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Lyrics:
There's not much I can say to clean up my act
Because actions speak so much louder than words
So I'll tell you I'm sorry in advance
For any apology that doesn't meet your demands
Let's set a time to talk about it
"I'd already be alarmed if you could change my mind"
Three o'clock? Four o'clock? Not now?
"How about never? We're through."
You're obsessed with arson
And I dance through the flames
Just to keep you warm at night
This is the last time I'll ever take the blame
Just to keep you by my side
No more, no more
I'd explain if you'd just let me finish
Or at least if I knew where to start
See, I took my time, and I wasted it
But I'm making time to make it all up to you
"Well then, now's the time, you better kiss up fast"
I'd drag my tongue through broken glass
And lick the wounds youve given me
In hope you'd have forgiven me
I wish you'd uncross your arms
And I wish you wouldn't be so cross
So think, was it really me who crossed you?
Nailed to the cross, I'm crucified
You're obsessed with arson
And I dance through the flames
Just to keep you warm at night
And it's so pathetic
This is the last time I'll ever take the blame
Just to keep you by my side
"Honestly, every word you say is a lie."
Mirror, mirror, on the wall
Reflect on what I don't deserve
I'll put myself at fault
Cause she's the fairest of them all
At the stand, I swore to love you under oath
But I'm a liar as alleged as constant fighting plagues us both
Every time, my choice is simple -- you, or happiness
And believe me when I say it's tough
Cause I'm Dred Scott when you're in fury
And your friends become the jury
And I never state my case
Becuase I always take the blame
I've weighed my options one by one
And after all is said and done
Do I dare take another chance with you?
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2. |
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Lyrics:
So let me see if I've got this right
Cause you're the one who will have left
With a Kansas City Shuffle, you'll break my neck
As Goodkat would, swift and adept
But if you would be kind, rewind back to, say, 5 o'clock
Your tongue's a razor to keep me clean cut and in line
As you're shadowing my lips
You wrap your belt around me like a leash tied to your hips
Persuading me with the hypocrisy of your sex-stained innocence
No, no, I see right through your trap, between those crocodile tears
Are jaws that bite to leave a mark at the apex of my ears
In a mouth that stretches miles to tell your friends
(And their friends, and their friends...)
About the guy who's not so sure you're what he wants
"Oh, I'm what you want"
Well we talked it out, pitched in two cents
Let's make a deal, let's make some sense of it
Twenty bucks says you're my best bet
A hundred bucks says you're not worth the weight
I'm a predicated victim of your voracity and lust
As far as I'm concerned, I'm just the biggest target in your range
But when it's pawn against the queen, I'll ponder carefully
And weigh the cons against the pros before I make my move
If I refuse to fall subject to your relentless manipulation
We'll wrestle words then twist our tongues
To mend each pointless altercation
It's too predictable and difficult to say it's worth the while
But I know you'd start a riot just to keep me in your bed
Well we talked it out, pitched in two cents
Let's make a deal, let's make some sense of it
Twenty bucks says you're my best bet
A hundred bucks says you're not worth the weight
Wait, I've got a plan: I'll conjure a charade
Depicting me as the consistency that's scattered through your brain
I'll keep you flattered to fuel your narcissistic flame
Cause that's the one thing that's to blame for your insatiability
But it's all an act, and that's a fact
I don't have the tact to keep your satisfaction (you're never satisfied)
You'll graze my imperfections
And start thinking that I'm not enough to satisfy your needs
Well we talked it out, pitched in two cents
Let's make a deal, let's make some sense of it
Twenty bucks says you're my best bet
A hundred bucks says you're not worth the weight
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3. |
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Lyrics:
Unpack your bags, where do you think you're going?
You're already far enough from me
I'm fresh out of my fresh excuses
So, plain and simple, I don't want you to leave
Can't you wait until tomorrow?
Next week? Next month? (Never?)
Procrastination is a virtue
Well, at least that's how it seems to me
What we have won't last long
Through the heat of California's sun
There's a current in the coastline
And it's pulling you from me
As long as sun shines through your window
I'm still your Florida boy
And the summer's almost here
Let's stay eighteen forever
Who said our summer sun would have to set?
California's calling, but I'm already on the line
So don't you dare put me on hold
I wanna hold you close to me
Wait up, I've got you figured out
You wanna grow up, move out, and start a new life
You've got your cold shoulder
"You can't keep me from going"
But your heart sank when you saw the look in my eyes
We could live with no obligations, we're still young
"But you don't understand, I've gotta get the hell out of this town"
I'm just used to the Atlantic, like you used to dive into me
The waves of your waterbed never waved goodbye
Just wait a minute, that's all I need
I've only got this chance to change your mind
So let our tongues do all the talking
And let your hips slide up to mine
I'm still your Florida boy
And the summer's almost here
Let's stay eighteen forever
Who said our summer sun would have to set?
California's calling, but I'm already on the line
So don't you dare put me on hold
I wanna hold you close to me
I'm not [usually] one to break my word
And I mean [most of] the things I say
(Something tells me...)
But when I said sometimes it's best to follow your heart
(I won't last a day without you here)
I never said I didn't need you
But still, I stand by that advice
Cause home is where the heart is
So long as my pictures line your mirror
You have no excuse to pack them in a box
My feet are planted on the floor
Between your covers and the door
And I'm not leaving
(I'm standing in your doorway)
So don't you walk away from me
(I'm kneeling in your doorway)
I'm on my knees, I'm desperate
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4. |
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Lyrics:
Well, pack my bags, and make it fast
This town's worn out my presence
I've severed every tie to the wastelend
Of my pilfered adolescence
Orange skies will lead my way
As the golden solar rays
Will lead me southbound to the place that I call home
Tell all the brothers and sisters that I never had
That I'll be coming back home for them
See, these fields of flowers never grew familiar to my eyes
When the colors are just as obscure as the people living this life
And it's so hard to call it beautiful when the canvas is so bland
There's country charm, but I've seen better in the cities
For the record, this is not my hometown
So believe me when I say goodbye
"I live in a place where people are paranoid of change.
I mean, they're so locked into their own monotonous cycles
That they let things stay the way they are for decades.
I guess I can't say I blame them
Because I was the same way when I first moved here from Florida.
But one person can only handle so much complacency
And after punching in my time cards day in and day out
I think I've had enough."
These parallel, flat two lane roads are parallels to local homes
Where ignorance presides over sheltered narrow minds
And below their giant noses are even larger mouths
Feeding hungry ears any news they want to hear
Cause rumors are the information and entertainment here
Oh, and tell that special girl that never came into my life
That the flowers I sent were for her
It's been a lifetime since the sun shone in this town
Everybody needs a little light, so I'm burning this place down
So my horizon will be golden on the hottest summer days
I hear familiar voices calling me from the heart of the Everglades
They're singing, "ITS THE LIFE!"
Tell the landlord and the farmer
They can keep their pristine pastures, I'm gone.
"IT'S THE LIFE!"
Pass the message to my friends that I'll be missing them at heart
But this place never felt like home, so believe me when I say goodbye
I'm ripping out the pages of my diary
All the chronicles of a small town life that was never meant for me
Yeah, i'll circumvent this lucid shroud of negativity
And abdicate this masquerade I fabricate in fourteen shades of grey
From here on out, I'm making sure sunshine is the only thing
That stands between where I am and where I want to be
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5. |
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Lyrics:
I'll close my eyes and savor the air in my lungs
Cause you have a knack for taking my breath away
And keeping me quiet, but the message I'm sending
Is far too complex for my words to convey
We'll weather the rains like a forest in spring
Stand strong through the storm and we'll bloom in May
And if it still rained through Christmas and filled up the sea
Month after month, I'm still swimming your way
So don't let go
Breathe in
You're the air in my lungs
Just breathe in
You're the shelter in a storm, the thought that keeps me warm,
The summer sunset sky, the fire in my eyes
You've tested the water, now dive into me
There's a current in the river, and it follows your lead
We could float on the surface and drift on our dreams
I swear, I'll take you to depths you've never seen
Just take a chance, put your faith in the wind
Like a bird taking flight in November to the tropical isles
I'll go south for the winter, and stay with you there
It's well worth the distance of a thousand miles
You are the fuel at the base of the flame
I'm always kept warm by the sound of your name
And we're like the sun that would never set
Cause if we go down, we go down in red
If I authored a book, you'd inspire it all
There's no need to fantasize (we're done writing fiction)
April 2nd was chapter one, and this is the epilogue
It never ends, it never ends
Breathe in
You're the air in my lungs
Just breathe in
You're the shelter in a storm, the thought that keeps me warm,
The summer sunset sky, the fire in my eyes
You've tested the water, now dive into me
There's a current in the river, and it follows your lead
We could lie in the riverbeds and make them our home
I swear, I'll take you to depths you've never known
I'll be the one you always run to when you're down
My arms are always open
And i'll be the one to say goodnight
Sweet dreams, love
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6. |
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Lyrics:
I promised you everything to no avail
I was expecting snow, and you gave me hail
My winter wonderland
Is held in the warmth of your callous hand
The presence -- no, the gift of you
Was taken from me half unwrapped
A Christmas like this only came once a lifetime
The snow turned to ice
Like stalactites ready and waiting to fall
You shattered all my hopes like it was your business
You came masterfully disguised in a masquerade of lies
When all the while you were planning my demise
The north has no place for a Florida boy who loves snow
There's a twinkle in the sky that says, "there's no place like home"
They say no two snowflakes can ever look the same
And that they rarely ever land in the same place
But you hit me again with the same cold wind
You were never one to follow the rules
(Well, the winds are coming in from the west this time
And it's a long, cold draft)
This love is spineless, yeah it sends shivers down my spine
(Shivers down my spine)
Every move we make is another crack in the ice
And soon we we will be drowning
(We're cracking in the ice)
Put on a sweater, it has sleeves for your heart to reside on
(Sleeves for your heart to reside)
So you won't be cold all the time
Go ahead and burn more bridges
Yeah, cause I could use a flame
I still shiver from the thought of you
You played me like a game
Go ahead and sell me more
Like you've still got a chance
Cause frankly, I've just had enough
Of this dollar bill romance
They say no two snowflakes can ever look the same
And that they rarely ever land in the same place
But you hit me again with the same cold wind
You were never one to follow the rules
Stars covered the skies as I looked into your eyes
And I searched for a depth which was hidden deep inside
Of a translucent shell; a shallow, cold sheet of ice
Yet always thick and warm enough to shield you from demise
I was searching for the secrets of emotional retreat
Cause it's never just the ice, it's the water beneath
But all I could find was a fickle, shallow mind
And the crushing realization that you were no longer mine
I didn't make it very far
I didn't make much of anything
The only thing I made was a mistake
You're my favorite mistake
I hope the next breath you take is underwater
And the next step that you make is on thin ice
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7. |
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Lyrics:
They call these states united
I'm isolated from the rest
Might as well call this state "catatonic"
It's keeping me depressed
And all my friends back home are busy living out their lives
A life I should have had, a life of which i've been deprived
This overcast's reminded me before (a million times, it's told me)
That I don't live in the sunshine state anymore
So, I'll sing into the sun until it sets, and i'll shelter no regrets
When i leave this hell, I'm headed for a place that I'll call home
And it doesn't matter who will miss me when I'm gone
Cause in spite of it all, I've never felt so alone
I've hit a social crisis, I can't pretend that it's alright
It's a problem when I write this down at 3 o'clock at night
It's sad enough to say that my best friends are on the Net
A net to catch me safely when I fall
But when I'm the sweetest, nicest senior guy these local girls have met
It's worse to say they don't know me at all
So, I'll sing into the sun until it sets, and i'll shelter no regrets
When i leave this hell, I'm headed for a place that I'll call home
And it doesn't matter who will miss me when I'm gone
Cause in spite of it all, I've never felt so alone
You might think I'm crazy
But my dreams, they keep me sane in a place that's so inane
That the locals have no sense of direction
And I don't need a compass, cause the only way is out
Check my vital signs, I'm living in a blank computer screen
Well, this self-incarceration is how I made it through the year
It might sound masochistic, but it's nonetheless serene
When compared to the pretentious mess of people living here
So, stop me when I've said enough, and I'll be on my way
You'll be drowning in this standing water until you do the same
And I'll tell the world I finally made it out alive
Good riddance to the hell I left behind
Good luck to my friends as I wave goodbye
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8. |
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LYRICS:
The captain is grey and wise
But his weakness lies in ambition
Determined eyes set on brighter skies
Set sail on a voyage
The sea calls to our desire, our demise
We search the ocean far and wide
For things that lie right in front of our eyes
If I laid on the bottom of the deepest trench
Would you lie there with me?
You could try but I wouldn't think twice
Yeah, I'd give you my last breath
So breathe that ocean air
Let the salt cleanse your lungs of the memories
Cause now I've sunk too deep to dive
So live on when there's no hope left
I left her
Yeah my reckless pride and ambitious mind
Always lead me to regret
I changed the tide, but remained unsatisfied
I stood fast against the gale
A storm was brewing, but I pressed on
In need, so unaware
All the while it lied deep within your eyes
If I laid on the bottom of the deepest trench
Would you lie there with me?
You could try but I wouldn't think twice
Oh, I'd give you my last breath
So breathe that ocean air
Let the salt cleanse your lungs of the memories
Cause now I've sunk too deep to dive
So live on when there's no hope left
"Lighthouse, lighthouse!" the captain cries
But he's sailed too deep to realize
That his will has struck him blind
In a search for what he'll never find
Becuase each hurricane has an eye
Which beholds the calm we can't recognize
Cause we're so lost searching for our sunshine
If you see a storm coming, stay inside
I was brave, but not well-equipped
Tried to hold on, but couldn't get a grip
I drowned trying to save our ship
I should have never left, I should have never let this go
Down to the bottom of the deepest trench
As you lie here with me
Yeah, you tried, but I didn't think twice
No, I gave you my last breath
So breathe that ocean air
Let the salt cleanse your lungs of the memories
The next time a storm hits land
Weather the rains, and just stay inside
The storm will pass.
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9. |
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LYRICS:
Doctor, doctor, search your remedies
This time, bedrest is the last thing i need
Addicted to our promiscuity
We fall asleep in the perfect stranger's sheets
Confused by lust, we think we've found love's true meaning
Never waking up to realize it was only a dream
We're using the sex so recklessly
For cleaning our conscience, and sleeping unconscious
We're so caught up in the ecstasy
Of waking up in a different bed every day
Shallow hearts are a contagious disease
Spread from Hollywood thrills and urban magazines
If this is a sickness, an epidemic's been witnessed
And I've got the remedy in melody
Is this how love is supposed to feel?
Like a highway where we're drunk at the wheel?
If this is a sickness, an epidemic's been witnessed
And I've got the remedy in melody
The cold morning sun saved me from my comatose
As i was drowning alone, between her blankets and my hopes
Naivety had me buried six feet deep
Under the impression that she'd always wake up next to me
You're just a chauffeur who so furtively arranged
To promise me rides for alcohol in exchange
And you blame the other drivers' mistakes
As my head's in the windshield, and you leave unscathed
Shallow hearts are a contagious disease
Spread from Hollywood thrills and urban magazines
If this is a sickness, an epidemic's been witnessed
And I've got the remedy in melody
Is this how love is supposed to feel?
Like a highway where we're drunk at the wheel?
If this is a sickness, an epidemic's been witnessed
And I've got the remedy in melody
We live in anxiety of rejection
So we self-medicate with sex
And overdose, clueless of the side effects
A loss of morality and self-respect
In the blink of an eye, all our integrity's gone
In the wake of one night where we didn't stand strong
We're all insecure, we all feel stripped down
Someone find a cure, becuase we're all gonna drown
The doctor came in, and said "wake up, wake up"
And the nightmare's were gone as we opened our eyes
Conscious, our consciences took control
Of our maturing minds, as we realized
Shallow hearts are a contagious disease
Spread from Hollywood thrills and urban magazines
If this is a sickness, an epidemic's been witnessed
And I've got the remedy in melody
Is this how love is supposed to feel?
Like a highway where we're drunk at the wheel?
If this is a sickness, an epidemic's been witnessed
And I've got the remedy: maturity
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10. |
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LYRICS:
It's in your sight, two more hours and it's off the map
The clock is ticking, and my heart is racing fast
I'm just running down the minutes until this long year ends
Cause in three laps time I'd break more hearts than resolutions
And in another two it's either break some records
Or shatter my window of opportunity
Four years under fire, and now you're down to your last shot
So don't miss
I've spent four years to find my chance at an escape
And I won't let this one slip away
You're living in a place where rain falls all the time
Yeah, and one more year like this could surely make you lose your mind
It's taken all you've got to live this void they call a life
And now with nothing left to lose you see your chance arrive
It's been a lifetime since the sun shone in this town
And this could be the only time it ever comes around
So sprint it faster than you've ever run before
Well you're running out of time, out of chances, out the door
I've spent my life chasing my one and only dream
And I won't let it out of my reach
(No time for looking back, you're never gonna get back...)
Don't stop to think, has it ever been so close
You're on the brink, you've got it
(I've got the finish line in sight)
Here is your chance
(And there's no time for looking back)
Now is the time
(I can't wait a second more)
What are you waiting for?
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LYRICS:
We're swept by the dawn, and as we lie awake
You lay stiff in my arms, adrift in the wake
Of what felt less like love, and much more like a take
Of a scene in a movie where the heroine's saved
From her lonely, desperate state
We've dotted our i's and crossed all of our t's
In the script of the lifestyle we planned for our teens
But I'm just a prop that you set for your stage
In a fairy tale romance the critics would praise
If each kiss were performed, as always:
"Once more, with feeling"
But we kids disregard all of our yearning hearts
And make like we're actors just playing our parts
Constructing characters so unlike ourselves
To live out our lives in the artificial realm
Of drama we create
Cause life is a movie we'd all watch again
But just can't bring ourselves to rewind in the end
We make mistakes that we wish we could change
And the things we regret form the coming of age
And I wouldn't want it any other way
So now we're eighteen, and I feel much too old
To continue the farce; to keep filling these roles
As we lie together we lie to each other
We're closer than we've ever been
But i move further from the truth
The longer that I lie next to you
Left my love in bottled letters
Convinced myself it's for the better
To end this, but I'll always remember
I swear to hold my breath forever
(This is the last time I'll ever swear myself to you
This is the last time I'll ever say, "I love you too")
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This album was written in its entirety by Ryan Mentzos between the ages of 16 and 18, with Steve Miskolczi offering his contributions on drums. For Ryan, the music style is meant to be almost a revival of the pop-punk bands of the early 2000s (i.e. The Early November, Northstar, Relient K, Something Corporate, the early material of Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Brand New, and Say Anything, etc.) which he spent his teenage years listening to, as the Fueled By Ramen explosion of 2005 and everything afterward took the genre in a direction that he disliked, and he felt as though the character and appeal of those original bands had become increasingly hard to find. At this stage in his life, he also hated high school and its cliquey, shallow social nature, and the lyrical themes throughout the album reflect these feelings. All in all though, like with any pop-punk record, teenage emotion and angst are prevalent throughout the record, as are juvenile energy and summery hooks. It's the band's hope that the album can bring nostalgia and memories of youth to those who grew up on that early 2000s breed of pop-punk, as well as introspect for any high schooler who feels there's more to life than what seems to surround them in their adolescence.