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Bend or Break, Vol. 1

by Joe Dickinson

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1.
Hit the Ceiling (Effigy) 02:52
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Hit the ceiling I’m dead again and I went Up against my only friend Hit the ceiling Why do I even try It’s that feeling All up in my heart when I start Not to care about the end It’s that feeling I spy in the sky I took a picture of myself And I lit it on fire I see children Holding hands making plans I used to be one of them I see children Waving to say their goodbyes I remember Here a smile there a while Where we had nothing to do I remember War warning the shore To be kind I’m a flower Who what when or where I don’t care I’m just waiting in the womb I’m a flower Hoping to open my mind And cherish the beauty I find I took a picture of my situation And I lit it on fire
2.
Fortune Telling REMATCH 01:32
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It’s best not to get in my way Best not to cross my path I leave a trail of dust And broken trust Everywhere I go Like the snow Like the snow Dead in the head With an empty bed Everybody’s been there Why is there so much pain It’s such a shame You haven’t been around that long When’d you go wrong When’d you go wrong You disappear then you reappear As if you never left Time stands up to say Kid you’ve really done ok Thanks for sticking to the plan Now cut off your hands No cut off your hands I don’t want to think deep All I want to do is sleep Until the sand melts Fly to the highest peak So I can sleep So I can Sleep
3.
Sorry That I Made You Cry 02:44
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I’m sorry for tomorrow And for everything I say You know I never mean to hurt you I’m sorry that I borrow So much of your pay You know I don’t think I deserve you And just because I’m going away Doesn’t mean that everything has to fade Or die I’m sorry that I love you And I’m sorry for my lies I’m sorry that I made you cry I’m living half-past Jesus Like a wise man of my day Except there’s nothing wise about it Vitality’s what frees us Keeps the moonlight on the bay It’s hard to tell that lies surround it And just ‘cause I got lucky, that’s all Doesn’t mean that everything has to fall Or fly I’m sorry that I love you And I’m sorry for my life I’m sorry that I made you cry I wish that I had dreamt you Because then I would be sure Where you’re from and where you’re going And ever since I met you I’ve been feeling so secure Like a river and it’s constant flowing I wish that I could clearly express I wish that I could come up with more than this mess When I try I’m sorry that I love you And I’m sorry for goodbye I’m sorry that I made you cry I’m sorry that I made you cry I’m sorry that I made you cry
4.
San Francisco 02:31
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San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see But can you lie with the wind Can you die with the dust And can you sleep with a thousand friends Does your heart beat slow Everywhere that you go? San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see I’m gonna take you there I’m gonna make you share Gonna make you share All night long There’s too much to know And too little time to grow San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see There’s a tear on the wall There’s a fear unjust There’s a point of view That no one comprehends Feel the ebb and flow And the everlasting grow San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see Can I walk for a while Can I talk with you Can I say That my love for you won’t bend Does your heart beat slow Everywhere that you go? Does your heart beat slow Everywhere that you go? San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see San Francisco No don’t you abandon me I’m your friend I’m your friend Can’t you see
5.
New Beginning 02:55
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Here I am today Swear I was right there Can’t even tell anymore All I meant to say I care I really care You’ve heard it all before And I felt it tonight When a picture of you melted And I know how to tie A tangled knot out of nothing Staring up at the wall Remembering to breathe Devil in the living room Alright after all I see it’s got to be So much more than I assume And I don’t care what anybody says ‘Cause I’m gonna make my own path Thank you very much Gotta get to the other side I need to cross that street Got nowhere else to go Been walking for a while I feel it in my feet I know it’s worth it though And I felt it tonight When a picture of you melted And I know how to tie A tangled knot out of nothing And I wanted to cry When I saw I saved your letters And I know how to tie A tangled knot out of nothing A tangled knot out of nothing
6.
Starliving 02:09
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I’m living on a star you see There’s no one here but me The grocery store’s a block away IT IS SO CONVENIENT Just last night I chipped a tooth Walking on my head I always laugh at my own jokes THEY’RE FUNNY THEY’RE FUNNY When I take a walk at night Sometimes I can see a light I squint my eyes and grit my teeth I’M SO PROUD OF MY TEETH Funny how displaced I feel When I’m far away from home I forget my own name WHAT’S IN A NAME WHAT’S IN A NAME I’m living on a star you see I got this real estate for free It’s the best investment of my life THE VALUE’S TRIPLED IN ONE YEAR When I look into the sky All I see is stillness Stillness becoming alive YET STILL YET STILL
7.
Walk In the Door 02:08
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When I’m lost and the sky has turned gray I’ll look back and I’ll think of that day Waiting there for the sun to say goodbye Waiting for you to walk in the door Waiting for you to walk in the door All was calm and I liked it that way I’d forget what I wanted to say Waiting there for you to change my life Waiting for you to walk in the door Waiting for you to walk in the door Come what will and however it may In my heart in my arms you will stay I’ll wait all night or at least a little while For you to walk in the door For you to walk in the door
8.
You're Trying My Patience, Jordan 02:01
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You’re trying my patience, Jordan It’s you you you all the time Give it a rest, I’m not in the mood To deal with you today You’re trying my patience, Jordan Can’t you just relax? I’m here to help you not hurt you To hear what you have to say I want to hear what you have to say Our potential is unlimited So many roads to wrong and right Does anybody care Will anybody fight For their knowledge For their right You’re trying my patience, Jordan You didn’t do your work last night I know it’s not fun But you’ve got to get it done Before you go out and play The future may look dark my friend Together we can make it bright Does anybody care Will anybody fight For their knowledge For their right You’re trying my patience, Jordan But I believe in you I want to hear what you have to say I want to hear what you have to say I want to hear what you have to say
9.
Colors In the Air 03:17
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Colors in the air Creeping around here and there Slipping in and out of sight We don’t have a care tonight Come on, talk with me About anything We’ll stay up until the morning light We don’t have a care tonight Used and abused for no reason at all Spend our lives learning to fall Forget that we exist Remember how we kissed Two souls tied together so tight We don’t have a care tonight Colors in the air Sleeping in the sky somewhere Opening a burden so bright We don’t have a care tonight Come on, part the sea Make a man out of me Slip into the skin with all your might We don’t have a care tonight Used and abused for no reason at all Spend our lives learning to fall Colors in the air Dancing through your hair Shining an eternal golden white We don’t have a care tonight We don’t have a care tonight
10.
Waiting For a Spark 02:04
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I taught the belly surfer how to belly surf I skinned my knees on artificial turf Sometimes I miss sitting in the dark Staring at the ceiling Waiting for a spark I taught the jellyfish how to go on bread I showed the corpse how to play dead Sometimes I miss walking through the dark Two eyes open Waiting for a spark I was alive in 1893 I had ideas that were stolen from me Sometimes I miss when everything was dark Creeping through the shadows Waiting for a spark I demonstrated how to duck and run When I pinched your Dad and he pulled out a gun I sure do miss talking in the dark Bathing in the moonlight Waiting for a spark There is a house down in New Orleans You can go there if you give up on your dreams Sometimes I miss kissing in the dark Looking for an answer Waiting for a spark
11.
With/Out 02:43
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I can live without fun I can live without food But I’m not sure I can live without you I’ll survive sans the sun And without the sky so blue But how can I survive without you I get along with everyone I get along without them too But how can I get along without you There’s a world outside And it’s wide, so wide In the end I wonder What’s gonna happen I’ll get by without your smile And without the morning dew But how can I get by without you I can make it for a while I don’t need much to make do But how can I make do without you Sometimes I’m a child Sometimes I wish I never grew Sometimes all I need is you All I did then was cry And now I remember why In the end I wonder What’s gonna happen There’s a piece of my heart There’s a love that ever grew It’s true Through and through And I can’t imagine life without you But luckily I’ll never have to
12.
Streets of Chicago 02:29
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The streets of Chicago are icy My heart is on fire tonight The trees are all whispering gossip And bending their branches to the right I’m stuck here in the middle of something I don’t think I’ll ever understand Walking the streets of Chicago Looking for an unknown helping hand Staring up into the big black sky Praying for a simple shooting star Everybody tells me that I should settle down Save my money Own a house Buy a car But I have no interest in any of that I have no interest in doing the same Gonna leave my past on the highest shelf And call myself a brand new name The streets of Chicago are silent There’s no one awake walking around I can hear the city’s heartbeat Lying face first on the ground My opinion of myself Am I something Am I nothing And does that really matter in the end The streets of Chicago are filthy I need to find a new friend Don’t pretend you’re oh so sad When you’re better off than almost everyone Have you ever thought about Who’s responsible for everything you’ve done I can feel the beat Flowing through my bones It’s in my legs It’s in my arms It’s in my head I like sleeping over too But sometimes all I want is my own bed The streets of Chicago are burning Forcing all the insects outside The sun is shining on their little heads But all they want to do Is find some shade And die

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released June 12, 2008

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Joe Dickinson Chicago, Illinois

Hi, I’m Joe Dickinson.

I'm a DIY singer/songwriter from Chicago, IL.

It's not easy, balancing the external demands of work/life with the internal demands of creativity, but I'm working toward a set of sustainable internal systems that will allow me to continue to write, record, and release songs. Hopefully for the rest of my life.

I appreciate you taking the time to listen. ... more

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