Insomnia - todd austin john elsliger

While you were sleeping
five or six feelings
played in the moonlight
up on the ceiling
Can’t close my eyes
I hear every drop
fall in the night
for five or six blocks


I’m counting backwards
a song in my head
trying to remember
family and friends

Family and friends
the god I don’t trust
the money I spend
the women I lust
sending me signals
from places I’ve been
Is this a rehearsal
the bedroom I’m in

While you were dreaming
cars still pass by
creatures are creeping
through darkness outside

While you were sleeping
five or six feeling
play in the sunlight
up on the ceiling

Open your eyes
waking the dead
turn the alarm off
and get out of bed

Kind of Love - todd austin john elsliger

What kind of love
what kind of love is this

What kind of love
what kind of love is this

Where was my head at
what kind of love is this
Desperate for attention
desperate for another kiss

Sinking in the pieces
of another hit and miss

(chorus)

When will I learn from
the kind of luck I had
Tonight is stacked against me
tomorrow may not be that bad

Sometime in the morning
somewhere in the back of a cab

(chorus)

Who needs a dinner and movie on a Tuedsay
talk is cheap and I’m running out of things to day
Put the diamonds and flowers and the wedding bells
where the sun doesn’t shine

When will I get back
the kind of love I gave
Someone’s gotta give me
one more chance to behave

Running out of fools
running out of games to play

(chorus)

Better Half - todd austin john elsliger

Slow down
half these things we bought together
That’s how
I’ve lost everything I ever owned
Half of nothing isn’t much to show

Can you tell
half of me looks forward to it
Farewell
it’s been a while since I’ve been out with friends
Half of them gave up on me since then

Tonight
my better half is leaving
the other half behind
How many better halves are out there

You’re gone
I find some way to waste my time
Before long
you’ll find me in someone else’s bed
half the man I was when we first met

(chorus)

Nice try
half these things we bought together
That’s why
I stole these CD’s we both knew were mine


Natalie’s Trip to the Hospital - todd austin john elsliger

You’re not feeling so good
Four AM I can hear you from the bedroom of your
parent’s house
sneaking around
wondering if I’ll wake up too
wondering if I’ll wake up too

Come on let’s get you dressed
Christmas lights from across the street reflecting on your
warm skin
I’m shivering
ice on the stairs cold and blue
ice on the stairs cold and blue

This is where we grew up
have you noticed the streets don’t get this quiet where we
live now
remembering how
I once got real sick as a child
I once got real sick as a child

This is the time of night
where waiting might take forever
These are the kind of seats
that make it hard to lie down
I look around the place
and every face
tells a story
and you fall asleep leaving on me

The sun is up when we leave
stores will open and stoppers take advantage of the
sales when
holidays end
it’s back to you caring for me
it’s back to you caring for me

The Last Record Store - todd austin john elsliger

An 80's movie scene
young lovers always meet
perusing record bins
the title track begins
Posters of all
my heroes on the wall

I went looking for myself
on the alphabetic shelf
the back of record sleeves
the local music scenes
A box of mixed tapes
of bands my parents hate

One billion copies sold
the last record store is closed

Wait around for weeks
for the latest new release
I need tickets for the show
I need fake I.D. to go
Standing in line
overnight this time

The buttons on her purse
the colors in her hair
the logo on her shirt
the reason that she's there
I've seen her around
the record shop downtown
I still have the set list from
the last concert here was done

The next generation won't know what this means
after the rise and the fall of CDs
Coffee shops open all over the place
a record store vanishes without a trace

Its liquidation day
they'll be open extra late
The neon record spins
the closing track begins
Will young lovers find
each other just on time

The end of another song, the last record store is gone

Beautiful Things - todd austin john elsliger

I’m immune to romantic eyes
outlined in black on those lonely night
If anyone’s looking
I barely even notice

I’m immune to the painted smiles
whispering lies to me all the while
What I wanna hear
if I was even listening to them

Baby, you’re the only
beautiful thing that I’ve been noticing lately

I’m immune to cascading hair
cloud of perfume lingers in the air
The invisible poison
I can barely breathe

If grass was greener on the other side
I’d be immune to whatever they tried
It’s coming up roses
in my own backyard with you

Baby, you’re the only
beautiful thing that I’ve been noticing lately
Trusting in so many
beautiful things about you to protect me

Crazy, temptation everywhere
I keep my eyes in front of me
sometimes I get so scared

I’m immune to the towering heels
tight fitting clothes and the half eaten meals
Barely even stand up
let alone keep up with us

Baby, you’re the only
beautiful thing that I’ve been noticing lately
Trusting in so many
beautiful things about you to protect me

People, Places, Things - todd austin john elsliger

You call this talking
you must be joking
If I could get a word in edgewise
I was just hoping

People, Places, Things I should keep my distance from
I know by now
Patience I once had, fading by the minute
you wonder how

When I go dancing
I need romancing
To think I stood in line for this
audio sampling

(chorus)

Take this old six string
and just start splintering
And when you put me back together
there’s something missing

(chorus)

Snow - todd austin john elsliger

One glass of wine and
we’re going to find intentions never mean a thing
While everyone dances
we’ll take our chances with the last streetcar leaving

Snowing outside
passing through the light into the dark again

Let’s make believe
we’ll play this last CD and I’ll be on my way
Is this a dream
or did that song start playing sometime yesterday

Snowing tonight
I can’t make you mine just to see what might have been

Polar bears hunting
in canyons of white
Leaving now would be
like taking my life

When seasons change
there’ll be no cold to blame for everything we did

Snow in my hands
try and understand why I keep my feelings hid

New 49 - todd austin john elsliger

Dress up for the night
drink like you’re a fish
Step up to a fight
answer with your fist

Change which side you’re on
knocked out of the frame
Dripping from your tongue
bleeding down the drain

Make love to a friend
fuck someone you hate
True love never ends
what’s one more mistake

Tell her how you feel
words you’d never say
Teach her how to kneel
make somebody pay

Make somebody pay…

Racing down the street
no use looking back
One more hit of speed
down a one way track

Burning bridges down
burning in your heart
No one comes around
when you come apart

Burning in your heart….


Thirty Something - todd austin john elsliger

We used to have friends
now we just buy things
Sit on the couch and
wait till the phone rings

Watching old movies
flat screen TVs
One bedroom condos
high above City streets

We used to have friends
where do you hide
Busy on weekends
weekdays go by

I call you honey
you call me dear
Haven’t been out since
sometime last year

Hold onto each other tight
this is the last song tonight
All the friends we once held dear
watch them all disappear
Thirty something is here

We used to have friends
who has the time
Blackberries loaded
payments behind

Married in August
children by spring
We’re fast asleep when
buses stop running

(chorus)

Sun setting in the west
temperature falling
the sound of my life becoming
everything
that I didn’t want to be