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Four Chords and a Lie

by Mark Utley

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1.
WAITIN' ON RUBY RAYE (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) Pour me out another one, make it tall and strong Won't somebody play for me an old-time Country song I might be sittin' in this bar until the light of day I'm just waitin' on my Ruby Raye If you knew my Ruby, boys, I'm sure you'd understand She's the kind of woman makes you glad to be a man Rough around the edges like an untamed mountain stream Lordy, how I love my Ruby Raye I love the way she looks at me, I love the way she sways Love the mischief in her eyes, I love her natural way Love the way she touches me, I love the way she lays I love it every time she comes my way Oh, she tells me that I'm crazy and I do believe she's right Will I see her? She says maybe So I wait for her all night Like my heart and soul and blood, she's all inside of me Like some kind of long-forgotten mountain memory Guess that you could say that I've been waiting all my life I can't live without my Ruby Raye I love the way she looks at me, I love the way she sways Love the promise in her eyes, I love her natural way Love the way she kisses me, I love the way she lays I love it every time she comes my way Pour me out another one, make it tall and strong Won't somebody play for me an old Hank Williams song I've got more empty bottles than there's people in this bar But I keep waitin' on my Ruby Raye I keep waitin' on my Ruby Raye I keep waitin' on my Ruby Raye
2.
NOT ALL RIGHT TOGETHER (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) I see you on that barstool down the row from mine You've been staring deep into that glass for a long, long time I see your eyes have known some tears Much the same as mine And I see you're drinkin' bourbon I'll take that as a sign There's a ring around your finger, and rings under your eyes I'm guessin' that he left you, I'm guessin' that he lied And me, I'm waitin' for a girl who never will come home And it's a shame that two such lonesome hearts Should feel so all alone You know, I got a little place, it's just right down the road I got a little bourbon and I got nowhere to go We both lost forever, so put your pain with mine Let's be not all right together Darlin', one night at a time Now the man is sayin' "closing time", so baby, take my hand If you can be my girl tonight, then, darlin', I'm your man You know, you look a lot like her when I close my eyes And if you tell me what he used to say, I'll try to say it right And I know that he took your dreams the way that she took mine But what we have tonight may be the closest thing we'll find So, darlin', I can show you yours if you can show me mine Let's be not all right together Darlin', one night at a time Let's be not all right together Darlin', one night at a time
3.
NOTHIN' BUT TIME (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) I been thinkin' and drinkin' and losin' my mind And drownin' my sorrow in whiskey and wine For a damned fool on a barstool, the hours crawl by 'Cause you left me with nothin' but time Some empties, some memories, the same every night 'Cause downtown at sundown is where I get right But I done wrong for too long, with no end in sight 'Cause you left me with nothin' but time A man without his woman is wanderin' blind Searching for comfort and troubled in mind Surrounded by strangers, alone in a crowd A heavy heart draggin' him down I been thinkin' about you, woman, and crossin' that line 'Cause you left me with nothin' but time A man without his woman can never be free And if he can't let go, he'll wind up like me Livin' for something he won't live to see Oh, my darlin', please come back to me I been thinkin' and drinkin' and losin' my mind 'Cause you left me with nothin' but time Yeah, you left me with nothin' but time
4.
Make Me 03:06
MAKE ME (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) Some folks, they make lots of money Some folks make other folks mad Some folks, they do make a whole lot of noise Some folks, they make themselves sad But you, girl, just make me crazy ‘Cause I want to make time with you I’ll make you a drink and I’ll make you a song A sweet one, sung only for you I’ll make you an egg salad sandwich And I’ll make you smile when you’re blue We’ll paint the town red or we’ll unmake the bed Whatever, girl, you want to do 'Cause you make my heart beat faster And if it don’t make sense to you We’ll make it up, darlin’, as we go along No one makes me feel like you do I don’t want to make you regret me I don’t want to make a big scene I just want to tell you how happy you make me And you know I don’t make much money And I probably will make you mad And sometimes I will make a whole lot of noise But I never will make you sad I’ll make time for you every evenin’ And I’ll make the bad go away And when it gets dark, girl, we’ll make us a spark And I’ll make you call out my name ‘Cause baby, you do make me crazy And I want to make time with you I’ll make you a drink and I’ll make you a song A sweet one, sung only for you
5.
LITTLE BLACK DRESS (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) Long black hair, little black dress The way you look tonight, oh my lord, I must confess I am a bad, bad man and my thoughts have gone astray I need a bad, bad girl to help me lose my way Oh lord I’m burnin’ up, I may need a nurse Someone to hold my hand while we go from bad to worse Oh my soul, don’t know what I’m gonna do Can’t think of anything tonight ‘cept what I want to do to you I want your lips on mine, your back against the wall I want my hands in that hair, I want that dress down on the floor I am a bad, bad man and my heart has gone astray I need a bad, bad girl to help me lose my way Long black hair, little black dress The way you look tonight, oh my lord, I must confess I want your lips on mine, your back against the wall I want my hands in that hair, I want that dress down on the floor I am a bad, bad man and my heart has gone astray I need a bad, bad girl to help me lose my way
6.
TELL ME AGAIN (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) Tell me how you want so bad to find your heart a home Tell me how you’re tired of sleepin’ in that bed alone Call me on the telephone and tell me Everything is wrong Tell me how you want so bad to find someone to love Tell me how you’re waiting on some blessing from above Tell me how this someone that you look for Is so hard to find Tell me again that you’re so lonesome And you’re always on your own Tell me that you’re afraid you’ve chosen To spend your life alone Tell me how you want someone who feels exactly like I do Tell me again Tell me again And I’ll sit right here and listen And I’ll hold you while you cry Lookin’ high and low for something That’s right before your eyes Tell me how you want so bad to find your heart a home Tell me how you’re tired of sleepin’ in that bed alone Call me on the telephone and tell me Everything is wrong Tell me again that you’re so lonesome And you’re always on your own Tell me that you’re afraid you’ve chosen To spend your life alone Tell me how you want someone who loves you just the way I do Tell me again Tell me again Tell me again Tell me again
7.
BLACKBIRD ON THE WIRE (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) Baby, I can’t breathe as I watch you sleep You have no idea, the secrets that I keep Underneath our bed, a suitcase packed to go Someone waits for me And I just don’t love you anymore Somewhere down the road, maybe time will show If I’m right or wrong, baby, I don’t know But I just can’t take the way I make you cry I’m not worthy of any of the love you have for me I don’t really know why we fell apart I just feel so sad for your broken heart By tomorrow night, baby, I’ll be gone Blackbird on the wire Singing me a song to bring me home
8.
OUT IN CALIFORNIA (WITH KENTUCKY ON MY MIND) (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) Hello, baby Did I wake you with the phone? Were you sleepin’? Are you lyin’ there alone? I’m just callin’ ‘Cause I’m out here on the road with too much time Yeah, I’m out in California With Kentucky on my mind I keep on playin’ every honky tonk and dive And I keep prayin’ for a little peace of mind I just miss you And I love you, girl, with every song I write And I’m out in California With Kentucky on my mind Are you okay? Are you happy with your life? Do you love him? Are you gonna be his wife? Girl, I’m sorry I know I shouldn’t call you up so late at night But I’m out in California With Kentucky on my mind Yeah, I’m out in California With Kentucky on my mind
9.
THE SOUTHBOUND LANE (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) You and me is my favorite place to me Girl, there’s no better company To ease my mind and chase my sorrow How I dream of you walkin’ there next to me With no particular place to be Underneath a southern sky Baby, let’s drive in the southbound lane Let’s get out of here They’re callin’ for rain Oh, the things we could see If you only believed in me Come on, baby, it’s a beautiful drive It’s everything good about bein’ alive Oh, the things we could be If you only believed in me We’d take the southbound lane It ain’t hard We could buy us a little farm Put a baby girl on your arm Darlin’, let yourself imagine Windows down, wind blowin’ your hair around Listen to how the country sounds On our way to somewhere better If you’re tired of livin’ in your day-to-day Girl, I’m up for drivin’ any time I got the engine hummin’ I’ll keep the motor runnin’ Just in case you wanna take a drive You and me is my favorite place to be Oh, the things we could be If you only believed in me We’d take the southbound lane
10.
SAY A PRAYER FOR ME (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music, BMI) I’ve been tryin’ to live my life Tryin’ to do what’s right Tryin’ to find some reason to believe I’ve been tryin’ to do my best Live with my regrets And let go of the guilt inside of me But seeing myself honestly Is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do I’m not where I thought I’d be But sometimes I can see Glimpses of a better place and time Where I can forgive myself And love somebody else Free myself from all the chains that bind So if you ever think of me Sometimes if I ever cross your mind Would you say prayer for me Would you say prayer for me Sometime, in the silence of your life Would you say prayer for me

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released July 29, 2013

Mark Utley is the songwriter and male voice behind Magnolia Mountain, one of the midwest’s most acclaimed and prolific Americana/Roots Rock bands, with four full-band albums and multiple regional Band-Album-Songwriter of the Year nominations to his credit.

“Four Chords and a Lie” is Utley’s solo debut, a 50/50 mix of five straight-up Honky Tonk Country originals performed with his all-star side project Bulletville and five more stripped-down originals performed solo or duet-style with vocalist Renee Frye.

Soulful, haunting, and pure, “Four Chords and a Lie” takes the listener down a moonlit road from good-time Honky Tonk revelry to melancholy late-night reverie.

“Four Chords and a Lie” is available on vinyl LP, compact disc, and digital download on the This Is American Music label.

"Like a sculptor who has immense respect for the permanence of the stone but also implicitly trusts his chisel and creative vision, Utley shapes the raw material of Americana’s various stylistic permutations into songs that are comfortably familiar yet blazingly original." - Brian Baker, CityBeat

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Mark Utley Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter Mark Utley is the driving force behind the acclaimed roots-rock/Americana band Magnolia Mountain, the honky-tonk Country outfit Bulletville, and the two "Music for the Mountains" fundraising concerts and compilation albums. ... more

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