1. |
Tempo of the Times
04:20
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Breaking news – there is a massive debt
We interrupt this with a major threat
And this just in what we're about to get
And the worst hasn't happened yet
(you can bet)
It’s the Tempo of the Times
I can't handle another scandal
Tempo of the Times
Too much slime going ‘round
Just the Tempo of the Times
Next disaster is coming faster
(Glitz and glitter, twits on twitter)
Tempo of the Times
Think that I'm slowing down
One expert says that the world is flat
Two expert say they don't agree with that
Three expert say that my ass is fat
And everyone accepts it as fact
(what's with that?)
Getting smarter from the cable news?
Only if they all agree with you
You only view your half of what's true
It's how we make everyone lose
(sing the blues)
We watch the news when there's decisions to make
Used to tell us what was real, what was fake
But now they slice the truth like it was cake
After this commercial break
(for frosted flakes)
Things were simpler not so long ago
Or maybe hidden so that I didn’t know
Can’t we get back to that panic-free zone
As long as I can keep my iPhone
(I’m not alone)
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2. |
That Bucket
04:37
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I’ve had the pleasure of many long years
And the pain of much shorter days
I’d tell you about some after one or two beers
But some I would rather not say
Harvest memories while they are here
‘Cause they’re all gonna rot away
That bucket’s got a hole in it
If there was gold then time has stolen it
That perfect thought – I was just holding it
But it’s slipping fast away
That bucket’s leaking quite a lot
Forgetting things that I forgot
Remember things that I could not
‘Cause it never was that way.
Remember the time back in ‘89
The night we wrote our names on that wall?
Just me and you and, well, was it Drew
And a couple girls I don’t recall
(maybe my wife?)
If I were a writer and you read my memoir
Would you be delighted or would you be bored?
But if you dread there’d be scandals aplenty
The book, like my head, like all that I’ve said
Is perfectly empty
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3. |
Stupid in Love
03:55
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There’s a song in my step
There’s a spring in my heart
All these words seemed so absurd
But now I’m singing my part
Like a hand in a shoe
Or a foot in a glove
I’m a victim of
Being stupid in love
Stupid in Love
There’s a buzz in my head
Always calling in ill
Butterflies before my eyes
Concentration is nil
Oxygen levels down
Not inhaling enough
Got a bad case of
Being stupid in love
Stupid in Love
Friends all view my life with muted terror
Hope there’s some solution to my state
They can’t prove my actions are in error
Brain has shut down but I’m feeling great
Stupid in Love
Got a brand new tattoo
And a piercing right there
Shave or dyed – let her decide
What I should do with my hair
Might be joining a cult
Start to sacrifice doves
Willing hostage of
Being stupid in love
Stupid in Love
Friends all view my life as a disaster
Hope this poor condition soon will pass
I can’t wait to fail them any faster
Funds exhausted, but I had a blast
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4. |
Messy
03:44
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I want to be alone; I need you near me
I want to hold it in; need you to hear me
I want affection but I also need my space
I want to have control; need to be guided
I want to share but I need it one-sided
I have a broken part that I cannot replace
Why do desires direct my choice (in a decision)
Try to decide to give a voice (to indecision)
I seek the signal in the noise
What I want
What I need
What I get
Is never
quite the same
What I have
What I keep
What I leave
It’s messy to explain
‘Cause it’s messy
in my brain
My heart believes in love; my head denies it
My heart will calm your stress; my head supplies it
I have no process how detect which thought is true
My head is logical; my heart’s erratic
My head is serious; heart’s a fanatic
I am conflicted by myself so can’t blame you
Now I am vexed with this unrest (in a decision)
Doubts have depressed my skull and chest (with indecision)
How can I know the road that’s best
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5. |
Sweet Spot
04:33
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I grew up inside the Baby Boomer Bubble
Never worried about the coming meal
Had a lighter load of trials, toils, and troubles
Can’t imagine how a failure would feel
I was white and so the privilege expected
Stable family and church and school
Never fell too far; I always felt protected
And I believed I did the Golden Rule
The good I did unto others
Was for friends and family
Did not consider as brothers
Someone not the same as me
I hit upon the Sweet Spot
No thought about the have-nots
Charity was not taught
By the winners in the Sweet Spot
I fell into the Sweet Spot
Forgot about the poor lot
Hang on to what I got
Sitting pretty in the Sweet Spot
At the end of the industrial revolution
Most of our resources have been spent
Doesn’t seem like there’s an easier solution
Than to buckle down and pay that rent
But our debt and greed is growing like a cancer
And the planet’s at the tipping point
Politicians and religion have no answer
Best and brightest tend to disappoint
So careening towards the void
Try explaining what we did
Focused on what we enjoyed
Not what we leave our kids
We’re riding out the Sweet Spot
No thought that there’s no jackpot
Prudent plans were not taught
By the winners in the Sweet Spot
We fell into the Sweet Spot
Forgot about the next lot
Hang on to what we got
Sitting pretty in the Sweet Spot
We’re the Me Generation
It’s all about me!
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6. |
Oh-Wayo
04:12
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I travelled to a land
Across the burning sand
I met a holy man
Who said to me
“The joy of life, you see
Is simple as can be
Just sing ‘Oh-Wayo, Oh-oh!’”
I said, “You must explain
The meaning is not plain
Your singing hurts my brain
My thoughts confound”
But he just turned around
And made that silly sound
He sang, “Oh-Wayo, Oh-oh”
“Joy is not possessions
Nor obsessions, situations
Joy is within you
So continue: sing like I do
Just sing, ‘Oh-Wayo, Oh-oh!’”
So I said back to him,
“The future is quite dim
Survival chances slim
And prospects gray
You have the nerve to say
It all will be OK
If we sing, ‘Oh-Wayo, Oh-oh!’”
“Joy is not aggression
Nor the tension of dissention
Joy is believing
That you’re winning when you’re singing
You’re singing, ‘Oh-Wayo, Oh-oh!’”
Now what I say is true
Your joy is up to you
It’s in the things you do
And how you think
Don’t sweat the bigger things
Be happy as you sing
We’re singing, “Oh-Wayo, Oh-oh!”
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7. |
Two Minds, One Heart
04:00
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And when you leave
You'll take a little piece of me
And when I go
I'll have a piece of you, I know
We chip away
At rougher edges every day
When we collide
Or when we shamble side by side
For every notch we make reveals
a surface more refined
And every word we hurl creates
an impact in our minds
‘Cause whether we spar or we agree
All will see
We left our mark
We fanned a flame out of a spark
Not just a trace
Not just another empty space
Two minds, One heart
The roots entwined
but the branches grew apart
Two roads, same start
One destination
though our stated goals depart
Two minds, One heart
We rub a bit
We have the friction and the grit
Two different worlds
Have put the polish on the pearl
It's not a choice
To drown out the other voice
That must be heard
Although we cringe at every word
So we can be an object lesson
to the ones we know
That we can still dissent
without descending to that low
And value the view we cannot see
Perfectly
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8. |
Merry Whatever
03:21
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I might say Merry Christmas
Or Happy Holidays
And you might get offended
No matter what I say
It's just my simple way to
Bring joy into our day.
Is there a war on Christmas
And are they fighting back?
And can my friendly greeting
Be seen as some attack?
Take it as I intended
Or water off your back
So have a Happy Something
And a Merry Whatever
Get the good cheer flowing
As we all hang together
There's a warmth in spite of
Political weather
So have Merry Whatever!
Can I put up a manger
Or Santa with his sack
It's just a decoration
Not a rebellious act
We can create division
But what's the use in that?
And see the lights all blinking
Some red and some are blue
I know what you are thinking
This can divide us, too
But there's a common meaning
Just let the light shine through
Tidings of comfort and joy
To you and yours
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9. |
Taste of Love
03:04
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I could say that I want you, say that I need you
But the truth is plain on my face
You could try to deny it; you’re wanting to try it
But there’s tension in your embrace
I will wait for the right time for you
But until that happens we can try something new
Baby, I am not counselling haste
Though it’s late and the road has been rough
It’s not right to get only a taste
But then sometimes a taste is enough
Baby, don’t let this night go to waste
When there may be a chance of love
I’ll be fine getting only a taste
Because sometimes a taste is enough
A taste of love is sometimes enough
We’ve been hanging together nearly forever
And we share our innermost thoughts
Can we get from the friend zone & into the end zone
When will my frustration stop
I’m not saying that you have to begin
Just give me a window and I’ll dive right on in
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10. |
Thomas Austin
03:51
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This could last a moment
What a moment it’d be
Seal it here in my memory
Overture mistaken
Taken out of trust
The lackluster has led to lust
Even though I know this will not work
I guess it could go a whole lot worse
And it sure couldn’t hurt
You’ll be my Thomas Austin
You’ll be my greatest downfall
You’ll ruin my foundations
And I won’t mind at all
Even when you pull away
I can still look back and say
I don’t mind at all
The beginning ending
Falling back to friends
We can never do that again
In your perfect pageant
I could play my part
Hold it here in my hidden heart
Even though you’re leagues above my depth
Thoughts of this intrigue has caught my breath
What little is left
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11. |
Support Humanity
05:11
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I come to you this evening faithful member
I’m only asking you to do your part
For each donation you will all remember
You get a kinder heart You get a fresher start
The penny shared today
Will go a long, long way
The little light you shine
Can last a long, long time
There's always joy in generosity
To those not blessed as we
Support humanity
There's operators on each city corner
The homeless, jobless, and the underpaid
Can they be safer, fuller, healthier, warmer
Can they be less afraid With your donation made
Just think about the benefits you're getting
A sharing member of humanity
A little sacrifice but no regretting
Increase your empathy Reduce the misery
So take the needed time to reconsider
Before you go back to your life you lead
You have the chance to make a bad life better
I’m sure we all agree There’s someone more in need
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12. |
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We once were tribes and villages and clans
We feared the night and fought to keep our lands
But saw our work was eased with willing hands
So our arms opened
We grew to towns and cities and then states
We built our walls but opened up our gates
We learned that common goals entwined our fates
As our arms opened
There’s only us
There’s no one to condemn
There’s only us
There never was a them
There’s only us
There is no one to shame
We are the same
The fear of someone not the same as me
The hope of what together we can be
The patience with the ones who cannot see
We’ve our arms open
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