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Questionable Motives

by Dog Army

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1.
A ghostly coyote inhales the heat and pants along Death Valley's red stone. Always without, it lives enough to starve. And yet, it hunts and haunts with trailing pups. Its carrion canine eyes search for such contentment it has never known nor will. And better than any man's words those eyes will say, you're going to need water for the way.
2.
Rally, rally, up around the bend, 'cause I don't know what's up ahead. The air is gray, as the souls of today, and I think I heard them say, innocent Clarissa, "come and dance in the unknown." The rain it falls, like words from incantations and a score of sins at reconciliation. The thunder rumbles like blasphemy between you and me, innocent Clarissa, come and dance in the unknown. Lightning strikes, but there's nothing to kill, in this flashing flood and its reptile swill. Even water has the power to kill-- even out here. Innocent Clarissa, come and dance in the unknown. Clarissa, we can see that you're so sweet, just like we all once were. And Clarissa we can see that you can't stay out of this storm forever. Now, Clarissa, can you see the coyote? Clarissa, she has danced in this storm and dances every day. Clarissa, you should know that she has known what it is to have what must be let go. The road, it churns, with a river's blood, made into rapids, milky with mud. The bits of cliff, they tumble down, and I heard them say, innocent Clarissa, "come and dance in the unknown." We're laughing mad now in the middle of the storm. 'Cause I heard them say, if you're going out there you're gonna need water for the way. Innocent Clarissa, come and dance in the unknown.
3.
And they tell me I've got nothing, that I walk alone. But, my friend, I'll tell you, I don't walk alone (no, sir). I've got someone with me. I've got two pistols at my hips, silver, sturdy, with mahogany grips. Nickel-plated ornate detailing points the path of the next bullet. Rolling silver rallies one shot through. Don't let six times two be twelve for you. And I've got my tally marks in my mahogany that remind me of all the lowly men who try to cross me. Let them come. Bounty's such a burden, it calls forth the vermin mistaking famed names for opportunity. Let them come. Because I love the flash, I love the snap, oh boy, I love the smell of brass, burning cordite, and lead. Brass, burning cordite, and lead. Brass, burning cordite and lead and here they come, coming on down the range, coming on down the range. 10 more minutes 'til the marks make me, 10 more minutes 'til the marks make me. Nine more minutes 'til I make my mark, make my mark in my mahogany. Eight more minutes 'til the marks make me. Eight more minutes 'til the marks make me. Seven more minutes 'til I make my marks, make my marks in my mahogany. Six more minutes 'til the marks make me, six more minutes 'til the marks make me. Five more minutes 'til I make my marks, make my marks in my mahogany. Four more minutes 'til the marks make me, four more minutes 'til the marks make me. Three more minutes 'til I make my marks, make my marks in my mahogany. Two more minutes 'til the marks make me, two more minutes 'til the marks make me. One more minute 'til I make my marks, make my marks in my mahogany. Brass, burning cordite, and lead. Brass, burning cordite, and lead. Brass, burning cordite, and lead. Brass, burning cordite, and lead.
4.
I was falling, then thought I was saved, but now it's more than dirt that fills my grave. Pointing fingers is so easy, when they're on your hand, but it's a whole other story when they prick your trial's stand. I'd like to go back and change my name, but I bet they'd still scorn my somewhat innocent face. Last meal black coffee, potatoes with steak. I guess it's all my momma ever really knew how to make. Maybe it's better my last rights are read, because you can't do no more sinnin' when you're dead. Telephone rang out, the guard said "it's for you." Behind me, the hangman said, "tell 'em I'll call back in a few." I looked up to God and governor with a pound of hope. The trapdoor opened, and they caught me with a rope. I was falling, then thought I was saved, but now it's more than dirt that fills my grave.
5.
An insatiable, lascivious leech, is writhing in dirty water, to latch on and suck from an already withered wench. This foul hunger for all the secret creases. This foul hunger for every unpleasant scent conditioned to bliss. This foul hunger for every heavenly impurity. How can a mind have such a focus? Desire burns me to convulsive conniption. Desire churns my innards nearly to apoplexy, nearly to apoplexy. No, to pleading! Deary, please, have mercy on me! Yeah, deary, please, have mercy on me and my, my, my, my, my foul hunger for all the secret creases. This foul hunger for every unpleasant scent conditioned to bliss. This foul hunger for every heavenly impurity. How can a mind have such a focus and maintain such a society? How can a mind have such a focus and maintain such civility? How can a mind have this focus? You hording wyrm! Adorning yourself to prink and prattle but never please this disease that pricks me so. And I'm begging you, please! Deary, please, have mercy on me, yeah, have mercy on me and free me from the chains these chains these chains of foul hunger. for all the secret creases. This foul hunger for every unpleasant scent conditioned to bliss. This foul hunger for every heavenly impurity. How can a mind have this focus? Temptress behind the gates of sadism, press yourself against its rigid bars to find my rigid bar and free us both from the chains oh, these chains, from these chains the chains of nature. And peace, peace, now, peace, peace, now peace, peace, now, (I have no) peace now, peace peace now, (bring me vivid liberty) peace, peace now, peace, peace now!
6.
7.
(Here we go) I ain't 'pposed. You're comin with me. You're comin with me. Do the swing swing with me Do the swing swing with me Do the swing swing with me Do the swing swing with me Do the swing swing with me Kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing All night long! All night long! All night long! For the rest of your life! Do the swing swing with me Do the swing swing with me Do the swing swing with me A little to the left and then you swing to the right say hi to the crowd and you feel alright Kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing kick and swing All night long! For the rest of your life! All night long! All night long! And don't stop now! I made my choices; what can you say of yours?
8.
She walked lonely into the bar and spotted her man from afar. He was sharing his whiskey, laugh and a seat with some harlot he would never let her meet. She watched like a snake then recoiled like a doe back to her empty home was the only place to go. She brooded, wrote and drew with a heavy black ink. What's a woman to do, but feel pain and think? She wrote, she read, she drew, she bled, it was all she could see. He arrived dark-early, from business, he claimed. It was all she could do to keep her face unchanged. "I have an idea, honey, listen to me, when we wake, let's picnic down by the creek." He huffed an okay, those were his yesses these days, then he slipped to his last slumber with nothing more to say. She wrote she read, she drew, she bled, it was all she could see. When they woke, she packed the whole picnic, her task. He prepared nothing, except his old worn flask. With her smile, they set off for the creek. He asked her, "how long is this going to take?" Just the rest of your life, she thought. But answered him playful, with an 'Aw, c'mon!" Where the creek ran quickly and the creek ran clear, she set the blanket out and said, "it's perfect here." She set the scene, so serene and pretty. They, the only ones, so far from the city. She wrote, she read, she drew, she bled. It was all she could see. Nature's greens and golds blended with the water and opened his eyes to how he truly saw her. "You did all of this for me and us, I've been ignoring your gift of love." She smiled sweetly and with a start, reached into her bag and pulled her tools for art. "What's that for?" "You will see "Take off your shirt, "and come over to me." Lulled by once- forgotten love he took off his shirt, and she put on her gloves. Before he could speak, she took off her shirt. He swallowed his question, and said "Oh the gifts of this Earth." "Our love is the ink in this pen. Let me tattoo it onto you to show it has no end." With remorseful clarity, he said, "yes." She gestured to the water, and they both undressed. She wrote, she read, she drew, she bled. It was all she could see. Naked in the knee-deep water, she looked into his eyes and said, "I saw her." She thrashed him in the neck with that inky pen. It cracked within his sinew and regret. The blood and the ink spilled out as a set. He dropped like an unstrung marionette. Those red and black snakes turned to dust in the water and diluted to a curious golden color. She knelt and washed the blood and love from her skin. Along with her feelings of liberation. That body floating downstream belonged to a bastard, but was also once my true and worthy lover. She knelt in the water and shed a tear, then got dressed on the shore when the water ran clear. His throat, it bled with black, and red. It was all she could see She packed the picnic and walked homeward bound, aimless as a widow in an empty town. She discarded her burdens as best she could, dumpsters don't hold guilt too good. His throat, it bled, with black and red. It was all she could see. She entered the bar and sat at a stool, "is this where my husband took me for a fool?" His throat, it bled with black, and red. It was all she could see. She thought, "Yeah, that's revenge, it ain't supposed to be sweet. Nothin' that can't be fixed with a double whiskey." His throat, it blied, with black and red. It was all she could see. She gulped it down and let it burn. "He was a worthless man, it's what he deserved." HIs throat, it bled with black, and red. It was all she could see. She looked at her drink and stood up in horror. She looked at her drink and stood up in horror: whiskey's the color of blood ink and water. She looked at her drink and stood up in horror: whiskey's the color of blood ink and water. She looked at her drink and stood up in horror: whiskey's the color of blood ink and water. She looked at her drink and backed out in horror: everything's the color of blood ink and water.
9.
Stealing Art 05:20
I am leaving Arizona. I've packed just what I need and love. I am leaving across the desert, that girl is nothing but memory. I am leaving Arizona. Her children sleep in my backseat. Oh, the twisted paths we walk; the things we choose to take and what we find. Is it luck? Is it will? Was I made to save? If it's fate, it all just cancels out. Shall I protect what has no protector? She made them. She claimed she loved them. But I never saw her care. She made them with their father, but they should never speak again. I took them from their mother, because she was not even a friend. And I shudder at the fading potential, through neglect, I've seen perfection flawed. We can choose who to be, I was made to save, and it was my fate to find this out. I shall protect what has not protector. Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? What you can't is who you'll work to not be. Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? What you can't is who you'll work to not be. I am leaving Arizona. It'll be days before she notices. I am leaving across the desert. I will raise them to what they were made to be. I am leaving Arizona. I will make our surname "Liberty." Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? What you can't is who you'll work to not be. Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? Can you stand it? What you can't is who you'll work to not be. Oh, the twisted paths we walk, the things we choose to take and what we find. It is luck, it is will, I was made to save, and it was all just my fate to find this out. We are all looking for virtue. We are all looking for purpose. We are all looking for virtue. And I am virtuous now.
10.
The Road 04:00
We all know the way down the road. Yeah, we all know the way. But we don't know what is on that road. No, we don't know who we'll meet. Yet we must go nonetheless. We all know the weight of the road. Yeah, we all know the weight. But we don't know what makes up the road. No, we don't know how it breaks. But we must go, nonetheless. Now, you go, go by yourself. Yeah, you go, with no one else. And when you go, you'll find yourself. You'll find your home, and someone else. If it's ordained. If you chose it. It belongs to you and no one else. Now, you go, go by yourself yeah, you go, with no one else and when you go, go by yourself you'll find your home, you'll find yourself, you'll find your home, and someone else. If it's ordained. If you chose it. It belongs to you and no one else. So go. Go down the road. So go. Go down the road. So go.

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released April 17, 2021

All songs written, performed, and produced by Erik Dionne of Dog Army.
Cover photography by Jane Dionne.

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Dog Army Saint Marys City, Maryland

Dog Army is the guy in the picture.

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