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Confessions In Flannel

from The State I'm In by Ben Ballinger

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    The State I'm In - recorded straight to tape, in an all analog studio, mixed, mastered to lacquer in true analog, and pressed to vinyl. This record is straight from the horse mouth. The songs have never touched a computer. Includes full lyric liner notes, and a code for HD download of the album.

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lyrics

CONFESSIONS IN FLANNEL copyright Ben Ballinger 2014
One day I woke up empty 'cept for a question in my mind
If I was ever going to find religion, I figured this would be the time
So I walked up to the minister as he was preaching to the crowd
And I asked him earnestly "How do you interpret what is allowed?"
He said "The word of God is infallible, there's no interpretation needed,
If you study the book you'll understand and then you will believe it."
And I said "If so, then they don’t need you or the threat of hell below."
And he said "actually they do, and I'm just making it up as i go"

I walked up to the capitol that exists for its own name
The guard there said “No guns allowed.” I said "If you do the same"
So I wrote a note to the president and I asked him to explain
The purpose for the wars that kill my classmates, the wars with patriotic names
So he invited me into his oval office, he tried to be convincing and plain
He said "They hate us for our freedom, and your friends don’t die in vain."
And I said "Don’t dodge the question, this ain’t the draft and we want to know."
And suddenly he spoke unscripted and said "I'm just making it up as I go."

I left him feeling hopeless, I needed to find someone who knew
I felt so empty I hired the fortune teller down on second avenue
She said "Give me fifty dollars and the future I will show to you."
I handed her a hundred and said "Tell me the truth about what you do"
She said "Folks come in here as lost as a tourist and full of fear
I just take their money and tell them exactly what they want to hear"
And I said "But how do you do it?" "That’s just fake snow in a crystal globe."
She said "People are all the same and I'm just making it up as I go."

I found temporary solace in music and singing what I've thought
And I distract myself with purpose and try to realize all my wants
One day I was just singing, you know just living and being and
Some wise ass kid pushed his way through the crowd and interrupted me
He said "Hey you in the flannel, are you singing for me?"
"You seem to think you have achieved some sort of nobility,
Through melody and memory, but I don’t buy it I think its just a show"
I said "That’s fine by me, you bought a ticket and I'm just making it up as I go"

credits

from The State I'm In, released October 14, 2014

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Ben Ballinger Austin, Texas

Ben Ballinger makes roots music with an uncommon emotional depth and songwriting mastery. A balladeer in the truest sense, Ballinger is a craftsman, building fine-tuned melodies out of roughhewn passions. After digging deep into the Austin, Texas scene for the past few years, Ballinger stands out among the pack of would-be Country soulmen with an undeniably genuine, and original delivery. ... more

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