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Ghost Hymns

by William Lee Ellis

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1.
Cony Catch the Sun 02:36
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Run rabbit run, try to catch that sun ’Fore it sets too low Count your days and count all the ways To duck ’neath the hawk and crow The wind may blow wherever it please Can’t you hear its sound? Run rabbit run, gain on that sun Ain’t no tilling in the cold, cold ground Dove to a mare, fox to a hare Owl shadows snow Sittin’ in the shade, countin’ what you made To an angry rooster’s crow Bread of heaven fall from on high Fill me till I want no more Run, little one, out from all your fun Follow the moon ashore Bread of heaven fall from on high Till I want no more Come, little one, let that rabbit run ’Cross the rocky moor
2.
Flood Tale 03:21
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Birds they flew, beasts they knew Storm was comin’ and nothing to do Noah gon’ bail, ark gon’ sail Flood a-risin’ and levee gon’ fail Water risin’ and the levee done failed Looked to the East, looked to the West Sorry boys not one life vest Had to flee, wife lost me Parted by that Mississippi sea Parted by a big ol’ sea Family in hand, spotted dry land Nothing more than a bag of loose sand They drew sticks, couldn’t all fit, Let baby go like Moses quick Let that baby go real quick President came, after the rain Matching wits with the hurricane President found when he looked around “You can’t swim, reckon you must drown You can’t swim, guess you drown” When Jesus talked, on the water he walked Best do the same if ever you’re caught If ever in that storm you’re caught
3.
Pearl River Blues 03:47
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Pearl River’s gonna glow again Pearl River’s gonna glow again If I fall, baby, pull me in See me coming from the other side See me coming from the other side Let’s meet on the banks tonight Gonna ride the river all night long Gonna ride the river all night long Might wander from right to wrong Gonna shoot all the lights in town Gonna shoot all the lights in town Till my baby’s Pearl River bound Gonna burn all my bridges ’round Gonna burn all my bridges ’round Gonna shake Pearl River down
4.
All for You 02:19
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All for you, baby, all for you All for you, baby, all for you Took me to the docks and fled Took the hammer and hit my head Took the razor and cut my throat All for you All for you, baby, all for you All for you, baby, all for you Took me to the bassayel Took the hammer and hit my head Took the razor and cut my throat All for you
5.
Earth and Winding Sheet 02:41
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6.
Call on Me (An Eidolon Air) 04:29
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The geese are flying low, time to pack and go The river’s rising slow, call on me Leaves are fallin’ down, this world keeps turnin’ round No matter where you’re bound, call on me Refrain: Call on me, call on me, honey call on me Wherever you may be, call on me I know you have to go, I know I’ll be alone But you always have a home, call on me I’ll follow where you go, honey don’t you know If you just say so, call on me Refrain: Call on me, call on me, honey call on me Wherever you may be, call on me Winter’s at the door, what is was once before You can always ask for more, call on me Sway to the east sway to the west And when it’s time to rest call on me Refrain: Call on me, call on me, honey call on me Wherever you may be, call on me When the frost has hit the moor and you’re on a summer shore I hope you still want more, call on me Dreamt you were a dove, cooing for my love Below and above, you can call on me Refrain: Call on me, call on me, honey call on me Wherever you may be, call on me
7.
Lost Heaven 02:17
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8.
Mumblin' Word 03:41
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They whooped him up the hill x2 They whooped him up the hill for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross They whooped him up the hill for me They speared him in the side x2 They speared him in the side for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross They speared him in the side for me He never said a mumblin’ word x2 Never said a mumblin’ word for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross Never said a mumblin’ word for me They hung him on the cross x2 Hung him on the cross for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross Hung him on the cross for me He hung his head and cried x2 Hung his head and cried for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross Hung his head and cried for me He hung his head and died x2 Hung his head and died for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross Hung his head and died for me He’s coming back again x2 Coming back again for me One day when I was lost, they hung him on the cross He’s coming back again for me
9.
Goat Island 01:38
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10.
River of Need 03:35
lyrics
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This river of need grows wider everyday Cast your net, still it all slips away Sink or swim, do or die they say It’s a hunger no one can ever feed, this river of need This river of need sucks you dry to the bone Feels like hell when everything is gone Call for your mother, no one waits at home Drop by drop you plead from your river of need This river of need overflows It takes everything, more than you owe Bit by bit and blow by blow It doesn’t care if you concede, this river of need This river of need only flows one way Try to push it back, it just pulls you away Until you look at the years and survey All the times you couldn’t stop the bleed, your river of need
11.
Belarus 02:46
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12.
Bury Me in the Sky 04:26
lyrics
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Let the winds come and carry Let the clouds roll on by Let your tears be temporary Look for me six miles high Bury me in the sky Dressed in black you’ll come together To bid your last sweet goodbye Just remember when you gather Look for me six miles high Bury me in the sky Under our feet Over our heads Sewn with heaven’s silver thread Ashes to dust Wings are aflame Heaven is calling out my name When I go let it be joyful Let there be peace when I die Let my soul complete the circle Look for me six miles high Bury me in the sky Look for me six miles high Bury me in the sky

about

Conceived during Covid when the world had shut down, Ghost Hymns bears its own stamp of time and place thanks to the many master musicians I have come to know as friends in my current home of Vermont. This album reflects those friendships, heard as musical conversations with a global reach and a ceaseless reverence for the voices of traditions past. This is the heart of traditional music and of the music I write, with one ear ever bent to the pre-WWII blues and gospel pioneers, the buskers and street players, the famous and obscure alike, whose riffs and rhymes bore witness to an often cruel and indifferent world and whose music personally remains a musical if not moral guide.

Listening to the album, my musical heroes are all accounted, if in ways not entirely evident (the odd tuning on “Lost Heaven” comes via Rev. Gary Davis). Mostly, I hear more than any of my previous albums the musical imprint of my father, banjo and fiddle composer Tony Ellis, which is why I’ve chosen this record perhaps to finally pluck some banjo of my own as well as arrange for guitar one of his more elegant tunes, “Belarus.” While I don’t share my dad’s bluegrass tenure, I’d like to think I carry forward his notions of tone and melodic craft.

First and second takes were the norm for Ghost Hymns, and most everything was cut live. Befitting the punk ethos of co-producer/engineer/mixer, River Hartley, we recorded where we could on the fly, from dorm rooms to recital halls, doing our best to keep dogs, noisy heating ducts, and overhead fighter jets out of the final mix. The DIY approach made for interesting sessions to say the least, with players tucked into halls and sitting on bed corners, finding lightning in a bottle as best we could. What you hear is authentically real and unfiltered music making, even if River did threaten a hyper-pop mix!

It has been a few years since I last recorded for the incredibly special roots label, Yellow Dog. During that time, I stepped into the world of academia and earned a PhD in ethnomusicology (my dissertation was, aptly enough, on the music of Rev. Gary Davis). It feels good to be back – and with a label that embodies the inventive best of musical tradition.

credits

released June 23, 2023

Co-produced by William Lee Ellis, River Hartley, and Larry Nager

Recorded and mixed by River Hartley, Colchester VT
Additional recording by Willie Scoggins, Kaua’i HI
Mastered by Brad Blackwood, Memphis TN
Executive Producer: Michael Powers

Album art design by Brooke Barnett
“New Boot Blues” painting by Tommy O’Gara

Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all who played and appear on this album. Special thanks to Adam Buchwald and Circle Strings, Gabe Jarrett, Jeremy Hill, Amber DeLaurentis, Jeff Lekson, Sandy McCall, Jerry Swope, Patrick Bohan, Ashley DeLeon, Michael Lynch, Becca Gurney, Mark Pucci, and Mike Powers

In loving memory of Pete Sutherland, Bill Weiner, and Prophet Isaiah Robertson

Dedicated to all the blues and gospel musicians who have long guided my musical path

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William Lee Ellis Memphis

"There's no one else playing exactly the same sort of music as William Lee Ellis," said legendary producer Jim Dickinson of the Americana/blues master acoustic guitarist. "It's as if he's invented his own sort of 'holy blues' genre."

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