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Drone Butch Blues

by Your Heart Breaks

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    12" Vinyl LP of "Drone Butch Blues." Art Direction and Design by Corianton Hale, Photography by Don Milgate.

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD version of "Drone Butch Blues." Art Direction and Design by Corianton Hale, Photography by Don Milgate

    Includes unlimited streaming of Drone Butch Blues via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12.98 USD or more 

     

1.
Our Forbidden Country (Verse: Droney A, Chorus: A, G) (Guitar Tuned down half step) Before the plague Before the rage Before the body count Angel-faced young men of summer Gathered on these shores Women loving women loving women in sunlight A salty kiss on sandy skin Lovers limbs entwined Past the Breakers, sick with hunger, Our Forbidden Country Past the benches , built for lovers, Our Forbidden Country Kept it like a secret ‘til you could keep it no more Found love in a subway station, pressed against the bathroom door Dare to let your glances linger longer than before A city park, the darkest corner, kneeled upon the forest floor Past the benches built for lovers, Our Forbidden Country Past the Breakers, sick with hunger, Our Forbidden Country Once a lover, once a fighter, once a fierce unruly queen Now carried through the streets, their mortal body’s but a dream No Liberation, liberation without memory Buried deep in our endurance, our collective fury Past the front doors to the alleys of Our Forbidden Country Past the marchers, angry rallies, Our Forbidden Country Past the benches built for lovers, Our Forbidden Country Past the breakers, sick with hunger, Our Forbidden Country Another night unfolds, Why Sleep? In our forbidden country Another night unfolds, Arise! In our forbidden country
2.
Late Nights in the Lab (Chords: A, D…) I was 17, a student at the experimental college Late nights in the lab on the A/B Roll Edit Living off Luckies and marijuana A young party monster, looking for trouble Driving down the I-5 to get to a show Or the reservation liquor when the others were closed Whiskey for my coffee for my early class, Queer Poli-Sci, a little over my head I remember you a teacher at the experimental college A tough queer femme with a political edge Hell bent on the ideals of social justice Teaching Ecofeminist Documentary Production But it must have been lonely in that small town, You must have wanted so much more, Just to get the hell out. A single gay bar with a single drag queen, Surrounded by your students, With fake ID’s. We sat that night after class Late in the lab I shuffled papers from the students into one neat little stack And made a note on a list, tapes I loaned out These were just the little things from the times we hung out I admit I had a crush that I slowly got over And I know I had questions like had you been older In the back of my mind, in the video lab There’s a knock on the door You’re holding a 6-pack Cause I’m 17 at experimental college Late nights in the lab on the A/B Roll Edit Living off Luckies and marijuana A shy queer kid looking for a role model. 17 at experimental college Late nights in the lab on the A/B Roll Edit Living off Luckies and marijuana A shy queer kid looking for a role model.
3.
Wanting to Stay [VERSE: C Am G F C / C F G F C CHORUS: C Am G F CGF CGF] You were a southern storm Hypnotic and bright You were sand in my shoes You were all that I knew for a little while Sudden and cruel Soaking me through Frozen in fear Somehow wanting more Was all that I knew But oh for a gentle breeze on one sunny day I was a crab on the shore Digging my little home Singing wanting to stay, wanting to stay, wanting to stay wanting to stay, wanting to stay, wanting to stay You were Kudzu vine Blocking out all the light Weaving in between trees Climbing taller each day Chocking out all the life Persistent and strong A weed through and through Spreading far and wide No place that could hide from your system of roots But oh for some sweet relief For a tidal wave I was a crab on the shore Digging my little home Singing wanting to stay, wanting to stay, wanting to stay wanting to stay, wanting to stay, wanting to stay
4.
In the Life 03:27
In the Life (VERSE: E A E B CHORUS: A E A B E) I’ve been a trapper, out cruising the tender The hungry young hustlers in the city of night I’ve been a terror, a fierce younger lover I’ve traded my body at times to survive I’m haunting the hollows the back alley boroughs the dark movie theaters and discos and dives If we hovered so nearly Together just barely Felt the wonder between us What wonder we’d find? Could you count all of those who abandoned the fight Or list off the names of those who have died In the city of night, the death tolls were raging, The church bells were ringing, but not for our kind Please pardon my yearnings They hit without warning My heart so commanding, my body, my mind And all of our secrets that we hold between us All shine so clear in the glowing moonlight We’re haunting the hollows the back alley boroughs Dark movie theaters and discos and dives If we hovered so nearly Together just barely Felt the wonder between us Dear what would we find If we hovered so nearly Together just barely Felt the wonder between us Dear what might we find
5.
Deceit and Deceive [E A E / C#m A E] A safe full of secrets, so dark and so deep Young horse-whisperer, Who knows not to speak When there is no need. A vision so lovely A swan so deceived. It cried out for days In love with the view Of what it perceived. Oh falseness entangled The human of beings. Not quite what you thought, Nor need dream or want Deceit and Deceive
6.
Somewhere In Between (C F) By the time you read this you’ll be 17 Smoking stolen cigarettes, writing bad poetry Crushed out on a classmate who’s kind of a stoner But you think she’s real cool and you wish you could know her. By the time you read this you’ll be 22 Have your heart broken, a couple shitty tattoos. High School will feel like a bad memory, Now you’re washing the dishes at a place down on Holly. CHORUS: BACKUP VOCALS: “SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN” x8 Somewhere in-between the stacks of book and papers, Found a place to call your own and a reason to stay there With a record collection, a single ray of light You sleep through it every day, live only for the night. Somewhere in-between the stacks of book and papers, Found a place to call your own and a reason to stay there With a record collection, a single ray of light You sleep through it every day, live only for the night. By the time you read this you’ll be 30-something You’ll be out of the restaurants but you’ll still be hustling. Free time will feel like a dream you have About a time and a place you will never get back. By the time you read this you’ll be nearly 40, Have a real good laugh about a dog eared copy Of Lesbian Poetry, the Anthology, from 1981 Sent like a time machine. CHORUS: BACKUP VOCALS: “SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN” x8 Somewhere in-between the stacks of book and papers, Found a place to call your own and a reason to stay there With a record collection, a single ray of light You sleep through it every day, live only for the night. Somewhere in-between the stacks of book and papers, Found a place to call your own and a reason to stay there With a record collection, a single ray of light You sleep through it every day, live only for the night.
7.
The Party’s Over [VERSE: G Em C D CHORUS: C G D G] Was it the fever or the fear or the way he held the floor? Was it the back-beat of the bass drum that just kept you wanting more? Were you reeling from the poopers? Was he just another screw? Or we’re hell bent on making him the one you’d love so true? Was it how the party ended, just when you finally felt so free? Was it the death of the gay disco or the murder of the queens? Was it the burying of bodies or one endless eulogy? Or the government officials, “Quiet down don't make a scene.” Turn on the lights The Party’s over Lost to the night Forever young Christopher Street The Hudson River Will keep on flowing After we’re gone Was it the way his body moved to the music you adored? Or the way the disco ball just sent you spinning round the floor? the glitter on his face, the sweat upon his brow? His short shorts shirtless body moving to Dinosaur L Was it the how we were so wild? how we sleeplessly endured? The way raged against the night, against the cruelties of the world In the seedy basements, back alleys, the dark clubs and the discos For one moment felt alive, took all our shame and let it go Turn on the lights The Party’s over Lost to the night Forever young Christopher Street The Hudson River Will keep on flowing After we’re gone
8.
The Worst July on Record [VERSE: E B A B CHORUS: Low E, High E B A, Low E C#m B A] It was the worst July on record, Lost a dear dear friend to cancer Then a suicide right after Shook the scene right to the rafters We all huddled close together Sweating out the liquor Arm-in-arm, shoulder to shoulder We sang songs about departure There was a wrinkle in the fabric We all say each other older Time and space it did collapse And I was leaning on your shoulder And the music it was loud Not much one could say My sarcasm crept right in Come on, lets watch this shitty band play Oh distraction, the pool the beach the fire Late nights spent talking, the early morning sun Oh distraction, the beer the weed desire Call your old friends, make sure they’re not alone. And the heat it was oppression And the world was even worse Can cops were killing in the streets In gay clubs a massacre And the media just loved it but it made all of us sick All the murder of black people, trans women, the innocent. Dog-piled in a hotel room, No one sleeps alone tonight The TV’s on, I’m kind of drunk There’s no relief in sight Tomorrow another memorial Another fallen friend All I can think, this is too much Holy hell, just fuck this shit. Oh distraction, the pool the beach the fire Late nights spent talking, the early morning sun Oh distraction, the beer the weed desire Call your old friends, make sure they’re not alone. Call your old friends, make sure they’re not alone.
9.
When Home was a Blue Sky [VERSE: Asus Dsus BREAK: F# E D F# E D] When Home was a Blue Sky I sat captively craving When Home was a Blue Sky I patiently pondered When Home was a Blue Sky Was I always wanting When Home was a Blue Sky I just had the feeling [Break] When Home was a Blue Sky Their ashes just scattered When Home was a Blue Sky We found ourselves howling When Home was a Blue Sky We're you buried beneath it When Home was a Blue Sky Did you wake on the wind? [Instrumental jam on Asus and D]
10.
Dear Jeffrey 02:17
Dear Jeffrey [VERSE: G D C D CHORUS: C D GDC C D Em / C D GDC C D G] Dear Dear Jeffrey, oh please tell me How is New York City? Do the pretty boys all shine in your light? Do you stay out all night dancing, Just to watch the sun come rising? Have you finally found a lover that feels right? And have you found a way to fight the feeling with each day, That says you’re not worth a damn thing, just go die? And have you found a way to hold the feeling with each night, That says you’re finally free to love, just go try? Dear Jeffrey oh please tell me, You still write poetry While waiting for the subway home each night. Are they songs for your lost father, A sonnet for your new lover Does it still bring you joy to write? Like a piece of twine, we co-exist, Though its been some time since we did twist And turn the streets of the lower east side Few and far apart these days, I hope you know that I do take Time to let you tumble round my mind. And I hope you’ve found a way to fight the feeling with each day, That says you’re not worth a damn thing, just go die. And I hope you’ve found a way to hold the feeling with each night, That says you’re finally free to love, just go try. Dear Dear Jeffrey, oh please tell me How is New York City? Do the pretty boys all shine in your light?
11.
Keep on Living [C G F G] For the times you got fucked senseless just to not feel so alone For the wonder in discovering a Sadie Benning film For the record spinning, Donna screaming, Don’t try suicide There’s another way to paradise, only in your mind. For the rumors in the hallway, you might be so different And the tags upon your locker that said, die you fucking faggot. For the innocence you lost, but the wisdom you did gain Now you know what tender is, you know how to be brave. For the feelings that do linger so much longer than they should. For the moments when the anger is all you can see for miles For revenge you knew was coming, but couldn’t quite yet taste, But you knew would be so sweet, so you made it through the day. For the glory holes you dreamed of, your secret circle jerks For the late nights in the library bathroom on the 3rd floor For the times you tumbled sentences, afraid to speak the words As if coming out would change the very person that you were. For the sissies and the queers who feel forever so alone, For the queens who wake in glitter, well into late afternoon. For the ones we’ve yet to meet, ‘cause they are still so young, And the ones we will remember, long after they’re gone.

about

Buy the LP/CD now at Sofaburn Records. Ships when ordered!

www.sofaburn.com/product-page/your-heart-breaks-drone-butch-blues-vinyl

Drone Butch Blues is a queer concept album based on the writings of historic and contemporary GLBTQI authors. With a focus on stories surrounding queer community, Drone Butch Blues touches on topics of secret and forbidden love, sex with strangers, the lives of hustlers, the impact of AIDS on homosexuals, historic events and rebellion all interwoven with the personal narrative of Clyde Petersen. Striving to examine the contemporary gap between generations of queers and their elders, Petersen turns to written materials to find buried remnants of gay culture and creative vibrant humans, lost to the plague of AIDS. What emerges from this exploration is Drone Butch Blues, the 9th full-length album from a twenty-year career as Your Heart Breaks.

Produced by Karl Blau and engineered by Nicholas Wilbur at The Unknown in Anacortes, Washington, the base of the album is drone. Each track containing it's own unique drone element, and is then layered with folk instruments. You won't find any drum sets on Drone Butch Blues. Instead you will discover rhythm in the textures of the strings and pianos. Drone Butch Blues lives somewhere between a memorial service and a queer anthem, trying to encapsulate or understand such a historic loss of a vibrant generation of artists, while celebrating intimate moments shared in queer communities.

DRONE BUTCH BLUES READING LIST

Stone Butch Blues / Leslie Feinberg
A Restricted Country / Joan Nestle
The Carnivorous Lamb / Agustin Gomez-Arcos
City of Night / John Rechy
Lesbian Poetry: An Anthology / Elly Bulkin, Joan Larkin
Valencia / Michelle Tea
In the City of Shy Hunters / Tom Spanbauer
The Pox Lover / Anne-christine d'Adesky
Rubyfruit Jungle / Rita Mae Brown
Since I Laid My Burden Down / Brontez Purnell
Tomboy Survival Guide / Ivan Coyote
First Spring Grass Fire / Rae Spoon
Close to the Knives / David Wojnarowicz
Switch / Carol Guess
Fun Home / Alison Bechdel
About a Girl / Sarah McCarry
Where the Words End and my Body Begins / Amber Dawn
Not my Father's Son / Alan Cumming
Carsick / John Waters

credits

released April 19, 2019

DRONE BUTCH BLUES BAND

Karl Blau (K Records, Laura Veirs, Earth)
Kyle Field (Little Wings)
Kelley Deal (The Breeders, R. Ring)
Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches, Juno)
Dylan Carlson (Earth)
Lori Goldston (Nirvana, Earth)
Adrienne Davies (Earth)
Wynne Greenwood (Tracy & the Plastics)
Jordan Smith(Jordan O'Jordan)
Zach Burba (iji, Dear Nora)
Jacob Jaffe (Younger Shoulder)
Jonas Haskins (Earth, Low Hums)

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Your Heart Breaks Washington

Your Heart Breaks is a queer Northwest band. Originally founded by Clyde Petersen in Bellingham, Washington in 1999, Your Heart Breaks has toured the world for over 25 years as both a solo performer and a large ensemble. Their new album comes out on Kill Rock Stars in 2023. ... more

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