Machine

Dug my way out like I wanted

Took 3 years of stress, but I got it

Changed my life, changed myself

It all took a toll on my health

Looking back I have to wonder

What did I do this for

Built a new life, but I don't want it

I'm back where I was before

Is it fear that keeps me here now?

Stagnation haunts my waking dreams

I'm trapped behind this desk now,

a machine behind a machine

Tried to stay away from this

Brok out o fthis life obscene

But is it all I know now?

Is this all I am?  A sight unseen?

So much left to do now

So much left in life yet to see

But I put my job before myself

Fell back into this dull routine

Is it fear that keeps me here now?

Stagnation haunts my waking dreams

I'm trapped behind this desk now,

a machine behind a machine

Am I just a machine behind a machine?

The Road I've Traveled

And the road I've traveled

Well it keeps me hanging on

And I don't stop for nothing

Just a learning right from wrong

Life will stop for no one

and you will never sleep

Unless we search for answers 

Already at our feet, yeah

Doesn't matter what I do

Or where I stay, I'm always

Anxious to keep moving on, moving on

This never-ending unrest burdens me

It's like an hour glass in my soul

driving me forever onward

I see my face in the mirror getting older

Seasons passing as I blink my eyes

And still this restlessness tears at me

And no matter how far I run, I know I can't hide

I gotta go!

My soul screams at me

Am I running from myself?

I don't know

This just can't be

The only life I have

The only thing I know is I just

gotta go, gotta go, gotta go!

I've gotta go!

*Recording details: I used my Dillon acoustic/electric guitar direct line into Pro Tools.  The distortion on the acoustic is the native Pro Tools Sansamp, Rockstar setting.  I used an EB-0 bass direct line into Pro Tools, and the drums are from a kit I created using the 4th kit on my Zoom ...234 drum machine, sampling each piece individual into Pro Tools and laying them that way.  I used a Heil PR-20 for vocals in 2012 for Tom and then again in 2015 for myself when I completed the song using my car as a vocal booth. 

Redistribtuion (of Guilt)

'A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong

gives it the superficial appearance of being right'

So I stop to ask the question of 'why?'

Why we send our young to fight.

Is it for our freedom that we aggressively

Pursue our enemies overseas?

Nations that we've equipped and trained to one day

Stand on their own two feet

Building an empire while we

Try to take control

Making everything our business we

Try to police the world

And for every solution

Problems multiply two-fold

What happen to letting business

Make our impact on the world?

Or is it something more elusive?

That we cannot properly define?

Spreading democracy by force

Despite the outcry from behind

How can we force democracy on others?

When we're no longer a Republic ourselves?

We've forgotten what it means to be capitalist

And replaced it with this outcry of 'Spread the Wealth'

Building an empire while we

Try to take control

Making everything our business we

Try to police the world

And for every solution

Problems multiply two-fold

What happen to letting business

Make our impact on the world?

Building an empire while we

Try to take control

Making everything our business we

Try to police the world

And for every solution

Problems multiply two-fold

What happen to letting business

Make our impact on the world?

Everything (Never) Changes

It seems like everything I know

Is always changing

But if there's one thing I know for sure

Nothing really changes

Those with power want more

All their talk is cheap

But they live on the fools

They've convinced to believe

It seems like everyone I know

Has become jaded

But if there's one thing I think for sure

The truth is obfuscated

Those with power want more

All their talk is cheap

But they live on the fools

They've convinced to believe

You've been betrayed

By your allegiance

Open your eyes

You're manipulated

It seems like every place I go

Gets more complicated

But if there's one thing I want for sure

It's to be vindicated

Those with power want more

All their talk is cheap

But they live on the fools

They've convinced to believe

 

You've been betrayed

By your allegiance

Open your eyes

You're manipulated

It seems like everything I know

Is always changing

But if there's one thing I know for sure

Nothing really changes

Nothing changes

**Recording Notes - I programmed the drums with my Zoom 234 drum machine and direct input recorded them.  For the distorted parts, I mic'd a Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 head and a generic cab with a Heil PR20 in Magix at my buddy Jeremy's.  I used a Schecter Diamond Series Damian 7-String.  I used the native distortion on the Warp 7 for one side, and Boss Metal Zone MT-2 for the other side.  For the acoustic parts I used Dillon Acoustic, direct line input into Pro Tools.  Recorded vocals with a Heil PR20 in Pro Tools.  For bass, I direct input an Epiphone EB-0 into Pro-Tools. 

Being that this was an early song of mine and I'm going back and recording all the music I've ever written on guitar, I decided to use the opportunity to develop other instruments and my voice.  I've never really sung, only screamed.  So, I figured, since this music is very basic because I was just learning guitar, it would be fitting to also start developing my voice and skills at drums and whatever other instruments I bring in as well. 

2nd For A Reason

One look at the statistics

Drives home one simple fact

Our Fore Fathers gave us guns

So we could fucking fight back

The logic is extremely simple

Allow the people to arm themselves

The weapon acts as a deterrent

And allows them to protect their wealth

Banning assault weapons and tracking ammo

Is just a quiet, subversive first step

To door-to-door gun collection

And paves the way for dictatorship

State's Rights is one solution

Over federal government

And maintain control over an issue

Important enough to be the 2nd Amendment

Fight for our rights and freedoms

The Right to Bear Arms

Fight for our rights and freedoms

The Right to Bear Arms

The idea that taking guns away

From law abiding citizens

To stop crime and prevent violence

Is about as stupid as it can get

Criminals don't care about the law

They buy their guns on the streets

Not in stores with paper trails

And documented receipts

Fight for our rights and freedoms

The Right to Bear Arms

Fight for our rights and freedoms

The Right to Bear Arms

*This is the second song I ever wrote on guitar.  More punk-ish, and that was the direction I began heading early on because it's easier to play for a new guitarist. 

**Recording Notes - I purchased a midi keyboard from M-Audio that came with a cheap version of Pro-Tools that was locked down.  Not knowing much about Pro-Tools, I programmed the drums with my Zoom 234 drum machine and direct input recorded them.  Then I mic'd a Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 head and a generic cab with a Heil PR20 in Magix at my buddy Jeremy's.  I used a Schecter Diamond Series Damian 7-String.  I used the native distortion on the Warp 7 for one side, and Boss Metal Zone MT-2 for the other side.  Unfortunately, somehow I lost the doubles, so the guitars aren't as beefy as they probably could've been.  I used a doubler plugin to emulate a second guitar track on either side to make up the difference a little.  Recorded vocals with a Heil PR20 in Pro Tools.  I direct input an Epiphone EB-0 into Pro-Tools.