1. |
Alaska
02:50
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I had a great day of surfing in my cubicle
I found a California fixer these days it ain’t that hard
and I set a move date back to the lower 48
I need a new chapter I’m over Alaska
The Butte county beauty was never lost on me
we used to drive the levees and soak up scenery
skeletal orchards decrepit towns
the low sun aglow on the slow Sacramento
Keep heading west and you’ll end up back east
keep trying to bet yourself and you might just get beat
I’m gonna look down south there’s a sentiment I’m after
It’s back down the Alcan I’m over Alaska
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2. |
How Could a Man
04:02
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She’s a yogi she’s a reader she’s an unapologetic eater a carnivore poor pigs cows and chickens
she’s even-keeled until crossed that’s when dishes get tossed
don’t bequeath your fine china to her she’s a laundress she’s a gourmet chef
an EMT she won’t shy away she’ll suture cuts she’ll pick a tick right off your nuts
if you puke your guts out she’s there to console you she hates treadmills and gyms
loves open water swims hiking biking camping bodysurfing
she rode her Bianchi through the Portuguese wine country full self-supported
she lived in Argentina she’s a trilingual gringa she cursed her way through a natural birth
she’s got perfect skin and when her fallopian tubes were tied God cried a tear
and how could a man not fall completely x3
she’s a cumbia dancer she thinks TV’s a cancer she loves to spar intellectually
she’s up for anything so no BS she will go anywhere there is an adventure
if you ask her to learn to play the drums and go onstage
she’ll learn to play the drums and go onstage
and someone once tried to test her well into her third trimester
he said you wanna go to Ko Lipe she said OK
and they rode that boat for hours and hours through that black Thai night
while he puked into the sea and she held him and consoled him and earnestly told him
I’ll take care of you if you take care of me
and how could a man not fall completely x3
in love
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3. |
Botox
02:38
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The gal down the block just got botoxed
she’s driving her Porsche off to where her horse
sleeps with the chickens
she will disagree the concept of free comes from within
She won’t let him go to see the horse show
there’s no magic pill it makes her too nervous when he’s there
so she takes a nip the horse takes a trip and goes under
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4. |
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It sounded nice to have peace and quiet
a break from the kids so we shipped them off to camp katydid
and then we had peace and quiet just the wife and me
so we shared a medical brownie
and we spent our quiet evening in the fetal position
be careful what you wish for we used to be hardcore not anymore be careful what you wish for
and then we went to the bar for a drinky we threw back a couple next to a kinky couple
they said do you want to party at our place where we can uncouple so we can quadruple
we said thanks but we’ve got to go we really like to watch the antiques roadshow
be careful what you wish for we used to be hardcore not anymore be careful what you wish for
and then we got around to resuscitating our rock-n-roll dream
and so we dusted off the drums and amplifiers back before kids we were good we used to gig
but before we even made it through half a song
our neighbor chuck came along and sounded the gong
and we picked up the kids today they both said camp was great so we booked next years dates
how can we miss them if they don’t go away
but they’ll soon be gone forever at least they had better
and we’ll have quiet be careful what you wish for
because I wanted it to speed up more when they were three and four
not anymore be careful what you wish for
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5. |
Have a Nice Day
04:07
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My 12,992nd day dawns balmy and gray same as the previous day
alarm bell wake up do my hair and make-up what to wear today
white and light gray same as the previous day
I pop my prescription and swallow the cliché cherish every day
and I cling to it like flotsam from the shipwreck of my shattered expectations
have a nice day have a nice hum drum day
I’m all dolled up for the dull day
have a nice day have a nice hum drum day
I’m all dolled up for the dull day
my 12,997th day and one thing is for sure I’m gonna get a pedicure
and it’s time for a shake-up I’m tossing all my make-up
I’m going to go cruelty free it’s just more me
and I can almost taste the freedom as soon as the kids ship off to school
I’m gonna do some cyber shopping with my chai
then its rose by the racquet club pool
have a nice day have a nice hum drum day
I’m all dolled up for the dull day
have a nice day have a nice hum drum day
I’m all dolled up for the dull day
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6. |
The Nuclear Family
03:35
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She wanted a ring and a proposal I got her one made her one
a couple kids on a cul-de-sac so we made some and bought on one
and the disconnect it crept in in imperceptible ways
and slowly the corrosion ate through our better days
and once we put the kids down we go our separate ways
I slip down to my home office stare at the screen and say
estoy aburrido ya no la quiero quitate la blusa y la minifalda te juro que te quiero
last night was relatively civil and then we go into the wine
I’ve been hoarding my last Percocet tonight I’m gonna feel just fine
the kids are on their consoles I taught them how to play
let’s spend the nights together in our own virtual way
the nuclear family meltdown is underway
I slip into my fallout shelter stare at the screen and say
estoy aburrido ya no la quiero quitate la blusa y la minifalda te juro que te quiero
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7. |
Babysitter
03:36
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Two under two let me tell you what you’re missing sleepless nights night after night
a fear of flying but not because of terrorists diarrhea vomit and pee
a milking mechanism milking mommy’s mammaries
but tonight it’s all good yeah tonight it’s alright because we’ve got a babysitter
and I’m up here up on the stage singing my songs playing guitar
my old lady’s over there she’s sitting in a booth in a red plush booth having a drink
we’re living it up we’re out on the town we’re having a ball we’re painting the town
we’re letting our guard down because we’ve got a babysitter
and my left side pocket is aflutter aflitter incoming call from the babysitter
expecting the worst I don’t want to pick up because my buzz is kicking in I’m on my third cup
and for just a sliver of a night I don’t want to be Mr. Responsibility
But I’ve got to pick up because I’ve got to know is it is or is it isn’t copacetic in the home
babysitter says everything is fine but your boy Charlie Roy won’t stop crying
I say put him on the line I’ll stop him from crying by singing him his favorite nursery rhyme
it goes he’s having a dance party Charlie Roy he’s having a dance party
he’s gonna wiggle wiggle wiggle and jiggle jiggle jiggle
cuz he’s having a dance party Charlie Roy he’s having a dance party
and I’m up here I’m up on the stage I’m singing my songs I’m playing guitar
my old lady’s over there she’s sitting in a booth in a red plush booth she’s having a drink
we’re living it up we’re out on the town we’re having a ball we’re painting the town
we’re letting our guard down letting our guard down letting our guard down
because we got a babysitter
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8. |
Pretty Things
04:24
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So the leaves have turned and fallen fifty times since my birth
and the trees will wait out the winter buds will break come the thaw
some trees will die and decompose I’ll chainsaw one to heat my home
when I was a boy my Labrador died I reckoned I’d see her on the other side
I asked my priest will she go up to heaven he said no
so she remained inside a box inside a drawer next to my socks
when it’s my time should I be burned I don’t want to be shelved in an urn
scatter me up here at the lake bring instruments and have a raucous wake
I’m sitting here in my cabin with my woman and my cat
we’ve got each other books and a guitar you don’t need much we’ve come to learn that
the days are shorter and there’s and arctic breeze and we’re enveloped in crimson maple trees
and I took her ashes and spread them in the meadow
she really liked it there so it seemed apropos
and it will soon be a sea of snow and after the break-up pretty things will grow
after the break-up pretty things will grow
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9. |
Cold Calling Can
03:57
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I’m on the clock I’m working on a catchy chorus I’m on the clock I’m working on my first verse
I’m on the clock inspiration can’t wait cold calling can cold calling can
the melody’s fleeting hurry up call and sing the melody’s fleeting to the answering machine
the melody’s fleeting inspiration can’t wait cold calling can cold calling can
and when we’re living in the poorhouse we’ll be singing the songs I made up on the clock
and you can’t ignore the signal when the signal kicks you out of your house
I know trust me I know
I’m having a lackluster quarter monetarily speaking but glory be musically I’m rich
yeah I’ve got four new kick-ass songs already and get this
this morning at the sweet shoppe I started a fifth
and there ain’t a damn thing the Fed head can say when they grill him up on the hill today
to undermine their worth one iota because they’re mine and that’s that
yum I made them from scratch yeah I own them free and clear no loans or liens are attached
and if we sink into depression I’ll just make us up a happy batch
and when we’re living in the poorhouse we’ll be singing the songs I made up on the clock
and you can’t ignore the signal when the signal kicks you out of your house
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10. |
The Song Mine
03:10
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Deep inside the song mine blasting away looking for a vein
it’s just about tapped out deep inside the song mine
I wish it produced more I wish it fed my family of four
but I still find the occasional nugget deep inside the song mine
what’s that above melodious and glimmering
it looks like a chorus shiny and shimmering
my grandpa was one as was his son I hope my boy will follow
cuz I can think of nothing finer than the life of a song miner
but mining verses has its curse
and during this latest extraction something calamitous happened
as I was looking for the words to milk this metaphor
an avalanche of clichés blocked all the exit ways
and I was stuck down there for days I couldn’t get past those clichés
and then the caged bird died deep inside the song mine
so that song never saw the light of day it’s forever entombed in cliché
sometimes you hit the motherlode sometimes your head explodes
looking for the right line deep inside the song mine
and some say it’s just dumb luck yeah but you still have to show up
so I’ll just keep on digging next to Old Man Prine
deep inside the song mine
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11. |
The Oil Oligopoly
04:28
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I drove to work again today ten blocks God bless the USA
and I drove a mile to the treadmill I treaded and treaded and watched TV and treaded
and I treaded and treaded and watched Flavor Flav
until the light emitting diodes said two miles
and then I got back in my automobile and drove home one mile
and now I’m driving to a protest to protest the gouging of the gasoline buying consumer by
I’m driving to a protest to protest the gouging of the gasoline buying consumer by
the oil oligopoly
and I drove to the track to day I circled the oval at a high velocity in my V8
I drove home my kid was still up
so I strapped him in the back and I drove around town until he wasn’t
then I drove to the drive-through
a gaunt grizzled green party pooper was stationed in the booth
he passed me my shake shook his head said why do you drive that
well I told him the truth because I can
and now I’m driving to a protest to protest the gouging of the gasoline buying consumer by
I’m driving to a protest to protest the gouging of the gasoline buying consumer by
the oil oligopoly
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12. |
Some Chase a Girl
04:47
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First time I saw you I just knew next thing I knew you moved to Peru
what to do I was into you so I flew to Peru
in Ayacucho I took tea the shining path extorted me
lovesick and in loves throes I caught a bus to Cusco
I found a hostel freshened up had another coca tea cup
I killed time until I got guts to track your digs down
and some are rejected some reject some click some never connect
some tie a knot and then it frays in two some chase a girl to Peru
so I knock on the door and what do I see a Peruano staring at me
he vibed me and then summoned you but by then I basically knew
so I went to Bolivia and toured the mines and their dark and dreary confines
I scaled an active volcano and hoped it would blow
and a friend said I should see Quito but I bought a fare to Toledo
poor broken an super sad I moved back in with my mom and dad
and the rejection well it festered like an infection
I took long walks in the hills with my psychological ills
and on one particularly heavy day when you cringe at how much your thoughts weigh
I came home mom looked me in the eye and said guess who just stopped on by
she’s at the creek she said she’d wait for you at the foot of the bridge until a quarter to two
something tells me she’s fond of you call it a girl’s intuition
and some pay a fee to troll J date presumably to land a Jewish mate
some stray succumbing to their libido some chase s boy to Toledo
and some are rejected some reject some click some never connect
some tie a knot and then it frays in two some chase a girl to Peru
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Derek Senn San Luis Obispo, California
I learned how to play guitar late in life. Then I decided to write songs and record them. For years I worked in the lo-fi tradition of home recording, which means I basically did everything myself & all songs were certified 100% free range, non-GMO, free trade, sustainably recorded organic. YUM! But now I record in proper studios and the music tastes even better! ... more
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