Misinterpretations

The finale of Twelfth Night! I wish I could have had everyone in the cast sing the end with me, the way we did it in the actual show. Womp womp. 

Twelfth Night Finale

I am updating this, because I've changed a few lyrics and put more effort into the recording/mixing. I think this one is far superior, but let me know if you agree!

Lyrics: 

When we met she was a ravishing deception,
But I was empty and starving for affection.
When she fed me with infatuation,
I was eager to sate deprivation,
So I gorged on a feast of misconception. 

She and you shared a mutual admiration.
And I was blind to your envious motivation.
She and I shared a toxic attraction,
But you’re the catalyst that caused a reaction.
I don’t think that there’s an antidote to treat
The betrayal of this infection.

And I don’t really want to know,
But how far did you go?
No, wait, no I don’t really want to hear about it!
And why’d you have to wait? 
Then eat off another’s plate—
No, I don’t really want to think about it!
Ooh, Ooh~
I don’t really want to know about it!
Ooh! Ooh!

Now despite all we’ve been through and done together
We’re both walking on glass so thin it’ll shatter at the touch of a feather.
Seems like you chose a backward direction,
Though it’s easy, now, to see your objection.
What’d you think would ever come from this endeavor?
Whatever! You’re oh so clever now!

Chorus

Why do we keep on our masks
While we traverse this broken glass? 
Where did your allegiance go?
And why does silence seem to sing
A song that's so unsettling? 
Do I even want to know?

Chorus

Catalyst

This is a cover of a cover! I can't remember who did this ukulele version of Elvis' Can't Help Falling in Love with You, but I liked it and wanted to add some harmonies. I always sang it the octave down, because I liked the feel of it that way. 

Can't Help Falling in Love With You

My glasses broke the other day.
They turned around, threw me away.
Now they're gone and I can't see,
And I don't know why shy left me,
But I know life will still go on.

She was my light, my blazing sun.
I tried so hard to be the one
With whom she wants to share a flame,
I really thought she felt the same.
But I know my flame will burn on.

I'm not quite sure where I went wrong.
You just kept stringing me along.
I wish my thoughts could do what you did
And just walk out the door,
Then never talk to me anymore.

She can act exquisitely.
Theatre is really her affinity.
But it took way too long for me to tell
She was putting on an act for me as well,
Now I know my show must go on.

Rubble remains all around
From the tower you helped build, then knocked down
With the force of you slamming closed the door.
Sorry my love was such a chore,
But I know life will still go on.

I'm not quite sure where I went wrong.
You just kept stringing me along.
I wish my thoughts could do what you did
And just walk out the door,
Then never talk to me anymore.

I'm not quite sure where I went wrong.
You just kept stringing me along.
I wish my thoughts could do what you did
And just walk out the door,
Then never talk to me anymore.

Go On

Lyrics:

Where you see rusted patches
I see golden coins in batches
Making your skin richer than a king.

Though you hear shrills of shrieking
I hear flutes when you are speaking
Your laugh is an orchestra of strings.

Where you see tattered threading
I see silk stranges twisting, spreading,
Weaving your embroidery of hair.

Where you see paltry saplings 
I see strong boughs not collapsing
Though the weight is more than they should bear.
You seem to think your branches are impaired,
But to say that they’re not strong just isn’t fair.

You see clouds where I see light,
The sun behind them shines so bright
I wish that you could see
The way you look to me.
Your spirits silver, your heart is gold,
Your flame of kindness is never cold
Yet when the mirror is your measure
You see trash where I see treasure.
You see trash where I see treasure.

Where you see orbs that falter,
I see pearls with ocean water
Painted by a master’s perfect brush.

Where you see cracks and breaking,
I see someone crafting, making
Sure they take their time and not to rush.
I know sometimes you just, you wanna combust,
But it's ok to take your time to adjust.

You see clouds where I see light,
The sun behind them shines so bright
I wish that you could see
The way you look to me.
Your spirits silver, your heart is gold,
Your flame of kindness is never cold
Yet when the mirror is your measure
You see trash where I see treasure.
You see trash where I see treasure.

It seems absurd for you to think that you're a waste
When I can see that you're a jewel that can't be replaced.

You see clouds where I see light,
The sun behind them shines so bright
I wish that you could see
The way you look to me.
Your spirits silver, your heart is gold,
Your flame of kindness is never cold
Yet when the mirror is your measure
You see trash where I see treasure.
You see trash where I see treasure.

Trash or Treasure with Instrumentation

This is a pretty old song! Performed at MIT recently and thought I'd upload one of the tracks that got recorded. :D

Go Figure

This is a pretty old song at this point, but I enjoy playing it from time to time. Sort of a saga, I suppose!

Stormbringer

Lyrics:
The jagged, misshaped edges of my heart
Still haven’t found a border line.
I’m sifting through the pieces
Of a pile growing steadily with time. 
Every time I put another piece in place
The puzzle grows again. 
I just want some solidity,
I don’t need to know how or where, just when.

I can’t seem to find the pieces
That best fit the moment here and now.
This puzzle’s getting bigger
With the gaps between the pieces I’ve put down.

Maybe it’s because my eyes are broken,
I mix up my reds and greens. 
Colors may be difficult,
So shapes are how I find the space between. 
And I have trouble focusing
My efforts on a simple task at hand. 
My thoughts are in the future
While the present drifts by heavily unplanned.

I can’t seem to find the pieces
That best fit the moment here and now.
This puzzle’s getting bigger
With the gaps between the pieces I’ve put down. 
Sometimes I hold onto pieces 
That did not quite fit how I’d expect. 
Now I have an envelope 
Of pieces that just didn’t connect.

I can’t seem to find the pieces
That best fit the moment here and now.
This puzzle’s getting bigger
With the gaps between the pieces I’ve put down. 
Sometimes I hold onto pieces 
That did not quite fit how I’d expect. 
Now I have an envelope 
Of pieces that just didn’t connect.

Fit the Moment

I totally forgot to upload this when I made it for the Tiny Desk series. Here it is!

Lyrics:

Every day I climb this hill a little more
And it gets harder to ignore
That the peak keeps gettin' further away.
Puts me into disarray.
The wind is blowin', and the mountain keeps a'growin',
It's impossible to know when
Exponential growth is slowin' down.  
Wish I was on flat ground, but no, no no.

I can't escape from this financial rape
And I'm tryin' just to scrape up
Enough to keep the interest down.
But they said: 

"Just go to school,
Do you want to be a fool? No, no no.
Don't worry about the money." 
HAH! You're really funny! 
"All that you need is one of those degrees
And then you'll have it all." 
Well, wish I could give it all
To go back to nothing. 

They gave me seeds so now I'm on my hands and knees
I'm workin' hard to plant some trees,
But for every one I see that grows,
They tell me there's two I owe.
The water's rough and swimmin' up a river's tough
But it'll never be enough
Because I tidal wave is crashin' down. 
Nothin' to shield me around, oh no, no no.

There's no defense,
No way to fight against
This wave, it's too immense
But they say it's gonna cleanse us all,
And they said: 

"Just go to school,
Do you want to be a fool? No, no no.
Don't worry about the money." 
HAH! You're really funny! 
"All that you need is one of those degrees
And then you'll have it all." 
Well, wish I could give it all
To go back to nothing. 

I rolled my money up a hill, 
It wasn't funny 'cause I filled
The greedy pockets of
The guilty gods that put me here.
I thought that poor old Sisyphus
Was just a moral and a myth,
Something to keep the people
Questioning and in fear.
Kids today should be afraid
Of all the ways that we are made
To think the system isn't
Broken and corrupted yet.
Though I'm trapped, I'm not alone,
So many wrapped in issues
Blown out of proportion by
A system that relies on debt. 
You say it's not a threat. 
And you say:

 "Just go to school,
Do you want to be a fool? No, no no.
Don't worry about the money." 
HAH! You're really funny! 
"All that you need is one of those degrees
And then you'll have it all." 
Well, wish I could give it all
Wish I could give it all
Yes I said: wish I could give it all
To go back to nothing.

Wish I could give it all 
To go back to nothing. 
Yeah, back to nothing
Back to nothing,
Back to nothing.

Back To Nothing (Tiny Desk Contest Submission)

Multidimensional - Live

Meeting you was like walking through the door
Of a home I’ve known before
After being gone for so, so long.
Now I feel the warmth and comfort of the sun,
And I hope the night is done,
Because within your light is where I belong. 

If you are water, then I’m famished from the run
Away from everything I’ve done,
And all the hope I’ve lost from heartache and pain.
You’re a breeze sweeping the sweat off of my face
With a dance of unmatched grace
To help my catch my breath again.

I measure time in moments 
That I get to spend with you,
You’re my glasses in the morning,
You’re always there to clear my view. 
You define life’s blurry lines,
Establish elegant designs
Within the confines of 
A lens that never lies. 
You restore life’s beauty in my eyes. 

Your eyes alone can send a chill into my bones
Until my body turns to stone
From the surplus of your tender affections.
You’re a fire after walking through the storm,
Your devotion keeps me warm,
And your heart’s the light that guides my direction. 

I measure time in moments 
That I get to spend with you,
You’re my glasses in the morning,
You’re always there to clear my view. 
You define life’s blurry lines,
Establish elegant designs
Within the confines of 
A lens that never lies. 
You restore life’s beauty in my eyes.

You restore life’s beauty in my eyes.

Glasses

Hilltop Sunset combines metaphor-heavy poetry with the universal language of music to produce a unique form of understanding and elicit effortless empathy. His songs are intended not only to be heard, but listened to; while the music is catchy and accessible, each lyric is carefully crafted to paint a picture greater than the sum of its parts. Personal stories of love, loss, politics, and self-improvement permeate his songs, which range from high-energy and emotional to slow and thoughtful to up-beat and playful.

Hilltop Sunset

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