Hey everyone. It's been a long while since I last posted here, and I was trying to wait until I had finished recording all of my new material to create this thread...but it might be a few months before I get a chance to record everything, and I'm impatient. I was hoping I could get some imput on the lyrics I've written thus far, and how well (or not well) they fit together to form a cohesive album. This is going to be a monster of a post so I don't expect all of you to read through everything all at once, but if you get a chance please let me know what you think of these lyrics. I will post the entire album with music to this thread as soon as all of the tracks are finished. Thanks so much for taking the time to read through these and comment.

- Ryan

Tracklisting

Nickels & Dimes
Extinguished Souls (w/demo MP3)
Devil’s Day
New Song (Yet To Be Titled)
Reason For Concern
Itchy Feet (w/demo MP3)
Just Outside Monterey
When the Curtain Falls
The Great Play
The City Is Alive
The Homeless (Locks On Every Door)
Here’s To Tonight (w/demo MP3)
A Moment Of Truth
Empty Tank (w/demo MP3)

The City Is Alive

There’s chaos in the projects
The cops are tearing through the town
The streets are hot like fire
The devil wears his crown

Sirens drown the sounds of terror
The alleys satisfy their lust
The exhausted choir’s singing
Oh in God we trust
In God I hope

Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down

Blood is runnin through the gutter
Seems the city found its veins
Smoke rises off the asphalt
A steaming mix of sweat and rain

Panic hits the suburbs
The highway’s packed with chrome
If you dare to crack a window
You can hear the city moan
Ahhhhh!

Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down

Street lights start to flicker
The sky begins to pour
Hell has ripped the hinges
Off of Earth’s dividing door

To some it means salvation
While others shake with fear
But it don’t matter where you’re standing
The judgment day is here

Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down

The sediment is broken
The rules, they’ve all been changed
The martyrs of the projects
Suddenly have names

A common heart is pumping
Rhythm pounds from moving feet
The city is alive
The world has taken to the streets
Welcome home

Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down
Ashes, ashes, it all falls down

Extinguished Souls (Demo):

Extinguished Souls Lyrics

It was a cheap motel
She was a dirty girl
But I wasn’t lookin for love
I wasn’t even lookin for her
She was a pink haired demon
Out of who the fuck knows where
But she liked what she saw and I was too lonely to care

There was no love made beneath those sheets
Just two lost beasts releasing heat
The sweat of it all left me tired and cold
My ashtray full of extinguished souls

The sun and moon did their tango
I never batted an eye
I got lost in my head
While I was chasing my mind
I been driving for miles
Spent months now out on the road
Seems all that I’ve learned
Is that I’m truly alone

There was no love made beneath those sheets
Just two lost beasts releasing heat
The sweat of it all left me tired and cold
My ashtray full of extinguished souls

There was no love made beneath those sheets
Just two lost beasts releasing heat
The sweat of it all left me tired and cold
My ashtray full of extinguished souls

Empty Tank (Demo):

Empty Tank

Broke down on the side of the road
I’ve got nothing left
But the sweet taste of a Virginia morning
And a cigarette
Strange without you right here by my side
What am I up against
There’s always time for livin
And there’s time for runnin
Can’t find no time to rest

I said now, “oooh, oooh”

Might seem like 10 months searching for a muse
Ain’t worth the hell I’ve faced
That a young man should be out there workin
Until he finds his place
But that ain’t me
I’d rather be pocket poor, and still livin rich
Under a pagan sky
Livin by the by until the currents switch

I’d rather be…
Broke down on the side of the road
I’ve got nothing left
But the sweet taste of a Virginia morning
And a cigarette
So strange without you right here by my side
What am I up against
There’s always time for livin
And there’s time for runnin
Can’t find no time to rest

I said now, “oooh, oooh”

Nickles and Dimes

If you see my baby
Tell her I'm fine
Tell her I'm fine

If you see my baby
Tell her I'm fine
Tell her I'm fine

I miss her strong cups of coffee
The cheap bottles of wine
And what they led to in time
I miss our walks down to the river
Her hand brushin mine
The way we'd straddle the line

Tell her don't come lookin for me
That man has died
The man she knew has died

The clouds been weeping for weeks now
Made a sponge of my mind
It'll drown me in time
So I'm heading west to California
Got the sun in my eyes
And redemption to find

I'll take my songs to San Francisco
Down on Mason and Pine
I'll play for nickels and dimes
Yes, with my eyes closed on that corner
I'll play for my life
I'll play to survive

If you see my baby
Tell her I've died
The man she knew has died
If you see my baby
Tell her I've died
Tell her I've died

Reason For Concern

Perversion is the word
An imitation painting smeared with motor oil
Today the truth tastes sour
Like a jug of milk left in the sun to spoil

Human mannequins they walk the streets
Independent from all that’s left that even matters
An empty chest waits up above
As they bite and claw their way up on the ladder

Wake up, Child!
Your dream’s about to turn!
Get up and run!
Your world’s about to burn!

The final chill will jolt you
As the moonlight meets the dawn
Will the moment that it hits you
Be the moment all is gone?

The obscene is celebrated
Raise your glass to toast that which makes you ill
Two cups of coffee for the headache
And a cotton candy chaser for your sleeping pill

Hold tight to what feels safe
Any sudden movements might awake the sleeping beast
I hope you brought your appetite
Tonight the chef’s prepared you quite the feast

Wake up, Child!
There’s reason for concern!
Get up and run!
Your world’s about to burn!

The final chill will jolt you
As the moonlight meets the dawn
Will the moment that it hits you
Be the moment all is gone?

There is poison in your think tank
There’s a filter on your soul
There is reason in this suffering
Consequence that rides control
A hand that reaches out for nothing
Will grasp the first thing it beholds
It’s a sleepwalk off a chasm
Your pillow won’t always catch you when you fall

Wake up, Child!
There’s reason for concern!
Get up and run!
Your world’s about to burn!

The final chill will jolt you
As the moonlight meets the dawn
Will the moment that it hits you
Be the moment all is gone?

The Homeless

Locks on every door
Locks on every door
We all stand naked, just like before
A lock on every door
No one’s got a home no more

Locks on every door
Locks on every door
It makes no difference if you are rich or poor
A lock on every door
No one’s got a home no more

Locks on every door
Locks on every door
Revolution ain’t the way no more
A lock on every door
We ain’t welcome here no more

Itchy Feet (Demo):


Itchy Feet Lyrics

Oh my love
Will I lose you completely
If I ever discreetly let go of your hand
How far can I roam
Before my ties will be severed
Banished forever to a life spent alone

Can I stand
Upright on my own
Estranged from my home
With just my mind and this hope
This one-man band is preparing his show
Walking this line
Thin as a rope

Constructing my fall
On the whim of a breeze
Let them drop to their knees
To feel some control
Will this war ever end
I am wounded and bleeding
But my heart is still beating
Somewhere deep in my chest

Can I stand
Upright on my own
This one-man band is preparing his show
Letting loose in the stars
This hope of all hopes
I will trust in my mind
And I will lead with my soul

Oh my love
Have I lost you completely
Perhaps someday you will understand

A Moment of Truth


I've seen many fingers point
I've seen many heads shake
I've heard brilliant ideas
That were labeled mistakes
I've seen the dreams of our youth
Crushed by cynical drones
I've seen richest of rich
Strip the poor of their bones

I've heard whispers of change
Squandered by tactics of fear
I've seen pillars of smoke
That make stars disappear
I've seen wars of aggression
Flipped for the masses
I've seen the crookedest crooks
Be given free passes

I've seen, and I've heard
I've witnessed, and read
I've swallowed the mouthfulls
Of lies I've been fed
I've searched for the answers
In all the wrong places
I've trusted the smiles
On all the wrong faces

Over and over
It's always the same
Another ten dollar bill
Attached to a chain
Another raft full of bricks
Docked in a harbor of pain
Another bathtub of hope
Without a plug in the drain

They'll wine you and dine you
And nod with a smile
But in secret
They're keeping tabs all the while
Every hand that they lend
Will cost you an arm
Better synchronize your heartbeat
To your morning alarm

You trade your name for a number
And your soul for a check
For some gold on your wrist
And some pearls round her neck
Well that fate's not for me
Though it may be for you
I'll trade a lifetime of lies
For a moment of truth

And when the time has arrived
For them to carry their load
A lifetime of suffering
All measured in gold
As they drag their chains through the graveyard
And into their holes
I'll be wandering weightless
Somewhere out on the road

When The Curtain Falls

Those old tennis shoes that once hung down
From the telephone line by Rocky’s house are gone

Tommy’s daddy passed away
But there’s still mouths to feed and bills to pay
So Tom’s back fighting far away

Mom still drinks whenever he’s around
The car still makes that buzzing sound
That used to drive you mad

They painted the old Smurf house white
No, things round here, they ain’t been quite right
Since the day you left this town

I know you’ve gone your way
And I know I must go mine
But at night I often pray
That you’ll be back here by my side
Someday

It’s been quiet on the boulevard
The angry woman and her shopping cart
Have somehow vanished in the fog

I never thought I’d be sad to see her leave
But I’m clutching tight to any memory
That brings you back to me

Your laugh still echoes through these city walls
The curtain of my swagger falls
Into a heap upon the ground

I’ve tried taking walks alone at night
No, things round here, they ain’t felt quite right
Since the day you left this town

I know you’ve gone your way
And I know I must go mine
But at night I often pray
That you’ll be back here by my side
Someday

Those old tennis shoes that once hung down
From the telephone line by Rocky’s house are gone
It’s kinda sad, we always said those shoes would hang long after we were dead
But I guess perhaps we are

I know you’ve gone your way
And I know I must go mine
But at night I often pray
That you’ll be back here by my side
Someday

The One Who Won’t Let Go

When I saw you on that sidewalk
Why did you put on that play?
And in the end when your eyes couldn’t meet mine
Why did you put on that play?
And when you’d seen my sorrow had slayed me
What was it that made you walk away?

Here's To Tonight (Demo):

Here’s To Tonight Lyrics

She swore to me
That everything would be alright
She promised me
That everything would turn out fine
But in my time of need
She vanished out of sight
And her promises
Quickly turned to lies

Things go wrong
Before they ever go right
Here’s to tonight
Things go wrong
Will they ever go right
Here’s to tonight

All my life
I was forced between the lines
All my life
I was told to read the signs
Well, now I sit alone
Completely paralyzed
With no direction home
Waiting patiently to die

Things go wrong
Before they ever go right
Here’s to tonight
Things go wrong
Will they ever go right
Here’s to tonight

Is it too late
For me to change my mind
Is it too late
For me to press rewind
It seems my life
Is full of wasted time
Searching aimlessly
For something that I’ll never find

Things go wrong
Before they ever go right
Here’s to tonight
Things go wrong
Will they ever go right
Here’s to tonight
Things feel so wrong
Here’s my chance to make them right
Here’s to tonight

Devil’s Day

In this wasteland when it rains it fucking pours
Yellow ribbon on your sleeve but the blood ain't yours
Feel the hot sun burning holes straight through your skin
The helpless future paying for your sins

It's a devil's day
Said a devil's day
It's a devil's day
Said the devil's day has come

Souls are dropping to the ground like flies
Guilt has got you drowning in your lies
Boiling sweat comes seeping through your pores
Bodies stacking up along the shores

It's a devil's day
Said a devil's day
It's a devil's day
Said the devil's day has come

The Great Play

Her hands were folded at the news desk
Readin the words upon the screen
A smiling introduction
Meets the death of a teen

She stops in mid sentence
Her eyes look away
Thinks, whose words am I reading?
Why were they written this way?

A young man, up and coming
Accepts a job for high pay
Speaks eloquently of nothing
Puts his life on display

Prestige it surrounds him
But he can feel something weigh
Wonders, whose dream am I living?
How did I end up this way?

Mother sips on a cocktail
The sun hot on her face
Lord always smiled down upon her
She’s never struggled a day

But the mansion feels empty
And she’s just an actress in a play
Thinks, Whose tears am I cryin?
Why am I feelin this way?

Big man on campus
Never travels alone
Stumbles upon a young girl
Dressed in men’s clothes

As they call her a faggot
And they take her pride away
He wonders, whose thoughts am I thinking?
Why am I acting this way?

I’m sitting at the crossroads
Of tomorrow and today
Watching kids told not to question
Brilliant minds washed away

I watch their movements turn awkward
As they are molded like clay
Why are we so keen on pretending?
Why are we living this way?

Sing Them Songs

(Whistling)

At that station down in Memphis
After a night I thought I’d freeze
I had dirt smeared across my eyelids
I had scabs on both my knees
First time she smiled at me

She’d often come around to listen
To my words and melodies
And when she put her hands together
I envisioned crowds that filled the streets
In front of me

She said keep singin’ til your voice gets heard
Keep singin’ till they memorize the words
And then they’ll sing them back at you
Somehow perfectly in tune
It’ll seem as if they’d been there all along
Cause you were born to sing them songs

(Whistling)

Hitched a ride to South Dakota
Got swept up by the breeze
The sky opened up to guide us
Her beauty brought me to my knees
Whole world in front of me (Yeah)

We caught our wave to California
Sat upon her whitest beach
I bared my soul to the horizon
Nothing seemed far out of reach
With her there, next to me

Said I’ll keep singin’ til my voice gets heard
I’ll keep singin’ til you memorize the word
And then you’ll sing them back at me
With that perfect melody
It’ll seem as if you’d been there all along
Cause I was born to sing you,
I was born to sing you,
I was born to sing you songs

Yeah, I was born to sing you,
I was born to sing you,
I was born to sing you songs

I hope to force myself to go to bed soon, but I hope to read this all tomorrow. And look forward to hearing the songs too.

You're awesome, Kel. I've been waiting for a response on this for like a month. I think I overdid it by posting all of the songs at once and it kept people from reading any of it because it's kind of overwhelming. Lyrically, my favorites are Reason For Concern, A Moment Of Truth, and The Great Play. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read them whenever you do get a chance to.

I've read the first two. I really like the second one. The first is good as well, but something about it failed to really pull me in. Although the last half almost did so. I bet if I heard it I would like it more though.

I'll try to read the rest tomorrow!

Thanks Kelly. I have a rough demo of Extinguished Souls that I'll post up here shortly.