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Horse Thief

by Kristina Stykos

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    This full color tri-fold digipack was designed by Red Garland Design, and includes a cover image by John Churchman of Brickhouse Studios, introductory remarks, a 20 page lyric booklet & stunning portraits of Kristina by renowned music photographer Jack Rowell.

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  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 7 Kristina Stykos releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of River of Light, Horse Thief, Wyoming Territory, Beautiful Blood, The Lost Tapes: 1982-1992, Raven, and In the Earth's Fading Light. , and , .

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1.
Horse Thief 04:16
HORSE THIEF I saw the light But it was no use No one cared to save me I was on the loose I was just a horse thief A running from the noose who can say when I saw the stars were not aligned anyway, I fell in love and put it from my mind I was just a horse thief I took what I could find I gave her my answer she believed it true we drank from that river I believed it too I was just a horse thief Drinking’s what I knew Down by the Nechako River she emptied my desire then said it was over and left me by the fire I was just a horse thief But she called me a liar So I made it look easy followed her inside she was used to power I had things to hide I was just a horse thief I only stole what I could ride she fell then to sleeping I loaded my gun to protect my future from what love had done I was just a horse thief I didn’t need the sun Wolverine, Golden Dream who will clean the slate touch me when I’m fearful hold me when I hate I was just a horse thief By some cruel twist of fate
2.
It's Over 04:11
IT'S OVER It wasn’t really Too much of a fight He just broke what was around Told me I was no good I kicked the wall Hard as I could And I threw down my stars And I shouted at the night Still I couldn’t get him To do me right So I hung it up And went to the local bar And then I drove around and around in my car I used my smile To fabricate charm Now the remnants of my face Can’t make him feel that way It’s all that I was hoping for It’s all that’s given way What do you do As your lover drifts away drifts away He always told me I was depressed My restless confusion I admit I suppressed it to try to fit an illusion Like a bird in a net Trying to jump up and fly I’m not sorry that I’m angry I’m not sorry that I’m sad I’ve got this beautiful fever That needs some love so bad Heading north to my freedom Heading north to my freedom Yeah it’s over It’s over
3.
HEART IN THE WRECKAGE brother, your mercy for the way I’m cryin' seeking consolation brother, your patience in my hour of need my children are so far from me brother your shoulder and your even hand when my body needs you to be a man brother your silence and your listening for the heart in the wreckage It doesn’t seem wrong baby what’s love for If it ain’t for this I don’t want it anymore You know I can’t be strong Every single day You got to hold the light Until the darkness goes brother, your anger you can lay it down my gentle tears are no enemy brother - stop yourself from losing ground and killing off all that’s good in me It doesn’t seem wrong baby what’s love for If it ain’t for this I don’t want it anymore You know I can’t be strong Every single day You got to hold the light Until the darkness goes brother, your words they don’t know what they say they find no peace in their reckoning and brother, I see him he who knows the way without his mind to the heart in the wreckage It doesn’t seem wrong baby what’s love for If it ain’t for this I don’t want it anymore You know I can’t be strong Every single day You got to hold the light Until the darkness goes
4.
ME, MYSELF AND MOI Baby I miss you, maybe it’s wrong Days turn like pages, I write another song Watch my well-laid plans turning to ash All those letters thrown in the trash I must be frickin' crazy – could it possibly be true That my short term memory - remembers you? I try to forget you and to push your love away But all the things you told me that keep getting in my way My efforts to resist failed - but don’t knock it It’s tricky keeping rainbows in your pocket So I reflect upon the things that I have done And honestly assess the ass [nerd/dork] I have become Baby I still miss you in the streets of the night One foot in the gutter of a love that wasn’t right Where you had my attention but I could not get through Your distain like the rain – what’s a girl to do I need a 12 step, two step quarter sawn fix or a savvy zen seduction I need clickable buttons and a 1-5 list of simple tips and how-to instructions, I need, I need, I need, I need baby Some love from Me, myself and me, myself and I (Moi) Hey moi .. why don't you love me like I love you? I got to care for something, deal with things I don’t like My car’s broke down - but I can take a bike I feel defiant, and so I will declare myself free From every man who ever beat the shit [crap/tar] out of me And I’m happy, I did the best anyone could To satisfy and mollify and gratify and testify and make the average man feel - pretty good! Now if I could find one I understood I need a 12 step, two step quarter sawn fix or a savvy zen seduction I need clickable buttons and a 1-5 list of simple tips and how-to instructions, Let’s see… what do I need … something … Me, myself and me, myself and I (Moi)
5.
IT'S A MYSTERY I’m stuck in middle Of what you say And what you are doing Silence walks these rooms Whistling a mindless tune It's making me crazy Eye to eye, fear to fear When did you decide To bury our love and hide All that’s left are tears I cry but no one hears My broken voice won’t carry Don’t let it be said Your faith in me was blind Don’t mix me up with any other person Don’t tell it and slant it The story’s still half mine Now it’s time to put it to rest – it’s a mystery All the words unsaid Stuffed in my pillow And underneath my bed So so many candles burned Useless pride don’t learn My heart is angry with your head Don’t let it be said Your faith in me was blind Don’t mix me up with any other person Don’t tell it and slant it The story’s still half mine Now it’s time to put it to rest – it’s a mystery
6.
BY THE MINUTE His garden of secrets What he didn’t say The half that went missing The half he shrugged away His hidden calculations Working overtime through the night He led me down to the land of the lonely – I’m lonely Persephone, all right Now fear controls the flow of information When the things you say are coded to mislead As courage dies, so revelation This conversation is getting weird Baby, I need an ordinary kind of sanity Fresh air not vanity Someone who wants the best part of me Maybe my heart on a deep blue sea Who thinks like a window Who opens like a door With an appetite for love who will always Ask for more But fear controls the flow of information When the things you say are coded to mislead And as courage dies, so revelation This conversation is gettin’ weird It's gettin' really weird You know - he took exception To my every one of my suggestions He summed me up and spit me out I was just a bad taste in his mouth He kept asking what I needed How many times did I repeat it How many ways did he not listen And keep on asking the same question Because fear controls the flow of information When the things you say are coded to mislead And as courage dies, so revelation This conversation is getting weirder By the minute By the hour By the week, the month, the year Enough to last me a lifetime That's clear
7.
Let it Run 04:30
LET IT RUN I got you in my heart, got you in my mind Saw you at the show, you were looking fine Gave you up for lost, sang until I screamed Almost put the car over in a stream One day I’d be sure you had noticed me Next day it was her with you on T.V. If I knew for certain, I could live my life Be a better person, be a better wife Take it on the chin, figure I’m insane Got a little complex, got a twisted brain Maybe I’m anemic, definitely strange Surely not a stalker, possibly deranged Lacking in composure, low in self-esteem Looking for an outlet, living in a dream One among the millions who have sung along Learned all of the lyrics to your stupid songs Baby I like that – you don’t have to try Don’t think about it – baby - just fly Don’t think about it – it’s already done You just put it in motion - and let it run Let it run Well, I got myself a house (you would so love it) I finished my degree (er, online … no, not music) I ditched a couple losers, now I’m feelin’ free (I'm actually kind of single right now) I could do your dishes, I could haul your trash ( I love dishes … and trash?! and recyling … ) Recycle your plastic, you won’t have to ask (Never!) You could introduce me (I'd love to meet them!) to your favorite ex (… but I don't want to meet them all...) I could introduce you (I have a really great dog) to my dog - named Rex (Rex. He's my guy!) Once you got to know us, you won’t be alone (ah, I've got a dog, I got a cat …) Just give me your number - I know you have a phone! Baby I like that – you don’t have to try Don’t think about it – baby - just fly Don’t think about it – it’s already done You just put it in motion and let it run Let it run
8.
YOU'LL NEVER LOVE ME Ice on the river Throwing off heat Road up the mountain Frozen and steep I remember when I met you We laughed until we cried Now I can’t forget you Now I can’t forget you Your house above the water It nearly washed me down I only wanted comfort To lay you on the ground Of course she didn’t like me So easy on the eyes I wanted her to trust me I don’t know why I tried And now I don’t know why I came I guess I thought we were the same Just sugar shackin’ in the rain But you’ll never love me, you’ll never love me I saw how much you loved her I guess I loved her too So I asked myself a question What am I going to do? I’m fueled by delusion Yet I've never been so clear I must retract my feelings And quickly disappear Oh, the lives that I could mangle The things that I could try Like thorns all in a tangle And love would pass me by I’m wondering what to pray for Hey God, could you come down? I need a little back up Before I spiral down Now I don’t know why I came I guess I thought we were the same Just sugar shackin’ in the rain But you’ll never love me, you’ll never love me I took a chance, is all I’m saying And I'm not proud of who I’ve been Gut reactin’ schemin’ prayin’ But you’ll never love me, you’ll never love me Ice on the river Throwing off heat Road up the mountain Frozen and steep I can’t get to heaven So I guess I’ll take this road And pass on by your cabin A carrying my load I can't forget you You'll never love me
9.
Talk to Me 03:59
TALK TO ME I’m in the darkness, baby In the darkness, baby In the darkness, in the dark I thought you were visible But now I’m just miserable And guessing’s not a game, it’s an art You’re the man, you’re the man The most relevant man, and Not just a guy but a giant You give me no peace, no love, no release I’m damaged and compliant I ‘m sick of you not aware of anything do you care - I feel offended for starters After all my scheming and the dreaming like an idiot No longer a woman, but a martyr Didn’t I, diddle-e-di spend it all getting high you were the drug of my choice well, trouble’s addictive but kicking it’s wicked like trying to yell with no voice I said, talk to me I said, talk to me I said, talk to me I said, talk to me I’m in the darkness baby In the darkness, baby In a lonely empty space You’re cynical & broken looping what your mother did to you And I’m the one with her face gosh I tried – diddle-e-di to be free and satisfy but you did not want to continue Tell me what’s the issue I just really miss you Was our first click a mistake? Talk to me Oh baby just talk to me Oh baby just talk to me Baby just talk to me
10.
WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE In a church of dappled sunlight You decide to go on living When you love someone Rain turns the river inside out Hope returns to the broken heart When you love someone All the stray dogs come back around and lost meadows of trust are found When you love someone You’ve seen it all - you know how to fight But you don’t waste time or need to be right When you love someone But I fell so hard I got blinded I should have taken my time He told me that he loved me Then he changed his mind He led me to headwaters And now I can’t come down I’m wearing a thin blanket And sleeping on the ground How was I to know - Your work is never done When you love someone The bright water, it flows through the timber To a canyon floor of cold obsidian When you love someone The summits are clear of aspens and gin And tenderness returns to your skin When you love someone You mend your fences where the air is sweet And stand together in the face of the heat When you love someone The sky, the dirt, the seeds we sow There’s nothing more for you to know When you love someone But I fell so hard I was blinded I should have taken my time He told me that he loved me Then he changed his mind He led me to headwaters And now I can’t come down I’m wearing a thin blanket And sleeping on the ground How was I to know - Your work is never done When you love someone
11.
HUMAN OF PEACE If you’re lonely baby I hear you If you’re locked out baby I hear you If you don’t have a voice Baby I hear you You are a human of peace If you’re standing in the wings Baby I hear you If you dream with abandon Baby I hear you If your heart's worn out Baby I hear you You are a human of peace If you’ve come to be someone Baby I hear you But you feel like no one Baby I hear you If you cannot forget Baby I hear you You are a human of peace If you’re restless Baby I hear you If you’re beaten down but still you question Baby I hear you If you fly into the wind Baby I hear you You are a human of peace up above the world the stars are giving light in the emptiness of night they know the way I’ll wait until I know and only then my heart will show in darkness, what it longed to say If your passion pains you Baby I hear you If you can’t move forward Baby I hear you If the moon is your mistress Baby I hear you You are a human of peace If you’re scared Baby I hear you If you wake in the night alone Baby I hear you If love is your sword Baby I hear you You are a human of peace up above the world the stars are giving light in the emptiness of night they know the way I’ll wait until I know and only then my heart will show in darkness, what it longed to say
12.
AS IF TEARS COULD SAY Stay with me Don’t put it all behind Gone are the days of our youth Love is the house we built inside The stars know how to climb But when they fall – oh, how they shine In your kiss, the endless sky Little fool that I am, don’t cry As if tears could say Stay with me Now in this final hour Linger beyond the sun Taste every drop of love’s sweet shower Ask the clouds only to sigh And clarity grow in your eyes What is this, passion’s blade again Cutting deep to complete its end As if tears could say
13.
Remembering 03:40

about

Kristina Stykos's 5th solo album features a healthy handful of elegantly poetic & decidedly unsentimental rural tales, adventures in self-styled folk-rap, unexpected humor, and a few lyrical heart benders, supported by a team of roots-rock and jazz inflected local luminaries.

credits

released December 10, 2015

Horse Thief © 2015 Thunder Ridge Records/thunderridgerecords.com
All songs by Kristina Stykos © 2014 Kristina Stykos/BMI/Horse Thief Publishing/kristinastykos.com
Produced, recorded and mixed by Kristina Stykos at Pepperbox Studio, Chelsea, VT/ pepperboxstudio.com
Mastered by Fred Kevorkian/Avatar Studios, NYC/kevorkianmastering.com
Package design & layout by Darryl Garland/red-garland.com
Portraits of Kristina by Jack Rowell/jackrowell.com
“The Approaching Storm” by John Churchman/brickhousestudios.com

1. Horse Thief
Kristina Stykos: vocal, guitar, keyboard
Bow Thayer: bojotars, background vocal
Patrick Ross: fiddle
Alex Abraham: bass
Matt Musty: drums

2. It’s Over
Kristina Stykos: vocal, guitars, mandolin, keyboard, bass
Jeff Berlin: drums

3. Heart in the Wreckage

Kristina Stykos: vocal, keyboard, guitars
Jeff Berlin: drums

4. Me, Myself and Moi
Kristina Stykos: vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass
Jeff Berlin: drums

5. It’ a Mystery
Kristina Stykos: vocal, guitar, keyboard, bass
Neal Massa: piano
Nikki Matheson: background vocals
Matt Musty: drums

6. By the Minute
Kristina Stykos: vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboard, banjo, bass
Steve Mayone: electric guitars
Jeff Berlin: drums

7. Let It Run
Kristina Stykos: vocals, guitars, keyboard, bass
Jeff Berlin: drums


8. You’ll Never Love Me
Kristina Stykos: vocal, acoustic guitar, mandola, keyboard
Steve Mayone: electric guitars, bass
Jeff Berlin: drums

9. Talk to Me
Kristina Stykos: vocals, guitar, bass
Neal Massa: piano
Matt Musty: drums

10. When You Love Someone
Kristina Stykos: vocals, guitars, mandola, keyboard, bass
Jeff Berlin: drums

11. Human of Peace
Kristina Stykos: vocals, guitars, keyboard, bass
Nikki Matheson: background vocals
Matt Musty: drums

12. As If Tears Could Say
Kristina Stykos: vocal, piano, guitars

13. Remembering
Kristina Stykos: piano, banjo, guitar

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Kristina Stykos Chelsea, Vermont

Kristina is a music producer, recording engineer, songwriter, performer, podcaster and landscape gardener based in Vermont. Her recording studio, Pepperbox Studio, is solar, wind and generator powered. She has engineered & produced over 25 albums for herself and clients. Her songwriting and composing have been supported by the Ucross Foundation and Brush Creek Artist Residency in Wyoming. ... more

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