JP wrote and recorded some words for "When The Lights Go Up", but I used them for a new song instead.

lyrics
When the lights go down

credits
from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, released July 2022
Rich Trott: electric keyboard, bass, some "drums", composer
JP Lester: vocals, some "drums", guitar, composer

PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe

When The Lights Go Down

I needed some music to play "This American Life"-style, under and around a story I recorded. I improvised something on electric piano. Brad added a bunch of stuff. I then reworked everything around Brad's guitar tracks.

credits
from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, released July 2022
Rich Trott: electric piano, some "drums", composer
Brad Neighbors: guitars, bass, some "drums" and "percussion", synth, composer

The Electric Slug

This song is about the hollow earth beliefs of the Koreshan Unity settlement. I know that topic is a tired cliché of songwriting. I'm sorry.

lyrics
I fell asleep
And I was on the inside!
Come with me!
It's gonna be a great ride,
Like nothing you've ever seen!
We'll go where no one's ever been!

You can't go on
If you think you're on the outside!
You've got to go
Where the sun is shining!
It's not where you think it would!
It's right here, it's in our neighborhood!

Ah!
We live on the inside!
Ah!
We live on the inside!

Moon in the sky
Is just an illusion!
Don't be fooled
By the stars and the sun!
We can see China right from here
If the night is clear!

Bein' outside
Is like bein' in a dungeon!
Strapped to the world,
You can't accomplish nothing!
Your faith, it must be strong!
Copernicus was wrong!

Ah!
We live on the inside!
Ah!
We live on the inside!
We live on the inside!

credits
from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, released July 2022
Rich Trott: all instruments

We Live On The Inside

I decided to write a song using DADGAD tuning so this is what happened.

credits
from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, released July 2022
Rich Trott: all instruments
JP Lester: mixing

When The Lights Go Up

from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, released July 2022
Rich Trott: all instruments

The Frunge

I needed a theme song for a parody reaction video where I pretended to have never heard "YYZ", which I pronounced "Yee Yiz". I mostly learned that a lot of Rush fans (of which I am one) really don't have a sense of humor or a very good sense of reality at all. (Nearly every response was "I can't tell if this guy is kidding." Friends, it was ABUNDANTLY clear I was kidding.)

Anyway, the theme song riff was pretty cool so here it is as a whole song. You're welcome!

credits
from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, released July 2022
Rich Trott: all instruments
JP Lester: mixing

Defenestration

I wrote this and started recording it in 2016. Then I forgot all about it until I saw news that Tanforan Mall was being closed and demolished. So, of course, it had to be finished.

lyrics
(At the Tanforan Mall.)
(Come on, y'all.)

The sun fades away
(Yeah?)
For the last time.
(Say what?)
Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!
(That's right.)
This Us Week ly should tie me over.
Look who's jacked up and on the cover.
I'm gonna sit in my car and read.

(He's gonna read.)
(He's gonna read.)

Who is that anyway?
Am I supposed to recognize that person?
Were they in a movie or something like that.
I have no idea. I've never seen them.
I think he was in my band.

(Tanforan.)
(Tanforan.)

Didn't he, like, play on our last record or something?
No? He was in that movie?
No, I didn't see that movie.
I don't think he was in that movie.
Pretty sure he played on the last record.

credits
from PFSH Sings Songs of Hope And Woe, track released July 2022
Rich Trott: vocals, keyboards, unfunky guitars, bass, "drums", bad-to-mediocre mixing, composer
Christy Novack: saxophone, backing vocals
Manny Ponce: backing vocals, good mixing
Joel Primer: lead and funky guitars
Anu Kirk: recording engineering

Palace Family Steak House/Rich Trott

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