more from
Take This To Heart Records
We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Red Hot & Holy

by Sarah & the Safe Word

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $5 USD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Includes unlimited streaming of Red Hot & Holy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $9.99 USD or more 

     

  • T-Shirt/Apparel

    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $17.99 USD or more 

     

  • ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $19.99 USD or more 

     

1.
Invocation 01:12
Big stage, telephone Where are you? All alone.
2.
You’ve sewn me up, stuffed up with fear My heart unsteady through the years It’s need to beat is need-to-know You dig the grave, I’ll find the hole 
The street song plays on and on (Give the girl a little love she can lean on) So when you feel me you can Lift your hands in praise Red hot and holy Could you touch me like you told me? 
I’m low down and lonely All you can give me now is something that I don’t need You’re everything I don’t need Untangling strings so queer Tied up tight in a dress that never fit You treated me like a souvenir Wrapped in plastic—suffocated counterfeit Black licorice I’m feverish All the prayers from your pew couldn’t save me Red hot and holy Could you touch me like you told me?
I’m lowdown and lonely All you can give me now is something that I don’t need Red hot and holy How can you judge me? You don’t even know me. 
I’m lowdown and lonely All you can give me is everything I don’t need You’re everything I don’t need

My inconspicuous friends Collect their partners and bend But I don’t know if I know I don’t think love is a science I think that love is a violence And it’s striking a blow So get up, get up and make it harder Get up and pretend to be a martyr ‘Cause I’m a liar baby, and you’re a liar baby We’re all liars lately Red hot and holy Could you touch me like you told me? 
 Red hot and holy Could you touch me like you told me? 
I’m lowdown and lonely All you can give me now is something that I don’t need Red hot and holy How can you judge me? You don’t even know me. 
I’m lowdown and lonely All you can give me is everything I don’t need Black licorice I’m feverish All your prayers from the pew couldn’t save me I’m lowdown and lonely Good god All you can give me Give me until I bleed, bleed, bleed You’re everything I don’t need
3.
I’m leaving from Kentucky I’ve been weathered through the skin And I have my suspicions that I won’t see you again I have found no mercy In these old bourbon hills The wind has always been a part of my life And I can feel it still Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head It took a little long but the fantasy is finally gone Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head I’m calling you from Cleveland Selling war bonds door to door And even Dusseldorf to Stalingrad Know what you’ve got in store But the scenery won’t change until you die The scenery won’t change and nor will I (Uncle Sam don’t make me fly across the Rhine)

Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head It took a little long but the fantasy is finally gone Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head It took a little long but the fantasy is finally gone

(Bass!)

Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head It took a little long but the fantasy is finally gone Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head It took a little long but the fantasy is finally gone Rest in peace to the me that you had in your head
4.
Sneaky Boy 03:24
OK, folks. Comin’ straight atcha from Terminus City! The spooky! The wonderful! Safe Words! He’s coming up the road and he’s creepin’ in your bushes The sneaky boy! The goddamn sneaky boy He’s starin’ at your man and he thinks he looks delicious The sneaky boy! The goddamn sneaky boy Well he’s been climbin through the walls since the beginning of time He’s got an itty little bitty and the bitty was mine We didn’t have a problem til you did your crime It’s just the price you pay for being sneaky all the time The sneaky boy! (Sneaky boy) The sneaky boy! (Sneaky boy) The sneaky boy! (Sneaky boy) There’s a pear and a plum but you’re all outta peaches The sneaky boy! The goddamn sneaky boy He got a four-fingered grip yeah he wiggle when he reaches The sneaky boy! The four-fingered sneaky boy 
Well he’s been climbin through the walls since the beginning of time He’s got an itty little bitty and the bitty was mine He didn’t have a problem till you did your crime It’s just the price you pay for being sneaky all the time The sneaky boy! (Sneaky boy) I saw the sneaky boy! (Diddly dum dum) (Who’s that?!) It’s the sneaky boy! There’s a shack in the woods with a lock (Lock?) Lock! (Lock!)
There’s a man on the table with a box (Cock?) Box! (Cock!) I got a gimme fulla gimmes couldya not?
(Couldya?) Not! (Couldya?) He’s coming up the road and he’s creepin’ in your bushes The sneaky boy! Well he’s been climbin through the walls since the beginning of time He’s got an itty little bitty and the bitty was mine He didn’t have a problem till you did your crime It’s just the price you pay for being Just the price you pay for being Just the price you pay for being Sneaky all the time!

It’s just the price you pay for being sneaky all the time!
5.
In dark, dark days and a long time ago They knew my name on every shore I’ve cut the throats of a thousand men And I wish I had cut more Well, the kingsmen crossed me on dry land Sent to the gallows by the crown’s command Fight like a man and you’ll hang like a dog May all their souls be damned

Jet black sails over seven seas Death on the wind of a westward breeze Red sky morning whispers a warning Dead girls tell no tales Well, there’s a ghost ship comin’ for your broken mind (The depths drag up our song!) For thirsty men we’ll be their end (We know it won’t take long) We sail and we sail from coast to coast Just searching for some truth We burn each port, a black-hearted sort Best hope it never happens to you! Jet black sails over seven seas Death on the wind of a westward breeze Red sky morning whispers a warning Dead girls tell no tales Black cloud arising Way hey away Way hey away Black cloud arising (Raise hell! Raise up the sail!) Way hey away Way hey away (Raise hell! Raise up the sail!) (Raise hell! Raise up the sail!) Jet black sails over seven seas Death on the wind of a westward breeze Red sky morning whispers a warning Dead girls tell no tales Jet black sails over seven seas Death on the wind of a westward breeze Red sky morning whispers a warning Dead girls tell no tales Dead girls tell no tales Dead girls tell no tales!
6.
Formula 666 03:36
On a summer night you can hear the squeal Back from the dead, bringing Hell on wheels
She’s a highway high time warrior queen She’s got a four wheel drive if you know what I mean
Got the money in the backseat and she’s comin’ for me (Don’t let me down!) Everybody get ready to drive (Everybody get-get ready to drive) Everybody’s ready to die (Ready to die) She didn’t see it coming from the top of the bridge She made a deal with a demon so her lover could live When the moon is full and the Devil is driving stick It’s the Formula 666
 She don’t need no gasoline no brakes
(She don’t need to gasoline no brakes) Wait wait wait wait for your next mistake (Wait wait for your next mistake)
She’s a spirit of hell and she’s here for your soul Four cyl, fired up (Fired up!)
And she’s ready to go Everybody get ready to drive (Everybody get-get ready to drive) Everybody’s ready to die (Ready to die) She didn’t see it coming from the top of the bridge She made a deal with a demon so her legend could live When the moon is full and the Devil is driving stick It’s the Formula 666 “I don’t want to leave you, baby, but I have to.” 
“Nooo! Why!?” “I gotta race, ‘cause I gotta need.”
“For speed?”
“Nah, girl. For Satan.” Speed! Dreams! Gasolines! Speed! Dreams! Gasolines!

Everybody get ready to drive (Everybody get-get ready to drive) Everybody’s ready to die (Ready to die) She didn’t see it coming from the top of the bridge She made a deal with a demon so her legend could live When the moon is full and the Devil is driving stick It’s the Formula 666 (Formula! Formula 666!)
7.
I’m learning the truth at last I wasn’t gonna tell you but since you asked I’ve figured out some things about Myself that might help me face the facts And appreciate who I am I’m something you can’t measure in kilograms I’m passionate, accurate Clearly more than adequate And half of what you’d have to call a real class act! I may have taken my sweet time But the victory is mine, mine Mine all mine!

Yesterday was so frustratin’ A little strange, a little undermedicated I’m learning the truth at last You think you know everything? Well not so fast I’m standing up, I’ve had enough Of wrapping my present up in my past I believe in what I’ve become It may have taken years but I’ve just begun I can make a difference, Offer some resistance Be more than just a joke at my own expense I’m learning the truth, A mountain of proof Objection ruled in favour of the evidence I’m learning the truth I’m learning the truth at last I’m learning the truth I’m learning the truth at last
8.
The little banker man Filling his dole with dollar bills and others’ gold Foreclosing mothers’ homes How great your equity matures now that you won’t Count on your gilded greed Taking advantage of a burdened beggar’s hand We’ll leave you on your knees Gagging and guillotined with your head in the sand Come with us, your chariot awaits Wipe that crooked smile off your face Bury your sins and dig a fancy grave! Dig a fancy grave! Hi, Mr. Empty Suit!
I see a lump of coal right where your heart should be Your reckoning will come Pulpits and podiums won’t save you from the street Now please don’t squirm and shake We give to you a better rest than you deserve Can you spill blood from stone? We’re gonna try and then we’ll see how quick you burn Come with us, your chariot awaits Wipe that crooked smile off your face Bury your sins and dig a fancy grave! Dig a fancy grave! Distinguished guests! Allow me to introduce these well-groomed aristocrats to the consequences of their actions!

The pauper king shall kiss the ring! (Dig a fancy grave!) The golden sons their smoking gun (Dig a fancy grave!) The daughter queen behind the scenes (Dig a fancy grave!) The knight and knave will drop the blade (Dig a fancy grave!) The godly state has set the plate (Eat the fucking rich!) The billionaires and generals will be our steak and vegetables The bourgeoisie our Earl Grey tea, a ruling class charcuterie The old decree of her-and-he it doesn’t matter much to me! Come with us, your chariot awaits Wipe that crooked smile off your face Bury your sins and dig a fancy grave! Dig a fancy grave!
9.
Tonight he’s tracing the lines of his lips in the boudoir Drive north to a club few can know And he wonders is he on their mind? Find out in time. Tonight they’re fixing their tie in the dust of the mirror Drive south to a club few can know And they wonder do they cross his mind? Find out in time. Meet me deep inside The Hollow We can dance all night Take me down into the parlor Wrong until it’s right This slow song is leading us along Maybe we will Maybe we won’t Tonight Well, their bodies collide on the heat of the dancefloor Breathe out, let midnight begin And they wonder are they on their minds?
Find out in— Meet me deep inside The Hollow We can dance all night Take me down into the parlor Wrong until it’s right This slow song is leading us along Maybe we will Maybe we won’t Maybe we won’t Maybe we will.
10.
Dark eyes with a darker night If you come with me well I can treat you right I’m on the big stage with my story and song And all of it’s revenge on those who treated me wrong Tell you what I’m gonna do
(Lit cigarette) Cookin’ up a bitches brew (Lit cigarette) In the game that we play There’s a Cain and an Abel And I’m bettin’ who’s gonna be who Tell you what I’m gonna do
(Lit cigarette) Cookin’ up a bitches brew (Lit cigarette) In the game that we play There’s a Cain and an Abel And I’m bettin’ who’s gonna be who Black smoke over dirty fire If ya talkin’ trash we’ll just pile it higher We’re on your TV screen Lookin’ pretty and strong And all of it’s revenge on those who treated us wrong

Tell you what I’m gonna do
(Lit cigarette) Cookin’ up a bitches brew (Lit cigarette) In the game that we play There’s a Cain and an Abel And I’m bettin’ who’s gonna be who Tell you what I’m gonna do
(Lit cigarette) Cookin’ up a bitches brew (Lit cigarette) In the game that we play There’s a Cain and an Abel And I’m bettin’ who’s gonna be who Now everything was fine until I came to haunt your dreams (Gimme one!) You hung me from the rafters with just what y’all meant to me (Gimme two!) You tied that rope and stole my hope with only you on your mind (Please) But on and on they still sing my song so gimme that nasty nine! Tell you what I’m gonna do
(Lit cigarette) Cookin’ up a bitches brew (Lit cigarette) In the game that we play There’s a Cain and an Abel And I’m bettin’ who’s gonna be who Tell you what I’m gonna do
(Lit cigarette) Cookin’ up a bitches brew (Lit cigarette) In the game that we play There’s a Cain and an Abel And I’m bettin’ who’s gonna be who Safe Word baby! We back again!

Big stage, telephone Where are you? All alone! Big stage, telephone Where are you? All alone!

about

Sarah and the Safe Word exists in two worlds, each a century apart. The first is set behind a haze of cigarette smoke in a speakeasy’s back room, where daring storytelling of swashbucklers and a hot rod-racing demon only complements an already theatrical stage show. The second is the basement world of sweat-soaked punk shows and a collectivist mindset, encouraging free expression, sexual liberation, and community without boundaries. With their sophomore LP Red Hot & Holy, this Atlanta sextet attempts to bridge the gap between these two seedy underbellies, updating each in the process with a full-bodied take on well-worn sounds and a steadfast commitment to using their platform to uplift queer voices.

To call Red Hot & Holy a nostalgia trip would drastically undercut its drama and flair, let alone misinterpret its focus. Not many records in 2019 boast a dark tango down a graveyard alley ("Your Mouth Is Only For Complimenting Our Dancers") in the same span as an instructional dance number (“The Louisville Shuffle (RIP)”), just like not many LPs strike with the same bone-rattling clarity reserved for 2000s pop-punk production. Sarah Rose and company also stop over into simmering dark pop on the title track, before stuffing arrangements with string sections dripping with cinematic character, dizzying horn play, and electronica blips fizzing with Victrola crackle. By blending two centuries of musical styles, Sarah and the Safe Word have created something wholly spellbinding—and have written a collection for something larger than themselves. Come along now, the show is about to begin.

credits

released May 24, 2019

Sarah and the Safe Word is: Sarah Rose (vocals), Kienan Dietrich (guitar), Maddox Reksten (bass), Susy Reyes (violin), Courtney Varner (viola), and Beth Ballinger (keys).

Produced by Aaron Pace and Sarah and the Safe Word.

Lyrics written by Sarah Rose and Kienan Dietrich. Music written by Sarah and the Safe Word. Additional composition by Aaron Pace. Additional horn arrangement on “Sneaky Boy” by Bruce Mangan. Percussion arrangement by Sarah Rose and Sam Freeman. Additional percussion arrangement on ‘“The Louisville Shuffle (RIP)” by Jason Abarca.

Engineered and mixed by Aaron Pace.

Horns on “The Louisville Shuffle” performed by Brandon Austin.

Horns on “Sneaky Boy” performed by Stacey Novik, Damontae Scott, and Bruce Mangan. Clarinet on “Sneaky Boy” performed by Lenny Miller.

Guest vocals on "Dig A Fancy Grave" performed by Zach Ferrin of Fable Cry.

Album cover by Jonathan Roach and Daniel Finkelstein.

The band would like to thank our supporters, detractors, peers, mentors, ex-mentors, some of our families, friends, partners, and you. A special thanks to A Sunday Fire, The Superelevators, Fable Cry, Blood Oaks, Joe Warren, Jason Abarca, and Aaron Pace. Our gratitude to the queer community of Atlanta.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Sarah & the Safe Word Atlanta, Georgia

contact / help

Contact Sarah & the Safe Word

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Sarah & the Safe Word, you may also like: