1. Bedraggled(2:49)
2. Hometown(2:40)
3. Grand Marquis(2:58)
4. Whiskey Ain’t Cheap(2:29)
5. Beowulf(3:36)
6. Sweaters(2:29)
7. Danger Ranger(3:44)*
8. Stone Wall(3:55)*
9. Northern Lights(5:21)
Recommended tracks are bolded.
*Starred tracks have bad words.
MUSICIANS:
Mip – Vocals, Guitars, and Harmonies.
Greg Kowalczyk – Bass. Harmonies (Danger Ranger). Lead Guitar (Grand Marquis). Rockabilly Guitar (Stone Wall).
Jaash Singh – Drums
Emilyn Stam – Piano (Danger Ranger)
PRODUCTION:
Tracked Live-off-the-floor by Mike Pedrow at Cosmic Audio
Mixing, Mastering, and Additional Engineering by Greg Kowalczyk
Produced by mip and Greg Kowalczyk
ARTWORK:
Cover Design and Concept by mip
Cover Illustration (leaf lady) by Mel Guille (www.studiosketchy.com)
All songs © 2012 mip (SOCAN).
All rights reserved. Made in Canada.
Your dreams reality is a nightmare
Woke up too late, missed your get-up date and forgot to care
Now, go on take a shower
‘Cause there’s no line-up at this hour
Cold feet on the tile floor
Rub your eyes, no surprise, it’s the same as before
At least you’re trying
Haggard and bedraggled in your threadbare pajamas
And it’s never been a prettier morning
Coffee breath, no breakfast, good ol’ routine drama
La da da la da da da da da
Hey baby you look like swell hell
And you’re trying to break this repetitive cycle
Went out for an evening
It ended up pretty dissapointing
And now you’re cranky and hungover
I caught you in the living room with a blanket around your shoulders
Chorus
This haunted house has an exit light
The devil tempts you with a dance in the middle of the night
But wake up, you’re on time this time
You caught your alarm bell clock chime
You chose the right foot first today
Ate your most important meal and you skipped through the doorway
Chorus
Back to top…
Hometown
My left hand’s in my pocket, the right fiddles with my iPod
Minus 26, I should be wearing mitts or my digits might fall off
‘Gonna meet an old friend for an old friend date
Kat’s at the table with 2 beer, she says, “As usual, you’re late”
And it’s 10:30 last call, 11 we’re out in the snow and sleet
I say, “Let’s go to the Hilltop” so we wander down Main St.
And we’re creating memories we’ll soon romanticize
Main St. wrapped up in rows of coloured lights
Frost bitten breath against the snowy skies
This is my Hometown don’t wanna be anywhere else tonight
The lights were dim when we walked in, there’s people I’m happy to see
I got a few friends at the back shooting pool and Peter’s playin’ the old keys
But it’s 11:30 last call, Monday night we’re all too rowdy
12 we’re out but Kat asks to call for a DD…
But she actually calls the Twin and it won’t stay open
And then she says with a sneer, “In the city they’re open ’til 3”
And I say, “Let’s get outta here”
Chorus
We stumble around tryin’ to sing those old carols and fall down on our knees
Then we try for Auld Lang Syne and fail just as miserably
Kat points to the misspelled sign we used to walk past all the time
I suggest we change it since we’ve moved on with our lives
Peter loans us a pen and I gave her a boost, as she finished I caved in
And we lie like fallen angels while the snow soaks through our skin
Chorus
Back to top…
Grand Marquis
We got our guitars and some oversized backpacks
Paul and I though that we’d hit up some hiking tracks
The man at Budget led us to the last car in the lot
I turned to Paul and said, “You won’t be pickin’ up chicks in that”
We don’t got style, we don’t have an SUV
But we can tear it up in a Grand Marquis
The trunk is huge it fits all our stuff easy
I sing Stick shifts and Safety Belts while Paul snores from the back bench seat
So I crank the volume up the knob is wrapped in fake wood trim
Tap my fingers on the wheel as we begin our mountain ascension
Chorus
We were tryin’ to play it cool with a few of our fellow hikers
As it turned out they were parked right beside her
They laughed at us, on said, “Dude, is that really your ride?”
We left them choking on exhaust while standing by their fancy Vibe
Chorus
Back to top…
Whiskey Ain’t Cheap
Back in college after their study sessions
Jack and his friends always went to the Pit Pub
To talk about the world they’d change
while sipping on whiskey like some Philosopher’s Club
Back then whiskey wasn’t cheap and they didn’t have much money
Just some dreams and exam sorrows
Makes you wanna drink the bottle hollow
Now Jack’s outta school and he’s working in a factory
Not quite what he expected but at least he gets along
Unemployment’s high and he’s got loans to pay
Wrote his mother and said, “I feel like a Springsteen song”
Most his friends are the same way
They don’t go out so much anymore
Sipping on whiskey is too much of a luxury
But it’s in these times they want it even more
Back then whiskey wasn’t cheap and they didn’t have much money
Part-time jobs and a big debt load
Makes you wanna drink the bottle hollow
Then he got this letter in his mother’s chicken scratch…
It said, “You can work all day for a little pay
But in the end you should always have enough
For whatever little thing that might bring you some small joy
So here’s a toast to you and the times you’re going through
Here’s some green and this one’s on me
Back then whiskey wasn’t cheap and they didn’t have much money
Just some dreams and a big debt load
Makes you wanna drink the bottle hollow
Back to top…
Beowulf
Let’s just say Beowulf was smaller than the other kids
They would all pick on him but he had this trick
He’s close his eyes, cover his hears, and think of all the monsters he’d kick
And sing La la la la la
Now I’m sitting in this library having trouble reading ’cause I’m daydreaming
About my future at the podium King of the world or at least a country
Last night some evil dragon caught me on the phone and he burned me with hot air
He said, “Get a real job don’t just sit there and read about useless past affairs”
Don’t underestimate me ’cause I’m crying I will not give this up no
I’m damn frustrated but I won’t turn jaded even if I’m walking alone
I graduated with a yellow ribbon I’m handing out my resume
I came out and stopped ’cause my path was blocked my a mountain of disarray
The dragon in my head started laughing and he says, “I told you so”
So I closed my eyes and covered my ears un-sheilding idealism my sword
Chorus
One day when I have grand kids and they ask me for a story
I’ll tell them about Beowulf before he gained his glory
And sing La la la la
Chorus
Back to top…
Sweaters
Not much to do today. Just work. Eat, maybe play
And a lot of sleep cause I’ve got a lot of dreams
Lift my head from the pillow. My backpack’s lit up with a halo
From the light slipping through the window. I want to go…
But for now I’m stuck here folding sweaters
Lambs wool, merino wool, cashmere and cotton and oh...
I guess everyone’s on summer vacation
Cause customers give me such dramatic explanations
Of what they’ve done and will do
Sometimes they ask: how about you?
Well, 4 more weeks of saving
And I’ll purchase the ticket for the adventure I’m craving
The bus will pull up I’ll step on
And then I’ll be gone…
Chorus
And it’s button up 1-2-3-4
I look frumpy and funny judging by the mirror
I’m not meant for this position
It’s just a transition.
I don’t fit this cardigan…
Chorus
Back to top…
Danger Ranger
I got a rather official looking letter in the mail from the CVB
They say they want me in court for not payin’ my fee you see
Well I guess it was about 2 months ago, me and some friends hit the good road
Crossed the border in my mini-van, stopped breifly for a beer and a grocery load
We got a date with a big ol’ festival in Manchester Tennessee
And on the way we jammed in Portland and Vegas and everywhere inbetween
Danger Ranger we’re here to raise some Hell
‘Cause reeds and strings and all the pretty things might make all society rebel
Well we stopped at Grand Canyon National Park to check out the sights
And then we dragged out our gear it’s not like we were startin’ any fights (oh no)
We got a lot of smiles, a few dollars at our feet
But I’d love to see those tourist home movies of when those rangers showed up and asked for our ID
It’s not vandalism or a DUI but apparently we’re raising Hell
‘Cause reeds and strings and all those pretty things might make our society rebel
Those rangers asked if they could search my van to see if anything seemed out of place
I said, “No, but would you like to pose with us in a photo” and they fined us and drove away
And then there was a car chase ’cause we were chasing them
Some sort of victory lap at about 15 miles per hour with Trooper cranked loud for revenge
She’s not a ticket for stealing or marijuana smuggling but apparently we’re raising Hell
‘Cause reeds and strings and all those pretty things might make our society rebel
Now I’ve got that ticket I slammed it right on the wall beside my university degree
Maybe I’m full of shit but when I think about it, sometimes justice is a pretty funny thing
Danger Ranger we’re here to raise some Hell
‘Cause reeds and strings and all those pretty things might make our society rebel
Back to top…
Stone Wall
Threw on a pair of jeans and a tie-dye T and I went on down to Queen St.
I’ve been stoked on this show for weeks
Walk through the door and admire the decor; there’s chicken-wire, B-movie horrers
And I’ve never been in a place quite like this before
The band got on stage and they started to play and the people there they stood as still as posts
I don’t know how to be a post
Well I could go and write a hate note on the bathrooms walls
But I paid a whole 5 dollar cover so I’m gonna party with you all
And I will smash down your stone wall
I got 2 feet squared for dancing space I bumped into a fish-netted leg
And you shoulda seen her face
She said, “Touch me again and I’ll kick your ass” I apologized and tried not to laugh
Let it slip off me like water of glass
Chorus
(Speaking)
So I was standing there and the band asked if we want to hear another song
I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Yes Please” and there was a silence…
This guy standing beside me gives me a funn look and says, “That’s not what we say around here”
And then he looks away and tries not to aknowledge me any further
I have to think about this…and this is what I came up with…Here we go
I’m gonna say, “Yes Please” you’re gonna say, “Fuck yeah!”
Yes please – Fuck yeah X 5
Chorus
Back to top…
Northern Lights
Little girl supposed to be in bed but you’re not
No, you’re leaning on the windowsill staring at the sky
Watching those green waves on the horizon
They rise and fall to some silent lullaby
Jump outta bed shake your parents to wake them up
It’s not Christmas time but it’s close enough
And it’s like greeting some old friend
You just never know when you’ll see them again
Those Northern Lights dance all night
Dance all night…
So you’re a lady now the city calls you South
Drawn to neon lights and different sorts of stars
But sometimes it all seems a bit overwhelming
It’s nice to go back home and lie down in your old back yard
Curled up in all the blankets you can find
And as the temperature drops you hope they’ll shine tonight
Prechorus
Chorus
Prechorus
Chorus X2