I hurt myself today
to see if i still feel
i focus on the pain
the only thing that's real
the needle tears a hole
the old, familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but i remember everything
what have i become
my sweetest friend
everyone i know
goes away
in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt
i will let you down
i will make you hurt...
i wear this crown of shit
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
i cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
i am still right here
what have i become
my sweetest friend
everyone i know
goes away
in the end
you could have it all
my empire of dirt
i will let you down
i will make you hurt
if i could start again
a million miles away
i would keep myself
i would find a way...
ask me I got nothing to hide
I got another loser faker and an earthquake on my side
I’ve got five dollars to kill some time
And a million things I got to say but cannot seem to rhyme so I’ll
Just think about it til I’m tired of listening to myself
Then skate around it til it seriously threatens my health
Uh oh
Teach me I got nothing but time
And a feeling nothing matters so I might as well try
If I fail like some think I will
I’ll remind myself at least I knew to keep it real and I’ll
Just let you flaunt it til im tired of hearing you expel
That pointless bullshit while you’re still the slave to a pill
Like all of you are, you’re all just slaves to a pill
Yeah all of you are, you’re just slaves to a pill
You never knew it would be so hard to not always think about yourself yeah
Face-plant one hell of a chance
To show the world you got it gifted with a pocket full of cash so you
Buy your dreams one by one
And prove that money buys it all especially love but
True love is fleeting cause they make it up in magazines
And make a profit when they lie to you on big screens
They lie to you…they lie to you all the time
Honest living don’t exist anymore
Cause everybody’s hiding something trying to settle the score
If they keep it up we’ll self-destruct
To put it plain and simple we’re all pretty fucked up
But no one notices with all the pretty lights
Illuminating the mischievous night
And keeping us from
From seeing all the lies, they lie to you
They lie to you all the time…
This is my acoustic version of "The Hell Song" by Sum 41. I originally did this a few years ago, and decided I would do it again now that I have better equipment and skills and all that jazz.
This is the acoustic version of a rock song I've had cooped up in my mind for a while...done in like 2 hours, so if it sounds rushed, it's because it is. The full name is "Truth In Advertising (Something Beautiful)" but I appear to exceed the limit with the full title.
I wanted to write something beautiful but i
Keep getting stuck in the formalities of what
Is and isn’t ok to call an admirable trait
For the sake of being politically correct
And I wanted to say something meaningful
But all I come up with is dismissible as contempt
for the motives behind the every day red tape
to which it seems to me we succumb
how does it feel do you like this?
Fight this, like I do
and would you take it all away?
Can you believe this is not what
Not what we wanted
All apologies…
I’d like to believe for once
That there’s truth in advertising and
We’re not just rocks for skipping in ponds
But you just want to shoot your guns
Feel your power when you pull the trigger
You don’t point it at your ego enough
Well it’s hard to sit around and talk about the past now
Maybe I overestimate to what extent we still care
And oh by the way, nothing is ever as it seems
Confusing the when with the (how)
how does it feel do you like this?
Fight this, like I do
would you take it all away
Can you believe this is not what
Not what you wanted
All apologies…
I’d like to believe for once
That there’s truth in advertising and
We’re not just rocks for skipping in ponds
But you just want to shoot your guns
Feel your power when you pull the trigger
You don’t point it at your ego enough
you don't really like me, you just like the idea of me
and we both know that they're not the same
considering our intentions and all the things we mentioned,
maybe love's another word for mutual pain
I toss and turn in bed
While you toss and turn me around in your head
I’m wrapped up in the sheets
And you’re too wrapped up with me
some things won’t stay the same
and some things never change
you don’t really like me you just like the idea of me
and we both know that they're not the same
considering our intentions and all the things we mentioned
maybe love's another word for mutual pain
I struggle to find the alarm
You struggle for a reason to talk to me
I miss, fall, and hit my head
I guess a concussion is all I needed
Lying on the floor
Everything is bigger oh
you don’t really like me you just like the idea of me
and we both know that they're not the same
considering our intentions and all the things we mentioned
well maybe love's another word for mutual pain
First mix of a song i've been working on. I'm not too fond of the distorted chorus vocals. I need to find a better way to have vocals sit well in the song. It's a work in progress!
I am defined by the things I am not
martyr, soothsayer, magician, and all the poetry I forgot
And I would save my words if you could convince me they matter at all
In the grand scheme of things, I feel pretty small
Show me the saving way, before it all escapes me…
My wasted talent and my baseless alibis
And all those little details that seem
To spill and scatter all over the matter
Every time I speak
I want to play a new game this time
Run around in circles and compete for the loudest sigh
Open a can of worms then put it back on the shelf
Nobody talks more than I do to myself
Tell me the saving way, before it all escapes me
My wasted talent and my baseless alibis
And all those little details that seem
To spill and scatter all over the matter
Every time I speak
My pace is steady
My thoughts are calm and clear
My finger’s heavy
As I caress the trigger
Here in this church I’ll teach you not to kill (I’ll teach you not to kill)
I’ve got an opinion
And you don’t have a chance
I’ll wait til I’m closer and then
and then…
this is how we sermonize
(you’re a demon in his eyes)
God calls you a murderer
But he calls me a saint
Cause I’ve got an opinion
And you have got to pay
I’ll wait til I’m closer and then
A few steps closer and then
This is me doing Jewel's "Who Will Save Your Soul" off of her album "Pieces of You." As you can tell, Jewel is a much better singer than I am (not to mention I had to go down a whole octave!). The drum beat is me playing a Meinl Trejon, if you're curious.
Living their lives for you on TV
They say they're better than you and you agree
He says hold my calls from behind those cold brick walls
Says come here boys, there ain't nothing for free
Another doctor's bill, a lawyer's bill, another cute cheap
thrill you know you love him if you put him in your will, but ...
Who will save your souls when it comes to the flowers now
Who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy
Who will save your souls if you won't save your own?
We try to hustle them, try to bustle them, try to cuss them
The cops want someone to bust down on Orleans Avenue
Another day, another dollar, another war, another tower
Went up to where the homeless had their homes
So we pray to as many different gods are there are flowers
But we call religion our friend
We're so worried about saving our souls
Afraid that god will take his toll that we forget to begin but
Who will save your souls when it comes to the flowers now
Who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy
Who will save your souls if you won't save your own?
Some are walking, some are talking, some are stalking
Aunt Kale got social security, but that doesn't pay her bills
There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay
So you bargain with the Devil, you're o.k. for today
You say that you love them, take their money and run
Say, it's been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things
Those flings, those strings you've got to cut
So get out on the streets, girls, and bust your butts
Who will save your souls when it comes to the flowers now
Who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy
Who will save your souls if you won't save your own?
This is an acoustic cover of The Eagles' "Hotel California," featuring Jennica Scott on vocals. She's a balla. Oh yeah, the solo is just a simple improv I did at the end because I didn't want to take the time to learn the whole thing and screw up repeatedly. Such is life.
Bobby Dylan said the times they are a-changin
But the places are all the same
And the names not worth the mention
There I see the only time I never looked both ways
And even now the people cross fixed in a downward gaze
And there’s the spot where I stopped feeling guilt at the beggar’s pleas
The old one since retired, but new ones fill the vacancy
These streetlamps always seemed to cast more doubt than light
I’ve traced the cracks in the sidewalk maybe a half a thousand times
And right around the corner is where I first heard the news
It must’ve been 10 years ago but I can still picture the view
From the ground
I’ve been putting out my fires now for 20 long years strong
Staring down the shadows of my former self now gone
They’re alive. But mostly dead.
They float on with the fall breeze as the winter lurches in
This is a an acoustic reprise of a hard rock song currently in the works. The only lyrics from both versions is the main line "I'm done with the games, I'm done with the same old everything" while the general melody in the reprise is obviously also a big part of the hard rock version.
I’m done with the games
I’m done with the same old everything
I hate to complain
But I'm sick of the way things go sometimes
I, I am fine
I am adequately alright, perfectly unsatisfied
And in time, in time I’ll learn to stick up for myself
But for now I’ll stay quiet.
Grow, I swore I’d grow
But the etchings in the doorway never tell a lie.
You see these things are the measure of a man and i’ve been "5-foot bitter" for quite some time
And more or less, less is more the way I come out of these things
But I don’t mind
Less prepared, less secure, less convinced and less assured
But I don’t mind.
So I’m done with the games
I’m done with the same old everything
And I hate to complain
But I’m sick of the way things go sometimes
who stays the same after the fallout, anyway?
I want to know all the places where his chips lay
And maybe then I’ll tread dark waters to be
The next in line, yeah, callous little old me
I know those words darling
I know your fears
I know your worth, I know your price for tears
I know your hate baby, I feel you’re near
So save your breath darling, I’ll say your prayers
Insensitive as it seems, I can’t put your troubled mind at ease
Let’s just bide our time, less consequence, you see
I fell in love with the chance to make your restless feet dance
I don’t have any answers I’ve just got this melody
Don’t say another word to him
Don’t fear for losing a friend
Don’t sell yourself short again
Don’t cry another tear for him
Don’t hate another beat for him
Come here, (right here) get near and then
Don’t breath another breath for him
Don’t pray, you’ll pray for hell again
Move
I fell in love with the chance to make your restless feet dance
This is a short and sloppy rendition of the song, done mostly because I just got an Ebow today and really wanted to try it out. I'm still getting the hang of it (this was done with an acoustic-electric). Enjoy!
