1. |
Sing Them Away
03:11
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Down on the floor he was down at my feet
He said, “Don’t throw me out, I’m not really a cheat”
But I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak
I couldn’t believe he would do that to me
Tastes like chalk in my mouth
While I sing him away
Let him go find another woman to betray
I gave her my heart, I said, “Now take it with you”
They will get me another, she would break that one too
With flowers on her vine, fruit in her tree
Snakes in her grass and poison all over me
Tastes like chalk in my mouth
While I sing her away
Let her go find another man to betray
Daddy fold me home, back to a child
Daddy it hurts real bad, fold me home
To mute the world for just a while
Daddy fold me home, back to a child
Daddy it hurts real bad, fold me home
To mute the world for just a while
Now it’s a quarter to four and the night is a dream
The clock doesn’t move, things can’t be how they seem
But the moon doesn’t care and the sun isn’t here
It’s not the same as before, I don’t love her anymore
Tastes like chalk in my mouth, while I sing him (her) away
Let them go find someone else to betray
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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2. |
Closing Down
02:48
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Come back later I am closing down
You’ll have to come back later I am closing down, closing down
My confidence is beaten to the ground
It looks up at me and doesn’t make a sound, and now
I am closing down
I am closing down
I am closing down
Because I am strong they think it doesn’t hurt
’Cause I am strong they think it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t hurt
Piss on my heart then roll it in the dirt
It makes them happy when they see that I can hurt, fuck them
I am closing down
I am closing down
I am closing down
My phone is turned off and now it is just me
There’s nothing I want to do, or hear, or feel, or see
I shut things off and unplug the TV
I search in my clothes but now I can’t find me, so then
I am closing down
I am closing down
I am closing down
I am closing, I am closing, I am closing, I am closing
I am closing, I am closing, I am closing, I am closing
I am closing, I am closing down
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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3. |
Begin Where It Ends
02:44
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Now it’s over like it never was
I have to go forward but my heart’s on pause
Now it is gone, gone away
Leaves me here cursing the gray
Now that it’s dead, now that it’s done
Need to let it go but I can’t move on
Now it’s over like it never was
How to go forward when my heart’s on pause
Now it is gone, gone away
but I’m still here cursing the gray
I keep looking back
I remember how things used to be
But I should now learn
Not to fall for a man not right for me
Can’t I use this failure
To guide me through a truly different door
Find a really good woman
For whom I can change myself
To give her more
So it’s over, let it go
I know I have to let it go
Drag old boxes out to the curb
Start the process, do not disturb
Turn down the lights and cross the zone
To the center of my house, stand there alone
Reboot family, reboot friends
Erase the grid
Begin where it ends
Begin where it ends
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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4. |
Find You
02:33
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I must be out of my mind, out of my optimistic mind
I think I can really find you
Come find me, you will come find me
Maybe I’m naive ’cause I still believe
You’ll drop your packages at the door
Throw your arms around me
With your cute, little, perky, curvy, bursting, wholesome beauty
Confident yet innocent
My balanced happy woman
You’ll laugh when I’m a dopey man
Your eyes will say they understand
I must be out of my mind, out of my idealistic mind
I believe that I must find you
A man complete but still a boy so sweet
You’ll be strong yet kind, you will come and find me
Boy: I must be out of my mind, out of my optimistic mind
Girl: Come find me, you will come find me
Boy: ’Cause I think that I can find you, I’m
Girl: Maybe I’m naive ’cause I still believe
Boy: Out of my mind, out of my idealistic mind
Girl: In a man complete but still a boy so sweet
Boy: ’Cause I believe that I must find you
Girl: You’ll be strong yet kind, you will come and find me
Find me
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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5. |
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My love is lightning that has yet to find the ground
High above, charged and moving promise still unbound
Rush of thunder but before it makes a sound
And when my love touches down
When my love finds good ground
Through someone rooted true
When my love shoots through you, shoots through you
It is me here living pretty underneath my tree dear
Right in the place I am supposed to be
Prepared to embrace the arc that you will aim toward me
And when your love touches down
When your love has good ground
When your love is set free
When your love shoots through me, shoots through me
When my love shoots through you
When your love shoots through me
When my love shoots through you
When your love shoots through me
When my love shoots through you
When your love shoots through me
When my love shoots through you
When your love shoots through me
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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6. |
Boy and Girl
03:28
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Tell me about yourself
I’m a doctor back in China, doing research now in America
I wanted to be an artist but my parents were not sure
Girl: I like to sing along to music, in China I danced on stage
Boy: She is lovely, the shape of her arm
Girl: I try to cook beyond just Chinese food, the culture here is different
Boy: She speaks so softly, she makes me feel calm
Girl: My roommate leaves things everywhere, she spreads her clothes out on the floor
Boy: There’s something else about her, maybe I’m wrong
I hope when there’s a pause in things to say
I’ll get closer and she won’t move away
I hope when there’s a pause in things to say
I’ll get closer and she won’t move away
Tell me more about you
Me? I worked at ad agencies in Manhattan, now I have my own creative shop
I like to talk about ideas, I record songs that I write and play
Girl: He’s nice, he’s cute
Boy: I read a lot, I like Salinger, Steinbeck, Rand, and Hemingway
Girl: He’s talking fast, he is smart, he’s showing off, but I don’t mind
Boy: I’ve traveled to different places, I’m planning to visit Italy soon
Girl: Somehow, he’s very warm
Boy: I like a bottle of red wine, with dinner and real conversation
I hope when there’s a pause in things to say
He’ll get closer and I won’t move away
I hope when there’s a pause in things to say
He’ll get closer and I won’t move away
Girl: He’s nice, he’s cute
Boy: She is lovely, the shape of her arm
Girl: He’s talking fast, he is smart, he’s showing off, but I don’t mind
Boy: She speaks so softly, she makes me feel calm
Girl: Somehow, he’s very warm
Boy: There’s something else about her, maybe I’m wrong
Girl: So much to say
Boy: I hope when there’s a pause in things to say
I hope he gets closer
And she won’t move away
I hope when there’s a pause in things to say (I know)
I’ll get closer
That I won’t move away
Girl: What kind of ad work do you do?
Boy: What kind of research do you do?
So, what were you saying?
I like that you write songs
Well, you sing, and you wanted to be an artist
But isn’t creativity needed for all work anyway? Could be
I think you are right
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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7. |
Talk to Me
04:20
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Talk to me first
Tell me all that you believe
And the things I hear from you
They are the things that I think too
Talk to me on the phone at night
Talk about everything
We are friends
And you can talk to me
Show me something tiny
Show me something small and real
Show me that you’re brave enough
To be a little scared
Show me that you like me too
Open up so I can see
We are more than friends
You can now show that to me
Walk with me right up to the edge
(I am a little scared)
Where the future can catch the sky
(But I will walk with you)
The living code is busted open wide
(I like what you say)
Let ’em watch us from behind
(And what you want us to do)
Now take a step the gods are on our side
Love me sweet and full my baby
I will love you all I have
Love me wild and free my beauty
Love me I’m your man (you’re my man)
Take my universe and sing it
Total in your hands
Love me baby (I will love you)
You’re my man
Now hold me in your slender arms
And hold me to your breast
You are softer than the night
Against my soul it is undressed
Hold my speeding mind
Kiss it with your quiet breath
Hold you in my arms and to my breast
Lay your sacred dreams my partner
Lay them next to mine
We will keep them in a safe place
And check them all the time
For everything we want
Inside we’ll smile as we climb
Lay your sacred dreams right next to mine
Walk with me right up to the edge
(I am a little scared)
Where the future can catch the sky
(But I will walk with you)
The living code is busted open wide
(I like what you say)
Let ’em watch us from behind
(And what you want us to do)
Now take a step the gods are on our side
I will talk to you always
I’ll tell you what I believe
Girl the things I hear from you
Are the things that I think too
We’ll talk for hours late at night
We’ll talk about everything
We are friends and you can talk to me
(We are friends and I can talk to you)
We are friends and you can talk to me
(I like that)
Boy: We are friends and you can talk to me
Girl: We are friends, talk to me
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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8. |
My Last Love Song
02:40
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In my bank of stone and steel
I keep the soft things I can feel
Safe for you, where treasured things belong
It’s where I saved you my last love song
I take it out into the light
Where the day is centered bright
I use the sky, I wash it in the sun
It’s for you, it’s my last love song
I’ve written love songs before
This song for you has to do more
I go deeper, down to the place inside
Unlock all the rooms where a man might hide
Now at last a future that will not be undone
For you, I wrote my last love song
I find an old couple holding hands
I put ’em in my pocket so they can
Bless this song and our life to come
Now it’s ready for you, it’s my last love song
You wrote me a song
I give you my last love song
You wrote me this song
I saved you my last love song
This song
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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9. |
Talk About Love
02:34
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Jingyu honey, I’ve been thinking about something
Tell me about it
We have a great relationship, so I was wondering
What makes a good romantic relationship?
That’s a really good question
Well first, doesn’t each person separately need to have their act together?
Must be, I think both need to be independent
Independent, that’s the word
So, two independent people join forces
I think they should probably hold the same general beliefs
I’d even say those beliefs should be in line with
Actual existence, otherwise
Wouldn’t that make for unstable ground on which to even begin?
Yes, that’s the foundation
I know everyone thinks that what they believe is true
So all I’m saying is
If they’re right, then that’s good for a relationship
And if they're wrong, then that might not be very helpful
That’s a nice way to put it
And the word "communication" is used a lot
Which is important
And we always try to think of win/win solutions
Yes, I really like that
And if a couple starts off with the things we just talked about
Then as issues come up
They’re probably more able to resolve things constructively
And win/win in the first place
Without evasion
I totally agree
Yeah. Another thing is that
Men and women are different
They’re of a different sex
A man penetrates and a woman receives
Is there a possible connection there
To men being more aggressive in ways
And women being more patient
Since she has to wait for a man before
Anything can really happen?
I know this isn’t your specific problem
My sweet, beautiful girl
But philosophically...
Can’t man plus woman be a more
Fully-effective human team?
Can’t they potentially have a better and happier life
Than either could separately?
Of course, they compliment each other
They can benefit from the strength of the opposite gender
Nicely put. This is all interesting, don’t you think?
I do, it’s worth talking about
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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10. |
Everything Is Good
02:34
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Our goals sit on the top shelf
We put them there ourselves
We took one down today
We had flattened out its bottom
So it wouldn’t roll away
Now we put it on the scale
That we use for all those
Things we have to weigh
And we can see that everything’s okay
Yes everything’s okay
Everything is good
Every top-shelf goal taken down
Has weighed in as it should
Everything is good, everything is good
Da da da, da da da, da da da
Da da da, da da da
Da da da, da da da da da
(Whistling)
Hey, you’re whistling, go baby go
Da da da da da
Okay
Our dreams dance on the front lawn
To a wide far-reaching song
We review the music today
It was written on giant rainbow sheets
Of tomorrow and yesterday
We check the timing against the
Years and years
Of our whole life and we can say
That everything’s okay
Yes everything’s okay
Everything is good
Every dancing dream
Moves to the beat just like it should
Everything is good, everything is good
Everything is good
That was good
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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11. |
Where It Goes
02:18
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It fills us up, it overflows
Into this song, that’s where it goes
It burns it builds behind the eyes
It floods the gap, can’t stay inside
So it writes all the poetry
Can’t catch me slip sideways subtlety
Look in the place between you and me
It moves it weaves, and we can see how
It drinks of our own blood-red wine
It steals the bloom, runs us through time
It slices in, sharp razor kiss
Then with velvet pliers, it grips and twists
As it writes all the poetry
Can’t catch me slip sideways subtlety
Look in the place between you and me
It moves it weaves, we still believe
It’s a butterfly that grows large inside
Then we let it loose, cuts across our sky
It fills us up, it overflows
Into this song, that’s where it goes
That’s where it goes
That’s where it goes
That’s where it goes
That’s where it goes
It fills us up it overflows
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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12. |
Independent Girl
02:23
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Climb up into bed
Curl under the blanket
You can close your eyes
Little independent girl
Know that I won’t give up your world
And I won’t give up your world
We won’t give it to a king
Not to any other being
We won’t give up the world
You can close your eyes
And you can trust
We won’t give up your world
Now go to sleep and dream
Fly through the air
We won’t give up the world
I won’t give up your world
And I won’t give up your world
We won’t give it to a snail
An environmental tale
We won’t give up the world
The light that’s in your room
It says the day is on your window
You can open up your eyes
Little independent girl
For I won’t give up your world
And I won’t give up your world
No we won’t give up the world
While we are in it
Little independent girl
We won’t give it to arbitrary whims
To nonexistent things
We won’t give up the world
(C) Todd Lerner, 2017
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Todd and Jingyu Detroit, Michigan
Husband and wife album – boy/girl songs that parallel their own story.
From love-wreck
and breakdown to meeting and falling in love.
The songs are free for you to download at: www.ToddandJingyu.com – they tell a full love story if you listen in order.
Jingyu is Chinese, Todd is American, and this is their debut album of original pop-rock duets. The album took over 10 years to make.
... more
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