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MetroSongs, Volume 6: OUTATRAK

by Jason Mendelson

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Noam Levine
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1.
Eisenhower Ave 01:01
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As I ride backwards through Alexandria to my apartment right near the theater, Old Town gets small. The monument, the masonic hall. Everybody looks down. People scramble like ants. Now Trevor Bostwick, patent examiner, shows up for work here, a busy quarter's end. Late nights, no sleep. Buried in cases as the daylight creeps - just over the bridge - people scramble like ants.
2.
Mt Vernon Sq - Conv Ctr 04:08
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Just came in from Topeka Hey DC nice to meet ya My first time in the city I want to go somewhere nice Welcome to the capital! You wanna find a bar? Well watch out brother don't go too far I know a good place ten blocks away you can fight for a seat with all the neuroscientists! You wanna get there? take the train don't stand on the left or the people complain don't block the machines or the people get pissed don't let 'em think you're just another tourist! City streets A to Z Cabs of blue, red and green Now this yellow one's orange flagged it down on a corner man it's taking a long time there's my state on a street sign Sorry pal, got to go another way got to get around this motorcade I'll get you there, don't you fret just sit back and watch the little TV set Hang on man, I gotta check did you mean Northeast or was it Northwest? Here we go it's just up ahead that'll be $15.50! Took a seat had a drink saw that man on C-Span I look around and see it's not so strange at all A woman from Chicago she finally left that town says she's glad just to be here after years of wandering around after a day in the District I could make it here somehow all the restless are natives I think I get it now
3.
Prince George's Plaza 03:24
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One day in the distant future I'm gonna make it out of this place high-tail it from the Food-a-rama and disappear without a trace I'm heading for the big time city just like Mr. Neal J. Fox Bright lights and interstates in a brand new pair of neon socks Goodbye to Riverdale goodbye to all fair weather friends Goodbye to Riverdale Goodbye my fine fair weathered friends One day in the distant future I'm gonna plan and make my escape used Capri, one tank of gas, cruising down the East-West Highway I'm heading out to California with Goldie Hawn and Mama Cass Palm trees off Melrose Avenue, write my name in Venice Beach sand (chorus) Windy City waits for me Big Easy seems so free Sunbelt will shine on me Big city! Some day in the 1990's they're gonna build a station out here Green Line right to my front door and that's how I'm gonna disappear (chorus)
4.
Spring Hill 04:29
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Hey oh, oh hey! There comes a time in a young man's life to say goodbye to the things of his youth To no longer ride a bicycle and maybe shave that beard and give up trying to play the mandolin but you don't have to do what those people say to do so keep on trying to learn the mandolin You've got some wax for your mustache and a suit that looks like 1893 you no longer ride a bicycle since you took the Silver Line and bought yourself a car on Spring Hill Road There was so much to choose from you were kind of overwhelmed but you bought yourself a car on Spring Hill Road So you drive way up Route 7 Winchester and beyond and then back to the District to try to find a parking spot With all the time you save by driving you've got more time to practice mandolin your girlfriend got a banjo and your buddy plays a tenor guitar and the lady next door has got an upright bass well now you've got a band and an album full of songs Guess who gets to drive them all to gigs? Yes, now you get to drive them all to gigs! Hey oh, oh hey!
5.
West Falls Church 04:29
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I never thought it would come down to brothers fighting on Upton's Hill Struggling just to stand, divided houses cease to be so Mine eyes have seen the glory Attention and review Whose eyes have seen the soldiers? Julia She wrote a set of new words to "John Brown's Body in the grave" Printing this poetry, Atlantic Monthly it spread like wildfire Mine eyes have seen the glory Attention and review Whose eyes have seen the soldiers? Never turning back Then they cut short their visit rebels charging from the west Back in the carriage with a northern governor Washington-bound (chorus) The lines arranged themselves in my brain so I hastily arose I shall lose this if I don't write it down now through the last verse (chorus)
6.
Court House 02:37
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I just wanted to eat my lunch eyewitness news is much too much I can't even get back to my car everybody's crowding my favorite bar The lights, the game, the action, and fame The leather, the whips, the ladies' silk slips The power, the money, a little taste of honey Bite marks on her tushie but she never said YES! What a party man What a party town What a party way to beat me down
7.
Capitol South 03:53
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They wrote it down in a book all they saw and all they heard a merchant sails across the sea and trades this work for silk and tea Volumes land on these shores in his hands, a collection soars when fires rend and lay to waste Thomas calls, he knows his place Dust in the sunlight dancing all around pixellated shadows He made the men an offer that they couldn't refuse his books were numerous and valued, only slightly used In his concept universality there was no topic that the Congress wouldn't want in their tree so they purchased all his books, sixty-five hundred in all filled up all of the shelves, filled up all of the walls Mr. Spofford came and he went to town when he started copyrighting, talked to Buildings & Grounds So they got a new place to house all the stuff some of it is awesome, maybe some of it's fluff but you can bet that if you write a book there is a student in the future who just might take a look I wrote it down in a book all I saw and all I heard a merchant sails across the sea
8.
Shaw 04:18
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9.
Medical Center 04:59
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In a family room in Boston a father stands with his baby in his hands He asks "Why? Why do you have those brown eyes? Why do you look like your mother?" In a parking lot in Stanford a woman stands with a bottle in her hands She asks "Why? Why do I need this so much? Why can't I change my life?" They carry a code (DNA) it's the language of life (DNA) the lyrics of your inner song At a lab bench in Bethesda a student stands with a test tube in her hands She asks "Why? Why do I see this pattern? What's the rest of the story?" She's cracking the code (DNA) of the language of life (DNA) she's learning how to sing the song G A T C C G T A G A T C C G T A Find out what it means to me Just may say your life some day In a hospital room in Fairfax a doctor stands holding her patient's hands "Don't you cry. You're very sick, but there's good news. There's much more we can do." Because we know the code (DNA) of the language of life (DNA) the lyrics of your inner song
10.
College Park 03:41
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American Queen Anne in all her painted glory Entomology, Professor Cory One day when they dig this up What will we leave them to find? Training in the spring, Senators played here Conservation, please another strikeout for Candini One day when they dig this up What will we leave them to find? Will they remember our name? College Park Buildings torn to shreds daughters of the chief taken much too soon no sense of relief One day when they dig this up What will we leave them to find? One day when they dig this up What will we all leave behind?
11.
Cheverly 02:19
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Today is Cheverly Day We're gonna go to the park and play This town has hundreds of trees and a playground made of cheese C is for Cheverly B is for Bellamy A! Did you know? Today is Cheverly Day We're gonna go to the park and play And if we run out of gas we'll miss our orienteering class C is for Cheverly B is for Bellamy A! Did you know? Today is Cheverly Day If in the secret garden you look for the marbles in concrete nook Why don't you write us a book? Today is Cheverly Day We're gonna go to the park and play This town has hundreds of trees and a playground made of cheese C is for Cheverly B is for Bellamy A! Did you know? Today is Cheverly Day
12.
Rhode Island Ave 03:14
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From the southeast side of town there's a man who changed the world never missed a day of work Joseph Curseen He was dedicated to the safety of his streets a better life for me and you an operator We remember two men who were just doing their jobs DC-born in '46 there's a man who changed the world in the Tuesday morning mixed Thomas Morris An airman of four years loved by family and friends a bowler feared by all the pins an expediter We remember two men who were just doing their jobs

about

MetroSongs, Volume 6: OUTATRAK grabs you by the arm and throws you into a time machine. We'll visit the deep, dark eighties and bring back some synthesizers and neon socks. This album is available at local MetroSongs shows in a totally retro-style longbox. Does anybody remember longboxes?

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released November 30, 2015

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Jason Mendelson Washington, D.C.

Multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Jason Mendelson of Alexandria, Virginia created MetroSongs in 2010 with the goal of writing and recording a unique original song for each of the DC area's 91 Metro station locations, based on local history and character. The project was completed in April 2017 with Volumes 7 & 8. ... more

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