do the math (rewrite three)

put you and me together
and add up the score
in clear and cloudy weather
it's something we've been searching for
I'm gonna rise to the occasion
I'm the answer to your equation
no matter what the situation
I'll always stand by you

          do the math
          we belong together
          like half-and-half
          ain't nothing better         
          I'm saying this for our own good
          for our own behalf
          do the math
          do the math
          do the math

put one and one together
and the sum you get is us
baby, I'm the inventor
of a love that you can truly trust
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of
ain't nothing to be afraid of
no matter what you say, love
I'll always stand by you

          do the math
          we're the right decision
          baby, there's no path
          in long division
          one day we'll look back on this
          and we'll just have to laugh
          do the math
          do the math
          do the math

motherfucker, etc.

you motherfucker
goddamn your old pitiful life
death be to dreams

bad bunny

Puerto Rican man
with magic in his voice
his name: bad bunny

in spite of you (rewrite three)

every hour of honest work
every healing inside the hurt
every morning when I wake
every rough and ragged 
breath I take
everything I can
I'm going to
everything I am
everything I do
I'm making it though
in spite of you

every year of growing old
every journey of my soul
every time I've had to fight
to see between wrong and right
every ray of hope
coming out of the blues
everything I am
everything I do
and I'll do what I have to do
in spite of you

          you've wanted to harm me
          since I can remember
          but now you don't alarm me
          I don't have to surrender

every second
every minute
of a life with joy within it
I will fight to the end of my will
to make sure that your voice is stilled
everything I am
everything I do
every well-earned answer
from a forgotten clue
I know what is true
that's why I'm getting through
in spite of you

in spite of you (rewrite two)

every hour of honest work
every healing inside the hurt
every morning when I wake
every rough and ragged 
breath I take
everything I can
I'm going to
everything I am
everything I do
I'm making it though
in spite of you

every year of growing old
every journey of my soul
every time I've had to fight
to see between wrong and right
every ray of hope
coming out of the blues
everything I am
everything I do
and I'll do what I have to do
in spite of you

          you've wanted to harm me
          since I can remember
          but now you don't alarm me
          I don't have to surrender

every second
every minute
of a life with joy within it
I will fight to my last breath
till one of us meets its death
everything I am
everything I do
every well-earned answer
from a disappearing clue
I'm making it through
in spite of you

baby needs liquor

get in the car
put in the key
turn the engine on
it's out the door for me
I got me a job
that's easy to do
and it's fine with me
'cause it's fun for you

          I'll drive as fast
          as these roads will allow
          'cause baby needs liquor
          and she needs it right now

in spite of you (rewrite)

every hour of honest work
every healing inside the hurt
every morning when I wake
every single breath I take
everything I am
everything I do
everything I can
I'm going to
in spite of you

every year of growing old
all those searches of my soul
all the times I've had to fight
between wrong and right
everything I am
everything I do
every ray of hope
coming out of the blues
is in spite of you

          you have tried to harm me
          since I can remember
          but somehow I've learned
          I don't have to surrender

every second
every minute
of a life with joy within it
I will fight to my last breath
till one of us meets its death
everything I am
everything I do
every way
I make it though
is in spite of you

farms

I think about farms
that's how I try to relax
I just imagine

one of them

you better watch your step, boy
better watch your p's and q's
there's a long road up in front of you
which path will you choose
will you be you
or one of them

in spite of you

every hour of honest work
every healing inside the hurt
every morning when I wake
every single breath I take
everything I am
everything I do
is in spite of you

every year of growing old
all those searches of my soul
all the times I've had to fight
for what I believed was right
everything I am
everything I do
is in spite of you

          you have tried to harm me
          since I can remember
          but sometimes I have learned
          I don't have to surrender

every second
every minute
of a life with joy within it
I will fight to my last breath
till one of us meets its death
everything I am
everything I do
is in spite of you

I try not to remember

I try not to remember
but it doesn't do much good
I keep moving backwards
which is not the way I should
there's photographs and scrapbooks
with all you'd want to see
but I look at them and say
get the hell away from me

          'cause I don't like memories
          get them off my front lawn
          because they remind me
          that everybody's gone
          and that everything moves on

I try not to remember
I tend to numb my mind
by drowning all the voices
you could ever think to find
I think it might be working
I've forgotten most I ever knew
problem is I think that I
have more forgetting to do

          'cause I don't like memories
          get them off my front lawn
          because they remind me
          that everybody's gone
          and that everything moves on

home

I wish I could go outside
like real children do
but I am so afraid
I am not like you
I know my place
my place is here
where I am all alone
I know my place
where there's no fear
home

energy

chop the powder fine
your nose ain't gonna burn off
instant energy

9/10

on september tenth
I went to work
like I usually do
cussing and moaning
each step of the way
trying to make it through
the rest of the day
till I feel okay
and when work is finally done
I sit at the computer
and smoke me a bowl
and look at the sloth I've become
but I wasn't afraid
no, I ain't afraid
I didn't pick sides
or place the blame
I was completely unaware
of what was to be
when I saw the buildings
on the TV

on september tenth
I drove back home
like I usually do
thinking of searching 
and looking and choosing
what music to listen to
and maybe tonight
I'll try to write
something that I can use
the one thing I don't do
is look at the world
through the eye of the nightly news
I didn't feel unsafe
no, I wasn't unsafe
I unthinkably looked
the other way
I was completely unaware
of what was to come
I was comfortable
I guess you could say
I was numb

on september tenth
I went to bed
like I usually do
it was so peaceful
I slept so sound
the entire night through
I don't remember my dreams
from that night, it seems
they went on their way
to wherever dreams go
how should I know
I awoke to a brand new day
and I had no idea
no one had any clue
but it felt like it was coming
straight at you
with what was to come
what was to be
when I saw the buildings
on the TV
when I saw the buildings
on the TV

a bad, bad day

it has been
a bad, bad day 
since I woke up this morning
and fell out of bed
I wish I could
go far away
from my
existential dread
yes, it has been
a bad, bad day
evil spirits 
rule my life
with a brand new 
razor blade
and a dull
exacto knife

what can I say?
it's been a bad, bad day

kid on adderall

kid on adderall speeds by
with his music turned up high
he raps along with every single word
I'm amazed at his skill
the way he goes in for the kill
the boy's a fuckin' genius, rest assured

          I don't need to see you
          I just want to be you
          I want to be young
          for one day before I die
          it's not that I hate myself
          I just need to be someone else
          I want my life 
          not to pass me by

1945

I was standing on the highway
with my thumb in the air
it was 1945
just out of the service
with the cool wind in my hair
thankful that I was alive
before the war
the marine corps
was nothing but a dream
but something changed
and it found its way
inside me

I'd like to thank the academy

I'd like to thank the academy
for bestowing this honor upon me
I can't believe this is happening
this award to reward artistic ability
everything in my entire life
has led up to this
all of my sorrows
each moment of bliss
but now that I've received the industry's kiss
allow me to say a few words

I'd like to thank the director, the writers,
and all of the crew
and of course each of my co-stars
(you know I haven't forgotten you)
I've dreamed of this moment
since my mother gave birth
for my craft I have given
all my self worth
and now I'm the number one actor on earth
but I'm still like all of you

and for my mother, my father,
my brother, and sis
you never could have ever
imagined any of this
but I always knew
yes, I always knew
everyone was against me
but I always knew
and so I did
what I had to do
and now everyone is in love with me

I'd like to thank the academy
for bestowing this honor upon me

doctor doctor

I won't be naming names
putting two and two together
no need for placing blame
I just want to feel better
I'm acting out and not so nice
I need to be aware of this
I'm asking for some sound advice
that's why you're my therapist

doctor, tell me what's the deal
inside my tow-bit brain
I could tell you how I feel
but it's always the same
I'm lonely and I'm tired
and I'm sorry, sad and scared
I only want to be inspired
but I feel so unprepared

          doctor doctor help me please
          I'm begging you on bended knees
          I'm a victim of my own disease
          and it's more than just the blues
          doctor doctor why am I confused

do the math (second rewrite)

put you and me together
and add up the score
in clear and cloudy weather
it's something we've been searching for
I'm gonna rise to the occasion
I'm the answer to your equation
no matter what the situation
I'll always stand by you

          do the math
          we belong together
          like half-and-half
          ain't nothing better         
          I'm saying this for our own good
          for our own behalf
          do the math
          do the math
          do the math

put one and one together
and the sum you get is us
baby, I'm the inventor
of a love that you can truly trust
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of
ain't nothing to be afraid of
no matter what you say, love
I'll always stand by you

          do the math
          we're the right decision
          baby, there's no path
          in long division
          I'm saying this for our own good
          for our own behalf
          do the math
          do the math
          do the math

next day on this planet

nobody can touch me
I do not feel
any good you show me
will always be concealed
sometimes I don't know how
I'm going to make it through
my next day on this planet
but I always do

do the math (rewrite)

put two and two together
chances are it equals four
but that's depending whether
it's something less or something more
I'm gonna rise to the occasion
I'm the answer to your equation
no matter what the situation
I'll always stand by you

          do the math
          we belong together
          like half-and-half
          birds of a feather          
          I'm saying this for our own good
          for our own behalf
          do the math
          do the math
          do the math

put one and one together
and the sum you get is us
baby, I'm the inventor
of a love that you can truly trust
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of
ain't nothing to be afraid of
no matter what you say, love
I'll always stand by you

          do the math
          we're the right decision
          baby, there's no need
          for long division
          I'm saying this for our own good
          for our own behalf
          do the math
          do the math
          do the math

homesick

it's been a long time,
so long since I've seen you,
I miss all of you.

messin' with me

lately my life's been 
nothing but crap
think I'll crawl in bed
and take a nap
depression
is messin'
with me

everything's wrong
in this brain of mine
those emotions 
are working overtime
depression
is messin'
with me

          so I'll just sleep and sleep
          and sleep some more
          until good news
          knocks on my door

give me those blankets
a pillow for my head
all in all, 
I guess it's better than being dead
I learned my lesson
here's my confession
I'm guessin'
depression
is messin'
with me

head in my hands

I've got my head in my hands
and I'm shaking back and forth
and this psychic pain inside my brain
is too much to ignore
I need a new prescription
I need to settle down
lie flat as a pancake
with nobody else around
I've got my head in my hands
I've got my head in my hands

taborSpace

big old building
brick and wood
middle of the
neighborhood
children playing with outside voices
cheese or pretzels
make your choices
grownups work
away from home
on laptops, tablets,
and iPhones
what they do
I do not know
but this place
is where they go
a big old church
from way before
with a coffeehouse
inside its doors
it's a community
sort of place
in Southeast Portland
taborSpace

a sinner like me

is there still time for salvation
for a sinner like me
who wears his damnation
for all the world to see
is there still a chance for love
for a heartbroken fool
or am I just daydreaming
just the way I did in school

why can't I
ever be satisfied
with all that's put 
in front of me
why is happiness
denied
where is what
I want to see

beautiful corpse

I was supposed to leave a beautiful corpse
well, I guess they fooled me good
before I died I was the pride 
of my musical neighborhood
I had big dreams of rock star fame
sunk in my half-wit mind
and all the while, life was leaving me. 
far, far behind

never mind
it was fun while it lasted
girls and worlds of fun
with reefer and acid
I had big dreams frock star fame
but you can see how that went
now I'm cutting coupons
and selling instruments for rent

my life in a cardboard box

there's a stranger I know named success
who doesn't know my home address
he's never visited, I guess
'cause of the failure I have been
which brings me to now, though I digress
I'm here at work and it's a mess
they got me cleaning out my desk
fact is, I just can't win

          I look down
          in my hands
          I just don't understand
          looking at it gives me a shock
          my life in a cardboard box

there's business cards from business guys
who tried to cut me down to size
the glare of profit in their eyes
now they'll look for someone else
there's the pictures of the kids and wife
the ones I pay for with my life
my excuses, every alibi
the fault lies with myself

          I look down
          in my hands
          I just don't understand
          looking at it gives me a shock
          my life in a cardboard box

accept no substitute

when I write a song,
I don't want to imitate.
it belongs to me.

what I fought for

start the coffee brewing, mama
your soldier's coming home
far from the land of sand and sky
in a world you've never known
I've seen a lot of terrible things
standing in my country's door 
I've seen enough to know
this is not what I fought for

pick up a daily paper
turn on your TV
look up what's going down
in Washington DC
what you see will shake you
down to your human core 
I've seen enough to know
this is not what I fought for

          I fought for freedom
          I fought for our people's sake
          I didn't fight so the rich
          can take all they can take

get the keg a-flowing, brother
maybe it takes a lot of nerve
to criticize the alibis
of the country that I served
I'll speak my truth no matter how
or where I am ignored
I've seen enough to know
this is not what I fought for
          

day off

I'm taking the day off
I'm not gonna do what I should
I'm up to no damn good
I'm taking the day off
I ain't gonna work hard
I'm gonna be free as a breeze
I'm tired of saying pretty please
I'm taking the day off