I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
I will always try
To live to see you die
You know always that I
I will always try
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
Don’t know what I’m going through
You can’t see from my point of view
You will be on my mind
You won’t be hard to find
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
I will always try
To live to see you die
You know always that I
I will always try
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
Don’t know what I’m going through
You can’t see from my point of view
You will be on my mind
You won’t be hard to find
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
One hundred twenty miles per hour
It sure is cold outside alone
One hundred twenty miles away
After an hour far from home
One hundred twenty miles between us
Why did you have to hurt me so
One hundred twenty miles and counting
I’m sorry that I had to go
Why did you hurt me bad, I did not want to lose you
Why did you have to leave, I try and try and try and try
Why did you want to hurt me, was it something that I said
Why do I have to love you, ‘til the day I die?
One hundred twenty miles per hour
The distance is now getting large
One hundred twenty miles away
From you and your stupid garage
One hundred twenty miles between us
It is all crystal clear to me
One hundred twenty miles and counting
We simply were not meant to be
Why did I even put up with your stupidity
Why did I bother with you, now I cannot see
How could I let you lead me on so very, very, very long
I hope that I never miss you, now that you are gone
One hundred twenty miles per hour
I’m sure to get away from you
One hundred twenty miles away
It has vastly improved my view
One hundred twenty miles between us
I do not need you anymore
One hundred twenty miles and counting
Good riddance, don’t wait at the door
About this track
For this one I was feeling super lazy and just recorded the keyboard and vocals separately in one take, and then I ran the result through a rather overdriven compressor, because I’d heard that compressors were good for audio production and so I should do that.
Frankie Big Face did an amazing cover of this which is what eventually led to the Love and Monsters version, which I consider to be the definitive version of this song.
Listen close, close to me
I’m changing can’t you see
In a year or two or three
No one will recognize me
I know your point of view
Knows not how this can be true
But the demographics I skew
Don’t care about what I do
Listen close, close to me
This is not some malarkey
I’m the door and you the key
Please try to unlock me
You can see the way I move
In every way I groove
For you it would behoove
Of this change to approve
Listen close, close to me
I am changing, can’t you see
In a year or two or three
I’ll have to sit down to pee
I know your point of view
Knows not what I’m going through
But the demographics that I skew
Don’t care about what I do
Listen close, close to me
This is not some malarkey
I’m the door and you the key
Please unlock me
Unlock me
Unlock me
Unlock meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Eeeeeeeee
[7 minutes of aimless jamming later…]
Listen close, close to me
This is not some malarkey
I’m the door and you the key
Please try to unlock me
Listen close, close to me
I’m changing, can’t you see
In a year or two or three
No one will recognize me
Listen
About this track
This song is about me being super annoyed at the transphobia I was experiencing on the Song Fight! forums. I decided to turn it into a way-too-long jazz jam, which I mostly improvised in real-time (aside from the lyrics).
For the recording I used my Yamaha DD-50 drum machine for the backing track, and played my keyboard with the MIDI piped in through my SIDstation, and recorded both simultaneously while improvisationally changing the SIDstation’s patch and parameters.
I guess it’s okay. The "In a [time] or two or three" idea would eventually get reused for Five Minutes; this was basically a lyrical gimmick which I used to mean "eventually, hopefully soon, possibly never."
It did eventually become the case that I have to sit down to pee, though.
Oh, it’s just another sunny day
Why did someone have to chase the clouds away
I just don’t want to come outside and play
I just want the rain to wash my tears away
Don’t want you coming here, try to change my mind
You don’t know just how I feel, I feel I’m feeling fine
You don’t know what it’s like, living in my brain
It’s not the things you think that keep me in this pain
Today is just another sunny day
Why don’t you go and chase some fucking clouds away
I don’t want to come outside and play today
I just want the rain to wash my tears away
I’m being eaten at from every fucking side
They smack me down, want me to drown, and take me for a ride
You want to make me think it isn’t them it’s me
It will not work you fucking jerk, I know how it should be
Oh it’s just another sunny day
I wish the clouds could come and stay, for that I pray
Please just leave me alone and go away
Don’t want to see you now, just leave me alone today
I know I seem I’m on the edge of something bad
You scream and shout I’m "flipping out," you’re just making me mad
I’m the one who’s fine, it’s everyone else who’s insane
But people suck, I’m out of luck, I just can’t play this game
Oh, it’s just another sunny day
Please let me be, don’t bother me today
I’m sick of you trying to chase my clouds away
I just want you to go the fuck away
Oh, it’s just another sunny day
Why did someone have to chase my clouds away
I just don’t want to come outside and play
I just want you to stay
This program is a… h’LOooOOoo
This program is a piece of shit
But it came free with my, uh, USB audio… interface… thing…
So I’m not complaining too much
Okay, okay
Let’s uh, try this again
I know what you’re gonna say
Today just must not be my day
I get your point already
Alright, alright
Things aren’t always gonna go my way
But tomorrow is another day
You’re not helping me to feel very steady, though
Alright, alright
I get your point already
No need to fight
I’m just not feeling so steady
Alright, alright
Please don’t try to cheer me up
Yes I know I have enough coffee in my cup
I get your point already
Alright, alright
Your voice is getting me twisted up
If you don’t stop… if you don’t stop talking I…
the fuck?
Okay
Your voice is getting me twisted up
Damn it
I can play this just fine when I’m not recording
Yes I’m being "chatty"
Okay
I know what you’re gonna say
Today just must not be my day
I get your point already
Alright, alright
Things aren’t always going to go my way
But tomorrow is another day
You’re not helping me to feel very steady, though
Alright, alright
I get your point already
No need to fight
I’m just not feeling so steady
Alright, alright
Please don’t try to cheer me up
Yes I know I have enough coffee in my cup
I get your point already
Alright, alright
Your voice is getting me twisted up
If you don’t stop talking I am hanging up
Your cheerfulness isn’t making me anymore
Alright, alright
Don’t you even try
To think that I
Just need to have it pointed out that
It… it’ll be alright
Metaphorically I
I just wanna die
Or at least have the world go away until
I am alright
I know what you’re gonna say
Today just must not be my day
I get your point already
Alright, alright
I know what you’re gonna say
Today just must not be my day
I get your point already
Alright, alright
THANK YOU
Hopefully it’ll save the whole fucking file this time
Just, okay
Just wanna make sure
It’s gonna save the whole thing
Okay
About this track
This is one of my first Song Fight! songs that I decided to try rerecording for an album, after I’d bought a cheap used four-track audio interface to try to improve my recording process.
Just like in a picture show
I know where I want to go
This is not the place for me
And I’m moving on
There are people that I know
In the place I want to go
I can be what I wanna be
I hope I’m not wrong
I think it’s time for me to get my five minutes of fame
When I get there everybody will be so glad that I came
And it won’t be so long before everyone knows my name
Without a doubt we’ll talk about the
Things I never ever thought I’d
Find someone to talk to about
Just like in a picture show
I know where I’m gonna go
It just seems so right for me
Like I’m already gone
All the people that I know
Tell me where I need to go
In a day or two or three
Nothing will be wrong
It’s about time to start again with a brand new life
Leave behind some of a past that has been filled with strife
Start a new family, two kids, a husband, and a wife
I sold my car I’m going far to
Start again beginning friendship
With five minutes left to the end
Just like in a picture show
I know where I’m gonna go
This is not the place for me
Goodbye, and so long
The sun comes right up
And there’s nothing I can do
But state my mind
Recite my point of view
It warms up my hair
Passes behind a cloud
I’m sitting here
Thinking here of you
It shines in my eyes
Like a beautiful swirl
It blows my mind
And trembles in my view
I cannot think
Of anyone in this world
I’d rather spend my
Whole life with than you
I cannot believe
Our love could go askew
I would rather think
What it’s like to be with you
I take a deep breath
Let it out real slow
The air is warm, and
Smells of sweetened dew
It warms up my head
I can see it now
I’m sitting here
Madly loving you
The world closes in
Everything’s a blur
I’m feeling dizzy
Look around for you
I can’t help but think
This must have been a dream
Because you are nowhere
Within my view
I could not believe
Our love would go askew
I would rather think
What it’s like (I’d like) to be with you
I’d like to be with you
About this track
In 2006 (after having settled on "Sockpuppet" as a band name), I decided to celebrate how far I’d come as a musician since I started doing Song Fight!, and started a project called Plus 5 where I’d remake my first year of Song Fight! songs and release them on the fifth anniversary of the original fight.
I didn’t get through the whole year before losing interest in the project, but due to the nature of this album, I decided that the Plus 5 versions should get remastered and re-released.
It’s funny how in 2006 I thought I’d completed a journey, when clearly I still had a long way to go. I still do, really, but this is at least a step in the right direction.
In any case, the ideas from this directly informed the version I did for Transitions.
It was a three-hour tour
Looks like it’s gonna be more
Now I’m stranded far from you
And it looks like there’s nothing to do
I need someone to come
Doesn’t matter where they are from
I see a ship on the edge of my view
And I’m hoping that it is you
Come on and rescue me (life is like a riddle)
I’m drowning, can’t you see that I (stuck in the middle)
Really need you all of the time so come (I have been such a fool)
Come on and rescue me (A fool in the middle)
I am alone with nobody around
It feels like I’ll never be found
I have to hold on one more day
To see if someone is coming my way
It was a three-hour tour
Looks like it’s gonna be more
Now I’m stranded far from you
And I’m hoping that it is you
Come on and rescue me (life is like a riddle)
I’m drowning, can’t you see that I (stuck in the middle)
Really need you all of the time, so come (I’ve been such a fool)
Come on and rescue me (a fool in the middle)
Come on and rescue me (life is like a riddle)
I’m begging for you to find me, and I (stuck in the middle)
Really need you all of the time, so come (I’ve been such a fool)
Come on and rescue me (a fool in the middle)
About this track
The Plus 5 version of Shipwreck attempted to be a more highly-produced version of the original. It’s how I originally wanted to try to do the Transitions version as well, but the new version had other plans.
The outro of this version is intended to overemphasize the musical connection between Shipwreck and Fool in the Middle.
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
I will always try
To live to see you die
You know always that I
I will always try
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
Don’t know what I’m going through
You can’t see from my point of view
You will be on my mind
You won’t be hard to find
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
I will always try
To live to see you die
You know always that I
I will always try
I am stronger than you
Not a thing to do
When you cried I knew
I am stronger than you
Don’t know what I’m going through
You can’t see from my point of view
You will be on my mind
You won’t be hard to find
I am stronger than you
About this track
This is the remade version of Stronger Than for Plus 5. I wasn’t able to do a full remaster as many of the Logic instruments no longer exist in the basic library and I didn’t have any bounce files that I could reuse, but oh well. This seems good enough.
One hundred twenty miles per hour
It sure is cold outside alone
One hundred twenty miles away
After an hour far from home
One hundred twenty miles between us
Why did you have to hurt me so
One hundred twenty miles and counting
I’m sorry that I had to go
Why did you hurt me was it (turn around and glare)
Something that I said (aware)
I try and try (unfair)
Why did you hurt me why (turn around and stare)
Did I have to leave
Why do I have to love you (nowhere)
‘Till the day I die (prepare)
One hundred twenty miles per hour
It is now time to move along
One hundred twenty miles away
From everything that was so wrong
One hundred twenty miles between us
It is now crystal clear to me
One hundred twenty miles and counting
We simply were not meant to be
Why did I even put up with (turn around and glare)
your stupidity
Why did I bother with you (aware)
Now I cannot see (unfair)
How could I let you lead me (catch me unaware)
On so very long
I hope to never miss you (we share)
Now that you are gone (repair)
One hundred twenty miles per hour
I’m sure to get away from you
One hundred twenty miles away
It has vastly improved my view
One hundred twenty miles between us
I just don’t need you anymore
One hundred twenty miles and counting
Good riddance, don’t wait at the door
About this track
This is a version that I’d done for Plus 5. If it weren’t for the fact I’d already re-redone this song for Love and Monsters it’d have gone onto Transitions, so I figured I’d might as well put this version onto Deadnames for completeness’ sake.
This song, incidentally, was about the same breakup that Birds Of Our Own was sort of about.
The Plus 5 version of Listen Close. For this version I just did it as introverted jazz and just left the angsty lyrics behind.
I didn’t update this one for Transitions because I don’t think the song says anything that needed to be said, and what few interesting musical things happen in it are better covered by the final version of Sunny Again.
I always wanted a bird of my own
My mother had one but it had flown
Away when she opened the window
To let it be free as she loved it so
She always said that it would be,
"If you love someone you set them free"
And I know that I would love it so
And I would open the window
It’s always sad when one’s not good
Being in a cage made of Norwegian wood
I’d hope that someone would love me so
Much as to open my window
I once had a man, or should I say
He once had me for a single day
I thought that he had loved me so
But he would not open my window
I flew away in a single day
He chased me but I ran away
Back to a place that I could be
Myself and by myself be free
I always wanted a bird of my own
My mother had one but it had flown
Away when she opened the window
To let it be free as she loved it so
About this track
Lazy jazz turns into screamy punk. While going through my archives I found out that I’d actually tried resuscitating this project for a few other albums and it never quite worked out then either. I have scrapped versions in foodsexsleep and in Songs of Substance. I’d forgotten all about that.
