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.

Internal Combustion

by Rain Perry

/
1.
The Compartmentalized Thing Words & Music by Rain Perry c 2010 Precipitous Music/BMI All rights reserved. I intend to give my heart completely While I’m standing on this stage ‘cause I heard that when you write you open a vein and spill it on the page and when the night is over I don’t plan to stick around ‘cause tomorrow there's another show in another town I'm getting a feel for The way that we do this The way that we do The compartmentalized thing Now, we're gonna move together Let's read each other Follow my mouth And the first time, I’ll go slow Now give that to me one more time With everything you've got Okay, I think I have what I need And you are free to go Oh yeah, I'm getting a feel for The way that we do this The way that we do The compartmentalized thing Me and the boys in the band We know how to do it We know how to do The compartmentalized thing (instrumental break) I bring my heart on a platter And we flay it like a salmon And then it lies there quivering For a week or so And when the week is over And the work is all done I take it back neatly wrapped And then it's time to go Oh, how will I ever get a feel for The way that we do this The way that we do The compartmentalized thing Yeah, we know each other really well But only one part And that is the art Of the compartmentalized thing
2.
Till It Shines Words & Music by Bob Seger c Gear Publishing/ASCAP All rights reserved. Take away my inhibitions Take away my solitude Fire me up with your resistance Put me in the mood Storm the walls around this prison Leave the inmates Free the guards Deal me up another future From some brand new deck of cards Take the chip off of my shoulder Smooth out all the lines Take me out among the rustling pines Till it shines Like an echo down a canyon Never coming back as clear Lately I just judge the distance Not the words I hear I've been too long on these islands I've been far too long alone I've been too long without summer In this winter home Still if we can make the effort If we take the time Maybe we can leave this much behind Till it shines See the rich man lost and lonely Watch him as he dines Sitting there just testing all the wines Till it shines
3.
Red Green White Blue words and music by Rain Perry 2001 Precipitous Music/BMI The creator of this valley Was not afraid of bold lines Red rocks, green hay, white clouds, blue sky But if I were to paint it I would worry every rhyme And surely heed the cry Of every phone call I've been putting off All the laundry left undone Whatever might dilute the intensity Like an uncut drug Or a confession of love That mainlines the poetry Red rock — green hay White cloud — blue sky Give me strength I pray Ease my mind Then it comes laughing from the canyon walls The answer is so plain Any fool could see it right away It's the the heavens and earth I'm forging here Just a simple refrain To paint a picture of this lovely day Red rock — green hay — white cloud — blue sky Red rock — green hay — white cloud — blue sky
4.
So You're the Muse Words & Music by Rain Perry c2010 Precipitous Music/BMI All rights reserved. So you’re the muse I thought I recognized you I’ve seen you around But we never had a chance to really talk I think we might be getting closer To a very good thing Nothing lights the world Like the joy that you can bring Give me a chance to show you What I will do for you I’ll get up early I’ll stay up late I’ll be the world’s most devoted date I’ll get a babysitter I’ll steal some time I’ll do anything if you’ll be mine Please be mine I’m confused In the poems I read the muse is a beautiful woman Who gives the writer his pen and with her cool, smooth hands Gently coaxes the words from him Look, I know that you believe in me Or you wouldn’t come around Why do you build my hopes To send them crashing to the ground Oh, come on, baby Don’t do me like you do I’ll get up early I’ll stay up late I’ll be the world’s most devoted date I’ll get a babysitter I’ll steal some time I’ll do anything if you’ll be mine Please be mine You’re beautiful But you’re cruel And I’m nothing But your fool You leave me hanging But I won’t give up yet I’ll stick around And take what I can get I’ll take what I can get I’ll get up early I’ll stay up late I’ll be the world’s most inspired date I’ll get a babysitter I’ll steal some time I’ll do anything if you’ll be mine Please be mine
5.
Next Best Thing words and music by Rain Perry c2001 Precipitous Music/BMI He’s got the key To the hearts and minds of the congregation A sure young man Promising salvation The first little taste of it is free And in his fervent eyes lies the possibility Of something stronger than heroin Hotter than lust Bigger than the pain you feel He’s promised to take care of you He’s someone that you trust Gives ‘you something that feels real He’s not Jesus but he’s the next best thing My mother lay back in his arms in the water She freely gave away all her earthly things I heard five hundred people speaking in tongues Praying for deliverance from all the devil brings A little girl can understand No one knows what’s good for her better than the man Who’s stronger than heroin Hotter than lust Bigger than the pain you feel He’s promised to take care of you He’s someone that you trust Gives ‘you something that feels real He’s not Jesus but he’s the next best thing
6.
Keanuville 04:39
Keanuville Words & music by Rain Perry c 2010 Precipitous Music/BMI All rights reserved. This is my lucky 13th time to see this band Yes, that’s the movie star Playing the bass guitar They could use a few stronger songs But they’re sounding alright He’ll try anything and I respect that He’s not afraid to take a chance And I’ll tell him when I meet him I’m gonna try again tonight I am the number one fan Of the man in the band And if you knew him the way I do You’d understand These silly girls are sweet but they’re so dumb I can’t help but find it funny But if the ones in front wouldn’t scream He wouldn't get so shy I tell them, “If you scream, he'll just be looking at his hands...” We were polite in Winnipeg Where I saw him in Hamlet twice I don't want to spoil the play for you But the ending's really sad— It made me cry... I am the number one fan Of the man in the band And if you knew him the way I do You’d understand You’d understand what keeps me up at night You’d understand what turns my knuckles white At every ripple across his surface And each little movement of his hand If you asked ninety-nine percent of the people here They couldn’t name the other guys in the band I’ll bet you every t-shirt That I’m holding in my hand But he knows this is about all three of them So he shrugs it off the best he can That’s just one more thing that I love about the man I am the number one fan Of the man in the band And if you knew him the way I do You’d understand I am the number one fan Of the man in the band And if you knew him the way I do You’d understand You’d understand
7.
Rene and Georgette Magritte With their dog after the war Words & Music by Paul Simon c Paul Simon Music/UMPG [Verse 1] Rene and Georgette Magritte With their dog after the war Returned to their hotelsuite And they unlocked the door Easily losing their evening clothes They dance by the light of the moon [Chorus 2] To The Penguins The Moonglows The Orioles And The Five Satins [Verse 2] The deep forbidden music They'd been longing for [Chorus 1] Rene and Georgette Magritte With their dog after the war [Verse 3] Rene and Georgette Magritte With their dog after the war Were strolling down Christopher Street When they stopped in a men's store With all of the mannequins Dressed in the style That brought tears to their Immigrant eyes [Chorus 2] To The Penguins The Moonglows The Orioles And The Five Satins [Verse 4] The easy stream of laughter Flowing through the air Rene and Georgette Magritte With their dog apres la guerre [Bridge] Side by side They fell asleep Decades gliding by like Indians Time is cheap When they wake up they will find All their personal belongings Have intertwined Oh [Verse 5] Rene and Georgette Magritte With their dog after the war Were dining with the power elite And they looked in their bedroom drawer And what do you think They have hidden away In the cabinet cold of their hearts? [Chorus 2] To The Penguins The Moonglows The Orioles And The Five Satins [Outro] For now and ever after As it was before Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog After the war
8.
A Perfect Storm Words & Music by Rain Perry c2010 Precipitous Music/BMI All rights reserved A Perfect Storm This town has seen no better captain Who ran no finer crew And I was lucky that he served with me Several seasons through He moved on to other waters But he was due back this fall And I was just about to track him down When I got the call He disappeared in stormy weather He went down suddenly And my heart ached for his girl back home And for the captain lost at sea Chorus: The pull of gravity The lift of buoyancy Are made to equal each other And most of us will never know But there’s a degree of roll From which every boat cannot recover A ship’s designed to right itself And usually we do Though we take a wave across our decks Through a close call or two So were you taking on water That your scuppers couldn’t clear Or did a rogue wave put you over So far away from here? Was there a cold front in your heart You couldn’t find a way to warm? Then did a hurricane blow through you And generate a perfect storm? Chorus
9.
Ambulance Song Words and music by Rain Perry c2010 Precipitous Music/BMI All rights reserved The ambulance left a while ago A couple cop cars waiting for a tow truck Lights flashing caught my eye But it was all over by the time I drove by For somebody somewhere it’s sinking in Life will never be the same again An hour ago there was nothing wrong Now someone’s wondering how they’re gonna go on Maybe you’re looking out the window at a traffic light Wondering how you’ll ever make it through the first night Wish I could reach you from down the road to let you know It will be okay It won’t feel this way Someday Carnations send me to that night The ones with red on the edges and the middle white Everybody trying to smile at me Wondering what to say or how to be But I think the glory of the road is plain To the heart that’s scoured out with pain So I send this to you once again It’ll be okay It won’t feel this way Someday Someday Someday
10.
Let's Get It On Words & music by Marvin Gaye cFCG Music- M G III Music, NMG Music & EMI April Music/BMI I've been really tryin', baby Tryin' to hold back these feeling for so long And if you feel, like I feel baby Then come on, oh come on Let's get it on, oh baby Lets get it on, let's love baby Let's get it on, sugar Let's get it on, whoa We're all sensitive people With so much to give, understand me sugar Since we got to be here Let's live, I love you There's nothin' wrong with me Lovin' you, baby love, love And givin' yourself to me can never be wrong If the love is true, oh baby Come on, come on, come on, come on You don't have to push Come on, come on, come on, come on darling Stop beatin' round the bush, hey Let's get it on Let's get it on

about

From the songwriter who brought you "Beautiful Tree," the theme song to the CW's "Life Unexpected," come ten tales of lust, loss, art, obsession - the things that drive us - with wry humor and heart.

The Bob Seger cover is just one of many lovely surprises on folk-rocker Perry's Internal Combustion; due Sept. 21st. --USA Today

Southern California native and indie singer/songwriter Rain Perry is perhaps best known for her ode to the atypical family, Beautiful Tree; Featured on her 2008 album Cinderblock Bookshelves, this song is more commonly known as the theme for The CW s quirky hit family drama, Life Unexpected. Having led what many would describe as an incredibly unconventional life her mother was a songwriter and devotee of a hippie fundamentalist church and her father was a starving artist it s no surprise that Rain found her calling and solace in music. Her voice is, in a word, incredible. Powerful and smooth enough to command your notice, yet soft and sweet enough to soothe. Coupled with heartfelt, truthful lyrics, she s crafted a solidly recognizable sound for herself. Now this mom of two is set to release her third album, Internal Combustion, on September 21st. In addition to Rain s own music, this release features covers of songs from such diverse artists as Paul Simon, Marvin Gaye, and Bob Seger artists who couldn t be further apart on the musical spectrum, yet Ms. Perry dresses their well-known classics up beautifully with a sound all her own. I ve been listening to her cover of Marvin Gaye's Let s Get It On over and over again, wondering if we ll soon see her name on the bills of future indie tours and festivals. --The Music Mamas

A few years ago California singer Rain Perry won the John Lennon Songwriting Competition (Folk Division), but on her third album she proves herself equally adept at covers. The first single is a folk-rock run through Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band's 1978 Till It Shines. Seger never released the tune as a single himself, opting instead for the record s mega-hit, Old Time Rock and Roll. Clearly a wise decision, but it meant that Till It Shines never got its due. I feel it s an underrated gem and oddly perfect for a chick singer, Perry said in a press release. Perry, whose claim to fame is providing the theme song for Life Unexpected, lifts her cover with mariachi-tinged horns alongside that beautiful voice. Check it out. --CoverMe.com

Ther' s something of a hippie vibe to Internal Combustion s folk/pop sounds and introspective lyric approach. Singer/songwriter Rain Perry makes her home in the bohemian enclave of Ojai, California, which may contribute to the wide-eyed idealism and playful sensuality found in these tracks. Perry s vocal style landing somewhere between Edie Brickell and the softer side of Patti Griffin adds a jazzy cadence to both originals like The Compartmentalized Thing and a sly acoustic reworking of Marvin Gaye s Let s Get It On. As a writer, she is a sharp-eyed observer of everyday tragedies ( Ambulance Song ), smooth-talking preachers ( So You re The Muse ) and her own creative process. She manages to put her own stamp on songs by composers as different as Paul Simon ( Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War ) and Bob Seger ( Till It Shines ). Though she favors a low-key approach, Perry makes a strong impression through her literate tunes, creative taste in covers, and overall freewheeling spirit. --iTunes

Rain Perry is sassy and sensual on Internal Combustion, offering no qualms about exploring her sexuality in song. On opening track The Compartmentalized Thing, she touts the fact that she knows what she wants and isn t shy about demanding it. Keanuville and Next Best Thing find her idolizing members of the opposite sex, and her take on the bedroom anthem to beat them all, Marvin Gaye s Let s Get It On, is stunning. Ultimately, the lovely piano ballad A Perfect Storm and her graceful remake of Paul Simon s Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War spotlight the singer at her best, --M Music and Musicians

credits

released September 21, 2010

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Mister Mark Hallman at the Congress House, Austin, Texas
Additional engineering by Andre “Sparks” Moran, as well as Dangerous Tommy Schultz & Travis “T Man” Kelley

(Exceptions: the rhythm section for “So You’re the Muse” was cut at the Linda Vista Social Club in Ventura, CA by Kevin McCormick, and Chris Foley recorded the piano on “Next Best Thing” and the song “Rene & Georgette” at Sound+Vision, Ojai, California.)

All words and music by Rain Perry (Precipitous Music/BMI) except “Till It Shines,” by B. Seger (Gear Publishing/ASCAP), “Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War,” by P. Simon (Paul Simon Music/UMPG) and “Let’s Get It On,” by M. Gaye and E. Townsend (Jobete Music Co. Inc.)

Sorry! I don’t have permission to reprint the lyrics to the cover songs. But I know you can find them online.

Photography and pyrotechnics – Bad Bob Muschitz
Striking album art & design – Brian Turner at Cricket Press, Lexington, Kentucky
Hair and makeup – Claire Powers
Photos carefully shot in Kim’s kitchen

“A Perfect Storm” is for Jonathan and was inspired by the book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger.

The way it works is this: Rain writes the songs and records a demo on her phone, which she then sends to Mark. Utilizing various audio/visual aids, Rain and Mark discuss. Then Rain goes to Austin and Mark enlists the services of his alarmingly talented multiple personalities, otherwise known as “The (Congress) House Band.” Rain sits on the couch knitting, marveling and expressing her opinion, and once in a while goes downstairs to sing. On this release, she also makes her instrumental debut, such as it is, and performs some sound editing too. Once in awhile, a very special guest or two joins the fun.

Meet the (Congress) House Band!

“Sticks McRaw” – drums & percussion
“Biggie Bottom” – bass
“Frets Flamagan” – guitars
“Fingers Flailin” – keyboards (to whom no one ever says no – at least when it comes to the B3)
“Lips Lohand” – horns & clarinet
“Shamus O’Fool” – banjo
The elusive “Eboy” – Ebow
“Harpo” (aka Rain) (junior member of the CH band) – Autoharp

* * *

Acknowledgements:

Oh, Mark. Thank you. If not for you…ah, well, you know what I’m going to say.

Heartfelt thanks to the hardworking and ever-entertaining Congress House crew – Andre, Tommy and Travis – and to the musicians – Andrew, Chris, Danny B., Elana, Jim, Jonathan, Julie, Karen, Kevin, Matt, Perla, Rick and Riley – for your fine playing and singing, and to Tommy for your fine latching of cabinets.

Thank you to my beautiful girls. Billy, this one’s for you, with love.

Thank you also, in no particular order, to: Skip Slater; JB, Jim, Jim & Julie for the essential services of the Wednesday Song Group; Success Partner (and keeper of deepest organizational secrets) Robbie Frandsen; über-skank Kim Maxwell, as well as the Pro-Ho, The Littlest Ho, & the ever-diligent Ho-cial secretary; the Perry family; Sasha Stone, Mistress of the Internet; Official Texas State Musician Sara Hickman; The All-Powerful Targalini; GiGi Benno & Andy Hardin (so my question to you is: just how comfortable are you with your body?); the Queen of Folk Alliance; Leah, my oldest friend; Flower girl/manager/social media advisor/chef Katy Powers; camera-shy photographer/stylist/BBQ artist Claire Powers – in fact, all the Powers Girls, Matt & The Nudist too; the Slaughter, Galbut and Rizzoli families, including the newest, littlest members; my pals in Ojai; my pals not in Ojai; Kristen Hallman (who, by the way, is hotter than any hussy); Taylor Hallman; (Boy in the Boy’s Room) Dan Brockett; Kit Stolz; Val Denn; my awesome songwriting students; Tom Russell, Keeper of the Songwriting Flame; “Pyro” Bob Muschitz & his better half Paty; the lovely & talented CoryAnn Yniquez; Crystal Ann @ M:M; the muscular Shore Fire team; Brian Turner @ Cricket Press; Les Scott & Cindy Rosmann; Liz Tigelaar and the LUX cast & crew; the bats of Austin for making a dent in the mosquitoes of Austin…and, finally, all praise to Saint Glen, for his inspiration and vibe.

While I have your attention, may I point something out? Not to be all old-school “I only listen to vinyl,” but the truth is that music simply sounds better on CD than on MP3. It has to, since the sound files on a CD are about ten times larger than a download. I love the convenience and versatility of my iPod and ear buds too, but once in awhile it’s important to put on good headphones, close your eyes, and really listen to a new album. It’s like the difference between watching a movie with commercials on TV and sitting in a dark theater with a giant screen. It’s just…more. You will hear instruments you didn’t know were there, and they won’t be squished. The music will sound three-dimensional, and sometimes an instrument will pan from left to right in a really cool way (a phenomenon to which we refer in the business as a “stoner treat”). Plus, there are fascinating liner notes to read, as you can see! Oh yeah, and it sounds especially good LOUD. Let’s not let this experience slip away, okay?

And while I’m opinionating, I think I’ll also say this: buy music! Making and promoting albums isn’t cheap! I mean, yes, share some – we all do – but honestly: the best possible way to support the artists whose music you love is to actually pay for the music they make.

Okay, okay. That is truly, exhaustively, and without a doubt…what she said.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Rain Perry Ojai, California

Rain Perry’s “Beautiful Tree” was the theme for the CW Network’s Life Unexpected, on which she also had the surreal pleasure of appearing as herself. She has released four albums on her own Precipitous Records, as well as writing and touring a solo play about her childhood. In 2016 she completed The Shopkeeper, her first film. She teaches a series of classes called Songwriting for Civilians. ... more

contact / help

Contact Rain Perry

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Rain Perry, you may also like: