EXITMUSIC 1014
Written, arranged and produced by
Mikel Rouse
EXITMUSIC RECORDINGS
Corner Loading (Volume 1) is a solo vocal/guitar recording that attempts to blend Rouse’s polymetric style of writing with country blues techniques. The title comes from an early method of recording a singer/guitarist facing a corner to naturally “roll off” the high and low end of the recording. Taking up where the blues left off after the so called British Invasion, Rouse imagines what might have happened if the blues hadn’t become absorbed in a traditional 12 bar band constraint. Many artists in the 1930’s were dealing intuitively with micro-tonality and shifting rhythmic motifs. Rouse uses modern tempo canons and cross-rhythms between the voice and guitar to create a recording that is both old and new at the same time. Similarly, he takes a subtle humanist approach to the lyrics to contrast and highlight the uneasy relationship between faith and belief and the often contradictory messages in early blues (commonly referred to as “the Devil’s Music”).
01. Active Denial
02. (Running Out Of Time For) Good News
03. My Tide
04. Made Up, Oh Lord
05. Years
06. Busy Humanist
07. Be Real Bad
08. Trouble Making
09. Lonesome Shoeshine
10. Great Adventure Jail
11. Hide In There
12. It’s Hard To Be Nobody
13. Ad Man
Lyrics
ACTIVE DENIAL
Maybe I wanna do it again
Pick up the past and always pretend
What in the world and where have you been?
Leave it to chance or God in the end
We got a world that never began
We’re takin’ turns for every man
Give it a rest and give what you can
Active denial America
Active denial America
America and everyone first
Always the best and always the worst
Take it from me and take it from her
Take it from everyone else in this world
We got a way that never begins
We got a way of measuring trends
We’re taking orders for everyone’s sins
Active denial America
Active denial America
What in the world and where have you been?
Active denial and everyone’s friend
Ready or not it’s coming your way
Pick up the past and always prepay
We got a world that never began
We’re takin’ turns for every man
Give it a rest and give what you can
Active denial America
Active denial America
Maybe I wanna do it again
Let’s take a poll to see where we’ve been
Bury the gods of war and of man
Give an award whenever you can
We got a world that never begins
We got a way of measuring trends
We’re taking orders for everyone’s sins
Active denial America
Active denial America
Maybe I wanna do it again
Maybe I wanna do it again
Maybe I wanna do it again
Maybe I don’t
(Running Out Of Time For) GOOD NEWS
Well I’m running out of time for good news
My time is running out
And see I’m walking; I’m walking side by side
With angels all cross-eyed
These ghosts that follow me, they mispronounce my name
And they won’t let me be
I know everyone here
Now it’s perfectly clear
All our time has run out
That’s what this is about
Time to bury belief
Take a break from the grief
Stop that running in place
Well I’m running out of time for good news
My time is running out
And see I’m driving; I’m driving on the wrong side
Now I’m crossing the curb
And all of my ghosts, they don’t even drive
They’re mistakes of mine
I know everyone here
Now it’s perfectly clear
All our time has run out
That’s what this is about
Time to bury belief
Take a break from the grief
Stop that running in place
Well I’m running out of time for good news
My time is running out
And the burden of proof, the burden’s on me
And all the cross-eyed angels
An angel as ghost, a bad memory
We made it all up
MY TIDE
My tide is waiting around
It can’t get off of the ground
My tide is waiting
My tide is waiting around
My tide is waiting around
I can’t get up of the floor
My tide is waiting
And I can’t take it no more
My tide is waiting around
My tide is waiting around
My life is handed to me
My tide is waiting
And I can never be free
My tide is waiting around
My tide is waiting around
This soul it landed on earth
My tide is waiting
And it can never rehearse
My tide is waiting around
My tide is waiting around
I cannot drink from this cup
My tide is waiting
The city swallowed me up
My tide is waiting around
My tide is waiting around
They say a sign will appear
My tide is waiting
But I don’t see it from here
My tide is waiting around
My tide is waiting around
It can’t get off of the ground
My tide is waiting
My tide is waiting around
MADE UP, OH LORD
I wonder what I save for tomorrow
I wonder what’s forever or borrowed
There’s meaning in a manner of speaking
Depending on who’s doing the bleeding
Oh Lord, when are you going to be made up?
When are you going to be made up?
The miracle ain’t worth the repeating
In favor of a spirit that’s fleeting
I wonder about that sinking feeling
Oh Lord, when are you going to be made up?
When are you going to be made up?
I wonder what I save for tomorrow
I wonder what’s forever or borrowed
There’s meaning in a manner of speaking
Depending on who’s taking the beating
Oh Lord, when are you going to be made up?
When are you going to be made up?
When are you going to be made up?
YEARS
Of all the dust and drapery
And oven coils and trails
Of all long lost machinery
That rattled down the rails
The quiet calm economy
The melting and profane
Good humor in a shopping cart
The army can’t contain
Create the glow of afterlife
The modern micro-brew
The damage and the escapades
The jolly can’t undo
The disappointed revelry
Of all our lives in vain
Replace the truth of misery
The army can’t contain
BUSY HUMANIST
Take a lonely road on the way to amnesia
In a country where they let go of all reason
It’s like a swan dive into a sea of confusion
You better get busy
You better get busy humanist
And it’s bottoms up in the land of creation
For a single shot at the lamb of salvation
Unlock the bubblehead of the new sensation
You better get busy
You better get busy humanist
Take a lonely road on the way to amnesia
For a short cut to the senses that please ya
It’s just a jack knife into the land of extinction
You better get busy
You better get busy humanist
BE REAL BAD
You know I ain’t gonna be real bad
You know I ain’t gonna be real bad
You know I ain’t gonna be real bad
I ain’t gonna be real bad
I ain’t gonna be real bad
TROUBLE MAKING
Trouble making trouble making trouble making trouble now
Trouble making trouble making trouble making trouble now
Trouble making in the morning
Trouble making through the night
Trouble making rules are changing
And it’s alright
Amen Amen Amen
Trouble making trouble making trouble making trouble now
Trouble making trouble making trouble making trouble now
Trouble making true believers
Trouble making for a fight
Trouble making rules are changing
And it’s alright
Amen makin’ trouble
Amen makin’ trouble
LONESOME SHOESHINE
Hail this magic moment put your hot wings on hold
Take this lonesome shoeshine and forget what you’re told
Marinate the money ‘till it turns into gold
Illustrated man got nothing for what he’s sold
Lonesome shoeshine why don’t you find a new line of work?
Power pimps agree to always travel in twos
Take a load off me and these relief makin’ blues
Left and right agree to walk a mile in these shoes
Tag team referees with no insurance to lose
Well-entitled citizens are payin’ their dues
Limit liability whenever you choose
Lonesome shoeshine why don’t you find a new line of work?
Better homes and gardens can’t be built out of mud
Single channel lover crossed with damaging dud
Lonesome shoeshine wouldn’t know a rose from a bud
Hail this magic moment of the impotent stud
Lonesome shoeshine why don’t you find a new line of work?
GREAT ADVENTURE JAIL
My soul’s in Great Adventure jail
My body and soul’s in Great Adventure jail
I’m trapped here in
Mono mapped here in
And handclapped in Great Adventure jail
Joey’s in Great Adventure jail
You and Joey’s in Great Adventure jail
Can’t get no bail in
Can’t get no mail in
No love for sale in Great Adventure jail
The world’s in Great Adventure jail
The whole world’s in Great Adventure jail
It’s lost and found in
Can’t get around in
World’s upside down in Great Adventure jail
We’re all in Great Adventure jail
You and me in Great Adventure jail
We’re all let down in
All the same town
We’re lost and found in Great Adventure jail
We’ll be released in Great Adventure jail
We’ll all be released in Great Adventure jail
On Judgment Day in
We’ll hope and pray in
For one more day in Great Adventure jail
HIDE IN THERE
Before you pass away what did you want to say?
Being that flesh is weak, spiritual hide ‘n’ seek
Lucky loves not lost; bury the hidden cost
Hide in there I will hide in there I will hide in there
Before you pass away what did you try to say?
Maybe it’s love on loan, borrow or bring your own
Being that flesh is weak, spiritual hide ‘n’ seek
Hide in there I will hide in there I will hide in there
Before you pass away what did you mean to say?
Before the flesh was free what did it mean to me?
Being the one to love lonely as up above
Hide in there I will hide in there I will hide in there
IT’S HARD TO BE NOBODY
It’s hard to be nobody
When somebody’s calling
It’s hard to be nobody
When somebody’s calling
It’s one hell of a ride
It’s hard to be nobody
When somebody’s calling
It’s got to be so lonely
When markets are falling
It’s one hell of a ride
Always on the outside
It’s hard to be nobody
When somebody’s waiting
Like destiny you will be
Obscurity dating
It’s one hell of a ride
Always on the outside
Lazy boy open wide
It’s hard to be nobody
When somebody’s better
The hope around the corner
And you never met her
AD MAN
I am an ad man and I do all that an ad man can
I plan a campaign and I sell it to my fellow man
I wrote the scriptures I wrote copy for the HBO
I am the reason there’s no reason to get up and go
I am an ad man and I’m drowning people everyday
Making sure every inch of airspace promises to pay
Make believe with me and the soothing smell of evergreen
Recycle policy and chemicals to keep you lean
I am an ad man and I broke the bank to buy more time
Packaging children I’ll do anything to make a dime
Married or single I can find a way to every home
Money to manage leaving well enough to leave alone
Lyrics © 2010 Mikel Rouse
All rights reserved
Published by Club Soda Music (ASCAP)
Used by permission