Get all 11 Brendan Milburn releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of 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), once more, with feeling (262 songs, vol. 4), and 3 more.
1. |
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Lift me up
Hail Mary
Word on the street is that you're full of Grace
So lift me up
Hail Mary
I'm past embarrassment, I ain't trying to save face
I'm behind the half court line
I'm deep into overtime
and the other team is putting up a fight
so lift me up, ave maria,
I ain't never been to church, but I sure as hell need you tonight.
Lift me up
hail, Mary,
word on the street is you're the one I'm supposed to call
lift me up
hail, Mary
someone wrote your number by the payphone on the prison wall
so pick up that receiver
go and make me a believer
I'm between a rock and a hard place, and it sure is tight
lift me up, ave Maria,
I'm no christian man, but I sure as hell need you tonight.
tonight is what they call the end of the road,
the dark, dark night of the soul
tonight I'm carrying a heavy heavy load
and I'm way down in the hole
tonight I'm dangling at the end of my rope
I'm done looking for someone else to blame
tonight I'm clinging to my last scrap of hope
and so I'm calling, and so I'm calling your name.
Lift me up
Hail Mary
Word on the street is that you're full of Grace
So lift me up
Hail Mary
I'm past embarrassment, I ain't trying to save face
am I worthy of saving,
with they way I've been behaving?
I don't know which way is up, what's wrong and what's right,
but lift me up,
Ave Maria,
I ain't never been to church, but I sure as hell need you tonight.
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2. |
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I'm like a soldier
I'm Ray Bolger,
I drink my Folger's
before I'm going on with Judy Garland, I'm a
Scarecrow!
check out my hair, yo!
don't touch my hair, though
I got it done like Seth MacFarlane
I'm a family guy,
and I'm a manly guy,
and I been standing by
while all my peers are getting famous
so I'm here to say
I'm back into the fray
you best get out my way
you will remember what my name is...
'cause I'm working the system
I'm playing the games
I'm doing the lunches
I'm dropping the names (Teddy Pendergrass!)
I'm working the system
I'm all systems go
I got a manly mani-pedi with my neighbor Helen Reddy
'cause it's all about how you look and who you know.
Hey, pal
whatcha say, pal?
How 'bout you paypal
me all that money that you owe me
Venmo?
come again, joe?
I need the cash flow,
so gimme cash or you can blow me
Sit tight,
I got the invite,
I'll sip a bud lite,
hittin' on a hottie at the party
jumping out of the gate,
got my priorities straight,
I'm living out of my car, but my car's a maserati
'cause I'm working the system
I'm playing the games
I'm doing the lunches
I'm dropping the names (Englebert Humperdinck!)
I'm working the system
I'm all systems go
botox and lip filler with my buddy Phyllis Diller
'cause it's all about how you look and who you know.
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3. |
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I liked you better when you weren’t such a sourpuss
I liked you better when you weren’t so political
I liked you better when you weren't such a dour wuss
I liked you better when you weren’t hypocritical
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better in your former rock and pop ensemble
I liked you better when you weren’t going solo
I liked you better when you only did merengue mambo
I liked you better when you weren’t sinking so low
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
And I don’t care if you don’t care that I don’t care for all the changes that you’re going through
And I don’t care if you don’t care that I don’t care for this updated later version of you
And I don’t care for all the stuff that you’ve been doing, you should shove it all back down in the drawer
I’d only care about you and what you are saying if you go back to the things that you were saying the way you said them before.
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
I liked you better, liked you better, liked you better before
before, before, before, before.
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4. |
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look outside
and all around
so blue the sky,
so green the ground,
it's a big bright multicolored world today
even if the world inside your head is gray.
what goes up
must come down,
"but trust me, it
comes back around."
"and you will love who you turn out to be"
"I been there, I survived, so just take it from me."
And you are loved more than you seem to know.
And I'm sorry if I do not often tell you so.
So i'm ripping off the theme song from your favorite tv show
to tell you, my sweet boy:
"hang in there, baby."
look outside
and breathe it in
the world is wide
it's yours to win
just because the world inside your head is gray,
there's no need to go and throw it all away.
and you are loved more than you seem to know.
and I'm sorry if I don't often tell you so.
so I'm ripping off the theme song from your favorite tv show
to tell you, my sweet boy:
hang in there, baby.
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5. |
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this is not the life that I imagined for myself
this is not the life I thought I would be living
this is not the way I thought I would be spending every day
with debt and diapers, spills and spit-up, ever patient, always giving,
this is not the life that I imagined for myself
my evil plan for world domination
where is my batcave, where is my fleet of robots?
where is my spaceship, where are my peeled kumquats?
where is my corner office, where is my stable full of ponies?
where is my rock star lifestyle, where is my shelf full of tony's?
this is not the life that I imagined for myself
the things I've lost, and the things I keep on losing,
but if I could travel back and change the way it all went down
this is the life I'd choose again,
this is the life each day I am choosing.
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6. |
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The world is violent and mercurial —
it will have its way with you.
We are saved only by love —
love for each other
and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share:
being a parent;
being a writer;
being a painter;
being a friend.
We live in a perpetually burning building,
and what we must save from it,
all the time,
is love.
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7. |
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8. |
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so the day just could not have been better
it started [out] so normal and fine
I put on my favorite sweater
calmed down with three glasses of my favorite wine
and I waited with admirable patience
for Chad to show up for our date
then, there he was, wearing the very same sweater as me!
And I knew it was fate.
that went great,
that went grand,
he likes polyester too!
he showed up
like I planned
and he did all the things that I hoped he would do!
I don't care
I don't mind
that he showed up extremely late
the important thing is the date and that went great.
So I tagged along to the library.
A very "first date" thing to do.
I'm not really much of a "library fairy"
but if Chad's going there, well then, I'll go there too.
“And boy, we’ve got so much in common!”-
I thought as he picked up some books.
The librarians must have been jealous of me and my man
I saw several giving me looks. But:
he likes reading, and I like to watch!
he likes old novels and I like reruns!
he likes Fitzgerald, I like scotch!
he likes [Ernest] Hemingway and I like [shot]guns!
he likes sports writing, and I like jocks!
he likes Gandhi, and I lost weight!
he likes Capote, and I like cocks!
he's just like me!
That went great!
That went swell!
He’s my favorite kind of a guy!
We just fit
so darn well,
I’m so hopeful, I think I could cry!
as I lurked
in the stacks
resisting the urge to masturbate,
I thought to myself, this is promising and great.
And it ended so wonderfully happy
as I trailed Chad onto the train.
I feel so deliciously sappy
Like someone poured syrup all over my brain
But the moment I'll treasure forever,
the one that makes the memory complete
is the first time that Chad opened up and then spoke right to me,
and said (spoken) "hey man, you need a seat?"
That went great!
That was sweet!
Warmed my heart, I will admit.
Busy train,
not much room,
but he gave me his place to sit!
Now I'm sure
there's no doubt,
he could be my lifelong mate!
he's generous, kind, and good-looking and wise,
he's bookish and shy and he's got lovely eyes,
and he clearly chose me out of all of the guys
and he got off the train at the very next station
and I waved goodbye, overcome with elation
and now I am brimming with anticipation
for our next date,
because the first one
went
great.
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9. |
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I'm a whale on the beach on my side in the sun
I’m a three-legged dog in the doghouse
I’m a straggling old greyhound when the whole race is run
I’m a leftover Lincoln log next to the log house
But I feel like the tide is rolling in
And it’s cooling off my dried up old whale skin
I'm a whale on the beach on my side in the rain
Wet and cool but this sure don’t feel like swimming
And I used to roll right over get back to the ocean again
But my back aches and my eyesight is dimming
And yet I feel like the tide is rolling in
And I can’t help breaking into a krill-encrusted grin
‘Cause I been through this before
I been up above the spray, I been down to the ocean floor
I have crested on the highest wave and washed up on the lowest shabby shore
It goes around and comes around, it'll come around once more.
I'm a whale on the beach at the end of the day
And the high tide is swirling all around me
Any moment the water’s gonna carry me away
Or dig me deeper in the sand here and ground me
And either way it goes will be okay
A higher tide will be coming in some day
‘Cause I been through this before
I been up above the spray, I been down to the ocean floor
I have crested on the highest wave and washed up on the lowest shabby shore
It goes around and comes around, it'll come around once more.
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10. |
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(What are you gonna do on
New Year’s Eve?)
BRENDAN (GRUMPY GUY):
Late for work
Now I’m working late
The boss said please
I’ve got to please the boss
I phone the man
I’ve got to man those phones
Gotta check those facts
Gotta fax those checks
And I’ve gotta fix that printer
It’ll be another late night
I will get through this winter
Without a ray of daylight
I volunteered to stay late
There’s no need to deny it
Time-and-a-half my pay rate
And peace and quiet
On the last day of the year
On the last day of the year
(What are you gonna do on
New Year’s Eve?)
I’m almost done
Now I’ve done it all
I’m the last one out
I’m out at last
I go through the crowd
Now I’m crowding through
I stare them down
While I go down the stairs
(Please stand clear of the
closing doors
Please stand clear of the
closing doors)
And strangers talk to strangers
Where did all these people
slink from?
Bubbling like champagne, they’re
On their way to drink some
On the last day of the year
On the last day of the year
Look how fast this year’s gone by
Spring has somehow slipped away
I barely saw the summer sky
Autumn seems like yesterday
I never read those top-ten books
I never took that trip to France
Did nothing to improve my looks
I never learned to salsa dance
I didn’t be all I could be
I didn’t see all I could see
I didn’t call on Mother’s Day
I cannot wash my sins away
And I would not dwell on the past
If time would not go by so fast
I can’t believe already it’s
the last day...of the year
(What are you gonna do on
New Year’s Eve? )
I'll step it up
I'll go up the steps
And there’s a sidewalk push
And I am pushed aside
(Last day of the year)
I got to keep my grip
I got to grip my keys
While I head for home
Oh, my head
On the last day of the year
Last day of the year
(What are you gonna do on
New Year’s Eve?)
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11. |
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He grips the wheel
with shaking hands
and scratches underneath his cap
and pedal down, a prayer for starting out.
With even keel,
he takes commands
as master stretches for a nap.
He doesn't show a shadow of a doubt
for getting paid is what it's all about.
Chauffeur in a foreign land,
crooked streets cannot be tamed
signposts he don't understand
intersections never named
Chauffeur in complete control
of something out of hand,
sunday-driving down nightmare roads
of a foreign land.
He's not prepared
but isn't lost.
Only misplaced where they are.
And whistles as the tank starts running low.
He's deeply scared,
he knows the cost,
but blames direction on the car.
Amazing, how in circling you go far -
the master sips a brandy from his bar.
(repeat chorus)
A losing war
behind the face,
frantic just beneath the skin,
he calmly parks the limo with a prayer.
He gets the door
for master's grace
and now all hope is wearing thin.
The master smiles and pays him double fare.
For all he knows, the chauffeur got him there.
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12. |
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13. |
I Give Up (#128 of 262)
05:16
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I give up.
I was a car crash in slow motion, yes I know this much is true.
Everyone could see it coming but there was nothing they could do.
They all cleared the intersection and I waved as I passed through
on my way to that rendezvous with my fate
Now I’ve shed some of my intensity and I’m a whole lot less intense
I have gained some understanding and it’s all started making sense:
I have risen to the level of my incompetence.
Got nothing left to prove and it’s feeling great.
It's like letting go of a great big weight
because I give up
and I give in
and I give over to
the truth that I'm not in control
I'm just another pilgrim soul
in orbit round this big black hole
that sucks in all that might have been.
What might have been does no one any good
What might have been can't carry water, can't chop wood.
What might have been won’t hunt or fish or pay the rent on time
What might have been is real good looking but it ain't worth a dime.
I was a car crash in slow motion, yes I know this much is true.
Everyone could see it coming but there was nothing they could do.
They all cleared the intersection and I waved as I passed through
on my way to that rendezvous with my fate.
Got nothing left to prove and it’s feeling great.
It's like letting go of a great big weight.
And so I give up
and I give in
and I give over to
the truth that I'm not in control
I'm just another pilgrim soul
in orbit round this big black hole
that sucks in all that might have been.
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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
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