1. |
Harry Potter
03:04
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La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
You haven’t heard a single word I’ve said
You’re not even listening
That shit’s gonna rot your brain
I can be a better girlfriend
I can be a better girlfriend
Than the ones in your video games
The ones in your video games
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I wish the Black Panthers were still around
All lives matter yeah but a
White girl in the Black Panthers
That would have been so bad ass
God, I so miss high school
Free rent, free food, and a swimming pool
Does anything really last
Does anything really last anymore
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I still love Harry Potter
Ya think I’m too old to read Harry Potter?
When I’s a kid I had a better brain
When I’s a kid I had a better brain
You ever think about the afterlife?
Of course you don’t, all you think about’s getting high
Being dead is gonna be so strange
Being dead is gonna be so strange
So strange, so strange
There’s this guy who plays tuba in the subway
Between the A-train and the E-train
He makes homeless look so good
He makes homeless look so good
Is this all we’re really gonna do
Smoke some ape berry
And make our parents’ nightmares come true
Our parents’ nightmares come true
You’re not even listening
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
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2. |
Small Time Criminals
02:44
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We were greasy little monkeys skinny and hungry
Doing back alley deals all day
Jumping old ladies for that handbag honey
Hopping fences to get away
Now we’re bitching about models and being quixotic
Crown grabbing little thieves
Can’t find God in a rich man's pocket
The devil’s always up their sleeve
The devil’s always up their sleeve
We were anything but original
Crooks and small time criminals
Neighborhood flunkies
Lowlifes in high tops
Now we’re pharisees and gentlemen
Taking that high dollar medicine
Champagne problems gonna kill us all off
Traded hubcaps for cases full of greenbacks
Now we’re in the land of the lost
We were blackhearted sleestacks now we got that
Penthouse George Jefferson walk
Now we got that George Jefferson walk
Now don’t get me wrong ain’t knocking nice things
I like the view better from the top
But black ice ballerinas never see it coming
Till it’s too late to stop
Till it’s too late to stop
We were anything but original
Crooks and small time criminals
Neighborhood flunkies
Lowlifes in high tops
Now we’re pharisees and gentlemen
Taking that high dollar medicine
Champagne problems gonna kill us all off
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3. |
Playing God
03:25
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Foolishness, Mindlessness
Foolishness, Mindlessness
You’re either at my throat or at my feet
You’re either at my throat or at my feet
Spoiled child, spoiled child
You’re either bitching or begging or gonna make me bleed
You’re either bitching or begging or empty-threatening me
Spoiled child, spoiled child
It’s a thankless job, it’s a thankless job
If you want it you can have it
But I bet you’ll want to give it back
The universe is quite heavy
When you’re flatlining you ain’t gonna want some kind of hack
Slow and unsteady
Backbone like spaghetti
We’re always strangers till the danger reaches code red
Then you find that Holy Ghost in the hospital bed
You’re always sowing what you don’t wanna reap
Hot for Hell till you get the cold feet
It’s a thankless job, it’s a thankless job
If you want it you can have it
But I bet you’ll want to give it back
The universe is quite heavy
When you’re flatlining you ain’t gonna want some kind of hack
Slow and unsteady
Backbone like spaghetti
Foolishness, Mindlessness
Nonsense is the devil’s anesthetic
It’s a thankless job, it’s a thankless job
When you start playing God, when you start playing God
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4. |
Zombie Heartz
03:46
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Every time a pop star is born a distant planet dies
Science finally points to God and He rolls His eyes
A sex carnival this Sunday in the church parking lot
It’s another snooze fest for them Abercrombie zombie hearts
(Come on now)
Our brains are losing their shape staring into rectangles
Hand over your heart pledge allegiance to America the cubicle
Sidewalks paved with puppy spas and homeless vets
Packed house tonight at the plants have rights protest
(Get there early, get a seat)
Analog ash to ash, digital dust to dust
We calling for God in them foxholes but in Google we trust
Crying foul at the comedy shows laughing at funerals
Mommy what’s that ah honey that’s a heterosexual
(I’ll tell ya ‘bout em later, they used to be everywhere..so boring, so uncouth)
Another socialite dies by the hand of an algorithm
And the peace prize goes to the hard drive that cured racism
Worries about me, me, me, me, me look at all the damage we do
The robot’s gonna put us in a people zoo
(Monkey see monkey do)
(Legion of love or the legion of doom)
(Ratty tat tat tat) every new normal started out as odd
Caitlin or Bruce any name you choose still one of God's
Jesus had nowhere to lay his head but C-Dollar need a private plane
Them televangelists like Chris Isaak playing a wicked game
(Who’s Chris Isaak)
We’re poisoning the king so we can sit on the throne
We keep on sawing off the limb that we are sitting on
We cannibalize our leaders and worship dead presidents
The Devil's army is a bunch of old white men
We're building our own prison and we can't afford the bail
When love don’t work don't try anything else
Fallacies are in fashion but truth will never be a trend
Hope and Faith will rule the day can I get an amen
Hope and Faith will rule the day can I get an amen
Hope and Faith will rule the day can I get an amen
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5. |
Highlight Reel
04:12
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His cartoon muscles are dripping off the bone
He’s a halftime shot or two of cortisone
His knees crunch Monday like styrofoam
Tells his agent he’s done chasing end zones
He sees the face painted kids wearing their love
Their parents buying up his memorabilia
He knows they don’t love him but the image of
He looks into the on-field camera
And says
Hear the masses praise
My iron will and silver strength
I quit a thousand times a day
But all you ever see, ever see
Is my highlight reel, my highlight reel
They call her First Bitch as much as Mrs. President
It's still a good ole boys club there in Washington
Can't be too Barbie nah nah can't be too lesbian
Steel eyed, steel toed, still feminine
Be the lady trinity
Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth and Mother Mary
It ain't easy being King
Hear the masses praise
My iron will and silver strength
I quit a thousand times a day
But all you ever see, ever see, ever see
Is my highlight reel, my highlight reel
Exclusive interview at six o’clock with Jesus Christ
Place digital doves in his blue eyes
If there was wrong to do He even did that right
King of the Jews what is your secret spice?
He said it might’ve looked easy but it was more like war
You never heard the harlot knocking at my hotel door
Never saw the bloody flowers on Gethsemane’s floor
Never heard my belly screaming
Cut the sheep act, lion roar
Lion roar, lion roar
Hear the masses praise
My iron will and silver strength
I quit a thousand times a day
But all you ever see, ever see, ever see
Is my highlight reel, my highlight reel
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6. |
Spiral Staircase
03:50
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Glossy eyed from the scarlet harlot
The Via Dolorosa of her kiss
Staring down the spiral staircase
Still gives me fits
Why do I
Do these things I don’t know why
I do these things
Why do I do these things I do
When I don’t want to
When I don’t want to
Glossy eyed from the scarlet harlot
Carpet blood red from her kiss
Tears decorate the spiral staircase
Triumph my fear
Death becomes you my dear
Why do I
Do these things I don’t know why
I do these things
Why do I do these things I do
When I don’t want to
When I don’t want to
Extravagant the hem of her gilded garment
Forfeit my soul
One more time no
One more time no
One more time no
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7. |
Year of the Freak Out
02:53
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It’s the year of the freak out
(The year of the freak out)
Can’t carry on and calm down
(Can’t carry on and calm down)
This is the year of the freak out
(The year of the freak out)
Bout to get a little mental
Turning tables over in the temple
Marvin Gaye's what's going on
Blasting on them headphones
Pretty much the same nonsense man
Different verse same song
Etch it on our headstone
We had the best of intentions
But had to get our beauty sleep in
Stay caught up on the Mad Men
Now we’re caught up in that madness
Hold on playa the answer’s blowing in the breeze
Chill out it’s only a catastrophe
All this drama got ya sounding like a fool
The world’s on fire but everything’s cool
It’s the year of the freak out
(The year of the freak out)
Can’t carry on and calm down
Too much at stake now
Putting kids in bodybags
Chalk outlines on the sidewalk
A little yoga gonna clear ya head
Have a good jog down by the graveyard
In a jumpsuit made by “Brain-Washed”
Devil got his style trademarked
Selling bulletproof hoodies at Walmart
Guns by the dozen at Walmart
Hold on playa the answer’s blowing in the breeze
Chill out it’s only a catastrophe
All this drama got ya sounding like a fool
The world’s on fire but everything’s cool
People don’t trust the police don’t trust their priest
Don’t trust the living, don’t trust the deceased, don’t trust the future or history?
Fear is God among the great beast x2
I don’t know about you, and you don’t know about me
But I know the biggest problem with the world is me
It’s the year of the freak out
The year of the freak out
Turning tables over in the church house, in the court house, in the white house, maybe even in my own house
By God maybe even in my own house
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8. |
Good Drugs
03:22
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The sky is falling, I’m screaming for help
Don’t know how long I can keep it above my head
My heroes all keep turning ghostly pale
And my king size bed won’t give me any rest
Most days I can keep the world at bay
On them bad days, I got them good drugs
To sweep the pain under the rug
And when the straw breaks I say a little prayer
To the God of Abraham and anybody who cares
And hope they’re listening, listening, listening
You say the bright side’s the only place to be
And I wonder if you're too simple to be depressed
What superhuman color do you bleed
To swim this aquarium and not get wet
When that bone break needs more than a band aid
On them bad days, I got them good drugs
To sweep the pain up under the rug
And when the straw breaks I say a little prayer
To the God of Abraham and anybody who cares
And hope they’re listening, listening, listening
Diet coke and year-old Percocet
Blind your eyes by the light of the TV set
Why slay the monster there inside your head
When you can medicate it, medicate it, medicate it
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9. |
Head in the Sand
02:47
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Went to a psychic to get my hair dyed
My barista said “Ahh, she’s the future”
Said there’s a doctor you really gotta try
She can heal up your sense of humor
Went to college for an education
If reality bites I want some truth with some teeth
Professor in a Star Wars t-shirt
Said only a fool thinks he can know anything
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
Head in the sand looking for the light
Head in the sand looking for the light
But I had nothing to show for it
I said I’m hungry to the man in the moon
He said my shaman will feed your soul
Note on his door said I took a little trip
Up to Heaven or Hell I don’t know
I left a message with the secretary of the governor
He said you’ll get an answer soon I sent it to your senator
A week later got a letter from Mr. President
Said my query’s got him all discombobulated
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
Head in the sand looking for the light
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
But I had nothing to show for it
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
But I had nothing to show for it
I did a left footed dance in a fist fight
Found me a friend to tell me sweet lies
But I ended up empty handed yeah I did
I put my head in the sand looking for the light
Head in the sand looking for the light
Head in the sand looking for the light
But I had nothing to show for it
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10. |
Supadope
02:55
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Holy Moses, holy Toledo
There is power in the blood
And it ain’t no hocus pocus Houdini kind of mojo, no, no
It’s a rearrange your heart’s DNA kind of love
Can’t say it enough
He’s so supadope, supadope, supadope
I’ve been to the Vatican and Notre Dame’s cathedral
I’ve seen the pomp and the glittery gold
Then I hear Greg Porter singing “Take Me to the Alley”
Then I’m like ah yeah, that’s the friend that I know
The friend to the Low
He’s so supadope, supadope, supadope
He’s so supadope, supadope, supadope
Used to wear that homemade halo
Tried to hide my hellish heart
But He called me up out of the shadows
Said child you’re a work of art
Sometimes He tears the roof off so I can see the sun rise
Sometimes He buries me so I can remember my roots
Call me crazy but I’m here to testify my friend
Nobody’s ever loved me so true
He’s so supadope, supadope, supadope
He’s so supadope, supadope, supadope
Used to wear that homemade halo
Tried to hide my hellish heart
But He called me up out of the shadows
Said child you’re a work of art
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11. |
40 Years
02:27
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Birthday boy with a birthday cake
How many pieces will it take
Before you get a belly ache
We’ve all run that scenario
Hypothesized how it would go
If we had just one day to go before we were gonna die
I’d rock that 24 hour bubble
Tom Cruise that “bleep,” be my own stunt double
Dare that dream get seen from the Hubble
Star man burning bright
What if we had forty years
What if we had forty years left to live
Forty summers Forty Christmas'
What if we had forty years left to live
What if we had forty years
You could slave all day at the factory
Abandon your kids crushing candy
So you and your zombie wife can dream that American nightmare
Then ship my bones to Florida
For eighteen holes of pain killers
Wait for your grave to be dug
Then ease in that ditch my friend
Staring up at the coffin lid
Wondering if this
Was the life that you wanted to live
What if we had forty years left to live
What if we had forty years
Forty summers Forty Christmas'
What if we had forty years left to live
What if we had forty years
Brothers and sisters I'm convinced
Being bored is the greatest sin
Not living just stealing oxygen
After we are born
You were born for more
You were born for more
You were born for more
You were born for more
You were born for more
You were born for more
You were born for more
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The Whistles and The Bells Nashville, Tennessee
The Whistles & The Bells is the nome de song of Nashville-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bryan Simpson. His debut full-length album (New West Records, 2015) is an accomplished effort that threads together rousing indie rock, southern folk, gritty alt-country and gospel to create a rich musical tapestry that matches the intense soul searching of his evocative and poetic lyrics. ... more
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