The Novelists

Chapter 5 // May 2013 // Dirty Wings // Morris & Estelle

Joel Ackerson – vocals, guitars  //
Eric Andersen – vocals and piano //
Megan Slankard – vocals and guitars //
Zack Teran – vocals and bass

“Dirty Wings” and “Morris & Estelle”

Produced by The Novelists // “Dirty Wings” was engineered by Michael Cross at Ex’pression College For Digital Arts, Joel Ackerson at True Story Records, and Megan Slankard at Frankengoose // Additional Engineering by Eric Andersen and Zack Teran // “Morris & Estelle” was engineered by Michael Cross at Ex’pression College For Digital Arts, and Joel Ackerson at True Story Records // Additional Engineering by Eric Andersen, Megan Slankard, and Zack Teran // “Dirty Wings” and “Morris & Estelle” were mixed by JJ Wiesler

Guest Musician on “Dirty Wings” and “Morris & Estelle”

– Kyle Caprista – drums

“Dirty Wings” ©℗ 2002 Megan Slankard

“Morris & Estelle” ©℗ 2002 Joel Ackerson & Brett Hobin

 

LYRICS

DIRTY WINGS (Slankard)

 

“Those soles are comfort”

She said “that’s credit card”

New shoes walking home

She don’t own a car, car, car

She turns the lights off

Electric bill is high

She’s glad Harry’s out

‘Cause she hates to cry, cry, cry

 

Under these dirty skies

Her dirty wings they let her fly

And, under these dirty skies

Her dirty wings they let her fly

 

“Give me some reasons,

Not just enough is enough”

She pricks her skin

From thinking she could take too much

“Just a fairy tale”

She laughs outside

She can’t keep it up

Sleeping girl has to close her eyes

 

Under these dirty skies

Her dirty wings they let her fly

And, under these dirty skies

Her dirty wings they let her hide

 

The city sings like sirens, it’s melting in the wind

Fading when it is exposed to sun

Turning on the shower

She is melting in the water

She is fading in the moonlight, turning into mud

 

Under these dirty skies

Her dirty wings they let her fly

And, under these dirty skies

Her dirty wings they let her hide

Let her fly

Morris & Estelle (Ackerson/Hobin)

Here’s a little tale, of Morris and Estelle

A forty-two year wedding vow, together in everything

They never had a child, but busy all the while

Happy, just the two of them, they didn’t need anything

 

Right from the beginning they couldn’t stop from spinning like a carousel

Promising forever in every endeavor living parallel

 

It’s our life we should live it well

If you’ll be my wife I will give myself to you

Said Morris to Estelle

 

Working all their lives, finally they retired

And bought a condominium in Hollywood, Florida

Half of every year, together in the sun

They’d memorize the interstate and weather the winter there

 

Bought the place in Florida ‘cause now they could afford a little paradise

Sticking to their dream ‘cause you know they never were the type to compromise

 

This is our life and we’re living it well

If you take the time to enjoy yourself, you do

Thought Morris and Estelle

 

But sunlight always turns to rain before it can begin again

And time moves like a hurricane

Morris had a lung disease, the doctors said a couple weeks

And wished him all the best

 

They waited for a while, but time was running out

They’d always kept their promises, together in everything

And then without a word, they took each other’s hand

On the seventeenth floor balcony…

 

The neighbors said they found them there smashed into the ground and had to turn away

But frozen on their faces, their smiles had left a trace of what they couldn’t say

 

It was our life and we lived it well

So excuse us now if we spare ourselves some pain…   some pain

Signed Morris and Estelle