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New Imperial Grand Blues Lyrics

Florins hanging under the willow
Daddy sang in/Daddy’s hanging from those beams
Keeping perfect time with the creaking
That girl’s only got 18 wheels
Spent enough time with the living
To know the living don’t spend nothing on me
So leave your wine and soul in a mansion
Oh, meet me in the big red sea

Sister there’s no man you could save
Oh, piece no mush American taint
Bible still can teach you about suffering
Oh, but suffering doesn’t know god’s name
Spent enough time with the living
To know the living don’t spend nothing on me, so
Tell your uncles where to go
Oh, meet me in the big red sea

Holding your head under the water
Doesn’t make you a white whale
Holding your head higher and right
Doesn’t make you a man, Jane
Spent enough time with the living
To know the living don’t spend nothing on me, so
Siccin' purple shales on the altar
Meet me in the big red sea
You can’t steal this in remembrance of me
Oh, meet me in the big red sea
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Cover art for New Imperial Grand Blues lyrics by J. Tillman

this is such a great song! the best lines are probably "spent enough time with the living/to know the living don't spend nothing on me" the song is just so catchy! i saw josh perform this song and the live recording made me love it even more..the way he shouts out "meet me in the big red sea" is just amazing and unforgettable!

I was the one who posted these lyrics, but I gotta say I'm not sure on some of the lines. No matter how many times I listen to them, I can't tell what he's saying. The lines in question:

"Florin's hanging under the window" (is Florin a name, or am I just hearing this wrong?)

"Daddy sang in" or "Daddy's hanging" in the second line (probably the second one is right)

"So leave your wine and soul in a mansion" (not certain about these words, plus they don't entirely make sense)

"Oh,...

Not Valid

"Florence hangin' under that willow."

"Daddy's hangin' from those beams."

Not sure about this one, but "So, if you wind up..." I think it might be "sold and not mentioned" or something and "dimension/dementia"

"A beast no missionary can tame."

"Doesn't make you an angel" maybe.

I thought the last bit was maybe "Sleeping purple chairs on the alter." but it doesn't seem to make much sense.

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