Broken Shadows

With songs that place an emphasis on lyrics and story-telling, and with world class instrumental playing that prizes spontaneity and dialogue, this highly adaptable collection of musicians under the leadership of trumpeter/composer Darren Johnston brings poetry, interplay, vocal harmonies, and a cross section of musical interests into a curious new blend of roots/art/dance music that defies category.

This video features our most currently consistent players:

Selected Lyrics:

Letting Go

The moon, the moon is full and high!
Across a blood-shot city sky
I know, I know, I know, I know
It’s time to finally let it go

The cars are pearls of chrome and light
As this old town prepares for night
And I know, I know, I know, I know
It’s time to finally let it go

The fog rolls in, it’s extra cold
I try to keep from feeling old
I know, I know, I know, I know
It’s time to finally let it go

But it sounded like a symphony
When you said we were meant to be
Now I know, I know, I know, I know
It’s time to finally let it go

and now we all come stumbling in
we’re drinking wine, we’re drinking gin
and we know, we know, we know, we know
it’s time to finally let it go.

So now raise your glasses to your lips
‘cause we’ve still got time to find it yet
then we’ll know, we’ll know, we’ll know, we’ll know
we finally learned to let it go.

Fuchsia Dell

On the day of your parting
I ride to the park
To the Fuchsia Dell

I play you a song
The song you left behind
From a bench I know

And I play to the trees
But my horn, it won’t ring
Not like it ought to

I feel hazy and numb
‘cause I can’t be undone.
Not like I used to.

Spots of blue
And a splash of grey
And the birds are all singing your name.
For today for today for today!
The birds are all singing your name.

Now you’ve passed through the pain
And let go and gone home
Just like you ought to

And we’ll gather the pieces
The ones you left behind
Because we loved you

and the drops of a wave
will return to the ocean
to be where they belong

and I think a bit more
about waves and of shores.
It’s how we carry on.

Spots of blue
And a splash of grey
And the birds are all singing your name.
For today for today for today!
The birds are all singing your name.

Victory Day

When we won the day
It was a beautiful day.

Freedom
Finally
A victory day.
A break from the old ways.

‘Course those who’d want it they’ll just tell us
Just what we want them to say.

We’re chasing
The shadows
Again.

And the people rush to step in line and play the favorite game
While the deeper souls from different sides remember all the names
And a city burns while back at home we look the other way
And we say how in the future we will sing on victory day.

Once I saw a face
It was a beautiful face

Peaceful
Drifting
In spite of the day
Found freedom anyways.

And all the mourners at the gate wept
Oh how they shouted and prayed.

Reaching
For something
Like rage.

And the people rush to step in line and play the favorite game
While the deeper souls from different sides remember all the names
And a city burns while back at home we look the other way
And we say how in the future we will sing on victory day.

How to Fall and When to Grow

I always knew this day would come.
You’re harmless now, i forgive you some.
It’s not about who lost, who won.
But I always knew this day would come.

I see you there across the room.
it’s cool, no sweat, and I’m leaving soon.
Just gotta play through one more tune,
and I see you there across the room.

How to fall and when to grow
and when to melt and when to go,
How to fall and when to grow
and when to melt and when to go.

The lines got drawn so long ago
like fading tracks under fresh new snow
or things you’d think by now I’d know.
Lines got drawn so long ago.

So we sing and play for better times
we had our laughs and we drank our wine
but I knew back then your dreams weren’t mine.
So we sing and play for better times.

How to fall and when to grow
and when to melt and when to go,
How to fall and when to grow
and when to melt and when to go.

I’d never ever wish you harm
but I hardly ever miss your arms.
Still, seeing you set off alarms
and I’d never ever wish you harm.

Feels good to get back on the street,
my lucky coat to bring me heat,
but what I’m feeling ain’t relief….

How to fall and when to grow
and when to melt and when to go,
How to fall and when to grow
and when to melt and when to go,

and nothing lasts is what I know.

Stay

I know there’s times it seems you’ll never heal.
You need someone to watch your back,
instead they rob and steal
your dreams away
and I too have known those days.

You’re so far gone I’m not sure if you can hear me
I’m trying to catch your eye
and let you know that I see you clearly
from across the way
and I too have known those days

The traffic’s bad and folks are rude
and no one ever smiles at you
and all those lies you thought were true
‘least now you know….

The sky just might be brighter than you think
I know it seems you’re all alone
and now’s the time to drink
you’re fears away
I know you know I’ve known those days

Just trying to let you know you’re not alone
I’ll help you make it through the day
and always walk you home
so please just stay
and I too have known those days.

Peter’s Memede