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Tempo of the Times

by Brad Elias

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1.
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)
2.
That Bucket 04:37
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
3.
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
4.
Messy 03:44
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
5.
Sweet Spot 04:33
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!
6.
Oh-Wayo 04:12
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!”
7.
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
8.
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
9.
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
10.
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
11.
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
12.
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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released December 22, 2018

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Brad Elias San Francisco, California

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