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96 Hours Past June
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Brother's got big pockets and lots of stuff
I try so hard but it's never enough
I've had enough of your lies

He feeds me Anna Nicole and Britney Spears
And a steady diet of my worst fears
I've had enough of your lies

Not on our anniversary
We've got the same blood but you still hurt me
Not on our anniversary
Can't you look me in the eye, sincerely?

Big Brother hears everything that I say
He watches as I work and as I play
I've had enough of your lies

Truth is negotiable with too much trust
When you're distracted and don't give a fuck
I've had enough of your lies

Age of Delirium
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Can you really be free
When it's shoved down your throat?
Whatever happened to democracy?
It's become quite the joke

I'm not falling for
Another glorified fiasco
Fool me once, don't fool me twice
You've got to go

This is the Age of Delirium
We're selling out and we're much too comfortable
This is the Age of Delirium
We fool ourselves when we're not being gullible
This is the Age of Delirium
We trust too soon the unforgivable
This is the Age of Delirium
It's time again to be free

Just another cross to bear
You don't know when to quit
If it's neither here nor there
Then where the fuck is it?

I am my own worst enemy

Ain’t It the Truth
Music by Ben Henry and Matt Webb
Lyrics by Ben Henry

A new reality adopted as it’s found
I count the many times you’ve gone and let me down
Do I seem unsavory?
Why won’t you pay me?
It’s yes, no, or maybe
We’re fighting again …

Ain’t it the truth that you cried to me softly
Ain’t it the truth you denied?
Ain’t it the truth that you found a new hobby
Ain’t it the truth that you lied?

Surprisingly I find myself a victim again
How many times before I learn this hard lesson?
It’s not me you’re slighting
It’s you whose wrong needs righting
One more beacon for lighting
We’re fighting again …

All I Need
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

I’ve got lots of toys, I’ve got DVDs
But, you know, it still feels so empty
Cuz tonight … you’re all I need

I’ve got toothpaste, I’ve got mp3s
I’ve got nice clothes, and some of them are even clean
But tonight … you’re all I need

Won’t you be there for me?
Won’t you be here with me?

I don’t want money
It leads to greed
I don’t wanna shoot up
It'll kill my dreams
I’m missing something
You’re all I need …
Tonight

I’ve got a car that runs occasionally
It’s white and black, with some rust discoloring
But tonight … you’re all I need

I’ve got guitars, and apparently
I’ve got issues of co-dependency
As tonight … you’re all I need

Bad Disease
Music by Ben Henry and Jonny Croce
Lyrics by Ben Henry

Can you keep away from us
You’re contagious
You’re giving me a bad disease
A parasite’s love is lost
Like a virus
You’re giving me a bad disease

Get it in writing, please
I’m on my knees
You’re giving me a bad disease
I’m living in misery
There’s no remedy
You’re giving me a bad disease

Follow me into my cubbyhole
Follow me into my cubbyhole
I’m sorry but you should have known
What it’s like to be the one … alone

It’s not that I can’t relate
I just don’t hate
You’re giving me a bad disease
The fever’s getting hot
But the fire’s not
You’re giving me a bad disease

Casualty of Love
Music by Ben Henry and Jonny Croce
Lyrics by Ben Henry

It’s so subtle
Your blatant lack of respect
On the bubble
Is where you should expect … to be
Will you make me
Will you make me believe
Will you make me
A casualty of love

The age of reason
You’re still too young to choose
I pledge allegiance
To making old the new … will you?
Will you make me
Will you make me believe
Will you make me
A casualty of love

Imagine …
What it’s like to walk a mile in my shoes
Imagine …
What it’s like to come up short with no excuse
Imagine …
When I win does someone really have to lose
Imagine …

Complications
And my newfound respect
Impede elation
But what should I expect … from you?
Will you make me
Will you make me believe
Will you make me
A casualty of love

Cruel Game
Music by Matt Webb and Ben Henry
Lyrics by Ben Henry

This is some mess
I must confess
I guess I’m
Caught in a cruel game
You’ve left me blind
And me behind
Don’t …
Call me by another name

Ease my mind
It’s confined
Find a way, to open it
She’s at home
All alone
Failing her prerequisites
Cuz I’m …
Caught in a cruel game

Escape posthaste
As I embrace
This taste, I’m
Caught in a cruel game
Get through the wire
Avoid the fire
I’m mired, don’t
Call me by another name

Destination
Music by Jonny Croce and Ben Henry
Lyrics by Ben Henry

If you hit the wall
I’ll hit the road
And I’ll sit around
And watch things erode
I’m not the one
Who made the mistake
You are the one
Who’s on the take
You’re over there
But you’re everywhere
You’re in my smile
You’re in my stare

I’m trying to be somebody
I’m dying to kill somebody
Never knowing
Never stopping
Never contemplating

There’s a detour
On my journey home
There’s no destination
I’ll stay on the roam
I’ve lost my directions
How do I confess?
Is that the question
To ask to clean this mess?
I need transportation
To go where I’ve been
To seek absolution
For immortal sins

Do I Need You Now
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Hey you, come down
From those heights
As you get around
My alienated rights
Hey you, the magpie
With nothing left to say
You’re my guiding light
During the day

And I have to wonder
Do I need you now

Hey you, won’t you please
Tell me what I need
You’ve got me on my knees
Pulling out your weeds
Hey you, obsolete
Tell me of my fate
You’ve been there for me
Too little and too late

Make, make, make a change
A change for now

Fallen Again
Music by Ben Henry and Matt Webb
Lyrics by Ben Henry

I’ve fallen again
I’m hungry for a different kind of light
I’ve fallen again
For the colors of another appetite
I’ve stumbled again
I’ll get up as soon as I make it right
It’s too late to be nice
Trying too hard to make you like me

I’ve fallen again
I’ve let you get to me, it’s not all right
I’ve fallen again
Could we be sure when we say “we might”
I’ve stumbled again
I seem to be in a constant state of life
It’s too late to be nice
Trying too hard to make you like me

I’ve fallen again
Freedom only comes at a price
I’ve fallen again
I’m trying to tell it straight and be concise
I’ve stumbled again
Is it really the time for you to be rolling the dice?
It’s too late to be nice
Trying too hard to make you like me

Emulating the likes of what we are now forced to become

For Tomorrow
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Fighting instinct and desire
Turns out I am a liar
Today is too late
I hope we can avoid our fates
For tomorrow
For tomorrow

You can’t change what has been done
But you still can be the one
Only you can save yourself
There are many different kinds of wealth
For tomorrow
For tomorrow

Make it right
One fight
For tomorrow

Let’s drift apart together
We’ll weather the weather
Why must we fall to be in love
We have to push to get to the shove
For tomorrow
For tomorrow

Only you can save yourself
For tomorrow

I Know
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

I know, it's too much to bear
I know, the strain on your heart
I know, it's hard when I'm not there
I know, you won't play the part

I've seen this movie
And even its sequel
The heart just wants what it wants

I don't know, why it's not easy
I don't know, how to pretend
I don't know, why I feel so queasy
I don't know how this ends

I know, I take you for granted
I know, I'm asking a lot
I know, I can't recant this
Looks like I'm on the spot

It’s Understood
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Sticks and stones can start a flame
I’ll try not to pull up lame
I’d rather be me than be the same
It’s understood

I’ll stick around, come what may
It doesn’t have to be this way
Messing up every single day
It’s understood

This might take quite a while
Give me strength; give me guile
I never said you lacked in style
It’s understood

Let Me Go
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

You came to me one afternoon
Somewhat of a loon
A little out of tune
You liked the way I combed my hair
The way I didn’t care
The way I looked as you stared

We worked it out so we’d never confess
To avoid a mess
We kept it close to the chest
But then things got a little strange
When I strayed out of range
It was time for a change

Let me go
Let me go
I’m nothing
Without my radio
Let me go
Let me go
No one’s listening
No one needs to know

But you could never bring yourself to quit
This bad habit
You wouldn’t leave me alone
It’s unbecoming to be desperate
Stop throwing a fit
It’s time to go home

You were unrelenting
Unforgiving
As we reached impasse
You should have known from the beginning
Now I’m not hinting
This just ain’t gonna last

Let me go
Let me go
I’m nothing
Without my radio
Let me go
Let me go
No one’s listening
No one needs to know
… but me
You’re crowding me
You’re crowding me
You’re crowding me

This story is not what it seems
It is not what you think it means
I guess it turns out that I am the one
I guess I should have let it be done

I came to you one afternoon
Somewhat of a loon
A little out of tune
Hindsight is twenty-twenty
Life is so rosy
In my fantasies

Middle American
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

I am a Middle American
I like to caste the world aside
I minimize depreciation
I am a lie

I’ve mastered mental masturbation
I’ve overdosed on country pride
Let us sniff out innovation
I am a lie
I am a lie

You’re not alone
You’re out on loan

There’s no replacing tradition
Maintain status quo at any cost
But first you best ask for permission
Or you’ll find that you’re lost

I’ve fallen for the desert smokescreen
Sedated with talk of country pride
In order to win over the whole scene
Just tell a great lie
Just tell a great lie

Remember when you said you’d be someone?

I am a Middle American
I like to caste the world aside
I minimize depreciation
I am a lie
I am a lie

My Passion’s Gone
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

It’s time again
I have to pretend
I've done it before
And I’ll do it again
The search is on
For that silver lining
But it’s hard to find
When the clouds are missing

I’ve always said
I’d never do that
Till you came along
Now all my notes are flat
I may be
Just a disco baby
But don’t ignore
What is clear to me
My passion's gone

Too much watching, there’s not enough hell raising
Can’t we find a new routine?
The time has come, get your ass up and do something
Let’s break the big machine

Don’t be afraid
There’s nothing to lose
All the meanwhile
I’m burning a fuse
All my wrongs are made to be right
I ask myself is this the good fight?
My passion's gone

I find it hard
To keep to myself
Under radar
Excelling at stealth
You’re on the left, I’ll go to the right
As long as I stay out of your sight
My passion’s gone

My passion’s gone
What’s there to lose?
I’m burning a fuse

Nobody
Music by Ben Henry, Matt Webb and Jonny Croce
Lyrics by Ben Henry and Jonny Croce

Are you following me?
Is it plain enough to see?
Am I everything that you're cracked up to be?
Effervescent eulogy

I'm no one
I'm nothing
Nobody knows who I am

It's too much to comprehend
Can this really be the end?
If you think that we have been down this road before
I'll kill off those weirdos in my head

Rain on My Parade
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Why does love burn when it's mixed too strong?
We have been at this for so long
Truth only hurts when you happen to be wrong
A bird ... without a song

The marching band takes a fall
Inflate those floats so I can rise above it all

Rain on my parade
Wash away all my stubbornness
Wash away my self righteousness
Rein me in today
Tell me when I have gone too far
When I've overshot my star

The answers come easy when you are too proud
Even when no question can be found
How far will I go to try to fit in with the crowd?
A square … trying to be round

Runaway
Music by Jonny Croce and Ben Henry
Lyrics by Ben Henry and Jonny Croce

Go ahead and say my favorite line
But the moment’s fading fast
No thanks to you I’m feeling fine
We’ll see how long it lasts

Roll your eyes in my face, facetiously
I could throw it back at you, easily
I’ll get to know you, but it takes so long
One more rule, it’s so right, it’s wrong

Go about things right behind my back
See how far you go
I won’t focus on what you lack
Just thought you ought to know

I’m a runaway, she’s in love with me

I can’t wait to see where this may lead
It’s worth a chance
I’d rather keep my consciousness
So I’ll remember when we danced

Running on Fumes
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

I can make you happy
We can work this out
It's not as bad as it seems
Let's begin from the start
You say that it's over
But you will not fix my heart
You're the only person who can
Keep us apart ... cuz I'm ...

Running on fumes, and I've
Walked in on you
Running on fumes, and I've
Walked in on you

The engine is running
The garage door sealed shut
I'm getting sleepy
Stuck in a rut
What am I supposed to think?
You've left me hung out to dry
Now all I can do is
Sit right here and cry ... cuz I'm ...

Running on fumes ...

I'm driving around on four flats
Speeding ticket paid in advance
I'm stuck in reverse
Ain't that perverse?
Poignantly pointing at E

And as I wake up ...
"Am I in another place?"
No, looks like I'm still here
Still running in that rat race
I guess I should get up
And give life another chance
But this time I'll make sure not to
Succumb to romance

Running on fumes ...

Running and running, I'm almost out of breath

Skewed (The Egg)
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

The beginning
Transitions seamlessly into the end
The circle of things
Skews from one end to the next
Oh no
I forgot to cover my tracks
Oh no
This perfect circle has cracked

The egg
Is on my face

I was born here
And I’ll probably die here, too
But in between
The angle is somewhat obtuse
Oh no
I forgot to cover my tracks
Oh no
This perfect circle has cracked

Stand Alone
Music by Ben Henry and Jason Woodburn
Lyrics by Ben Henry

Little boy stands alone, again
Reciting all the letters he’s written
No one cares to listen to what he has to say
Step in the door
I am forlorn

Time flies but it does not go anywhere
Treading the deep, deep water
He’s looking for some sort of alternative
He’s out of luck
Stuck in a rut

Right now, is the right time
To make the past not count
To figure out
Your own way
Right now, is the, right time
To try to clear a path
To do the math
Collect your pay

They’ve run out, the choices are few and far between
Hitting the bottom and forced to escape this scene
He has been left with nothing to gain or lose
But he will not quit
He will persist

Lean on yourself (to find a better way)
Get off the shelf (and find that life will pay)
Change the hand you were dealt
To see a better day

Take Off Your Makeup
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

The gaping hole inside
Grows incessantly
In emptiness there’s nowhere to hide
Won’t you complete me?

You are all I need
But you can’t decide
The answer lies within
You need to realize

Take off your makeup
Let’s see what you’re made of
Can it really be that bad?
What are you hiding?
Remove all the lining
Don’t become a fad

A manufactured life
No substance, full of pizzazz
Don’t miss out on your chance
Call now while supplies last

Too Much Time
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

She says, “I don’t like what you’re gonna be”
She says, “I don’t like how you dance”
But she says that she would like to settle down with me
“Cuz you are the one, you are my last chance”

One day she came and told me,
“Goddamn I’d be so lonely”
I’m glad she settled for me
Cuz I’d have nothing better to do

What Really Matters
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Take one … I'm done chasin' the sun
Take two … the view turns blacker in hue
Take three … and I'm barking up another wrong tree
Take four … Expect less when you ask for more

Who knows what really matters?
My brain's been rinsed and lathered
Who knows what really matters?
Who holds the key?

Take five … this sequence seems quite contrived
Take six … I'm broke and in need of a fix
Take seven … and take it until it's taken
Take eight … It is early but I guess I'm still late

Who really knows?

Y2K
Music and lyrics by Ben Henry

Sudden complications
That have been riddled
A sobered revolution
That's been vetoed
Like a new solution
That's been ridiculed
A disillusioned angel
Who's sold her soul

Is this based on any fact?
Your scandalous attack
You know there is no going back

"ANTIDOTE"
My Passion's Gone
Too Much Time
Stand Alone
Runaway
Ain't It the Truth
For Tomorrow
Cruel Game
Casualty of Love
Do I Need You Now
Bad Disease
Fallen Again
Destination

UNRELEASED
96 Hours Past June
Age of Delirum
All I Need
I Know
It's Understood
Let Me Go
Middle American
Nobody
Rain on My Parade
Running on Fumes
Skewed (The Egg)
Take Off Your Makeup
What Really Matters
Y2K

All music and lyrics
®©Grim Smiley,
all rights reserved

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