International House of Lyrics
1997-'98
Three Feet Under
I'm three feet under
Too many bottles
And I don't mean to sound ungrateful
Blind Man
I'm in a bad way
Headlights look like shooting stars
When you're lying in the gutter
And the stars just stop to stare at you
You're just another
But when the darkness falls
The blind man can still find his way
If I ask you a question
Will you feel me with more lies?
Point me from the procession
I can't stand another line
When the wanderlust is setting in
'Cause you just can't stay where you're at
The road holds no answers
Just more questions for your hat
But when the darkness falls
The blind man can still find his way
I wish I couldn't see, sometimes I wish I couldn't feel
I wish I didn't always have to be, another rabbit caught between the wheels
Wish I could get myself out of this place
Go someplace, any place other than here
But in the end it's all the same
Right back with no idea how I got here
But when the darkness falls
The blind man can still find his way
Interstate
Cognitive Dissonance
[Early Stuff | Papa Hookah | Matthew Post | Work in Progress | Lyrics Main]
Peterson
A good ole' road song, chock full o' asphalt and loneliness.
Just me and the radio, just me all alone
It's been two thousand miles of emptiness, a thousand miles from home
Driving through these empty roads, driving through all alone
The stars they never fall
And time passes slow on the interstate
It gets you nowhere at all
Would I ever have left this town, if I had only known?
I wonder how much she misses me, does she feel the same
Will she be waiting for me, will she be standing in the rain?
The hills just roll away
And time passes slow on the interstate
You never get away
And the food at the diners got old the first day
My eyes are tired from these many miles, no sleep for some while
And the miles drag on as I get along my way
Just me and the road, just me all alone
Peterson
During a religion course I was taking at the time, the term 'cognitive dissonance' came up...essentially, what you had held as true has been disproven, but you ignore that fact and keep on believing. I thought it was a pretty interesting concept, explaining why I wrote a song about it.
Tell me what's on your mind
So you're plagued with these doubts, don't know what it's all about
If I told you you're wrong would you keep believing anyway?
Cognitive dissonance
Can't you see the forest for the trees?
Is it all true, I thought I knew you
I guess all our knowledge turns to questions in the end
Cognitive dissonance
Have you forsaken?
What happened to the words that you said
Have you forgotten?
What happened to the cracks that you found
Do you still believe?
Cognitive dissonance
Won't you reconsider your words?
Your clouded indecision, lacks the clarity of precision
I guess that's why we're all so confused
Cognitive dissonance
Peterson
While sitting at IHOP trying to think of things to write, I noticed a couple at a booth, sitting on opposite corners of the table. It got me thinking about the passage of time and its effects on people's lives. Sorry if you thought this was about the band Ten Years After.
Their minds were racing, with the sharp cries of regret
It was only ten years ago, when they were each others' lives
Ten years come and go, maybe they've changed their minds
Is it too late to admit our mistakes, when there's nowhere left to go
Thinking about the road to Phoenix, why can't he be done driving yet?
It was only ten years ago, he pulled his rig on the road
Ten years come and go, as his future starts to slow
Time has a funny way of picking up and leaving
Ten years after
Why did I walk out on you, at the time it seemed so right
It was only ten years ago, we walked out hand in hand
Ten years come and go, and here I stand
Peterson
A purty lil' ballad about falling in love...awwww!
Half-expecting we'd find our way
It never seemed to occur to us before
That the road less-travelled has been trampled down
Something you said makes me remember
I remember more than I get credit for
And if we make it through this September
I promise I'll remember
Can you catch me as I'm falling down
You know I'd catch you as you came down
But now I think I'm falling into you
More likely than not, they'll come back another day
How many ways can I say to you
I'm sorry for all the things I never said
(repeat chorus)
It's time I let my guard down
I know I can be a little offensive
But I don't like crawling on the ground
And would you give me antoher chance
If I blew this one that you gave me
I'll probably need three or four to get it right
I guess we'll wait and see
(repeat chorus)
Peterson
As if it isn't fairly obvious, this song's just based around a word. It's a favorite of my friend Nicole, and she'd probably write a strongly-worded letter if I didn't include it. ;)
Maybe if I tried to paint a picture, my mind won't come undone
But maybe it doesn't matter to you
Maybe you don't care at all
Maybe I'm banging my head against
Yet another brick wall
Maybe we'll get inside my head
Maybe we'll spend our lives together
Maybe it's time for bed
Just maybe, tonight we'll get it right
Maybe there's nothing else in store, but I want to find out anyway
And maybe you'll return my heart
Maybe you'll return my call
Maybe I shouldn't hold my breath
Until we've seen it all
Maybe I'll find a stamp
Maybe one day we'll be together
Maybe it's time to turn off the lamp
Just maybe, tonight we'll get it right