Short & Funny

Whoah! See you later February. I guess I missed a whole month. Not because I wasn't working, mind you. I was spending my time in nutty-nutcake land trying to make sense of the final mixes for the Earwig album. Well, it's done now. Don't hate me because my hair is delicious, okay? I'm working on the cover now and should have more news for you soon regarding the album release, the new single 'Trees' etc. Until then, enjoy my latest post with a downloadable song that you can sing-a-long to!

I think my daughter James has a wicked sense of humor. When her alarm clock would go off in the morning, she would always check the time and then go back to sleep for a little while longer. That eventually became a problem and she had to fix it. Her solution? Well, that's a picture of her alarm clock now. Problem solved.

My friend David has a crazy daughter named Emma. She's 8 years old, likes to wear costumes, dance and sing songs with her friends. Last year Emma asked me to write a song specifically for her and her friends to sing. I agreed and then promptly forgot about it. After a few months, I got a call from Emma "Hey Lizard, where's my song?". I told her I'd have it to her by the end of the week. When I asked Emma what she wanted the song to be about, she said that she didn't know. How about rainbows? Did she want a song about a rock and roll choo-choo train? The only direction she would give me is that she wanted it to be "short and funny". When I got off the phone I got right to work on the song. After racking my brain for a few hours and coming up with several lame ideas, I realized that nothing good was coming. Eventually, I asked my daughter's advice. What is short and funny? "That's easy" James said, "tiny clowns!" And you know what, she was totally right. I sat down and wrote this song in the next ten minutes.

Tiny Clowns

http://www.lizardfamily.com/mp3s/Tiny_Clowns

To download the MP3 go to File -> Save as and store the file on yr desktop

That's Matt Wagner singing back-up and playing the "Jesus Organ". We recorded the song at his place on his casette 4 track. The download includes a version of the song with lyrics and a version without lyrics, so you and yr friends can sing along. Have fun.

Kicking & Screaming / They have miniature ponies in England!

I’ve posted the last of the acoustic versions of songs from the album. What to do now? I don't know. I’ve realized that I don’t really know anything. Even at this late stage in the game, I’m still guessing. Making it up as I go along. It suits me, though the results are often debatable. My vague plan was to have the album ready by now and use these acoustic versions as a hook to lead-in to the finished product. No such luck. It seems that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of mixing these songs. My time-line for planned promotions for this record is pretty much out the window at this point. Not that it matters much. I’m probably better off. As soon as I’ve got something solid, I’ll let you know and we’ll go from there. Okay? Keep in mind that I’m very open to suggestions…and donations. I’ve still got a little ways to go before I’ll have all of the funds I need to get this baby born.

Until then, here’s a brand new song to tide you over. It’s an acoustic demo of a song that I wrote a few weeks back and we’ve tried at Earwig practices a few times but with no solid results. This version was recorded by Steve from Mindfish in the studio at Ohio University. We’ll probably give this tune a shot live at our next show. For those of you that live in CBus, we’re playing a big Valentines Day show Saturday, February 13th at The Basement. Earwig is headlining the downstairs stage. The song is called “I Don’t Want To Go” and it’s alternately about being taken during the Rapture and/or not being there for someone you love. Enjoy it.

I Don't Want To Know
http://www.lizardfamily.com/mp3s/master_lizard

To download the MP3 go to File -> Save as and store the file on yr desktop

Now back to my previous rant. Why is everything so hard? Where does inspiration come from? Why can’t I seem to get anything done? I just mean, damn. Did you know that in England they drive on the Right side of the road, eat beans for breakfast and have miniature ponies in the churchyard at Castle Howard? English people still seem to get things done. Awesome inspired things. Shit, I don’t know. Maybe it will all work out. I can’t see that end result from here very clearly. Instead of relying on well laid plans, I continue to let intuition lead my way. Maybe I don’t need to know how it will all end. I’m glad that yr here for me to talk to about it. Maybe I’m just feeling restless. I do know that if I can just keep breathing, life will probably take care of itself.

I feel like a new born baby.

The story of Rumplestiltskin

Little people are always so special. Think about it. Leprechauns, Munchkins, Hobbits…the list goes on. They’re always working some sort of magic angle. Sometimes they’re devious too. As is the case with one of my favorite Grimm Brothers tales. I’ve been asking around and I’m startled by how many people claim to not know the story of Rumplestiltskin. If you are unfamiliar with him, here’s the wiki-link. For a long time I’ve been drawn to that story in particular. When I wrote this song, I was thinking about how Rumplestiltskin gets a raw deal. In every version of the story, he’s depicted as the bad guy. When, in reality, he’s doing some awesome magic to help out the miller’s daughter in her desperate time of need. She begs for his help, he gives it to her and all he asks for in return is her pretty necklace. And then her ring on the second night he helps her. With nothing left to give him on the third night, she offers him a bargain and agrees to give him her first born child should she marry the King. The little man bides his time and when the day comes for the new Queen to make good on her promise, she balks at giving up the child and he’s even cool enough to give her a game of “guess my name” as a way to possibly get to keep her baby. He gives her three chances to guess his strange-ass name and what does she do…she cheats! The little guy got so pissed that he stomps his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then he grabbed his left foot with both hands and tore himself in two. Bitches, man, I swear. It’s not like he wanted to eat the baby. He just wanted someone to keep him company. I’d imagine that being a freaky little magic hermit can get seriously lonely. So, I wrote this song for Rumplestiltskin because I felt like he needed an advocate, someone to tell the story from his point of view.

http://www.lizardfamily.com/mp3s/RumplestiltskinMCHacoustic

To download the MP3 go to File -> Save as and store the file on yr desktop

Rumplestiltskin

I have waited such a long time for the promise that you made

You are mine to cradle, you are mine

I have waited such a long time and the Devil knows my name

You are mine to cradle, you are mine

You are mine

I have waited such a long time and the Devil told you that

You are my one time thing, you are mine

I have waited such a long time and the Devil told you that

You are mine to cradle, you are mine

You are mine

My name’s got a potion on it

If you can guess, I’ll tear myself in two

Last of the year

Waking up on a day like today takes a million years. And I’m still waiting. Begin these hunted moments. Scheduled to start mixing on January 11th … a lifetime away. Sleeping days roll by like water, sounds of Monsters in the hallway. All these things are waiting, kept at bay…

Shiny Morning

Yr never on my side
If winter comes and I can’t keep you warm…
Yr moment has begun, yr shiny morning in the sun

All across the Universe
Forgetting stars, if I could let you run
We’d run ‘til we got caught and sing the songs that we forgot
Let’s sing the songs that we forgot

And I wave as the cars pass by
On this shiny morning
When your moment has begun
It’s been a long time coming on


http://www.lizardfamily.com/mp3s/ShinyMorningMCHacoustic

To download the MP3 go to File -> Save as and store the file on yr desktop

Last.