A modern rock “symphony” inspired by the storytelling artists of the 70s, Priest From Terre Haute is a small gem telling the story of Chrissie and the experiences lived between the ruralities of Indiana all the way to Greenwich Village in New York City.
Layered between guitars, drums, a string quartet, and Hammond organs, the song stands at just under 12 minutes, where the listener is submerged within the struggles of Chrissie’s poverty & hardship, while reminiscing hope for a better future.
lyrics
LYRICS:
The burnin’ sun comes up on the horizon line,
Chrissie sets her bath, prepping for the day.
Dyin’ crops can’t keep up with the times,
Chrissie goes to church, looking for a way.
Chevy door slams as the organ plays a note.
Sunday service comes and goes.
Chrissie wonders as she looks down on Terre Haute, Unconvinced whether it’s all a joke.
Chrissie dreams of movin’ out east,
Leaving her brothel friends behind.
Jacky won’t be happy to hear this,
When he places her lips onto his valentine.
Out on the fields she runs away,
Runnin’ to her future, from yesterday.
But she knows she can’t go very far,
‘Cause her life belongs to Jacky – forget about the scars.
Chrissie hears confession at St. Margaret Mary’s,
Blaming herself for all that’s wrong.
Telling the Priest about her impurities,
And how in Heaven she don’t belong.
Through the curtain, she tells him one after another,
The things she does below the waist.
The Priest says, “Two Hail Mary’s, and three Our Father’s”,
When he pulls the curtain to see her face.
Chrissie wipes the tears off her eyes,
‘Cause her truth is mingled in white lies.
The Priest can’t do nothing but stretch his jaw,
He knows that her confession is bound by Canon law.
Chrissie gets in the car to drive back home,
But stops when she sees the sign to Bloomington.
Something in her mind makes her feel alive,
Tonight...
David beat Goliath with five stones from the creek,
And then the Philistines fled.
‘Cause in Canaan there could be no weak,
Or at least that’s what the Priest said.
Chrissie sits on the bed of her motel room,
Thinking of why she ran away.
She knows that Jacky will be knocking soon,
Coming to collect his pay.
She lies there still in the middle of the night,
As she awaits her fate.
She ain’t no David, she wasn’t right.
She’s just a broken soul that was played.
Chrissie was awoken by a knock on the door,
She felt the pain and fear spread to her bone.
But it was the Priest, who drove from Terre Haute,
Couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her alone.
“A martyr move,” she said to him,
“I’m old, I’m collateral damage, I’m gritty.
Pack your bags and get away from this inn, And catch the bus to New York City.”
Chrissie didn't know what to believe,
Was he a fraudulent man, or an honest thief?
‘Cause when his congregation gathered they all seemed nice,
But when it came time to sin, they didn’t think twice.
Risin’ sun comes up on the city line,
Greenwich Village preps for the day.
Smilin’ faces surround the mornin’ time.
Second chances ain’t what they say.
Chrissie stares at the bump on her gut,
That grows as the months go by.
Jacky left a footprint that can’t be shut,
But that she loves with all her might.
Taxi door slams as the organ plays a note.
Sunday service is here to stay.
Chrissie thinks of the Priest from Terre Haute,
And what she said to him that day.
“Father what have I done to deserve thee?
Why would Mary resurrect herself to save someone like me?”
“Chrissie I know that you’re losing faith,
But here I am in Bloomington, I found you anyway”.
Chrissie left Indiana, as the Priest said.
She left Jacky with a blank check stamped on his head.
But Jacky’s news, it travels flying,
“Good God, I think the Priest is dying.”
credits
released May 20, 2023
Produced by Serge Morattel with Marcos Cabanas
Recorded, Engineered and Mixed at REC Studio, Geneva (Switzerland)
Additional Recordings in Mies (Switzerland), Madrid (Spain), and The Hague (Netherlands)
Music Consultancy: Emilio Cabanas, Jr.
Executive Producers: Emilio Cabanas, Sr. and Marcos Cabanas
Hailing from Rolle (Switzerland), Cabanas is the contemporary definition of a singer-songwriter. Inspired by the sound of
Springsteen & U2, Cabanas writes about the struggles of the common man, inhabiting positions in American culture with a healthy mix of Southern and Heartland Rock. At 23 years old, he's already released three studio albums, and has over 200 live shows across Europe and America....more
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