Civil Lies demo r2 Z7S2 is a new mix of a song I wrote and recorded in early 1992 on a Tascam 488 8-track cassette "portastudio" (making this a true analog lo-fi recording...vintage, even!). This version...er, revision, rather...is a new digital master of that multitrack recording.

LYRICS

First, you come into my life
then, you tell me things I've never known before
then you promise me the moon and all the cheese it's made of
and woo me with your civil lies.

So polite is your deceit
it's as though I've been anesthetized
Mortal man cannot compete
with your civil lies.

When you asked me to believe
did you think I'd take you half as serious as I did
did you pen me as a character of some distinction
in the fiction that you write

Too polite is your deceit
it's as though I've been anesthetized
sweet the smell of my defeat
by your civil lies
by your civil lies

When I gazed into your eyes
all I saw were pools of mystery and depth
perception this is no fool
too naive to realize I'd only seen the blackness
reflecting off the madness residing in your soul.

What a tangled web we weave
when we let the spider crawl into our fertile minds
to sow the mildew seeds of our own alternative facts while
leaving sanity behind

Too polite is your deceit
it's as though I've been anesthetized
all I want is to be free
of your civil lies
of your civil lies
of your civil lies

TRADUCCIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

Primero vienes a mi vida
luego me dices cosas que nunca he sabido antes
Luego me prometes la luna y todo el queso del que está hecho
y cortejame con tus mentiras civiles

Tan educado es tu engaño
es como si me hubieran anestesiado
El hombre mortal no puede competir
con tus mentiras civiles

Cuando me pediste que creyera
¿Pensaste que te tomaría la mitad de en serio que lo hice?
¿Me escribiste como un personaje de alguna distinción
en la ficcion que escribes?

Demasiado educado es tu engaño
es como si me hubieran anestesiado
dulce el olor de mi derrota
por tus mentiras civiles
por tus mentiras civiles

Cuando te miré a los ojos
todo lo que vi fueron charcos de misterio y profundidad
percepción esto no es tonto
Demasiado ingenuo para darme cuenta de que solo había visto la oscuridad
reflejándose en la locura que reside en tu alma

Qué enmarañada red tejemos
cuando dejamos que la araña se meta en nuestras fértiles mentes
para sembrar las semillas de moho de nuestros propios hechos alternativos mientras
dejando atrás la cordura

Demasiado educado es tu engaño
es como si me hubieran anestesiado
todo lo que quiero es ser libre
de tus mentiras civiles
de tus mentiras civiles
de tus mentiras civiles


Copyright © 1992 Curtis C. Long
April 15, 1992 - May 3, 1992

SONGCLUB

Civil Lies

Civil Lies Demo r2 (2021 mix)

LYRICS
(Traducción al español a continuación)

There is nothing so grave 
as being in the grave 
can reduce to tears 
a soul normally brave
if I say mother earth 
is calling us home 
I am defining gravity
only defining gravity

From birth to death
we are just defying gravity
like pumice from a volcano
got 15 seconds of flame
then fall to earth
And there's is a point
right before the impact
we suddenly begin
to see there's no %age in
defying gravity

We had a good time
learning to crawl
and learning to walk
as we chewed on our gum
and tried not to trip
on our tongues as we talked
we were playing a game
I was making a pass
you were dropping a hint
still our feet were on the ground

We fell in love
surrendering to gravity
the hidden force of attraction
two bodies can't resist
that draws us in
When worlds collide
in fiery creation
tiny worlds are set a flight
to laugh at other suns
defying gravity

We have a good time
learning to crawl
and learning to walk
as we chew on our gum
and try not to trip
on our tongues as we talk
we're playing the game
I'm making a pass
you're catching the hint
but our feet aren't on the ground

Look at me defying gravity
Look at you defying gravity
Look at us defying gravity

What goes up must come down

Words & Music Copyright ©2021 Curtis C. Long
https://takenode.org/certificate?id=5d68f664-40e0-4159-ab57-d50bfffa9e85

——————————————————————————————————————
DEFYING GRAVITY / DESAFIANDO LA GRAVEDAD
Traducción al español

No hay nada tan grave 
como estar en la tumba
puede reducir a lágrimas 
un alma normalmente valiente
si digo que la madre tierra 
nos está llamando a casa
estoy definiendo la gravedad
solo definiendo la gravedad

Desde el nacimiento hasta la muerte
solo estamos desafiando la gravedad
como piedra pómez de un volcán
tenemos 15 segundos de llama
luego caer a la tierra
Y hay un punto
justo antes del impacto
de repente comenzamos
para ver que no tiene sentido
desafiando la gravedad

Pasamos un buen rato
aprendiendo a gatear
y aprendiendo a caminar
mientras mascábamos nuestro chicle
y tratábamos de no tropezar
en nuestras lenguas mientras hablábamos
estábamos jugando un juego
estaba haciendo un pase
estabas dejando caer una pista
aún nuestros pies estaban en el suelo

Nos enamorábamos
rindiéndose a la gravedad
la fuerza oculta de atracción
que dos cuerpos no pueden resistir
que nos arrastra juntos
Cuando chocan los mundos
en ardiente creación
unos munditos se ponen en vuelo
para reírse de otros soles
desafiando la gravedad

Nos la pasamos bien
aprendiendo a gatear
y aprendiendo a caminar
mientras masticamos nuestro chicle
y trata de no tropezar
en nuestras lenguas mientras hablamos
estamos jugando el juego
Estoy haciendo un pase
estás captando la indirecta
pero nuestros pies no están en el suelo

Mírame desafiando la gravedad
Mírate desafiando la gravedad
Míranos desafiando la gravedad

Todo lo que sube tiene que bajar

Defying Gravity Demo r7

Defying Gravity Demo r7 - SONGCLUB mix

The Edge - Demo r4 Z7K by New Rev - WIP (Work in progress)
This 7-Jul-2021 revision is much closer to my initial vision than r1, but I'd like to take it further. I'm open to collaborating if you've got some ideas... 😎

LYRICS
I cannot understand 
the radio silence
You are not calling in 
and you've not sent a word
Have you turned off the set 
on your own private island
At the edge of the world
 
You don't have to reply 
There's no obligation 
But you've picked up before
Never left me on hold
There is static and fuzz
With a crosstalk of laughter
From the edge of the world

We can't know if my words 
will be intercepted 
so I'm speaking in rhymes 
and composing in code 
But I know you'll deduce
you were born an enigma 
at the edge of the world

So my cipher's a song
of semaphorisms
And an accent I've copped
Feigning cockney and bull
Left behind in that pub
Which is right where we started
at the edge of the world 

And the transmitter's fine
The antenna's directed
at the place in your heart
that is tender and gold
And the signal is strong
Could it be you're not listening

Words, Music, and Recording Copyright 2021 Curtis C. Long 
https://takenode.org/certificate?id=ccb53d25-c239-4f84-b89a-51bb442fc6d1

Original photograph of antique Jackson radio by Peter Hollingsworth https://www.zeroplus44.com/. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Static and crosstalk added by Curtisonic.

The Edge

The Edge (WIP) Demo r4

Like a Color Demo r7 ZB4 - SONGCLUB mix
Website: www.newrev.band/

LYRICS        (Traducción al español a continuación)

You are eager to crawl
you are fervent to walk
I am yearning to hear
when you're learning to talk
all you'll say to me
it's as if the
ungovernable future you
is already appearing in
your mind's eye view
and she's aching so to be
like a color like a color
only you can see

Could it be that this is
just a drama I have dreamt
still it's true you are so
curious and wonderbent
in doing what you will
And there's something in the
way that you look at me
with your gaze of
unwavering intensity
and your smile that makes me feel
like a color like a color
only you can see

Words & Music Copyright ©2021 Curtis C. Long
takenode.org/certificate?id=16b…-bf9e-517393908c96

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
LIKE A COLOR/COMO UN COLOR
Traducción al español

Estás ansioso por gatear
eres ferviente de caminar
anhelo escuchar cuando
estás aprendiendo a hablar
todo lo que me dirás
es como si lo
ingobernable futuro tu
ya está apareciendo en
la vista de tu mente
y ella está desesperada por ser
como un color como un color
solo tu puedes ver

¿Podría ser que esto sea
solo un drama que he soñado?
aun así es verdad que eres tan
curioso y propensa a maravillarte
al hacer lo que quieras
Y hay algo en la forma
en que me miras
con tu mirada de
intensidad inquebrantable
y tu sonrisa que me hace sentir
como un color como un color
solo tu puedes ver

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
INSTRUMENTS / CREDITS

• Words & Music: Curtis C. Long. Inspired by Alessa.
• DAW: Reaper
• FX: OldSkoolVerb VST by Voxengo, Sandwich Amp Distortion by Geraint Luff, ReaEQ, ReaPitch, ReaTune, ReaXcomp, JS: Saturation, JS: Tremolo, ReaLimit.
• Drum sounds: Addictive Drums 1 programmed by Curtis. Primary drum loop inspired by the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows."
• Bass & amp: Hohner B2A (licensed by Steinberger) DI-ed with Guitar Amp simulator 2.0 FE VST by Plektronfx (BassVox). Played by Curtis.
• Guitars & amps:
• Rhythm melodic: Fender Squier Telecaster Thinline played by Curtis. Inspired by Cotton Mather's "40-Watt Solution."
• Rhythm chords: Ibanez Artcore AS73 hollow-body guitar DI-ed with Guitar Amp simulator 2.0 FE VST by Plektronfx (British head with drive, High Watt cabinet). Played by Curtis
• Bridge solo: Ibanez Artcore AS73 hollow-body guitar DI-ed with Guitar Amp simulator 2.0 FE VST by Plektronfx (British head with drive and overdrive, Fuzz, Vintage Reverb). Played by Curtis
• Sitars: DSK Indian DreamZ VST (MIDI instrument) programmed by Curtis.
• Microphone: MXI 991 condenser
• Vocals: Curtis. Harmony tremolo inspired by Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man."
• Baby's laugh: Alessa. Inspired by the seagulls (actually human laughs sped up) in "Tomorrow Never Knows."
• Artwork: Silkscreens prints by Curtis from a 2001 workshop taught by Prof. Tim High, Austin, Texas. Thank you to Robert Hurst for encouraging me to enroll in Tim's workshop.
• Recorded in Cuernavaca, Mexico, October 2021.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
ESOTERICA
Wonderbent is a real word. Here’s proof: https://fb.watch/iLDEe9XFmJ/

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
If you like New Rev's music, you've got options:
♦ Follow us
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♦ Leave a comment
♦ Check out this earlier music project: www.dang.mx/

Like a Color

Like a Color (Alessa's Laugh) Demo r7 - SONGCLUB mix

Curtisonic recorded this demo in 1987 in his home studio in New York on an old 8-track reel-to-reel. It remained in the closet until October 2021 when he came across it under a pile of old songs, dusted it off, and decided to try remixing and mastering it. 

Video: https://youtu.be/rfXZnVjstYM
Complete lyrics (traducidos al español), credits, and song details at 
https://www.newrev.band/come-with-me

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
LYRICS 
(La traducción al español sigue) 

Many years from now
when you are older and much wiser
that you felt this way today
will be a thing to laugh about
Coming down from a one-horse town
the debutante of the local haunt
with nothing but your life ahead
of you and still you doubt
You want to jump a train
seek your fortune and your fame
but you know its all in vain
here you sit here you remain
dreaming of a world youll never see

Come with me
there's a way to make it better oh
come with me just come with me
Come with me
man or woman it doesn't matter oh
come with me just come with me
Come with me
bring your worries and your burdens
and come with me just come with me

Wanting more at forty-four
than station-wagon taxi driver
turn your back on twenty years
and file for divorce
Still alive at fifty-five your
kids are driving taxis of their own
you wonder if its really
better now or worse
You made a tough decision
suffered from its deep incision
bloody thing has never really healed

Come with me
there's a way to make it better oh
come with me just come with me
Come with me
man or woman it doesn't matter oh
come with me just come with me
Come with me
bring your worries and your burdens
and come with me just come with me
Ah-ah-ah

Many years ago when you were
younger and much wiser
that you'd still be in this place today
did not occur to you
Settle down in a crowded town
and watch the weeks turn into years
and all your childhood fantasies
just fade into the blue
Once you tried to break the cycle
could not cut the umbilical
bitten once shy forevermore

Come with me
there's a way to make it better oh
come with me just come with me
Come with me
man or woman it doesn't matter oh
come with me just come with me
Come with me
bring your worries and your burdens
and come with me just come with me
Ah-ah-ah

13-May-1987
Words and Music Copyright 1987 Curtis C. Long

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
LETRAS traducidas en español 

Dentro de muchos años
cuando seas mayor y mucho más sabio
que hoy te sentiste así
será algo de lo que reírse
Viniendo de un pueblucho
la debutante del antro local
sin nada más que tu vida por delante
de ti y aun así dudas
Quieres saltar un tren
busca tu fortuna y tu fama
pero sabes que todo es en vano
aquí te sientas aquí te quedas
soñando con un mundo que nunca verás

CORO
Ven conmigo
hay una manera de hacerlo mejor, oh
ven conmigo solo ven conmigo
Ven conmigo
hombre o mujer no importa oh
ven conmigo solo ven conmigo
Ven conmigo
trae tus preocupaciones y tus cargas
y ven conmigo solo ven conmigo

Queriendo más a los cuarenta y cuatro
que ser taxista de una camioneta
dar la espalda a veinte años
y solicitar el divorcio
Aún con vida a los cincuenta y cinco tus
hijos están conduciendo sus propios taxis
te preguntas si es realmente
mejor ahora o peor
Tomaste una decisión difícil
sufriste por su profunda incisión
la maldita cosa nunca se ha curado bien

CORO

Hace muchos años cuando eras
más joven y mucho más sabio
que todavía estarías en este lugar hoy
no se te ocurrió
Te instalas en una ciudad masificada
y miras las semanas convertirse en años
y todas tus fantasías juveniles
simplemente desvanecerse en el azul
Una vez trataste de romper el ciclo
no pudiste cortar el umbilical
Una vez mordido tímido para siempre

CORO

Come with Me

Come With Me demo r8

Demo written for SONGCLUB songwriter group 2020-2021, conceived, composed, and recorded with a two-week deadline, so it's a bit rough around the edges. 😉

LYRICS
(La traducción al español sigue)

As the plane touched down in Austin I awoke from my nostalgia
And was startled by a skyline that I did not recognize
She'd become a different lady from the lover I'd abandoned
With a high-tech color dream cast in her eyes.

At the Ginger Man I told you how my timing had been lucky
Getting out before the tipping point between weird and hippie chic.
But you called me sentimental as you spoke the words of Jesus
Right here and right now is the place to be

Oh, your golden memories
Oh, they're so cliché
And if you still believe The Fable of the Good Old Days
They ended when you turned the lights out yesterday.

I admit I can be maudlin stirring up the recollections
Let the sad and mediocre moments spiral to the deep.
I will revel in the surface with its glittery reflections
Never mind that it's a make-believe conceit.

Oh, these precious memories
Oh, they're so banal
And if you still believe The Fable of the Good Old Days
You're not alone, my friend, that lie will fool us all.
If there's a moral to The Fable of the Good Old Days
It's that the world was never like what we recall.
In fact the world was never much like that at all.

Words and Music Copyright ©2020 Curtis C. Long

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

TRADUCCIÓN DE LETRAS EN ESPAÑOL

Cuando el avión aterrizó en Austin, desperté de mi nostalgia
Y me sorprendió un horizonte que no reconocí
Se había convertido en una dama diferente del amante que yo había abandonado.
Con un sueño de color de alta tecnología en sus ojos.

En el Ginger Man te conté cómo había sido mi suerte
Salir antes del punto de inflexión entre lo extraño y lo hippie chic.
Pero me llamaste sentimental mientras pronunciabas las palabras de Jesús
Aquí y ahora es el lugar para estar

Oh, tus recuerdos dorados
Oh, son tan cliché
Y si todavía crees La fábula de los buenos viejos tiempos
Terminaron cuando apagaste las luces ayer.

Admito que puedo ser maudlin revolviendo los recuerdos
Deja que los momentos tristes y mediocres giren en espiral hacia lo profundo.
Me deleitaré en la superficie con sus reflejos brillantes.
No importa que sea una presunción imaginaria.

Oh, estos preciosos recuerdos
Oh, son tan banales
Y si todavía crees La fábula de los buenos viejos tiempos
No estás solo, amigo, esa mentira nos engañará a todos.
Si hay una moraleja en La fábula de los buenos viejos tiempos
Es que el mundo nunca fue como lo recordamos.
De hecho, el mundo nunca fue así en absoluto.

The Fable

The Fable - Demo Y32 - SONGCLUB

Gratitude - Demo r6 YC8 - SONGCLUB mix
Written for SONGCLUB songwriter group in 2020.
Website: www.newrev.band/

LYRICS (English) 
(Letras traducidas en español más adelante)

You...
Are brilliant flowers dancing in the rain 
A gorgeous refrain
And the laughter you bring is 
elixir it's the fixer of things

Time...
Is marked by the drip under the sink
It's not what we think 
When it's gone we will wonder how it
Suddenly just went away   

The sun blooming in red on the skyline
Finds us greeting our days in quotidian ways
Makes me thankful to be here in paradise 
Loving you
As your petals cascade all around me
And they tickle my nose and enlighten my soul
I'm reminded how I have been lucky in life
Knowing you

SOLO

The sun blooming in red on the skyline
Finds us greeting our days in quotidian ways
Makes me thankful to be here in paradise
Loving you
As your petals cascade all around me
And they tickle my nose and enlighten my soul
I'm reminded how I have been lucky in life
Knowing you

We...
Are sketching this song in our hearts
In fits and in starts
With a chorus of love that will 
echo when we sing it
With a chorus of love that will 
echo when we sing it
With a chorus of love that will 
echo when we sing it no more


↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻  ↻


LETRAS traducidas en español por el autor

Eres…
Flores brillantes bailando bajo la lluvia
Un estribillo magnífico
Y la risa que traes es
El elixir es el reparador de cosas

El tiempo…
Está marcado por el goteo debajo del fregadero
No es lo que pensamos
Cuando se haya ido, nos preguntaremos cómo
De repente se fue

El sol floreciendo en rojo en el horizonte
Nos encuentra saludando nuestros días de maneras cotidianas
Me hace agradecido de estar aquí en el paraíso
Amandote
Mientras tus pétalos caen en cascada a mi alrededor
Y me hacen cosquillas en la nariz e iluminan mi alma
Recuerdo la suerte que he tenido en la vida
A conocerte

SOLO

El sol floreciendo en rojo en el horizonte
Nos encuentra saludando nuestros días de maneras cotidianas
Me hace agradecido de estar aquí en el paraíso
Amandote
Mientras tus pétalos caen en cascada a mi alrededor
Y me hacen cosquillas en la nariz e iluminan mi alma
Recuerdo la suerte que he tenido en la vida
A conocerte

Estamos…
Dibujando esta canción en nuestros corazones
Con avances y retrocesos
Con un coro de amor que 
resonará cuando lo cantemos
Con un coro de amor que 
resonará cuando lo cantemos
Con un coro de amor que 
resonará cuando no lo cantemos más

Words and Music Copyright ©2020 Curtis C. Long

Gratitude

Gratitude • Demo r6 • SONGCLUB mix

New Rev is an indie rock music project begun in 2020 by Curtisonic, a US-born musician living in Cuernavaca, Mexico. | New Rev es un proyecto de música rock indie iniciado en 2020 por Curtisonic, un músico nacido en Estados Unidos que vive en Cuernavaca, México.

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