1. |
I Was Born
03:24
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In the beginning there was no light
There was no day and there was no night
There was no land and there was no sea
There was no geography
There was no faith, there was no doubt
There was not much to talk about
There was no sign of the human race
There was no time and there was no space
And then I was born
The sun came out and the birds were singing
That I was born
It's hard to believe it, but I've been told
My folks were young before they got old
A lovely girl who danced ‘til dawn
With a handsome man in a uniform
They took a loan, they bought a home
A beautiful baby girl was born
They gave her love, they gave her toys
But they wanted another, they wanted a boy
And then I was born
Kicking and screaming all through the night
Yes, I was born
Now who would care and who could know
About things that happened long ago?
All that really matters is me
The Roman Empire was brought to its knees
Shakespeare wrote some tragedies
And wars were fought, the Bomb was dropped
The forces of history could not be stopped
And then I was born
Angels came and they called my name
When I was born
Destined for success and fame
Yes, I was born
And things will never be the same
Since I was born
I was born
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2. |
Buy One, Get One Free
04:02
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It was a holiday
It was a sale day
It was a shopping spree
When I realized that the merchandise was consuming me
I felt my brain respond
I had a coupon
I saw the big display
I was mesmerized as I joined the line for the give-away
Buy one, try one
Buy one, get one free
There was some tiny print
Under the fine print
There was a guarantee
Specially designed by creative minds for seducing me
And in the showcases, hundreds of faces
Looking like long-lost friends
Lining all the aisles with their plastic smiles of encouragement
Buy one, try one
Buy one, get one free
And all the shopping malls
Seemed to call my name
And all the lights invited me in...
I tried to turn my head
But it was no good
I tried to close my eyes
But I lost it all
To the siren call of the merchandise
Buy one, try one
Buy one, get one free
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3. |
Cradle
04:09
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I was a troubled child in a strange and troubled world
Where we watched for guided missiles from the heavens
Now I'm grown and the world has changed
The bombs are everywhere
Guided by vengeance and a prayer
Sleep now, my little baby
I'll rock your cradle
And maybe things will be better someday
If they don't get worse
I watched a troubled world on a black and white TV
When they shot them down in Dallas and in Memphis
Now I'm grown, and the world has changed
The gunmen live next door
And cameras watch convenience stores
(repeat chorus)
I watched my heroes leave their footprints on the moon
But they wandered off the path that leads to heaven
And I sometimes feel I'm far from home
In a world that's cold and wild
Lost like some milk container child
Sweet dreams, my darling Rachel
I'll tuck you in
And maybe things will be better someday
If they don't get worse
Hush now, my sweet Amanda
I'll kiss your hair
And maybe things will be better someday
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4. |
She's Cool
04:01
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There she goes, my friend
She moves just like a dream
And she looks so good in her pre-washed jeans
But I'm stuck behind a counter, taking orders
From all of these suburban sons and daughters
Fast food and carbonated water
And I go wild at just the thought of her
She's cool as fins on a Cadillac
She's fine as California wine
That's right, the girl is on the fast track
How I wish she were mine
Here she comes again
I think she looked my way
But it's hard to tell--she's always wearing shades
And girls wish that they could imitate her
Boys try but they just can't penetrate her
I'm a guy who'd sure appreciate her
If I could only get a date with her
She's cool as fins on a Cadillac
She's fine as California wine
That's right, she knows that she's a class act
How I wish she were mine
Now, everybody knows I'm just an ordinary guy
And everybody says it shows
But I suppose I'm not too cool to try
Do you think I'm just a fool to pursue her?
I should stay at home and play with my computer
I tell myself I could mean something to her
If I could only be as cool as her
But she's sharp as fins on a Cadillac
She's fine as California wine
That's right, my heart has been hijacked
How I wish she were mine
She's a runaway train on a steep track
A jet plane warming up on the tarmac
A heroine in a Harlequin paperback
A fashion queen on a teen magazine rack
She's the razor's edge, she's the leader of the pack
A man-eater looking for a quick snack
She's a current event, she's a matter of fact
She invades my dreams in a pre-dawn sneak attack (she's cool...so cool)
I'm gonna learn to rap and slick my hair back
Play some air guitar and always wear black
Let 'em laugh, let 'em talk behind my back
Let 'em have their fun, let 'em give me flack
I'm gonna get that girl, I'm gonna get the knack
I want to park my car in her cul-de-sac
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5. |
Television Sky
04:12
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He always wanted to drive that car
He really wanted to have that girl
But for guys like him, it could only happen
In a television world
She always wanted to look that good
She never wanted to be so shy
And she would not resist a small-screen kiss
Under a television sky
(chorus):
A television sky, a Technicolor moon
You never have to leave your living room
And on the day you die, actresses will cry
In the artificial rain from the television sky
He always wanted to be that tough
She had a weakness for blue eyes
Though they had not yet met
Through the TV set they shared a television sky
(repeat chorus)
And she drifted off in the blue screen light
And she found herself on a wind-swept beach
And he drifted off in the blue screen night
Where he found himself on the same white sand
And her lips met his as the music swelled
And the moon seemed almost within their reach
And they walked on past the supporting cast
When the scene was changed by an unseen hand
There was trouble brewing in Paradise
There were complications and surprises
Cops and mobsters, guns and knives
And messages from advertisers
Parties where the laughs rang hollow
Moments of uncomfortable silence
Twisted plots too hard to follow
Incidents of random violence
A tide that turned and left them back
On the sand on the beach in the fade to black...
He really wanted to watch that game
She loved the show with the private eye
They fought for the remote control
As the credits rolled
Against the television sky
(repeat chorus)
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6. |
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Hey kids, have you heard the news
Sweeping across the nation?
You've got to see these two or three
Singing, songwriting sensations!
From Basking Ridge to Bear Mountain bridge
Everybody's talking about 'em
From the interstate to the internet
The fans are wild, the word is out, and
I can't wait to see the show
Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
Everyone I know's just dying to go
To see Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
Playing the Taylor guitar, that's Joe
In his brand-new jeans and sneakers
Dan's over there on the Casio
With its tiny keys and built-in speakers
I'm gonna sit in the very first row
To see Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
I'd drive a hundred miles in the snow
To see Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
Like Superman and Lois and Krypto
Like Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo
They were born to perform together, you know
Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
They can make you cry
They can make you laugh
They can touch your heart with their magic
You can ask them for an autograph
But you might not get your pen back
It doesn't cost a lot of dough
To see Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
You won't hear 'em on the radio
So come to the show and see Dan, Joe and Mo’
But what I really want to know is
Who the heck is this kid named Mo?
Who's the third voice in the trio
With Pelletier and Giacoio?
With a name like Mo it's hard to know
If he plays bass or she sings soprano
Maybe Mo will steal the show
Would Dan get mad? Would Joe feel low?
It's almost time--come on, let's go
To see Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)
I can't wait to see the show...
I'm gonna sit in the very first row, to see...
It doesn't cost a lot of dough, to see...
And maybe Mo will steal the show
From Dan and Joe (and sometimes Mo’)...
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7. |
Red River Flood
04:03
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Red River, God knows we were not prepared
Even though we know the wind and snow
The small town where I was born has disappeared
And I've got nowhere to go
Someday we will once again be dry
The water will return to the sky
There's a Red Cross tent with canned food and blankets
There's a river where a playground used to be
On a rooftop someone has painted
"Mom I'm OK," hoping she'll see
Someday we will once again be dry
The water will return to the sky
When the President flies home,
the cameras go with him
And we're still standing in the rain
First we shake our fists and curse at Heaven
Then we bow our heads and pray
Someday we will once again be dry
The water will return to the sky
Someday we will once again be dry
The water will return to the sky
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8. |
I'm Talking to You
03:07
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There's a look that you get when you're looking at me
And I try to deny that it's serious
There's a thing in your eyes that you think I don't see
And it's starting to come between us
And I'm mostly afraid of the things you don't say
And I hate to complain, but I do it anyway
chorus:
I'm talking to you
I said I'm talking to you
I can't stand not knowing where I stand
And I can't stand thinking what you might be thinking
Lips and hearts should go hand in hand
I'm trying to get through
I'm talking to you
There's a chill in the air as you sit in your chair
And carefully chew your vegetables
There's a sound that I hate when you're scraping your plate
And I'm thinking it might be intentional
We've had these frozen dinners for far too long
Why don't you spit it out?
Tell me what's going on
(repeat chorus)
Why do you talk to the TV more than to me?
Don't be so remote; devote some time to me
I'm talking to you
I said I'm talking to you
I can't stand not knowing where I stand
And I can't stand thinking what you might be thinking
Lips and hearts should go hand in hand
I'm trying to get through
I'm trying to get through...
I'm talking to you
I said I'm talking to you
I can't stand not knowing where I stand
And I can't stand thinking what you might be thinking
Lips and hearts should go hand in hand
I'm trying to get through
I'm talking to you
I'm talking to you
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9. |
Misery Loves Company
04:59
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It's another lonely Saturday night
In the tiny studio apartment where I live
All by myself
Now, I can't sleep so I go downstairs
And the night is warm, and everywhere
I see hearts spray-painted on walls and fences
And lovers have taken all the park benches
And I feel so sad - too sad for words
If I had some bread I'd feed these birds
If I had some sense I'd go back to bed
But I end up going downtown instead
And the people look sharp; they're nicely dressed
But that just makes me more depressed
I want the whole world to feel as bad as me
Because misery loves company
Misery
Everybody talks about misery
No, it isn't just me
Nine out of ten of my friends agree
That misery loves company
Misery loves company
So I order a double at a singles bar
And I watch TV while some creeps watch me
The sports guy runs down the losing scores
And they show some athletic injury
And I think of all the times that I got hurt
In exploratory sexual surgery
And this barroom gloom is an operating room
For ghouls who feed on misery
Misery
Everybody suffers some misery
You can take it from me
Everybody wants a little sympathy
And misery loves company
Misery loves company
It's not the alcohol that calls us all
It just lubricates our emptiness
It's not the cheap draft beer that brings us here
We've got misery to thank for our togetherness
It starts to get late and I think how I hate
This crazy dating industry
Everyone laughs at some infantile joke
And the smell of smoke starts to get to me
And the floor is littered with cigarette butts
And I'm eating complementary nuts
Ignoring guys with big beer guts
Who won't stop coming on to me
Then I notice this guy from the corner of my eye
He almost blends in with the scenery
As he sits and thinks and nurses his drink
But there's something about him that appeals to me
And he runs his hand through his uncombed hair
As he stares at the upholstery
But he'll notice me eventually
Because misery loves company
Misery
Everybody knows about misery
And it seems to me
We're in the same pain emotionally
And it's misery
I don't want to hear about misery
But inevitably
I complain to you and you complain to me
Because misery loves company
Misery loves company
Misery loves company
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10. |
Into My Life
02:18
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Oh babe, you've gone too far now
Who do you think you are?
You've taken your knife
And cut your way into my life
Oh babe, you've gone too far now
Thought that you knew the score
You've taken your knife
And cut your way into my life
Okay, you say you think you know me
But some other one is in your head
No way, you're never gonna show me
'Cause the neighborhood is overfed
And I'm not sorry
(Repeat first verse)
Oh, no, there's angels undercover
And your other lover's in the way
And maybe you'll go the day that you discover
That the neighborhood has understood
That I'm not sorry
You've taken your knife
And cut your way into my life
Into my life
Into my life
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11. |
Give It Back
03:42
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Since I was small
My head's been filled with plans
But there's no holding on to dreams
They slip right through your hands
They slip away so easily
You might not even know
Until the ones who love you
Sadly say, "I told you so"
Give it back, give it all back
Nobody knows where our dreams go
Give it back, give it all back
You won't feel a thing ‘til tomorrow
I'd sing my songs
And dream of rave reviews
How friends would phone to say they'd seen me
On the evening news
But time goes by, now I believe
These dreams might not come true
But, darling, you still believe in me
And I believe in you
Give it back…
You won't feel a thing - no, no
Give it back, give it all back
Nobody knows where our dreams go
Give it back, give it all back
We may dream again tomorrow
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New Middle Class New York
New Middle Class is Barbara Borok (lead vocal) and Mike Borok (guitar/vocal). Their many songwriter awards include Grand Prize in the 2003 MTL Songwriting Contest at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas and, most recently, finalist in the 2019 S. Florida FolkFest Songwriting Contest. They sing about relationships and current events gone awry, the origin of the universe, and desserts. ... more
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