Name: Pennies On The Ground by Help
Duration: 3 min 13 s
Description: Help is a noise punk band. Excise fear from decision making. Act in defiant joy. Refuse to dominate others. Do not hoard the gifts of the universe. The future is uncertain. Ends don’t justify means. Solidarity now. Class war now.

Song title: Desire

Produced by Mikal Cronin and Jess Cornelius
Performed by Jess Cornelius, Mikal Cronin and Steven Urgo.
Engineered by Mikal Cronin, Daniel McNeil and Jess Cornelius.
Written by Jess Cornelius

I don’t know what to do with all of this pain
It fills me up, and twice again
And I feel it in my bloodstream, tilting my head to the ground
You’ve got to keep your head up
If only to see who is holding you down
 
You said “Desire is stronger when somebody’s running away”
But I’m having your child now and I can’t stand to play those children’s games
And it hurts that you don’t want me when you dream of strangers all the time
I knew that love meant losing but I didn’t think I’d straight up lose my mind
 
Oh baby                               
Don’t you know that it’s a crime
That when it comes to loving me lately                                            
You don’t even want to try
 
I used to have a kindness in my heart
A friend to myself when things went dark
But I feel a subtle shifting like
Something inside me has gone
And I never thought I’d be here
Pregnant and scared that I can’t turn you on
 
You said “Desire is stronger when somebody’s running away”
But I have seen how that goes down
And I can’t have things that way
 
Oh baby
Don’t you know that it’s a crime
That I can borrow your love sometimes lately
But it’s never really mine
 
I always thought I was good at something but it turns out I’m just real good at desire.

CARE/TAKING

Jess Cornelius - Desire

Song title: The Surgeon

Produced by Mikal Cronin and Jess Cornelius
Performed by Jess Cornelius, Mikal Cronin and Steven Urgo.
Engineered by Mikal Cronin, Daniel McNeil and Jess Cornelius.
Written by Jess Cornelius

Lyrics:
I can still hear her voice in my head
You’ll never get over it
Still see the minivan parked in the sun
You have to find a way to live with what you’ve done
 
All these stories start out the same:
The sun rose in the morning.
Lily in the mirror, making a face
Every moment now is endlessly re-played
 
Pray you never have to learn
Just how much someone can hurt
 
Have to believe that there’s a light
Have to believe the surgeon found a way to sleep at night
And that the joy, when it finally arrives,
Is crystallized     
Like grief has its own way
Of letting in life.
 
A surgeon’s work is never done
A flash of a memory as she peels off her gloves
And then the panic in an icy cold rush
And the rest is much too much 
And the rest is just much too much
For me
to imagine

Jess Cornelius - The Surgeon

Song title: Dying

Produced by Mikal Cronin and Jess Cornelius
Performed by Jess Cornelius, Mikal Cronin and Steven Urgo.
Engineered by Mikal Cronin, Daniel McNeil and Jess Cornelius.
Written by Jess Cornelius

Lyrics:
Talking about symmetry and sex
And just wanting to be here
Knowing nothing’s wrong this minute
Thinking right back to where I was
Before I knew you and my heart
Was dissolving but I made it back
 
Everything I want
Nothing that I don’t
Backing all my shit up
Even when I won’t
 
Making me feel good
Not for any reason
Saying that you want me
Making me believe it
 
‘Cause I’d been dying
And I didn’t realize
How far I’d gone
Imagine being wanted
Like you’re worth somebody’s time
Feel like enough
More than what you asked for
Now that’s what my days are like
 
I know there’s darkness coming up
‘Cause there couldn’t not be some
But I’m ready throw it at me
‘Cause how you start makes a difference
And you love me with a vengeance
And it’s easy to forget I didn’t have it
 
Everything I want
Nothing that I don’t
Calling all my ships back
And pulling up the rope
It’s better that we met
Later now we’re older
We were just kids then
Never would have made it
 
‘Cause I’d been dying
And I didn’t realize it
Something that you did
Something you’re seeing
That just wasn’t seen before
Making me good, making me better
I was too scared to ask for more
 
I’d been dying to give you what I’d been missing
How far I’d gone
Imagine being wanted
Like you’re worth somebody’s time
 
Feel like enough
More than what you asked for
Now you’re here blowing my mind
 
Giving you what I got
Giving you attention
Never been more present
Babe you make my head spin.

Jess Cornelius - Dying

Song title: Cloud Postcard

Produced by Mikal Cronin and Jess Cornelius
Performed by Jess Cornelius, Mikal Cronin and Steven Urgo.
Engineered by Mikal Cronin, Daniel McNeil and Jess Cornelius.
Written by Jess Cornelius

Lyrics:
In my dream last night
You lived around the corner
I could visit any time
But still I woke up in tears
I hadn’t been to see you in years
 
I’m sorry, I wanted to say
All my life I’ve been moving away
Australia, America
Every decade I keep getting further
But not because of lack of love for you
Or because
I don’t want to be like you
 
All I’ve been trying to say
Is that there’s nothing you could’ve done that would’ve made me stay
And for every hour that I’ve been away
I’ve going to make it up to you when I come back.
 
Remember the clouds you sent?
Pictures of the sky outside your house
I stuck ‘em to the bedroom wall
Kept re-sticking till the tape gave out
I wanted to prove I was tough
Stayed away till I was good enough
 
But everything I did I was thinking of you
And everything I made I grew it from you
Every song
Every song
I love you so damn much
You didn’t mess me up
 
All I’ve been trying to say
Is that there’s nothing you could’ve done that would’ve made me stay
And for every hour that I’ve been away
I’ve going to make it up to you when I come back.
 
I’ll come back.

Jess Cornelius - Cloud Postcard

Song title: To the Desert 

Produced by Mikal Cronin and Jess Cornelius
Performed by Jess Cornelius, Mikal Cronin and Steven Urgo.
Engineered by Mikal Cronin, Daniel McNeil and Jess Cornelius.
Written by Jess Cornelius

Lyrics:
When you get home late tonight
Throw your shirt over the bedroom light
It’s been such a long time
Since you’ve been kind
Look at my body
Isn’t it fine?
 
Get in your car now and go
It’s easy to remember things you didn’t want to know
And now we’ve got nothing
And nothing to show
So let’s just take the handbrake off
And let the car roll
 
Down to the street
Past the line of parked cars,
magnolia trees
 
All the way to the desert
With my eyes closed
To the desert
Where we can both be alone.
 
We can rent that house we had last year
You make margaritas I’ll drink beer
We know there is something
Out there in the sky
Less of an answer
More of a why
 
Out here in the desert
With no excess
In the desert
Sky like a fortress
In the desert
There are no excuses
to be found.

Jess Cornelius - To the Desert

Song Title: When I Was Alive

Produced by Mikal Cronin and Jess Cornelius
Performed by Jess Cornelius, Mikal Cronin and Steven Urgo.
Engineered by Mikal Cronin, Daniel McNeil and Jess Cornelius.
Written by Jess Cornelius 


Lyrics:
I spent the day
Reading news in my car
Articles on the end of the world
I want you to know
I rinsed out my tins
Bought shampoo in a block
Read symbols in the parking lot
 
I never know what that means
If it changes the air you breathe
 
People only want the best
I want you to remember this
Lying in your trailer bed watching the orange sky
That was blue when I was alive
 
I could say that I did my best
But of course none of us really did
I drove my car
And took a plane across America, then home
then back and over and over again
And how could I kill that dream of a
Six-foot hot tub in PVC?
 
People only want the best I want you to remember this
Taking your turn with the snorkel to go outside
At the time I thought I was trying
At the time I think I thought we were trying.

Jess Cornelius - When I Was Alive

Order French Cassette's latest record Benzene now: https://tenderlovingempire.com/products/pre-order-french-cassettes-benzene

Song title: Normal Day

Mixed by Nick Krill and mastered by João Carvalho
Written by Scott Huerta
Vocals and Guitar by Scott Huerta
Guitar, Bass, and Keyboards by Mackenzie Bunch 
Drums and Percussion by Rob Mills
Bass and Backing Vocals by Benjamin Adams

Lyrics:
I can’t stay
But you’re no nearer than I’m far away, yeah
I can’t stay
But you’re no nearer than I’m far away
If you ever think I’m being dishonest, I’m not
I just want to spend the summer alone, yeah
Now I’m counting on more good times 
and darling it’s a lot
But it might have to wait ’til I get home
I don’t feel it now
I didn’t feel it then
I doubt I’ll feel it when I come out of this comfort zone
I don’t wana make a vow to love you ’til my life ends
But trust me, I can’t do it on my own
I’m trying to give my stuff to the Goodwill
They lied and said that they do not need it
I said I can see some space back there
But they insisted still
I lied and said that’s okay my ride’s about to be here 
Only wanting something new to do
I know a thing or two, oh 
Only wanting something new
(sad but true)
To do
(despite everything you say)
I know a thing or two 
(yes you do, I hope you have a normal day)
Only wanting something new
(sad but true)
To do
(despite everything you say)
I know a thing or two 
(yes you do, I hope you have a normal day)

Scott Huerta on "Normal Day":
'Normal Day' started as an excuse to not leave the house. I combed my hair that day which meant I was stalling. I had somewhere to be but thought I'd write a song first. I picked up my acoustic guitar and started thinking about Bob Dylan and what he'd do. I don't advise that. I spent the next 40 minutes sitting on the edge of my bed picturing Dylan screaming "how does it FEEL" until I found my own lyrics. I sincerely thought about asking Rufus Wainwright to accompany me on the outro, but assumed he was busy.

Benzene

French Cassettes - Normal Day

Order French Cassette's latest record Benzene now: https://tenderlovingempire.com/products/pre-order-french-cassettes-benzene

Song title: Finally

Mixed by Nick Krill and mastered by João Carvalho
Written by Scott Huerta
Vocals and Guitar by Scott Huerta
Guitar, Bass, and Keyboards by Mackenzie Bunch 
Drums and Percussion by Rob Mills

Lyrics:
Oh, do you think you need me?
Am I being emotional?
(need to make sure you’re laughing enough)
Just wanna make sure you’re laughing enough
Oh, do you think it’s easy?
Am I being insatiable? 
(are we just making it up)
Just wanna know if we’re making it up
I was sleeping when you found me
I’ll never make it hard to be around me
Yes, I am better off now that I know yuh
But everything that I got 
will not make up for what I owe yuh
Baby, please
I can hardly treat my body right
Your time was well wasted on me
But I can’t do this every night
Oh, do you think you need me?
Am I being emotional?
(need to make sure you’re laughing enough)
Just wanna make sure you’re laughing enough
Oh, do you think it’s easy?
Am I being insatiable?
(are we just making it up)
I just wanna know if we’re making it up, oh
If you still say it
Tell me now while it’s still warm
Finding it taxing
I was hardly bummed, elated
You were always on
While the drum dumbed on and faded

Scott Huerta on "Finally":
I had a 'Best Of The Beach Boys' CD that my grandma gave me and I fell in love with Brian Wilson's songwriting. Then I heard "God Only Knows" and I was mush. I was listening to that song on repeat next to Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" when I wrote this song. Ballads don't come easy to me so at the end of the first demo you can hear me say "finally" because I was just happy to make it through.

French Cassettes - Finally

Order French Cassette's latest record Benzene now: https://tenderlovingempire.com/products/pre-order-french-cassettes-benzene

Song title: Up2You

Mixed by Nick Krill and mastered by João Carvalho
Written by Scott Huerta
Vocals and Guitar by Scott Huerta
Guitar, Bass, and Keyboards by Mackenzie Bunch 
Drums and Percussion by Rob Mills

Lyrics:
Heart
Don’t make it easy
I could die old and lonely
Or I could just leave that up to you
(Up to you, up to you)
If I’m not welcome
I’m still inclined to stay
Don’t you know it
They like you, don’t they
Overlooking reasons on why I came
Don’t you know it
They like you, don’t they
(They like you, don’t they)
I’m not a morning man
Unless it’s late enough
But I’m not rich enough to die
No, I’m not rich enough to die
You won’t find thinner legs 
on a bigger bum
‘Cause I’m not rich enough to die
No, I’m not rich enough to die
William H. Macy’s got the upper hand 
I was born in the suburbs
But he’s got a bigger plan for me, yeah
My mother’s mother talks in comic sans
I will never not love her
I wish there were more emails to read, yeah
William H. Macy’s got the upper hand 
I was born in the suburbs
But he’s got a bigger plan for me, yeah
My mother’s mother talks in comic sans
I will never not love her
I wish there were more emails to read, yeah

Scott Huerta on "Up2You":
I was thinking about The Flamingos when they sing the reverbed "sha-bop sha-bop" in "I Only Have Eyes for You". I also was trying to write a Pixies song. About time. I don't get many chances to shout out my heroes in songs, but I made room in this one. So if it wasn't clear, thank you Grandmere and William H. Macy.

French Cassettes - Up2You

Help is a noise punk band. Excise fear from decision making. Act in defiant joy. Refuse to dominate others. Do not hoard the gifts of the universe. The future is uncertain. Ends don’t justify means. Solidarity now. Class war now.

Pennies On The Ground

Help

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