John Gorka
John Gorka (born in July 1958) is an American contemporary folk musician. I… Read Full Bio ↴John Gorka (born in July 1958) is an American contemporary folk musician. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine called him "the pre-eminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement.
Gorka was born in Edison, New Jersey. He received his first guitar as a Christmas gift, though Gorka alleges that his older brother stole it from him shortly thereafter. He eventually learned, instead, to play the banjo, and began performing in a folk music group at his church.
Gorka attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and joined the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band which would also include guitarist Richard Shindell. He later began performing solo at the Godfrey Daniels coffee house as the opening act for various musicians that toured there. These included Nanci Griffith, Bill Morrissey, Claudia Schmidt and Jack Hardy.
In 1984, Gorka took first place at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Since then he has toured with artists such as Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Michael Manring, Christine Lavin, Dave Van Ronk, Cliff Eberhardt, David Massengill, Frank Christian and Lucy Kaplansky.
As of 2005, he was residing in the St. Croix Valley area near Saint Paul, Minnesota.
In 2008, Gorka decided to return to Europe for the first time in fourteen years. In October that year, he played four times in the Netherlands, he played live on VPRO radio and he did a session for the John Gorka video site.
In 2009, Gorka toured in the USA and also in Ireland and the Netherlands. In October that year, Red House Records released the CD "So Dark You See". This is considered a more intimate, vocal and guitar-centered record than the last two albums.
Gorka was born in Edison, New Jersey. He received his first guitar as a Christmas gift, though Gorka alleges that his older brother stole it from him shortly thereafter. He eventually learned, instead, to play the banjo, and began performing in a folk music group at his church.
Gorka attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and joined the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band which would also include guitarist Richard Shindell. He later began performing solo at the Godfrey Daniels coffee house as the opening act for various musicians that toured there. These included Nanci Griffith, Bill Morrissey, Claudia Schmidt and Jack Hardy.
In 1984, Gorka took first place at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Since then he has toured with artists such as Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Michael Manring, Christine Lavin, Dave Van Ronk, Cliff Eberhardt, David Massengill, Frank Christian and Lucy Kaplansky.
As of 2005, he was residing in the St. Croix Valley area near Saint Paul, Minnesota.
In 2008, Gorka decided to return to Europe for the first time in fourteen years. In October that year, he played four times in the Netherlands, he played live on VPRO radio and he did a session for the John Gorka video site.
In 2009, Gorka toured in the USA and also in Ireland and the Netherlands. In October that year, Red House Records released the CD "So Dark You See". This is considered a more intimate, vocal and guitar-centered record than the last two albums.
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John Gorka Lyrics
A Saint I never lived anywhere I didn't mind leaving I never knew…
After Yesterday I've spent most of my life as a luxury Now I've…
Airstream Bohemians She had a reconstructed face And he had no lips to…
All That Hammering I used to think joy was the break between sorrows Like…
Always I will always be lonely Nothing's ever gonna change that It'…
Always Going Home He's never been far from trouble Trouble is as loyal as…
Amber Lee She never let her roots go brown She kept moving them…
Armed with a Broken Heart (1) Take this as a warning To stay away from me Because…
Around the House We're walking around the house We're walking around the hous…
B. B. King Was Wrong Chorus: B.B. King was wrong the thrill it isn't gone The t…
Baby Blues I woke up this morning And your baby blues was on…
Bigtime Lonesome When her sweet summer love had turned and gone He put…
Blue Chalk So I wonder how she's doing I hate it when the…
Blues Palace We grow up, change and move away Chasing a dream with…
Branching Out When I grow up I want to be a tree Want…
Bright Side of Down Time takes almost everything Me and time will take my time I…
Brown Shirts Brown shirts here in the white house Brown shirts up on…
Campaign Trail I pay my bills to the time collectors They're getting more…
Can She looks best moving Or standing still I can't make up my…
Can You Understand My Joy Trouble comes fast And leaves too slow That's how I knew Tha…
Can't Make Up My Mind She looks best moving Or standing still I can't make up my…
Carnival Knowledge I′ve never done it said the circus clown See this is…
Carnival Knowledge (Second Hand Face) I've never done it said the circus clown See this is…
Cypress Trees I've been high and mighty low and scared About all the…
Diminishing Winds I like the night, so dark you see You can hide…
Down in the Milltown When my shift is over And I'm headed home I don't listen…
Downtown Tonight Dodging the blues, but the blues were gaining fast Riding t…
Dream Street I saw the champ running down by the river With his…
Edgar The Party Man My name is Edgar And I am a party man I come…
Flying Red Horse The flying red horse from the gasoline wars Took off from…
Full of Life Life is full of disappointment Yes and I am full of…
Furniture What good am I if I leave you lonely What good…
Good I am good at dreams I am good at dreams Bad at…
Good Noise Tell me the truth what are you living for Tell me…
Grand Larceny Walter Tucker was arrested for receiving stolen goods That h…
Gravyland If all my luck ran out tomorrow I'd have to say…
Hank Senior Moment Your heart is broke Your liver too Your stomach's turned It'…
Heart Upon Demand I dreamed of Judy Garland and of her bottled…
Heroes They say that when it comes to choosing heroes It's best…
Holed Up Mason City Holed up in Mason City, waiting for the roads to…
Houses in the Fields They're growing houses in the fields between the towns And t…
I Don't Feel Like A Train I don't feel like a train anymore I feel like the…
I Know I know where the cops hang out When I…
I Saw a Stranger With Your Hair I saw a stranger with your hair Tried to make her…
I'm From New Jersey I'm from New Jersey I don't expect too much If the world…
If I Could Forget To Breathe If I could forget to breathe Forget to breathe entirely It's…
If Not Now If not us, not them If not now, then when? If not…
Italian Girls I used to fall for Italian girls They filled my dreams,…
Jack's Crows Jack's crows are loud in the morning They're critical of oth…
Jailbirds in the Bighouse They built a prison by the freeway Just to rub it…
Joint of No Return I've passed the foregone conclusions My hand's sore from car…
Land of the Bottom Line I couldn't bribe a wino on what I used to…
Lay Me Down I will lay me down for her I will lay me…
Let Them In Let them in, Peter, They are very tired Give them couches…
Lightning Smokey the bear said only you can Lightning said Smokey that…
Like My Watch Like my watch, I'm a little slow And I don't always…
Look the Other Way I know you've had it hard I know, I know By now…
Looking Forward I never cared about the car I'd drive Or the room…
Love is Our Cross to Bear I didn't know where to look for you last night I…
Make Them Crazy Do you make them crazy Or do they start that way? Go…
Mean Streak No money coming in It's all going out I'm standing on the…
Morningside Am I a fool at this late date To heed a…
My Invisible Gun My invisible gun You won't find my fingerprints On my invisi…
My New Neighborhood This neighborhood is full of mutts Barking kids and argument…
Mystery To Me Hey bud is that your sister or is it that…
Night is a Woman Night is a woman who embraces me I am never lonely…
Oh Abraham I see a penny and I pick it up If not…
Old Future Fear took down the winged life The winged life we've led So…
Out of My Mind You're out of my mind Guess that makes two of…
Out Of The Valley They talk of getting out of the valley Out of the…
Outnumbered Https: //lyricstranslate. Com/en/chetreo-outnumbered-rick-an…
Outside I just want to get a little bit out of…
Over There I never ran with the pack, but I'm not alone anymore I…
Paradise Once These birds don't sing in the rain They're waiting for the…
Part Of Your Own I wish that you could live forever And that I could…
People My Age People my age Have started looking gross I cannot say all An…
Poor Side Your dreams they have led To the poor side of town Where…
Promnight in Pigtown There were flowers from the boy pigs Who were drinking in…
Raven in the Storm I'm the latest apparition Cutting slices in the night I come…
Riverside Time is a river With no riverside Space a sea That has no…
Scraping Dixie I heard he was scraping dixie Looking for a job Looking for…
Semper Fi My father met Eleanor Roosevelt In 1945 The war at last was…
Shape of the World Sometimes I'm an idiot Many of you know that by now Sometime…
Shapes Words alone won't say What you want them to Words are just…
She's That Kind of Mystery You can look into her eyes and live forever She's as…
Silence I met her in the summertime When her arms Were the color…
Silvertown I don't want to leave the lights of the town So…
Soldier After All Maybe I won't make much of a difference And all I…
St. Caffeine [Chorus] I've seen the light, oh the light I've seen I've se…
Stranger in my Driver I lost my car to the Riverside Drive Last seen headed…
Talk About Love You know I work all day for money And I fight…
Temporary Road He is skating on a river That's been frozen since December H…
That He was born a man, he died a myth The man…
That Was the Year Guess I'd better get back up Get up off the ground…
That's How Legends are Made I worked at a place Where the bands came through Some of…
That's Why He was born a man, he died a myth The man…
The Ballad of Jamie Bee Jamie ran aground out in Ohio Wife left for the great…
The Gypsy Life There is nothing in my head today Nothing awful there to…
The Lockkeeper ]You say, "Well-met again, Lock-keeper! We're laden even dee…
The Mercy of the Wheels I heard a train calling Through the middle of the night I…
The Mortal Groove It's half price off on last year's models There's a geesefu…
The One that Got Away I grew up beneath the trees Not far from the refineries Aime…
The Sentinel Francis called me Joe But that is not my name I told…
The Water is Wide The water is wide, I can't cross over, And neither have I…
Thorny Patch It's tough before the aftermath Waiting for the sky to rain…
Thoughtless Behavior I went off in the cruel word like a gun…
Treasure Islands Love is never easy It's almost always out of your way It's…
Two Good Reasons I once said I knew But I don't know no more What…
Up Until Then They dropped a dime on the girl in the parking…
Vinnie Charles Is Free There's a party down at Kale's Vinnie Charles is out of…
What Was That Guess I'd better get back up Get up off the ground…
When He Cries He looks like an angel when he's sleeping There's a little…
When I Lost My Faith When I lost my faith in people I put my trust…
When She Kisses Me If she loved me for my money I would have no…
When the Ice Goes Out Well I can't say, 'cause I don't know about that All…
When You Walk In Your heart is broken Your world is a bitter place Your con…
Where the Bottles Break I walk where the bottles break And the blacktop still comes…
Whole Wide World You look away from everyone you meet You wonder how ...…
Winter Cows The cows in the moo yard are making their plans For…
Wisdom Wisdom exists though it's not commonly found It's got the lo…
Wisheries While they fish out the fisheries I wish on the wisheries Mi…
Writing In the Margins I'm writing in the margins notes to me and you because the…
You Your heart is broken Your world is a bitter place Your confi…
You're On Your Way Two old men spitting through the teeth of their dreams They…