photo: JT Thomas

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Hope's Cafe appearances on other albums

CALL ME PIRATE:
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I acquired the nickname "Pirate" on my first trip to Argentina, it was invented by my (then) nine year old friend Sky, who is on the cover of Hope's Cafe, and who sings back-up on this recording. This song is about having a dream and believing in yourself; it's also about being filthy rich without having a dime. So hoist the sail and go for it!

FROM AFAR:
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After all the smoke has cleared from love's battlefield, and the wounds have finally healed, it's strange and sad how sometimes at that point we may finally have learned how to love that person just for who they are.

ALREADY HOME:
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Written in the summer of 2000 in Argentina. Sometimes life is just so beautiful, that you realize maybe heaven is here. The thought occurred to me, "Why would I ever want to go anywhere else?"

ROLL ME EASY: For all the lovers. Singing this song always feels like a soft sweet ride on the gentle sea.

TOO MUCH FUN: I come from a long line of ramblers. The more I get around, the more I know why. This is a happy little ramblin' song inspired by all those planes, trains, busses, boats, and horses that have carried me (with guitar of course). Away sweet away!

COME ON ANDY: I was afraid to play this song for a long time because it is such a tragedy. Every once in a while, one of us is born too wild - call it some kind of fatal gene - and no matter how hard the rest of us try, we can't seem to help that person. All that we can do is hope and pray that they might survive long enough to settle down - some do and some don't.

THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE KISSED:
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...she said, "I don't know how many times I have thought about just ending it all." We all sometimes feel desperate...like giving up. To hear a friend talk of suicide is excruciating, especially when you know that inside they are such a kind and beautiful soul. This song was my heart's rebuttal.

BELIEVER: I spent a week long solo while in the Andes, just myself and my horse, Cutrui. We were deep in the mountains, far from anyone or anything. The first two nights brought the worst thunderstorms that I've ever been through; things got really raw out there. Truth be known it was scary as hell. Hunkered down in my little tent in the booming blackness, with the wind trying to blow us off that mountain side, I lay there exhausted and hungry, and I realized that our fate was not the least bit in my hands. The question of faith came forward in a big way. Obviously Cutrui and I survived, and the sun finally did come back. When it did, this song came with it.

A MEDIAS: For years I've wanted to record a song in Spanish. My roots go back to Puerto Rico, but as a child I did not live near my abuela (grandmother). Consequently, I've had to learn the language the hard way. I met an Argentine poetess who understood English, and she fell in love with this song. She wanted her people to be able to feel its sentiment. We sat by the river one Argentina summer day, and translated "In Between's No Good For Me."

EVERYONE BUT ME: I grew up in a small town and still live there. I have known times when I have felt unhappy, like I wasn't sure where I really belonged. When I started to become a happier person inside, suddenly I belonged wherever I found my feet!

SORRYTOWN: Things are going to go awry in life sometimes; that's just the way it is. And, when they do, "Don't go to Sorrytown." Got it?...good.

EVERY LITTLE FALLEN ANGEL: Don't worry Angel, you are not alone.

ARGENTINA:
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You may find your Argentina anywhere in the world, maybe even in your own backyard. It is that place of love and inspiration far beyond anything that you could have imagined - beyond boundaries, where dreams grow wild, and all your life suddenly makes perfect sense. Call it divine if you wish; it's there, so happy travelin'.