At Night, Alone.

Sometime before now, I was in the studio with a friend of mine who also writes songs for a living. As often happens when songwriters hang out, we were trading tunes. He would play one on the guitar, then I would play one. Back and forth…back and forth into the LA night. Eventually I played a song and my buddy asked me, “What inspired you to write that?” I told him it was the story of a relationship I used to have, mixed up with some things I’d just plain imagined. He looked in my eyes deeply, and in a tone that made the words seem of more than ordinary significance, he said, 

“Why don’t you just tell the truth?” 

That night I started this project. 

I Took a Pill in Ibiza, Buried in Detroit, Be As You Are, and Not That Simple are four songs selected from my upcoming album. They are best listened to the way they were written: at night, and alone. I hope you enjoy.


mp

Be As You Are

Not That Simple

🎵 LIPSTICK ON THE RIM

(
[Intro – Spoken/Sung, cheeky]

Mmm… you see that mark?
Yeah, that one’s mine.
And trust me, baby —
there’s more where that came from.


---

[Verse 1]

Caught you staring at my glass,
tryin’ to read the shade I wear.
It’s called “Heartbreak Red,” darling —
matches trouble I don’t spare.
You smile like you’re immune,
like you’re safe from what I bring —
but every man who thinks he is
ends up learning what it means.


---

[Pre-Chorus]

I’m sweet for about a minute,
then the sugar starts to sting —
don’t say I didn’t warn you
when you feel that little cling.


---

[Chorus]

See that lipstick on the rim?
Baby, that’s a warning sign.
I leave marks you can’t get rid of,
I stain hearts the way I shine.
You think you can wipe me off
like a spill you didn’t spill —
but sugar, I’m the poison,
and you’re mistaking me for pills.


---

[Verse 2]

You say you like a “wild girl”?
Oh honey, that’s a rookie wish.
I’m the type that leaves you dizzy,
not the type you wanna fix.
You think you’re running the game?
Cute — but boy, let’s not pretend.
By the time you catch your breath,
I’m already at your end.


---

[Pre-Chorus]

I smile like I’m harmless,
but the truth ain’t soft or sweet —
you’ll be saving little souvenirs
from the nights you couldn’t sleep.


---

[Chorus]

See that lipstick on the rim?
Baby, that’s a warning sign.
I leave marks you can’t get rid of,
I stain hearts the way I shine.
You think you can wipe me off
like a spill you didn’t spill —
but sugar, I’m the poison,
and you’re mistaking me for pills.


---

[Bridge – Ska Rhythm Drops, Horns Answer Phrases]

Ooh, you thought you had control?
That’s adorable — bless your soul.
You stepped into the fire slow,
and now you’re burning head to toe.
Try to scrub me off your skin —
but darling, I just sink right in.


---

[Final Chorus – Bigger, Brassier, More Attitude]

See that lipstick on the rim?
Baby, that’s my signature.
Once you taste the heat I bring,
there ain’t no cure, no clean, no blur.
You thought you’d shake me easy —
oh, how cute your little thrill…
But baby, I’m the poison —
and you never stood a chance
against my spill.


---

[Outro – Spoken, sly grin]

Wipe it, wash it, rub it, hide it…
doesn’t matter, sweetheart.
My mark sticks.
Better get used to it.

🎵 LIPSTICK ON THE RIM

Soul, 1950s Soul, The Story Of Us, The Harmony Sessions, Spotify Release, Amazone Release, Youtube Release, Love Songs, Love, Slow Jamz,

Silence (feat. Labrinth)

Mike Posner

Related tracks