We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

dog years

by Teddy Quinn

supported by
Artemis Robison
Artemis Robison thumbnail
Artemis Robison Ted Quinn is an earth whisperer. He walks out his back door into the desert, picks up a clump of dirt, holds it to his ear and sings you a song of love, change, redemption, or some other secret from the soul of the planet. A song to turn your heart inside out and paint it on your sleeve for you. Favorite track: sunday (home).
akalovey
akalovey thumbnail
Kevin Stetz
Kevin Stetz thumbnail
cyni
cyni thumbnail
mlibrescu
mlibrescu thumbnail
horizon eyes
horizon eyes thumbnail
Brodie Cates
Brodie Cates thumbnail
thumbnail
crisjackman
crisjackman thumbnail
Lowell Kaufman
Lowell Kaufman thumbnail
Bill Kilp
Bill Kilp thumbnail
/
1.
walking on a river 02:09
lyrics
buy track
i'm walking on a river dry as a bone hope i can forgive her for all that i have done we used to walk together best friend i'd ever known now i'm walking on a river a long way from home see the gold in the silver that dances on a stone now i'm walking on a river dry as a bone
2.
i dream of sleeping (peacefully) 05:49
lyrics
buy track
what is keeping me awake? the very one my soul must take night comes creeping like a woman by the lake the one who's weeping over her mistake i dream of sleeping (peacefully) i dream of sleeping (peacefully) i dream of sleeping (peacefully) but it's just a dream why does one color make you feel better than any other and how can it change forever before our eyes my lover? i dream of sleeping (peacefully) i dream of sleeping (peacefully) i dream of sleeping (peacefully) but it's just a dream what is keeping me alive is what must bid you goodbye whatever happens our love will survive the knife in the water and the thorn in your side i dream of sleeping (peacefully) i dream of sleeping (peacefully) i dream of sleeping (peacefully) but it's just a dream
3.
you sleep so deeply (i just can't wake you up) 04:02
lyrics
buy track
she's on a plane on another plain on a plane on another plain you sleep so deeply i just can't wake you up and in your dreams you're reaching do you know that it's you that i love? she's on a train on another train on a train on another train you sleep so deeply i just can't wake you up and in your dreams you're reaching do you know that it's you that i love? she's riding again riding again riding again you sleep so deeply i just can't wake you up and in your dreams you're reaching do you know that it's you that i love?
4.
love on 04:33
lyrics
buy track
if i am able i will enable you to do the things you want to do if i am able i will enable you to do the things you've got to do love on love on love on love on i'll sacrifice my pride take it in my stride take you for a ride where you want to go i will not be your judge or help you hold a grudge but i'll give you a nudge when it's time to go love on love on love on love on and when i need your help and i can't help myself you can help yourself to what is mine and when you think you can't i'll put it in your hands and give it one more chance to shine love on love on love on love on
5.
power struggle 07:13
lyrics
buy track
there's a power struggle going on and it won't let up until the power's down power down power down the shock of thunder is shaking the walls like standing under a mighty waterfall power down power down the power lines are drawn in the sand but the real power is in your hands it's the only power it's the power of love and it runs like a current through your soul through us all energy emerging energy surging energy energy come on baby come on now come on baby come on now lay down your money lay down the law lay down your arms and lay me down in a field of green in shades of a dream in the shallow stream i see your eyes looking back at me and we danced through the night of the blackout and we slept in the shadows at dawn yes we danced through the night of the blackout and when we awoke the powers that be were gone and the power was on there's a power struggle going on and it won't let up until the power's on power down until the power's on power down until the power's on energy energy energy energy
6.
perfe tworld 04:04
lyrics
buy track
i imagine a perfect world at least it's perfect to me sometimes i feel so down i wish everyone could see i imagine a perfect world a world where everyone is free to take a walk on a beautiful day like we are i was born into a world where nothing is real i grew up in a world where it could be dangerous to feel but i just can't help it i love you all too much sometimes it does get lonely when i feel i'm losing my sense of touch i imagine a perfect world at least it's perfect to me sometimes i feel so down i wish everyone could see i imagine a perfect world a world where everyone is free to take a walk on a beautiful day like we are all the past is catching up the future is filled with tears it seems that we've been astray from our nature for far too many years if it's truly over i can't wait to start again i know we can do better and so until then i imagine a perfect world i imagine a perfect world at least it's perfect to me sometimes i feel so down i wish everyone could see i imagine a perfect world a world where everyone is free to take a walk on a beautiful day like we are like we are i imagine a perfect world
7.
only so many heartbeats 03:02
lyrics
buy track
i am and i am not a part of everything i am and i am not a part from anything there's only so many heartbeats only so many heartbeats only so many heartbeats there is one only thing i know is i don't know anything i really don't know why but i feel everything and i don't feel lonely when i know you're beside me i feel like living not merely surviving i feel like giving when i know you're receiving but i can't help crying when i realize you're leaving there's only so many heartbeats only so many heartbeats only so many heartbeats there is one only one moment to share together only one dance we can have before it's over only one song we can sing to each other only one chance to tell you i love you only so many heartbeats there is one i am and i am not part of everything i am and i am not a part from anything there's only so many heartbeats only so many heartbeats only so many heartbeats there is one only so many heartbeats
8.
rain of love 05:32
lyrics
buy track
there's a fire burning and my belly's full she's asleep upstairs and the dogs are sleeping well but i still have a yearning tearing up my soul rain of love rain of love i crossed the ocean from whence she'd come i came here searching for where i'm from now i'm very thirsty could you get me some rain of love rain of love i hear the thunder rolling past my door sometimes i wonder what i'm waiting for when the wounded soldier says it's time for war rain of love rain of love i prayed to jesus when i was young i played the fool it turned me on now i know there's some reason why i sing this song rain of love rain of love rain of love rain of love rain of love rain of love
9.
crossing the river 05:02
lyrics
buy track
we can weather any storm if we're together i know we'll be warm i don't care if the sun doesn't shine if i can be there with that dear friend of mine now i'm over here and she's over there but i'm going with her so i'm crossing the river river crossing the river we live among friends and we live with our dogs we live with the floods when the rains come along sometimes i get stuck on the opposite side and our little red truck can't bridge the divide now i'm over here and she's over there but i'm going with her so i'm crossing the river river crossing the river the indian boy with a pony tail braid told me one day about the rain that he made he stood with arms open his face in the sun i asked and he showed me the way it was done now i'm over here and she's over there but i'm going with her so i'm crossing the river river crossing the river
10.
sunday (home) 10:09
lyrics
buy track
home home there's food in the kitchen the home fire's burning the wind in the spirit keeps returning turning you on turning you on it's good to be home home home home the eye of the needle the eye of the storm the hand that feeds you the arm around you keeping you warm it's good to be home it's good to be home home home i see you do you see me i used to be you you used to be me i was your brother i was your father i was your lover i was your mother now i am your child and you are mine it's time home it's good to be home home it's good to be home where ever you are you are where ever you are you are the windows are open the door is closed nothing that's happened is happening now oh open the door oh open the door and i'll be home forevermore the inner wisdom the inner guide the inner light the inner life the inner guide the inner child running home wake up and smell the roses wake up gods and goddesses wake up and smell the roses wake up gods and goddesses it's good to be home home it's good to be home the windows are open the door is closed nothing that's happened is happening now oh open the door oh open the door and you'll be home forevermore
11.
mars is near 01:41
buy track

about

this album was made amid many storms, losses, some voluntary, others inadvertent...i called it 'dog years' because it has so many references to all the dogs in my life, mainly negra, and because i am a dog, in terms of chinese astrology...but i had a thought of naming it something to do with the river or the rain. also, i had done a bunch of paintings of dogs i'd met on the sidewalks of new york city. elia thought i should present them to the public as "found dogs" or "ted quinn's dog show."

it was begun during the same time as 'help wanted' was recorded. with fred drake at the control board - with the HEARING sign hanging overhead which i'd lifted off a movie set i helped to decorate. others, billy, dana, tony and i took turns recording the rest.

the rancho was fred's home. we had first pulled into that driveway together after a night of intensive star gazing in joshua tree. it was one of three houses for rent. fred knew from the minute he walked in where the studio would be. it took some convincing gene the landlord that he should rent the house to a musician from hollywood but his brother hal did most of the persuading. we had a shared background in the circus and both brothers could tell how much fred loved the desert. i moved into the third house up the road with a woman who wrote punk fairy tales for teenagers. i had worried that fred would be lonely in the desert.

but it didn't take long before it seemed like the whole world was arriving at his door, with musical instruments, bags of groceries and boxes of paint. later, i met a woman named elia who did performance art that explored some deep psychological terrain from the center of a sacred heart. she and fred taught me a lot about how to make a record like this and, more, how to live, by being unapologetically oneself.

there were always lots of dogs around and fred's horse, kashmir. when fred died nine years after first moving to that house, it was the last day of spring. all the dogs had started by patrolling his driveway, but by the day he died they were all on the floor right next to him. they had gathered around to protect him on his couch.

when we spread his ashes around his "singing, ringing tree" as chrissie named it, the desert kicked up a biblical wind and all the dogs and horses went wild, expressing some hidden emotions in the people standing around. then, all the dogs went back to normal. their job was done and they went back to playing. for them, there was no such thing as loss. for two years i walked those grounds like heathcliff in "wuthering heights" and chased away intruders. the tree lost its leaves and most of the people around left to get on with their lives. others came around to make a claim on the place. as i finished this album, i watched them come and go, as the storms came and went.

credits

released October 1, 2005

written and produced by ted quinn at rancho de luna
joshua tree, california
with
elia arce, bill bizeau, sue bradley, carlos de la fuente, digital dna, fred drake, jeremy gilien, michael kleinschmidt, tony mason, kevin sanders, victoria williams, ray woods.

also instrumental in this, fred burke, thanks for the melatonin!

when the rancho was empty, judy wishart was there. and many times, nurse linda, the beatnik, the inipi...the booklet was designed by sydney mccutcheon. photos by judy wishart, ted quinn and sydney mccutcheon.

to gothic harris, harold hill, george 'sabu' ahumada, kyoti king, brenda mcclintock, mewriel, patrona, sunbear, kashmir, amigo, duke & poncho, chasing rabbits, dreams and shooting stars across the universe accompanying fred drake on what jeremy calls the 'other world tour' and always, my family & negra...and to the future, the tree and above all, sage.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Teddy Quinn image

Teddy Quinn Joshua Tree, California

Ted aka Teddy Quinn, a singer, songwriter, artist, activist, journalist in Joshua Tree, California, helped foster the burgeoning Hi Desert Music community at places like Beatnik Cafe, Joshua Tree Saloon, Pappy & Harriets, Radio Free Joshua Tree & Rancho de la Luna, since the early 90s, helping to define the sound associated with this Bohemian outpost in the Mojave. TBA: An autobiodocart film! ... more

contact / help

Contact Teddy Quinn

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Teddy Quinn recommends:

If you like Teddy Quinn, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Fabiana Palladino stops by to talk about her mesmeric debut LP.
listen now