.

I'm not real well read.

I don't read a lot, but I've always, I've always felt I carefully craft my words in my songs - Somehow.

- It's, it's a mathematical approach and it's a polishing, but I learn something every time I read a song, I get better.

You know, early on I was known as a someone who was a good lyricist and now I feel like I look at my old stuff and I'm miles beyond that, you know?

- Yeah.

You made a, a move to Nashville and you know, I, I hear people talk about, oh, they went to Nashville as though that were some elixia or some magic thing, but the reality of it must be very different.

Oh, - Very much.

Yeah.

I went there sort of like, you go to school.

Yes.

It was sort of like going to Cambridge and getting my PhD or something, - But - I lived pretty much as a student while I was there.

I did some TV and made some records.

But there's such a community down there and you get to interact with a lot of people that are like yourself.

- It's, it's a network.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Absolutely.

- And one of the things I I read that you said was what you brought away from there was you learned to make better records.

- Yeah.

How so?

I learned how to direct a band better.

I learned how to express myself better on tape.

I think that's it pretty much.

I, I learned how to get more outta players - Yeah.

- And how to express myself.

Yeah.

And I also learned the uniqueness, the importance of a unique point of view.

'cause when I was there, everyone had the same point of view.

Like country music sort of drives home one message or two or three messages.

And, and I felt like there's more to this, you know?

So every time I came back to New England, I'd breathe a deep sigh.

And then I came back and started writing a new batch of songs, say 10, 15 years ago that were distinctly unique in their point of view.

- And is that, is that the, the, the groundwork for your new recording?

It is.

Yep.

Alright, now.

Yep.

And tell me about that - Title.

It's a great record.

I, I, I struggled to get a record started for about four years.

My last one was Artist in Me in oh three.

And then I did a spoken word project.

And then I didn't have any songs and I was struggling along and it was like 2008.

And I went back to some old notes and pulled up some songs that I had sketched away on in the nineties.

And I wrote a song from my daughter who's always been asking for a song.

And before I knew it, I was in the flow again.

And it was, it could, it takes you over when you write, when I write a record, it's like building a house sort of only it's 24 hours a day and it's all in your head.

And there are hammers going on and saws, you know, all the time.

So you, you get pretty self absorbed.

- That's an interesting comment when you write a record.

Yeah.

You're not just writing a single tune.

- You're - Thinking of it as a whole, a whole - Collection.

I usually do, I usually wait until I need to have, I might have one or two songs floating around that I'm working on or instrumental things, but when I feel I need a record, it's, you pull those things together, you polish 'em and say, now it's a song.

It's ready to record.

- I look at your touring schedule, you are all over the map.

- I don't tour as much as a lot of guys, but I seem to do it year round.

You know, I'll go, I'll go to California for three dates and then I, I think last March or a year ago, last March, I was in like eight states in that month, all in all.

So it can be very busy.

And then I'll have a couple months where I just kick around Maine, you know?

Yeah.

Which I really enjoy.

I like, I like being able to drive my own car to my shows and then drive home afterwards.

It's such a pleasure.

- Yeah.

Well, you know, talking about driving your own car, I mean, I'm, I'm curious about your take on life on the road.

What does that entail for you?

- It's, it's tough, isn't it?

Yeah.

It's very tough.

It's mostly lugging your gear through the airport, dealing with the humiliation of modern travel, being late inevitably.

And on one end of the other, doing the hotel, you know, lugging the stuff up the hall.

Then you go to the show, you walk in, it's five o'clock, people are there setting up and you sort of turn on and you work real hard for like five or six hours.

And then you go back to the hotel and you just absolutely crash and get up the next day and you get to the airport again and whatever.

Or the rental car.

It's, it's nothing that I've ever done for months at a time, but weeks at a time really wears on you.

- Yeah.

And in, in, in that world, what makes a good performance for you?

What are all the elements that come together or, or if you have memorable moments that, that reflect?

I don't know what it, - They all, it always comes together though.

I think if I can be alone and with the songs and before the show and get a moment of relaxation and it kind of turns itself on.

I like watching the transition from chaos to order Oh, from what?

Like travel, you know, a highway, the food, where are we gonna eat all this.

And then you get to the stage and it's like, you know exactly what's happening.

- Right, - Right.

I like that.

I like why making that transition.

- Yeah.

You're not, I mean, you could sit and play tunes in your living room, but the audience is an integral part of that experience.

- Yep, absolutely.

And when they start feeding off you, you know, I think that's the important thing, you know, if you've got 'em and if you don't have 'em, you work real hard to get 'em in the next song, you know?

Yeah.

Or the next song, the next group of songs.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

I used to worry that I had 'em a lot like during the show and lately I just, I worry less and it works better.

- Now.

You just came off a tour.

Where, where were you and, and what, where, what did you see?

- Oh, I just did a, a west tour out west in Montana.

I did two dates in Montana, Dayton, salt Lake.

And it was fun.

Like, I, I like to go to the west once in a while and yeah.

Visit my friend and ride horseback.

But I played in some cool little venues in Yellowstone, a little theater downtown called the Pine Cone Theater.

And it was lovely.

It was Labor Day weekend.

And then after that my next show was in Greenville, Maine on the Kain.

So I thought I went from Yellowstone to Greenville.

That's a nice, that's I work in nice neighborhoods.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

And not all big major - Venues.

Oh no.

I actually don't work cities much.

I prefer work in smaller cities and the country.

- But back in the day you were part of some pretty major festivals, Newport, Philadelphia.

Oh yeah.

- They're all fun.

You know, when you're young it's fun to go and hang out with 20,000 people that stay up all night and party.

You know, folk festivals are, they're, they're great.

They're moving parties kind of.

- Right, right.

And some of the people that you've worked with pretty hold pretty big credentials as well.

- Oh yeah.

- Not that you don't, - But Well, I have met a lot of people that are my heroes and I've met a lot of players who taught me how to play like much better just by playing with them.

- Well it brings up an interesting question.

Who are your heroes - Musically?

Oh, buck Owens.

You know, Johnny Cash, Willie Allison, all the older, the guys that are a little older than me.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Dylan of course who just stays eternally young and Lightfoot who still sings like a bird.

Yeah.

And, but everyone, I think I I I, over the years I've broadened my taste, so I like just about everything.

- You mentioned Gordon Lightfoot up in Canada.

Do you get up there much to, to play A couple times maybe once every couple of years.

Yeah.

Actually it's been a couple years because I know one of the other, the other songs that you wrote, the Ballad of St. Anne's Reel, it's about Prince Edward Island.

- It is.

- Is that a personal story?

- Not really.

I, I made that up.

I was in Orno, this was in the mid seventies when fiddling was having sort of a resurgence and I knew a lot of fiddlers and hung out with them and people were dancing and it was a contra dance and I just got this little idea, went out to the car, it was a warm summer night and I sat there and I rode, he was stranded in a tiny town on Fair Prince Edward Isle waiting for a ship to come and find him.

And it just sort of took over.

Yeah.

And I made up this little story about a, a man who was stranded in Prince Edward Island on a wind on a winter night and got invited to a dance and the story about stories about the dance and the fiddle and the fiddle player and, - And the - Girl It was kind of and the girl.

- Yeah.

- And it was wonderful.

People snatched it up and started singing it.

- Oh yeah.

- It became sort of a standard.

The the Saint Ann's reel is an old standard fiddle tube, but then they adapted, they adopted the song about a fiddle tune very well.

And there are several YouTubes of people doing the St. Ann's reel.

- Oh.

Everyone from John Denver to to you.

The Dublin.

The Dublin Dublin.

A great version.

Yeah.

I I was up in, in Prince Edward Island recently and there was a singer up there, Gordon Belcher and Gordon sings that and plays it has a fiddler that plays with him and it makes, it makes for a great, great tune.

Now you, your current band, you've got what bass and violin with you or - I, I tour, I do most of my shows with Mike Bird, my bass player and Susan Ramsey, my Fiddler.

But tonight I have Robbie Coffin playing an electric guitar with me.

- And your bass player's been with you forever.

- Yes.

30 odd years now.

- So you guys kind of off and on know - Where, where, where each other's going.

We read each other's minds pretty well.

Yeah.

And that's kind of like, that's one thing that I, I envy in people that have the, the big band.

They'd go on the road, they'd play every night for like 20 years and they could read each other's - Minds.

Yeah, yeah.

Now if I, I doubt you put music aside much, but if you did or if you do what?

Do what, what other passions do you enjoy?

- Everything outdoors.

I have an old tractor I work on.

I, I garden pretty much have a couple of old horses.

Mostly it's just the main, the simple main life I like to do.

- Did I see somewhere that you also invite people to come to your farm and as farm stays kind of bed and breakfast?

- Everything we have, we have a little place that we, we have people come in and rent it by the week sometimes.

And we have a lot of friends come by and it's a, it's a lovely old house that we restored and I actually recorded a record there.

- Ah, - It was kind of fun.

I brought in a mobile unit, did a record there.

It was a lot of - Fun.

Yeah.

And that, that's comfortable isn't it?

- Yep.

- Yeah.

When you're in your own environment.

- Absolutely.

- Okay, don't go away.

The second half of David Mallet live at the Gracie will begin right after this - Support for this program is provided by MPBN member contributions and by the Gracie Theater at Husson University.

A new 500 seat theater designed with five miles of wiring and audio and lighting control systems dedicated to delivering audiences and exceptional visual and acoustical experience.

Gracie theater.com and by New England School of Communications, a main school offering a bachelor's of science degree in communications information online@scom.edu - Com.

We now return to MPBN presents David Mallet live at the Gracie.

- I could be a fisher 'cause I have a friend who's buying a boat of his own when he can.

And it lips in a tiny and timeless soul town at the end of an island where the sea rushes down and early each morning with the sun bear the risen with dreams of a lost love and no sign of fear.

He heads for the ocean and lumbering strides and he sets side the sea with the sun in his eyes.

And he told me that if I get tired of the race and I can't keep behold on my passion and pace, I could sleep in his kitchen and ride on the waves and learn about fishing and learn to be brave in the face of a roller with my face to the wind and fill up the baked bags and pull lobsters in.

And today I wonder what's waiting for me along for the islands and the sound of the sea.

And I could be a farmer 'cause I have a way of coming around at the dawn of the day.

And I worked some at plowing those rocky old fields with a broken down horse plow that I bought on a deal.

Ah, but no one works harder than farmers and foods and you can't learn the business in your books, all your schools.

You just take what it gives you and give what you can.

But a man could do worse than be working the land.

And today, as I wonder what's waiting for me along for the hills and the sound of the sea, that's Michael Bird over there on the base.

Michael Bird on the upright base, Michael Bird, Susan Ramsey on the violin and the viola Susan Ramsey.

- Something a little different.

It's a fishing story.

- This is from Henry David Thoreau's first visit to Maine in 1846.

This is his fishing tripper up around a ball stream.

We had been told by McCasslin that we should hear, find trout enough.

So while some prepared the camp, the rest felt to fishing, seizing the birch poles, which some party of Indians or white hunters had left on the shore.

In baiting our hooks with pork, with trout.

As soon as they were caught we cast our lines into the mouth of the A ball Jack Magik.

A clear swift shallow stream that came in from Kaden.

Instantly a shoal of white shiven silvery roaches, cousin trout or whatnot.

Large and small prowling thereabouts fell upon our bait.

And one after another were landed a bit.

The bushes and on their cousins the true trout took their turn.

And ultimately silvery roaches and the speckled trout and the finest specimens of both that I have ever seen.

The largest one weighing three pounds were heaved upon the shore, though at first in vain to wriggle down into the water again for we stood in the boat.

But soon we learned to remedy this evil for one who had lost his hook, stood on the shore to catch them as they fell in a perfect shower around him, full in his face and bosom as his arms were outstretched to receive them while yet alive before their tents had faded, they glisten like the fairest flowers, the product of primitive rivers.

And he could hardly trust his senses as he stood over them that these jewels should have swam away in that a ball jack magik water.

For so long these bright fluvial flowers seen of Indians only made beautiful.

The Lord only knows why to swim there.

I could understand better for this the truth of mythology, the fables of Proteus and all those beautiful sea monsters.

How all history deed put to a mere terrestrial use is mere history.

But put to a celestial is mythology always in the night I dreamed of trout fishing and when I awoke it seemed a fable that this painted fish swam there so near my couch and rose to our hooks the last evening.

And I doubted if I had not dreamed at all.

So I rose before dawn to test its truth while my companions were still sleeping.

There stood kain with distinct and cloudless outline in the moonlight and the rippling of the rapids was the only sound to break the stillness standing on the shore.

I once more cast my line into the stream and found the dream to be real.

And the fable true the speckled trout and silvery roach like flying fish, sped swiftly through the moonlight air describing bright arcs on the dark side of kain until moonlight.

Now fading into daylight brought sati to my mind and to the minds of my companions who had joined me.

I grew up in the sixties and in a small town Dover fox rock.

And the place we hung out when we were kids was the gas station.

It was like a men's club, you know.

It was a song I wrote for one of the old fells used to hang around there.

His name was Phil Brown.

I knew a painter in my younger days.

A man who lived with brushes, sticks and stones.

His days were filled with canvas scenes of browns and blues and meadow greens in the world just passed on by his door.

He lived but lived alone.

And he'd come to town with his old wall hat pulled down surrounded by the dogs that were his friends at times.

Too drunk to stand.

He'd shake familiar hands and sit around Theso station to his loneliness.

Would men I in my reckless days beard, humble, his sympathetic, he knew me better than I knew myself in the last days of my boyhood and my time street.

And long through the night faded yellow light would burn inside the room where he would stand and play the old ler and drink his rusty wine and conducts the Mozart music with his hard and shaky hand.

But he could paint a picture and he could capture life.

And no one ever felt things more than he.

And he wasn't ever much for roses.

He'd sooner paint the thorns 'cause he found a keener beauty there that no one else could see.

One bought the house he lived in and painted up the room he died in, swept away the coves and the dust from off the floor.

The children laugh, the seasons run.

Young lovers roll in midnight.

Fun.

But no one loves more than the one who paints the world no more.

And long through the night, a faded yellow light would burn inside the room where he would stand and play the oler and drink his rusty wine and conduct the Mozart music with his hard and shaken hand.

Bring out Robbie Coffin on the guitar over here.

Robbie Coffin.

He's a, he's been playing forever all over the place.

Robbie Coffin and Mark Maxon on the drums.

Mark Max should be easier than this.

My friend ought to be like falling awful all but after such a night as a man.

Good.

Your right down to the dog should be easier than this should be easier than, this should be easier this point in time.

After all I've done before, the words I'm speaking used end.

I always to wind up in Shouldn't should be easier than this.

But now knowing what I do now, the rivers rising, my door and the waters blowing through should be easier than this should be easier than this.

The dark.

Like an old tree in a park.

Everbridge school growing old should be easier than this should be easier, should be simple.

At the stage of the game, digging for nickels and dime, I got nobody else but my son to play.

And that's why I'm so long.

Simon.

Old times should be easier.

Should be easier than this.

Up to the down should be up.

And a Cadillac cruising through this town should be easier than, this should be easier.

It should be easy.

When I look in your eyes to never feel the bone and outta a simple hell.

I shouldn't have to try to keep your love home.

Just hold on to your kiss.

Should be easier than this should be.

Than this should be easier than, this should be easier than, this should be easier than this.

The song for my Molly when she was 18, look at me.

I'm one who knows.

I can tell a violet from a rose I can take a song and make it go for you.

Oh, look at me.

I'm one who tries to open up the things inside.

And all I wanna show you as you are the more sp and you are oh wonder in this life and you don't know.

But it's true that I'm forever loving you with your head and that look in your eye and ball that fire inside you.

You take the whole world by the hand.

You go in without a plan and let the good things guide you as you are the most beautiful and you are oh wonder in this life and you don't know.

But it's true that I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever loving.

Now don't grow up too fast.

Make every moment last of the life that lies before you.

You are one of a kind, a wild flower on the vine.

And the whole world is waiting for you.

'cause you are the most beautiful girl.

And you are the wonder in my life.

And you don't know.

But it's true that I'm forever love and you, I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever.

Help me out here.

I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever loving you.

I'm forever.

I'm, I'm forever loving.

I'm forever loving.

This is kind of a country tune.

It's kind of a country tune first of all, 'cause of the tempo and also 'cause it's got the word darling in it.

Does this guys, maybe we should talk this over.

Maybe we should take it slow.

Too far home.

No turning back now.

And here I'm there you are.

And here we go.

And you know I can't live without you and I know you just can't say shooting star stars already fallen.

And here I'm there, you're and and this love forever, darling.

That's the way the story goes.

But maybe we should talk this over because I am above to lose control.

Far gone, no turning back.

And we maybe we should talk this over.

Maybe we should take it slow.

Too far gone.

No turning back now.

And here I'm - What a good - First time.

First time I played Huss in college was back with my brother back in the sixties in the old building downtown on Park Street I think it was.

They had a hoot nanny.

We were there.

I used to lead a life of reckless abandoned.

I'd go with my head held high.

I used to be the last man standing.

Now I'm sleeping with old.

When I, life used to be one big bold adventure.

I just remember river deep and wide run down a mountain drink from every fountain.

But now I kind of let things slide and there's only so much time for reminiscent.

There's only so many old songs I can play.

But hidden down the road, something seems missing here.

I this modern life, such a strange existence, inflammation, cluttered all about I guess getting by on a path of least resistance keeps the better man from getting out.

Everybody's talking about political religion.

We, I find I'm one who disbelieves that anything resembling true higher order, let the whole damn thing run by.

And there's more than enough saints for all of sinners.

And they all sure that we all gotta pay.

But hidden down the road, it's just losers and winners.

Here I am at the end of the looks like we're going belly up the world over.

I never seen crazier times rich folks who say and do the folks move on over.

And the heroes among us stole the line.

A fellow said the world is full of two kinds of people.

Them that ram bull them that just sit still me.

I'm still figuring where exactly I fit in around six feet under road hill.

And there's only so much time for this complainant.

It's only one more thing in the way.

But hitting down the road, it just keeps on raining.

Here I'm at the end of, And you may wonder if you know me and you may wonder if I care or if I leave you sad and lonely or if I'll always be right there.

Well, there's no need for now darling.

As I have come to know this love of ours is no common flower.

This love is like a red, red road.

And you may wonder about the streamer, if he's all thought he'd be or if anything.

But someday ever comes from loving me.

But hold me close.

Tell me darling that you have come to know this love I bring you is no common thing.

This love is like a red, red road when you're all caught up in sweet surrender.

Simple truth is sometimes hard to see.

But here between the tough times and the tender, it all comes down to you.

And me.

And you may see my heart of darkness and we may stumble now and again, but underneath this heart of darkness, there's a heart that's loving you right till the end.

So hold me close and tell me darland that you have come to know this love of ours is no common flower.

This love is like a red red.

This love of ours is no common flower.

This love is like a red, red Moving right along here.

I wrote this song a couple years, well about 10 years ago actually, I was sitting down trying to justify my existence to myself.

And when I came up with it, Why do I fly?

Why do all it must be the artist in me.

This is just the yard in me.

Why am I amazed at the wonder of it all?

I guess it's just the in me.

Am I alone?

Even when I'm in a crowd?

It must be the artist in Vegas.

It's just the artist in Why make my living being lonely right out loud.

I guess it's just the artist in being.

Why do I live on coffee Wine?

Why do I have to keep all time?

How do I know that he will set me free?

Why am I awake when the whole world doesn't sleep?

It must be the artist in me.

Guess it's just the artist.

Me.

People throw away all the things I keep.

It's just the artist me.

Why do I still mourn sit secret of you?

That must be the artist in me, Mrs. Best, the artist and me.

Why do I still mourn all the heroes of my youth?

I guess it's just the yard.

Why do I live on coffee and wine?

What do I have to keep moving all the time?

How do I know that beauty will set me free?

Why do I fly?

Why do I fall?

It must be the artist in me.

Guess it's just the artist in me.

Why am I amazed at the wonder of it all?

I guess it's just the artistes in me.

Why am I my best when I'm right down to a crawl?

I guess it's just the, I came, look, I forgot the words.

Why do I seek these universal truths?

That was the line.

Why do I seek these universal truths?

Must be the artist in me.

Must be the art.

Why do I still mourn the heroes of my youth?

I guess it must be the artist in me.

I'm sorry, I forgot that man.

Oh well.

Too many tunes, you know?

And I'm gonna write some more too.

If I get lost, please come and find me.

Send a sparrow to remind me.

Put a soft word of the behind me to take away the, and if I, because you know where I want.

I'm in.

Oh, maybe it's just on the dark side of the moon, on the dark side of the moon.

If my thoughts do not come clearly, and if you find that you can't hear me, and if the judge don't clear me, come and break into the room on the dark side of the boat, on the dark side of the boo.

And if I found her on the rock side sea.

And if the left boat does not come for me, and if I fallen into infinity, let big go.

So so because all my old dreams are frozen, there have been times and all my are and the band keeps on playing sad on the, so if I come and find me, send a sparrow to remind me, put a soft word behind me to take away the on the dark side.

On the dark side of the, I have a few tunes that are pretty well known.

The garden song of course.

And some are my dreams is pretty well known.

But this one's the most well known.

I think it especially among fiddle players.

He was stranded in the tiny town on Fair Prince at waiting for Shipman to come and find a one horse place, a friendly face and coffee in the tiny trace, A fid in the distance, far behind a dime across the counter, then a shark, hello, brand new friend to walk along street in the wind tree weather, a yellow light, an open door, and 11 friends' room for more.

And then they're standing there sad to he said, I've heard that tune somewhere, but I can't remember when wasn't on some other friendly hear it on the wind, the sky above heard from someone of love.

But I never heard a sound so sweet since then.

And now his feet begin to tap.

A little boy says, I'll take your half card up in magic of her smile.

Elite, the heart and inside and went and off across the glory.

He sent his lumsy body graceful last child.

He said, there's magic in the fiddler's arm.

And there's magic in this town.

And there's magic in the ba.

Feet in the way.

Put them down, people smile.

They everywhere folks.

And ribbons lock.

Now sailor's gone.

The room is bare.

The old piano sitting there, someone sat left hanging on the rack and empty chairs in the wooden floor, the fields, the touch of shoes normal, waiting for the dancers to come back.

And the fiddles and applause above some dog wrote the town strings broke Bow on and the covers button down with some time on to some night when the air cold and the wind is red, there's a melody that passes through the town.

Good night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Susan Ramsey, Mike Bird.

Mark Moxon, Riley Kaufman.

Thank you.

It's been a great night.

I have a pretty good website.

But then again, who doesn't?

Some people have two or three though.

It's nice to be here.

Thank you.

A long time ago I got to, I was doing a show in New Hampshire in the the Mount Washington Hotel.

And I was working with a guy named John Fahe and an old fellow friend of mine.

And while he was on stage, I came up with a first idea for this little tune.

And I always think of John when I do this too.

For some reason, Aurora Boreal, you are never moving.

Midnight dawn, above me.

I see fire, softly blowing, flickering candle, flame of hope and heart before me.

And the world will turn and passion's, churn, and stars may burn and split the sky beyond me.

I, but I've been given more than lights.

The flash and shine and help me on my way.

Oh thunder.

Ancient drummer to the summer, wind and bear off dark warming.

Oh, leaves the speaking whispers.

Ever grow, ever dying, ever falling?

There are secrets in the air.

The feels are heavy with the sadness of the season.

Ah, but I've been given northern life to flash and shine and help me on my way.

Oh, deep inside the river, moving slowly down the canyons all forever.

Oh, birds that move above me with your silent wing.

So swift beneath the moon life I'm akin to all I see here.

I'm a creature of these trees up on this hillside.

But I've been given northern lights, flash and some of us born to choose.

Some are born to cruise and the rest get by some of the houses.

Crazy world.

But you right now, right now, you can fall like a bird if you believe that you were right.

Now I knew a girl in the summertime.

I hair was more shining you down.

I had a friend, pal one time we went to jail.

Some bad stuff, some walk barefoot in their dreams, some dive deep and come up Queen never have to bow.

But there is a thing that I, you.