World Burn Bright (ShortStoryEdition)

When The City Is Ours (Jackson's Edit )

At The End Of The World - 2:11:22, 9.21 PM

Eternity - 1:15:22, 7.59 PM

LYRICS:

I bought you a band
Of glittering gold
And a flower of pearly white 

I polished the band
I watered the flower
And I bathed them in pure light

I asked you to dance
I asked you to stay
And to be your only man

You gave me a wink
Then wandered away
Did the band not fit your hand?

(Falling in love and falling apart) 
And the cuts were dripping jewels 
(So many pieces to a broken heart) 
They don’t teach this stuff in schools 
(Maybe someday they’ll give us the tools)
We were kings that played like fools 
(Until then we’re kings playing the fools)
Little kings that played like fools

I built you a house
Of Iron and glass
And a hearth of gilded bone

I kept it so warm
I kept it so clean
But you kept on throwing stones

I filled in the holes
I fettered the beams
‘Til the walls were strong and sound 

They rose to the sun
They glimmered and gleamed
But the roof kept crumbling down

(Learning to kiss and learning to fight) 
And the cuts were dripping jewels 
(Learning to walk through a darkened night)
They don’t teach this stuff in schools 
(Maybe someday they’ll tell us the rules)
We were kings that played like fools 
(Until then we’re kings playing the fools)
Little kings that played like fools

I said you should leave
I said you should go
There was no more home for us

I pushed you away
Right out the door
There were no words I could trust

I saw that you called
I picked up the phone And I threw it in the fire

I still hear it ring
I still hear you sing
With a siren’s sweet desire

(You gotta believe, you gotta let go) 
And I don’t know where I stand 
(You gotta accept what you cannot know)
Did I not obey commands
(You cannot corral these kicking mules) 
Was I not part of your plan
(We’ll always be kings, we’ll always be fools)
And the cuts were dripping jewels 
(I’m sorry, I’m sorry)
They don’t teach this stuff in schools 
(It’s a weakness, It’s a weakness) 

And the cuts were dripping jewels 
(I’m sorry, I’m sorry)
They don’t teach this stuff in schools
(Maybe someday, someday)
And the cuts were dripping jewels 
(I’m sorry, I’m sorry)
They don’t teach this stuff in schools 
(I will find you, I will find you)
We were kings that played like fools 
(I’m sorry, I’m sorry)
Little kings that played like fools 
(Maybe someday, someday)

Words and Music by Jonathan Riedel
copyright, 2022.

Little Kings

The Inner Burning

Into The Spring

I Caught Fire

Primal Angel (Raw Energy)

Words and Music by Jonathan Riedel
Copyright, 2022

I am a phoenix and my fire will rise
I am a phoenix and my fire will rise
I’ve got these feathers that can hypnotize
I’m gonna snare you with my milky eyes

And do the squawk
Let’s make’m talk
They’re so bloody tight
But we’re alright
We’re here to fight
and do the squawk

I am a phoenix gonna make you stare
I am a phoenix gonna make you stare
And if you wanna make the jokers scared
Just strike a match and lay your ashes bare

And do the squawk
Let’s make’m talk
They’re so bloody tight
But we’re alright
We’re here to fight
And do the squawk

I am a phoenix see my mighty wings
I am a phoenix see my mighty wings
Some hunters caught me with their pointy things
And now I’ll show them how a caged bird sings

I am a phoenix and my fire will rise
I am a phoenix and my fire will rise
I’ve died and lived again a thousand times
I’m gonna cut those hunters down to size

And do the squawk
Let’s make’m talk
They’re so bloody tight
But we’re alright
We’re here to fight
And do the squawk

“I am a warrior god and I serve my people and I serve my king and I serve my queen!”

“We’re gonna unbutton that button!
And we’re gonna hike up that skirt!
We’re gonna mess up that hair!
And we’re gonna kiss this face with some glitter!”

“Yes, Queen!  
You better serve it to the gods!
You own this room!
You own this floor!
You own this crown!
You own this court!”

And do the squawk

“There’s never gonna be another me
and there’s never gonna be another me on a night like this!”

“There’s never gonna be another me
and there’s never gonna be another me on a night like this!”

And do the squawk…

You think it’s wrong
To love yourself
You think it’s wrong
To have the time of your life

You think your free
But you’re not free
I am free
And you’re jealous of me

Caw! Caw! Caw!....

And do the squawk
And do the squawk

The Squawk

The latest addition to the Jackson Crash set list.  Listen to the demo here!

(LYRICS)

You unfurl like Eden’s flower
I’m just a worm crawling ‘round your tree
You’ve got a wild heart full of power
I’ve got a black heart full of need

You fly high on delicate wings, so fine
I sink down in leaded shoes
I wanna ’scape this haunted house of mine
and find a way to your ocean blue

You see I’ve been beat down and I’m broken, broken
I’m swallowing pills and I’m chokin’, chokin’
I’m so darn fragile, I need protection 
I’m so darn wayward, I need correction

If I give you my heart
Will you fix me?
If I give you my mind
Will you fix me? 
If I give you my body
fix me, love
I wanna fall to your slaughter
Drown in your water

I’ve runaway from home, now I’m wandering these streets
Is there a light in your window? Is there a crack in your door?

The whole world is a toxic jungle
The mean girls wanna skin my hide
The bad boys wanna break me backwards, babe
And nobody wants to take my side 
I’ve been trained by the best to suppress my interests
I’m so paranoid, I can’t mind my business
I’m such a lowly sinner, I need your chapel
I’m such an ugly patient, I need your scalpel 

If I give you my heart
Will you fix me?
If I give you my mind
Will you fix me? 
If I give you my my body
fix me, babe
You gotta pull out the weeds and
Stitch it where it bleeds

If I give you my all
Will you fix me?
Will you answer my call 
and fix me?
I’ve got cracks in the walls
Will you fix me? 
All these frays and leaks
I’m crumbling to pieces

Oooh - All my life, I’ve only ever wanted one thing
Oooh - To look, to feel, as beautiful as you

You see I’ve been beat down and I’m broken, broken
I’m swallowing pills and I’m chokin’, chokin’
I’m so darn brittle, I need protection
I’m so dead wrong, I need correction

If I give you my heart
Will you fix me?
If I give you my mind
Will you fix me? 
My body is yours
Come and fix me!
You gotta cinch this tether
tug me back together

If I give you my light
Will you fix me?
If I give you my shadow,
Fix me!
My whole sky’s coming down now
Fix me - huh! 
Hold me through the quaking
Stop my hands from shaking

I’ve got no vision. I’ve got no drive
I don’t know what I need to survive
All I know is heaven when I’m by your side
I’m lying on the table, make what you like

I’ll never ever be your king
Lousy with diamond rings
But there’s a chance I could be something
If you fix me
If you fix me
If you fix me
If you fix me	



COPYRIGHT, JONATHAN RIEDEL	, 2024

Fix Me

Words and Music by Jonathan Riedel
Copyright, 2022.

I’m not the prince you’d expect me to be
I had the looks but they’re leaving me
I read the books but the ink has run from all the tears
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care

I wrung my hands ‘til they’re bloody red
I used to bash myself in the head
I can’t bear one more anxiety attack
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care

You can keep the money
You can keep the car
You can keep the house
I can’t stay where we are

You can keep the job
You can keep the score
You can keep the heart
I don’t need anymore

I got a whole bunch of fancy degrees
Still I don’t drink responsibly 
I threw my will out the window with my common sense
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care

I’m gonna watch everybody run
I’m gonna sing ‘cause singing is fun
I’m gonna dance like there ain’t no work to be done
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care

You can win the medal
You can win the prize
You can win a trip to
Holy paradise

You can be so clever
You can be so bright
You can own the sun
And never see the light

I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care
I gonna party in the alley with my freaky flair
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care

“I got 99 voices inside my head
and not one of them is impressed.”

This won’t end for us happily
There’s no skin in the game for me
You see I’m done with expectations
I’m done with all the games
You see I’ve done humiliation 
I’m done with all the shame
You see I’m done with all the should’nts
I’m done with taking blame
I’m done with scraping pennies
And pining for the fame
The whole world could burn tomorrow 
And they’d never know my name
So you can take your book of manners
And throw it in the flames

I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care
I’m gonna strut down the mountain with my flag in the air
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care

I Don't Care (cabaret mix)

music, lyrics, and sample arrangements by Jonathan Riedel
from the demo album World Run Red by Rubber Skulls
copyright © 2018

I’ve got one leg chained to the other
Bound at the waist and bound at the collar
Bag on my head and my face is smothered
Gag in my mouth, rope burns like a mother

And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming

He’s dangerous and stunning
He’s ludicrous and cunning
He sends the angels running

Nobody, nobody gonna hear me scream
Nobody, nobody gonna wake this dream
Nobody, nobody gonna shake this fear
Nobody, nobody gonna find me here


Floating in the ocean, bobbing in the water
No blood left so the sharks don’t bother
Thinking of my little boy, thinking of my daughter
I wonder if they’re out there looking for their father

And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming

Nobody, nobody gonna hear me scream
Nobody, nobody gonna wake this dream
Nobody, nobody gonna shake this fear
Nobody, nobody gonna find me here

Sitting in the back room, sitting in the corner
This bar is a prison cell, brick and mortar
Lovers all around me, future, former
But nobody will touch this heart of horror

And I think I’m alone tonight
I think I’m alone in the dark tonight
I think I’m alone tonight

And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming

Nobody, nobody gonna wake this dream
Nobody, nobody gonna hear me scream
Nobody, nobody gonna shake this fear
Nobody, nobody gonna find me here

And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming

And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming
And the creeper-man is coming

World Run Red

The Creeper-Man (Nobody, Nobody)

The Night The Plane Went Down

Ejector Seat

Rubberskulls.com - Singer/songwriter Jonathan Riedel creates his own fist-pumping, hip-swiveling blend of industrial/pop from found samples and beats, deconstructed and reworked to accompany his aggressive, haunting melodies and lyrics. Jonathan is also a critically acclaimed choreographer and dancer, formerly of the Limón Dance Company and founder of his own Riedel Dance Theater.  He is currently on faculty at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase and lives in Pleasantville, NY with his wife and two children.

Rubber Skulls

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