| inside
"Songs for the Sacred Age"
I wanted to do something special for this release as it encompasses a healthy retrospective of my work. Due to "lack of manufacturing funds" I had to forgo the offset printing and 24 page lyric booklet which has always been an important part of my prior releases. I've always taken alot of time with artwork and other presentation as I feel that it deeply affects the way the listener perceives the music on the album. (I was once accused of making "coffeetable albums", to which I responded "wow! thank you!") The least I could do on the website was to provide the lyrics and list the contributing players. Since I've got more space than a cd booklet here, I'd also like to give a little insight as to what the songs mean to me. This is a hazardous task which I generally avoid... most of the time the lyrics give away exactly the right amount of information, and let the listener create the rest for themselves. I feel that this abstraction allows for a more personal read- especially the more cryptic/numerological stuff. I can provide a little into my lyrical themes though, and also provide some anectodal stuff that might prove interesting as well. So, thanks for tuning in and off we go! - William Steffey, 09.17.08
I fell in love with this image when I first saw it hanging in the main room at Raw Bar in Chicago (both the painting and the restaurant are still there). I later met the painter Dagmar "Dasha" Posedel in Andersonville. She was able to provide me with a slide of the painting taken right before it was stretched onto the frame, rather than my having to photograph the one hanging in the restaurant which was covered in about 1/8th inch of nicotine and other related bar-scum that had accumulated over the last 20 years or so. Dasha wasn't able to recall the name of this exact painting, but did remember it was from a series she called "Survival". The reason I love it- and why I felt it was perfect for Songs for the Sacred Age- is because it manages to be both space-y (alien face/helmet) and underwatery (double fins) all at once. Both themes occur throughout my lyrics consistently: water representing most often the subconscious mind, and space representing evolution and the outsidership that sometimes accompanies it. the Songs. Choosing which songs to put on this collection presented a formidable challenge. My original list of songs would have encompassed 4 cds, which I felt was way too many. After all, I wanted to make a 'best-of'' and not a box set. I wanted this release to serve as a collectors piece for those that already have some of my previous material, but also as an introduction to my work for those who have no idea who William Steffey is. The major determining factors for which songs made it and which songs didn't were basically A) solid songwriting and B) good production value. I have many tracks that were recorded under less-than-ideal technical situations (1987-), and didn't necessarily want those songs to be the first exposure to new listeners. Some other criteria for exclusion were long-winded arrangements that would have taken time away from other songs on the cd, or tracks that featured singers other than myself. I did alot of work with great singers Susannah Maldonado and Bonnie McNulty, not to mention a whole album with Jim Berry and Andrew Weiss under the name "Go Figure", but unfortunately these didn't fit into the scheme of a 'best of' compilation. On the bright side, I was able to include 37 ditties that capture the varied styles and major lyrical phases I've worked through. Following are the words from the album along with notes for each song, and links to video files where relevant. the Album. |
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disc one: 01.
City of Heroes disc two: 20.
Here I Am |
so you’ve mastered
the metaphor game like the movies you
swim in your dreams when intelligence
and lust turn to wisdom and love when the white limos
come out to play and if you believe it’s all too good to be true... schizophrenia heights
is a commuter town but until that time
City of Heroes was the lead-off single from the ROADSTAR cd, and helped propel that album to #3 on the CMJ most added chart. The song deals with the psychological states of evolution, and various dimensions that (may or may not) exist right here on planet earth. I've always believed that most people spend about 75% of the time thinking/speaking in metaphor vying for their social standing. When this concept is embraced- and the realization safely tempered- wonderful results can be achieved. my ankles red from
preterite's chain i don't mind that
you don't talk much half blazing sun-
the lustre dazzles clear seas into the world we
fall down what's a girl to
do when she's faced with half-mast attitude? Universe Like You has some pretty intense music theory going on that I based on the mechanics of a particular logarhythmic spiral and the pythagorean theorem. I recorded it around 1995. I believe that we're headed toward a new age of enlightenment, and this song touches on that. I do think that our culture is going through hell first, but, you know, that's how things go sometimes. That concept is repeated in numerous songs throughout this collection. After all, the name of the album is "Songs for the Sacred Age." Other interesting thoughts- the lyric "half-blazing sun" refers to a tattoo on the subject of the song's inner wrist. Also, it wouldn't be a bad time to mention that I believe that we all might as well be our own universes. We all have our own worldviews, sometimes they are loud, sometimes we get enveloped totally in other people's universes (which I think can be a problem). I think we all need to be our own universe getting along with everybody elses'. Whether this is a realistic proposition or not could be another story.
twenty years ago
today on this day if i could throw
our love up as a star we see the holy in
each other if i could throw
our love up as a star God Knows captures the frustration of a youthful relationship. I used to have ridiculous problems with being faithful, and the chorus of this song attempts to convey the self-destruction that goes along with not treating others well. The subject of this song would inspire many other songs on this collection. Generally, she's evoked by the word "angel" in my lyrics. She's also the subject of most of the 'he and she' stories found in the short story section of this website. curves just like
matisse this drink won't
slick me out of shackle- and lost in semaphor
tonight- are you reading? when the sun is over
tokyo sending semaphor
tonite- here it comes again: through the earthquake...
in the submarine... i just can't live this way anymore and change is too hard Thin Blue Line (whose title represents the ocean meeting the sky) warns the listener right off that the words are cryptic on purpose "crooked pen is all you're gonna get from me...' and even though the song was recorded around 1995, I'm still not comfortable sharing its meaning. I will mention that the circumvention of apocolypse theme rears its head in the bridge. I would often daydream about submarines- which could easily represent navigating the subconsious- and also earthquakes- which may represent violent cultural change. I was attracted to the science fiction novel "The Aquarius Mission" (whose artwork I implemented in the video for "18 Wheels") and also clippings about a literal earthquake occurring at 4:50am that demolished a civilization in the Indian Ocean thousands of years ago. These themes kept appearing in my head so I figured they were ripe for the exploring. 05. Stronger than Love hey baby... where
have you gone? i think you know
what i’m thinking of hey maybe... think
we could settle the score? i think you know
what i’m thinking of i think you know
what i’m dreaming of Stronger than Love is about another heavy-hitter in my love life around the time I turned 30. The whole EP "love song for kyrie snow" was based on a breakup. The lyrics here are pretty straightforward. I did so much whining across this EP that people natually assume that "Kyrie" broke up with me, but actually, the opposite was true. I came because I
had to know a kid so safe, naïve,
and cool spinning dishes and
smashing plates like something old,
something new Nostalgia is one of the space songs. "Spinning dishes and smashing plates are much more fun to watch from space" is one of my favourite lines, evoking either kitchenware or satellites and techtonic motion (yes again). As mentioned in the foreward, alot of times I think the use of outer space as a metaphor for a kind of distance is common in my work. Like- life goes on, and I'll just stand over here. In the video I'm wearing this cool orange shirt that somehow my brother ended up with. 07. Soft Simple Ritual so simply something
so simply something
let these pilgrims
dance without a word scribble and scratch
away the hour and fifteen minute game let these pilgrims
dance without a word let these pilgrims
dance without a word Soft Simple Ritual is about a kiss. I was in a class at Columbia College in 1991 and there was another student (who is pictured in a still about 20 seconds into the video) with whom I was completely enamoured. Most of the song is about sitting in class just being near this girl. I ended up giving her a cassette copy of the song one day after class. The video was culled from a 16mm film project that I did with the help of my brother Brett, Traci 'Trouble' Weingard, and Chantal Wentworth. My favourite part of the video is the white sailboat appearing at the end, which was a total coincidence- making for one of the most magical images in any of my videos. 08. Grow Crazy love- so sick and
sweet all your nightmares
are totally real light- turning tricks
with heat all your nightmares
are totally real grow crazy little
flower Grow Crazy started on the Silver Nitrate cd, but since that was never formally released (due to a webclient who never paid the back 50%), the song ended up on ROADSTAR. It's cryptic as all hell, but I don't mind spilling the beans on this one. I've always believed that the strongest tool can also be the strongest weapon (and vice-versa). The idea of mass being converted to energy is a great example. We know the destruction it can cause, but this song puts the question into a positive spiritual paradigm. ROADSTAR came out right around the time of the WTC attack, so naturally I was afraid people would think the "manhattan newsstand" might refer to that, but in actuality it refers to the Manhattan Project. And the girl? OH man, I came on way too strong. In fact, the whole thing was not unlike the scene from the movie Swingers where the main character keeps getting hung up on by the answering machine but keeps calling back. Whatever. She never gave me subtext. Oh- and for the record, I never actually had sex with her. It just made for a fantastic couplet. TMI? You decide. innocence is fleeting
now but with time the vega system beckons
now and with time and i would have
never known and with time Sanctuary was the single from the Romance of the Spaceways cd and also ended up on several compilations. The original title of the song was "Last Night on Earth" and was about escaping the planet minutes before its destruction. "Dealing out secret goodbyes" has to do with those last phone calls one might make- not being able to fully disclose what is going on. The video clip was shot in Cozumel, but I didn't have enough footage to complete it. last night in a cold
dream i've tasted electra's
red lips i never could say
what she was thinking last night in a cold
dream your back can't bend
from the weight of the world my servant indentured
is easily censored last night in a cold
dream i think she's finding
someone else
in me Sometimes I set out to completely rip-off another song, but I do this knowing that it never turns out remotely close to the original. With Just Another Girl I was trying to capture "Money Don't Matter" by Prince. I remember borrowing my friend Danny Beider's Korg keyboard to get the drum and string sounds. Very clean sounding stuff. My favorite part is the last half of the second verse where there are massive gospel-tinged backup harmonies. This song was, as many are, based on a dream I had in which 'angel' was indeed, just another girl to me. you were the heroic
man passion's quest:
self-validation with Ireland under
wing you knew, as you rise the trees
turn to bushes and barns to little children's toys you took off amidst
the cries of fool but this was long
ago as you rose the trees
turned to bushes The song Charlie is an homage to aviator Charles Lindbergh. I've always considered him a personal hero for chasing down his goals despite others' constant naysaying. I found quite a bit of irony in the fact his completely personal quest to cross the Atlantic, ended up making him such a public figure that it ended up crushing his personal life. WXRT in Chicago said this song was "too serious for airplay" which is a critique I get some of the time. (See: Glimpse, Simple Song). I was heavily influenced around this time (1993) by 10,000 Maniacs and some of the rhythms and chord voicings show that. Oh, and of course, the 'too serious' topic. Whatevah. across his austrian
desk the rev of the engine
roar the 6502 and microwave
across the marble
cliffs she danced pen falling, sigmund
wipes his brow and the world came crashing down… danielle schneider:
backup vocals Sigmund and Pandora draws a parallel between the work of Freud and the first mortal woman of Greek mythology. Essentially, I think by 'assigning words to what cannot be described' Freud opened up a Pandora's box. The subconsious is a tricky animal, and hard lines to explain it have caused a great deal of harm. Note that in this song the 'timetable' gets 'ripped', and in a later song on here it gets put back together again. It's difficult for me not to be self-referential sometimes because my work all comes from the same imagination, often sporting the same architypes. Just like dream, things fall apart, things come together. Just because they may not happen in the same song doesn't mean that I can't talk about them in the same terms. This song was penned at Cafe Voltaire on Clark near Belmont in 1993 or 1994. The cafe/theater in question is long gone. I did, however, name my cat after the Pandora in this song and have not ruled out the addition of a Sigmund. lips like armageddon Glimpse was written in direct response to a nasty
printed review I got one time, again asserting that my subject matter
and delivery were too serious. Over the past years (and especially recently)
I've gotten enough stellar reviews to not care too much about the bad
ones- most often they're great for a laugh (click on MEDIA section to
read some!) All I can say is: life is not simple all the time. Life does
not make sense all the time. So there, Illinois Entertainer.
14. Kiss To History i got a bitchin'
car first we'll go to
hollywood i got a bitchin'
sub first we'll go to
hollywood Kiss to History actually had a really cool cartoon video that went along with it, but it was lost years ago. I could go on and on about submarines and earthquakes here, but all you really have to do is read the lyrics! The surf feel undeniably comes from hanging out with the band "Spies who Surf" for many years (these things rub off, you know.) The guitar solo is out-of-control, but admittedly punched in here and there. Later on, guitar solos would all but disappear from my work. (They're coming back, I swear!) At the end of the track there is a quick sample of Lenny Bruce saying "do you suppose they'll hear that?" i used to see her
on the elevator sometimes i'm finally flying now don't speak- language
sometimes lies speak only what you
mean is it such a secret?
and now it's summer
in crash city i'm finally flying now. Hotel Maslow approaches the idea that language can lie, which is a problem because we think in language. I think this song also has alot to do with my relationship with my mother who was a total alcoholic. It's tough to get close to somebody when they're appearing and disappearing emotionally all the time ("no she'd never stay..."). In the second half of the song I accidentally knock over a music stand when recording vocals and you can totally hear it. you're an angel in
a little girl you can't carry me now you wear holy in
your devil's world once you take yours off shed your pretense-
like snakeshedskin waters rise and spirits
fall shed inheritence-
like snakeshedskin shed Whitehorse.
jim berry: flugelhorn, trumpet, trombone The snake appears in mythology frequently, in large part due to the fact that it regularly sheds its skin- symbolizing transformation. A major theme in my work is the reconciling of opposites, and that also goes on a little bit in here. "Wearing holy in your devil's world"... basically asserts that if you pick one side you've already lost the game. In Eastern philosophies, dark and light are represented by a harmonious duality- not the cacophonous dichotomy as they are here in the west. The lines at the end may seem cryptic, but they're all locations where the subject of the song lived. 17. 14 Leaves why the fuck do you
do what you do to yourself? you are the decorator
of your dungeon you blame your house,
you blame your job 14 leaves falling
(don't be afraid to live your life right girl) amidst the conversation
she drags her fingers across her wrists you blame your house,
you blame your job 14 leaves falling
14 Leaves has always been close to me.... and really represents my strong aversion to the self-destructive vibe that was going on in the pop-culture of the 1990's. I pulled the number 14 out of nowhere, but it turns out that it occurs pretty frequently in myth- specifically in cases where a person or an object is obliterated, and the pieces are picked up by the other members of the society allowing them to be rejuvinated. (In Egyptian lore, Set tore the god Osiris’ body into fourteen pieces... ) In this instance, my artist gene seemed to be in top form. Last note- "amidst the conversation she drags her fingers across her wrists" was something I observed a teen doing for effect at the Denny's in Highland Park... a regular hang during my own high-school years and beyond. This song was dedicated to that girl. don't mind the roadkill see back in the day scraps of standard
oil listening to jazz we're just snowangels,
baby city limit signs
doc that hancock
signed this mosaic of chaos every mother knows and we're snowangels,
baby Snowangels was written around 1996 but released in 2001. It's basically a 'state of the society' message outlining a culture where children grow up to be, well, capitalist cartoon characters. "Scraps of standard oil make a kind of new design" make a reference to a fictional terrorist attack on Chicago as evidenced in the video clip. This was again touchy because of the release date... and the video does smack of the NYC disaster but only by coincidence. "Just slip in cassettes when the AP reads all wrong..." DOES in my opinion apply to both cases. The verse is written in a haiku-like form that I devised based upon the radius/shape edge length ratio of the tetrahedron. A 29 syllable verse followed by a 41 syllable verse. Also, the bass line in the choruses spell out "Snowangels" in morse code, a skill I learned at 8 years old when I got my amateur radio license.
19. Waterside the old car in the
driveway just jumped backwards twice raised in the shadows
of sluts and rebels an ill mind... the
body of a dancer like a butterfly
suture on a timeline and by the waterside
she showed me how to die If forced at gunpoint to choose a favourite song of mine I would choose Waterside. I feel like I just really nailed it here. Simple lyrics, nice acoustic guitars complemented by undulating, grooving keyboards. "Jenny Diver" is really 'angel', and the verse following that is about me. This is the second song (Hotel Maslow is the other) that makes reference to "Crash City" which is a dark fictional city whose name I stole from a series of brilliant illustrations done by my friend Tom Crestodina. "Crash City Music Co." also happens to be the name of my label's publishing arm. The seemingly wayward electric piano part at the end follows the rules of the Fibbonacci series. (0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13, etc...) can i have your attention
before here i am- for all
to enjoy if everybody knew
everything here i am- for girls
and boys you are not your
mind. Throughout my travels artistically, I've adopted several different 'characters' to help me more fully express myself. "Spaceboy" is not a totally original concept. Bowie has referred to him, as have Smashing Pumpkins. But nobody had ever presented this "Spaceboy" in the first person. This song was designed to accomplish just that. The first alien to make contact with the pop-culture laden race of humans. He's referred to as "society's toy" because the culture constantly makes what ever they will of him- having little to do with who or what he is in actuality. I think this is an issue that effects every person in a microscopic sense. The song kicks off with the golden section in pitch and time. In the last three lines, Spaceboy kicks Descartes in the head. 21. Inside We're Lovers it's a miracle we
never hooked up here it comes Inside We're Lovers is the only new song on this 2-cd set. The name "Songs for the Sacred Age" was fashioned after a line in the chorus. The first two lines appeared in a journal entry from years ago that I had been dying to use. The next two lines, well, let's just say my parents weren't very happy about that. But they did kind of rhyme? There are a few songs on SFTSA where I drop the F bomb, but what the fuck. The word comes up in conversation sometimes so I see no reason it shouldn't appear in my work. This song is about a particular muse who has inspired much of my work recently. While we're on the subject, I'd like to point out that while I could totally be accused of being 'girl-crazy', these muses merely provide a jumping point for more sociological points. Meaning to say, I'll start writing about a girl and then all the sudden I'm talking about all kinds of other social issues. Well, sometimes at least. 22. Roadstar all this energy my robots go wild Roadstar originally appeared in my online journal in an entry titled "kiteboat" which flips the ideas of sky and water. I loved the words so much that I didn't want to taint them with a human voice. Online I found a beta version of a text-to-speech synth and downloaded wav files from it. Did the trick. I also had the poem translated into French for a station in Montreal that was playing the album, but wasn't happy with the French accent that the text-to-speech synth offered, so the other version was never completed. This song was also released on 12" vinyl along with its 7 minute version and the instrumental "World's Tallest Building". The reason I named the album ROADSTAR was because it utilized the metaphor of arthropods crawling from the sea onto the land 240 million years ago- representing the currently emerging consciousness of this 'new age' that I keep babbling on about. The idea of man rising above the waterline = man evolving past metaphor. The image of the christ walking on water is an ideal one. Head in the consciousness of the air, but with feet touching the subconscious energy of the water. This position can also been seen in the closing scene of the film "Being There" starring Peter Sellers, and numerous other examples in Eastern lit and beyond. 23. Call Our Own no these bricks they
were not meant for us no these sheets they
were not meant for us no, i can't see don't you know we
did the right thing no i can't see looking back on floorboards
waxed through dancesteps tear-purpled photographs no these bricks they were not meant for us mark murphy: rock on window Call Our Own deals with a situation that friends of opposite sexes sometimes grapple with (a.k.a. "no these sheets they were not meant for us..." You figure it out. Fun fact- my friend Mark was throwing rocks at my window late-night trying to get my attention so I could buy him alcohol (not that I would do that for an underager, now. Well, now.) One of the rocks hit the window perfectly on the beat before the bridge begins and it's totally audible on the vocal track. This song was recorded around 1992. 24. Angel Gives night fell so softly
what my angel gives night slipped away
to the pull of the progression horns what my angel gives night fell again
so softly on its cue [excerpt from he and she #13:] they sat in the cool night's desert under a curving blanket of stars. that evening they were the only two people in the world. they were alive, alone, apart from culture's pull. fate's generosity snapped them out of politics' shackles and they were free to interact with each other, each other's other and nobody else. this world was built for them. They exchanged words rarely, as they had long been rendered unnecessary- like choosing soda over water. This seemed to be when he loved her- when they were alone. not alone in the house of his father which reeked of his subordination. Not alone in the house of her mother that was never her home, but in the desert miles and miles and miles away from any faint influence. They were alone. And they were loving. hari allen: backup vocals Angelgives is another song about the 'angel' girl. It has a spoken word excerpt from one of my 'he and she' stories which describes a picturesque Iowa landscape. Most of the time I wouldn't be caught dead reading poetry aloud (of my own or anybody's....[see Roadstar]) but I think it fits here. Could have been mixed a little louder though. I was tempted to go in and remix all these songs but there were technical issues that made that impossible. Plus there is something charming about these old mixes. The guitar solo at the end I feel is one of my best. last night i drempt
i married margaret last night i drempt
i married margaret margaret short and
thin looked up at me middle of the night
margaret short and
thin looked up at me last night i drempt
i married margaret but you've got to
marry someone. This full title of this song is "Last Night I Dreampt I Married Margaret" but gets truncated often because it's always 3 times longer than any other title on the compilations. I did have such a dream where I married my friend Margaret. I gave her the song on a lark, and she was a bit non-plussed that I would take such a light-hearted attitude to marriage with her. Oops. Sorry, Margaret, it was just a dream, after all. I don't think it's necessary to marry now, but in 1992 apparently I felt some kind of pressure. so you want to know
what real love is i ain't cut out to
wear no romeo clothing i can't be your superman so you want to know
what real love is my story's nothin
like a verona love song i can't be your superman susannah maldonado:
backup vocals Capulet Grin is one of my funkier numbers. Without the horn section the song would have gone nowhere. It hints at the push and pull that went on in my relationship with 'angel'. "Ideal vs. Real" was a topic that I'd revisit frequently during those years... "we see the grace, the beauty, but not the real..." [from God Knows]. This song urges the subject to drop the fairy tale and deal with "what you've got instead.". Killer sax solo(s) courtesy John Paul of Blue Meanies fame. At the end you can hear me drop the tambourine, then Jim tells John Paul "That sounded like a cool solo, man!" sarah is silent down
on the southside venus is barking
up on the northside all the bitspeed
in the world off in the countryside Breathing Underwater has always been a special song to me. "Sarah" is the girl's real name, and I only saw her about two times in my life- both under excruciatingly platonic circumstances. I juxtapose her lighthearted spiritual attitude with that of Venus who is extremely rigid and judgemental. The idea of the streetboys "vomiting white light" refers to the expulsion of pure energy but lacking any form that would render it sensible. I was really just trying to paint a picture of an urban setting where passions run wild. While I do whole-heartedly believe in the soul as an eternal entity, I also believe in making the most of this world... being alive in this world. In this song, this is a code that Sarah lives by. It's gently contrasted with the Christian ethic that you have to die before you go to heaven. Sarah disagrees. took it years to
grow sometimes i want
to live forever and in the morning gap 'tween me and
who i want to be keeps trenching out sometimes i want
to live forever waitress pours the
coffee my life is a triangle
of love and sex and death and in the morning
we'd watch these flowers fall and in the morning
when we'd watch these flowers fall This April Evening was written at a small coffeeshop/restaurant in Deerfield called "Artemis". Don't look for it- it's been demolished and replaced by an Elizabeth Arden. I used to write alot of material there- most of the Letters Never Sent release in fact. I had been poring over a bunch of religious texts looking for corresponding numerology and based the kick drum pattern in the verses after such a sequence. 2000 angels, then 3000 angels, then 5000 angels decended. So, 2, 3, 5 is how the bass drum goes. These figures also have a Fibonacci relationship as well. This is pretty basic stuff compared to the mathematical work I would later engage in, but what can I say. I had to start somewhere. The line "hole between you and me i want to flee..." was almost "hole between you and me i want to see..." which further paints a picture of the push/pull relationship I had with 'angel.' city litter swirls
making the skin of the invisible man if i hit the lights
just right ashland will be green all night she found him dead
in the brush in a puddle of wax if you hit the lights
just right ashland will be green all night Ashland is a song about "Kyrie Snow". It's framed as a love story between Goldilocks and Icarus. Goldilocks and her "just right" mentality instructs Icarus how to fly close to the sun without melting his wax wings (since he apparently wasn't going to let his father Daedalus impart that knowledge unto him). Fun facts: I did have a broken rib, swimmer's ear, and a hell of a tan- and Kyrie did bring to me ice, isopropyl, and aloe. The theme of synchronicity is also touched on a little bit. "if you hit the lights just right, Ashland will be green all night." The line refers to a few things. Manifest content is about a N/S street in Chicago. But it also talks about acquiescing in a relationship sense- giving up the single life for the bounty of a union. "Ashland" also represents death and how if you hit the lights just right it can be outsmarted. you know i haven't
seen you for awhile see there are some
things in this world i know your deep
dark secret in my crooked way
i care, i can't lie see there are some
things in this world how do i know? yes there are some
things in this world i know your deep
dark secret I wrote Deep Dark Secret in 1990 about a friend at University of Iowa, but I think this particular version was recorded in 1995. This track is a perfect example of how a real drum kit can add ALOT of balls to a recording. The lyrics are pretty straightforward here. The psychology of keeping a secret. The video was shot in the basement of my parents' house in Deerfield, Illinois, and also the apartment of 'angel' in Highland Park. Deep Dark Secret was the lead-off song from my 1995 cassette release "Letters Never Sent" which came with a little blue WS sticker.
it’s brutal
without you wasn’t it a
clue to love it’s brutal
without you wasn’t it a
clue to love were we all’s
a losing hand Brutal (from the 'love song for kyrie snow' EP) talks about many of the geographic locations that she and I visited. The Empire State building and Alcatraz are naturally actual locations we went, but also double symbolically as the highs and lows of a relationship. While I'd love for 'the ghost train to Frankfort' to refer to a haunting trek through old world Europe, it's really a tip of the hat to the Chicago suburb of the same name. But we don't have to tell anybody that. 32. 7000 Satellites on the wings of a
jailbreak we're nearing the portal now... 7000 satellites i am, i am a believer
that the holy soul is damned we're nearing the portal now... 7000 satellites 7000 Satellites is about escaping a logic paradigm. More reconciliation of opposites here (crazied out of all the lies that were the promises... and tied by all the promises that lied...). The line "I am a believer that the holy soul is damned" was borrowed from an Elisabeth Benson poem. I always interpreted the line to mean 'the holier-than-thou' soul is damned. While the title is meant to imply the arrival of an armada of spaceships, it was actually derived from the NASA estimate that there are approximately 7000 items floating around the Earth that were accidentally left behind by space missions. (scissors, gloves, etc...) i let this angel
fuck things up again and as the true sun
climbs in the dark i stumbled
on the ladder orion's dotted waist
marks the pathway to my sandy place Oú est ma
soeur que pouvais vivre sous le grand mer? brett steffey: blowmelodian Timetable Stitch kicks off being trapped in between the field of opposites, as referenced by the arctic myth of the Skate and the South Wind. The judgemental visage of Venus rears her head again. This is another apocolyptic song which begs (in French) to find my 'sister that can live under the great sea' which evokes the same idea as 'Breathing Underwater' does. Spiritual survival. The bridge is about a friend of mine who actually did have a horse named Cosmo. Spindles and waves are both scientific components of dream study. Ah, and the "Jung Clock" refers again to synchronicity. 34. Tread it was just like
yesterday I remember when we the bucketholders
arrive! it was the springtime
of my purity the bucketholders
arrive! I’ll take you
all the way I’ll take you all the way the bucketholders
arrive! Tread is all about the ending of the Piscean Age and the beginning of the Aquarian Age. The first verse remembers the ascent of sea-animals onto the land (as mentioned earlier). The 'bucketholders' refer to the Aquarians. This all fits together neatly as the fish is an animal that lives underneath the waves of the subconscious, and the bucketholders who live above the water have harnessed the energy of the subconscious in their containers. A true moment in evolution. The phrase "big easy surprise: postponed" refers to a near marriage proposal in New Orleans. The same lyric later appears (and is clarified) in the song "So F*cking Hard" which does not appear on this compilation. i used to think i
was immortal for 25 long years
it kept me going round and if you say you
gotta go- well you know i hate it
when you swing that thing around and when you said
you had to go- well I've always felt that when you judge others, you are actually judging yourself in different terms. That's what Gavel is your Guillotine is all about. Inverse, and fear-driven judgementality. Going by the lyrics, I wrote this song when I was 25, making it 1996. can you ever sing
a simple song she intimated to me but it's not the
world that's falling for some blokes words
fall like rain through box-kite
windows you can spy and sleep becomes
the only way for some blokes words
fall like rain from the edge I pull
back I contend that it's not my fault that I see life in a complex manner. So it goes that I can't help but to relate my stories in such a manner. "for some blokes words fall like rain, but for me it's not the same". The bridge of the song touches on the American role in the middle-eastern conflicts, and also rampant 'patriotism' that we've been subjected to since you-know-when. I still love America... but when our foreign policy goes so far against the principles our country was built upon, well, am I still American? stories spread across
the skies pictures spread across
the sky hey! goodbye cassiopeia they told you it's
a lion galileo's heavens
pictures spread across
the sky hey! goodbye cassiopeia The lesson of Goodbye Cassiopeia is that we needn't interpret our existence given the roadmaps handed to us. We're free to see in 'the skies' whatever we choose, and not necessarily the shapes we've been told dominate the heavens or elsewhere.
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