Time In the Tall Grass, by Caron Vikre

Time In the Tall Grass

by Caron Vikre

supported by

	/

Streaming + Download

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

Purchasable with gift card

$7 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Comes in a cardboard sleeve with color photos and an eight page lyric booklet.

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

ships out within 5 days

Purchasable with gift card

$13.99 USD or more
Full Digital Discography

7

releases

Get all 7 caron vikre releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Time In the Tall Grass, A Likely Story, The Dead Swim, In the Niche of Non-Senses, Alchemy Tattoo, Saqqara, and Caron Vikre. , and , .

Purchasable with gift card

$31.85 USD or more (35% OFF)

1.	My Backyard 04:10	lyrics	buy track
My Backyard And I remember how it was. I loved you just because, And that was that. I always knew where love was at in my backyard In my backyard In my backyard. Alive, we had a lovely time. The world was yours and mine. It all made sense. The arch of April up the fence in my backyard. In my backyard. In my backyard. When all through the summer, I was overcast, Black when the sky was blue. You were the one who sat me in the grass and gave me a talking to in my backyard. My backyard— My backyard— My backyard— And time, we measured by degree as you reminded me what mattered most. That happiness could be as close as my backyard As my backyard. As my backyard When all through the summer, I was overcast, Black when the sky was blue. You were the one who sat me in the grass and gave me a talking to in my backyard. In my backyard. In my backyard. In my backyard In my backyard.
2.	Sundial 03:58	lyrics	buy track
Sundial I thought of holding my breath too long, To go to sleep in our little garden. To leave you run with the swarm of bees, But when does life stay that still? I’m on a sundial, So I let the shadows move me how they move me. Once in a little while, Coming through the summer grasses, How time passes. I don’t believe I knew how to love. I only grew luscious fruit to wither. Death in every variety Was always on our green path. I’m on a sundial, So I let the shadows move me how they move me. Once in a little while, Coming through the summer grasses, How time passes. Cut a moment open wide In a fit of listlessness. What a beautiful inside, But the poison gets me to the point I hardly notice. I could unravel the stars at night, But that would be such an empty pleasure. It’s in the yawn of the yellow day That you’ll forget all of me. I’m on a sundial, So I let the shadows move me how they move me. Once in a little while, Coming through the summer grasses, How time passes. I’m on a sun, I’m on a sun, I’m on a sundial.
3.	Night 03:05	lyrics	buy track
Night Night— Night— While sitting at the table, Mike and Mabel cut into their meat. You’re mainly out of service, Getting nervous watching others eat. Maybe they won’t notice you’re uptight, If you keep the conversation light. Having trouble keeping down the night. Night. Having trouble keeping down the night. Your mouth is understating, Indicating that you don’t belong. You’re going into hiding, Subdividing when there’s something wrong. Baby, only you can make it right. Putting up a front or up a fight. Smash another day into the night. Night. Having trouble keeping down the night. Night— Night— Night— Oh, how to live with the dark underside In all the discomfort the shadows provide. Your friends are double-jointed, Disappointed walking to their car. You know it’s so distressing, Dispossessing who you really are. Even when you’re moving toward the light, You can sort of lose your appetite, Throwing up the heavy dead of night. Night. Having trouble keeping down the night. Having trouble keeping down the night. Having trouble keeping down the night.
4.	Dizzy 03:25	lyrics	buy track
Dizzy Dizzy, put on your smiling face today, They want to see you out on top. Winning at every game you play, But only when the voices stop. You know they’re not real, But you feel so dizzy where you are. Dizzy, where you are. Ah— Falling out of a perfect shade of blue, They wonder why you don’t respond. And in the life, you’re passing through, You know you’re barely holding on. But when you let go, You feel so dizzy where you are. Dizzy, where you are. Ah— Ah— You’ll want to let it out, After you take it in. There’s no use holding on to all that oxygen. Oxygen. But when you let go, You feel so dizzy where you are. Dizzy, where you are. Dizzy, where you are. Ah— Ah— Ah—
5.	It's All About the Rain 03:46	lyrics	buy track
It’s All About the Rain It’s all about the rain and how inclement weather always makes me cry. If only I could ride the shift of shadows on the wide, wide-open sky. Throwing down another sedative, Help me cause I don’t know how to live. It’s all about the sun and how it warms the blue mood that comes over me. Whenever I get tired of standing at the window with a cup of tea. Throwing down another sedative, Help me cause I don’t know how to live. Live— Day and nightmares amplify the pounding on the roof. In the fine print of a lie, they almost tell the truth, And I’m not waterproof. It’s all about the rain and how the wind blows all those leaves in my backyard. I’ll have to bundle up to carefully collect the ones I should discard. Throwing down another sedative, Help me cause I don’t know how to live. Live—Help me cause I don’t know how to live.
6.	Mad For You 03:02	lyrics	buy track
Mad For You All summer long, we were wrong, And if wrong be made unsightly, put it rightly. Tuck it to bed with its head through the windshield, Family crested, house arrested. All because we’re mad for you. All because we’re mad for you. Carting us off on a crutch and a cough, While it’s outrageous, we’re contagious. Weathermen say, by the way, there’s a slight precipitation across the nation. All because we’re mad for you. All because we’re mad for you. All because we’re mad for you, ooh, yeah! All because we’re mad for— You sitting inside out and over there With the rain pouring in. I’ll live a soggy life in love with you Until God bless the end to begin! End to begin— Love isn’t fair; it is square. And the sirloin heart is rounded where it’s pounded. Some other meat may be sweet while we’re getting Sympathism botulism. All because we’re mad for you. All because we’re mad for you. All because we’re mad for you, ooh, yeah! All because we’re mad for you— Mad for you—Mad for you— Mad for you— Mad for you—
7.	You're A Puzzle 02:30	lyrics	buy track
You’re a Puzzle By the way you put yourself together, One might well conclude that you are two. You may be in one piece, but you’re a puzzle Whose pretty picture doesn’t look a bit like you. Traveling with your old impedimenta, Dragging that piano on crusade. Miranda motor home cause you’re a puzzle Who can’t decide which bit of Heaven to invade. Underneath the sleeping bag the flat jack in the trunk. Why should I help change a tire for such a nasty drunk? All the way to Acre, riding on a micro spare, Utterly deflated by this chivalrous affair. Ranting up the rhetoric for Jesus, But lately, when you genuflect and fall You may be in one piece, but you’re a puzzle who never knows as much as when she knows it all. Who never knows as much as when she knows it all. Who never knows as much as when she knows it all.
8.	That's How You Know You're Loved 03:20	lyrics	buy track
That’s How You Know You’re Loved Bells of Ireland, oh, but that we were in our summer green. There’s a loyal executioner come to kiss his queen. Some say this strange affection is a cut above. That’s how you know, that’s how you know, That’s how you know you’re loved. Father told me they’d put up a fight as a wedding gift. Blood for justice doesn’t make it right, It just makes it swift. So take your hit of kindness with a boxing glove. That’s how you know, that’s how you know, That’s how you know you’re loved. It was bittersweet to cut the heart out of my shirt. I miss the beat, ah, but now it doesn’t hurt. Long division in the aftermath where our nobles fell. Are you crying just to make me laugh? I can never tell. Live, and life will desert you when push comes to shove. That’s how you know, that’s how you know, That’s how you know you’re loved. That’s how you know you’re loved.
9.	It's Good To Be Going Home 02:59	lyrics	buy track
It’s Good To Be Going Home I don’t know why you still ask me to take you for a ride to all the places in the world, it isn’t safe to hide. Cause when you’re out there, out there, out there, It’s good to be going home. Going home, Going home. It’s good to be going home. Going home. And if it is a war you want, then tally up the bill. It’s gonna cost an awful lot to pay for your free will. It may get lonely (lonely), lonely (lonely), lonely (lonely), So it’s good to be going home. Going Home, Going home. It’s good to be going home. Going — Home where at last, you’re at least half-aware, there’s not a soul between you and thin air. You’re desperate on the telephone, but what did you expect? It’s all about the reaching out and then the disconnect. And yes, lonely (lonely), lonely (lonely), lonely (lonely), So it’s good to be going home. Going Home, Going home. It’s good to be going home. Going home. It’s good to be going home. Going Home, Going home. It’s good to be going home. Going home. Home—Home Home—Home Home—Home
10.	Map Of the World 03:47	lyrics	buy track
Map Of the World I know where I am, Walking in Albert Street, Back on my own two feet, Falling in love again. One pint over eight, And I’ll be on my way. Can’t fall down every day; I’ve got to navigate. But where on the map of the world do I go? Where on the map of the world? My degraded home, It is in disrepair. Though I am living there, I’ve got an itch to roam. But where on the map of the world do I go? Where on the map of the world? Where on the map of the world do I go? Where on the map of the world? The subtle currents—circumspect. The continents that disconnect. You love me with a strange neglect, And yet, that is all that I expect. That is all that I expect. All things made of light, Millions of particles, I’ve read the articles, Finding their way at night. But where on the map of the world do I go? Where on the map of the world? Where on the map of the world do I go? Where on the map of the world? The continents that disconnect— The continents that disconnect— The continents that disconnect—
11.	Dark 02:59	lyrics	buy track
Dark Simon made a game of our disappearing. Simon, safe and sane, stood out in the clearing. You don’t know how it feels— You don’t know how it feels to lose your spark. I’m burning myself out here. I’m burning myself out. Here comes the dark. It was long before our association, When every open door was under obligation. You don’t know how it feels— You don’t know how it feels to lose your spark. I’m burning myself out here. (You don’t know—) I’m burning myself out. Here comes the dark. Here comes the dark. I had dreams once; they flickered down low. But they sure got rambunctious when they were let go. I sat down to write something out of fashion. But nothing could ignite a song already ashen. You don’t know how it feels— You don’t know how it feels to lose your spark. I’m burning myself out here. I’m burning myself out. Here comes the dark. Here comes the dark. Here comes the dark.
12.	Soft 03:48	lyrics	buy track
Soft World on a grey winter’s day, With your serpentine scarf intact. Tumbling misanthrope in my kaleidoscope, Gone abstract. The inside out of I love you, A fractured reflection when I am soft. Back in our summer days, Green, as a protégé’s disregard. Hedging the hurt alone, Something had overgrown our backyard. The upside-down of I want you, The length of forever when I am soft. How come when you say you’ll never hurt me, There’s a butterfly kiss on my skin, And then you make me cry? At the chrysanthemum, We became overcome, then constringed. Suffering old revolts, Just as our overcoats came unhinged. The inside out of I love you, A shift in the hardware when I am soft.

about

A Bit About TIME IN THE TALL GRASS

The twelve songs from TIME IN THE TALL GRASS were written approximately seventeen years ago as a follow-up to my sixth CD, A LIKELY STORY (2002). Unfortunately, my band splintered before recording began, leaving me to complete the project with only the rhythm section intact.

Realizing I was unlikely to perform again in the foreseeable future but determined to begin recording anyway, I booked one of two sessions with drummer Steve Mitchell at David Houston's Moon Studio in Sacramento. Before the session, bassist Paul Knutsen and I put on a "scratch" acoustic guitar, vocal, and bass at my house to guide Steve, intending to re-record our parts with more care in the studio later.

As luck would have it, no sooner did we finish recording Steve's drums than I developed a nerve condition in my lower jaw called Trigeminal Neuralgia. TN is quite painful and can limit your ability to speak and sing. The illness curtailed our recording project and forced me to give up music entirely until it went into remission ten years later. In those ten years, I occupied myself by writing a book while Steve and Paul joined other bands and continued to play music. Though I felt disappointed about leaving a record unfinished, we had no plans to revive it after so much time had passed.

Sadly, in 2017, Steve died from a brain tumor after a long battle with cancer. At Steve's memorial, Paul told me he had recently listened to our old demos, thought Steve's drumming sounded solid, and wondered if I might consider finishing the CD. It struck me how nice it might be for his friends and family to hear him play again even though he was no longer with us.

Having been away from making music for so long, I was unsure of my ability to pull off another record. My ears were rusty, and I had neither played guitar nor sung a note in seventeen years. Music-making was quite literally out of my system. If I was going to get back into it, I wanted to work with old friends and people with whom I felt comfortable. David Houston was the obvious choice to co-produce. I'd known David since I was nineteen, and it was with his encouragement that I got into music professionally in the first place. Another obvious choice was to reunite with vocalists Gail George and Kathy Elzey. Gail and Kathy were good friends, and they sang beautifully together. With David, Gail, and Kathy's husband Ray, the four of us enjoyed making a couple of records back in the nineties.

It isn't easy to pick up a creative project you abandoned years ago. You are generally not in the same frame of mind, and to some degree, you're an entirely different person. As a reminder of what my original intentions might have been and to keep us on track, David and I decided to salvage as much of the original recordings and demos as possible: nine of Steve's studio drum performances, much of Paul's scratch bass, my scratch acoustic guitar, and one scratch lead vocal on THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW YOU'RE LOVED. After that, most songs needed a lyric rewrite, a re-sing, new arrangements, playing, overdubs, and harmonies, just as required on any new recording. Early in 2019, we discovered three of Steve's drum parts were lost or damaged, so drummer Jim Caselli kindly came by to finish the tracks. Jim's presence was a "full circle" moment for me, as he was the drummer in my first band, Crayon.

David and I slowly chipped away at reviving the recordings every Monday afternoon for two years until Covid hit. Then, he and I took a year off while Jim occasionally came in to add percussion. In March of 2022, a week after the final mix was complete, we were saddened to learn Kathy Elzey had also passed away. It was unexpected and heartbreaking, to say the least, for those of us who had only recently had the pleasure of working with her again.

So, here it is, TIME IN THE TALL GRASS, ready for release seventeen years after it began. The recording process was more arduous than I imagined, but I'm glad we stuck with it. It's gratifying to see a project to its completion no matter how long it takes. If nothing else, it was a joy and privilege to reunite with many old friends, some for the last time, to create a bit of music you will hopefully enjoy.

credits

released September 9, 2022

TIME IN THE TALL GRASS

Recorded at Moon Studio, Sacramento, CA
Produced by David Houston and Caron Vikre
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by David Houston
String arrangements by David Houston

Contributing Musicians:

Caron Vikre, lead vocals, occasional backing vocals, acoustic guitar

David Houston, electric guitars, Hammond B3 organ, Moog synth, occasional bass, backing vocals

Paul Knudsen, bass guitar

Steve Mitchell, drums

Kathy Elzey, backing vocals

Gail George, backing vocals

Ray Elzey, pedal steel

Jim Caselli, percussion, drums on tracks 2,10, and 11

Shawn Hale, upright acoustic bass on tracks 10 and 11

Krystyna Taylor, cello

Michael Frost, Viola

Reylynn Imai, Violin

Kristin Arnold, Violin

Photographs and graphic design by Mary Casey

All songs written by Caron Vikre copyright 2022

license

about

caron vikre Sacramento, California

Northern California singer-songwriter Caron Vikre gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, releasing six well- received CDs before retiring in 2005. Now, in 2022 she has reemerged with a stunning twelve-track new release, TIME IN THE TALL GRASS. Caron is known for her strong, expressive voice, pensive lyrics, and catchy pop melodies. ... more

contact / help

Contact caron vikre

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this album or account

If you like Time In the Tall Grass, you may also like:

Blue Pastoral
by Matt Dorrien

The great 2nd LP from Matt Dorrien expands his Nilsson-y songs into bossa nova, jazz, & more, with melodies always front & center. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 16, 2022
go to album
Endless Evenings
by Virgin Pool

Reflective and personal work as delicate and strong as a spiderweb, from L.A. singer-songwriter Christina Poole. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 20, 2019
go to album
Ys
by Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom's 2006 opus "Ys" and tons more Drag City vinyl and cassettes are now available on Bandcamp. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 5, 2018
go to album
In the Key of Grey
by Matt Dorrien

Nilsson and Newman meet in Matt Dorrien’s deeply-felt piano-driven barroom ballads. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 3, 2018
go to album
String Of Pearls
by Annabelle Chvostek

Buoyant songs that summon the spirit of New Orleans, with beautifully bleary brass, light up the latest from Annabelle Chvostek Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 27, 2021
go to album
No Branches Without Trees
by Steven van Betten & Andrew Rowan

Tender acoustic songs built on folk & guitar intermingle with field recordings from the small town of Blue Diamond, Nevada. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 20, 2021
go to album
So Romantic
by Allie Crow Buckley

L.A.’s Allie Crow Buckley comes to Bandcamp, with moody songs that combine R&B with Laurel Canyon in the ’70s. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 6, 2020
go to album