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.

Tourist Town

by John Bowman

supported by
/
  • Streaming + Download

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

      $5 CAD  or more

     

1.
Tourist Town 05:54
Tourist Town My name is Joe, come sit down here I’ll sell you my best souvenirs A rock that shines like gold, or a T-shirt for five dollars My grandad used to work the mines Chasing dreams he’d never find The dreams I’ve ended up with are much smaller There’s a treasure of lost gold up in these mountains And the ghosts of miners past haunt these tunnels underground There’s a gun fight every afternoon on Main Street We make things up as we go along in our tacky tourist town This town was once a happening place With dance hall girls from out of state Where miners came to town to spend their money They drank and partied through the night Like there wasn’t any end in sight Pretending not to know what was coming There’s a treasure of lost gold…. Tourists come and tourists go In this shadow of a town They bring the only gold we know It keeps us hanging on Gold runs out, just holes in the ground The fate of every mining town Some give up the fight, buildings crumble into dust Now the streets that horses galloped on Are filled with cars from miles around And they want some entertainment, not just history and rust There’s a treasure of lost gold….
2.
Anticipate 03:42
Anticipate I sell my time and it takes a toll Planes and hotels start to feel pretty old Waiting in the taxi for the light to change So I can come home and see you again I can’t wait Anticipate I can’t wait Anticipate You capture me with that look in your eyes Don’t need a book to read your mind See your shadow moving in the dark Wait for your touch sweet fire from your spark I can’t wait….. You’d think that after all this time Excitement would be hard to find I still dream about you Can’t wait to touch you It’s all I look forward to Some might say we’re past our prime But you make my head turn every time Years of experience put to good use We know all the ways to light that fuse I can’t wait……
3.
Dollar Store Dreams There are many places far away where people don’t have much But they have their friends and families and that seems enough The clothes they wear were worn before by people from a distant shore The homes they have are small enough to keep them close The longer I look, the more that it seems The happiest people have dollar store dreams (repeat two lines) The TV shows tell us how the rich and famous live They brag about their houses full of empty rooms It’s all about the money, buying things to pass the time To find out in the end things aren’t important The longer I look…. When I was a boy roaming the streets with my friends Making our own games, no money to spend We didn’t have much, we shared what we had The time spent together meant more Than what we might buy at any store I’m a lucky man who’s left his working days behind And there’s no more things I need Now I can walk outside, watch the clouds float by Get used to being free The longer I look…..
4.
I Couldn’t Do It All the signs said stop But my heart said go I’ll follow you to hell and back Cause I just have to know Gave you all my money Gave you all my pride I gave it to you willingly Said thank-you for the ride My brain gave me good advice but I didn’t use it I should have just walked away but I couldn’t do it Your tastes were expensive Only the best would do You showed me all the finest things And I gave them all to you I soon came to realize You could never have enough I only had so much to give Now you’ve gone to someone else My brain gave me good advice…. You left me with good memories That I’m still paying for You left me so uncertain You left me wanting more My head tells me you used me My heart’s still missing you You left and stole my breath away Took the air out of this room My brain gave me good advice….
5.
Worry 04:20
Worry I know you worry about whether your plans will ever come true You worry about any troubles your friends are going through I know you worry about the gray creeping into your hair You worry about all our bills if the money’s not there Take all your worries And give them to me Cause what kind of man would I be If I wouldn’t worry for you I know you worry about whether your necklace will go with your dress And you worry that your to do list is causing you stress I know you worry about the impression you’ll leave behind You worry about your buried treasures that no one may find Take all your worries….. Our worries won’t define us Joy will follow wherever life takes us I know you worry about whether your garden will get enough rain You worry the red wine we spilled will leave a big stain I know you worry your time will be gone with much left to do You worry that you won’t remember what’s real and what’s true Take all your worries……
6.
Old Man in a Buick These rooms are getting smaller I’ve got to get away There’s still places I have never seen Just a few days down that highway If I can get an early start I’ll have breakfast down in Edison Fresh baked apple pie with my morning coffee I’m an old man in a Buick Floating on this highway If you’re in a hurry, you can pass me by Could be my last road trip Gonna stop at every place I missed Nowhere I’ve gotta be, taking my time I used to race up and down these roads One town just like the other Quick stop for gas and on the road again Only later did I realize There’s a million stories along this trip If you travel off the freeways to the side streets and back roads I’m an old man …… This used to be a farmer’s field Now they’re planting houses row by row Empty stores on main street Thanks to the mall at the edge of town Guess my memory’s not what it used to be Cause I don’t recognize this city Seems like yesterday when we walked these streets As the daylight surrendered to the dark I’m an old man….
7.
Ends of the Earth You’re in the picture on my wall Smiling brightly down the hall Reminding me I found a treasure Never far away at all To the ends of the earth Every place I might search Wouldn’t lead me to one like you To the ends of the earth In every place I would search Wouldn’t find me a woman like you I’m used to having you around Rooms are too quiet when you’re gone You’re always finding inspiration From all the beauty you have found To the ends of the earth … Our love will never be over You’ll feel me there watching over your shoulder I’d paint your picture if I could Carve your portrait in a piece of wood I’ll celebrate you with a song Hope I write it pretty good To the ends of the earth … (repeat last line)
8.
Miss You When I’m Alone I was young, you were so exciting I rushed to you, no waiting, waiting I couldn’t see underneath your smile Til it was far too late, too late Had to run away while I still had the strength I don’t regret that I made my escape I’ve won a better life, not ashamed to come home Sometimes I still miss you when I’m alone I wasn’t free to find my path You had to be my owner, owner Had no option but surrendering Follow your orders like a soldier, soldier Had to run away….. Now my life is a blank canvas There are so many choices, choices On the pillow where I rest my head Listening to familiar voices, voices Had to run away….
9.
Out of Time 04:04
Out of Time Pack of wolves, running free All my friends, out on the street Learn my words, so I can rhyme Read and write Graduate, to someplace real Find a job, make my deal Fall in love, raise our child Grows so fast Out of time It ran away Before I was finished what I had to say Out of time It ran away Turn my back days have slipped away Hopes rise, dreams fade Lessons learned, from mistakes made Work less, more time to play My dues are paid Out of time… The mirror says I’ve lived all these years So many of them just disappeared I feel the breeze of time flying by Gone in the blink of an eye Memories live, friends die Cards are dealt, don’t ask why Change won’t stop, can’t read the signs I’m far behind Out of time….
10.
In Your Hands We’ve all got dreams of what we’d like to do We make a lot of plans and never follow through Before you know it, life has passed us by We regret missed opportunities, the things we didn’t try Time’s a wasting Use it while you can Your future’s not determined You hold it in your hands (repeat four lines) No one else can live your life for you Once you grow up, no one tells you what to do Take some chances, let the chips fall where they may Win or lose, you’ll have fun along the way Time’s a wasting….. For some life is a sidewalk They always walk inside the lines They don’t take any sudden turns Too afraid of what they’d find And who knows what they might have found? Life moves quickly it’s like a rodeo You make mistakes, you hit the ground and roll Pick yourself up and do it all again The lessons that you learn will guide you in the end Time’s a wasting……..
11.
Waiting for Someday I see a connection between us It tightens and loosens, I’m never sure why Just when I think that I know where I stand You drift away like the waves in the tide I try to be patient like the hawk as it circles Biding its time ‘til it falls from the sky If I look in the mirror and put on my glasses My face is a road map of years flying by Waiting for someday Waiting for I love you Waiting for someday I see you’re waiting; you’re waiting too I know you’re hiding your bruises from me And you won’t tell me what makes you afraid Why you keep a set distance, and push me away I hold out my hand, cover you like a blanket Invested my heart there’s no turning back now But some nights, sleep doesn’t come when I ask it Doubts fill my head, what I want I can’t have Waiting for someday…. I wonder where you have wandered Is this the time that you never call back? Was I just a complication for you? Holding you back from what you’re meant to do I try to be patient like the hawk as it circles Biding its time ‘til it falls from the sky If I look in the mirror and put on my glasses My face is a road map of years flying by Waiting for someday……
12.
All the Time in the World I’ve watched the tug boats working on the river Seen the eagles soaring overhead I’ve stood beside the tracks, felt the rumble of the train Looked up at trees that tower far above me While the stressed out and the excited wave their arms around I’ve come to know the truth We must savour any pleasure that we come upon ‘Cause we’ve got all the time in the world I’ve stood out in the night with no artificial light Watched the sky fill up with stars and planets I look out the airplane window at the mountains reaching up to me And wonder why I took this all for granted While the stressed out and the excited…… So if you ask me what I’ve done today I’ll say I didn’t do that much But I saw a cloud that looked just like the head of a dragon And I met somebody new riding the bus While the stressed out and the excited…..

credits

released May 27, 2016

Recorded at Little Island Studio, Bowen Island, BC.
Produced by Winston Hauschild
Mastered by David “Hollis” Morgan, Constant Sound Studio, Woodlawn, ON

Musicians:

John Bowman - Guitar and Vocals
Flavio Cirillo - Percussion
Rob Bailey - Pedal Steel Guitar
Mike Allen - Saxophone
Winston Hauschild - Electric Bass and Keyboards

All songs written by John Bowman, SOCAN

-

Thanks to everyone who helped make this CD happen. Thanks to my wife and partner Diane for supporting me throughout in this venture, as well as doing the photography on the CD cover. Thanks to the musicians who worked on the CD: Flavio Cirillo, Rob Bailey, Mike Allen, and Winston Hauschild. A special thanks to Winston for doing the recording and working with me to make it sound the way I wanted. Thanks to my son Mitch, for doing the artwork on the CD and my website. And thanks to you, for purchasing this CD and listening to live music.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

John Bowman Vancouver, British Columbia

contact / help

Contact John Bowman

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like John Bowman, you may also like: