LYRICS
STUDY OUT THE LAND
Study out the land, my love
Write about all there is to find
Go wherever your heart goes
Push out the horizons from your mind
You are wild and you are rare, my heart
Beat, until the end of time
Be everywhere you’re meant to be
Bleed the colors of everything you see
Turn the stones beneath the stones
Say the words and you shall be released
You are wild and you are rare, my heart
Beat, until it sets you free
Study out the wilderness
May the word itself be music to your ears
Dance out where the shadows dance
And the stars upon the water fall like tears
You are wild and your are rare, my heart
Beat, until love conquers all your fears
THIS LAND
The land up North is flat and white
Lo, it shimmers neath the blue
It reminds me of your tender skin
Haunting as the surface of the moon
The land down South is blazing gold
Lo, it burns to gaze upon
It reminds me of your fiery lips
Bright as the brilliance of the sun
The land out West is iridescent
Lo, it breaks into the sea
It reminds me of your emerald eyes
Tempting as the realness of a dream
The land out East is rolling green
Lo, it’s home to Liberty
It reminds me of your fearless heart
Fragile as the truth of living free
FIREWOOD BURNING
Firewood burning
End of the line
Earth rolling over
Moon taking shine
Tall rows fade to darkness
Shadows lost to the night
Dew dances brightly
Breaking of day
Out across the prairie
Young stars ablaze
Firewood’s gone to ashes
Love’s gone away
MYSTIC BLUE
I ran down that running river
Climbed up over the timberline
Scoured over the wild, wide ocean
And it was a you I fought so hard to find
I rolled in to that rolling thunder
Headed in to to a hurricane
Saw the earth getting torn asunder
And on the howling wind I hear your name
Deep into the danger of the world, I flew
My soul charmed by your mystic blue
I mourned your laughter the morning after
As I blazed in to that blazing star
Swore I’d do what I must and trust that I’d find you
Leave everything caged and nothing barred
Deep into the danger of the world, I flew
My soul charmed by your mystic blue
WHEN THE FISH HAVE LEFT THESE WATERS
When I’m lost at sea
And my sails are old and torn
Will you be for me
The mark that brings me home
When the dead calm comes
And the ocean meets the sky
And the stars all bleed to one
Will your heart beat through the night
When the fish have left these waters, babe
And the gulls have flown into the sun
Will you still meet me at the water’s edge
When the day is done
IT WAS YOU
That long black road stretched
into a broken sun
Barely a glimmer of light, yet
the night was on the run
It was you I swore I’d carry
to the edges of the Earth
It was you I knew I wanted
a thousand years before my birth
It was you
Only you
The ridge line cut the night in half
Black against the blue
The river a shimmering divide that ran
between what I did and meant to do
It was you I wished I told I loved
before the dawning of the day
It was you I had this dream of
from which I’ll never wake
It was you
Only you
Your blue eyes faded in the light
of a slowly rising star
Another day breaking
Another lonely life
A gentle end to a tender start
It was you
Only you
All songs written by S.R. Batterson (BMI).
EP produced and recorded by Felix Reyes (BMI).
Mixed by Felix Reyes, and Jeremiah Klinger (ASCAP).
Mastered by Dave Herrero (BMI).
S.R. Batterson: Guitar and vocals
Jeremiah Klinger: Electric guitar and synth on "This Land"; "Mystic Blue" and "When the Fish Have Left These Waters"
Felix Reyes: Electric guitar on "This Land"
Recorded at:
Napps Motel in Fennimore, WI
A cabin near Westby, WI
A cabin near Livingston Manor, NY
The House of Tone studio in Oak Park, IL
Album design: Alex Sommerville
Original illustrations: Albena Ivanova
With deepest gratitudes:
To all those who have made this possible. My guides and fellow journeymen on this project Felix Reyes, Jeremiah Klinger, Dave Herrero and Mike Altier. My beautiful beating heart Tania Rodamilans. The wonderful river stone Jennifer Kronewitter. My stream teachers Jon Uhlenhop, Phil Kerczewski, Nikki Seger and Jay Wisnosky. My life teacher Carlan Shreve. All my open-ocean buoys Erica Thornton, Jon and Christina, EB and Erinn, Andrew and Liz, Steve and Chris, Jennifer Rangel, Jud Browning, Chris Delcher, Lindy Aldrich, Jerry Curran, Sharon Miller and Matt Snyder. All my family and friends. Lo, though we must each meet the world on our own, you all stand as proof that we are, none of us, alone.
And a special dedication and gratitude to the nightfire Jason Kronewitter.