Released September 2004, SMA Records
mp3 sample: Bait & Switch
The band:
Rich Mattson: vocals, guitars, percussion, bass on "Princess In Farmer's Clothes"
Keely Lane: drums & percussion
Greg McAloon: bass; "Driving In Circles", "Ignoring the Muse", "13th Grade"
Andy Schultz: guitars and vocals; "Driving In Circles", "Ignoring the Muse", "Nightstand", "Blue Marvel", "13th Grade", "Princess In Farmer's Clothes"
Dale Kallman: bass, keyboards and vocals; "Nightstand", "Bait & Switch", "Blue Marvel", "Afterbar", "Chicken Farmer", "Solitaire", "Ghost", "Reward", "Says the Man"; trombone on "Reward"
Graham Gregorich: guitar on "Ghost"
Recorded at Flowerpot Studio, Minneapolis MN. Produced by Rich Mattson.
lyrics:
All songs copyright 2004
by Rich Mattson; Esper Music (ASCAP)
Driving In Circles
You came along for the ride, but the
ride it got boring
And we were going round in circles, still I’ll never say I’m
sorry
We made lots of friends, man they even made us breakfast
They couldn’t wait to see us the next time around
But you-wound up just a hired gun
For a cowboy on the lowest rung
Smokin’ with yer iron lungs
Just a quitter in the game
You fell asleep every time we hit the high road
And any time we hit a bump, you’d always complain
But I drove on ahead ‘cuz I knew we had to get there
And driving ‘round in circles is all that I know
And you-living in your off-ramp world
Dreaming ‘bout money and girls
Driving from the backseat
Along for the ride – you were along for the ride
But you – wound up just a hired gun
For a cowboy on the lowest rung
What will you do now?
And you don’t know what you want in this world
How can you get your money and girls
Without the band?
Without the band?
They don’t have a plan.
Ignoring the Muse
She’s just flittin’ around
the fireplace
Invading all my private space
She still thinks that I have so much more to say
But I’d rather be out chopping wood
Or bumming around the neighborhood
Or just watching tv or flippin’ through a magazine
She’s a loser of a muse
All she wants is my good life
I let her take it all away what did it get me?
Now she’s got me singin’ same old stories
‘Bout a man and his wife and his faded glory
Doesn’t anyone ever learn from their mistakes?
So many lessons to be learned in the songs I hear
She’ll come around and I’ll lend an ear
And make something out of nothing for no one
She’s a loser of a muse
All she did was take my life at the tender age of 12 where did it get
us?
I followed her down the rabbit hole,
Tripped the light fantastic
Such a big waste of plastic in my attic
Just let me be
And it don’t matter if I knock on wood
Cross my fingers or pray for good
Luck minus acumen it only makes about two cents
She’s a loser of a muse
What a loser of a muse
She’s a loser of a muse
Nightstand
Nightstand
I got your cd on my bedside table buddy
and I listen to you every night
I don’t understand what you’re talkin’ about
But I know the feeling is right
You just pick the chords and your hand keeps strumming
You’ve listened to tunes all your life
And I know if you keep doin’ what yer doin’
You’ll never have to work in your life
Believing in all the words that you say
Like it’s really gonna change my life
They’d clothe me in the finest furs and jewelry
But I’m just not that type
You know it’s good to run into people like you
Keepin’ it real all the time
With all the problems in the world today
Who wants to listen to mine?
Believing that a spaceship will come
to my rescue, take me up in its beam..Move to a world where all they do
is sleep, and everyone lives in their dreams
I got your cd on my bedside table buddy
and I listen to you every night
I don’t understand what you’re talkin’ about
I don’t understand what you’re talkin’ about
I don’t understand what you’re talkin’ about
But I know the feeling is right
I know the feeling is right
I know the feeling is right
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah…
Bait & Switch
Every line was a zinger, living proof
that it’s the singer
Not the song, that draws you into their world
And although he really tried, his voice it was denied
Those last few notes that were screamed like bloody murder from his throat
From the smoke that fills every barroom
Every dive and every honkytonk from here to east Jebip
And his broken down guitar ain’t gonna make it through this gig
You can’t help but wonder-when’s he gonna flip?
When you’ve lived through the days, and survived the nights
Adventures, the parties, the drinking and the fights
What happens next? You can’t get nothing started
And it’s breaking your heart when you can’t follow through
Well, there’s a long line of losers ahead of you
Waiting for redemption like it’s something you can buy
And you thought it would be faster on the freeway
But it’s gridlock even though it’s eight lanes wide
I started out at county fairs and ice cream social dances
Wasn’t all that driven to be let down by romances
Had to use my imagination to get out from the curse
Of bein’ born with nothing-that I thought I could reverse
And break the expectations of the greenhorns all around me
But still I was dumbfounded by the numbers that surround me
Technological leaps, and scientific bound
Wouldn’t anybody wanna hear a nice blue sound?
But you got your guitar, and a riff in your head
You better get it down before you go to bed
Did the lyrics let you down? I’m such a whiny bitch
I guess I just pulled a classic bait and switch
Blue Marvel
Life comes pouring down like drops of
rain from a thunder cloud
Floating in on sound before you know it, hey look who’s back in town
Again and again like condensation
Wetness of soul suddenly escaping
Floating on sound,
The angels sang the day that you were born
They had such high hopes for you but circumstances prevented you from
getting’ through
If it’s all part of some big plan, it seems the devil is hard at
work on his hand
Of the prophecies and the truth,
The fine line between is showing through
And you can’t believe your luck,
You have another chance at being blue
On this blue marvel
Big, blue marvel
Blue marvel
Big, blue marvel
Afterbar
He was burnt out, he was fried out, but
he was good to go with the woman
But she was havin’ too much fun with everyone else in the room
And her soul-mate slammed his tailgate, threw his amp inside and headed
home
He had enough of Johnny Cocaine and his rolling eyes
Waiting impatiently waiting
For the sweet prize of the scene
But she just didn’t want to leave
And any signal he gave fell on deaf ears
And any tunes that we played he couldn’t hear
And the soul-mate in his pickup was seven miles away already over it
He’d seen her there and he knew it was her night to play
And she played him, Johnny Cardshark, it seemed a sure thing from the
get-go
But now he’s on the sofa with a pair of fours
Waiting, impatiently playing
For the sweet prize of the scene
But I swear she didn’t wanna leave
He was out of his element
Didn’t feel natural
But he couldn’t leave, man this chick was special
So then hours after hours, he broke down and decided to drink
And he snuck out as we sang out “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
We all stayed up until sunrise, and by then we’re singin’ “Kumbaya”
And when the shots rang out, nobody heard a thing
13th Grade
And I kissed your freaky little mouth
For hours our tongues did the twist
Until you jumped on top of the hi-fi
And made the record skip
It was side 2 of “American Pie”
And I swear I still remember all the words
‘Cuz that needle just about wore clean through those tiny little
grooves
We went to 13th grade together
And we’d ditch psychology class
Just think of all that we could have learned that might have saved our
ass
Walkin’ hand in hand to the bonfire
Down the way to Horseshoe Pit
They were burning a big pile of tires
Everyone was gettin’ lit
Your old boyfriend saw us coming
And he walked up to shake my hand
And said, “Thanks a lot for taking her from me-
She’s insane and her breath is bad.”
I just said, “Whatever, buddy”
And I french-kissed you then and there
Then you jumped on my back for a piggy-back ride
And we went off to find the beer
Drawing Blanks
I’m staring at you and I’m
seeing right through your eyes into your thought-dreams
You’ve paid your dues and you wonder through your life looking for
something
Though better days could be ahead, you cling onto my picture
And I won’t come back, babe, you got it all wrong, that’s not
in my nature, can’t you see?
‘Cuz I’m up every day before the break of dawn working on the
railroad
And I can’t spend my nights out drinking with you keeping one eye
over my shoulder
You got a lot of friends out there and I don’t care to know ‘em
And they go talkin’ at you like I’m not even there, I just sit
there saying nothing
I’m drawing a blank
What was it I was supposed to come back with?
Make a funny remark – I only supplicated for your love and attention
You were the only one that I tried with, but you’re so hard to keep
up with
You can throw away my picture – that’s all you were in love
with
Go ahead and play the field again, hang out with the boys - I feel sorry
for the next one
Because sooner or later he’ll feel like a stooge, just a piece in
your collection
You got a lot of friends out there, and I don’t care to know ‘em
And they go talkin’ at you like I’m not even there, I just sit
there saying nothing
I’m drawing a blank
I’m drawing a blank
Chicken Farmer
I know a large number of people who’ve
gotten back to the land
Of all the trends and silly fads, well this one I understand
Just growin’ weed for profit, building a house up in the hills
No phone and no electricity, feel their lives completely fulfilled
And I’m gonna be a chicken farmer
I’ll kill them birds myself
Eggs with every breakfast
Up in Canada, all by ourselves
It seems the only other option, in this day and in this time
Is to try and outdo your neighbors, and stand in a long, long line
And pay $200 to see the Rolling Stones
And they could care less about you, I’d just rather be alone
So I’m gonna be a chicken farmer
We’ll be jammin’ out in the barn
Living like a savage, sleeping under the stars
I just gotta get away from these windbags scumbags and freaks
And when I back out it’s for good, you won’t find me back in
the ‘hood
Solitaire
I can’t win at solitaire it’s
just not in the cards
And I couldn’t spend another night in that old smoky bar
the weekends used to rock and roll but now the phone don’t ring
How many of my former mates are doing the same thing?
I forgot to call you babe, bring me home dessert
I’m gonna wait up for you anyway, I even put on a clean shirt
My eyes are glossing over from watching too much tv
And if I spend another week like this it’ll be the end of me
What a tangled web I’m tangled in
A lesser man would’ve given in a long time ago
But I’ve got the thickest skin, you could call it my exoskeleton
and I’m thriving on this strugglin’
It’s quite a show
But it’s gotta go
Under a waning moon tonight there’s lovebirds out on a date
There was dinner and a movie, man the whole thing was working out great
And as they kiss goodnight they catch a glimpse of a falling star
They secretly wish for each other as he walks back to the carBe careful
what you wish for boy, you don’t know what it’ll do
You get comfortable and happy then everybody turns their back on you
So be sure to cause some trouble every now and then
You gotta have something tragic to entertain your friends
Ghost
Reward
You had so many good times
It’s amazing you got anything done
Well, just remember good times
Ain’t all just having fun
Find out what you love in your life
Enjoy it, squeeze the juices from it
Let it run down your face
Let the juices run down your face
And you will find
Satisfaction
And you will find
Some reward
And you will find
Satisfaction
And you will find
Some reward
If you push the evil out of your mind
And decriminalize all sin
You’ll fly much further much faster
Get some use out of your skin
But if you feel like the karma police
Are following you around
Watching your every move
Waiting to strike you down
If you could be
Any more careful
You’ll never have any fun
You’ll never find
Satisfaction
You’ll never have
No reward
Says the Man
Oh, the poet must find other
ways to live
All of our sins they are forgiven
Don’t put the cart before the horse
You always thought that you were chosen by the man
To be the man
Next when they are
The greedy little buggers
You need to teach them – or do you?
You’re the guru – you decide
All of our uniforms have been painted brown
‘Cuz brown’s a melting pot of color
Someday the whole world will be brown
And there’ll be nothing to uncover
And we won’t need plans
Says the man
Don’t know what they are
Greedy little buggers
You don’t know nothing – or do you?
Here’s the guru – he’ll decide
The poet must find other ways to live
The poet must find other ways to live
Princess In Farmer's Clothes
She’s a princess in
farmer’s clothes
And oh, how I love her so
I’ll be a mirror for her deepest darkest thoughts
She can tell me all her hopes and dreams
They can take her anywhere it seems
All I can do is take her down to the river
Where we walk-ooh
And talk-too
Hang out with the dog-too
Throw some rocks and climb some hills
That’s about all we do for thrills
I could drive real fast, but I can’t afford the ticket
But my princess in farmer’s clothes
She’s got what she’s got and she knows what she knows
She’s gonna study French and write a mystery novel
She’s gonna move into her castle someday
I hope she doesn’t throw me away
But whatever she decides to do is alright
As long as she stands by me
I need her to stand by me
I’ll be your mirror just stand by me
And don’t you ever leave me