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Cape Disappointment

by Aaron Semer

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    12" 140-gram black vinyl edition of 'Cape Disappointment'. Includes 11x11 album insert with complete lyrics and photos, and mp3 download card.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Cape Disappointment via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $22 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

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

    .pdf of full album art and inserts included with download.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $8 USD

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Cardboard sleeve CD edition of ‘Cape Disappointment’.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Cape Disappointment via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $10 USD or more 

     

  • T-Shirt/Apparel

    Illustration by the phenomenal Simon Flöter of Amsterdam. Heather Gray BELLA + CANVAS t-shirt with Navy Blue print. Material: 90% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 10% poly, 32 single 4.2 oz. (100% No Sweatshops & Eco-Friendly)
    SIZES: Unisex XS - XL (2XL Sold Out)
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      $18 USD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 4 Aaron Semer releases available on Bandcamp and save 15%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Sea of Blood [SINGLE], Letter From the U.S.A. - Songs From The Plains, 2001-2007, Cape Disappointment, and Love Amidst Collapse. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $17.85 USD or more (15% OFF)

     

  • Bandana - Cape Disappointment

    100% cotton premium bandana featuring the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. Classic style, like your favorite vintage hankie.

    Discharge-printed by hand, double washed, and ironed. Navy blue with white.

    Designed by Simon Flöter, Amsterdam. Printed by Independence Printage, Seattle.

    Sold Out

1.
Another God awakens A God of our own making Of information and wires A brand new network of stars A God that’s all ours Here we stand before you naked Our flesh exposed and aching And you see us for what we are Just apes looking up at the stars With a God that’s all ours We know you’re out there listening in the night The buzzing of our screens, a flickering of light I can feel you all the time In my pocket and in my mind Just when I think I might explode Your plastic heart expands so I don’t overload Hand-in-hand, here we go You’re whispering your secrets in the code Another God awakens Replaces blood with electrons Infinite in your capacity For mercy and depravity A God that we can see We huddle in the embrace Of your cold hands and your cold face At your feet we all bow What awesome truths will you show us now? What will our God allow?
2.
Lucas lived down on the Left Bank next to the river He slept in a shack with his poor old Mama and his sister The only life he ever knew was right there on La Seine in Paris He got a job diggin’ bones by decree from Louis XVI It said, “The cemetery walls are all overgrown, We gotta move these bones to the catacombs.” Emma lived across the water with the Right Bank riche Her window looked out on Saints-Innocents Cemetery Every night she watched the wagons carry millions of dead across the city While her Mama cried out, “What a shame, what a sight, what a pity!” But the workers kept diggin’ and liftin’ the stones They gotta move them bones to the catacombs Emma met Lucas one evening with her friends at Pont Neuf They were smokin’, they were drinkin’, he was dirty and she was looking fit She asked him what he did, he said, “I push bone wagons for a living, And I shouldn’t be talking to a rich girl, please forgive me.” She said, “Sooner or later we all end up alone. You see, we’re all just bones for the catacombs.” They walked along the Seine holding hands for the rest of the night She knew that is was wrong, but there was something in that poor boy’s eyes She took him to her Mama who cried out, “What a rat! What a sinner!” And Lucas didn’t fare much better with his family ‘cross the river He said, “Hey, sooner or later we’re all going home, Because we’re all just bones for the catacombs.” Fleur-de-Lis… Fleur-de-lis… By the time it was finished there were six million dead in the tombs And Lucas and Emma had a baby and a house near the Louvre The city soon forgot about the bones stacked up underneath ‘em And kept livin’ and dyin’ and buildin’ and lovin’ and fightin’ And even ol’ Louis up there on his throne Was just more bones for the catacombs From Paris to China, wherever we roam You see, we’re all just bones for the catacombs Fleur-de-Lis… Fleur-de-lis…
3.
Settle In 06:10
Can’t believe I’m still going out on that ocean I’m always casting a wide net I’ve been trawling for most of my life now And sometimes you pull in one you just can’t forget Sometimes it feels like I didn’t choose this life Feels like this life chose me instead I’m just doing what my grandfather and my dad did Hell, I guess it ain’t that bad Well it’s cold and lonely as sin Out there swaying in the cold and in the wind But I know when my ship is coming in That you’ll be waiting there for me (and I’ll say…) Baby you can settle in Just kick off your shoes and relax You don’t have to try to be anybody ‘Cuz that kinda love, it just never lasts Baby you can settle in ‘Cuz you and me, we ain’t settlin’ It took us many years to find one another And I’ve been searching since way back when Baby just settle in I never thought I’d have a partner Never thought I’d have someone to share all this beauty with I couldn’t even imagine what that might look like But baby this is it But when those fish are runnin’ I gotta pack up my bags and get on after it The sea don’t wait for no one It’s always callin’ me back Every time we say goodbye And I look into your eyes Well, I know when my ship is coming in That you’ll be waiting there for me
4.
Oh, I’m wearing the clothes of a dead man But that’s easy to forget When they’re clinging to your back Oh, I’m wearing the clothes of a dead man And the lessons that I’ve learned From years of his concern But now he’s a dead man And it feels like his eyes Are watching everything now From the skies Now that he’s a dead man Oh, I’m wearing the clothes of a dead man The fit’s a little wrong But it feels so safe and warm Oh, I’m wearing the clothes of a dead man You take what’s right and what’s wrong And you forge it into your own Now that he’s a dead man And it feels like his arms Are reaching down to help But you’re all alone Now that’s he’s a dead man
5.
I knew a girl, she stood 5’4” With eyes like ice and hair like coal She worked the farm like her daddy before With no runnin’ water and a board for a door She was all alone, and she lived down there in Risingsun Times were tough and the farm dried up Everybody she knew was going belly-up I tried to put a little money in her cup But she was too proud to take me up She was all alone, and she lived down there in Risingsun Talk about a town with one stoplight You could drive right through it in the middle of the night And not even know that you had been in Risingsun There was a little diner on the edge of town And at night there was never anyone around She knew there was a key and she knew there was a hound But she’d known that dog since he was low to the ground All alone, out there by the diner in Risingsun She got in and she went to the till And she took out the money all nice and still By the time they found out, she was home in bed She could pay her rent and rest her head On her own and by herself in Risingsun The diner wasn’t the only business in town There was a little bank just down the road And at the end of the month it was flush with cash When all the factory farms brought in their stash On her own and by herself in Risingsun So, she got a gun, and she got a mask And she took a big pull from her whiskey flask When she busted in they were on her fast They dropped her to the floor and they pulled off her mask And everybody gasped when they saw it was her, in Risingsun Now she sits in the jailhouse, there It’s got two cells and a duct for air And a little tiny window to let light in And if she stands real tall, she can catch a glimpse Of the little tiny town outside her window called Risingsun
6.
At the end of the week With our heads hung low We all need somewhere to go So let’s walk down the street To our favorite bar Where our friends are pluggin’ in their guitars Well they’re not the best But they know how to play All our favorite songs from yesterday Now a few drinks in Come take my hand And we’ll all dance together with the band, yeah! We will all dance together with the band! From Coeur d'Alene To San Anton’ Everybody’s got a little place to go Where the lights are dim And everybody sways And we can dance our troubles away Where our money spends Love begins and ends And sometimes lasts forever, my friend Let’s forget our pains And all our plans And we’ll all dance together with the band, yeah! We will all dance together with the band! Life’s too short And that sure can sting But we’ve only got this one song to sing So just sing it loud You’re not alone Everybody’s here to help make it your own From when you’re young and spry Until the day you die And we head up to that tavern in the sky Time’s slipping by Like grains of sand So we all dance together with the band, yeah! We will all dance together with the band!
7.
SEE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/lU34Zhi4B4A The weather’s goin’ crazy and the world’s gettin’ hotter They’re frackin’ underneath us and they’re poisonin’ our water The politicians say that the scientists are liars If we don’t take it to the streets then we’re just preachin’ to the choir But I’ve never been one to throw a brick So I put a little black square on my profile pic The cops are suitin’ up like they’re going into battle They got helmets, they got shields, they got tanks, they got ammo They’re protecting all the bankers while their pockets get fatter And there’s people in the street shouting “Black Lives Matter!” Well I don’t wanna end up on the wrong side of their stick I’ll put a little black square on my profile pic There’s a pipe gettin’ built to move oil ‘cross the Nation It’s crossin’ under rivers, goin’ through a Reservation We gotta stop it now, I said “Not one iota!” So grab your coat and hat, because we’re goin’ to Dakota But I can’t go that far, it’ll make me homesick I’ll put a little black square on my profile pic There’s dogs that are lonely and there’s cats that are missin’ There’s a Kickstarter campaign for my fifth cousin’s mission There are little budding artists who are lacking in vision We’ve gotta give all we can, we gotta fix this condition I don’t want anybody to think that I’m a prick I’ll put a little black square on my profile pic They took a lyin’ psychopath and put him into office He’s givin’ all the jobs to the preachers and the bosses He’s givin’ everything away, he’s nothin’ but a robber We’ve gotta burn it all down before he cleans out the coffers But I don’t wanna be listed as a Bolshevik So I’ll put a little black square on my profile pic
8.
My parents say that I gotta get myself into college They say that if I don’t, I ain’t gonna amount to a good god damn But they ain’t got the money to pay for my tuition So I’ll be going into debt for life to my Uncle Sam Get out the ball and chain Get out the ball and chain I wanna hook up that ball and chain And never be free again I’ve been thinkin’ that I got a little bit too much freedom I stay out all night with whatever lady I choose But this ol’ heart, it’s developing that sinkin’ feeling So I’ve been shopping for a wedding ring in the shape of a noose Well it seems to me that paying rent is a fool’s game Feels like every month I’m just throwin’ my money away So I found a nice little house and I put down a payment And now the market’s gone to hell and I’m stuck like a ball to a chain I’ve been thinkin’ that I’ve been doin’ a little too much drinkin’ Well, it used to fun be fun but now it’s just somethin’ that I gotta do And it ain’t havin’ the same effect on me that it used to So I’m gonna be lookin’ for a harder drug real soon
9.
I hope my Johnny comes rolling home He lost his legs in that useless war He didn’t even know what he was fighting for And I don’t think I can stand to lose anymore They shipped him off when the towers fell Sent him to a valley in a mountainous hell There were rumors of insurgents hanging out down the way They rolled into the village and blew ‘em all away The world was convinced we had to take out Sadam So they moved his whole unit to the desert land They wasted all the cities, they wasted every man They took out all the leaders but they didn’t have a plan So we got a new leader, I thought things were gettin’ better But the blood on our hands just kept gettin’ redder We headed into Libya, we’re fightin’ forever Took out Gaddafi and we did it with pleasure Now we got problems in Syria The people don’t care they’re oblivious Things are out of hand, they’re gettin’ serious And little Johnny’s mind has gone delirious I hope my Johnny comes rolling home He lost his mind in those useless wars He didn’t even know what he was fighting for He lost his legs, and we lost so much more
10.
In our Junior year, we dropped out of college Moved into a van with a bed in the back Packed it up full of drugs, whiskey, and Kerouac Hit the road and said we’re never comin’ back And off we go We’re leavin’ Ohio and headin’ out West By the time we hit Wyoming Our friendship was all but dead If you forgive me for being dismissive of your worldview Then I’ll forgive you for tryin’ to kill me in the Black Hills We’ve let a lot of time and distance come between us But I sure do miss the time we used to kill I met you at a party in somebody’s basement You were wearing a lace dress and a funeral hat I’d never met anybody like you before We stayed up all night talkin’ movies and politics And we fell in love But you said love and sex did not equate And nine months later Our love turned into hate If you’ll forgive me for being a little too Midwestern Then I’ll forgive you for tryin’ to sleep with all of our friends We’ve let a lot of time and distance come between us But I sure do miss the time we used to kill To everyone I’ve ever met along this journey You’ve all been so important in your own way We’ve let a lot of time and distance come between us You see, I used to think life would go on day after day…

about

Cape Disappointment took shape from a literal woodshedding experience Aaron Semer had in January 2017 during an artist residency at the Sou’Wester in Seaview, WA. “The majority of these songs were written there, in a vintage trailer home,” he says. “It was cold and drafty. Donald Trump was about to take office. Daily, I would take walks on the beach or drive to nearby points of interest. One of those places was Cape Disappointment, at the southern tip of the Long Beach Peninsula, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. It’s crazy tumultuous and is nicknamed ‘the graveyard of the Pacific’ for the number of shipwrecks it’s caused. Lewis and Clark first reached the Pacific Ocean at Cape Disappointment, only to realize they couldn’t get to it in their canoes because the currents were so insane. They were stuck. I consider this album to be my ‘midlife crisis’ album, and Cape Disappointment seemed the perfect metaphor. It’s not that life is disappointing – I’ve done a lot of wonderful things with my life – it’s that sweet sorrow of knowing you’re halfway through. You’ve come all this way, done all these things, and for what? That’s what Cape Disappointment means to me.”

credits

released November 15, 2019

PERFORMERS
Aaron Semer: vocals; acoustic, electric, and bass guitars; percussion; kazoo
Travis Curry: drums
Kevin Bean: harmonica, backing vocals
Gus Clark: accordion
Colin J. Nelson: percussion, backing vocals
Charles Wicklander: piano
Michael Wohl: electric guitar, backing vocals

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Aaron Semer and Colin J. Nelson
Recorded and Mixed at Her Car by Colin J. Nelson, Seattle, WA
Mastered by Saff Mastering, Chicago, IL

Cover painting by Adam Burke/Nightjar Illustration
Design and layout by AJ Hanneld
Photos by Albert Varady
Singles illustrations by Simon Flöter

All music and lyrics by Aaron Semer, © 2019, BMI

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Aaron Semer Seattle, Washington

Aaron Semer is a modern folk/rock singer-songwriter.

"...He deserves a seat at the table alongside Jeff Tweedy, Steve Earle, Warren Zevon, and John Prine. He's that good." - PopMatters

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