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Held in the Arms

by Lucia Comnes

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1.
Winter in the Mountains 03:22
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Winter in the Mountains It’s winter in the mountains they’re white from the first snow On a cold and clear morning you can see the trees below The nights are long, the days are bright and all that you can hear Is the sound of bells ringing, ‘cause it’s that time of year Ooh ooh ooh Starlight will guide me home, I'm goin' home Ooh ooh ooh If I just dream enough I'll open my eyes And I'll be home in the mountains Winter in the mountai-ai-ai-ains Wool blankets in a pile, wine glasses stained with red Wax spilled upon the table from a candle that we fed The scent of pine fills the room from branches we hauled in The air spun with last nights fun still hangs around the den Ooh ooh ooh Starlight will guide me home, I'm goin' home Ooh ooh ooh If I just dream enough I'll open my eyes And I'll be home in the mountains Winter in the mountai-ai-ai-ains The city’s just no place to be out in the cold I’d leave it all behind if that would take me home There’s powder on the mountain I can feel it from afar And I just want to wake up where you are instrumental verse The sun is in the sky now spilling yellow into white Steam rises from a cup of coffee fueling words I write All I want for Christmas is to feel that mountain air Curl up around the fire beneath my baby’s care - hold for 1 extra bar Ooh ooh ooh Starlight will guide me home, I'm goin' home Ooh ooh ooh If I just dream enough I'll open my eyes And I'll be home in the mountains Winter in the mountai-ai-ai-ains Ooh ooh ooh Starlight will guide me home, I'm goin' home Ooh ooh ooh If I just dream enough I'll open my eyes And I'll be home in the mountains Winter in the mountai-ai-ai-ains
2.
On the Farm 03:04
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On The Farm Up on the mesa was a piece of virgin land Overlooking the beach where waves turn stone into sand A fine lady came along to lend a helping hand Seed to dirt, now she’s managing supply and demand Walking in circles, up and down these fields The more she gives, oh the more that she yields Well the work never ends but she’s held in the arms Of all that really matters on the farm Straw flowers hanging to dry on the clothesline Sweet peas in the greenhouse sprouting getting ready to climb A rooster talks back to the crow cawing on a pine The chard and cilantro and the kale start having a good time Walking in circles, up and down these fields The more she gives, oh the more that she yields Well the work never ends but she’s held in the arms Of all that really matters on the farm Well it’s a year round system of non-stop tender care But when it’s time to get down to business she’s on a tear Tilling up the soil on her tractor in the open air To bring the red leaf lettuce and beets to the harvest fair Walking in circles, up and down these fields The more she gives, oh the more that she yields Well the work never ends but she’s held in the arms Of all that really matters on the farm Walking in circles, up and down these fields The more she gives, oh the more that she yields Well the work never ends but she’s held in the arms Of all that really matters on the farm
3.
Grace 03:12
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Grace Turkey’s roasting, mama’s chopping Everybody’s talking in the kitchen all at once Politics and old scores, sparks fly, wine is poured Mama keeps calling for a little help to get the dinner done Somehow it all comes together With silver forks and the fancy plates We’re in the same room and we’re worlds apart Building bridges and it’s just so hard But nothing’s sweeter than the smile on mama’s face When we all take hands and say …. Yeah we say grace Isn’t the weather something? I see you’re still smoking You’re just like Uncle John before he got his iron lung Yeah that’s the way we work it, but nobody’s perfect We all get tangled up in trying to be clever one Somehow it all comes together With silver forks and the fancy plates We’re in the same room and we’re worlds apart Building bridges and it’s just so hard But nothing’s sweeter than the smile on mama’s face When we all take hands and say …. Yeah we say grace Yeah we say grace
4.
Lady Tamarind 02:40
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Lady Tamarind Lady Tamarind was quite impossible to tame Other women fantasized about her life of fame Mannequins and candlesticks were littered through her room Footstools over persian carpets tuberose perfume Beneath her lace and corsets velvet pockets hang Gears and gauges wind the time but it passes all the same From behind a paper screen spun her gramophone Melodies and vinyl notes when she was all alone Steel strings and whiskey in a vintage submarine Voyages on rocket ships with steam machinery Her ruffles tumbled to the floor beside an ivory cane Gears and gauges wind the time but it passes all the same Just like clockwork in a watch these hands were built to last Gold is soft and copper rusts so we will go with brass On the icebox riding boots and poppies in her hat Romance under parasols sun goggles at her back Her monocle of sepia tones wound around a chain Gears and gauges wind the time but it passes all the same
5.
Matilde 04:03
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Matilde Matilde takes your hand and leads you to the land Where olive trees climb up the hills In her other hand, a basket and a plan She tells you, “We’re picking berries to make jam” You pass by the garden where purple onions grow Dry beans hang above the green tomatoes Then she runs ahead past the lavender bed You call her name, but she’s gone How fast these moments pass, but you want this one to last The sparrows sing as they pass you by Barefoot on the grass, it’s not too much to ask As you look up at the ever changing sky At the end of the road, that’s where you’ll find the gold The dogs come running around the bend Two goats and a sheep, three chickens and some geese A menagerie leads you to her side There in the brambles, tangled up in bliss Blackberry juice painted on her lips The humming of the bees is just enough to tease Sweet nothings from the flowers all around How fast these moments pass, but you want this one to last The sparrows sing as they pass you by Barefoot on the grass, it’s not too much to ask As you look up at the ever changing sky When the sun hangs low, you know it’s time to go You follow Matilde through the vines Woodsmoke calls you home to a house made of stone Something fresh is cooking on the stove Through the green door to the cellar, wrapped in gentle words Jars of honey, olive oil, soap and herbs Just beyond the walls, her grandmother calls Below you her berries form a heart How fast these moments pass, but you want this one to last The sparrows sing as they pass you by Barefoot on the grass, it’s not too much to ask As you look up at the ever changing sky
6.
Good Hands 03:01
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Good Hands Maybelle was a jumping horse, born in the north destined for a life in southern seas Never missed a landing, she could handle any course Until she tore a tendon beneath her right knee You’re sure to win some, but you’ll lose now and again All that really matters is you’re strong in the end So keep on, keepin on and I will always keep you in good hands So keep on, keepin on and I will always keep you in good hands Charlie was a race horse, his father was a stud Happy on the track, he was born to run Nervous in stable where he couldn’t move around It was late one summer night when colic took him down You’re sure to win some, but you’ll lose now and again All that really matters is you’re strong in the end So keep on, keepin on and I will always keep you in good hands So keep on, keepin on and I will always keep you in good hands I’ve seen my share of purebreds, pintos, jacks and mules But Sydney was my favorite chestnut mare A healthy foal she’d give me in the springtime every year and birthed them all at home til she needed care You’re sure to win some, but you’ll lose now and again All that really matters is you’re strong in the end So keep on, keepin on and I will always keep you in good hands So keep on, keepin on and I will always keep you in good hands
7.
Side By Side 03:14
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Side By Side I saw that you called me, are you ready to talk? It’s been just so long since you reached out at all You know I’ve been waiting, watching seasons go by Hoping for some kind of healing between you and I I still remember holding you close A babe wrapped in white blankets, the day mom brought you home Yeah I paved the way for you, but you made it bright I’m counting on the day we’ll be walking side by side Who knows what demons, you got knocking at your door But you know you can call on me, when you can’t take it no more Cause I’m on your side, I want you to win So I don’t understand why you won’t let me in I still remember holding you close A babe wrapped in white blankets, the day mom brought you home Yeah I paved the way for you, but you made it bright I’m counting on the day we’ll be walking side by side I’m counting on the day we’ll be walking side by side
8.
Mirabelle 03:12
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Mirabelle Out in the backyard creek, we like to play Picking up rocks and climbing up trees We got a fort made of an old lemonade stand We’re building it up but nobody knows Na na na na na… I’m there will Mirabelle, where we can be ourselves Na na na na na… looking for beads and shells, me and Mirabelle I think I saw a snake on the tree with the ivy But I kept climbing up anyway Cause you never know what you’re, gonna find outside We see something different every day Na na na na na… I’m there will Mirabelle, where we can be ourselves Na na na na na… looking for beads and shells, me and Mirabelle Wearing our boots, crunching the ground Stepping in the mud and splashing around Breaking off branches, swinging on a rope Making up names and making noise I’m there will Mirabelle, where we can be ourselves Na na na na na… looking for beads and shells, me and Mirabelle Na na na na na… I’m there will Mirabelle, where we can be ourselves Na na na na na… looking for beads and shells, me and Mirabelle
9.
The Hunter 03:26
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The Hunter My uncle was a hunter, he grew up on the land When he was just a boy he'd catch a rabbit with his hands He lived for Sunday mornings when his father took him out Tracking wild deer in the woods behind their house He married the local baker, she gave four daughters and a home They went trekking in the summer sun and playing in the winter snow Prized and loved by all who knew him, those with whom he shared I was one of many for whom he greatly cared He’d place his big hands on my shoulders, and look down into my eyes As if I were the finest sight, then he’d nod his head and smile With a booming voice that shook the ground he would say my name And I knew how much he loved me, and it's his love that will remain Nature beckoned him to pursue headlands near and far From the Black Forest to the plains of Namibia He felt no fear when he faced the beasts that gave to him their lives And to each daughter a zebra skin, they were his greatest pride He’d place his big hands on their shoulders, look down into their eyes As if they were the finest sight, then he’d nod his head and smile With a booming voice that shook the ground he would say their names And they knew how much he loved them, and it's his love that will remain Home life may have lacked the thrill of savannah and mountain trail But he found a place in the garden under moonlight hunting snails And at the table feasting on fresh meat and beer and bread Every evening with his wife and before they went to bed... He’d place his big hands on her shoulders, and look into her eyes She was surely the finest sight, then he’d nod his head and smile With a booming voice that shook the ground he would say her name And she knew how much he loved her, and it's his love that will remain
10.
I'm With You 03:14
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I’m With You So tell me what went down There's no one else around, Nothing you could say would make me turn away We're meant to crash and burn, That's the way we learn, There's no shortcut through the pain Thanks for calling me, thanks for reaching out You know in life it's the little things that count When I was lost at sea, you came to comfort me You stayed beside me ‘til I was free of doubt I want you to know I understand You’ve been through the fire, you could use a friend I will be the one to see you through You're not alone cause I'm with you Some people only see, what they can take from me But I knew from the moment that we met That I could dream with you, nothing we couldn't do And you would never see me as a threat Thanks for calling me, thanks for reaching out You know in life it's the little things that count When I was lost at sea, you came to comfort me You stayed beside me ‘til I was free of doubt I want you to know I understand You’ve been through the fire, you could use a friend I will be the one to see you through You're not alone cause I'm with you
11.
Song for Mama 02:47
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Song for Mama From the day you gave birth To my first steps between the folds of your skirt You brought me up, you raised me well I mostly brought you joy as far as I can tell Across the years, through thick and thin I know you’ll always love me until the end I hear your voice, it guides me through Raging storms or skies of blue Oh mama, I’m always gonna love you There are days when we don’t agree See eye to eye, I think it’s you, you think it’s me I want less, you want more But it’s nothing we haven’t been through before Across the years, through thick and thin I know you’ll always love me until the end I hear your voice, it guides me through Raging storms or skies of blue Oh mama, I’m always gonna love you Thinking back to your care The many times I reached out to find you there Like a rose to the spring So many gifts to us the seasons bring Across the years, through thick and thin I know you’ll always love me until the end I hear your voice, it guides me through Raging storms or skies of blue Oh mama, I’m always gonna love you Oh mama, I’m always gonna love you
12.
Morning Star 04:03
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Morning Star The first light is here to take over the sky But it’s still too dark to see the light in your eyes Still I know they’re open and they’re looking right at me Pouring out your love like a river floods the sea Under the constant sun A band of horses runs No distance is too far You are my morning star You are my morning star I remember the first night we met, never thought I’d see you again But when love has a means it doesn’t have an end You had a master plan, little did I know We just needed common ground before our love could grow Under the constant sun A band of horses runs No distance is too far You are my morning star You are my morning star On the necklace of the dawn, a single pearl is shining From her eastern door Venus is rising Like a sandhill crane flies thousands of miles in a year I will follow you I will risk my greatest fears I know when the time is right you will follow me too But now I give thanks for these moments close to you Under the constant sun A band of horses runs No distance is too far You are my morning star You are my morning star
13.
The Sleeping Lady's Daughter 03:23
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The Sleeping Lady’s Daughter Bring me back to the place that I know Where the live oaks, the bays and the sagebrush grow Give me the night, high on a hill Past Pan Toll Station and the old redwood mill Above blankets of fog where hummingbirds thrive There’s no better place to watch the sun rise Then glide down the mountain to ride in the swell Across long sandy beaches to the call of the quail I come from this land, oh I come from this water People call me the Sleeping Lady’s Daughter Held in the bosom of all that is wild I’ll always belong here like mother and child They say the life of a mountain ain’t counted in years I’ve spent half of mine giving you my ears I heard that you miss me now that I’m gone But no distance could drown out your beautiful song Where the twilight rolls in on a cool misty breeze The coyotes are laughing under manzanita trees And a great horned owl’s sitting perched on a limb To watch the sun set across the Pacific Rim I come from this land, oh I come from this water People call me the Sleeping Lady’s Daughter Held in the bosom of all that is wild I’ll always belong here like mother and child I’ll always belong here like mother and child

about

American roots music featuring fiddle and dobro that heals broken hearts through stories on the theme of 'things that nurture'.

“Lucia’s ability to paint vivid pictures with her lyrics is one of the many captivating aspects of this album… Her sense of nurture comes not only from family and friends but from the land itself… In a decade of recording, Lucia has drawn on an impressive array of resources to explore the art of song around the world… Although there are songs here that have emerged from shadow, it’s still a journey into the light – and that light is a warm, welcoming glow. She opens Held In The Arms with a hearty welcome, closes it with a warm embrace and all the way through delivers assured, beautifully crafted, American folk.“ - Folk Radio UK

“Held In The Arms is an Americana package of folk, blues and country, this time with songs centred around the theme of ‘things that nurture’ – friends, family, nature and women – as emblemised by the embracing arms design of the cover… a touch of Grappelli fiddle… Leonard Cohen colours… Appalachian roots… blended shades of Southern country soul and mountain folk…. In her bio it says her songs seek to reconnect people with nature and their own roots; let them give you a big hug.” - Folking.com

Each song tells a story in her 'singular voice' and impassioned fiddle playing, accompanied by stringed and other instruments. You'll recognize the influence of American roots music in the arrangements as she weaves folk, blues, country, early rock & roll, indie and bluegrass influences, with nods to some of her favorite songwriters such as Chuck Berry, Bill Monroe, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Ed Sheeran, Clarence Bucaro and Tim Grimm.

"There's nothing like the feeling of being held," Lucia says, "and these are songs about the things that hold me and the people I love." The album title was taken from the chorus lyric of her song, 'On the Farm' (track 2), about a dear friend who founded Big Mesa Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Bolinas, California: "…The work never ends but she's held in the arms, of all that really matters on the farm." Similar images surface in other lyrics as she sings of family, friendship, childhood, connection to one's homeland, horses, and offers a glimpse into the lives of girls and women whose unique female light shines through their character. Says Lucia, "This is an all-ages album because there's nothing too dark or heavy in the stories. The songs will give you a lift, and I hope the album feels like a great big hug."

credits

released May 1, 2018

CREDITS
All songs produced by Lucia Comnes & Gawain Mathews.

Recorded in the USA at Gawain Mathews Music Studio, San Pablo, California, and in Italy at Rockwood Studios, Latina, by Gianluca Campagnaro, and at Studio Marinelli, Rome, by Fabio Fortunati.

Mixed by Gawain Mathews
Mastered by Justin Weis at trakworx.com

Featuring…
Lucia Comnes vocals, fiddle
Gawain Mathews acoustic + electric guitars, dobro, bass, piano, mandolin, mandola, banjo, Hammond B3 organ, accordion, percussion, harmony vocals
Richard Mitchell guitar on 3
Rob Hooper drums on 1, 2
Kyle Caprista drums on 8, 12

All songs by Lucia Comnes except 3 by Lucia Comnes & Richard Mitchell, 8, 10, 11 by Lucia Comnes & Gawain Mathews.
All songs published by Anchor & Hope Publishing and registered with BMI.

Cover Artwork by Sarah Neuburger
Design by Giovanni Caiati
Photography by Alessandro Illuzzi

This album was funded in part by Patreon & PledgeMusic: online Direct-to-Fan music platforms.

A portion of this album’s proceeds are donated to California fire victims.

All songs © 2018 by Lucia Comnes
luciacomnes.com
DR386-LC09 © ℗ 2018 Delfina Records
P.O. Box 640035, San Francisco, CA 94164
delfinarecords.com

For lyrics go to www.luciacomnes.com/albums/heldinthearms

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Lucia Comnes San Francisco, California

"Music that heals broken hearts." Lucia Comnes is an independent American singer, songwriter, fiddler and guitarist with a 'singular voice' (SF Chronicle) whose roots music crosses genres of Americana, folk, Irish, bluegrass & rock. She writes powerful melodies with forceful, powerful, earthy lyrics that reflect her connection to the elements. ... more

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