Dotted Lines

A weird shambolic mess of a song about so-called real life intruding on my attempts to appreciate the miracle of existence, the wonder and improbability of life including my own, the majestic splendor of the natural world, blah blah blah

Finally got my recording setup isolated enough to where I can do irresponsible things with my vocal tracks without worrying that one of my condo neighbors will call 911.

Lyrics:

I know that what makes me me has been recycled a billion times
And I know it's only separated by a dotted line
And when I smell the lavender as I walk by
It should remind me that there's really no such thing as I
But it's kinda hard to believe it
As long as there's a me to perceive it
Yeah it's not enough to make it real
I mean who else is gonna pay these bills

I know that every time I breathe it's a miracle
It takes a billion little engines in tandem to keep me alive
And when I see a sparrow or a new green stem
It should remind me that the very same is true of them
But it'll never amaze me
It's just that work has been so crazy

I feed the crows and it bothers the neighbors
Can't even live without selling my labor
I traded wonder for comfort and it feels like the deal was raw sometimes
And every morning I sit on a rock and I talk to a tree
Real low so no one approach and notice me
Desperately clawing back what I can from every crack in the unnatural grind

I hope there's still something to find

• play
• pause
• min volume
• max volume

posted by valrus (1 comment total)

God this is good. I'm lucky to have heard an early version, and originally on the way to work, taking the bus in the snow. So it hit HARD. I love the way the different soundscapes come together. Like a chain of islands. I love how the squeaky clean Ben Folds style harmonies hang like glass above the slushy industrial floors. And I love that it unfolds like a story. It has the evolving structure of a Trent Reznor meditation mixed with the nerdy urgency of The Dismemberment Plan. All my Christmases come at once. I like the Danny Elfman business you've added to the end of the opening stuff. And the bass is quite good. The guitar is a little loud throughout, in my opinion. The reverby one. There. I found something to criticize.
posted by es_de_bah at 8:17 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]