Deacon Raleigh vocals and '87 Takamine classical guitar.
Rachel Rigsby; harp and laughter.
This is about courtship. In some places, a Hibiscus worn on one ear or the other by a woman means the difference between open or closed to romantic advances. The lyrics are generally taken from an old folk song referred to by some as Young and Tender Ladies. The middle of this song beginning with the lyric "Was May 20th" was an improvisation of that moment, until it returns to form after the "teenage dream" vamping. This moment remains one of the strangest surprises in the studio I have ever experienced; characters and setting jumped into being as if from somewhere else. I only played this version once on May 20th.
lyrics
Hibiscus (lyrics taken from an old folk song)
Well all you young, and tender ladies
Careful how, you court young men
They’re like a star, like a star on a summer’s morning
First appear, and then they’re gone
They’re gone, they’re gone
They’ll tell you, some lovin’ story
They’ll tell you, some far flung lie
Then they’ll go, and they’ll court another
For that girl, they’ll pass you by
Pass you by, pass you by
They’ll pass you by
They’ll pass you by
Was May 20th, corner of 33rd and Krona St
On the south side, of the town
Where I was growin’ up
Crooked and scaled
Too much, oil in my veins
And there she was, there she was…
My teenage dream, my teenage dream, my teenage dream, my teenage dream...
Well all you young, and tender ladies
Careful how, you court young men
They’re like a star, on a summer’s morning
First appear, and then they’re gone
They’re gone
I wish I was, some little sparrow
I had wings, I'd fly so high
I'd fly away to where my hearts true lover sat
And when they's talkin', I'd be by
But as I am, no little sparrow
Ain't got wings, so I can't fly
I'll hide away in some lonesome valley
Weep and pass my troubles by
Well all you young, and tender ladies
Careful how, you court young men
They’re like a star, like a star on a summer’s morning
First appear, and then they’re gone
They’re gone, they’re gone
The Deacon Raleigh St. James BandSeattle, Washington
Deacon Raleigh St James, a Seattle based singer-songwriter, performs with and produces electric and acoustic projects which
bear his name. He calls the rural Snoqualmie Valley his home, along with the alleys and stoops of the rock clubs, coffee shops and taverns of the Emerald City. Strong storytelling and passionate vocals tie together a growing eclectic set of songs and experiences onstage....more