Playground Games

by David Charles

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credits

released 28 July 2011

tags

tags: pop rock Provo

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Track Name: Turn It Up
I stand alone
Beneath a shadow near the back of the room
Watching the insiders move
Can they feel my eyes?

Sizing them up
Breaking them down
Writing them off as the dumb crowd
Everyone fits into a stereotype
Screaming “I’m different” but oddly alike

I’m lining ‘em up like ducks in a row
Biding my time
Knocking ‘em down with a single blow
Check your coat and preconceptions at the door

Turn it up
Tonight I hit the floor
Like I never have before
Play it loud
Tonight I’m breaking out
I’m not backing down anymore

Reach for my phone
Wait…stop
It’s about time I started to let go
Ignoring the words bathed in white glow
Unlocking my mouth
Letting the words flow

I’m peeling myself out of the corner and off the wall
Pushing my way to the center of the circle
Give me space to swing and shake ‘til my head spins
I’ve got to get it out

Turn it up
Tonight I hit the floor
Like I never have before
Play it loud
Tonight I’m breaking out
Not backing down anymore

I need a louder beat
To drown out the uncertainty
I need a louder beat
To cover up the doubt in me

I need a louder beat

Turn it up
Track Name: While We Can (Get Away With It)
You put one foot in
You pause and hesitate
Checking over your shoulder
There’s no reason to be afraid

It doesn’t matter what has happened
Or what is coming
All we need to care about is right now

Let’s have a little fun
And cause a little trouble
Live a little louder
While we’re still young
While we can get away with it

Push forward
Don’t pull back
We’ve been here before
Nothing’s changed
But nothing will
If we don’t explore what's out there

Give me one good reason why not

Let’s have a little fun
And cause a little trouble
Live a louder
While we’re still young
While we can get away with it

Let’s make a new adventure
And be a little bolder
Call in sick
Forget we’re getting older
While we can get away with it

Take a problem
Make it simple
Take foreboding
Make it cordial
Take a single
Make it double
Take a hurdle
Make it rubble

All this back and forth
Between passive and active
Between pious and pagan
Just give me one good reason why not

Let’s have a little fun
And cause a little trouble
Live a louder
While we’re still young
While we can get away with it

Let’s make a new adventure
And be a little bolder
Call in sick
Forget we’re getting older
While we can get away with it

Let’s stay up a little later
And make a couple mistakes
We’ll be sore in the morning
But it’s worth the ache
We can get away with it

Let’s put a little sparkle in your eye
Where you used to twitch
Let’s add a little laughter
To replace the stress
We can get away with it
Track Name: High and Low
I've come to know this city's streets
I've got the blisters on my feet to prove it
From the miles of blocks I memorized and walked
I reached the top, but I still come back empty handed

But I remain cautiously optimistic
Where is the fun in being realistic these days?
From the mountains down to the beach
I crossed this country west to east

Everywhere I go
I look for you
I'm searching high and low
Anywhere you are
I'll be there soon
Just don't go too far away

My mind is focused on a mission
What I wouldn't give for a bigger net and better vision
I need a 50-story crow's nest
You need to wear a homing beacon

A flashing light
A screaming siren
To guide me through this endless ocean
Track Name: Magic Words
There is something missing
Something's not quite right
I feel like a partial person
In the dark without a light
Everything's a mess
It's all fallen apart ever since I left
We're back behind the start

Searching for the path to paradise
How do we get back to the good times?

Waiting for you to say the magic words
To break the curse that we're under
Waiting for you to find the perfect blend of nouns and verbs
To make me forget
How much I miss the simple moments

You say that you've changed
You have learned your lesson
But you still seem the same
No weight behind your message
I'm going to need some proof
Some kind of demonstration of all that you've been through
Remove my hesitation

Looking for a letter for every day you have been away

Is there an easy fix for a broken, shattered, fractured egg?
Whatever it is, just make it quick
Pick up the bits and pieces
What it'll take to be whole again?
All the king's horses
All the king's men
Could they put us back together again?

Waiting for you to make a grand gesture
Open the door and save our future
Waiting for you to wave your magic wand
Undo the hurt and we'll carry on like we always did
Things were simpler then
We'd sing "La la la la la la la"
Track Name: Playground Games
You write your number on a piece of paper
Coax your best friend to deliver it later
Crosses the room and stops at my table and says
“I’ve got something for you”

We chat a little here and there as the weeks pass
I can make you smile
I can make you laugh
But you’re holding back
You’re breaking plans
I don’t have time for another excuse

I’m not a rat in a race for your amusement
Remove my name from the running
(Red rover, Red Rover, send ____ right over)

These playground games you never left behind
They’re the same dumb rules I never memorized
Tag, you’re it
Come chase me
Because I’m not going to baby

Maybe there is another guy
Somewhere on the side
Your roller coaster ride
Your never ending fight
I'm not gonna question why
Or even say goodbye
I have better things to do

I’m not a creep in contest
Cut me out of this competition
(Red rover, red rover...)

Believe it or not,
I don’t want to relive grade school
I learned my ABC’s
The birds and bees
I know 1+2 is one too many
I am reading your mind
Piercing the schemes that you’ve devised
You’ve never been denied in all your life
Imagine your surprise when I say
“I’m not a sucker for your stunning frame.
Do us both a favor and forget my name.”

These playground games you never left behind
They’re the same dumb rules I never memorized
Tag, you’re it
Come chase me
I’m not going to, baby

Hide and Seek
Jacks and marbles
Duck Duck Goose and Kick the Can
Kings and Queens
Spin the Bottle
Steal the Flag and Simon Says

Tag, you’re it
Come chase me
It’s nice not knowing you, baby
Track Name: Crystal Ball (Time Reveals All Wounds)
I take little comfort in your words
I hear little remorse in your tone of voice
I see little sadness behind your eyes
I hear no originality in your lies

Tell me how you keep your voice so steady while you say "goodbye"
(Tell me how you forgot about me)

Where is my crystal ball?
My window into the future
I need to watch the years wash away your features
Take me to the moment
When you realize that I'm gone

There is nothing beating in your chest
There is little reason in your arguments
I see little devils perched on both your shoulders
I see little halos crushed beneath your boots

Where is my crystal ball?
My window into the future
I need to watch the years wash away your features
Darling, don't you know that you won't be beautiful forever?
That's a shame
You know, I'd have loved you however

Take me to the moment
When you realize that I'm gone

I'm gone
(and I'm not coming back)

Where is my crystal ball?
My window into your future
I need to watch the years wash away your perfect features
Darling, don't you know that you won't be beautiful forever?
That's a shame
You know, I'd have loved you however

Take me to the moment
When you realize that your life's gotten colder and this was the biggest mistake of your life
Track Name: Believe
This flock of new friends is rallied around
Asking, "Where are you headed next?
There is a party at the treehouse
If you follow us"
Strangers on the balcony offer me drinks repeatedly
They shuffle to the sound of the crackling beat
Over the cheap PA
While the DJ plays

It's night like this that make me believe in miracles
I swear this can't be simple coincidence

Combing through the campus
Skipping my shoes across red brick
Keeping steady
Shaking my legs on the ledge beside the flower bed
Passing underneath east coast elite
Ivy league arches
Treading through fog so thick I can see my breath
Stopped dead in my tracks by a bird in its nest

It's night like this that make me believe in miracles
I swear this can't all be coincidental
I taste your kiss and I feel something wonderful
I swear this night will always be unforgettable

I know it's a little suspicious
I know it's a little ridiculous
But this universe can't just be us
We can't be meant to turn to dust
We can't be far from heaven
Close your eyes and count to seven
You'll be there
You are here

I believe
I believe in something

It's night like this that make me believe in miracles
I swear this can't all be just accidental
I taste your kiss and I feel something wonderful
I swear this night will always be unforgettable

I believe
I believe in something wonderful
Track Name: Where I Belong
Can you believe that all this started with just one simple question?
I said
"Who are you?"
Now it seems like such a silly question
There is hardly anyone in this world that I feel closer to than you
You and me
We have such an unexpected resemblance
We finish and predict each other's sentences

I just want to be back where I belong
(with you)

Can you believe where all this might end up?
With one simple answer
I'll say
"Yes, I do"
It seems like such a scary notion
I have never felt at ease with giving up
Growing up
Dressing up as the groom
You and me
We have the same uncertainties
But the same hopes and dreams
I think we'll have a carefree life

I just want to be back where I belong
(with you)

I feel like I'm traveling
Seemingly, endlessly
(without you)
I feel like I'm bargaining
Desperately, hopelessly
I can't promise everything
But I can guarantee every second I will think
Constantly, endlessly of you
Track Name: Keep It Quiet (No One Needs To Know)
I am making a list of all the forgotten items
Minutes, seconds, moments wasted
This is neglect documented

Two dozen roses resting on the desk
Bright pink
Long-stemmed
Plucked
Primped
Precisely trimmed
Gorgeous and anonymous

No one needs to know who they’re from

It’s a name you’ll forget anyway
In another witless drunken haze
Bar shifts
Keg stands
Corks popped
Hold back your hair
Under the influence

25 pages
Neatly arranged in a black binder
Single spaced
Bright colors
Silly sentiment and sweet nothings
Thoughtful and considerate

No one needs to know

Keep it quiet
This will be our dirty little secret
“Take it easy on my boi tonight”
Don’t forget
Keep it quiet
I wouldn’t want to raise suspicion
“Take it easy on my boi tonight”
Don’t forget

No one needs to know

Our recipient is illiterate or inconsiderate
It’s hard to tell
But she’s innocent, not deliberate
Can you imagine?

Keep it quiet
This will be our dirty little secret
“Take it easy on my boi tonight”
Keep it quiet
I wouldn’t want to raise suspicion
“Take it easy on my boi tonight”
Don’t forget

No one needs to know

No one needs to know

No one needs to know

No one needs to know
Track Name: Move / Sway
I’m tuning up the strings
Gonna play the violin for all your suffering

Turning on the faucet
Gonna let it rain
Until the waterline is menacing

I heard the news today
You misplaced a weeklong friend
Or roommate
Whichever you prefer

You stole away
All of the attention that was meant for her
Still this isn’t all that you deserved

Can I recommend a remedy?
Don’t try to understand
Close your mouth
And listen

Just move and sway
Let the mood and words I say rock you to sleep

Just move like you always do
To keep safe and stay afloat

You believe you understand
But it’s all thick black smoke and mirrors
And false epiphanies

You poor thing
Pity, you’re a guiltless, shattered casualty
Of your own tempting tendencies

Let’s get one thing straight:
I was never confused about what was going on
I never wondered what I did wrong
You were lying, playing dumb
I knew exactly what had happened
I asked all of perfect questions
You had all of the worst reactions
Now I’m better off

You talk the talk
And talk and talk and talk...
But you can’t walk the walk
You talk and talk
And walk away

Your words are inaudible
Your words are virtual
(virtually meaningless)
Track Name: Harmony
It’s another morning
I am waking up
Feeling like a fool
You’re a fair-haired thief
But I was dumbstruck
Ventured down that alley hoping for a gentle touch
Instead I’ve got a black eye socket from your upper cut

It’s another afternoon
I have given up
Letting the wheels spin
Betting on a sure thing, but I’m out of luck
There was something you used to call me, I forget what it was
All I ever did for you
Should’ve been more than enough

I’m calling out for all my friends
Will you pick me up?
I’ve only got one weapon left
Will you back me up?

I need a full harmony
Will you sing with me?
Will you sing me me?

I need a catchy melody
Can you find the right notes?
I can’t do this on my own

It’s another dark night
But I am standing up
Pounding in my head,
I’m a dizzy mess but I will overcome
How are you so spotless when I’m blanketed in mud?
You’re a shark, in a frenzy over a drop of blood
Track Name: Triple Dare
How quickly we went to future spouses from just friends
I am looking into diamond rings
Unaware of the rug sliding out beneath
Now the bubbles in your favorite drink
Or the words you said in your own dream
Are reminders of feelings discarded but not forgotten
Cover your ears and sing
"Na na na na na na
I'm not listening"

I dare you to be alone
I dare you to try to let go
I dare you to turn on the radio
My name
My face
My voice will follow wherever you will go

From the stranger plucking guitar strings
To the laughter on late night tv
To the familiar star on the movie screen
You can't run away from memory
But you sing "Na na na na na na"
You're not listening

Whatever you see
Whatever you hear
Whatever you touch and taste
I'll be right there

I dare you to be alone
I dare you to try to let go
I dare you to turn on the radio
I dare you to throw your stones
I dare you to pick up the phone
I dare you to admit what you don't know
My name
My face
My voice will follow wherever you will go
Track Name: L.H.C.
At the front of the gate is a face that makes me weak in the knees
Glimpse of a sliver of a shoulder
Such a tease
Your whole body screams "look at me"
This cocktail of adrenaline and nerves is so bittersweet

I run away like you're my enemy
Grinning brightly, but all I see are sharp razor teeth
I'm the bait with the hook right through my cheek
Take a bite and join me

I need a shot to the head
I need a boost to my self-esteem

My senses are overloaded
Head is spinning like a top
My eyes are darting back and forth
Is it ever going to stop?
Gotta talk
Gotta shock
Gotta learn to open up
Or carry on in the "Lonely Hearts Club"

I'm screwing bolts in both sides of my neck
To keep my eyes forward and focused on the task at hand
Gotta stare
Gotta gawk
Gotta learn how to dance
Sweat it out
Learn the language of the new romance

I should be cashing in, but I'm gazing at my feet
A script of pick-up lines cycles
On repeat
Each one dumber than the last
I'm a creep who dreams and thinks but never looks
Follow me

I need a shot to the head
I need a boost to my self-esteem

My senses are overloaded
Head is spinning like a top
My eyes are darting back and forth
Is it ever going to stop?
Gotta talk
Gotta shock
Gotta learn to open up
Or carry on in the "Lonely Hearts Club"

I'm screwing bolts in both sides of my neck
To keep my eyes forward and focused on the task at hand
Gotta stare
Gotta gawk
Gotta learn how to dance
Sweat it out
Learn the language of the new romance

(I'm not going home alone again)

This place is empty but I'm still lingering
These streets are endless but I'm still waiting here)

I need a shot to head

My senses are overloaded
Head is spinning like a top
My eyes are darting back and forth
Is it ever going to stop?
Gotta talk
Gotta shock
Gotta learn to open up
Or carry on in the "Lonely Hearts Club"

I'm screwing bolts in both sides of my neck
To keep my eyes forward and focused on the task at hand
Gotta stare
Gotta gawk
Gotta learn how to dance
Sweat it out
Learn the language of the new romance
Track Name: Emergency
Sparkling strands above our heads dangle from a chandelier tonight
If I could see into the future, I'd suggest we hang ourselves instead
Pushing against the ground but it's not moving
I am balancing on the edge
Everyone's here
Gathered to beg, but I've got nothing left

Is this a family or an emergency?
Swallow the pills
Order the kill and never bother me

Can you feel two steady heartbeats combining into one?
Watch out for a couple dimwitted delinquents pretending they're in love
I'm down, I can't get up now
I'm giving up something close now
25 years, I saved and waited
Had a pretty little nest egg, but now I'm broke

Never ask for my advice
You know better than I do

You begged, borrowed, and bankrupt me
You took the one pure thing I had to give
Watched you melt away our hope with acid
My body's broke and busted
I'm drinking too much and I feel sick
but you're determined to make it fit
Track Name: Dissonance
Stand up all my fallen colleagues
Speak up all my quiet friends
Shut down all the petty doubters
Tune out all the dissonance

They'll try to change your words
They'll try to make you like them
They'll try to make you hurt
But you've got to know better than that
They'll try to tell you they know what's best
They'll try to tell you how to dress yourself
They'll try to make you feel ashamed for who you are
They'll try to sell you their name for the price of their soul

Stand up all my fallen colleagues
Speak up all my quiet friends
Shut down all the petty doubters
Tune out all the dissonance

They’ll try to spread their disease
They’ll try to push their beliefs
They are wolves dressed like sheep
They’ll sneak past your fences
Stay alert
Stay protected

Stand up all my fallen colleagues
Speak up all my quiet friends
Shut down all the petty doubters
Tune out all the dissonance

All of their critical talk is cheap
All of their limited light is brief
It’s up to you to find what you need
Ignite yourself and burn
Burn brighter

I see you down now
Get back up
I see you hold back
Forget them
Get back up

Stand up all my fallen colleagues
Speak up all my quiet friends
Shut down all the petty doubters
Tune out all the dissonance
Jump in all my timid friends
Dive in, the water's perfect
Follow me into the deep end
Trust me, you won't regret it
The deeper the water
The sweeter the reward
You will find more reason for living
Than you did skimming the surface at the shallow end