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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Long Story Short home demo recordings from 2006-9, Midsummer Night demos, Ernest Shackleton Loves Me Home Demos, Every Seven, Midsummer Night (single), Brown Bag Compilation #1, and Beautiful Poison (single).
1. |
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Hi I’m Kat
This is my gear
I write music with my pointy violin.
What you should know
About my ax
Is that to play it, first you have to plug it in.
I compose
Modern operas
They're avant garde, groundbreaking and new
Out on the edge of the musical galaxy
Giant mosaics of colors and tones
Pushing the envelope, searching, exploring
Through 3-hour dramas of passion and woe
Cerebral exciting inventive experiments
Maybe attended by 5 or 6 people
Who walk out disgusted before intermission
Proclaiming out loud as they go
“She sucks.”
Yep, they say that loud enough so I can hear it.
I was broke
Completely broke
And in the opera biz I didn't have a prayer
I took a gig
A music gig
Where you don't realize the music's even there
I write the score
For video games
Music for games that hurtle boys through space
Pasty and pimply and gangly teenagers
Paying my rent and my huge student loans
'Cause that's what a master's in music will get you
A backbreaking bloodsucking black hole of debt
And you try and you try not to be just a sellout
You try and you try to be true to your art
And instead I accompany blowups and bleeps
And the blast of an alien jet
This sucks.
Okay, it sucks—so what the hell, I may as well sell my artistic soul in the most epic way possible.
If I have to make music for space
I will not make boring music for space
Typical music for space that fades into the background
Oh, no.
I will make symphonies sweeping and soaring
For each little space cruiser revving and roaring
The score will transport you right out of your chair
Put a chill up your spine and a curl in your hair
And you won't even realize I am the source
Of the pulse-pounding power—but I am the force
The soundtrack within every game-playing boy
The song of their sweat and their pain and their joy
The ecstasy of victory
The agony of defeat
The star captain warrior
Rocketing to my beat
Space Pirates!
That’s the name of the stupid game I’m working on. You’re like Robin Hood or Han Solo flying through the galaxies! And the best thing about all this geeky tech stuff—I don’t need anyone else, I can do it all by my lonesome. So I took the ol’ laptop and plugged in my keyboard and I added an entire string section—
(she does)
And then trumpets!
(she does)
And low soulful brass!
(she does)
And what the hell, some bombast!
(she adds tympani)
Welcome to my symphony, teenage couch potatoes!
Space Pirates!
Space Pirates!
Go forth and find your destiny on every distant shore
You fly against the odds
Immortal as the gods
You fail and then you prevail again
You sail where no one's ever been before
And suddenly
My music is bigger than me
More than me
Better than me
And I can even add more people than me
(in harmony with herself)
More people than me
And I can warn of dangers to come—
(suddenly, through the microphone, she has a deep, commanding man's voice)
"Don't go in there! it's full of mutants!"
I make little boys feel like supermen
The finest and bravest conquering-the-future men
Like Columbus, like Captain Underpants
With courage to carry on in any circumstance
Ponce de Leon, Jacques Cousteau, Ernest Shackleton
Erik the Red, Neil Armstrong, Indiana Jones
Anyone real or not
Who took their shot
And actually had to leave their chair
To see
The world
Now before you think I’m a total sellout here, I’d just like to say that Space Pirates has been beta tested by like 300 gaming teenage freaks, and guess what the freaks’ favorite part of the entire damn game is:
My music!
My music!
My big!
John Williams!
On steroids!
Friggin' music!
So my operas are gathering dust on the shelf
But at least someone hears me aside from myself
My three hundred beta test boys
My three hundred beautiful beta test boys
Maybe one day there'll be three million of 'em
For now there are three hundred boys and I love 'em
Three hundred underage twitchy and pasty-faced fabulous pimply boys
Who think that I don’t suck!
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2. |
Standing In The Shadow
04:17
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I got lost
I got off track
Well I took the long way 'round, but now I'm back
I was wrong,
now I got it right,
and I got a fist full of flowers for you tonight
but I'm standing in the shadow of the man who is first in line
yes I'm standing in the shadow of the man who is first in line
I was down
on my luck
I was living in the back of my pickup truck
I got high
I got low
but I got back up on my feet and I'm good to go
but I'm standing in the shadow of the man who is first in line
and I'm looking over his shoulder and I see that you're still looking fine
(yes you are)
and I'm tryin' to cut in, but baby I know the score
he's got everything I got and just a little bit more
and I'm standing in the shadow of the man who is first in line
well I guess I had my chance and blew it good
shoulda asked you out to dance back when I could
now I'm sitting at the bar wishing you were mine,
and I watch you dance around the floor with the man who was first in line.
Well it's all right
I shoulda known
I guess I'll have me a diet cola and go on home
before I go
I just wanna say
you look as good as you did the day I let you slip away
and I'm
standing in the shadow of the man who is first in line
yes I know the way the game is played and I can see the exit sign
'cause the very best I got, it might as well be my worst
I'm the second man in line and your new man is the first
oh, I'm standing in the shadow of the man who is first in line.
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3. |
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this is it!
this is the big brass ring and you’re grabbin’ it!
you’re a hit!
the star of the reagan cabinet!
some men quit when the going gets rough.
deep inside they’ve had enough.
but your interior is tough,
that’s your department!
time to move!
time to pick up that weight and carry it!
gotta prove
you’re running the best damn secretariat!
you don’t care what tomorrow brings!
you’re too busy signing things!
that’s how you pull the strings
in your department!
meetings with assistants!
strategy reviews!
can you go the distance?
will you win or lose?
oversee the budget!
go through it line by line.
better order up a sandwich
you’ll be staying here ‘til nine!
(instrumental break)
you will not surrender!
you will not give in!
not when your agenda
is a battle you must win!
memos in your inbox!
ketchup on your lap!
better open up the pull-out
and take a power nap!
you’ve got a goal:
changing the world deregulatorily!
stay in control,
and it’ll all go hunkily-dorily!
everyone looks up to you
you’re strong and proud and brave and true,
and now the place you work is too.
that’s your department!
your department!
your department!
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4. |
Beautiful Poison
04:09
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in Rome a thousand years ago
the fashion of the day
was to make the eyes look larger
and the drops from this plant were the very best way
so every lovely lady fair
had huge eyes that glistened and shined
all with thanks to bella donna
she could drive a man out of his mind
and then she would slowly go blind
the truth came clear as years went by
each girlfriend or mistress or wife
could no longer see in the mirror
the amorous eyes that would cost her her life
imagine all the tears they shed
imagine their shock and surprise
when they found their doom was due to the bloom
that gave them their beautiful eyes
oh
beautiful poison
heart of jesus, angel's wing
the star of bethlehem
oleander, whistling thorn
I know every leaf every root every stem
so many ways to end a life
to set your spirit free
a taste of water hemlock leaf
or a bite of the fruit of the suicide tree
yellow jasmine, bleeding heart
black nightshade, christmas rose
angel's trumpet, leopard's bane
and this is how my garden grows
in New Orleans, right here, right now,
there's danger everywhere
and it's best to keep your distance
but hard to resist when you breathe the sweet air
with every lovely blossom fair
you have to be careful, you know
can you look past the thorns and the nettles
just how far are you willing to go?
do you dare to dig deep down below?
if you go beneath the surface and
embrace all that's strange and bizarre
all these fragile fatal flowers
they don't deserve blame, they can't help what they are
imagine how the flowers feel
they yearn to reach up toward the sky
without warmth from above and devotion and love
their beauty will wither and die.
oh
beautiful poison
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5. |
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The bobbin, the flyer
The high tension wire
The pedal, the treadle, the hook
Rotate it fully
And pull on the pulley
A twist of the wrist—and then look!
Once in a while there’s a rebel thread
See, here’s one beginning to fray
I rip it apart till I’m sure that it’s dead
Just kill it if it won’t obey
The wheel goes ’round, the wheel goes ’round
The choice is made, the thread is wound
You spin the yarn, the yarn is spun
The sheep is shorn, can’t be undone
The wheel goes ’round and ’round
Alpaca, angora
They have such an aura
Mohair’s nowhere to be had
The worst one was worsted
It’s gone now—I cursed it
Remember my temper—it’s bad
Old and forgotten and all alone
I hold every grudge, every slight
With a grip made of steel
and a heart made of stone
I can hang on incredibly tight
The wheel goes ’round, the wheel goes ’round
The choice is made, the thread is wound
You spin the yarn, the yarn is spun
The sheep is shorn, can’t be undone
The wheel goes ’round and ’round
’Round and ’round, ’round she goes
Where she stops I suppose
You could say
There’s a way
To take charge of your fate
It might not be too late
Take the wheel
If you feel
You can handle the tension, the stress and the speed
The sharp places a princess’s fingers could bleed
Not to worry though—look at you, grown up so tall
And so smart and so strong—I have no doubt at all
You’ll be fine, take her out for a spin, hold on tight
Stay away from the spindle, you might be all right
BAD FAIRY & BEAUTY
The wheel goes ’round, the wheel goes ’round
The choice is made, the thread is wound
You spin the yarn, the yarn is spun
The sheep is shorn, can’t be undone
The wheel goes ’round and ’round
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6. |
Empowered
03:06
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(As the music begins, HOPE enters in a flurry of activity, with two shopping bags of clothes and shoes. She is wearing a relatively sexy outfit. She drops the bags on the bed.)
Empowered
Fabulous, fifty and single
My friends said you'll find you a much better guy
If you just get on out there and mingle
Men will be lined up outside of your door
Life will be better than ever before
You're smart and amazing and beautiful —you're
Empowered!
(She exits the way she came in, leaving the bags. CHARLES enters with a glass of water and waters the plants. He notices the bags. He leaves. HOPE re-enters, with more new clothing and shoes. As she sings the following, she is rummaging through the bags for a new outfit and new shoes.)
Emboldened
Okay, date number one's not the winner
Time to try harder, get back in the game
You know, Rome wasn't built over dinner
I'll be more selective—I think that's the key
This evening a drink with a nice Ph.D.
Shorter skirt, higher heels, you can bet that I'll be
Emboldened!
(HOPE exits to the bathroom holding a black cocktail dress and high heels, presumably to change into. CHARLES enters with a glass of water. This time he takes down all the plants, replaces them with lusher, greener plants, and waters them. He is bemused by the profusion of dresses and shoes. He exits through the front door. HOPE enters through the front door. She is wearing the black cocktail dress and high heels. She looks fabulous, but she is visibly deflated.)
Embarrassed
Embarrassing even to say why
Conversation was sparkling and witty and fun
I just had a date with a gay guy
I should have known better, how could I not see
That no good-looking hetero doctor would be
So into an aging neurotic like me
Embarrassed
(HOPE leaves through the front door. CHARLES enters with a glass of water. He replaces the plants with even larger, lusher versions, waters them and leaves. HOPE enters, stumbling. She is drunk, and disappointed.)
My friends say, "Try something new, Hope"
My friends say, "It's the right thing to do, Hope"
My friends say "Speed dating's great, Hope"
They say, "It's never too late, Hope"
So I'm back from four dates with four men in four hours
Four cups of coffee, then four whiskey sours
One must have doused his whole self with cologne
One spent the whole freaking time on the phone
One had a comb-over, one was a gnome
And I'm tired and pissed and I'd rather stay home
I need a good man
Someone who went to high school
Someone who speaks English
Someone who's still breathing
I need ice cream.
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7. |
Still Love
03:03
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This is what we always wanted
To be side by side as we grow old
Chatting each evening, on the porch swing
As we watch the days unfold
All of the lines and the wrinkles
Make a map of our lows and our highs
I love your crow's-feet and your laugh lines
And the deep brown of your eyes
The way I can nestle my head in your shoulder and it fits so perfectly
The way that your arms can encircle my waist when you're standing next to me
The way we fit better, shorter and fatter than we ever used to be
Every so often I notice
Your hair has a new strand of grey
Can't remember if I've told you
You still take my breath away
If you don't hear so well, you can lean close when we're talking, am I right?
If you don't walk so well, we can just sit here and kiss in the twilight
And if we don't remember so much any more, we can dwell on the highlights
We don't have to be exciting
We don't have to run around
We don't have to dance the night away
We can be gentle
We can be still
You've always been gentle
And I always will
Love you
I still love you
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8. |
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It was so easy
To be your lover and your friend
And when I hear your voice
It all comes back again
You know I understand
Ambition has its price
But are you really sure
That it's my heart you want to sacrifice
PRECHORUS:
'Cause I have loved you oh so long, and I
I just know that you still care
And every day since you've been gone I
I still can feel your body there
CHORUS:
Patiently I wait for you
'Cause I know that no one else will ever do
I'll see it through
You'll come to me
If I wait patiently
My friends all tell me
To leave the memories behind
But I cannot forget
So easily this time
I have no tenderness
Reserved for someone new
I gave it all
I gave it all to you
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9. |
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Mike Errico has the right to reproduce these lyrics, and we don't unfortunately. But they're very pithy and good lyrics, so listen close. :)
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10. |
Barista Girl
04:33
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Hey, barista girl.
Hey, barista girl.
I picked the body up and threw it in the trunk trunk
I drove the car you know it's just a piece of junk junk
down by the lake I sank the body 'til it sunk
and hey, would you go out with me?
and now I'm finished with the jimmy jimmy job job
I'm always working 'cause I'm married to the mob mob
I know it sounds a little corny on the cob,
but hey, would you go out with me?
I'm so lonely tonight,
I'm so lonely tonight.
Hey, barista girl.
Now I'm at starbucks and I'm eating coffee cake cake
and Jimmy's sleeping with the fishes in the lake lake
I think I've had all the espresso I can take,
and hey, would you go out with me?
I'm so lonely tonight,
I'm so lonely tonight.
I could come pick you up when you get off of work
I could bump off your boss if he's being a jerk
so alone, so alone, so alone…
and I could take you far away from here
I could make your problems disappear (!)
(next two lines: sing in octaves)
and I know that sounds like a big cliche,
and I'm sure hit men hit on you all day,
but I'm aching for you, barista girl.
Hey girl I think you make a mocha really well well,
And you got lots of other talents, I can tell tell
Just let me wipe away this blood on my lapel
and hey would you go out with me?
I'm so lonely tonight.
I'm so lonely tonight.
I would treat you so fine, in the way you deserve.
I would ice anybody who gets on your nerves.
So alone, so alone, so alone...
and I could take you far away from here
I could make your problems disappear
and I know that sounds like a big cliche,
and I'm sure hit men hit on you all day,
but I'm aching for you, barista girl.
hey, barista girl.
I'm so lonely tonight.
I'm so lonely tonight.
Won't you please have some pity on poor little me
I got no one to kill, I go nowhere to be
so alone, so alone, so alone…
But I could take you far away from here
I could make your problems disappear
and I know that sounds like a big cliche,
and I'm sure hit men hit on you all day,
but I'm aching for you, barista girl.
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11. |
Leap
05:01
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how could I think of crossing the chasm
the vast expanse between me and you
I had my fears like everyone has 'em
as years went by the larger they grew
tied me up and tied me down
to my old familiar ground
still and static, safe and sound - but I found
If you leap - heaven knows just where you're going to land
If you leap - chances are it won't turn out like you planned
But if you don't if you won't you might always wish you had
and when you walked by, well I can't deny that I found that I just had to leap for you
I don't repair what hasn't been broken
I never question my status quo (oh no)
I used to leave my feelings unspoken
I'd just relax and go with the flow
but there you were, the turning tide
to rock my boat and toss aside
all my charts, all my plans
and all my pride
If you leap - heaven knows just where you're going to land
Dive in deep - you could drown or you could wash up on the sand
But if you don't if you won't you might always wish you had
and when you walked by, well I can't deny that I found that I just had to leap for you
I think it's safer not to climb too high
I get all dizzy looking down
I will admit that I'm afraid to fly
'cause I got no wings
and I've never tried
and these butterflies
flit around inside
but when I saw you
then the great divide
didn't seem so wide
and my feet just left the ground
I'll always be a little bit cautious
I'll always stop to look left & right
too much excitement makes me feel nauseous
but when you're with me then I just might
be okay,
now I see
how you make me
feel so free
even with
no guarantee
of what will be
If you leap - heaven knows just where you're going to land
If you leap - chances are it won't turn out like you planned
But if you don't if you won't you might always wish you had
but something about you made me leap
look in your eyes could make me weep
something about you made me leap
for you
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