Lyric:

On the radio
with the information flow
I heard a mandolin man
with a bluegrass band
puttin' on a helluva show.

He spoke really clean
able to say just what he'd mean.
I said "that'll be me
just wait and see."
I'll be the best there's ever been

It might be a pipe dream
but I keep my pipe clean.
How do I get there, what do I do?
I'm gonna be as good as you.

I'm gonna ride there
on a ship named whiskey. 
Fly in
while the dream fuel goes berserk.
Ride there on a ship named whiskey. 
Step aside, it's time to get to work!

He's got fire in his fingers
and a voice just like a bell,
and if I can dare
to follow him there,
I'm certain I'm bound for hell.

And I can be a master too,
I know it in my bones.
I might as well try,
for if I go die,
they'll write it upon my stones.

(Extended Uke solo)

So pour me up my whiskey,
and tell me I'm no good
'til all I can think
is of having a drink
on the place where the masters stood. 

So I'll be in the practice room,
watch me as I go
'til I'm an ukulele man
in a mandolin band
puttin' on a helluva show. 

It might be a pipe dream
but I keep my pipe clean.
How do I get there, what do I do?
I'm gonna be as good as you.

I'm gonna ride there
on a ship named whiskey. 
Fly in
while the dream fuel goes berserk.
Ride there on a ship named whiskey. 
Step aside, it's time to get to work!

Ship Named Whiskey

Lyric:

If it's magic
then I would bet that it's an accident

Nothing and everything
are random at the same time.
Like we planned to make the same rhyme

The cruelty of silence, 
like the joy of a smile that isn't in a photo,
this is accidental magic. 
This is creating presents out of now.
This is accidental magic.

Shadows
Silhouette
reveal a garden of flowers
as the light moves by the hour
round a cluttered desk in an ivory tower.

Train rides, caught your eyes. 
In a spark of inspiration towards a different destination.

Fading memories come roaring into present day
without asking if it's okay. 

The cruelty of silence, 
like the joy of a smile that isn't in a photo,
this is accidental magic. 
This is creating presence out of now.
This is accidental magic.

On a day, on a walk, in a sunrise
there's a smell, there's a dog, there's some green eyes.
There's a loving thought about bread,
just as fast a fantasy about leaping into busy traffic. 

And it changes your day, or it doesn't and it changes your moment. 
Miracles are everywhere, just look at all the specials in the grocery store. 
We have so much and deserve so much more

It's accidental magic
when a little pebble makes a ripple in the ocean.
It's accidental magic
when you're out for a run
suddenly you're in love with someone.
Accidental magic,
when a loving note finds a needy ear. 

And everything gets the chance to be a little bit weird...

This is accidental magic.

Accidental Magic

What if we all got together and took a big nap?
I haven't had a day off in like 17 years
We could all wear our pajamas and eat lots of food
and pass out right there on the floor for an hour or two.

Doesn't that sound like a lot more fun
than forcing the small talk with everyone?

Why don't more people just throw a siesta fiesta?

I don't care about your job
I don't care about your hobbies
I don't have the capacity right now.

What if the bosses weren't buying our lives on the cheap?
What if the things that they talked about weren't so boring?
You can not tell me that work's any better than sleep.
Tell me how much that you make, I'll already be snoring.

I'd rather be in a beautiful dream,
surrounded by friends who are just as they seem.

Why don't more people just throw a siesta fiesta?

Siesta Fiesta

You broke my back 
When the fire went out
With a planned attack 

I could barely speak 
When the fire went out
A story so bleak 

I woke up cold
When the fire went out 
Inside my soul 
Where the fire went out

Your intention 
Filled its mission 

PRE-CHORUS 

I could smell his body in our bed 
You were making breakfast when you said 

CHORUS 

Babe would you like eggs and bacon? 
I've made plenty of you want some 
Man it's sunny, what a funny day for love 
For love 
Sunny side up

V2 
We've saved ourselves
Since the fire went out 
Like food on shelves 

On rainy days 
When the fire went out
We yelled and prayed
 
This time though
When the fire went out
 Motion is slow 
When the fire went out

And each tick-tock 
Explodes the clock 

PRE CHORUS 
I got good at hiding what I knew
Suddenly I couldn’t look at you

CHORUS 
Babe would you like eggs and bacon? 
I've made plenty of you want some 
Man it's sunny, what a funny day for love 
For love 
Sunny side up
 
PRE CHORUS 
Each eye full of contact proves you know
 You forcibly ignore it like a pro 
Oh-oh 

CHORUS
Babe would you like eggs and bacon? 
I've made plenty of you want some 
Man it's sunny, what a funny day for love 
For love 
Sunny side up

Sunny Side Up

We don't get together for ale anymore.
We're all out here networking
trying to score.

Hunting for futures of prosperity and stuff,
complaining we don't get out nearly enough.

Playing's for children
and dreaming's for fools
and they ought to teach taxes and budgets in schools.

Go out, earn a living
'cause nothing is free.
You're young and deluded if you think it should be.

We don't go on crazy adventures no more.
We all got commutes, and schedules, and chores.

And we get so exhausted,
cause we're living in fear,
and the lucky ones get two weeks vacation a year

'Cause Playing's for children
and dreaming's for fools
and they ought to teach taxes and budgets in schools.

Go out, earn a living
'cause nothing is free.
You're young and deluded if you think it should be.

But remember the dragons that we slayed?
All the gold we were paid?
All the villages we saved?
All the magic that we made?

Playing hooky, quaffing whiskey
raising hell and raising the dead!

We were gods among men then!
Immortal and Invincible!
Immortal and Invincible!
Immortal and Invincible!

But Playing's for children
and dreaming's for fools
and they ought to teach taxes and budgets in schools.

Go out, earn a living
'cause nothing is free.
You're young and deluded if you think it should be.

Can you look in the mirror and honestly say "That's me, that's what I want to be."?

If you can, I'll let it be

But remember the dragons that we slayed?
All the gold we were paid?
All the villages we saved?
All the magic that we made?

Playing hooky, quaffing whiskey
raising hell and raising the dead!

We were gods among men then!
Immortal and Invincible!
Immortal and Invincible!
Immortal and Invincible!

Immortal and Invincible

You don't owe anybody anything.
You don't owe anybody anything.

You've got a social responsibility
to be the best lovin' person you can be

You don't owe anybody anything.
You don't owe anybody anything.

But then they tell you that you've got to smile
and that you're too young to be tired
no one's entitled to your body
no one's entitled to your mind
no one's entitled to your labor
no one's entitled to your time

You don't owe anybody anything.
You don't owe anybody anything.

You've got a social responsibility
to be the best lovin' person you can be
Your only social responsibility is
to be the best lovin' person you can be
and what that means
what that means
is you've got to be there for your
gotta say "I'm gonna take care of me"
I'm gonna take care of me.

Tell em that
it's not my circus and it's not my monkeys
and it's not my college and it's not my flunkies
and it's not my clinic and it's not my junkies
no it ain't
it's on you
just because you know me
doesn't mean I have a debt to you. 

You don't owe anybody anything.
You don't owe anybody anything.
You don't owe anybody anything.
You don't owe anybody anything.

You Don't Owe Anybody Anything

Fruit

What about holding my hand
like you're convinced that 
I don't wanna hold your hand?

and if it isn't too much,
would you tell me what you're thinking about thinking about?

Wouldn't it be easier to talk about it?
Instead of crushing all my fingers in your palm.

What about saying my name?
I don't think I've heard you say my name out loud.

You said you wanna know me,
so why not ask me what I'm thinking about thinking about.

Wouldn't it be beautiful to talk about it?
So I ask you if you feel safe in my arms.

I don't wanna be "loved, too"
I don't wanna be paid back
I don't wanna play mind games
Never wanted to transact. 

What about telling the truth?
What about looking in my eyes and saying what you feel?

If it's gonna be love,
we gotta think instead of thinking about thinking about it.

Wouldn't it be practical?
Wouldn't it be magical?
Wouldn't it be necessary to talk about it?
For our love to be a thing that we both do.


I don't wanna be "loved, too"
I don't wanna be paid back
I don't wanna play mind games
Never wanted to transact.

Thinking About Thinking About

My head's too big for hats
I used to think it was my hair,
cause I had quite a bit of hair
but then I went and cut it off
and then I found to my dismay
that my results were all the same.

I really miss my hair
Remorseful feelings all around cause it's remorseful all around
but to be honest it was really quite shortsighted and a waste, and all to find out if a hat would fit the space above my face

what do I need to cover up that space for anyway?
It's a fine space, it's just as much a part of me as anything.

I guess my head could get cold
for which I'd surely need a hat, how did I did not think of that?
It's a statement for some people but for me it casts a shadow on my face and I don't want to hide away anymore. It's a metaphor. 

My head's too big for hats.

My Head's Too Big For Hats

Nobody's born with it! That's not a thing!

Talent is a myth
just like anything inherent.
It's a matter of surroundings
and it's not always aparent [sic]

Something to be found, and something to be won
not something to inherit, but something to be done!

Talent is a dangerous myth!

Nobody's born with it! That's not a thing!
Nobody's born with it! That's not a thing!

Genetics do not work like that
You may display an aptitude
being surrounded by encouragement
can really change your attitude

If you're privileged enough to have all of the stuff
and all the time to practice still it will be tough

talent is a dangerous myth

Nobody's born with it! That's not a thing!

When I was a child they said I had a gift from god. They also said I was this was because of the way that my dad would play. It was never me, and it was never you, and anything that's good we were just always born to do. 

The journey is the work
There is no completion
so take ten thousand hours
then act in repetition

Talent's not a gift
ability's a seed
find another acorn
then plant another tree

Talent is a myth and nobody's born with it. That's not a thing.

Talent Is A Myth

I'm having a dance contest against my mirror self

Never wear clothes inside the house
even if I'm having a fat day.
And when my villain voice gets turned up to 11 it's tryina make me feel this way:

Like I'm bigger than the sky on the moon
as backwards as the inside of a spoon
I look like the bottom of a little red French balloon (BALON BALON)
Well that's the time to turn up all the tunes!

I'm having a dance contest against my mirror self!!

Nobody can boogaloo like we do (BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT WRONG)
Aren't you having a great time?
and if you're safe here does that not mean you can feel safe somewhere in this world?

You are rarer than the sky on the moon
reflective as the inside of a spoon
endearing as the bottom of a little red French balloon (BALON BALON)
Dance with meeeee!

I'm having a dance contest against my mirror self!!

WHAT           IF         YOU
TREAT     YOUR       SELF
LIKE YOU WANTED OTHERS TO TREAT YOU?

WHAT           IF         YOU
TREAT     YOUR       SELF
LIKE YOU WANT YOUR LOVERS TO TREAT YOU!?!!?

I'm having a dance contest with my mirror self! AND I WIN, AND YOU WIN, AND WE WIN!!

Dance Contest Against My Mirror Self

All I wanna do is a slow motion backflip into your heart in front of an exploding sunset off the coast of an ocean in the middle of space. 

I'd be jump kickin ninjas with both feet, baby. Like two ninjas at the same time one on each foot. Quick like the cheetah, but slowburn like your love baby. While I'm doin' my slow motion backflip into your heart. 

My feet would leave the ground and your mind would leave this plane of thought and you'd be like holy shiiiiiiit!!

There would be lens flare! It would be awesome! Just so much lens flare, it would be awesome to the max and so rad. 

All I wanna do is a slow motion backflip into your heart in front of an exploding sunset.  While I'm doin' my slow motion backflip into your heart.

Slow Motion Backflip

Am I so undignified
that no one should respect me?
Have I not contributed 
to countless states of mind?

When I say 'I love you'
I do it with conviction,
because I must believe it all the time. 

So I love you
and you love me
and we believe that that's the way it is. 

But you love me.
I believe you.
And it keeps me goin all the time.

My responsibility
is to set a good example
despite my disbelief that anybody even sees me.

Living in my gratitude
means always getting better
and not needing to justify your love. 

So I love you
and you love me
and we believe that that's the way it is. 

But you love me.
I believe you.
And it keeps me goin all the time.

(KUMA SOLO!!!)

So I love you
and you love me
and we believe that that's the way it is. 

But you love me.
I believe you.
And it keeps me goin all the time.

And I've got your love and I've got mine
and you've got your love and you've got mine
even when I lie and say I'm fine
we've got your love and we've got mine.

You Love Me

“Abud: A Bard” is the tangible manifestation of composer and multi-instrumentalist James Abud’s fantastical notions and musical research. This bombastic and exciting One-Man show is founded on original acoustic works grounded in American folk, jazz, and theater music. Delicate wordplay woven into roaring melodies soars over any combination of stomping feet percussion and acoustic guitar, banjo, or ukulele. It features Abud's earthy virtuosity, chummy pathos, and fluffy beard. 

In addition to the music, “Abud: A Bard” is filled with hilarious and sentimental tales of an existence dedicated to music, family, and adventure; being on the road, in the classroom, and the glamorous life of a lifelong performer.

The project has so far yielded two albums: 2014's Fluff, and the 2016 EP Making a Friend from Scratch 
 
James Abud is a Detroit native and Chicago transplant whose life has been dedicated to composing, performing, and teaching music. 

"His tales and lyrics abound with playful zaniness and doe-eyed pathos that will make you feel like you've known this performer a thousand lifetimes."

Abud_A_Bard

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