to hear samples of selected tracks, please click on "real" or "mp3"

The Book of Survival

Click titles to read lyrics of first six tracks.

1. Weak at Heart (3:42) (mp3) (real)
2. Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher (2:02) (mp3) (real)
3. Hard To Be a Human in the Universe (3:13) (mp3) (real)
4. The Book of Survival (4:10) (mp3) (real)
5. Without You by My Side (3:56) (mp3) (real)
6. I'm Sorry Now (4:24)
7. Kids with Guns (4:10)
8. Faded Red Car (3:16)
9. Irene (3:26)
10. The End of the World (3:18)
11. Rightfully Yours (4:33)
12. Everything But a Soul (3:36)
13. Happy Birthday, You're Turning 40 (3:22)

Produced by Deborah Holland and Rick Krizman
Engineered and Mixed by Rick Krizman
For more info on Rick Krizman go to Rick's My Space page
myspace.com/rickkrizmanmusic
All songs written by Deborah Holland and published by Red Hairing Music (BMI), except "Irene" written by Deborah Holland and Jenny Yates and published by Red Hairing Music (BMI)/Escudilla Music (ASCAP)/Criterion Music Corp. (ASCAP).

The Panic Is On

1. We Sure Got Hard Times Now (3:01) (mp3)
(trad. arr. by D. Holland/B. Mair, Big Biscuit Music/ASCAP and Black Toast Music/BMI)
2. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (2:55) (real)
(Blind Alfred Reed, Peer Int./BMI)
3. I Am a Union Woman (Join the CIO) (2:46)
(Aunt Molly Jackson, Stormking Music/BMI)
4. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (3:43) (real)
(E.Y. Harburg/Jay Gorney, Harms, Inc./BMI)
5. The Panic Is On (2:24)
(Hazekia Jenkins)
6. Ten Cents a Dance (2:53) (R. Rodgers/L. Hart, Harms, Inc./ASCAP)
7. Do Re Mi (2:55) (real)
(Woody Guthrie, TRO/Ludlow Music/BMI)
8. Worried Man Blues (3:22)
(A.P. Carter, Peer Int./BMI)
9. Detroit Moan (2:50)
(Victoria Spivey, Spivey Music)
10. Remember My Forgotten Man (2:30)
(Al Dubin and Harry Warren, M. Witmark & Sons/ASCAP)


Deborah Holland: vocals
Bob Mair: bass, vermonica, kalimba
Billy Hulting: percussion, harmonica

Freudian Slip

1. My Favorite Joe (2:52) (real)
Words & music by Deborah Holland
Deborah Holland – Vocals, bass, string arrangement
Frankie Blue – Wah-Wah Acoustic Guitar
David Mansfield – Mandacello
Stewart Copeland – Drums
Rafael Padilla – Percussion
The Freudian String Quartet

2. Siamese Twins (3:12)
Words & music by Deborah Holland

3. 20/20 Vision (4:21)
Words by Deborah Holland
Music by Deborah Holland and Bonnie Hayes

4. Dog and Pony Show (3:51) (real)
Words by Deborah Holland and Richard Goldman
Music by Deborah Holland
Deborah Holland – Lead Vocal, Piano, Keyboards
Micheal Ramos – Accordion
Susie Katayama – Cello
Trey Henry – Tuba
Bob Mair – Bass
Nick Vincent – Drums
Rafael Padilla – Percussion

5. Tried and True (4:01) (real)
Words and music by Deborah Holland
Deborah Holland – Lead Vocal, Acoustic Guitar
David Mansfield – Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, Bouzouki
David Levita – Electric Guitar
Stephen Bruton – Mandolin
Bob Mair – Bass
Stewart Copeland – Drums
Rafael Padilla – Percussion
Jennifer Meller – Background Vocal, Outro Vocal Solo

6. Washington Square at Night (with thanks to André Kertesz) (3:53) (real)
Words and music by Deborah Holland
Deborah Holland – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Frankie Blue – Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Mini Moog
Ross Levinson – Violin
Jennifer Condos – Bass
Debra Dobkin – Percussion

7. Get Out of Dodge (3:47)
Words by Deborah Holland
Music by Deborah Holland and Frankie Blue

8. House of Volunteers (for Naom) (3:32)
Words and music by Deborah Holland

9. We Don't Need a Reason (3:33)
Words and music by Deborah Holland

10. Charlie Parker's Dream (4:02)
Words by Deborah Holland
Music by Deborah Holland and Frankie Blue

11. All My Friends Are Leaving (4:54)
Words and music by Deborah Holland

Book of Survival Lyrics (Tracks 1 through 6)

1. Weak at Heart (mp3) (real)
yes sir you've got a strong body
you can carry your weight and more
a constitution tough and hearty
you've made it through everything before
you know that nothing's black or white
and you're willing to put up a fight

chorus: but you're weak at heart
you cry at the drop of a hat
you're weak at heart
falling in every sentimental trap
no matter if it's real or if it's crap
and a shark can tell just by your smell
they prey on the weak at heart

by golly you've got a strong mind
your thinking is as clear as a bell
and any problem needs time
and a logical approach as well
you've learned the ropes and you know the score
and the stuff that you should plain ignore

(chorus)

not a quality that's easy to be proud of
or of which to be ashamed
I just hope as you go marching
through the wilderness
you'll never change, please stay

chorus: weak at heart
cry at the drop of a hat
stay weak at heart
fall in every sentimental trap
doesn't matter if it's real or if it's crap
though a shark can tell it's just as well
hooray for the weak at heart

2. Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher (mp3) (real)
Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher having tea,
Pinochet says "Margaret thanks for having me."
Margaret says "If only I had followed your advice,
I would still rule Britannia."

Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher eating scones,
Margaret says "With you I never feel alone."
Pinochet sighs, "Margaret you're an angel
more than twice over Princess Diana."

Pinochet is wiping something off his hands,
why it won't come off Margaret can't understand.
If Karma really happened quickly wouldn't it be nice,
someone would rot in España.

Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher
Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher
Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher
sitting down to tea.

3. Hard To Be a Human in the Universe (mp3) (real
get up in the mornin' go to sleep at night
some things I do without thinkin'
but try as I may to get it all that right
I've got this feelin' that's sinkin'
and nobody knows any better than those
in the universe, in the universe

took a vacation and changed my name
some things I do to get even
though my back was breakin' my excuse was lame
but who could blame me for leavin'
a man on my block's callin' out to his flock
he says we're doomed to crack
I cover my ears and my ship reappears
and there's no turnin' back
but while I'm sailin' I'm hearin' his curse
it's hard to be a human in the universe

but it's my sworn testimony
I will be there always for you
I'll give up all the glory
take your hand and lead you through it first
cause it's hard to be a human in the universe

black and white people in a black and white world
I'm born to that generation
I've learned my lessons I'm a move ahead girl
and that's the true explanation
cause anyone sees that with a couple of keys
the pieces seem to fit
I used to be stuck but now I'm pushin' my luck
and haven't time to quit
I've been busy I've got to rehearse
cause it's hard to a human in the universe
in the universe, in the universe

4. The Book of Survival (mp3) (real)
you were once a child, imagine that
it's hard to believe you were anything
but always in the thick of it
always in the middle of it
you can take a fact, a simple fact
twist it around til its lookin' like
a dog with a mangy view
lookin' like a lonely critter


chorus: well you're not fighting anyone
you're not fighting the world
your dark heart is your only rival
says chapter one page two
in the book of survival

once you saw a ghost, you're sure it was
you opened your eyes
it was standing in the kitchen
cooking something sweet
cooking something bitter tasting
you can knock on wood til you turn blue
but there's not a man or a woman on the planet
who can have it all
have it every minute that way

(chorus)

you already read the juiciest parts
you got to the end
now go back to the start
and read it over

chorus: cause you're not fighting anyone
no you're not fighting the world
your dark heart is your only rival
says chapter one page two
it's staring up at you
in the book of survival
the book of survival...

5. Without You by My Side (mp3) (real)
we have a bad fight
I cry "divorce"
this is ridiculous of course
cause if you dropped off the face of this planet
a part of me surely would die
and I'd never recapture my sanity
without you by my side

I have a bad night
yours is a blast
that's our dichotomy at last
but if you marched off to some other battle
a part of me would be telling a lie
if I'm sayin' I'm burstin' with levity
without you by my side

you have a good case
I have a point
is that why we're stinkin' up the joint
well if I said there's no reason to hang on
a part of me would swallow my pride
cause to imagine my life is a tragedy
without you by my side

cause if you dropped off the face of this planet
a part of me surely would die
and I'd never recapture my sanity
without you by my side
without you by my side
without you by my side...

6. I'm Sorry Now

for all the stupid things I've said
for all the times my foot's gone in my mouth
for all the hurtful things I've done
relationships that because of me went south

chorus:
I'm sorry, for whatever I did
I'm sorry, didn't mean to do it
forgive me, and if I did then I'm sorry now

well I remember I'd be proud
when flippant remarks rolled right off my tongue
now politeness is my middle name
and I regret the barbs that might have stung

(chorus)

I am striving for perfection
everybody's gonna love me
I could kiss my own reflection
there's a halo right above me

for any face I may have slapped
for balls I busted kicked right down the drain
my words and deeds were all controlled
by a chemical misfiring in my brain