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Paint in the Forest

by Pros and Cons Program

supported by
Showtime Mastering
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Showtime Mastering An eclectic collection of music that is worthy of a serious listen. This album touches on so many genres from alternative, rock, reggae, funk, to spiritual, etc. Favorite track: Psalm 23 and Me.
hughchristopher
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hughchristopher Composed and recorded completely in prison, Paint in the Forest is an incredible accomplishment for that in it's own right. It is an amazing collection of songs from so many different experiences.
I am so proud to take part in this work Favorite track: High on Music.
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1.
I woke up this morning (this morning) In a pensive mood (pensive mood) I want to draw sensei That will get me in the mood Its the only thing that'll make me feel I'rite Keeps me alive and I can't be without it Shout it to the mountain, ain't doubt about it Satisfy my high! Jah who create it, None can debate it. The giver of life, They must recognize, Rastafari So much to accomplish And i know just what to do I need to ease my mind (my mind) And soothe my pain The feeling i cant explain (explain) Youv'e got me singing in the rain I'ma roll my lyrics up , smoke my melody Cause its my remedy for life Shout it to the mountain, ain't doubt about it Satisfy my high! Jah who create it, None can debate it. The giver of life, They must recognize, Rastafari Aiye
2.
“Lets go!” Start a revolution, step into the rain Wash yourself in dreaming, wash those fears away Stop the persecution, let me live my way Lets join in all together, let me hear you sing Go funk yourself Go funk yourself , let me hear you say Go funk yourself They try push you round while they kick you down Gotta say whats on your mind Go funk yourself , Go funk yourself , Go funk yourself Look to the left, you look to the right Some people live and some people learn to fight Up and down, all around, its in your head just waiting to be found Learn to live, not fantasize, question the wise don't be hypnotized Don't step in line, don't waste your time Speak your mind, its all right to say It's not a crime Go funk yourself Go funk yourself , let me hear you say Go funk yourself They try push you round while they kick you down Gotta say whats on your mind Go funk yourself , Go funk yourself , Go funk yourself Burn the door, shake things up forget about the status quo, They try to push you round while they kick kick kick you down Go funk yourself Go funk yourself , let me hear you say Go funk yourself They try push you round while they kick you down Gotta say whats on your mind Go funk yourself “I swear I said funk”
3.
Apart 03:03
Baby you know you drive me crazy When I look into your beautiful green eyes And baby, when I hold you near me I can feel you tremble way deep down inside And I pray god I find a way to bring me back to you someday Don't know how much more my heart can take Cause without you its just another lonely day And even though we were torn apart, love for you still fills my heart And you know you are my best friend And while we're apart my heart will never mend Dream of you every night, and then awaken to the light Sometimes its so hard to fight the longing for your touch You're so far away and I miss you so much And even though we were torn apart, love for you still fills my heart And you know you are my best friend And while we're apart my heart will never mend I know that you've been hurting to and someday I'll make it up to you Waiting with your love so true the only thing that pulls me through This hard time in my life, when it ends and finally your my wife.
4.
Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary Pure and holy, tried and true With thanksgiving, I'll be a living Sanctuary for you.
5.
Facts 03:50
What due to Cesar, give it to Cesar What due to mighty Jah Jah, give him his praises (praises) How long shall we suffer (suffer) While things getting tougher (tougher) You pray on the weak who show no defence, taking the life of the un willing Still I won' t give in, still I won't give in I'll go where I want to go (want to go) With my knotty dreadlocks (knotty dreadlocks) I wont change my position (oh no) I'm solid as a rock (solid as a rock) When me broke down in the nitty gritty Can't find nothing to feed me pickney so me have to touch the street and go lookey lookey these are the lives that we live in the inner city still I won' t give in, still I won't give in It no matter if we white or we black they want to put me potential in a box so Zillian come with some real facts them take way everything and want treat me like crap financial crisis leaves us with no choices this is the reality for the children Jah Rastafari life were living Ya, the almighty Jah, Rastafari Music, is the reality I'm living Music is the legacy I'm leaving
6.
This poem is dedicated to all residential school survivors For many times we've been asked what is your spirit and how did your spirit die? So this poem will tell you about a recovery of an individual and its called “Spirit Death” Will there be room in my grave for the hurts I suffered long ago? I have to take them with me for they're on my battered soul When my body returns to the earth, and the soil lies over me, Will this be the end of suffering, of a life that used to be? I feel the warmness of the soil, I'm cradled and I belong for the journey was very long. I crave my death, I don't belong here anymore, I left as I came, what was the journey without the white pain? It would have been a wonder, and it would have been a blast To live without atrocities, to be able to embrace my past To love and be love, for who I was and are, To stand with my lover, to gaze at distant stars Making love bathed in moonlight, with a breeze upon my heart, To finish from the start. Is it possible I'll return again? To come back from the northern lights? In harmony with my people, can I trust once again? I've been visited by the eagle, wolf and bear, The four buffalo and the rainbows taught me to breath again. I embrace the earth as I lay within, waiting to be born again, This time without sin, taking my place on my earth walk, with my beauty held within. It will show the women and the teachings she will share, so embrace and love her, walk by her side. She came back for mother earth and the skies were in her eyes. ~~Gina Gletch
7.
On a cold winters day, they came to take me away didn't understand the reason I just began to cry Overheard them say somethings as their voices began to raise, Mom and Dad just hung their heads as they began to cry Who are these people in my home Why do we sadly moan? Life is harsh in our home as I began to grow I believed in everything that I was supposed to know Mom and Dad tried their best to keep us all fed, But there were times when I recall there wasn't just enough Who are these people in my home Why do we sadly moan? Life can be hurtful at times but I must hold to this heritage that's mine hope and peace are at the end of time so let me cry one last time (traditional singing) time had come and gone and I was still left all alone my heart was bitter it was hard as stone all that's left in my mind of a home so far away is the memory that stays of the sad departing that day Who are these people in my mind Where do we find the time? Life can be hurtful at times but I must hold to this heritage that's mine hope and peace are at the end of time so let me cry one last time (traditional singing)
8.
Fly With Me 03:48
“Watch Dis” The night has come to an end, I wanna get you now right where I want but I'm feeling sober now, I just wanna pull you closer and let you know that I, I cant take my eyes off of you now you got such a hold on me now why don't we escape to a place of your choice Girl I'm hoping that your ready to Fly with me, reach my elevation Vibe with me, be my inspiration Fly with me, to my destination Just vibe with me, be my inspiration tonight Tell me , are you, ready, ready to leave I've been so patient and I'm wearing thin I don't wanna play these games with you plus I know you feel the same way so I'm not walking away, and your not leaving me so lets make it happen tonight and Fly with me, reach my elevation Vibe with me, be my inspiration Fly with me, to my destination Just fly with me, be my inspiration tonight Just fly with me Just vibe with me Baby I promise you in the morning You wont regret it baby Fly with me, reach my elevation Fly with me, be my inspiration Fly with me, to my destination Fly with me, be my inspiration tonight Won't you fly away with me
9.
The lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need I lie in green pastures, where he takes the lead beside the still waters, he calls up my soul he shows me the right way, and he makes me whole The lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need Though I walk in darkness, no fears do I feel My lord walks beside me, to comfort and guide My enemies watch me, but Gods on my side The lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need His goodness and mercy, is following me The lord is my shepherd, all the days of my life And he stands beside me, through sorrow and strife The lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need I lie in green pastures, where he takes the lead Beside the still waters, he calls up my soul He shows me the right way, and he welcomes me home
10.
Somewhere out there in this great big world Living your life my precious girl Haven't held you since you were 2 Yet every day I think of you showing the world a happy face just keep on moving place to place beaten down, my heart aches everything I'm given someone else takes Every place I go, no matter where I see the girl with the dirty blond hair I see you there Nothing more I regret in the whole wide world Than losing the battle for you You need to know you're daddy's little girl I hope you grow up strong, and turn out right and someone kisses you good night hope you love yourself, and go to school and work real hard be no ones fool hope you travel the world and swim in the sea but most of all do better than me reach for the stars aim for the moon I'll still be waiting here for you Every place I go, no matter where I see the girl with the dirty blond hair I see you there Nothing more I regret in the whole wide world Than not being there for you Daddy's little girl
11.
Disbarred 03:50
Yo hey Henry sitting out introducing to the world the one and only Zillion more than a million, more than a billion, more than a trillion what you know? Zillion, till the day that die and I wont stop hustling as long as im alive I was born from a different breed, smoke these better trees living my life and you know I got the drop on these packing all of these me say asking me to let her to bring please, you need to get some tougher knees swallow all of these while I tell my friend to pass back in years ago and watch my face its time for me to leave Imprisoning myself , inside a maze of insanity lost inside my mind, violent tendencies barred from society, lost all sense of time Disbar me from my self Disbar my mind I've locked myself inside I fear my mind I'll never stand in fear, fear of mankind All the time that I wasted Paint in the forest and I know you can feel it Barres behind bars, barres behind bars Career after launch is of upper echelon All the time that I wasted Paint in my forest and I know you can feel it Barres behind bars, barres behind bars If its near or far me and singa man apart All the time that I wasted Paint in the forest and I know you can feel it Barres behind bars, barres behind bars Career after launch is of upper echelon All the time that I wasted Paint in my forest and I know you can feel it Barres behind bars, barres behind bars If its near or far me and singa man apart I AM DISBARRED
12.
Shark Bait 02:26
(Instrumental)

about

Paint in the Forest is the 3rd full album release from Pros and Cons program. Recorded in Joyceville Minimum institution between 2017 and 2019.

While the first album Postcards from the County produced at Joyceville in 2014 stayed in an "inescapably honest and raw" (Exclaim!) folk/country genre, this new collection of songs, Paint in the Forest, explores a variety of music from reggae/funk to country to indie rock. The track “High on Music” confronts the struggle of drug addiction that many inmates combated. "Go Funk Yourself" continues in a celebratory vein, with a determined defiance and optimism in the face of adversity where music is also this inmate’s coping mechanism. “Lord Prepare Me” a traditional Methodist hymn, is another standout on the collection, sung beautifully in English and Tamil.

credits

released May 15, 2020

Pros and Cons would like to thank:
Bruce Irwin at Joyceville Minimum for making this all happen.
The Warden and Staff at Joyceville Minimum for their support and help along the way.
RDC Scott Harris for his support and encouragement.
All corrections staff that have supported this project through its evolution

Jake Bury would like to thank H Chris Brown.

Production: Pros and Cons Program
Mixing and production: H Chris Brown and Jake Bury
Additional Production: Wolfe Island Records
Mastering: North of Princess Recording Studio

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Pros and Cons Program Ontario

"Want to know what hope and transformation sound like?" ~~Scott Harris (former Regional Deputy Commissioner)

Pros and Cons produces original music in prisons as a mentorship program focusing on rehabilitation and restorative justice.
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