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The Hoedown Philosopher

from Unfinished Houses by Esther Golton

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about

I was falling asleep. Two lines appeared behind my eyes out of the blue, in that almost-asleep way. "hoedown philosopher" and "life must be filtered". They almost slipped away. Then I remembered the late Dave Carter telling me how he writes songs in his sleep. I sat bolt upright, realized that what seemed like weird phrases out of nowhere made sense, and created a song...

lyrics

A hoedown philosopher wrote to the newspaper
After he’d wronged a girl, left her cryin’
His letter to the editor, which never was published,
Said only this: Life must be filtered.

Chorus:
Nobody promised us crystalline clarity
Nobody modeled us simple sincerity
There’s only one murky conclusion that I can see
Life must be filtered

It’s just like the story of Alice in Wonderland
She didn’t understand all the madness
She jumped down the rabbit hole, came back a different soul
Muttering that life must be filtered

Chorus

I’ll hitch up my skirt with a Cheshire Cat grin
I’ll ditch the White Rabbit and dance with his twin
And when I am thirsty I’ll fill up my bottle
And drink to the truth that a filter can’t throttle
I’ll drink to the truth that a filter can’t throttle

Chorus

Like Alice, I’m wondering just what has come over me
This is a rather strange hoedown philosophy
But there’s only one murky conclusion that I can see
Life must be filtered

Yes, this is a rather strange hoedown philosophy
Life must be filtered

credits

from Unfinished Houses, released September 12, 2007

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Esther Golton Alaska

Esther Golton creates music that satisfies the quest for something delightfully different & diverse. Her voice is "silky smooth, precise and winsome." Add an unusually intricate use of the mountain dulcimer, stunningly fluid flute, & melodic, colorful writing, strengthened by formal studies in flute, jazz & composition. Peter Mulvey has praised her work as "solid, beautiful, vibrant...inspiring. ... more

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