fluffy porcupine: Run Faster

Lyrics

I’m giving it my all
But I’m heading for a fall
When all that I can do
Is run faster

For something less than I am worth
As I tumble down to Earth
But all that I can do
Is run faster

Please listen to the way I feel
I need to get some more time to heal
My lungs are getting ready to explode
I can’t run any faster

I get the feeling I should leave
It’s getting harder to believe
You don’t know what it is I’m going through
I’m running faster

How can you tell me what to do
If I am dead I will not see things through
What you want isn’t easy done or said
I’d like to see you run faster

I’m giving you my all
But I’m ready for a fall
It’s all that you let me do
To run faster

About this track

In December 2004 I was working for Ubisoft. We had just released Sprung, after a long period of permacrunch, and I was tired. And it was time for my winter vacation, which the producer nearly canceled on me because HR had lost my vacation request form that I’d submitted a month earlier.

Before my trip I recorded this song for Song Fight! using GarageBand on my 12" PowerBook G4, my Fender Squier (which did double duty as a fake bass), and the shitty microphone I had at the time.

I had a very long journey with multiple connections and long layovers to get to my parents’ house in New Mexico, so since I had my laptop with me, I decided to do a few remixes along the way.

The Song Fight! reviews were surprisingly kind, and also it’s kind of funny to see just how active the review threads were back then. (Seven pages! Amazing.)

This is the first song I’d produced in this manner (and this was the last song I ever recorded under the name "fluffy porcupine") and I’d like to think it was something of a turning point. Maybe that’s why I keep revisiting this song, particularly as the first track as my first album as Sockpuppet.

Lyrics

I’m giving it my all
But I’m heading for a fall
When all that I can do
Is run faster

For something less than I am worth
As I tumble down to Earth
But all that I can do
Is run faster

Please listen to the way I feel
I need to get some more time to heal
My lungs are getting ready to explode
I can’t run any faster

I get the feeling I should leave
It’s getting harder to believe
You don’t know what it is I’m going through
I’m running faster

How can you tell me what to do
If I am dead I will not see things through
What you want isn’t easy done or said
I’d like to see you run faster

I’m giving you my all
But I’m ready for a fall
It’s all that you let me do
To run faster

About this track

I lived in NYC but to save money I flew out of Newark International Airport. It was pretty much empty, and this first remix tried to capture that feeling.

For all of the remixes I used the same guitar, "bass," and vocal recordings, and mostly just played around with different stock loops for the rest.

Lyrics

I’m giving it my all
But I’m heading for a fall
When all that I can do
Is run faster

For something less than I am worth
As I tumble down to Earth
But all that I can do
Is run faster

Please listen to the way I feel
I need to get some more time to heal
My lungs are getting ready to explode
I can’t run any faster

I get the feeling I should leave
It’s getting harder to believe
You don’t know what it is I’m going through
I’m running faster

How can you tell me what to do
If I am dead I will not see things through
What you want isn’t easy done or said
I’d like to see you run faster

I’m giving you my all
But I’m ready for a fall
It’s all that you let me do
To run faster

About this track

I actually worked on this one on the plane, while there was significant inflight turbulence. The grinding sound at the beginning was a recording of the inflight noise through the PowerBook’s microphone.

In this 2026 version I’ve applied some old-school autotune, which I couldn’t afford in 2004.

Lyrics

I’m giving it my all
But I’m heading for a fall
When all that I can do
Is run faster

For something less than I am worth
As I tumble down to Earth
But all that I can do
Is run faster

Please listen to the way I feel
I need to get some more time to heal
My lungs are getting ready to explode
I can’t run any faster

I get the feeling I should leave
It’s getting harder to believe
You don’t know what it is I’m going through
I’m running faster

How can you tell me what to do
If I am dead I will not see things through
What you want isn’t easy done or said
I’d like to see you run faster

I’m giving you my all
But I’m ready for a fall
It’s all that you let me do
To run faster

About this track

And this final remix was done while sitting on the floor of the Dallas International Airport while waiting for my final connection to Albuquerque.

The background airport noise at the beginning was once again recorded on the PowerBook’s internal microphone. Everything else is stock GarageBand loops.

While most of the tracks in this collection were just cleaned up and remastered from what I’d done back in 2004, for this one I added some bass and better drums than what was in the original project. I hope nobody minds.

1.	Run Faster [Song Fight! Mix]	3:34
	Lyrics I’m giving it my all But I’m heading for a fall When all that I can do Is run faster For something less than I am worth As I tumble down to Earth But all that I can do Is run faster Please listen to the way I feel I need to get some more time to heal My lungs are getting ready to explode I can’t run any faster I get the feeling I should leave It’s getting harder to believe You don’t know what it is I’m going through I’m running faster How can you tell me what to do If I am dead I will not see things through What you want isn’t easy done or said I’d like to see you run faster I’m giving you my all But I’m ready for a fall It’s all that you let me do To run faster About this track In December 2004 I was working for Ubisoft. We had just released Sprung, after a long period of permacrunch, and I was tired. And it was time for my winter vacation, which the producer nearly canceled on me because HR had lost my vacation request form that I’d submitted a month earlier. Before my trip I recorded this song for Song Fight! using GarageBand on my 12" PowerBook G4, my Fender Squier (which did double duty as a fake bass), and the shitty microphone I had at the time. I had a very long journey with multiple connections and long layovers to get to my parents’ house in New Mexico, so since I had my laptop with me, I decided to do a few remixes along the way. The Song Fight! reviews were surprisingly kind, and also it’s kind of funny to see just how active the review threads were back then. (Seven pages! Amazing.) This is the first song I’d produced in this manner (and this was the last song I ever recorded under the name "fluffy porcupine") and I’d like to think it was something of a turning point. Maybe that’s why I keep revisiting this song, particularly as the first track as my first album as Sockpuppet.
2.	Run Faster [Newark Airport Mix]	3:34
	Lyrics I’m giving it my all But I’m heading for a fall When all that I can do Is run faster For something less than I am worth As I tumble down to Earth But all that I can do Is run faster Please listen to the way I feel I need to get some more time to heal My lungs are getting ready to explode I can’t run any faster I get the feeling I should leave It’s getting harder to believe You don’t know what it is I’m going through I’m running faster How can you tell me what to do If I am dead I will not see things through What you want isn’t easy done or said I’d like to see you run faster I’m giving you my all But I’m ready for a fall It’s all that you let me do To run faster About this track I lived in NYC but to save money I flew out of Newark International Airport. It was pretty much empty, and this first remix tried to capture that feeling. For all of the remixes I used the same guitar, "bass," and vocal recordings, and mostly just played around with different stock loops for the rest.
3.	Run Faster [Inflight Turbulence Mix]	3:28
	Lyrics I’m giving it my all But I’m heading for a fall When all that I can do Is run faster For something less than I am worth As I tumble down to Earth But all that I can do Is run faster Please listen to the way I feel I need to get some more time to heal My lungs are getting ready to explode I can’t run any faster I get the feeling I should leave It’s getting harder to believe You don’t know what it is I’m going through I’m running faster How can you tell me what to do If I am dead I will not see things through What you want isn’t easy done or said I’d like to see you run faster I’m giving you my all But I’m ready for a fall It’s all that you let me do To run faster About this track I actually worked on this one on the plane, while there was significant inflight turbulence. The grinding sound at the beginning was a recording of the inflight noise through the PowerBook’s microphone. In this 2026 version I’ve applied some old-school autotune, which I couldn’t afford in 2004.
4.	Run Faster [In The Yellow Heart Of Texas Mix]	3:38
	Lyrics I’m giving it my all But I’m heading for a fall When all that I can do Is run faster For something less than I am worth As I tumble down to Earth But all that I can do Is run faster Please listen to the way I feel I need to get some more time to heal My lungs are getting ready to explode I can’t run any faster I get the feeling I should leave It’s getting harder to believe You don’t know what it is I’m going through I’m running faster How can you tell me what to do If I am dead I will not see things through What you want isn’t easy done or said I’d like to see you run faster I’m giving you my all But I’m ready for a fall It’s all that you let me do To run faster About this track And this final remix was done while sitting on the floor of the Dallas International Airport while waiting for my final connection to Albuquerque. The background airport noise at the beginning was once again recorded on the PowerBook’s internal microphone. Everything else is stock GarageBand loops. While most of the tracks in this collection were just cleaned up and remastered from what I’d done back in 2004, for this one I added some bass and better drums than what was in the original project. I hope nobody minds.