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The Kind of Thing That Gets Passed Down

by Becca Bessinger

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1.
The Kind of Thing That Gets Passed Down 02:57
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VERSE 1 Must have been half the town lined along the creek The preacher dunked the baby and Momma kissed her cheek Christened her one of us, the strong and the proud That’s the kind of thing that gets passed down VERSE 2 Neighbors hung and shook their heads as little Janie grew She’d kick back by the barrel with the boys drinking booze Momma warned “That bottle put your daddy in the ground” And that’s the kind of thing that gets passed down BRIDGE And don’t she have Daddy’s eyes? Dark shiny opals full of pride Does her best by God to stay clean But don’t she got the trouble gene VERSE 3 Mama kept the doors locked and kept the gun unpinned But damn if that boy didn’t sneak and find a way in Nine months later Janie borrowed Grandma's Christening gown And that’s the kind of thing that gets passed down BRIDGE And don’t she have Daddy’s eyes? Dark shiny opals full of pride Does her best by God to stay clean But don’t she got the trouble gene TAG Must have been half the town lined along the creek The preacher dunked the baby and Momma kissed his cheek And that's the kind of thing that gets passed down
2.
Move On 03:07
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VERSE 1 He says he’ll change but change is like a mountain He swears he has the guts to overcome He holds you close and begs you not to doubt him Your leaving words dissolve upon your tongue CHORUS Move on Move on VERSE 2 And so his angel wings quickly grew in And he was charming for a week or two But now more than a promise has been broken Makeup cannot hide what he's done to you CHORUS Move on Move on BRIDGE Hold your breath, count to ten Take a step, step again Get in the car, shift to drive Hit the gas, don’t waste time CHORUS Move on Move on
3.
Teddy 03:30
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VERSE 1 On family night out We left the dog at home When we pulled back in the drive He watched through the window We knew he’d been a bad boy From the guilty look he wore And the stuffing strewn across the floor told the story When we opened up the door CHORUS We found Teddy in the backyard On the woodpile near the shed We found Teddy missing parts Poor Teddy lost his head VERSE 2 My daughter cried and cried For her most beloved friend I explained his body died But that his soul was in heaven Carefully we scooped up the body Dug a hole by the tree Said a prayer and placed headless Teddy Next to armless Raggedy Andy CHORUS We found Teddy in the backyard On the woodpile near the shed We found Teddy missing parts Poor Teddy lost his head BRIDGE Next time I saw a guy driving with a dog beside him I nodded his way to say “I know” How dogs love to stir up trouble If you don’t take them when you go CHORUS We found Teddy in the backyard On the woodpile near the shed We found Teddy missing parts Poor Teddy lost his head
4.
Life Begins Right Here 02:50
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VERSE 1 I know your work is never done And that you hate to leave ends untied But I’m all alone and I’m waiting Baby it’s Friday night A 12-hour day and 8-hour pay Are just two reasons not to stay And I could make you see If you were here with me CHORUS By the tiki torch on our little porch With a cooler full of beer Get off the phone, get your ass home Life begins right here VERSE 2 Can't you just smell the burning coals? The jasmine vine and lime Buddy's bringing shrimp right off the boat He says they'll be right on time Tell the boss no, say you gotta go There’s more to do than he’ll ever know There’s a can to crack And some kickin back CHORUS By the tiki torch on our little porch With a cooler full of beer Get off the phone, get your ass home Life begins right here BRIDGE When we look back at all we’ve done I wanna see a whole lot of fun A 12-hour day and 8-hour pay Are just two reasons not to stay And I could make you see If you were here with me CHORUS By the tiki torch on our little porch With a cooler full of beer Get off the phone, get your ass home Life begins right here TAG Barefoot on the sun-baked wood The dancing kicks in gear Our lazy hound and good friends around Life begins right here
5.
A Crooked Road 03:46
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A Crooked Road By Becca Bessinger ©2014 VERSE 1 My father’s cousin, Abraham, left home at sixteen Left that wooden shack with the front porch sagging and leaning Left his mama to rock her chair all day with a head full of demons He learned one thing about life there – it’s silent or it’s screaming He cried when he said goodbye But he knew he had to go CHORUS Abraham walked away down a crooked road, a crooked road All he had and all he knows is a heavy load and a crooked road VERSE 2 Abraham made a family and I grew up with his daughters As little girls we often saw him spread out on the floor with empty bottles We never heard the voices that grew louder as he fought 'em His wife was barely spared as the rocking chair hit the wall at full throttle He cried when he said goodbye But he knew he had to go CHORUS Abraham walked away down a crooked road, a crooked road All he had and all he knows is a heavy load and a crooked road BRIDGE When his grandson came along he tried to get clean Swore to be a better man than what his kids had seen But he missed it all Painted dreams, throwing ball For the hug of alcohol CHORUS Abraham walked away down a crooked road, a crooked road All he had and all he knows is a heavy load and a crooked road
6.
Not Forgotten 04:20
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VERSE 1 I see clothes pins holding a sundress of indigo I almost see you with your basket bending low I know the sun baked your face as you hung linen sheets Sheets that never made a bed for you to lay your swollen cheek CHORUS You used to sing mournful, soulful hymns In my home town, when this land was all cotton I can still hear your voice ride on the wind And I promise you, you are not forgotten VERSE 2 Kids now play around abandoned relics of the farm Laughing and climbing, tugging on the wood plow arm That old plow holds memories your family carried Now salted and rusted, broken and half-buried CHORUS You used to sing mournful, soulful hymns In my home town, when this land was all cotton I can still hear your voice ride on the wind And I promise you, you are not forgotten

credits

released September 1, 2016

All songs written by Becca Bessinger except Life Begins Right Here: lyrics by Becca Bessinger and music by Becca Bessinger and Pete Ballou.

Becca Bessinger, lead and backing vocals; Danny Parks, acoustic and electric guitars and mandolin; Chad Cromwell, drums; Dane Bryant, keyboards; Jimmy Carter, bass. Produced by Becca Bessinger and Danny Parks.

All vocals recorded by Becca Bessinger, Charleston, SC. All other instruments recorded by Danny Parks at Long Hollow Sound, Nashville, TN. Mixed by Eric Rickert, Charleston, SC. Mastered by Joey Crawford, Nashville, TN.

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Becca Bessinger Charleston, South Carolina

I write songs that I hope other artists will sing. But they also mean a lot to me! This EP is a 6-song collection of the ones that mean the most right now. I also perform locally sometimes as part of an original, cow-pop band called Satellite Rodeo and as part of an original duo called The Letter Show. This collection of recordings is my first solo record. Thanks for listening! ... more

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