Get all 35 Unwoman releases available on Bandcamp and save 75%.
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1. |
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Mother, mother
You will sacrifice everyone you were
Mother, mother
You must not expect something in return
You can’t repeat the past
You won’t be borne ceaselessly back
Until you see your whole life flash
Elsewhere, somewhere
Living all of their best little lives
Other Mothers
Having followed some pathways of desire
I am not who I once was
And I’m starting to hear the warnings of
The old woman I will become: she says Freedom!
Freedom to cut straight through it
To evade all of the bullshit
You can’t repeat the past
You won’t be borne ceaselessly back
Until you see your whole life flash
And isn’t it only bad
Compared to what you could’ve had
If you had always followed your own path?
(Who even gets to do that?)
[And if you were not the one to break me
Would I have worse to escape
Love’s hell I built all by myself
At least I gave up on the chase]
You thought I could not get here from there
But I did! Oh I did! and how I regret
The lengths I chose to go to prove
I could have sustained your brood
A remarkable spider devoured —
But first I would have consumed you
I’m still not who I will be
And the more I am pulled the more I beg to be free
Free to cut straight through it
Though it’s bound by blood and glue yet
Something in me splits wide open
When you speak to me of future
[Was there truth in intuition
To be loved and to be human]
Shall I cry one last time
For the death of who I was?
No man is worthy of those tears!
No man is worthy of those tears!
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2. |
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Hey, hey
The hills are already green
As green as they can be
Hey, hey
Won’t you come out walkin with me
Down by the bay laurel trees
Hey hey
And down where the babbling creek flows
As quick as it can go
Hey, hey
And mosses on everything grow
We will go, oh
As grey clouds gather overhead
The hills just look greener and warmer
And warmer tomorrows are just up ahead
If we make it through every storm
And when I say blood is thicker than water
I mean we hold our two cut palms together
United against the past and all its snares!
Hey, hey
The hills are already green
(etc)
Hey hey
The coyotes calling our names
Come back the trees and caves
And follow the paths you can’t see
And walk till the night turns to day
Hey hey
As grey clouds gather overhead etc.
Hey, hey
Sharpen your blade
Come with me now!
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3. |
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If I say I’m drowning
Will everything change?
Have you ever asked for a hand out of something?
To scrute the inscrutable
And eff the ineffable
Impossible to move against four
-Forces that rhyme invisibly
When three’s the most I ever could be
-Beasts encoded each in its maze
But I haven’t wandered too far away from it
And I gather tether unto me bit by bit
To scrute the inscrutable
-As if I need to broaden my scope
And eff the ineffable
-As if the spell will break when it’s spoke
Yes my purpose remained buried but never burned
All the treasure I can unlock once I’ve learned
No I haven’t wandered too far away from it
And I gather tether unto me bit by bit
All life is is labor
And ours is for nothing
At least Narcissus has himself!
…will everything change?
How could you forget pleasure, girl?
-They said it would not buy me a seat
When for some this is all that they need?
-They said it would not make me complete
All the sirens wanted was to sing their song
And invite anyone who wants to to sing along
Her breath on my neck my breath on yours
Others surround in softness and yes
Our love for you will still be as strong
If no is all you’ve got left
And if we awaken in fury what once was love
Know that nothing will remain of us no matter what
Yada da da etc
Float away with me!
Float away with me!
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4. |
We're Still Here
03:54
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I am coming out tonight
I don’t wanna waste another moment
I know I would regret it
My hair is turning grey
All these wrinkles on my face are going nowhere
But I don’t cry over it
Cause we are the lucky ones: we’re still here!
So fight your battles
And spill your tears
Pedal to the metal to the—
Lipstick hairspray pointy boots
Hand-rolled cloves and good friends who know all the gossip
I had it but I lost it
I was never cool enough
To be noticed when I wasn’t out there
So come on let’s get out there!
We are the lucky ones: we’re still here!
So fight your battles
And spill your tears
Take some damage
And kill your fear
We are the lucky ones: we’re still here!
What if this your last dance
What is this is your last chance hear music
Physical, electric
And across the dancefloor
Mirror spirits who are here to see through you
Like they know what’s before you
[And I’ll love them better now they’re dead
And they love me better now they’re dead]
We are the lucky ones: we’re still here!
So fight your battles
And spill your tears
Taste the damage
And kill your fear
We are the lucky ones: we’re still here!
When will I have had enough?
When will the banks be full
When will I have gathered enough to remember
When will the last dance occur?
We are still the lucky ones
However much it hurts
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5. |
Forgotten and Then Found
05:05
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Could something be forgotten and then found again
Prized like a trophy on a shelf
Does beauty once it wanes ever bloom again
Will chaos ever learn to sort itself?
(It’s creeping, it’s creeping, it’s creeping up on me)
(it’s growing, it’s growing, it’s growing around me)
I found a ring of silver with a lapis stone
Deep in an old treasure box
I slid it on my finger as I stood, alone
And then I simply took it off
(it’s shining, it’s shining, still shining up at me)
(it’s simple, bit crooked, one stone between two leaves)
I put it on and felt nothing, no memory
But someone made it and someone gave it to me
I was forgotten
I would like to be found
Even if it’s only my hand that pulls me out
I was once as glamorous as Marilyn
(Be lovely, act sweetly, and you will be beloved)
I was once as casual as anyone
(Use your head, not in bed, you don’t want it enough)
Could someone be forgotten and then found again
(It’s creeping, it’s creeping, it’s creeping up on me)
Even one as plain as I am
(it’s growing, it’s growing, it’s growing around me)
I have learned
Not to ask for too much
Because it burns to reach and never touch
I was forgotten
I would like to be found
Even if it’s only my own hand that pulls me out
I would like to be found
A place of distinction: pinned like a butterfly
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6. |
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The body keeps the score
The body keeps the score
Though I’ve been gone a year or more
The body knows the score
If I don’t have to be good
And life is wild precious and mine
Can I take back my time?
Did it/didn’t mean something?
Ready for the grand gesture?
You’ll have to act impressed, yeah
Will I let you be
The villain of my memoirs?
Or will I keep it censored?
I’ve been an actor all my life
Ever since I learned how not to cry
Always putting logic at the fore
But now I yearn for my heart even more
[Has it all been a lie?]
And the TV says, the TV tells me to:
“When reality bites too much
Dissociate! Dissociate!
And you don’t wanna bite the dust
Dissociate!”
I’ve been an actor all my life
Ever since I learned how not to cry
Always putting logic at the fore
But now I yearn for my heart even more
And it seems a power to disconnect
But what of those who never get it back?
[The body keeps the score etc]
When the medium no longer matters
Everyone has every access
If the TV’s dead something still tells me to…
“When reality bites too much” etc
Could I direct myself
At what cost do I reattach those strings?
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7. |
On Your Feet, Soldier!
04:15
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You have to move forward
On your feet, soldier!
You have to believe that the future is in your hands
Are you walking homeward?
Do they let you have one?
Or anything beyond a purpose to meet their demands?
And do I have to entertain you
To get through to you how you’ve been used?
When it might cost us everything just
To seek some deeper understanding
CHORUS:
If you fall in a trench
Do you squirm, do you wrench
Or do you hold your breath and just wait there
If you lose the horizon
Do you keep your eyes on
The land promised to those who play fair
In my dreams I survive
In our dreams we survive
But a fantasy’s not a solution
And each hour that goes by
Brings us closer to dying
Without making one contribution
Yes everyone’s different
Deep in the shit
I have to believe I might not recognize myself
No matter what you serve
On your feet, soldier!
You can’t stop and rest on your way to all-consuming hell
You can feel it collapsing
Under your feet — you never!
Believed any of their lies
But you got so comfortable
(We are all so comfortable)
And do I have to entertain you
To get through to you how you’ve been used?
Like I would rather make something but
I have to feed the hand that shaped me
[Chorus]
Get back on your feet soldier
Now we all march home
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8. |
Fountains in the Desert
04:33
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Did I ask for diamonds?
I’m just looking for a new best friend!
For the dream of comfort
A hopeless hope for quiet
Come, take my hand
Fly from this land
Where song is free
Join in the dance
Complete independence
Is somehow a goal to aspire to
High social regard, without the burden of Friendship for more than a few
[Opulence, decadence
Abundance, performance
Destiny, held hostage
We need you, don’t resist]
This house could be filled with dancing girls and raucous laughter
But instead we must do our best to make it His Castle
As soon as we find a way to extract money for daily
Activities we will destroy all those that once were free
Earn it by competently performing the role you were assigned
Don’t you dare ever ask, “why should I let someone who loves me less than I do choose my future?”
Are you with me
Aiming for free
First as in love
Next as in speech
While he builds fountains in the desert
Monuments and testaments
His name on your lips
Is the real payment
White cats in snow
Slyly they go
Will they return?
He’ll never know
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9. |
The Dream Curse
03:27
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Now I lay me down
But I will not rest
Heavy is the crown
Heaving is my chest
We spin so elegantly and I’m lavished with praise
In the trappings of queens we set the floor ablaze
Is this the deal I made, and haven’t I payed?
They say a girl should dream big but I wandered too far
Into this realm where I’ve no power at all
In the war for my heart I must ask who my allies are?
CHORUS:
Is this the deal and haven’t I payed?
We dance all night and I die as I wake
I know that I asked for something of interest
But it destroys me to keep this a secret
I am crowned each night — but I know illusions are cheap
And the ones who stop dancing are tossed in a heap
And the drums and the strings they would not dare to skip a beat
Glasses are filled with sweet wine but I can’t stop to drink
I am running on empty with no time to think
And this smile on my face shows my pain but she never blinks
I swear I’ve looked for the bright side
But I so long for sunlight
Am I alone here asking why why why?
CHORUS
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10. |
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I bet you’ll love me better when I’m dead
You’ll get the opportunity to project
Just what you wish I meant
[Is it rage or sadness or sex?
Incitement to riot, or hopelessness?!]
You’ll love me so much better when I’m gone
You’ll get to use all my pretty little songs
Just however you want
Ooh we have to take what we get
Oh better than never
Oh this is the farthest I’ve gone
And never never never never never looked back!
Part of me is coming out
Part that I forgot about
Part of me is coming up
Part they made me cover up
And when I finally get to rest my head
I will look down on Earth and shake it instead when I see
Suddenly, you want to know me
But it’s for my own peace of mind
To know I will have left something behind for you
Ooh We have to take what we get
Ohh better than never
Ooh how could I let you love me
The only way I can move is to swim upstream
Ooh when can I taste the pleasure?
Ooh when I’ve made all I can
Ohh and I have seen the light now
But I will not let it take me until I am done
Part of me is reaching out
Part that I forgot about
Part of me is coming up
Part I used to cover up
Ooh they say we should be afraid
Ohh of opening up
Ooh but I am strong enough now
And if you want to know me I want to be known!
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11. |
Play the Fool
03:51
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I only know as much as I can know
I have only one head
And one life in which to fill it
To fill it up
Play the fool
When you don’t know what else to do
Play the fool
And ignore those who scorn you
No fucks to give anymore
No fucks to give anyone
If no one cares, why should I?
What a race to the bottom!
If you really wanted you would learn to act right
You could learn a lot of things just to stay alive
Yes the cost is higher if you’re starting right at naught
Or if you were taught that the whole world is dog-eat-dog
Can you really blame someone for sharing what they know?
Is it any wonder some are high and some are low?
As for wanting credit when they rush to save the day —
Would you rather no one ever tried in any way?
I only know as much as I can know
I have only one head
And one life in which to fill it
To fill it up
Play the fool
When you don’t know what else to do
Play the fool
And ignore those who scorn you
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12. |
Falling Leaves
06:02
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A simple thing
The fall of leaves
Touches me, makes me weep
Far away, far away, love, were those days
Far now — the years carried those hopes away
So many around me have given up
“What if we all worked to make this world better”
But it keeps getting harder to get better
So pass it on to someone younger
Though they may not know the stakes
Would they prefer I shape myself
Into perfection as a girl
Powerless, powerless is the muse
And that’s how we are crushed under foot
It’s OK to weep
For those we have lost
For what might have been
And what was the cost?
I keep reaching still!
And all the rest of them
Must be so content
Don’t have to be scrutinized or constantly pretend
But I know they wonder
How life would be
If they could have survived being wild and brave and free!
And the joke’s on me girl
I’m still in this shit
All the ones with self-respect have already quit
But you’re still alive and
You’re still the best
Come and play a show with me once you’ve had some rest
You’re still here, listening
Just behind where I have been
You’ll catch up
Don’t you worry
Don’t give up
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Unwoman San Francisco
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Unwoman is a self-produced cellist-singer-songwriter. Layered with skillful cello, rich vocals, and electronically arranged beats, her solo music is a futuristic homage to her classical training. Unwoman has been featured at steampunk, goth, and sci-fi-related events all over North America and has collaborated with many notable acts. ... more
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