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February Fables

by Paul Otteson

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a high quality single disc wallet from Sooper Dooper of Madison, WI; with layout, design, and illustration by Eric Stykel.

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1.
The Astronomer (free) 03:03
Strain to see, by God my only question The blurs of light upon celestial plane Speak no words, I see your voice around me As wonder burns my heart with hopeful flame If she danced above to hidden thunder If these moments lost were felt in rain If I filled my bones with light from heaven Would I ever see those eyes again? Stared above for years, or maybe longer Wished to see a future past the blue Gazed at hopes a million miles or further Lost my love beyond the lonely moon Time it seems does not require an answer Search and dream, however, if you will Lest you turn your eyes to earthly matters The stars will never fulfill
2.
Though I'm tired, and my timeline Is full of countless cheats and lies, I'm gonna try Maybe for the first time Maybe for the last time Though I'm scared, of all these Inadequacies, I feel prepared Maybe for the first time Maybe for the last time Though I'm sad, that she left me If I have to tear my heart from my chest, I'm gonna move on Maybe for the first time Maybe for the last time Though I'm lazy, and possibly crazy I'm gonna get my ass out of bed before the break of dawn Maybe for the first time Maybe for the last time
3.
Across the bar he saw her Bathed in smokey armor Showing more then most could afford A woman soft and slender Wearing faded leather With a smile, that seemed to offer more "Would that I could give her Simple pleasures But I'm just a gunslingin' man" Asked the old bartender "Where's her father? That I may, as his daughter's hand" "Son, you're looking at him Though I fear your askin' Knowing well, you're a killing man" "Show me god faith, calm our fears Give me your blade, and your Smith and Wesson The her hand I'll gladly accord" He gave them without question Burdens burried Oh his heart, was over joyed Bartender both smile and aimed, then pulled the trigger Shattered glass, upon the floor "Would that you could give her Simple pleasures But you're just a gunslingin' man"
4.
I left my home, left my home Left, took what I could carry Found a strange land A nomad, trying to be merry Thought I'd be, all there was to be The sun was hot, sun was hot For the worse, not the better The air was dry And my voice, my voice began to quiver Thought I'd see, all there was to see I saw a shape move, shape move Stir between the shadows Felt our eyes meet As if something was to happen Thought I'd risk, all there was to risk When the shot fired, I knew Knew my trip had ended Was I sad, no, I should've Expected it to happen I was not made to live like this But I can't complain, no for to die like this
5.
I've got a challenge for you sister To finally see who's stronger, More daring, who's swifter At breaking hearts Stop a man from ever loving another again See that man with his head in the clouds Walking the beach, and singing out loud He is the one A dreamer, the source of all our fun Steal his heart, and with it run The first returned with defeat on her face When asked of his heart, she hesitated to say He fell in love quickly It seemed my beauty had captured his soul When he asked to marry me I laughed, and said the cruelest things that I could His heart was crushed, but not for good See that man with his head in the clouds Walking the beach, and singing out loud He is the one A dreamer, the source of all our fun Steal his heart, and with it run The second returned with a smile on her face When asked of his heart, she gladly did say He fell in love quickly It seemed my beauty had captured his soul When he asked to marry me I found myself in love, and told him I would He'll never love another, as long as it's good See that man with his head in the clouds Walking the beach, and singing out loud He is the one
6.
Sir if you please I need a ride to the other side This country's not for me Gotta find a place where I can go and hide I've done bad things, I've murdered a man I steal, lie, drink, and when the bottle's empty, do it again I don't know if I can trust you You've been down the darkest road How do I know you won't just kill me Steal my cash, my car, my load? Trust me son, I've seen your type run There's no sense in those bones for what you've done Lord knows I am not worth saving but I have this one request This bullet in my gut is aching I need a hospital to survive this mess If I killed you I'd surely die too Help me cross this desert and we'll be through His answer sat just fine with me he hopped on board and we started to soar Many miles away from the nearest town He pulled a knife I'd never seen before Knowing he would also die I asked "Why?" "It's in my nature." he said with a sigh "It's in my nature." he said with a sigh
7.
Convinced I was a broken window I didn't mind the looks Their cameras captured all my shadows The villan in an unread book Yeah, my billows blackened And my liver cooked It wasn't scripted I just played the part of the crook Well past starlight, a young sparrow Tried to crack the safe And though she's blind to my world unkind She wore an angel's face Yeah, her song was sunshine And ambition space Her agenda to rewind And find where love lost its place Calmly, she said to me, "Give me one look And I can see the battlefield ragin' You cannot veil what isn't forgiven Your whole life can not be hidden."
8.
Neighbor, smile, the sun shines For it sees in you a splendor Fairest skin, eyes so blue The sky demands you tell your secret Whisper softly to the wind You must always feel the envy of your friends And your Mother, is she beautiful? You are kind, but know the sun shines Far beyond my brief allure You've the gift, words so true Carved upon the stone They will live on forever You must know by now, with greatness comes a toll Ask my Mother, she was beautiful..
9.
Let the time travel without me It's in my head, down to my toes The colors wide and frightening Had to ask the wind, which way it blows It blows toward Adam when you're tired Charlie when you're far away Needles on the counter Blood in the drain It blows toward Mary when you're lonely Angel when you're in pain Needles on the counter Blood in the drain Let the sky overwhelm me There are spiders in my mind Wrapped in a web of endless pleasure Had to ask the sun, which way it shines It shines toward Adam when you're tired Charlie when you're far away Needles on the counter Blood in the drain It shines toward Mary when you're lonely Angel when you're in pain Needles on the counter Blood in the drain Let these needs suffocate me I bite my tongue, to taste the stars Humming a song long forgotten Had to ask myself, did I go too far?
10.
I know your song I heard the autumn wind pull it along Dancing soft among the moonbeams You pulled upon my heartstrings There has never been, nor will ever be A song as sad, or as true as thee When you were mine I hoped you'd sing so sweetly all the time calm the troubled thoughts In my head, but you just left and said "Waste no pain on what you cannot keep Or sorrows name you'll always weep."
11.
These arms weren't made for mistakes You should know You've seen them both break And the strength that's left in my heart Only beats pain When danger is dark Still I'd risk it's blood for you We've never seen A blade flash twice Nor felt the gleam Of red moonlight But I believe If bullets bite You can trust on me to fight It's not hard to see Men have only Ever grown weak All plagued with unease We've not found a cause for which we'll bleed Not the sigh, nor the parching of The weathered throats, the silent tongues Not the cry for the meager right To take the hand of your chosen love Not the dance to a world unsaved Compelled to drown in an oily grave No see, we are raised To let this sorrow fade It is our apathy that endures the blame We've never seen A blade flash twice Nor felt the gleam Of red moonlight But I must believe When bullets fly We will stand with all our might Can I count on you to fight? Can I count on you to fight?

about

February has long been a solemn month. Cold and dreary skies all too often quell the hopes of an early spring, leaving one to ponder the bitterness of the world and the errs of years past. Weatherworn and growing desolate, Paul Otteson set out to fill the void of these lifeless days; with song. The outcome captured the morals of a forgotten time through stories of murder, lost love, weakness, and regret. February Fables uncovers the beautiful struggles we all come to face, and the hope that can be found in tales of old.

Inspired by a challenge called "FAWM", Paul dedicated himself to songwriting during the month of February. For two years he reimagined the fables of Aesop and established what would be his debut album. Writing an average of one song every other day forces a musician to push past monotony and explore new territories. There is no doubt that this contributed immensely to his growth as a songwriter, all the while expanding his aural pallet. Though considered a folk album, February Fables dabbles in alt-country, indie-rock, and experimental-ballads that create a sound all their own.


The album features a variety of Wisconsin musicians, including; Luke Bassuener of Control and Asumaya on drums, Tom McCarty of The Midwesterners on bass, Shawn Drake of The Love Badgers on violin, and songwriter Jeremiah Nelson on electric guitar. Many of the songs on February Fables took on a new form given the creative brilliance of the group and their vast musical backgrounds. Melodies once thought destined for a solo guitar were reinvented by Bassuener's driving rhythms and McCarty's thoughtful foundation. Jeremiah Nelson's signature guitar is felt throughout the album in layered waves and jazz voicings that create moments of beauty and sonic wonder, well matched by Drake's virtuosic splendor on the violin. The result is a group dynamic filled with spontaneity and well-developed arrangements.

At the heart of February Fables is Paul Otteson's emotive story telling. Phrases blend together his fragile falsetto and earnest baritone with careful harmonies, bringing poetic verse to life. Each song finds its place in the timeline of a young man's failures and fortunes. Struggling to learn from the mistakes of his past, he confides in a simple hope; that at the end of the day the moral will be revealed.

credits

released February 4, 2011

All songs written by Paul Otteson

Tracks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8 engineered by Andrew Hartman at Blast House Studios in Madison, WI
Tracks 6. 7. 9. 10. 11 engineered by Jeremiah Nelson at his Apt Studio in Madison, WI

All songs mixed and mastered by Jeremiah Nelson

Layout, design, and illustration by Eric Stykel

Paul Otteson - Vocals, Guitar, Banjo
Jeremiah Nelson - Electric Guitar
Tom McCarty - Upright Bass
Luke Bassuener - Drums
Shawn Drake - Violin on 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8
Chris Wagoner - Violin, Viola on 7. 10
Mary Gaines - Cello on 7

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Paul Otteson Madison, Wisconsin

A Midwestern Folk style, blending lyrical prowess with seasoned arrangements; wrapped in a cloak of beautiful harmony.

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