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The Folk Opera

by Annie Bacon

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1.
[Elizabeth] So it’s Thursday, in the morning I called him, he said he’d be here Said he’d be open, I’m not joking Or was I dreaming? Was I drunk then? Did I invent an entire phone call? He said he’d be here, he said he’d be open [Elizabeth + Townsfolk Choir] What do we do now? We drove for hours to get here [Elizabeth] And Aunt Sara’s hard to transport With her dementia, her weak hips, And the price of gas which bleeds me dry Then there’s the Volvo, that’s why we drove here There’s no one else who knows how to fix it Unless I drive into New Hampshire [Elizabeth + Townsfolk Choir] What do we do now? We drove for hours to get here [Elizabeth] I swear I called him, he said he’d be here Said he’d be open 12 to 5 This shop’s deserted
2.
Interlude #1 00:32
[Elizabeth + harmony] Load ‘em up Aunt Sara Load ‘em up and off to town We’ve done an awful lot of driving Now we’ll have to hang around
3.
[Elizabeth + harmony] Do you remember, Aunt Sara, when this was a dirt road? Do you remember how the maples used to hang low? The trees formed a tunnel that we would drive through And on the brightest day, the sun barely touched you Oh the roads get paved, don’t they? They say it’s progress, but it passes by the rest of us Do you remember, Aunt Sara, when Eddie used to live here? He had 8 or 9 kids and one of them couldn’t hear He never heard the car coming down the paved road The whole town paid his care till he could walk again Oh the roads get paved, don’t they? They say it’s progress, but it passes by the rest of us I think developers are murders, they kill the beauty We can drive faster now, but I don’t care, I’d rather drive slowly oooh oooh oooh oooh Do you remember, Aunt Sara, when this was a dirt road? Do you remember how the maples used to hang low?
4.
[Aunt Sara] Hey, girl Watch your mouth, girl I don’t like the way you talk, girl I don’t like the way you look Let me out of the car right now [Elizabeth] This is not like you You are not this mean This is your disease I won’t let you out No, no, no, no [Repeat both verses together]
5.
You Forget 02:15
[Elizabeth] You forget My name everyday But I don’t mind, I don’t mind It must be hard to forget Where you are, who you’re with All the time, all the time And I’m sorry for the trouble of this little trip For all that I knew, it was going to be quick You can get out, walk around When we get to the town And look, here we are, here we are I forget How small towns can be Everyone staring at us, staring at us And it’s clear that we’ll have to wait in this café I only hope we won’t be here all day Take a look at the old man over there Looks like he’s seen a ghost, he’s seen a ghost Is that someone that you know? Well, you wouldn’t if you did But he’s coming here, he’s coming here
6.
Oh My 02:13
[Old Man] Oh, my My lady, you’re beautiful Oh, my A triumph of agelessness I’m a young man again In the shadow of your grace [Aunt Sara] Who is this man? Do I know you? Pardon me, but just who are you? Old man, stay away from me [Old Man] Oh, my My lady, you’re clever too Oh, my You speak like an angel I’ll be your old fool If you’ll be my sweet lady [Aunt Sara] Chatter all you want to chatter I don’t know you, you don’t matter Old man, stay away from me [Elizabeth] Sara, who are you? This man’s trying to woo you I’m sorry sir, dementia You know how it goes [Old Man] Oh, my She’s from heaven, I know it Oh, my Sent from God to spare the loneliness Come inside with me, I pray A cup of coffee, I’ll pay
7.
Rita 02:55
[Old Man] Every day, I come to this café, to drink my coffee I’m not alone, we come in droves, it’s our second home here Rita serves everyday but Sunday, and sometimes Tuesday She’s got a daughter, named after her mother, who serves on Wednesday Seven years ago, her husband left her for a woman half his age Rita knows every person’s order and knows their pain Knows how Paul needs silent solace for the loss of his son Then there’s Jocko, who lives a good life, married a good wife Rita suspects he’s the only man in town who’s happy Still, no one really knows ‘cause he never speaks a word [Old Man + Townsfolk Choir] Every day, we come to this café, to drink our coffee To feel less alone, we come in droves, it’s our second home here
8.
[Rita] What’ll it be honey? Paying with cash money? Fry cook is on vacation So we only have the grill station Coffee is fresh all day Is this for here or take away? Is this for here or take away? Do you want cheese on that? Ok if the coke’s a little flat? Bottled or tap water? How’s your oldest daughter? Be back on Monday, I believe Make sure you say goodbye before you leave Make sure you say goodbye before you leave If I don’t write it, I’ll forget Honey, I’m not the type to bet The special today’s homemade pot roast Rye, white, or wheat for your toast? You’ve shaved your beard, well, look at that Your little Charlie’s getting fat Your little Charlie’s getting fat [Rita + harmony] Honey, I’ve been here since 5 a.m. You can’t count the number of varicose veins Spidery webs creeping up my thighs Even my shoes have started to apologize I’ll bring the check right around Your wallet’s in the lost and found These walls have seen a thing or two Babies grow up and work here too Since when did you take your coffee black? [Rita + Townsfolk Choir] Honey be sure to come on back (come on back) Honey be sure to come on back (come on back) Honey be sure to come on back (come on back) Honey be sure to come on back (come on back)
9.
[Elizabeth] I remember this place I remember that face It’s a long time since I’ve been in this café There was a time I thought the world Went no further than the birch tree In the back yard There was a time when I thought broken glass Was diamonds Still every chance that I could I made spaceships out of wood Anything to take me away [Elizabeth + harmony] Oh oh oh [Elizabeth] And as I grew I came to see That I was meant to learn my limits And live inside them The edge of town was like a belt That cinched too tight And the kids were so cruel Everyday at school There was nothing worse to be than me [Elizabeth + harmony] So I got away Oh oh oh [Elizabeth] And I never thought I would be back
10.
Interlude #2 00:33
[Elizabeth + harmony] Time to check on the mechanic Time to see if he’s decided to show We can’t spend our whole day here I’ll go call, and then it’s time to go
11.
[Old Man] Is it too soon to tell you that I love you? The way your eyes are drenched in wrinkles all around The aqua net curls that frame your tiny forehead This lonely winter is starting to thaw It’s been a long one this time around But you’re my crocus you are You’re pushing through frozen ground The surest sign that life goes on [Aunt Sara] I don’t know you, I can’t place your face I had a love once with a mouth just like yours Maybe you are him, maybe, I don’t know This wild ocean is starting to calm It’s gotten hard to hold on for long But you’re my Poseidon you are You’re holding off the treacherous tide And I can see beyond the waves [Together] Is it too soon to tell you that I love you? We’re getting old now, we might as well say Grab a hold of life and love while we’re still here This little fire is starting to burn When you’re close to the end It’s better to have a lamp light your way I’ll be your lamp, I’ll light the dark And love will carry us home
12.
The Argument 02:24
[Mechanic] Hello? [Elizabeth] Yesterday, in a fit of preparation Thinking of all the things there were to do I called you, I called you It isn’t easy to transport an aging woman Her fragile bones and mind could break at any time But I called you, I called you And then today, because of what you said I drove for hours to get to you Because you’d be open You said you’d be open But when reality called on my behalf Suddenly, there were we standing in the draft Of an empty shop, how could this be? Why did you lie to me? Now we’re stuck in some Podunk little town Wasting time and waiting when we ought to be debating The price of labor, how could this be? Why did you lie to me? [Mechanic] Well, I said I’d be open, I never said I’d be here [Elizabeth] Is this some kind of joke? Is your mind so small that you would answer my call With this worthless drivel, I’m sorry, I’m angry I don’t understand, we’re coming over now [Elizabeth + harmony] Please don’t leave
13.
[All] Fire’s in the kitchen Fire’s in the kitchen Who’s in the kitchen Who’s in the kitchen Fire’s in the kitchen Someone’s got to put it out Smoke’s in the kitchen Someone’s in the kitchen Fire’s in the kitchen Fire’s in the kitchen Someone’s got the kitchen The rest of you have got to get out [Repeat 1 & 2] Fire’s in the kitchen Fire’s in the kitchen Boy, go get some water Boy, go get some water Throw the water at The fire in the kitchen, boy [Boom!] Now the fire’s burning Now the fire’s burning Fire’s all around, now Fire’s all around, now Now the fire’s burning Someone call the STFD
14.
[Elizabeth + Townsfolk Choir] Sara, Sara, Sara, Sara, Sara, Sara, Sara?
15.
I Remember 03:31
[Aunt Sara] I remember when Charlotte walked up those old stairs Like a fresh young woman without any cares But the cancer had eaten, she was almost gone And a few weeks later, she was I remember how Eric showed his teeth when he smiled A redhead with eyes mischievous or beguiled He was taken too soon, no one knows why And the trial sent one man to jail I remember William in our home on Arch Street With his 26 grandchildren there at his feet When Carol died, he said, “I’ll be the next” And a few weeks later, he was My mind fails me now Won’t be long, I will join them, I will Don’t be sad when I’m gone The heart only has so much room for breaking I remember when Ian died, it was night There was a beautiful sunset, my God, what a sight But the cancer had eaten, he was just 21 And his sister was there when he died I remember my Hannah with her long honey hair Smiling and sinking into her chair But a winter night came And the ice flipped her car And her mother, she never recovered I remember the gentle Benjamin DeFaunt He was the first son of my late husband’s aunt He loved me, I loved him But our love could not be And in time, he just disappeared My mind fails me now Won’t be long, I will join them I will Don’t be sad when I’m gone The heart only has so much room for breaking I remember them all so well [Dies]
16.
17.
Finale 03:21
[Jocko] Do you need a phone? [Garrison] Do you need some tea? [Richard] I can drive you home [Alicia Grace] You want to stay with me? [Townsfolk] Is there someone we can call? You shouldn’t try to talk Lean against this wall Here, I’ll help you walk She was smiling when she passed That ought to ease your heart Tragedies, they always come on fast It was a terrible mistake Throwing water onto oil A bitter twist of fate Brought you to this soil It wasn’t just your aunt We lost the old man, too Benjamin DeFaunt Of Colusa Avenue [Elizabeth] Benjamin DeFaunt Gentle Benjamin DeFaunt [Townsfolk repeat first two verses + chorus with Elizabeth underneath] [Elizabeth] . . . Stranger, he was not a stranger . . . He knew there was danger, he came to soothe her . . . Like a father sings to his child when the thunder breaks . . . He held her hand, he walked with her the whole way . . . What more can a person ask? . . . Somehow it does . . . they always come on fast [All] They were smiling when they went And that eases our hearts There’s love in death, it isn’t just the end [fin]
18.

about

Written and composed on the ukulele during a 6-week trip on two distant continents, recorded live at The Tower Studios in SF’s Mission District, and self-released digitally and on vinyl in December 2010, Annie Bacon’s The Folk Opera is a haunting and triumphant extended musical suite written for ukulele, upright bass, fiddle, trumpet, and multiple voices.

Described by various delighted listeners as a diverse and eclectic cross between A Prairie Home Companion, Neko Case, John Darnielle, Patty Griffin, Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” traditional American folk musicals such as “Oklahoma,” and Bob Dylan’s “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid” Soundtrack, Annie Bacon’s The Folk Opera is, in fact, a musical world unto itself, with few, if any, antecedents in musical history.

In just over a year and fewer than 20 performances, The Folk Opera has achieved a grassroots following so dedicated that the live recording sessions were fully funded by donations from avid fans. Mixed and mastered
by ex-Fantasy Records staff engineer David Luke (who worked with Jefferson Starship, Mike Marshall, and The
Grateful Dead, among others) The Folk Opera translates equally well to recorded media as it has to the live
stage.

Featuring some of the Bay Area music scene’s most up-and-coming stars, the recording and live show highlight
Joe Lewis (Os Beaches, Honeycomb) on the upright bass, Elizabeth Greenblatt (the OSHEN) singing the lead
character, Joel Dean vocalizing the Old Man and the Mechanic, Savannah Jo Lack (Ruth Gerson), giving voice
to Aunt Sara and playing fiddle, and Annie Bacon herself, playing the ukulele and singing Rita, the waitress.

The haunting and simple melodies, beautiful soaring harmonies and captivating folk and bluegrass rhythms
are memorable after only one hearing, the characters are so indelibly drawn, you’ll feel like you know them,
and the story – tracing the events of a single afternoon that expand into life-changing moments for a few
different people in a small town – is as timeless as classic literature. Described by reviewers as “transfixing” and “almost indescribably poignant and beautiful,” The Folk Opera is a comedy, a tragedy, and a love story. It will make you smile, and it will likely make you cry. And in the meantime, you’ll want to sing along and maybe get up and dance.

[Geoff Bouvier]

credits

released December 2, 2010

Elizabeth Greenblatt (Elizabeth)
Savannah Jo Lack (violin, Aunt Sara)
Joel Dean Stockdill (Old Man, Mechanic)
Annie Bacon (ukulele, Rita)
Joe Lewis (upright bass)
Dave Scott (trumpet)

Townsfolk:
Karl-Mauks Koepke (Jocko)
Megan Keeley (Garrison)
Geoff Bouvier (Richard)
Lady Sunrise (Alicia Grace)
Kate Cockrill
Howie Cockrill
Caitlin Fahey
Benjamin Thorne
Benny Lee


All songs written/composed by Annie Bacon
Arrangements by Annie Bacon, Savannah Jo Lack and Joe Lewis


Engineered, Mixed, Mastered by David Luke
Engineering assistance from Cristian Hernandez
Produced by Annie Bacon
Recorded live at The Tower Studios, San Francisco July 12-13, 2010
Mixed and Mastered at Ninth Street Opus Studios, Berkeley

Explosion crafted by Joseph Van Geffen
Album art by Geninne D. Zlatkis www.geninne.com
Album design by Christopher Ross

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The Folk Opera San Francisco, California

Written and composed on the ukulele during a 6-week trip on two distant continents,recorded live at The Tower Studios in SF’s Mission District, and self-released digitally and on vinyl in December 2010, Annie Bacon’s The Folk Opera is a haunting and triumphant extended musical suite written for ukulele, upright bass, fiddle, trumpet, and multiple voices. ... more

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