We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Swanville Revisited

by al Riggs

subscriber exclusive
1.
The Matador 04:20
2.
3.
4.
All the blocks of the stores shook When the record store burnt down They built a pizza parlor Where the funeral home once stood I don't go into town anymore They won't let me sell my wares And the friendly folks of Swanville Stare with expressions made of wood And they tell me that I'm up to nothing but no good And the denizens of this town don't smile like they should They say "it's ok, we never loved you anyway" And it's just another day in Swanville Frank is selling his last couch To the old ladies down the street As he waves with a hand behind his back Whiskey flask gripped in the other They say he burnt his house down Drove until he reached Virginia My mother said he was a god back home (But you can't always trust your mother) And if I ever meet him, I'll treat him like my brother And if a hand touches my shoulder, I'll shiver and I'll shudder And he'd say "it's ok, I never loved them anyway" And it's just another day in Swanville I should have never left my better half Over his house the last time I knew I'd have to go back one day To see him again Oh but I'm not resentful I'm not bitter or frustrated I don't feel used or cheated Even though I should be mad at him And when I go back to see his face again I won't waste anymore time and money than I need to spend And I'll say "it's ok, I'm glad you feel this way" And it's just another day in Swanville I've moved on before I can move on again I can see the stores opening The employees calling out my name They say "be not afraid Of the Sad Songs and Fear It's gonna shape you into something It'll set you apart from the Same" I took it all in stride, thought of it as a little game My back is straight and firm though my psyche may be lame And they all say "it's ok, we know you have to go away" No more "just another day"s in Swanville I never spent another day in Swanville.
5.
6.
Plasmodious 03:39
We can make a bridge Out of all the broken pieces Of the roads and regulations That we've broken and reversed I'll design the blueprints You can rip up insulation We can build this Quonset hut Out of situations made worse CHORUS I can build a fire Are you calling me a liar? Are you saying happiness is falling From our point of view? Or is it just the weather That's keeping us together? Or do we have a common interest That brought together me and you??? Sunday morning's coming Though it's happened every weekday Not surprising, based on explanations Of why we're not dead The rations fill our dinner plates Repopulating the population Turns into friendly conversation While lying in our bed CHORUS Easygoing apocalyptic I'll take care of you when you're sick Or dying, doesn't take much to see That you are the thing that redefines me (SOLAW) We look at each other, naked As the day's turned to night And we find solutions for our loneliness Everything is working out A roundabout apology I love the nights we spend Cracking jokes when our future Is immersed in endless doubt CHORUS
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Pleure 00:58

about

So here we go. Official Album Number One.
The songs on this album were written and recorded over a span of a year and a half, with the song "Plasmodious" the first one recorded on Christmas Eve, 2009.
They are personal songs, but not so much that the meanings behind them end up bludgeoning you over the head with them.
Please enjoy the album to your own detriment.
-AL

credits

released April 26, 2011

AL Riggs- guitars, vocals, keyboards, drums, drum loops, accordion, trumpets, bass, programming, producing, stomping, clapping, shouting incoherently

Robert Brightleaf- guitars, keyboards, producer

Produced by AL Riggs and Robert Brightleaf
All songs written by AL Riggs
Artwork by Nazareth Craig

Special Thanks:
My family, my friends, Madison, Megan, Stephen, Korey, Sean, Other Sean, Other Other Sean, Alexa, Sam, Miranda, Els, Kyle Rosko, The staff at the Cat's Cradle and Local 506 and Schoolkids Records and Nice Price Books and Edward McKay's.

Super Special Thanks to:
Nazareth- for making a mopey album mopier and a deeper album deeper through your great art and inspiration. "God given ass", indeed

Danielle- for helping me learn who I was as a person and forever cursing you as the Obligatory Shoulder To Cry On and for the "free" copies of "Acid Monday".

God- This is all of your fault.

Super Special Special Fanks to
Tom Waits, Mark Oliver Everett, Mac McCaughan, Laura Ballance, Ben Folds, Andrew Bird, John Darnielle, John Linnell, John Flansburgh, Wayne Coyne, Al Yankovic, Danny Elfman, Les Claypool, Lou Reed, David Bowie, The Ghost of Marc Bolan, The Ghost of Frank Zappa, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Jeff Tweedy, and all of the artists and bands and creative people who inadvertently inspired everything on this album.

And to all of my failed relationships: thank you very much for the inspiration (especially one of you, who inspired the title track and the album's concept in general). Consider these 15 tracks as my apology/my "I told you so"/my "you owe me"/my "we gave it a good run".

-AL

Dedicated to the memories of Leslie Nielsen, Kenneth Mars and Farrah Fawcett (sorry your death got screwed over in the headlines, Farrah).

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

al Riggs Durham, North Carolina

Sad Songs For, About, And Written By Birds

contact / help

Contact al Riggs

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

al Riggs recommends:

If you like al Riggs, you may also like: