1. |
||||
|
Just off US 41, in the town of Fond du Lac,
You could stop at Schreiner’s
for a cup of joe, a cinnamon roll, eggs and sausage, or clam chowder
For 82 years, customers came and gathered round,
Young and old, starving and cold, lots of families in the crowd
Now there’s thirty people out of work,
Swiss steak is 86ed forever.
No more 6:30 AM smiles,
Hanging your coats by the door,
But these memories, they’ll linger and endure
(Spoken)
This was originally supposed to be a story song about me and an imagined lover going to Schreiner’s, but after I read about them closing, this seemed like a better tribute. 110,000 restaurants closed last year. Some of these were legendary establishments, some of them you’ve never even heard of. They say it’s the cost of doing business, but part of that cost is people’s lives and their livelihoods.
(Sung)
Swiss steak is 86ed forever.
No more 6:30 AM smiles.
|
||||
2. |
Henry's Hamburgers
02:27
|
|||
|
Are you hungry for a Henry’s,
Or are you in the mood for something else?
Our love grew slowly over a steady flame,
Through the busy days and the graveyard shifts it kept on going
But something shut the burners off,
Left the patties undercooked…
Let’s go back to where it began,
Play waitress and cook like the old days.
When we were young and ate for free
I was with you and you were with me
Caught in an endless summer haze
The fries are browned at the edges,
And those nuggets taste like yesterday’s gruel
From seventeen to twenty-four we never really changed,
Just came apart between the register and the fridge
Let’s go back to where it began,
Play waitress and cook like the old days.
When we were young and ate for free
I was with you and you were with me
Caught in an endless summer haze
If those city lights don’t find you, let these LEDs remind you,
If those city lights don’t find you, come let these LEDs remind you
|
||||
3. |
Golden Nugget
02:44
|
|||
|
Once, I was blessed to be in your arms
As the new year overtook us.
Then like the ether you vanished,
Leaving behind my truest love
I still think about it
Tennessee fried steak,
Honest conversation,
The specter of our time still remains,
Near the surface of my memory
Our cherished moments lie in state
Over chocolate cream pie, pizza and Manhattans,
We bonded over things nobody would guess
At the Golden Nugget, I found a treasure of my own.
I hope you get all the things you deserve.
Tennessee fried steak,
Honest conversation,
The specter of our time still remains.
Near the surface of my memory,
Our sweet love lies in state
|
||||
4. |
||||
|
New York Sushi
The New York sidewalks are friendly today
I walk the city campus and smile
You’ve taught me so much about myself
and the work I still have to do.
We meet up for sushi,
California rolls and some sashimi
You’re happier than I’ve ever seen.
Fighting for justice,
Loving from a bottomless heart
You’ve come a long way
I hope we never part
Holding hands, we stroll down crowded streets,
our favorite topics mixed with easy conversation.
I’m afraid to tell you how I truly feel,
The easier route is self-deprecation
We’ll meet up for sushi,
California rolls and some sashimi
We’ll be happier than we’ve ever been
Fighting for justice,
Loving from two bottomless hearts
We’ve come a long way
I hope we never part
|
||||
5. |
Corner Bakery
02:27
|
|||
|
As we sit and make conversation
In our little pied à terre
I retrace my feelings for you and realize I really care
I’ve had eyes for you since our time at Tower Beach,
As far off as that may seem, now you’re really out of reach
Another time, another space,
that’s all we need to come to an embrace
Though a place in my heart still beats for you,
It’s in the service of a friendship more true
We’ve seldom seen each other since that long-ago summer,
Yet my admiration grows stronger as the days grow longer
And you carve out something for yourself that’s really there
Another time, another space,
that’s all we need to come to an embrace
Though a place in my heart still beats for you,
It’s in the service of a friendship more true
|
||||
6. |
Bob Evans
02:49
|
|
||
|
[instrumental]
|
||||
7. |
$4.99 Blues
02:50
|
|||
|
Woke up this morning, spent the whole day in a daze
Woke up this morning, spent the whole day in a daze
Seemed there was nothing I could do to ease my malaise
Dinner time approaching, think I’ll grab a bite
Dinner time approaching, think I’ll grab a bite
Golden biscuits and gravy, that’s my ticket and ride
Head down to the diner, that meal was mighty fine,
Head down to the diner, that meal was mighty fine
Well, the check has come, and I’m short $1.99
|
||||
8. |
Red Lager
02:16
|
|||
|
[instrumental]
|
||||
9. |
Longhorn Steakhouse
01:38
|
|||
|
Round and round,
Up and down we go
In this dance that’s made for two
I’m well done, you’re medium rare
Why am I so afraid to tell you things to your face or anywhere?
Thinking back to that night at Longhorn Steakhouse
I had a beer but nothing sat quite right (X2)
|
||||
10. |
America's Diner Blues
01:08
|
|||
|
Over a Super Bird and fries,
I bow my head and cry.
Even with my friends I feel gone
Things change,
Except for the sorrow.
Things change,
Same thing tomorrow,
Things change
Over my Super Bird and fries,
I bow my head and cry.
|
||||
11. |
||||
|
[instrumental]
|
||||
C.W. Franz Chicago, Illinois
Enterprising poet with a strange taste in music. Butchering everything from folk to musique concrete or something.
C.W. Franz recommends:
Put Your Trust In Scum
by L. Mounts
Combines angst with every acoustic genre under the sun. OK, maybe not every genre, but its still a damn good record.
go to album
a dead thing
by pervert princess
Brutally honest yet beautiful, tackling sexuality with a disarming lo-fi aesthetic.
go to album
unbearably light
by chameleon hex
Literate and introspective. Of course, the trippiness doesn't hurt either.
go to albumIf you like C.W. Franz, you may also like:
Forever Only Idaho
by Harrison Lemke
Big, strummy songs that recall the heart-on-sleeve earnestness and lo-fi glory of early Mountain Goats.
go to album
A vibrant vision of "Central Americana" from the Costa Rica-based artist, blending heartland devotionals with playful Tropicália grooves.
go to album
The latest album by Phill Reynolds, a project of Italian singer Silva Martino Cantele, takes listeners on an Americana-fueled musical ride.
go to album
