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What's That Thing? (album)

by New Middle Class

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1.
What's That Thing? 03:55
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What's that thing seems so strange yet so familiar? What's that thing makes me so dissatisfied? Just a little bit of pain that leaves me bruised and addicted Just a little bit of heartache makes me feel so alive Just a buzzing in the brain that leaves me lost and conflicted Twisted up inside It's mostly love It's mostly love It's kind of an affliction That no one knows a definition of That fits like a glove It's partly give and take But it's mostly love What's that thing gets me addled and bewildered? What's that thing keeps me scattered and confused? It's a chemical reaction so unsafe, so unstable An irresistible attraction and I come all unglued Try to balance on a wire but I tumble and fall from this Dizzy altitude It's mostly love It's mostly love It's kind of a commotion That I could see me getting tired of If push comes to shove It's partly a mistake But it's mostly love Could it really be a thrill beyond description? Or is it only like a disappointing kiss? Anybody with a heart would feel as partly pleased as this What's that thing so annoyingly elusive? What's that thing that just can’t be specified? It's a sentimental fling that finds me flustered and clueless I don’t really want to trust it though it seems bona fide Is it ever gonna feel like I am tall enough for this Roller coaster ride? It's mostly love It's mostly love It's more or less uncertain It's somehow sort of reminiscent of None of the above It's sometimes slightly fake But it's mostly love It’s partly give and take But it’s mostly love It’s partly a mistake But it’s mostly love
2.
It's All About You 03:16
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IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU I heard on the news that the world’s going all to hell I try to care but I can’t concentrate very well ‘Cause I can’t take my mind off you Nothing matters but the things you do ‘Cause it’s all about you, it’s all about you The way you dress, walk, look and talk None of those clichés will do Because it’s all about you, it’s all about you And nothing else really matters ‘Cause it’s all about you You know I feel close to you ‘cause we two are breathin’ the same air And the celebs on the covers of the magazines can’t compare No, no, I don’t care about the things they said I’d rather interview you instead ‘Cause it’s all about you, it’s all about you I see the kids stare with desire They admire your tattoo They know it’s all about you, it’s all about you And no one else really matters ‘Cause it’s all about you Can’t fight it day or night, you’re everywhere I try to clear my mind but I find that you’re still there You’re really rockin’ those frames when you talk about the books you read I try to follow but I guess it goes right over my head Well, I don’t know but I hope you’d see My respect intellectually ‘Cause it’s all about you, it’s all about you So just relax, ‘cause I ‘m takin’ in some facts that I never knew And they’re all about you, it’s all about you And baby that’s all that matters Yeah, nothing else really matters And no one else really matters ‘Cause it’s all about you It's all about you It's all about you It's all about you
3.
Loch Ness Cafe 04:33
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LOCH NESS CAFÉ (Borok/Giacoio) I was having lunch with Elvis At the Loch Ness Cafe We were talking about the dreams we nailed And the ones that got away I said, "I wish I was a star like you God, I love that rock n roll" He said, "Finish up your soda, son And your fries are gettin' cold" The waitresses are beautiful But they won't give me the time of day Why do I keep on coming back To the Loch Ness Cafe? Odysseus drank his coffee, black Then he set out on some trip And when he thought no one was looking Lincoln pocketed the tip I pretended that I didn't see I just minded my own business 'Cause I knew that the Invisible Man Was the only other witness Everybody stares at me But when I catch them, they look away Why do I keep on coming back To the Loch Ness Cafe? At a table in the corner Where the lights were turned down low I saw the Kennedys holding hands With Marilyn Monroe And J. Edgar Hoover, in disguise Was pretending to mop the floor Near where Castro sat with Sigmund Freud Comparing their cigars The busboy says I'm crazy And he hits me with his tray Why do I keep on coming back To the Loch Ness Cafe? Einstein ordered after me But they brought his dinner first The waiter took a shortcut Through an alternate universe In the men's room, Adolph Hitler Was complaining to the Pope That Pontius Pilate got there first And used up all the soap Einstein had a hard time Trying to calculate the tip He was counting on his fingers I could see him move his lips And Hamlet had an omlette While Ophelia ate a Danish She said, "You're driving me insane-ish You're a cold fish with a death wish" I stopped in after midnight For a little bite to eat When I saw the Loch Ness dinosaur Sitting in my favorite seat She had a leather jacket on And a Jimi Hendrix shirt She was watching the display go 'round With those oversized desserts I said, "I thought that you were dead" She said, "No, I've just been away But I can't resist the cheesecake At the Loch Ness Cafe"
4.
Five Foot Four Girl (In a Ten Foot U-Haul Truck) 03:51
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FIVE FOOT FOUR GIRL (IN A TEN FOOT U-HAUL TRUCK) She leaves the keys on the kitchen counter Takes a deep breath and looks around her Shadows fall, ghosts surround her Climbs up into the rental No time to get sentimental Filled out the labels the movers gave her Checked her list, said goodbye to the neighbors Wrapped the dishes in yesterday's paper With her wishes and hopes Left the curtains for the next folks Times are hard, now she's on her own A little down on her luck She is a five foot four girl in a ten foot U-Haul truck She starts the truck and she feels so strange She tells herself it was just a stage For better or worse, now, everything's changing So she might as well face it Step up and embrace it Times are hard, now she's on her own A little down on her luck She is a five foot four girl in a ten foot U-Haul truck She’s just a five foot four girl in a ten foot U-Haul truck She can reach the pedals She's got the feel of the wheel She tells herself This is no big deal All of that metal And she's in control Cranks the window down Now she's ready to roll Flips on the wipers when the big tears come Steps on the gas and leaves behind the home Where she raised her kids from diapers to diplomas It disappears in the rear view mirror Times are hard, now she's on her own Hoping to improve her luck She's is a five foot four girl in a ten foot U-Haul - Times are hard, and now she's on her own Trying to improve her luck She's just a five foot four girl in a ten foot U-Haul truck She is a five foot four girl in a ten foot U-Haul truck
5.
Beautiful 03:06
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BEAUTIFUL (Mike Borok/Barbara Borok) I was mousy - I was shy I was invisible to guys No one asked me to dance No one gave me a second glance I was just a lost and lonely soul How could life be so unfair? I was awkward - I was plain I faced a lifetime of pain Had no good points - not one Life was over - so young The mirror kept me company But it was not my friend But the day I dyed my hair That's when everything changed The day I dyed my hair I was beautiful I was born again overnight I was popular - all right! I was confident - no fears And respected by my peers They used to be so mean to me But that’s all history ‘Cause the day I dyed my hair That's when everything changed The day I dyed my hair I was beautiful It's like a fairy-tale come true Now I have hair that I can live up to Like a flower, I bloomed I came out of my cocoon Now I don’t have to hide What was always inside ‘Cause all my new friends used to be Insecure and awkward just like me But the day we dyed our hair That's when everything changed The day we dyed our hair We were beautiful
6.
1999.9 04:08
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1999.9 Meet me tonight at the edge of town We'll watch the millennium sun go down The sun may never rise again The coming night may never end And I don't want to be alone There's comfort in the rubbing of flesh and bone No one cares what we might do Or if you love me, or if I love you Now the lights are out, and the wild dogs run Through the desolate streets of heaven above In the dead of night, in the dark of the heart Desperate souls making desperate love I'd like to find out how you feel Behind the crumbled brick and stained steel Beneath the civilized veneer Beyond the reach of hope and fear If God has turned his face from us And we will soon return to dust Then, mouth to mouth and skin to skin We'll say goodbye to what might have been Now the lights are out, and the wild dogs run Through the desolate streets of heaven above In the dead of night, in the dark of the heart Desperate souls making desperate love Desperate souls making desperate love So spread your coat here on the dirt Undo the buttons of your shirt You feel so hard, you feel so nice My hands feel as cold as ice We'll close our eyes and bruise our lips As we kiss the apocalypse That kiss will mark the end of time Nineteen ninety nine point nine Nineteen ninety nine point nine Now the lights are out, and the wild dogs run Through the desolate streets of heaven above In the dead of night, in the dark of the heart Desperate souls making desperate love Desperate souls making desperate love Desperate souls making desperate love The unexpected dawn arrives And only strangers have survived Now there's nothing left to say Good morning - happy New Year's Day
7.
Doctor Bones 03:41
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DOCTOR BONES If you're feeling sick and weary If you feel the weight of years If you think there must be something wrong But you don't know what it is There's a doctor - here's his number Hey, my friend, you ought to phone Everybody calls him Doctor Bones Doctor Bones is at your service Doctor Bones waits for your call His license and diplomas Framed like art up on the wall He'll be standing right beside you As you face the great unknown They call him Doctor Call him Doctor They call him Doctor Bones He can slice you with his scalpel Or he can heal you just with love As he lays his hands upon you In those powdered latex gloves You can tell he feels the power When he makes you squirm and moan You're in the tender care of Doctor Bones Doctor Bones is there to help you Doctor Bones is in your plan He knows all of the diseases And deformities of Man He will cure you or he'll kill you The outcome is unknown They call him Doctor Call him Doctor They call him Doctor Bones He can stitch you up real pretty Or he can rip you limb from limb That's why everybody has respect for him He's the savior of the hopeless No, there is no doubt about it He's equipped for anesthesia Though he often works without it So take a seat - it's gonna cost you Everything you own Leave the paperwork to Doctor Bones Doctor Bones can find the answer Doctor Bones can make you whole He can see the cancer That grows inside your soul He can hear you cry That you don't want to die alone They call him Doctor Call him Doctor They call him – Doctor Bones is understanding His compassion never fails You can feel the cold breeze As you stand upon his scales When you're fevered and delirious He comes to take you home And they call him Doctor They call him Doctor Call him Doctor Bones
8.
Tenth Commandment 02:55
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TENTH COMMANDMENT I wish I had my neighbor's house I wish I had his car He shines it up and shows it off By his manicured front yard I wish I had his salary I wish I had his life And I wish I had his lovely wife She stands by the window half undressed Does she think that I don't see? I swear she leaves the lights on 'Cause she knows what it does to me And I wish I had the nerve to go And knock on her back door And take her on the marble kitchen floor Do you want it? Do you crave it When you know you can't have it? Do you need it? Do you love it? Thou shalt not covet If the angle's right you can see through the fence Around their swimming pool And she suns herself there, topless While the children are at school And I wish that God did not exist I wish He couldn't see The sinful thoughts inside of me I wish I had my neighbor's looks I wish I had his poise His insolent self-confidence And his trendy, upscale toys And I pray that some misfortune Will take it all away So I won't have to look at him So I won't have to feel this way I'm burning up with envy I may burn in the afterlife But I wish I had my neighbor's wife Do you want it? Do you crave it When you know you can't have it? Do you need it? Do you love it? Thou shalt not covet
9.
You Go First 03:15
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YOU GO FIRST It's not the little things that drive me crazy That's part of the problem, but not the whole thing It's not your clothes on the floor, your hair on my toothbrush Although it's true, that's so revolting But it's deeper than that, deeper than disgust It feels like love turned upside down It's a failure of faith, it's a lack of trust But it's not too late to turn this thing around We can work it out; we can get through it Things can only get better, 'cause they couldn't be worse It'll be hard, but I know we can do it Let's change - you go first Seems like every night we fight these wars Why do you always take my words and twist them? Some couples are as distant as Venus and Mars But we're not in the same solar system Yes, we must have come from two different worlds With different atmospheres, different gravity Different languages, different laws Different customs, different chemistries But we can work it out; we can get through it Things can only get better, 'cause they couldn't be worse It'll be tough, but I know we can do it Let's change - you go first I suppose we both have our reasons But no one wins; we both lose our shirts It's like a card game - you play the Jack of Demons And I trump you with the Queen of Hurts It's not what you say, it's your tone of voice It's your insinuations that infuriate me You insist it's my imagination And I blame you for blaming me It's a matter of temper, just a matter of time Until someone does somebody bodily harm Doesn't matter who's right, it only matters who's madder Take the hammer, break the glass, pull the fire alarm We can work it out; we can get through it Things can only get better, 'cause they couldn't be worse It'll be painful, but I know we can do it Let's change - you go first
10.
Guilty (With an Explanation) 03:24
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GUILTY (WITH AN EXPLANATION) I know I forgot your birthday I know, I forget them all And when I miss dinner ‘cause I'm working late I know I ought to remember to call But really, is it so important? These things are easy to forget And there's so much that I have to do You forget things too, I bet Guilty - I'm guilty I feel bad about the situation Guilty - I'm guilty Guilty with an explanation I should try to control my temper I should try to control my tongue And though I feel ashamed, I can't be blamed It could happen to anyone It's just a fact of evolution We're all descended from the beasts And when you make me mad, I can't help myself The beast must be released Guilty - I'm guilty It was hormonal over-stimulation Guilty - I'm guilty Guilty with an explanation Yes, I feel guilt, I feel remorse And I feel bad for you, of course I don't want a fight or an expensive divorce I'm just a victim of a biological force I know I should have been faithful But I cheated, and I got caught You've got the right to be mad, I guess But it was really not my fault It was a momentary lapse of judgment An irresistible fascination You see, God created beauty And the Devil turned it into temptation Guilty - I'm guilty I had the means and the motivation Guilty - I'm guilty Guilty with an explanation Guilty - I'm guilty There was a positive identification Guilty - I plead guilty Guilty with an explanation
11.
Monty's Room 03:58
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MONTY'S ROOM I was alone in a hotel of strangers I was alone with nothing much to do Wandering, sleepless and wired When I heard the music coming out of 3802, and Everybody's hanging out in Monty's room Everybody's playing their guitar Everybody's talking 'bout Monty's room Where everybody gets to be a star I squeezed into an empty corner And waited as they went around the room I sometimes forgot I was waiting For Monty to notice me and ask for a tune, and Everybody wants to go to Monty's room Check your ego at the door Cause everyone is equal up in Monty's room And Monty's always there to make sure It's getting kind of late here in Monty's room But nobody seems to mind it And out in the cold hotel corridors People are still trying to find it I'm tuning my guitar here in the corner Soon, I know, it's going to be my turn But some old friends just walked in the door And Monty smiles and says, "Come in, sit down" They're passing 'round a bottle up in Monty's room And everybody's singing harmony There's always room for one more up in Monty's room I hope they'll find a little room for me I hope they'll find a little room for me I hope they'll find a little room for me

about

2nd Mortgage Records
(p) © 2017 Mike Borok. All rights reserved.

credits

released October 17, 2017

Recorded by Mike Borok at 2nd Mortgage Studio, except drums recorded by:
- Hoboken Recorders: Doctor Bones, You Go First
- Cliff Hackford: What's That Thing, Loch Ness Cafe, Beautiful, Guilty,
Monty's Room
- Jonathan Mele: Five Foot Four Girl
- Studio Pros: It's All About You
Graphic design - Mike & Barbara Borok
Cover - Photo and glass sculpture
“Spine Sketches” by iLan Epstein
Guilty and Monty's Room mixed by Rob Morsberger

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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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