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Blues, Ballads & Barnstormers

by Pistol Pete Wearn

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

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  • Full Digital Discography

    8
    releases

    Get all 8 Pistol Pete Wearn releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Blues, Ballads & Barnstormers, Pistol Pete Wearn & the Wildwood Flowers, Live at Liège, Timber Framed, Service Station Coffee, Footstomping Acoustic Blues, Cigar Box Stomp, and in glorious high fidelity sound!. , and , .

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1.
Rolling Down The Road 03:34
lyrics
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Well I’m rolling rolling rolling I’m rolling down the road Oh I’m rolling rolling rolling I’m rolling down the road Oh I’m rolling rolling rolling I’m rolling down the road Down the road, down the road, down the road I’ve just got to keep moving I’m rolling down the road I’ve got many miles to travel I’m rolling down the road I’ve just bust out of Angola I’m rolling down the road I’ve got to get back to my baby I’m rolling down the road Oh she’s marrying old Jim Davy I’m rolling down the road I’ve got a blade here for that dirtbag I’m rolling down the road I’m going to slice him throat to navel I’m rolling down the road Well make me up a bunk in hades I’m rolling down the road
2.
Factory Floor 04:17
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Well, I’m back on the factory floor Back on the factory floor I’m at my machine like a thousand times before I’m back on the factory floor Well now did you ever see a volcano from the sea? It’s like there’s fireworks across the sky Or taste the brandy in Papuos city It’s really something you should try Well now I’m back on the factory floor The factory floor I’m at my machine like a thousand times before I’m back on the factory floor Well I once saw a Spitfire on the seabed Of a crystal Mediterranean bay I saw the northern lights way overhead Whilst under fire in Norway Well now, I’m back on the factory floor Back on the factory floor I’m at my machine like a thousand times before I’m back on the factory floor Well, I’m back on the factory floor Back on the factory floor I’m at my machine like a thousand times before I’m back on the factory floor Well now I rowed a race, and I won The day my son was born I climbed the rigging to show how it was done In full dress uniform But now, I’m back on the factory floor Back on the factory floor I’m at my machine like a thousand times before I’m back on the factory floor
3.
Staring At The Walls 02:47
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Well I’m all dressed up in my finest clothes, ain’t got nowhere to go They closed the doors of all the bars again What’s a good time drinking guitar slinging guy like me to do Let me tell you now it’s got me in quite a spin Well I’m staring at the walls again I’m staring at the walls Staring at the walls again tonight Well I’m staring at the walls again Staring at the walls And I just can’t find a place to go tonight Well I went downtown I couldn’t see a single soul in sight And all the watering holes down there were dry But you know if I can’t find myself a place to go tonight Well I might just find I curl up and I cry Well I’m staring at the walls again I’m staring at the walls Staring at the walls again tonight Well I’m staring at the walls again Staring at the walls And I just can’t find a place to go tonight Well I feel a tapping in my toes, a swinging in my knees I feel a rhythm drumming in my heart But you know I just can’t find myself a single place to be They can’t stop the music, but it might not start Well I’m staring at the walls again I’m staring at the walls Staring at the walls again tonight Well I’m staring at the walls again Staring at the walls And I just can’t find a place to go tonight Well I’m staring at the walls again I’m staring at the walls Staring at the walls again tonight Well I’m staring at the walls again Staring at the walls And I just can’t find a place to go tonight
4.
Not My Circus 02:09
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I still smell sawdust when I close my eyes I hear the trumpets and the roustabout cries I want to holler “ROLL UP, ROLL UP” one last time And feel the hair stand up when they call “SHOWTIME” But it’s not my circus anymore I won’t be stepping out on the big top floor Well it’s not my circus after all of that I hung up my tailcoat and my big top hat Just take me back now once more darling please To waltz with the strongman and the flying trapeze Well it’s not my circus anymore I won’t be stepping out on the big top floor Well it’s not my circus after all of that I hung up my tailcoat and my big top hat Now I remember in the glory days They’d come from miles around they’d shower us with praise And we all loved the dancers ,we all loved the clowns And I’d be right there in the middle as the magic swirled round It’s not my circus anymore I won’t be stepping out on the big top floor Well it’s not my circus after all of that I hung up my tailcoat and my big top hat It’s not my circus anymore I won’t be stepping out on the big top floor Well it’s not my circus after all of that I hung up my tailcoat and my big top hat
5.
The Clansman 06:26
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This is a song about a train called the Clansman. Now the Clansman was a train that used to run from Inverness down into London town. A big old yellow & blue 47 diesel engine, kicking out black smoke, and 12 mismatched British rail carriages. All thundering through the highland glens. Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Well the Clansman’s headed through the pass Today she’s London bound One day I’m going to ride that train, take it right the way down the line One day I’m going to ride that train, take it right the way down the line And I’ll walk those gilded pavements In that land of honey and of wine There’s leaden smoke across the sky, there’s puddles on the ground There’s leaden smoke across the sky, there’s puddles on the ground The Clansman’s headed through the pass Today she’s southward bound Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Well the Clansman’s headed through the pass Today she’s London bound Two-thousand good strong diesel horses please take me away Two-thousand good strong diesel horses please take me away The Clansman’s headed through the pass She’s London Bound today Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Well the Clansman’s headed through the pass Today she’s London bound Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Oh-ho do you hear that lonesome sound? Well the Clansman’s headed through the pass Today she’s London bound
6.
Rosalynd 04:50
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I pulled into Athens on the morning train Some trouble up in Robbinsville had besmirched my good name So I got me a ticket & headed out of town Before the law could hear about what had gone down & on the day in Athens found a bar to quench my thirst That’s where I saw my sweet Rosalynd first Rosalynd, Rosalynd The sweetest face that you will ever find Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh Rosalynd, Oh my sweet Rosalynd She poured a drink for me, and said with a smile Stranger won’t you stay here and talk with me a while And I just looked right at here, and I thought “Do you know?” There’s worse places than this to be for a man who’s laying low Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh how those green eyes forever haunt my mind Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh Rosalynd, Oh my sweet Rosalynd And once drink had been taken, she said “would it be alright For you to come upstairs with me and lie with me tonight?” And upstairs in her chamber, as I slowly undressed That’s when my Rosalynd she thrust a knife into my chest Rosalynd, Rosalynd The sweetest face that you will ever find Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh Rosalynd, Oh my sweet Rosalynd And as I lay there, on that bedroom floor I realised that the time had come when I would live no more And the last words I heard spoken, as she looked down from above Were “the man you killed in Robbinsville is the only one I love” Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh how those green eyes forever haunt my mind Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh Rosalynd, Oh my sweet Rosalynd Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh Rosalynd, Oh my sweet Rosalynd Rosalynd, Rosalynd Oh Rosalynd, Oh my sweet Rosalynd
7.
Yellow Flowers 03:52
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Oh-oho-ho Oh-oho-ho Oh-oho-ho Oh-oho-ho The windows are all broken The door's boarded up and barred The old metal signwork is all rusted and all scarred They haven't served a drink from here in a decade now or so But from the window boxes still the yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow They used to make great things round here Ship them off with pride They were bough and used and loved in places far & wide Now the factories crumble and we've got no work to show From the broken bottle still the yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Oh-oho-ho Oh-oho-ho Up behind the chimneys there's a garden neat and trim With painted railings and herbaceous borders in A small grey plaque that sits there with a name I used to know And all around the memories the yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow Yellow flowers grow
8.
Meet Me On The Bridge 03:46
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Meet me on the bridge That crosses the M1 And we can watch the sunset Behind the substation And you can gaze into my eyes Underneath the pylon skies Won't you meet me on the bridge Meet me on the bridge There's a bench in the closed down precinct Where you can fall into my arms I'll guard you from the broken glass And keep you safe from harm Oh abrázame, mi amor By the boarded up department store Won't you meet me on the bridge Meet me on the bridge Meet me on the bridge Across the motorway I'll hold your hand on the concrete deck And I won't ever stray I'll pull you in I'll hold you tight At the vacant factory site Won't you meet me on the bridge Meet me on the bridge
9.
Queensville Stomp 02:39
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10.
A Letter 05:00
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Remember promises can be empty And nobody knows it all And even best laid plans go a-stray And even angels fall Advice is often useful But isn't always all it seems Because people who want to be helpful will try and talk you out of your dreams You're doing better than you think You'll figure out which way to go You're doing better than you think You're doing better than you know Remember words can be unclear And thoughts can be unknown And even I'm unsure which way to steer And must remember I'm not alone Validation should be treasured But you'll have to earn it on your own And learn what you do that for And know how far you've grown You're doing better than you think You'll figure out which way to go You're doing better than you think You're doing better than you know Don't confuse being humble With forgetting what you're worth Because though you'll falter and you'll stumble You've got a lot to give this earth And there are those who would take advantage Of your natural giving traits And you'll need the strength inside To stay the narrow and the strait You're doing better than you think You'll figure out which way to go You're doing better than you think You're doing better than you know Life won't always be easy and you'll learn from what you do but you'll have me by your side and you'll know that I'm with you and there might come a distant day When you'll know what you got wrong And you might think of some things to say And write some advice of your own
11.
Weeping Willow 03:13
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Bottomless waters Tempestuous waters Flowing away Flowing away from me From beneath the leaves of this This weeping willow tree Oh river take me Oh river take me far Far away from As far as far could be From beneath the boughs of this This weeping willow tree Oh give me shelter Oh give me shelter From the storm That's approaching That's growing close you see Oh lend sanctuary My weeping willow tree
12.
Staggerlee 03:14
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Well Staggerlee killed Billy Lyon Yes he shot him down Left that poor man's widow crying Oh he shot him down Now Staggerlee he was a well dressed cat Yes he shot him down He got himself a new Stetson hat Oh he shot him down He was playing cards and drinking booze Yes he shot him down Got a hand he thought couldn't lose Oh he shot him down Well he bet his car and the old homestead Yes he shot him down He bet that hat right off his head Oh he shot him down He laid out four kings and the crowd all hushed Yes he shot him down Then Billy put down a straight flush Oh he shot him down Staggerlee he snarled and his face turned red Yes he shot him down He said I'm coming back to shoot you dead Oh he shot him down Well Billy was still there drinking late Yes he shot him down When Stag stormed back in with his .38 Oh he shot him down It was 2AM when his gun went crack Yes he shot him down Put Billy Lyon on his back Oh he shot him down Stag put his hat on his head once more Yes he shot him down While Billy bled on that barroom floor Oh he shot him down The judge said "Mr Lee you are a bad bad man" Yes he shot him down It will bring me joy to see you hang Oh he shot him down Well the day that Stag was to be hanged Yes he shot him down There was an ample crowd and a marching band Oh he shot him down Now Staggerlee he was a well dressed cat Yes he shot him down Went to the gallows in his best hat Oh he shot him down Hey ho woah ho Yes he shot him down Ay ho woah ho ho Oh he shot him down Hey ho woah ho Yes he shot him down Ay ho woah ho ho Oh he shot him down
13.
Flashing Blue Light 03:18
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Now listen up people, come gather around friends This is my story and here it ends There's been days of trauma & days of delight But it finishes here with a flashing blue light There's a puddle of blood & on the pavement I'm sprawled And the ambulance man says "do you know what he's called?" And those chest paddles they spark and they bite On that cold hard ground by that flashing blue light Well I'm renting a room, it's as cheap as they get And nobody here has even talked to me yet There's stains on the carpet and cash by the night So I slip away nameless by this flashing blue light They closed up the street and everyone moaned An extra twenty-five minutes to make their way home And how dare I be so impolite As to pass away there by that flashing blue light

about

The blues takes many forms - just ask anyone who’s had them. The award-winning English bluesman Pistol Pete Wearn made his name with the hollers and shouts of the Mississippi Delta, and with raucous bar-room growls that Muddy Waters might have recognised. But he’s steeped enough in the music to know there’s more to the blues than howling.

On his latest album, Blues, Ballads & Barnstormers, Wearn explores the melodic ragtime influences that form such a strong stream of influence for purveyors of this deceptively rich genre. With touch of vaudeville and traces of the hoe-down, too, the record marks a strong return to recording to Wearn, whose last studio album under his own name was 2016’s Service Station Coffee (“as true as it gets” — Blues Blast Magazine).

For this long-awaited return, Wearn is joined by regular collaborator Olly Parry, whose fiery cajun-inspired fiddle adds searing runs and keening energy to proceedings. “Olly was one third of the Wildwood Flowers, a country trio with whom I released an EP in 2019,” explains Pete. “Here he’s bringing a new fire to my blues, too!”

The album is rounded out by Duncan Wilcox (The Jake Leg Jug Band) on bass adding wonderful colour to Wearn originals including the tin pan alley-esque Meet Me On The Bridge, the deep-fried country-jazz ballad Yellow Flowers, and Weeping Willow, on which Wearn reminds the listener of a cracked Tom Waits.

Nashville session man Phil Bronchtein brings his pedal steel playing talents to album highlight Staring At The Walls, where Wearn expresses the frustration we all felt during lockdown - and which most of us still experience every now and then when everything seems to slow to a frustrating halt. But if this album tells a story, it’s that Wearn himself has far from stood still - the record marks not just a return to form but a significant move forwards, for both him and the multifarious blues.

That new energy is matched in the album’s live show. “In performance the songs allow for audience interaction, hokum sound effects, and barnstorming instrumental dances,” Pete says. “So it isn't all mournful songs about death. Although there will be some of those as well.”

Wearn has certainly reclaimed his blues roots with Blues, Ballads & Barnstormers. But he’s also showing just how much they’ve grown.

credits

released May 12, 2023

Pistol Pete Wearn: Vocals, acoustic guitar, kazoo, harmonica, footstomps & clown horn
Olly Parry: Violin & backing vocals
Duncan Wilcox: Upright bass
Phil Bronchtein: Pedal steel guitar on Staring At The Walls
Matt Bishop: Production, engineering, percussion & train sounds
Tom Bishop: Production, engineering, percussion & electric bass

All songs written by Pete Wearn, except: A Letter written by Pete Wearn & Helena Francesca.; Queensville Stomp by Pete Wearn & Olly Parry

Mastered by Tom Bishop

Cover art & photography by Pete Wearn

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Pistol Pete Wearn Stafford, UK

"old-school blues" - Nottingham Post

"If this don't get at least one of your feet stomping, then there's really no hope for you..." - Indie Music Mag

"local blues legend" - Stafford Radio

"music to drink, dance and stomp your feet along to... a real stripped down blues session in all its glory." - Derby Gig Guide

"devilishly catchy...an abundance of soul" - Staffs Live ... more

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