1. |
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Captain Time and his Craic (Pronounced crack) Crew
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
Roll Call for the Captain!
Okay boys, are you ready for the journey - ahhhh
Stand and be counted - ouuuuuw~!
Historians! - ahhhh
Moralists! – xo@%@!
Distractors! – nana na na naaa
Instigators! - hahahah
Contrarians! - nayyyyy
Rhythmists! - badompbomp
And other mere musicians~ haaaaa- hahah
Okay, but just remember
Whenever you return home
You may not recognize it – or yourselves~
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2. |
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Songwriters: Iggy Pop / Ricky Gardiner
The Passenger lyrics
I am a passenger
And I ride and I ride
I ride through the city's backside
I see the stars come out of the sky
Yeah, they're bright in a hollow sky
You know it looks so good tonight
I am a passenger
I stay under glass
I look through my window so bright
I see the stars come out tonight
I see the bright and hollow sky
Over the city's ripped-back sky
And everything looks good tonight
Singin' la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la
Get into the car
We'll be the passenger
We'll ride through the city tonight
See the city's ripped backsides
We'll see the bright and hollow sky
We'll see the stars that shine so bright
The sky was made for us tonight
Oh, the passenger
How-how he rides
Oh, the passenger
He rides and he rides
He looks through his window
What does he see?
He sees the silent hollow sky
He see the stars come out tonight
He sees the city's ripped backsides
He sees the winding ocean drive
And everything was made for you and me
All of it was made for you and me
'Cause it just belongs to you and me
So let's take a ride and see what's mine
Singin' la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la
Oh, the passenger
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window's eye
He sees the things he knows are his
He sees the bright and hollow sky
He sees the city asleep at night
He sees the stars are out tonight
And all of it is yours and mine
And all of it is yours and mine
Oh, let's ride and ride and ride and ride
Singin' la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la
Singin' la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la
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3. |
Past Sense
04:32
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4. |
The Voice of Wisdom
00:18
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The Voice of Wisdom
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
Captain Time: Was that a dream?
The Voice of Wisdom: No it was not a dream.
In fact it has never been more important to be awake!
Ask yourself, are you awake or are you sleeping?
In either case, you have a choice to make!
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5. |
Universal
05:55
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Universal
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
On earth we only see a small picture of our infinite universe and a limited picture of our humanity. If all cultures, places and things represent the big picture then what we see and what we base all our decisions on is the small picture!
The spacecraft Voyager One took a remarkable photograph from 3.7 billion miles from earth.The earth was just a tiny speck! This photo confronted us with an inalienable truth-
Our reality is only based on a fragment of the total picture. We just represent one tiny hint of infinity, the small picture, just another place in space!
From our viewpoint we can only see our way of life, our cultures, and our customs. We only have one truth, one religion, one language and one nationality.
We invent our own truths!
We only learn what our culture deems important, our view of history, our view of economics and our way to govern. Our knowledge of the past is tempered by the powerful, the victors of wars, the strong or the wealthy. We even ignore our own cultures truth seekers, peacemakers and whistle blowers so we can create a vision of prosperity for others to see.
The destiny of the world is determined by stories that are believed whether true or fiction.
We make up stories about our own existence and how we were created and what is going to happen to us when we die. We associate justice with privilege instead of fairness and values. We remain loyal to stereotypes of superiority about race, gender and sexual orientation in order to create fear so that those in control, will remain in control.
In our reality, we only get one drop of time in the vast sea of existence of all things which is - the big picture. Some only see the small picture but the open minded strive for celebration and inclusiveness of all people, all cultures, all humanity and all life.
It should be our vision, our quest to see beyond the limitations of our existence and to perceive the vision of the path of the universe. This is a shared path of all that exists. On it you will find the truth, the universal knowledge that exists everywhere. This is the big, the infinite and the universal picture.
The Tao of Time
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6. |
Spang Spang A Lang
04:35
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Spang Spang a Lang
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
What will the time traveler find?
Can this planet earth really be the only beacon in the starts
The language of time is the foundation
The clave of all that exists
Connection is key
Spang Spang a Lang, Spang Spang a Lang, Spang Spang a Lang
Pont te pont, pont te pont
Hip hypnotic, often erotic
Traversing across the African landscape
In the deep night like a messenger
Calling the Gods from the Iron Age
Spang Spang a Lang
A seed coming to fruition in the new world from
a time when pont te pont was changed to spang a lang.
Yes, the new world changed its name.
Pont te pont, pont te pont
Pont te pont, pont te pont
Speaking from the voice of the ancestors:
An ancient timeless continuum of social graces, ceremonies, spirit watchers, guardians,
All moved in tandem to this timeless beat.
Spang Spang a Lang, Spang a Lang, Spang a Lang
Exotic, complex, simple like a bead of sweat.
A timeline through every period, fade, style and decade
Since you introduced yourself to the human race consciousness.
Listen
Spang Spang a Lang, Spang Spang a Lang, Spang a Lang,
Pont te pont, pont te pont
Through the West Indies, straight to New Orleans, once a week you shared your beauty, your strength in Congo Square. When the century clock turned, you were there calling, begging the time men to include you in the birth of jazz – and they did~
Pont te pont, pont te pont
They included you indeed – the foundation, the building block and the Bolton inspired groove on the lips and tips of drummer sticks. The time keepers from every era know your name.
Spang Spang a Lang, Spang Spang a Lang, Spang a Lang
Every boy of 3 that heard jazz on the knees of the father heroes;
Fathers of time learned your name.
Is it the biggest big bang? The birth of Spang Spang a Lang?
Spang Spang Spang Spang a Lang, Spang a Lang, a Lang, a Lang, Lang…
Language!
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7. |
Say What?
01:01
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8. |
Drum Language
06:46
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9. |
Moral Compass
00:56
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Moral Compass
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
First Mate: Aye Captain! We’ve been through many a strange land and tongue. There’s confusion and darkness ahead. What is this time that we’re in and how do we find a direction through this perilous terrain? Ahhhhh
Captain Time: Aye Laddies! Fear not! The time is nigh and the time is always now. Our journey is guided by a very special instrument, which can only be felt in the sailor’s sails! My prized instrument, handled down from generations of seekers of truth is a compass, a moral compass. If we follow it, our souls will always be free!
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10. |
Inner City Blues
05:27
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Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin'
This ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God knows where
We're heading
Oh, make me wanna holler
They don't understand
Make me wanna holler
They don't understand
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11. |
Myth and Truth
00:55
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Myth and Truth
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
The tales of myth ebb and flow in the whispering winds
With each telling they become more fantastical
Did the story begin as a tale or did the tale become the story?
The truth is somewhere in the middle
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12. |
Soul Power
06:52
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Soul Power
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
Good God – Hit it~!
I will die the same death as Adolf Hitler and Nelson Mandela
I will die the same death as Martin Luther King
Preacher and protest-ant
I will die the same death as Lee Harvey Oswald
The most hated of them all.
But where my soul goes
no one knows
I will not die the same death as John Lennon
I will not die the same death as the Soviet Union
I will not die the same death as a Kennedy son
I will not die looking for the smoking gun
I will not die with a frown on my face
I will not die like any human from the race
You will die even if you are Jesus’s friend
You will die even if you have never sinned
You will die if everything you touch turns to gold
You will die be you young, be you old
We cannot live like the Dali Lama
We cannot live like presidents or kings
But where our soul goes
so their soul goes
But where our soul goes
nobody nobody knows
Chill out a minute
In what book reads the actual word of God?
In where can we find the ancient message once told?
In what time is our cause the most just?
When every other person is just like us
Therefore:
I will live without my father’s fears
I will live like every moment is precious and dear
I will live like the universe was made for me
I will live in the present, with the clave as my key
But where my soul goes
So your soul goes
But where my soul goes
So goes the ages of old
Bridge:
No Christian has the answer
No Muslim has the answer
No Buddha, lamas, or atheists has the answer
No Taoists or Zoro-as-trians has the answer,
No Hindus, Jews, and Shintos, have the answer,
No Freaks, no Sikhs, no sages on a mountain peak
No old crones and pagan stones
have the answer!
Breakdown:
All written words of God were written by men
All written words of God were written by women
All written words of God were written by men
God ain’t got no pen!
My key is the clave
The rhythm is my guide
The path of the spirit
Will lead me when I die
My key is the clave
The rhythm is my guide
The path of the spirit
Will lead me when I die.
Soul Power
Soul Power
Soul Power
Soul Power
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13. |
When Will Peace Come
05:49
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When Will Peace Come
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
Oh Hiroshima, Oh Antietam, Oh Stalingrad, Oh 911,
Oh Yorktown, Oh Hastings, Nagasaki and Waterloo,
Oh Khe Sanh, Oh la Drang Valley, Oh Verdun, Oh Somme,
Oh Salamis, Oh Blitzkrieg, Watery graves and Abu Ghraib
Tell me
When will, when will peace come?
When will, when will peace come?
When will, when will peace come?
The Rivers of Blood keep on flowing through
Oh Peace Keepers, Firebombs, Oh Howitzers and suicide moms,
Oh Flamethrowers, Immolation, Body Counts and bags and Ypres (E–pres) gas
Oh Nazis, KKK, Oh CIA, Oh SS,
Oh KGB, NDVD, Oh Daesh
Tell me
When will, when will peace come?
When will, when will peace come?
When will, when will peace come?
The Rivers of Blood keep on flowing through
Oh Khmer Rouge, the Battle of the Bulge,
Dachau, Auschwitz and Buchenwald says it all.
Oh Trail of Tears and Cherokee, Wounded Knee in 73
Oh tanks, guns, bombs and planes, whips, knives, bayonets and chains
Lynching and screams, beating and bleeding
Ferguson, Baltimore, Orlando on TV
Tell me
When will, when will peace come?
When will, when will peace come?
When will, when will peace come?
The Rivers of Blood keep on flowing through
The Rivers of Blood keep on flowing through
Like the Ancient Wars, like the Picts, the Celts, the Mongols, the Three Kingdoms Wars
Oh refugees everywhere, I’m on my knees, I’m on my knees
Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, the Promised Land - Oh please tell me, when, when will peace come?
Remember World War 1, and World War 2, the Korean War, the African Holocaust, the Jewish Holocaust,
Please, please tell me
When
If not now
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14. |
Memorial
01:43
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15. |
Voice of a Pilgram
01:08
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16. |
All That We Can Be
02:35
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All That We Can Be
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
The Muse has a Soul
For all to touch – and all to hold
Dance with desire - Love and play with the flame of the burning, birthing fire
The armies of art attack the doldrums, embrace the muse, light the fuse and create the mood for an explosion of creative connection - to all things
You don’t need eyes to see the sea – the flow of consciousness will make you all that you can be –Imagine! It’s the closest we get to being free
The beginning of time we cannot see
The end of time will never, ever, ever be
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17. |
The Isle of Umoja
02:44
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Umoja
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
Shipmate: Captain, This is incredible~! where are we???
CT: Ahh laddies – we have reached the 44th century on the Isle of Umoja~ Umoja
As they say here.
Behold the sound of the healing rhythms – played by hand – with no machines –unheard of 2000 years ago.
After the great 1000 year war ending in 3211, the human civilizations on earth were all but destroyed. Humanity began rebuild itself but ever so slowly. In the carnage they found hidden in an arcane arts repository, audio of a great dance master, Baba Luck, whose message was Peace, Love Respect for Everybody – Umoja means unity.
That’s all that left of past civilizations. This island which broke away from a continent called Africa and the Americas is now the largest island and landmass on earth. It was joined together by bits and pieces of every continent during the great seismic events which started in the late 2000’s. From these humble rebirth let us affirm our zest life for the future and very distant past is all connected~!
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18. |
Creators
01:46
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Creators
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
When you are born into this place
The countdown begins and so does the race
Your childhood is filled with memories
It’ll last just a second just like a breeze
We search for time that belongs to us
Everyday creating from dawn to dusk
Trying to find the time for our mind
We try so hard not to fall behind
All that we are and all that we touch
Don’t give too little, don’t take too much
Fall on the ground and fill the cup
Find the rhythm of life with a little luck
The muse of creation has a soul
For you to touch and all to hold
Armies of art can win all wars
No destruction just cosmic force
All we imagine that we can be
Is the closest we get to being free
Love is real and so is truth
So give peace a chance
That’s the least we can do
What we’ll become the day we’re born
And what will we be when death sets us free
The beginning of time we cannot see
The end of time will never be
We’re creators, creating,
Creation everyday
In a million different ways
Uh Huh!
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19. |
The Tao of Time
08:47
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The Tao of Time
©Jim Roberts
Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
As it flows, so it flows
Soul nation
Of Consciousness
The flow of the swarm
I hear the silence
I feel the song
I ride in the cloud
Of the right-able wrongs
While the gulls fly high
And the fish dive deep,
I roll on the shore
Of the indestructible beat
The sea journey of the school is marked
By an invisible path of worn instinct
By mystical forms, beyond the voices of whales
That can only be heard with your heart
Only be felt in the sailors’ sails
Even Walt Whitman could not see grass
So tall it rises from the sea and drops
Back from the sky
As it brushes you and me
So is the stream so far and wide
It cannot be conceived through a single mind
It cannot be conceived through a single eye
In fact we blind to most of its gifts
Floating along adrift we will crash down hard,
On the wall of separateness
Like a house of cards
In a march of discontent
We ignore our joys
Till the flight returns us to our flow
When we figure where we must go
As we lift our hands to the sky and say,
“Father Time - don’t pass us by!”
“Father Time - don’t pass us by!”
We will not be disappointed!
We will not be disappointed!
There is no bitter end.
The path once again goes to where it begins,
And when the gust brings us forth
In the place that we seek.
We will see it again and again and again.
And again and again
And again and again
And again
As it flows, it never ends, it only begins
As it flow, so it flows, only to begin again
As it flows it never ends, only to begin again
As it flows it never ends, only to begin again
As it flows, so it flows, so it flows
Only to begin, again
As it flows
Only to begin again, again, again
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Jim Roberts Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Jim Roberts is a cross-cultural percussionist and producer who welds together American rock/funk/jazz styles with the world music of the African Diaspora and beyond. As an artist his music is diverse, sonically complex, and rich.
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