Just Like Everyone Else

Sugar, spice and life
The things that I gave to you
But they weren't what you needed
And now I do the best I can do

Special presents under Christmas trees
Giant happy birthday cakes
But we have the same faces that we had that day
And the clouds never seem to break

There's a hole in our family, and I can't make it then
I can't turn the clock back so you can live your life again

She looks just like everyone else
If you stand too close
She is just like most of us
Just like everyone else
When her thoughts are far
She can't see you, or where you are

Love is hard to describe
Apart from holding you close
When I think of things that have happened
I think that's when I love you most

I can't imagine seeing out of your eyes
I can't imagine living, having heard all of his lies.

She looks just like everyone else
If you stand too close
She is just like most of us
Just like everyone else
When her thoughts are far
She can't see you, or where you are

(musical break)

They say pain will heal with time
But there are some things that can take more than a lifetime

She looks just like everyone else
If you stand too close
She is just like most of us
Just like everyone else
When her thoughts are far
She can't see you, or where you are


Commentary

Here's another one I've been singing to myself for a long time. The melody and the words in the refrain first came to me around the time I wrote "It Is Today" last year, but I didn't have a grip on all of the melody. I've picked this one up at least a dozen times since then, I think this is almost done now.

What's New?

This is my musical lyrics blog. Sometimes I post with other thoughts or random writings. Everything I write is a work of fiction unless otherwise mentioned.

I sometimes perform my original work at Western New York open mics, and last month I became the Chapter Coordinator for the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of the Just Plain Folks. Check them out at:

http://www.jpfolks.com/

I'll probably have some of my demos posted before the end of the year, and I'll post a link to myspace or whatever else is free or cheap when I do.

I'm also the lead singer in "The Screaming Pineapples", a local classic rock band.

Santa is going to get me a webcam/microphone for Christmas, so at some point after I'll be posting a few other things at youtube like Leonard Cohen, Jack Logan, or originals. I dunno yet.

I successfully met two of my four musical goals for the year, which is tremendous considering that most years I meet none of my musical goals. I hope to complete the remaining two goals in 2008.

Yesterday I had the most thankful Thanksgiving of my life.

Supposed To Forget

I can't look into the mirror
When I think about myself
I feel ashamed
Past tendencies, past sadness's
Don't compare to where I am
No matter who's to blame

I reached into my pocket
I looked into a hole
Your heart before you locked it
Your face without a soul

I remembered that I was supposed to forget
How good I felt when we first met
When we would laugh and smile in those days before
I remembered that I was supposed to forget
How bad I felt when you left
And the look on your face when you walked out the door
Things I wish I could forget before.

The afternoon turns into winter
I look out of the window
And see your face.
The cold night air no longer hides
The sadness that I feel
The things I can't replace

Messages forgotten
Simple things were lost
Places you had not been
Lines we had not crossed

I remembered that I was supposed to forget
How good I felt when we first met
When we would laugh and smile in those days before
I remembered that I was supposed to forget
How bad I felt when you left
And the look on your face when you walked out the door
Things I wish I could forget before.


Commentary

Today I was at the Wegman's supermarket (side note: the day after Thanksgiving is a great day to go food shopping) and I had once again forgotten my cloth bags. I mentioned it to the cashier, and she told me that her mother tries to purposefully not bring them because she uses the plastic bags for garbage and often runs out of them. She told me that her mother is always trying to remember to forget her bags.

I Wouldn't Die For You

I wouldn't jump off of a bridge
If you were drowning in a canyon.
I wouldn't pick a fight
With a biker from Montana
I wouldn't stop cannibals
From cooking you into a stew
What I'm trying to say is
I wouldn't die for you.

I wouldn't step in between
If you were shooting in a duel
If you'd broken the chef's heart
I wouldn't volunteer to taste your food
If a giant dog had you by the throat
I'd be so nervous I'd dial "9-2-2"
What I'm trying to say is
I wouldn't die for you.

I feel selfish, I feel cruel
But I love you just the same
It's just my sense of self-preservation
And "chicken" is my middle name.

Don't think I'd hurry over
If fire ripped through your street
The flames might burn my skin
If I don't faint from the heat
It's not that I don't love you
It's just that I love me too
What I'm trying to say is
I wouldn't die for you.


Commentary

I originally wrote this song in the summer of 1989, or maybe it was 1990, I don't recall. Some of the words I remembered, some I forgot and rewrote.

It was a joke. It didn't work. Consider this a cleansing.

Were you there?

Raspberry (blogspot doesn't have emoticons)

The Dog

This morning I was thinking about things, and somehow I was reminded of this 25 year old story. I haven't thought of it in quite some time.

I was walking down a quiet section of Bailey Avenue here in Buffalo, it was the early afternoon. I was on the west side of the street headed south, and although this was a quiet area, Bailey is a major road in Buffalo so there was still the occasional car or two. From down the block, on the east sidewalk, I saw two large dogs coming in my direction; they were running and playing together as they came closer.

I wouldn't have been watching quite so closely except that I don't particularly like large and excited dogs who might choose to cross the street and attack me. So I was watching them very closely as the three of us came closer. The two dogs were happy and playful.

Just as we were nearly across from each other, one of the dogs, for no apparent reason, darted into the street. The dog slammed headfirst into the side of a car going in his same direction, there was no way for the driver to avoid it. Death was likely instantaneous as the impact was quite hard.

The other dog was still on the sidewalk; he stopped and looked in shock, as did I on the other side. He looked at his now-dead friend laying in the street, then looked up and saw me looking as well. Then he lowered his head and slowly, sadly, continued down the sidewalk in the direction he had been going. I continued on my way, in the opposite direction.

Spilled Milk

I love the sound of music
As it echoes off the wall
Being in front of the sound
Is the best feeling of them all.
I get a rush from hearing you all
As I listen to myself
What I picture as I drive
Comes true 'cause I'm not sitting on the shelf

But arguments make me feel like I'm married over twice
I could double down on sixteen, or I can get up and go roll the dice.

I'm too old to feel sad
Over burned, spilled milk
I'm too old to feel bad
And I'm too young to just sit still

We turned corner bars into music halls
And concrete floors into stadiums
We turned the sound up to eleven
Girls danced like at the Palladium
Our listing in the local paper
Might as well have been the Times to me
Our video on youtube
Might as well have been on the MTV

Take the speaker off the stand and take the flyer off the wall
Smile when you hear a song that we played, and that is all.

I'm too old to feel sad
Over burned, spilled milk
I'm too old to feel bad
And I'm too young to just sit still.

Who We Are

I spoke to you
But you didn't listen.
I tried to look into your eyes
But couldn't see past the glisten.
Twenty-three years didn't change a thing
Twenty-three years didn't change anything

We are who we are
We, from me and you
We are who we are
You do whatever it is,
Whatever it is that you do.

I laughed 'cause I was nervous
And I glanced down
Have I seen those pants before?
How could they still be around?
Twenty-three years and you still wear the same size
Didn't you eat fries or pies or Thai that added something to your thighs?

We are who we are
We, from me and you
We are who we are
You do whatever it is,
Whatever it is that you do.

The train pulled up to my right
I tried to say goodbye
But you were still talking, not looking
Hand on shoulder, head shake, sigh
Twenty-three years, rain and snow, clouds and sun
Twenty-three years, marriage, divorce, daughter, son

We are who we are
We, from me and you
We are who we are
You do whatever it is,
Whatever it is that you do.

John K. does Jack Logan on MySpace!

It's not Screaming Pineapples, it's not original music, but it's John K. on the Internet!

I recorded "Teach Me The Rules" by indie Lo-Fi rock legend Jack Logan, and he's posted it on his MySpace page. Jack is incredibly prolific, and his first two albums got four star reviews in Rolling Stone. We first met when he was in town about 10 years ago.

The volume may be a bit low (it seemed ok when I sent it to him), so if that seems suspect just turn up your speakers. It's only going to be there for a bit (he's never kept stuff up more than a couple of weeks), check it out!

http://www.myspace.com/jacklogan

I also highly recommend you check out Jack's CD's if you're so inclined, he usually just posts noodling and random bits on MySpace, but his formal releases, especially "Bulk", "Mood Elevator" and "Little Private Angel" are among my favorite CD's.

It Is Today

The sky is dark, the engine loud,
I hear it outside the door.
My clothes are on the chair
It must be today.
It is today. It is today.

I thought things would stay the same,
I thought things would be alright,
I thought we'd stay here.

In the backseat, can I brush my hair?
What about my toys? What about my things?
What about my dad?
Lay down, don't say a word
Crying, no goodbye
Driving away. Driving away.

I thought things would stay the same,
I thought things would be alright,
I thought we'd stay here.

Where are we going? Who are you?
What did I do?
I know I can be better,
You won't even know I'm here.
I'll sit quietly. I'll sit quietly.

I thought things would stay the same,
I thought things would be alright,
I thought we'd stay here.

I thought things would stay the same,
I thought things would be alright,
I thought we'd stay here.


Commentary

I forgot about this one. I originally wrote these words last year, edited them and put them to music earlier this year. The music is intense and rises to a crescendo in the "I thought things would stay the same" refrain. Everyone who has heard it has commented that it is too depressing so I put it aside. I think I'm going to pick it up again though.

This is a true story, although not my true story.