Oakenwood lyrics

 

Polished

Our first album release, Polished, is now available above. Consisting of songs both old and new, the album showcases our versatility.

 

Mother Earth

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund

 

Since the days of our birth we've lived on you Mother Earth
You show your terrible sadness of man's selfish madness
Mother Earth who’ll protect you from the destruction man shall do
Mother Earth you are so screwed

The sun shines its warm light rays on man's desecrating ways
As he unwittingly destroys what he considers his "toy"
The stars are shining so bright
For you they reflect the light
It will be their last tribute as man continues to pollute
Radiation, PCB’s, and other toxic nasties
Corrupted water makes for quite a slaughter
Polluted air is a very deadly affair
Oh Mother Earth, dead soil has no worth
There is no winner, but you have lost
Man would have called it ecological holocaust

Since the days of our birth we've lived on you Mother Earth
You show your terrible sadness of man's destructive madness
Mother Earth a childless parent
No one's left, now you’re barren

This "green" piece was rewritten from what was originally a poem about the threat of nuclear war. The first Mother Earth was written in 1983 during the height of the Reagan years.

 

Late Night Wakefulness

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Pete Nyblom

 

Late night I was ridin' with my closest friends so far
Beverage in the seat below and heads up in the stars

We laughed, we sang, we took a drink
Into the black we flew
And several hours later I knew just what to do
I called to my brother who was next to me
But lately he was so far gone
His eyes they could not see

He cried, he screamed, he fell asleep inside the brown sedan
And just then he told me that we were more than men
I asked for proof that he could show and to that he smiled sincerely
From his coat he provided a mirror reflecting clearly
Inside that mirror I saw myself and the future that I held
Deep in ourselves is what we want and the cold hard road to hell

 

Pete wrote these lyrics to a totally separate guitar piece than what has been recorded. In early 2002, Phil had Pete listen to a composition he had put together. Pete quickly set the lyrics to the music giving us the piece we have today. One other note, Pete's vocal was recorded in one "take".

 

Catch in the Graveyard

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund, Scott Block, & Pete Nyblom

 

Catch in the graveyard / Catch in the graveyard
A game played between cat and mouse / We're playin' in the devil's house
Watch out for the souls reachin' up from the ground / They grab your ankles, they drag you down
Catch in the graveyard / You better watch close
Catch in the graveyard / Runnin' on bones
Playin' tag with the stones

Catch in the graveyard / Where the bones shake in our heads
Runnin' in the darkness / Trampling their restful beds
There's a light in the distance / It's just too bright to see
Playin' tag in the stones and when it's done they set us free
"Run, run, run" they cry to you and me
"Run, run" they cry

Did you hear that? There it goes again / Fools chose to cross burial dens
Catch in the graveyard / We shall rise above, an impressive force of fear
We'll cause their hearts to pound and in their heads they'll hear
Catch in the graveyard / Catch in the graveyard

 

These lyrics were written after a brutal game of Laser Tag, played at night...yes, in a graveyard; everyone was injured. The music practically wrote itself.

 

Dirge #3 (We All Gotta Go)

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund

 

Two women's lives wasted, a child's life is forever changed
All because a drunk neglects to hookup the safety chains
To witnesses and rescue teams that were on the scene
How they look at life and death will never be the same

refrain
We all gotta go
Gotta give up the soul
We all gotta go sometime
When it's our time, God only knows
We all gotta go sometime

A couple put their life's work and savings into their store
Workin' night and day 'til their feet an' backs were sore
One night at closin' time a masked man broke the door
He leaves with the money, his clothes covered in their gore

A kid goes off to college and feels alienated
He seeks acceptance but ends up self-medicated
Through a dirty needle a virus enters his body unabated
He wasted away 'til his will to live faded

An old man drops his bald head and falls asleep in his chair
Sometimes his pale blue eyes are open but he's not there
Surrounded by friends and family all he can do is stare
Finally his body gives up the soul it can no longer bear

 

This song is very personal. Two of the verses are about family members.

 

Stormy Afternoon

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Scott Block

 

Sitting by the dock
Watching the rain fall down
Gazing at the waters edge
Where the waves roll in
Dreaming of forgotten lands
Dreaming of forgotten lands
Where the sun shines all day
And your cares never go away
Seeing a stormy afternoon
Watching the clouds like ships
Spilling tears like wake
Wondering if the sun will return at all
On a stormy afternoon
Stormy afternoon

Will the rain stop soon?
Has the sun left our home
Never to return?
I'm sitting on the dock
Under a stormy afternoon
The trees are drinking and the grass is dancing in the wind
Will my ship come in?
Will I be the one
To sail that ship away?
Or will I just sit here
Under a stormy afternoon?
Under a stormy afternoon

 

Scott moved to Florida in September 1985. He came back to Minnesota the following year to visit for Phil's birthday. During that year, Phil had come-up with the music for this piece but no lyrics. He played the piece for Scott during that visit and Scott wrote the lyrics in one sitting.

 

Stare

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund

 

I sit here in my chair
Nothing to do but stare
Life continues I don't know why
The sun sets, the moon rules the sky
The night settles a lonely entity
A craziness there 'bouts...my insanity
Am I deranged? You should know
Sitting there absorbing my glow
You soak it up, my life's being
You're drinking and I am bleeding
You shall die, bleed no more
As your brains flow across the floor
I sit here in my chair
Nothing to do but stare

 

This poem was written when an unknown illness threatened Phil's Mom's life. It was part of a torrent that poured fourth when Phil's emotional floodgates opened filling a spiral notebook and started Phil's writing career.

 

Murder

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund, Scott Block & Pete Nyblom

 

She comes to you in the middle of the night
Comes to whisper in your ear
She invades your dreams and twists your mind
Makes your blood run cold with fear

Murder - black thoughts taking control
Murder - tortures your mind and soul
Murder - black thoughts take control
Murder - tortures your mind and soul

You reach out for warmth and find hatred's fire
She hides truth with wanton desire
You seek heat but grip cold iron
She comes to you and drags you into the mire

Murder - black thoughts in control
Murder - tortures your mind and soul
Murder - where did it come from?

She waits for you to come in from the cold
Waits to warm you by her fire
She steals your spirit while gazing at the pyre
Laughs as your eye's fade

Murder - darkness sucking you down
Murder - emptiness fills around
Murder - where does she come from?

Falling in a pit of despair
Nothing to do now it's done
Your soul belongs to the one
Now you're beaten

Murder - black thoughts sucking you down
Murder - tortures your mind and soul
Murder - emptiness sucking you down
Murder - your soul belongs to me
Murder - cold hard wet ground
Murder - where does it come from?

But you know where you're going to

 

The "first verse" was written by Phil while stopped at a stoplight in about 45 seconds during the stressful Christmas season. Originally written and recorded as an acoustic ("unplugged") song, it took on a life of its own when it went electric. The second verse poured from Scott during the recording process while Pete did a great job of interpreting the lyrics.

 

Donnie

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund & Scott Block

 

I went visiting just yesterday, hadn't seen you for awhile
It's been so long, such a long way… so many months, so many miles
You live in your little house on that quiet street
Sleepy little town, same drawn frown… not many people to meet
Every mornin' she puts on a face only to change it by five
Another day, another race, but it keeps her alive

refrain
She's a single mother, a one-parent family
She's all that she's got but she never complains
Tough life… she remains the same

Her kids get off to school by eight all dressed-up and lookin' fine
She doesn't have much to give to them but quality time
They love her with all of their hearts and she loves them the same
Sometimes they don't get along that's just part of the game
Katie and Abby are growin'-up, getting' bigger each day
Soon they'll find their own lives… how long will they stay?

Men walk in and out of her life, fallin' for her all of the time
Some want love, others want fun… what a hideous crime
She doesn't have the best record on affairs of the heart
If she could do it all over again, I'd give her a fresh, new start
She's attractive and beautiful; most men see it so
They never bother to look inside and give her a chance to grow

She's got a candle burnin' inside, a bright, brilliant flame
It warms inside, keeps up her drive
Imagination's its name

 

This piece was written about Scott's "adopted" sister. The day after Scott & Phil's visit, the later woke-up with two thoughts: we gotta write a song and buy an electronic guitar tuner!

 

John Edgar

Produced by Pete Nyblom
Poem by Phil Oslund

 

One night at a party I came down with a sudden malady
Hiccups sent me home for a brush with supernaturality
So I walked there crookedly with a belly full of beer
When I got home, I dropped into my chair feeling kind of weird
Suddenly all the candles lit themselves filling me with terror
A ceramic skull on the shelf said, “hello, my name is John Edgar”
I shook my head to clear it thinking it was my imagination
“You aren’t hearing things,” he said, “nor is it due to your intoxication”
I must be going mad, I thought to myself trying to understand
“Don’t worry,” he said, “I wouldn’t waste my time with a madman”
‘How do you know what I’m thinking?’ I asked in disbelief
“I am a wraith,” he replied casually, but it provided no relief
“Have no fear,” he continued, “I just want you to hear
The story of John Edgar and my life as a buccaneer”
I was confounded to say the least, I had to ask ‘why me?’
“Do you not remember a past life spent upon the sea?”
At that moment I had a brilliant flash of recognition
Suddenly I was on board ship awaiting an expedition
“You are remembering,” John Edgar said from behind me
I quickly turned around to see, and before me stood he
Tall, not quite lean, he had long black hair and a gold earring
A scar ran down his cheek, so he looked like he was sneering
“We are on board the frigate Dreadd,” he said in a pleasant tone
“We served together on this ship under the Skull and Crossbones”
With that I felt the ship pitch and list throwing me to the rail
I felt Edgar’s cold hand grip me as my eyes were drawn to the sail
It had many holes in it stitched together so they looked like scars
The grip on my arm tightened so I turned to face John Edgar
“What you see,” he said, “are painful reminders of battles past
Look there,” he pointed, “Look at the marks upon the mast”
As I did I remembered climbing down from the crow’s nest
The rigging had been taken by Spanish cannon from the west
With the rope dangling free, I shimmied down what was a great tree
Soon I was in the water with the rest of the crew and debris
I watched the sun set soaking wet in a turbulent sea of black
John Edgar spoke saying “you didn’t survive the attack”
I looked him in his cold blue eyes seeing his soul of steel
‘You didn’t survive either, you slippery, slimy eel’
He looked away, turned his back and stood up tall
“You’re right,” he said, “I sank like a cannonball”
There we stood in an awkward silence upon the deck
The next instance I was in my candle-lit skin feeling a wreck
The candles had burned half their height and in that weird light
I looked to the shelf where the ceramic skull glowed bright
“Thank you,” he said sincerely, “for putting me to rest
You’re consciousness of my existence is my last bequest”
With that the glow drew dim and the skull just sat on the shelf
I couldn’t believe what had happened and was unsure of myself

 

Phil wrote this poem in the early '80s about a LSD flashback. During a visit, Pete asked to take a copy. Thinking nothing of it, Phil gave it to him. Pete then surprised Phil with this recording which is a testament to Pete's studio craft & creativity. Thanks to Jimmy for engineering Pete for this project.

 

Unfinished, guitarwork

This collection of songs is raw - not completed and not mastered. Some may ask, "then why make it available?" Truth is Phil likes the raw nature and personality of this collection so much, he went ahead and published it here. He listens to this more than the other Oakenwood releases.

 

Sun Suite: Sunshine

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund, Scott Block & Pete Nyblom

 

Woke up this mornin' sunshine in my bed
Today's gonna be a good one laughin' in my head
Hello to my summer friend good to have you here
So much fun yet to come long as sunshine's near

Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine all day now
Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine all day
Sunshine, sunshine up in the sky now
Sunshine, sunshine love it somehow
Sunshine, sunshine don't go away now
Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine all day

Happiness and laughter, peace and goodwill
Dancin' in the streets getting your fill
Bein' lazy or bein' happy either way you're okay
'Cause the sunshine makes our day

Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine all day now
Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine all day
Sunshine, sunshine up in the sky now
Sunshine, sunshine love it somehow
Sunshine, sunshine don't go away now
Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine all day

Hello to my summer friend good to have you here
So much fun yet to come long as sunshine's near
Long as sunshines near
Long as sunshines near

 

Phil had written the music. He played guitar as Scott & Pete started writing under a clear summer sky. Soon, Sunshine was born.

 

Bearded Son

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund

 

I've been alive for a million years
These eyes have seen the laughter and the tears
From human sorrow to heavenly dreams
Life must always be better than it seems
Day by day, night by night
Everything falls between dark and light
Work and play 'til the day is done
That's the life of Bearded Son

I can see where others are blind
I can touch your heart and mind
No-thing is hidden from my mind's eye
Love and hatred, truth and a lie
We walk a path between black and white
Choices we make reflect our insight
Good and Evil are just but one
That's the end of the Bearded Son

 

This was written for Phil's novel "Shadowfacts." It is written from the main character's perspective.

 

Flower Child

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund

 

Where have all the people gone
That believe in love and song
Where could my kind be?
Somewhere in this great society
Where are all the beards and long hair
I look around but its not there
Peace signs and faded jeans
People no longer know what they mean
I come from an era gone by
Where people were cool and high
I maybe nothing but a flower child
But I'll always be free and wild

Flower child, flower child
Where are you going to
Running wild, running wild
What else can I do

I've been called a hippie even a bum
Why don't you get a haircut, son
I just look the person in their questioning face
And tell them of my dying race
Now I know that I'm not the last
There must be others in this world's cast
Where they are I do not know
But no matter what love must grow

Flower child, flower child
Where are you going to
Running wild, running wild
What else can I do

 

Phil's first original song.

 

One God

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund & Scott Block

 

Who would you think me if I were but a man?
What would you ask me if I had a voice?
When will you come to me with open embrace?
Why do you stand there thinking you have a choice?
Where are the flocks of my land?
Who was the one who laid down his life?
What was it for anyway?
When will you show us your guidance and light?
Why must we worship this way?
Where is the sacrificial knife?

There is one God known by many names
One God the angels exclaim
One God who forever reigns
One God the universe ordains
One God
Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jew
Eventually we’ll all perceive the truth
He isn’t a she and She isn’t a he
God is indescribable to you and me
Our consciousness can’t comprehend
The Deity that above all transcends

There is one God known by many names
One God the angels exclaim
One God who forever reigns
One God the universe ordains
One God
God communicates with us everyday
No heavenly voice just a subtle communiqué
Holy messengers deliver esoteric clues
Our insight is reflected in what we choose
To see God at work just open your eyes
You’ll see it in the hearts of others
And in the deep blue skies

Who are the ones left out in the cold?
What are they standing there for?
When will they separate the truth from the lies?
Why do they run away no more?
Where we do we join with your fold?
Who judges me with only one eye?
What will he find out that way?
When will it end and the suffering subside?
Why can’t you see it my way?
Where is your cloud in the sky?

 

Phil showed Scott his lyrics and played him the tune. Scott then added the intro and outro. Vocals yet to be recorded.

 

Surreal World

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Phil Oslund

 

There is a feeling that is growing
swirling, circling my hide
A cold, sharp plane that is flowing
beating and numbing my mind

Wind stolen from lungs pulled out with force
hair standing on end with a static edge
Battered emotions swollen and stinging
feel like china placed half on a ledge

(refrain)
Sunlight shining through a black window
rain falling up to the clear sky
Countryside illuminating yellow-green
a living surreal world in my eye

Tornadoes tearing up the soul
thunder and lightening threatening near
Day after day pouring rain strain
the lack of sun living in fear

Taking out the she-devil clears the room
black cat roars discomforting cry
Hurricane swirling impending black doom
all feeling disappears into a clear sky

(refrain)
Moonlight flowing through a black window
snow falling up to the overcast sky
Cityscape glowing yellow-green
a dying surreal world in my eye

 

Phil wrote this piece while having a fight with his spouse. The black cat's name was Strat. "She-devil" refers to Phil's first Ovation which he named She.

 

Tumble-Leap-Fall

Music: Phil Oslund
Lyrics: Scott Block & Phil Oslund

 

Three men were out for a walk in the night
They had nothing else to do
The air was fresh their limbs were light
And one was missing a shoe
There was naught that could be done
For he took no notice ‘t all
Until he stepped down on his sock and he…
Tumbled to the ground right in front of our eyes
Tumbled ‘cross the ground beneath the midnight skies
Tumbled down the trail with a pitch and a wail
Tumbled out of sight of the other two
Who stood in their tracks knowing not what to do

Two men were out walking beneath the clear evening sky
They had nothing else to do
They talked and they talked seems the neither were shy
One wore a hat of dark blue
A wind blew up then from out of nowhere it seemed
For they took no notice ‘t all
Off blew his hat as quick as that so he…
Leaped off his feet trying to snatch what was his
Leaped even higher thinking he could not miss
Leaped over loons and quite possibly the moon
Leaped out of sight of the one that remained
Who stood in his tracks thinking his friends were crazed

A man was out for a walk in the dead of night
He had nothing else to do
All by himself not another soul in sight
Trail dust covered his shoes
A thought filled his head and brought a smile to his lips
It didn’t matter ‘t all
So he stopped where he was and he…
Fell right back on his heels straight as a board
Fell right over backwards like he’d been floored
Fell back and back still his head just missing a grill
Fell back ‘til he wondered just when he’d hit the ground
And then came to realize there was no one else around

 

After Phil composed this piece, he played it for Scott. Scott was inspired and started writing. Phil helped here and there but the lyrics are mainly Scott.

 

Digital Compositions

...is really a solo album by Phil. Composed on the computer and authored using sound fonts, this is just some of the music Phil hears in his head. Described as "cinematic" and "moody" by many, let Phil know what you think.

 

Danger of Beauty

Music: Phil Oslund

 

Marco... Polo
The danger of beauty is part of the allure
More precious than precious all the fewer
The danger of beauty is inevitable
A crime of the heart
Evidence inadmissible
The danger of beauty is as deadly as any
You, too, are or can be one of the many

The beauty of danger disguises the threat
You must recognize or you'll live to regret
The beauty of danger is inalienable
From birth to death
Continence indivisible
The beauty of danger is exquisite
Beauty is more perilous with every visit

The danger of beauty
Constrains duty
The beauty of danger
Friend or a stranger
The danger of beauty
The beauty of danger
The danger of beauty
Some cutie, freebooty
The beauty of danger
Shape-changer, rearranger
Dangerous beauty
Beautiful Danger
Marco Polo

 

This piece was written on guitar. Funny, there's no guitar in this version. This was inspired by the reoccurring theme in a book about Marco Polo. Another funny thing... The lyrics have never been set to the music.

 

Already Got the Gravy

Music: Phil Oslund

 

Sorry old sot
Needs a chicken in the pot
He’s already got the gravy
Fell on his head
While stealing the bread
He’s already got the gravy

Won’t spend his coins
On tasty tenderloins
He’s already got the gravy
Swims like a whale
In a mug of ale
He’s already got the gravy

Miserable wretch
Makes a potato stretch
He’s already got the gravy
His stomach growls
At his lack of jowls
He’s already got the gravy

Careless old fool
Can’t balance on a stool
He’s already got the gravy
Strange little clod
To the tavern plods
He’s already got the gravy

The happy drunk
Fell asleep in a trunk
He’s already got the gravy
Join the throng
In a drinking song
He’s already got the gravy

 

Everybody needs a drinking song. This is Phil's. Once again, this was inspired by the Renaissance Festival. The main instrument is a cittern.