1. |
Post Rock Country
03:24
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I'm going down to post rock country
I'm gonna get lost in post rock country
I'm leaving town for post rock country
I'll find myself in post rock country
I'm heading west to the old quiet flatland
Out past the cities and their lights and people
No more noise just the plains and prairie
No more trees just the earth and post rock
I'm going to take a trip and head out nowhere
I'm going to go until the land looks familiar
I'll look around at the fences and pasture
I'll see the farmers and their limestone post rock
I'm going to a place that doesn't make sense
I'm going to a place that might not exist
I'm going to visit the Garden of Eden
I'm going to see the sins enshrined in stone
If I'm lucky I'll find the van with
The World's Largest Collection of the
World's Smallest Versions of the
World's Largest Things
Then I'll see if I can meet the makers
Find the house with the weird rock garden
See the rebarbs and dolls in the bathtub
Admire art made of circuitry and toys
Take a break in the fork statue park
Wander through a museum for eccentrics
Call it grassroots, call it outsider
This must be some wonderful anomaly
I'm going down to the Garden of Eden
I'm gonna get lost in an awesome artcar
I'm leaving town for a strange little haven
I'll find myself surrounded by weirdness
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2. |
Alienation
05:34
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When you walk around like that, how's it feel?
What do you think they think about who you are?
Are you worried about judgment and the looks?
Do you feel alone or do you feel free?
I know how it seems, you think it'd be easy
Yet no one wants to understand your thoughts
It's not a big deal, or so you would think
But there are those that won't let it go
You hide nothing from the strangers and their stares
You put your heart on your sleeve for all to see
You are fighting a fight that you cannot win
But you hope that if you try, then they will change
You just want to do something positive
Try to change the world one mind at a time
Or is it just for fun? Some foolish game?
Are you really trying to make a difference?
Who do you want to be or do you know?
Why can't you pick a side and let it go?
Why do you have to push on all the walls?
Why don't you calm down and just let it be?
How far does this go? Why do you stop there?
If this is for real, why not go all the way?
You could do much more if you had the will
Are you a coward or not? Why is this so hard?
Just make up your mind, just be who you are
If this is what you want, then just live it up
If this is about you, not a revolution
You shouldn't worry about what others might think
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3. |
Forever
03:51
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When I hear the bells in the darkest night
Then I realize I am far from home
Maybe I was born in the wrong place
I don't know why, but this feels right
In the summer, I'm working full-time
With a family that's taken me in
Living, working, breathing the life
Of one who's been here a whole lifetime
When the morning comes, I can't get up
Sleep still pulls me down, thoughts go racing by
Nothing seems quite right, somehow I get up
Then I remember where I am now
Suddenly it hits: this should be my home
Even if it rains almost every day
It feels fine when I walk the morning streets
Twice before I have been in this land
And every time I'm here I know I must come back
So why not settle it for once and forever?
I must live here, it's where I belong
It might seem strange to leave my home
But it must be so, I will find a way
Somehow I will make this my new home
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4. |
Moving On
02:59
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Finally, it's here
After all these years
After all this time
Finally, it's mine
I'm ready to move on
To begin life anew
To live in a better place
To learn from the real world
Finally, I'm through
With that forsaken place
I don't have to face
All those wayward souls
They look just one way
And never look back
They are stuck in their cave
And ignore the world around
No more preaching
From just one book
No more hypocrisy
And living only lies
No more pretending
Like everything is great
No more foolishness
About trying to fit in
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5. |
Another Late Night
04:15
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It's another late night, when must I get up?
Am I tired or am I not? Should I sleep or stay up?
It's another long night, what is it this time around?
Is it homework or is it friends? Is it love or something else?
There are times like these when I look back at myself
And I know I've changed, I know I'm not the same
I can't ever go back
Who would want to anyway?
I know I've certainly changed
I know I'm not the same
If who I was then saw who I am now
My former self would be furious that I'd sold out
I'd look at me now, curse, and call me foolish
I'd call my happiness fake and my reality false
Is it the people, the places, myself, or just time?
Something somewhere has caused me to change
And I really must wonder how I got to where I am
Even a year ago nothing seemed quite the same
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6. |
Out of the Sky
03:48
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One day it started to rain
And I had to step outside
And on my very short way
Out of the sky this thing hit my leg
I went inside to dress my wound
Then I had to continue on my way
But somehow now the sky had cleared
Now I'm left with this permanent mark
Out of the sky this thing fell on me
Brings back an old memory
Out of the sky this thing fell on me
Now part of my history
Later I went back to where it fell
It had been a large wooden thing
All that was left was just a single splinter
And this I carried back across the sea
Now you know I'm not a believer
I know you can call me a fool
But I don't know just what to think
When something falls from the sky and hits me
Another second and I might be dead
It feels strange but has to be said
Another second and I might be dead
Now I have this scar instead
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7. |
Rumination
05:33
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When I ruminate like this, when I think about these times
I can't help but feel strange; I feel weak and insecure
This tale never ends, it's a path that never ends
No matter how far I follow or how often I stumble
We've been through a lot now, here and there and back again
And in this latest chapter I have really lost my way
This tale never ends, it's a path that never ends
No matter how far I follow or how often I stumble
Should I feel regret or a tinge of guilt?
Should I just submit and then call it a day?
Should I forge ahead and thus never let go?
Should I break down and cry or perhaps at least try?
It's too hard to keep this up, slowly losing my mind
Too complex and too confused, I must find a way out
I don't know what to do, I don't know where to turn
Should I find a new direction and just live with my mistakes?
It's over, it's done, I'm finally through
I can sleep, I can dream, I can live my life
It all comes back in the blink of an eye
It hurts to say but the time has come
My heart is released; it unfolds into shape
All things must pass but it's hard to end
I'm free from these chains of perpetual frustration
Free to look around and free to wake up
It's been a long ride and a hard one at that
One door has closed and another must open
I've followed that path and I'm done with that
I don't yet know which road to take
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8. |
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It's not our place to conquer the world
It's just so hard to know what next to do
You know, it's such a frightful shame
You know, it's just a waiting game
Who will make the first move?
Who will climb the tallest tree?
Who will try to reach the stars?
Who will climb the distant hill?
It's not our place to conquer the world
It's just so hard to know what next to do
These four years have done us well
But their time has come and gone
You have grown and you have changed
All you hoped and then yet more
There are things that you would change
We've made mistakes from which we've learned
Now it is time for us to be reborn
To find a place among the dimmer stars
You know, there's a world out there
You know, it stretches far and wide
Somewhere deep inside this mess
Somewhere we must all belong
Somewhere 'cross this whole landscape
Somewhere we will make it work
Now it is time for us to be reborn
To find a place among the dimmer stars
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9. |
Mr. Rock and Roll
04:39
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Hey hey, my my, Mr. Rock and Roll Man
Who do you think you are gonna be now?
Tall man, smart man, all-around guitar man
Tell a story, talk about the truth now
Try to remember back how it began
Stand up tall and look down on the rest of us
Tricks and tales and who is just a loser?
There aren't many who play as well as you can
Hit the first note, don't worry 'bout the rest of it
Nobody sees the man behind the mask
Hide behind a wall of your self-image
You must know that they just want to use you
You just let them while you try to seem strong
You've got more than they can ever dream of
Tell them goodbye and do something better
Mr. Rock and Roll, won't you sing me a song?
Mr. Rock and Roll, please write me a song
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10. |
Halibut
03:13
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Kitty is a boy, maybe three pounds worth
Cute, gray tabby with white hazel eyes
Blue fingernail polished claws
Captured in the underbelly of a dirty, green Lincoln
Halibut likes to lay in a baby sling
While I walk Ms. Spot
Will eventually be scooter trained
Maybe with a pretty little helmet
Also... happy birthday, I found us a kitty
Traveling through the fabric of space-time magic
I'm trying to understand what can't be understood
Like an orchid express or a river made of ice
Like all the stupid things from my long-forgotten life
In another world, in the abstract heavens
I look back on the middle of an old empire
What do I see, but two friends and me
Sitting in some room with a shattered-glass head
Kitty is a reincarnated angel
Sent here to save us from the falling sky
Posing as a feline, he'll guide us on our way
Through folly and vice and our great ambition
Resurrect the past to start things anew
Leave the old behind and hope for the best
This cat may just lay under our embracing gaze
But when he looks back, he knows what is to come
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11. |
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Es ist eine Weile gewesen
Seitdem ich bemerkt habe
Dass ich in Deutschland lebe
Nicht mehr in Amerika
Etwas kann nicht richtig sein
Wenn der Reiz fast verschwunden hat
Ist es nur die dunk'le Tage
Oder ist etwas Anderes los?
Vielleicht ist die Einsamkeit
Einfach zu viel zu ertragen
Vielleicht vermiss' ich zu viel
Meine Freunde und Familie
Dies ist keine kleine Pause
Ich bin ja wirklich weg
Und jetzt kommt die große Frage:
Kann das meine echte Heimat sein?
Translation:
It's been a long time
Since I've considered the fact
That I'm living in Germany
I'm not in America anymore
Something can't be right
If the charm has nearly faded
Is it just the dark days
Or has something else gone wrong?
Perhaps the loneliness
Is just too much to handle
Perhaps I miss my family
And my friends too much
This is not just some short break
I'm really, truly doing it
And now here's the big question:
Could this really be my true home?
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12. |
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Winter in Hannover ist kalt und einsam
Nach Weihnachten und einem Besuch
Die Märkte sind vorbei und nichts ist los
Deswegen muss ich irgendwohin weg
Ich hab' nur einen Ziel, das Beste in diesem Land
Der schnellste Zug dauert nur zwei Stunden nach...
Berlin!
Ich bin früh angekommen, so ich lauf' den ganzen Weg
Von Potsdamer Platz nach dem Bauhaus-Archiv
Nördlich bis zur Siegessäule, östlich nach dem großen Tor
Es ist dunkel, es ist kalt, heute ist Silvester in...
Berlin!
Friedrichstraße, über die Spree, kleiner Imbiss, immer weiter
Kleine Kneipe mit Punkmusik, zwei Bands und endlos Bier
Kurze Pause um Mitternacht, alle gehen auf die Straße
Feuerwerke und Schneebällchen fliegen in die ganze Stadt in...
Berlin!
Diese Stadt hat eine Energie
Einen Geist, ein Gefühl, einen Zauber
Geschichte lebt und atmet hier
Musik und Kunst sind überall in...
Berlin!
Translation:
Winter in Hannover is cold and lonely
After Christmas and a visit
The markets are over and nothing's going on
Therefore I need to go away somewhere
I have a single destination, the best in the land
The fastest train takes two hours to get to...
Berlin!
I arrived early, so I'll walk the whole way
From Potsdamer Platz to the Bauhaus Archive
Northwards to the Victory Column, eastwards to the big gate
It's cold, it's dark, but today is New Year's Eve in...
Berlin!
Friedrichstraße, over the Spree, grab a snack, move onward
A small bar with punk music, two bands and endless beer
A short break at midnight, everyone hits the street
Fireworks and snowballs fly across the entire city in...
Berlin!
This city has an energy
A spirit, a feeling, a magic
History lives and breathes here
Music and art are all around in...
Berlin!
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13. |
Der Musikbrunnen
03:47
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Oh no, Josephine, I've missed a-strumming on your strings
On no, Josephine, it's been a far too long a time
Oh no, Josephine, you've been a-hidden far away
Oh no, Josephine, too bad we had no better choice
Got to town in good condition, but I knew the weather couldn't last
Clouds rolled in, it just got colder, snow fell and never ever left
Made a hobby of exploring all the alleys and the grocery stores
Went to the top of the Rathaus – it's got nothing on the Arch
Saw the Gardens on their last day, then I started hopping on the train
Rode for free through Niedersachsen, tried to see every single town
I knew needed my music back, so I went to find a guitar
Looked around for the right one, searched the city all up and down
Then I learned that I'd be leaving and I wondered what to do
Too much to carry with me, but I wasn't going to leave you behind
Caught a train off to Colonia, and I brought you there to stay
Came back four weeks later, took you back to my new home
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14. |
Spring's Awakening
02:33
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Spring's awakening and so am I
Things are finally turning green
Seasons change and so do I
Suddenly I feel alive again
Snow has finally begun to melt
Days have grown somehow so much longer
Catch the tram, let's go to the park
Cross the bridge, the water's clear
Take the train, I'll meet you there
Let's go walk down by the river
Grab some food over at the market
I'll show you around my part of town
Spring's awakening and so am I
And when you visit I feel high
Let's go out, let's go take a trip
Climb a mountain or cross some borders
Who needs a car when you've got a train
Takes you everywhere and you feel free
Let's go out and find a snack
Falafel Surprise and some Apfelwein
Don't let the skyline intimidate you
It's not Berlin, but it's not so bad
There's plenty here if you know where to look
After a while, you'll come to like it
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15. |
Resident Alien [Edit]
04:09
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The time is drawing near
When I will have to leave
Away from this land again
Back in the old homeland
And when I set foot back there
Will it feel like home?
Will it feel alright?
Or will I turn right back around?
This has become my second home
It's hard to lead a double life
To tread two paths at the same time
How do you choose which one to take?
I can't answer in a word
I can't put it in a box
It's not as easy as it seems
To reconcile these thoughts
The more that you see
The farther you go
The more that you learn
The more there is still to find
My time is up, the dream is done
(Die Zeit ist um, mein Traum ist aus)
Schon zu Ende, ich muss weg
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16. |
Recollection
05:58
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After a year of living the dream
It's become hard to recollect it all
All the pictures and the memories
They're all that I have to show for it now
After the dream is over and done
How should it feel when it's all in the past
It all seems distant and so impossible
Now I wonder if it really happened
I ran to Berlin whenever I felt lonely
Meet some friends then head to Tacheles
Or I'd find myself at the steps of the Kölner Dom
Cross the bridge or go walk along the Rhein
Spent the weekends always on a train
Chasing Bauhaus or World Heritage Sites
The mines of Rammelsberg, the Gardens of Wörlitz
The old town of Lübeck, the palace of Würzburg
Museums and churches, the Christmas markets
And at the end, it came in a rush
It must have been some kind of strange dream
Readjustment is no easy task
Should I go back and relive the dream
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