Inspiration comes from strange places

I used to walk home from the bus everyday in grad school. On the way I passed a church (two if I wasn't paying attention and took the wrong stop). This church always had little sayings and such on a sign out front that they changed once or twice a month. The messages were always along the lines of how Jesus wanted you to do this or that or how God was going to be upset because of things humans were doing. Like most things these messages got me to thinking. And the one thought that was always consistent was "If Jesus came back he'd be laughed at, ridiculed, and booed off stage." Here's a man that taught compassion, love, and social revolution in the name of the poor and we've taken those messages and twisted them around so much that I doubt he'd even recognize them anymore. If Jesus came back and actually declared himself and told everyone they were wrong I don't doubt he'd be chased out of town with torches and pitchforks. I got to thinking "what if Jesus actually did come back to Earth?" So I wrote a song about it.


Jesus Came

Jesus came to Earth today
There was no one to save
So he took his sandals off
and climbed back up on his cross

The teacher said "What's done is done
You can't change the past.
If you spend your days in prayer
you'll waste the time you have left"

The preacher said "Trust me my son
and you will find peace
Just bow your head in prayer
and believe in faith"

Now Chelsea's driving with the headlights off
because she wants to know
what it's like to be a lamb of God
and kept in the dark

Sarah's staring out the window pane
at another life
She's so damn sanctified
she can't go outside

'Cause life is hard
and the world is bad
We'd rather talk
than lend a hand
Effort is hard
and we must commit
Instead it's better
to ride this fence

Jesus came to Earth today
I passed him on the street
He moved with a heavy heart
and a limp from the nails in his feet

Jesus came to Earth today
but there was no one to save
So he took his sandals off
and climbed back up on his cross

Jesus smiled as he slowly died
and with his last breath he said
"If you act like Goddamned fools
you deserve what fools get."

A slight change of pace

Mostly this place has been somewhere to rant about the inconsistencies of people and to have a good vent. But there's only so much you can do with that before it gets stale and you start seeing the same crap with a new name. So I'm making a change.

I was digging through my old files yesterday to find some lines I vaguely remember writing down that would fit a song I'm working on. After digging around I realized that I've written more songs than most bands will ever put out. Of course, that doesn't make them good. It just surprised me how many I had. I always thought my output was low at best. Most don't have full music. In fact, most just have a melody or a very basic chord structure. I got to thinking that, if I keel over tomorrow, no one would ever know these exist. So I thought I should put them out there. After all, is art really art if there isn't anyone to interpret it or take meaning from it besides the artist? I can make my own meaning and I do it solely for myself, but I think true art is about seeing things in work that even the artist doesn't see. So here is mine.

I'll probably only post lyrics since chords, timing, and other musical stuff is hard to type up. I won't post poems or stories for the simple fact that, if I ever do actually want to attempt to publish anything, I don't want issues with publishers saying "it's already been published", even if on a backwater blog that no one reads. Since no one publishes lyrics I think that's a good compromise.

A short blurb is in order at this point. My inspiration to create comes from a dark place. I write best when I'm sad or angry. So don't expect a lot of happy, dwarf whistling tunes. I'm working on a few but mostly I write sad, tragic, or angry pieces. Not "bitches, hoes, and guns" type angry. More frustration angry. I'm also partial to tragic stories. Like my brother I tend to prefer tragic songs that have a ring of hope (think "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie). Although, in my own interpretations, I often find that "sad" songs are really quite moving and hopeful and, underneath, happy, if you really delve into them, even if they don't include an explicit hook.

So enjoy. If you like them, that's great. If not...well, maybe you'll find one you do. But I also didn't write them to please anyone else. I wrote them for me and to help me deal with things. I'm happy to discuss them or tell you the story behind them if you want to know why I chose a particular theme or name. And if you have an idea for music or an addition/subtraction to the piece please chime in. Art can be a very good collaborative process. But I retain final cut of the lyrics, so please don't be offended if I think your contribution doesn't fit the mood I was going for.

Sleeping Beauty
(fast tempo, rock feel)

Devil's in the kitchen
Devil's in the kitchen
Devil's in the kitchen
And she's calling out my name

Early morning sunrise
was peeking through the curtains
when I woke up and caught you sneaking in

Then against my better sense,
I forgave you for your sins
and all you did was break my heart again

It goes against my intuition
all these things I never mention
Like how you kept me down and fed me lies

Your secrets were not misconstrued
and all that I can say for you
is you didn't hurt me bad enough to die

You can break me
but you can't change me
I am what I am and that's all that you will ever see
She's Sleeping Beauty
with no dress on
Yeah being subtle never was her thing

Trying to live down all those lies
still staring at me with those accusing eyes
like I should still owe you a happy life

Every time I tell you that
I love you more than life itself
you just smile at me and say “It’s better this way”

All your passes are rejected
desperate call are disconnected
I don't know how it ever got this bad

Just another sweaty night
in the back of a Cadillac holding tightly
to a dream that just don't seem to die

You can break me
but you can't change me
I am what I am and that's all that I will ever be
She's Sleeping Beauty
with no dress on
and being feminine never was her thing

I’m alone even when you’re here
Your body’s cold and your eyes are steel
You always wanted what you couldn’t have

I can finally recognize
that you don’t love you idolize
and all the shit you have can’t make you smile

Don’t it hurt to realize
there’s nothing there but stupid pride
and it won’t keep you warm when all this dies

You can break me
but you can't change me
I am what I am and that's all that you will ever see
Like sleeping beauty
with no dress on
Being subtle never was her thing