| 1. | Behind a Mask | |||
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Feeling lost in an elephant’s dream Best foot forward, take a step back If everyone could see Making everything great again Fragile gem, split in two If everyone could see A deeper body ache, and make a bad mistake Feeling lost in an elephant’s dream If everyone could see If everyone could see This song was originally written for Song Fight!, as part of the "Live Fight" challenge for Song Fight! Live 2021. It also has a music video, produced during the same few days during which I wrote and recorded this song. Yes, including the animation. Sometimes I can be a little obsessed. |
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| 2. | Meat Grinder | |||
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Hippy likes Hippy snacks. Hippy snacks make them better than me, make them better than you. Yuppie likes Yuppie snacks. Yuppie snacks make them better than me, make them better than you. Hippy don’t like Yuppie snacks. Hippy snacks make them better than me, make them better than you. |
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| 3. | Freak Flag | |||
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Everything you like, anything that gets you high Get your freak flag on Everything is good in our carved out sexy spaces Get your freak flag on Everything is good as long as everyone’s consenting Get your freak flag on You can be a top or bottom or an indecisive switch Get your freak flag on (freak flag) I mean, yuck Ace: Shorthand for "asexual;" someone who doesn’t feel sexual attraction to others. They may or may not have a libido, and they may or may not be willing to engage in sexual practices with others. Some asexuals do form romantic attachments, or have limited circumstances in which they can feel sexual attraction as well (although typically not to a specific person). Just like any other orientation, there is a lot of variety in what they are interested in and comfortable doing. Bondage: An erotic, parasexual practice involving the complete domination/subjugation of one partner by another; the dominant party enjoys the feeling of control, and the submissive enjoys not having any control. Often involves being (safely) tied up and tortured in various ways. Consent, safe words, and communication both beforehand and after are key. Bottom: Someone who typically takes a submissive position during sexual activities. Breakfast: A meal enjoyed after a good night’s sleep. In the US, stereotypically involves bacon or sausage, eggs, and pancakes. Consent: Ensuring that all participants in an activity want to be a participant in it. This is not limited to specific physical things, but also, for example, being part of a discussion or being made to see imagery of it. There is also a concept of "statutory consent" in that living beings (people, pets, etc.) who do not have the faculties necessary to make an informed decision as to their participation are de facto unable to consent. This can be due to them being e.g. asleep, under the influence of medication, mentally-impaired, limited in personal experience (often measured by age), and so on. Content warning: A warning about something that others might not want to see (such as erotic or disturbing visuals or descriptions/discussion thereof) for whatever reason. Usually combined with some mechanism of hiding the content from those who don’t actually want to see it or making it visibly distinct enough to skip. Coupling: Mutual masturbation; two or more people using a device or (more often) their hands to bring each other to orgasm rather than direct penetration. Dungeon: A place where bondage and domination play can take place. Usually just someone’s specially-equipped bedroom. Fencing: A sport in which two or more people knock their swords against each other. May or may not be a euphemism. Furry: Someone who is part of the furry fandom; there is a stereotype that this is all about sex while wearing animal costumes but there is actually a wide variety of ways in which people participate. The furry fandom is a predominantly-queer space filled with people who have had to throw away and rebuild their identities as part of their acts of rebellious self-discovery, and much of that identity revolves around what could be, rather than what is. Horny: Someone who is in need of sexual release. Humiliation: Some people find their intimate practices to be very personal, and would be very embarrassing if it became widely-known. Some people find the perceived embarrassment itself incredibly gratifying. Itch: A physical sensation of needing to be scratched or rubbed; also used metaphorically as a general urge. Kinky: Someone who is very much into exploring different forms of physical intimacy, often involving props, body modification, and exploring different positions. Lad: Someone identifying as male and generally perceived as being fairly young. Leather: A material derived from the skin of an animal, usually cow, which is often associated with articles of clothing used during BDSM. As it’s animal-derived, some folks prefer to use artificial/simulated versions of it. Legal: Above the age of consent, and able to give consent. Mother: Literally, the person who gestated and/or raised someone. Figuratively, someone who takes a figurehead role within a group, possibly in the form of domination play but also possibly in the form of keeping a social circle together or establishing the rules and mores of a close-knit, found-family community. Murr: A thing that furries stereotypically say while aroused. Often written "mrr." Normie: Someone who is "vanilla," i.e. only into very mainstream ideas of sex, sexuality, and partnership. i.e. anyone who actually needs to read this glossary. Peg: Wearing a prosthetic phallus and using it to anally penetrate someone, typically male-identified. Rubber: Both a euphemism for a prophylactic (which is usually made of some form of latex or similar material), and a material often used to cover various body parts in a form-fitting way. Some people very deeply appreciate that aesthetic, especially appreciating the smooth, shiny texture. Safeword: A phrase used before initiating an activity where words such as "stop" or "ouch" are ambiguous, due to possibly being part of a roleplayed scenario or being part of the erotic nature of the activity. This is agreed upon by all partners beforehand so that if someone is feeling uncomfortable or needs to cease the activity, all who hear it will immediately know to stop. Ideally it is a word which will not normally come up during the activity, such as "lemon" or "asparagus," although in the case of erotic chef roleplay those particular choices would obviously not be suitable. Shiny: Highly reflective of light. Social: Shorthand for social media; Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, that sort of thing. More broadly, Internet sites where everyone you know can see a thing and where it remains accessible in relative perpetuity. Strap-on: A prosthetic phallus, usually held in place by a belt around the wearer’s waist. Switch: Someone who alternates between being a top and a bottom. Top: Someone who typically takes a dominant position during sexual activities. Trans: Identifying with a gender other than what they were assigned at birth. An adjective, which typically modifies a further specification of what their identity is, rather than their external assignment; for example, "trans girl" typically refers to someone who was born with a penis but identifies as female or feminine. Yuck: A thing you’re not supposed to say about someone else’s "yum" (a thing they particularly enjoy), although there are certain things that most would agree absolutely are a "yuck," such as real-life incest, bestiality, pedophilia, or other such situations where consent cannot be established. Fantasy versions of those, however, are subject to the participants’ taste. |
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| 4. | A Long Plastic Hallway | |||
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it’s inimical it’s despicable a seeming emptiness acrimonious finding time to spare a tantric suicide there’s a new tomorrow, it’s falling into place get a steady job, and another piece of me it’s inimical it’s despicable and you simply cannot see what this all has done to me simply cannot see what this all has meant to me feeling critical apocalyptical This song was inspired by repeatedly tapping the tuning fork button on my portable amp. |
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| 5. | Don't Come Here to Live | |||
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We’re so happy that you want to stay We know what you’ve seen on the TV We are passive, and aggressive We have hipsters - Silly tricksters So you live here now, you want a job? What’s that you say? You have a degree? We are passive, and aggressive We have hipsters - Silly tricksters I guess we can’t talk you out of it We are passive, and aggressive We have hipsters - Silly tricksters This song isn’t about Portland, but it also isn’t not about Portland. It’s also about Seattle. But also it was just written for the Song Fight! Live Fight in Portland, in 2015. |
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| 6. | A Problem of Perspective | |||
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Here is the problem: The way I see you is That’s how a problem of perspective seems to work; Love keeps no score of wrongs, they tell me, but my That’s how a problem of perspective seems to work; At least two sides to every story. That’s how a problem of perspective seems to work; The original version of this song was written by King Arthur for the A Problem of Perspective edition of Song Fight!. |
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| 7. | Falling | |||
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You shouldn’t fall Everything you do And if you should fall But everything I do And then if I should fall And everything we do But you shouldn’t fall And everything you do I was going through a breakup, with someone who really wanted me to do more than I was able. |
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| 8. | Space Cadet | |||
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Space cadet, what can you bring us Space cadet, what can you bring us Space cadet can you see all of the planets and stars Fly away, leave us alone, we don’t want you anyway Space cadet, what can you bring us Space cadet, what can you bring us You watch the universe go Hey cadet, where do you think Space cadet, what can you bring us Space cadet, what can you bring us This was recorded in posthumous tribute to its composer, Seth Gibbs, who probably did not intend for this song to be about himself. His old band‘s original version is available on Song Fight!. |
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| 9. | Golfpunk Rides Again | |||
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20 years ago I knew this guy, you probably know the type. His name was Gary or Greg or something, but everyone knew him as Golfpunk. His whole thing was breaking in windows of expensive cars using a golf club to protest the wealth gap or… somethin’ like that. Anyway, he called himself a performance artist, and some rich dude decided it would be funny to give him a Cadillac to drive around, you know, "ironically?" Golfpunk, he changed, man… He changed. (Golfpunk, he drives a Cadillac) Now that he had a Cadillac of his own he suddenly felt a lot of empathy for the other Cadillac owners and stopped smashing windows. He wanted to smash things, though, so… he took his golf club to the golf course and… he started playing. You know, golf. The rich peoples’ sport. And he was good at it. (Golfpunk, he drives a nine iron) He ended up entering into a tournament and won a lot of money, but then his past caught up with him and all these rich assholes, like, sued him for the windows he broke. And then he had to go on a big ol’ apology tour, ‘cause it’s not like he hurt anyone or said anything racist, but God forbid some windows get smashed up. Anyway, we all kind of lost track of him for a long time, but then a few weeks ago he reached out to me and was like, "Hey, remember me?" And I was like, "Hey, I remember you! Man, Golfpunk! It’s been a long heckin’ time." Then he kinda went silent. And then he says to me, "So, um, I’m not Golfpunk anymore. I got married, settled down, had kids… now I’m more of a… golf dad." And I was like, "Oh. Huh. Weird." And then he said the most offensive thing to me ever: "And now I drive a Prius." (Golfpunk, he drove a Cadillac) Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is it’s okay to grow up sometimes, and maybe you’re going to grow apart too. And that’s alright. Just don’t become an asshole. This song was written as a 20th anniversary celebration of the very first Song Fight!. |
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| 10. | Isle Dauphine | |||
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My isle dauphine She walks down the aisle I heard what she said, and She’s walking the border with My isle dauphine This was the 2011 Live Fight entry for Song Fight! Live! in New York City. |
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| 11. | Good Luck Charm | |||
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This thing I found lying in the street Now everyone’s always lookin’ around It’ll always be my lucky charm Everything all said, I’m good It looks kind of like a rocket ship Walking through the village green, It’ll always be my lucky charm Everything all said, I’m good A baker must be what I be I’m not quite sure what they mean I walked on by a man in blue I wasn’t sure just what he meant It’ll always be my lucky charm Everything all said, I’m good It’ll always be my lucky charm Everything all said, I’m good This was the 2016 Live Fight entry for Song Fight! Live! in New York City. It’s just a happy accident that these two Live Fight entries from the same city happened to go next to each other on this album. |
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| 12. | Better Luck Next Year | |||
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This year had its challenges What happened to my career, it oh, it can only get better we see the rise of fascists who think where can our people go from here oh, it can only get better but it wasn’t all so bad We take the hand we have been dealt oh, it can only get better This song was written for Song Fight! Live 2020, and I don’t think people got the joke that it was a song about how 2020 was going to have been so much better than 2019 was. (For those reading this from the distant future: It very much wasn’t.) |
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| 13. | Fibromyalgia | |||
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Every day I’m just a little older I’ve got fibromyalgia I’ve got Fibromyalgia Well I think it’s pretty nice And I get so much advice Fibromyalgia, I’ve got I wrote this song the night after I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, based on the then-current understanding of the condition (before new research showed that it’s actually an autoimmune condition), and also about my long-time frustration with just how people who don’t experience chronic pain talk to people who do. |
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| 14. | Strategies to Live | |||
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You can hide yourself down a deep, dark hole You can do heavy drugs to numb the pain, or Change your face and change your name Dig deep into the viper’s pit Oh, I wish I didn’t worry oh so much If you’re accused of doing a bad crime Make a run for President Even if you’re caught lying Even if you destroy the world Oh, I wish I didn’t worry oh so much In the long run everything will be fine In the meantime just try to survive This was written for Circle of Titles in 2016, when I was assigned the title "Strategies to Live," which felt super relevant given the then-recent Presidential election which was at odds with my safety as a trans person. It took me five years to release this album, and I kept on feeling like it was too late to release this topical song, and yet, somehow it manages to remain topical. |
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