Track list:
1. Splitting Hairs
2. The World We're Making
3. Endless Delight
4. Get Off the Tracks
5. I Will Care For You
6. Stay Alive
7. Warm Words
8. This Moment
9. Our Sunday
10. A Mystery to Me
11. Christi's Lullaby
12. She's Trapped
13. Walden Pond
2. The World We're Making
3. Endless Delight
4. Get Off the Tracks
5. I Will Care For You
6. Stay Alive
7. Warm Words
8. This Moment
9. Our Sunday
10. A Mystery to Me
11. Christi's Lullaby
12. She's Trapped
13. Walden Pond
1. Splitting HairsYou know I like to get things right
I like to make it with a real assurance But you won't find me up all hours of the night Trying debate on every single difference A fact's a fact, and I won't deny it But you bring it down to every detail Give me a moment to reconcile it Don't you see you're off on a solo trail? You're splitting hairs You're splitting hairs with me You're splitting hairs You're splitting hairs with me You know I'll have to plead the fifth Won't say a word with any tribulation It's not that I would let the issue go amiss All I want is just to have a conversation A fact's a fact, and I won't debate it But you cut the truth of every remark You so intend to be vindicated That you're missing the gist of the heart-to-heart You're splitting hairs You're splitting hairs with me You're splitting hairs You're splitting hairs with me All the sudden you're another runner-up and it's so easy to forget a face you've never seen I might be looking for different kind of reason 'cause you're giving me more than I asked you to be All the sudden you're resisting my conclusion and my memory is telling me you've got it wrong You might be looking for another kind of answer But you know I just want us to get along Oh, a fact's a fact, and I won't deny it But you bring it down to every detail It wouldn't hurt if we both decided All our thoughts, all our issues, Wouldn't ever come to avail So what's the point of splitting hairs? You're splitting hairs with me You're splitting hairs You're splitting hairs with me |
About this song: The opener to The World We're Making deals with relationships, which are central to what we focus on as we create our world. As an intellectual, I sometimes take knowledge and reason seriously and want to follow a train of logic to the end, even if it gets complicated. But I have my limits. At a certain point, I would rather shift my focus back to the joy of the human connection rather than stay alienated, caught up in logic and attached to truth value. This is a value I have had to learn, but it makes all the difference.
|
2. The World We're MakingMusic is such a lonely fantasy
Harmony's so hard to find I know you feel a certain rhapsody when in the play of the mind It must have been doubt that eclipsed your heart and made you see only the wrong You've seen it all fail many times before You forgot that your vision's a song Maybe you're searching for a sanctity Some kind of peace to be met I know you're aching for the world to see the righteous example you set But something inside turned your praise to tears 'Cause only through tears could you fail to see that the true answer comes from inside Just close your eyes and hold me near you And we'll create our own paradise The world we're making has no restrictions So with our love let's fill our world with something nice Music can charm you with a thousand tones The magic is so hard to miss When we aspire for our dreams alone It's easy to force with a fist So silence your eyes, give your hands a rest and let your creation unfold There's more to what's real than the eyes will say And it may be your lenses are old So close your eyes and hold me near you And we'll create our own paradise The world we're making has no restrictions So with our love let's fill our world with something nice So silence your eyes Put your thoughts to rest And let your creation unwind There's more to what's real than the eyes will say And there may be an ending we'll find Just close your eyes and hold me near you And we'll create our own paradise The world we're making has no restrictions So with our love let's fill our world with something nice So with our love let's fill our world with something nice So with our love let's fill our world with something nice |
About this song: I wrote this song after my first term in college at the University of Oregon, during which I had met many people who inspired me, who had visions of a better world. The U of O is full of activists, seeking to make the world a better place. But despite their ideals, I always sensed a certain agony in their discontent with the way things are. We all have times in which we sing the music of our vision without really opening up to it and letting it unveil right in front of us. Even if our intentions are good, when we let our actions be fueled by discontent rather than gratitude, we shut out the world, and our music becomes a "lonely fantasy." All we need to do is close our eyes and realize that we are making the world we live in right now, and that because of this we can find contentment with it just the way it is.
|
3. Endless DelightIs it true, or do I imagine
all I see in this world to be right? The joy, the virtue—is it not an endless delight? How can I stand by my first conviction? Never have I known hunger or war But still I care for the souls who endure evermore The cry for tomorrow must make itself known There are crimes worth repairing It is my only wish that the world can be one But while it is eager, the words come undone Days I look for a simple answer Sighs and sorrows are all that return And none, oh, none of my heartstrings will ever sojourn Gazing out from the rising pasture They might offer their endless surmise Until the nocturne is over and darkness replies The cry for tomorrow must make itself known There are crimes worth repairing It is my only wish that the world can be one But while it is eager, the words come undone I fear that someday, serenity will fall and repeal our resolve to control But the laws of the land and the letters at hand give a sense that we're filling the hole The cry for tomorrow must make itself known There are crimes worth repairing It is my only wish that the world can be one But while it is eager, the words come undone Is it true, or do I imagine all I see in this world that is right? The pains, the promise—let's make it our endless delight |
About this song: This is a song I wrote and performed in fall 2005 for a talent show that one of my friends had put together to raise money to aid children in North Korea. It is a paradox, isn't it? That the world can contain so much suffering, and yet have the potential to be perfect right now?
|
4. Get Off the TracksCruising, top-speed on the 105
you've got the highway fever Cruising, faster than the engine can drive you're the high-speed seeker But every time you take your green and go it's like you're traveling south on a run-down road You go so fast, but you're leaving the good sights behind Your eyes keep steering with the same old stare Your wheels keep taking on the same old wear Get off the tracks You've got a place to go and a motor to ride Cruising, round and round the outskirts of town you're the beltway rider Cruising, that's the road you know and the road to which you're no outsider But as you circle 'round, you might go flat from having nowhere to run, so quit turning back You've got your hopes, but that's not how the old west was won Your tires keep treading on the same old trail You're spokes keep ripping to the same old rail Get off the tracks You're ready for the shot and you're jumping the gun You long for the spirit, you know we can hear it It's the itching that we feel everyday To take on a new road, a faced-by-the-few road That's the American way You reach for renewal as you're using your fuel towards a life that you wish to fulfill They call you a dreamer, but you're such a believer that you never give up, there's no shortage of will But from the airway comes a fine exhaust and you don't know what it is to have lived and lost You've met your match but there's more to the match than its might Your hands keep gripping with the same old grasp Your wheels keep clipping with the same old clasp Get off the tracks you've got to roll it down and pick up for the flight Your ride keeps cranking out the same old roll Oh, you keep driving with the same old goal Get off the tracks you've got your go-ahead and you're wheelin' tonight |
About this song: I think it might be ingrained into American culture that we have to go as fast as we can and stick to our course. We don't like to doubt our original thinking or take risks with respect to how we invent ourselves. But if there is a better way that gets us where we want to go and allows us to enjoy it as well, why not try it?
|
5. I Will Care for YouWhat if a candle were forced to burn,
left out unnoticed with no one to make warm? I've seen it happen a couple of times before The flame of sadness Don't go melting now, I will care for you What if a lion were forced to roar, docile and gentle but pressured to perform It's only nature, but it's still a deceiving score The tale of madness Don't go raging now, I will care for you And it's only loneliness that you fear So take shelter, candle, I'll keep you near The storm will pass and it will be kind to you What if the bells were forced to chime? Never the freedom to break out from the rhyme A little jingle has often been too defined A ring for laughter Don't go crying now, I will care for you What if the flowers were forced to grow, flooded and weeded, in a tiny little row It doesn't seem like such a tragedy, but you know It blooms for sadness But don't go wilting now, I will care for you And it's only loneliness that you fear So take shelter, candle, I'll keep you near The storm will pass and it will be kind to you Don't go melting now, I will care for you Don't go melting now, I will care for you |
About this song: I am a romantic at heart, and a part of me always longs to have someone to care for. But have you noticed that even the most unsuspecting things could be in need of that care?
|
6. Stay AliveLord, I'm a warrior of sense
And my conscience says something's not right While the arrows that fly make me fend for my life, I'd rather show love than continue to fight I have always believed that such violence cannot be the way I'm a beggar for crumbs I'm a merciful man So I'd like to resist and allow them to stay-- Stay alive What happened to all that I used to believe? I thought that a life was a sacred thing But the wisdom above says there's no need to grieve The soul is recycled here And karma is crystal clear I'm in charge of the duty So prepare my hand-me-downs right away Stick with me for the beauty as the world begins to make right and pray Stay alive Stay alive Stay alive Lord, I'm a warrior in need Teach me how to accept what I've done Why perform such an action if wisdom is all? Why cause unneeded harm when we're really all one? Look into your life's path See your blade as the gateway of souls Rid yourself of desire and passion and grief It's inherent to act as your duty unfolds So, stay alive What happened to all of the things that I've made? I thought that they might not have gone to waste But the Lord says these things are meant only to fade Relinquish the fruits of acts Perfection will come to pass I'm in charge of the duty So prepare my hand-me-downs right away Stick with me for the beauty as the world begins to make right and pray Stay alive Stay alive Stay alive What is it that God would have asked me to be? Sustained by the wisdom of mastery, Fixed in a state of perpetual calm, Unfettered by what I do, Devoted and steadfast to Stay alive... |
About this song: This is a religious song inspired by the Bhagavad Gita, a principal text of Hinduism. The Gita opens with Arjuna, a great warrior prince, expressing his deep distress to the god Krishna that he must kill his cousins as a duty of war. Arjuna asks Krishna if killing will not bring dishonor to the sacredness of life and to the spiritual principles he holds dear. Krishna's response may be counterintuitive to us of a western culture background, but it rings true to me: the soul is so indestructible and sacred that it cannot possibly be harmed by a blade of this world. So, once you have rid yourself of the passion and grief that makes you act only out of self-interest, what is there to do but become completely willing to act upon one's duty in the eyes of God? And for this warrior in ancient times, that duty was to fight to the death so that he could "stay alive" and live out his destiny, a legacy that would span thousands of years.
|
7. Warm WordsWarm words of encouragement embrace me
They take me where no one else has ever gone Warm, soft sounds of nourishment sustain me Throughout all the journeys I travel on Did she tell me once that I was her someone-- An honest son and one deserving of praise? Did she know I'd treasure all that she told me And keep it for the gray and rainy days? Warm words of encouragement uplift me They raise me to elevations and beyond Warm, soft sounds of nourishment uphold me And give me the strength that I travel on Did she give me all that I could have asked for?-- A smile to trade on days we played by the grin Did she know I'd share my dreams with the world?-- For when have I refused to let her in? Warm words of encouragement embrace me they take me where no one else has ever gone I would do anything for warm words I would go anywhere for warm words I would do anything for warm words |
About this song: I wrote the "Warm Words" verses when I was 13, inspired by my mother and the way she would lift my spirits with her love and encouragement. In preparing The World We're Making, I added the "Did she..." verses and decided to dedicate this song to my wonderful mother.
|
8. This MomentI wonder,
Should I take the chance? Dare I seek to find another romance? No answer could move my eyes to a picture I could fantasize I'd rather be watching you for your movements are definitely true I want to be caught in the moment with you next to me But no matter how much we try this moment's gonna pass us by No sooner the flicker's past I've lighted what was never going to last I wonder, Should I climb the wall, Or should I refuse to risk the fall? No answer could move my eyes to a picture I could fantasize I'd rather be watching you for your movements are definitely true I want to be caught in the moment with you next to me But no matter how much we try this moment's gonna pass us by No sooner the flicker's past I've lighted what was never going to last I will revive my sleepless heart tonight I will survive It's only a matter of sight I will return to the innocent eyes of my home I will relearn to face the next moment alone I wonder Should I fight the time? Dare I challenge forces beyond mine? No answer could move my eyes to a picture I could fantasize I'd rather be watching you for your movements are definitely true I want to be caught in the moment with you next to me But no matter how much we try this moment's gonna pass us by No sooner the flicker's past I've lighted what was never going to last No matter how much we try this moment's gonna pass us by No sooner the flicker's past I've lighted what was never ever, ever going to last |
About this song: "This Moment" expresses the uncertainties and inner conflicts that came with deciding to enter into a romantic relationship. How we act on these decisions may change the course of our lives!
|
9. Our SundayI had a dream that you'd enter my life
That I'd meet you and know who you were And we'd come smile-to-smile with our faces no longer a blur That was a dream that I'd relive again if it didn't come true for me But you pierced through the daze, and you showed me the ways as you drifted ashore from the dream That was our Sunday, just one day an out-of-the-blue reverie That was our Sunday, the day that you sang to me Four weary nights and a fifth passed me by 'till I promised myself to awake In my dream there was light But no road that was ready to take Those were the nights that I'd cower before if they ever came back again But the day that arose and the smile that exposed brought the joy I'd awaited in vain That was our Sunday, just one day an out-of-the-blue reverie That was our Sunday, the day that you sang to me Tomorrow, a lighthouse so far on the road holds the pleasure and leisure of night The sunrise returns to our shining abode telling darkness to give way to sight Tomorrow, a lighthouse will shelter our love as we share in our passionate dreams The sunset responds as it hovers above bringing closure to all its extremes That was our Sunday, just one day an out-of-the-blue reverie That was our Sunday, the day that you sang to me That was our Sunday... |
About this song: This song resolves the struggle of "This Moment" by introducing a tender and out-of-the-blue emergence of romance.
|
10. A Mystery to Me(Before my eyes you vanish)
I know it's impossible to be with you during every waking hour You've got to have your private moments I only wish I could be there to make those moments special I know it's a childish fantasy to think that I can follow you everywhere You've got to have your own vocation I only wish I could be there to make your job worthwhile Watching you stroll out of sight you're really not a sight to miss As we say a short goodbye You disappear into the mist A mystery to me (Before my eyes you vanish) I know it's ridiculous to wish that you and I could always be together We've got to have our separate places But for the time when we're apart I'll still be thinking of you I know it's unheard of to expect that you think of me as I think of you But everybody has their weakness If missing you is mine then I must face this separation Watching you stroll out of sight you're really not a sight to miss As we say a short goodbye You disappear into the mist A mystery to me (Before my eyes you vanish) Mysteries are all about discovery, so pardon me, but what can I discover when you're gone? I can't seem to find a good recovery, oh woe is me, I guess I'm only half of what I'm living on I know it's a heavy price to pay Letting myself run about in heartache But I've got to have my own devotion I only hope you have the same and we can be together Watching you stroll out of sight you're really not a sight to miss As we say a short goodbye You disappear into the mist A mystery to me Before my eyes you vanish Before my eyes you vanish You're such a mystery to me |
About this song: And the progression of the romantic relationship continues. For me, the beginning of a relationship is highly exciting!--the longing to be with that person during ever waking moment, the yearning to know everything about them and to explore the grand "mystery" that is who they are. And that mystery appears most elusively every time she leaves my sight--where is she going? What is she doing in this world that exists independently of me? It's a beautiful intrigue!
|
11. Christi's LullabyRestless in the night
Christi dawns her eyes and awakens Tending to her muse as she paints her dues inspiration—couldn't sleep it through inspiration—more than she ever knew Through the window I see Christi having a pleasant time Making music in her pictures painting a lullaby as I stop by I see Christi come alive Fast away she flies love was in her eyes and her easel Christi lifts her brush and begets the touch of her angel painting everyone as her angel more than she's ever done Through the window I see Christi having a pleasant time Nature's wonders in her pictures painting a lullaby as I stop by I see Christi come alive She labors in rejoice, carefully envisions a voice, and calls me into a dream The masterpiece reveals everything I wanted to feel as I enter the scene of Christi's lullaby Oh, Christi's lullaby As the muse conspires I begin to tire in her wonder Tending to my sleep eyes I fail to keep Christi's thunder has me sung to sleep (lullaby) The best she could ever be Through the window I see Christi having a pleasant time Making music in her pictures painting a lullaby; I start to sigh I see Christi's lullaby |
About this song: Have you ever been unable to sleep because your muse is calling you, inspiring you to create something beautiful right now?
Imagine you are walking the dark streets in the middle of the night, and in the window of one building, you see a light turned on. Through the window, there is a woman painting, with an expression on her face of pure inspiration, of pure bliss, so powerful that she doesn't even notice you looking in. What a beautiful sight! You watch her for a time, wondering why she is up so late and what moves her to continue to work so many hours on her creation. And all the while, her painting is a kind of lullaby for your weary soul. You melt in awe. "Christi's Lullaby" also features one of my favorite poetic writing techniques: synesthesia, which is the combining of different senses (such as sight and hearing) into a single experience. What does music look like? What does a painting sound like? That is the lullaby. |
12. She's TrappedMy friend is always upon the stage
So crowds applaud for her action They don't imagine behind the scenes that she's abandoned the show she's living I don't know what I can do for her That stage has taken her best face What gets me back in to see her show is how so carefully she crafts her art With the skill of a performer divine She can wield the power of words Burying herself in a hole of lies She's trapped and never will see light again She's trapped will never be herself again Before I go, I need her now to know My friend is not what she used to be Though she has staged her transition To keep her audience satisfied I long for some kind of honest plot I don't know why she has gone so far I could not sense this misfortune Until the voice that was once so dear Transformed into a pretentious guise With the talent of a singer divine She can feign the power of song Covering herself with a coat of sorrow She's trapped and never will see light again She's trapped will never be herself again Before I go, I need her now to know Sighs of angst Flowers of endearing envy She stays blank Trying not to lose her cover But I think her rhythm slightly sank I see her back on the stage again As she delivers her encore I cry for such a dramatic pause And in the heat of the starting chord She delivers a spectacular face She can forge the eyes of the blind Kindling herself with the fires of spotlight She's trapped and never will see light again She's trapped will never be herself again Before I go, I need her now to know |
About this song: This song expresses one of my frustrations with the way people often put up a false face and hide who they really are, just to please others. Imagine living your whole life developing a persona that is not truly you, but a face that has grown into your identity by nature of the fact that others expect you or want you to be this way. How we tend to cling to such a persona as if it were our only way of being!
|
13. Walden PondA time agone, a time ago,
a ripple felt its worth It rang the trees and sang the hills and softly shared its birth It takes me back to Walden Pond where I first heard the song A trickle down to the roots below and I was natural again Walden, I can see the world in ways that never dawned Among the trees, your surest home is here at Walden Pond It drank from me and fed my thirst, the less I knew was real Reflections in the pond, I see the truth to be revealed The sighs of old, the cries of young, the pains of all beyond The trades of man, the sage's song-- all echo Walden Pond Walden, I can see the world in ways that never dawned The seeds of earth, the streams of life flow out of Walden Pond (Samsara) The rains are come, you've lost yourself, and yet you're never gone The toils we trade, and plans we made are ripples in the pond It draws me into eternal hope the source is never far I'll live in infancy all again and rest in good nature's arms Walden, I can see the world in ways that never dawned Your waves are slow, and still we breathe-- we're here in Walden Pond |
About this song: One of my mentors used to teach me about one of his favorite books, Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I loved the idea that Thoreau left civilization to live in the woods near Walden Pond in order to reflect on nature and society and to "live deliberately." To me, it represents the epitome of the philosophical quest. How can we create a beautiful world if we don't take time every so often to connect with that source within ourselves that can manifest it?
In college, I read a great deal of transcendentalist literature, including works by Emerson, Whitman, and some of Thoreau's other writing. However, I never did read Walden. I never needed to! Every time I would open the book to start it, it always seemed pointless to read about somebody else's experience with nature rather than have my own! Even if I had read Walden, how could I understand it any more than I already did without having lived by the pond myself? Thus, you have my poetic attempt to live Thoreau's courageous philosophical quest in my own way. After all, it is the world WE're making, not the world someone else put in an anthology for us to read about. Perhaps I will live among the trees myself someday... |