Like The River To The Sea

Описание: Kelly’s Story: How the Trilogy Was Born

“Mack pulled out this old piece of paper one day—creased and soft at the edges, like it had been folded into a wallet and forgotten, then remembered.
No date on it, but he said he wrote it up in Northern Wisconsin, on Bass Lake. Said he remembered the loons that night, and how the moon lit the dock like a stage no one asked for.
That story sat quiet for years. But it never left him. And when the time was right, it bloomed into three songs.
We were just across the Kentucky line when it started to take shape. No audience, no show. Just a little studio with pine walls, a space heater ticking like a clock, and Mack with his guitar.
He said, ‘Let’s keep it simple. Two chords. One guitar. Songs anyone can carry.’
I asked him why. He said, ‘Because the story’s not mine if no one else can sing it, these three songs are for, let’s have a time right now.’
And over the course of a year and a few weeks, the trilogy came together—Like the River to the Sea, Buttermilk and Bullshit, Cajun French.
I told him, ‘Mack, there’s only a few writers who could do this well. Maybe Prine. Maybe Anaïs Mitchell. Maybe Woody, if he were still around. Not many would even care to try. Not for the folk community. Not for the ones who just want to hum along.’
Mack just grinned that crooked grin and said, ‘Dylan was a dick.’ You’d be surprised what Mack gets away with, and I speak in jest.
And I thought, maybe it’s that smile. Or maybe it’s the way he never pretends to be more than he is.
But I know this—he knew Dylan was a grand songwriter. And Mack? He just wants to write songs that make room for everybody.
We don’t play these songs to shine. We play ’em so others can. That’s the Hollowpoint way.”

Here’s the first song of the trilogy, From The River To The Sea.
We hope you enjoy the song. Cheers 😉


From The River To The Sea
By Mack Hollowpoint

Key: G major, Chords: G – C
Feel: Easy sway, 3/4 or 6/8 waltz
Strum: Down-down-up, soft and steady
Tempo: Slow and warm, like a river current
Performance note: Invite the room to hum the chorus by the second pass. Works solo or with a crowd.

Intro: G – C – G – C
“Let’s see if we can make each other smile.”

Verse 1
[G] Will you walk with me, will you [C] stay a little while
[G] Just to see if I can [C] make you smile
[G] To see if there’s anything [C] in me
[G] That could fill your heart’s [C] needs, if you please

Verse 2
[G] Let’s go hand in hand down [C] to the river
[G] Dream about how it [C] finds the bay
[G] And how it rolls on [C] out to the sea
[G] To those islands I [C] learned in geography

Verse 3
[G] Whisper in my ear the [C] things you want to believe
[G] Even if you don’t [C] know how
[G] Like how buttermilk [C] comes from a cow
[G] I’ll nod and say, “Well, [C] I guess that’s true now”

Verse 4
[G] Tell me your dreams, even [C] if I’m not in ’em
[G] But make one up for us, [C] make it a little saucy
[G] Say you like my smile, [C] though my teeth ain’t straight
[G] They’re still good for [C] chewing steak on a plate

Verse 5
[G] Run your hands through my [C] hair, say the grey looks fine
[G] I’ll pretend I don’t [C] know you dye yours sometimes
[G] And when you think I’m [C] out on the porch
[G] I’ll hear you fart and [C] love you more, of course

Verse 6
[G] Promise me you’ll never [C] try to impress me
[G] By speaking Spanish, [C] I’ll just call the bank
[G] Let’s learn Cajun [C] French instead
[G] It sounds better in [C] bed, or so you said

Verse 7
[G] There’s a bistro up the [C] street, not Paree
[G] But we can try our [C] luck with escargot and tea
[G] Then catch a matinee [C] or a picture show
[G] And laugh at things we [C] don’t need to know

[Verse 8]
[G] Let’s buy a scrapbook, [C] fill it with our days
[G] Bubble gum wrappers, [C] ticket stubs, and plays
[G] Maybe one for public [C] nudity fines
[G] Everyone needs a [C] little wine sometimes

Verse 9
[G] I’m not looking for [C] Romeo and Juliet
[G] All that poetry [C] pissed away on regret
[G] I’d trade it for a [C] chapter or two
[G] From the Kama Sutra [C] and a little dancing too

Outro Verse
[G] Don’t try too hard, [C] just let it be
[G] Let it flow like the [C] river to the sea
[G] Don’t try too hard, [C] just let it be
[G] Let it flow like the [C] river to the sea

Outro G – C – G – C – G
End on G, let ring