Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Lightning Man," from our June 8, 2019 show. The band: Sara Watkins, Mike Elizondo, Eric Doob, Brittany Haas, Shaun Martin, Noam Pikelny, and Bryan Sutton.
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Lyrics:
Morse has chained the lightning
The rumors are true
All this dashing and dotting’s gonna bring the world home to you
And tell you what it is or what it might be
So drink today’s coffee with tomorrow’s news...

There’s no more elsewhere
Everywhere is here
With an o-perator, tap-tapping our hope and fear
Speculation and excitement
The clock hands froze the miles disappeared
When Morse chained the lightning
Morse has chained the lightning

Behold these tyrants
Assassins and thieves
Haters of light, law
And liberty
Then behold Morse’s lightning
Nipping at their heels
Fixing to strike them in the middle of the battlefield
Where they left America dying
Of the great divide in what she thinks and feels
Before Morse chained the lightning

Lightning Man - June 8, 2019

Highlights from Live from Here, the public radio variety show hosted by mandolinist Chris Thile. Each week, download Chris’s brand-new Song of the Week and Tom Papa’s report from Out in America. Unfortunately we can’t offer the entire show as a podcast due to music downloading rights, but you can stream any full episode from our website, livefromhere.org, or listen live on the radio Saturdays from 6-8 pm ET. Find us on social media @livefromhereapm. Produced by American Public Media. Support the show at livefromhere.org/give

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Tom Papa reads an excerpt on grandparents from his book Your Dad Stole My Rake during our December 7, 2019 show. (originally from our December 7, 2019 episode)

Find more about Tom’s Netflix special and his new book, You’re Doing Great!, at tompapa.com. 

Please support Live from Here with Chris Thile to help us stay strong during these tough times: livefromhere.org/give

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Listen to our May 23 rebroadcast with Pixies, Black Pumas, Crooked Still, Freestyle Love Supreme, Aoife O’Donovan, and Tom Papa

Tom Papa: Grandparents - May 23, 2020

This week: our Out In America correspondent Tom Papa heads to San Diego, where he visits an oceanfront bar, ponders ways to live a stress-free life, and chats with a business traveler from Queens named Gladys. (originally from our December 7, 2019 show)

Find more about Tom’s Netflix special and his new book, You’re Doing Great!, at tompapa.com. 

Please support Live from Here with Chris Thile to help us stay strong during these tough times: livefromhere.org/give

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Listen to our May 23 rebroadcast with Pixies, Black Pumas, Crooked Still, Freestyle Love Supreme, Aoife O’Donovan, and Tom Papa

Out In America: San Diego - May 23, 2020

Download Chris Thile’s Song of the Week for May 23, 2020: “How’s the Weather Where You Are?” (originally from our December 7, 2019 show) The band: Chris Thile, Aoife O’Donovan, Mike Elizondo, Chris Eldridge, Marcus Gilmore, Brittany Haas, Brett Williams.

Please support Live from Here with Chris Thile to help us stay strong during these tough times: livefromhere.org/give

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Listen to our May 23 rebroadcast with Pixies, Black Pumas, Crooked Still, Freestyle Love Supreme, Aoife O’Donovan, and Tom Papa

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Lyrics:

1.

Morse: A nibble!
Lincoln: A bite!
A reason to be thankful—
M: —for another sleepless night
But how best to set the hook?
L: How best to reel him in?
M: Hmm...what to send?
L: Hmm...what to send?

M + L: Not my name
L: He’ll know it
M: Rendering this another unclean slate
L: Another couple hours answering for these Divided States
M: And being the amplifier of this rift between Americans
Won’t help me make a friend
L: What to send?
M + L: Hmm...what to send?

L: What are the chances of this meeting? I won’t let it get away
M: Who else will dance me through the dead of night unto the break of day?
L: If I believed in God I’d ask him
M: Father, tell me
M + L: what to say
To make a friend out of this stranger on the wire

L: How’s the weather where you are?

2.

M: It’s hot as stock in Western Union
The air’s as thick as the brow of a grim patent judge

L: Is that your field of law?

M: Nice try. How’s the weather where YOU are?

L: Hot as the barrel of a freshly fired cannon
Air as thick as the skull of McDowell at Bull Run
And the smoke rising up to the sky
Over sons that were loved as much as mine was

M: I’m sorry for your loss.

L: I’m grateful for your ear
I hope I haven’t scared you off

M: Fellow stranger au contraire
Any night you feel like hopping
On this wire I’ll be here
Waiting to ask you how’s the weather where you are

L + M: How’s the weather where you are?

M: Cold as the sweat I woke up in an hour ago
L: Cold as each toe in each boot marching south through the snow
M: Exactly further yet from their hearths and our peace
Were I Abe I would bid each brave toe retreat*

L: What of the war for freedom lost?

M: I don’t believe it’s ours
I hope that doesn’t scare you off

L: Fellow stranger au contraire
Any night you feel like hopping
On this wire I’ll be here
Waiting to ask you how’s the weather where you are

‘Cause you can learn a lot about someone from asking how they feel about the weather where they are

Song of the Week: How's the Weather Where You Are? - May 23, 2020

Download Chris Thile’s Song of the Week for May 9, 2020: “You’re Just Doing Your Job.” The band: Chris Thile, Anaïs Mitchell, Jon Cowherd, Eric Doob, Alex Hargreaves, Armand Hirsch, Chris Morrissey. (Originally from our November 23, 2019 episode.)

Please support Live from Here with Chris Thile to help us stay strong during these tough times: livefromhere.org/give

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Listen to our May 9 rebroadcast with Paul Simon, Vagabon, Anaïs Mitchell, Ryan Hamilton, Ron Funches & Holly Laurent

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Lyrics:
Here’s a song
For the good folks who
We pay to look for bombs
In each other’s boots
Sure this line is long
Longer than my fuse
But you’re just doing your job
And what a job you’re doing

For the put-upon
Bearers of bad news
Now and forever caught here
Between us and our due
As platinums golds and silvers
Singing the Delta blues
“I can’t believe it’s not in your
Power to move me
To the seat I want
And just forgot to choose
I know you’re doing your job
But what a job to do”

And for the mom
Running stoically through
Each kid-unfriendly gauntlet
Doing the work of two
‘Til the boarding process
Drops her off next to
A childless man of business
Whose cares are few
Enough to voice his problems with
Her toddler on fumes
I heard her tell him off like
“Who the hell are you
To assess this job
That you could never do
Just put your headphones on”
Then away we flew
Then away we flew


Song of the Week: You're Just Doing Your Job - May 9, 2020

Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton joined Chris Thile on our May 2 show to introduce their new podcast, Julie’s Library; share some movie recommendations; and chat about what makes them hopeful for the future. Listen to this extended version of the interview and find Julie’s Library wherever you get your podcasts!

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Listen to our May 2 show with Sylvan Esso, Watkins Family Hour, Gaby Moreno, Josh Gondelman & more

Lightning Man - June 8, 2019

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