We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Love, Crime & Other Trouble

by Charming Disaster

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Charming Disaster's debut CD comes in an attractive gatefold case, with secret artwork on the face of the disc.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Love, Crime & Other Trouble via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Our debut album in high quality 12" vinyl LP format, lovingly manufactured at Furnace Pressing in Alexandria, VA. Full-color jacket, label art. Limited edition.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Love, Crime & Other Trouble via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $25 USD or more 

     

  • The Charming Disaster Oracle Deck is suitable for divination, high-stakes gambling, or art appreciation. It contains 60 cards, each inspired by a different Charming Disaster song and depicting an archetype, concept, or character found in that song. The deck features original illustrations commissioned for this project from two dozen talented artists, silver gilt edging, and a 52-page divination guide booklet written in collaboration with arcanist and poet Jacob Rakovan, packaged in a handsome tuck box.

    A digital version is also available: charmingdisaster.gumroad.com/l/oracledeck

    Featuring illustrations by the following artists:
    Carrie Alexandria Caster
    Ellia Bisker
    Dame Darcy
    Ted Enik & Shiloh Penfield
    Ben Eshleman
    Camilla Finlay
    Omer Gal
    Devon Greig
    Bob Howard
    A. Nancy Koutsouflakis
    Erich S. Lehman
    Thos. Little
    Madame Onça
    Jeff Morris
    Carolyn Raship
    Logan Riley
    Jeff Ritchie
    Susan Saas
    Charles Schneider
    Ben Shafer
    Jacquelyn Marie Shannon
    Turtle Grenade
    Vincent Vaughan
    Steven Warrick
    Zalman Zuckerbraun
    ... more
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $40 USD or more 

     

1.
Ghost Story 04:01
People bring me casseroles And pray for his immortal soul They think I’m in widow’s weeds But pity’s the last thing I need I dress in black and wear a veil To hide bright eyes and skin so pale And make sure that nobody sees The marks of love my lover leaves Since the day they told me he was gone Haunts me faithfully from dusk till dawn Hear him whisper sweetly in my ear Can’t you see we got a good thing here Feel his fingertips caress my hair Turn around and there is nothing there Phantom arms around me sleeping near Can’t you see we got a good thing here When some people pass away They don't reach the heaven that they prayed Bitter about the fallacy The afterlife turned out to be They bitch and moan and hide your keys Or talk to psychics on TV They just groan and shake their chains When I say my baby's on the physical plane When I died upon that cold cold night Made a promise never leave her side Now she knows that there's nothing to fear Can’t you see we got a good thing here I run my fingers through her hair She turns around and there's nothing there Wrap my arms around her sleeping near Can’t you see we got a good thing here My husband cooling in the ground, the worms crawl in and out My lover’s disembodied soul makes me so happy now When they drew their pistols and they fired each one shot How could I have imagined this sweet bliss would be my lot I used to be an angry man, I wanted things that weren’t mine At fifteen paces in the sand I left that all behind Now my spirits rise when she turns out the bedroom light I gently haunt my lover in the cold and tender night They try to comfort me with platitudes They don't know I'm in a real fine mood There's no reason I should shed one tear Can't you see we got a good thing here Don't talk to me of “death do us part” Between us we share one beating heart Candles flicker in the chandelier Can't you see we got a good thing here
2.
Ocean City 03:31
Road trip on a summer day Need a little getaway Leave the city far behind Out of state and out of mind Cross the border cross the bridge Make a stop but make it quick Rear view mirror cloud of dust Are they catching up with us If we can make it to ocean city Everything will be all right Make it down the Jersey Turnpike Make it through the night They will lose us in the blur Of spinning carnival rides We can start over together In the blinking neon lights So baby drive We met up to say goodbye Now I can't remember why Cause that was back yesterday Before this ragtop Chevrolet Parked there like the answer yes Outrun our unhappiness That's when you saw the key To our future on the front seat We don’t know what’s waiting for us We don’t have a plan Can’t imagine anybody else Would understand But the top is down The wind is in our hair We feel alive So baby put a little lead in it and drive
3.
Showgirl 05:26
Mama ran the family grocery store Ran a little card game through the pantry door And every night as Papa snored She would deal to the boys He busted in the place around a quarter to two (The night came) A freshly minted copper with something to prove "This a bust, nobody move" I held my mama as she cried I just got carried away I couldn't help it I try to get by all by myself It didn't have to be this way I got carried away Worked my way up from the tenement beat Finally made detective after years on the street I could never forget the way she looked at me A fire burning in her eyes The next time that I saw her she was all grown up (The night came) Sparkling in spangles at the Club Deluxe (He waltzed right in) The owner was known as the king of the mob And my showgirl she was on his arm I just got carried away... I noticed when that copper started hanging around Whatever he was looking for it's not what he found He was there on a job for the boys downtown But that's not why he was working so hard He never said a word but I could see what I saw (The night came) My heart was at war in a fight to the draw (How could I win) How could I jump into the arms of the law All I could do was keep up my guard I just got carried away... The night came (It was just a matter of time) We moved in (One night he didn't come home) The big sting (Beauty isn't a crime) We hauled them in (Why should I go it alone) The night came (It was just a matter of time) He moved in (Before I won her affection) A girl needs (So tell me is it a crime) Protection (I offered protection) My gangster went up river he was serving hard time I didn’t forget about him but he’d never be mine And my cop was so far from a life of crime But one day I knew he’d stolen my heart She loved me like the dream we had so long delayed Then she got a little cough that wouldn’t go away She didn't tell a soul till it was too late When she closed her eyes the angels sang I just got carried away...
4.
Wolf Song 03:30
The wolf in you speaks To the wolf in me It’s the language of beasts We speak it fluently Wolf tugs at the leash Leads me astray Leads you to me Are we a pack Or running free How big our eyes How sharp our teeth There are no words For what we need The hunger bites and burns The wolf heart beats It’s not like this For everyone Our wolves run wild They might just eat us up
5.
Artichoke 03:03
Your prickly spines conceal a tender heart No ordinary ornament Who dares to scrape you with their teeth Will find that everything seems sweet Your scaly petals spiral round your core You always leave me wanting more I eat but leave unsatisfied You only whet my appetite Turtle green I greedily devour Open up to me just like the delicatest flower I send to you this lover’s note My secret hope My artichoke I'll reach your center sooner love or later Slowly lift away your every overlapping layer I send to you this lover's note My secret hope My artichoke Your thorny leaves may be your best defense Oh thistle oh you succulent No epicure could long resist The urge to taste you on their lips Armored blossom I would steam you gently Show you my devotion dear if only you would let me I send to you this lover’s note My secret hope My artichoke
6.
Secretary 03:29
Secretary says you've got a meeting And the Secretary's always right You don't know what you'd do without her And you can't even remember How you met her but she runs your life She keeps the wolves away when you most need it And you need it more than yesterday Pencil in her hair is always sharp But nothing's sharper than the look she gives you When you try to make her stay Secretary knows your weaknesses A dozen roses' sweetness is No more than she deserves from you Tell her to tell you what to do You don't know where she goes when she leaves you Even if you did who would believe you The shouting on the phone has gotten frequent Hands are shaky and you need a shave Secretary steps out for a minute Hands you whiskey razors aspirin And the order for your wife’s bouquet The smell of smoke is always on her breath Though you’ve never seen her smoke a single cigarette Did you get the Secretary's memo Pay attention cause it's gonna hurt Secretary says she'll take a letter Did you let her take the thing that's beating Underneath your starched white shirt Is she on your side or taking over She'll eat your heart if you tell her you love her
7.
Grifters 03:15
My mama always said You can’t cheat an honest man (Can’t con a con) It’s not a lie my love if they believe you (It’s not a lie it could be true) So tell them anything dear (Just tell them what they want to hear) And wrap them round your finger And take them for what they’ve got before they leave you I used to be a gambler But the odds were never good (Not in my favor) My lucky stars were never my best feature (I rely upon my charm) So I cut it out with cards (And dice and betting at the races) I was working much too hard I was born to live the life of leisure Let’s take this sleepy town by storm And when the sheep have all been shorn We’ll be gone just like the gentle breeze of yesterday With your skills and my good looks Those fish’ll be begging for the hook Reeled in by our seductive serenade The Bible says God’s creatures All look out for number one (It’s human nature) This golden rule has been my bread and butter (What you do, do unto others) You may plan to double cross me (Slip a dagger in in the back) But I’m sticking with this horse If the con is long enough it doesn’t matter I go by many names dear And some call me a snake (Bastard cheat and saint) To others I’m the closest of their friends (I keep my enemies much closer) When they ask about my living (Exactly what is it you do) I give them no misgiving Cause what I trade in is their confidence Since we met I don’t know if I’ve fallen for you baby Or if you’ve set me up to take the fall Love is just another con A fairy tale to lead them on But together baby maybe we could love them all
8.
Osiris 03:11
Go out on the marshes Pick the pieces up They chopped him into Little bits I gathered Anoint yourself in myrrh and Walking through serrated grasses Close the gap that's come Between us Lord of love Dead man Resurrection Twin sister Empress Crying Isis Better call the priestess Crack the cedar chest Hook out his heart and Wrap him in white linen Jackal headed doctor Cut the bandages The queen is weeping Tears into the river Osiris Pole the barge Down the Nile Through the papyrus Attended by crocodiles Sink into the silt Come back again Eternal life hangs on The lightness of a feather Wheel above the vultures Winged scavengers Trace hieroglyphs The king is reassembled
9.
Give me a kiss before I'm to go A lingering kiss to keep me warm Pack your things and don't tell a soul My clumsy dancer, my good luck charm I think of you when I'm up in the air Things we'll do when we get out of here The net stretched to catch me's the trap that I'm in My future's in pictures all over your skin Deep in the high that does nothing but fall Swing on a wire high over it all I look down at the sky and up at the floor Deep in the high that does nothing but fall We were so young and innocent Back then when we first met You were so tender and sweet I cherish the memory Words that you said to me You swept me right off my feet Now I know a couple things There's our life in the ring Then there's the life that you live You've grown cold and distant It's making me desperate Something is going to give Beware the snake charmer with the lazy green eye She's a hotheaded harpy with a murderous mind I've been in her coils for ten years of my life A pox on these rings which do nothing but bind It must have been madness when we were wed The liquor of passion gone straight to our heads Ever since then there's been pain and regret Bile in our hearts and snakes in our bed Deep in the high that does nothing but fall We had our time darling, that time is no more I look down at the sky and up at the floor Deep in the high that does nothing but fall You're a bastard Seedy unscrupulous Candy ass dilettante Lazy Lothario Rat turd You're a bastard Self-centered impotent Cheap inconsiderate Two-timing ignorant Layabout flatulent Mama's boy Drunken disaster You're a son of a whore   Deep in the high that does nothing but fall I loved you too much if I loved you at all I look down at the sky and up at the floor Deep in the high that does nothing but fall I know that you lied to me I've got a memory Long as an elephant's trunk I'll make you remember me Now I'm your enemy You will regret what you've done Think of all of the years we spent Under this circus tent Now I am wondering why You'll know what I meant It'll look like an accident When I teach you how to fly He flies through the air with the greatest of ease The daring young man on the flying trapeze His movements are graceful the girls he does please The daring young man on the flying trapeze Deep in the high that does nothing but fall Swing on a wire high over it all I loved you too much if I loved you at all We had our time darling, that time is no more I look down at the sky and up at the floor Deep in the high that does nothing but fall
10.
The ritual’s the same Almost every night You strap me to the board And pull the blindfold tight I know you’re there So I know it’s gonna be all right As I start to spin I feel my heart ignite I weigh the heavy blades Before I let them fly They find their mark like homing pigeons Winging through the sky And when we’re on the stage You are the apple of my eye My loveliest of lovely assistants When I throw the knives No one lives forever In this spinning carnival Most don't live at all If we stay together We can save us from ourselves Or else we're bound to fall I know sometimes the blades Will gently brush your side The audience will gasp And their eyes go wide Without this touch I know I cannot survive A kiss from me to you When the air's electrified Lying on my back I look into the sky Is that a shooting star Or a lonely satellite Or is the earth moving Beneath the night As it starts to spin I feel my heart ignite We both know the secret There is no greater thrill Than chasing a close call If we stay together We can keep each other safe When we risk it all As I start to spin I feel my heart ignite
11.
The ashtray on the windowsill Fills with falling rain The morning meets my eyes again The things we never say When we're wide awake I hear them echo through the day Rattle around in my dreams why don’t you Little bird, my turtledove You’re walking in my sleep like there is Something that you need to know I know you know I know I know you know I know The sleeve your elbow went through The holes you never patch Your tattered rags in shades of black Clothes don't make the man But I love that velvet coat The ties I’ve fixed around your throat Rattle around in my dreams why don’t you Dirty dog, you billy goat You’re walking in my sleep like there is Something that you need to know I know you know I know I know you know I know Maybe there's a way To ease my worried head Prescription filled or fortune read But no doctor fortune teller Could treat me like you do I go to bed and wait for you Rattle around in my dreams why don’t you Whisper things in secret code You’re walking in my sleep like there is Something that you need to know I know you know I know Every night I close my eyes and see your face Do I imagine you or is it you that waits Is this a conversation that’s so strange and sweet Or does my memory play tricks on me Rattle around in my dreams why don’t you Whisper things in secret code You dirty dog, you little bird You billy goat, my turtledove You’re walking in my sleep like there is Something that you need to know I know you know I know I know you know I know You know I know you know I know you know I know

credits

released February 22, 2015

All songs written and composed by Ellia Bisker & Jeff Morris.
Produced by Don Godwin and Charming Disaster.
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Don Godwin at Phantom Center, Brooklyn, NY.
Album cover photo by Peter Rad.

Ellia Bisker: vocals & ukulele
Jeff Morris: vocals & guitar
Mike Brown: double bass
Heather Cole: violin
Don Godwin: drums, tuba, bass
Corn Mo: piano, accordion
Jerome Morris: drums
Cecil Scheib: trombone
Jesse Selengut: trumpet

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Charming Disaster Brooklyn, New York

Charming Disaster is a goth-folk duo based in Brooklyn, NY, formed in 2012 by Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris. Inspired by the macabre humor of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, the murder ballads of the Americana tradition, and the dramatic flair of the cabaret, they write songs that tell stories about death, crime, myth, magic, folklore, and the occult. ... more

shows

contact / help

Contact Charming Disaster

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Charming Disaster recommends:

If you like Charming Disaster, you may also like: