A Letter to God (FAITH) – ©1996 – Gritty Country / HT – Kix Brooks - (119–2–5)

119 renders / 2 version used in Pro Tools / added 6 tracks - 4 BV from demo, 1 Vocal Layer, 1 LP gtr solo from demo

Style Prompt - modern folk with drums, bass, acoustic guitar, piano, lap steel and organ

Origin

There were 2 difficult songs to write on the album and this was one of them. I wasn’t really sure how to go about writing a song about faith, I needed a way in, (much in the same way Dana Carvey looks for an in when he is doing an impression, a word a look a sound or a saying) just something to get me going. A few year prior there was a horrible terrorist attack on flight 182 over the southern coast of Ireland, and the senselessness of it seemed like a way to question God about exactly what was going on, why we are here, what are we doing, and what’s the point? Many years later 911 happened and I changed one line in the song from “and bury them at sea” to “crumble to the street.” It seemed like a more relatable choice for Americans. And having lived in NYC for 8 years, it was an event that I had a personal stake in, that was my home.

Lyrics

How could you let them fall

In a fire ball

And crumble to the street

Are you listening to me?

And what about the world?

The suffering and hurt

The hatred and the war

Just what are we here for?

So many so alone

And many without hope

And more sad stories to tell

I'm asking for your help

Now I mean no disrespect

But I'm getting frustrated

Will you show yourself now?

Come out from behind the clouds

Come out from behind the clouds

solo

I sit and wait unclear

Abandoned here

Questioning my faith

And searching for your grace

I need some peace of mind

Let me know it's all worthwhile

I'm sure I'm not the first

To pray things won't get worse

To pray things won't get worse

Standing by the telephone hoping it will ring

Hey, hey how 'bout it, how about an answer

Give me a call, just a little touch of clarity

Anything to go on, anything at all

Why all the mystery are you hiding?

Are you hiding something or is it nothing?

I'm tired of the game can we stop playing?

Are you listening to me?

(Please) Please help me understand

I'm just a simple man

I admit I have my doubts

So let your secret out

Perhaps you're testing me

And I truly want to believe

So show me that you care

If you're really up there

If you're really up there

If you're really up there

If you're really up there

If you're really up there

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Gray (DEATH) – ©1996 – Ethereal Alt Rock – ???? - (239–4– 6)

239 renders / 4 version used in Pro Tools / added 6 tracks - 3 BV from demo 2 gtr from demo 1 Keys from demo

Style Prompt - ethereal new age ambient pop with reverb drenched guitar

Origin

I’ve gotten a couple of songs directly from the Connecticut house and surrounding neighborhood. This is one of them. I was having just as much trouble coming up with an idea for a song about death as I was about Faith. I needed a way in. Then one day it just happened when I walked into the kitchen and looked through our huge bay window. The house was located next to a forest that went back for miles. So when you looked out, you always saw a sea of trees. It was autumn and all of the leaves were turning shades of orange and brown. I liked the image and decided to use the color gray to humanize it. The first verse was based on the acre of property that the house sits on. My father and I spent every weekend for 2 years pulling rocks out of the soil so that we could have a lawn. We yanked the rocks out of the dirt, and then hauled them into the woods with a tractor to dump them. We also cut down, split and stacked logs because some of the trees were old and dying and needed to come down. The kitchen clock in verse 4 was a clock on our yellow stove that you could see from the kitchen table. The numbers would wind, rotating slowly. In 3 I liked the idea of talking and having your words and ideas out in the air briefly then disappearing no unlike our brief existence here.

The chorus contained other elements from the property. When I went outside after seeing the leaves, our neighbor's son had drawn with chalk on the street and I really liked the idea of chalk and it’s impermanence. The flowers that "lay along the road" weren’t actually flowers. In the northeast, they drop sand in the winter when plowing the roads to clear the snow. By summer, and the following spring and fall, the sand gets pushed up against the curb. By my house, there were some dandelions and small pebbles that got mixed into the mess. But the real genesis of the stones line is a grave yard down the street from my house that looks like it might have been used as far back as the civil war. It is a very New England, very Steven King looking place and the grave stones look very old.

Lyrics

A bead of sweat

Crawls along my skin

And plummets down into the earth

I will be buried in

It quickly fades

Vanishes into the ground

And now it doesn't exist

I wonder will I be remembered when

My chalky tale has worn away

When the leaves on the trees have all turned gray

And flowers lay along the road

A memory cast among the stones

Ashes, Ashes

The sound is out

You can hear what I say

You watch my lips make out the words

That slowly drift away

The idea lingers then

My thoughts dissolve in the air

Never to be heard again will

They ever know that I was here?

Will my chalky tale be washed away

When the leaves on the trees have all turned gray

And flowers lay along the road

A memory cast among the stones

Ashes, it's all gone now

To ashes, it's all gone now

Ashes, it's all gone now

To ashes, it's all gone

All the stories that I've lived

Remain alive in my head

They define who I am

Reveal the life I've led

But the recollections start to haze

With the passing of the years

And when I'm finally gone

Will they all disappear?

Will my chalky tale be washed away

When the leaves on the trees have all turned gray

When flowers lay along the road

Memories cast among the stones

solo

The kitchen clock

Continues winding along

A second's here

Then in a moment the moment's gone

Was there really a beginning

Will there ever be an end?

Could I get lost in between

Will I be here again?

Will my chalky tale be worn away

When leaves on the trees have all turned gray

And flowers lay along the road

A memory cast among the stones

Ashes, it's all gone now

To ashes, it's all gone now

Ashes, it's all gone now

To ashes, it's all gone

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Hiding Under The Sun (TRUTH) – ©1996 – Post Punk – U2 - (170–2–4)

170 renders / 2 versions used in Pro Tools / added 4 tracks - 2 BV from demo 2 BV layers

Style Prompt - post-punk, alternative rock, ethereal

Origin

As I got into my later teenage and early 20 years, it was starting to become painfully obvious that people were all creating whatever personal narrative they needed to tell themselves get through their lives, but ultimately seemed to be fooling no one but themselves. I don’t think it was malicious, but rather, necessary as a coping mechanism of some kind. I just think at that age, we all don’t really know what’s going on, and we're trying to figure it out by doing the best we can. The problem is that this strategy is only a short term solution. In the long run it can be very damaging. It is only in that moment of self reckoning and realization that we can truly move forward in a positive way, but because it is difficult, people try to avoid it.

This song was originally recorded with a lush reverb but I always thought it was more of a "U2 delay" song. So I tried it here and I think it works.

Lyrics

Please stop pretending you're not scared
I know you're terrified, believe me
It's not easy
We all veil our demons it's so dark at night

But morning reveals us (to ourselves)

And shows us all the scars on our bodies

And you may not like
What we've become
But we can't hide
We're under the sun
No place to hide

Come closer stand inside the light
Hold your head up turn and face me
I want you to see right into me
Move your hand across my skin
This is who I am, oh but then again,
You've always known just how to see through me

And you may not like
What I've become
But I won't hide
I'm under the sun
Bathed in the light

Under the sun

Drop your defenses show me who you are
Reveal your every weakness
Your every temptation
Show all yourself bare your soul
Let the truth be known confession
To yourself is your salvation

You may not like
What you've become
But you can't hide
You’re under the sun
No you can’t hide

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

The Man Inside The Glass (CHANGE) – ©1998 – Country – Trace Adkins - (34–2–3)

34 renders / 2 versions used in Pro Tools / added 3 tracks, 2 BV, 1 Organ

Style Prompt - country - add lap steel

Origin

This song was a collection of moments from the Connecticut house. I was in my 20s and I was the attic walking around looking for something. I came across a picture of my middle school basketball team. It had accumulated a pretty thick layer of dust and I couldn’t believe it was me in the picture, I looked so young. Another time, I was home for winter break from college and I was looking into the mirror in my room. It seemed strange at the time how the mirror itself, the pictures and stickers and the background were all identical to when I was a kid, but that the face being reflected was very different. For the last bit, at that time I was going to a lot of bars on weekends and doing all of the typical early adult stuff and searching for... whatever. I liked that all 3 of these moments involved glass and thought it was a nice through line for a song. This is what came out of it.

Note: This song also appears on "Country Folk" because it is a country song, but it was originally recorded for this album.

Lyrics

Is that me inside the picture frame

I hardly recognize myself

Feels like I’m a million miles away

And eveything’s so different now

Have I really changed that much

I wipe away the years of dust

Staring straight into my past

Looking for the man inside

Looking for the man inside the glass

Mirror you hold secrets you won’t tell

I draw a new line on my face

The world behind you looks so real

Am I imagining myself

In this same room years ago

Wondering who I’d grow into

Waiting for the time to pass

Looking for the man inside

Looking for the man inside the glass

And time goes by

A year is gone in the blink of an eye

And time goes by

A day is gone forever

Am I a mere reflection

Of who I am or what I once was

Nothing stays the same

For very long

I thought I would figure out the world

I was wide eyed I was young

And here I sit on this bar stool

Wondering what the hell went wrong

You ask me if I know yet

You light yourself a cigarette

I slam another shot of Jack

Looking for the man inside

Looking for the man inside the glass

I don’t know

If I know anything ‘bout

Where I’ve been

And where it is I’m going

I don’t think

Then again that’s all I do

Maybe I should, sit back and relax

And take it easy

Because what you see is what you get

I can’t do more, I’ve done my best

Tripping forward, falling back

Trying to find the man inside

I'm searching for the man

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

One For The Road (LOSS) – ©1998 – Country – Garth Brooks / Chris Isaak - (48–1–5)

48 renders / 1 versions used in Pro Tools / added 5 tracks, 3 BV, 2 Lap Steel

Style Prompt - country ballad

Origin

Even though the saying refers to getting one last drink of alcohol before leaving, this song is not about booze. It is about leaving a place and taking as much of the love with you as your arms and heart can hold. The things actually taken for the road are a look, a kiss, a piece of your heart, memories, etc. I always hoped some country artist would buy this song and use it as the last song on their live set, before the encore. Who knows, maybe it can still happen.

Note: This song also appears on "Country Folk" because it is a country song, but it was originally recorded for this album.

Lyrics

You know that soon I will be leaving

This chapter’s coming to a close

In all beginnings there’s an end - there is a moment like this

I wish that I could find the words

To tell you everything this place means

And thank you for the love you’ve shown

So I'll leave a piece of my heart

And I'll take one for the road

I thought that I would be here always

Just like so many times before

Thought I was standing - but it looks like now I’m moving

Time waits for no one anymore

I tip my hat and say I’ll miss you

You kiss my cheek and say I know

You give me one for the heart

And I take one for the road

solo

I turn and look over my shoulder

As I slowly walk away

Never too certain really where it is I’m going

Thinking of every place I’ve been

I know that someday I’ll come back here (and I)

Take one last look before I go

I keep one for my heart

And I take one for the road

These times will be with me forever

They’re in my blood and in my bones

So I give you my best

And I take one for the road

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Say OK (REJECTION) – ©1996 – Indie Alt Rock – ???? - (32–2–1)

32 renders / 2 versions used in Pro Tools / added 1 track, 1 Key track from demo

Style Prompt - emo, alt rock with clean electric guitar

Origin

I wrote this chorus one day and couldn’t really think of any words, and just kept saying, "Maybe one day, one day you would say OK." I had no idea what it meant or even if I was ever going to finish the song. I put it away and let it sit for a few years and didn’t think too much of it. Then, I was out one weekend and I just kept hearing all of these relationship horror stories from my old high school friends that i hadn't seen in a while. After hearing a number of these stories in a row, I was convinced I should do a song about it. So what does "Say OK" mean? I still don’t really know. Is it sex? Maybe. Is it committing? Maybe. Truth is I’ll probably never know nor do I really care. I think it's better than it can be anything.

Lyrics

And you just string me along

Wherever you want to lead me

'Cause I'd do anything for you

You know you'll get your way

You say you love him then you go,

And you tell me you want me

Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't

That's how we play your game

But I thought that one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, yeah maybe one day

One day you would say okay

I can hear it in your voice

I know that he's been inside you

You don't have to tell me I know you won't

I've seen that look before

The only thing that I ever asked

Was that you tell me the whole truth

See I wanted to believe in you

Did I ask too much?

To think that one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, yeah maybe one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, maybe one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, maybe one day

One day you would say uh-huh

Solo

Am I not good enough for you?

You act like I'm nothing

Am I just getting in the way

Of someone else?

You'll only turn and come back here

When you want or need something

Taking everything you can from me

While keeping for yourself

But I thought that one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, yeah maybe one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, maybe one day

One day you would say okay

Uh-huh, maybe one day

One day you would say uh-huh

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

The Best of Me (Hold On) (STRUGGLE) – ©1998 – Jam Band – Dave Matthews - (343–2–0)

343 renders / 2 versions used in Pro Tools / added 0 tracks

Style Prompt - jam band, rock - gritty male vocal with high toned nasal timbre and smooth falsetto

Origin

I love groups of words that have 2 meanings that are opposite of each other. I’ve written a few other songs that share this trait. The best of me can either mean that you’ve been beaten or that you are exhibiting your best self. I liked this idea because the song is about the struggles and setbacks you face while simultaneously trying to be your best self. I thought the phrase set the appropriate tone.

Lyrics

Caught between a pillow and your spine

Face first into your back again

The woman pressed against my eyes

May as well be worlds and worlds away

Is this as good as we will get?

Are you still playing hard to catch?

I know I'm running but I

don't know what I'm chasing any more (And I say to the world)

You think you've got the best of me

You say you want everything

Hold on

My job has got me all wound out

My head is spinning

Remind myself I'm not dead yet

As I plod along among the living

How can I ever keep this pace up?

I can barely keep my head up

I count the hours down

Until my next pay day (And I say to the world)

You think you've got the best of me

You think you'll take my sanity away

Hold on...

Now wait a minute I'm not giving up

I just need to stop and take a look around

Hold on...

Now wait a minute I'm just

Making it all up as I go along and

And maybe I'll feel better

Maybe I won't

I'm writing, papers all around

My feet I'm stepping on them

Searching for something, I don't know

Maybe some direction

I pick the words up , I start reading

But I can't take away the meaning

Guess I lost it somewhere

Underneath my toes

(And I say to the world)

You think you've got the best of me

Another small victory

Hold on...

Now wait a minute I'm not giving up

I just need to stop and take a look around

Hold on...

Now wait a minute I'm just

making it all up as I go along and

sometimes all I do is worry

Sometimes I don't

Waiting to be hit...

Cold and hard

Keep fighting go another round

Do my best to catch my breath

Wonder how long I've been after it

You think you've got the best of me

You think you'll take my sanity away

Hold on...

Now wait a minute I'm not giving up

I just need to stop and take a look around

Hold on...

Now wait a minute I'm just

Making it all up as I go along

Hold on

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

I Got Money (POWER) – ©1996 – Southern Blues Rock – Lynyrd Skynyrd - (22–3–2)

22 renders / 3 versions used in Pro Tools / added 1 claps track, 1 guitar solo

Style Prompt - rock, southern rock

Origin

Corruption of power and wealth isn’t just a Donald Trump thing. It’s been around for ages, and I liked the idea of a super rich megalomaniac demanding to get anything he wants just because he has money. I'd like to say it was pretty prescient for a 26 year old in 1996, but this brand of nonsense has been going on for thousands of years so I really can't take any credit for calling it. My version was a straight blues rock version, but I had Suno turn it into southern blues rock. In one of the renders Suno also added the Meatloaf-ish ending, which at first I wasn’t sure about, but now I love. I like that the song sounds modern enough for today, but also has a nostalgic quality that makes the music sound like it could have ended up in Rocky Horror Picture Show or something of that era.

Note: This song also appears on "Country Folk" because it is a country song, but it was originally recorded for this album.

Lyrics

I want power

I want a lover

I want a new car, And I’m gonna buy it

And I’m gonna get it, cause I got money

I want to be famous

I want some justice

I want the best drugs

You’ll be corrupted

I want connections, I’m gonna buy it

I want to be president, I’m gonna buy it

I want salvation, did you know you can buy it?

And I’m gonna get it, cause I got money

How much does it cost? (I’ll buy it)

name your price we all have one

will you take

a personal check is cash OK?

cause everything’s for sale these days

I want some good sex, I’m gonna buy it

I want a hit man, I’m gonna buy it

I want the government, I’m gonna buy it

And I’m gonna get it, cause I got money

I want your business, I’m gonna buy it

I want your silence, I’m gonna buy it

I’ll change your opinion, I’m gonna buy it

I’m taking your freedom

I want a hero, I’m gonna buy it

I need a scapegoat, I’m gonna buy it

Will you do me a favor? I’m gonna buy it

And I’m gonna get it, cause I got money

How much does it cost? (I’ll buy it)

what's your price we all have one

will you take

American Express or an even trade?

cause everything’s for sale these days

solo

I want a young face, I’m gonna buy it

I want an airplane, I’m gonna buy it

I want an army, I’m gonna buy it

I can have anything

maybe I didn’t earn it, I’m gonna buy it

hell maybe I don’t deserve it, I’m gonna buy it

baby, I’m gonna burn it, I’m gonna buy it

I’m gonna get it, cause I got money

I’ll be respected, cause I got money

I got lucky, I got money

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Wonderland (STRESS) – ©1996 – Grunge – ?????? - (99–5–12)

99 renders / 5 versions used in Pro Tools / added 12 tracks - 10 BV layers 2 BV from demo

Style Prompt - grunge rock, post-grunge, alternative rock

Origin

I almost consider this Gretal or Munge, not quite grunge, not quite metal. The original version took a more psychedelic approach, but I thought it might be cooler to give the song the energy of the stress rather than the mellowness of dealing with it. It was one of those situations where I had a new job and was constantly buzzing and couldn’t come down. This song is about doing whatever the thing it is you have to do to take it down.

Lyrics

The ringing in my ears

Feels like I'm breaking out of my skin

Got to get to wonderland

The images are blurring, bleeding into one

I'm choking on my breathing

My nerves are wired and screaming

Please take me to wonderland

Turn my insides out and around and

I don't want to wake up

Please don't wake me

I don't want to wake up

Please just leave me

Don't wake me up I need to

Get some distance

Strengthen my resistance

I can't see out

And I don't want to see in

Drifting into wonderland

Let the strange begin

(Where does reality end?)

The room is spinning and turning

Through everything I feel

Laying here in wonderland

Wondering, wondering what's real

I don't want to wake up

Please don't wake me

I don't want to wake up

Please don't leave me

I don't want to wake up

Can you free me?

Help me, can you help me out of myself

My head, of my job, my life, of my world, my time, of my soul

solo

(Hey Are you okay?)

(I can't tell if you're playing around)

(Can you get up?)

(Can you hear me?)

(Maybe we should go get some help)

(I don't know I'm worried)

Somehow I wound up here

And now I'm crashing down

Please just leave me, let me go

And pray that I come back around

Somehow I wound up here

And now I'm crashing down

Please just leave me, let me go

And pray that I come back around

(I don't want to wake up)

I'm trying to escape myself

Let the world do its worst

I like it here in wonderland

Far from where it hurts, far from where it hurts

I know I'm safe (and peaceful sleeping)

I know I'm safe (and peaceful dreaming)

The only place of peace I've ever been

Are you still there

Little yellow pill

Heavy as cement and still as a painting of the universe

Nothing

I melt away, I see black

And I softly whisper thank you

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Overcome (FRUSTRATION) – ©1998 – Alt Pop Rock – ?????? - (170–3–4)

170 renders / 3 versions used in Pro Tools / added 4 tracks - 4 BV from demo

Style Prompt - pop style ballad with strings, a nylon acoustic guitar and piano, Strong Male 90's alt rock deep raspy vocal

Origin

This is one of the other songs with a word or phrase that has 2 meanings, but the meanings are opposite of each other, being overcome, or overcoming something. It was post college, had been working for a few years, and almost every dinner with a female friend was the same. It was very scenes from an Italian restaurant except this song is a bit more depressing.

Lyrics

We've talked a thousand times before

Still we linger on it more

Matters of the heart

Where we are, where we've been

How nothing much has changed

How next time will be different

The table candle's burning low

Our waiter's looking to go home

Instead I ask him to bring us more red wine

And I say it doesn't exist

Love is nothing but a myth

And you make a sour face

You know you have to disagree

Because you still want to believe

That this world is a nicer place

You look so beautiful but sad

So I try to make you laugh

I think we can both use one

right about now

We will overcome this we

Will find happiness I know

You are frustrated

It happens to the best of us

You say that you've given up

Run full speed into the wall

And just fell down

Clinging to what you think you want

You're tied up in knots

That can't be unwound

The idea got stuck in your head

That everything would go as planned

I keep the truth to myself

You don't want to hear it

We will overcome this we

Will find happiness I know

You are frustrated

It happens to the best of us

And you say what am I doing wrong

Where has this fairy tale gone?

A bus boy stops and listens in

I say at best we'll all be content

Life isn't always exciting

Perfect moments come by now and then

But even perfect moments have to end

The trick is figuring out what to do with all the time stuck in between

We will overcome this we

Will find happiness I know

You are frustrated

It happens to the best of us

You tug at your dress

Wipe the lipstick off your glass and I

Ask for the check

It's getting late

We should be going

Going home

And for the first time tonight

The both of us are quiet

And the bill is on the table

I reach across and grab your hand

Say I'm glad that you're my friend

And that wins me a smile

Could it be as simple as this

Could it ever be this obvious

We would never work out

It makes too much sense

We will overcome this we

Will find happiness I know

You are frustrated

It happens to the best of us

We will overcome this we

Will find happiness I know

You are frustrated

It happens to the best of us

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Chatting with a Newborn (BIRTH) – ©1999 – Indie New Age Folk – Enya - (66–2–3)

66 renders / 2 versions used in Pro Tools / added 3 tracks - 3 Vocal Layers

Style Prompt - new age ambient pop

Origin

What’s more human than being born... a human? Before this song became the concept that it now is, I was toying with the idea of a person talking to a chimpanzee. I felt like it needed to be something that couldn’t talk back and I could bring up human history. But, it never really went anywhere. Then I realized, hey you know who else can’t speak? A baby! That opened the whole thing up, I mean, the idea of the album is about being human anyway, right? I then was able to write the song in a very short amount of time.

Lyrics

Sweet tiny baby in my arms

You haven't been here very long

I know that you don't understand me

But there's some things you need to know

This world's a big confusing place

And it takes a while to sort it out

You'll come upon some answers quickly

Some days you'll just want to give up

Don't rush

Take your time enjoy yourself

Learn from all of your mistakes

Find love

It all depends on what you do

And all good things come back to you ten-fold

If you could talk

What would you say

Would you give me

Your word everything is gonna be okay

Oh, What would you say

Would you tell me

Not to worry

Remember you are not alone

Stand strong but learn to compromise

Make peace and try and get along

With all the other girls and boys

And never think a person less

Don't fear what you don't understand

Seek truth above the pettiness

Try to keep an open mind

Don't judge

People that are not like you

That's a hurtful thing to do

You'll find

They're no different anyways and

You would probably do the same as them

If you could talk

What would you say

Would you give me

Your word everything is gonna be okay

Oh, What would you say

Would you tell me

Not to worry

Be thankful for all that you have

Work hard to get the things you want

Always try and lend a hand

To those who are in need of help

And know that you can change the world

With every little thing you do

You should always have a hero

Some will be looking up to you

So little baby close your eyes

The road ahead of you is long

You're gonna need to get your rest child

Be all grown up before you know it

If you could talk

What would you say

Would you give me

Your word everything is gonna be okay

Ah-oh

What would you say

Would you tell me

Not to worry

If you could talk

What would you say

Would you give me

Your word everything is gonna be okay

Oh, What would you say

Would you tell me

Not to worry

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Just Ask Albert (EXISTENCE) – ©1999 – Indie Folk – ???? - (72–8–0)

72 renders / 5 versions used in Pro Tools / added 0 tracks

Style Prompt - indie folk rock with reverb drenched atmospheric electric guitar

Origin

After college, I got really interested in investigating different theories on how the world works. I had heard about this quantum physics thing and decided I would investigate. I went to the library and took out about a dozen books on the subject. I read one after the other barely taking breaks to eat or sleep. After finishing them, I was so freaked out by what was in the books, I didn’t sleep for like 2 straight days. I told a friend what was going on and then I said, “I don’t know, maybe I didn’t understand it.” He was like, “Oh no, you’re totally freaked out, can’t eat or sleep? You definitely got it.” Anyways, I thought the language of physics and the concepts were elegant and poetic, so I wanted to use the language in a song. I felt like it was necessary to contemplate how, and if, all this intricate knowledge would actually help us as human beings or would we just use it to destroy ourselves. Anyway initially I didn’t know how to begin the song. But then, I referred back to one memory always stuck out in my head as a bit odd and quirky, but somehow fitting. I was visiting a high school friend at Boston College because it was a school I was thinking of attending. He introduced me to one of his friends. At the foot of this guy’s bed was a rack with like 4 bongs on it, some beer can towers and above that on the wall, the famous picture of Einstein sticking out his tongue… and that was it, I found my way into the song.

Lyrics

On the wall of a dorm room covering the cinder

Is a poster of the smartest man ever in the world

With a silly expression he's hiding more than he's saying

Under his crazy mad scientist white hair

And under him on a rack

There's a bong and a beer can

To help make all of his science make sense

To a silly little boy

A silly little boy

Mirrors and mind games

Drowning in ether

I'm constantly racing but still in relation to the world

I can't be infinite anything

But I feel myself bending

Like the sun through the blinds guess who I am now can you tell

If time would stand still even just for a moment

I would end up stuck here and everyone that I know would be gone

I'd be a lonely little boy

A lonely little boy

Maybe

I missed the point, maybe

I'm just being dramatic

I wish I could ask Albert

I wish I could ask Albert uh huh,

I wish I could ask Albert, uh huh

I wish I could ask Albert uh huh

Albert, Albert, Albert, Oh what have you done

Free from your entanglements standing all alone

People are a messy business

Your line of logic's flawed

Tell me what did you want

What did you expect?

What were you hoping for?

Dropped like a stone's weight

Swallowed by the wake

The ripples of empty space blending into time

Delicate and wrinkled, like the hands of the old man

Reeling me inward I'm a fish on a line

Curving 'round I can never escape these

Invisible fingers that are, silently folding up the sky

Around a stubborn little boy

A stubborn little boy

From small as a pin tip, In the snap of a quick blink

Exploding into every which direction all at once

Quietly drifting, with no sign of slowing

The further we get, the faster we grow apart

I can tell you where we'll all be tomorrow

But can any one man, really, ever read the mind of God

Can you hear his voice?

Can you hear his voice?

If I can get back to the point

To the moment when it all began

Maybe I could ask Albert

Maybe I could ask Albert uh-huh

Maybe I could ask Albert

Maybe I could ask Albert uh-huh

And Albert that was not your biggest mistake

I've also seen the ugliness but

Why leave all man's fate up to the

Hard of heart and mean of spirit

What's the harm in having just a

Little bit of faith in the human race

Who could ever be certain

Sometimes the more that you know the less you can really understand

If we break it into pieces

Tiny packets of reason

We'll still be wondering what the hell world we're living in

Maybe what I believe is real

Is nothing at all quite like it appears to be to me

A silly little boy

A silly little boy

So is it chance or a choice?

Would you tell me that it's all in my head?

I wish I could ask Albert

I wish I could ask Albert uh-huh

I wish I could ask Albert

I wish I could ask Albert uh-huh

Albert, Albert, Albert time to place your bet

The monster you created sure is not dead yet

The dice are rolling now we've got the ranch on seven

So call it black or red

Call it tails or heads

Will you hit or stand?

And what we find in the end

Will it defy human experience?

Can our lives be distilled into a theory of everything?

Can we change what the world is by just looking at it?

Maybe we can draw it all together with a string

And even if we’re given every answer

I still wonder what happiness will all this knowledge bring?

Is there any joy?

Is there any joy?

In this world. What’s the point?

Can we be saved by religion or science?

Cause the war of sticks and stones

Will be fought over the bones

Of those who harnessed the power of the small into

Their silly little toys

Their silly little toys

I wish I could ask Albert uh-huh

Maybe I could ask Albert uh-huh

Maybe I could ask Albert uh-huh

Maybe I could ask Albert uh-huh

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.

Raindance (ACCEPTANCE) – ©1990 – Pop Rock – ???? - (61–5–8)

61 renders / 5 versions used in Pro Tools / added 8 tracks - 1 BV demo 1 layer, 1 string layer, 1 Gtr, 1 Marimba 2 layers 1 Xyl

Style Prompt - Upbeat pop rock with marimba

Origin

This is probably among the first 5 or so songs I have ever written. You can tell in the demo because I am just going off on all of the instruments… also using a Xylophone and Marimba. How many hit songs have Xylophone and Marimba? Anyway, it’s another example of a song that I thought was OK with a male vocal, but as soon as I added the female vocal... it lit right up. I wrote it at a time in my life when I made the decision that I was no longer going to fight the wave, instead I was going to grab a board and ride it... and it was the best decision I ever made. Sorry, too may water metaphors.

One last note - you will notice if you listen to the original demo that the first two lines of the song have changed. I always HATED those first two lines and would cringe every time I heard them. After 35 years I finally came up with what you see now, and after all this time, it's finally right.

Lyrics

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Somebody tell me how did I

Get stuck beneath this dark and gloomy sky

Today it looks like rain

The clouds are after me again

Never thought the sun would go

Didn't bring an umbrella or overcoat

It hardly ever storms

But when it rains it pours

And I get the feeling

That I'll be here a while

So I'll go easy

After all it's only life

Dance the rain is falling down

Turn beneath the thunder cloud and you do

The best you can to make it through

Ooh-whoa, oh, oh ,oh

Whip the wind goes clap the lightning

If the cold storm's got you frightened

Stand your ground

The sun will be back soon

Ooh-whoa, oh, oh ,oh

I know a place where I can hide

Somewhere warm and dry

But if I'm gone too long

My puddle's gonna turn into a flood

So instead I'll dance out in the rain

My skin is weathered but my

Soul gives me strength

Rectify my mistakes

Wash all my sins away

The clouds are breaking

The rain is almost gone

The gray is lifting

I can see the colors of the sun

Dance the rain is falling down

Turn beneath the thunder cloud and you do

The best you can to make it through

Ooh-whoa, oh, oh ,oh

Whip the wind goes clap the lightning

If the cold storm's got you frightened

Stand your ground

The sun will be back soon

Ooh-whoa, oh, oh ,oh

Dance the rain is falling down

Turn beneath the thunder cloud and you do

The best you can to make it through

Ooh-whoa, oh, oh ,oh

Whip the wind goes clap the lightning

If the cold storm's got you frightened

Stand your ground

The sun will be back soon

Ooh-whoa, oh, oh ,oh

Oh-oh-oh

Original Demo

Stop playing other tracks before starting this one.