The Hereafter was recorded in Los Angeles during the second half of 2005 & the first half of 2006 and released on July 6, 2006. Two of the songs, "Back Where I Was" & "Eulogy" were prominently featured on episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Another song, "The 40th Century," was heard on "One Tree Hill." The other songs have also been heard, but not on television. All songs by John Elliott (BMI) 2006. 

John Elliott : singing, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, bass guitar, field recordings 

Andy Featherston : drums + aux percussion + bells, field recordings

Evan Endicott : electric guitar on 4, 6, 7, 10, 11

Bryan Dobbs : bass on 5, 6, 10

Ryan Zwahlen : oboe

(at the conclusion of this, i would invite you to stay and listen for a moment to another peal or two on the bells. the richness of the sound, i think, is quite amazing. perhaps you do too).

everyone looks different: i’m chillin’ with the natives, but i’m leavin’ today – i’m slummin’ it to midway, but i didn’t pay – everyone looks different now – you wanna make it matter, but you’re stuck in the crowd – you’re trying to convince me, but you’re talking too loud – everyone looks different now – i’m lockin’ up because of it – because of it i won’t be comin’ back – because of it i won’t be back – i’m lookin’ to the future and i like what i see.

the heads of the state: the man in the corner is looking at me, he’s got a nice hat and a fancy degree, he is sharing his coffee with strangers and looking important – the women i loved were all fragile and wrong, the men all gave up or shoved off and moved on, clancey and frieda and tucker are gone and forgotten – all the heads of the state will be locking their gates tonight – it’s so easy to wait with a smile and a casual lie – but i don’t try – grandma is crazy, grandpa is dead, grandpa is sad and he’s sick in the head, grandma’s denying the fact that she coulda been somethin’ – mommy’s in florida gettin’ a tan, dad’s in the pet store holdin’ her hand, emily went to barbados with dan and she loved it - all the heads of the state will be locking their gates tonight – it’s so easy to wait with a smile and a casual lie – but i don’t try.

give me what i want: i went out walkin’, the people were smokin’, i shouldn’t have spoken, i shoulda kept my cool – sometime later, i’m doin’ a favor, i’m lovin’ my neighbor and i’m keepin’ my cool – let it out – (give me what i want) i was under pressure when she came (give me what i want) or i was in the back predicting rain (give me what i want) either way i’ve never been the same and i will go away, i will go away (give me what i want) give me what i want and i won’t stay (give me what i want) give me what i want and i won’t stay (give me what i want) give me what i want and i won’t stay, i will go away, will go away, i will go away, i will go away – the greeks and the romans, the creeks and the colemans, the whigs and the mormons, the japanese – i’m sorry my brother, you fell for another – you fell for another cheap disguise – it’s right in front of your eyes - (give me what i want) i was under pressure when she came (give me what i want) or i was in the back predicting rain (give me what i want) either way i’ve never been the same and i will go away, i will go away (give me what i want) give me what i want and i won’t stay (give me what i want) give me what i want and i won’t stay (give me what i want) give me what i want and i won’t stay, i will go away, i will go away, i will go away, i will go away – san francisco, california, planet earth, the mind of god.

back where i was: it was summertime, we had too much time, we got ourselves in trouble – we went to the beach, then we crashed a car, then we crashed another – and when it hit me i could not think, i decided i should hide away – so i did, i did what i could, i did what i did because it was easy – and i was surprised, before i knew it i was back where i was – it was wintertime, my friend dropped me a line and said he’d pay a visit – we were gladly met, he ran off to forget, i ran off to remember – and when it hit me i could not sleep, i decided i should hide away – so i did, i did what i could, i did what i did because you loved me – and i was surprised, before i knew it i was back where i was.

my cousin’s canoe: the personal ad is terribly sad – desperately seeking what no one has ever had – the popular crowd is shiney and loud – they’re laughin’ at you, they’re laughin’ at you, they’re laughin’ at me too, they’re laughin’ at you – that night on the pier when heaven was here and the music played from the dead arcade and the wheel turned and the water burned – you’re a transformer, you’re a transformer, you’re a performer, you’re a transformer – let me be, i’m over it, i’m over it – let me be, i fell for it, i fell for it, i fell for it, i fell for it again...again...AGAiN...AGAiN! – my cousin’s canoe has nothing to do – this century’s boring, we need a man to kill or love.

the national anthem: i don’t know when it shows, i don’t know – over it, i’ll never get over it – you were such a beautiful provider, i was standing on the steps and the steeple was a mess, all the people were a mess – and though they made you look your best, there was no one to impress – they put your hands across your chest, we were singin’ the national anthem - by the dawn’s early light – jesus chirst, sacrifice – i know that it’s dangerous, i know that it’s dangerous – superman, spiderman – you were do inviting every fall, i thought i’d call – now i’m angry i confess, but the freeway was a mess – they’d better make me look my best, i got a lady to impress – she’s got her hand across her chest, she is singin’ the national anthem - by the dawn’s early light – never will we be that young again.

a teenager in love: i got a brand new pair of pants and a cool shirt to wear to the junior high school dance – you’re like a whitney houston song and i’m like whitney houston after everything went wrong – just a teenager in love - lookin’ for a little bit - a way to get away from it – just a teenager in love – gimme just a little bit and i will get over it – i will get over it – we are young and we are cool – i’m spendin’ the afternoon sneakin’ a peak at you under the pool – but you know all this will soon be gone, so let’s let it end under a blanket on your stepmom’s lawn - just a teenager in love - lookin’ for a little bit - a way to get away from it – just a teenager in love – gimme just a little bit and i will get over it – i will get over it – and if could do it over again, i would make sure you knew that i was more than a friend – i’d take you upstairs and lock the door and i wouldn’t care when your parents heard you screamin’ for more - just a teenager in love - lookin’ for a little bit - a way to get away from it – just a teenager in love – gimme just a little bit and i will get over it – i will get over it.

space junk: right now, an asteroid is speeding toward earth (i don’t know when it will get here, but it will) – thousands of tons of space junk are getting ready to crash your next bar-b-que at 22,000 miles per hour - and when the sun runs out of fuel, it will suddenly balloon up and swallow the earth.

musical chairs: i’ve got a shot and i mean it – i’m suicidal with a secret – you say you’re sad and i believe it, i’m so easily confused – i make a full stop for the cop – then i’m off and i am buzzin’ – i’m only lookin’ for some lovin’, but so are you and you’re so scared – musical chairs! – when you’re livin’ at the end of the world, it is good to be alive – there’s a boy for every girl at the end of the world – a laundromat, an audio cassette, they never will forget, we are never gonna win – when i tune in to the television station, it’s not the truth about my nation – we’re havin’ fun out in the sun, we are not afraid to die, we are not afraid to die – musical chairs! – when you’re livin’ at the end of the world, it is good to be alive – there’s a boy for every girl at the end of the world – do do do do, do do do do do, do do do do, do do do do do, do do do do, do do do do do, do do do do, do do do do – (all the poets and the priests, all the terrorists and thieves, all the people who believe we are more than what we seem and the people who agree – come to town, gather around, look at all the lovely ladies – all the dandelion dresses and capable caresses, so aware, musical chairs!).

better now: cinderella’s on display, the police are on parade, we are safe and we’re secure – she was different when we met, she is lovely when she’s wet, she is lonely now i bet – we were young, we were havin’ some fun, we were singin’ in the sun, we had barely begun – when it died i was laughin’ on the side of the road as the people came to watch the show – but i’m better now – i feel better now – all the indians were here ‘cause they thought it was a nice spot, isn’t it a sad thought? – and when the aliens arrive they will teach us how to drive beyond the stars – oh, my dear, you have nothing left to fear and i’m outta luck, i care too much and i don’t know who to trust – but i’m better now – i feel better now – i wish i could be the only one in the world.

the 40th century: let’s have a party tonight - i will dress right, i will look nice – you know i’ve never been in fight - i couldn’t punch right, they would knock me over - i rarely remember my dreams – if i do, they’re so true, they’re so embarrassing – i had a nightmare again about you – you were drowning, i swam the other way – the 40th century’s near, you won’t be here.

and so, it’s like…it’s like us…uh…changing…we changed into what we are now…we’re changing...…the bacteria changes in a matter of seconds...…say we change in a matter of…22,000 years ago we were, like, hairy as hell…hair everywhere…like uh…25,000 years later we don’t have really a lot of hair…we adapted like bacteria to our circumstances...…we are like ka ka.

the end: well my friends, we’ve come to it, the end is drawing near – the distant lands are calling and we do not feel fear – all the old alleys have new little warriors, our ghosts are finally gone – we nodded off and the world moved on, we nodded off and the world moved on – christ’s crusade had come to the woman in the car in front of me a few weekends ago at a football stadium – admission was free, the pretzels were not, the preacher sold it well – i understand why people believe in angels, i understand why people believe in angels – i’m sorry my sister, i’m sorry my mother, i’m sorry my father too.

y m i – y r u – y m i – y r u – y m i – y r u

take it easy (yeah yeah yeah): papa go to work in the morning, papa gotta get it right – mama go to god in the morning, mama gotta get it right – everytime i see the president i wanna take my pants off – everytime i see the president i wanna take my pants off – and i think we need to take it easy (yeah yeah yeah) – you were pretty good at a party, you were pretty good in the hall, you were pretty good in the back room, you were funny in the bathroom stall, you could drink ‘em under the table, you could pin ‘em up against the wall, you were pretty good at a party, it was wonderful to watch you fall – and i know we need to take it easy (yeah yeah yeah) – washington is nothing, michael jordan is nothing, africa is nothing, jesus christ is nothing – and i think we need to take it easy (yeah yeah yeah).

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

eulogy: let’s pretend that we can still pretend
let’s pretend that we are young again
i am only looking for a friend
let’s pretend that we are young again
a drink for all the secrets that you seek
a drink for all the memories you keep
a drink for all the dreams you’ll never dream
a drink for all the planets in between
believe me when i say i love you dear
believe me when i tell you not to fear
that autumn morning everything was clear
believe me when i tell you not to fear
a dollar for the country that i knew
a dollar for an afternoon with you
i know i’ve seen my best days, you’ve seen them too.
a dollar for the country that i knew.

the bells are there to proclaim for us the glory of god and to speak with us and for us - to speak thanksgiving and praise - to announce god’s presence to all the world...you know, traditionally church bells were thought of as living things because they have voices that speak and they speak for us when we are silent, their voices ringing out in praise.

All words written by John Elliott 2006.