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Reborn As Bees

by Randy Kaplan

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1.
Tiny 05:17
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"Tiny" by Randy Kaplan I know the end is near But so is the beginning You're a lot more like them than you think As you drop breadcrumbs On your brick path near the brink And have I made mention of my iron cross? I can do it in a photograph Barring something unforeseen or foreseen I’ll be few and far between These are the archives on me I’m tiny I slipped under your door I was a fly on your wall You're tiny What's underneath the thinnest ice Can't hurt me when I’m tan They're not gonna let me fall through the cracks Until this sugar turns to fat And I should thank them in advance? Tiny I slipped under your skin You let me in I’m tiny The air's escaping Close the door I'd like you to meet my tragic flaw I’d rather laugh than sigh Swim than sink Do than die Sleep than think Tiny I slipped out of your hands Where it was too deep to stand I’m tiny I issue statements about my state From in the in between stage Deep in my element Beyond event horizons I’m gonna have to cease to amaze you now Because there's no one to protest to The witness wears a veil The great observer voids a check It's not lighter later yet I’m angry at the sun that sets I’m tiny I slipped under the door I was a fly on the wall You’re tiny
2.
The Strong Thief (Columbus) 04:20
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"The Strong Thief (Columbus)" by Randy Kaplan I left the crows of dawn behind me Who circled around my broken house I went to Rosemary to find you Who put the word inside my mouth And when the thirty days were over One day for every year we had I took the ribbon from the shirt I wore It was yours And now the most I’ll be is half I gotta go where nobody knows And that's a blessing and a curse I gotta go where nobody knows And to Columbus I’ll go first And it's a new world I’ll discover On the way back to the old Now as the days start rolling over I link my soul to your soul And I will go where nobody knows And that's a blessing and a curse I will go where nobody knows And like Columbus I’ll go first Is this the morning or the night? Is this the morning or the night? When I came home my door was open But nobody was inside I had two shadows and my lock was broken Then you looked down on me and cried I had to go where nobody knows And that's a blessing and a curse I had to go where nobody knows Like Columbus I'll be the first
3.
Deaf Ears 04:44
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"Deaf Ears" by Randy Kaplan You took me up You brought me here The things you touched Are in my hands Let me hold them up There are prayers that fall on deaf ears There are prayers that fall on deaf ears But there are prayers that fall From my mouth to G-d's ears Am I still the same? There's a voice that sounds like mine Far away Trying to be saved There are prayers that fall on deaf ears There are prayers that fall on deaf ears I said a prayer and it fell From my mouth Where are you Who darkened my door? I saw you from the outside It's not you anymore It's not you who took it upon himself It's not you who went to the well Too often How easy it is to fail It's not you Who didn't know to be afraid Lulled to sleep If I had to guess It's not you It should have been somebody else instead Up on the dizzying pass Not you Now I like that nothing lasts There are prayers that fall on deaf ears I said a prayer It fell on deaf ears But another prayer Let it fall From my mouth to G-d's ears
4.
Two 04:38
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"Two" by Randy Kaplan I think she looks beautiful When she cries for you Beautiful when she cries And you would too How can I go on? I’m not so brave without you She says I’m not to blame You wouldn't be saved You would too I don't want to wake her When she sleeps she doesn't know That you have left her I want to protect her You would too You were two How can we go on? We're not so brave without you Maybe I’ll forgive myself And help her You would too One day two lovers will lie together And it will seem like they've been reunited After centuries Not only will it seem like that It will be true This I know And you will too You will too
5.
No Matter What 03:48
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"No Matter What" by Randy Kaplan and Brian Schey I’m slipping through my fingers I’m falling No one's behind me but, hey No matter what I’m okay I’m just wanting someone to know me Anyone right now would do No matter what there's still you I’m thinking a lot about trying To stay how I am now but why? No matter what it's a lie I’m knowing the thing about living I'll always pretend I don't know I'll always pretend not to know That I’m slipping through my fingers I’m falling no one's behind me but, hey No matter what I’m okay
6.
Many Times Over 04:03
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"Many Times Over" by Randy Kaplan I've gotten away with so much so many times If it was a thousand years ago I wouldn't be alive I would have been put down outside the city gates Many times over But many times over you've looked the other way Is it surprising how I influence things? Even the outcome of games I watch from far away Something invisible has influenced me Many times over Many times over I could have loved you But now it's too late If I had not mistaken your heart for bait I know it can never be But it feels just like I fucked fate Many times over Many times over my head it's gone My mistake At night I hear voices Maybe they tell me what to do I used to hear noises You'd say the house is settling still You've gone and joined with them yourself I've felt you trying to get through Many times over I wish I had listened to you Is this familiar? Do you also know this night? Is something inside you telling you something isn't right? How can I reach you now that I love you better than myself? Many times over I've been made into someone who could love you But now it's too late If I had not mistaken my heart for bait I know it can never be But it feels just like I fucked fate Many times over Many times over my head it's gone My mistake
7.
The Offer of a Thousand Shields 04:16
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"The Offer of a Thousand Shields" by Randy Kaplan I've been missing so long I've been bored and ignored I can't picture myself tomorrow I can't picture myself at all I outrun seasons Trying to last the day Tell me are You close enough? I mean far enough away Your name is the offer of some other deal You can lead to a waste of time Or You can lead to something real I want you to win But I don't want to lose I’m not checking out I’m just switching rooms I run in circles I have another round I’m looking for an anchor But I'd hate to be held down Your name is the offer of some other place You can end it all right now Just by showing me Your face I found my faith But I held her too tight Now I talk to no one And she stays out all night I make You jealous You make me afraid Who created who In Whose image anyway? Your name is the offer of some other time You can make me one of them Or You can make yourself all mine Your name is the offer of some other place Tell me am I close enough? I mean far enough away
8.
Late Bloomer 04:58
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"Late Bloomer" by Randy Kaplan It's worth the wait It's so much sweeter When it comes late So get lightly salted I got ten years I’m a bicentennial baby Ear to ear My smile is bloody Late Bloomer Naive or young Older or smarter The jury's well hung When you're gone I’ll be a goner With more fuel to burn It's backed up through the ages And something lurks In generations Late bloomer I was a fixture here I’ll be a fixture there I’ll be a landmark and an eyesore Yeah Late Bloomer You turn the page You age like Buddha Your head gets shaved You recoil in horror I was a fixture here I’ll be a fixture there I’ll be a landmark and an eyesore Yeah
9.
Great Disguise 03:03
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"Great Disguise" by Randy Kaplan The day I knew he took that ride I cursed G-d then apologized I said, You shed a great disguise Didn't you like looking out his eyes? The day I knew that he had left I never got to go to bed I hit the wall and I hung my head I wished it was someone else instead The day I knew he hopped the fence I prayed but then said, What's the sense? There's no omni-benevolence There's not even a second chance I cursed his car and I cursed the rain I searched for a place to place the blame I must have thought of fifty names I thought of Hevel I thought of Kayin The day I knew that he was free That he paid the price for eternity I said, Why him? And I said, Why me? Then I set out to answer these I found a hint written on a page In a holy book sticking out half way From my shelf like a card in Old Maid But I can't understand why that hand was played It's not like him The day I knew I cried and cried I cursed G-d then I apologized Maybe the day I shed this great disguise I'll fully fathom where he lies
10.
Scenic Route 05:00
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"Scenic Route" by Randy Kaplan You arrived a quarter to my prime And you stayed with me for a long time But then you had to go For what I don't know But I’ll wait for you My door is never shut I hardly knew you at all You arrived Half past my life was spent in waiting for you To tell me what my fortune meant It said, Go outside, go for a ride I went You'll see the sights But I could not see them I hardly knew you at all I worry how you're riding around in the dark I hardly knew you We took the scenic route But I hardly knew you 'Cause we took the scenic route at night I worry now I’m still riding around in the dark
11.
No Device (Down) 04:42
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"No Device (Down)" by Randy Kaplan If they're gonna destroy us Let's get destroyed I will follow you I’ll do what you'd want me to If they're gonna tell me My days are empty I’m gonna fill them Only with what I want to be I won't wait around ‘Cause I’ll make it down I won't wait around In this life This wash and rush of light and sound I’ll make it I’ll make it If they're gonna tell me No mistakes are made That this is the way it has to be Then safe from deep in themselves they speak But I don't hear voices And I can't stand the silence So I lie down sick six feet above The shell of the world I’ve vanished from With my ear on the ground Turn around In this life This wash and rush of light and sound You'll make You'll make it If they're gonna destroy us Let's get destroyed But first let us fill all our days Only with what we'd want to save forever And don't wait around ‘Cause we'll make it down Don't wait around In this life This wash and rush of light and sound We'll make it And they'll make it down
12.
Two in the Heart 03:15
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"Two in the Heart" by Randy Kaplan Two in the heart Two in the head Make a new start That's what you said I should draw up a plan And go slow But you don't understand There are things you don't know Two in the head Two in the heart Better off dead Than coming apart If you were me You couldn't do Things differently You wouldn't be you I used to say We're going somewhere Somewhere we'll be sent I don't know what I meant But there are answers I will find Lying up around the bend But when I go around the bend Will I see you again? Two in the heart Two in the head It's gonna be hard Somebody said I'll draw up a plan And go slow I can't show you my hand You don't want to know Don't look at my hand I don't want to know
13.
The Will & the Way 05:49
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"The Will & the Way" by Randy Kaplan All bets are off now I’m okay to go Every bond must break My feet are fast now the stars are streaks Up underneath the frozen lake You speak in hushed tones Whatever it's worth being taken care of now I'll give you credit When you give me the news When you write me a check When you finally discover that Where there's a will there is a way It took all year boys To come across this short cut To catch up on sleep My Isabella I travel heavy water isn't very deep I’ve got to make tracks Or wind up in a moment That doesn't match Oh don't you worry That in the altogether You can never stand on ceremony? Where there's a will there is a way Call me to task now Tonight is half alive I did a double take Well off and offered I’ll be well met But also kept at arm's length Reborn as bees Living in a tower That survives the wind I don't have a feeling He counted us among his friends We're gonna have to live again Where there's a will there is a way If there's a will there is a way If you got the will I got the way Where there's a will there is a way
14.
Dizzying Pass 00:58
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"Dizzying Pass" by Randy Kaplan Up on the dizzying pass We like that nothing lasts And we pray That when we pray All of our prayers Don't fall on deaf ears Don't fall on deaf ears

about

In 1999 Randy released two albums simultaneously, REBORN AS BEES and LAKE CHAMPIONS. Both were recorded at Z'gwon,th Studios in Lawrence, Kansas by Colin Mahoney, who also played drums. BEES was created as a tribute to Randy's father, who died in an automobile accident in the summer of 1997, and as an investigation of grief and hope. It is an eloquently dark and sometimes angry record but it is also universal in its hard-driving and melodic psychological study of loss, unfulfilled love, and the struggle to find second chances. Backed up by a full band, Kaplan opens the album quietly and gently with cautious hope in his voice: "I know the end is near but so is the beginning". He sings about unanswered prayers in "Deaf Ears", of a numb rebounding in "No Matter What", and with paranoid and helpless rage in "Many Times Over" and "Great Disguise". REBORN AS BEES, whose title comes from a Chasidic saying via Martin Buber, is a true concept album- a profound, gallant, and mystical work.

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REVIEWS of Reborn As Bees:

"Kaplan originals... resound with a thought-provoking consciousness."
—THE ISLAND VOICE / Long Island, New York

"Melody, lyrics, arrangement, production... it's all here... The lyrics stand on their own as poetry, unique and compelling in its imagery... This guy's no lightweight."
—THE INSIDE CONNECTION / Long Island, New York

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released July 4, 1999

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Randy Kaplan Detroit, Michigan

ADULTS: Nashville Blues & Roots Alliance calls Randy “a master of old-time, Delta-influenced guitar,” and the Smoky Mountain Blues Society says he’s “an absolute ace guitarist, picker, and ragtime player.”

KIDS: Randy's blend of American Roots Music and Comedic Storytelling has inspired the likes of NPR and PEOPLE magazine to name Randy one of the nation’s top family entertainers. ... more

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