80 Proof

80 proof with nothing left to prove
And it got rough last night
In this marriage to the booze
Sometimes you win
Sometimes you lose
I've got this pounding in my head
I let the bottle make the rules
And these glasses have impaired my vision
I make my mind up by the pint
Uninhibited and quick to choose
Paying half price on decisions
Can barely keep a room with a bed
But the flies are well fed
On back wash and crumbs of bread
Every dish is piled in the sink
Never find me far from a drink
Drowning by the glass
Sinking into debt
And although I might not make the rent
I'm blacking out and broke
Trying to keep up the pace
One more before last call
But tomorrow's a new day
I'll try anything twice
That's put in front of my face
Stumbling and blind
Who's got this round
Because I can't pay it
And I'm not leaving this stool
Until they turn on the lightsTuck me into a booth
Because I don't mind staying
By morning I'll wish I was dead
But tonight I'm alright.

Blacking out and broke
Trying to keep up the pace
But tomorrow's a new day



Excess and Indifference

You've raised the question
Have I been wasting my time
I wouldn't blink at these drugs and drinks
Never thinking about the future
Dressed my wounds with salt and a double pour
This excess and indifference has only left me wanting more
You've raised the question
Have I been wasting my time?
You gave me everything
When you gave me hope
You gave me everything
When there wasn't anything at all
You've raised the question
Have I been wasting my time
I wouldn't blink at these drugs and drinks
Never thinking about the future
Dressed my wounds in salt and a double pour
This excess and indifference has only left me wanting more
You've opened my eyes
Yours have taken me in
When I was so certain I had nothing left to give
I'd dug myself a hole and crawled right in
Satisfied with the thought that I was lost forever
Secure in these defenses
But now I'm not so sure
Sometimes it seems so senseless
So I'll take my chances
Now I'm vulnerable
You gave me everything
When you gave me hope
You gave me everything
When there wasn't anything at all
You've raised the question
Have I been wasting my time?




In Our Name

Manufacture suffering
As we engineer consent
Steal food from hungry mouths
Then force feed liberty
We press our will
With wealth and clout
Swallow you whole
Or spit you out
Just minor trade offs
Lives lost for influence and cash
These open wounds are bleeding black
For economic growth
And corporate interest
These good old boys are getting fat
Resting on the weakened wills of broken backsMisrepresent us
And we'll assume the blame
For your actions
In our name
Armchair patriots
And blind followers of faith
We pledge allegiance to these new gods
Humbly on our knees
And keep our mouths shut
Cold stares fixed blankly on the screen
Content to kneel and pray
In accordance with the state



First Chords

Lately it seems
We've fallen on some hard times
We ride the fence on the fine line
Between being cautious or bold
Regrets and dreams
Share a room in the same mind
We've got a lot less than all the time
In the world than we're told
And we're told to sleep
We've been sold so deep
Are we the wolves or the sheep
The sun will rise
As the streetlights fade
It hurts like hell to face the day
We've resigned to carry this weight
Until those first chords take it away
This is all we know
And may have nothing to show
At least we've got these friends
So we're never alone
There was always a distant hope in knowing
That the road we were on led to better days
Four wheels and the wind at our back is blowing
Let's get going
With a song in our hearts
And a smile on our faces as friends




Penny Ante


My only regret
Is past regret
The bluffs I've made and the hands I've chose to fold
Lost nearly everything
On any given day
Searching for somewhere safe and someone true to hold
I've always held it down
Yet I think it's safe to say
Nobody makes it on their own
But I've been too proud to beg for help
As a result been knocked around
Yet I think it's safe to say
That everybody pays a price
For the lessons that they learn
My only regret
Is past regret
The bluffs I've made and the hands I've chose to foldLost nearly everything
On any given day
Searching for somewhere safe and someone true to hold
I've always held it down
Yet I think it's safe to say
Nobody makes it on their own
But I've been too proud to beg for help
As a result been knocked around
Yet I think it's safe to say
That everybody pays a price
For the lessons that they learn
Refuse to play it safe as the sound
Of the clock ticking
Is running down these second chances
With poor decisions
Come the highest cost
But there's no reward
Without the risk of loss




Blood Money

Language of lies
To mask these motivations
Outlined and redefined with purpose and a plan
We've been fed bullshit
And we were hungry to believe it
Withhold
No truth is told
Consume all that we can
The arrangement
Into classes
You're either well fed
Or you're poor and starving
An unspoken agreement
There is now justice where there's power and privilege
Still this tradition holds
One nation
One nation
Under god
Not free
Of thee I sing
As it nurtures frustration
And intolerance for the unbelievers
Our father
Our father
We lift up our hearts
To the almighty dollar
Thy kingdom come
The kingdom fall
And grant us peace
The arrangement
Into classes
You're either well fed
Or you're poor and starving
An unspoken agreement
There is now justice where there's power and privilege
Still this tradition holds
One nation
One nation
Under god
Not free
Of thee I sing
As it nurtures frustration
And intolerance for the unbelievers
Our father Our father
We lift up our hearts
To the almighty dollar
Thy kingdom come
The kingdom fall
One nation
One nation
Under god
As it nurtures frustration and intolerance
Our father
Our father
We lift up our hearts to the almighty dollar
The kingdom come
Thy kingdom fall
And grant us peace




If You Were In This Band, You'd Be Drunk By Now

Deep pockets full of dignity
Out here on the fringes
And this world weighs heavy on our minds
All we've got is time
Sometimes just barely scraping by
Not just alive but living
On the edge and holding on for life
So we have learned
There's no other option
And in turn
We take it all in stride
For friends we make great enemies
But in this world of strangers
There's never been a doubt who's on our side
All we've got is time
Seems like such a shame to waste it
As long as we still own our dreams
We're free to chase them
So we embrace them
We embrace the thrill of the climb
And the risk of falling
The longest line
The shortest sight
A lesson that won't be forgotten
All we've got is time
All we've got is time
All we've got is time
Isn't that a shame
So we have learned
There's no other option
And in turn
We take it all in stride




Making Good On A Promise

Got some troubles on my mind
And they're strung together
By drunken nights
And the struggle to exist
Family and friends
Passed on and living
And the promises That we…
Don't have to go it alone
It'll be
Any day
Anything
Anyway
Anyhow
Now
Don't have to go it alone
It's in the sound of our footsteps
On these streets we're walking down
And it's on our lips as we speak
It's in the sweat of our labor
And these clocks we're punching
It's in the air that we breath
Don't have to go it alone
It'll be
Any day
Anything
Anyway
Anyhow
Now
Don't have to go it alone
It's because of you that I'm still standing
I've made a few hard landings
You wouldn't let it keep me down
It's because of you that I'm still breathing
You provided for my needs when
I couldn't do it by myself
Don't have to go it alone
It'll be
Any day
Anything
Anyway
Anyhow
Now
Don't have to go it alone
I've got some troubles on my mind
And they're strung together
By drunken nights
And the struggle to exist
Family and friends
Passed on and living
And the promises




Piggyback

Bow and scrape for a paycheck
But they're cashing in
We're for sale and they're buying
While we're dying to live
Our blood is wine for their weekend
We fill our veins with their dope
Comforted by the illusion
That we're in control
We put our faith in the notion
That you get what you give
False sense of pride and devotion
Grateful for how we're conditioned to live
And we're inCome one
Come all
Watch your step
Watch your step
Few rise
Few rise
Come one
Come all
This ladder's death by design
We climb
We fall
Few rise
Few rise
Few rise
We climb
We fall
Watch your step





Turn It Up, Tear It Down

Pulling the plug
On fine print and dotted lines
Selling ass
The big time
Turning music into merchandise
Clauses in contracts bound by law
Drawn for everyone to lose
To the stiff suit
In a silk noose
Our voice is our spirit
Not the high-fi dollar signs
On frequencies sold
We are the bastards born
Of the all created equals
They better face the facts
That they're facing extinction
The captain always goes
Down with the ship
And it's surely sinking
So hit them where it hurts
Because we are the dogs
And these are our days
Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades
Going for the throat after taking out the legs
If mercy's for the weak then
I wouldn't want their fate
So turn it off
Tear it down
Their creative property's not art
It's just copyrighted sounds
Cheap shot high budget hits
Are drawing smaller crowds
As they huddle to keep warm
The fat cats are thinning out
So turn it up
Tear it down
We use our words like fists
And we're throwing them around
Our eyes are open wide
Our ears to the ground
There's tension on the streets
And this is how it sounds





Talk Is Cheap, Yours Is Worthless

If it was something you really believed in
You would have been broken by the fall
Because you lost it all
And you didn't even know it
Once you commit to this jump
There's only one way to go
You did a good job pretending
Sincerity's just a role
That you've worked over
And adopted as your own
Your life's a tale you've invented
A story taller each time it's told
It's a long way down
To the cold hard ground below
It's a long way down
To that cold hard ground below
Dig your hands in deep there
You'll find meaning
It's a long way down
To that cold hard ground below
It's a long way down
It's a long way down
It's a long way down





Shadows and Ashes

Have you forgotten me
Or just an act like you don't know?
No!
I understand that friendships fade
And people come and go
But I find it hard to accept that
We've got our lives to say goodbye
But we've already said it
We've got our lives to say goodbye
Have you forgiven me
For chances that I've blown?
No!
Jumped ship in stormy seas
And hold this grudge to stay afloat
But I find it hard to accept that
We've got our lives to say goodbye
But we've already said it
We've got our lives to say goodbye
To all my friends along the way
There's just one thing I'd like to say
I'd rather not be alone
We've got our lives to say goodbye
But we've already said it
We've got our lives to say goodbye