Folkstar – folk rock band

Lyrics

All lyrics © 2012-2017 Karmic Fury Records (ASCAP)

Cards and Letters

You look for the icing on the cake
I try to interject and tell you
It’s been there all along
But the window has a glare
And distracted now you stare
At the parts of the display that look like they belong

Please don’t give up on me
I might not be what you want me to be
But I’m the best
I’m the best
I’m the best
Version of me

Let me take the time to warn you
If we’re going on a guilt trip
I will need better shoes
I’ve done the best I can
And I’ve never asked for handouts
I’ve got far to go and nothing left to lose

Please don’t give up on me
I might not be what you want me to be
But I’m the best
I’m the best
I’m the best
Version of me

Let me take you for a ride
Tell me while you’re by my side
That you got my cards and letters
Every time I hear you say
I didn’t turn out the right way
I know that I’ve done better
I’ve done better than you think

Digging graves is hard work
When you’re fighting with the dead
Telling them you lived a better life
But the shovel in your hand
Is a toothpick in the sand
In an hourglass that doesn’t care whether you’re right

Please don’t give up on me
I might not be what you want me to be
But I’m the best
I’m the best
I’m the best
Version of me

Let me take you for a ride
Tell me while you’re by my side
That you got my cards and letters
Every time I hear you say
I didn’t turn out the right way
I know that I’ve done better
I’ve done better than you think

Please don’t give up on me
I might not be what you want me to be
But I’m the best
I’m the best
I’m the best
Version of me

Back To Top

Twilight

I’m sorry for my indiscretions
The way I pulled your heart right off your sleeve
And went to leave
I understand the reasons
For the shattering glass around my feet
You wanted something to believe
You thought I would be the one to give it
But I’m dry as bone and you’re alone

We’re out of energy and things to throw
With our empty hands should I stay or go

I’m looking for an unmistakable sign
That we’re in this for the right reasons
I know the right kind of love
Is hiding underneath it all
I’m so tired

This is our twilight

I feel so empty
I’ve been watching the wrong gauges
Full of only discontent
Saving my pennies
For a tank full of hope, who cares about the rent?
All that we have left
Is the will to get through another day
To find a way

I know that I can still reach you inside
But my body is numb from the weight of my pride

I’m looking for an unmistakable sign
That we’re in this for the right reasons
I know the right kind of love
Is hiding underneath it all
I’m so tired

This is our twilight
This is our twilight
This is

I’m so tired

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After All

I’m waiting here
Dreading another conversation with you
Checking my clock, checking my watch
You’re late again

But I won’t let you walk all over me
And I won’t listen to you talking down to me
I can’t deal with you messing around on me
Time is up in 1, 2…

After all, you made a mess of everything
After all, you underestimated me
I am strong, stronger than you’ll ever be
And you, you know you disappointed me
After all

Put down your coat, put down your keys
Put down everything, but don’t try me
I packed all your clothes up hours ago
Just grab them and leave

Don’t make excuses for the time you hit me
And don’t pretend that the problem’s with me
You know what you’ve done but I’m done
Letting you have your way with me

After all, you made a mess of everything
After all, you underestimated me
I am strong, stronger than you’ll ever be
And you, you know you disappointed me
After all

After all

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Hug Me Up

The room is full of faces with no names
But underneath the hats and coats the heartbeats are the same
What would happen if for just one day
We all knew each other and that we’re all ok

I can’t feel my fingers as I come in from the cold
Hundreds blow into their hands and wish for one to hold
Our friends were all strangers once before
Friends are hard to come by, who couldn’t use one more

Hold me, I’m so lonely
Hold me, I’m so lonely

An outstretched hand can make the world feel alright
A warm embrace can make a child smile so bright
The human touch can mean so much if we’re not afraid
Just one hug can be the drug to get me through the day

We all search for meaning in the places that we go
The things we say the things we eat the people that we know
We size each other up and we wonder who we are
Behind the lonely faces a connection can’t be far

Love me, you’re so lovely
Love me, you’re so lovely

An outstretched hand can make the world feel alright
A warm embrace can make a child smile so bright
The human touch can mean so much if we’re not afraid
Just one hug can be the drug to get me through the day

An outstretched hand can make the world feel alright
A warm embrace can make a child smile so bright
The human touch can mean so much if we’re not afraid
Just one hug can be the drug to get me through the day

Hold me, I’m so lonely
Hold me, I’m so lonely
Love me, I’m so lovely
Love me, I’m so lovely

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Beggar’s Plea

Sit up straight, don’t be late
Grow up fast, find a mate
Siphon your soul into the ground
Shut your mouth, do what they say
Work yourself into an early grave
Don’t pay attention to the truths you’ve found

I feel sometimes the world is going to shit
And no one wants anything to do with it
Those who want to give are shot down by the ones who take
And we worship everything that’s fake

I’m begging you, begging you, begging you
To think about what you’re doin’
I’m begging you, begging you, begging you
To take a look inside yourself
Stop blaming it on someone else

Slap the hands of those in need
Stay warm and safe in your own greed
Make excuses for why you think you’re right
Waste yourself and turn your head
Ignore those who would kill for bread
Climb into your nice warm bed to sleep at night

I’m not innocent but it makes me ill
To see it all crash down but just stand still
We’re so afraid of everyone else
Trying hard to protect ourselves

I’m begging you, begging you, begging you
To think about what you’re doin’
I’m begging you, begging you, begging you
To take a look inside yourself
Stop blaming it on someone else

We are the answer
We are the answer

Begging you, begging you, begging you

We are the answer
We are the answer

Think about what you’re doin’
Think about what you’re doin’

We are the answer

Back To Top

Temptation

You brush past lightly grazing
Up against my wrist
The electric current is amazing
I wish that I had kissed
You then, before
I got wrapped up in something that is killing me
But I could never end it

Your perfect unfamiliar face
I know I shouldn’t cheat
But you wrap your charm around my gaze
And I can’t help but meet
Your eyes, they stare
Seeing me and knowing that I long for you
But my sinning days are over

Every time I try
To get you off my mind
You make my heart go crazy
My common sense goes blind
No matter what I try to do
To get you out the door
Every time I get away
I’m always left wanting

More

I want more of you, more of you
I want it all
I want all of you, all of you

I’m weaker than you would believe
Wanting you to stay
But I won’t let myself concede
And be taken astray
I will not think
About you anymore I will not do this
But I just can’t seem to turn away

Every time I try
To get you off my mind
You make my heart go crazy
My common sense goes blind
No matter what I try to do
To get you out the door
Every time I get away
I’m always left wanting…

More

I want more of you, more of you
I want it all
I want all of you, all of you

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Hurried to Leave

It’s quiet here in the absence of you
But your energy still fills the room
I still feel the pull from wherever you are
The ache ever threatens to consume

I knew you were still in love with her
When we fell into my bed
Common sense was silenced fast
And left hopeful lust in its stead

I want you to call
Or show up at my door
To be easy and free
Like we were before
You left a toothbrush
Waiting here with me
Is it because you’re coming back
Or because you hurried to leave?

I was only half-surprised
When you said you had to go
As you held me in your arms
Then kissed me hard but slow
…

The pillow still smells like you
But smells like feelings fade
You’ll fall asleep to her stroking your hair
While I lie in the bed we made

I want you to call
Or show up at my door
To be easy and free
Like we were before
You left a toothbrush
Waiting here with me
Is it because you’re coming back
Or because you hurried to leave?

Is it because you’re coming back
Or because you hurried to leave?

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Gone

With a smile on my face and my eyes to the sky
I need to do more than just getting by
So I take a deep breath and leave it all behind

I’ve packed a few things I think I might need
Hop in the car, don’t care if I speed
Got a ticket to nowhere and a good book to read

I trust my intuition
In the state of my condition
Who you are could never be what I need
Don’t pretend to understand
What I do and who I am
You don’t really give a damn about me

You shouldn’t have left the extra key
Where I could find it so easily
I stopped by when you weren’t home
Left my mark on everything you own
But don’t look for me
I’m already gone
Gone, gone, gone

You shouldn’t really be surprised
I’m not stupid and you’re not nice
But lucky for you alibis are free
You had to work late or your car broke down
Your excuses took you all over town
But nobody else has seen you including me

I trust my intuition
In the state of my condition
Who you are could never be what I need
Don’t pretend to understand
What I do and who I am
You don’t really give a damn about me

You shouldn’t have left the extra key
Where I could find it so easily
I stopped by when you weren’t home
Left my mark on everything you own
But don’t look for me
I’m already gone
Gone, gone, gone

I know you don’t wear underwear like that
There on the chair, that’s not your hat
I could shatter your memories with a bat
But right now I’ve got a boat to catch
…

You shouldn’t have left the extra key
Where I could find it so easily
I stopped by when you weren’t home
Left my mark on everything you own
But don’t look for me
I’m already gone
Gone, gone, gone

I’m already gone
Gone, gone, gone

Back To Top

Reign Falls

I like to walk unnoticed
In a crowd that I don’t know
It makes me feel invisible
But a little less alone

I swear I hear your voice
Like an echo in the hall
But the empty streets and alleys
Have no sign of you at all

The gray clouds look like rain
As I’m running for the train
But I missed it once again
The way I miss you

Let the reign fall down
On me
I’m going to leave this town
The way I found it
Before I found you
Let the reign fall down
Around you too

The memories I have of you
Are highly overrated
I’m going to cling much tighter
To the ones I have created

The times that we found meaning
In a world that once was dark
A bouquet of fictional flowers
Imaginary picnics in the park

You made me feel uneven
I was glad when you were leaving
So why am I still grieving
For someone that I never knew?

Let the reign fall down
On me
I’m going to leave this town
The way I found it
Before I found you
Let the reign fall down
Around you too
…

I like to walk unnoticed
In a crowd that I don’t know
It makes me feel invisible
But a little less alone

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Everything You Need

Keep my interest as you keep your distance
And I keep my heart to myself
I’m closer than I’ve ever been
To letting up and giving in
As you give your love to someone else

You’ve made it clear that you hold me dear
But between the lines of kindness lies the truth
I’m on the other side of words
I’ve said before but never heard
To let down gently those I’d never choose

You’re right; I know you’re right
This is the only way we can survive

But I close my eyes and I
Think that I
Could learn to give you everything you need
And I could love you better
And I’d love you forever
If you would just, but you don’t
You don’t

You’re so beautiful when you think that no one’s watching
The bar is crowded, Friday night
I admire you just out of range
And watch as your expressions change
You’re distracted and I can see why

She’s just your type, across the room
And I see the shift in you
You tell me that it’s good to know
That girls like that still go to shows
And maybe someday one will play for you

You’re blind; I know you’re blind
You can’t see it in front of your eyes

But I close my eyes and I
Think that I
Could learn to give you everything you need
And I could love you better
And I’d love you forever
If you would just, but you don’t
You don’t

Oh you don’t
No you don’t

Back To Top

Alone on Christmas

Driving in the rain with the radio on
All the stations are playing only Christmas songs
Should I turn it off or should I sing along?
Can’t find the words now that you’re gone

It’s extra cold this year
I can’t find the cheer
And the bells I hear
Seem dull and quiet in my ears

I don’t want to be alone on Christmas
Everything reminds me of you
They say it might be a white Christmas
But this year my Christmas will be blue

Pass the houses strung with lights as I go
Carolers are singing swaying to and fro
I get home and hum a Christmas song I know
Light a candle and sigh as I watch it glow

It’s awful cold this year
Despite the cheer
When the lights appear
I still wish that you were here

I don’t want to be alone on Christmas
Everything reminds me of you
They say it might be a white Christmas
But this year my Christmas will be blue

It’s really cold this year
I can’t find the cheer
But the bells I hear
Sound a little bit more clear

It’s alright to be alone on Christmas
Though everything reminds me of you
They say it might be a white Christmas
And this year my Christmas will be new

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Loud and Clear

I never knew you could lose a sense like that
Just like that
Like somebody hit the mute button
Then turned up the screeching sounds
Like somebody turned on the static
Suddenly my world turned upside down

For the longest time I blamed myself
I stayed at home, not wanting to go out
My dreams just got much further away
I cursed the world and let it drag me down

My doctor didn’t know because they don’t know anything
My specialist called me a “miracle”
I escaped my days of anger and depression
But it took me a long time to figure it out

I got past my fear
Of losing my life
Of falling behind
I wasted my time
Before I lost it all
I needed a wake up call
Loud and clear
Even though I couldn’t hear
Loud and clear
Even though I couldn’t hear

A musician missing an ear
How am I supposed to know what comes out of my fingers?
Complicated, the things I hear
Trying to understand loud sounds and whispers

My doctor didn’t know because he doesn’t know anything
My specialist said “it happens all the time”
I’m working my way back on the stage
Odds may stack against me, but I’ll be alright

I got past my fear
Of losing my life
Of falling behind
I wasted my time
Before I lost it all
I needed a wake up call
Loud and clear
Even though I couldn’t hear
Loud and clear
Even though I couldn’t hear

Back To Top

Something New

Exploring a house with many rooms
Squeezing through spaces hard to fit through
The vastness of my mind
All of the places I’ve left behind

Too many experiences
An overflow of memories
Impossible to clear my head
Not a chance of being zen

Yet every day there’s something new
Every day life takes on a brand new hue
Years go by but every time I step outside
I see something I’ve never seen before

Every day there’s something new
Every day life becomes a little more in tune
Years go by and every time I step outside
Things are revealed in slow surprise

Animals appear right in front of me
A tiny dinosaur walks by freely
In our busy lives there are so many things
We don’t open our eyes to see

Too many responsibilities
An overflow of things
Impossible to houseclean
Nowhere near being clutter-less

Yet every day there’s something new
Every day life takes on a brand new hue
Years go by but every time I step outside
I see something I’ve never seen before

Every day there’s something new
Every day life becomes a little more in tune
Years go by and every time I step outside
Things are revealed in slow surprise

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It Gets Better

Don’t pay attention to what they say
They don’t know you were born this way
You’re just doing all you can to get by

It’s all that you can do
To keep from falling through
Remember that it’s your life
Survive

Show them up
Show them what you can do
Get up and make your dreams come true

They point and stare
But you shouldn’t care
It doesn’t matter anyway

Because you’re OK
Voices in the hall
Everything is crashing down
Oh it gets better now
You know
Everything will change
It won’t seem quite as strange
It will get better somehow

You are just getting started
A full life ahead of you
There are so many things
You have to say and have to do

You may feel alone
But there are others just like you
Stand tall and push on through

Because you’re OK
Voices in the hall
Everything is crashing down
Oh it gets better now
You know
Everything will change
It won’t seem quite as strange
It will get better somehow

It’s so much better now
You’re so much stronger now
People are better now
Oh it’s better now
Your life is better now
Always getting better
Getting better now

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Abolitionists

They thought slavery was a sin
She watched a daughter
Taken away from her mother
He spent a lot of time with them
Together they started a movement

But people wanted them to be quiet
They weren’t ready to change their ways
Instead they formed a tiny minority
Against the misguided majority

People were mean and threatening
They burned down the building they were in
They lived in fear
They didn’t want to die

Abolitionists
Clearly they were right
But when we fight the same battles today
It doesn’t happen overnight
Abolitionists
Sometimes it’s about black and white
Men and women, gay and straight
Humans and nonhumans
Wanting justice
Trying to enjoy their lives

Terrible things happen
Each moment of every day
But we’re told to be demure and wait
Because people are slow to change

It’s tiring trying to sit still and be quiet
Knowing it’s a matter of time
But a lot of time with a lot of suffering
Before people wake up and realize

The majority mean and threatening
The government is on their side
We live in fear
Keeping out of prison

Abolitionists
Clearly they were right
But when we fight the same battles today
It doesn’t happen overnight
Abolitionists
Sometimes it’s about black and white
Men and women, gay and straight
Humans and nonhumans
Wanting justice
Trying to enjoy their lives

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Fabrication

It’s funny how we’re so dismayed
That everything is made in China
When we boast about the cheapest
Crap we can buy on sale

Spend so much time on the computer
Never going out
Then wonder why there’s no music
And no venues in town
They have all shut down

Concrete walls and fences
Sweatshops and smokestacks
Gadgets and screens
Lip-syncing and machines

Enjoy fabrication
Instead of real life
TV shows and Disney knows
How to keep you satisfied
It’s a fake life
Don’t go outside
Act it out

It’s funny how we’re so surprised
The government’s run by corporations
While we wear their logos and use our
Taxes to bail them out

Meaninglessness gets more likes
Gossip, jokes, and funny pictures
Are a total waste of time
And they show what we care about

Plastic toys and video games
Skyscrapers and oil rigs
Pesticides and GMOs
Facebook and iPads

Enjoy fabrication
Instead of real life
TV shows and Disney knows
How to keep you satisfied
It’s a fake life
Don’t go outside
Act it out

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Human

It took a long time to realize
I killed the life I so admired
I have spent half my time
Out of sight and out of mind

Looking from my bird’s eye view
It’s impossible to deny
Everyone suffers, everyone enjoys
And everyone deserves to be alive

We draw imaginary lines
Pretending everything’s alright
Any other way is a threat
To the way we live our lives

We are human
They’re not human
We are human
They’re not human
I can do something to change this
You can do something to change this
I can do something to change this
We can do something to change this

We’re all about our quantities
Making money by “efficiency”
Put them in camps, deny they’re alike
Tiny cages stacked sky high

We draw imaginary lines
Pretending everything’s alright
Any other way is a threat
To the way we live our lives

We are human
They’re not human
We are human
They’re not human
I can do something to change this
You can do something to change this
I can do something to change this
We can do something to change this

The floor is slanted pushing us all to one side
The ceiling is so short we can’t stand upright
Your body is in contact on all sides
Have we completely lost our minds?

I can do something to change this
We can do something to change this

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Could You Be

Come into the light where I can see
Come into the light where you belong
You cast a shadow
On the best laid plans
And I’m torn and twisted
At the touch of your hand

Let me see the face
I’ve already memorized
Be the love
That I already recognize

Could you be
Someone, something

Come into the light where I can see
Come into the light where you belong

Let me see the face
I’ve already memorized
Be the love
That I already recognize

Could you be
Someone, something

Passion without consequence
No such thing as coincidence
Just breathe
We find our creature comforts
In the space in between
The dream is in the waking
Come to me
I found you in the ether of the fantasy
Now you’re free

Live inside the dream
I’ve already memorized
See the love
Created right before our eyes

Could you be
Someone, something

Come into the light where I can see
Come into the light where you belong

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Ice Queen

I’ll forgive your arrogance and insecurities
If you forgive my holding back the deepest part of me
Did you curse the world or take the time to grieve
When all you did in the moment was cry and watch me leave

All that I know is guilt and pain
All that I know is fear
All that I know is I wake up daily wondering why I’m even here

You feel the sear and ache of a broken heart
The phantom limb, the bandaged wound, the hardest part
I was cruel and I was cold
And I won’t grow up as I grow old
I broke your heart but I know baby
I’m going to die alone

I knew what I was getting into when you fell for me
I knew I’d never love you half as much as you loved me
But you stroked my ego and I played the part
There’s nothing left to lose with a compass of a frozen heart

All that I know is hurt and shame
All I know are lies
All I know are all the games and ironclad alibis

You feel the sear and ache of a broken heart
The phantom limb, the bandaged wound, the hardest part
I was cruel and I was cold
And I won’t grow up as I grow old
I broke your heart but I know baby
I’m going to die alone

I take what I want
I take what I want
I don’t care what you want
I take what I want

You feel the sear and ache of a broken heart
The phantom limb, the bandaged wound, the hardest part
I was cruel and I was cold
And I won’t grow up as I grow old
I broke your heart but I know baby
I’m going to die alone

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New Eyes

You were always there for me
Through the happiest times of my life
And when I fell from grace
It was you who was by my side

I held you so close to me
As you took your last breath of life
It tore the love out of me
And left an empty space inside

They say there’s a reason for all things
No matter how bleak it seems
My faith may waver; it may sink
Because it’s so hard to see

I just need some time
And new eyes
To see
The meaning in everything

The morning of a new day
The house now it feels so big
The rooms are empty now
But there’s no one here but me­

My mind is stuck on repeat
As I go through your things
I’m holding you and healing you
Wishing I could change what life brings

They say there’s a reason for all things
No matter how bleak it seems
My faith may waver; it may sink
Because it’s so hard to see

I just need some time
And new eyes
To see
The meaning in everything

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Trampoline

You’re an angel in a photograph
Taking up my rear view
I try to think of you as a ghost
That I can see through
I put on airs and I throw my cares
To a wind that will never come
Does she make you happy?
I wish you would come home

But you, no you
Oh you, no you

Oh you’ve got a hold on me
Hold onto my heartstrings
Pull me up like a puppeteer
And I’m a trampoline

The words sound superficial
As I write them on a napkin
It’s almost a year later
And the tears are coming again
You can call some things mistakes
Even though I won’t take them back
I’m going through the motions now
And trying to forget what I lack

But you, no you
Oh you, no you

Oh you’ve got a hold on me
Hold onto my heartstrings
Pull me up like a puppeteer
And I’m a trampoline

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Afterglow

You walk through the door
Wearing an afterglow
Has it all come apart
Should we just let go?
You expect me to ask you to leave
And I ought to
But I hold you close to me
And I forgive you

Put away all your lies
No reason now to hide
Put away all your lies
And come inside

You gave up easily
You didn’t fight at all
Moving on to the next
You put up your wall
I prefer hard truth
With all our human flaws
Forgive and forget
We’ll make it through this standing tall

Put away all your lies
No reason now to hide
Put away all your lies
And come inside

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Outcast

I was born a little different
I didn’t know what it meant
Kept quiet and hidden
So no one would find out

They stared at me and mocked my name
Teased me and made me afraid
Got underneath my skin
Until I felt like someone else

I tried I tried I tried to fit in
I cried I cried I cried because I didn’t

When you’re cast on the outside
Looking in
Separate from those around you
Like solitary confinement
Half the country votes against you
And no one understands
You’re on your own
You stand alone
You don’t give in

I may be complex and kind
And gendered less than black and white
But I’ve been told that when I die
I’m going straight to hell

I’ve been afraid of crosses burning
And what my child was learning
And if something bad should happen
How the law would leave me out

I tried I tried I tried to change their minds
I cried I cried I cried at the hatred inside

When you’re cast on the outside
Looking in
Separate from those around you
Like solitary confinement
Half the country votes against you
And no one understands
You’re on your own
You stand alone
You don’t give in

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Final Curtain

A single gunshot to the head
Life snuffed out like candle smoke
He lied at first and then confessed
With a suicide note
And a matching bullet hole of his own

She still smiles in photographs
Of vacations and days gone by
But she won’t pick up her phone
If you call, she won’t be there
Won’t be there when you call

We can get caught up in the hows and whys
And be angry at something up in the sky
But life is brisk and uncertain
Death is the final curtain
Despite what we might have to say
In the matter
Despite what we might have to say
In the matter
Most of us never get to say goodbye

I’ve been asked so many times
What I’d do if I knew today I would die
And I answer with whimsy
About taking risks
And jumping from the sky
Then go back to sitting in my chair
Working for nothing and wishing at air
Punching in and out of the clock of my life

We can get caught up in the hows and whys
And be angry at something up in the sky
But life is brisk and uncertain
Death is the final curtain
Despite what we might have to say
In the matter
Despite what we might have to say
In the matter
Most of us never get to say goodbye

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Everybody Knows

Turn on the TV
To hear what they say
I try to find the truth
But it’s gotten away
I want to hear about taxes
And the economy
But not a word they say
Has anything to do with me

Talking heads on the screen
Can’t understand what they mean
When they smile I just want to scream
And all I hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

Everybody knows
That the emperors sitting there
Are wearing no clothes

Calling names and deflecting questions
Into air
Pulling rabbits out of hats
To try to make me care
Two sides of the coin
Both laughing all the way to the bank
Pulling out all the stops
While the puppets dance and shake

Talking heads on the screen
Can’t understand what they mean
When they smile I just want to scream
And all I hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

Everybody knows
That Pinocchio has a
Really long nose

Everybody knows
That the powerful wizard
Is wearing street clothes

Talking heads on the screen
Can’t understand what they mean
When they smile I just want to scream
And all I hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

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Natural High

Lift your fists and lose your burdens
It’s time for you to be strong and certain
Breathe in deep for total immersion
Now you need to open up the curtain

You want it hard
You want it rough
Want it again
And you’re never giving up

Walk on the stage
Jump in the ring
Pull back the covers
Ready to begin

Lift your head up and stand up tall
Fight hard, you’re never gonna fall
Step up and make your decision
You’re gonna lose your inhibitions

You want it hard
You want it rough
Want it again
And you’re never giving up

Walk on the stage
Jump in the ring
Pull back the covers
Ready to begin

I feel so high
Nothing’s going to get me down
I can touch the sky
Never gonna touch the ground

I feel so high
Nothing’s going to keep me bound
I can touch the sky
And I can go another round

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Dream Thieves

When I was 15, she came to me
As if a dream, as though a higher being
I didn’t die that night

She was pulled from me by the dream thieves
They take everyone’s light
And teach us how to take the others

But I still remember
How her voice spoke to me
I could hear it through defeat
She kept me alive

Pass it on
Now our dreams are gone
Once we were free
Before we met the thieves
As we’ve gotten older
With more burdens on our shoulders
But they didn’t take it all
There’s a little hope left over

There’s no money
You’re living in a fairy tale
You’ll be broke and homeless
Time to study something else

It would take a miracle
The odds are a million to one
The fear built up inside
I fell in line with everyone

But I still remember
How her voice spoke to me
I could hear it through defeat
She kept me alive

Pass it on
Now our dreams are gone
Once we were free
Before we met the thieves
As we’ve gotten older
With more burdens on our shoulders
But they didn’t take it all
There’s a little hope left over

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Enjoy the Ride (feat. Emily Pakes)

Lethal machines running on gasoline
If you want to use only your feet
You play with your phone, a moment’s decision
Puts a biker six feet deep

Hillandale Road, River Road, Route 17
Driving while impaired or just not seeing
Three ton beasts we don’t take seriously

We could pay attention and not speed
They’re human beings, act courteously
Instead we act with hostility
Fathers and friends gone prematurely

He said “just enjoy the ride”
Two days before he died
Too distracted to drive
Swerve and collide
Wasted life

Just enjoy the ride
Just enjoy the ride

Rap:
Two wheels, way that I roll through
I pay tax so I use these roads too
Share the road on my commute
I’m a little bit slower but I don’t pollute
But behind the wheel, morals cast out
I get hit, law says my fault
Something’s wrong when we try to save the earth
but die on asphalt

Drunk, high, riding with the seat back
Speeding down 40 like a jet down a tarmac
Oops, what, felt an impact
While I was sending pics to a guy on Snapchat
Bikers need to stay back
I ain’t got time to react
Ride two wheels, get four on your back
And I’ll be scot-free while you lay flat

Just enjoy the ride (lethal machines running on gasoline)
Just enjoy the ride (puts a biker six feet deep)
Just enjoy the ride (Hillandale Road, Route 17)
Just enjoy the ride (driving while impaired or just not seeing)
Just enjoy the ride (just enjoy the ride)
Just enjoy the ride
The ride, the ride
The ride, the ride

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Treeline

Others can look at you and see nothing at all
You’re a giant among us, mysterious and tall

This is the closest we can come to life before sin
The light shines in, the light shines in

I see you from a mountain
Given away by your crown
How many miles to reach you
I will walk that ground

I walk the treeline
My eyes sky bound
I walk the treeline
Feet firmly in the ground
I walk the treeline
Open up my eyes
I walk the treeline
My ears hear all sound

When I see you I see the face of my dreams
Your strength, your energy, you say nothing

This is the closest I can come to life making sense
The light shines in, the light shines in

I see you from the valley
Given away by your power
How many miles to reach you
I will walk for hours

I walk the treeline
My eyes sky bound
I walk the treeline
Feet firmly in the ground
I walk the treeline
Open up my eyes
I walk the treeline
My ears hear all sound

I walk the treeline,
I will walk that ground

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Who Am I?

I want to grow old and gray
Unburdened by a hospital stay
I want to die the way I please
I want to be taken by the trees

These days we poke and prod
We’re kept alive long after we’re gone
Our bodies fail, our brains decline
Bury our souls somewhere inside, somewhere inside

When you can no longer breathe
We’ll breathe for you
When your heart stops
We’ll make it start again for you
Still on this earth
Without my mind
I shuffle along
Please tell me
Who am I?

An army load of poisons in me
A million doctors trying to see
What I need – Turn off the light
I’m not alright

An operation successful in their eyes
Despite it going horribly awry
My expert maintains his status
While I smile and cry, smile and cry

When you can no longer breathe
We’ll breathe for you
When your heart stops
We’ll make it start again for you
Still on this earth
Without my mind
I shuffle along
Please tell me
Who am I?

When you can no longer breathe
We’ll breathe for you
When your heart stops

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Song for Joyce Kilmer

You used to think that you’d never see
A poem as lovely as me
You climbed in my arms and I held you quietly
Until it got dark and you had to leave

You’d see me often and tell me your dreams
That you’d move away and see other things
But you promised to visit and see how I was
But time changed things, it always does

Don’t cut me down
Don’t sell me out
Don’t cut me down
I’m still alive

My friends all got taken but I managed to stay
Until I got in the way
You walked by as they poked and they prodded me
But turned and walked off when friends called you away

Don’t cut me down
Don’t sell me out
Don’t cut me down
I’m still alive

Today is the day and there is a crowd
I’m the last one standing here now
I see that you’re there with your eyes pointed down
I lose sight of your face as I hit the ground

You cut me down
You sold me out
You cut me down
But you’re still alive

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We’ve Got Time

Ten hours on the interstate we drive into the dark
My eyes are dry and burning and I don’t know where we are
But tomorrow we’ll wake in a different world than one we’ve ever seen
And we’ll drive some more and breathe it in and think of where we’ve been

We don’t know another soul along this lonely road
No one waiting up for us or telling us where to go

It doesn’t matter where we lay our heads tonight
‘Cuz we’ve got time, we’ve got time
No matter where we’re going it’s alright
‘Cuz we’ve got time, we’ve got time

Twelve degrees and an inch of snow as we settle for the night
We’ve found ourselves a truck stop that seems to be alright
Close the curtains we made ourselves and pull the blankets close
We’re nice and warm and we hope we’re safe but no one ever knows

We don’t know another soul along this lonely road
No waiting up for us or telling us where to go

It doesn’t matter where we lay our heads tonight
‘Cuz we’ve got time, we’ve got time
No matter where we’re going it’s alright
‘Cuz we’ve got time, we’ve got time

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Grow

You can be my shelter or my storm
You turn my bones to ice or keep me warm
Every cliché ever written down
Is twice as true and a lie when you’re around

You’ll be the sun to make me grow
I reach to the sky where the wind does blow
And when I wilt you’ll be the rain
To rinse my soul so I can try again

You want to believe in love but it burned you so
Shackled you to a self you didn’t want to know
And you scoff at me and my naiveté
But that’s what you get for being good to me

You’ll be the sun to make me grow
I reach to the sky where the wind does blow
And when I wilt you’ll be the rain
To rinse my soul so I can try again

You’ll be the air so I can breathe
And find the song that lives inside of me
And when I sing you’ll shed your pain
And feel your soul begin to love again

And we sing we shed our pain
And let our souls begin to love again

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Into the Trees

I have a hundred songs I’ll never write
A thousand notes I’ll never play
I have a light that burns unseen
As I walk alone into the trees

I’ve always lived my life on the periphery
In a world that makes no sense
Lost among the chaos
Nature’s orphan in human hands

Struggle to carve out a place
Bending until I break

What’s real and true is the earth and the leaves
They never lie, they never deceive
There’s a reason for each and every thing
And the animals, they run free
Into the trees
Into the trees
Into the trees

One foot in nature, one foot on the street
The pull of the wild, the push to agree
Not one or the other, but both I need
And one is disappearing right in front of me

Struggle to carve out a place
Bending until I break

What’s real and true is the earth and the leaves
They never lie, they never deceive
There’s a reason for each and every thing
And the animals, they run free
Into the trees
Into the trees
Into the trees

I have a light that burns unseen
As I walk alone into the trees
There my soul will gently sleep
There my soul will gently sleep

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Mistress

Another friend engaged, a wedding cake
Then a baby due next June
In my empty house, there’s a suitcase packed
Because I’ll be leaving soon

You had a dream for us
We’d move in and start a life
Working 9-5, I’d be your bride
We’d save up to retire

But that’s love
It makes us do silly things
Like sitting still
When we hate settling
But I don’t regret a thing
And all I can do is sing

La da di la di la la la, la di la la la

They’ll all be settled down
And I’ll have nothing to show
Except words on a page
A soul uncaged
And too many nights on the road

But that’s love
It makes us do crazy things
Like choosing a guitar
Over a wedding ring
But I don’t regret a thing
And all I can do is sing

La da di la di la la la, la di la la la

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Taken by the Sea

She knew the water would be warm that day
Inside the cove next to the bay
The waves high enough to lift her away
To float and dance and sway

Her favorite place in all the world
Where she would take her baby girls
Before they grew old enough
To see the world alone

No one knew that she came
Weak in flesh and bone
She came to breathe the breath of life
And then to die alone

Taken by the sea
Dip and crash
Duck and laugh
Sweeping her away

They refused to understand
Wishing that she would be saved
But that day among the waves
She washed her pain away

No one knew that she came
Weak in flesh and bone
She came to breathe the breath of life
And then to die alone

Taken by the sea
Dip and crash
Duck and laugh
Sweeping her away

She knew the water would be warm that day
Inside the cove next to the bay
The waves high enough to lift her away
To float and dance and sway

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Sunday Night

Saw a flyer for the Klan
Blow down the street and so I ran
To pick it up
And throw it all away
But there are more where that came from
More people here who think that some
Of us were never immigrants
Or human beings at all

The nightly news gives me the blues
The story of who’s bombing who
The death of our convictions
And we don’t think to ask why

It’s too late to cry on a Sunday night
Starlight pouring down
The stoplight blinks on the only road
Leading in and out of town
I’m not much for religion
But I need a savior now
Sing hallelujah, lay your weapons down

The world runs on oil and gold
One in the same so I am told
Blood on all our hands
We don’t know why
We want to believe in the common good
That everyone does the best they could
But what crazy lies we spin to justify
The death we launch across the sky

Billion dollar industry
Spreading our democracy
The death of many innocents
And we don’t think to ask why

It’s too late to cry on a Sunday night
Starlight pouring down
The stoplight blinks on the only road
Leading in and out of town
I’m not much for religion
But I need a savior now
Sing hallelujah, lay your weapons down

It’s too late to cry on a Sunday night
Starlight pouring down
The stoplight blinks on the only road
Leading in and out of town
I’m not interested in your holy war
And I’ll make it stop somehow
Sing hallelujah, lay your weapons down

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Estrangement

You stand by the door
Watching as I pull away
Age running like a line
Up through you, down through me

The sadness in your eyes
Matches the sadness in mine
Though they’re nowhere near
Being the same thing

We have the same eyes,
but we’re as different as people can be

When it’s all over
And I’m on this earth alone
I’ll feel it inside
But I’ll never let it show
I keep you at a distance
You keep me no less close
An ordinary estrangement
Passed down to me as you go

I help you these days
Small things to make it easy
Conversations mean nothing at all
Row the boat gently downstream

I edge beyond the age
Childless it seems
None of the burdens or the rewards
No one to grow up like me

We’d have the same eyes,
but we’d be as different as people can be

When it’s all over
And I’m on this earth alone
I’ll feel it inside
But I’ll never let it show
I keep you at a distance
You keep me no less close
An ordinary estrangement
Passed down to me as you go

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Skyline

Rushing off to work
Hustling back and forth
Pushing through the pack
Crammed inside the city

Spending time at bars
Never knowing who you are
Think that you’ll go far
When your mind is bending

Billions do the same
Bred to play the game
No matter how insane
It’s never ending

We build the skyline
Artificial horizon
Metal rods, glass shards
And people to pile on
Where ego rules and money is the only truth
Skylines rise and fall, they always do

Hammering the streets
Hiding all that’s green
Trampling the earth
Crammed inside the city

Moving to the ‘burbs
Adding others to the herd
Giving up your worth
When you’re pretending

Billions do the same
Bred to play the game
No matter how insane
It’s never ending

We build the skyline
Artificial horizon
Metal rods, glass shards
And people to pile on
Where ego rules and money is the only truth
Skylines rise and fall, they always do

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Old North State

Come for the sand and sea
Stay for the bigotry
Oh that’s not what we want them to think about us
So stand up and say we’re better
Because we’re better than that

Explore the mountainsides
But only if you’re male and white
But we all pay taxes and some are afraid
So please fix the mess that has been made

We don’t stand for hate
In the Old North State
And we’re counting on you
To tell the President
That we all need a leader
Who’s going to make sense
Protect the place that we love
Protect the people we love

Art, music, and scenery
It’s all here for you and me
But drilling and fracking, destroying the dunes
Will cause us to crash and burn real soon
We’re counting on you

We don’t stand for hate
In the Old North State
And we’re counting on you
To tell the President
That we all need a leader
Who’s going to make sense
Protect the place that we love
Protect the people we love

This place should be safe for black and white
Men and women we all have rights
We walk out the door and are bullied and shamed
Are you proud we’re the home of the KKK?
What do you say?

We don’t stand for hate
In the Old North State
And we’re counting on you
To tell the President
That we all need a leader
Who’s going to make sense
Protect the place that we love
Protect the people we love
Protect the nation we love
Protect everything that we love

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