1. |
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When I’m hit, I get tense
Nothing makes any sense
No offense, but I’m overwhelmed by you
I know some hasty boys
Played with you like a toy
It’s no joy that you fear I’ll do it too
I’m ready to express my love
But I don’t know where to start
Yet not knowing what you’ve got to say
Manipulates my tender heart
Oh, please don’t make it worse
Oh, please don’t make it worse
I lay down through the night
Holding you oh so tight
Then I rise with only my blanket
We’ve been friends for some time
Now you beat in my mind
I must find the right way to confess it
Your heart is mild and precious
I’d hate to see it break
I’m alarmed right now
Since there’s no time to make mistakes
Oh, please don’t make it worse
(Baby don’t make it, make it worse, baby don’t make it, make it, make it worse)
Oh, please don’t make it worse
(Baby don’t make it, make it worse, baby don’t make it, make it worse)
Oh, little lady
Don’t be afraid of me
Trust in me
And don’t ever let me be
Say it again freely!
Oh, please don’t make it worse
(Baby don’t make it, make it worse, baby don’t make it, make it, make it worse)
Oh, please don’t make it worse
(Baby don’t, please don’t make it worse, don’t make it worse)
Oh, little lady
Don’t be afraid of me
Trust in me
And don’t ever let me be
Please don’t make it worse
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2. |
Ambiguous
04:11
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When I was five, it felt like getting born again
But deep within, I was the same person
The young man saying, “What the hell is all of this
That Mom and Dad brought me into?”
It was the year I moved straight to the Capital
From a western land of domesticated animals
Enrolling in a brand new school was radical
Before long, shameful
With the other kids around that they’d call “normal”
We learnt to write, compute and read a novel
But there were no classes on how to be sociable
Or how to make an unwritten language legible
A handful of people were understandable
My odd behavior was noticeable
So I was taken to therapy
From that day on, the rest is history
Apparently, my teachers, peers and family
All knew more than what they were telling me
Once I got to high school, things got worse
I felt that something in me just didn’t work
The nerdy look circulated enough
To leave me with tough luck
On making friends and finding love
Everyone needs a laugh, but I’m the serious type
Even though sometimes, the words don’t come out right
But is it a joke, or is it mockery?
How can our actions make no discrepancy?
This life is ambiguous
What makes us human
The way we act
The way we learn
How we think
How we interact
How we all differ
Having the same respect to earn
I may have grown, but I can’t say a lot has changed
I’m the same old little boy talking and acting strange
At least I’ve started knowing more about myself
But it’s still some heavy weight in my cells
Academically, things can still get messy
But I’m living some better times socially
While only trying to improve mentally
And stay friendly
Taking control of anxiety
Walking ‘round, seeing faces laughing
Hands caressing, eyes staring
Fingers grasping and lips kissing
And this behavior makes me feel like I’m missing out
And my phone is barely ever ringing
I thought it was a right to feel appreciated
Or, at the very least, be accepted
I like hanging around till the party’s done
But people don’t know where I’m coming from
Speaking of comprehension, one hero of this earth
Has put his heart to discover this human demeanor
Coming by nature
Low in nurture
And that professor goes by the name of Hans Asperger
It’s not an illness, it’s just a type of personality
But how can I fit in with the other ones around me?
If love is timid but we hate hostility
Where can harmony be found?
This life is ambiguous
What makes us human
The way we act
The way we learn
How we think
How we interact
How we all differ
Having the same respect to earn
What makes us human
This life is ambiguous
What makes us human
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3. |
Piano on the Street
04:52
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A piano left on the street
Is losing the notes in its keys
Where has sung the hope
For two harmonious souls
Not letting go?
I miss you, I’m blue, and I do wish to stay friends
Nothing feels bigger than our distance
And it kills me not to know
When’s the next time I’ll see you
Serenades and orchestral suites
Both mark a thin line in between
Each note from every line
Is fighting hard to see the light
And to survive
I miss you, I’m blue, and I do wish to stay friends
Nothing feels bigger than our distance
And it kills me not to know
When’s the next time I’ll see you
Rain is falling on the strings
The hammers pound, but nothing sings
Can’t you help me, can’t you help me figure this out?
Because…
I miss you, I’m blue, and I do wish to stay friends
Nothing feels bigger than our distance
And it kills me not to know
When’s the next time…
When’s the next time…
Will there be a next time when I’ll see you?
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4. |
Actor's Blues
02:38
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Well, daddy told me, “Go ‘head and be happy”
And now people think that I’m funny
Mhm
They don’t know I act more than I breathe
Yeah
In their eyes, I’m always a character
In their eyes, I’m a liar
It only breaks me down
It’s my second nature
I’m not who you think I am
I want to break the figure
Shred me some tears, brother!
With shut off cameras and spotlights out
Why is my real person still in doubt?
Mhm
How I miss the days when I was just a scout
In their eyes, I’m always a character
In their eyes, I’m a liar
It only breaks me down
It’s my second nature
I’m not who you think I am
I want to break the figure
Said I’m not who you think I am
I want to break the figure
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5. |
Dans l'air pur et clair
03:48
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Moi, j’connais une belle fille /
Du sud de l'Ontario / [bis]
À reste dans une p’tite ville
Du Grand Toronto
[REFRAIN:]
Femme prospère
Fille d’enfer
Faut ben qu’tu gères
Tes affaires
Le p’tit cœur à terre
Et tes na na ni na nère
De paroles en l’air
Dans l'air pur et clair /
Ah, dans l’air pur et clair / [bis]
À reste dans une p’tite ville /
Du Grand Toronto / [bis]
Quant à moi, je réside
L’autre bord d’la Gatineau
Quand à moi, je réside /
L’autre bord d’la Gatineau / [bis]
Ah, mais à vient icitte
Étudier la psycho
Ah, mais à vient icitte /
Étudier la psycho / [bis]
Ça me fait réfléchir
Si chez elle, tout est beau
Ça me fait réfléchir /
Si chez elle, tout est beau / [bis]
J’aimerais l’emmener sortir
Mais elle me tourne le dos
J’aimerais t’emmener sortir /
Mais tu me tournes le dos / [bis]
T’es mieux de pas m’mentir
Quand t’as trop de boulot
T’es mieux de pas m’mentir /
Quand t’as trop de boulot / [bis]
Si j’te d’mandais d’partir
N’serais-tu pas en morceaux ?
J’te d’mande pas de partir /
Malgré qu’j’suis en morceaux / [bis]
J’préfère crever icitte
Loin du Grand Toronto
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
I know a beautiful girl from Southern Ontario
She stays in a small town from the Greater Toronto Area
[CHORUS:]
Prosperous woman, girl from hell
You must manage your things with your worn out heart
And your “na na na boo boo” empty words
In the pure, clear air, ah, in the pure, clear air
She stays in a small town from the Greater Toronto Area
As for me, I live on the other side of Gatineau
As for me, I live on the other side of Gatineau
Ah, but she comes here to study psychology
Ah, but she comes here to study psychology
It makes me wonder is all is well with her
It makes me wonder is all is well with her
I’d like to take her out, but she turns her back on me
I’d like to take you out, but you’re turning your back on me
You better not be lying to me when you say you have too much work
You better not be lying to me when you say you have too much work
If I asked you to leave, wouldn’t you be torn in pieces?
I’m not asking you to leave even though I’m torn in pieces
I’d rather die here, far from the GTA
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6. |
Anvil
04:00
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I’m an anvil
I’m unstable
I am hurting
I’m feeling evil
I’m a missile
A pterodactyl
Lost in my travels
Since last time you walked out my door
I don’t know what I’m living for
And it could be so much easier
If falling in love didn’t mean getting hurt
I’m an anvil
I’m unstable
I am hurting
I’m feeling evil
I’m a missile
A pterodactyl
Lost in my travels
Why did you have to leave too soon?
Your scent left in my room smells like a tomb
Why must I keep living like this
Where I’m constantly breathing in the ashes?
I’m an anvil
I’m unstable
I am hurting
I’m feeling evil
I’m a missile
A pterodactyl
Lost in my travels
Come back [x4]
Come back, you are loved [x4]
You are loved [x7]
You are loved
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7. |
Girl No Play with Me
03:25
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Hold it right there!
Girl, no play with me [x7]
Girl, no
Girl, you need to tell me who you think you are
When you seem to try to mess with my heart
You say you’re not that bad at making plans
When replying takes you longer than a one-night stand
I need to make my weekly schedule too
And I’m getting so weary just waiting on you
I’m ticking as the sun is giving way to the moon
We planned to meet today, and now you’re overdue
What could you possibly be up to
To forget about what we’ve planned for two?
So I’m stumbling on your profile, seeing what’s new
Who are these four dudes laying ’cross your room?
Girl, no play with me [x7]
Girl, no
“Are you free tonight? Give me the yay or nay”
It’s the AM, send the message, now I wait
Meanwhile, I’m working at the school to get my pay
Sometimes, it does the job to wash the blues away
My shift is done; my thigh begins to vibrate
You reply, “Ugh… it was a hectic day!”
You verbatim said the same yesterday
But now you suggest a time you’re off duty
Finally, I’ll see you on Monday
Come ring my doorbell an hour past midday
I’m getting psyched so I’ll start cleaning my place
Once you shoot me a text saying you’re on your way
Oh, there it is. She's coming.
Minutes pass and on the couch I lay
I really hope you’re finding your path okay
And so my heart is falling into decay
But then you show up an hour too late
Well, at least you came although you’re quick to leave
But later on, I’m walking to the open-mic scene
SURPRISE! You’re here, hanging ’round my street
First, you’re looking sideways so you can’t see me
You’re with this guy you call a buddy, taking sips
Whom I then see you grab by the hips and kiss
And then you notice me, saying, “Look who it is!”
Indeed, you’re not bad at making plans like THIS!
Girl, no play with me [x7]
NO GAMES ALLOWED! [x4]
NO GAMES ALLOWED! (Don’t play) [x4]
Even when love takes place
You can’t cheat with no game
This means DON’T PLAY!
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8. |
Simple Damsels
03:44
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Message to all the ladies of the whole wide world
Gather round and hear me out when I say…
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best, oh
Simple damsels
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best, oh
Simple damsels
I’m talking ’bout the ones with no to very little brushstrokes on the face
Wearing casual clothes, free from stones with pure, enriching grace
They come out the door, looking more beautiful than a flower
Without having been caged at length inside the mirror
I’m talking ’bout the ones that could embrace me
Regardless of my height, my age
My muscles and my wage
That’s why I’m saying that…
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best, oh
Simple damsels
I’m talking ’bout the ones that don’t need the side dish of a car, a pet or a baby
And don’t expect me to be like any magazine model celebrity
The ones that know how to say no and yes
And don’t waste time playing with my head
Because why make a mess with countless excuses
When all in the world you could do is confess?
Like when I’m saying that…
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best, oh
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best
All of the simple damsels
Let’s be people together
We’re the birds of a feather
One of you, be my lover
You solve the conundrum and leave no more secrets
Value the sum of the things that cost the smallest with
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
Whether you love champagne, beer or soft drinks
Let’s pour it in and raise our glasses for a clink to
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
(With me, ladies!)
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best, oh
Simple damsels (One of us will be his lover)
Simple damsels, that’s what I like best, oh
Simple damsels, I don’t care about the rest
All of the simple damsels
Let’s be people together
We’re the birds of a feather
One of you, be my lover
All of the simple damsels
Let’s be people together
We’re the birds of a feather
One of you, be my lover
And we singing
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
A little love, a little little love
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9. |
Call It a Lifetime
03:58
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Yes, I know you have to go
Where you’ll warmly be received
I know you must pack your bags
But you have nothing to retrieve
Wait… Why leave this very instant?
Stay… for a moment
Give me another piece to fit in our history
Give me another squeeze to keep you close to me
Can’t you see every opportunity?
Seize them just for you and me
Before you go and leave
This void in me
So you’ll leave me questioning
On how life treated you to feel this way
The stars could burn out, the earth could run down
The sun could lose its glare
I want you to go nowhere
Give me another piece to fit in our history
Give me another squeeze to keep you close to me
Can’t you see every opportunity?
Seize them just for you and me
Before you go and leave
This void in me
You’ll deeply be missed
So it’s best to resist
Why don’t you think through this
Before we call it a lifetime?
Keep talking to me
If it’s love that you seek
Let me feel you at peace
So we can preserve this lifetime
Ooh… [x4]
Can’t you see this opportunity?
Seize it just for you and me
Before you feel the dreadful need
To fly
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10. |
Tell Me Yes, Tell Me No
02:58
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Sometimes the facts are painful; sometimes they’re not
Your silent movie lingo keeps me tied up in knots
If you’re shy to speak your heart out, you’re a lot like me
But at the end of the day, the dialog relieves
Please tell me yes or tell me no
Please tell me yes or tell me no
It’s for my own good and yours that we should speak the truth
I don’t have the means to know if you feel the same way too
Or if I should let you go, then I might share some gloom
But if you leave me hanging, I’ll keep asking you to…
Please tell me yes or tell me no
Please tell me yes or tell me no
Keep hiding as you please
But how am I supposed to know?
Keep hiding as you please
But how am I supposed to know?
Keep hiding as you please
But how am I supposed to know?
Keep hiding as you please
But tell me yes or tell me no
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11. |
It's Up to You
03:12
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Know-it-alls may tell you things
To degrade your belongings
Will you believe them?
It’s up to you
They might say there’s a right way
And guide you how to be okay
Would you satisfy them?
It’s up to you
What if you’re perfect
And you don’t feel it yet?
Love is out there for you
Will you take it or not?
Your life paints your portrait
So make it worth it
And for any further touch
It’s up to you
There’s this special one you’ve found
But does everything to let you down
Will this pain continue?
It’s up to you
You may look the other side
And see foreign colors shine
Are they brighter or different?
It’s up to you
What if you’re perfect
And you don’t feel it yet?
Love is out there for you
Will you take it or not?
Your life paints your portrait
So make it worth it
And for any further touch
It’s up to you
Only you!
If you look down in the water
And your reflection is somber
Would you recognize yourself?
It’s up to you
And you could try to possess every skill
Or change your dress to kill
But do you really have to?
It’s up to you
Though I don’t want you to
’Cause…
What if you’re perfect
And you don’t feel it yet?
Love is out there for you
Will you take it or not?
Your life paints your portrait
So make it worth it
And for any further touch
It’s up to you
Your life paints your portrait
So make it worth it
And for any further touch
It’s up to you
It’s up to you
It’s up to you
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12. |
Even When
03:57
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Even when I can’t be left alone
In this place I’ve made my home
Even when it’s me against the world
I’d rather love than be at odds
21st century, the earth, puzzle pieces
Tension’s trying to release
While there’s a fight for peace
Self-disclosures on the increase
True colors getting bleached
Scrooges cruising for a bruising
Spewing vicious loathing
Waiting till the opponent loses
Against groundless excuses
I’m going to the superstore when I end up
Seeing this vulture
Screaming and yelling and telling this other person
That they’re worthless
For the words that they used
Or for the way that they said ’em
And I call that abuse
I hope the manager
Dismisses that offender
I reject that anger
I’ve seen better manners
So I’m walking out the retailer
Into another real life movie trailer
Near neighbors’ dwellings, fanatics
Hitting the roof with toys in the attic
Feet on the streets increasingly frenetic
Screeches and bullets wildly frantic
How it got crazy like a stampede running over me
It’s time I heard somebody spell out what happened to civil ethics
What started this foul trend
Setting a new standard for a citizen
Calling some identity traits around the bend
If leaning right is how you justify bigotry
It doesn’t make you right, my friend
Why is it so complicated
For each individual to be respected?
Discrimination against my fellows in the human race
Only leaves me the same disgrace
Even when I can’t be left alone
In this place I’ve made my home
Even when it’s me against the world
I’d rather love than be at odds
When did it become okay
To call each other names
Reduce another faith to a wraith
And make someone’s liberty fade
Even when we populate the same place in space?
Is justice a delusion?
I’m drowning in confusion
Why can’t a world of inclusion
Be nothing more than imagination?
Segregation causing frustration
Variation treated like intrusion
Without notions about kinder solutions
If there’s power up above
Watching over the globe with boundless love
What’s the meaning of that rough conduct?
Times are too tough
We don’t ask for much to live happy just being us
There must be luck
If we step things up
Begin coexisting, living as one
It can be done
Think about it: Long gone oppression
More affection
Leading to less dejection
No more exceptions
Extinct conniptions and vexation
In every location and nation
Regardless of people’s orientations
We must not wait, but bring the day of resolution
With no better occasion for a celebration
Of all people free to roam
All safe and proud to share the same home
Even when I can’t be left alone
In this place I’ve made my home
Even when it’s me against the world
I’d rather love than be at odds
Love for one and all [x5]
Liebe für alle [German]
Amor para todos [Spanish]
Kukonda onse [Chichewa]
De l'amour à tout le monde [French]
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Vincent Bishop Ottawa, Ontario
Vincent Bishop is a Canadian musician who wants to pursue a solo career as a singer-songwriter. He developed an affinity and talent for composing complex yet well balanced harmonies very early on.
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