Robin Wilson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Jesse Valenzuela (guitars, vocals), Phillip Rhodes (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Bill Leen (bass, backing vocals), Scott Johnson (guitars, backing vocals).
Additional
Musician:
Art Neville
(Hammond B3 organ on "As Long As It Matters," "Competition Smile" and "I
Can't Figure You Out"), Rick Purcell (acoustic guitar on "Memphis Time"),
Rick Steff (accordion on "Memphis Time"), Robbie Turner (pedal steel guitar
on "Memphis Time").
Produced
by John Hampton and Gin Blossoms.
Engineered
by John Hampton and Erik Flettrich.
Mixed by
John Hampton.
Recorded
and mixed at Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN. (Except "Follow You Down," recorded
at Vintage Recorders, Phoenix, AZ.)
DAY JOB
(3:52)
(Scott
Johnson, Bill Leen, Phillip Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson)
Well we've
been here once before
And we've
stuck it out for more
When we
come around we'll settle down
The cracks
below the floor
Has it
been eleven years
Since I've
stood here with my peers
And we
started out to conquer doubt and Frisbee
I should've
been a whole lot farther
I'm never
going back to college
For just
one good day job
You're
not missing much for sure
Only everything
that's yours
And at
times it fails and we're full sail in the gutter
Is this
home 'cause I forgot
If it is
then thanks a lot
'Cause
I can't pretend to know one end from the other
I should've
been a whole lot farther
I'm never
going back to college
For just
one good day job
You're
not missing much for sure
Only everything
that's yours
At times
it fails and we're full sail in the gutter
Is this
home 'cause I forgot
If it is
then thanks a lot
'Cause
I can't pretend to know one end from the other
I should've
been a whole lot farther
I'm never
going back to college
For just
one good day job...
HIGHWIRE
(2:24)
(Robin
Wilson)
I wanna
take you so far
But they
don't want to let us out
But they
do, they do, they do
I don't
wanna walk on that highwire
They ain't
gonna let us down
But they
do, they do, they do
What I
could never believe in
I was never
really even
And I forgot
about the cost
And then
I got lost, I got lost, I got lost, I got lost
Didn't
really wanna live it over
Or even
wanna live it down
But I do,
I do, I do
What I
could never believe in
I was never
really even
And I forgot
about the cost
And then
I got lost, I got lost, I got lost, I got lost
Didn't
really wanna live it over
Or even
wanna live it down
But I do,
I do, I do...
FOLLOW YOU
DOWN (4:30)
(Scott
Johnson, Bill Leen, Phillip Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson)
Did you
see the sky
I think
it means that we've been lost
Maybe one
less time is all we need
I can't
really help it if my tongue's all tied in knots
Jumping
off a bridge, it's just the farthest that I've ever been
Anywhere
you go, I'll follow you down
Anyplace
but those I know by heart
Anywhere
you go, I'll follow you down
I'll follow
you down, but not that far
I know
we're headed somewhere, I can see how far we've come
But still
I can't remember anything
Let's not
do the wrong thing and I'll swear it might be fun
It's a
long way down when all the knots we've tied have come undone
Anywhere
you go, I'll follow you down
Anyplace
but those I know by heart
Anywhere
you go, I'll follow you down
I'll follow
you down, but not that far
How you
gonna ever find your place
Running
in an artificial pace
Are they
gonna find us lying face down in the sand
So what
the hell now, we've already been forever damned
Anywhere
you go I'll follow you down...
NOT ONLY
NUMB (3:06)
(Phillip
Rhodes, Robin Wilson)
Looking
all around the room I see the clutter in the gloom
I'm not
only back, I'm not only numb
Changing
shades within the evening
In a day
then I'll be leaving
I'm not
only back, I'm not only numb
When the
air at home is thin
Getting
out then looking in
Yeah she
knows, she knows, she knows
It ain't
awful hard to tell
What it's
like, my little hell
Yeah she
knows, she knows, she knows
I'm now
familiar with the tone I hear in bed when I'm alone
I'm not
only back, I'm not only numb
In the
shade below the eaves
Think I
could chain smoke anything
I'm not
only back, I'm not only numb
When the
air at home is thin
Getting
out, then looking in
Yeah she
knows, she knows, she knows
It ain't
awful hard to tell
What it's
like, my little hell
Yeah she
knows, she knows, she knows
She knows,
she knows, she knows
She sees
all the cars around the parking lots of bars we've played and stayed
Started
laughing, looking down upon the bed that we've made
We've made,
we've made, we've made
She sees
all the cars around the parking lots of bars we've played and stayed
Started
laughing, looking falling down across the bed that we've made
We've made,
we've made, we've made
The air
at home is thin
When getting
out, then looking in
I'm not
only back, I'm not only numb
Changing
shades within the evening
In a day,
then I'll be leaving
I'm not
only back, I'm not only numb...
AS LONG
AS IT MATTERS (4:31)
(Phillip
Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson)
How can
I find something
That two
can take
Without
stumbling as we
Walk into
our future's wake
I'm like
a broken record
That you
can play
Repeating
as if it matters
Everything
I want to say
I'll be
all right
As long
as it matters
As long
as you're here with me now
Forget
that time
It's nothing
we touch and see
All this
is fine
Even as
it crashes down on me
I'm looking
around
There's
nothing that I could want
More than
to tell you
There's
no more than we've already got
I'll be
all right
As long
as it matters
As long
as you're here with me now...
Forget
that our time is almost up I'll be all right...
PERFECTLY
STILL (4:05)
(Scott
Johnson, Bill Leen)
It's our
call
It sways,
it stalls
I need
a little extra time alone
Well maybe
take the long way home
Just enough
to get it wrong
Nothing
like a bad decision
Says who
you are
Fools rush
in
For the
grist in my
For the
grist in my mill
Can't you
see
When you're
perfectly
When you're
perfectly still
One big
rout
We're all
sold out
If nothing's
off limits, we'll pay
Price tags
on every other day
We're bankrupt
here for now
But they
can't take my anger
It can't
be touched
Fools rush
in
For the
grist in my
For the
grist in my mill
Can't you
see
When you're
perfectly
When you're
perfectly still...
Outdated
maps
Missed
pull-out ramps
I won't
contribute to our own demise
Pass up
the consolation prize
It starts
from here from now
Nothing
like a bad decision
Says who
you are
Fools rush
in...
MY CAR (4:17)
(Jesse
Valenzuela)
Streetlights
on, the night air's cool
I'm driving
right past my old school
I'm looking
for my pack of cigarettes
I'm thinking
back on things I've done
I can't
forget the stupid ones
It seems
I do my best by accident
What's
that sound, what's that song
What's
this street I'm driving on
In my car
In my car
I miss
her feel, her touch, her taste
I feel
the distance everyplace
This distance
can't be taken casually
I take
my time, just drive around
Feeling
lost in my hometown
Every turn
I take is comforting
What's
that sound, what's that song
What's
this street I'm driving on
In my car
In my car
I'll take
a break from all their big plans
My first
mistake was listening to them
I made
a mess it's all been proven
Over and
over again
Over and
over again
Streetlights
on, the night air's cool
I'm driving
right past my old school
Looking
for some face I can't forget
I take
my time, just drive around
Feeling
lost in my hometown
Every turn
I take's an accident
What's
that sound, what's that song...
VIRGINIA
(4:02)
(Jesse
Valenzuela)
It's like
trying to light a cigarette
When the
matches you got are soaking wet
Tallest
buildings they got are bound to fall
When it's
coming down like a wrecking ball
Slow down,
Virginia
Don't make
me wait
Slow down,
Virginia
Don't make
me wait
Virginia
It's everything
that's cool rolled into one
Everything
that's not is left alone
You can
hear it ring from near and far
You can
hear it scream like a fire alarm
Slow down,
Virginia
Don't make
me wait
Slow down,
Virginia
Don't make
me wait
Virginia
Sometimes
it sounds like she's been crying
But when
she lights, this whole dump is...
It's everything
that's cool rolled into one
Everything
that's not is left alone
You can
hear it ring from near and far
You can
hear it scream like a fire alarm
Slow down,
Virginia...
WHITEWASH
(3:18)
(Bill Leen,
Robin Wilson)
This night
never happened
If it's
all right with you
Not a word
of our weakness
So much
as a clue
There's
a place outside
I'm glad
to play no part
The fairest
arms can tally up the faintest stars
Wash away
my weekend
Shatter
my sight
C'mon sweet
amnesia
You're
needed here tonight
Take a
seat in the shadows
Forget
it as it goes
Dissipate
in the morning air
All you
know
If you
find out
You'll
find every lie you might
I was nowhere
near last night
Whitewash
everything in sight
These suspicions
have been long drained dry
Our persistence
holds them here
A maze
of bars and rented rooms remain
Enough
to make you almost look away
This night
never happened
If it's
all right with you
Another
for the collection of things we didn't do
That private
party is over
Thank God
we get new starts
The fairest
arms still tally up the faintest stars
When it
comes down
In a clear
and certain light
I was nowhere
near last night
I was nowhere
near last night
Whitewash
everything in sight...
I CAN'T
FIGURE YOU OUT (3:13)
(Jesse
Valenzuela)
Who's to
say what's right or wrong
If I stand
out in the rain too long
Filling
up my drinking cup
When I
know I've had much more than enough
Write in
the pages of my notebook
But they
never sound the way they look
Kicking
at this old tin can
And I wonder
where the hell I am
I can't
figure you out
I can't
figure you out
When it
seems so fine
When it's
held to the light
I can't
figure you out
I can't
figure you out
They push
and pull till it breaks in half
I never
trust a guy with a nervous laugh
Worried
'bout the smallest things
While the
world is coming crashing in
I can't
figure you out...
MEMPHIS
TIME (3:14)
(Scott
Johnson, Jesse Valenzuela)
Hey, now
it's all right
Hey now,
it's fine, it's cool
Seems we've
done our worst
It's time
to head for school
And so
we tripped upstairs
I seen
the sun come up
Judging
by your shape
I think
you've had enough
It's Memphis
time
Just string
that old guitar
Tune it
up to Memphis time
Hey, now
I couldn't know
Baby, I
couldn't tell
Just what's
going on
Inside
of someone else
You know
that this small world
Sometimes
this big town
It can
drag you up
As well
as drag you down
It's Memphis
time
Just string
that old guitar
Tune it
up to Memphis
You can't
say that I've been right
I can't
say that you've been wrong
We knew
it all along
(Take cover
Scotty)
So we tripped
upstairs
I seen
the sun come up
Judging
by your shape
I think
you've enough
It's Memphis
time
Just string
that old guitar
And tune
it up to Memphis time...
COMPETITION
SMILE (3:38)
(Phillip
Rhodes, Robin Wilson)
Looking
up I saw nothing
But blue
in the bluest sky
And now
it's creeping across my eye
Going down
in my mind, down in my mind
I'm high
and I'm hopeless
So help
me to get untied
Fast asleep
now I'm going blind
Falling
down in my mind, down in my mind
Just fine
Emulate
the style
A competition
smile
Now I'm
running, not looking
And opening
up my brain
Where it's
easy to lose my name
Looking
dumb in the rain, dumb in the rain
I'm hoping
you'll notice
That no
one else helps me grow
Oh, it's
not easy to let you know
What I'm
dying to show
Dying until
you know
Pretending
all the while
A competition
smile
Now I've
thrown something far
And it
haunts me like a curse
I'm like
a stone
Falling
hard
And I'm
only getting worse
Looking
up I saw nothing
But blue
in the bluest sky
And now
it's creeping across my eye
And going
down in my mind, down in my mind
I'm high
and I'm hopeless
So help
me to get untied
Fast asleep
now I'm going blind
Falling
down in my mind, down in my mind
Just fine
Pretending
all the while
A competition
smile
I'm hiding
high...
TIL I HEAR
IT FROM YOU (3:46)
(Jesse
Valenzuela, Robin Wilson, Marshall Crenshaw)
I didn't
ask
They shouldn't
have told me
At first
I'd laugh, but now
It's sinking
in fast
Whatever
they've sold me
Well baby
I don't want to take advice from fools
I'll just
figure everything is cool
Until I
hear it from you
It gets
hard
The memory's
faded
Who gets
what they say
It's likely
they're just jealous and jaded
Well maybe
I don't want to take advice from fools
I'll just
figure everything is cool
Until I
hear it from you
Until I
hear it from you
I can't
let it get me off
Or break
up my train of thought
As far
as I know, nothing's wrong
Until I
hear it from you
Still thinking
about not living without it
Outside
looking in
Til we're
talking about it, not stepping around it
Maybe I
don't want to take advice from fools
I'll just
figure everything is cool
Until I
hear it from you...