The National: "Blood Buzz Ohio" Lyrics + MP3

Here are the new lyrics for The National's first single off their upcoming album, High Violet. The lyrics at post bottom are for an early version of the same song.

Blood Buzz Ohio - from High Violet (2010)
Stand up straight at the foot of your love
I'll lift my shirt up
Stand up straight at the foot of your love
I'll lift my shirt up

I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees
I never married but Ohio don't remember me

Lay my head on the hood of your car
I take it too far
Lay my head on the hood of your car
I take it too far

I still owe money to the money to the money I owe
I never thought about love
When I thought about home
I still owe money to the money to the money I owe
The floors are falling out from everybody I know

I'm on a bloodbuzz
Yes I am
I'm on a blood buzz
I'm on a bloodbuzz
God I am
I'm on a blood buzz

I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees
I never married but Ohio don't remember me

I still owe money to the money to the money I owe
I never thought about love
When I thought about home
I still owe money to the money to the money I owe
The floors are falling out from everybody I know

I'm on a bloodbuzz
Yes I am
I'm on a blood... buzz
I'm on a bloodbuzz
God I am
I'm on a blood... buzz

* * * * * *

This is another new song that The National trotted out during their just wrapped East coast mini-tour. The new songs sound great, but it's how they sound if (and that's a big IF) they make it on the new record. I, for one, am hoping that if they do make it to the next album, that they grow and evolve into something a little different than these live mp3s. Live versions that I will grow to know too well before the new record is out.

blood buzz ohio [mp3] (live - Boston May 23/09)
THIS MP3 link is now LIVE.

"BLOOD BUZZ OHIO"
Stand up straight at the foot of your love
I'll lift my shirt up
Stand up straight at the foot of your love
I'll lift my shirt up

I'll rest my eyes till the fever's outta me
I'll rest my eyes till the river's in the sea
I'll rest my eyes till the fever's outta me
I'll rest my eyes till the river's in the sea

I was carried to Ohio in a storm of bees
I never married but Ohio don't remember me
I still owe money to the money to the money I owe
I never thought about love
When I thought about home
I still owe money to the money to the money I owe
The floors are falling out from everybody I know

I'm on a bloodbuzz
Yes I am
I'm on a blood buzz
I'm on a bloodbuzz
God I am
I'm on a blood buzz

Lay my head on the hood of your car
I take it too far
Lay my head on the hood of your car
I take it too far

The National: "The Runaway" Lyrics

This is a quick transcription of the new song by The National, tentatively titled "The Runaway". There's sure to be a mistake or two, if you feel the need to reprimand me for my bad hearing, feel free. Here's an idea, since the song title isn't set in stone, perhaps all of you faithful and rabid National fans out there can leave a comment as to what you feel the song should be called... if we get a good variety of answers I'll send them to the band. Get a free, remember it's free (and low quality) preview of the song here.

"The Runaway"
There's no savin' anything
Now we're swallowin' the shine of the sun
There's no savin' anything
From the shine of the sun

But I won't be no runaway
Cause I won't run
No I won't be no runaway

What makes you think I’m enjoyin' being led to the flood
We got another thing comin' undone
That’s taking us over

We don't bleed when we don't fight
Go ahead go ahead
Throw your arms in the air tonight
We don't bleed when we don't fight
Go ahead go ahead
Throw your shirts in the fire tonight

What makes you think I’m enjoying being led to the flood
We got another thing comin' undone


But I won't be no runaway
Cause I won't run
No I won't be no runaway
Cause I won't run
No I won't be no runaway

what makes you think I’m enjoyin' being led to the flood
We got another thing comin' undone
That’s taking forever

We don't bleed when we don't fight
go ahead go ahead
Throw your arms in the air tonight
we don't bleed when we don't fight
Go ahead go ahead
There’s our shirts in the fire tonight

what makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood
we got another thing comin' undone
we got another thing comin' undone
That’s taking us over

I'll go bravin' anything
With you swallowin' the shine of the sun
I'll go bravin' everything
With you swallowin' the shine
But I won't be no runaway
Cause I won't run
No I won't be no runaway
Cause I won't run
No I won't be no runaway

What makes you think I’m enjoying being led to the flood
We got another thing comin' undone
They’ve taken us over
We don't bleed when we don't fight
go ahead go ahead
Throw your arms in the air tonight
We don't bleed when we don't fight
Go ahead go ahead
Lose our shirts in the fire

What makes you think I’m enjoying being led to the flood
We got another thing comin undone
We got another thing comin' undone
That’s taking us over
That’s taking forever

Patrick Watson: 'Wooden Arms' Hipstereo Review

I don't think it's happened before... not to me, at least. Wooden Arms, Patrick Watson's 3rd full length is so intoxicating, so magical, that it has pushed every thing I've heard since, down a notch, or two. And it's not just Watson's voice, one that lives somewhere between the rooted grainy echo of M Ward and the soaring mercurial grace of Jeff Buckley, it's the music which carries, and is carried by, that voice.

Some music is simpler for me to understand than others, although that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. I understand Elvis Perkins, and his great new record, and I can intuit how he came to create the music on that record, but Patrick Watson... I can't figure this out. How does he do it? And I've even wondered... why? There's something powerful here, and it may simply be the mystery, the how and the why. Mystery is very seductive, isn't it? I've been seduced by this album, from the quiet romanticism/oddness of the Tom Waits-like title track "Wooden Arms", to the carnival-esque and woozy somnambulism of "Traveling Salesman". From "Beijing" and it's fantastic musical evocation of a city humming, buzzing, and racing with the life of millions of citizens to the deceptively simple "Where The Wild Things Are".

Opening the record is the stunningly lovely "Fireweed", a song which shows to great effect just how important the talents of the other band members are. Throughout Wooden Arms, guitarist Simon Angell shows imagination and restraint, while bassist Mishka Stein displays a fluidity which never gets in the way of percussionist Robbie Kuster's strength, presence and innovation. While this quartet does push boundaries to keep engaged in the creative process, they can, and do, slip in the occasional "pop" song, such as "Man Like You" and "Big Bird In A Small Cage", the latter song in my perfect world would be on every radio in every car and home.

If 2006's release, Close To Paradise, won the band the 2007 Polaris Music Prize (Canada's Mercury Prize), then I can only imagine what awards will be earned by this new record. Highly recommended.