Hey all.
In case you didn't hear, we have moved The Compass over to Tumblr. Change your bookmarks: http://wethecompass.tumblr.com/.
See you over there,
Paul
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Music Box
This is a song that has been in the shop for several months now. I first sketched out the idea for the song in the spring of 2009 and started writing it a few months later. I recorded an initial demo in September of last year but I wasn't satisfied with it. A year later, this newly recorded demo comes closer to the intangible idea existing only in my mind.
Watching the children, young
men and women
stumble from buildings on Sunday morning.
Sweatpants, sunglasses, concealed eyes
and muzzled mouths with
vodka breath.
And then
you see her walking
behind them
(because she thinks they can
let her sing out).
Spot scars that seem like
someone tried to erase her
to keep a piece.
They go in the cafe,
speaking of conquests, but
she keeps her night from being
sung out.
Eating the food,
greasy and heavy,
its only use is to fill up the void.
But you know where she was last night,
singing for him
while you sat in
the silent room,
except for the notes of the C scale
that drifted through the concrete walls.
Wonder why
it was his fingers that were able to
wind her --
a frail music box
designed to only play the song
that he wanted,
that they all want.
And Monday evening you see
her
again with her
eyes and ears open
to a blue jay perched--
cottonwood --
keen melody,
instinctive song.
The difficulty in translating one's perception of the world into a piece of art lies in the translation itself. Attempt to transcribe it exactly and the art is lost to the telling -- the blatant identification of an idea so there is no possible confusion for the listener. Keep it too close to the original, and you prohibit the piece from fully becoming itself -- you prevent it from evolving into something more powerful than the germ of a inspirational thought.
Finding the balance between the two was the major difficulty I had in writing this song. As I wrote above, this song is a year and a half in the making, and I'm still not completely satisfied. When I first recorded it a year ago, I was scrambling to accomplish something, to get some words and music down into a more permanent form than the loose threads of my mind. I had been writing a lot for my Request-A-Song project and I wanted an original to shake things up -- to focus on my thoughts and ideas instead of the words and suggestions of others. I recorded the acoustic guitar and my vocals and thought I was done.
I played the piece -- at that time, called "Salt Shaker" -- a few times at open mic nights but it felt unnatural. The lines were of varying lengths and I didn't have anything resembling a consistent melody. I enjoy straying from pop conventions, but I like my music to have some semblance of order that pleases the ear. So this past June, I decided to come back to this piece and try it again -- this time, with support from my drum machine. I changed the backing instrument from keyboard to electric guitar and spent the past two weeks completing it.
The biggest change was with the lyrics. I figured that a song called "Music Box" should rely more on musical imagery in its words. I think there is a little more room for the listener to explore, to discover his or her own meaning in the lyrics. When writing my songs, I focus more on the lyrics -- they're the most important part of a song to me. I hope that "Music Box" lets you come to your own conclusions about a little piece of the world.
-Paul
P.S. Consider becoming my fan at my ReverbNation page:
Watching the children, young
men and women
stumble from buildings on Sunday morning.
Sweatpants, sunglasses, concealed eyes
and muzzled mouths with
vodka breath.
And then
you see her walking
behind them
(because she thinks they can
let her sing out).
Spot scars that seem like
someone tried to erase her
to keep a piece.
They go in the cafe,
speaking of conquests, but
she keeps her night from being
sung out.
Eating the food,
greasy and heavy,
its only use is to fill up the void.
But you know where she was last night,
singing for him
while you sat in
the silent room,
except for the notes of the C scale
that drifted through the concrete walls.
Wonder why
it was his fingers that were able to
wind her --
a frail music box
designed to only play the song
that he wanted,
that they all want.
And Monday evening you see
her
again with her
eyes and ears open
to a blue jay perched--
cottonwood --
keen melody,
instinctive song.
The difficulty in translating one's perception of the world into a piece of art lies in the translation itself. Attempt to transcribe it exactly and the art is lost to the telling -- the blatant identification of an idea so there is no possible confusion for the listener. Keep it too close to the original, and you prohibit the piece from fully becoming itself -- you prevent it from evolving into something more powerful than the germ of a inspirational thought.
Finding the balance between the two was the major difficulty I had in writing this song. As I wrote above, this song is a year and a half in the making, and I'm still not completely satisfied. When I first recorded it a year ago, I was scrambling to accomplish something, to get some words and music down into a more permanent form than the loose threads of my mind. I had been writing a lot for my Request-A-Song project and I wanted an original to shake things up -- to focus on my thoughts and ideas instead of the words and suggestions of others. I recorded the acoustic guitar and my vocals and thought I was done.
I played the piece -- at that time, called "Salt Shaker" -- a few times at open mic nights but it felt unnatural. The lines were of varying lengths and I didn't have anything resembling a consistent melody. I enjoy straying from pop conventions, but I like my music to have some semblance of order that pleases the ear. So this past June, I decided to come back to this piece and try it again -- this time, with support from my drum machine. I changed the backing instrument from keyboard to electric guitar and spent the past two weeks completing it.
The biggest change was with the lyrics. I figured that a song called "Music Box" should rely more on musical imagery in its words. I think there is a little more room for the listener to explore, to discover his or her own meaning in the lyrics. When writing my songs, I focus more on the lyrics -- they're the most important part of a song to me. I hope that "Music Box" lets you come to your own conclusions about a little piece of the world.
-Paul
P.S. Consider becoming my fan at my ReverbNation page:
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Subway Sketching
On my two trips to NYC through Elmira College, the one constant was sketching. My first trip we had to sketch on the subway just to help pass time and to constantly work. While on the second trip we were required to fill up two small sketchbooks a week so subway rides became valuable times to fill our quota.
Sketching on the subway is a great thing for any artist to try/use. There are so many variables that go into it. How long do I have to finish this person? What's unique about this person? Who do I choose? How do I draw them without them finding out and knifing me? There are a ton of poses, faces, fashions, objects, time constraints on each car. An hour long subway ride can easily give you 10-20 decent sketches if you time it right. It's perfect for honing in on a certain trait, like feet, poses, eyes, etc. because there are so many options and they are always changing.
Then there's the human element. These models aren't voluntary. Some may not appreciate you staring at them constantly then scribbling in a notebook. From my experience, most people don't mind, as long as you're good enough. Nobody likes to look uglier than they are. People like to ask questions and it's a great way to start conversation in a car full of strangers. You definitely run into people who don't like it, or freak out if there are a group of you all doing the same thing.
Each sketch is like a little battle. How well can I capture someone in the two minutes they're sitting in front of me or the 15 seconds they're next to me waiting to get off. Making anything competitive makes it more interesting so when you "nail it" and look at your page and see the person who just left, or turned away, it's a great feeling. Flipping back through the book days later and remembering exactly what that person looked like is also a great feeling of success.
Sketching on the subway is one thing I'll miss the most about being in NYC. If I ever get back there, I'll definitely make sure I have a sketchbook and pen in my pocket because it's a unique experience at every stop.
Sketching on the subway is a great thing for any artist to try/use. There are so many variables that go into it. How long do I have to finish this person? What's unique about this person? Who do I choose? How do I draw them without them finding out and knifing me? There are a ton of poses, faces, fashions, objects, time constraints on each car. An hour long subway ride can easily give you 10-20 decent sketches if you time it right. It's perfect for honing in on a certain trait, like feet, poses, eyes, etc. because there are so many options and they are always changing.
Then there's the human element. These models aren't voluntary. Some may not appreciate you staring at them constantly then scribbling in a notebook. From my experience, most people don't mind, as long as you're good enough. Nobody likes to look uglier than they are. People like to ask questions and it's a great way to start conversation in a car full of strangers. You definitely run into people who don't like it, or freak out if there are a group of you all doing the same thing.
Each sketch is like a little battle. How well can I capture someone in the two minutes they're sitting in front of me or the 15 seconds they're next to me waiting to get off. Making anything competitive makes it more interesting so when you "nail it" and look at your page and see the person who just left, or turned away, it's a great feeling. Flipping back through the book days later and remembering exactly what that person looked like is also a great feeling of success.
Sketching on the subway is one thing I'll miss the most about being in NYC. If I ever get back there, I'll definitely make sure I have a sketchbook and pen in my pocket because it's a unique experience at every stop.
Monday, October 4, 2010
In the Works
Back in high school I used to visit this site called www.rocktoons.com (which apparently stopped updating in 2007). Anyways, loving music and drawing as I did, I was really inspired by the site to make my own "rocktoons." I even had a mini ripoff version of the website of my own. I think everything from back then has been lost or deleted, which is good because my stuff was not very good, hahahaha. Anyways the basic process was drawing a band/musician, inking it, then using photoshop to color it.
This past week I got back into that process when I obtained photoshop and illustrator again. A lot of what I know in photoshop I learned during this time in high school from tutorials, experiments and just solid work. I know a little more now and had some experience with illustrator in college so I wanted to see how much better things would turn out.
Anyone who knows me knows I love football and before the NFL season started I had the idea to make a piece every week for who I thought was the player of the week in the NFL. So I have a couple drawings of a few players through week 3 right now (week 4 just ended minutes ago). I didn't want to use markers for these and decided to try the old photoshop method. The results so far are iffy, but I'm going to post them for feedback and ideas.
There's an amazing tool in illustrator (Live Trace) that cleans everything up from the initial scan, so that makes my drawing look 50 times better than it is. I think it may even work better as a black and white line drawing. But I wanted to try color anyways and here are the results so far.
As I said earlier, the line drawings look really good after cleaning them up in illustrator. The color versions on the other hand I feel need a lot of work. I've never been good with realism as you can probably tell and I didn't spend too much time on the color versions. It was basically a refresher. I was trying a different method and I don't have a tablet and blah blah blah. Just excuses. Before the end of this week though I'm going to hammer at least one out as best I can and see how that plays.
I can already tell from these that the line drawings may need more detail, almost like a comic book. Varying the thickness of my lines will also produce better final images. And I tried in the Polamalu (black background) one to use a color line. Although that was out of necessity, coloring the lines will undoubtedly help as well.
I'll have another post tomorrow with more sketches, especially my subway ones, because I've wanted to post about subway sketching for awhile. And look for one or two more posts as well. Thanks for reading everyone and spread it as much you can. One of our goals is to eventually have guest posters, there's already a submission link on the side. So send us whatever you feel like.
This past week I got back into that process when I obtained photoshop and illustrator again. A lot of what I know in photoshop I learned during this time in high school from tutorials, experiments and just solid work. I know a little more now and had some experience with illustrator in college so I wanted to see how much better things would turn out.
Anyone who knows me knows I love football and before the NFL season started I had the idea to make a piece every week for who I thought was the player of the week in the NFL. So I have a couple drawings of a few players through week 3 right now (week 4 just ended minutes ago). I didn't want to use markers for these and decided to try the old photoshop method. The results so far are iffy, but I'm going to post them for feedback and ideas.
There's an amazing tool in illustrator (Live Trace) that cleans everything up from the initial scan, so that makes my drawing look 50 times better than it is. I think it may even work better as a black and white line drawing. But I wanted to try color anyways and here are the results so far.
As I said earlier, the line drawings look really good after cleaning them up in illustrator. The color versions on the other hand I feel need a lot of work. I've never been good with realism as you can probably tell and I didn't spend too much time on the color versions. It was basically a refresher. I was trying a different method and I don't have a tablet and blah blah blah. Just excuses. Before the end of this week though I'm going to hammer at least one out as best I can and see how that plays.
I can already tell from these that the line drawings may need more detail, almost like a comic book. Varying the thickness of my lines will also produce better final images. And I tried in the Polamalu (black background) one to use a color line. Although that was out of necessity, coloring the lines will undoubtedly help as well.
I'll have another post tomorrow with more sketches, especially my subway ones, because I've wanted to post about subway sketching for awhile. And look for one or two more posts as well. Thanks for reading everyone and spread it as much you can. One of our goals is to eventually have guest posters, there's already a submission link on the side. So send us whatever you feel like.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Flash Fiction
Here's a little ditty I recently wrote for a class I'm enrolled in this term. I worked harder on editing this than I do for most of my pieces and further edits probably await it for the class, however when I stopped, it was one of those rare moments where I was completely satisfied with the piece. It is far from perfect, but I enjoyed writing it and I hope you all enjoy it.
Legs
Legs
Judging by just how black the sky seemed, Richard knew it had to be after midnight; he was pleased. He slowed his pace and rounded the final curve of another long but rewarding lap on the empty high school track. Happy with his time, he grabbed his backpack and began jogging at a brisk pace for the apartment. After arriving, he stood behind the hedges that lined the highway next to his complex so he could change unseen. He pulled a black t-shirt over his chilling shoulders and a pair of khakis on over his spandex shorts. With a frown, Richard removed his tennis shoes, gently wrapping them in his soaked track jersey, and replaced them with a black pair of high tops. He composed himself outside the front door and then slunk into the living room. As expected, his father had managed to find his way onto the couch, but not off, and was snoring quietly before the television. He opened his eyes sleepily, and focused on Richard. His relief was obvious, and he of course asked where his son had been. Richard spun a quick and easy yarn about a party at Frank’s place, and looked for the inevitable disappoint in the old man’s face and, as usual, Richard felt regret. He sat down and assured his father that there was no trouble and showered him with the customary apologies. After some time, things relaxed, and Richard saw his father begin reaching for the spoke of his chair. “Don’t worry about it Pop, I got you,” he said, rising and walking towards him. He lifted the man easily and carried him down the short hall, past the framed ribbons, podium photos, and shining trophies. He laid him gently in the bed, taking care to avoid bumping or bruising the soft rounded part of what was left of his father’s knees. Richard returned to the living room and sunk into the couch to watch the final minutes of the old VHS tape his father had been replaying. He saw a much younger man, a stronger man, one who knew very little about fear, insecurity, or car crashes; dominating the final leg of the relay, leaving his competitors far behind him. Richard turned off the tape just as his father crossed the finish line and then found his way to his bedroom in the dark, imaging the roar of the crowd. He unpacked his backpack into a small box kept under his bed, pausing only for a few moments when he was transferring two brilliant gold medals. He stared at the awards with the briefest hint of smile until the shrill sound of a car horn broke the still night air. With that, the medals were dropped into the box , hidden away, and Richard lay across his bed, thinking only of the long and winding turns of the track.
Monday, September 20, 2010
I'm Sorry, Dave. I'm Afraid I Can't Do That
If you haven't noticed already, a major source of my inspiration is paranoia. I simply just do not trust some things. So with this in mind, I decided to let it take over completely and see where that could go. This is a technology fueled, paranoid rant against the future. Plus, in the spirit of technology, I've also filled this article with videos as well, making it somewhat interactive.
Of course I do not live my life in fear, these are only just thoughts. This is intended to be somewhat humorous in a frightening kind of way. Nervous laughs. If things get too real, just watch this a few times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V7ehnWSUTs
Enjoy.
-Anthony
-------
I'm Sorry, Dave. I'm Afraid I Can't Do That
Before we begin, watch this first:
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/motherboard_networked_city
Now I am going to ask you a series of questions in response to that video:
1. Do you feel good about the future?
2. Did that video make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
If you answered "Holy fucking shit, no" to any of the above questions, you may continue reading this article.
That is a portrait of what is to come if we let those psychotic (yet stylish) nerds continue with what they are doing. One of those losers described the city as a "game engine" or more simply, a basic foundation in which games and experiments are conducted. This is where you live your life. They want to play games with it. They want to invisibly rule your every move. And they also want to give "every grain of sand on the face of the planet 100 different internet addresses" for who-knows-what. Like I said, these men are psychotic.
These men can trace where you are going and what you are doing, all while disguising it as some sort of "game." From what it looks like, you don't get points and you don't play against other people, thus you never really "win." You just get followed. Some power-thirsty Geek Squad reject watches your day-to-day movement and makes it look like some shitty Coldplay music video. This information is then sold to companies who will use that data for marketing. Your reward for getting a high score is coupons in the mail.
But why is this what opened up my eyes? It should have happened much sooner. Why was everyone ok with Google sending camera cars to our neighborhoods in order to take 360-degree pictures of our lives? Did we give them permission? Why were we not concerned when Google Earth came out? "Oh hey! I can find my house from space! That's neat!" If you can find your house from space with the same machine you use to talk to your parents, other world governments can find your house from space very simply. And do you know what some of their satellites have besides cameras? Nuclear missiles. It's not like governments sit around and play with GarageBand all day. They strategize nuclear strikes. There might not even be a reason for it. The world may be at peace. But they do it anyway. Just incase.
Let me share something with you. In 1986, our government made these fun things ironically named "Peacekeeper Missiles." The missile would shoot up into space, find its targets, and then rain down maybe ten separate bombs, each roughly twenty times stronger than Little Boy, the bomb we dropped on Hiroshima (this information comes from this pdf, which I found on the Air Force's website: http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070618-036.pdf). These missiles eat childhoods and shit nightmares. This is what it looks like when it targets your bedroom from space, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons:
Fun Stuff. Luckily for us, they decommissioned all of these missiles in like 2005. Then again, that technology was developed in 1986. To give you some reference to where the public's mentality of technology was, Back to the Future was only made a year before. Where do you think they are now?
When the time comes, there will be nowhere to hide. Like they said before, even grains of sand have the capability to transmit gargantuan amounts data. Bricks can tell the enemy where you are and possibly what you buy most frequently at Starbucks. Forget using the computer; almost all of them have tiny cameras and microphones attached to them. The same goes for your cell-phone. All this knowledge exists and can be lethal if collected and utilized.
So-called "smart people" aren't really doing humankind any good on this front, either. Every now and then, the internet reveals videos of these scientists pretty much blueprinting armageddon. Watch these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geqip_0Vjec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSQarX2bNtQ
All you have to do is crank up the intensity on that ray gun to where it can microwave flesh, strap it on to that little helicopter thing, give it an infrared camera, and tell it to melt anything that moves and is around 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Now make a couple million of them. We had a good run.
Wait! That's it! "Run"! We can run to the mountains and into the woods where the robots cannot find us! Oh wait:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh2nLWYnxkM
Well, fuck. The military made robots that can chase us through the woods. All it needs is a knife and some duct tape. It may just be me, but I think it could look a little bit more frightening. That thing actually looks like fun. If the scientists really wanted to keep us awake at night, they could have made it look scarier. Oh, hold up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww
That's more like it. Now it looks like a headless spiderdog. Great. Forget about ever feeling safe again. Why don't they attach one of these to it too, to insure I never sleep again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD_NdnYrDzY
This world is continually evolving into the movie Terminator. Defense contractors are getting richer. Your phones are getting smarter. Your social networks are getting creepier. Robotic spiderdogs are getting faster. You do not have to accept this. You have the right to privacy. I think. Well, at least you have the right to bear arms, which will be extremely useful when we have the great idea to give our computers an army. All joking aside, you really do leave a digital snail-trail of information everywhere you go. Just stay aware of who is watching you and you will be fine. And maybe work on running a little bit faster. But most importantly, always remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V7ehnWSUTs
Of course I do not live my life in fear, these are only just thoughts. This is intended to be somewhat humorous in a frightening kind of way. Nervous laughs. If things get too real, just watch this a few times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V7ehnWSUTs
Enjoy.
-Anthony
-------
I'm Sorry, Dave. I'm Afraid I Can't Do That
Before we begin, watch this first:
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/motherboard_networked_city
Now I am going to ask you a series of questions in response to that video:
1. Do you feel good about the future?
2. Did that video make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
If you answered "Holy fucking shit, no" to any of the above questions, you may continue reading this article.
That is a portrait of what is to come if we let those psychotic (yet stylish) nerds continue with what they are doing. One of those losers described the city as a "game engine" or more simply, a basic foundation in which games and experiments are conducted. This is where you live your life. They want to play games with it. They want to invisibly rule your every move. And they also want to give "every grain of sand on the face of the planet 100 different internet addresses" for who-knows-what. Like I said, these men are psychotic.
These men can trace where you are going and what you are doing, all while disguising it as some sort of "game." From what it looks like, you don't get points and you don't play against other people, thus you never really "win." You just get followed. Some power-thirsty Geek Squad reject watches your day-to-day movement and makes it look like some shitty Coldplay music video. This information is then sold to companies who will use that data for marketing. Your reward for getting a high score is coupons in the mail.
But why is this what opened up my eyes? It should have happened much sooner. Why was everyone ok with Google sending camera cars to our neighborhoods in order to take 360-degree pictures of our lives? Did we give them permission? Why were we not concerned when Google Earth came out? "Oh hey! I can find my house from space! That's neat!" If you can find your house from space with the same machine you use to talk to your parents, other world governments can find your house from space very simply. And do you know what some of their satellites have besides cameras? Nuclear missiles. It's not like governments sit around and play with GarageBand all day. They strategize nuclear strikes. There might not even be a reason for it. The world may be at peace. But they do it anyway. Just incase.
Let me share something with you. In 1986, our government made these fun things ironically named "Peacekeeper Missiles." The missile would shoot up into space, find its targets, and then rain down maybe ten separate bombs, each roughly twenty times stronger than Little Boy, the bomb we dropped on Hiroshima (this information comes from this pdf, which I found on the Air Force's website: http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070618-036.pdf). These missiles eat childhoods and shit nightmares. This is what it looks like when it targets your bedroom from space, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons:
Fun Stuff. Luckily for us, they decommissioned all of these missiles in like 2005. Then again, that technology was developed in 1986. To give you some reference to where the public's mentality of technology was, Back to the Future was only made a year before. Where do you think they are now?
When the time comes, there will be nowhere to hide. Like they said before, even grains of sand have the capability to transmit gargantuan amounts data. Bricks can tell the enemy where you are and possibly what you buy most frequently at Starbucks. Forget using the computer; almost all of them have tiny cameras and microphones attached to them. The same goes for your cell-phone. All this knowledge exists and can be lethal if collected and utilized.
So-called "smart people" aren't really doing humankind any good on this front, either. Every now and then, the internet reveals videos of these scientists pretty much blueprinting armageddon. Watch these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geqip_0Vjec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSQarX2bNtQ
All you have to do is crank up the intensity on that ray gun to where it can microwave flesh, strap it on to that little helicopter thing, give it an infrared camera, and tell it to melt anything that moves and is around 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Now make a couple million of them. We had a good run.
Wait! That's it! "Run"! We can run to the mountains and into the woods where the robots cannot find us! Oh wait:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh2nLWYnxkM
Well, fuck. The military made robots that can chase us through the woods. All it needs is a knife and some duct tape. It may just be me, but I think it could look a little bit more frightening. That thing actually looks like fun. If the scientists really wanted to keep us awake at night, they could have made it look scarier. Oh, hold up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww
That's more like it. Now it looks like a headless spiderdog. Great. Forget about ever feeling safe again. Why don't they attach one of these to it too, to insure I never sleep again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD_NdnYrDzY
This world is continually evolving into the movie Terminator. Defense contractors are getting richer. Your phones are getting smarter. Your social networks are getting creepier. Robotic spiderdogs are getting faster. You do not have to accept this. You have the right to privacy. I think. Well, at least you have the right to bear arms, which will be extremely useful when we have the great idea to give our computers an army. All joking aside, you really do leave a digital snail-trail of information everywhere you go. Just stay aware of who is watching you and you will be fine. And maybe work on running a little bit faster. But most importantly, always remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V7ehnWSUTs
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Bored
In keeping with the theme of Luke's most recent post, this week's selection comes from a song written at the age of sixteen. Things for most high schoolers appear in black and white;t his is certainly true of this song. It comes from an off-hand remark made by a friend. Back in my high school sophomore year some Monday at school, a few of my friends were talking about what they were doing while hanging out the weekend before, something that I had not been at. A friend turned to me and said, "Paul, you miss all the good things!" That comment inspired the following song.
Life could be better
From my point of view
Down here on the floor
with nothing to do
If I had a life
I'd have somewhere to go
But I know no one
So I'll stay here alone
Bored, and tired of living like this
Thinking of everything good that I miss
Bored, and wishing that I could just leave
Because around here it's too hard to breathe
Another great day
For me to forget
All these missed chances
I'll later regret
Just when did I let
My life pass me by?
I'd be out living
If I felt more alive
Bored, and tired of living like this
Thinking of everything good that I miss
Bored, and wishing that I could just leave
Because around here it's too hard to breathe
I watched some TV
But nothing was on
So I just sat there
For way too long
Wait by the phone
To see if it'd ring
Just a waste of my time
'Cause no one's calling
Bored, and tired of living like this
Thinking of everything good that I miss
Bored, and wishing that I could just leave
Because around here it's too hard to breathe
A friend - a different one than the one I mentioned before; I have more than one friend -- once told me that this is my best song and the only good one that I'm ever going to write. I certainly hope not. This song comes from a time in my life when I was not very cognizant of the world around me. I thought that my thoughts and feelings were paramount to all others, and my struggle to discover who I am and what I want was worth recording in a song. These false ideas are reflected in the lyrics: there is too much telling and not enough showing. By telling the listener exactly what I want them to realize about my situation, I am taking away any sort of intrigue or artistic merit to the song. Stating a fact does not involve any creativity.
But more importantly, this song does not define my current view of the world. It portrays too much passivity. A life unhappy can be changed -- but you must make the change. "Bored" assumes that we're stuck in our crummy situations on the floor. Yet we are capable of escape, even if it is only in a shifting of mindsets. Once you decide to cast off the shell of dismal gloom, you're capable of immensities.
This is especially prescient for me right now. My past three weeks with The Compass have been done with minimal preparation and I've scrambled to get something up. During the weeks preceding my week, I think about preparing but instead push the preparations aside to do other work that I claim is more important. But in for this blog to grow and for me to feel accomplished and satisfied, I need to break out the guitar and do some songwriting.
-Paul
Life could be better
From my point of view
Down here on the floor
with nothing to do
If I had a life
I'd have somewhere to go
But I know no one
So I'll stay here alone
Bored, and tired of living like this
Thinking of everything good that I miss
Bored, and wishing that I could just leave
Because around here it's too hard to breathe
Another great day
For me to forget
All these missed chances
I'll later regret
Just when did I let
My life pass me by?
I'd be out living
If I felt more alive
Bored, and tired of living like this
Thinking of everything good that I miss
Bored, and wishing that I could just leave
Because around here it's too hard to breathe
I watched some TV
But nothing was on
So I just sat there
For way too long
Wait by the phone
To see if it'd ring
Just a waste of my time
'Cause no one's calling
Bored, and tired of living like this
Thinking of everything good that I miss
Bored, and wishing that I could just leave
Because around here it's too hard to breathe
A friend - a different one than the one I mentioned before; I have more than one friend -- once told me that this is my best song and the only good one that I'm ever going to write. I certainly hope not. This song comes from a time in my life when I was not very cognizant of the world around me. I thought that my thoughts and feelings were paramount to all others, and my struggle to discover who I am and what I want was worth recording in a song. These false ideas are reflected in the lyrics: there is too much telling and not enough showing. By telling the listener exactly what I want them to realize about my situation, I am taking away any sort of intrigue or artistic merit to the song. Stating a fact does not involve any creativity.
But more importantly, this song does not define my current view of the world. It portrays too much passivity. A life unhappy can be changed -- but you must make the change. "Bored" assumes that we're stuck in our crummy situations on the floor. Yet we are capable of escape, even if it is only in a shifting of mindsets. Once you decide to cast off the shell of dismal gloom, you're capable of immensities.
This is especially prescient for me right now. My past three weeks with The Compass have been done with minimal preparation and I've scrambled to get something up. During the weeks preceding my week, I think about preparing but instead push the preparations aside to do other work that I claim is more important. But in for this blog to grow and for me to feel accomplished and satisfied, I need to break out the guitar and do some songwriting.
-Paul
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