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1. |
Tolling Bell
03:23
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Stop the orchestra; tie the singers up
Burn the opera to the ground
Melt the celluloid; crash the power grid
Let the city make no sound
Take the least repentant thieves and televangelists
Let them carry what they will
And when there's nothing left but prayers and ruins
Then at last we'll all be still
I will signify a tolling bell
With a gesture of my hand
One by one we will emerge again
To rebuild our land
Drop the laptop case; don't take anything
Find a cozy place to hide
Mind and body will be all you need in this new world
Cast the rest of it aside
I will signify a tolling bell
With a gesture of my hand
One by one we will emerge again
To rebuild our broken land
I will signify a tolling bell
With a gesture of my hand
One by one we will emerge again
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2. |
This Is Fine
03:37
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Today I almost ran my car off the road on purpose this is fine
I got to work early so I could cry before clocking in this is fine
It’s only a platitude, it may be an insincere line
It’s practically meaningless, and this is fine
The china in the cabinets rattled when you slammed the door this is fine
I stared at the bottle and I swear it stared back at me this is fine
It’s only a platitude, it may be an insincere line
It’s practically meaningless, and this is fine, this is fine, this is fine
Is this disingenuous?
Oooh, I need you to tell me sometimes
Oooh, I need to believe it
Slogging through tar and I’m not deserving of anyone’s help
I bite you so that you’ll learn to hate me as much as I hate myself
It’s only a platitude, it may be an insincere line
It’s practically meaningless, and this is fine, this is fine, this is fine
It’s practically meaningless, and this is fine, this is fine, this is fine
It has to be fine...
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3. |
The Handbook
01:59
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Establish a presence
In another tribe's fort
Make a ghillie suit, keep a low profile
Observe and record
Row the boat with your bare hands
Forge ahead with no scout
You will overcome missing the day
They gave The Handbook out
Maybe you're stupid
That's not what I think
You're a Bible of brittled out binding glue
Upside-down pages, and smudged ink
Guess at north with no compass
Plot a course through your doubt
You will overcome missing the day
They gave The Handbook out
You think of it like a cross to bear
Something akin to a curse
People tell you you’re not alone
But what you're going through's worse
Did you sleep through it?
Were you even born?
No matter, you've cobbled some intel
From pages discarded and torn
Tunnel free with your fingers
Stay ever devout
You will overcome missing the day
They gave The Handbook out
You’ll be forgiven for missing the day
They gave The Handbook out
It won’t even matter that you missed the day
They gave The Handbook out
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4. |
Henrietta's Eyes
03:45
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Have you seen her catch an inspiration from a summer breeze?
And when she dances, how her body sways in rhythm with the trees
If you could learn to see the world through Henrietta's eyes
You'd come to come to find it's something bitter
And have you seen her in the garden, making furrows in the dirt?
She pulls our dinner from the earth until her bony fingers hurt
If you could learn to see the world through Henrietta's eyes
You'd come to find it's something bitter
You might still be there on the day her fire dies
She'll still be with you but you'll miss her
I may have made her cry when pressure buckled in against her hard
But I have never sung a note as lovely as her rainbow chard
If you could learn to see the world through Henrietta's eyes
You'd come to find it's something bitter
You might still be there on the day her fire dies
She'll still be with you but you'll miss her
Put in the work, don't let her wither
Remain with her, don't let it die
Put in the work, don't let her wither
Remain with her, don't let it die
Put in the work, don't let her wither
Remain with her, don't let it die
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5. |
More
03:29
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I wish it weren't so hard
To see the forest for the bayonets
It's always a temptation
To trade the battle for the war
But you know that's not how it works
However much the other guy gets
He's gonna want more
He's gonna want more
Well there's never the time
We're down to the wire
Would you find a quiet harbor
Just 'cuz you're tired?
Would you walk away now
If you believed that you could get more?
Are you looking for your glasses
Or waiting for the shapes to coalesce?
With your eyes on the horizon
Uncertain which half is the floor
I sympathize, as much as I've tried
To make the budget balance with less
I always need more
We always need more
Well there's never the time
We're down to the wire
Would you find a quiet harbor
Just 'cuz you're tired?
Would you walk away now
If you believed that you could get more?
More candid, more sure
More than we thought we were
More bright, more kind, more pure
More than we thought we were
More than we thought we were
The system is rigged, it's not zero-sum
The dealer takes a cut of the bets
They're gonna want more
They always want more
Well there's never the time
We're down to the wire
Would you find a quiet harbor
Just 'cuz you're tired?
Would you walk away now
If you believed that you could get more?
I'll always have a reason, I'll make an excuse
You can't defeat the ocean, so what's the use?
I'll never walk away
As long as I believe I'll get more
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6. |
Good Trouble
03:37
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You could wave a white flag and be seen as a threat
Yeah, if there is a right way, we don't know it yet
So start rattling the cell doors, brother
Keep screaming ‘til you lose your damn mind
Scratch a message in the ceiling of your coffin
For historians to find
Folks everywhere
Keep making good trouble
And remember this:
Think hard about
Who gets to decide
What "Good Trouble" is
Now it’s been generations of constant assault (constant assault)
And I’m beginning to see how it’s still my fault, my fault, mine (still your fault, your fault)
So sing it louder for the people in the cheap seats
We’ll hear you way across the red line
Together we can lift a cheek from off the pavement
Or a knee up from a spine
Folks everywhere
Keep making good trouble
And remember this:
(Hey hey! Ho ho!)
Think hard about
Who gets to decide
What "Good Trouble" is
When you’re lonely and only a friend will do
And you’re doubting if Love really Wins
When you care, the despair is unbearable
Yes and that is where the work begins
Folks everywhere
Keep making good trouble
And remember this:
(Hey hey! Ho ho!)
Think hard about
Who gets to decide
What "Good Trouble" is
Who gets to decide what “Good Trouble” is
(Hey hey! Ho ho! These racist cops have got to go!)
Who gets to decide
What it is
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7. |
The Neighborhood Dogs
04:43
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All the neighborhood dogs note your absence
And make it known they wish that you were here
And this whole street of cars
Are like skidmarks on the tar
They disappear
In one processional turning of the engines
As the church bells ring out, right at eight
And a man at the train stop
Looks up from his phone to see your face
Every signal you receive is telling you to run away
And you can never seem to find out why
As a mockingbird imitates a car alarm cry in the night
Just know your city loves you and so do I
All the automobiles vie for attention
And you still see the magic in the way
A single piercing siren
Can cut through all the bustle
Of the day
Yeah
Early afternoon sunlight breaks the fog down
The asphalt glows on every northbound street
And steam from the vents
Collects to mask the scent
Of dying trees…
Every signal you receive is telling you to run away
And you can never seem to find out why
As a mockingbird imitates a car alarm cry in the night
Just know your city loves you and so do I
All the neighborhood dogs meet at nightfall
And, digging holes, uncover human skulls
And the more you try to fight it
The more you think you feel your city pull…
Every signal you receive is telling you to run away
And you can never seem to find out why
As a mockingbird imitates a car alarm cry in the night
Just know your city loves you and so do I
Just know your city loves you and so do I
And so do I
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8. |
Fisheye
02:56
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It’s been a shitty year, but at least it’s over
No, wait, it’s only mid-July
I’ve been bailing out the water with teaspoons
But it never stopped rising, and it’s up to my eye
Through revilles and smelling salts, the nightmare never ends
We only see the world as through a fisheye lens
I’m glued to my phone
I’m fighting alone
We only see each other through a fisheye lens
You took a plate of sawdust and made it fragrant
But I wouldn’t want to eat it raw
No amount of the stuff will ever add up enough
To satisfy the gaping maw
Through revilles and smelling salts, the nightmare never ends
We only see the world as through a fisheye lens
I’m glued to my phone
I’m fighting alone
We only see each other through a fisheye lens
The more I read what this calamity’s about
The more the camera dollies in while it zooms out
The closer you come in the more the image warps
We’re all assembling the same exquisite corpse
It’s been a shitty year, but at least it’s over
No wait, it’s only late July
And there’s no guarantee that we’ll all suddenly be
Okay when 2021 rolls by
Through revilles and smelling salts, the nightmare never ends
We only see the world as through a fisheye lens
I’m glued to my phone
I’m fighting alone
We only see each other through a fisheye lens
We only see each other through a Vaselined fisheye lens
We hardly see each other
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9. |
Pistols at Dawn
03:35
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Our bed's a battleground
This house is upside-down
My mouth a gunshot wound
Landmines in every room
Time was, you couldn’t help but hold me
Nothing could keep us apart
Every word you say to me
Becomes some kind of machinery
That I fall upon
Every night we're trading intimate
Injuries so why can’t we admit
What our words become
Pistols at dawn
Your shadow at the door
The looming fog of war
Impassive steely stare
That icy whoosh of air
Lately I just can't help but hurt you
I keep on breaking your heart
Every word you say to me
Becomes some kind of machinery
That I fall upon
Every night we're trading intimate
Injuries so why can’t we admit
What our words become
Pistols at dawn
Some creepy masquerade
Big spinning disco ball
A freshly polished blade
That's hanging on the bedroom wall
Somebody called your bluff
That measured eerie calm
An oiled leather glove
That smells of Scotch and Tiger Balm
Your flushed and ringing ears
This empty fifth of gin
Big crocodile tears
The world's smallest violin
Every word you say to me
Becomes some kind of machinery
That I fall upon
Every night we're trading intimate
Injuries so why can’t we admit
What our words become
Pistols at dawn
Pistols at dawn
Pistols at dawn
Pistols at dawn
Pistols at dawn
Pistols at dawn
Pistols at dawn
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10. |
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I only look for tears when I’ve been crying
And I believe in you unless I’m lying
I don’t believe in you anymore, and that’s why I’m moving
It only took four years this time around
For me to piss off every friend I’ve managed to make in this town
Personal best (personal best!) Because I’m all about self-improving
We never argued, but rarely agreed
You gave me what I asked for, but not what I need
Now through my rear window
I watch another former former “Promised Land” recede
I saw the paint chipping off behind your eyes
You started to look at your friends like they were spies
We glimpsed your hidden face like through a veil of cigarette smoke
Then at the sound of your voice I’d pull away
Because I’m never
When I tried to tell you, it came out as an awkward joke
In spite of our problems, we always got along
I tried to be perfect, but still it all went wrong
Now through your rear window
I hope you that you can see a better way to go on
We never argued, but rarely agreed
You gave me what I asked for, but not what I need
Now through my rear window
I watch another former “Promised Land” recede
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11. |
Homestretch
04:34
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There’s a moment in every race
When you give yourself permission to quit
You've already given your best
Haven't you earned some rest?
The kid hanging off your back
Is losing patience fast
He just wants to go home
At the starting line, he’s there for the ride
And at the halfway point, he's putting up a fight
And at the homestretch
He’s trying to break my stride
He’s trying to break my stride
It's not that he wants you to lose
But he doesn't have the patience for it
So he’s pulling your earlobes
Poking your lymph nodes
You try to evade the attack
Outnumbered, outclassed
And then you’re alone
At the starting line, he’s there for the ride
And at the halfway point, he's putting up a fight
And at the homestretch
He’s trying to break my stride
He’s trying to break my stride
There’d be no shame in getting beat
But there’s no way you won’t compete
There's a moment in every race
When you make yourself recommit
At the starting line, he’s there for the ride
And at the halfway point, he's putting up a fight
And at the homestretch
He’s trying to break my stride
He’s trying to break my stride
I won’t let him break my stride
I won’t let him break my stride
I won’t let him break my stride
I won’t let him break my stride
I won’t let him break my stride
I won’t let him break me
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12. |
Long Story Short
03:30
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Walk awhile in the woods without a compass and you're bound to drift
Wait below the water in a three piece suit and you'll never lift
You learn a lot about the life you're living when you get a priceless gift
And turn it down
Find me running, eyes closed, hoping that my feet stay on the path
Weathermen, waiting for their cues, chew erasers while they do the math
Waiting for the moment they can forecast Hell and Heaven's wrath
Upon their town
We need to believe
In ourselves when we're weak
When we stumble and fall
We get to decide
How hard we will fight
If we’re fighting at all
Long story short
It's a wonder I'm here
Anyone who's ever felt the breeze of a sword
That barely missed
Anybody suddenly inspired to begin
Their bucket list
Nothing but a waste of force to
Ricochet your fist
Against the ground
We need to believe
In ourselves when we're weak
When we stumble and fall
We get to decide
How hard we will fight
If we’re fighting at all
Long story short
It's a wonder I'm here
Long story short
It's a wonder we’re here
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13. |
North Beach Vampires
02:33
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(I vant to give you hugs! Ha ha ha...)
Well I’m a-shaving off my fur
And I can tuck away my tail
Spend a couple hours at a tanning salon
To make me just a little less pale
I can shower off the smell
I’m a-filing down my teeth
I’ve got a chiropractor workin’ on the hump in my back
So I can fit into society
I’m a funky Nosferatu with pompadour hair
I’m a Lilliputian Loup-Garou with Yoo-Hoo to share
I'm a ski lodge sea creature cleaning up mud
I'm a North Beach Vampire protesting blood
You recoiled at my glance
Yeah, you saw me stop and stare
I know you treat me like a horrible beast
But please, let me be your teddy-drop-bear
The mirror shatters when we smile
Yeah, we’d change it if we could
You think you’re looking at a million monsters,
Really we're just misunderstood
We’re checkerboard cadejos skipping rope with our chain
Bedazzled Krakens on the wing of a plane
We’re hipster Baba Yagas selling vegan eye of newt
Yeah, we’re dapper sasquatches in seersucker suits
We’re short, stubby Slender Men in stovepipe hats
We’re technicolor Chupacabras cuddling cats
We’re docile zombie cows, chewing our cud
We’re North Beach Vampires protesting blood
The mirror shatters when we smile
You know we’d change it if we could
You think you’re looking at a million monsters,
Really we're just misunderstood
(Ha ha ha)
(Brains…)
(Puttin’ on the Ritz!)
(Awoooooooo!!!!!)
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Jon Porobil Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jon Porobil is a solo singer/songwriter making music from his home in Pittsburgh. Jon's music explores many genres,
including rock, pop, folk, country, soul, and more.
Jon's fifth album, The Camouflage Kid, a concept album about moving on from an abusive cycle, will be released in late Fall 2022.
... more
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