1. |
Message to Home
03:57
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Message to home…
Message to home…
I’m here at the site.
I got here all right.
Here’s my first message to you.
I circled the globe.
A sight to behold.
You wouldn’t believe the view.
What a view!
It’s beautiful!
It’s just so beautiful!
A living rainbow.
So wild and wonderful.
Very, very, beautiful.
Message to home…
Message to home…
There’s some kind of deadly disease.
An intelligent life,
A self-aware blight,
Destroying land, air, and seas.
A deadly disease.
But it’s so beautiful!
This place is beautiful!
Who would destroy a world
So wild and wonderful?
Very, very, beautiful.
Beautiful, … diseased, …
Beautiful, … diseased …
World.
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2. |
Leave Me Alone
03:39
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I don’t want no more of your mindless games.
There aint no good or bad. It’s all the same.
I don’t want no peace. I don’t want no war.
I don’t want to fight for peace no more.
Don’t want no religions. Don’t want your politicians
Or your institutions. Upsets my constitution.
Don’t want to be rich. I don’t want to be poor.
Don’t even know what I want. I’m just not sure anymore.
Just leave me alone.
Don’t want to save no whales. Don’t want to wear no fur coats.
Don’t want to spend a lifetime hung up on details.
Don’t want no McDonalds. Don’t want no granola,
Caviar or rice. I just don’t want to think twice.
Won’t sign your petitions. Don’t have no opinions.
I don’t have no solutions. So, you can keep your problems.
I’m not into style. I aint no low-life.
What’s my human condition? I won’t know for a while.
Just leave me alone.
I don’t need this stress. I didn’t create this mess.
I aint no part of this quagmire – East, Middle, or West.
I just want to move on, make my own way,
Live my own life, and not care what you say.
Just leave me alone.
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3. |
How We Are
03:47
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In our heads … in our heads,
All we are, all that’s said,
All that’s dire, all desire,
We all race down to the wire.
We are cool. We are cool.
We have art. We have school.
We know we know we are.
That is why we are the star.
And this is how we laugh …
And this is how we cry …
And this is how we live …
And this is how we die.
We are here … we are here,
Born alone, without peer.
All that is, all that was,
All laid out just for us.
And this is how we laugh …
And this is how we cry …
And this is how we live …
And this is how we die.
And when one wonders whether we’re all it’s about.
The moral legions cry out, “God, smother all the doubt!”
And this is how we laugh …
And this is how we cry …
And this is how we live …
And this is how we die.
And this is how we die.
And this is how we die.
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4. |
Ponder
03:04
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What am I doing here?
What’s my life all about?
How can I know what I should do?
Since the dawn of time,
Throughout the lands, air, and seas,
Has anyone before yesterday
Pondered mysteries
Such as these? Such as these?
Am I good? Am I bad?
Do I matter at all?
How can I ever hope to know?
What matters mattering?
And who is my judge?
Do I live favourably among
My peers?
Who are my peers?
Others like me?
Or all in my life?
All in my life?
What is my life?
All is my life.
They all matter to me.
It all matters to me!
Mm, hmm.
Mm, hmm.
Since the dawn of time,
Throughout the lands, air, and seas,
Has anyone before yesterday
Pondered mysteries
Such as these? Such as these?
They all matter to me.
Yes, it all matters to me.
I’ll be the best I can be.
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5. |
Winless Game
03:20
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Person A You’re my good friend, just like a brother to me.
Person B That’s not where I’m at, not the way I want it to be.
Person A I’d like your help to find another boyfriend for me.
Person B What kind of deal is that? The last thing I want to see.
Person A We walk the town; after all, you know we’re good friends.
Person B Times like these, I wish I knew you less.
Person A Hours on the phone, I tell you about my life problems.
Person B Don’t mind at all; if only I were one of them.
Person B When will I learn that life is cruel?
My friends tell me that I’m a fool.
I should have known you’re not for me.
There’s other fish out in the sea.
Person C You’re my good friend, just like a sister to me.
Person A That’s not where I’m at, not the way I want it to be.
Person C I’d like your help to find another girlfriend for me.
Person A What kind of deal is that? The last thing I want to see.
Persons A & B When will I learn that life is cruel?
My friends tell me that I’m a fool.
I should have known you’re not for me.
There’s other fish out in the sea.
Persons A & C I know your need. Meet my good friends.
Persons A & B I’m paranoid. Are they your secret agents?
All Why oh why do you feel for me this way?
Another turn of the winless game we play, and play,
and play, and play.
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6. |
Irene
02:34
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I love Irene.
I love everything about her.
She’s the woman of my dreams.
Here’s why I love her:
She is beautiful.
And she’s warm and understanding.
She’s kind and comical.
That’s why I love Irene.
She has a leftist point of view.
She helps downtrodden people, too.
Her generosity has no end.
She even shares her bed with Molly.
Her world is filled with music.
She loves to sing. Oh, how sweet is her singing.
She starts each day dancing ‘round, like a Whirling Dervish.
That’s why I love Irene.
She tells me her stories
Of loved ones lost and adventures that are rich with feeling.
Sharing makes good memories.
That’s why I love Irene.
I let her tell me what to do.
Now I do some yoga, too.
I try to help her when I can.
I want to be her man. I love her!
She is beautiful.
And she’s warm and understanding.
She’s kind and comical.
That’s why I love her, that’s why I love her, that’s why I love Irene.
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7. |
Outta My Mind
05:22
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Now that you’ve gone,
You’re just a song.
What was major is minor
And I can’t rite what went wrong.
These simple lines
Are what’s left of our times.
They help me to get you
Outta my mind.
Just get out.
Get outta my mind.
There’s no room for you
Inside of my mind.
Hooked on your eyes,
You were my vice.
You heat up my life
And you burned me like hot ice.
Your ways and your beauty,
Well, they overcame me.
What will it take to be free?
Cut you right out of me.
Just get out.
Get outta my mind.
There’s no room for you
Inside of my mind.
Before you came along
I was fine, just fine.
I never needed anyone.
I lived by my own design.
But since you entered my life,
I’ve never been the same.
You ruined me! You broke me!
You drove me insane!
You know your toothbrush,
The one you’d use when you’d stay.
Well, one day I’ll do it,
One day, I’m going to throw it away!
Just get out!
Get outta my mind.
There’s no room for you
Inside (of) my mind.
Just get out!
Get outta my mind.
Either you get or I'll go
Outta my mind.
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8. |
I Will Remember You
04:25
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People tell me I should lighten my load,
That I should forget about you.
They say I should come in from the cold,
That it only makes me blue.
I will remember you.
And I will love you.
And if it makes me blue,
I will remember you.
I won’t be with you when I’m old.
That’s a thought that saddens me.
The time is wasted when my friends console.
Don’t they know my heart skips a beat
When I remember you.
And I like being blue.
And even though we’re through,
I still remember you.
You meant the world to me.
Changed me permanently.
You’re etched into my brain
Where you will remain
A part of me. A part of me.
Reflecting on the time we shared
Reveals this one simple truth:
No matter how my life will fare,
Can’t compare my time spent with you.
So I’ll remember you.
And I will love you.
Whatever else I do,
I will remember
You meant the world to me.
Changed me permanently.
You’re etched into my brain
Where you will remain
A part of me. A part of me.
Giving to another
Is a lesson you have taught me.
Life has no meaning for lovers;
Love is. Love is. Love is:
I will remember you.
And I will love you.
Whatever else I do, ... I will remember ... you.
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9. |
Tasha
04:20
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How could I forget those big brown eyes of my
My little Tasha?
You are not here today and you would hate to stay away,
My little Tasha.
I loved you more than you will know.
You’d like to be with me and I was all you’d ever need.
My little Tasha.
We travelled down our road. It’d be just you and me.
My little Tasha.
I loved you more than you will know.
And now you’re gone, I shed a tear.
I sing this song, wish you were here.
When we were apart, you thought that I’d forgotten you.
My little Tasha.
And it’s very hard to know I broke your heart in two.
My little Tasha.
I loved you more than you will know.
And now you’re gone, I shed a tear.
I sing this song, wish you were here.
I loved your smiling face. I loved your warm, quiet ways.
My little Tasha.
I will dream of you, so I can be with you.
My little Tasha.
I loved you more than you will know.
I loved you more than you will know.
I loved you more than you will know.
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10. |
Apple of Your 'I'
04:04
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So you think you know what’s happening
And you know almost everything.
What you know is little more than naught.
You’re a baby in disguise,
Innocent and not so wise.
You believe that you are what the stork brought.
You think you are so clever,
Wish you name could be known forever.
You’re nearly gone and you’ve only been a day.
And you think everything’s for you
And you know just what to do.
Will you think so when you’ve blown yourselves away?
I say this clearly: You are the apple of your ‘I’
You get so excited,
Your eyes roll, your face turns red
Dealing with what doesn’t fit your plan.
You criticize and paralyze
Those who criticize and paralyze,
Annihilate what you don’t understand.
The wonderment yourselves
Is overlooked because you delve,
Riding high along the ridge of your own pride.
Preoccupied with the mirror,
You look forward to the rear.
Don’t you know it’s the future you decide?
I say this clearly: You are the apple of your ‘I’
Year after year, the Earth is spinning ‘round a star.
Dad after day, everyone wants to be a star.
So relax. Count, “1 … 2 … 3 …”
Your eyes will open eventually.
When they do, you’ll wonder what you’ve been.
And you’ll deceive yourselves no more.
Everyone will know the score.
Finally, you’ll be the object of your dreams.
I say this clearly: You are the apple of your ‘I’
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11. |
Johnny
04:47
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I’m coming for you, Johnny. Johnny
I have a longing for you. Johnny
I need to be with you and
you need to be with me and
we will be one together. Johnny, we will be happy. Johnny
You once were independent. Johnny
Your future predetermined. Johnny
But you have learned that you need,
that even chrome machines bleed,
that being full is empty. Johnny, empty. Johnny. Johnny
No one foresaw that you would alter your plan.
But what we know is just a grain of sand.
Yes, it’s the unknown I’m attracted to.
You could say I was born to love you.
So, we will wander, Johnny. Johnny
And we will wonder, Johnny. Johnny
And we will love each other,
and we’ll be one together,
and we will live forever. Johnny, you and me. We will love.
And we will love each other. We’ll be one.
And we’ll be one together. We will live.
And we will live forever. Johnny, you and me. Johnny
Johnny
Johnny
Johnny
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12. |
Sounds in the Night
03:18
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I never thought that I could say this.
But it’s not hard ‘cause I am in bliss.
I never dreamed of so much happiness
And now I know there’s much that I’ve missed.
I have the promise of a future.
I have the promise that there’s something in store.
Now I have someone I can turn to.
That’s all I want; how could I ask for anything more?
And we are drawn to the ones who know our fate.
They know our future and they say it’s great.
We’ll live forever. We’ll be all right.
We’ll need not fear the sounds in the night.
In the night.
Now that my future is decided,
I have a path that I can follow.
I have a new outlook on everything.
My yesterday now seems so hollow.
And we are drawn to the ones who know our fate.
They know our future and they say it’s great.
We’ll live forever. We’ll be all right.
We’ll need not fear the sounds in the night.
We’ll life forever. We’ll be all right.
We’ll never hear the sounds in the night.
In the night.
Glen Hollingshead: recording and mixing engineering
Evan Rabby (Company Zero Productions): mastering
Judy Hilgemann: illustrations
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13. |
Michael
03:38
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In the land of Matter,
Within the hourglass sand,
Where clear’s the air and water
And proud the creatures stand,
Lives friend Michael,
Hero of the land.
Protector of the innocent;
Woe to greed and spear.
Yet humble and subservient,
Able to wear a tear.
So lives friend Michael,
Hero to the dear.
When clouds of doom roll in Michael takes a stand.
Amid the battle din, Michael’s voice is grand.
“Peace and Freedom! Love and Truth! For all the seas and lands!”
Of prejudice and power, Michael wrings her hands.
And when the battle’s over, Michael is besieged.
She has to run for cover, yet she is intrigued.
Why is it they bestow their praises for her deeds?
Why don’t they get up? Don’t they get up off their knees? Their knees.
For why must she be different than anyone at all?
Where are all the others to listen to their call?
They make the dark that needs a torch held in a hand to stop a fall.
Why must she be different than anyone at all? At all.
“Onward! Ever onward!
Do the best one can.
Play at being awkward.
Wear no badge nor brand.”
These are the words of Michael,
Hero of the land.
These are the ways of Michael,
Hero of the land.
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14. |
They Tell Us
02:28
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Making my own way in life is hard enough.
Trying to make a kinder world, that is really tough.
People all around me say that I should be like them.
“You can’t change the world,” they say, as they shake their heads again.
They tell us.
It’s hopeless.
Don’t listen.
Well, I’m not one to lap things up not caring all the while.
Complacency is not for me and pretense not my style.
I’ve work to do and things to say in quest of better ways.
Discontent is my content. There’s questions I should raise.
They tell us.
It’s pointless.
Don’t notice.
But, there’s this pressure ...
Constant pressure ...
Got to weather it ...
‘Cause it’s a pleasure...
Like the promise ...
Of the sirens.
They tell us.
It’s hopeless.
Don’t listen.
They tell us.
It's hopeless.
Don't notice.
They make it difficult for one to get ahead.
Mired in mediocrity from their toes up to their heads.
Looks like it’ll take some time to bring on something new.
The best approach for me to take is do what I can do.
They tell us.
It’s hopeless.
Don’t listen.
They tell us.
It's pointless.
Don't notice.
They tell us.
We’ve no choice.
But I won’t be
A part of the machine.
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15. |
Someone Out There
03:22
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Old now. Old and alone,
Lone as lone can be.
Is there no one around,
No one here but me?
Here I am again, doing what I can.
I don’t know why I care.
I think I’ve lost my mind, the last of humankind.
I need to find someone, someone out there.
Someone out there.
I’ll bet there is someone, but we will never meet.
It hurts just being aware.
I feel I don’t belong. That’s why I sing this song.
I need to find someone, someone out there.
Someone out there.
I remember long ago, when I was young.
The war against nature had been won.
But no more humans born anywhere!
And life has passed me by; now, there’s no one out there.
No one out there.
Old now. Old and alone,
Lone as lone can be.
But pay no never-mind to the last of humankind:
This song I give to you, someone out there.
Somewhere out there. Someone out there.
Someone out there.
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16. |
They're Gone
03:17
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Where are the monsters?
Where is the noise?
I can breathe. Are they gone?
We are here together.
Living. Feeling. Being.
Free of them. They’re gone!
We will grow and grow!
Nesting. Stretching. Rising.
The evil is past. They’re gone!
We will live our lives!
We can live our lives.
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Mark Reed Victoria, British Columbia
Mark is a songwriter, composer, arranger, and pianist/keyboardist. His music background includes folk-rock and indie-rock
bands, some theatre, lots of solo gigs, and, more recently, light-classical piano/string ensembles, orchestral arrangements, and a sci-fi oratorio.
An animal-rights and eco-social justice activist, Mark likes to write from the POV of an objective observer of life on Earth.
... more
Mark Reed recommends:
A song, "The Ballad of Takaya", by John Middleton of Victoria, BC. The true story of a lone wolf whose world tragically conflicted with the ever-expanding world of humans. Teary eyes will ensue.
go to album
TIBET (WorldMusic)
by WATERBONE
3 songs from the World-Electronica music album "Tibet" by Waterbone. These songs and others of the genre inspire me by dissolving barriers and structures of the genres I'm used to writing within.
go to album
Jokers & Prophets
by Medderick & Steve Gidora
Great folk-rock album by friends of mine going back to the '70s. Features original songs by Medderick and Steve Gidora.
go to albumIf you like MESSAGE TO HOME, you may also like:
Deleted Scenes
by Once And Future Band
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jun 3, 2020
go to album
Sunny alt-pop with immediately hummable melodies centered around the idea of human connection.
go to album
Faster Than I Can Take
by Jane Inc
Carlyn Bezic’s sophomore album as Jane Inc. is takes her disco-inflected electronic-pop to even sharper, darker realms.
go to album
