by projectGhostRadio - 

Look on the bright side /
Someone reads the letters that you send / 
Honin' your profile / 
You want that plastic eye to be your friend / 

Look on the bright side / 
Every little thing you say is being heard / 
Feeding the file / 
Recording every bit of every word / 

In your very home / 
Ain't it good to know you're not alone / 


When you waste an hour / 
Flippin' through the channels on TV / 
Singin' in the shower / 
Then a beer or else a cup of tea / 

Do they know, can they tell / 
Can they hear, can they smell / 


There's a crumb for every step of every trail / 
You've been notified your life is up for sale / 

But look on the bright side / 
Now you know you'll never be alone / 


Cruisin' on the highway / 
Your wheels know just where you want to go / 
Ridin' in the subway / 
With the other extras on the show / 

Do they know, can they tell / 
What you think, how you smell / 


There's a tag for every name and every face / 
Until every little soldier is in place / 

There's a crumb for every step of every trail / 
You've been notified your life is up for sale / 

But look on the bright side / 
Now you know you'll never be alone

Tales from the Surveillance Age.
'Electric guitar' on this track was played by Ivan Azzetti on keyboards.

Bright Side

Introduction in English:

My mother was always a smart woman, endowed with a naturally high intelligence .

Living alone with her sick father, she had to leave school already in the 6th grade and go to work in a factory.

When she later met my academically pre-educated father, she was introduced through him into the circles of the so-called " educated citizens ".

We then often had corresponding "nouveau riche" and "status conceit" parties in our large rented apartment. Here, my mother regularly got to feel the "fine", subtly deeply humiliating difference between the would-be educated and her as a despicably uneducated person.

At the same time, the would-be educated often had a style of communication that I call "trash talk" in this song. They often engaged in name-dropping by mentioning only the names of famous personalities without knowing anything more about their work. When asked more closely, they quickly changed the subject or texted you with some quarter-truth.

My mother, who was plagued by feelings of inferiority, was very intimidated by this, and it made her feel all the more stupid, uninteresting, and not socially acceptable.

At that time I was still too small. But I would have liked to turn back time for my mother's protection and sing this song at the highest volume to all these "trash talkers" standing on our dining room table at that time.

That the topic of "subtle differences" is a timeless one (I bow here to the wonderfully perceptive Pierre Bourdieu in this regard) is shown by the deep rifts that continue to exist between today's self-proclaimed "elite" and the supposed "primitives".

Lyrics in English (for those, who don`t speak German):

Trash Talk

Just chat, don't think anymore, dislocate brain, be stupid 
Chattering sideways, never wavering, just no profundity, flatland

They remain one-dimensional, quite gloriously meaningless
The wordplay is all thin and stale, The shallow is all big with them

Come close all books, welcome to a shallow brain walk
Sult yourselves in the mud talk, It`s time for a nice trash talk  

Are at many parties with colorful Smarties, with false eyelashes and pout 
No contacts, just meaningless verbal acts, word junk.

They are the heroes of the lazy mind, meaningless in the jelly glow 
Are narrow-minded, cheeky and brazen, persist in the one-legged dance

Come close all books, welcome to a shallow brain walk
Sult yourselves in the mud talk, It`s time for a nice trash talk 

Have no enemies, no friends either, talk beside, nothing remains 
Leave only grease stains, can`t even bump, get stuck in the approach, nothing drifts 

Except: Trash Talk, Trash Talk, Trash Talk, Trash Talk (Fad Out)...

________________________________

Deutscher Originaltext

Trash Talk

Einfach quatschen, nicht mehr denken, Hirn ausrenken, Dumm sein 
Seitwärts plaudern, niemals zaudern, nur kein Tiefsinn, Flachland

Sie bleiben eindimensional, ganz herrlich bedeutungslos
Der Wortwitz ist ganz dünn und schal, Das Seichte ist bei ihnen ganz groß

Komm schließt alle Bücher, welcome to a shallow brain walk
Sult Euch im Schlammreden, It`s Time for a nice Trash Talk  

Sind auf vielen Parties mit bunten Smarties, mit falschen Wimpern und Schmollmund 
Keine Kontakte, nur sinn-entschlackte Verbalakte, Wortschund.

Sie sind die Helden des faulen Geists, nichtssagend im geligen Glanz, 
Sind borniert, vorlaut und dreist, verharren im einbeinigen Tanz

Kommt schließt alle Bücher, welcome to a shallow brain walk
Sult Euch im Schlammreden, It`s Time for a nice Trash Talk 

Haben keine Feinde, auch keine Freunde, reden daneben, nichts bleibt 
Hinterlaßen nur Fettflecken, können nicht mal anecken, bleiben im Ansatz stecken, nichts treibt 

Außer: Trash Talk, Trash Talk, Trash Talk, Trash Talk (Fad Out)…

Trash Talk

** Discussing the Menu ** 

Discussing the menu will never nourish our bodies. 
Shall we stop talking for a while?
Just point your finger to show me where the meal is,
and I'll go and feed myself. 

Yes, I know...
Pointing fingers can be rude.
But that's collateral damage of a basic cognitive activity.
For many words we use, pointing precedes meaning. 
We can point at the sea and say: "Look! The sea!" 
And thus we can assign names to the beasts, the trees and the stars. 
That's the miracle of pointing. 
Somehow we understand that we are naming a thousand  things, 
not giving a thousand names to the stupid pointing finger.

And thus, as we understand each other, 
we are both edified while rejoicing together.
Joy is the secret prize of sharing,
a prize beyond words or the ringing sound of bells.
A wordless no bell prize.   

And there's so much more to understand
than the things we can perceive 
with our feeble ears and naked eyes...
Did you know?
Gobi camels shed tears
when they are sung 
ancient Mongolian lullabies.

Discussing The Menu (Based on Yann Kifer's Bella track)

No longer exists
Of what you were
You are no longer the same woman

Now you know
What you feel
You are no longer the same woman

Words
The looks
They are no longer the same woman

The smile
The caresses
They are no longer the same woman

and in time
I'm sorry already
that you are not the same woman


(Chorus)
Who I fell in love with...
Who I fell in love with...
Who I fell in love with...
Who I fell in love with...

and in time
I'm sorry already
that you are not the same woman

(Chorus 2)
You dont want
What you have
You are no longer
Yesterday's girl

No longer exists
Of what you were
You are no longer the same woman

The same woman
the same woman

De Quien Me Enamoré

This is an acoustic version of a collab I did with Miami Jeff. We wrote the lyrics together. I sent him a demo of a song similar to this with just some guitar and the lyrics. He restructured the lyrics to flow better and added some of his own to it. He constructed a masterpiece with a full instrumental and vocal guide for me to follow. I was stuck on my own as well, Miami Jeff was cool with doing both, with this coming out as a reprise or alternative version. I hope you enjoy this one, and if you haven't heard the version on Miami Jeff's page, I highly recommend it. It has a very cool video, along with some awesome track art.


1)  THE BURNING LEAVES UPON THE GROUND,

     THE GRASS, THE TREES, OBSCURE THE SOUND,

     THIS FEELING OF IMPENDING DOOM,  

     SMOKE FROM THE ASHES HIDE THE MOON,

     REMEMBER WHEN OUR LOVE WAS NEW?

     NOW WHAT’S A THING LIKE ME TO DO?



          I’LL KEEP FLOATING THROUGH LIKE ROBOTS DO,

          EXPRESS NO LOVE, NO EMOTIONS TOO

          CLANKING AWAY WITH RUSTY PARTS, 

          LIKE THE TINMAN WITHOUT A HEART,        

          BUT DEEP DOWN INSIDE I CAN STILL RECALL,

          A SENSE OF WARMTH BEHIND THIS WALL,

          YOUR LOVELY FACE, YOUR EYES OF BLUE,

          FUNNY THE THINGS  ROBOTS DO?



2)  HIGHWAY HYPNOSIS HALF ASLEEP,

     THE TRUCKS, THE CARS, THE LINES THAT CREEP,

     I’M FEELING DROWSY, PASSING OUT,

     HORNS HONKING WILDLY AWAKE THE DOUBT,

     WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LOVE WE KNEW?

     NOW WHAT’S A THING LIKE ME TO DO?

          

          I’LL KEEP FLOATING THROUGH LIKE ROBOTS DO,

          EXPRESS NO LOVE, NO EMOTION TOO

          CLANKING AWAY WITH RUSTY PARTS, 

          LIKE THE TINMAN WITHOUT A HEART,        

          BUT DEEP INSIDE I CAN STILL RECALL,

          A SENSE OF WARMTH BEHIND THIS WALL,

          YOUR LOVELY FACE, YOUR EYES OF BLUE,

          FUNNY THE THINGS ROBOTS DO,

         

                          BY BUBBA MADDUX & JIM VALDES

                                © 2023

Like Robots Do (Reprise)

Eight Days Two Hearts

I can’t remember when it all began
This crippling feeling, I can’t even stand
I can’t remember how to be a man
This crushing weight of all life’s demand
While sick and tired I do what I can
Could only guess that you’re not a fan
Don’t cheer me on, you just sit there and scan
With displeased eyes, was that part of your plan

Am I not enough
I gave you everything
When you ask for more
with nothing left to give
I lay broken on the floor
And I don’t even wanna live

Cuz without you, I only dream of you
But I can’t stand what you put me through
My minds in pieces, what am I to do
Wish I could say I didn’t care about you

I’ll just keep building myself back up
At least until you have had enough
Then you’ll break me down to fill your cup
Were you always my opponent, so tough
I can vaguely remember feeling loved
Was it all just an illusion, some bluff
Just so you could take all of my stuff
My heart, my soul, my children, my blood

Am I not enough
I gave you everything
When you ask for more
with nothing left to give
I lay broken on the floor
I Don’t even wanna live

Cuz without you, I only dream of you
But I can’t stand what you put me through
My minds in pieces, what am I to do
Wish I could say I didn’t care about you

BROKEN!
ON THE FLOOR!
NOTHING LEFT
Here anymore
JUST BROKEN!
BROKEN ON THE FLOOR!
There’s nothing left here anymore

Broken On The Floor

This is just Acoustic guitar, some basic drums and vocal. Might add more to it later, clean it up some. I really liked writing and recording this one, it has a lot of potential I think and is very catchy. I find it getting stuck in my head more so than a lot of my previous songs. Hopefully you will all dig it as well.

Lyrics:

I didn’t ask you to show
Up late at night, at my door
Wearing that dress, I like so much
I could tell you felt, out of touch
Your makeup smeared, on your face
Why are you over, at my place

Maybe now you know
How much I love you
Taking advantage of the fact

Now I’m standing here
mind isn’t so clear
I shouldn’t even take you back

Cuz, I know I’m just a rebound
But I can’t turn you down
So, I’m Tryin t show you now
Why you should just stick around
Stick Around

I didn’t want to know
All the things you did before
Wearing that dress, just for him
I could tell you felt, a love begin
Your makeup perfect, your eyes aglow
Then he dropped you and now your low

Stick Around

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

All my memories gather 'round her
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice, in the morning hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
Driving down the road, I get a feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Okay, so I know this is a long one... but hear me out. This is mine and my wife's story in a song, heavily inspired at least. When we were very young, when I first saw her I had this strange feeling, like she was the one. Stupid hormones right? You'd really think so, but it was different. I crushed on plenty of girls. Anyway, I pursued her like any normal horny teenager would, and she basically pretended I didn't even exist at first. Typical right? Anyway, that didn't stop me, nope I was stubborn as a mule, still am. So I kept on. Eventually she noticed me, I have no idea how I accomplished it, I was basically an idiot with girls. It's probably why I feel consistency is key, although now days you'd probably end up in jail for harassment... I wasn't disgusting if that's what you're thinking, just a little overly persistent... yeah that's what we'll go with.

Anyway, we go out, and we were young, but the chemistry was definitely there... but her mom, oh my god her mom. I just couldn't do it. She literally watched me like a hawk, and I definitely had some oppositional defiant shit going on as a teenager. So, I told her I needed a break for a bit. We would still meet up from time to time and always end up making out etc... and I was good with just not having a girlfriend and just living life, and occasionally meeting up... but I guess she wasn't. I took too long and she ended up with a boyfriend. I was furious, man jealousy sure is a mother fucker.

So, I did some things I'm not proud of. She was of course, in my strange mind, meant to be with me. Eventually I let it go, but as how all young love stories go, we would see each other in the halls, and I ended up being a teacher's aid in one of her classes. So, I started straight up telling her my inner thoughts. Like that I missed her, and she was beautiful. She would always say the classic line "I have a boyfriend" but I'd say "then why is your face so red." Overtime we started talking again. She still had her boyfriend, and I respected her boundaries that she put up, mostly. I'd push it from time to time, and she'd get mad and storm off.

One day though was really different than all the others. She seemed so sad, and I could tell. So, I was there for her. We hung out, and she came over to my house after school... don't get ahead of yourself now we didn't do anything, she still had a boyfriend. We just watched a couple funny movies, laughed and talked. She said she felt better, and thanked me for cheering her up. Then she told me she was moving to California, we lived in Arizona at the time. I was fucking devastated. I was waiting for her, for months. I didn't want anyone else. No one else gave me the same feelings... not even close. Long story short she left for California, and that was that. I would call many times from my cell phone and she'd never pick up. So I just moved on some I guess, at least for a few months.

One day, I got the brilliant Idea to call from a blocked number. Low and behold she picks up. I say hello, she says hey. I ask "why have you been ignoring my calls?" I don't remember exactly what she said but it had something to do with she felt bad for having feelings for me when she was with her boyfriend still. Silence... then she said "but that doesn't matter anymore, he cheated on me, we're done." I could tell she was super upset about it, so I hid my true feelings. I was overjoyed, those words were like butter and jam on my dry toast. I just said "I'm here for you, whatever you need." And we talked, and talked and talked, so long we just talked everyday. We talked about everything, we fell asleep on the phone together. I sang her songs, told her jokes. We fell in love all over again, 10 fold... and eventually, we were back together... and haven't been apart since. Sure it was like 2 years of long distance, and moving her back down to Arizona when she graduated high school. It's a true love story...YW

At Least I'd Know

Going High

I work as a nurse in the state of Florida and I love being there for people in need. My other true passion is making music. I'm kind of an amateur but I look forward to getting better and making the best music I can.

Most the songs I do in about a day and then move on. I don't have the skill to make them radio quality yet, but I hope with collaborating with others and making my own music I will learn some skills along the way. I don't focus on perfection, I focus on emotion and try to put feeling into my music.

Also, I love to get lost in other peoples work, I will often play video games while listening to a bunch of someone else's works and commenting on the ones I like the most, not all though, don't wanna seem like a stalker, unless you like that of course.

Been feeling a little burnt out lately, so if I'm not responsive please don't take it personal. Having to work OT to keep the family afloat, so I haven't had time for music and when I do have any time I'm just too exhausted. I definitely want to make more it brings me a lot of joy to make music. At the same time it is very taxing, reaching into the depths can sometimes cause unwanted feelings to linger longer than they should. Anyway, I love all the support you have all sent my way. See ya around!

Like Robots Do (Reprise)

Bubba Maddux