American - Bandzooglecontent.bandzoogle.com/users/bigsister/files/American... · 2011-02-19 ·...
Transcript of American - Bandzooglecontent.bandzoogle.com/users/bigsister/files/American... · 2011-02-19 ·...
Lauren West Vocals, Guitar
Andy Porta Drums
Rob Peralta Guitar
Tim Robbins Bass
AmericanPinup
Strange Creatures
Credits
Thanks
UnrealityThat is your mantra, please repeat clearly
Give us a smileFor the whole world to hear and see
All your life you’ve seenThese big, sparkling faces on the screen
And nothing elseHas ever been as interesting
And someday you’ll shine just as brightThe Big Time
And everyone will recognizeThat you never wanted more
You were headed up there all along
Shut up and follow meYou take these orders so endearingly
Who could resistA modern girl with traits like these?
Cash, cowardice, and greedWhoever said there’s something wrong with being
The productOf a well oiled dream machine?
And someday you’ll shine just as brightThe Big Time
There’s nothing you won’t sacrii ice‘Cause you never wanted moreYou make the perfect whore
It should be so easyIt’s what comes naturally
And someday you’ll shine just as brightThe Big Time
“Sheena Easton,” F#m,” and “Strange Creatures” written by Lauren West and Andy Porta. “Special brownies” written by Lauren West, Andy Porta, and andre salazar. “strongbow” written by lauren west, andy porta, and harold beltre. “Superman,” No One Dies,” “Bus Stop,” “Expecting,” “L.F.D.Y.,” “Board-ing House,” “Somewhere in Between,” “Go!,” and “High School” written by Lauren West. All lyrics by Lauren West.
Lead vocals and rhythm guitar by Lauren West. Drums and percussion by Andy Porta. Lead guitar by Rob Peralta. Bass by Seth Nicholson. Additional guitar and other instrumentation by Andy Porta. Backup vo-cals by Lauren West, Seth Nicholson, Andy Porta, and Rob Peralta. Horns on “No One Dies” and “L.F.D.Y.” performed by Frank Huber and Dylan Hume. Harmonica on “L.F.D.Y.” performed by Rob Peralta. The Gang: L-West, Rob-O, Seth Goose, C-Wrecks, Terry, Bread Malarky, and Dennisaurus Rex.
All songs were recorded at Black Cat Studios in White Plains, NY and engineered by Andy Porta, except for the lead vocals which were recorded at Cogent Records in Valhalla, NY and engineered by Jon Manierre. Produced by American Pinup. Mastered by Kyle DiSanto. Artwork by Orrin Hurley. Text, logo, and layout by Diana Salas. Pressed by Affordable Sound. Distributed by Altercation Records, Inc.
Our families: the Porta family, Joe & Bina, the West family, the Murphy family, the Peralta family, Elia & Roberto Flores, the Ramirez family, the Robbins family. Our friends: André Salazar, Seth Nicholson, Chris Cambareri, Stephen Marino, Harold Beltre, Jim Darling, Diana Salas, Travis Myers, Altercation Records, the SB crew, Jon Manierre, Cogent Records, Bo Valentine, Dennis Jones, Mike Stratton, Mike Terry, Kyle DiSanto, Orrin Hurley, Frank Huber, Dylan Hume, Dennis Polanco, Sue Sender, Ben Pasternack, Tapeworm Records, Jason Rigas, Gio Green, Natalie Menendez, Danny Fitz, Mike Hooper, John Casale, Justin Corral, Steve Michas, William Juca, John Hollahan, Will McAndrew, Russell Langloh, Erik Deinstadt, Victor Santos, Patty pAnts, Lauren Minisci, Jon Presser, Adam Sisenwein, Arielle Lapp, Carl, Punk You!, Zedalza NY, Muscoot Farm, Dunne’s Pub, Snapper Magee’s, Nicky’s Pizza, Domingos Deli, Mariachi Loco,The Bridgewater, WesPac (RIP), and everyone who comes out to the shows! Thank you so much for the support! And i inally, many thanks to our brothers and sisters... SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC: The Jukebox Romantics, Tyrhombus Rex, Forever Her Nightmare, The Von Ghouls, Born in a Cent, BoneThrower, The Screaming Bastards, Fools on Sunday, The Pryde, Alpha and C-4, The UN Posse, Acid Westerns, Death First, The Cleavagents, Marissa Feldman, Big Sister, and Driftwood.
I don’t wanna bring you downI don’t wanna waste your timeBut I think that this might actually turn out rightI can see that there’s a chanceBut I can’t seem to hold your glanceAnd I’m too stubborn to sur-render to my past
And I’m not trying to be a painBut I think you got just what I wantI don’t wanna just forget it‘Cause I know that I’ll regret it
I don’t know what to sayWhen you turn your head awayI know that you’re not listeningIt wasn’t that important anyway
I know soon I’ll make you seeWhat you don’t know you’re missingThen I’ll i inally have my happy endingNo, I won’t just leave it be‘Cause it’s too fucking plain to seeThis could turn out to be ev-erything I’ve ever dreamed
And if you would just stop and listenYou would i ind out what you’re missingNow it’s up to me and let me tell youI’m not losing this one
Chorus
I’m not trying to be a painBut I think you got just what I wantI don’t wanna just forget it ‘causeIt’s perfect, it’s perfectAnd if you would just stop and listenYou would i ind out what you’re missingNow it’s up to me and let me sayIt’s perfect, it’s perfect
chorus
Everybody’s going crazyEverybody’s lost their
minds There must be something in
the water‘Cause it’s the Youth Crew
and the Christian RightIn a knock-down drag-out
blackout i ightAnd the Poster Boys and
Cover GirlsAre gonna take over the
world
I’d love to join your little party
But I just can’t get in the mood
Can’t wrap my mind around these stories
Are these things really human too?
I can’t help feeling like we’re being
Robbed of something very key
Carving out our dei initions‘Cause we take the air-
waves at their wordThough both things are
intangible
And wrap ourselves up nice and tight
Inside a womb of buzzing wiresBut through some biological needThe same old tired tales repeat
And I swear that one day I’ll accept
That it was all for nothing
chorus
This change is nothing newThe knee-jerk defense of
a foolTry insecure for onceIt’s honest just not
glamorousThis change is nothing
newYour daily dose of the
new youTomorrow’s a new hat
But any idiot would know that
This change is nothing new
But it’s too late now
You’ve got weapons up your sleeveBut you’re too eager to use them,You abuse them, cruel and careless, mindless battle casualtiesAnd in your darkest hoursYou i ind yourself regret-tingAnd still dreading this ad-diction, this infection that you’re spreadingYou know there is no cure‘Cause each time you cook your i ix you just want more
chorus
It’s hard to get alongWhen the greatest fear you share is being wrong
Since you’ve learned to build a bombIt’s become your favorite hobby
Blowing up these situations ten times greater than they should be
You just can’t help yourselfSo abiding, so inviting
To the tempers that are rising and this heat wave that you’re ridingYou feel no remorseYou can’t ‘cause we’ve been through this all before
This is your expertiseMaking something out of nothingUnaffected, shamelessly poised with your i inger on the buttonYour senses tinglingSo exciting, all this i ighting
Take delight in the spotlight but never mind that it is
blindingYou light the fuse and waitFor this big, dramatic bitch to detonate
You’re letting all these petty
problemsWeigh you downIt’s nice of you to say
you’re sorry
I have to disagreeWith what you’re telling me
I just don’t think you know your stuff
This argument is fakeIt crumbles and it breaks
I think I’ve really had enough
Why don’t you go?
We should go our separate waysBefore this escalates
You know that I don’t wanna i ight
Let’s both just cool our headsAnd give our rivalry a rest
Even though we both know that I’m right
Why don’t you go?
And if all this is for nothingWhy should we both waste our time?
We could argue until morningAnd never change each other’s minds
Go!
Why don’t you go?
What a dayStatic burning through my bitter ears
Worn awayAnd terrii ied I’ve wasted all these years
I don’t know whatI wanna do or what I even can
I don’t know where I want to beBut I know that it’s not where I am
I’ll run away from here And i ind a place to dream at lightning speed
I’ll embrace this fearOr be content with somewhere in between
I’ll run away from hereI won’t go quietly
And I burn
Use my voiceTo let you all hear what I think I know
I’ll make a choiceOr let you all just tell me where to go
It’s okayIf there’s a start there has to be an end
My i iery words need to be heardAnd I’ll never get stuck again
chorus
And now’s the time to let this goTonight’s the night to grab the rope
Today’s the day to hit the roadTonight’s the night to go
chorus
Just keep it simple, that’s all I really want
It’s all I can handle, even it feels like a lot
But nobody raised me to be weak and soI try not to let these complications get
to me
Just keep it classy, that’s all you ever hear
And it’s good advice my dearI’ve seen you embarrassing yourself a few
too many timesIt’s undignii ied
And it’s so easy to fallOut of favor with yourselfAnd it’s so easy to crawl
Right back in the end
Just keep your head down, it’s best for everyone
It helps you to focus on what you need to get done
And nobody has to look each other in the eye
And we can all pretend and no one dies
Keep your composure, keep up appearancesAnd let yourself get lost in it
‘Cause nobody wants to see the face behind the mask
With all that scar tissue and empty eyes of glass
chorus
It’s comfortably familiar, this old faith-ful noise
Digging out my old favorite toysBut no one expects the things they love
to grow a moldPacked away inside damp boxes down below
It seems now all’s repaired and everyone is pleased
And I try to shake the memoryBut it still stings that you just couldn’t
give me the damn dignityOf asking me not to leave
Well these walls have seen and heard a lot of sorrow
This house is where the vicious cycle thrives
It has a bathroom and a phoneBut it’s never been a home
Just a place where parents fuck up their kids’ lives
The woman in room seven shot her husbandHer little daughter’s name was Valerie
As she was hauled away in cuffsShe shouted out, “With any luck,”
“That little girl will grow up to be just like me”
In room six there was another broken familyA young mother left alone with her young
sonHis father went out for a drink
And not a soul has seen him sinceIt’s plain to see their little nightmare’s
just begun
And I swear I’ve seen enough to last a lifetime
I swear that I could just go on and onBut I’ll spare you the details
I know nobody really caresI just had to put it these whispers in a song
And it’s 123This may not be
The prettiest song you’ve heard but pleaseYou gotta listen closely now and then
‘Cause there are stories in these hallsAnd there are faces in these walls
And none of them ever want to come here again
Well the woman in room i ive survived the i ire
She survived the i iood and plague and lightning too
And she never even cried, so I had to turn a blind eye
Every month when we both knew the rent was due
And she said, “Please don’t you do me any favors,”
“I simply can’t afford to pay them back”
And I told her it was freeAnd she just looked at me
And said “Darling, I ain’t never heard of that”
Now her ashes belong to the county
And her boy is a ward of the state
And he’ll grow up somedayAnd drink his life away
It’s a sad but inevitable fate
It’s important that you recognize the cycle
That really is the only crucial part
Don’t you say that it’s geneticI don’t think you really get it
Because you cannot pass down a broken heart
chorus
And that little girl who grew up in room seven
Well she turned out just the way that you’d expect
And to her mother as she diedShe said “Don’t you apologize,”“We know my life would have
already been a mess”
And they found her body i ioating in the bathtub
The makeup was still fresh upon her face
And a brief and simple noteOn the wall in lipstick wrote
“It’s the only way to get out of this place”
chorus
You’re locking yourself in your roomWrapped up inside your tight cocoon
But there’s no metamorphosisJust think of all the things you miss
You bury your head under all these artii icial amuse-ments
Wake up, wake up, hurry upBefore there is nothing left
You’ve done this whole routine before, and I’d go crazyYou gotta soak some more, before you are ready to go
You’re gonna lose yourself or fuse yourself to these four walls
Spending all your time aloneGive me a sign that you are still alive in thereBecause without a knock I really wouldn’t know
I guess it’s easier to stayAll bottled up and locked away
Than to jump into it With all the other living breathing things
Oh it’s so dangerous to let the world come in and change your mind
You’re risking turning intoSomething you don’t recognize
You’ve done this whole routine before, or am I crazy?No closer to the end, and now you are ready to go
You’re gonna lose yourself or fuse yourself to these four walls
Spending all your time aloneGive me a sign that you are still alive in thereBecause without a knock I really wouldn’t know
The movies tell you that it makes things complicatedBut I’ve always said that it’s only a big deal if you make itAnd I’m sick of all the fabricated etiquette it comes with
This time around let’s skip all of the questions and the bullshit
Should I tell all of my friends?Should I bring it up again?
Should I call you on the phone?Or should I just leave it alone?
I’m not the kind of girl you have to mind your manners forI’m well aware of what this is, and I’ve been through it
all beforeDon’t you think this song is yours, you’re no more special
than the restNow that it’s out of my system
I gotta get it off my chest
I’m very sorry if you had other intentionsBut I think my gender may have given you the wrong
impressionWell I wish there was a better way to get rid of this
tensionWe just weave around the topic, ‘cause it’s not something
you mentionShould I move into your place?Should I say this to your face?
Should we start picking names for kids?Or should we just call it what it is?
chorus
Should I give this the time of day?Should we just go our separate ways?
Could this be a pleasant surprise?Or just another waste of time?
chorus
Well according to the experts and recorded historyMaybe I should feel these kind of things a little more
deeplyAnd I try to be affected, try to bring myself to care
For such a sensitive creature, you gotta ask what hap-pened there
YesterdayI saw you at the bus stop
And you were waiting with those wires in your ears
Just like old daysYou still don’t have a car and
I i ind out that this town’s been missing me for years
And as I roll around these streetsThey conjure distant memoriesOf all the hearts I left behind
This town and meWe never really got along
I was a mysteryTo all those people in the halls
And now that I’m backFeeling like a stranger
Doesn’t really feel so strange
Years agoWe had so much in common
Some may have thought we even shared a rib or two
We were the kidsWith matching leather jackets
Smoking, ditching school
But years agoI told you I was leaving
And you just smiled with that ring around your head
You muttered, “whoa”And said “Congratulations,”
“Don’t ever let me see your face back here again”
We swore that we would keep in touchBut swearing never helped us much
And it got easier with time
chorus
Why don’t you cut me some slack?I took my chances coming back
Don’t you not look at me that way
And if it’s too much I can stayI know you’re comfortable that way
I didn’t think that you would mind
chorus
YesterdayI saw you at the bus stop
I knew that it had been too long to say hello
The beeline cameAnd you just climbed right on and
I didn’t have the guts to ask you not to go
You’ve got a mid-life crisis and a baby on the wayYou’ve got a few more seconds left to really seize the day
When they’re up, they’re up and there is nothing left to seeTo ease the blow, you might want to consider therapy
And now your time is running outT-minus nine months, counting down
So tell me what do you do now?This is what they warned you about
You’ve got a growing problem and an interested agencyToo bad that you believed he had a latex allergy
Something’s cooking in your oven and you don’t have a ringBut you know he’s not a man, what are you expecting?
And now your freedom’s running outThis is no time to fool around
That’s how you got in trouble nowThis is what they worried about
You never thought itYou never thought it through...
Well it can happenWell it happened to you...
And two hearts beating like two drumsThe big one and the little one
So sad when they fuck up so youngWhat’s it like to be knocked up?
This is what they warned you about
I am getting oldIt’s very unfamiliarYouth is all I know
And play-dates with dangerPat on the back for getting through
thatIrony, imagine that
This is a common warTimeless, universal
We just want more and moreAnd waste it all resisting
It’s a sad fate to grow jadedAnd it’s a sad fate to be fading
I wanna stay naiveI wanna keep this short and sweet
That whole “live fast, die young” kind of thing
I’m not slowing downAcceloexponential
Each second’s shorter than the lastAnd each day shorter by the secondBut the sky’s still in the same place
And my feet still on the ground
Waiting patientlyQuiet desperation
It’s all so alien to meCruel anticipation
But the sun’s that same old white spotSearing its name in my skin
chorus
I don’t remember ever feeling the world spinningI guess I must be used to it by now
The plot’s supposed to thicken while your hair is thinning
But I’m still offhandedly wasting the hoursAnd I’m pulling clumps of it out in the shower
chorus