We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Country Doctor Museum

by The Lisps

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $5 USD  or more

     

  • Buy Other Stuff

1.
BRACKISH WATER Hello Mountain how’ve you been? Hello shelter where’ve you been…all my life? Dirty River Let me swim Brackish water to my chin.
2.
Chaos 04:12
CHAOS We look a lot alike and we talk a lot alike but we don't like all of the same things what destiny brings is a warm and wrapped up package with a stamp and a bow and a hand-written note and you'll get it in the mail and wonder what the hell and it'll blow up in your face! We try a lot alright and we cry a lot alike but we cry about none of the same things because we’re waiting for diamond rings and it’s a cold and precious metal with a glimmer and a gleam and a shine and a sheen and you'll get it in the mail and you wonder what the hell and it'll blow up in your face! We walk a lot alike and we fall off a wall alright but we fall at totally different speeds and then we land on our knees and pray for sweet salvation that will end and begin the beginning of the end and you'll get it in the mail and you’ll wonder what the hell and it'll BLOW UP IN YOUR FACE! That's just the way chaos works, Nothing's ever the same but it's roughly the same. That's just the way snowflakes work, They're never exactly the same, but they're never anything but snowflakes.
3.
Heaven 03:47
HEAVEN I woke up this morning Wishing you were right by my side So I went looking for you I went to the general store and the shopkeeper told me that you'd been to heaven. I went to the Government Hall and the mayor of this town told me you'd been to Heaven. I didn't believe these men so I walked and walked and walked until the sun went down. I finally fell asleep But when I awoke I was in with you in Heaven.
4.
THE FAMILIAR DRUNK Go away troubles, sail away tears, don’t cry for me mother, cuz I’ve got lovers and beer. Go away troubes, I’ll tell the world out loud, that I’ll be back on the double, I can see the blue sky through the clouds. But oh…My honeypie sweetiepie when will I find you back home. This war that I’ve been through I simply can’t stand any more. He’s Enter’d, Wet both Eyes, Cock Ey’d, Got the Pole Evil, Got a brass Eye, Made an Example, He’s Eat a Toad & half for Breakfast, He’s in his Element, He’s Fishey, Fox’d, Fuddled, Sore Footed, Frozen, Fears no Man, He’s Crump Footed, Been to France, Flush’d, Fetter’d, Been to a Funeral, His Flag is out, Been at an Indian Feast He’s Glad! Groatable, Gold-headed, Glaiz’d, Generous, Booz’d the Gage, As Dizzy as a Goose, Got the Gout, Had a kick in the Guts, He’s been at Geneva, Globular, Got the Glanders, Half and Half, Hardy, Top Heavy, Got by the Head, Hiddey, Hammerish, Loose in the Hilts, Haunted with Evil Spirits, He’s Taken Hippocrates grand Elixir, He’s Intoxicated! Jolly, Jagg’d, Jambled, Jocular, Going to Jerusalem, Been to Jericho, He’s a King, Seen the French King, The King is his Cousin,He’s in Liquor, Light, Lappy Limber, He sees two Moons, He’s Merry, Middling, Moon-Ey’d, Muddled, Maudlin, Mountous, Muddy, Mellow, He’s eat the Cocoa Nut, Nimptopsical, He’s Oil’d, Eat Opium, Smelt of an Onion, Oxycrocium, He drank till he gave up his Half-Penny, He’s Pidgeon Ey’d, Priddy, Been among the Philistines, He’s Quarrelsome, Questing, Rocky, Rich, Raddled, Religious, Lost his Rudder, Ragged, Rais’d, Been too free with Sir Richard, like a Rat in Trouble. He’s Stitch’d, Seafaring, In the Sudds, Strong, Swampt, Steady, As Stiff as a Ring-bolt, Half Seas over, He carries too much Sail, He’s Stew’d, Stubb’d, Soak’d, Soft, Been too free with Sir John Strawberry He’s Top’d, Tongue-ty’d, Tann’d, Tipium Grove, Double Tongu’d, Topsy Turvey, Tipsey, Has Swallow’d a Tavern Token, He’s Three Sheets to the Wind, He’s Thaw’d, He’s in a Trance He makes Virginia Fence, Valiant, Got the Indian Vapours, He’s Wise, He’s Wet, He’s been to the Salt Water, He’s Water-soaken, He’s very weary.
5.
Piety 04:09
PIETY Piety isn’t what is used to be, but gravity is a lonely one man band. Recovery happens only once or twice three times if you’re lucky but delivery is better than all of that combined, Heavenly isn’t what it used to be but gravity is still a lonely one man band. property doesn’t make you who you are it just defines who you’re not by establishing physical boundaries. ... I kissed him in the nimbus. I couldn’t see his eyes for the length of his hair. Meet me in the nimbus. I’ll be waiting there for you. Comedy isn’t what it used to be, but notoriety is a lonely one man band. High society doesn’t get you what you want, it just makes you want things that are harder to get. … Sexuality isn’t what it used to be. But virginity is still a lonely one man band. But the memories, they never make you who you are they just portray who you were through the romanticized lens of consciousness fragmented. But delivery is better than all of that combined.
6.
Documents 02:22
DOCUMENTS Take me and divide that into 17 five-digit numeral sequences print that onto 72 81/2X11 inch sheets Bind that into a small notebook with a pretty little clip art cover page Open that then read that then close that then...Let it go, oh oh. Take me and pour that into an old and black cast iron cook pot then boil that and empty that into a 16 ounce aluminum travel mug then bring that in a four-door sedan to a pay-per-hour multi-level parking garage and drive it to the top and pour it out the window so it runs to the bottom in a spiral formation then ...Take me and fax that to 40 top performing marketing firms mail them each a self-addressed stamped envelope requesting that they return the fax. Wait six to eight or nine weeks and in the meantime store it in a filing cabinet Then take all that you've received and try to reassemble me the best that you can then...
7.
Depravity 04:37
DEPRAVITY Your face a suspension bridge, that carries me into a deadly mountain pass. I cross it on shaky legs, hoping not to fall to my untimely death. Your breath is the cold west wind, that carries me so far away from my home. Your legs are the buttresses, that keep us all from crumbling into the sea. Oh my God. Please dear God. Please just let me be. Oh my God. Please dear God. Help me won't you please, out of Depravity. Your eyes are the oracles, that prophesize my certain lonely destiny. Your words are the ancient spells that lie unread below the deepest darkest sea. Your tale it is a winding one, that holds the horrible and cruel world in tow. Your ears are the cannibals devouring me and my songs from head to toe.
8.
Destiny 03:22
DESTINY You and me sailin in the sea oh yeah here we go it's just you and me. Where we're goin the water's flowin no way a' knowin what we'll see. But I don't mind that don't need to look back cuz I don't believe in Destiny. You and me watchin court TV. No type of justice for the loveless you’re the seamstress And I'm your seam. Your heart beats magnets that keep me attracted but I don't believe in destiny. You and me Underneath the dogwood tree. I drink coffee I prefer green tea I like red meat. I exclusively eat veggies My folks are jewish mine were communists and I don't believe in meant to be … But I do Believe, in you and me.
9.
Compromise 02:56
COMPROMISE Compromise is the mother of the lonely hearts It's the face that catches all your lover's darts and bleeds away your will to live. Compromise is a party of forbidden thoughts. A thousand doors and thirty thousand locks When there's just no where left to go. Compromise in the guise of all you need to do You need it just as bad As it needs you, But still you hate it all the same. Compromise is the lover of what you aren't You're such a doll when you play the part of the mother of the lonely hearts. it's just like you the ingénue.
10.
Ann Marie 03:04
ANN MARIE I'm just a boy From the Chattahoochee flats bare feet on the red clay grass scares all the aristocrats I've never been to Rome and I've never been to Sicily And you can pity me or You can come with me but it's a long ride through the sticks with me I've never been to Shanghai and I've never been to Jericho But it's a long long row to hoe and the sun's comin round the bend I've never been to Iowa and I've never been to Graceland But I've got my sweet ann marie and that's all that I need My Ann Marie, Is All I need. She was just a girl from the Chattahoochee flats gingham summer dresses and a braid goin down her back She taught me write She taught me arithmetic She wrote everything I needed to know on a spent rock candy stick. Walk with me down to the creek I’m on my knees please marry me. Live With me Grow Old with me make me complete Sweet Ann Marie Our separate ways we went that day Never to be with Ann Marie.
11.
I'm Sorry 02:47
I’M SORRY You don't really know where I'm coming from. True but I know where you're going to. Not true I think you ain't got a clue. I know you I know you don't know me you don't know me (I'm sorry). Your dreams tell me what you really mean to say. I don't think that is fair as a general rule I get so mad at you I love you … First and Foremost, I'd like to say I bring home the bacon like every day. And when the dog is walked and the salad is tossed. And when the mouths are fed and the pots are all washed. That's when the loving is set to begin. The pillows a-fluff and the lights are all dim I am comforted by you in the night our pallid bodies fit together just right together just right Pain is just a game in between me and you cheat on me and I'll cheat on you. … Smile and kiss run around in stupid fields. Hey don't be so much negative things.
12.
The Gift 04:10
THE GIFT You Don't get a choice in the sound of your voice you don't get a say in the night or the day-time. it's only a question of time it's all in the question of time. When you're looking at something you can't see what's behind it when you're listening to something you can't see what's behind it when you're angry at something you might not understand it when you're laughing at something the same might be true. Wooden is what , I'd like to be oh I think it's ideal speaking materially. Oh golden would shine and brass would be fine but wooden is what, I'd like to be. Some people have the gift of the rhyme and some people have perfect, musical time. Some people have articulate speech and some people have long skinny legs at the beach. Some people have a penchant for physics and some people proclaim to have no physical limits. Some people have irresistible charm and some people know how to run factory farms. Some people exhibit unbelievable bravery and some people have an extreme talent for catering. Some people make a whole lot of sense and some people are really understanding parents. Some people are always iconoclastic and somebody had to have invented elastic. Smoky Robinson says, God gives everyone a gift and he got the gift of the rhyme. yeah he got the gift of the rhyme, but what's mine?
13.
Red Balloon 04:23
RED BALLOON I walked up to my window. Lifted myself onto the sill. I flew out into the open, over trees and fields windmills. If I had stayed you would have left me. Without saying where you’d go. Stepping stones have no memories. They’re only minerals and bone. So here we go. Love is a lying child. Love is a burning building, burning into the ground. Love is a red balloon. I flew 7 miles over. All the land that I had known. What a terrifying feeling, every hole was someone’s home. But here we go. … I came home that Sunday evening. My dog asleep is all I found. Fear is his only feeling, he misinterprets every sound. There’s a certain kind of failure that happens only in the shade, of a purposeful disaster, catastrophically handmade. Love is a red balloon, floating off to the moon.

about

Our Debut LP

"Country Doctor Museum tempers its considerable cleverness with a sense of vulnerable immediacy.” - Time Out New York

credits

released January 5, 2008

The Lisps are…

Sammy Tunis – Vocals, Melodica, Tambourine
César Alvarez – Vocals, Guitar, Melodica, Saxophone, Clarinet, Harmonica, Organ, Thunder Stick
Jeremy Hoevenaar – Backing Vocals, Bass, Yells, Noises
Eric Farber – Drums, Air Raid Siren, Monkey Wrenches, Gags

Eric plays on all tracks but 6 & 8
Mikey Palmer - Drums on tracks 6 & 8, percussion on tracks 11 & 5, and guitar on tracks 3, 8, 9, and 13
Peter Evans – Trumpet on tracks 2, 9, 12 and 13
Aaron Moore – Trumpet on track 11 and bag pipes on track 2.

The Lisps Binaural Choir is: Sylvie Baumgartel, Yvonne Buchard, Brendan Connelly, Nina Hoffman, Alisha Kerlin, Stephanie Loveless, Brett Price, Zeljko McMullen, Saul Melman, Doron Sadja, and Dee Dee Thompson. They perform on tracks 4, 6, 7, 9 and 12.

All Songs written, produced, and mixed by César Alvarez with The Lisps. Depravity written by César with Mikey Palmer. Title and spoken lyrics in “The Familiar Drunk” were excerpted from Jess Arndt’s novel Shanghaied. Spoken lyrics on “Depravity” were liberally adapted from various translations of Homer’s Odyssey.

Recorded at Lisps headquarters in Brooklyn, NY; César’s parents’ attic in Yonkers,NY; and in scenic Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

Mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge in New York

Artwork by Sammy Tunis
Design by The Lisps and Ryan Case

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

The Lisps Brooklyn, New York

contact / help

Contact The Lisps

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this album or account

If you like The Lisps, you may also like: