a friend and i were discussing how we were often carded even though we felt pretty sure we looked too old to be of questionable age, yet it was always surprising when we were carded. I said I thought the occasions we were carded arose out of a doorman's observance of the pain in our eyes. she saw the light bulb go on over my head and ran to get a pen from the bartender while i unfolded napkins from the dispenser on which to write the song. she went to the ladies room and i presented her with the song upon her return. she read it and said, "how can you write my whole life in the time it takes me to go pee?" it was easy because it was my life then, too, so i just wrote out my everyday.
the title comes from a quote “most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” henry david thoreau, civil disobedience and other essays.
recorded live in an auditorium in front of about 4 people who were there to crew and made a wonderful audience.
lyrics
you wake up in the morning
focus your eyes upon the clock
wonder if you remembered
to take your keys out of the lock
you want to call in sick for the rest of your life
you know, just quit
but you go on, get up and move to the edge of your bed
where you just sit
you smell like cigarettes
and you think "alcohol hurts"
then you stumble to your closet
and you look through your shirts
jump into the shower
scrub your body, wash your hair
walk around in your towel for an hour
now you're late and you don't care
the pain in your eyes tells more than your age
it tells of your struggles, and the sorrow and the rage
when no one can guess, you are always surprised
'cause you feel what they see, that pain in your eyes
you make it okay to work
all day you'll fake normal
stifle yourself, most of the time,
when you want to scream "my god! this is pitiful!"
you find yourself watching the clock
another wasted nine to five
but hey, it pays the bills and buys the stuff
that keeps you alive
you make it through to the end
of another meaningless work day
console yourself you haven't sold out
it's just another price you pay
fight your way through traffic
it's good to see your own front door
there's a peace there, but not the one you want
what are you waiting for?
the pain in your eyes tells more than your age
it tells of your struggles, and the sorrow and the rage
when no one can guess, you are always surprised
'cause they see what you feel, that pain in your eyes
you check your messages
yeah you've got lots of friends
the parties and the planning
my god, the fun it never ends
you know you're loved and wanted
so why are you so sad?
you remember when life was easy - and lonely
this is not so bad
you've thrown off your clothes
you grab the jeans from the floor
the shirt from the chair
return a couple of calls
brush your teeth and brush your hair
you've got your phone, your money
your id and your keys
turn off the lights and walk out the door
with the smile everyone sees
but the pain in your eyes tells more than your age
it tells of your struggles, all the sorrow, all the rage
when no one can guess, you are always surprised
'cause they feel like you feel
with that pain in your eyes
credits
from live from the gluck theater at wvu: at a moment's notice,
track released December 7, 2011
i wrote it all, that's me singing and playing.
john casey engineered it live, managing to get a great stereo sound for the piano from a mono output.
lena got it all going and rick got it on here for me.
classically trained in piano and voice. considered a wordsmith by some and a smartass by most. originally from st. louis mo,
moved around midwest, appalachia and southeast. love music and texture. piano is my best friend. really personal? i'm a preacher's daughter, i like to work on my own car, my dream job would be snl cast member/writer and i love dressing in psuedo-costumes....more
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