Holocaust

by Evan Schafer

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1.
After All 04:12
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Matthew wrote a letter to Michael The time had come for their love to end The city lights grow dimmer now Matthew cries for his blue-eyed friend The higher the flight, the further the fall Matthew, I’m hurting after all Matthew moved back to Ohio Michael stayed in L.A. Time goes by and so it goes Funny how love gets in the way Things that you say, prolific and small Matthew, I’m hurting after all I don’t want to cry, I just want to smile I want to be free and laugh for awhile I ask you to dance, you turn and walk away Hold my breath, close my eyes, pray Michael sends a letter to Matthew The doctors tell him there’s not much choice Matthew flies in from Ohio Michael smiles when he hears that voice I’m with you tonight, so let down your wall Michael, stop hurting, stop hurting after all.
2.
Nocturnal 06:57
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Over, underneath, on top I stand Every turn I make, superimposed lampshade Nocturnal birds in the caterwaul Speak for yourself, I don’t care anymore Young is the yesteryear, feigning underneath the façade Complete and tantric are the solid flames You got me spinning, you got me spinning in circles The mountains are blue with plasticized tirades Clogged up, verbose piles of prescription complications Geriatric, everywhere in-utero qualifications Stopping, calling out for distant yet justified motions Somewhere in between, inside I stand Never answer calls, even on the best of days Nocturnal nerves are forcing me down Speak for myself, ‘cause you left long ago Mirror beside the water box, claiming it’s just a game Question the morals that make no mistakes You got me spinning, you got me spinning in squares.
3.
This Isn't the Indy 500 03:19
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This isn’t the Indy 500 So why are you driving so fast? This isn’t a motor speedway For you to contemplate your fate This isn’t capital punishment I don’t see you dying now This isn’t your wife, this isn’t your son, it isn’t your daughter, so who has won? Tonight’s your night, Tonight’s the night, Tonight is right, tonight This world is alien to you So turn around, go back home This knowledge is far above you So read the book or make your way Tonight your sight is clear in view, Tonight’s the night to do On the other side, on the other side of me This isn’t the Indy 500 But you still control the gears The way you go is up to you A precious lane, a strip of highway.
4.
Locked Inside 03:01
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The stores are closed I can’t guarantee the movement The undertoe reaches the bow Underneath the pavement The stars turn off at midnight Stick figures churn, divisive and slight Worthless measures taken tonight To lock down the highways, recover your sight Locked inside this tiny room Locked inside so you cannot move Wrapped up in cellophane, you cannot breathe Locked up in crevices, goodbye isometric groove Wondrous days and perilous nights On the countertop are papers to sign It didn’t work out for whatever reason Love isn’t the one thing that ends up turning seasons Come on and tell me the truth How can you look me in the eye and make me believe it? It sounds like you’re telling your lies again Leave me out of it, come back when you’re done.
5.
Ambient 11:01
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[Instrumental]
6.
Shepherd 05:15
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Snow is falling on cedars It’s the illusion of the year From across the field I see magic appearing in spades Like diamonds sharpened in a mastodon crêpe A fine masterpiece Turn the amplifier down and make it so that It’s hard to hear A fine mess you’ve made Pencils pushing, dusters busting, young ones calling Kill it before you have the chance to jump Down the mountain, down the inclination.
7.
Another Cold February 03:04
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[Instrumental]
8.
Neon 04:06
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Let’s pick a room There’s so many to choose from Somewhere quiet, a city view Let’s pick a day When things don’t matter Let’s pick a room For me and you Everything’s there for the taking The things you wished you could do in your dreams Are the things that are coming true Looking out at the neon signs Above the hustle bustle Looking out at our lives We changed our paths Let’s have a party All the friends invited Inside the loft we left home for Let’s start anew It’s a shame that we can’t be free to be “we.
9.
Holocaust 03:36
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Word of mouth spreads fast in these parts Going for broke unsteady in these parts Uncover a mattress stained with blood in these parts Girls with twist ties, boys with nothing in these parts Shove them in the back We don’t care if they attack in these parts Your broken smiles drone Dripping, melting skin and bone in these parts Over mountains tall and wide Nowhere safe to run and hide in these parts When the dust clears You’ll never have been here in these parts It smells like burning hair A man just pushed her down the stairs, it’s not fair Popping off a round Dying people on the ground, it’s not fair Gaseous chambers, in and out Why the hell is this allowed in these parts? Summoned help but far too late A peril stiffened by the state in these parts Over the mountains far and tall I’ve got no friends left to call in these parts You’re looking skinny, son Like the rest of everyone in these parts.
10.
This Night... 04:04
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The furnace is hot, so hot it burns you without touching Close encounters banned like a long forgotten thing Lying here tonight like we are floating over land The record spins while we touch and explore our minds and bodies You smile at me Worlds collide here It feels so insane You drive me crazy Lying here, you smile at me, worlds collide here The Professor lingers on the question posed here, but what does it mean? Above the fort we lie Sounds like one of us might survive I ask you to stay but then I understand where you come from And yet the whistle blows Who knows where we'll go When you tell me you like me the same way (Chorus) Give it up, give it up, give it up ... Such a long time, such a long time ... (Chorus)

about

While I have created themed albums in the past, they always seemed to progress in a way that was similar to classic albums of the 1970s, which followed storylines from beginning to end, leading the listener on an aural journey like reading a book but without the actual pages.

For "Holocaust", I have attempted to create an album whereby the theme is hidden among the words sung (and spoken), but by the end is plainly evident to the listener. I have yet to perfect an album like I have perfected "Holocaust", partially due to its recording process (completed entirely on analogue masters, then transferred to a digital medium) and partially due to the actual compositions and lyrics with which I have worked.

This record also presents a few firsts for the Evan Schafer with whom most are familiar - among them, it is the first record on which a composition written by another person has been released, no less the one that opens the record. In this case, this "other person" is a gifted songwriter and musician, Jeremiah Downes, who is also a very special person in my life.

Additionally, I am sure "Holocaust" will cause some controversy for its content and theme. However, after sitting and thinking about the importance that lies beneath the surface, I decided it was better to go with my creative gut than feel pressured by certain "mindset conditioning" to not release something that may be received negatively.

Finally, it is my first exclusively online release, meaning that you can only buy and download this work from my Bandcamp website - in other words, there will not ever be a physical CD, vinyl, or otherwise release. This is intentional and, as a creative experiment, I hope to draw new interest to my work by doing so.

-Evan Schafer, 3rd January 2012

credits

released January 13, 2012

Produced, engineered, mixed & edited by
Evan Schafer

All songs written & composed by
Evan Schafer
except "After All" written & composed by
Jeremiah Downes

Recorded from November 2011-January 2012

©2012 Cherry Blossom Records (ASCAP)
All rights reserved. No copying.

Play this record loudly...

Instrumentation -
Evan Schafer - Piano, electric pianos, Hammond B3, drums & percussion, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, vocals

Special Thanks -
Yamaha products, Alesis, Apple Inc., Logic Pro
Fender & Ibanez & (especially) Jeremiah Downes.

Thanks -
Debra and Bill Schafer, Paula Jones, PJ DiMuzio,
Nelson Vicens, CJ Santiago & Alex Friedman.

This album is dedicated to all of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust in Germany during WWII. May those who have passed on due to this horrible event rest peacefully.

Created in "The Bedroom".

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Evan Schafer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My name is Evan Schafer. I am an indie musician with a strong grounding in traditional composition, but the material always has a unique flair. I guarantee not being bored out of your gourd when turning on one of the records. I produce, mix, and engineer everything myself, and have done so since late 2005. ... more

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