The Dust of A Broken Dream feat. Bill White

David G Harrington

A collaboration with Geoff Matthews, a UK based lyricist and Bill White a US singer songwriter based in Peru.

These are excellent lyrics from Geoff that graphically paint a picture of the grinding poverty of the dust bowl depression era in the US. He was inspired by the photo on the cover art.

I have done a few versions of this but my modern poppy voice struggles to portray the feel with authenticity. I slowed it down and added a vintage microphone filter and that was Ok but not quite right.

http://fiftyninety.fawmers.org/song/50068

Bill White and I have a bit of mutual fan thing going on and he has the exact qualities in his voice that I felt this song needed and apart from me suggesting he sing to a click track (Sorry Bill!) it worked out pretty well.

I hope you like it. I think it really works well.

Lyrics:
THE DUST OF A BROKEN DREAM

VERSE

The famine had been growing,

In the Fall of 36,

The bank foreclosed so we moved on,

In a truck you wouldn’t fix.

Hell bound for California,

That land of golden sun.

But Daddy’s in the dirt now,

His days on Earth are done.

VERSE

Daddy died from coughing blood,

The baby she grew sick.

Momma did the best she could,

There was no sense to it.

She wrapped her in a blanket,

She tried to keep her warm.

But Jesus took her anyway,

Like she was made of corn.

CHORUS


Now we’re scratching, we’re bleeding,

Working someone else’s land.

Sowing the dust of a broken dream,

Was never in the plan.

Now we’re scratching, we’re bleeding,

Working someone else’s land.

Sowing the dust of a broken dream,

Just working for the man.

VERSE

No amount of praying helps,

If grapes of wrath are sewn.

Sweeping through the trav’lers,

Left standing on their own.

War killed The Depression,

T’was not the promised land.

Lives began to turn around,

CHORUS


Now we’re scratching, we’re bleeding,

Working someone else’s land.

Sowing the dust of a broken dream,

Was never in the plan.

Now we’re scratching, we’re bleeding,

Working someone else’s land.

Sowing the dust of a broken dream,

Just working for the man.m (2)