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Fix

by Adam Balbo

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    19-song LP (2009). Includes 6" x 6" card stock artwork (by Helen Lee) inserted into a soft plastic sleeve.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Fix via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 21 Adam Balbo releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Clown World, Glitch, Adam Balbo Archive III (2009-2011), Twenty, Redemption, One-room Kingdom, A Little Bit Ludicrous, Adam Balbo Archive II (2006-2008), and 13 more. , and , .

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1.
The highway, yes, the highway is the analogy I will employ to sing about Love & other stuff, about which you’ll find out soon. Two thousand, two hundred & forty seven goddamn miles is a long way to drive without the one you love. Without you in the car with me, the road is just a long-ass strip of cement - with painted lines. A wicked fucking scar on the proverbial heart of this enormous continent. Through plains, woods, mountains, &, of course, the desert. If you’re feeling sad & need an image which will represent your pain, Picture that barren, empty road, laid & flattened right through your brain. You’re driving realy fast, windows down, hair blowing, going to the great unknown Blaring your favorite song, singing along. Where you’re going – who the fuck reallyknows? An old, reliable comparisons works for me. That’d be the obligatory highway analogy.
2.
Call a stone a stone I just like to hear you talk In your smelt shop of thought There’s no material for irony But that’s ok, we’re hanging around Figuratively, not literally It’s not raining in your heart There’s no rainclouds in your heart you didn’t have to say, but I knew your day wasn’t terribly terrific when I asked you how you were doing you said, “OK, I guess” you didn’t need to be any more specific you shrugged your shoulders exhaustedly and said, “What do you feel like eating?” you were hungry
3.
I feel like an individually-wrapped Piece of processed cheese product Someone used me to make dinner But they didn’t take off my plastic wrapper They just threw me in a big pot With other pieces of individually-wrapped processed cheese product And we all melted together in a gooey mass of plastic and processed cheese product then someone threw in hard, uncooked, dry macaroni, mixed it together and served it for dinner
4.
dropping heaving ideas from dizzying heights discarding perspectives of other peoples’ lives stepping on emotions on the floor in a mess laughing in the face of earnestness begging to differ begging to differ begging to differ Nothing to offer a bag of conclusions wholesale cheap a list of grievances and reasons to weap in a furious rage the gavel is thrown cursing existence; flinging stones begging to differ begging to differ begging to differ Nothing to offer
5.
Oh my darling, I wish you were hear with me. Oh my darling, I wish you were hear with me.
6.
shaking hands with time eternity is doing fine do do do just singing a song while shaking hands with time kicking up some dust in gravity I put my trust do do do just singing a song while kicking up some dust cussing at the wind an argument no one wins do do do just singing a song while cussing at the wind staring at the sea it mercifully ignored me do do do just singing a song while staring at the sea
7.
I’m a shit rag. I’m worth eight & a-third cents – do the math. I was dropped behind the bathroom sink in 2003. Now I’m a crusty, smelly, discolored, shit-stained rag. No one cares about me. My philosophical paradoxes Are as useful as pee. I’m a shit rag. That’s all I’ll ever be.
8.
No one showed up for my pity party, Except for you. And you even brought cake. It may sound trite to say that you’re thoughtful. But sometimes what goes without saying needs to be said. It’s just you and me with a piece of cake each. We headed out to the balcony. You sarcastically say to me, “Nice party.” I joke, “That’s so funny I forgot to laugh.” As you hand me a cone-shaped paper pity hat. We talk all night and forget that we’re alone. No one showed up for my pity party, Except for you. And you even brought cake.
9.
I’m almost completely fucking useless. Crumple my soul into a wad. Empty my garbage can of a skull. Turn my limbs into mulch for your garden.
10.
Holy shit. Why are you such a dick? I tried to be nice to you. But you obviously don’t give a shit. It’s a shame we coulda been friends, But you’re too cool for school. So, fuck you. Man, it’s really too bad. I kinda liked you. Maybe you didn’t mean it. But I’ve tried several times to be nice, But you come across as such a fucking prick.
11.
She’s my friend. No one will ever take her place. She’s my friend. No one will ever take her place. She’s been through all the shit I’ve been And came out the other side clean. She can say it all with a look or a pause and know what we mean. She admits she’s wrong and won’t wear out her name. She admits she’s wrong and won’t wear out her name. She knows the place where she comes from and questions why and who. Though she’s lived a privileged life, she won’t lazily package you. She’s someone who hardly lets me down. She’s someone who hardly lets me down. She sweeps away my shallow puddles and listens without a sound. She’s seen the place where I come from though from another part of the city. She’s looked in their eyes, right past their curtains. She’s looked in their eyes, right past their curtains. She’s shuffled feet with Jacks and Queens and seen scars on diamonds and hearts. She looks on like she’s in there but doesn’t want any part.
12.
Annie 01:54
Annie, Annie, damn you’re hot. I don’t love you, but I like you a lot. If you were painting, I’d rip you off the wall. If you were a side of spinach, I’d eat you all gone. If you were a pair of comfy sweat pants, I’d wear you to bed. If you were a really good song, I’d get you stuck in my head. Annie, Annie, damn you’re hot. I don’t love you, but I like you a lot. If you were a bottle of whiskey, I’d share you with my friends. If you were Moby Dick, I’d read you til the end. If you were iodine, I’d pour you on my wound. If you were death itself, I’d welcome my own doom. Annie, Annie, damn you’re hot. I’d don’t love you, but I like you a lot. Oh, Annie, Annie, goddamn you’re hot. I don’t really love you, I just like you a lot.
13.
Sunny Day 03:54
sunny days. my favorite days. if you don’t em, whatever. I’m gonna go out and take a walk to the park. so, I put on my pants and I put on my shoes. and I lock the door behind me. it’s sunny and bright and warm, just like I expected it to be. so, I walk downstairs, two flights, onto my alley – it's a small street. it’s sunny and bright; it’s sunny and bright. yay. so, I walk down, take a left first to 11th street. I walk past baked urine. but it’s a sunny day. a sunny day. my favorite kind of day. oh I love sunny days. so I walk over to mission street to catch the 14 bus. its kinda crowded in the afternoon with mostly Hispanics. and I pay my dollar fifty that I remembered to get. ooh. do do do… it's a sunny day. a sunny day. its my favorite kind of day. it's a sunny day. a sunny day. its my favorite kind of day. so I get off around 19th street. it's a good street to get off because its right between 16th and 23rd. so I walk west toward Valencia street. it’s a sunny day. a sunny day. that’s all I really care about. I take out my patch of tobacco. and I roll a cigarette. it’s a sunny day. a sunny day. my favorite kind of day. it’s a sunny day. it’s a sunny day. my favorite kind of day. once I get to Valencia street I look around self-consciously. people in their tight pants. people in their bandanas and their hats. and I look up toward the sky. but I have to close my eyes because it’s too bright just to look straight at the sun. I feel the warm sun on my face. it feels really really really really really nice. it’s a sunny day. a sunny day. my favorite kind of day it’s a sunny day. a sunny day. my favorite kind of day
14.
Egg on my name. Toast and shame. A peacock tail For a brain. My heart is shaped Like a potato. Dig out my eyes And boil my roots. Pour the rain Out on the page. Blame the pain for locking Humor in a cage. Flattery in a sandwich wrapper. Folded dreams in A plastic sack. Your voice was As warm as a corpse. My tongue was as sharp As a horse.
15.
Tammy’s a nice girl Tammy’s a nice girl She’d kinda pudgy in a cute kinda way. She’d make me feel relaxed with always something to say. She’d ask me how I’m doing – I’d say, “OK.” She would nod her head and talk about her son. Tammy’s a nice girl. Tammy’s a nice girl. She’d sit next to me quietly when we both had stuff to do. When I would look dejected, she’d say, “Man, what’s up with you?” She’d crack raunchy jokes and tell me about her career goals. I’d crack a little smile and say, “Hey, that’s pretty cool.” Tammy’s a nice girl. Tammy’s a nice girl.
16.
On Clement street Under the tacky neon sign There’s a man with plenty of time That’s him. He’s your guy Go on. Go up and talk to him Just take your tongue from your cheek He’s smart and cute, funny and he smells ok That’s him. He’s your guy Back out on Clement street Beyond the gawking passers-by He collects his things and meets your eye That’s him. He’s your guy
17.
Time in a bottle will get stale. Drink it before the expirations date passes. Wait, time doesn’t fit in bottles. Time doesn’t actually expire either. You can save time or kill it. People expire. Everyone dies. People have only so much time to live. So, if the “bottle” here represents the time each of us have before we die, I suppose that makes sense. Fresh time. Basically, this means “Don’t waste time.” But why not just say that in the first place? Why come up with a poetic chorus? It can put people off or just go over their heads. People are busy living their lives. Why do you have to sing and stylize figurative language? OK, to be fair, it’s a decent metaphor. Figures of speech are fine for entertainment value or, at best, temporary inspiration. But they don’t really help you in everyday life. Maybe they provide a spark of motivation. I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too negative: but who really gives a shit? Time in a bottle will get stale. Sure. What do I know?
18.
Lying on the bed, not thinking about what you said, But the fact that you were next to me. You had forgotten about the crease. Your back pressed to the sheets. Your lips were broken. - You asked me if I cared That the blue sky was scared. I said, “Don’t worry.” The hair on your back Lay straight fanned and black Your eyes were open - Your nose was shy. Talking to you underneath an oblivious moon. We both were honding Our hands during that time, Your fingers curled up in mine. Our feet were moving. - I asked you if you knew How the yellow sun flew You said, “That’s funny.” Your lips and your cheeks Your bra strap and little knees Were all rosy red - I offered you a drink.
19.
no opions to brandish no wit to weild sarcasm surrendered to the giant wheel no axes to grind no bridges to burn conviction as certain as the blue dot turns indifference smiled fate doesn’t care garner the will to dream to dare home is rock, fragile like fizz the universe is all there is no columns to measure no empire to keep life is priceless death comes cheap no anthem to sing no asses to kick dismantle assumptions brick by brick scripture is read faith leaps rituals rot values keep home is rock, fragile like fizz the universe is all there is home is rock, fragile like fizz the universe is all there is

about

Recorded April 2009 in Oakland and San Francisco, California. Mixed and mastered by Dave Reep.

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released March 7, 2009

Adam Balbo: vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, Yamaha beats.

Album art: Helen Lee.

Recorded and mixed by Dave Reep.

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