1. |
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I’m just a normal guy, sittin’ here I try
To yank these ideas right out of my brain
When it’s so much more easy
To sit around and watch TV
And let these melodies go down the drain, oh no
But i’ll be damned if I don’t dare
To whip up something we can share
Gonna give it a try and see what happens
You just never know, never know
I’m gonna do my best to put it down
Do your best to care
Workin so hard to get the sound
Do your best, do your best to care
I try and catch your eye
You got attention span of a fly
What must I do to make you stop a while
Lemme try instead
To get inside your head
And stop you skipping on to the next file
See I gotta find a way
To be the soundtrack of your day
Just gimme a try and see what happens
You just never know, never know
I’m gonna do my best to lay it down
Do your best to care
Workin so hard to get the sound
Do your best, do your best to care
So won’t you come along with me
There’s so much for us to see
Just give it a try and see what happens
On with the show - with the show
I’m gonna do my best to lay it down
Do your best to care
Workin so hard to get the sound
Do your best, do your best to care
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2. |
Get Back What You Put In
03:24
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Staring at that screen all day
Soaking up stuff that others made
Playing games, you betray
The beauty all around you
Get up, get out, and see the sun
Your liberation's just begun
Don’t waste your time so selfishly
Instead create for all to see cuz
You only get back (you only get back)
What you put in (what you put in)
If you only take and don’t create
It’s the greatest sin (you’ll never win)
You only get back (you only get back)
What you put in (what you put in)
I can’t wait to see you create
Get back what you put in
And remember kids, if you’re in doubt
Garbage in equals garbage out
So surround yourself with all things great
And see the wonders you’ll create
Put the gadget down, Stand right up
Take a drink, but keep the cup
It’s not what you collect, but what you give away
That you’ll be remembered for one day
You only get back (you only get back)
What you put in (what you put in)
If you only take and don’t create
It’s the greatest sin (you’ll never win)
You only get back (you only get back)
What you put in (what you put in)
I can’t wait to see you create
Get back what you put in
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3. |
Fuzzy Green Hat
02:58
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Does it take two to mango,
Or can I finish one by myself?
There's another muse to mangle,
Or should I leave it up on the shelf?
I was needing inspiration in an awkward situation
Then you spoke to me in my dream. You said
"it's time to write a song and I will help it come along"
The fuzzy hat you wore was green, uh huh
Write away you said. Just let it flow.
Write away you said Sounds silly I know but
you know where it's at.”
My illustrious friend in the fuzzy green hat.
Then I called you on the Facebook
cuz I could really use a second verse.
"I can't seem to find a good hook.
And my topic was a bit perverse." Then you said
"I'm flattered to inspire, and my verbosity's for hire
If only my laptop ran."
I’m on tour as we speak, hit me up next week
or I’ll get back to you when I can, yeah."
"Write away" you said. "Just let it flow."
"Write away" you said "Sounds silly I know,
But you know where it's at." (That’s what he said)
My illustrious friend in his fuzzy green hat.
I guess I'll cross this bridge,
Tired of waiting around,
But promise me we'll have a drink
When You're in town.
"But I gotta run, I’m sure we’ll get it done
Or call another friend and have some fun."
(but in the meantime…)
"Write away" you said. "Just let it flow."
"Write away" you said "Sounds silly I know, but
you know where it's at."
He said you know where it’s at.
My illustrious friend in your fuzzy green hat.
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4. |
No More Girls
02:44
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I can’t sing about girls no more
No more girls for me
I can’t sing about girls no more
No more girls for me
Gone are the days of wide-eyed wonder
Making plans and dreaming dreams
Gone are the days of hearts-a-flutter
They tell me it’s creepy, whatever that means
But don’t you miss that teenage feeling?
Head over heels with your senses reeling?
Why can’t we feel it again?
What is the prescription, then?
I can’t sing about girls no more
No more girls for me
No more songs about girls for sure
A woman’s more my speed
And I I know what I can do
I’m gonna sing about you
When I think of you My heart is filled with songs
About girls and summer, It’s kindof a bummer
When I sing them now they sound so wrong
So take no offense you pop song masters
My blurry eyes can plainly see
Songs about girls and other disasters
Just might be the end of me
Cuz we wanna feel that teenage feeling
Buff out the parts where the pain was peeling
Happy days are in sight
Because We’ve learned how to do it right (my lady)
I can’t sing about girls no more
No more girls for me
No more songs about girls for sure
A woman’s more my speed
And I I know what I will do
I’m gonna sing about you
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5. |
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Friends will look, heads get shook
at pix we took but that’s okay
instagram, holding hands, heavy PDA
We seen some stuff, life’s been tough
had enough, break this old cage
no Tragedy, You and me, Time to turn the page
Why don’t we do, don’t we do,
don’t we do, don’t we do, don’t we do it
Give in to, give in t, give in to, give in to, give in to it
Our past it won’t define us
We deserve what life has promised
Live life to win it
I say let’s go fall right in it
Let go (wooooooooo!) Let’s fall in love.
Kids are cool, Off to school
There’s no rules in this new game
forget the past, take it fast, time to fan the flame
You’re so cute, We compute
Let’s reboot, How we’re livin’
Second chance, at romance, We can start again
Why don’t we do, don’t we do,
don’t we do, don’t we do, don’t we do it
Give in to, give in t, give in to, give in to, give in to it
Oh darlin’ let’s not fight it, don’t fear it just requite it
Let’s do it better, close your eyes and jump together
Let go (wooooooooo!) let’s fall in love.
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6. |
First Days of Summer
03:28
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Stop a moment when your day is done.
Take some time out, watch the sinking sun.
Just relax, you’re not wasting time
Celebrate the time when days are long
Make a drink and play a favorite song
Celebrate that you’re alive
First days of summer
All I want is to feel that sun
First days of summer
All year long I wait for these days to come
But it’s empty for me if I’m the only one.
Nothing’s quite the same if you’re not here
Come on down, I’m waiting, have no fear
In the end I hope you’ll stay
For another magic day
First days of summer
All I want is to feel that sun
First days of summer
All year long I wait for these days to come
But it’s empty for me if I’m the only one.
Share these moments with me
Our summer’s just begun
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7. |
EP's Are Weak
03:03
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You may be standin’ in the clearest part of your room
because you just flipped over this set of tunes
and if you feel a little tempted to jam on my groove
do what you gotta do and let the spirit move
and I'll address the question foremost on your mind
Why is this fat old white dude spittin’ out rhymes?
It’s cuz I got some important words to say
to all those young musicians out working today
I commend you all for contributing to
The community of artists and seeing things through
It’s no small feat to get your record made
All the writing and the mixing and the price you paid
And I get that your audience demands it’s fix
But it devalues your art when you just throw your mix
On to Soundcloud or Bandcamp the moment you’re done
Wait until there’s more than five songs, You hearin’ me son?
So where your side two at? huh? EP’s are weak
So where your side two at? huh? EP’s are weak
Doin’ thirty-odd minutes ain’t no small feat
But you gotta do it grasshopper EP’s are weak.
Yeah give the people what they want baby more more more
So you scribble then you dribble what you doin’ that for?
Gotta take it slow it’s time to hold your chi
Nobody payin’ for it later when you makin’ it free
And your merch table littered with all kinds of crap
Messy table messy mind don’t fall into that trap
Make a bigger statement, make it a feast
Instead of chargin 10 dollars for 10 minutes of beats
Cuz when you do that brutha I may not even stream
I’ll click thru past you to someone else’s dream
If I like the first track and it looks like you’re trying
And the second ain’t bad, cha-china I’m buyin’
But when it’s just three tracks, we used to call that a demo
I guess you horny punks never got the f'in memo
So where your side two at? huh? EP’s are weak
So where your side two at? huh? EP’s are weak
Doin’ thirty-odd minutes ain’t no small feat
Give the people what they want, son EP’s are weak.
So where your side two at? huh? EP’s are weak
So where your side two at? huh? EP’s are weak
Show us what you got kid, and make it unique
I give it to you straight bro EP’s are weak
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8. |
Rudderless Day
03:38
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You think I’d be happy, you’d think I’d feel great
With nothing impending, a lift of the weight
I step off the hamster wheel, I Try to exhale
But I can’t stand to sit here and feel somehow I’ve failed
What goes around it comes around, it never truly ends
on the sofa of my lethargy the punishment begins
Rudderless day, I feel it coming on this sickness
I can't run away, it's been so freaking long
since I knew how to play
to sit here feels so wrong, feel like I'm dying
with nothing to say, another rudderless day
I can see the horizon, but where to begin
Feeling so alien in my own skin
Can anybody teach me how to enjoy
A whole day of nothing doing
like when I was a boy
What goes around it comes around
Like monkeys on our backs
And I’ll be begging for a moment, a minute to relax
What goes around it comes around
This moment too shall pass
A whole day off and still I can’t enjoy it while it lasts
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9. |
It's My Fault
04:03
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I made a nest I got it all tricked out
It’s got everything and more there is no doubt
Mortgage is cool I got a decent price
I can walk to work and the neighbors sure are nice
Red flags were everywhere but I didn’t see
I was ignorant of the geology
Son of a bitch you must be kidding me
There’s a big bad mother right under my TV
One of these days I’m gonna feel the rumble
(It’s My Fault and I’m Livin’ on it)
One of these days I’m gonna take a tumble
Newport Inglewood is gonna kill me
All my stuff is gonna burn you’ll see
What am I gonna do
When the big one’s rips my house in two?
I hope I’m not at home on the big day
Looks like I failed at real estate Feng Shui
I feel bad about tornados but I won’t feel ya
When I’m crushed to death by all my memorabilia
Every night I toss and I turn and cry on my pillow
After staying up till 4am just searching on Zillow
I really enjoy my little culture bubble
But someday soon it will reduce to rubble
One of these days I’m gonna feel the rumble
(It’s My Fault and I’m Livin’ on it)
One of these days I’m gonna take a tumble
(It’s My Fault and I’m Livin’ on it)
While the rest of LA is rockin’ and rollin’
My stuff will fall over like the gods are bowling
What am I gonna do
When the big one rips my house in two?
I’ve been taking my way of life for granted
On top of the biggest crack on the planet
What am I gonna do
When the big one rips my house in two?
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10. |
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Grab my bucket list, grab a pen
Cross off the part that says “Fall in love again”
Not cuz I don’t wanna, I find it kinda strange
But ever since I met you girl my outlook’s changed
Nothing on my list looks quite the same
Cuz next to every item I’ve amended your name
You're on my bucket list
Tell me girl if you got the gist
Where it says "fall in love again"
I'll replace it with your name
And check off the other stuff I missed
Cuz you're the only thing that matters
On my bucket list.
Well my friends all told me I was goin’ through a phase
Thinkin‘ ‘bout this kinda stuff and acting my age
I assumed that love forever passed me by
Until a frisky little philly kinda caught my eye
And look at the adventures we’re about to share
Girl it’s all because of you that every item’s there
You're on my bucket list
Tell me girl if you got the gist
Where it says "fall in love again"
I'll replace it with your name
And check off the other stuff I missed
Cuz you're the only thing that matters
On my bucket list. (LET'S KICK IT!)
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11. |
Dirt Nap
03:27
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One of these days it'll all go black
You'll close your eyes babe, and you’ll never come back
You better realize that your collection of crap
won’t mean a damn thing when you takin your dirt nap
Oh my God we’re all gonna die
And you’ll be gone in the blink of an eye
Serious as a heart attack, you’ll go nighty-night
And you won’t come back
Eat Drink and be merry, have a proper fiesta
Cuz the clock is ticking honey, on your forever siesta
Get right with Jesus before your final lap
He’s the only alarm clock
That can wake you from a dirt nap
Princes, paupers, millionaires
Every single one of ‘em is gonna get theirs
Settle your debts, Put out your fires
Put some memory foam on your funeral pyre
You’ll be having a good day but it’s gonna get worse
When you call and Uber and get a hearse
And tell everybody that you love them back
Cuz it’ll be too late when you’re taking your dirt nap
I’m telling you people, tell everyone you love them
Cuz it’s lights out eventually.
Eat your broccoli, and drink your water
Listen to the Beatles
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12. |
Centre of the Spiral
03:56
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It seems we’ve reached the centre of the spiral
Ups and downs but we had fun all the while
Sunset’s coming, put the last log on the fire
It seems we’ve reached the centre of the spiral
At the point where things just aren’t as good
Things don’t really work the way they should
The waves keep hitting, lining up in single-file
It seems we’ve reached the centre of the spiral
We could make this trip together
Not worry about the weather
New things to explore, Things to treasure or ignore
But we’ll always wind up playing out again.
Sometimes I wish that we could start again
Revisit all the places that we’ve been
But we gotta turn this over
to see what’s on the other side
Once we’ve reached the centre of the spiral
You could turn it over, or put me back into my cover
And pick out something new, It’s really up to you
But you know that you can always find me here
A few more laps and our journey’s at an end
It’s a one-way trip there’s no use to pretend
You decide what’s next, there’s no time for denial
But I feel that I must prove
So I’m locking in this groove
For we have reached the centre of the spiral
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Michael Simmons Huntington Beach, California
Guitarist/songwriter/vocalist for venerable powerpop band sparkle*jets u.k., frequent voice behind Popdudes, and 1/3 of Yorktown Lads.
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