Get all 6 Terra Spencer releases available on Bandcamp and save 10%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Old News, Brick and Mortar featuring Stewart Legere, Chasing Rabbits, Raining On A Saturday, Boat Harbour, and Other People's Lives.
1. |
Brooklyn
03:41
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I met a girl named Brooklyn standing by the schoolhouse door
With blue eyes like her mother’s that could start or stop a war
And she loves her baby brother, and she’s written him a song
And I have a funny feeling that I’ll hear it before long
The beauty of a skyline, the promise of the world
Are just a few things you might find in the eyes of a little girl
I took the bus to Brooklyn where I spent my younger days
It was where I earned my war wounds and I faked my way to A’s
Flannel shirts and blue jeans were a suitable disguise from the eyes of guys around me
But then one day, one found me
My heart was taken by a boy who had a band
We had a fight on prom night so my friend and I went dancing
I had no ambitions, nothing I was dreaming of beyond a moment’s worth of love
The beauty of a shoreline, the promise of the world
Are just a few things he hoped to find in the eyes of a high school girl
Flip through the yearbook that I found down in the basement
And I pause on certain pages, and I wonder where a face went
Twenty years seems like a short time when I look over my shoulder
But it feels like a lifetime for a young girl who can’t wait to be older
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I met a girl named Brooklyn standing by the schoolhouse door
With blue eyes like her mother’s that could start or stop a war
And she loves her baby brother, and she’s written him a song
And I have a funny feeling that I’ll hear it before long
The beauty of a skyline, the promise of the world
Are just a few things you might find in the eyes of a little girl
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2. |
Cotton Mill
03:37
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We left the high school early, he drove me into town
We noticed on the smokestack all the bricks had been torn down
He was my friend and teacher, I was eighteen years old
The textile mill in Windsor hadn’t yet been sold
The mill survived the fire that had turned the town to ash
Making clothing out of cotton until the town ran out of cash
A century of workers sweating in the heat
Now faded like the cotton, ghosts wrapped in white sheets
Sometimes dreams go nowhere but I feel like I’ve been travelling
When I try to trace the thread but the stitches come unravelling
Sometimes there is no ending, just something standing still
On a long-deserted island with an empty cotton mill
Someone had a vision that rose out of the steam
To bring the place to glory, a developer’s dream
They changed all the windows, but the new ones have gone blind
From staring at the highway with nothing on their mind
Sometimes dreams go nowhere but I feel like I’ve been travelling
When I try to trace the thread but the stitches come unravelling
It takes time to make it work, it takes work to make it right
It takes both to keep somebody warm for more than just one night
The sky was grey and heavy remembering the storm
Soft and thick like sweaters that had kept the farmers warm
It’s been twice a lifetime since I was eighteen years old
My pockets lined with secrets that haven’t yet been told
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3. |
Everybody Knows
03:48
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White picket fence, three kids, two dogs, one car sitting in the yard
Long days of working hard, we pay off our credit card
Nobody asks me why you’re never home at dinnertime
Or why I buy so much wine, they know that we’re doing fine
I don’t have to wear my shades on rainy days to hide that I’ve been crying
No dirty laundry on our line, just flowers and a Welcome sign
Down at the grocery store I don’t have to ignore the talk wherever I go
I can look them in eye, ‘cause everybody knows
Driving to hockey practice and keeping our act up for the kids
Do all the things we always did before everything hits the skids
I think it’s great that you can stay out late with your high school friend
I don’t count the nights you spend running ‘round and playing pretend
When you don’t hurry home I don’t worry over things like one-night stands
I know that you’re a real good man and that you are in good hands
Neighbourhood grapevine’s buzzing, including her husband, as the story goes
You might as well face it tonight, ‘cause everybody knows
When you don’t hurry home I don’t worry over things like one-night stands
I know you’re a real good man and that you are in good hands
But if the door is locked and outside there are boxes of your books and clothes
You can ask anybody why, ‘cause everybody knows
The light’s on at her place tonight, and everybody knows
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4. |
Satisfied
04:37
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On a hill overlooking the town
We spent ten years looking down
Built a home, and let it fall to the ground
No love left inside
On the floor laid with our four hands
Stands the latest of your one-night stands
Remind her to water my plants
And keep them satisfied
After all of the ink has dried
After all of the tears are cried
After you undo the knot we tied
I hope you’re satisfied
I know the kids don’t want to be
In this cramped, damp apartment with me
They miss their friends and their cable TV
To keep them occupied
They say they’re really angry with you
Given time, they’ll likely hate me too
But there’s only so much I can do
To make them satisfied
After all of the ink has dried
After all of my tears have been cried
After you undo the knot we tied
I hope you’re satisfied
Divide all the times that we shared
Subtract acting like you cared
Add a dash of life’s not fair
Our troubles multiplied
No matter how we do the math
You always get the better half
I’d never seen our lawyer laugh
Instantly gratified
After all of the ink has dried
After all of the tears I cried
After you undo the knot we tied
I hope you’re satisfied
At the end of the day I can say I tried
To keep you satisfied
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5. |
The Therapist
04:03
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I call with your appointment hoping you’ll pick up the phone
Trace the letters on your casefile when I work late alone
You sink into the sofa and you tell me you’re not sleeping
And you talk about your parents and the company that you’re not keeping
You tell me you’ve been dealing with anger and frustration
And you can’t feel if you’re healing and you stopped your medication
And all the while I’m thinking that a doctor should be selfless
I’m a shrink but I am shrinking, I should help but I am helpless
And we know that we can do this, and we’ve had this conversation
There’s a happy ending to this if we both have patience
But loneliness is vicious and I know that this is scary
And I can’t grant your wishes but I’ll be your one hour fairy
I chew on my pencil and you share your secret fears
We sit awhile in silence drawing blanks and moving nearer
For once there is no question we both know that this is wrong
But when therapy’s in session love is sixty minutes long
A moment’s hesitation at the pictures on my desk
A dozen pink carnations that were sent while they were fresh
And when we reach our conclusion I smooth my wrinkled skirt
And we book your next appointment and you button up your shirt
And we know we can’t undo this, and we’ve had this conversation
There must be an ending to this, we can’t both be patients
But loneliness is vicious and I know that this is scary
And I can’t grant your wishes but I’ll be your one hour fairy
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6. |
Transmission
04:50
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I have a heart in need of a traffic cop
Because it doesn’t know when to start or how to stop
I can hear the new noises it’s been making
It keeps on beating faster when it should be braking
My poor body is broken down and rusted
Ignoring all the signs I should have trusted
Taking one-way streets in wrong directions
With the windows down, littering affection
I can never let a good thing last
Slipping gears, driving way too fast
The same old parts in a new position
A stick shift heart with a bad transmission
On this trip I will take the driver’s side
You are strapped in shotgun for the ride
I don’t know why you put your faith in me
Distracted by the highway scenery
Chorus
You don’t know all the roads I’ve chosen
The bridge between us is already frozen
They sing about it on the radio
Parking lots where the dark hearts go
Burning their rubber and squealing tires
Nighttime collisions and engine fire+-
I can never let a good thing last
Slipping gears, driving way too fast
The same old parts in a new position
A stick shift heart with a bad transmission
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7. |
Not the One
05:48
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To hold your hand through good times and the rough
To make you smile when the going gets too tough
To be there in the darkness when the hardest day is done
We both know that I am not the one
To be as sweet as icing on the cake
To erase the lines when you make a mistake
To fill your glass with gladness at the setting of the sun
We both know that I am not the one
I’m not the one you reach for in the night
She looks like me but the timing isn’t right
She's someone I’m not free to be
Who can love you unconditionally
Who can mend the damage done with a goodbye
I tried, but you know that I am not the one
When I met you I could tell you were a catch
And you didn't see the strings I had attached
We lit a fire while trying to hide a spark
Only we can see the ashes and where they left their mark
I’m not the one you reach for in the night
She looks like me but the timing isn’t right
She's someone I’m not free to be
Who can love you unconditionally
Who can mend the damage done with a goodbye
I tried, but you know that I am not the one
When another pretty girl catches your eye
When you’re ready to give love another try
Let her in and hold her, do the things we couldn’t do
And remind me that I’m not the one for you
I’m not the one you reach for in the night
She looks like me but the timing isn’t right
She's someone I’m not free to be
Who can love you unconditionally
Who can mend the damage done with a goodbye
I tried, but you know that I am not the one
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8. |
Rotten Apples
03:50
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Another breaking day of more heartbreaking news
The legends on the a-list being asked to pay their dues
Brothers and sisters taking shit and abuse
So we can be amused
Throwing sticks and stones breaking bones with dirty jokes
Fighting little fires with mirrors and smoke
They’ll still be cashing cheques even in the aftermath
Of us throwing all our babies out with the bath
Do we wipe the writing off the wall
And keep eating these rotten apples as they fall
Another line is crossed every time somebody gets hurt
But the lines are all buried in industry dirt
Do we pull all of our punches to hang on to the hits
That we loved when we were kids
Or will we wipe the writing off the wall
And keep eating these rotten apples as they fall
Will we listen, will we learn, lay down conditions and terms
Spit out all the poison, and get rid of the worms
Hollywood Boulevard’s got a lot of dead wood tonight
Snuff out the stars and turn out the lights
How low will we go for the sake of the show
Will we give up what we feel for the sake of what we know
Or will we wipe the writing off the wall
And keep eating these rotten apples as they fall
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9. |
One-Trick Pony
05:03
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Once I was the apple of your eye
Though I couldn’t win your ribbon if I tried
Happy eating sugar from your hand
Didn’t feel the burning of your brand
It was easy to believe you really cared
The gentle touch, the way you’d brush my hair
Didn’t feel the saddle on my back
Didn’t hear the whip until it cracked
And I don’t know why I let you take the lead
Or why I thought you’d be a different breed
Now I know it was all for show
And you never needed me
So tonight this one-trick pony is running free
This old grey mare’s been carrying the load
And I’m tired of dragging baggage down the road
Maybe I’ve done everything I’m able
Go find some new ponies for your stable
‘Cause the young ones can jump higher and run faster
Leave me here to grieve in greener pasture
With a lesson for the new ones that come ‘round
On the fate of pretty ponies when they go down
And I don’t know why I let you take the lead
Or why I thought you’d be a different breed
Now I know it was all for show
And you never needed me
So tonight this one-trick pony is running free
Maybe it would kill you to be kinder
If you could see the damage through your blinders
Lose the race before you even start
You can mend your fences, but you can’t mend broken hearts
And I don’t know why I let you take the lead
Or why I thought you’d be a different breed
Now I know it was all for show
And you never needed me
So tonight this one-trick pony is running free
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10. |
Age 38
05:31
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It’s midnight on Sunday, I should be in bed
But I filled up my teacup, busy thoughts in my head
I’m not one for wasting my nights at the club
But there could be more than laundry, lunches, and Netflix, and a soak in the tub
I go to a spin class that I can’t afford
Changing gears, making up for the years that I spent doing chores
When you’re looking to date at age 38
Single mother at home and up late
Looking for love or just a friend on the phone
Try to find each other, try to not spend this night alone
How can I compete with age 25?
I was almost in high school, when these girls weren’t even alive
It’s like watching a pageant of self-made beauty queens
Flawless and glossy, on the cover of Women’s Health Magazine
I look at my body, examine my scars
And wonder if anyone out there still makes love in the dark
When you’re looking to date at age 38
Single mother at home and up late
Looking for love or just a friend on the phone
Try to find each other, try not to spend this night alone
My little guy's sleeping in the bunk bed we built
My whole world wrapped up in a SpongeBob quilt
I say he’s my whole world but there might be space
For this newly-divorced dad from Newport with a kind smiling face
So I’ll send him a message, see if I break the ice
He likes long walks and movies, a night out would be nice
When you’re looking to date, at age 38,
A single mother at home and up late
Looking for love or just a friend on the phone
Try to find each other, try not to spend this night alone
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11. |
Other People's Wives
03:52
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You love to act, but I can’t act my age
And I’ve got no taste for curtains unless they’re hanging on a stage
I’ve got no mind for fashion and I don’t do my hair
I’m not the kind of girl inclined to care
I don’t know the names of garden flowers
And I don’t make good coffee, I don’t have those superpowers
Dust and dishes settle ‘round our place
And your work shirts have more wrinkles than my face
I know I'm not like other people’s wives
With supper set to simmer as they work their 9-to-5
They don’t waste time writing songs about other people’s lives
I know I’m not like other people’s wives
I never feel I am where I should be
My woes and worries would be through if there were two of me
One to work out in the cold burying the dead
The other making love and baking bread
I know I'm not like other people’s wives
With supper set to simmer as they work their 9-to-5
They don’t waste time writing songs about other people’s lives
I know I’m not like other people’s wives
I can’t hold a mop and broom
While I play guitar down in the music room
Get the groceries, change the bed
No, I’m no use to you when there’s a song stuck in my head
Darling, I won’t blame you if you go
If you want to buy a ticket to another woman’s show
But before you do I ask one little thing
Just sit a while and smile when I sing
I know you’re not like other people’s men
Who only say I love you every now and then
Although there is no contest you’re still a perfect ten
I know you’re not like other people’s men
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12. |
Windmill
04:12
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I played my granddad's old guitar when no one was around
I studied Chet and tried to get close to that gentle sound
The piano keys were company in a world of black and white
Broadway shows and Billy Joel in the glow of basement light
Over time the tunes and rhymes became my greatest joys
Felt I belonged in the world of songs making stories and making noise
I get to spend my time with friends spread all across the land
Who helped me write, way late at night, and welcomed me into the band
When you find the thing that makes you sing and gets you out of bed
That takes away cares of the day and leaves a song instead
Give up the race, find dreams to chase and follow where they lead
Don’t waste your time waiting like a windmill for the breeze
Noah waited forty days, it took me forty years
To find the courage and the words for the music in my ears
No one’s getting younger, but it’s not too late to start
If you can find a beat that moves your feet and lines up with your heart
When you find the thing that makes you sing and gets you out of bed
That wipes away cares of the day and leaves a song instead
Give up the race, find dreams to chase, and follow where they lead
Don’t waste your time waiting like a windmill for the breeze
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13. |
Clementine
00:21
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Terra Spencer Windsor, Nova Scotia
Raised on the mud banks of the Avon River, award-winning Nova Scotian funeral director-turned-songwriter Terra Spencer has won over audiences in Canada, the UK, and Germany since her 2018 debut. She has already crafted a catalogue of startlingly intimate songs, marrying fingerstyle guitar, gospel piano, and her butterscotch voice with sly humour and '70s wood-paneled warmth. ... more
Terra Spencer recommends:
August, I'm Yours
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Spring Garden Bandstand
by Mike T. Kerr
Mike T. Kerr is a brilliant guitar picker and a real teddy bear. This instrumental tribute to his granddad also features a tune for my own Grampie, recorded together at New Scotland Yard.
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Stunningly beautiful songs wrought with pedal steel and nylon-string guitar that cast mesmerizing melodic shapes.
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The Flowers That Bloom in Spring
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Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert offer up a stunning minimalist country record, conjuring huge emotions with little more than vocals & guitar.
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