This is about my cousin Rachel’s unborn baby. That sounded a lot creepier than I intended. It’s about the innocence of a child not yet familiar with the hardships of the world and urging her to keep that purity and curiosity throughout her life.

Chloe, though you’re wide awake
You’ve never seen this world
Chloe, though you’re wide awake
You have no fears at all

I hope you always stay that way
When you’re growing up
Whenever you’re feeling
Maybe things are stuck
Keep it in your heart
Then you’ll move around
I bet it won’t let you down

Chloe, though you’re wide awake
You’ve never seen this place
Chloe, so innocent and small
And so full of grace

I hope you always stay that way
When you’re growing up
Whenever you’re feeling
Maybe things are stuck
Keep it in your heart
Then you’ll move around
I bet it won’t let you down

eh, you get it right?

You stay up late
Cause you must relate
You only like the second rate
But I won’t give up on you
And i will spend all my time
Tryin to get your hand in mine
Show you tattoos of mine

If you don’t ignore
Maybe you can show me yours
Tell me what each one is for
And I won’t give up on you
And I’ll buy you shots of jack
Talk to you while you sling em back
The best time I ever would have

And when it’s late
And we’re in a state
Even though I’m second rate
No I won’t give up on you
And I see behind your eyes
Sad and lonely lullabies
They kinda sound like mine
I’m spending all my time
Tryin to get your hand in mine
Tell me if I’m ever crossing the line

And I’m sure you will
Shit you’ll even kill
Cause you’re the real deal
And I won’t give up on you

And then once more
When i see you’re getting bored
That’s what more whiskey’s for
No I won’t give up on you
Whatever you want with me is fair
I would even let you dye my hair
So you can laugh when people will stare

So can’t you see
You should really be with me
Cause I guarantee

I had a dream with all the people I’ve loved in it. It was almost like a very short staged play of all my romances. I’d feel completely committed to one girl and then another would be somewhere else in the room and I’d totally switch off. This sequence happened maybe five times or so. By the end of the dream I was completely alone.

Lyrics:

I dreamed I dreamed about my past
I could not find a love to last
any glimmer of hope, I had it smashed
and now my lips are turning blue
without a kiss between two
without the one to love me too
and If I need to change I will
but something’s gonna keep me still

How could my arms be
Ready now to embrace you?

I fought I fought to get to this
the polar opposite of bliss
one would say a total miss
and now my legs are turning blue
without a kiss to run them to
without the one to love me too
and if I need to change I will
but something’s gonna keep me still

Are you out there at all?

All my effort’s futile
It’ll be cold out anyway
All my efforts futile
Don’t let me get in your way

All I ever wanted was a warm place to stay
Dream through the night long like a babe in the hay
Wake in the morning to a warm lovely day
Not have to hide away for the next 28 days

Bundled up
Fed up
Waiting

I was trying to write a song about Haiti and just could not get truly inspired. I read personal stories of survivors, looked at lots of disturbing footage, but nothing. Maybe the size of the catastrophe does not necessarily relate to how much I’m affected. Like I can’t feel anything for thousands and thousands of people perishing, but I’m deeply concerned about a friend’s lost cell phone. Anyway, that’s what the song is about. BTW We’re playing a benefit show for Haiti next week.

Lyrics:

Things can be so big
Doesn’t mean they’re real
So many things fall apart now
I don’t ever get a chance to heal

And I won’t give back at all
Cause I can’t give back the feeling

Though the earth will quake
It Doesn’t make me fall
I’m already lying down
Cause I could never really stand at all

I want to spread my love around
But this love never can be found

This is about my heart condition and choosing to be in a musical lifestyle which often includes people smoking around me and making it worse. It shows my dedication to my art or it’s a telling sign of my waning desire to live very long.

Lyrics:

If You know a better way
I’ll give you better words
If you know a better place
To get my logic heard

My life’s at stake and yours isn’t
My heart can’t take these conditions
The world’s mistake is my prison
And none will wake to my vision
Oh no
Until I break I’ll keep trying
But I’m a fake
I’m half lying
The dream I shaped is not flying
It almost takes but not buying
Oh no

If you know a better life
I’ll give you better words
And if you’re talking nine to five
I won’t be more disturbed

Oh my lungs are waiting for you
The irony it’s true
How I long to be with you
But my heart don’t want me to

I’m old.

Lyrics:

I wrote my story
On the back of a business card
It had no ending
And I thought very hard

Where is my faith
Have I been running in place
Should I just leave without a trace
I’ve never been a winner
And everyone wants to know
How much you understand

Awake at daybreak
With the thoughts of a Christian man
But time, it moves on
And I don’t understand

There’s no much cure for a broken man
He’s gotta keep one foot in front of the other
Just the best he can
And there’s nothing to make him better
Not even love

It seems that a lot of my friends are in this same position since actual art is rarely rewarded nowadays. Not to mention, the current economic state of our nation doesn’t allow us to reward much of anything. I guess in this I’m going as far as to offer a magical journey in exchange for something. All the while, realizing that it won’t work and I better prepare to waste away if this is the business I stay involved with.

Lyrics

In desperate times
i offer my love
To desperate minds
Jut hanging above
Then somebody said
That isn’t enough
In desperate lives
There’s no room for love
Said jump on my back
Get ready to fly

Far away

In desperate times
I hold out my hand
And give in return
The soul of a man
Then somebody said
They don’t understand
In desperate times
It’s hard to keep fans
Said jump on my back
Get ready to fly

Far away

In desperate times
Get ready to die
In desperate times
I’m ready to die

Any day

Lyrics:
You find something strong to be built around
You could climb to heaven
But you’ll still fall down
Though we try so hard
Don’t know what life brings
Sometimes the best of people see the worst of things

You find someone good to build your world around
You could love them madly
But you’ll let them down
Though we try so hard
Don’t know what love brings
Sometimes the best of people do the worst of things

Can only be who we are
Hope someone doesn’t mind
When we go too far
You’re gonna hurt
You’re gonna cry
And no one’s gonna tell you half a reason why

You find something true
Something to live by
You can hold it closely
But you’re gonna lie
Though we try hard
Don’t know what life brings
Sometimes the best of people say the worst of things

And the days are all the same
You’re just asking where’s my god
Oh my god
And the nights are all the same
You’re just asking where’s my god
Oh my god

You must rest assured
There will be a time
When you climb to heaven and you’ll be just fine
Cause we try so hard
and know what life brings
Someday the best of people see the best of things

So it was always one of my favorite pastimes to visit desolate bars out in the country when I’m back home. I could always rest assured that someone would try to fight me because I’m a “city boy” of course, but then it would become a pleasant challenge to try and befriend this person with 25 cent draft beers and Wild Turkey shots. I was very excited to continue this tradition but sadly my friend Steve, who also lives in NY, is not coming back and I don’t think anyone else will be interested since it’s really a dumb idea. Anyway, I made this song about the patrons of these bars and while writing it realized that I am actually one of them too, although, unlike them, I’m very aware of how self-defeatist and miserable I am. Have a wonderful holiday!

Lyrics:

I’ll be spending this Christmas
At the scariest bar in my town
The scariest people will be hanging around
Another year, another round
Racist and bigots
Damning the whole world to hell
Mostly a product of a love they never felt
Another year, they’ve not been held

Time will pass and seasons change
But it will remain the same
They don’t believe in anything
Just another day

At the scariest bar in my town
They drink and they drink
Till they all fall down
Another year, another round

Time will pass and seasons change
But I will remain the same
I don’t believe in anything
Just another day