Under Evergreens by Tyler Nail
Released: Jan 8th, 2016
Available on CD Baby, iTunes, Spotify
Produced & engineered by Tyler Nail
Mixed by Tyler Nail & Johnathan Loos
Mastered by Matt Tuttle
The majority of the instrumentation is performed by Tyler Nail
Featuring instrumentation by: Johnathan Loos, Sam Kossler, Quique Rodriguez-Pastor
Album notes: "I wrote Under Evergreens around 2010. I wanted to write something focused on imagery.This was inspired by the idea that one could picture a world that was made of one's favorite items. A tire swing. A river. A willow tree. Passing moments, like when leaves are stuck on your window, or when she puts on your sweater. These thoughts became these songs.
This process required that I do a lot of looking backwards into the past. Into my memory of being younger. Into some pretty day that made these things (these images) seem significant enough to remember. Often that process of looking into the past would bring to life another sentiment in me. the one where I know I'm dying and that time is getting away from me. I think in a substantial way, that is what this album is about. Appreciation and nostalgia for the days behind. Some favorite moments of the many those days were made of.
Cellar Door is to blame for the whole album. That song got me out of a spell of being quiet, and got me into a spell of imagery. I am grateful to everyone who inspired these songs and reflections and to the musicians involved. Thanks to Johnathan Loos, Quique Rodriguez-Pastor, Wish, Matt Tuttle, Mom, Dad, my sisters, Tim, and the rest of the family.
-Tyler
Dedicated to the members of the SRB: James, Josh, Monica, Katie, Zach, other Tyler, Amy, Chris, Dale, other Matt, and the rest. This artistic development took place with all of you in mind just after the end of the SRB. I am grateful for those days and how much I miss them."
Salt Water
Love was a pretty poison and I a little chile
and she was a silver tea spoon that sent the poison wild
and I got fevered
and she was a little river, no stronger than a stream
and she feared the mighty ocean, and swore she'd never leave
and I'd stay with her
Always be the first to throw a stone
never leaving well enough alone
Love was a bed of flowers that made a fool of me
and I stayed in bed for hours too blinded still to see
that they were dying
And she was a pretty river, as pretty as can be
And I was a river boulder, too heavy for the sea
and I was crying
Never going anywhere but home
never going anywhere alone
Love was a bloody boulder with only feathers left
and she was the mighty killer that took the blue bird's breath
and left me bleeding
And she was the pretty water, as pretty as can be
And she left for bigger water, still flowing over me
and she's still leaving
Running like a dog out of the rain
Scared of staying, scared to say my name
Love was the tallest mountain I ever tried to climb
And she was the heavy snowing that stopped me every time
I tried to kiss her
And she was a pretty ocean, as pretty as can be
And she left me in the river still looking fir the sea
And God I miss her
Muddy water holding down my feet
Meant for missing, never meant to keep
Lady Of Faith
Whisper to me, of my lady of faith
Would you fall on your knees in a moment of praise
Would you stay by my side when I'm feabled and grey
When I'm close to the cold of the ground, oh my love, would you stay
And if I were gone in the raising of light
Would you weep for my soul in the dead of the night
Would you reach for to hold me, and shake at the sight
Of my name on the stone and the flowersw above where I lay
Wish that I never be taken young
And wish that I always be standing strong
But if I should ever be made to fall
My love, would you love me still
Mothers will claim us from gaining a child
And they'll work on my patience 'til sending me wild
But you'll see them as precious and send me a smile
And I'll burry my tongue and I'll keep having nothing to say
And sons will grow fast and tell stories of mine
And in thinking of love, they'll remember the time
That their mother was bright, with her hand holding mine
And they'll see it a children, us having the time of our lives
wish that I never be taken young
And wish that I always be standing strong
But if I should ever be made to fall
My love, would you love me still
Burry my bones on our acre of land
With the wind at your heels, may you run to the sand
In their changing of ways, will you stretch out your handTo whatever they bring, may you always be finished with me
Fools Gold
Lovin' ain't worth nothing if it ain't worth fighting for
I was just a young boy heading ready off to war
And we were young and easy, and fighting for the same side
I still don't understand it, how we ever lost the fight
And dreams ain't worth the having if they ain't worth the chase
A life that's spent on dreaming is a life that didn't waist
But sometimes when you're dreaming you run off pretty far
You left me in a nightmare and I'm still wondering where you are
Talking cold, it burns my soul
Love like gold is foolish stone
It's foolish stone
You weren't ever easy to look me in the eyes
I wish you'd never told me that you told me all those lies
You were just a fool's gold and I was only sand
Only meant to hold you 'til you found another's hands
Talking cold, it burns my soul
Love like gold is foolish stone
It's foolish stone
I'm not much to look at when I'm standing by your side
And you ain't ever shined much, though you've never really tried
And now we understand it, the way it ought to be
You were meant for shining and not for hiding under me
Talking cold, it burns my soul
Love like gold is foolish stone
It's foolish stone
It's shiny stone
It's just a stone
I'm Sorry
I'm sorry
For everything wrong, I am sorry
For giving you reason to worry
But I couldn't wait 'til the morning
And maybe there's nothing left for me
But I'm sorry as I'll ever be
Stollen
Taken for more than you're giving
And carrying more than you're holding
And leaving my arms lying open
And stealing the worst that I have
Spoken
Soft as the steps through the garden
Try not to leave it too broken
But you never made me feel broken
No you never made me feel broken
And I never made you feel strong
Special
Just like the leaves on your window
And you never made me feel special
And maybe we aren't very special
Or maybe you're tame as the leaves
Shaking
Scared as a boy, I'm still shaking
Scared by each breath that you're taking
Scared by the words that you're thinking
Scared as a boy, I'm still shaking
But I'm breaking the silence again
I'm sorry
For everything wrong, I am sorry
And I never meant you to worry
And I never meant to be sorry
I only meant for you to love me
And maybe you're not meant to love me
And maybe I'm meant to be sorry
And maybe you're meant to be wrong
Cellar Door
We made houses under evergreens, under branches with the tire swings
Little did we know how everything would someday seem so far away
And they say children grow like garden weeds, but that didn't count for you and me
We'd be young for all eternity, and never let our hair turn grey
But before we could see it, out like a secret
Amidst the weeds a flower made a stand
And soon in the mirror, just like a stranger
The boy I knew had turned into a man
And we made love behind a cellar door, among the jars and shadows on the floor
And I don't think that I could ask for more than knowing once what love could be
And we lie waiting on the fallen stars in the backseat of my fathers car
Your mother wondering where the hell you are, but you fell asleep with me
In love like a diamond lost in the ocean
We were what the world was waiting for
And old men were forty, and you'd never leave me
And how could we have ever asked for more
We fell short of what we thought we'd be back when we were only seventeen
And how could we have known what it would mean to give our wild hearts away
And what a shame it is to see the light, and feel the sorrow of a starless night
When you know another years gone by, and all you feel is yesterday
And oh how it changes, and time has the strangest
Way of taking everything away
And years fall like castles, slow but too fast for
anyone to make it out okay
And how could this happen, when did you grow up on me
And where is the garden underneath the evergreen
And why aren't stars falling, and when did you stop waking me
And weren't we just children hanging from a tire swing
And are we the same now as people that we were before
And are we ashamed now of love behind a cellar door
And weren't you the lover that said you'd run away with me
And what were we thinking to ever live a day past seventeen
Following Blindly
Rain was the most of the storm that she ever gave me
the lengths that she'd go to making a point not to love me
And I wish I could see her without all the dust in her eyes
Maybe lay down beside her without all the want and goodbies
When you're wrong
When you're wrong
She doesn't call whenever she fears what I'm thinking
Until closer to morning when all of the city is sleeping
And I never look forward to half-hearted opening doors
When she raises her shoulders like we've never done this before
When you're wrong
Then you're wrong
Hunger and wrinkling eyes were all that she made me
And love in some songs that she sang was all that she gave me
If she ever grew weary, she knew how to hide it too well
If she ever grew lovely, she showed it too seldom to tell
When you're wrong
When you're wrong
If she were a lady of grace, would she then love me
And owe me the faith of a sun following blindly
Could she ever be pleasing to lie in my weakening arms
Am I worthy at all to have someone as her do me wrong
When you're wrong
Then you're wrong
We wait, so strong, so said by everyone
We wait, afraid that those days may never come
But we gave those things to stray from everyone
So brave, so brave, amazing everyone
Breathe
She's laying on my pillow, holding my side of the bed
And she tells me not to worry, and lays her head against my head
And sh's been crying every morning, but she never tells me why
And sh'e happy when she's pretty, but she's gorgeous when she cries
And she asks me do you love me
And she asks me is this what you want
And she's drinking like nobody
And she's taking everything I've got
Breathe
Breathe
Breathe
Just breathe
One more cigarette and I'll be breathing like I'm tired
And she's tearing up my pictures, and she's setting them to fire
She'll regret it in the morning, and I'll have nothing left to say
And she'll break herself to pieces just to make me want to stay
She says can you live without me
She says can you look me in the eyes
She says I can't make you love me
And she tries her hardest not to cry
Breathe
Breathe
Breathe
Just breathe
The flowerbed is filled with dying leaves of gold and brown
And she's putting on my sweater, and her hair is flowing down
And God I wish that I could see her without knowing her at all
And God I wish that she could see me without seeing all my flaws
She says do you like this on me
And she wipes the tears off from her face
And her hair is thrown together
And she pus my hands upon her waist
Breathe
Breathe
Breathe
breathe
Just breathe
Just breathe
Just breathe
Home
Chaser of love, dreamer of fate
Waisting away, waisting and waiting alone
I'm going home
Letters on fire, better and brave
Weather the storm, whether the rain or the cold
I'm going home
It's a long way down through the wind
It's a long way now to the warm
It's a long way out of the weeds
But I'm strong, and I'm going home
Mothers of gold, mercy and grace
Saving my soul, wisdom in faces of old
I'm going home
Faces I know
I'm going home
And Fathers of fire, family of love
Arms laying tired, reaching for something to hold
I'm going home
Fathers of stone
I'm going home
It's a long way down through the wind
It's a long way now to the warm
It's a long way out of the weeds
But I'm strong, and I'm going home
Nothing of blood, nothing of fate
Nothing but love keeps me from keeping alone
I'm going home
Scars on my hands, painted in red
in sand, houses stand steady on stoneBuried
I'm going home
Love that I've loathed
I'm going home
Willow Tree
The wind underneath the Willow tree
That Father himself had planted for me
When I was a brave a bloody child
Dirty and bruised, naked and wild
Young, and growing older
And Mother made a picture and she keeps it in her home
And Father made a memory out of me
Ever ready only when the Willow's dead and gone
They'll still know what it felt like to be free
The wind underneath the Willow tree
And old river birds, shiny and free
Harrowed and weeping over man
But steeling our bread straight from our hands
Young, and growing older
And how were we to know a little seed
Would turn into a Weeping Willow tree
Who's every breath would turn to bitter sweet
When once the tree was just as small as me
Love underneath a Willow tree
And mother herself dancing with me
Lost like a penny in a jar
Lost in her face, I thank God we are
Young, and growing older
Love underneath a Willow tree
That Jesus himself painted for me
Ripping my heart to open wide
Shaking the truth and praying for time
To be young, and growing older
Young, and growing older
Young, and growing older still
