1. |
Family in a Chariot
03:28
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The youngest one. He don’t know.
He thinks that things could get fixed at home.
His older brother, captured on film.
Trying to shut the whole thing down.
And then there’s mom. Behind that smile,
her thoughts are traveling for miles.
Thoughts of escape. Feelings of fear.
‘Cause by now she knows the end is near.
You’re at Universal Studios, But this is not a movie.
Your family’s in a chariot and they’re crashing.
You’re at universal studios, acting in a tragedy.
Pretending you’re a normal happy family
Well I guess everyone is living little lies.
All the time / Not all the time.
Well I guess everyone is living little lies.
All the time / Not all the time.
And then there’s dad. He’s not quite there.
Back then he wasn’t anywhere.
Put your arm around your wife.
It’s full of cracks, this simulacrum of a life.
Not every family stays together and
you got to make some sense out of that.
Not every family stays together and
you got to make some sense out of that.
Not every family stays together and
you got to make some sense out of that.
Not every family stays together and
you got to make some sense out of that.
Not every family stays together and
you got to make some sense out of that.
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2. |
Do What You Want
04:13
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I used to think I knew how much self doubt one man could have.
But now, I’m not so sure.
You might think that all I need to do is look inside myself,
but I don’t know if I’m the right guy for that job.
CHORUS:
Do what you want! Do what you want!
Sounds real good if you know what you want.
What do you want? What do you want?
Um….
Shout out to the student who doesn’t know she’s doing.
But she’s heard college comes after high school.
Shout out to the worker who
can’t remember when he started or why.
Shout out to the mother, finding out that having children ain’t enough,
and she don’t know what would be.
Shout out to the child, finding out that finding yourself
is a myth. (Because you don’t exist.)
(That’s what Buddha insists)
CHORUS
CHORUS
Next time, next time, I’m gonna
reincarnate as something
that knows exactly what it wants
Maybe a snake, maybe a snail.
Maybe a fish, maybe a whale
Maybe a dog, maybe a cat
Maybe a pig, maybe a bat
Maybe a cow, Maybe an ox
Maybe a goose, maybe a fox
Maybe a bug, maybe a bird
Maybe a newt, maybe a worm
But would you still be you and still not know what to do?
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3. |
I'm a Wreck
03:11
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I took a walk by the river
Sunglasses on my face
though the sky’s been dark and cloudy all day long
and I’m scrolling through my contacts
‘cause I know I’m ‘bout to lose it
and I need some human contact to make it through
CHORUS:
‘Cause I’m a wreck. I’m a wreck.
I can’t keep my shit together.
I can’t keep myself in check
I’m a wreck. A total wreck.
I need to sit down quick or my lunch might just eject.
So I text my friend Sarah
and she tells me I should breathe
and reminds me that I’m not a total failure
As I’m sitting by the river,
hidden in the weeds
I pray that no one on the trail can hear me weeping
CHORUS
CHORUS
etc.
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4. |
Stuff
04:08
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She got the Kia, I got the Honda.
She got the mattress, I got the bedframe.
She got the Zita, I got the Frog and Toad.
She got the Langley, I got the Beres.
But I am mostly feel grateful
that we were mostly so civil.
But it’s weird, dividing a life like this.
But the truth is, we had more stuff than we knew what to do with.
Don’t need more stuff
We took the king size bed to the dump and
We sold the Taga bike to an old friend.
We put some mason jars in a free box.
We left the awning back in the garage.
We asked the neighbors, “Could we use your trash cans?”
We got no place to park our old camper van.
We sold our garden tools at the yard sale.
But now we’ll sell our house and that’s a hard sell.
I don’t need any more stuff.
etc.
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5. |
The House of No Escape
02:13
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Well we need to hit the road.
But every time we try to leave,
we remember something and go back inside.
I don’t know how there could
be so goddamned many
things that we keep forgetting.
Like his water bottle,
your sunglasses,
my driver’s license,
and now where is my phone?
Well I don’t know how
to leave this house.
And I don’t know how...
I know it might feel
like you’re never gonna leave
but I know you will.
You’ve got to believe me.
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6. |
Once in a Lifetime
04:20
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And you may find yourself
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you may find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
With a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well
How did I get here?
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house!
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful wife!
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Water dissolving and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean
Under the water, carry the water
Remove the water at the bottom of the ocean!
Water dissolving and water removing
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again into silent water
Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
You may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
You may ask yourself
Where does that highway go to?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right? Am I wrong?
And you may say yourself
"My God! What have I done?"
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
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7. |
First Come First Served
02:44
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Did you see the way I didn’t fall in love today?
I just walked, out my door,
and came home a little later still not in love,
Now granted, my eyes were closed.
But still it’s pretty good, given where I’m at.
So did you see the way I didn’t fall in love today?
Next time, maybe if I’m brave, I’ll go where there are people.
But then again, I don’t wanna get ahead of myself,
maybe I’ll practice on the TV.
CHORUS:
First Come First Served
is not a policy for finding someone you can spend your life with
First Come, First Served there’s got to be a better way
First Come First Served
It’s not romantic just to fall in love with anyone who likes you
First Come, First Served
there’s got to be a better way.
Falling in and out of love is not supposed to be a step function.
CHORUS
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8. |
Up on the Second Floor
03:33
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My life is falling apart like it's never done before.
It's an open door to the outside.
But it's up on the second floor.
I wish my dad was around to give me no advice at all.
It'd be just like old times but sometimes
I think it'd just be nice is all.
'Cause my dad could appreciate a failing state,
a situation much too late to undo;
Someone who could shrug his shoulders, saying,
"shit man, ooh, what are you going to do?"
And I'd say, "I have no fucking clue."
(Except, maybe dance.)
Ha ha ha, I'm laughing at you.
Ha ha ha, as your life falls apart.
Ha ha ha, I'm laughing at you.
'Cause you're pathetic, but sympathetic.
'Cause we've all been there.
Yes you're pathetic, but sympathetic.
And I think I like you.
Every now and then you've got to take a leap -
Take a leap of faith.
You don't know just what is going to happen,
but you know you've got to make a change. [repeat]
You don't ever have to let someone make you feel small.
Not at all.
You don't ever have to let someone make you feel small.
Not at all.
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9. |
Through the Wetlands
03:51
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You have nine minutes
to eat your lunch,
but you must walk while eating,
through the wetlands.
So you eat an orange
and come to class with sticky hands
Don’t get distracted but
there’s a rabbit right outside your window.
Sorry class, what was I saying?
Oh yeah:
An understanding that transcends any rule based system...
Don’t get too attached to any way of life.
Well, that’s what Buddha says.
Get it together.
Don’t get too attached to any way of life.
Well, that’s what Buddha says.
That’s what Buddha says, that’s what Buddha says.
That’s what Buddha says, that’s what that’s what Buddha says.
You can choose your path.
You don’t have to just take what you’re given.
You can choose your path.
You don’t have to just take what you’re given.
I know I get sad sometimes.
I just lie on a bench and stare at the sky.
You can choose your path.
You don’t have to just take what you’re given.
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10. |
Ok Goodbye
02:43
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Goodbye to a lot of bad stuff.
And goodbye to a lot of good stuff.
Goodbye to my home, our home.
Goodbye to not being alone.
And hello to I don’t know what yet.
Well I guess I get to figure it out.
To figure it, figure it out myself this time
I guess I, I guess I, I guess I
get to figure it out myself,
out myself, out myself
You can’t say goodbye to your--
Take yourself home.
(You can take that any way you want to.)
You can take it -- ha ha oh oh oh...
Make yourself whole.
You can do that any way you need to.
You can take control of your life.
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David Nixon Seattle, Washington
David Nixon is a musician, performer, filmmaker, parent, and Philosophy professor.
davidmitsuonixon.com
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