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Pretend

by Mike Cavanaugh

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1.
I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I wanna be that tragic story we glorify everyday I wanna play the most dangerous game I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain Janis and Jim Hendrix and the King and all those names I wanna be among the greats It's better to burn out than fade away I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I want my songs to mean more than what I say Give up this life for fortune and fame I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I wanna keep making mistakes and find who to blame Elliott Smith, Buckley's a myth and Morrison's strange I wanna be just as insane Or maybe just left out in pouring rain I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I wanna hate myself and write down my pain I wanna play on the grandest stage Or maybe just left out in pouring rain I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I want my songs to mean more than what I say Give up this life for fortune and fame I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain There's five leaves left on the fruit tree Do you miss me Miss misery I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain I want my songs to mean more than what I say Give up this life for fortune and fame I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain It's better to burn out than fade away I wanna be John Lennon or Kurt Cobain
2.
Loved By You 03:27
A brightly placed smile in the right situation A beautiful girl with no hesitation She'd swim with the sharks if they said we don't bite We've already eaten tonight A beacon of truth in a world full of liars A tree full of fruit in a forest of fire She'd fly with the birds if they said "you have wings." We're heading down south for the spring The poor, bitter souls Talk in jealous tones For they know how lucky I am To love and be loved by you Secrets of youth in years that are trying Love that gets lost in the weapons your hiding She'd run with the herd to escape from herself She doesn't need anyone's help. The poor, bitter souls Talk in jealous tones For they know how lucky I am To love and be loved by you The poor, bitter souls Talk in jealous tones For they know how lucky I am To love and be loved by you
3.
You told me you got this far Pretending you know who you are I haven't had much luck fooling anyone, I try I keep my secrets locked in a see-though box for you As close as you think that you are to my heart Still that far I felt happy yesterday It was the strangest thing You'd say You didn't say a word Like a falling tree I didn't see I try to lose my cool when you want me to As close as you think that you are to my heart Still that far Many times I tried to offer you a little bit of truth When it made me less than what you thought What you thought you knew I told you I got this far somehow, someway I haven't had much luck knowing anything As close as you think that you are to my heart Still that far
4.
Feel 02:38
The trees look as if they feel something real The seas move as if they know something I don't The leaves fall in time for snow Oh to be the trees, seas and snow Love gives and takes away While the rock just is Deep thoughts in disarray While the sun just shines The rain poured again today Oh to be so purposeful and clean Free me from yesterday And please be kind Believe me when I say I lost my mind Teach me all you know What do you say trees, seas and snow?
5.
Fallen Madly 03:28
Lose yourself today Make a point to say to someone I love you for all that you are Find yourself already You know you're in the last place that you left you If you don't know who you are who will? I found a woman and I've fallen madly I found a woman who just keeps me hanging on I'm gonna tell her that I love her in the morning Leave your pride behind My vanity inside It comes out, it comes out from time to time Afford the things you need This upper hand of greed it's killing you It's killing you and it's killing me I found a woman and I've fallen madly I found a woman who just keeps me hanging on I'm gonna tell her that I love her in the morning I found a woman and I've fallen madly I found a woman who just keeps me hanging on I'm gonna tell her that I love her in the morning
6.
Pretend 02:54
Maybe you could let me know What I did to make you go What I did to make you go Maybe you could stand in line With the rest of those who left me behind And you can talk about the reasons why Pretend you understand my frustration Pretend you really care about my problems Ain't that the decent things to do Maybe you could speak your mind For a change and I'll speak mine And we can change the bottom line Maybe you could simplify all the complicated lies The root of our demise Pretend you understand my frustration Pretend you really care about my problems Pretend you understand my frustration Pretend you really care about my problems Ain't that the decent things to do
7.
You belong with me We belong in a tree Cuz' making love with you Is all I want to do You belong with me We belong in the sea Cuz' all I wanna do Is swim around with you You belong with me We belong together Together yea
8.
Dead Left 03:02
A fraction of your time is spend Waiting in a line that never ends Open all the boxes And close up all the shops inside your head Your focus is out of And your lame excuse for leaving starts a trend Amazing what a maze we've made And you wonder how the truth can get so lost You're afraid to live in fear You're afraid to recall what you forgot And I leave you for dead It's better if you bled It's better if you meant what you said So I leave you for dead A troubled situation breads a troubled inclination to sit and watch From those on the outside From those who swore to God they'd stand and fight For goodness gracious For goodness sake is that all you've got And I leave you for dead It's better if you bled It's better if you meant what you said So I leave you for dead
9.
It's all downhill till you get to the bottom Then it's all uphill till you get to the top of the rock There's a million ways to tell me I'm not living up to expectations I am squandering all my opportunity Talking all that tomfoolery Tell me what it is you want from me my friend Tell me what it is you think I should do instead I may be a little crazy but it's my butter and bread I bet one day you're gonna regret it I bet one day I'll come to my sense Life's so long when your're living in tenses I think I just wrote me a life sentence Tell me what it is you want from me my friend Tell me what it is you think I should do instead I may be a little crazy but it's my butter and bread Laughter captures the general mood Sadness strikes me from out of the blue Down to the black and into the red You left me for dead so you could lend me a hand Tell me what it is you want from me my friend Tell me what it is you think I should do instead I may be a little crazy but it's my butter and bread Tell me what it is you want from me my friend Tell me what it is you think I should do instead I may be a little crazy but it's my butter and bread It's all downhill till you get to the bottom Then it's all uphill till you get to the top of the rock

credits

released September 16, 2014

All songs written by Mike Cavanaugh, except John Lennon or Kurt Cobain by Mike Cavanaugh and Rob Maher

Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Dave Campbell
Asst. Engineers - Sarah Campbell, Mike Cavanaugh
Mike Cavanaugh - lead vocals, acoustic guitars
Brian Black - electric lead and slide guitars
Dave Campbell - additional acoustic guitars, keys, programming, bgv's
Sarah Campbell - background vocals
John Maupin - Drums, percussion
Alec Schram - Bass
Album art by 31 Productions

Special thanks to Tim and Elea Mahla

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