Nate Corbett was a friend of J's who liked to try his hand at poetry. One year J gave him a special notebook to write down some of his verses. After Nate's tragic death, a mutual friend sent the notebook to J who proceeded to take verses from the book and reshape them into the song “Slept on Rooftops”.
The guitar solo is an homage to Nate's guitar playing style in which he frequently soloed plucking his strings pick-less.
lyrics
By Nate Corbett (edited by J Roth):
Placid and tattered water show me my reflection
Silent wind and loud moon
You see the seasons are changing and I have forgotten again
I am still the same old new
Gotta get something, gotta get something (but) the moon's still shinin' and the clouds are still rollin'
and I wonder where they're goin' down the back alley of someone's crazy, bright dream time that I wish I was a part of
We slept on rooftops to get closer to the moon
Even my shadow stands taller than I
Worn heart traveling in new shoes
That old lonesome feeling is not so far away,
it is as close as the wind that blows across the spaces in our hearts
when time comes knocking, ticking, falling short...
Roaming the vastness, taming its curves Sowing its bounty into our souls (It's as deep) Deep as nothing at all
The world passed us by and we could not catch it so we built and created, thought of love and we hesitated
Clunk-da-thud there it goes yer watchin' it slip outta yer head
that too good, just right knowin'
and whoever thought that light glow high dry sunshine
would be peekin' through yer window on that mornin'
stealin' away whatever it was you thought you had
We slept on rooftops to get closer to the moon
Even my shadow stands taller than I
Worn heart traveling in new shoes
That old lonesome feeling is not so far away,
it is as close as the wind that blows across the spaces in our hearts
when time comes knocking, ticking, falling short...
(interlude)
We slept on rooftops to get closer to the moon
Even my shadow stands taller than I
Worn heart traveling in new shoes
That old lonesome feeling is not so far away,
it is as close as the wind that blows across the spaces in our hearts
when time comes knocking, ticking, falling short...
Damn you blustery Sunday (even you) snowing in my shoes
Take today back or buy me some candles
(And yet I) Always work for the winter of the world
Always work for the winter of the world
(Should I always be workin' for the winter of the world I feel it comin')
I move like softness herself
this windy soul and all it carries in this world
Desperate to find independence in mortal thought
credits
from easy (does it),
released December 7, 2013
J Roth > vocals, guitar, piano
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