Matt Epp - Never Have I Loved Like This

All songs written by Matthew George Epp

“I was t alking t o a friend who also wri t es songs, and we were lament ing t hat wi t h all t he effort and t ime spent on perfect ing and polishing our songs int o great recordings, we of t en miss t he naked soul of t he song t hat was so clear in t he first rough recording of i t when i t was first conceived. What I t ried t o do wi t h t his album is t o capt ure t hat magic by allowing t he songs t o remain nude and vulnerable in t heir first forms. A careful abandon.”

Produced by Peter Finger and Matt Epp Recorded by Peter Finger at Acoustic Music Studio in Osnabrück, Germany Additional recording, mixing, and mastering by John Paul Peters at Private Ear Studios in Winnipeg, Canada Peter Finger plays the guitar solo on “Passing Of Time” Marti Sarbit sings the high harmony at the end of “Call On Me”. You can hear more of Marti here: imaginarycities.ca Kiara Groneweg sings at the end of "Sputnik" Photography and cover design by Manfred Pollert

Mat t Epp

I would like to especially thank Peter and everyone at Lutherhaus & Acoustic Music Records, Anja Bansemir for the booking, Manfred Pollert for the great photos, the Leibeckes, the Duisburg friends, and Germany in general for such a warm reception. 2

NEVER HAVE I LOVED LIKE THIS We’re one, I’m yours, we’re one, you’re mine I love you with a soul that won’t know time Like dust, like bone, like blood, like wine Count the ways on the highway line

Now if the snow is thick and the firewood gone If we’ve eaten every last fish in the pond If everyone else wants a suburban lawn Never have I loved like this

It’s no small desire to be in you Inside your reflection, like the man in the moon I painted your portrait And I’m high on the fumes Never have I loved like this

Like a child believes and an old man has learned Both the colour of leaves and the world will turn Well I’ll love you still though the world will burn Never have I loved like this

Salt of all oceans, the taste of your skin Afraid to drown, but faith to swim You swept me off the ground Even before I jumped in Never have I loved like this Pelican’s wingtip responds to the sea An inch from the swell, flying harmony With careful abandon he opens his beak Never have I loved like this When the water is gone, and we’re thirsty as sand Like you are the woman and I am the man No guard, no walls, no clothes, no end Sister, mother, lover and friend

I’m determined to lose, I want you to win I’ll go back in your footsteps and I’ll see where you’ve been I’d love you still if love was sin I’ll love you like Jesus, I’ll love you for Him When the worms come to devour my flesh They leave disappointed for nothing is left I’ve given, I’m taken, I’m used, I’m spent Never have I loved like this “The morning after I first played at Peter’s Lutherhaus in Osnabrück, he asked if I would pop into his studio and record a couple of things. This song was very new at the time, and this early 2009 recording is the first one. It was this song that led Peter and I towards recording this stripped-down acoustic album.” 11

CALL ON ME When you dream What do you see When you dream What do you see In the stillness of the night In the quiet of your sleep Call on me When you’re alone Facing yourself Search your heart Who do you see Do you see me And when it’s getting hard To keep an open heart You’re letting everybody in Where you stop is where I begin So when you reach your end I’ll be there to come on in 10

3

ON MY WAY PASSING OF TIME

EYES

Summer is now winter and the winter is now fall Always counting seasons, why do we count them at all Morning into evening and the night turns into day Everything we wait for just as quickly goes away

I want you and I don’t know how to tell you I always have you on my mind Maybe I don’t need to even say it If you would look into my eyes

We are getting older and there’s nothing we can do To slow it down, but speed it up we can and often do As soon as we are born, we begin to die The flesh is often rotting off our bodies still alive

Whatever you know, whatever you’ve done This is different, this is new baby Whoever I’ve known, whoever I’ve won You are different, I want you baby

Well the medium is the message And the means they are the end The journey is the destination

Oh hold me tight Each day and night A vicious crime The passing of time

I want you but there’s no way I can tell you You always have a lover at your side Maybe you won’t even need to know it Unless you look into my eyes

Well I cannot wait for some far off day When everything will be okay I’m like a child I just want to play

We look to the future and say we’ll be happy when The day that you retire is the day your life will end Trading in our lovers and following the stars We’re chasing time so madly that we don’t know who we are

I want to but I don’t know how to tell you That I want you, well this is no surprise If you want me then I want you to say it Like we say it with our eyes

Well I’m feeling fine ‘cause along my way There’s something about every place But somehow well I cannot stay I’m always on my way On my way I’m on my way So I look around as I pass the day And I write it down when I have something to say Like right now with attention paid I’ll be on my way

4

9

SPUTNIK The name is Sputnik Means traveling companion My name is nothing If I’m companion to no one Space is lonely But there is freedom

MADE UP MIND Here comes someone I don’t know her name though But I will, oh I will learn her name And when I see her I’ll find what they call her I’ll call her mine

Yeah I’ll fall Fall for her Ain’t no one can change my made up mind Except her

Then I’ll fall I’ll fall in love with her Ain’t nobody can change my made up mind

What if she don’t fall for me What if she just walks on by

Yeah I’ll fall I’ll fall for her Ain’t no one can change my made up mind

Bye bye then I’ll fall Oh I’ll fall away from her Ain’t no one can change my made up mind

And then somewhere A home I will make her I know I will, I know I will change her name And when I marry her My name they will call her I’ll just call her mine Ain’t no one can change my made up mind

Yeah I’ll fall, oh I’ll fall Fall far from her But ain’t no one can change my made up mind Except her

Oh I’ll fall Fall for her Ain’t nobody can change my made up mind

"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up on high, there's a still place where good old fashioned love songs come from."

I am the satellite/ I orbit the globe My course is endless The atmosphere is cold Space is lonely But there is freedom Come and be with me See the world Let’s see if it really is As small as they say it is Shining brightly In the night so dark I’ll show you where love is Like the eastern star Space is lonely But love is freedom

Always listening Making no sound Tell me what makes your World go round Space is lonely True love is freedom You live large But the world’s so small You’re in charge You’re responsible Your friend is the family That you choose And your neighbor is right there Right next to you Space is lonely True love is freedom “Inspired by friends who use the name ‘Sputnik’ for people in their lives who become like chosen family.”

Ain’t no one can change my made up mind

8

5

STARS OF STIRLING

WHERE DOES IT GO

LOVE IS FOREVER

They’re making me sing these stars of Stirling They’re making me sing these stars of Stirling My heart is a comet and a comet sent hurling Through the stars of Stirling

Where does it go When the sun disappears When the sun disappears from on high

Take off your clothes Get into my bed I want to show you, I want to show you My love is real and my love is true Though I have been tempted, I have been tempted

They’re making me dance these stars of Stirling They’re making me dance these stars of Stirling My heart’s with the girls, little girls gone twirling ‘neath the stars of Stirling

Surely it’s shining it’s light Strong and true Somewhere the sky is silver blue

Love is forever, love is forever Love is forever, love is forever

Where does it go When your love disappears When the love disappears from your eyes

They’re taking me home these stars of Stirling They’re taking me home these stars of Stirling My father’s house is gold and silver My father’s house is gold and silver Like the stars of Stirling

Take off your clothes Lie in the grass I want to know you, I want to know you Flowers will close and open again Let them grow all around us, grow all around us

Will it return Will your love reappear As the sun reappears to the sky

Take off your clothes Show me how you dance I want to see you, I want to see you And when you’re tired just take my hand Let me lead you, oh let me lead you

Your love keeps me warm Gives me shelter from night And if it should never return

“For Marianne.”

Surely the moon Would not shine its light For sadness the sun does not burn Don’t you love me Don’t you need me Don’t forsake me now Photo by Marnie Recker

6

7