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The Devil You Know

from No Time To Be Tender by Ian Fitzgerald

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lyrics

I can hear the humming of whatever power's running
Through the walls of such a perfectly dark room
The clock keeps ticking gently but it's not enough to tell me
If it's striking midnight now or noon
My memories are smoke-rings, perfect circles like the real thing
But one move false or true and they disperse
Sometimes I can't remember how many notes I've sent her
But forgetting's just a symptom, not the curse
Sing me an old tune to make the time slow
'Cause nobody told you where the time goes
And nobody holds you like the devil you know

I've tried harder just to give up than I ever did to live up
To the standards set by those who thought me blessed
'Cause all that envy empties when the fine folks who defend me
Find me faltering as badly as the next
But I still hear the humming, and it seems to me that something else
Has joined the sound of electricity
It's too dark to see a ghost and I imagine most spirits
Have better things to do than visit me
Sing me an old tune to make the time slow
'Cause nobody told you where the time goes
And nobody holds you like the devil you know

My door is always open, though I'm just as often hoping
That the wind will blow it closed and turn the lock
'Cause outside here is empty and there's no point playing friendly
In the end, it's just a different shade of dark
If I could go back where I came from, I'd tell you to do the same
But I don't know if I have the heart to try
I don't care if our courses are controlled by greater forces
I'm afraid that force is weak and so am I
Sing me an old tune to make the time slow
'Cause nobody told you where the time goes
And nobody holds you like the devil you know

credits

from No Time To Be Tender, released February 26, 2013

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Ian Fitzgerald Providence, Rhode Island

Though perhaps technically a singer-songwriter, Ian Fitzgerald prefers the term 'folk singer,' as it more accurately describes the tradition in which his music is rooted. From early twentieth century field recordings through Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, and hundreds of artists in between, Ian has been influenced by one of the sturdiest strains of American music. ... more

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