About the album art

The front cover photo, taken by Charles Geoghegan, was an idea that I had to include as many of my song from the album as I could. When you listen to the album you will hear where the idea to represent the songs in this manner came from. 

The album title A Tale To Tell comes from a line on the song Sidewalk Serenader, track 5. The blue tin cup comes from track 1 Blue Tin Cup on the CD. A true story, as are most of these songs. The dial telephone comes from track 4 Untitled. If you look close you'll see a silver dollar in the middle of the dial on the telephone, from track 6 Only A Dollar. 

The small sculptures come from aluminum that my son George melted down and poured into a mold. The stones come from his extensive collection. The photo on the table was taken at the Mascoma High School homecoming bonfire. 

Credit should also go to Andrea Geoghegan for arranging the items on the table.

Soaring Clef

One day I saw a Redtail Hawk circling up, never flapping it's wings, riding a thermal. I watched until it was just a dot in the sky, quite a fascinating thing to see. I had told George about it and always wanted him to be able to see that. One afternoon we were splitting wood in a field not far from where I had seen the hawk a few years earlier. He kept looking over my shoulder so I stopped and saw a Redtail Hawk just beginning it's ascent on the thermal. We shut the splitter off and stood and watched it spiral upward. Not going as high as the one that I had watched a couple years before that, this one found a horizontal thermal, caught it and went speeding towards the mountain.

I had the idea of wanting to honor George somehow with a hawk, and since he was a bass player I wanted to incorporate a bass clef into it. With the idea in my head I decided to get a tattoo of a hawk soaring with a bass clef. I found an artist that was recommended by a friend, and he happily agreed to help me honor George. I brought the idea of a soaring clef graphic to the artist when I was thinking about what art I wanted to include in this project. Luke took the stencil that he had drawn for my tattoo and came up with this beautiful piece of artwork.
Credit goes to Luke LaBounty at Navushieip Ink.

The Stone Heart

While visiting the Connecticut Lakes in Northern New Hampshire two years ago on the anniversary of George's death, my girlfriend Anna and I stopped at one of the lakes to walk down to the water. We brought a basket of stones with us that George had collected and left them at random spots on our trip. Almost directly from where we parked we came across this stone heart, which was about 4 feet across at the largest point. That was the first anniversary of his death.
Credit goes to Anna Mazur for that photo.

Two Guitars

I'm lucky enough in so very many ways to have a wonderful woman in my life. One reason is because she has an eye for art and random things just catch her eye and she photographs it, no special planning, it just happens.
The two guitars are my Guild acoustic and my Dobro resophonic. One night while playing a regular gig they were hanging on a stand that will accomodate 3 guitars. The photo is taken at such an angle that the Dobro is a perfect side view. It was only fitting to include it on the album cover.
Credit goes to Anna Mazur

THE LYRICS

BLUE TIN CUP 

There’s at least a hundred stories 
Inside that blue tin cup 
I’ll tell you later what it means to me 
But for now you should drink up 
Grab that old guitar 
And sing a song for dad and me 
It's for sure he'll give a listen 
From the bench between the trees 

In the winter we were cutting trees 
Down on that old dirt road 
The snow and the cold north driving wind 
Made the work a heavy load 
When the weather got rough or at the end 
Of the day we'd sit in that rundown shack 
And from those blue tin cups 
We’d throw the whiskey back 

He told the story about the dead girl 
In the car on Methodist Hill 
Or a phone crank hooked up to 
An old school desk to give a girl a thrill 
There were stories of all the good times 
And the ones about bad luck and whenever 
He'd get empty he’d fill up his blue tin cup 

There’s at least a hundred stories 
Inside that blue tin cup 
I’ll tell you later what it means to me 
But for now you should drink up 
So grab that old guitar 
And sing a song for dad and me 
It's for sure he'll give a listen 
From the bench between the trees 

So just keep the music coming 
Until the sun comes up and whenever 
You get empty just hand me that blue tin cup 
Yeah whenever you get empty 
Just hand me that blue tin cup

TROUBADOUR 

I am a minstrel a singer of old songs 
If you know the words I wish you'd sing along 
I am a vagabond take my hand 
And come with me 
We'll find a spot along the way 
To uncover memories 

I am a songster and we can write a song 
Build us a story and I'm glad that you're along 
You are my muse 
And you've opened up my mind 
We can sing a song about that perfect time 

I am a troubadour finding notes along the way 
You are the song that makes me want to stay 
I am a troubadour finding love along the way 
You're bringing me around 
And clearing skies of gray 

I am a minstrel a singer of old songs 
If you know the words I wish you'd sing along 

I am a vagabond take my hand 
And come with me 
We'll find a spot along the way 
To uncover memories 

I am a troubadour finding notes along the way 
You are the song that makes me want to stay 
I am a troubadour finding love along the way 
You're bringing me around 
And clearing skies of gray 
Yeah you're bringing me around 
And clearing skies of gray 

WHAT YOU’RE PUTTIN’ ME THROUGH 

I just closed down another lonely night 
At the honkey tonk 
And I spent all my time 
Sitting there missing you 
And wonderin’ what’s inside of me 
That keeps me drawn to you 
And wonderin’ why I put up with 
What you’re puttin’ me through 

I thought if I danced it’d 
Ease the pain just a little bit 
But all it did was make me wish 
That she was you 
So she listened to me talk 
She listened to me as I cried the blues 
And wondered why I put up with 
What you’re puttin’ me through 

What you’re puttin’ me through 
What should I do 
With what you’re puttin’ me through 
I can’t help the way I feel about you 

Now, here I am again tonight 
In this lonely bed 
Thinkin’ about you being oh so far away 
Well, I don’t know if I can take 
The miles between us two 
Or if I should put up with 
What you’re puttin’ me through 

What you’re puttin’ me through 
What should I do 
With what you’re puttin’ me through 
I can’t help the way I feel about you 
‘Cause you know that I am 
Still in love with you 

UNTITLED 

I'll never get your call 
That comes at two AM 
Saying Dad can you 
Come pick me up 
My car's broke down again 
I'll never get your call 
That comes at twenty after five 
Saying Dad my job is moving me 
Can you come and help me drive 

I'll never get your call 
At four in the afternoon 
Saying Dad my girl said yes 
Do you think I asked too soon 
I'll never get the call 
At quarter after two 
Saying Dad we're having a boy 
I think I'll name him after you 

You'll never get the call 
That comes at two AM 
Asking you to pick him up 
His car's broke down again 
‘Cause I had to make the call for you 
When your body let you fly 
Then all the people came 
But it was just too late to try 
And on that fateful night 
I couldn't even say goodbye 

I would have came to get you 
In the middle of the night 
And drove the moving van 
Because you knew the time was right 
I would have loved to meet 
The girl that gave you family 
And would have been so honored to have 
Your son named after me 

‘Cause I had to make the call for you 
When your body let you fly 
Then all the people came 
But it was just too late to try 
And on that fateful night. . . 

SIDEWALK SERENADER 

I was walking through a railroad town 
One sunny day in June 
When I thought I heard a busker 
Singing out his lonely tune 
The smell of cigarettes and whisky 
Was hanging in the breeze, 
His voice was slightly worn 
As he tried to stay on key 

Chorus: 
I saw the shadow of his fingers 
As they strummed across the strings 
I heard a leather sole tap 
As his guitar began to ring 
I felt a lonely soul reaching out 
Like some old eerie spell, 
Listen to the sidewalk serenader 
He has a tale to tell 

He sang a song about a love he lost 
So many years ago 
Regretful and remorseful 
It seemed to haunt him so 
I tried to get a closer look 
but only saw his shadow 
I wondered if somehow that it 
was all he dared to show 
(To Chorus) 

When he took a break I asked him 
If he’d sing a song for me 
He rolled up a smoke and said 
Listen boy now can’t you see 
If I do the one about the Troubadour 
It’ll put your brain in hell 
I’m the sidewalk serenader 
And I have a tale to tell 
(To Chorus) 

Then a shadow from a cloud above 
Crept down the sunny street 
Taking with it when it left 
The lonely soul that I did meet 
The shadow was gone and I was 
The one left standing there 
And I had to stop and wonder 
was he ever really there 
(To Chorus) 

I am the sidewalk serenader 
And I have a tale to tell 

ONLY A DOLLAR 

He was just a kid standing in the aisle 
At the local department store 
With a dollar stuffed in his pocket 
Of the pants that he wore 
He had to choose the perfect toy 
But to that there was no end 
But nothing over a dollar 
He only had one to spend 

Chorus: 
It’s only a dollar 
That's all you have to pay 
It'll bring someone a smile 
That's sure to last all day 
It's only a dollar 
So remember this my friend 
That might be all it takes 
To put a sad heart on the mend. 

He was 21 years old sitting in a roadside café, 
Having coffee with a friend he hadn't seen 
Since graduation day 
They talked about girls and working 
And youth coming to an end 
Reconnecting over a dollar a cup 
That's all they had to spend 
(To Chorus) 

He was 45 years old 
Heading south on the interstate 
Coming to a stop to pay his fare 
At the cash toll gate 
The collector said, Well buddy 
You’re all set, the guy before you paid 
It only took a dollar 
To turn around his day 
(To Chorus) (Instrumental) (Repeat Chorus)

MOONBEAMS 

Moonbeams dance across the silver waves 
I'm thinking about your loving ways 
The feeling deep inside me runs to the bone 
Oh, baby please come home 

I'm hypnotized by the wind 
That blows across the sand 
That we walked on holding each other's hands 
Making promises and making things right 
And making love until the early morning light 

Chorus: 
Oh, baby please come home 
Since you left me, I’ve been so alone 
And you know I love you so very much 
oh so much 
And I long to feel your touch 
The freight train that is 
Rolling through the night 
Gives a lonesome cry to see daylight 
It's kind of like the feeling 
Down inside my soul 
Won't you please come back 
And make me whole 
Girl if you come back I want you to see 
That there'll be a change a change in me 
I'll give you all the love I have in the world 
If you just come back and be my girl 
(To Chorus) 

I miss you and I need to feel your touch 

33 SUMMERS 

He got here in the spring 
And headed for home in early fall 
With 33 summers in between 
His taillights had faded 
To nothing in the dark 
And he drove away 
With all his broken dreams 

He took a wrong turn to the left 
And found an empty muddy road 
But he backed out and tried his luck again 
Over and over 
‘Til he couldn't make it through 
But the allure of the darkness pulled him in 

Chorus: 
He went down the road alone 
Looking for a sign, 
Something he had to understand 
Speeding through his time 
Not knowing what was next 
And hoping someone would take his hand 
He never got to see his thirty-fourth winter 
Or another day of sunshine on the farm 
Giving in to what beckoned him 
In the dark beyond 
He let the emptiness enfold him in its arms 

(To Chorus) 
Speeding through his time 
Not knowing what was next 
He was hoping someone would take his hand 

BACK PORCH SWING 

I sit here on this back porch swing  
I hear a distant whip-poor-will sing a song 
To his true love across the field 
The crickets are at their very best 
The moon shines a light that seems to caress 
The world and all that it beholds 

Chorus: 
I close my eyes and I think of you 
And I see your smiling face 
And I no longer feel the troubles 
Your gentle kisses erase 
And the love you show to me 
Nothing dares to compete 
Cause I’ve finally found 
What makes my life complete 
It’s your soft and easy-going style 
And the laughter that we share 
And all the little things that make me smile 
It’s all of this and so much more 
But one of my most favorite things 
Is sitting with you on this old porch swing 

(To Chorus) 
Yeah, you’re the one 
That makes my life complete 

WAYFARING STRANGER/BLACK MT RAG 
(Traditionals) 

I decided to include these two songs as an instrumental when my friend Dan Ibey 
asked if I would play his grandfather Elmer “Al” Bocash’s Gibson guitar on the album.
At that point I had already finished the guitar parts on the rest of the tracks,
so I thought it was fitting to include this as a bonus track. 
This is dedicated to Dan and his mother Beverly Ibey.  - Martin 

MUSICIANS 

Martin Decato - Vocals, Guitar, Resophonic Guitar 
Jodi Bates Ibey - Additional Vocals 
George Decato - Bass on Back Porch Swing 
Jared Croteau - Drums on Back Porch Swing 
Charles Geoghegan - Organ on Back Porch Swing 
All songs written by Martin Decato except Troubador, written by 
Martin Decato & Mark Vogel, and What You’re Puttin’ Me Through, 
written by Martin Decato & Joey Foley. 
Produced by Martin Decato and Charles Geoghegan 
Recorded at Sawyer Hill Studio, Canaan, NH except 
Back Porch Swing recorded in Dorchester, NH by George Decato 
Recorded and Mixed by Charles Geoghegan 
Mastered by Adam Lasus at Studio Red, North Hollywood, CA 
Cover Design by Martin Decato 
Cover Photo by Charles Geoghegan 
Back Cover and Liner Photos by Anna Mazur 
Liner and Disc Artwork by Luke LaBounty 

SPECIAL THANKS 

George Decato 
Anna Jenny Mazur 
Charles and Andrea Geoghegan 
Jodi and Dan Ibey 
Jared Croteau  
Deidre Keller 
Andy Stewart and MJ Slattery 
Luke LaBounty 
Steve and Aaren Dow 
Dave Leone 
Scott Sanborn 
Peter Dionne 
Mark Hiatt and Anna Hutton 
Travis Bill, Clifton Bill & The Bill Family 
Paul Mylod 
Gary MacDonald & Cheryl Puleo 
and Everyone at the Greenhouse