New Tragical History Tour Songs

I recorded some new Tragical History Tour songs with my good friend John Lindsay yesterday. It's the first time I've recorded any new THT songs in well over a year and the first time I've recorded anything since the last Joey Terrifying songs we did for the Ska Mutiny Records Triple Threat CD. We set up in my living room and blasted through four songs, which took about five hours in total, stopping only for coffees and a quick trip to the doctor.

These songs are just demos. I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet but will probably stick them up online for download somewhere once John has mixed them. I've never been a fan of taking ages recording songs and my impatience inspired the name of Make-That-A-Take Records. I prefer just to get them blasted down. I'm just one dude with a guitar and a guttural voice, so how tech can it really be? Over the course of four solo releases, I think I've probably spent about the grand total of a day recording them. Maybe at some point I'll actually get my finger out and do a full-length. There are definitely some older songs that I could be doing with recording again. It seems that my songs aren't actually finished until I record them, as something always seems to change between the initial writing process and the recording. I guess that's just they way these things roll and is much the same for everyone.

The four songs I recorded include three brand spanking new ones and an older song that I wrote originally for the short-lived APP. I've got loads of songs that I've written but never recorded, so each time I do a new session, I'm planning on doing a handful of new songs and at least one that's been written but never recorded before. Maybe at some point I'll finally manage to persuade Papa Gain to lay down an acoustic version of 'Suicide In The Trenches'. Bleak as it may be, and as long ago as we wrote it, I still love that song.

Thanks very much to John for helping a punk out yesterday. He's a good lad. Here are lyrics for the new songs. It's your crossword puzzle, make of them what you will. It's the writing that's important, not the reading, right?


What I'm Doing Here

I must applaud the impeccable timing
of your decision to leave
Abandon all our dreams
As it tears me apart at the seams.

You've made your choice
But my brother,
I can't silence the voice.
It's the only thing I own,
The closest thing to home
And it keeps me from being alone
With these screams.

When what you want is gone
Do what you can to stay strong.
Keep on singing along.

When what you need is hope
Do your best to keep afloat.
Keep on singing your songs.

It's what I'm doing here.

Well, I hope you're right
but it feels like a Saturday night
That's gone too far
Spent too long in the bar
And we've ended up in a knife fight.

But I wish you luck
O my brother, I can't cover up
Just how bad I feel,
This is so surreal
But I guess it's all part of the deal
Anyway...

When what you want is gone
Do what you can to stay strong.
Keep on singing along.

When what you need is hope
Do your best to keep afloat.
Keep on singing your songs.

It's what we're doing here.


Tall Tales

I'd write a song about myself
but it's more fun to pretend
that I'm someone else
so I can tell tall tales.
Celebrate success.
Ignore the fails.
But you're right.
You're right, I'm not right.

But I will fight
every day of my life
to get some sleep tonight.
It's been like this for years,
write a song and fight back the tears.
But you're right.
You're right, always.

But I'm still here
And I'll face my fears,
But deep inside, I'm paralysed
When I feel you draw near.

So, what do think?
Was it cold down there?
How far did you sink?
Did you see me down there?
Were you well-prepared
or were you scared?
It's alright, it's alright
Always.

Because I'm still here
And I'll face my fears
But deep inside, I'm paralysed
When I feel you draw near.


Last Song For You

I was angry at the start,
never thought it would fall apart.
I thought love was a work of art.

But then, I looked at you,
saw you didn't have a clue
about the hell that we'd go through.
You couldn't care less.

I hope that you can tell
my sincerity as well
as my deep regrets.
I hope by now you know
sometimes that's how it goes.

This is our last dance.
The last song for you.

Now time brings with it change,
new rules to the game
and I don't know how to play.

I'd be happy staying sane.

I hope that you can tell
my sincerity as well
as my deep regrets.
I hope you're happy now.

I hope by now you know
sometimes that's how it goes.

This is our last dance.
The last song for you.

You're still priceless.


The Village Idiot

The village is missing it's idiot
now I'm so far from home.
I'm dreaming.

I miss the beer bottles
and the pointless brawls
but it's time to let it go.

Let it go.

Hold the sunrise 'til we're gone.
I'll send a message from the road.
It's the only life that we know.
Hold the sunrise 'til we're gone.

Now I've got a plan,
get together with my band.
It's time to hit the road, dreaming.

I dream of Transit vans,
eating beans straight from the can.
It's nothing, but it's our own.

At least it's our own.

Hold the sunrise 'til we're gone.
I'll send a message from the road.
It's the only life we know.
Hold the sunrise 'til we're gone.

The village is missing it's idiot
now I'm so far from home,
I'm dreaming.

I miss the beer bottles
and the pointless brawls
but it's time to let it go.

It's time to let it go.

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