Lyrics

JUDAS
Words by Mike Taylor & Stan Clark, 
Music by  Stan Clark & Ari Taylor, 2014 © 2025

Judas is there in his favorite chair 
Wearing his usual grin
Dust and blood crusted on his hat 
Tilting back a bottle of gin
He shoots a quick glance at Alice 
Cody takes a sip of his brew,            
She palms the cards lying in her lap 
While working on a wad of chew

Now Virgil, rolls up his sleeves 
Keepin’ a watchful eye
Sits down at the piano 
Starts banging out “Nelly Bly”
Judas shuffles the cards 
Alice splits the deck
Virgil watches, Judas smiles 
Runs his finger across his neck

It’s the kiss of Judas 
On the field of blood
Not a drop of mercy 
Once he’s got you down in the mud
He’ll talk you up 
‘Til your guard is down                                    
Pull his knife and stick ya 
Twist it around 

Now Cody got lucky on a silver claim 
Came in to have some fun
Playing poker at the Holy Moses 
And he was having a pretty good run
Judas lays a case of aces 
Cody calls him a cheat
Flips the table with his pistol drawn 
Backs his way out to the street

Judas is at the ready 
One hand on his Colt
The other on his dagger 
Deciding which way to bolt
He fixes his eyes on Virgil 
Turning slow like a stalking cat
Pockets the silver and bellows out 
What the hell are YOU lookin’ at?

It’s the kiss of Judas 
On the field of blood
Not a drop of mercy 
Once he’s got you down in the mud
He’ll talk you up 
‘Til your guard is down                                    
Pull his knife and stick ya 
Twist it around

We all know this story 
It plays out again and again
And there ain’t no moment of glory 
Where some good guys actually win

Judas storms over to Virgil 
Bumps him and passes by
Virgil keeps his head down 
Letting his fingers fly
Judas hollers for another drink 
Twitches as he slugs it down
Pours another and drains it 
And spins himself around

Virgil reaches under the keyboard 
Playing with just one hand
Grabs ahold of his .44 
Getting’ ready to make a stand
Judas staggers to the swinging doors 
Calls out Virgil’s name
It’s time to rock, the music stops 
And both the men take aim

It’s the kiss of Judas 
On the field of blood
Not a drop of mercy 
Once he’s got you down in the mud
He’ll talk you up 
‘Til your guard is down                                    
Pull his knife and stick ya 
Twist it around and around

Alec Tippett ~ drums
Mike Taylor ~ congas
Tim Hogan ~ bass
Marley Wall ~ keyboards
Stan Clark ~ guitars, vocals
Jessica Ludwig ~ vocals

BAREBACK RIDERS
Words & Music by Stan Clark, 2004, © 2025

So suddenly, they appear to me 
Bareback riders
As the sun paints the forest floor red, clothes are shed 
Bareback riders
Galloping down to the draw
No authority or law could stop ‘em
Coming down at full speed 
Atop of each steed;
All I can do is watch ‘em 
Bareback riders

Standing astride, arms spread wide 
Bareback riders
Sunbeams bathing every shape, every side Bareback riders
They’re in and out and between 
Every space I can see
Passing from tree to tree 
They don’t even see me 
Bareback riders

Standing here astounded, completely surrounded 
Bareback riders
Lost in the sound of hooves on the ground  Bareback riders
Hair streaming into the air 
Bouncing bare, they’re everywhere
Scattering hither and yon 
‘Til the twilight is gone 
Bareback riders

Wild wondrous women riding free
Chasing through shade and shadow
Full-figured goddesses glide gracefully
As they streak through the trees to the meadow

One last leap, landing light on their feet Bareback riders
Balancing square on the croup of each mare  Bareback riders
I stare as they’re crossing the stream 
At the place where they’ve been
Do you think I’m just tossing a dream 
As I say what I’ve seen? 
Bareback riders
Bareback riders 
Bareback riders 
Bareback riders 
Bareback riders
Ride on!

(Inspired by the painting “Bareback Riders” by Philip C. Curtis)

Alec Tippett ~ drums
Stan Clark ~ guitars, bass, vocals

XENOS
Words and Music by Stan Clark, 2013, © 2025

Now Xenos came wandering 
To the village just before twilight
He was haggard and hairy 
And walking, not quite upright
Well he noticed Mr. Stiffly 
Glaring with a tilted head
He said Hey now, look in the lake man 
There’s a face there that will scare you dead!
Xenos could have fled 
But he stayed instead

Now Xenos took his clothes off 
And walked out into the lake
And old Madam Peery 
Well her voice began to quake
She said Out of here you animal! 
With her hands cupped over her eyes
But Xenos caught her peeking 
Through her fingers at his……prize

Come on in, the waters good, 
Cried Xenos with a smile
It can purify a dirty mind 
If you soak in here awhile.
Xenos wore nothing 
Nothing but a smile

We tend to disapprove of those 
Who do what we keep hidden
And blame them for awakening 
The urges we’ve forbidden

Now some of the most curious children 
From the village liked to sneak away
To the forest to find Xenos 
‘Cause he was always free to play
Making faces, talking gibberish 
And dancing like a fool;     
Then one night some of the villagers 
Well they followed them after school
Xenos almost always 
Played the fool

Villagers in coal-black hoods 
Swarmed around the stranger
Young ones rushed in to help 
Protect him from the danger
Sticks, staves, and bludgeons crack 
But soon the mob was scattered
Moonlight shone through the clouds 
On bodies dazed and battered;
Dazed and battered
           
In the chaos there, the frenzied crowd 
Had set upon their own
And Xenos had just snaked away 
And shouted down now from a tower of stone
Behold yourselves and have a laugh / Your fate is yours alone
He was never heard or seen again 
But the story still lives on.
Xenos 
Xenos
Xenos
The story still lives on

Alec Tippett ~ drums
Tim Hogan ~ bass, vocals
Marley Wall ~ keyboards
Stan Clark ~ guitars, vocals, voice, guitar effects
Kathy Keays ~ percussion, voice
Marley Wall ~ keyboards

WEALTH OF THE SMALL
Words and Music by Stan Clark, 1988, © 2025

In the stillness below where the thunder is heard
A message arrives in the form of a bird
Striving below brings a fortune to all
Who are willing to settle for a wealth of the small

In the mountains, thunder is nearer it seems
Shaking awake all who drift in their dreams
The wakeful remember they’re part of it all
And are willing to settle for a wealth of the small

Guess just how long it will take
To escape the tempting mistake
Of flying too high and losing it all?
The moment you settle for a wealth of the small

The bird flies too high and is shot to the ground
The stillness is lost in a moment of sound
But the message has offered a fortune to all
Who are willing to settle for a wealth of the small

Alec Tippett ~ drums
Tim Hogan ~ bass, vocals
Joe Magee ~ flute
Stan Clark ~ guitars, vocals
Jessica Ludwig ~ vocals

RIGHT INSIDE 
Words and Music by Stan Clark 2019, © 2025

Julian walks through walls and is free  
Snowden celebrates his amnesty 
Chelsea brings truth to cable TV
Taking on all the powers that be
Fantasies blossom to reality  
The wondrous world,
The wondrous world,
The wondrous world,
Is right inside    

Apartheid falls in Palestine 
We open up every borderline 
Women in the world unite and thrive  
Men go within and begin to arrive 
We all embrace Nature in time to survive 
The wondrous world, 
The wondrous world,
The wondrous world,
Is right inside   

Imagine Lennon and Marley singing (One love)
Tupac and Zappa rappin’ and bringin’ it (One heart)
Bill Hicks deliverin’ the news
Rogan and Greenwald bantering views  
Janis and Satchmo singing the blues 
The wondrous world,
The wondrous world,
The wondrous world,
Is right inside    

Titans in our halls of heroes remind us to look around
With yours and mine, we arise with new eyes 
And abandon the battleground
Abandon the battleground!  

Military bases are banned worldwide 
Love prevails, greed subsides
Jimi and Jaco side-by-side 
With Moon and Coltrane jammin’ in my mind
In a whole other space 
Way beyond time 
It’s a wondrous world (Wondrous world) 
It’s a wondrous world (Wondrous world) 
It’s a wondrous world… 
So wondrous (spoken) | Right here inside… 
          
And one fine day who knows, who knows 
There’s no one way it has to go 
But for now put me down for the whole damn show 
Down to the finish ‘til I’m ready to go… 
It’s a wondrous world
It’s a wondrous world
It’s a wondrous world
So wondrous   
Here
Right here
Inside  

Alec Tippett ~ drums
Mike Taylor ~ congas
Tim Hogan ~ bass, vocals
Marley Wall ~ keyboards
Stan Clark ~ guitars, vocals, misc. percussion
Jessica Ludwig ~ vocals