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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Irreveries, People never seem to amaze me, Con Disco Rotatorio, Levittown 1951, and Me and Jim.
1. |
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Angry letters, left unsent
My parents, early, said to me
If first you're angry, let it be.
If bitter words dwell in your heart,
Then give them time, ere they depart.
Whatever you have got to say,
It could not hurt to wait a day,
and if still tomorrow they ring true,
then speak them and face what ensues.
And sometimes I would let it fly,
and face the consequence thereby,
But like as not I'd let them lay,
never to see the light of day.
I'd tuck them away in some old drawer,
the dusty remnant of past wars.
The ammunition left unspent,
angry letters left unsent.
When every word is on display,
then every sentence is a game.
And words we'd never say out loud,
are now employed to please a crowd.
Respect and empathy are lost,
in self promotion at all cost
As we retreat into our screens,
our words become sharp and obscene.
It's less about what one might say,
than how the author is portrayed.
Perhaps I'm wrong, or just naive;
but social discourse is in need.
To look at someone in the eye,
watch them react to your reply.
Find common ground or disagree,
but maintain some civility;
because you know that now or then;
you're gonna see this face again.
So maybe in your next exchange,
you might consider some restraint.
And turn and walk away instead,
leaving your bitter words unsaid.
Tuck them away in some old drawer,
the dusty remnants of past wars.
A pantheon of past laments;
Angry letters, left unsent.
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2. |
Smell the Roses
04:42
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I am not a bit impressed with what you do for work;
Don't care about your income or your benefits or perks.
I'll never like you better for the car you choose to drive,
indeed, I might hold it against you if you flaunt that fancy ride.
The clothes you wear, your zipcode, or your general net worth
have zero import on what you've achieved while here alive on earth.
Do you stop and smell the roses, do you listen to the wind?
Do you keep up with the Joneses or explore the world you're in?
With compassion can you walk a mile in someone else's shoes?
Will you take the road less travelled, will you live the life you choose?
Everyone needs wherewithal to make their daily bread;
The fruits of all your labor are the means to keep you fed.
Just don't neglect those priceless hours after your work is done,
do your living with your working 'cause tomorrow may not come.
The lives you touch, the love you share, the stories that unfold
will be worth more than any riches as you look back when you're old.
One day you will wake to find your hair has turned to gray,
although you feel like the same person, by your body you're betrayed.
All your youth and all your passion far behind you in the past,
and you will linger on your memories, as long as memory lasts.
Do you stop and smell the roses, do you listen to the wind?
Do you keep up with the Joneses or explore the world you're in?
With compassion can you walk a mile in someone else's shoes?
Will you take the road less travelled, will you live the life you choose?
Have you followed any passions, have you been lost in a book?
Have you found a skill to master, can you build, or sew, or cook?
Have you picked up information, have you learned from your mistakes?
It's will and discipline not talent that can make a person great.
Are you good to pets and children, can you be both strong and kind?
Are you capable of wonder, can you keep an open mind?
When you're faced with indecision will you choose what you most fear?
Only through facing your own weakness can you broaden your frontiers.
Do you stop and smell the roses, do you listen to the wind?
Do you keep up with the Joneses or explore the world you're in?
With compassion can you walk a mile in someone else's shoes?
Will you take the road less travelled, will you live the life you choose?
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3. |
Let there be Light
06:25
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My Mama is a Christian, so help me, I am not.
We both feel pretty strongly, about theology and God.
She knows that God created man, I think that man created God;
She finds comfort in the message, I find hypocrisy and fraud.
I see a useful means for those who seek to dictate and control;
she sees a promise of redemption, and salvation of her soul.
I point out logical analysis, she answers me with faith;
Spent too much time trying to convert each other,
but neither of us will likely change.
But I love my Mama, and if she finds some comfort, that's OK.
At this point, I'm glad she has it - wouldn't take a bit away.
So we focus on the points of life where we can both agree;
never mind the scripture or the eschatology.
Let there be light, and let there be love
Whether you believe in heaven, or only endless stars above
may you always find the strength to seek the world that you dream of;
Let there be light, and let there be love.
I saw my Mama yesterday, she's tired and in pain.
Breaks my heart to see her suffer, wish I could take the pain away.
If there was a God I'd hate him for the way he's treated her,
after tireless devotion and all she's done to love and serve.
But even as I think it, I can hear what she would say;
That everybody suffers, and she's been blessed in every way.
And the only thing I'm certain of is that I'll never be certain...
And maybe no one benefits from pulling back the curtain.
It takes endless strength and fortitude to make it through this life;
and maybe comfort should be taken when it's offered, wrong or right.
Let there be light, and let there be love
Whether you believe in heaven, or only endless stars above
may you always find the strength to seek the world that you dream of;
Let there be light, and let there be love.
We agree that life is precious, and it's good to be alive;
The Golden Rule's a solid operating code for life to thrive;
That compassion and humility are admirable life goals,
and that time and love and friendship are more valuable than gold.
That acceptance, not division, is what brings us strength and peace,
and trying to be a decent person eclipses ideology.
Let there be light, and let there be love
Whether you believe in heaven, or only endless stars above
may you always find the strength to seek the world that you dream of;
Let there be light, and let there be love.
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4. |
On the Road with Jim
05:38
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Friday night again, and that means Jenny's rumblin'
down the road just like a thousand nights before.
Everybody's optimistic, or it may just be the whiskey,
but we're all convinced tonight will be what we've been waiting for.
That's our exit, yeah we missed it -
'cause the smart phone don't exist yet
and Ricky's navigation leaves a lot to be desired.
Here we are, the place is empty; it should probably be condemned
we will be lucky if it don't collapse and kill us all tonight.
Drivin' down the road, chasing a dream.
Seeing old familiar faces, meeting new ones in between,
playing out our hearts each night, no matter where, or when...
and tomorrow night we'll do it all again
we'll have another evening on the road with Jim.
The bartender is bored, he does his utmost to ignore us;
he makes it clear he's unimpressed with scornful smiles and dirty looks
Now he's talking up the other acts
that keep the place completely packed - says,
"you shoulda been here last night, man - the place was off the hook!".
Now we're moving heavy boxes, may as well be filled with rocks
it sucks
but after twenty trips, we're almost nearly halfway done.
There's a few folks at the bar, they don't know who the hell we are,
but by the looks of them they kind of wish that we had never come.
Drivin' down the road, chasing a dream.
Seeing old familiar faces, meeting new ones in between,
playing out our hearts each night, no matter where, or when...
and tomorrow night we'll do it all again
we'll have another evening on the road with Jim.
Now the band begins to play, and chase the regulars away
and it seems that soon, I will be crooning to an empty room...
They just don't appreciate the kind of music that we're playing,
maybe it's too loud - or possibly just out of tune.
Now we've finally found our groove,
out there some bodies start to move,
we've got their attention and a few fans made the trip to see the show
We play these tunes several nights a week,
and we could play them in our sleep,
but the energy is building as the booze begins to flow.
By the time we reach the third set, every song we play is perfect -
though that assessment may be somewhat alcoholically inspired...
We're the best there'll ever be, and our crowd seems to agree,
even the bartender seems happier than when we first arrived.
Drivin' down the road, chasing a dream.
Seeing old familiar faces, meeting new ones in between,
We'll give it all we've got until our prospects start to dim...
and tomorrow night we'll do it all again
we'll have another evening on the road with Jim.
Drivin' down the road, chasing a dream.
Seeing old familiar faces, meeting new ones in between,
Until one day you say "Boys, I think it's time we pack it in..."
sometimes I wish that we could do it all again
and have another evening on the road with Jim.
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5. |
Dystopian Elegy
04:37
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What in the world you think's in store for me?
Why on earth should I even care;
If being alive requires more from me -
than being awake and being aware?
I feel like a spider in a hurricane;
Watching the storm through many eyes;
A few different vantage points to witness the destruction -
of so many places, so many lives.
Does it even matter what I do?
Should I even bother with my pride?
When everything that ever has existed is now dead;
And everything alive will one day die.
I see people sinking in futility;
discarded by the world they've made;
Living in limbo with humility;
Reduced into predator or prey.
There's a wall that we've built around humanity;
it maintains our illusion of control;
With each generation we further disconnect from nature -
but nature may yet exact its toll.
Does it even matter what I do?
Should I even bother with my pride?
When everything that ever has existed is now dead;
And everything alive will one day die.
And I laugh at myself when, in spite of it all,
I can find a good reason to smile.
I can see the sun's light through the cracks in the wall -
it appears to have been there awhile.
And I know that there's hope when I look at the sky
or the bright, lucid, eyes of a child;
and I see there the unbridled courage of life,
and a desperate will to survive.
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6. |
Dystopian Dyslogy
07:34
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Not sure when It came to be;
the whole world circumvented me.
Can't quite place the point in time;
that real life became a pantomime.
One day we were all alive and here...
The next, we all just disappeared.
All our faces, all our dreams -
drowned in blue light from our screens.
And the sun goes down,
another day has ended and a new one on the way;
And the stars are out,
as they were and so they will be, long after we've gone away.
Back when it was shiny, new;
It felt like we could be who we wanted to.
A place to nurse our hearts and minds;
a supplement to a broken time.
But all things wild must be tamed -
as all frontiers are staked and claimed.
Our escape became our greatest vice;
prisoners to our own device.
A few more years and we may come to find;
No one remembers who we are;
Long lost habits, from forgotten times;
To build a fire; read a book; drive a car...
Our evolution shifts to overdrive;
our bodies fight to keep the pace;
a brand new definition of what it means to be alive;
the intersect of life, and time, and space...
The reconfigured, super-human race.
The bricks and mortar had their day;
slowly they began to fade.
One by one the pillars fell - a trickle that began to swell.
As industries and titans burned...
our new lords, from the fire, emerged.
The captains of technology...
rewriting human history.
And the sun goes down;
another day, another season, before we know - another year.
And the world goes 'round;
a new regime, another empire tries to exploit all our fears...
Now our lives are bought and sold;
our movements tracked, our reach controlled.
All our dreams, all our desires...
are monitored by our occupiers.
We've redefined our sense of worth:
we're just tourists in the metaverse.
We're fed the sanctioned points of view,
and more protein in our feeding tube.
A few more years and we may come to find;
No one remembers who we are;
Long lost habits, from forgotten times;
To build a fire; read a book; play guitar...
Our evolution shifts to overdrive;
our bodies fight to keep the pace;
a brand new definition of what it means to be alive;
the intersect of life, and time, and space...
The reconfigured, super-human race.
If we all join hands we can break these chains.
All we are is all we have to live for.
All we are is all we have to give.
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7. |
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My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Tells me each evil thought she's thinkin'
With every sip my heart keeps sinkin'
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Monday morning rolls around.
She thinks I'm the sweetest guy around.
She is my princess, I'm her clown;
She'd never dream to put me down.
But then along comes Friday night;
My baby's gettin' a little tight.
I do my best to keep things polite,
but that girl is rarin' for a fight.
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Tells me each evil thought she's thinkin'
With every sip my heart keeps sinkin'
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Must be a day that ends in "Y";
'Cause I am ruinin' people's lives.
She's had some drinks, and now she'll try -
to tell me all the reasons why...
she is so utterly appalled;
that one man could have so many faults
Seems I ain't worth too much, at all...
if she's had any alcohol.
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Tells me each evil thought she's thinkin'
With every sip my heart keeps sinkin'
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Tell her I love her, and I know it's just the booze.
She says she loves me too, then piles on more abuse.
Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth drinkin'...
But then I think - "Man, that's crazy talk. What was I thinkin'"?
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
Tells me each evil thought she's thinkin'
With every sip my heart keeps sinkin'
My baby hates me when she's drinkin'
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8. |
Together Alone
05:44
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It's been said "no man's an island";
Ahh, but baby, here we sit.
Looking out across a strange and different world;
- trying to make some sense of it.
In each direction lies an endless sea of doubt;
violent, stormy waves, crashing all around.
The glass is falling and the clouds are blowing in...
turn up the music until it drowns out the din.
Break out the booze, we're gonna have ourselves a ball;
If that's all there is - then let the cards commence to fall.
We don't ask permission, we're just out here on our own...
Sometimes in life, it seems, we're better off alone.
And I could summon everyone under the sun
to come and witness my love for you;
but they're not here - to see the moon in your eyes.
And there ain't nothin' any one of them could ever say or do
that matters to
you and I; alone together tonight
Maybe we'll wake up to a rainbow;
the colors dancing on the water in the air.
Though other storms may quickly follow
we'll take advantage of the sunshine while it's here.
And though the future is uncertain,
no one's ever lived - for whom that isn't true.
And if we should ultimately succumb to the storm;
I will be grateful to have faced it all with you...
Of course, it must be said, we're really not alone.
We both have friends and family we welcome to our home...
It just sounds more romantic, if perhaps a bit cliché;
maybe not an island - but a really long driveway!
And I could summon everyone under the sun
to come and witness my love for you;
but they're not here - to see the moon in your eyes.
And there ain't nothin' any one of them could ever say or do
that matters to
you and I; alone together tonight
You and I alone together, rain and sun and stormy weather;
living out the story of our lives.
Pleasure, pain and joy and sorrow;
love today, hope for tomorrow
long as the sun continues to rise
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9. |
Hail to the Skeptics
07:12
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Hail to the skeptics
Hail to the skeptics, never reckless - rarely bold;
ever wary of the fold; not believing what they're told.
Here's to the cynics, looking out through watchful eyes;
rarely taken by surprise; seeking truth but finding lies.
Here's to the losers, on the outside - looking in;
trying to navigate the spin; forced to draw strength from within.
Here's to the loners, on the outskirts of the crowd;
determining the best way out -
in case the need should come about.
How could you have believed them when they've lied so much before?
They'd sell their mothers for a profit or a chance to start a war.
You thought that this time would be different -
they'd be in it to do good...
though the record seems to indicate they never have or would.
Which one of the talking heads convinced you it was true?
Was it corporations, politicians, or the media - for you?
When the scope becomes apparent
and the smoke begins to clear
will you ever come to realize how they preyed upon your fears?
Hail to the skeptics, never reckless - rarely bold;
ever wary of the fold; not believing what they're told.
Here's to the cynics, looking out through watchful eyes;
rarely taken by surprise; seeking truth but finding lies.
Here's to the losers, on the outside - looking in;
trying to navigate the spin; forced to draw strength from within.
Here's to the loners, on the outskirts of the crowd;
determining the best way out -
in case the need should come about.
Of course, you must admit they really played their part quite well;
they used all your best intentions to help them influence and sell.
They turned the cautious into criminals; the doubters into fools...
as they canonized the sycophants and rewrote all the rules.
But with acceptance, comes complicity, for all the damage done;
how many staring down the barrel of their own, misguided, gun?
As to how it all plays out, or if the truth will be laid bare...
time will tell... but by then will anybody even care?
When you're:
All alone and afraid, and you're
not sure of the way, but you're
somehow certain things aren't what they claim...
Sold out and betrayed
at the hands by whom we should have been saved;
they moved our lives around,
like chattel, in a game.
Hail to the skeptics, never reckless - rarely bold;
ever wary of the fold; not believing what they're told.
Here's to the cynics, looking out through watchful eyes;
rarely taken by surprise; seeking truth but finding lies.
Here's to the losers, on the outside - looking in;
trying to navigate the spin; forced to draw strength from within.
Here's to the loners, on the outskirts of the crowd;
determining the best way out -
in case the need should come about.
And how about you?
You were afraid to buck the trend...
Was it worth in the end?
Are you happy now, my friend?
So unsuspecting...
of the bait you swallowed whole;
the bill of goods that you were sold;
the endless lies that you were told.
You cheerfully took up their cause;
dutifully sharpened your claws;
and to the roaring of applause...
excoriated the outlaws...
You'll never wash away the guilt and pain that you have caused.
You will have to answer for the the lines that you have crossed.
You'll never wash away the guilt and pain that you have caused.
You will have to answer for the lives that you have cost.
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