1. |
Friend I Never Had
02:50
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It’s so hard to lose when you’re nothing
But so easy to deal
You take, fake, throw away
And only give what you had to steal
So tell me does it phase you
The walls you fail to break through
I say,
It’s easy to say that the world is against you
When you live against the world
In your own way
And to this day you still can’t find a better way
(Solo)
Sweet terrible lies
Completely deny
Your own arrogant desperation, fake elation
No motivation
Just sit and wait then
Show your face and try to wave, but
We can’t see you far from here
But let me make this clear
That you can say what you will
No one hears you anyway
But then to them someday
Well you can say you were the
Friend I never had
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2. |
Maybe So, Maybe Not
03:04
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There’s a knockin’ at my door
(Think we’ve seen it all before)
We’re on display and misleading
But have a little faith in me
‘Cause I might be just what you need
Maybe so, maybe not
(Solo)
There must be something that you said
(You’ve got yourself stuck in my head)
I don’t believe you’re just playing
And you might take the best of me
But I’ll be ok if you take me as I am
Maybe so, maybe not
But would you rather be wrong about mistakes you’re making from the chance you take
When you decide between adapt, evolve, or never have a damn thing change
So obnoxious on your mind
(All that you won’t leave behind)
All the scenes just keep playing
But circumstances change
And you might find yourself with a whole ‘nother song to sing
I don’t remember feeling lost or losing war with time
Couldn’t call it lazy when I found myself surrounded by my own eyes
(Solo)
Sheltered from the ins and outs of everything that everyone’s enjoying and parading
Maybe all you wanted wasn’t really so important anyway
The song goes on and on
But inside there’s a message
Of hope, love, and clarity
And candy-coated ecstasy, and
It’s catchy
It caters to the braindead
And will make you famous in the end
For all of those who don’t believe
You’ll be the last one standing
To know the secret all along
Keep faith and keep your heart strong
Well then you can’t go wrong
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3. |
You Have To Wonder
03:02
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They gather enraged with their arms at their sides
The dogwhistle racist with axes to grind
They follow lies of entertainers, take delight
(You really have to wonder why...)
You have to wonder
Just why they go about it
Don't try to resist
They show us what we want we keep watching
Them crossin' the fine lines leading straight into the dark
Straight into the dark
(You have to wonder)
Revolution rallies with their shotguns and their signs
They're turnin' the town square into the alley
But as long as all can say that God is on their side
God will lose
You have to wonder
Just when you thought you got it
You have to wonder
Just where all these lies get started
You try not to love the simplicities they sell ya
Don't try to resist
They feed us what we want we keep
Swallowing
Following
Every bright and shiny object straight into the dark
You have to wonder
(Solo)
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4. |
Broken Glass
03:42
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I just can’t believe
What’s happened to me
I cannot see clearly
What is right in front of me
Endless rejection
Always a new low
And simple judgments
From the simple and the judgmental
Lost at sea
Divorced from humanity
Delaying inevitable catastrophe
And I’m all alone in a roomful of friends
A slave to my mind any way that it bends
Mental rain overtakes me, afraid there’s no end
And the ground beneath my feet pulls me down down down
So now that you know are you still wondering
Why I don’t sing along when I hear the birds sing
When the day’s still not over, afraid it won’t pass
When the crumbs beneath your feet feel like broken glass
(Solo)
Loneliness emptiness envelopes me
Life keeps insisting that love’s not to be
Afraid that the future is worse than the past
And I’ve lost the will to hold on to the promise of a better day
Desperation displayed for all to see
Sounding alarms that this life’s not for me
The way out is wrong but the way in won’t last
And I’ve started to accept that waiting for hope doesn’t pay
And I’ve stopped believing in the guarantee of a better way
And I’ve lost the will to hold onto the promise of a better day
Now every step I take feels like broken glass
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5. |
I've Created A Monster
02:56
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Cower away from the sight of it
Fill it up with hot air
It’s your same old song
I’m never gonna let it get to me
You’re an incorrigible shitshaker
Unconscionable ballbreaker
You love to play the victim
While you’re the only one who’s victimizing
You see that I’ve created a monster
I’ve created a monster
Spread disease like a virus
Our indifference and our silence leads to violence
And I won’t take it
Supremacy’s the cancer
You say ‘Yeah, but it’s not me…’
We’re slashing them across the face
Then chastise them for bleeding
I’ve created a monster
I’ve created a monster
Can’t you see what’s inside us
Buying into all these mindgames ’til we’re mindless
And I won’t take it
I’ve created a monster…
I’ve created a monster
Spread disease like a virus
Our indifference and our silence leads to mindless violence
(Yes our indifference and our silence leads to violence)
And I won’t take it
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6. |
June Turns To September
03:07
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June turns to September
I’ve made some friends along the way
Some fine times to remember
The consequence, I wake each day
Still aching, still shaking
Still waking up from wasted life
And maybe, just maybe
I deserve a second chance
But first, stop acting crazy
Step back and breathe, maybe sigh
‘Cause nowhere in this great big world I may find myself
I can’t find my way out of my head
I can’t find my way out of my head
I can’t find my way out of my head
I can’t find my way out of my head
While you sit there and judge me
Impatiently waiting and fading’s my own therapy
It seems that this song’s about the fallout from your best intent gone wrong
Been a chain ‘round my heart since then
Been a drain on my heart since then
It’s been raining in my heart since then
It’s been raining in my heart since then
June turns to September
A friend is gone, oh well, so long
Divine time for redemption
A faultline to forget
Are we thinking the same thing
Not giving up is worth a try?
There’s one simple lesson
Just wander down the road
And smile
(Da da da da da da…)
June turns to September
So now what?
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7. |
Electrified
03:35
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A simple man will take his time
To learn to read between the lines
But only so much waiting ‘fore he starts to fall behind
I’m gonna be electrified
To make the ties and knots unwind
And fill up empty spaces with a side of peace of mind
And I won’t tell you when I’m falling down
But I won’t sell you short on words or promises
You’ll see
Overwhelming impulsivity to wonder what, if, and why
Am I lazy if I’m satisfied
Am I greedy if I ask for more
‘Cause I’m gonna be electrified
To make them empty spaces die
And maybe I’ll replace them with
A fire and a light inside
And I can read you clearly half the time
But then no longer feeling self-assured
Easily
(Solo)
No one wants an open door
That’s what patience is for
Someone’s gonna make me feel like I belong someday
We’re gonna be electrified
By hope that’s here to stay
And I won’t tell you when I’m falling down
But I won’t sell you short on words or promises
You’ll see
(But will you do the same for me?)
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8. |
Stuck In The Ground
03:54
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Someone once said, “The World Is Yours”
But you won’t believe in yourself
Just ‘cause you want to don’t make it so
You’re a man, but not quite
You want to believe in the truth and the right thing
But life, it happens to get in the way
I’ve taken this road as far as it goes
And I still haven’t found a place to stay
I’m running about with a head full of doubt
And I can’t say it’s not fair
I want to believe in a means to an end
And brand new beginnings and silver linings
But time is a drain and frustration’s a stain
All my shackles remain
Every day is the same
And I can’t explain why I’m stuck in the ground
I just know that I ended up there
It pays to pretend that you’re not pretending so well you’re convincing yourself
At least you can say that it’s not a lie
(Solo)
Wondering whose team everybody’s on
Sometimes I could swear that everyone’s been set against me
Praying’s left me trapped at the bottom of a well
And who needs friends in the first place when you have your own self to betray
We’ve slipped through the cracks
Our regrets come in stacks
And as far as we see
There’s no escaping
A life of uniformity
And a journey of incessant emptiness made
So why does my path leave me stuck in the ground
When I follow it faithfully
I’ve searched and I’ve scratched my way to the same place
Where I found myself long ago
At least I can say that I never lied
At least I can say that I tried
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9. |
Waves In The Air
01:43
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The waves in the air leave you in a certain glow
And I wanna know but I wouldn’t want to scare
Say hello, old friend
So lovely meeting you again
There’s still so much left to say
We’re damaged and we’re delicate
There’s something beautiful about it
Something strange the way you see inside
And though it may seem we’ve lost before we’ve started, please
Just say you won’t forget me
This love’s unconditional
There’s no common sense or self-control
So how does it feel to be adored
When the possibility makes its way to you and me
The waves in the air leave you in a certain glow
And I’ve learned to love, but I’ve left my heart somewhere
Our story won’t die
We’ll never truly say goodbye
There’s still hello again someday
There’s still so much left to say
(Solo)
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10. |
Same Old Song
04:33
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I’m throwing your comeback back at you
Ask my advice, maybe you should think twice
Then again you never do
A victim of circumstance lost in a prayer
Collecting loose change
Stuck in a hell that you might as well get used to
It’s the same old song
One day you’ll find your peace
And then it’s gone
You can lie down in comfort
Escape the eventual fall
One day you’ll find the strength
To stop it all
Yeah
It’s the same old, same old song
No one else on earth, just you
No one has eyes in the back of their head, nor do they seem to want to
Imagining majesty, drawing flies, your wave’s out of range
This has all been set up against you
You have to be right no matter how wrong you are
You haven’t been relevant a day in your life, and yet you still think you’re a star
You’ve got nothing to say, yet insist that you say it anyway
You’re not gonna check out, you’re not gonna quit
And you’re sure as hell not gonna get on with it
It’s the same old song
It started out as love
I’ve just been strung along
You can take all the chances
Make giving up something to stall
One day you’ll find the strength
To stop it all
Yeah
It’s the same old same old song
(Solo)
It’s the same old song
If something’s going right
There must be something wrong
Just one more round in this batshit town
Down to one against the wall
Someday I’ll find the strength
To stop it all
It’s the same old same old song
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11. |
Confusion
03:25
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Love or friend or my worst enemy
Whoever you may be
Makes no difference, see
All I want is to be left to my own and
All I need is time, time to be alone
So,
Patience is a virtue
Greed is emptiness
So why can’t I decide
And why can’t I express
Confusion kills me
But you won’t see it
The things that lift you up
Are slowly draining me
Pressure to deliver
Puts me under stress
Somewhere in between
Love and loneliness
Confusion kills me
But you won’t see it
Sometimes all I want
Is to be where you can’t see
Confusion breaks me
Every single way
Leaving me in jaded
Constant disarray
Confusion kills me
But you won’t see it
Sometimes all I want
Is to be just out of reach
Confusion breaks me
Every single way
Leaving me in jaded
Constant disarray
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12. |
Expiration Date
03:28
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I’ve been a bad excuse
And I’ve accepted
I’ve learned to suffer
For what I’ve respected
A twist of fate
And the walls go tumbling
My will to be a gentleman
Has gone away from me
There comes a time
Where the wanted’s uninvited
Where promise is a mystery
And all I know is wrong
The glass is overflowing
And the spill, it gets me every time
I drag my weight and hide behind
The past mistakes reminding me
No one wants to be the one
To guess the expiration date
Yet every time I’m paranoid
I want to throw it all away
Feeling the pressure to stay far away
Breathing in silence to keep hesitations at bay
Tied up in knots by the strains you create
Hopelessly searching for words when you say what you say
(Solo)
I’m in a bad excuse
And I accept it
I’ll learn to make due with
Less than expected
My head says go but my heart it says stay
I can’t escape from the haze building up in my brain
But there’s nothing left to be saved so I’m caving
And making a ghost of the memories we had in our day
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13. |
I Will Love You Forever
03:32
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When the light burns bright
But the source is out of sight
I’ll wait, won’t make a sound
And pray that the shine
Will come back around
The time and place when love arrives
Heart and soul taken by surprise
Like a moth drawn to a flame
The story always ends the same
So much to say, so much to hide
Wear it like a badge of pride
But this love won’t stay inside
Taking destiny in stride
When it comes to you
Just want to say
You live in my heart to this day
The more time that passes
The more that it’s real
You’ve left your shine
It never dries
It never melts away in size
Outlasts them all
Survives the weather
I will love you forever
You’ve shown my heart what hearts can do
Hope I’ve shown you something too
Feels like I’ve been right next to you
Staying true will see me through
Though you might have gone away
Just when I thought that you might stay
Maybe I can’t read your mind
But in the end we’re always kind
When it comes to me
You understand like I want to be understood
That’s why I won’t forget you
Though I know that I should
(I won’t forget you, I know it’s true, ‘cause I thought of love then thought of you)
You’re always in my heart
For worse or better
Like some kind of buried treasure
I have no doubt
None whatsoever
I will love you forever
I will love you forever
I will love you forever
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14. |
Nutcracker
04:52
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This feels to me
Like some fantasy
Where the misguided fool still gets a prize
Won’t let yourself go
To a place you see clearly
Or be grateful for this opportunity
To learn something you hold inside
Every time you cry out loud your questions why
Disarming
Disabling the meaning of every disaster
All for the sake of pride
So you walk on out that door
Recognizing all that’s gone is just a bunch of nothing after all
And you’ll move on
So long as there’s an explanation
When situations go out of your control
…then they’ll tell you they knew you should’ve known
(Solo)
I walk along the avenue
Watching the decay
Of everything I ever knew
And everyone from yesterday is missing
(It seems to me that I am)
All mixed up in mixed decisions
Much too much too lost to find a way
Still you know there’s so much more
Reaching out for endless patience
To end frustrations
Relentlessly endured
(And all this stuck stagnation comes with a price)
(Solo)
Somebody tell me something I don’t know
‘Cause this is getting really really boring
Nothing’s gonna change and nothing matters
But it sure makes for an interesting story
If this is the way the game is played
Then I guess I better learn to win your way
And we’ll move on
Caught in our charade
Of playing characters
We think will save face
(Characters we think will save face)
The false bigotry of low expectations
Will rise to the occasion with special persuasions
So nakedly shameless you won’t care they’re lies
Don’t act surprised or wonder why
Won’t you tell me what would you do
Been desperately trying to reach you
But the signal isn’t coming through
There’s no nice way to put this
So we might as well get through this
There’s not much that I can do for you
The question isn’t whether you’ll forgive me
It’s whether I will even care
So what you think is getting even
Is just a waste of your time
Take this warning seize the day
Then move along and find your way
Then you won’t need no calm reasoned advice
Or need to vent
There’s no mysteries in life
In the best of circumstances
You live, you learn
You’ve hitched to this
Well, what did you expect?
It’s almost as if you think stupidity should get respect
(It’s never enough)
So you can stab all you want to with your crooked dagger
Nutcracker
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15. |
There's Gonna Be A Riot
04:05
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(Civility for civility’s sake has put the lunatic fringe in charge...)
Oooo...
I’m gonna tell you a story
That’ll welcome you to the way it always was
There’s us and there’s them
And there ain’t never been
No love lost amongst friends
There’s an unsustainable tension
An impenetrable wall
And there’s only gonna be one way in the end
To put an end to it all
‘Cause all I feel is impending doom
In what they say…
If their decisions kill, we can say we knew, and you can’t fix stupid
Then what else is there to do…
Oooo...
There’s gonna be a riot
There’s gonna be war
There’s gonna be tide of menace and violence
Rising closer to your front door
If your shame and disgrace know no equal
If you try to cause then laugh at their pain
If you’re an entitled mindless zombie willing to look the other way
There’s gonna be a riot
There’s gonna be war
There’s gonna be so much more fire and rage than you can take
And then there’ll be more
If you prey on the weakest amongst us
If you try to burn down the house where we live
If you’re shameless in your sinning to where you think there’s nothing to forgive
Then there ain’t no way to deny it
There’s gonna be…
(Solo)
There’s gonna be a riot
There’s gonna be war
There’s gonna be a hell to face
Where they’ll be left to waste
Every last one of ‘em
If you lie, cheat, and steal to gain power
Try to hide the ball with your hate
Know that this time there will be no forgiveness
There will be no escape
So you best prepare to die then
‘Cause there’s gonna be…
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16. |
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17. |
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18. |
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Jeff Stein California
Jeff Stein is a lifelong musician, songwriter, and music fan.
The Marla Hooch LP is the first
installment of his life's work - songs written throughout his adult life.
He lives in California and practices law.
All songs written and performed by Jeff Stein.
... more
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