1. |
||||
|
You’ve got to rise to the occasion
no incident will release the friction
I promise you can change your mind, promise me that you’ll try
‘Cause you’re blessed with the power of metaphor
and its just the want of change it takes to unlock the door
Choose your direction and step forward
I promise you can change your mind
I promise you can change your mind
I promise you can change your mind
Habits create lasting changes
Best make a habit out of self-education
I promise you can change my mind, promise me that you’ll try
I promise you can change your mind
I promise you can change your mind
I promise you can change your mind
I dream of a wide open world
Where every human being has everything it needs
and no more war
There’s no more need for “-isms”
and no more tunnel vision
and peace is sure.
There’s no more shameful silence
and no more need for violence
because at its core
there’s no distrustful factions
and no more calls to action
an open world
You’ve got to rise up
greet the brand new day
You don’t know what’s changed
since you’ve been away
Now its “come-what-may”
|
||||
2. |
All You Can Do
04:38
|
|||
|
Y’all bringing out the worst in each other
ain’t enough plates to break for this thing to last
She’s bringing out the best in some other man
whose picking up the pieces behind your back
While she says she loves you
Well you know that can’t be true
You’ve got to step outside
walk away, wave your hand
take along look back, because
That’s all you can do
You fan the flame because you claim the notion
that a love that’s burning hot is a love that lasts
Well, you’ve got yourself a gasoline explosion
incinerating everything that’s in its path
You’ve got to step outside
walk away, wave your hand
take along look back, because
That’s all you can do
Oh, you won’t amount to nothing
if you go against your wishes.
Hey, people make mistakes and they
try to save some face
but sometimes you’ve got to break all the dishes
That’s all you can do
That’s all you can do
That’s all you can do
Hey, That’s all you can do
|
||||
3. |
Bird
04:13
|
|||
|
Blackbird creek, starting to seep
It’s creeping up inside of me
And I brought this upon myself
I dream of your anatomy
Indian pipe sucks the life
From beechwood from the root inside.
Like Spanish moss and mistletoe.
Without you I’m at a loss of where to grow
And everything you did it for
And everything you want and more
Was it just a lullaby to pass the time?
And everyone you’ve ever loved
Tell me when you’ve had enough
Tell me how could you resist the parasite?
Instead of spending all our time
Watching us wither on the vine
You show me yours, I’ll show you mine
My Parasite
Instead of spending all our time
Watching us wither on the vine
You show me yours, I’ll show you mine
My Parasite
Footsteps creak, as I creep
And crawl to be beside you
You brought this upon yourself
When you said my name
Blackbird creek, starting to seep
It’s creeping up inside of me
Who brought this upon us both,
Peaceful though we try to be?
Instead of spending all our time
Watching us wither on the vine
You show me yours, I’ll show you mine
My Parasite
Instead of spending all our time
Watching us wither on the vine
You show me yours, I’ll show you mine
My Parasite
|
||||
4. |
Before You Were Mine
03:39
|
|||
|
After the storm water washed away your tears
All that was a left was the memory of a few dry years.
But at the end of the rainbow, every man should find his pot-o’-gold
But instead I’m old, waiting for the sun again
After the wind it wore away the stone
All you could hold in your hand was the sand of a love long gone
But at the end of the day, do you have to say “It’ll be ok,
There’ll be another day to try it over again” ?
Before you were mine, you would take your time
Never hesitate to make me wait.
Now that you’re here you’re saying
“Here, my dear, don’t procrastinate”
Everything will be alright, baby
Before you were mine, you would take your time
Never hesitate to make me wait.
Now that you’re here you’re saying
“Here, my dear, don’t procrastinate”
Before you were mine, you would take your time
Never hesitate to make me wait.
Now that you’re here you’re saying
“Here, my dear, don’t procrastinate”
|
||||
5. |
Calling On Sunshine
04:43
|
|||
|
I’m calling on sunshine, Hallelujah,
For the only child of mine
There’s a world of loving
That’s calling to ya, I’ll ask you one more time
Well I try to bring a message
To the people of the world
Who could be making love for the sake of one another
Make it easier to endure
But we’re way up the creek
And we’re wading knee deep
With our eyes away from the shore
And every slip brings another load of shit
I can’t take it any more
I’m calling on sunshine, Hallelujah,
For the only child of mine
There’s a world of loving
That’s calling to ya, I’ll ask you one more time
When the clouds in the sky
Take the place of sunshine
And everything’s black and white
That’s when people get scared and they wanna run and hide
Instead of stepping into the light
And every day you’re gonna wanna run away
Because you’re feeling so unsure
And every slip brings another load of shit
I can’t take it any more
On monday, calling on
Calling on sunshine
Well I’m calling on sunshine
I’m calling on sunshine, Hallelujah,
For the only child of mine
There’s a world of loving
That’s calling to ya, I’ll ask you one more time
I’m calling on sunshine, Hallelujah,
For the only child of mine
There’s a world of loving
That’s calling to ya, I’ll ask you one more time
|
||||
6. |
||||
|
I’ve had enough of the hive
I want to be the bee
Set free to live my life in peace
No more flowers for the queen
No more honey
No more golden colony
No more honey for me
I want to be solitary bee
Time to give up
On the pollination power scheme
That keeps us in our place
No more fruits that have no use
I want to be solitary bee
|
||||
7. |
Telescope
04:32
|
|||
|
I can see innocence in you
In a sense, it could be misconstrued
Because you were all alone
In a crowded room and I couldn’t breathe
You built a wall to keep people seeing you
Your sensual contrivances reaching through
What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me?
Half a mind to wait for days, weigh your options
Its self-explained
What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me?
Excitation of animal minds
Electricity in my spine
Synchronicity, All I want to be
Is part of your time
Half a mind to wait for days, weigh your options
Its self-explained
What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me?
Half a mind to wait for days, weigh your options
Its self-explained
What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me?
|
||||
8. |
Almost Home
03:27
|
|||
|
Give it all to an old perfect silence
Wash my hands of my sins for the day
Living off the grid i’d hide my head
Just to feel the earth hold me again
Give me loving when I need
Give me peace and give me soul
Take me back home and hold me in silence
Like a river flowing from a heart of gold
See me on back to my home in the mountains
For some deeper peace and some old rock and roll
Keep me warm and see to my hunger
keep me safe and keep me whole
Give me loving when I need
Give me peace and give me soul
Take me back home and hold me in silence
Like a river flowing from a heart of gold
Give me loving when I need
Give me peace and give me soul
Almost home
I can hear the river calling my name
Almost home
I can see the faces of the people that I care for
Almost home
The air is crisp and my fingers are cold
Almost home
I can hear the voices calling my name
Almost Home
Almost Home
Almost Home
Almost Home
Give it all to an old perfect silence
Wash my hands of my sins for the day
Living off the grid I’d hide my head
Just to feel the earth hold me again
Take me back home and hold me in silence
Like a river flowing from a heart of gold
Give me loving when I need
Give me peace and give me soul
|
||||
9. |
||||
|
Let’s plan it out, we’ll move underground
Let’s get out of here, forget about the atmosphere
I’m calling out to you, I’m crawling out of my skin
And I can’t see, baby now I can’t breathe
Don’t blame it on me, blame it on the 5G technology
Don’t blame it on me, blame it on the 5G technology
Praise be to he who can metabolize the dirt
Survive 200 degrees, for he shall inherit the earth
The sky is pink, the ocean water stinks
It leaves a greasy mark and it glows in the dark
There’s no more leaves on the ash-white trees
And no one to care about the sulphur air
Sun never sets, because it always reflects
In the atmosphere, the stars have disappeared
Now all that’s left, I say now all that’s left
Are the cockroaches and tardigrades
Don’t blame it on me, blame it on the 5G technology
Don’t blame it on me, blame it on the 5G technology
Praise be to he who can metabolize the dirt
Survive 200 degrees, for he shall inherit the earth
Praise be to he who can metabolize the dirt
Survive 200 degrees, for he shall inherit the earth
Don’t blame it on me, blame it on the 5G technology
Don’t blame it on me, blame it on the 5G technology
|
||||
10. |
Follow Down
04:14
|
|||
|
I drum my chest as I wipe my mouth
Look down my nose at you
And claim that “I am the stronger one”
I close my mouth to blow my nose
And now I notice the hole in my chest
Watch us follow down evil
Come on down and watch us hide
Come and see us succumb succumb succumb
Mother culture in our ears
Watch us follow down evil
Come on down and watch us die
Come and see us succumb succumb succumb
Mother culture in our minds
You close your eyes, sharpening your claws
And you bear your teeth at me
You claim that yours is right and mine is wrong
But you open your eyes to look at your paws
Now you notice the marks down your back
Watch us follow down evil
Come on down and watch us hide
Come and see us succumb succumb succumb
Mother culture in our ears
Watch us follow down evil
Come on down and watch us die
Come and see us succumb succumb succumb
Mother culture in our minds
But watch us follow down feeling
Follow down into the pinch
Come and see us become as one become as one
Our visions working in hands
But watch us follow down feeling
Follow down into the pinch
Come and see us become as one become as one
Our visions working in hands
Watch us follow down feeling
Follow down into the pinch
Come and see us become as one become as one
Our visions working in hands
Watch us follow down feeling
Follow down into the pinch
Come and see us become as one become as one
Our visions working in hands
|
||||
11. |
Now She Knows
03:31
|
|||
|
Presently with a future in mind
She passes him by, bye bye
On account of she’s been holding tight to her state of mind
To her alibi.
Extenuating circumstance
He never should have forced her hand
Should’ve listened to his intuition
Her response worked better than planned
Now he knows that she knows
It couldn’t’ve been any other way, oh lord.
But somewhere far away
There’s a thousand other souls
Who fit right into these roles
But nevertheless they feel alone
In the liminal moment
When they turn to face the current of their soul
Awkwardly with a child in hand
She meets his eyes, why why
And recollects all the countless times they agreed to try,
Again.
Presently, anger quick in his head
He slams the door, what for?
No regard for the child in tow and what she knows.
Extenuating circumstance
He never should have forced her hand
Should’ve listened to his intuition
Her response worked better than planned
Does he knows that she knows
It couldn’t’ve been any other way, oh lord.
But somewhere far away
There’s a thousand other souls
Who fit right into these roles
But nevertheless they feel alone
In the liminal moment
When they turn to face the current of their soul
Now he knows that she knows
It couldn’t’ve been any other way
Now he knows that she knows
It couldn’t’ve been any other way, oh lord.
|
||||
12. |
GreaseSpot
05:05
|
|||
|
Oh I am destroyer of worlds if you leave it all up to me, baby
I find myself inside your home, I’ll find my way back out again.
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Listen to a book on tape
To recreate my story
Rearrange my room again
And reinvent myself
And eat the goop the gurus want to feed me, feed me, feed me
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Custom ergonomic, telescoping, battery powered walking cane
It’s the latest, greatest in technological applications and revelations
That will cure anxiety and help you reach your kids again
Meanwhile there’s fields on fire and swarms in Africa
People dying from a lack of food, which we throw away
Meatgrinder of poverty, and churning out the plastic trinkets
We use to fill the oceans and destroy the land
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
Weakened, you leave me weakened
Because it’s a sadder day than yesterday, baby
|
||||
13. |
In The Light
08:04
|
|||
|
And if you feel that you can't go on
And your will's sinkin' low
Just believe, and you can't go wrong
In the light you will find the road
You will find the road
Oh, did you ever believe that I could leave you
Standing out in the cold
I know how it feels 'cause I have slipped through
To the very depths of my soul
Ooh baby, I just want to show you what a clear view
It is from every bend in the road
Now listen to me
Oh, whoa-whoa, as I was
And really would be for you, too, honey
As you would for me, oh, I would share your load
Let me share your load
Ooh, let me share, share your load
And if you feel that you can't go on
In the light you will find the road
Though the winds of change may blow around you
But that will always be so
Whoa whoa, when love is pain it can devour you, but you are never alone
I will share your load, I will share your load
Baby, let me, oh, let me
In the light
Everybody needs the light
In the light, in the light, in the light
Light, light, light, in the light
Light, light, light, in the light, ooh, yeah
Light, light, light, in the light
Light, light, light, in the light
Light, light, light, in the light, ooh, yeah
Light, light, light, in the light
|
||||
14. |
SongBird
04:03
|
|||
|
SongBird be wise
Don’t sing to the first one you find
Don’t forget to write when they rhyme
Don’t forget them this time
SongBird be kind
Don’t let your melodies get out of line
You puff your chest and you play them behind
Don’t wait so long this time
Don’t wait so long this time
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind, SongBird be kind
|
||||
John Bickel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/album/4WaRAZUNqkxHDCvwDhyUN0?si=6T5QvHEzT_2vSAfB6EJeKg
Email me:
johnbickelmusic@gmail.com
Find More on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/JohnBickelmusic/
Find more on Bandcamp:
johnbickel.bandcamp.com/album/jtb
Follow on Instagram
@bon.bon.physique
Philadelphia native song writer and recording artist/ botanist
... more
If you like John Bickel, you may also like:
Honeyed psych-pop harmonies abound on “Five Suns,” threaded through woozy organs and razor-sharp guitars.
go to album
Locals // If You Swim Far Enough
by Rachel Alina & Birdie Busch
A musical and visual journey through Ocean City, New Jersey via gentle Americana and an illustrated poetry book.
go to album
No One Seems To Notice That It's Raining (Previously Unreleased Recordings 1970-75)
by Jay Bolotin
This compilation of songs from cult legend Jay Bolotin has the same stark beauty as prime Leonard Cohen and Jackson C. Frank.
go to album
Downey to Lubbock
by Dave Alvin
Soulful guitar interplay form the heart of this lovely Americana collaboration from Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.
go to album
The Australian band, featuring members of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, pivot to country.
go to album
A slow drip of Tropicália-infused psychedelia from New Orleans rock outfit Blue Basin: balmy one moment, aggressive the next.
go to album
Leah Wellbaum and company find self-transcendence in an ever-shifting alternative rock landscape.
go to album
