boice b ice - subtletea · 4. everybody loves a comeback 5. hector 6. here’s the sin 7. wake up!...
TRANSCRIPT
inside cover cover
boce boice
H O W T O B E A N A D U L T
1. ITCHY BOYS
2. (THAT’S) THE SOUND
3. B.M.O.C.
4. EVERYBODY LOVES A COMEBACK
5. HECTOR
6. HERE’S THE SIN
7. WAKE UP! (HERE’S THE PART)
8. RIBBONS
9. HOW TO BE AN ADULT
10. HALF-BROTHER
11. PAUPER’S GRAVE
12. THE MAN WHO STOLE THE MOON
13. THE ANCHOR SONG (FOR MARY)
14. IT’S NOT ENOUGH
15. NOW THAT YOU’VE FOUND SOMEONE ELSE
16. I FORGOT ABOUT YOU
b iceH O W T O B E A N A D U L T
1. ITCHY BOYS
You should have seen it from a mile awaySome boys they only like to complicateI warned you once but here’s my final saySome boys don’t ever mean a word they claim
Those Itchy Itchy Boysthey don’t know what they wantThey don’t even think of the consequencesThose Itchy Itchy Boysthey live life on a larkDon’t hold your pretty breathwhile they come to their senses
Those Itchy Itchy Boysonly play Hide & SeekComing out to play when they think you don’t careThose Itchy Itchy Boys’games are not for the meekYou should know that I’m not an Itchy Itchy Boy-Not I
Boy #1, he did a job on youHe set the compass for Sad AvenueOne after one you let them stretch your truthSome boys lose interest when the point is moot
Those Itchy Itchy Boysthey don’t know what they wantThey don’t even think of the consequencesThose Itchy Itchy Boysthey live life on a larkDon’t hold your pretty breathwhile they come to their senses
Those Itchy Itchy Boysonly play Hide & SeekComing out to playwhen they think you don’t careThose Itchy Itchy Boys’games are not for the meekYou should know that I’m not an Itchy Itchy Boy-Not I
So glad he’s gone; I’m just thinking out loudWho’s up in your queue? Make your mama proudWhat happens when you want to settle down?You’re such a satellite; stop moving ‘round and ‘round
Those Itchy Itchy Boysthey don’t know what they wantThey don’t even think of the consequencesThose Itchy Itchy Boysthey live life on a larkDon’t hold your pretty breathwhile they come to their senses
Those Itchy Itchy Boysonly play Hide & SeekComing out to playwhen they think you don’t careThose Itchy Itchy Boys’
games are not for the meekYou should know that I’m not an Itchy Itchy Boy-Not I
2. (THAT’S) THE SOUND
My only fear is fearI’m living in my headI swear I heard a voiceIt wasn’t very clear
It said that I should leaveIt said that I should stayThe one inside my armsThey love the bed we’ve made
But now I’m feeling pulledBehind a lover’s pushI thought this was for kicksThe hook versus the crook
If I don’t move an inchOr maybe hold my breathShe’ll understand the noise‘Cause silence equals dread
That’s the sound ofThat’s the sound ofThat’s the sound of boys falling in love (2X)
Remember when you saidThat I wasn’t your type?Now you gaze into my eyesHumming “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?”
Remember when you saidThat love wasn’t a verb?Whatever happened toThe promise of your word?
‘Cause now I’m feeling pulledBehind a lover’s pushI thought this was for kicksThe hook versus the crook
If I don’t move an inchOr maybe hold my breathShe’ll understand the noise‘Cause silence equals dread
That’s the sound ofThat’s the sound ofThat’s the sound of boys falling in love (2X)
Pre-ChorusChorus (4X)
3. B.M.O.C.
What if I were Big Man On Campus?What if I chased your blues away?What if I remedied your problemsAnd loving me is all that it would take?
What would you do?What would you sayIf I just up and walk away?Would you move on?Would you lose groundAnd let all your horses run astray?
What if I gave you all the punch lines?What if I made your travel-ing light?What if I granted full permissionThen turn around and tax you for the rights?
What would you do?What would you sayIf I just up and walk away?Would you move on?Would you lose groundAnd let all your horses run astray?
What if I’m gaslighting your questions?What if you make it fun to do?What if you brought the worst out in me?Or maybe it all begins with you
What would you do?What would you sayIf I just up and walk away?Would you move on?Would you lose groundAnd let all your horses run astray? (2X)
4. EVERYBODY LOVES A COMEBACK
F. Fitz’ was wrongHe didn’t know a thingHe was stuck on a trampolineHalf-holding on
When I was your ageI traipsed across the moonI was one of the bright-est starsWho ever loomed
My fame was moviesMy fortune overwhelmedLean in close as I sell a tale:A boy of twelve-
-Whose fate was sownWhen mother flipped a trickOn a couch with a louseWho made some motion flix
It’s not in my designTo bitch about my lifeI was in on the jokeAnd I heard all the liesHere’s the true rise and fall…and the rise
Everybody loves a comebackEverybody wants a second act (2X)
That was the prologueA whiff of what’s to come‘Fore the tar and the feath-ers flungFrom everyone
But I digressI starred along the bestPlayed the son of a closet case(Set in the West)
Sweet accoladesMy face on magazinesI could “know” anyone I metKnow what I mean?
At 17I felt like Janis IanTEEN KING OD’S INCAESAR’S ROOM:A COKE MACHINE
It’s not in my designTo bitch about my lifeI was in on the jokeAnd I heard all the liesHere’s the real rise and fall…and the rise
Everybody loves a comebackEverybody wants a second act (2X)
Wasn’t an addictI just kept wanting moreBefore days when the public lovedA raging horror
I, piranhaUntil the Indies cameViva le Tinseltown RebelReclaim my fame
One year begat twentyAdd twenty more to thatKiss the Best Support-ing ActorLook who’s back!
It’s not in my designTo bitch about my lifeI was in on the jokeAnd I heard all the liesHere’s the true rise and fall…and the rise
Everybody loves a comebackEverybody wants a second act (2X)
5. HECTOR
It’s a shameIt’s so lameIt’s a painI don’t know why you chose meWaiting in the hallFor the bellFor 5th period Geometry
I get the hiccupsWhen you’re beating me upI need to stick upWhen you’re bruising me rough
Hector, you’re getting on my nervesYou’re pungent and disturbedStop making this ‘bout me
Hector, I’m not like other boysI swear it’s not a choiceIt’s just biology
Woe is meMiseryLet me beI was minding my businessFlipping through a bookFor adviceBut Ms. Post you’re so useless
I get the hiccupsWhen you’re beating me upI need to stick upWhen you’re bruising me rough
Hector, you’re getting on my nervesYou’re pungent and disturbedStop making this ‘bout me
Hector, I’m not like other boysI swear it’s not a choiceIt’s just biology Summer breakGained some weightI’m in shapeNow I’m looking for HectorStorming down the hallHere he comes
God, he’s bigger than ever
I get the hiccupsWhen you’re beating me upI need to stick upWhen you’re bruising me rough
Hector, you’re getting on my nervesYou’re pungent and disturbedStop making this ‘bout me
Hector, I’m not like other boysI swear it’s not a choiceIt’s just biology (2X)
6. HERE’S THE SIN
Here’s the sin:He was raised by a violent southpawIn a shackJust within Maryland
A dozen years oldHis father diedFrom a prayerSon whispered every night:“If you get me out of hereI won’t tell a lie again‘Cause Jesus loves meThis I know”
Where’s the end?She was running from her futureWith a limp, two bagsAnd an argument:
The one in her headWhere reason diesTo save herselfLeave Son behind
“I don’t really have a planMaybe hitch ‘til I get lostI’ll come for youWhen life makes sense”
The sin is in the lieUphold the truth or dieThere’s no such thing as paradise
Here’s the sin:It was just another storyWhere we already know the end
Here’s the sinHere’s the sinHere’s the sin
7. WAKE UP! (HERE’S THE PART)
I lose myself when I get lostI say dumb things at any costIt just might be coincidenceForgetting all my common sense
I swear I’ll never misbehaveI’ll do what’s right; I’ll never strayI keep my fingers squarely crossedBehind my back ‘til I get caught
Wake up! Stop dreaming about him
Here’s the part where I say, I’m sorryHere’s the part where I say, I love you (2X)
I’m up to books at 12 o’clockMy midnight oil burns hot with doubtI hear it’s been raining againYou go through umbrellas like men
So you’ve been sleeping with lions?The lamb wandered into the den?I know that I’m no innocentBut you’re always first to give in
Wake up! Stop dreaming about him
Here’s the part where I say, I’m sorryHere’s the part where I say, I love you (2X)
Wake up! Stop dreaming about himDo you think you could do much better?When you’re fresh out of choicesI’m the less of two evils
Wake up! Stop dreaming about him
Here’s the part where I say, I’m sorryHere’s the part where I say, I love you (2X)
8. RIBBONS
Why doStrangers keep telling meDon’t goWhere idle minds playI knowI only carry meSo ISeek as I entertain
How comeNo one will speak aboutWhat I Do in the darkIn my quest to accommodateI do My best to aid and abet
Solo, dominoEXIT above the doorI said, You should knowI’m ribbons for you
I thought you were wrongTo walk out the doorTearing me to shredsI’m ribbons for you
When youAsk me how I’m doingI lieAnd say, I’m okayI guessI want you to trust in meNot judgeFor how I behave
Solo, dominoEXIT above the doorI said, You should knowI’m ribbons for you
I thought you were wrongTo walk out the doorTearing me to shredsI’m ribbons for you
Men of these times with muscular plans
Produced, Engineered and
Mixed by Ben Rice
Recorded at Newkirk Studios,
Brooklyn, NY
Co-Produced and Arranged
by boice
All songs written by
boice-Terrel Allen (©2010
boicesongs/ASCAP) except
“Laugh To Keep From Crying”
(Madonna/Stephen Bray;
©WB Music Corp. o/b/o
Webo Girl Publishing & 1997
momma hattie’s muse. All
Rights Reserved.
Mastered by Mike Ofca/
Innovation Studios,
Steubenville, OH
Cover Concept: boice
Design: Emiliano Ortiz
Photography, Make-Up and
Styling: Jo Lance Photography
Musicians:
Howard Alper: Drums
Wayne Batchelor: Bass
Ben Rice: Guitars, Percussion,
Bass on “I Forgot About You”
Dave Sherman: Keyboards
Ben Spinrad: Drums on
“I Forgot About You”
boice: Lead and Backing Vocals
This album is dedicated to the
memory of my grandmother,
Mary Elizabeth Allen, who
taught me everything I know
about music.
Thank You:
God. My mom, Wanda Allen,
for her unflagging belief in me.
Great Friends: Michael Opest
and Peter Lee. Plus: Darie
Allen, Middle Collegiate Church
and the Jerriese Johnson
Gospel Choir (New York).
The Adult Team: Howard,
Wayne, Dave, Ben S., Emiliano,
Jo Lance, Mike and Ben the
Producer. Special Thanks: Alan
Cohen, Demo Producer.
Some of the time, we do what we canMen of these times, we know what we knowMen of these times, we never find home
Leave meAs you discovered meRight downTo every boneI letYou peel the meat from meInsideSow marrow for hope
Solo, dominoEXIT above the doorI said, You should knowI’m ribbons for you I thought you were wrongTo walk out the doorTearing me to shredsI’m ribbons for you
9. HOW TO BE AN ADULT
He was a good boyHe was the babyHe was the appleOf a big family
He never rocked boatsHe never washed dishesHe never knew struggleHis family’s wishes
They taught him how to say, Thank youWhen he was granted all desiresThey overlooked one golden rule:Without a spark there can’t be fire(I guess he never learned…)
How to be an adultIt isn’t easy when you’ve never had the practiceHow to be an adultAnd if you follow in his footsteps:You will be sorry
He was a good manHe was a bit olderHe worked in a boutiqueAs a shirtfolder
He never walked tightropesHe never chose actionHe never fell in loveHe never chose passion
Although he couldn’t save a centStill he was rich in sweetness and lightAlthough he fought to make his rentI guess his family did something right
How to be an adultIt isn’t easy when you’ve never had the practiceHow to be an adultAnd if you follow in his footsteps:You will be sorry
They taught him how to say, Thank youWhen he was granted all desiresThey overlooked one
golden rule:Without a spark there can’t be fire(When will he ever learn…)
How to be an adultIt isn’t easy when you’ve never had the practiceHow to be an adultAnd if you follow in his footsteps:You will be sorryYou will be sorry
10. HALF-BROTHER
Half-brotherHalf of me(A shared father)Where can you be?
When I met youWe were only thirteenHalf-brotherThat’s no mystery
And I prayWhen I dieThat you’ll bethere for meAnd I prayI don’t dieSo one dayI can finally believe
Half-brotherNever shared a homeEver feelLike you don’t belong?
Something’s missingIs it you or me?Shared father,Where’s our history?
And I prayWhen I dieThat you’ll bethere for meAnd I prayI don’t dieSo one dayI can finally believe
Shouldn’t discomfort make a man of me?Shouldn’t I be okay?How many years must wither from me?Half-brother do you feel the same? (2X)
Half-brotherFamilyIf you’re lacking,Will I have what you need?
And I prayWhen I dieThat you’ll bethere for meAnd I prayI don’t dieSo one dayI can finally believe
Shouldn’t discomfort make a man of me?Shouldn’t I be okay?How many years must wither from me?Half-brother do you feel the same? (2X)
11. PAUPER’S GRAVE
We took the moneyWe stole the carIt was all that he owned
Then we sped out to find relief
My brother and meOn a road from the EastFled the shell of a townwhere the devil reaps
Where the weeds look like flowersAnd footsteps don’t showThere’s a square of earthThat sits all alone
A stone this highwhere underneath he laysAnd now he rots every nightin a pauper’s grave
What we lostIs what we foundWhen we finally touched brakesIt’s like we’re living from side to side
My brother and ICan’t sleep at nightWhat became of the manthat we left behind?
Where the weeds look like flowersAnd footsteps don’t showThere’s a square of earthThat sits all alone
A stone this highwhere underneath he laysAnd now he rots every nightin a pauper’s grave
“If you tellYou’ll go to hell”Is all that we heardAnd “sorry” is no sacrifice
My brother and ICan’t sleep at nightWhat became of the manthat we left behind?
Where the weeds look like flowersAnd footsteps don’t showThere’s a square of earthThat sits all alone
A stone this highwhere underneath he laysAnd now he rots every nightin a pauper’s grave (2X)
12. THE MAN WHO STOLE THE MOON
Don’t weigh your love on the heartof a flim-flam manYou’ve had the world at your feetI do the best I canLet’s set a truce for tonightPretend we have no caresTen hours of miles in my eyeYou know I still get scared
I look over my shoulder for youTake one for the team for youLast thing that I need from youIs that you won’t be there
I’m the man who stole the moonConvinced the stars to show at noon
I gave away the life I knewI knew
Make way for the heart on the sleeveof the greedy kindI’ll raise your fortune in weeksJust put your faith in mine
South floods will make one of us richThe spoil’s in the landYou’ve ripped the heart off my sleeveFor another man
I look over my shoulder for youTake one for the team for youLast thing that I need from youIs that you won’t be there
I’m the man who stole the moonConvinced the stars to show at noonI gave away the life I knewI knew Word has it you’ll come and visitBefore the years get setCould he be the man that I wasOr just your new regret I look over my shoulder for youTake one for the team for youLast thing that I need from youIs that you won’t be there
I’m the man who stole the moonConvinced the stars to show at noonI gave away the life I knewI knew
13. THE ANCHOR SONG (FOR MARY)
How about a wishing songFor the rose in the window?Playing in the music hallClose your eyes for the dance
Do you want to move alongThrough the hall of desires?I could write a traveling songThat would play for your miles
It’s a lonely climbwhen you get to the topYou could save yourselfwhen you sense the plotIt’s a question markfor the missus heart:Do you save yourselfor just fall apart?
Mary, what did you dream of last night?Of life? Open your eyes in mid-flightI know you never thought you’d end here:Inside, standing knee-deep in your fearsTell me, who were you as a young child?Your life? I bet we were just alike
Big eyes get you in trouble sometimesOur lot? We’re never satisfied
Aprons choke like a noose ‘round your waistSpilled dreams swallow you whole in their lakeThese kids anchor you down with their weightOf love, stretching you ‘til you break–
14. IT’S NOT ENOUGH
I’ve got an appetite for somethingI ain’t bit beforeI see the others who’ve got fathersMaybe that’s the lure
To swing a batWho’ll show me thatWish I could teach myselfBut when you’re tenYou miss the ballJust like you miss the man
It’s not enough to say that you love me(So don’t)It’s not enough to say that you love me
I need to find a new directionI ain’t lived beforeConvince myself that noth-ing mattersA snake-oil cure
To swing a batWho’ll show me thatWish I could teach myselfBut when you’re tenYou miss the ballJust like you miss the man
It’s not enough to say that you love me(So don’t)It’s not enough to say that you love me (2X)
15. NOW THAT YOU’VE FOUND SOMEONE ELSE
Now that you’ve found someone elseI can tell you ‘xactly how I feelI’ve had a crush on you since ’96 and Baby it’s for real
Okay, what is it ‘bout you?You make oceans split in twoYou make poetry come trueI think I’ll get a tattoo…
…with your nameSurrounded by a heart chainSomewhere on my shoulder bladeWill that make you love me?
Now that you’ve found someone elseI can tell you ‘xactly how I feelI’ve had a crush on you since ’96 and Baby it’s for real
I’ll change if you want me toBe him or anyone for youPick me ‘cause now you know the truth
I think I’ll get a tattoo…
…with your nameSurrounded by a heart chainSomewhere on my shoulder bladeWill that make you love me?
Now that you’ve found someone elseI can tell you ‘xactly how I feelI’ve had a crush on you since ’96 and Baby it’s for real
Maybe I need to let you goI guess I don’t want to be aloneWasted my time; I was your foolAll of these years just wait-ing on you
…with your nameSurrounded by a heart chainSomewhere on my shoulder bladeWill that make you love me? Now that you’ve found someone elseI can tell you ‘xactly how I feelI’ve had a crush on you since ’96 and Baby it’s for real (4X)
16. I FORGOT ABOUT YOU
I forgot about youI forgot the things you doI no longer careFor your savoir faireI forgot about you
When the radio’s onI forget all your favorite songsThe ones that are sadOr just made you laughI forgot about you
I don’t ever think about regretOr what I’ve lostOr how I leftI swear it’s my truthI don’t think of you
At the dawning of a dayCount the hours ‘til I layOn sheets I once knewWhere I was consumedI forgot about you
I don’t ever think about regretOr what I’ve lostOr how I leftI swear it’s my truthI don’t think of you
I forgot about youI forgot the things you doI no longer careFor your savoir faireI forgot about you
I no longer careFor your savoir faireI forgot about you