1. |
WAITT
03:01
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Let me sing a song. Let it be a simple one
Let the words be true and strong. So you can sing along
Let it all line up. Let the chorus be loud
Let it bring us all together
So come on and sing along. Let your voice be true and strong
I promise to make the words easy, but I promise to make them matter
Think about your differences, appreciate them
Remember they are what make us human
If there are people around you, please think about them
If you don’t like them, please forgive them
If not for good, at least for this song
Let’s all think about our lives and how beautiful they are
Because you were born, and you were raised
And everything that we know, is the sum of all our days
Oh I know it’s simple, just like this song
But remember life can be, if we let it be
Because we’re all in this together
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2. |
Friends Not Fans
03:47
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Let me make one thing fucking clear: I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t here
I’d be singin alone, trying my best, dreaming about having nights like this
You sing with me, you scream with me, you dance all night and dream with me
Believe me I would never have it any other way
I know I’m getting cheesy, but please just let me say
The reason why I wrote this is because I hope and I pray
that I never take for granted all you’ve given me
So if I ever rip you off, you better fucking say that you’re
Friends not fans, brothers and sisters, not money makers.
Friends not fans, sisters and brothers, not fucking numbers.
Yeah I love counting facebook likes, and I’m sure I wouldn’t think twice
about playing the big shows, yeah we all know how that goes
We all got dreams yeah I agree, but never forget your family
they’ll be there for you, long after the lime light fades
So I’ll give out cds for free as long as I can
and if I need some money, then I’m gonna have to ask
But I’m sick of seeing bands expecting more from the ones who love them
I’m sick of seeing bands with no one left to tell them that they’re
Friends, not fans
These were your songs, from the day that you sang them
I just wrote them, I did not put them in your head
You’re all so good to me, I’m doing my best to deserve it
I am trying to break my ego, I don’t want to forget
I’m here because of you, because of everything you do
You sing at all the shows, you get your friends to go
So I’m sorry if I forget your name, I’m sorry if we don’t talk
Please know I’m trying my best, I thank and I love you
My friends, not fans
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3. |
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this is the get up,
be friends with your body
smile at a organ that nuzzles inside you like a cat
like a plant
like you're a plant!
a trillion pumps inside the you
racing you to get something done
daring you to get something done!
they don't read books, but you can!
pineal gland waiting to show you what love is
for some reason it automatically believes
it's worth it
it's just gotta work it
you put this shit together
flushed into forever
you're in this shit together
mouth brain city
can't stop won't stop
can't stop won't stop!
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4. |
If I'da Known
03:58
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Before I start this song ill say that life’s been very good to me
I marvel from my golden seat, and sadness is just a passing thing
But in my room I write this song, my laptop keys they sing along
And I can’t tell what went wrong, with me or you or anyone
This brain of mine is full of thoughts, that I can never figure out
So in my head I have the bout, between my happiness and doubt
We try as hard as we can, but things don’t ever go as planned
Hey, I guess that’s life
If I’da known, just how things would be
If I’da known, what lay before my feet
If I’da known, well I wouldn’t change a thing
I would just be better prepared for the changes
So I’ll pray I’m doing good enough, and tell myself the same old stuff
About how things get twice as rough, but that just makes us twice as tough
But how does a tree relax, after every time the axe
swings and adds up to the tax, of gravity by lumberjacks?
The scars tend to feel much more, like memories of open doors
That led to pain and hurt and scorn, of skin that can’t take anymore
The pain and fate of past mistakes, the things that keep us all awake
Bring us to the ground
Regrets will consume our thoughts
Failures will weigh down on our hearts
But
If I’da known, just how things would be
If I’da known, what lay before my feet
If I’da known, well I wouldn’t change a thing
I would just be better prepared for the changes
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5. |
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I heard them howling last night.
Nestled nicely between a warm body and a soft sofa side, I told you in raised voices and no uncertain terms that I couldn't hear you well over the dim Christmas lights and the band in the next room, and maybe we should continue this conversation outside.
So, we took it to the porch, but you didn't want to talk about comics anymore and you weren't the same, and I mean you were someone else entirely.
So I curled in close to you on the porch swing to inhale your pipe dreams, but I still can't taste you over the damn wolves.
"I'd like to go inside;"
"It's kinda lonely out here."
We met around a fire and we threw our guitars on top to keep it going. The notes rang in our blood as the strings snapped, popped, bent and slid, curling like hot nickel does, and we started to pile poems on top because the word 'stop' wasn't in our vocabulary, and our hopes and fears kept us warm.
It was cold out, but how would one notice a thing like that when laughter comes so easy around you?
And whenever it got too chilly, whenever I was scared, whenever want turned to need and Apathy ruled, when silent fears crowded at the door and clamored for asylum, for vengeance, for our souls, we just boarded the windows up with each other's dreams, with the necks of guitars and drumheads stretched tight to keep the wolves at the door. Alone we were writing a siren for salvation, but in this holy place we shouted together, sang together, loved together, wept to each other, built each other up, where were you when the wolves came?
I was braced arm-in-arm with my friends, extolling the merits of feet and singing a song of rebellion against loss.
We were singing, we were laughing, we were fighting with everything we had, and we were winning.
Where were you when the wolves came?
I saw you smile, grab a beer, and say, "I'm right here. We're all here. And we're having a pretty good time, and I think you should too."
I want to dance.
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6. |
Sad Songs
04:47
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Well I got Lucero playin on the speakers
drivin down the open road
not far from Chicago
but too far to feel at home
And I got- Ben Nichols weathered voice
singin slowly
tellin me how he aint so lonely
he’s got the sad songs on the radio
he’s got miles and miles to go
And that’s when I started thinking
I aint got it so rough
I’ve had so many songs to go to
when I’m down on my luck
Yeah that’s when I started thinking
that I’m never on my own
so when I feel like I can’t go on
I turn up that radio
Because the sad songs are to let you know,
that you’re not alone.
Yeah there is always a light
and it never goes out
but sometimes it grows darker and tries to
eat us from the inside out
And life is not good sometimes
in fact, it’ pretty damn cruel
that’s why the best songs are written by people
with nothing left to lose
And they scream in the night
making art out of their living hell
we must listen and learn from what they say
so we can all prevail
And the songs that get stuck in our head
on that long drive home
they are all that we have sometimes
sometimes they’re all that we know
Yeah the sad songs are to let you know,
that you’re not alone. That you’re not alone.
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7. |
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The familiar feeling
Place
Scent,
Smiles,
Delicious taste
To know where you are going
Not explaining where you are coming from
That is family
That is community
Never fearing and always welcome
Proud and caring
Not over bearing
Sensible
And sensitive
Of issues
And of one another
The bond
Of camaraderie
The good times
And the bad
Like a marriage
Never had
But understand
The hold we all have
On one another
To keep us from falling
Or from getting too far ahead
And to let us know
When it is just time
To go to bed
That is family
That is community
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8. |
Jack and the Bean Stalk
04:23
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Jack sits down in a cold chair, sweat on his face, matching the stare
of a boss who sighs when he tells him: “You will no longer be working here.”
Now Jack walks down the sidewalk, wondering how to tell his wife and kids
they’re hungry and they need something more than this.
So Jack walks into a pawn shop, takes the watch off his wrist; it’s made of pure gold,
his grandma gave it to him when he was six years old.
The pawn man sighs and tells him: “You need this more than me,
but here’s 30 bucks and one magic bean.”
Now Jack walks home, never off the phone, calling banks and credit unions looking for a loan.
He’s gonna make it through this year if it kills him.
He finally gets home, pours himself a drink, wonders why the hell he sold his watch for a bean.
I guess in times of desperation, you’ll take anything.
Jack plants the bean in the backyard, waiting for his family to come around,
one more shot of whiskey and he’s passed out on the ground…
Well when Jack wakes up there’s a bean stalk, its grown as tall as the world can go,
so without a second thought he starts climbing, he climbs all night and day.
When he finally gets to the top, he falls on to a cloud.
If this is heaven, he thinks, he’ll stick around.
When he stands up he sees about 20 people, and they don’t look like angels.
He asks where they are, and they shrug their shoulders in unison.
They said, “We lost all hope, so we climbed up these bean stalks, looking for answers
but as you can see, it’s just a bunch of clouds.”
He asked then why are you still here? They said “We’re onto something,
you see, we started thinking, and we started talking…
You see now, Jenny was a baker and Tammy was a doctor, and
John over here, yeah he knows how to farm.
Laura knows computers, and Danny is an artist, and
Mike was a mechanic ‘til they cut him loose.
And Ronnie was a teacher and Grace knows how to sew,
Cheryl was an architect and knows how to build homes.
And some of us white collars can learn a trade or two,
and volunteer our time or trade food for tools.
Yeah all of us are willing to sacrifice some time,
learn from each other and live a modest life.
So Jack, what do you think about our plans when we get home?
We can skip that whole economy and just live on our own.
Anything you need, we’ll find a way to get it.
Anything you need, is yours.”
Well Jack thought about it for a while.
‘til he said: “Right now, all I need is a chorus.”
And they sang
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9. |
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"I'm starting a new movement, it's called ‘we're all in this together’. What that means is that when I'm walking down Valencia and a woman on the street asks for a bite of my burrito and I give her some, right, and she says ‘Wow, I can't believe you stopped to give me a bite!’, I say ‘Hey, we're all in this together’.
This also means that if I have any burrito leftover I'll leave it on top of a garbage can or offer it to someone else. And when I get on the bus I get a transfer even if I don't need one cuz I can give it to someone else when I get off. If I buy a paper I take the rest of the stack out and leave them on top of the machine. Just little things like that.
‘We're all in this together’ is not to be confused with the ‘Hey man, I know how it is’ movement, which means well but is often patronizing and usually does not know how it is. Everyone has a different story, a different culture, different trips and all, and I don't pretend to know how it is, man."
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10. |
Destroy Privilege
02:37
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I am sick of people being killed in my name
We are taught to hate, though we are all the same
We preach diversity, but only if it’s convenient
I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry, you have to deal with this
Destroy my privilege, I’m no better than you
Destroy all privilege
I happened to be born with the right kind of face
From that day on I was put in first place
You had no choice you had no voice in this
Yeah somehow they punish the innocent
I’m a man- I can walk down the street without ever being catcalled
I am straight- I can be with the person I love without the stares of hateful eyes
I am cisgendered- I can walk into a boys bathroom and not get beat up
I am white- I’ve never felt the pain of a word used against my identity
I am middleclass- I don’t know what it’s like to have to go without eating
I am human- other living beings are cut up, boxed up, and fed to me
I am American- I buy products created by the exploitation of underdeveloped countries
I am alive- and I will do my best to break these trends
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11. |
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Streetlight night blankets our four a.m. eyes,
We are tired and walk for an answer,
We are tired and walk in and out of dreams,
We are tired and breathe out our sorrows.
You know my sorrow,
You know it miles away,
I know your sadness
I know your longing,
We walk in time,
– to the rhythm of our final August sunrise, that in the end only comes in dreams
– to the rhythm of love-pain medicine that spills out of college one a.m. night drive radios,
the rhythm felt lying limp and crying on solitary mattress, as the one we Love lies limp in longing
and blind to our heart beats that beat in time,
– to the rhythm of the naked breath that rises out of our dry mouths,
after revealing our once pent-up dreams, our final howls to the pregnant moon of the past, our
secret cries of victory!
for we know we walk in our natural direction.
We know we walk Alive!
We know we walk in timeless rhythm to each others footsteps,
We walk through imaginary madness, we walk in tears
– they dry at sunrise
We walk through Death and Its many names,
We grow together, we walk, and breathe, in Love, as Love
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12. |
I Don't Mind
03:27
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Our days are numbered I’m not lying when I say we’re slowly dying,
dying for some kind of sign to say we did it right
It’s hard to say that I’m prepared, harder still, that I’m not scared
to leave this life, cuz it could happen anytime
You’ve been by my side for a while now
years passed by that I do my best to remember
When it comes to love songs, I’m sometimes better, sometimes worse
But I know enough to say…
I don’t mind, no I don’t mind, wastin time, with you.
Oh I’ve been looking for answers all my life
I hope it’s not too cliché to say I find them in your eyes
when they say that love is all you need, I don’t believe them
but I must admit sometimes it’s all I want
I’ve lived 20 more years than many get to live
I’ve had so many days that people would die to give
I feel I’ve had so much I need to just give back
but I also need to remember what I have.
That’s why I don’t mind.
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13. |
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we carry the fire,
because it is ours--
it belongs to all of us,
in our hearts
and in our guts,
it dances up
and spreads through us,
moving us
to do good
to dance
to sing
to love and rage
against the cold and dead
against the injust and unfair
against blaggers and cheats
who seek to quell our fire--
we carry the fire,
because it is ours--
we must
dare to live
dare to dream
dare to dare
though the fire can be burden
though the fire can ache
though the fire can smolder
and fade to embers
it can never die--
we carry the fire,
because it is ours--
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14. |
Let's Be Honest (part 2)
02:52
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Sorry mom and dad, but I’m gonna get more tattoos,
I know how much you hate them, but they’re something I can hold on to.
cuz I may lose my voice, but I’ll always have a body,
and until it decomposes you can find out all about me.
The ink in my skin will show who I am, no retreat, no regret, and a love for fellow man.
and I’m sorry for the lies I’ve told, I’m sorry for the truth I hold,
I’m sorry that they have to come out in a song
I preach about honesty, but sometimes I’m not honest, so honestly I’m sorry it could happen again,
and if you ever catch me lying, just shake your head, and ask me why I keep it all inside.
and to my friends who’ve died: I miss you and I’m sorry that we weren’t closer before you moved on.
Please know your family and friends will always love you and they’ll never forget you.
And I know we weren’t the best of friends, but I’m glad to have known you, I’m glad we had something.
and to my friends still alive: you’re a miracle, don’t ever think that you’re life is worthless.
I know you’ve been through some scary shit, I won’t try to understand it, but I’ll try my best to help.
We’re all in this together. I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it a million more.
Because Sean told me to be the best fucking human I can be.
And I’m not perfect, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to be.
And I know I’ll never change the world.
But I will not give up I will not sit and accept fate
I will press on
I will stand strong
No givin up for me; no tail between my knees; no dying til I’m free
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15. |
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In these small rented rooms
sweating out cheap beer
we've become so intimate
each finding ways to break a silence
this is how we mark ourselves
lo-fi recordings
lived-in cigarette smells
big beautiful friendships
I'll remember all of you and this
as powerful and priceless
unafraid and infinite
I'll dog-ear this entire chapter
and play these records back forever
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16. |
I Will
01:41
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Time is movin too fast for me. Almost 4 years of college under my feet
and I’m scared. Oh I’m scared. Of my future
and life goes on, oh I will too. And there’s much better things that I can do,
Than be so scared of my future
Cuz I’ve got friends and family, I’ve got 21 years under my feet
and I swore, that I would make them worth it
so I will fight and I will sing, I will be, all that, I can be
oh the future, oughta be scared of me
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17. |
Wait
04:25
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It’s a beautiful summer night and we can do anything.
If you just wait here, this could be our night, if you just wait here, we could make it out alive.
Wait.
Grab your phone and get a hold of everyone tonight, cuz we can do anything
Take your punch card and rip it up, there aint no work tonight, and we can do anything
Put your keys into the ignition, turn the music up and drive, we can do anything
Grab the amps, the mics maybe a case or two, this is our night tonight, and we can do anything
Well it’s a beautiful summer night, and we can do anything
Yeah it’s a beautiful night tonight, and we can do anything
These songs are ours until we die, let’s make some more tonight, yeah we can do anything
If you’ve got something to write, well let’s get it done tonight, we’ve got a world to save tonight, yeah can do anything
If your hearts broken, well let’s mend some wounds tonight, yeah let’s find some love tonight, yeah we can do anything
We’ve got the rest of our lives to be jaded and uptight, so let’s dream some dreams tonight, yeah we can do anything
If you just wait here, oh I promise you, we can save this world, we can make it through
Just please hold on to your hope and heart, we could play the part in a brand new start, and
even if we fail,
at least we can say...
It was a beautiful night tonight, and we did everything
We’re all in this together, and we can do anything
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Davey Dynamite Chicago, Illinois
Personal/political storytellin and yellin from Chicago.
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