1. |
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Forgive me
I'm not miserable today
I can't conjure one depressing thing to say
I've got a girl I love
In a desperate sort of way
And I am learning to let that be okay
I think about the times when I was sad
But now I even made up with my dear old dad
I really miss all my old friends
I'm grateful for the times we had
But our lives just went in different ways
And I am learning to let that be okay
Sometimes I think about the universe
And how time and size are relative to earth
And how no matter what I do
I will be forgotten someday
But I am learning to let that be okay
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2. |
Song For The Strays
02:01
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We kept on walking West
Until we found the water's edge
We turned 'round to start our journey
'Til we could find ocean again
We refuse to let the sands of time
Erode to make our beds
We'll make our own and lay down in them
With no second thought regrets
'Til we're down again
They sneer and call us foolish
But I think we're awful brave
They pass judgment on appearance
Instead of the choices that we've made
It's not the net number of digits
That your bank accumulates
It's not the sum of years that you survive
Before you find your grave
When you'll be down again
So put away your weapons
I'm just offering my hand
And we'll all be down together
In the end
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3. |
Olympic On The Atlantic
01:51
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I remember watching New York City
Passing by outside my tiny window
I took a picture of the Statue of Liberty
But I never developed it
I just kept the negative
I remember the dark, cold waters of London
Passing by under my feet
As I stared up at Big Ben
And all I wanted was home in California
Well now I'm here
And I wish I could go back again
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4. |
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There is a storm on the rise
And the land won't ever look the same again
I'm hearing whispers in the dark
And I thought I saw the Devil's jagged grin
The kids have a riot
Occupying every single waking thought
And in the silence
I could swear I heard the first raindrop...
Can you feel it in the air now?
There is a stillness calling out for tragedy
And look
The rats ain't even running
There ain't no rat ever accepted his own death at sea
There are believers praying
"Someone save us"
Trembling at the thunder in the sky
And every lonesome prisoner
Is sounding out his tortured cry
There ain't a man carried a gun that I respected
Oh, but it seems I should be gearing up for war
There is a faceless enemy on the horizon
And his battleships float, silent, off the shore
I feel the Earth under my feet
I think she's holding her breath
Fearful of what still is yet to come
There is a swiftness in the breeze
Feels like it's running
Oh, it's chasing down that ever setting sun
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5. |
For The 'Bot
02:40
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I like Star Wars
And I like Dr. Who
But not as much as I like you
I like my dog
And all of my friends, too
But not as much as I like you
I hear your soft breathing
When my brain won't let me sleep
I wake up to your smile and we get up
And find something to eat
And I could never ask for anything more than that
I like punk rock
And I like writing songs
But not as much as when you sing along
I like comics
And traditional tattoos
But not as much as I like you
So let's sit together and watch nerdy shows
Let's sing along to Dead To Me and Bouncing Souls
Let's buy you a pup so it can learn the tricks from Bear
It doesn't matter to me
If we're on the floor of the living room of a friend's house
For the rest of our lives
If that's where I can be with you
Then I can be happy there
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6. |
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I worry I might never cure myself of this disease
It's an action I rely on to keep my troubled mind at ease
I know this bottle was supposed to just be celebratory
But the pills won't seem to put me to sleep
I can even see concern now in the face of my dear dog
She is usually more preoccupied with her food
And her bi-daily walks
She wants to bark at her rival in apartment 13
But tonight she won't stop staring at me
"Why must you do this to yourself?
Don't you know if you go
I've got nobody else?
What would I do without you?
Isn't my love enough
To keep you from giving up?
I traded my home town for this cage
Everyone here is an inmate of inconsolable rage
Mutilating our bodies to watch our old selves fade away
Plagiarizing just to fill up the page
I was blinded by youth at the time
I tried my best to see you through the tears
That were forming in my eyes
My heart was breaking in my chest
So I could barely hear you say
"I'm sorry that it has to be this way"
Now my glasses are fogged up again
I guess I still blame you for leaving me alone
With this fucking ball point pen
And nothing but time to keep reliving that night
On the front yard of that yuppy house
We had our last fight
Where you said "You can't help destroying everything that you touch"
And I said "Please don't abandon me like everyone else I ever loved!"
And you said "Each day you kill yourself
And I can't lie down and die with you
My dear Nathanael, I still love you
I just don't know what else to do
Can't you see that I'm going through hell?
But I'll have to be strong and rely on myself
'Cuz I know now
My love will never ever be enough
To keep you from giving up"
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7. |
Bad Call, Felon
02:11
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Cold chili from a can
With corn chips and a plastic spoon
The curb near the back of an empty parking lot
My pockets overflowing with things I didn't need to steal
But I did it anyway
I guess I do that a lot
And everyone's so jealous
They "could never be so brave"
At least, that's what the strangers each night say
But I fail to see the courage spending years running away
Too scared of what it means
To just stay in one place
I wish that I could find a job
And work it every day
Come home to a cold beer and some TV
Let go of this ambition driving me to sleepless nights
But that has never been
And never will be me
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8. |
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I was sent to defeat all your demons
And to a lasting paradise
I have wandered these lands
And seen all that they have
Through a humble
Less than perfect pair of eyes
But I sharpened my teeth
On a stone of bad luck
And I'm discovering the freedom
There can be in giving up
I've been having all these strange visions lately
I keep dreaming that I'm standing face to face
With the man that I was
Just a few years ago
And he wears a look
Of disgust and disgrace
He calls me a sellout
And I call him a child
And I say to him "Don't worry
You'll be seeing things my way in a little while"
And the truth is that I feel like I'm arriving
Like maybe being no one really ain't so bad
Let the weight of the world
Rest on somebody else
Along with all the other shackles that I had
I will always evolve
I will live and breathe art
I will think with my head
And love with all my heart
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9. |
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You were the mouthpiece to a generation of romantics
The drugs and instability were unfortunate specifics
But I never sang along to anyone the way I sang along to you
You were the reflection of what our parents had created
You were self-destruction in the most artistic, charming way
But I guess these days you've just got way too much to lose
Well I know that you're just human
And I understand that life gets in the way
But when you love one thing so much
It'd break your heart to let it go
You'd give anything to make it stay the same
You were the reason that I first picked up a guitar
And I played your records until I knew them all by heart
But man, you just fell apart trying so hard
To keep up with a changing scene
The last time I saw you, you were playing to a half-empty bar
And you played the old hits that once had taken you so far
And I left half-way through your set
What you've become is something I can't bare to see
Well, from here on out, I guess I'm on my own
I guess it's true that nothing gold can ever stay
But I'll keep your memory in my heart
And tear my vocal chords apart
Just pushing back the time that they might say
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10. |
Steadfast
03:17
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I see a tidal wave a-comin' in
I'm wide eyed and I'm wondering
If I should be bothered to run away
See, when I's a boy I learned to swim
Much too old, now, to start drowning
Preparing my whole life to face this day
And the whole world is holding it's breath
Yeah, the heavens' eyes are all upon me now
Oh, I'm not a fool to lie
And say that I'm not scared to death
But I am steadfast
I was born to stand my ground
You are sails on the horizon
Leaving stormy skies behind you
Ain't no anchor built could ever make you stay
No, you worked your hands too long
You bled your love 'til it was gone
Ain't no flowers growin' in soil watered this way
And the whole world is holding it's breath
Yeah, the heavens' eyes are all upon you now
And all you want is one last glimpse
To look behind at what you left
But you are steadfast
You were born to stand your ground
I want so badly to admit
I'll miss you more than life itself
But I am steadfast
I was born to stand my ground
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RMS Olympic Portland, Oregon
Folk Punk / Folk / Anti-Folk
RMS Olympic recommends:
An incredible voice singing simple and passionate songs.
go to album
Bogsey and the Argonauts/ Stick and Poke Split
by Bogsey and the Argonauts/ Stick and Poke
God dammit don't question me on this one. Just go get it.
go to album
Awake O' Sleeper
by Destroy Nate Allen
This album was new when I first saw Nate back in like 2007, and it still holds a very special place in my heart.
go to albumIf you like RMS Olympic, you may also like:
Rogue Taxidermy
by Days N' Daze
supported by 5 fans who also own “Old Reliable”
A folk punk classic, and a great example of how flexible the genre is: from the beautiful and heartbreaking "Blue Jays", to the poppy fun of "Day Gaunts", to the poignat honesty of "Misanthropic Drunken Loner", to the satisfying dissonace of the instruments vocals and lyrics on "Perfuctly Disfunctional". One of my Favorite albums that shines light into an underappreciated Genre
go to album
A Necessary Bummer
by Sledding With Tigers
supported by 4 fans who also own “Old Reliable”
Definitely one of the most well rounded folk punk bands I've heard in a long time. Reminds me a lot of Michael Jordan Touchdown Pass. Would love to see a repressing of "a necessary bummer"
go to album
Beautifully played and full of moving vocal performances, the Bay Area singer/songwriter's latest is a stellar work of art.
go to album
