1. |
Dear McCracken
04:22
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I just stepped on a plane, my bags on the shelf
I find my seat in the middle and plan to keep to myself
The pilot comes on, says: "there's been a delay"
and I sigh, buckle up, and prepare for the wait
There's a middle aged woman on my right by the window
no ring on her finger, maybe divorced or widow?
She's drafting an email and from where I am seated
I can side-eye that shit, so of course I'm gon' read it.
it said:
Dear McCracken... this is already great
dude's got a pen pal and a killer last name
she opens with an inside joke and she's hoping
to set a casual tone, her words carefully chosen
she was sure that her week spent in Houston would drag
but then a face from her past quickly changed all of that
the trip was for business, she's used to the travel
but this time she's not ready to head back to Seattle
Dear McCracken, I'd rather be off this plane
I can't admit the half of it that I want to say
Do I pretend, do I push you away?
I'm jet-laggin mcCracken and I'll give you, I'll give you your space
I can tell by the abuse of the backspace key
there's a heart balanced on how her words are perceived
she's retyped that fourth paragraph four times
swinging the tone back and forth until she's so satisfied
that he knows that even though their paths have diverged
there's an air of regret but not enough to reverse
and I am stunned, there I sit, completely convinced
that once you grow old you stop dealing with this
the uncertain, the hurtin', the feelin like dirt when
things don't work out by the fall of the curtain
she hits send, powers off, and we're ready to go
and I am sad for the passion that McCracken, he might never know
Dear McCracken, I'd rather be off this plane
I can't admit the half of it that I want to say
Do I pretend, do I push you away?
I'm jet-laggin mcCracken and I'll give you, I'll give you your space
Dear McCracken, I'm keepin this on my chest
I've said a lot of things but none of them what I meant
Do I pretend, do I try to forget?
I'm jet-laggin mcCracken and I wish you, I wish you the best
and I thought, I thought by that age
our broken hearts had seen their worst
and I thought that kind of heartache
was meant for the young but we're never too old to hurt
and I thought, I thought by that age
our broken hearts had seen their worst
and I thought that kind of heartache
was meant for the young but we're never too old to hurt
I just stepped off a plane, I've got one regret
I know I'll never get closure or ever see how it ends
I won't know his answer, what happens between them
why she kept her cards so close even she couldn't see them
what gave her such pause when she so clearly wanted
to tell you all the emotions she tried so hard to bottle
and I'll never know why she kept the honest truth from you
but Oh Dear McCracken... in the rough draft...
in the rough draft...
In the Rough Draft She Loved You.
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2. |
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I put in all my hours
I'm playing every night just to get a little better at guitar
I'm taking singing lessons at 80 bucks a lesson (who the hell am I impressin?)
Why do I work so hard?
I've searched my soul, dug deep below, to find the answer
the only reason for it is...
I was an ugly kid with a handsome older brother
yeah I was a catch... like a cold or an ugly fish
I knew what to do:
wear my talent like a mask and hope it magically distracts you
but I'm back, I've practiced, my acts together, I got: better and
a Point to Prove
I didn't know her but in June I got her screen name
as valuable as gold for antisocial kids in 10th grade
I spent the rest of my vacation glued down to my chair, was
afraid to miss a moment of our digital affair 'cause
when summer ended I would finally be the guy
that I tried to be in person, but could only be online
the first day of the school year we get our seat assignments
I ended up right next to her and we just sat in silence
and I wouldn't wish that awkwardness on anybody
I think the reason for it is...
I was a chubby kid with an athletic old brother
yeah I was a catch... as in I was easy to catch during tag ('cause I was fat!)
I knew what to do:
I will chase a newer passion 'cause I'm sick of nothing happenin'
but I'm back, I've practiced, my acts together, I got: better and
a Point to Prove
I have hit the bottom, been lost, tossed, and gosh, I've been burned by gossip
and I have gone full Hot Topic, 'was an ugly duckling crossed with a few Hot Pockets
and I'll be damned if where I am's not what I worked for
I think the reason for it is...
I wasn't talented... when all I wanted was attention
I was in no way, no way a catch in life or love
I knew what to do:
To do it 'cause I love it (and one-up my older brother)
nah I'm just playin' 'cause I've stopped:
dying from comparisons, hiding from embarrassment,
I'm driven, I've got: Vision, Time, Ambition, and a
Point to Prove
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3. |
Piano Teacher
04:00
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Piano Teacher, here I am for class
I didn't do a single thing you asked
I'm still waiting for this shit to get fun
Piano Teacher, don't you act so stressed
'cause when I leave my mom will cut your check
we all get what we want (except my mom)
If the story could fast-forward I would smash that button now
I'm not the next all-star, I'm hardly an artist
I bought this guitar and I'm trying my hardest
when I'm by myself nothing can stop me
but I can't perform if there's anyone watching
When I hit play I'm still in the same place
Piano Teacher, my old soccer coach,
college professor, everyone I know
I'm sorry I couldn't listen to you then
It wasn't your fault I abandoned it
I only learn when I am passionate
but when I am I cannot be controlled
If the story could fast-forward I would clamp that button down...
I'm not the next all-star, I'm hardly an artist
I bought this guitar and I'm trying my hardest
when I'm by myself nothing can stop me
but I can't perform if there's anyone watching
When I hit play I'm still in the same place
I'm hardly an artist
two notes in my guitar riff
and no signs of stopping.
Look ma, watch me
I'm hardly an artist
two notes in my guitar riff
and no signs of stopping.
Look ma, watch me
I'm not the next all-star, I'm hardly an artist
I bought this guitar and I'm trying my hardest
when I'm by myself nothing can stop me
but I can't perform if there's anyone watching
It's all fun and games 'till you find your profession
then you look back on a lifetime of lessons
I won't spend a penny on one more obsession
I'll take my hobby before your investment
But I've been skipping the best moments
now I'm done and all I hope is
when I hit play: I'm back in the same place
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4. |
Go with the Flow
03:46
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In a room, in a room, it didn't look like this
it had much more lower ceilings and it was delicately lit
I couldn't shake an old girlfriend on my mind
cause I was dancing to our old song with a new one
And there's no room, no room for her inside my head
we haven't spoke for 8 years; I still feel her fingerprints
cause she: laid back, and I: a little wound…
she'd spout her little maxims that she had to calm me down, she'd say:
Go with the flow, with the flow, with the path
you hope for the best, you take what you have
but I have a paddle (and a bad idea up the wrong way)
and I heard, I heard, I heard she's married now
there's no word for the emotion that I felt when I found out
it was fiery, but casual like words put in my mouth
an indifference to some news that would have killed my former self
but no, not now and I hate how that makes me feel
cause it undercuts the present like my passions aren't as real
cause time will revise both the perfect and the broken
so I have to write a song to keep a snapshot of the moment
Go with the flow, with the flow, with the path
you hope for the best, you take what you have
but I have a paddle (and a bad idea up the wrong way)
Go with the flow, with the flow, with the path
you hope for the best, you take what you have
but I have a paddle (and a bad idea up the wrong way)
And I chose, I chose self-medicating woes
not separating causes from the subsequent results
and I know, I know there's better antidotes
than choking on the fits and tantrums I would always throw
and I hope, I hope that I will always grow
but I'm'a cut the tongue out of the next one who says "Go with the Flow"
Go with the flow, with the flow, with the path
you hope for the best, you take what you have
but I have a paddle (and a bad idea up the wrong way)
Go with the flow, with the flow, with the path
you hope for the best, you take what you have
but I have a paddle (and a bad idea up the wrong way)
In a room, In a room it looked a lot like this
I told a bunch of strangers stuff I really shouldn't admit…
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5. |
Disco! In the Panic Room
03:31
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I’ve got skills but they don't know where to use me
I'm like the best-dressed dude at the nude beach
nice to meet you…
I am more the quiet type, I tend to be a shyer guy
as safe as knee and elbow pads in cul de sacs with traffic lights
I spend most of my time alone, it's not all that bad, ya know?
I lost some weight from anxious-pacin' talkin' on the telephone
If I look cool I'm foolin’ you, at any point you can assume
my mind's computin' every path that screws up what I wanna do
Lock the door, seal it too: Dancing in the Panic Room
I made a promise, now I feel nauseous
as if I chugged a cup of stuff you clean your countertops with
but no Lysol won't solve this, so I am out of options
it's past my bedtime and I'm honestly exhausted
And I just want’a be more than nostalgia
received like a hotdog down at the dog park
be your best friend…
The things that I can't shoulder well I pass onto my older self
and hope I learn to cope so I don't end up broke or overwhelmed
cause vocally I'm not the best, I'm openly admitting that
but if you cared I doubt you woulda made it past McCracken, yeah
If I look brave, I'm secretly pretending I'm a different me
the one on stage who plays and sings and claps and shouts and basically:
Behind the door, just out of view: Dancing in the Panic Room
I made a promise, now I feel nauseous
as if I chugged a cup of stuff you clean your countertops with
but no Lysol won't solve this, so I am out of options
it's past my bedtime and I'm honestly exhausted
But if you want it…
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
Now wouldn't it be the best if all the answers to our questions
came as sheepish realizations obvious in retrospective
like the answer for anxiety that's crept into your head
is as simple as your printer - you forgot to plug it in
instead of playing twister with my lyrics 'cause I can
and filling every syllable with lots of bull should I instead
give you the simple sing-a-long you're all hoping will come next
or do I load that motha up and doo-da-doo what I do best?
So here's my promise: don't aim for flawless
cause some of your best art is made with chalk on your sidewalk it’s
gone when you wash it off it’s not made for fame or profits
it's lookin’ back and giving all you got to top it
but if you want it…
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
HEYHEYHEY
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6. |
Baby Teeth
03:33
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We’d wear our finest clothes and
pack tight in tiny row and
sing songs that someone wrote to guide us towards the truth
when those words caught inside my mouth
I’d bite my tongue and spit them out
believing tasted great but was impossible to choose
cause your God, he clangs on the latitude lines
always at the worst times
when you finally shut your eyes
your God, he waits with the keys on his side
and passes the time
making up the strangest stories for your life
and I don't know what happens when we die
but that won't change the way I live my life
Write down your fears and hopes and
stick those in envelopes and
send them out with no address; they never will be read
cause prayers good when needing therapy
focus, heal, and find priority
don't pretend they have affect when buried in your head
And I lost each belief like baby teeth
one by one I pulled them gradually
some would come out looking clean but all the rest would bleed
I could listen to the lessons but my head won’t let me hear it and believe
and I don't know what happens when we die
but that won't change the way I live my life
And I lost each belief like baby teeth
one by one I pulled them gradually
some would come out looking clean but all the rest would bleed
I could listen to the lessons but my head won’t let me hear it and believe
and I don't know what happens when we die
but that won't change the way I live my life
and all I want before my times is up
is a life that made a difference to someone
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7. |
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I have a theory dear, so let me put it past
I have to check its valid though I know you didn't ask
you don't like to kiss me, no you don’t like to kiss
cause my beard is way too itchy and it scratches up your lips
but I can't shave it off - I'm too self-conscious of the fact
I have a scar above my lip that my beard and mustache mask
and I have a scar above my lip 'cause I once smashed up on a curb
flew over both my handlebars and straight into the dirt
and I didn't have a helmet on 'cause that was way back when
I was too damn cool for safety rules or simple common sense
so if I now remember right by the transitive rule…
darling,you don't like to kiss me 'cause I'm too damn cool
With tired eyes she stared at me, "Its 3 am", she said
"Bug, be glad I love you, you're a goober, go to bed"
You love my quirks, my quirks, the dopey way I flirt
you're even kind and warm when I am getting on your nerves
you love my quirks, my quirks, I'm certain you deserve
a handsome hunk, but now you're stuck with this annoying nerd
You put up with more than most would mind
the time it takes to rise and shine
I'm hittin' snooze at 6:05, 6:15 and 6 more times
you don't mind the way I weigh my food
my morning routine which includes
scrambling to find my keys 'cause I can't leave them out in view
even though you bought that bowl
put it right beside the door
and all I have to do is set them there as soon as I get home
instead I'm flippin' up the couch and -
oh hey there they are, I found 'em
have a great day and oh have you seen my wallet?
You love my quirks, my quirks, the dopey way I flirt
you're even kind and warm when I am getting on your nerves
you love my quirks, my quirks, I'm certain you deserve
a macho man, but all I am's a silly introvert
She holds to my t-shirt when I take off my sweatshirt
to make sure it stays down, now that's what I call teamwork
I keep us on time, she makes all our friends
and makes sure that my fly is zipped up on my pants
if snapchat is to flirt, and tinder to find love
we're back here snappin' polaroids just to shake things up
You love my quirks, my quirks, the dopey way I flirt
you're even kind and warm when I am getting on your nerves
you love my quirks, my quirks, I'm certain you deserve
a sexy stud instead of what you've chosen 'cause I'm sure that
all the girls the girls, who hear this song and smirk and
feel pity 'cause I sound like I'm more trouble than I'm worth
are probably right
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8. |
Listen to your Mom
03:18
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I didn't listen to my mom when she taught me how to clean
and my dishes, they are waiting in the sink
I didn't listen to my mom telling me to go to sleep
maybe that's why I'm up every night till 3
Just waiting for sleep and what it brings
a break from wading through my insecurities
I'm awake, unable to shake the little things
I didn't listen to my mom when she told me I should share
and I have trouble telling anyone my fears
I'll never be the best at anything, no one will know my name
it’s a silly thing but I am still afraid
of living a life from start to end
and then, I'm missing forgotten when I'm dead
and now I'm wishing I had heard her when she said
love you child, you're my own
damn those standards, you're not those
you're not judged on what you make
the man you are's the boy I raised
the man you are's the boy I raised
I didn't listen to my mom as a I sunk below the ground
I didn't listen to my mom as I was buried by my doubts
I didn't listen to my mom when she tried to dig me out
but I am listening now.
I've heard the words they finally ring
I'm sure my worth isn't balanced on one thing
it is earned by learning from the songs my mother sings
love you child, you're my own
damn those standards, you're not those
you're not judged on what you make
the man you are's the boy I raised
I didn't listen to my mom but that's the thing when you're a kid
you don't know what you don't know when you begin
if I've learned anything that I can sing, that I can pass along
be good and listen to your mom
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9. |
Deserve Me
04:24
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And it happens again
A cross to my shoulder, a jab to my chest
A kick to my ego, a lack of defense
As though in slow motion, you wind up again
When did this become so normal and do I deserve this?
When I met you in high school, I felt overwhelmed
at getting attention for the first time. It sounds
like a pitiful cliché, a lame kiss-and-tell
but the story takes twists and I can tell it myself
I always adored you, the way you'd stand up
for yourself and for me, but I couldn't handle
the tempers and tantrums you' throw at random
told myself it was my fault, 'cause I couldn't man up
that was the last time, I said and I said
and it happens again
A cross to my shoulder, a jab to my chest
A kick to my ego, a lack of defense
As though in slow motion, you wind up again
When did this become so normal and do I deserve this?
We laid out in your backyard naming every star we saw
back when both your hands were gentle and your speaking voice was soft
you joked that romans made up constellations on the spot
and I believe that even Grecians beat me at connecting dots
cause for every side you showed me, I'd soften or I'd try
to justify with reasons pleading for you in my mind
I only see you sweetly when I see the stars at night
leave it to the only person that could ruin half the sky
I just want to tell her I miss my best friend
And it happens again
A cross to my shoulder, a jab to my chest
A kick to my ego, a lack of defense
As though in slow motion, you wind up again
When did this become so normal…?
A cross to my shoulder, a jab to my chest
A kick to my ego, a lack of defense
As though in slow motion, you wind up again
What do I deserve…?
I'm finally ready to admit this wasn't my fault
to learn that love does not exist when I feel this small
and I can count on one hand the times you made me feel worthy
now I can count on one finger to say: You Don't Deserve Me
I just want to tell her I miss my best friend.
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10. |
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I've noticed, I've noticed a clash between our coast it's
it's mostly bragadocious puffed up claims and sugar coated
it's east coast, ivy league coast
west coast / best coast but between those
they don't see another option: one more coast that feels forgotten
That might be how it goes
the long shot layin' low
but those who know me know
I'm like the gulf coast
I'm like the gulf coast, cut me some slack
I don't have fancy marketing or radio ads
I'm like the gulf coast: unsure and it shows
no I don't boast, I'm like the gulf coast
Real talk I bought into the drama
the nonstop assault by all the
west coast tech bros and east coast egos
don't you have some thing else to say?
the old catch phrase feelin' so cliché
their merch can make you an ad display
when you heart new york and you love LA
It's overkill like praying for a preacher
it's overkill like a sheep in a t-shirt
it's overkill no need for it, see
it's like an A+ still sleepin' with the teacher
I'm like the gulf coast, cut me some slack
I don't have fancy marketing or radio ads
I'm like the gulf coast: unsure and it shows
no I don't boast, I'm like the gulf coast
I'm like the gulf coast, cut me some slack
I'm a middle child too, with an ego to match
I'm like the gulf coast: I'm shy and it shows
no I don't boast, I'm like the gulf coast
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11. |
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We all have that friend we don't know why we still invite
so abrasive, kinda racist, always wants to fight
mine's the worst you'll ever have to meet
charming, clueless, asshole, call him Pete
If normal Pete is jekyll then I guess his Mr. Hyde
is a dope-ass dude who loves to dance that he tries to keep inside
the sun goes down and we begin to drink
and that's when he turns into Boogie Pete
Get a Drink in Pete, he's a dance machine, he can go all night
if he's not yet buzzed then you'll wish he was he's the kind of guy
when he shows up the night has just begun...
he's always talkin' shit, never sayin' sorry
normal Pete's an asshole, Boogie Pete's a party
When he's sober he's so selfish, never looking out
but Boogie Pete's the wingman we write folk legends about
he's got no time to waste on trying to score
'cause when the beat drops, Pete stops cold - and hits the floor
Get a Drink in Pete, he's a dance machine, he can go all night
if he's not yet buzzed then you'll wish he was he's the kind of guy
when he shows up the night has just begun...
he's always talkin' shit, never sayin' sorry
normal Pete's an asshole, Boogie Pete's a party
And normal Pete says: "Dude I hate babies"
and normal Pete says: "Have you seen my vape?"
and normal Pete says: "Dude I can kick your ass in FIFA"
But Boogie Pete, when they see him:
oh men wanna be him, and women wanna be him
and babies wanna be him, and orphans wanna be him
Koreans wanna be him, Europeans wanna be him
and even people who don't wanna be him wanna be him...
And we're all agreein'!
Get a Drink in Pete, he's a dance machine, he can go all night
if he's not yet buzzed then you'll wish he was he's the kind of guy
when he shows up the night has just begun...
he's always talkin' shit, never sayin' sorry
normal Pete's an asshole, Boogie Pete's a party
he's always talkin' shit, never sayin' sorry
normal Pete's an asshole, Boogie Pete's a party
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Bug Hunter Seattle, Washington
Songwriter/Singer
Quick, clever consonance. Pop with a lot of thought.
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