Berries on the Rowan (Mustard)

I moved to NYC in 2001 and wrote Mustard, a musical about Fritz Haber, the German inventor of Mustard Gas. I was aiming for a Weill/Brecht production, and we even found a German vocalist who sang just like Lotte Lenya. It was a great cast, and we did a staged reading with a full band at a theater on 42nd St. The World Inferno Friendship Society were heavily involved in this show. Franz Nicolay was the musical director. Jack Terricloth played a German Officer. Semra Ercin played a big part. Peter Hess and Maura Corrigan were the horn section. It should've been huge, instead you're hearing about it for the first time right here...

I lost the recording of our one live performance, and all that's left are a few home recordings we did before the reading...

Listen here:

Berries on the Rowan

Are so lovely to see

Growing up out of the mud

In front of you and me

Berries on the Rowan

Are such a lovely sight

Make me forget

That you're leaving her tonight

Berries on the Rowan

Have such a lovely smell

Make me forget

That today we say farewell

From Mustard, released August 12, 2019

Vocals - Noga Ariel

Guitar - Benjamin Adair Murphy

Music and lyrics by Benjamin Adair Murphy ASCAP (464341364). Published by Watery Grave Music ASCAP (396517127)

We've been waiting for the first day of summer (since the first day of fall)

Listen here:

Well we’re jumping off the dock

We’re going for a swim

We’re letting our kites rise up in the wind

We’re stepping outside

We’re headed out the door

We’re dressing in nothing but t-shirts and shorts

It’s looking good it’s looking all right

You know what I’m talking about ya’ll

We’ve been waiting for the first day of summer

Since the first day of fall

Well this winter was way too cold for anyone to take

But now the leaves are green

We're gonna drive down to the lake

I’m gonna start me a fire

Cook up some burgers and some dogs

Watch the fireflies from my seat on a log

It’s feeling warm it’s feeling just right

You know we’re gonna have us a ball

We’ve been waiting for the first day of summer

Since the first day of fall

We’ve been waiting for the first day summer since the fall brought a chill to the land

We’ve been waiting for the first day summer since we all started losing our tans

We’ve been waiting for the first day summer since I don't even know when

But when the ice starts melting I’m a brand new man

I think some of you people understand

It’s looking good it’s looking all right and you know what I’m talking about ya’ll

We’ve been waiting for the first day of summer

Since the first day of fall

The first day of summer

Since the first day of fall

The first day of summer

Since the first day of fall

From Let's Make a King, released July 9, 2020

Produced by Roy Gurel

Benjamin Adair Murphy - vocals

Roy Gurel – acoustic & electric guitars, bass, percussion, vocals

Allison Langerak – vocals

Gilber Gilmore - drums, acustic guitar

Peter Hess - alto saxophone

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Roy Gurel at Roiki Productions in Brooklyn, NYC

Additional recording done in Mexico City at La Bestia Studios by Juan Victor Belisario Figuera

Horns recorded by Peter Hess at Fort Saint Marks, Brooklyn

Backing vocals recorded by Wyatt Tuzo and Allison Langerak in Brooklyn

Music by Benjamin Adair Murphy ASCAP (464341364) Watery Grave Music ASCAP (396517127) and Roy Gurel BMI (520647865)

Lyrics by Benjamin Adair Murphy

Good Drying Day

Listen here:

Come into the water come in with me pet We’ll stay till our clothing is all soaking wet Come into the water come into the waves Tomorrow will be a good drying day

We got drunk at noontime and stayed drunk till dawn There was plenty of laughing but all of it’s done You cried to me baby I can’t keep on this way And I hope I that tomorrow’s a good drying day

A good drying day and we’ll hang this all up A good drying day and the wind it will rush Cause you can’t get your clothes clean and lord knows we’ve tried With this kind of weather outside

There are clouds rolling over looks like it might pour There are leaves in the drainpipe we’ve been here before It looks like my baby we’ll just have to wait Cause this doesn’t look like a good drying day

From The Blue Eighty Eights Live at the Stinger (03​.​13​.​03), released July 2, 2019

From The Blue Eighty Eights, released January 1, 2003 Benjamin Adair Murphy- guitar/ vocals Derek Nievergelt - bass Allison Langerak- lead vocals Roy Gurel - lead guitar

Music and lyrics by Benjamin Adair Murphy ASCAP (464341364). Published by Watery Grave Music ASCAP (396517127)