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1. |
Silver Dollars
04:21
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You’ve got some money put aside from your job
Workin’ day after day
Closing time, you think you’re high as a kite
Gonna throw it all away
You’ve got a whole lotta things on your mind
Always wanting more and more
But if you take a step back and see the other side
Maybe that’ll fix the score
CHORUS:
‘Cause you can have your silver dollars
And you can keep your golden chains
But if you can’t live without them
Then nothing's gonna keep you from pain
I’ve got some money for a place of my own
Still I ain’t got no car
I’ve gotta get my priorities straight ‘cause
I’m not getting very far
Too many times I’ve fallen under pressure
Just hanging on to my soul
‘Cause when you only see the world in dollars and pounds
You’re gonna lose all control
(CHORUS)
Five-dollar coffees and ten-dollar beers
We’re getting fooled by the show
We’re losing money every day of our lives
Easy come, easy go
Sell our souls to the power and greed
We start believing the lies
But we can turn it all around and start our lives again
If we open our eyes
(CHORUS)
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2. |
Bleeding Truth
04:13
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Heading out on Thursday evening
Gonna get myself some soul
The band is playing and the room is full of life
But I can’t focus on my goal
See, I’ve been staring at the darkness
It’s so hard to stay on track
Trying to keep from causing too much of a fuss
Worrying about the things I lack
CHORUS:
Don’t wanna tell you how I feel
But I can’t stop the spinning wheel
So I tell another story
To cover up the doubt
Drink from the fountain of youth
‘til I find the right time to let it all come out
I’ve got to fight this bleeding truth
Keep on fighting, keep on fighting
Fight this bleeding truth
Drinking, trying to be social
Talking ‘bout what’s yet to come
All these questions you’re throwing in my face
And I can’t even answer one
Constant memories of rejection
Are running rampant in my head
First impressions leave an everlasting mark
Wish I could hide away instead
(CHORUS)
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3. |
Falling Behind
04:03
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The sun comes up but my head goes down
I’ve been cast aside again
Another change has come around
Things keep moving by so fast
The paper’s running from the pen
Don’t know how long I can last
‘Cause I feel like I’m falling every time they shut the door
Just another stalemate in the never-ending war
Lord help me answer the questions in my mind
And keep me from falling behind
When I get called up to the plate
And lay my sword upon the stone
I hope I’m not too late
What once was warm has now gone cold
Forgetting everything I’ve known
At twenty-three, am I too old?
‘Cause I feel like I’m falling into a broken mess
Gazing through history at the stories of success
I’ve got to answer the questions in my mind
And keep from falling behind
Time is a construct, time has rules
Time can get into your head
And leave you feeling like a fool
Tension causes you to stray
Always learn from what they said
And keep on growing every day
Rejection’s just a word, it’s how they tell you to find another way
And I feel like I’m falling, still I must persist
Time to make some headway on all the things I’ve missed
I’ve got to answer these questions in my mind
Keep me from falling…
Keep me from falling behind
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4. |
Clarity
04:56
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I can't believe it took me so damn long to work out what you'd done
I thought that I was your best friend; turns out I'm not the only one
I gave you everything you wanted and what did I get back?
Your note of resignation feels just like a heart attack
I may not be a golden god, is that not good enough for you?
Before you sign the dotted line, tell me what you're gonna do
Take all your bright ideas and leave me here to start up something new
All I want is clarity (Sweet clarity)
I’ve had this feeling all along, but still I didn't seem to care
Knew you were bound to set me up then let me down with your despair
Maybe I should have seen the signs and left your Facebook page alone
Now all your hearts and smiling faces can't mend these broken bones
Maybe I've been a bit too slow, hoping things will work out fine
I’ve got to get a brand-new plan, and find a way to walk the line
You’ve been playing far too long, I think you’re running out of time
All I want is clarity (Sweet clarity)
(I don’t want your charity, I just want your clarity)
Can’t have it all in just one day, keep on constructing your machine
You’re in a hurricane of madness, trying to follow every dream
Some things are better left unsaid, but now I've got this off my chest
It’s time to go our separate ways, good luck with all of your success
I may not be a golden god, guess that’s not good enough for you?
Before you sign the dotted line, tell me what you're gonna do
Take all your bright ideas and leave me here to start up something new
All I want is clarity (Sweet clarity)
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5. |
Bittersweet Afternoon
04:55
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Staring at the picture frames
Hanging on the wall
The time goes by, but the memories will last
She’s packed up all the children’s shoes
In a box out in the hall
Sitting in the corner with the china & glass
It’s taken her years to get ready
But it still feels too soon
Her boys have gone solo
Now she’s wondering how to spend this bittersweet afternoon
Her heart was always golden
Behind the blemish and the blur
She kept on building with an incomplete set
Making all the pieces fit
Her spirit undeterred
Preparing her children for whatever comes next
Mission accomplished, she sighs
And walks up to her room
Makes plans for tomorrow
But she hopes she can get through this bittersweet afternoon
She gets out her bicycle
And rides away her blues
An empire is waiting now that she’s free
Spends her money on leather
And Venezuelan shoes
Now’s the time to be everything she wanted to be
Every now and then she looks out
Embracing the gloom
Wondering where they’ve been headed
Since they left long ago on that bittersweet afternoon?
She heard from them this morning
On a long-distance call
They’ve all found their purpose with lives of their own
A peaceful conversation
Can make the world seem so small
Grabbed her coat, grabbed her hat and she put down the phone
“My time has come at last,” she says,
“To sing a different tune
Always knew it’d be different
But I never could have guessed
how free I’d become on that bittersweet afternoon”
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6. |
The Fox And The Hound
04:14
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One more shot straight through my heart
Cupid’s arrow comes my way
I've been told time and time again
Just can't win if you don't play
Been taking lessons from the best in the world
But still I feel like I'm the worst
Everybody's reaching for the girl on the moon
Don't know how, but I gotta get there first
CHORUS:
Gonna take a call to the lost and found
Gonna jump a train right outta town
Got one shot, not gonna let you down
You’re a stone-cold fox and I’m a hungry hound
Walk right in, sit my ass down
Too many things I’ve got to learn
Five step plan, reach step one
That's when I start to feel the burn
I need ignition to light this dying flame
Get into gear and take command
Can’t fight the fever, I gotta make you mine
Hearts on fire, baby don’t you understand?
(CHORUS)
You lift me up, you tear me down
Set me straight and you spin me around
But you just ignore me when I wanna take control
You know this back and forth is messing with my soul
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7. |
Tell Me I'm Wrong
05:16
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Well I was thinking ‘bout the message you sent last night
Telling me things are going well
Said you’d come see me, when everything had worked itself out
But you ain’t so perfect, I can tell
Behind your expression lies a fear of getting caught
You know I’ve got you figured out
They’ve got you wrapped up in their world of disarray
And you’ve been numb to all your doubt
CHORUS:
Tell me I’m wrong
Tell me that you’re OK honey
I can ease my worried mind
Tell me I’m wrong
‘Cause I’ve been down the road you’re chasing
I can see you’re wasting your time
Tell me I’m wrong
Given the choices, I’m never ever gonna come first
You’ll always find another way
You get a call from your palace, telling you to come back home
It’s getting close to judgement day
High atop the tower, somebody’s pulling your strings
You can’t control yourself no more
You’re following shadows, thinking heaven isn’t far away
The warning signs you just ignore
(CHORUS)
Keep on trading misery for all the things you think you see in their lies
But I know the game they play, and every time you go their way it’s a compromise
Not gonna fall for their disguise
(CHORUS)
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8. |
The Slide
04:39
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CHORUS:
I found a letter in the front of my car
Telling me to get out and take control, I’m gonna be a star
Don’t know where I’m bound, but I’m on one hell of a ride
If only I could see what’s waiting for me at the bottom of the slide
Out there on the highway is where I need to be
Playing show after show every night, and planting my seeds
Now I ain’t no hero, I just do what I can
Everything in my space will fall into place as part of the plan
‘Cause there’s a road up ahead, full of wonder and style
But it’s a lifetime investment; is it something worthwhile?
Oh, what should I do? Can I run up that hill?
When these cynical voices are holding me still?
(CHORUS)
Could it be inspiration? Is it holding me down?
Or is it something inside of my heart I just haven’t found
Well, now it’s time to move on, no more hiding in fear
I’m finding my way and with each passing day my visions are clear
‘Cause there’s a road up ahead, full of wonder and style
But it’s a lifetime investment; is it something worthwhile?
Oh, what should I do? Can I run up that hill?
When these cynical voices are holding me still?
(CHORUS)
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9. |
Behind Closed Doors
05:42
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In the middle of the city there’s a place where everybody gathers
The music rings out from the stage year after year
Now some people behind the line
Have decided that maybe it’s time
To forget everything, shut it down and let it disappear
Well I know that this place isn’t perfect, and its age is showing
But how can you turn your back on the stories you’ve told?
You can build your high-rise tower
Just because you’ve been given the power
But that goes against every value you’ve tried to uphold
CHORUS:
Behind closed doors, there’s too many conversations
Behind closed doors, they’re tearing down our history
Meanwhile outside, we’re all screaming the answer
Behind closed doors, they don’t care ‘bout you or me
I had a dream that the palace was burnt down to rubble
Now the spirits above are making my dreams come true
And it’s happening all over today
Another palace getting hammered away
And they keep on acting like it’s something that they need to do
I always thought you could do with some rehabilitation
Keep all the stores preserved, but change your design
We’ll remember what once was
If you don’t want to fight for the cause
But don’t try to fool us into thinking everything’s fine
(CHORUS)
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10. |
Maybe
04:37
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Another morning, another lazy sunrise
I’m thinking ‘bout the day ahead
Trying to remember all the words of wisdom
My mum and dad said
Get on up, look outside my window
Strangers walking slow and fast
One in a million, trying to find their way
Along a million different paths
Maybe I believe in what they say;
“If you don’t shape up, everything’s gonna fade away”
So I guess I’d better learn how to run
‘Cause time is fleeting and I’ve only just begun
CHORUS:
And I feel like a broken machine
Nobody knows what I’ve seen
But I’ll keep on chasing the rainbow
‘till I reach the gold
With my car, my guitar and my pain
Through the snow, the sun and the rain
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll find some shelter from the cold
Wanna meet a girl who likes me for my wisdom
Not because I play guitar
But girls like that are hard to find in a world
Where everybody wants to be a star
People tell me that they wanna stay single,
Others march in 3s or 4s
If only they’d make up their minds and pick a side
I could keep track of the score
“Son, don’t worry”, my mum and dad say;
“They’ll come around and see things right one day”
So, I guess I’d better learn what to do
On the rare occasion I end up with you
(CHORUS)
Maybe I could pack my bags and run away
I’ve got my tools, I can give up today
But if I make even one more mistake
Maybe they’ll think I’m just another fake
(CHORUS)
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11. |
Hollywood Blues
04:16
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CHORUS:
I thought this was the beginning
of a successful romance
But I had no sense of direction
I didn’t know how to dance
I’m losing all my precious time
to do the things that I should
‘cause I lost it all trying to make it in Hollywood
If dogs can walk and birds can fly
If one and one make two
Why am I stuck in the middle
of a scene I just can’t get through?
I need a second opinion
Before the concrete starts to set
And I spend the rest of my days in a circus, without a net
(CHORUS)
Lost my money on the freeway
Lost my talent in my car
Lost myself in a strange town
Good lord – have I gone too far?
Take a look at the odds now
There’s nothing more that I can do
Except sit back and stare at the land of red, white and blue
(CHORUS)
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12. |
At The End Of The Day
04:44
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Well, the sun’s beaming down before the little boy’s eyes
Feel like I’m living in a joke, and I am losing my mind
If maybe one of my desires weren’t so out of sight
I’d become more like them, and the darkness would be light
For the apples that I wanted have all disappeared, And the ones that remain try to keep things in gear
But from morning ‘till evening, they’re learning how to fly
And I’m always left below, always knew the reason why
CHORUS:
There’s the way we’ve become and the way we should be,
and the choice that I make never works out for me
You can hide in the shadows, or try to run away
but I’ll still be waiting at the end of the day
If the world that we live in were truly moving up,
I’d be everything I want, and you’d never get stuck
You can hide in the shadows, or try to run away
but I’ll still be waiting at the end of the day
Well, you gave me your word, then you had a change of plans.
And you left me in despair, with my face in my hands.
Well, I just want to know, was it worth it in the end?
Was there a smile on your face, when you lost yourself a friend?
For the apples that I wanted have all disappeared,
And the ones that remain try to keep things in gear
But from morning ‘till evening, they’re learning how to fly
And I’m always left below, always knew the reason why
(CHORUS)
Making others feel happy will always leave me sad.
Is there such a thing as love
or have I truly gone mad?
Hide in the shadows, try to run away
I will be waiting at the end of the day
It was never your fault,
I’m the one who was blind
Can’t you see if there’s a place
for my heart in your mind?
You only live once;
won’t you come out to play?
‘Cause I’ll still be waiting at the end of the day
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Joshua Batten Melbourne, Australia
Joshua Batten is a modern-day troubadour, using music as his language to connect with the world. Equal parts folk, blues,
country and rock, Joshua writes songs from the heart, with lyrics about modern living set against a retro musical backdrop.
Debut full-length album, "The City Within" Available now.
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