Wednesday, December 9, 2009

United Kingdom

"They said I shot a man named Grey, and took his wife to Italy, she inherited a million bucks, and when she died it came to me"

-Bob Dylan ~ Idiot Wind-




An oldie, from 2004

As I take another sip of tea
I look at your across the table
You said you got a job across the sea
And suddenly I’m unstable
I think of falling right to the floor
I know you love me and I love you more
I want so much to tell you to stay
But when I try all I can say is

I’ve been through rainy days
Monsoons and hurricanes
But I’ve never done something so hard
Watching you leave

You did yoga at two a.m.
I tried so hard to be Bob Dylan
You at cereal for dinner
I drank your beer and sang you sappy songs
We got along so well
You were the dawn after a starry night
But now you’re leaving for foggy London
And my friends lie, they say I’ll be alright

I’ve been through rainy days
Monsoons and hurricanes
But I’ve never done something so hard
Watching you leave

When I think about all the good times
That we’ll never have
I get so sad
But I know I could have it
So much worse

I’ve been through rainy days
Monsoons and hurricanes
But I’ve never done something so hard
As being here without you

Hallelujah

"its goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king compsing hallelujah"
-Leondard Cohen ~ Hallelujah-





It's been raining since Monday
But I've been drinking since Sunday
Black clouds on the horizon
Rattle the bottles with His announcements
I lit my lantern in the hallway
Shadows dancing like angels
And I've been thinking of Virginia
And moving south, moving out

But I'll sing glory, glory, hallelujah
Hallelujah, glory glory
Hallelujah

Flickering fire of my lantern
Speaks to me like a music box
Fading in and out of favor
Changing my world with the winds
Clocks are ticking without reason
This storm has stopped my world still
Darkness enters following the cold
My heart is heavy in this place

But I'll sing glory, glory, hallelujah
Hallelujah, glory glory
Hallelujah

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Vigina (is for lovers)


"part of me wanted to dissolve right there in the rain and just become grass. part of me felt the way each rain drop reaffirmed each dimension of my body"
- frederick reiken ~ the odd sea-







Virginia’s sleeping
Warming up my bed
Rolling over
Running through my head
Fat moon rising
Filling up my skies
I can’t sleep now
I can’t close my eyes


Virginias shaking
Cold wind coming in
One more blanket
Warm shivering skin
Tonight’s the night
Tomorrow I must leave
So hold on tight
Help me to believe

Virginia’s sleeping
Warming up my bed
Rolling over
Running through my head
The sun is rising
Lighting up my skies
I can’t sleep now
I can’t close my eyes

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fool's Gold

“She told him that she loved him,
But he don’t know he’s not the only one”


-A.M. Huffman ~ Slut Shoes-




Let me start by saying yes, I did just quote myself. It’s appropriate, and you should too.
This song was written several years ago, and I believe that the topic is familiar to most men, and probably most women, and needs no explanation. I miss writing songs frequently; this is my push back into it.


I took a train back to your state
Snow was melting I felt far away
I told myself I wouldn’t fall for you again
But your ways always pull me in
Sometimes you shine a little like gold
But I know I’ve been fooled before
Some shine like diamonds in the day
But when darkness comes they just fade away

I know I fall, for fool’s gold
I said I know I fall for fool’s gold

The sun can blind when it shines right back at me
It bounces off you so perfectly
The shine and glare paint you like a sunset
And every star in the sky is a sunset to someone

I know I fall, for fool’s gold
I said I know I fall for fool’s gold

But I’m gonna take my time with you
I’m gonna take my time and do this right
I’ll fight all my greedy urges
And do my best to see your light

The sun can blind when it shines right back at me
It bounces off you so perfectly
The shine and glare paint you like a sunset
And every star in the sky is a sunset to someone
(somewhere someone sees a similar sunset)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A Prelude To A Love Song



"These Static Laced Daydreams, They Sing Me To Sleep"
~Kurt Straube - Feeling Nothing (duet with A.M. Huffman)~

That quote came from a song written by Kurt Straube and myself.
This song was written, many months ago, by Kurt Straube and myself.

A Prelude to a Love Song

A small step
Out of line 
I broke character again
We had our roles
We knew our lines
We’d both been through this dance before
And in the dark
We softly waltzed 
Keeping time by the moon stars
Two lead roles
Top billing
The pressures on the house if filling

And so we held
Our souls entwined
Those roles we played
Those perfect lines
Your gentle eyes
Both ash and wine
Your scripted smile
Echoing mine

The understudies
Have been sent home
Beneath this mask I start to sweat
The lines are said
The marks are met
And like a thief you take your stand
I dropped my role
Begged for your hand
And as the scene falls to black
I thought I saw 
Beneath your eyes
Ruby red lips spread a little grin

And so we held
Our souls entwined
Those roles we played
Those perfect lines
I only wished
You’d read my mind
I’m not these words
There’s more to me

We didn’t have to play these roles
You didn’t need your character
We didn’t have to play these roles
We’re just a beggar and a thief

And so we held
Our souls entwined
Those roles we played
Those perfect lines
Those characters
Have gone and died
And the crowd has walked away



Going Home




"No names have been changed in order to protect the innocent. Angels protect the innocent as a matter of Heavenly routine."
~Kurt Vonnegut - Bagombo Snuff Box~

This song is autobiographical. Or auto-biographical. Kurt would know which is correct. (Kurt Straube...but Kurt Vonnegut would also know...but he's dead)


I been mixing up chemicals to make me right
Something for my head but I still want to drive
I guess I’m headed home now, little further down the road
I’ve been gone too long, I’m headed home
I’ve been gone, I’ve been gone
I’ve been gone too long, I’m headed home

Gasoline and neon signs burning through the night
Tunnel vision and stale air blowing through my mind
The road is real lonely, when it’s only the car and me
But I know I been down this stretch before
I’ve been down, and I’ve been out
But I know I been down this stretch before

But all the traffic signs
They tell me to slow down
But I don’t trust the symptoms till I break
I don’t want to take this pill
Because I know it makes me ill
But it’s the price I pay to see another day

I see a child on the side of the road, with a skinned up knee
Blood soaked gauze as she looks at me
She’s been busted up fell fate to gravity
She tried to climb too high, just like me
Next time she won’t look so high, won’t risk the fall
Next time she probably just won’t try at all

I see children being left behind all around this town
Mothers working extra shifts for a girl’s prom gown
No money’ not an issue, when you’ve got too much
But we just try to help each other by
Yeah we’ve been cold, and we’ve been hungry
But we just try to help each other by

Baby cries through endless nights, just down the hall
I think of what my mamma did, and she did it all
We never missed a meal, lucky as we were
I don’t think I’d have nothing if it weren’t for her
Oh sure we fought, we had it out real bad
but I don’t think I’d have nothing if it weren’t for her




Amy (had a baby)

"You get nauseous now as he speaks to you
Such proper language for acts so cruel"
~Bright Eyes - Amy in the White Coat~


This song was inspired by the Bright Eyes song "Amy in the White Coat", possibly the saddest song I've ever heard (up there with "Where the Wild Rose Grows" by Nick Cave and "Cold Water" by Damien Rice) and inspired me to use the character in a song of my own. Amy is Amy. Used with no permission.


Amy had a baby
A little piece of her
Now she’s got a reason
To get out of her bed
She hears the baby crying
Glad it’s not inside her head
Now everything’s real
Since Amy had her baby
Autumn leaves are turning brown
And the dirt is frozen grey
Green grass from the mountain pass
Stopped Amy in her tracks
And as the babies crying
Amy wants to stop trying
Alone and cold on the rocky moon
Amy’s gonna keep the baby

And now Amy’s missing
Her baby’s daddy
Now Amy’s twisting
She’s twisting ropes
She looks like her mother
It kills her inside
And her older sisters
He knew them too

Baby’s got no name
No words for Amy to confuse
She just calls him baby
Like she used to be called too
She gives him his bottle
And he drinks it all down
Then she picks up her bottle
A chokes one more down

And now Amy’s missing
Her baby’s daddy
Now Amy’s twisting
She’s twisting ropes
She looks like her mother
It kills her inside
And her older sisters
He knew them too 

Amy had a baby
A little piece of her
Now she’s got a reason
Now she’s got a reason