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Hazelnut

by Squirrel Butter

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1.
Out in the dark, so quiet and still Comes the sound of the poor whippoorwill With only the stars to sing to until Day’s first rays break over the hill Hoping to find Seeing in the blind Now that’s my kind Of a worried mind Out in the cold, alone in this world Comes the sound of the poor little bird With only one reason to brave the chill To sing the song of the poor whippoorwill Hoping to find Seeing in the blind Now that’s my kind Of a worried mind Out in the dark, so quiet and still Where the owl and the fox lie waiting to kill But they haven't stopped him and they never will To sing the song of the poor whippoorwill Hoping to find Seeing in the blind Now that’s my kind Of a worried mind
2.
She’s rolling down the track, she’s rolling down the line Her engine’s hot and she’s looking fine Better shut your mouth and shovel her coal This hot mama’s got a place to go Freight train mama She’s a freight train mama Hard steel woman, hair coal black Hear those heels go clickety clack Now don’t you cheat, don’t you steal She’ll know your game before you deal She won’t put up with your petty crime She’s running this train right on time Freight train mama She’s a freight train mama Hard steel woman, hair coal black Hear my heart go whickety whack She’s on the rails to give ‘em hell Gonna get me out of this county jail Watch in her pocket, paper in her hand Coming to her baby from across the land Freight train mama She’s a freight train mama Heart of steel woman, hair coal black Hear those heels go clickety clack She’s rolling down the track, she’s rolling down the line Her engine’s hot and she’s looking fine Better shut your mouth and shovel her coal This hot mama’s got a place to go Freight train mama She’s a freight train mama Heart of steel woman, hair coal black Hear those heels go clickety clack Oh, hear my heart go whickety whack
3.
Pond Creek 02:47
4.
I just had to let you know What I’m hearing today In every place I stray As I walk away There’s someone who loves you so And a little bird told me What I thought could never be A heart has been set free And I just had to let you know The rumors abound And I can’t keep ‘em down A lost heart was found And lifted up off the ground There’s someone who loves you so And the birds in the trees They’re all whistling to me Even they agree I just had to let you know I just had to let you know Though I know you’re not the kind To go listening to grape vines Or pay ‘em any mind There’s someone who loves you so And the birds all about They’ve let the word get out And it makes me wanna shout I just had to let you know The rumors abound And I can’t keep ‘em down A lost heart was found And lifted up off the ground There’s someone who loves you so And the birds all agree The someone could be me That's why, you see I just had to let you know
5.
6.
I’m just a poor girl, my fortune is bad I’m just a poor girl, my fortune is bad I’ve always been courted by the wagoner’s lad He courted me daily, both night and day He courted me daily, both night and day And now he is loaded and he’s going away Go put up your horses and feed them some hay Go put up your horses and feed them some hay And come and sit by me for as long as you’ll stay My horses ain’t hungry and they won’t eat your hay My horses ain’t hungry, they won’t eat your hay So I’ll ride on little darlin’ and I’ll be on my way Your parents is against us, they say I’m too poor Your parents is against us, they say I’m too poor They say I’m not worthy to enter your door But I work for my living, my money is my own I work for my living, my money is my own And them that don’t like it can leave me alone I’ll ride into Georgy, I’ll write you my mind I’ll ride into Georgy, I’ll write you my mind My mind is to marry and to leave you behind I’m just a poor girl, my fortune is bad I’m just a poor girl, my fortune is bad I’ve always been courted by the wagoner's lad
7.
There’s a picture in my mind, going way back in time To my mother’s kind and worried eyes With a letter from school, about minding the rules And the problem child who never ever tries To restless to see the pain and misery I brought to my family that day But she said, “Get in the car, we’re buying that guitar, The one you said you'd like to learn to play.” Though mama never played she taught me ever song I made In the love that she gave me all along No, she never picked a string, but she taught me how to sing And how to give everything for a song Now, many years have flown, since I started all alone Packed my six string and gone down the road And when I said goodbye, she looked me in the eye And cried and held me tight and watched me go So eager to play in the bright lights far away I barely heard her saying at the door “Whatever you go through and no matter what you do, You’ll always be my darling baby boy.” Though mama never played she taught me ever song I made In the love that she gave me all along No, she never picked a string, but she taught me how to sing And how to give everything for a song I spent years bummin’ ‘round and playing town to town Fell in love and settled down and made a home It would make my mama proud to see me here somehow She’s smiling down from Heaven now I know I’ve played under the stars and in crowded rowdy bars Now my favorite gig by far is down the hall Singing lullabies while our baby shuts her eyes As I realize I’m playing Mama’s song Though mama never played she taught me ever song I made In the love that she gave me all along No, she never picked a string, but she taught me how to sing And how to give everything for a song She gave everything for a song
8.
Grey Goose 03:29
One dark Monday mornin’, one dark Monday mornin’ Your daddy went a-huntin’, and he took along a shotgun Along come a grey goose, and he pulled on the trigger And the gun went a booballo, and down come the grey goose He was six weeks fallin’, yeah six weeks fallin’ And we put him him on the wagon and we brought him to the cool house And me and your daddy, we get with feather picking We were six weeks pickin’, yeah six weeks pickin’ And we put him on the fire, he was six weeks cookin’ And we put him on the table, he was still alive and kickin’ And the fork wasn’t sticking and the knife wasn’t cutting So we took him to the sawmill and he broke the saws teeth out So we throwed him in the hog pen and the hogs couldn’t eat him And he broke the sow’s jawbone, yes he broke the sow’s jawbone And the last time I seen him, he was flyin’ across the ocean With three tail feathers and a long string of goslings And they went a honk honk, ‘cause you can’t kill the grey goose He’s a wise ol’ grey goose, no you can’t kill the grey goose And they all went a honk honk, yes they all went a honk honk Honk honk honk honk honk honk honk...
9.
10.
Mr. Moon 03:58
Hey, Mr. Moon above I’m playing this tune For someone you see That’s blue like you and me So say, “Goodnight, my love” All that I’m dreaming of Is you By the starry sea Don’t turn your light away To the darkness all around While someone is waiting Waiting to be found Please Mr. Moon I’m counting on you Hey, Mr. Moon so bright Shine your blue light On someone you see Lingering so lonely And say, “Goodnight, my love” Maybe tonight Each other will meet On the river of dreams Don’t turn your light away To the darkness all around While someone is waiting Waiting to be found Please Mr. Moon I’m counting on you
11.
12.
Nobody Cares 04:19
Nobody hates me And that’s nice to know No unkind words are ever heard Shouting at my door The postman don’t deliver No hate-mail here No angry letters, no letters ever Nobody cares Nobody cares about me But they won’t hear me pouting I’m doing fine When I’m reclined Alone in my chair You can have your fun without me I won’t let anyone doubt me ‘Cause I’m all alone When the tears are flowing and Nobody cares Nobody argues with me And that’s a comfort to me When I come home At dusk or dawn I don’t have to explain And nobody waits up for me And calls down the stairs “It’s time for bed. Come rest your head.” Nobody cares Nobody cares about me But they won’t hear me pouting I’m doing fine When I’m reclined Alone in my chair You can have your fun without me I won’t let anyone doubt me ‘Cause I’m all alone When the tears are flowing and Nobody cares
13.
14.
I wish I had the kind of blues that you have so restlessly longing to be free I wish I had the kind of blues that you have, Then I’d tell what I'd do I’d give my blues to you So you’d come home and settle down with me Oh, babe You’re looking awfully sad today You say you need to go away This place is driving you insane Oh, babe I hate to see you hurt this way But before you shed a tear Let me make this one thing clear There’ll be no more complaining around here Because I wish I had the kind of blues that you have so restlessly longing to be free I wish I had the kind of blues that you have Then I’d tell what I’d do, I’d give my blues to you So you’d come home and settle down with me Oh, darling I see the tears are softly falling I guess the highway is a calling And you’ll soon be leaving me Oh, babe I hate to see you hurt this way But I wish that could be me Swimming wild and free With all the other fishes in the sea Because I wish I had the kind of blues that you have So restlessly longing to be free I wish I had the kind of blues that you have Then I'd tell what I’d do I'd give my blues to you So you'd come home and settle down with me
15.
I’m tied up in knots thinking about you Twisted and tangled, don’t know what to do I’ve pulled out my heartstrings to undo this mess But I’m still tied up in knots over you I’m sitting at the bar stool I’m trying to catch your eye You’re with someone else Don’t know I’m alive How quickly you’ve forgotten The love that we once had You’ve tied me and left me here Alone, drunk and sad I’m tied up in knots thinking about you Twisted and tangled, don't know what to do I’ve pulled out my heartstrings to undo this mess But I’m still tied up in knots over you I wonder how this came to be It wasn’t long ago We danced in each other’s arms Swaying to and fro But now you’ve found a new love And I’m left behind Dragging my heart around the town Still hooked on your line I’m tied up in knots thinking about you Twisted and tangled, don’t know what to do I’ve pulled out my heartstrings to undo this mess But I’m still tied up in knots over you
16.
Irish Waltz 02:09
17.
Railroad Dog 03:41
I don’t get much company Coming to my shack It’s just a little box of metal and wood All alone by the railroad track I used to be scared and lonely And the times were mighty hard But that was then, I found a friend He’s my little railroad dog Railroad dog By the railroad yard He’s a friend of mine Better beware if you see him tonight He’ll whoop you back, up and down the track He’s my little railroad dog He’s the meanest dog you ever saw For miles and miles around He don’t look like much, just a scruffy mutt With his long tongue hanging down When a gang of fools tried to rough me up I gave my friend a call With just three legs and one eyeball He whooped them, he whooped them all Railroad dog By the railroad yard He’s a friend of mine Better beware if you see him tonight He’ll whoop you back, up and down the track He’s my little railroad dog When the freight whistle blows He's heading for a boxcar door Fetching balls in Arkansas Or digging bones down in Muscle Shoals He's got bitches up in Scranton To St Louis down to San Antone I gave him a name, but he chewed it off He's just my little railroad dog Railroad dog By the railroad yard He's a friend of mine Better beware if you see him tonight He'll whoop you back, up and down the track He's my little railroad dog One day a train rattled my walls And he didn't even budge Didn't even open his eyeball I loved that dog so much I poured a little whiskey, just to ease my worried mind Then he jumped right up, took the bottle from me And rambled on down the line Railroad dog By the railroad yard He's a friend of mine Better beware if you see him tonight He'll whoop you back, up and down the track He's my little railroad dog

about

This long awaited 4th album from husband and wife duo, Charlie Beck & Charmaine Slaven, celebrates their sustaining musical partnership and shared adventures that now includes a little girl, Hazel. Hazelnut features many inspired original compositions alongside venerable traditional numbers. Starting as buskers at the Pike Place Market in Seattle in 2005, Squirrel Butter has devoted countless hours behind the strings honing their craft at settings ranging from weddings to funerals, bars to bat mitzvahs. Charlie’s ability as a multi-instrumentalist is a delight throughout, with sharp banjo playing being especially notable. Charmaine shines with drive and refinement on guitar and fiddle, plus she dazzles with her step dancing. Their well matched voices engage with soul and sensitivity as they share roles of taking lead and harmony. Squirrel Butter thrives in a variety of musical atmospheres while staying grounded to their traditional roots.

“I’ve always admired Charlie and Charmaine for their old-fashioned DIY approach; their music is feel-good, down-home and wholesome, but it’s never boring. Charlie’s banjo picking rings like a bell and Charmaine’s rhythm is solid and natural, whether she’s playing guitar or doing her marvelous percussive dance moves. The songs they choose reflect their love of nature and rural life, dealing with subjects like geese, dogs, whippoorwills and trains. Their commitment to family and community shines in every note they play and sing.”
- Suzy Thompson

“Charmaine and Charlie have rich, perfectly matched voices and great
harmony singing on a wide variety of original and uncommon traditional songs. They have the skills to go seamlessly in any direction – old-time, country, or bluegrass – and rock-solid guitar, virtuosic banjo, and even some flatfoot dancing are the icing on the cake. Wonderful album!”
- Brad Leftwich

“I love the way Charlie and Charmaine breathe new life into those old
songs from another place and time. They obviously love the music, but they have put the work in, and it shows. Conversely, that same energy also gives the new songs a decided ring of authenticity. This is sterling musicianship generously dusted with humor and grace. No doubt about it- Squirrel Butter is the real deal!”
- Greg Canote

“If you don’t feel better after hearing this recording, there’s hardly anything that can help you! These folks bring great energy and style to these wonderful Classic Country and Old-Time pieces! They have taken these old pieces and truly made them their own with outstanding musicianship and singing! This project is truly refreshing, as it is a representation of old music, played the old way, with a sensibility that offers an exciting new experience to modern ears!”
- Riley Baugus

Physical CD's can be ordered through the Old Time Tiki Parlour: oldtimetikiparlour.com/product/squirrel-butter-hazelnut-cd/

credits

released July 8, 2022

Charlie Beck - banjo, guitar, fiddle, vocals
Charmaine Slaven - guitar, fiddle, flatfooting, vocals
Matt Weiner - bass, harmony vocals

Recorded & mixed by Johnny Calcagno
Mastered by Ross Nyberg
Released by Tiki Parlour Recordings

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Squirrel Butter Seattle, Washington

Based in Seattle, husband & wife duo Squirrel Butter, Charlie Beck & Charmaine Slaven, performs traditional and original music primarily influenced by Appalachian, early country, jug band, and blues artists from the late 1800’s through 1950’s.

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