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Oblivion
FolkYouHarder-Oblivion.mp3 | 4.22MB
The Story
I moved to Pennsylvania from a town called Southern Pines in North Carolina. If you're an avid golfer, you may have heard of it. Pretty affluent little community, full of rolling green golf courses and the cutest downtown you ever saw.
It also had a seedy underbelly (sorry, I just love using that phrase). That many rich kids and trust fund babies gathered in one place are bound to result in some serious debauchery, and SoPo was no exception. Coke and painkillers were huge, and it seemed like everyone was an alcoholic. The town actually turned me into one for a little while. You get caught up in things like that if you're not careful, especially when you're in my line of work.
Anyway, I thought the dichotomy was fascinating - wealthy golfing community by day, the Rave Fantastic by night - and I wrote this song about the people who lived it.
Percussion was played by David Stopher, who sat in with Folk You
Harder for a while. Those were good times.
The Lyrics
well this is one more night on the other side
the other side of foolish pride
where we live our lives until we die
'cause the rest has all been done
where we drink our troubles off our minds
trade shots for stories just to pass the time
'cause nothing helps a girl unwind
like oblivion
I've got words for days and songs for years
I've got a bottomless box where I keep all my fears
a million places I'd rather be than here
but I can't shake free
of the feeling that I've come undone
that I fought my demons and the demons won
that I can't put my faith in anyone
anyone but me
but all my heroes are dead and gone
and my excuses are wearing thin
and all the truths I've placed my better days upon
well they are changing again
chorus
life may be weightless but I'm pinned down
two feet firmly planted on the solid ground
and nothing escapes me but the tortured sound
of a breaking heart
and it might be yours but it might be mine
I guess it doesn't really matter where you draw the line
'cause we're all broken bodies waiting for the time
to fall apart
chorus
Tangled [ Back to Top ]FolkYouHarder-Tangled.mp3 | 4.54MB
The Story
Truly a "lost" song in the sense that I'd forgotten I'd even written it, let alone recorded it, until I stumbled across an old Folk You Harder demo in a box of stuff after I moved to South Carolina.
Percussion by David Stopher.
The Lyrics
I let you in, I was the one and now I'm suitably undone
you've got me underneath your thumb and I think I like it
'cause I've got nowhere else to go this time and no one left to hide behind
and I'm waiting, waiting for a sign so throw me a line
can't you see
you've got me twisted and tied down
completely upside down and I'm not sure which I want more
tangled up in blue for one chance to touch you
so tell me what it is you think you're waiting for
I thought you knew me oh so well, yes, but you can't even tell
that I would face the flames of hell just to see you smile
'cause there's something your eyes, some wicked kind of light
that keeps me up too late at night dreaming
chorus
'cause there's something in your eyes
some wicked kind of light
that keeps me up too late at night
dreaming
so go ahead and wonder why I can't look you in they eye
and I always seem to act surprised every time you call
it's cause I can't bear to look your way or hear a single word you say
without waiting, waiting for the day you finally fall
chorus
Song for Nathan [ Back to Top ]FolkYouHarder-SongForNathan.mp3 | 3.98MB
The Story
Writing this song made me feel really good about being a musician. I probably never could have said all the things I needed to say to end the argument if I'd had to speak them instead of sing them. After three days of silence, I wrote and recorded this song on my little home CD burner, then slipped it in an envelope and left it on Nathan's front porch.
He called me an hour later.
Percussion by David Stopher.
The Lyrics
I'd say that edge is closer than you think
so take a good look at your life
I can't believe you're so far gone
you think this is what it's really like
but I'm gonna fight this losing battle with you
'cause I think you and I can win the war
and that may leave me in your line of fire
but you my friend are worth fighting for
and you and I may be a dying breed
but it's only because we tend to hang ourselves
yes, given a choice we'd much prefer to bleed
than risk defeat to anybody else
sometimes I can't just say what I mean
so I hope my means justify the ends
and I could fight like a warrior too
but I'd much prefer to make amends
so let's pretend that you and I
have some idea how we've ended up
like two fighting little children in a sandbox
angry over shit that doesn't matter much
once the dust settles
once the smoke clears
once we open our eyes and
lay down our fears
I could say that it's all my fault
but then again, so could you
so let's just say that we both were wrong
'cause you know we got more important things to do
and you and I may be a dying breed
but it's only because we tend to hang ourselves
so let's walk away from the gallows baby
before we hurt anybody else
FolkYouHarder-LosingTouch.mp3 | 3.66MB | MP3
The Story
Rarely do I write a chord progression before I write the lyrics, but this one came out that way and is probably better for it. The freight train mentioned in this song is in a couple of others, also. Adam Duritz wrote 'you can always hear a freight train if you listen real hard,' and I never let the sound of a train not mean something ever again. You can bookmark your life by them, really. This particular song is really all about the train, no matter how much I try to mask it as a love song.
The Lyrics
some nights I got trouble sleeping
and some nights I just dream
some nights you can hear me singing softly
and waiting for you patiently
some nights I can hear the freight train running
and it stirs me from my bed
and even though you're gone I can still feel you breathing
and it scares me to death
cause you're not the one
who's supposed to be haunting me
I never knew a person could wrap me up so tightly
that I wouldn't feel the need to see
that you'd wrapped me up in moments and wrapped me up in wishes
and you'd stolen something sacred from me
but of all of the things you took when you left
it's the tenderness that I miss the most
cause it's harder to smile than it's been in awhile
and the world feels a little too close
but you're not the one
who's supposed to be haunting me
and I'm not the one
who's suppose to be missing you
and all of these things shouldn't have me losing touch
but they do
now there's a bottle in my hand and a song in my head
and neither one is setting me free
there's nothing you can say and nothing you can do
so maybe you should just let me be
cause I'm waiting on a train to come running through my dreams
and take me back to where I belong
that's far from your arms but it's close to my heart
cause loving you, well it made me strong
chorus