Favorite Songs of all time

Weezer

"Undone (The Sweater Song)"

Weezer

Geffen Records, 1994

Composed by Rivers Cuomo

Once upon a time, Weezer was good.  Very good.  Proof?  Their album named Weezer, the one with the band standing in front of a blue background.  Every song on this album is good, but track five stands in my top ten favorite songs of all time.  It's called "Undone (The Sweater Song)"

F#, B, C#, B, F#, B, C#, B...

Sometimes all you need is three chords and a typical bass-snare-bass-snare drum pattern.  I've never been able to write a good song with only three.  Rivers Cuomo wrote a fucking epic.  The guitar melody remains among the best and most eccentric of all time.  The melody is perfect.  The dynamic shifts from soft to loud are perfect.  The vocal harmonizing is fun.  This is one of those songs one can't perfectly describe.  The bridge is flawless and surprisingly disorienting.  The buildup to the end with all the "woooohs" that sing the initial guitar part?  Oh my God!  Perfection.  Nobody has been able to write a song as perfect as this one in a long time.

Partie Traumatic

Well, Pitchfork sure was quick to hop off the Black Kids bandwagon

Seriously, what assholes.  If you magically change your opinion on a band, you better explain it instead of just slapping a 3.3 and a picture of two pug dogs looking sad on it.  That's not cool.  Black Kids don't deserve the Jet treatment.

The only thing I hate more than the obscene amounts of hype piled on young, inexperienced bands like Black Kids is the sudden change of opinion everyone has once they get signed and hit #5 in the UK.  This is sickening.  I haven't heard it, but I can't imagine it being too bad with songs like "Hurricane Jane" on it.  EXPLAIN, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!

Pitchfork is an influential hub of music knowledge.  People's opinion feed off Pitchfork, and probably too many.  The problem is, it's almost as if Pitchfork pulled an elaborate prank by raving about their debut and trashing their new album.  With Pitchfork's influence, Black Kids' fame could vanish as quickly as it arrived.  And Pitchfork isn't giving any reasons why, either.  This is just plain wrong.  Rot in hell, Pitchfork.

Chump

My album has changed a lot.

I've gotten into Black Sabbath, which is awesome.  I'm adding a thick, sludgy guitar sound to all my songs.

A lot of my songs have changed, too.  A lot of the songs I made demos for are gone.  Only "The Monster" and "Christmas in July" (as "Yeah") remain.

I wasn't sure about rerecording "Smile Feral Child", but I believe that song is too good to leave off.

"Take Me Away" "Here Comes the Love Bug" "Nothin' Better to Do" "Yeah" "The Monster" "Taylor Morris" and "Three Minute Mile" are mostly done.  "Smile Feral Child" needs to be done, I need to write the lyrics to the middle part of "Not That Strong/ Chris Paul is God/ Faces of Death" suite and only the first part of a multi-section song is completed.  There's a few other songs I recorded, namely "Invinciblity", "75", "Perspective" and "Punk Song with Lots of Reverb" but I'm not sure about any of them.  "Invincibility" is really short and it has finished lyrics, so it could make it.

I'm mixing the album in my room, using my sound system.  I'm mixing drums and bass lower, guitar and vocals higher.  It makes for a clearer sound, and the guitar is low and dirty enough to make the sound heavy.

The album will be called "Chump" for now.  It was going to be called "Shamelessly Delightful" but my sound isn't shamelessly delightful anymore.  "Chump" fits me better because a chump is an unathletic person.

How to make your lyrics seem better than they actually are

1. If you have a bland set of lyrics, here's one trick I learned that can make a set of lyrics better.

Here is a bland set of lyrics I wrote.

Let's go caroling

sleigh bells everything

I just want to close my eyes

need no reason why

Christmas in July

I just want to close my eyes

April Seventeenth

time for Halloween

I just wanna trick or treat

dusk turns into dawn

life drags on and on

I just wanna close my eyes

Here's a cheap way to make it seem better:

Give the song a random, unrelated, title.

You can name it something controversial, like "The War In Iraq", or "Al Sharpton" or "White Guilt".  Instant speculation!

You can name it something completely random, like "Damn, Gas Prices Sure Are Expensive" or "The Monkey That Protects The Banana Horde."

You can describe the song without mentioning the lyrics, like "This Is A Song In Gb" or "This Song Involves An Acoustic Guitar, So That Means I'm Versatile".  You can also be cute and sarcastic like that.

See? You don't have to take your title from a lyric in the song.  Cool, huh?

The Reset Button

I've been doing things all wrong.

I haven't been considering my vocal range when writing songs.  I've been trying to hit notes I can't hit.

I figured out why I change band names so often.  Every time I change names, I feel refreshed.  It's a new start.  It's a reset button.

I need that right now.  I need to start over.

But I'm taking old songs with me.  "Smile, Feral Child" I'm knocking down three half-steps. (from G to E) and "Three Minute Mile" is also going down three half-steps (from F to D).  It changes the feel of the songs a bit, but my singing is more confident.  Because I can hit the notes.

Every time I use a name, it gets old after a few months.  I'm getting tired of James Read Hunter, and it's the name I was fucking born with.

I heard that once someone switches names, they start new lives.  They're new people with clean slates.

Sometimes, it's fun to start from scratch.

track nine

9. Faces of Death

Johnny's a boy, a teenage boy

but he doesn't act quite like the others

besides the Playstation and long masturbation

Johnny's a strange boy indeed

he wanders the suburbs at night all alone

he only eats Waffle House and Twinkies

the strangest by far is in his VCR

Johnny's a strange boy indeed

he likes to watch people die

faces of death, faces of death

he lost the power to cry

faces of death, faces of death, faces of

he don't look both ways when crossing the street

he don't care if a car's a-coming

no he's not afraid, death come she may

Johnny's a strange boy indeed

he likes to watch people die

faces of death, faces of death

he lost the power to cry

faces of death, faces of death, faces of death.

track eight

You've heard this one too.

8. My Own Little Sun

You told me your racing car was way too slow

I think that your confidence is way too low

so drive drive drive as fast as you can

and if you don't win you know I'll understand

the rain may spit on everyone

but me I've got my own little sun

you told me your dress made you look too fat

how can you believe in something stupid like that?

we're going to the party and we'll dance all night

does it really matter if your dress is tight

the rain may spit on everyone

but me I've got my own little sun

you've always been an anxious girl

I can tell by the really bad poetry you write

worried 'bout your mental and your dental health

there's marks on your pencils from where you bite

you don't need medicine

you just need someone to hold you tonight

I'm gonna be your zoloft, girl

you know I'm gonna treat you right

don't worry baby it will be alright

I am gonna be with you tonight

the rain may spit on everyone

but me I've got my own little sun

I've got my own little sun

I've got my own little sun

track seven

7. Lay Back Down

What do you think I did wrong?

was there something I could have done?

we lost the fight is it my fault?

how am I supposed to live?

Lay back down

I know you did everything that you could

Lay back down

you're alive that's all that matters to me

my weary arms are marked with scars

salt from my tears makes them sting

my legs are sore my body's tired

and yet I cannot sleep a wink

Lay back down

I know you did everything that you could

lay back down

you're alive, that's all that matters to me

track six

6. Your Feelings

Feelings

you think you're walking on the ceiling

Feelings

your skin is numb, your brain is peeling

Feelings

the days are dark the sky is falling

feelings

you hear that sound the wild is calling

I know it's been awhile

since you erased the messages I left when you call

you deleted all the files

and all my posts on your facebook wall

you blocked my screenname too

you burnt the letters but no matter what you do

you can't get rid of all your feelings

feelings

you don't wanna hear my cardboard insight

feelings

you can't even sleep with a goddamn nightlight

feelings

the sun is blue the sky is golden

feelings

you can't even taste the wine you're holdin'

I know it's been awhile

since you erased the messages I left when I called

you deleted all the files

and all my posts on your facebook wall

you blocked my screenname too

you burnt the letters but no matter what you do

You can't get rid of all your feelings

more

5. Self-Conscious

I'll put green paint on my face

and climb a big oak tree

and I'll throw shit on unsuspecting

people who piss off me

I'm not gonna be careful

when I go out on a limb

they will shout "get down" and I'll just

laugh and fire again

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

the way people stare

makes me nervous

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

I'm not gonna live this way forever

I just wanna be free

and do what I wanna

and who cares what say you

this is my life, live your own

if you read these lyrics

and tell me that they suck

I wish I didn't give a fuck

but you hurt my feelings

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

the way people stare

makes me nervous

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

I'm not gonna live this way forever

it would be self-conscious of me not to admit that I get a little self-conscious after all

I posted this one before.  I wanted to put it here again, though, so the two people who read this blog can see them in order.

more lyrics

Here's some songs you probably know.  If not, check them out at http://www.myspace.com/buttermusic

3. Three Minute Mile

I'm a pretty crappy athlete

every sport I tried been badly beat

except a green ribbon for fifth place

at the 4 by 400 track relay

I could never give my all you see

nothing ever motivated me

until I met this girl she looked so sweet

then I had the motivation to complete a

(Three minute mile) three minute mile

(three minute mile)

I could run a three minute mile

if I knew she was a mile away

she told me she was a lesbian

I guess I was some kind of exception

she insisted she was not a bi

she could never love another guy

but now that she's gone I feel so low

my heart is colder than an eskimo

I haven't got the motivation

to do anything at all, let alone a 

(three minute mile) three minute mile

(three minute mile)

I could run a three minute mile

if I knew she was a mile away

4. Smile, Feral Child

Me, I was a lonely kid

Nintendo 64 was my only friend

and Paper Mario

I wasn't sorry, no

and when I knew you

I believed that you were a feral child

cause like a feral child you never ever seemed to smile

You were just a love affair

I imagined flowers in your hair

and sunshine in your face

your light and lovely face

but on Valentine's Day

I gave you a little box of chocolates

you said thanks, but I could tell you didn't give a shit

(oh no please forgive me)

I was only trying to make you smile

feral child, why do you look so down?

a little smile once in a while

feral child, things would look a little brighter now

ooh, ooh baby

they say feral children

don't smile cause they weren't exposed to smiles

but that isn't true

blind people smile too

so why not you oh

we are higher than animals you know why

we can do more than breathe and eat and sleep and fuck and die

(oh no please forgive me)

I was only trying to make you smile

feral child, why do you look so down?

a little smile once in a while

feral child, things would look a little brighter now

ooh ooh

if you smiled, I wouldn't feel so crappy

but at least I make an effort to pretend I'm happy

(oh no please forgive me)

I was only trying to make you smile

feral child, why do you look so down?

a little smile once in a while

feral child, things would look a little brighter now

You know what?  I just realized those are both damn good songs.

Lyrics to track 2

Not Jim-Beaux Hunter anymore.  James Read Hunter.  I don't care how plain it is anymore.  It's my name.  I won't hide behind band names and pseudonyms anymore.

Anywho,

2. Christmas In July

Let's go caroling

sleigh bells, everything

I just wanna close my eyes

ooh

Need no reason why

Christmas in July

I just wanna close my eyes

ooh

ooh

April Seventeenth

time for Halloween

I just wanna trick or treat

ooh

Dusk turns into dawn

life keeps dragging on

I just wanna close my eyes

ooh

ooh

They look stupid on paper, but I swear they sound good when sung.  At least I hope so.