Get all 12 Brendan Milburn releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of How Dare You (for Adam Schlesinger), When It's Right, The Future Of Us: OST, stop me if you've heard this one before (262 songs, vol.9), Songs For The End Of The World (262 songs, vol.8), Don't Get Too Comfortable (262 songs, vol. 7), 24 Hours A Day Until Further Notice (262 songs, vol. 6), Beautiful Poison demos (262 songs, vol. 5), and 4 more.
1. |
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it's like a weight upon your shoulders
it's like a boat that you are towing from the shore
it's like you're always, always pushing up that boulder
'til it rolls right over you and you gotta push it up once more
it's like a swim against the current
it's a night so dark you forget that there will ever be a dawn
that night you realize you can't go on like you've been
going on and on and on and on and on and on,
this is when you let go
when you let go of your doubt,
when you stop your second-guessing,
when you stop chickening out.
and there's no shame
for the dumb mistakes that laid you low
when you can put down all the weight that you've been carrying,
that's when you know:
this is when you let go.
it's like a pretentious foreign movie
in some pretentious movie house you'd rather not be in
the popcorn's stale and the soda fountain's broken
and the action film next door is loud, the walls are paper thin
The hero looks suspiciously familiar
That dissolute and disenchanted douchebag on the screen
And then you realize the other actors are your friends and neighbors and you better get up there and fix this before the final scene
this is when you let go
when you let go of your fear
when you let go of the bottle
and you can see it all so clear
that you have become
your own worst-case scenario
when you can put away the crutches you've been leaning on,
that's when you know
this is when you let go
this is when you let go
when you set your expectations free
when you let go of the person you thought you were s'posed to be
and you're not afraid
of whatever's down below,
when you're dangling from the high trapeze in the circus tent,
it's just part of the show,
where you swing to and fro,
when the time comes you'll know:
this is when you let go.
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2. |
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Teach beginners
the mathematical
race association.
Teach beginners
the mathematical
race association!
And then there's a bear on a surfboard.
Bear on a surfboard.
Did you notice the bear on a surfboard?
Have I mentioned the bear on a surfboard?
This productin
is carefully made of
natural and high quality
wood, which makes it feel
smooth and resistant.
Special paint for toy,
so it is safe as will as durable.
And then there's a bear on a surfboard.
Bear on a surfboard.
Did I mention the bear on a surfboard?
Lookee here, there's a bear on a surfboard!
Through making designing meticulously,
it is reliable and durable.
Touch it hardworkingly,
think hardworkingly,
raise infant's sensitivity to the figure.
Strengthening the mental work, hand eyes coordinate ability.
Improve the children's imagination and independent thinking space.
Ask parents instruct more,
is it accompany them
grow up together
grow up together
grow up together
to find
time.
All for the child,
All for the child,
All for the child,
for the child's everything.
And then there's a bear on a surfboard!
Bear on a surfboard.
Did you notice the bear on a surfboard?
Lookee here, there's a bear on a surfboard!
Hey y'all, there's a bear on a sufrboard!
Bear on a surfboard.
Lookee here, there's a bear on a surfboard!
Bear on a surfboard.
Teach beginners
the mathematical
race association.
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3. |
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When you need a handy man who's ready willing and able
baby I'm your man
Can I bevel off the corners on your new coffee table?
baby yes I can
do you need to take that coat of paint right off of your chair
but you hate the smell of turpentine
well don't you let your furniture fill you with despair,
you just get on your phone and get me on the line,
I'm the sandpaper man.
(He turned into a sandpaper man.)
I'm the sandpaper man.
(He turned into a sandpaper man.)
I got sandpaper on my fingers
I got sandpaper on my feet
I got sandpaper clothes, from my head to my toes
I ain't shaking your hand when we meet.
So if I don't get too close to you, I hope that you understand:
it's cause I'm the sandpaper man.
so I like to hang around outside my local Home Depot
by them orange exit doors
'Cause I like to use my superpowers for helping people
shaving splinters off their two-by-fours.
yeah, I used to be a husband and a regular guy
and I used to have all regular skin
then I mutated into this thing and I'll never know why,
ain't no point in wishing 'bout the way that things might have been,
when you're the sandpaper man.
yeah, I'm the sandpaper man.
I got a superhero costume,
with a superhero cape
but I'm steering clear of attachment here,
'cause I tend to scratch and scrape.
so let's keep things all superficial, stay away as far as you can,
'cause I'm the sandpaper man.
you know those times you try so hard to cause the least amount of pain?
you know those times you try to make it easier on everyone?
you know those times you cannot bring yourself to rip the band-aid off
and watch the wound get more infected every single day until you
finally get the courage up to get this thing all over and done?
the road to hell is paved with stuff like this, like this well-intentioned plan.
follow it to the letter, and you'll turn into sandpaper man.
I'm just the sandpaper man
yeah I'm the sandpaper man
it'll hurt if you come near me,
it'll hurt you if we touch,
and it's hard to believe, but my heart's on my sleeve,
and it hurts me just as much.
and maybe someday I'll get my costume off and get a hug
and get a kiss
and get a tan
but for now I got to keep my distance
keep to myself
but when you need something sanded down, just ask for my help
'cause I'm the sandpaper man.
well my right hand is good for drywall
and my left works well for raw wood
I got emery boards on my fingernails
and my feet do fiberglass and metal pretty good
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4. |
Brave (#4 of 262)
05:16
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You are going to make mistakes,
You are going to lose your way,
You are going to try and try again, and fail.
You will not have what it takes.
You will fail to save the day.
You'll believe that you can fly and you will flap your wings and flail.
But everyone's careening from catastrophe to disaster.
Everybody's balancing with one foot in the grave.
Your job is to try to not fall in there any faster.
Your job is to wake up every morning
and be brave.
You are twenty-two.
You move into the city.
You throw yourself against the wall to see if you can stick.
You're unsure of what to do.
You are tending toward self-pity.
And throwing yourself against the wall, it gets old pretty quick.
it's going to be okay, kid.
it's going to be okay.
You are thirty-one.
You're trying to break through the ceiling,
So every day, all day, you jump upon a trampoline
But that stopped being fun,
And you've got this sinking feeling,
that the walls are closing in and you're about to be crushed by the big machine.
It's going to be okay, kid
It's going to be okay.
You are going to make mistakes,
You are going to lose your way,
You are going to try and try again, and fail.
You will not have what it takes.
You will fail to save the day.
You'll believe that you can fly and you will flap your wings and flail.
But everyone's careening from catastrophe to disaster.
Everybody's balancing with one foot in the grave.
Your job is to try to not fall in there any faster.
Your job is to wake up every morning
and be brave.
You are forty-three
And your poor main-spring
has been wound so tight inside your clockwork heart
every day you turn the key
on your poor brain-spring,
and the tension's going to tear the thing apart.
And I wish that I could tell you that you're on the right track.
that it wasn't wasted time, and it won't always look this grim
but you are years behind me now, and there's no turning back
so this one's not for you, it's for the guy who's got it all ahead of him.
You are three months old
Your bright star is ascending,
You're hungry for the world and and you will soak up all you can,
Your story's yet untold
with any luck, I won't see the ending,
but there's so much joy and heartbreak waiting for you little man.
It's going to be okay, kid,
it's going to be okay.
You are going to make mistakes,
You are going to lose your way,
You are going to try and try again, and fail.
You will not have what it takes.
You will not quite save the day.
You'll believe that you can fly and you will flap your wings and flail.
But everyone's careening from catastrophe to disaster.
Everybody's balancing with one foot in the grave.
Your job is to try to not fall in there any faster.
Your job is to wake up every morning
and be brave.
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5. |
Suspended (#5 of 262)
04:09
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somewhere there's an alternate universe
where everything is really great,
where we always meet for coffee
or we're calling each other on the phone
somewhere there's an alternate universe
where's we're staying up and talking late
we are the one the other one reaches out to
when he's feeling alone
and in the other universe
we always have each other's back
we haven't scared each other off
or hurt each other yet
we are suspended
in that lovely place between
we are suspended
And the slate is still so clean
and I've pretended that we're doing fine,
that we're nowhere near the end
no it's not ended - we simply chose to suspend.
somewhere there's a spacetime continuum
where I haven't gone to crazy town
where I haven't asked you for a single thing
that you weren't ready to give
and somewhere there's a spacetime continuum
where you haven't ever let me down
where I didn't fall away from you like so much water
through a sieve
okay I switched the metaphor
but think about a colander
you pour in wet spaghetti
and the water sluices out
and it's suspended
Like a million drops of rain
yeah it's suspended
Between the pasta and the drain
have I descended through those little holes,
and am I washed away?
I like to think I'm suspended,
'cause then we might still be okay.
if there were no gravity, the water wouldn't fall out of the colander,
no, it would stay suspended in the air.
And if there were no gravity I wouldn't have to think about
the things that pulled us far apart, I wouldn't even care
and if there were no gravity, the little things that added up
to way too much would never come together anyway
I wish there were no gravity, but I can't fight with gravity,
and I am falling faster farther from you ... every day.
So we're suspended,
We have stopped and not rewound
we are suspended,
We'll never get back off the ground.
Can this be mended?
Can we turn back time, reverse this downward trend?
As much as I might hope and wish
I'm just not in your pasta dish.
So long and thanks for all the fish,
My friend.
I think this is the end.
somewhere there's an alternate universe
where you and I are the best of friends.
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6. |
Your Dog Now (#6 of 262)
03:37
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found him chasing cars
crazy as a loon
a ball of fur and scars
howling at the moon
took him to the vet
scrubbed away the dirt
fed him, calmed him down, and yet
he still whines like he's hurt.
and he's your dog now
he was someone else's dog before
'til he ran right out of their door
now his tail is thumping on your floor,
yeah he's your dog now
his head is resting on your thigh
got a longing look in his eye
wond'rin' if you're gonna slip him a piece of your pie
and there ain't no use in looking back
and wondering why or how
'cause he's your dog now.
scruffy lookin' guy
he's a mongrel mutt.
one blue, one brown eye
a mix of who knows what.
when you turn out the light
he shakes himself awake
and paces round the floor all night
he's a lot to take.
but he's your dog now
sleeping at the foot of your bed
happy when you're scratching his head
never listens to a thing that you said,
well, he's your dog now
shedding over alla your stuff
growling, and grumpy and gruff
when you ask him how he's doing he always says, "ruff."
and there ain't no use in looking back
and wondering why or how
'cause he's your dog now.
you may have gotten more than what you bargained for
the day you brought that scruffy dog inside your door
but if you give him love, no one will love you more
than he,
I guarantee.
He is damaged goods
strung-out, strange old stray
he ain't yet out of his dark woods
but you've showed him a way.
and he's your dog now
when he left some other person behind
you're the person he was hopin' he'd find
dreamed about ya in his little dog mind.
yeah, he's your dog now
strutting with his four-legged stride,
his doggy mouth is smiling so wide,
so proud to be the dog who's walking right by your side
'cause there ain't no other human he would ever wanna be with anyhow.
Yeah, he's your dog now.
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7. |
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I hate it when they call me a monster
I hate it when they say I'm such a dinosaur
I hate it when they say I'm
only good for
wrecking things and
nothing good can
come from hanging
'round me anymore
I hate it when I spoil the party
I hate how conversation dies when I come near
I hate the way they say
such awful things
behind my back
well they think I'm out of earshot
but the truth is I can hear it all
I'm sorry, Tokyo
for ripping out your heart
for tearing up your roads
for tearing you apart
I wish there were a way
to save you but I know
I cannot make this right
I'm sorry, Tokyo.
We used to have a good thing going
You were the loveliest metropolis around
We got along until
the day that I got hit
with radiation from atomic tests
and turned on you and then I burned you down.
I'm sorry, Tokyo
for ripping out your heart
for tearing up your roads
for tearing you apart
I wish there were a way
to save you but I know
I cannot make this right
I'm sorry, Tokyo,
and I've been talking to my therapist about you
'cause I've been paralyzed with guilt for what I've done
he says you can't know you're fire-breathing monster
'til the day that you wake up to find that you've turned into one.
he says Godzilla is a force of great destruction,
he leaves a wake of wreckage in his path, but maybe then
the ones he leaves behind can have a cleaner slate and maybe,
build a better city skyline this time, and maybe start again.
I hate it when you call me a monster.
I'm sorry, Tokyo
for ripping out your heart
for tearing up your roads
for tearing you apart
I have no other choice
no other way to go
for this is who I am
I'm sorry, Tokyo.
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8. |
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This is an adaptation of a poem by e. e. cummings from his book 95 poems, published in 1958. Not 100% clear on the legality of reprinting his text here, but if you like this poem why not buy "100 selected poems" from your local bookstore - it's a worthy collection and great for sifting through with a cup of tea.
Here's the text as I sing it:
i carry your heart with me
i carry it in my heart
i am never without it, anywhere i go you go, my dear
i carry your heart with me
i carry it in my heart
and whatever is done by only me is your doing my darling, I fear no
fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) - I want no
world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever
a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
here is the root of the root
and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky
of a tree called life, which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart with me
I carry it in my heart.
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9. |
Baby Mine (#9 of 262)
02:09
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baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby mine, baby mine, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby mine, baby mine, baby mine.
baby, let's turn off the television
baby, let's forget about the issues of the day
pretend we never heard about that orange politician
when you're in my arms then all that poop just flies away
'cause you're my baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby mine.
baby mine, baby mine, baby mine.
baby buddy, baby buddy, you're my baby buddy
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10. |
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You are amazing
You are astounding
You spread your wings and you're learning to fly.
You are evolving
And you are growing
this thing you got is a thing you can't buy.
You're in the x-men
And the avengers
The justice league of america too
yeah you're a marvel,
from out of DC,
you're a dark horse breaking free from the petting zoo,
and the only thing that ever gets you down
is when your fellow caped crusader cannot deal with having you around
and I,
I'm your kryptonite
'cause I
I am the thing that dims your light
for I always make you sad
when you should be feeling glad
when you should be all lit up and feeling fine
well, I'm your kryptonite,
and you are mine.
you do your homework,
you do the grunt work
you're workin' hard every day and every night
and I admire you
and I applaud you
you're freaking awesome, you're indubitably outasight.
and the only thing that's looking out of place
is that look of disappointment every time I see your lovely face
and I'm your kryptonite
'cause I
I know my head ain't screwed on right
and I only cause you pain
and it's driving me insane
and I can't ret-con my way out of this story line
yeah I'm your kryptonite
and you are mine.
and you say that I'm not man enough,
that I can't stick with the plan enough,
"man up," you say, "man up and make
as if nothing's amiss."
but I'm doing the best I can,
and I've been doing the best I can,
I keep doing the best I can,
and the best I can ain't man enough for this.
and I'm your kryptonite
yeah, I
I am wound up way too tight
I can't do this anymore,
I am tired of keeping score
I am held together with scotch tape and twine.
Yeah I'm your kryptonite
And you're mine.
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11. |
Closing (#11 of 262)
03:56
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I am closing the doors of my heart
Where they used to be all open wide
I've been letting the wind, the leaves, the rain,
and the whole wide world inside.
I am closing the doors of my heart
for I think I have let too much in
I have been trying to fill it with all the wrong things
and it's daunting to clean up, but I must begin
And there was a time when I needed a window wide open to let in the breeze
it was stuffy
it was airless
and boy it got crowded in here
and I'm sure that for some folks an overstuffed heart
is the cure for a heart ill at ease
but for me it's a symptom of hoarding and hiding and acting out of fear.
I am patching the holes in my heart,
I am spackling and painting the halls
where in great desperation and greater despair
I punched open big holes in the walls
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm closing
there will be no more dog and pony show
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm closing
there will be no more fake and phony show
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm closing
I am through with sinking down so low
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm closing
it's last call, get your things, and go.
I am closing the doors of my heart
and that might sound quite dismal to you,
but it's far from depressing to make these repairs,
and I'm far from dejected or blue,
I am closing the doors of my heart
and exploring the world within,
in the company of the great love of my life,
and my life is far better than it's ever been.
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm no longer one big open book
I'm closing
I'm closing
I'm closing
the hookup phone is off the hook
I'm closing
I am closing this deal today
I'm closing
I am ready to walk away
I'm closing
I don't care what my old friends say
my heart is done being so exposed
I'm closing
all the walls have been closing in
I'm closing
I've been spreading myself too thin
I'm closing
I am through with what might have been
and the doors of my heart are closed.
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12. |
Kissing You (#12 of 262)
05:19
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I like the way you dress, I like the way you taste
I wouldn't let a drop of this girl go to waste
that'd be a sin
I gotta drink you in.
I like your smile, I like the way you make me feel
I like the way you make the world seem so unreal
yeah it's so fine
when you touch your lips to mine
yeah
I love your kissing,
I love your kissing,
I love kissing you,
I been reminiscing
'bout how I go missing
when I am kissing you
'cause you kiss my troubles away
and I let you lead me astray
and deep down I always knew some day that I
would be kissing you goodbye.
Yeah, being with you sure beats just being by myself.
I can just reach for you and take you off the shelf
and we go high
and time will fly by, yeah
When I'm with you, my worries all just fade away
We tell them they can all come back some other day,
and then they do
they always do, but
I love your kissing,
I love your kissing,
I love kissing you,
I been reminiscing
'bout how I go missing
when I am kissing you
'cause you kiss my troubles away
and I let you lead me astray
and deep down I always knew some day that I
would be kissing you goodbye.
and when I touch my lips to yours I feel no pain
You make my heartache wash away like so much rain
I drink you in and you go right up to my brain
and then I do things I'll regret and can't remember or explain
You were so good at helping me hide from my fears
We hid away from them for oh so many years
but I've seen friends of mine take long walks off of tragically short piers
hand in hand with you
so it's not you, it's me, and please, let's not be friends
we gotta go our separate ways before this ends
all wrong.
welcome to your breakup song.
it's time to pay my tab and wave the big white flag.
and I'm the one who said there's no room in my bag
for regret,
but it turns out that my bag is not quite full yet,
I love your kissing,
I love your kissing,
I love kissing you,
I been reminiscing
'bout how I go missing
when I am kissing you
'cause you kiss my troubles away
and I let you lead me astray
and deep down I always knew some day that I
would be kissing you goodbye.
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13. |
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These lyrics are a quote from Harvey Milk (1930-1978) which Makaela shared with me and I have found particularly inspiring and apt. Harvey drops the f-bomb quite a bit here, so please cover your ears and eyes if you don't want to read it or hear it - but I think the sentiment here is worth f-bomb-ery.
"Go After Her" - text by Harvey Milk, music by Brendan Milburn
Go after her.
Fuck,
don’t sit there and wait for her to call,
go after her because that’s what you should do if you love someone,
don’t wait for them to give you a sign cause it might never come,
don’t let people happen to you,
don’t let me happen to you,
or her,
she’s not a fucking television show or tornado.
There are people I might have loved had they gotten on the airplane
or run down the street after me
or called me up drunk at four in the morning
because they need to tell me right now
and because they cannot regret this
and I always thought I’d be the only one doing crazy things for people
who would never give enough of a fuck to do it back
or to act like idiots
or be entirely vulnerable and honest
and making someone fall in love with you is easy
and flying 3000 miles on four days notice
because you can’t just sit there and do nothing
and breathe into telephones
is not everyone’s idea of love
but it is the way I can recognize it
because that is what I do.
Go scream it
and be with her in meaningful ways
because that is beautiful
and that is generous
and that is what loving someone is,
that is raw and that is unguarded,
and that is all that is
worth
anything,
really.
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14. |
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You know that armor you been carrying 'round
That suit of armor you wear all over town
That suit of armor has been weighing you down
more and more with each passing year
the slings and arrows are beginning to strafe,
and that suit of armor sure ain't keeping you safe.
that suit of armor's really starting to chafe
and it doesn't let you hide from your fear
and your fears will grow
and your tears will flow
and the years will show
that it's time to break out and move on, 'cause you know
yeah, that thing,
yeah, that thing you're doing,
yeah, that thing that you've been doing,
baby, that's not gonna work.
you built your armor out of playing pretend
your suit of armor was a means to an end
and now that armor is no longer your friend
when you're trying real hard to be real.
that suit of armor doesn't help you perform.
that suit of armor ain't much good in a storm
that suit of armor sure ain't keeping you warm
and it sure ain't helping you heal.
you can conceal your wounds,
and try not to feel your wounds,
but to heal your wounds
you gotta give 'em some air, let 'em out in the sun
yeah, that thing,
yeah, that thing you're doing,
yeah, that thing that you've been doing,
baby, that's not gonna work.
you're not a knight in shining armor and you never were
you're not a damsel in distress, of that you can be sure
and you don't need that clown suit, you don't need that bustiér
and you don't need to look like Cary Grant or Doris Day
to get into this party, you don't need a special costume like
Calamity Jane or Old Farmer John
You are worthy as you are,
you are worthy as you are,
you are worthy as you are,
you don't need that armor on.
yeah, that thing,
yeah, that thing you're doing,
yeah, that thing that you've been doing,
baby, that's not gonna work.
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15. |
Sad. (#15 of 262)
03:20
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well ain't it funny how they put these sayings in needlepoint and they hang them on the wall
they're these homilies, platitudes, proverbs, it gets to the point where you don't notice them at all
it's like aesop's fables, it's like nursery rhymes,
it's the crap that your grandmother told you and told you a thousand times
and then one day you come to know the truth inside a statement like "you don't know what you had until it's gone."
and I'm just so fucking sad.
I am just so fucking sad.
I'm embarrassed to be white.
I'm embarrassed to be male.
I'm embarrassed to be an American citizen,
'cause this shit is beyond the pale
and I never wrote any protest songs,
but future prospects have never looked so bad.
and I'm just so fucking sad.
we've taken a guy who's a textbook narcissist and granted him the highest office in the land
yeah, the guy who can't focus for more than a couple of minutes on anything is gonna be in command
he's obsessed with celebrity
and swollen with pride
he is selfish and sexist and racist and he's deeply broken inside
and I hope and pray there's just a little truth behind the homily, "it's always darkest right before the dawn."
'cause I'm just so fucking sad.
I am just so fucking sad
and evil's gonna triumph
when good men sit on their ass
and I sat back and didn't do shit, and look what has come to pass
'cause I woke up wednesday morning and discovered that the world has gone completely mad.
and I am just so fucking sad.
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16. |
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I've been making an original song each week, with accompanying mediocre video
I been hosting a wrestling match in my head between my superego, ego and my id-eo
I am reeling and I'm kneeling, and I'm dealing, and I'm feeling like I've fallen in a bottomless pit-eo
'cause I cannot understand how our paresident-elect became elected after all he said and did-eo
but I'm channeling the muse and I'm lighting the fuse 'cause I decided that I simply gotta fight this
I will not go another day in my old complacent way because this is wrong and we gotta right this.
and I'm grateful for the roof I got right over my head, and the time I get to think about and write this
and now from holding this baby every day for six months, I've got De Quervain's tenosynovitis.
Give me your money
Please give me your money.
Please finance my grand campaign to pay my rent and feed my family
Give me your money
Please, give me your money
And every week I'm gonna do my level best to hit it all grand slamily.
Some of my songs will be awesome
and some are gonna sink like a brick
but every single week I'm gonna make 'em and toss 'em
against the wall and see which ones stick.
so if you like what I've been doing, and you want me to keep on waving this brave baton,
just give me a buck every week on my patreon.
I am making an original song each week with my head and my heart and intuition
I am using all the skills I have acquired through the years that I've been tryin' to be a proficient musician
I am playing with a lot of little gadgets like a british secret agent on a secretive mission
I am rolling with the punches in the middle of my life, I am a two-act play at intermission
I got a glorious and complicated eleven-year old, who is surfing on the autistic spectrum
I got a baby and a wife and a mom, and more people keep showing up when I least expect them,
I am juggling the needs of all the mouths I gotta feed, and give 'em all appreciation and affection
I got a tricky row to hoe, I got a million miles to go, I'm running out of money, so I gotta get some.
Give me your money.
Please give me your money.
it takes balls to ask like this, and balls have been in short supply until lately.
Give me your money.
Please give me your money.
I am no longer afraid to admit I could use your help, so I'm telling you straightly.
Some of my songs will move you
and some will just be moving your ass
but every single week I'm gonna keep on my keepin' on,
short-order cookin' with gas.
so if you like what I am doin', don't be like that old man telling kids to vacate his lawn,
you don't wanna be the guy who is allergic to shellfish and finds that he just ate a prawn,
be my buddy on the internet, we'll do a google hangout disco party, gyrate 'til dawn
just give me a buck every week on my patreon.
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17. |
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it's like a weight upon your shoulders
it's like a boat that you are towing from the shore
it's like you're always, always pushing up that boulder
'til it rolls right over you and you gotta push it up once more
it's like a swim against the current
it's a night so dark you forget that there will ever be a dawn
that night you realize you can't go on like you've been
going on and on and on and on and on and on,
this is when you let go
when you let go of your doubt,
when you stop your second-guessing,
when you stop chickening out.
and there's no shame
for the dumb mistakes that laid you low
when you can put down all the weight that you've been carrying,
that's when you know:
this is when you let go.
it's like a pretentious foreign movie
in some pretentious movie house you'd rather not be in
the popcorn's stale and the soda fountain's broken
and the action film next door is loud, the walls are paper thin
The hero looks suspiciously familiar
That dissolute and disenchanted douchebag on the screen
And then you realize the other actors are your friends and neighbors and you better get up there and fix this before the final scene
this is when you let go
when you let go of your fear
when you let go of the bottle
and you can see it all so clear
that you have become
your own worst-case scenario
when you can put away the crutches you've been leaning on,
that's when you know
this is when you let go
this is when you let go
when you set your expectations free
when you let go of the person you thought you were s'posed to be
and you're not afraid
of whatever's down below,
when you're dangling from the high trapeze in the circus tent,
it's just part of the show,
where you swing to and fro,
when the time comes you'll know:
this is when you let go.
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Brendan Milburn Seattle, Washington
Brendan Milburn is a music teacher and a dad. In his former life he wrote musicals, songs for animated movies, shows for theme parks and cruise lines. He used to play in a band called GrooveLily. Now he has chickens, cats, and kids, and he is making a song a week. ... more
Brendan Milburn recommends:
Jerry's got this laconic, kinda flat affect singing style which only makes his lyrics land even more. Great acoustic guitar playing, thoughtful lyrics from a generous and kind worldview. Recommended.
go to albumIf you like Brendan Milburn, you may also like:
Brown Bag Compilation #1
by Milburn & Vigoda
supported by 5 fans who also own “making an omelet (262 songs, volume 1)”
Everything these guys do is fabulous. Barista Girl is the most-requested track on my iPod during car trips. This Sucks is just wonderful (albeit better live).
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Ernest Shackleton Loves Me Home Demos
by Valerie Vigoda & Brendan Milburn
supported by 4 fans who also own “making an omelet (262 songs, volume 1)”
I really want a whole show "cast recording" for this amazing show.
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Striking 12 bonus tracks
by GrooveLily
supported by 4 fans who also own “making an omelet (262 songs, volume 1)”
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An imaginative and experimentalist yet accessible record of acoustic prog from London-based artist Kiran Leonard.
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Touched by the Stuff
by Motorists
Toronto rivals San Francisco as the North American capital of jangle pop as evidenced by this new record of sunny jams from the Motorists.
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