DEMO 10.21.2008

The third idea from NYC would eventually turn into Human or Machine from By The Numbers. Here’s the original guitar idea. I seem to enjoy playing this particular rhythm on guitar for some reason. I’ve played it on some other songs throughout the years with varying degrees of success. Hopefully I can use it a bit more judiciously in the future.

DEMO 10.20.2008

We moved to New York City in the summer of 2008. I put together a makeshift studio in the closet of our apartment, in the basement under the stairs to the rest of the building. Almost all these ideas are on acoustic guitar; perhaps I needed a break after all the programming in Prague? That’s similar to what happened after I moved here from Boulder actually. Anyway, here’s the first idea I could find from New York.

NEW MUSIC

Here are some songs I’ve written on guitar over the past few years. I’m sorry the audio is a bit rough in places; it was a fairly lo-fi endeavor. Hopefully I’ll record some better versions one day. Videos and lyrics are available below. Thanks for listening!

hour of triumph 4.jpg
i beg your pardon 2.jpg
just barely 2.jpg

HOUR OF TRIUMPH

OH LIFE

LIFE!

WON’T YOU SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE

WHEN I DON’T KNOW WHY I EXIST

AND MY WAKING HOURS ARE LOW? 

LIFE!

DO MY BEST TO DO MY BEST

THOUGH SOMETIMES I’M A VERY FRIGHTFUL MESS

WITH MY WORRYING EVERYWHERE

OH LIFE!

PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO THINK YOU’RE A LITTLE UNFAIR

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT SEEMS

LIKE YOU REVEL IN DESPAIR

LIKE SOME SORT OF SOCIOPATH

WHEN I THOUGHT YOU HAD NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE

YOU GAVE ME A RATIONALE TO LIVE 

THROUGH YOU

THE ANSWER TO ALL YOUR MISERIES

A SOLUTION TO EVERYTHING

OH LIFE!

OH LIFE!

 

PEP TALK

OH THESE TIMES

THEY SEEM SO DESPERATE

EVERYBODY’S BREAKING OUT INTO A SWEAT

FROM READING ABOUT THE MAYHEM ON THE INTERNET

OR WITNESSING IT DOWN THE WAY

SO I’M AIMING TO DO ALL THAT I THINK I SHOULD

TO CHANGE SOMETHING AWFUL INTO SOMETHING GOOD

I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

AND FRIENDS OUT OF ENEMIES

AND WHEN MY MIND IS FILLED WITH DOUBT

I’LL RESOLVE TO FIGURE OUT

A WAY TO MAKE MYSELF MORE AWARE

I WILL OVERCOME ALL THIS DEEP DESPAIR

NO I WON’T BE SET IN WAYS

THAT WON’T ADAPT TO A DIFFERENT PHASE

SO UNTIL I’VE LIVED MY YESTERDAYS

I WILL CARRY ON

DUSK INTO THE DAWN

COME ON LET’S GET ON WITH IT!

 

LO AND BEHOLD

LO AND BEHOLD

WE’RE GROWING OLD

AND IT’S OUT OF OUR CONTROL

IN A WORLD OF RAGING SOULS

SEDATE OR AT LEAST WE’RE CLOSE ENOUGH

WITH THE HELP OF CHOSEN DRUGS

THAT WILL KEEP US IN THE FOG

 

SNUG AT HOME

WHERE WE STILL FEEL SAFE AND WARM

WHERE WE TAKE OUR FAVORITE FORM

ALL ALONE

FOR WE KNOW

THAT IT WON’T BE LONG AT ALL

 

LIGHTEN UP

LIGHT IT UP BUT STAY AWARE

KEEP IT TRUE AND DO YOUR SHARE

FOR WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

SUCK IT UP

THERE ARE FOLKS WORSE OFF OUT THERE

WHILE WE’RE OFF, FAILING TO CARE

ONLY WORRIED ABOUT OURSELVES

 

SO UNKNOWN

IS THE WORLD WHERE WE HAVE GROWN

MAKING SENSE OF WHAT IS SHOWN

FOR IT ALL

IS AN OVERWHELMING CRYPTOGRAM

WITH NO CODE

 

SO IT GOES

SO IT GOES

SO IT GOES

SO IT GOES EVERYDAY

ARE WE AGING GRACEFUL OR WASTING AWAY?

THAT DEPENDS ON HOW YOUR MIND IS SET

WE CAN WORK IN SYNC 

AND NOT SHIRK OR SHRINK

FROM WHAT WE COULD BE

IT WOULD SET US FREE

FROM THE PAIN OF CONFLICT

AND SAD MISUNDERSTANDINGS

IT’S A CHOICE

NOT A PREDETERMINED COURSE

DON’T YOU KNOW THAT WE CAN SOLVE

THE RIDDLE OF HOW WE EVOLVE?

INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT OURSELVES

WE CAN FIND SOME WAY TO HELP

WHERE THAT LEADS YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS

BUT WE’RE DEFINITELY DOOMED UNLESS

WE CAN ESCALATE OUR EMPATHY

I BEG YOUR PARDON

IDIOT SONG

HERE’S A SONG BY AN IDIOT

IT’S PROBABLY NOT EVEN READY YET

TAKE A LISTEN AND THEN FORGET IT ALL

 

SEEMS LIKE IT’S BEEN DONE BEFORE

I’M SORRY THAT IT’S SUCH A CHORE

I’M AMAZED THAT YOU HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL

 

HERE WE ARE IN THE CHORUS

SO EMOTIONAL

HERE TO HAUNT YOU SO

 

TELL ME HOW IT SOUNDS SO FAR

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHERE YOU ARE?

OR IS THIS ALL JUST A BIT BIZZARE TO YOU?

 

I WONDER IF IT’S SINKING IN

THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY THINK AGAIN

BEFORE YOU STOP BY TO HEAR A SONG OR TWO

 

ONCE AGAIN THROUGH THE CHORUS

SO EMOTIONAL

RIGHT BEFORE THE SOLO

 

OH THANK GOD

WE’RE ALMOST TO THE END

AND NO I WON’T PLAY IT AGAIN

NOT FOR A LITTLE WHILE AT LEAST I HOPE

YES IT’S A SHAME THAT YOU HAD TO HEAR IT

SO LET ME DISAPPEAR

I’M SO SORRY FOR STRINGING YOU ALONG

TO THE IDIOT SONG

 

NOTHING TO IT

DAMN IT

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY

NOT LIKE IT MATTERS ANYWAY

NO ONE’S OUT THERE LISTENING TO A WORD I SING

I DO MY BEST TO RHYME

BUT I’M DOUBT THEY’D WASTE THEIR TIME

ON THIS CACOPHONY THAT SO PLAINLY

DOESN’T MEAN A SINGLE THING

YEAH THEY’D PROBABLY BE BORED

BY THE RHYTHM AND CHORDS

BUT LIKE I SAID

THERE’S NO ONE LISTENING

SO I’LL SIMPLY SAY

O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

THAT’S WHAT THE CHORUS IS

 

CIRCLING BACK TO VERSE

BUT I DON’T WANNA REPEAT THE WORDS

OR MAYBE JUST UNTIL I GET BACK

TO THAT POINTLESS REFRAIN

WHAT’S THIS NUMBER ALL ABOUT?

A STUPID ATTEMPT FOR ME TO SHOUT

A LYRIC ALONG A MELODY

THAT WAS TRAPPED IN MY BRAIN?

I SHOULD PROBABLY DESTROY

THIS DERIVATIVE NOISE

BUT LIKE I SAID

THERE’S NO ONE LISTENING

SO I’LL SIMPLY SAY

O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

IT’S PROBABLY GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

GETTING OLD

 

GUESS I’LL GO THROUGH IT ALL AGAIN

A LITTLE REPRISE BEFORE THE END

I REALLY CAN’T BELIEVE THAT I HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR

IT SEEMS ABSURD TO WRITE A SONG

WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON

I’LL MAKE IT THROUGH THE CHORUS

THEN I’LL SAY AU REVOIR

YEAH THE WORDS HAVE BECOME

NARCISSISTIC AND DUMB

I KNOW THEY’RE MEANINGLESS

BUT I CAN ONLY SEEM TO SAY

O 

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY O HEY ODELAY O

HEY ODELAY ODELAY O 

NOW I SHOULD PROBABLY GO

 

I BEG YOUR PARDON

I BEG YOUR PARDON

IF THE POINT OF THIS SONG

WAS SIMPLY ILL-CONCEIVED

I WAS DOING MY BEST TO FIGURE OUT

HOW TO SAY SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVED

BUT WHO THE HELL AM I TO SING

ALL THE LYRICS THAT ARE IN THIS SONG?

ALTHOUGH I TRIED TO GET THEM RIGHT

IT’S MORE LIKELY THAT I GOT THEM WRONG

 

BUT WHEN THE MUSIC IS IN MY HEAD

IT NEVER SEEMS TO LET ME REST

I WANT TO CAPTURE IT

EVEN THOUGH THE OUTCOME

MIGHT BE FULL OF SHIT

 

I’M TIRED OF RACKING MY BRAIN

TRYING TO FIND THE PERFECT WORDS TO SING

AND SO TO KEEP MYSELF SANE

I WON’T SING ABOUT ANYTHING

OH GOD DAMN IT DUSTIN

CAN’T YOU MUSTER ANY MORE THAN THIS?

IT’S PLAIN TO SEE THAT I’M IN NEED

OF A DRASTIC METAMORPHOSIS

 

AND WHEN

THIS IDIOSYNCRASY

FOR THE RHYTHM AND THE MELODY

BUILDS ANXIETY

I PROMISE I WON’T LET IT

GET THE BEST OF ME

 

IF YOU’RE STILL WITH ME

THANKS FOR LISTENING FRIENDS

BUT IT’S TIME TO SEND THIS SONG INTO OBLIVION

CHANGE IT INTO SOMETHING I CAN UNDERSTAND

YOU’VE COME THIS FAR

SHALL I TAKE YOU TO THE END?

THANK YOU

GOODNIGHT

THE END

JUST BARELY

MAY THE TIME COME

MAY THE TIME COME

WHEN WE WILL ALL BE FREE

AND WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU

IS WHAT’S BEST FOR ME

SO RAISE YOUR HEAD

COME AND BANG YOUR DRUM

OH YEAH MAY THE TIME COME

 

MAY THE TIME COME

WHEN IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE

AND WHEN NO ONE LIVES

AT ANOTHER’S EXPENSE

SO RAISE YOUR HEAD

COME AND BANG YOUR DRUM

OH YEAH MAY THE TIME COME

 

MAY THE TIME COME

WHEN WE WILL ALL FEEL LOVE

FOR WHAT’S HERE ON EARTH

AND IN THE STARS ABOVE

SO RAISE YOUR HEAD

COME AND BANG YOUR DRUM

OH YEAH MAY THE TIME COME

OH YEAH MAY THE TIME COME

  

YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

WHEN YOU’RE WEAK 

AND CONFUSED

FEELING BLEAK 

AND ABUSED

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN USED 

AND CAST AWAY

YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

 

WHEN YOU’RE FEELING JADED

WHEN EVERY DAY IS THE SAME

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN DEGRADED

WHEN YOU’RE FULL OF SHAME

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN VAIN

AND YOU’RE THE ONE TO BLAME

YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

 

NO I DON’T CARE

 IF YOU’RE TRUSTING OR CYNICAL

OR WHETHER YOU’RE WORSHIPPED OR LOATHED

 

IF YOU’RE EVER IN NEED

IF YOU’RE HURTING

IF YOU’RE LAID BARE

WHEN THEY PULL BACK THE CURTAIN

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

YOU CAN ALWAYS COME HOME

WHERE YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

WHERE I BELONG

THERE ARE TIMES

WHEN I’M OUT OF TOUCH

AND IT ALL SEEMS LIKE TOO MUCH

AND I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG

I CAN STILL CARRY ON

WON’T YOU PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE I BELONG?

 

THERE ARE DAYS

WHEN I’M IN A HAZE

GOING CRAZY

LOST IN MALAISE

AND I CAN’T TELL WHERE TO GO

AND I CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL LOW

WON’T YOU PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE I BELONG?

 

WON’T YOU PLEASE

COME LIFT ME UP

AND HOLD ME CLOSE

TO SHOW ME HOW

IT WOULD FEEL

TO BE LOVED? 

OR MUST I REMAIN

ALONE FOREVERMORE

NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN?

SHOULD I HOPE?

SHOULD I PRAY?

SHOULD I ADMIT THAT IT ALL WAS IN VAIN?

WON’T YOU PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE I BELONG?

WON’T YOU PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE I BELONG?