White Roses, My God is the debut solo effort from Alan Sparhawk. Though he’s obviously (and justifiably) best known for his thirty years in the legendary band Low, a look at Sparhawk’s many side projects across that same span of time shows him experimenting with everything from punk and funk to production work and improvisation. Low itself never settled for a set sound or approach. The band was always a collaboration—a conversation, a romance—between Sparhawk and his wife, Mimi Parker, who was the band’s co-founder, drummer, co-lead vocalist, and its blazing irreplaceable heart. Parker passed away in 2022 after a long battle with cancer. There is no question that White Roses, My God is a record borne of grief. However, it would be reductive, even foolish, to see grief as the sole source or the final limit of this taut, brilliant, provocative, thrilling album, whose bold experimentation is powered by profound lyrics and propulsive beats. White Roses, My God is an exorcism whose purpose is not to banish the spirit but to set it free.
(Get Still)
Do you want a big thrill
Do you wanna get real
Do you wanna sit still
I’m a wanna make a deal deal
Eighty acres of trill
Everybody on strip pill
‘body on drip kick
And it’s so much wicked
Ahh
Unmistaken oh and Ahh
What’s that end Ahh
I can’t plan
And I’m gonna need the notes read
Kitty needs this for chips
Gimme it cold
Y’ I’m comin’ over
And remember the Stofer
And you better be sober
Gonna make you remind
That in the end that’s just fine
Ooo somewhere out there
Ooo somewhere out there
Ooo or right there!
(I Made This Beat)
I made this beat (x26)
I made this (x4)
I made it (x8)
Beat (x5)
I made this beat (x10)
I made it (x4)
(Not the 1)
And when they let the lake eat the stereo
On the water at the end of invasion
They had the thought of all voter adverse world wide
On the other you could sit there and age on
But what the fu’, I can see your evasion
The one the one who I can’t figure it out
I’m not the one who can’t figure it out
Oooooo ooooo
The one they want who can’t make you a savior
You say you want me to be under the best light
But I show up and there is a thing to weigh
I want the pause that’s hidden and raw
I always stayed with the reasons you wasted
I broke the pause in hidden reaction
You want the one who’s gonna stay on the part
I want the one the one that you want now
I missed the saying of the words of reaction
I put my hands on the side of your wrist back
I want to beg and please your pride
I’m not the one the one that you only know
(Can U Hear)
Wake, can you hear the tech rack
Hey, can you hear the rasbine
Hey, can you hear the which why
Hey, can you hear the ride
Hey
Hey, between that van
What can your master suck right out of fact
Word to the letter of tender night
Words are bitter quest for water to fight Where I wouldn’t ask for light
Oooo Oooo
When you get your camera
When you miss-scratch my catch raw
You and Santero
Beginning to piece my sitch’ wide
Yeah yeah yeah
(Heaven)
Heaven
It’s a lonely place if you’re alone
I wanna be there with the people that I love
Maybe someone that you’re waiting
Oh, who who’s gonna be there
Yeah you
Are you gonna be there
(Brother)In my breath still inIn my breath
In my breath, still in, my brother
Damn I’m still in, my brother
In my breath and still him
Still massive stillYou could have it here
Mere massives fear themAnd got that in the
or’ I took off my stillYour masons break me maybe
Kill massive wailing safety meaning
Whoa hey whoa
Ooo brother
My brother ... My brother ...
Still remain in this terror
Walkin’, and pushin’, and starin’!
What more is there within a circle
The dark is a symbol and is real
Watch & wait
Watch & wait
Fortunate
Watch & wait
Watch & wait
I fear and I’m naked
B’ here in the end
(Blackwater)
Ah ah ah…
Making up both phrase
What are man a thought of a room
Ho (x8)
What the wrong hill list a naked at the shot
A cold for shot of cold habit in the rain
God said blackwater ahhhhhh
God make this right I don’t have
Good places working model
Good habit that some watch turn
The last gift was your rather
God make it make this harder
Don’t take or beg or barter
What had what doing making easy the rudder what liase
with your head what would land
Fear not don’t word the court say
Don’t pay your haters with a court side
Don’t drop the fact just to make it right
Hey up inside and higher up the water huh
Harrowed and wishin’ you’d be turnin’
Broke my jaw then just to see your reaction
You make your lover rough and say there ain’t no hope
Wait here I know what hand sign
Can’t have the keys if it isn’t real
Our hand goes at your throat so
Let not hate and fame set the clock
I’m not the hand to make so
I’m not the face that make sad
Take what I thought that it had
Ah ah ah ah …
(Feel Something)
Can you feel something here (x7)
I wanna feel something here (x2)
I wanna feel something something
I wanna feel something here
Can you help me feel something here (x4)
Can you make me feel something here
Can you help me feel something here
Oh I wanna feel something here
C’mon and help me feel something here
I think I feel something here (x2)
Do you think you feel something here
Oh I think I feel something here
I think I feel something here (x2)
Yeah, I feel something here
C’mon and feel something here
Oh, I can feel something here
(Station)
I can please myself
I can please myself with the little things I surround myself with
I can please myself with the little things that I seek out
Seek out
I can please myself with the things I seek out
Seek out
I can please myself with the things I seek out, surround myself
I can please myself with the things I seek out
Torn red
Caradine
Down with heaven
Even sanded
Under rented
Sheep and wool ray
I’m no breakin’
Preaching eases
Sore important
All converted
He’s an agentz
Even one
I can’t repeat it
I can’t repeat it
I can’t repeat it
On the mouths of many
Saving Jesus water
Calm in the face of annihilion
Cutting the wall it came in
I ain’t got any roles hereI am the teller of the causage-age
I get chased in both crosshairs
I got my jaws in my carrion
I covered my teeth in my severin’
I got my seven by seven rules
I covered my face in my gospel book
And I had them all frozen in my blood There instead
You’ve gotta make it thickNo need of exposé
Maybe we don’t go’ say it
No fool hears what I said
For read sit back stereo
All years it was so plain
I’ve been waiting to bring back this chain
Ooh ...I ain’t gotta exchange that wonda’
Who’s the Kodak I want sleeping Keena
All the torn out the blown out achieva
All the walls and the days ’a they tease ’a
I’m born every dayI’m all over that thing
I’m all over that thing
I’m all over that thing
I’m all over that
Even more, ma’ chest more stabbed
All I know is there is more blood
More sleep at least achieved
White roses, my God
All I know it there is more blood
White roses, my God
White roses, my God
(Somebody Else’s Room)
There’s a party in the basement (x9)
Got a party in the basement
Somebody else’s room (x7)
I don’t wanna be no foolIn somebody else’s room
Somebody else’s room (x11)
There’s a party in the basement (x6)
Oooooo
(Project 4 Ever)
Don’t let forgiving of all that revise’
Pleading in beats with the one that you needed
I come before as with everything rise with
I pour as one public and even which add in
I’m animal bait and I’m waiting forever
Forever
Forever
In the begin as the dawn as the red
Whoever made you or bid you, who’s in them
I know the ghost and the ages of water
I draw the claws and I bid and I barter
And rambled j-Jesus both planted the seed
And the spirit, a devil, and washed and hated
And I have prayed for what you weave
I have wanted to wake you with everything I could be then
Runnin’ Yeah I’m runnin’
Goodbye
What for the favorite stitchuated running out we have to get going
Hold it hold it got it got on it on it on it on it on and
on and on and on and on and on
Forever forever forever
On and on and on and on
Forever
