Song #6: The Attic

"Anything worthwhile takes effort."

One of the easiest traps to fall into in life is that slow disintegration into drifting. You know what I mean: it's that place of cruise-control, of reacting instead of acting, of going through the motions. Unless we consciously intend to live and love "on purpose", gravity tends to pulls us into that old sinkhole time and again.

Sometimes we're fortunate enough to get a wake-up call - whether that comes from some sort of internal a-ha moment or perhaps more commonly from an unexpected outside event. In "The Attic", the narrator has just such an experience after stumbling across a box of momentos that had been tucked away.

Musically, this song is a bit unorthodox and experimental. It doesn't follow a normal song format, nor does it really have a hook or even a real chorus. Maybe we could best describe it as "a short story set to music."

PLAY:

LYRICS:

brown banged up boxes,

all taped and stacked up

pull one to the ground

and blow off the dust

let's see what I can find...

well, here's that old album

with pictures of us

and scraps of old letters

professing our love

the remnants of a life

I can see what we had

but look how I've been

I guess I just didn't feel prepared for this

It's all passing me by

it's said, life is what happens while we make our plans

remember when we said we'd always hold hands?

(but) the urgent trumped the day, and exhaustion, the night

my God, I have been entrusted with so very much

it's lovely and good but I didn't keep up

somewhere we got lost and failed to try

I can see what we had

but I know what I've been

I guess I just didn't feel prepared for this

somewhere I got lost and failed to try

----

well no more, no more

from here on I put my best foot forward

I don't want to take you for granted

well no more, no more

it's time that my own heart I restore

I don't want to take you for granted, again

tonight when I see you I'm gonna ask you to dance

and show you I still have the time for romance

I'm still amazed and you should know it

so I restack the box and climb back down the stairs

and find myself grateful for all that we've shared

you have my heart and it's past time I show it

Song #5: I Want Love

"The natural man has only two primal passions, to get and beget."

[William Osler]

PLAY:

LYRICS:

if I could be honest

if I could tell the truth

I am getting bothered

by the thought of you

just don't you forget

that I am a man

and I have needs too

I need love, love, love

give me love, love, love

I want love, love, love

from you

so reach out and touch me

or I will make a move

I am right here, hungry

I have an ache to soothe

there just aren't words

to say how much I burn

but I'd be glad to show you

I need love, love, love

give me love, love, love

I want love, love, love

from you

I am haunted by the scent

of the back of your neck

why are you so damn far away?

I feel like reaching out to you

and pouring me out

could you come over and stay?

why don't you come and stay?

'cause I need you now...

I need love, love, love

give me love, love, love

I want love, love, love

from you

Song #2: Alone

"One is the loneliest number..."

What I find most interesting about "Alone" is not the way in which the character "uses" love, but that he's self-aware enough to be doing so consciously. A rather somber exploration of isolation, loneliness and loss of identity.

PLAY: 

LYRICS:

One love that started to fade

He moved towards her and she moved further away

Now he's left standing

He's never known himself all alone

When she's gone, he doesn't know

who he is 

"I loved you for who that made me

And I know that that's not healthy

Oh God, no... it seems I don't like me

when I'm left standing alone"

As long as there's her, it masks all the pain

Devious voices inside, they whisper his name

In deafening silence

Now without, his head in his hands,

Forced to peek inside  

at the dragons within

"I loved all them because they saved me

And I know that that's not healthy

But still though, I need them to like me

  I can't stand being alone"

Now what is this?

New eyes look his way

He feels again, his worth from within

He's got his fix, there's fire in his veins

He knows again he's claimed

And everything's OK

"I love you because you'll take me

And I know that that's not healthy

But just hold me and don't you leave me

Anything but just not alone"

Song #1: Witness

We all want to be seen. A woman, especially, wants to be noticed, known, understood. This is ultimately the purpose of a relationship: to co-create life; to partake in life's depth of experiences with another. As Christopher McCandless said in Into the Wild:

Happiness is not real unless it is shared...

PLAY:

CLICK HERE to download this song for free

LYRICS:

there will be times
times when you cry
when find yourself alone in the night

there will be days
when your beautiful smile
will light up the night sky like a fire

there will be days
with all you hold inside
you'll long for a man      
to come along your side
and that's where you'll find me
I want to be the witness to your life

when that old movie makes you laugh
when you can't believe what you've just seen
when you have a dream that no else believes in

when your heart, it takes a hit
when you just don't give a shit
when you look at your life wonder, "Is this it?"

there will be days
with all you hold inside
you'll long for a man      
to come along your side
and that's where you'll find me
I want to be the witness to your life

you are seen
you are noticed by me
you are lovely

when you slide on that dress
and fix your hair just right
when you spend all that effort and that time

I want to be there right behind you
look in the mirror and smile too
and gently whisper, "sexy girl you're fine,
you're beautiful and I'm proud to call you mine
I'm so lucky; I get to be the witness to your life"