Treetop

Dripping with ice
Like she's got it all down
Walks in the room
She's the toast of the town
No one would never know that she's just
Daddy's girl from a small town world

Working so hard
Climbing to the top
Left them all behind
Or so she thought
But deep inside she'll always be
Daddy's girl from a small town world

All those big glitzy lights
Of the big city nights
Instead of country roads
In your grandpa's Ford
So many things in your life
You find slipping away

Fly high
But never let them into your heart your heart
If you run around chasing the stars
Never forget who you are

Fly high
But listen to the beat of your heart
If you run around chasing the stars
Never let them change who you are

All of your life spent chasing the dream
But when you look in the mirror, do you like who you see
Scratched and clawed your way to the top
But standing here now, do you like what you got
And what it cost

But tonight she's
Walking around
Turning every head
With her style and poise
No one suspects
That behind that dress, she's really just
Daddy's girl from a small town world

All the glamorous sights
Of the big city life
Instead of fireflies
On a summer night

Fly high
But listen to the beat of your heart
If you run around chasing the stars
Never let them change who you are

You could have the time of your life
Or the darkest of times

Fly high
But listen to the beat of your heart
If you run around chasing the stars
Never let them change who you are

All of your life spent chasing the dream
But when you look in the mirror, do you like who you see
Scratched and clawed your way to the top
But standing here now, do you like what you got
And what it cost

You could have the time of your life
Or the darkest of times...

© 2024 John Mendenhall

Daddy's Girl

Track twelve on Ben Mercedez' album SAY WHAT U WANT, "Future Love Song"

"SAY WHAT U WANT" the album, out NOW

Produced by: Ben Mercedez
Written by: Ben Mercedez
Performed by: Ben Mercedez

Lyrics:

I always knew it was you
You saw it in me too
We always loved our grooved lines
We were blessed from our signs
FUTURE LOVE SONG to be sung
I always thought even though=
You were so cold it could snow
At midnight it'd be us
We'd sneak out of the house
FUTURE LOVE SONG to be sung

It's not that you are too blinded for me babe
It's not because you were born to a cruel world
It's just that i cant watch me fall apart
When we could be writing our FUTURE LOVE SONG

Molotov or titos 
We'd down it all in a ball
And we'd say fuck the world
Then as no one was watching 
We'd share a kiss from above
I'd hail you my idol 
Though we had it all
We enjoyed our last joint
Falling asleep side by side
We sung our FUTURE LOVE SONG

It's not that you are too blinded for me babe
It's not because you were born to a cruel world
It's just that i cant watch me fall apart
When we could be writing our FUTURE LOVE SONG

Walk down memory lane 
I lay quadrupled in pain
How did I let this hurt 
Just a goodbye that won't work
No Radio to sirius 
No more secrets and dark confessions 
I want to live in this dream 
Of our FUTURE LOVE SONG
But that won't work
But that can't work

It's not that you are too blinded for me babe
It's not because you were born to a cruel world
It's just that i cant watch me fall apart
When we could be writing our FUTURE LOVE SONG

Released: 5/24/24

Future Love Song

Bear in mind that this is fictional as well as firmly autobiographical all at the same time.  Because that's the way with human experience - we make up a story that we tell ourselves until we believe it.

There was some inadvertent manipulation by the educational system which was real, but I was also guilty as hell of being stubborn about individuality and also a pretty hardcore video game addict right back to the Atari 2600 and this extended into online addiction in the 90's before they had a name for it even.

So people that I may have felt were less than helpful, also rolled out the red carpet for me more than once -- just on terms I refused to swallow.

So mainly this is an anti-bureaucratic piece.  The footsoldiers in the faculties doing the teaching, and my fellow classmates both have my sincere sympathies.  A distinction has to be drawn between making music just to get the ick out of my system and what I truly think upon more sober reflection.

Also: well aware this kind of whines like "Allentown" re: 'vote with your feet dummy'

my main website:
http://exedexes1.com

itch.io page:
http://exedexes1.itch.io

Lyrics:

When the H.R. folks say that i irrationally resent
But then the merit raise was two percent
Then let's review the course of the gradual descent
That got all of us where we are now

At the start they said well then, we'll skip you one grade
But hem you in by constraints that we already made
You'd be better adjusted if you only had stayed
Where conformity's all we allow


As I traversed past grade school to the stuff above
The real shock came when, push came to shove
There came things I didn't particularly love
Like rejection from the occasional cow

I escaped from that scene seeking resolution
But the worst place to do it was an institution 
Playing redistributive games
I pushed my way through it
Though my hope was diminished
If no other result, well I proved I could finish
But they were bitter returns all the same

Getting out in the world from the ivory tower
I found that things out there were not much less sour
The retail grind at five eighty five an hour
Doesn't cause you to climb to much fame

I needed the time, to heal, to mend
But the length that it took seemed to really depend
On chewing through this or that online crutch
And that seemed to drag on for far too much

Advancement comes slow when your job doesn't match
The inclinations which are your true path
When suppression has become the order of the day
A lot of time gets burned away

And then came a shift in the mood of the nation
Making it tougher to alter your station
Where even if striven with all your might
They'd just have said, can't promote the budget's too tight
If you were lucky they'd come at you with euphemisms
If not they'd tell you the stark reality 
That you just don't fit intersectionality

I only seemed lazy because in this domain
The only way to stay remotely sane
Was to ignore that they ignored me
While dreaming of where I really should be
Pointing out that my worth's in arrears
Perennially falls on deaf ears

If they get an abrupt shock one morning
Well, they've only had forty-five years of warning
Playing games with people's lives 
Is bound to end in a nasty surprise


I only seemed lazy because I missed the basic rule
Not to wait for someone else's say 
And so I no longer play the fool
As I breach the walls of the cage
And take control of my own way

And so folks then herein lies the rub
Just like don't wait for a corpo to cook your grub
Don't wait for prefab lesson plans
Take destiny back into your hands

301 : I Only Seemed Lazy Because released June 11, 2024

Feature.fm link to this track:
https://ffm.to/only-lazy-because

SoundCloud for this track:
https://soundcloud.com/doug-stoothoff/i-only-seemed-lazy-because

Spotify for this track:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7mEe56bLN8QKY2W4mqz9Ah

Douglas P Stoothoff main site:
https://exedexes1.com/

Artist page on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EuvIQRQESX9WFtwI6GqWB

NovemDeka

I Only Seemed Lazy Because

Buy on Bandcamp

In this instrumental song: Blades of the Morning Star, I was inspired by an image: a single drop of water that, joining others, forms torrents, rivers, lakes, and finally oceans. This image reflects the journey of a samurai towards his final battle. Reflecting on a lake, the samurai carries with him the burdens of life and the wisdom of his scars. Every note in this piece tells his story.

The introduction harmoniously blends violins, timpani, and winds, creating an evocative atmosphere that culminates in a metal explosion of victorious memories. The flutes, present in the main theme that will recurs throughout the album, symbolize the fallen comrades who made his journey possible.

This piece is not just a musical composition but a sonic narrative that sets the tone for the entire album. Each musical element captures the essence of the samurai's epic journey, paying homage to his determination, courage, and the sacrifices of his companions.

I hope that by listening to this track, you can immerse yourself in the samurai's journey, feeling the depth of his experiences and the grandeur of his battles. Thank you for your support, and I hope this music inspires you as much as it inspired me in creating it.

Blades of the Morning Star

As Far As We May Run

Stones Unturned - Combstead & Robert Grigg

frankie

Ascending Waves

We March Together Reprise

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

A therapeutic journey into a mix of jazz, classical, and a blend of types of electronica.  And a wry, gradual observation that promotion tends to only go as far as you push it.  At least I make my fellow musicians laugh a little.

I Only Seemed Lazy Because

Doug Stoothoff