This is Bug Hunter's Third Album, Bigger Than Mysel

Bigger Than Myself

Magic 8, By Bug Hunter. This is the 2nd bonus track on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

8th grade and crying at the counter
4 a.m. and drowning in her work
3 textbooks spread out around her
1 overwhelmed little girl

Her dad walks into the kitchen
so hard to see her so stressed
Still dark but he's there to listen
she's scared of failing her tests

He says:
"My little girl before you worry at all
have you asked the Magic 8 ball?”

And with a shake, shake of the Magic 8
her stress melts away with a smile on her face
With a lifetime of love, and a small dash of fate

A dad takes care of his girl

A dad takes care of his girl

22 and panicked in her bedroom
20 outfits thrown on the bed
She's wanted this job since she was a kid and
1 interview is all that’s left

He has such faith in his daughter
he needs her to just believe
and just like any good father
he's got a trick up his sleeve

He says: 
"My little girl before you worry at all
have you asked the Magic 8 ball?”

And with a shake, shake of the Magic 8
her stress melts away with a smile on her face
With a lifetime of love, and a small dash of fate

A dad takes care of his girl

A dad takes care of his girl

"I was naturally full of anticipation when Cody invited me to lunch last October
because he had something he... 'wanted to discuss.’
When he finally quit beating around the bush and asked me
if he had my blessing to marry Carolyn,
without hesitation I consulted my mini Magic 8 Ball…
which I never leave home without…”

Last year I'm sweatin' in a bench seat
I've got a speech well-rehearsed
I'm here to ask for his blessing
The father of that brave little nurse

So I start while I've still got courage
"Your daughter has become my best friend
and though I'm scared, I'm so nervous
I plan to ask for her hand”

He looks at me and with no words at all
he pulls out his Magic 8 ball…

And with a shake, shake of the Magic 8
my stress melts away and my fears are replaced
I can't see the words, but he says "It looks great…”

And with a shake, shake of the Magic 8
he says that I'm family and this is my place
With a lifetime ahead, and a small dash of fate

I will take care of your girl

I will take care of your girl

Magic 8 (Bonus Track)

Creature of Habit By Bug Hunter. This is the 2nd bonus track on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

I am a creature of habit
my tastes are immovable, I order the usual
and I already know what I want...
keep your menu, I know what I want…

Because the options are endless, they're overwhelming at times
you just have too much to sell me, so many things to decide
you may mock me for opting for what is already mine
but what if my cookie cutter is one of a kind?

I think there's too much to choose and I've had it
Don't change me, creature of habit

Left foot, right foot, same way 'round
but with this push - I put my foot down
Yeah, this time I want change
I'm gonna do somethin' crazy 
(actually, no I'm not)

So let me explain, I'm not that anxious to changes
I'm not afraid to adapt or think it's actually dangerous
It's just a preference to routine and familiar faces
I won't break down or die if I just happen to break it
I keep the cause to myself, I feel it's reekin' of ego
and it’s a fine line to walk, so I am threading that needle
It's just the whole human race, well I can take 'em or leave 'em
and I can say that, I swear, some of my best friends are people

It just feels so good when I've planned it
Same time, same place, creature of habit

Left foot, right foot, same way 'round
but with this push - I put my foot down
Yeah, this time I want change
I'm gonna do somethin' crazy...
/
...Actually no I'm not gonna act like you ask me to act
Like a simple machine checking task after task
I'm my own human being and I happen to lack
the need to be seen chasing fad after fad
And I know there's a world full of wonders to see
with places to go and pancakes to eat
but I base what I know on what things bring me peace
My circadian soul likes the pace and the beat
that maintains my breathin', blood flow and sleep
but won't lift my feet or break my routine

So left foot, right foot, same way 'round...

Creature Of Habit (Bonus Track)

Waving Goodbye, By Bug Hunter. This is the 9th song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself


Sit with me here in this room, I'm alone, but if you sit with me 
maybe I won't feel like I'm alone (I'll feel like I'm home)
I never went through that rebellious phase where my family was lame
and I wanted to be on my own (now I'm on my own)

And I wonder if I've wandered too far away
and if I should stay... or if I should go home

If I close my eyes I am practically there, with my dad on the couch
and my mom in her old rocking chair
I used to climb on her lap and she'd rock me to sleep, 
read me stories then carry me back up the stairs

And I wonder when I learned to read on my own,
grew heavy to hold, too big for her chair

You gave me brown hair
You gave me brown eyes
You gave me the patience I need to be kind
You said not to cry, I promised to try

I'm waving goodbye

I call my mom once a week and my dad twice a year but
I love them the same, I've no favorite at all
My dad can fix anything but I don't have that gene
it just seems like that apple had too far to fall

But I wonder if I'll take the best of his traits
His humor and faith in the ones that he loves

You gave me brown hair, you gave me brown eyes
You gave me the patience I need to be kind
You said not to cry, I promised to try
I'm waving goodbye

Columbus, Ohio and Reno, Nevada
Chicago and L.A. and now in Seattle
I've left behind all of the baggage I had - I still
bring you both with me wherever I travel
You could've fixed every little mistake
The bumps in the road, the cuts and the scrapes
Could've fought all my battles and made me feel safe
Could've told me I'm perfect, unable to change

But the best thing a parent can do for their child
is strengthen their heart
make them able to wave them goodbye

You gave me brown hair, you gave me brown eyes
You gave me the patience I need to be kind
I said not to cry, you promised to try

I'm waving goodbye

Waving Goodbye

Braggin', By Bug Hunter. This is the 8th song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

I hate braggin', marketing just never seemed intuitive
So I've stayed back and in the past have had nothing to do with it
but people need a map to see what they should give a damn about
To save a forest you may have to print a couple pamphlets out…

Oh this attitude is new to me, but things ain't how they used to be
As soon as we'd begin to sing you'd plug your ears cartoonishly
I'd check the peckin' order well before I crossed the road
but either way I'd go I'd always end up feelin' like a joke

I mess up all the time but you are doing awesome, kid
Time to drop the pouty lip and learn to take a compliment

I'm b-b-braggin' and I'm puffin' up my feathers
A chicken with a switch in his position altogether
I'll stick my chest and neck out as I decorate this fairy tale
The color will attract a mate or aggravate the alpha males

Just find a purpose, don't consume, produce a tune or something new
Use your hands to make a thing that won't exist unless you do
You may not make a masterpiece or get your face in magazines
You won't be the next Newton just by nappin' under apple trees

And live your life like you're a kid, paint and dance and play and if
you make a thing, create a bit, you pin that shit up on the fridge!

I'm b-b-braggin' and I'm puffin' up my plumage
Persuading all the parakeets I'm perfect but the truth is
my vocab will distract you, you're just baffled you can talk to me
but don’t forget a parrot's only honest as he's taught to be

I might exaggerate to turn it up a notch
You know what they say: "Give the people what they want"
I might exaggerate to try to sound cool
Describe a shark tank while talkin' 'bout a kiddie pool…

...And I'm divin' right in it

I am swimmin' just to make a big splash
Little fish in big pond, little bird in bird bath
I can puff out my chest as I float on my back
I am bouyant, I guess, when I learn to relax
If I'm gonna speak up then I better impress
Make my diaphragm grow and my vocal cords stretch
and my voice'll get hoarse but my story will spread
like a pony tale told off the top of my head

I'm b-b-braggin' and I'm puffin' up my ego
A penguin playin' make believe but rockin' his tuxedo
I'll learn to wing it when I think that plan is goin' south
No matter what, I'll always strut, and find something to brag about

Braggin'

Pebbles, By Bug Hunter. This is the 7th song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself


Well it would be a lovely start
to plant some pebbles in the garden
Hope to grow a planet large
that floats around in our backyard

And yes, your family still could visit
We haven't left the solar system
If they request consent to land
we'll accept if we are wearing pants

But most days let's just float on top
and orbit all our favorite spots
If we get dizzy, let's fall off
A couple cozy astronauts

Well it would be a lovely start
to plant some pebbles in the garden
If it won't rain it doesn't matter
we'll water them with tears of laughter

At first there might not be much to it
no forest, roads or rivers through it
A rocky globe to start us off
and on it grow the world we want

The neighbors will all think we're strange
as we wave at them from outer space
But I had to know just how it felt
to grow something bigger than…

What I have built alone
A home I thought I'd never leave
but you and I can shape a world
the lakes and towns and everything
We'll put a planet in the sky
grown from pebbles, you and I

And if little aliens do invade
attempts at peace will still be made
I'll contact them with gifts but if
they reject those I will insist
on meeting their attacks with might
A big galactic pillow fight
and just before they win we're told
they're allergic to the whimsical
So I'll blast this song and don't you know
the sweetness makes their heads explode
and look they're filled with popcorn so
let's grab a snack, sit back, and watch the show…

I'm not a chemist, no, I am no geologist
but you and I can shape a world
The lakes and towns and all of it
and bit by bit and stone by stone
the pebbles take the shape of somethin' else
That’s growing bigger than myself

Pebbles

Pinecones, By Bug Hunter. This is the 6th song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

Hands up if life is getting stressful
And shout if you are saddened by the news
I need some tips to cope,
some data or some anecdotes,
'cause right now nothing's workin' for my blues

Sometimes I deal by playing music
and sometimes I relax by reading books
Sometimes I go downtown,
climb a tree and don't come down
and throw a bunch of pinecones at people

A crowd has formed around my tree,
just out of reach, and the police have 
blocked the street on every side
But no one can climb it and
I think its 'cause they know I have
a pinecone here for everyone who tries

I yell: I'm gonna live to be a hundred
I'm gonna see them cure disease
Then I'm gonna watch them
go to war over the royalties so
if you need me, I'll be in the tree

If you need me, I'll be in the tree

There's several cameras pointed up into my tree
it seems the world's concerned with what I might do next…
Throwing pinecones at photographers
from up here in this conifer
like Tarzan getting scouted by the Mets

Yeah, I'm gonna live to be a thousand
Got robot arms and run on robot feet
Got robot legs and robot head
and my robot ass don't know it yet but
I'd be better off back in the tree

So if you need me, I'll be in the tree…

'Cause no one's asking what would drive me up this pine
Is it protest? Am I being paid to preach or advertise?
No, this non-deciduous decision was all mine
You can show a horse the ropes
but no, you cannot make him climb

And this tree's a makeshift metaphor and I prefer to think
I'm just a stressed out Christmas ornament
who needs some space to breathe
And if the camera crews and crowded streets
and dozens of police
are my endless pressures manifested down below my tree
Then this giant stack of pinecones…
They are the lame and immature ways I deal with them
But also how satisfying it is to do so...
To dome one... when they're not looking... yeah

I'm gonna live to be a million
Longer than the flowers, birds and bees
but if I start to come undone,
make like a tree and hug someone
Everybody needs a place to breathe
just recognize when it is time to leave

I'm probably gonna live forever
but should I die (and that may be preferred)
take me out and bury me
and plant a tree right over me
so I may help someone escape the world

Yeah, I may help someone escape the world

Pinecones

Take It Back, By Bug Hunter. This is the 5th song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself


I sent my resumé to God
in MLA and 12 point font
My awards are all in order and
my references are pretty strong

My bullets points: concise, and now
my grammar's fixed and typo's found
I'm hopin' if she sees it I have
made my English teacher proud

And I've done my share of charity
but left out my profanities
I know that he's a busy guy
and maybe won't remember these

The omnipotent editor
knows all the trick by now, I'm sure
but first impression's stick so I
am leading with my best foot first

So now I wait for the response
A call from my potential boss
Did I apply 'cause I am lost?
Is it too late to call it off?

I didn't know I had an answer
for this question 'till I asked
but now that I am set in motion
all I want's a second chance

Take it Back

And I’m flinching as I check the mail
and flip through bills and grocery sales
I throw out all the clutter,
understand that it can’t help me now

But there it is, I’ve finally heard
‘cause in my hands: the holy word
The envelope is gold and it’s addressed
“To Whom It May Concern”

And I’m too scared
to look inside
With shaking hands
and fading eyes

But nothing now can change at all
the contents of this envelope
It's best I get this over with
'cause ignorance won't save my soul

And I read the words one at a time
but can't get past the leading line
My eyes refocus, open wide
“Your application's been denied”

I didn't know I had an answer
for this question 'till I asked
but now that I may never have it
all I want's a second chance

Take it back

“Your application's been denied
We can’t accept you at this time
We’ll keep your paperwork on file
We’ll reach back out when it’s your time

We know that life can seem so cruel
That’s why today is just too soon
You still have so much left to do
The world’s not ready to lose you

So many lives to still impact
Some still have yet to cross your path
We know that it’s a lot to ask
Please learn your worth, and take it back”

Take it back

I take it back

Take It Back

Hide and Seek, By Bug Hunter. This is the 4th song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself


Again and again
Start over from scratch
Build up from the ground
The new kid in class

I tell them my name
Again and again
I try to be kind
and hope for a friend

And hope for a friend

It's like a game of hide and seek, they count to ten and look for me
but it's been half an hour, I'm still crouched behind the couch and think
That maybe they've forgotten me, gave up, gone to watch T.V.
but I’ll be hiding quietly in case they circle back for me

The childhood I had
An outsider in my head
Again and again

Again and again
We pack up and move
I skip like a stone
New school to new school

Unable to float
and holding my breath
Afraid to approach
Will you be my friend?

Will you be my friend?

It's like a game of hide and seek, 
they count to ten and look for me
but it's been several hours
I'm still crouched behind the couch and think
That I'm the piece they'd rather lose, 
the seed you plant that never blooms
A new kid much too nervous to stand up, 
step out or leave his room

The childhood I had, an outsider in my head
Again and again

Class we have a new student
He's a little withdrawn
He just moved here from Texas or Nashville or Mars
He'll be gone before long
So he's not worth the trouble
He's a novelty when
all the cliques are connected
The ephemeral friend

It's like a game of hide and seek
They count to ten and look for me
but it's been twenty years and I'm
still crouched behind the couch and think

That I'd be different had I known
that birthday cakes and milestones
wouldn't mark my progress growing up
like years of eating lunch alone

The childhood I had, an outsider in my head
I ask myself: without it, would I be the Bug I am?
Again and Again

It's like a game of hide and seek
but it's my turn to search and, see, 
I still know all the hiding spots
to check to find the lost and thank

The childhood I had, an outsider in my head
but never again

Hide And Seek

Toddler With a Slingshot (Hell Yep), By Bug Hunter. This is the 3rd song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

You pay me to exaggerate, I think I've done enough
of turning bummers into heartaches and crushes into love
Sometimes our lives are mild, our stories: just okay
I'll set your expectations in the middle when I say: "Hell yep"
A hell yep

And knock me down a peg
when I wanna be a big shot
I'm just a toddler
with a slingshot

For example:
I got cornered by a salesman at a farmers market booth
selling cheap ceramic bowls meant for dogs to eat their food
I haggle like a master, I showed them how I do
I didn't want one, but I got a deal for two

Hell yep
I don't have a regret
Or a dog

Knock me down a peg
when I wanna be a big shot
I'm just a toddler with a slingshot

Don't have the strength
Don't have the aim
I'm building up my motor skills and everything's a game
You say I'm harmless (you're probably right)
But nothing is more trouble than a toddler going quiet
Keep an eye on me, keep your eye, keep your eye on me

... and knock me down a peg when I wanna be a big shot
I'm just a toddler with a slingshot

I asked for half your candy bar
you raised it in the air
and split it down the middle
made a perfect little pair
You smiled like a sweetheart
my hand extended out
You winked at me and popped
both of the pieces in your mouth

Hell nope

That one's a hell nope… no mercy with a Hershey ‘fore she

Knocked me down a peg
when I wanna be a big shot
I'm just a toddler with a slingshot

Don't have the strength
Don't have the aim
I'm building my my motor skills
and everything's a game
You say I'm harmless (so did Goliath)
But nothing is more trouble
than a toddler going quiet
Keep an eye on me
Keep your eye, keep your eye
and watch me well
or I'll raise a little hell

... a hell yep

They asked me for a catch phrase
I didn't miss a step
If their story's kind of boring
you can tell 'em: "Hell Yep," Hell Yep!

Knock me down a peg
when I wanna be a big shot
and I will kick it up the next notch

And if I work, put in the labor,
blood, sweat, call in every favor
Eat my veggies, say my prayers,
push myself to be a danger…

... I'll be a preteen with a Taser

Toddler With a Slingshot (Hell Yep)

Headlights, By Bug Hunter. This is the 2nd song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

Calm
The key is to be calm
I'm sure that my hands
will settle soon
Just keep them 
locked at ten and two
and carry on

I need to carry on...
'cause taking that final look behind me
changes nothing but my mind

If I stop now
and turn the other way
I'm only going back for yester-
Only going back for yesterday

And it's okay
We're better off apart but that's
the part of me
that voices things I never meant to say
We're like two cars in the night
Your headlights blind me briefly
then you're gone
and we continue on our way

Well
I'm not feeling too well
I tried every trick to understand
If I seem lost it's 'cause I am and I need
Help
I need a little help
I've crossed your path so many times
but right now yours just isn't mine

The road is clear, a sign as if to say:
It's time you let the past be yester-
Time you let the past be yesterday

And it's okay
We're better off apart but that's the part of me
that voices things I never meant to say
We're like two cars in the night
Your headlights blind me briefly
Then you're gone and we continue on our way

And when I think it's far enough away
You make me feel like it was yester-
Make me feel like it was yesterday

And it's okay
We're better off apart but that's the part of me
that voices things I never meant to say
We're like two cars in the night
Your headlights blind me briefly
then you're gone and we continue on our way

And my exit's on the right
The mile markers counting down
the empty minutes of the night
and I drive on...
Letting limits pass me by
As I search my rearview mirror
Not for the dawn
but for the incoming headlights

Headlights

Safe Word, By Bug Hunter. This is the 1st song on their 3rd album, Bigger Than Myself

A broken clock's right twice a day
but mine spins in reverse and may
have doubled odds and better luck
Now it's twice as good as worthless junk

My heart's as healthy as a horse
but my hard hat's lookin' hardly worn
That other steel toed boot'll drop
but I don't know when, or how to stop

I wish I had a secret code
to signal me to take it slow
I need a sin like calculus
'cos my limit does, in fact, exist!

So slow down, focus, do yoga poses and
learn to love the lull and just breathe...
Breathe… breathe…

Alright I'm good!

I think I'm smiling and nodding, but surveillance cameras caught me laugh maniacally 
headbutting every obstacle, I've got to turn it off... and pick back up when I am calm
Even with an invitation, boy, you gotta learn to knock (Oh knock it off!)
... And do me one favor: Remember the safe word

I get that passion motivates
and crashes down like ocean waves
but tunnel vision's toxic man,
you're not John Henry, take a breath

That might sound harsh when you are used
to head rubs, praise, and sugar cubes
I just hate to see you racing towards
behaviors that we shouldn't reward

So slow down, focus, do yoga poses and
learn to love the lull and just
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. (Alright!)

I think I'm smiling and nodding,
blending in and getting on
but no, I haven't fooled the cameras
in my camel camouflage
I'll take it off!

...and I won't spit on anyone
Even with an invitation, boy,
you gotta learn to knock
(Oh knock it off!)
And do me one favor:
Remember the safe word

And I have no construction crew
to build this introduction tune but it's sound and under budget, too...
The chords work, the beat works, the verse and melody works
and these words, they each work, have purpose versus knee-jerk
Safety first, let's be sure our neon PPE works
Now the only thing that needs work is the last bit of the bridge!

I think I'm smiling and nodding, mild-mannered, nodding off
It's just my neck is getting tired, so much nonsense to hold up
Just take a pause... but don't give up the dream
If they change the locks behind you, you can find another key
and hope a smile and a nod's the only signal they have seen
You're no machine but there's no shame
in blowing off a little steam, so hear me knock!
Hear me hammer, hear me yell
and don't knock it 'till you've tried it,
tried to knock or tried the bell (Ah, let me in!)
The trip has been paid for and you have a way forth
so don't waste the day or delay it for later

But do me one favor: Remember the safe word