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Flat On Every Side

by Adam Balbo

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1.
Chop Suey 02:45
I’m unemployed. I got no job. I’m a sad creation. What did I do wrong? I’m such a freakin joke, but I ain’t even funny. I’m awake all day, but I still can’t make any money. I’m a songwriter. I write songs. Arranging sounds, farting around all day lone. I’m a sitting contradiction. I wouldn’t trust me. I’m in cahoots with the bar. You know, they’re all stealing your money. I’m a living account of what you get from too much opium, pot, acid, speed, caffeine, and cigarettes. I’m a frayed old man, but I ain’t even 30. But don’t worry, folks, I’m gonna wake up one of these days and decide that I’m just too damn wordy. We’re soggy bananas with no skin. We argue a lot cause we both always win. I’m gonna sit on you, but I’ll give you forewarning. We sleep next to eachother, but you gotta wonder why we’re still horny. I’m a jingled bell, a bad Christmas tune. I smell like feet that went all week without wearing any shoes. I’m gonna eat my words, then they’ll be in my belly. Or I could refrigerate ‘em and use ‘em later for chop suey.
2.
Lying flat just like a piece of paper, I can no longer burn. My page is soaked. Take my edge and turn. My page is soaked. Take my edge and turn. Standing erect just like some statue, I forget how to sit down. You can take my torch. Go burn down your town. You can take my torch. Go burn down your town. Look both ways before that street you’re crossing. Look into my eyes. Let’s stand back to back. If we get hit, it’s coming from the side. Let’s stand back to back. If we get hit, it’s coming from the side. Unfold me. Hoist me up like I was a flag. Throw me to the wind and watch me flap. Throw me to the wind and watch me flap. Red in the face, yellow in the belly. I just got me two black eyes. You could give me death or take away my pride. Give me death or take away my pride. Let me walk in your valleys, your cities. I can’t be alone. I’ll have a big voice once I buy a microphone. I’ll have a big voice once I buy a microphone.
3.
They watch their mouths. We stare at the boundary. Chew on your tongue, so you can digest the irony. The steel is heavy. The steel is gray. It’ll change any shape if you bend it that way. Talking in code, stealing my myths. I’ll hold out my hands. You catch my drift. The desk is wooden. The desk is red. I fought ‘em off good, but I think I’m bleeding. I’m getting’ tired. I’m getting hungry. That was my choice if you were wondering. I’m from the plain. You’re from two different bays. You have said & ya da da. That was your horse. Here’s my hog. Where’s that wall? It’s up that hill. Thanks, by the way, for taking the spill. Look at what he said. His heart is zero. Your mind may be wide, but your eyes are narrow. Look at us. Look at you. I gotta good feeling, its worse for them. There’s one hand, but there’s another, too. If you don’t take my life, I’m gonna give it to you. I’m from the plain. You’re from two different bays. I may sound soft or too demanding. Would it help at all, if you could stand where I’m standing? Up on the plateau of goodwill, give ‘em what you got, ‘til you both got nil. Up on the tiptop peek of greed, I bet its kinda cold and a little hard to breathe. My confidence is shallow. My pride is tall. If I can’t build your trust, I’m gonna build this wall. Walls between & walls around. One’s for noise, the rest is for sound. You could set me at your table. You could recognize me. We both still need a home for our uprooted trees. There’s a deep, deep valley of necessity. I know it cuz I saw it from the tower TV.
4.
Hubcaps & the sun keep the globe warm. I wish you were here with me. I wish I wasn’t so cold. I wish I was colder. I wish I was dark. I wish I was there right now. But I’m glad I’m gone. The wall stares right back at me. The downstairs is far. I wish I was 10 stories tall. I wish I could hide. Look at you dancing on the sword. Sounds like I might just be really bored. But I was thinking just a little more about the fact I feel like I have nothing to do. The walls were thick, but I knew they lied when they told there ain’t nothing on the other side. But I know better cause I been outside. I got cold, so I went back in. I just wanna get something off my chest: I like my nose. But I like your nose, too. It ain’t bad. Is India really that yellow? Could China be that pink? I was told I was red, white, and blue. I said, yeah. So’s France. The used to be round. But I wonder who can resign to the time when it ain’t round no more. It’s just flat on every side.
5.
Singing borrowed songs that I stole from strangers. Using old words that everybody knew. Spending time with you is pretty good. But I’d buy you outright if I could. Counting out our pain to pay for the price of time. The clock kept clocking. We weren’t paying any mind. Go ahead surprise me. I ain’t watching you. I had surmised by this time. I’m not expecting you. I can be your slave. You’ll reimburse me, of course. We’ll scream at the sun until we both go hoarse. We’ll open up our minds and try to dump our heads. We’ll open up our borders and end up in bed. Confine me to your eyes. You can tie me to your whim. You can dig up my mind, but you’ll have to break my skin. Go ahead and find me. I’m right in front of you. You don’t have to save me. I’m totally behind you. Don’t know about you, but I wanna hold your hand. But you stuck your head in me like I was a mound of sand. Your eyes were really black back in the dark last night. But your face was like a moon in some cloudless sky. Looking at our bodies like they were a couple of maps, exploring each other’s regions, trying to fill the gaps. Go ahead surround me. I surrender to you. Feel free to apprehend me. I will confess to you. My heart was in your kitchen, and you were in my mind. You were at the window, and your eyes were way outside. My tongue was in your throat when I was in your arms.
6.
I can’t leave. I can’t stay. I can’t stand. I can’t pray. I’m only a fortress with one pair of legs. Gave up being interested. No one was listenening. I’m just some noise in a really loud world. My ears are still still. My eyes are still wide. My face seems together. My lips keep dividing. This noise that comes forth from me is all that I’m good for, see. Take what you can. Leave what you cannot. I’m standing in different places, comparing different faces, seeing how you cannot be human and forfeit some races. I get up. I go on. I come on. I go out. I come down, get off, and I’ll do it again. I wanna put all my thoughts in a sign. I’d prefer to cry, but then my words wouldn’t stay dry. The secret was out as I began to shout. I was shut up cause I didn’t know what to get angry about. Just because you agree with me doesn’t mean I think you’re right. I don’t feel like living for nothing. I feel like I’m living despite. But oh … I’m OK. I just don’t feel that permanent today. But oh … I’m OK. I just don’t feel that permanent today. I believe idealism’s still real. You can produce it in bulk. You can drive it around your block. You can wrap it up in talk. If fact, talk all you want. You should want all your talk. If you talk enough shit, eventually you’re gonna hafta wade around in it. Everyone’s mouth is most comfy to themselves. Most of this shit shouldn’t matter cause most of us are just a bunch of chatter. But fuck this facetiousness. I’m just tired and bored. Funny, everyone’s talking, but most people still feel ignored. Yeah, there’s car-bombs, hijacks, and anthrax attacks. The most terrible thing someone could do to another is not fight back. It’s too boring to be bored. I’m too tired to scream. Even if I said I was just joking, somewhere someone’s laughing at me. Sometimes I just say shit. I just like the sound. I bet if I let go of this guitar, my ego would fall down. I’m self-conscious, yes obnoxious. But I’m holding my own. Getting some help. Getting on and letting go. But oh … I’m OK. I just don’t feel that permanent today. But oh … I’m OK. I just don’t feel that permanent today.
7.
The Lift 00:35
8.
Feeling Soft 03:00
I know it’s hard cause I’m feeling soft. I get off, looking on. I get bored just getting off. Someone come turn my spigot off. Where do I start? Where would I go? How would it end? How should I know? I know you. And you know me. Wait, we ain’t never met. You don’t know what the fuck I mean. I didn’t understand from where I’s standing, far, far away, shouting, demanding. I ain’t hung up no more. I’m just hanging out. It took me quite a long time to figure that out. I could describe the sky. I could describe the ground. I could look up. I could look down to you. I’m laughing. I’m crying. I’m singing. I’m shouting. Does anybody know what I’m talking abouting. I’m with him, and he’s clean. But I misspoke. We both smell like machines. I’m pushing my breath. I’m grabbing my beer. I’m holding my tongue. I’m swallowing tears. You go queef. And I’ll go cum. If you stay a little longer, we can both get some. I gotta go to work. I gotta go to bed. But I got a hard on the side of my head. I don’t care where you put. I don’t mind. When we’re burning in hell, we won’t be alive. Bush. Dick. Push. Lick. Hot. Bluff. Rough. Boom. Hmm. Ooh. Ooo. So. Ah. What? Nothing. Oh. I don’t wanna get up. No, I don’t wanna face it. I didn’t lose my hope. I just misplaced it. I huff, and I puff. I got to decide. I’d swallow my pride, but my throat just ain’t that wide.
9.
I’ve been to Canada one time. I’ve been to Canada once. Canada is good. Canada is fine. I lived so close for so long. But I only been once. I’ve been to Canada one time. I’ve been to Canada once. I spent a few days in Toronto. I been through Windsor twice. Thinking back upon it now, I had lunch there. It was nice. I’ve been to Canada one time. I’ve been to Canada once. We are both North Americans. Gosh, we’re practically kin. We both look pretty much about the same. We both got a lot a people that wanna come in. We both speak English mostly, but it’s not in our country’s name. I’m from the USA. You’re from Canada. Hey, hey. I’ve been to Canada one time. I’ve been to Canada once. I can even name a couple provinces, but I’m not sure where they are. I heard they speak French in Montreal. To be honest, I didn’t go that far. But, ask me, how many times have I been to Detroit? Twice. And once was on the way to Canada. I’ve been to Canada one time. I’ve been to Canada once. I didn’t need no visa. I barely touched my passport. Though some shit a little more expensive there. It’s pretty clean and safe, and they got national health care. And though the metric system threw me off, I was OK in our neighbor to the north. That’s Canada. I’m from the USA Hooray.
10.
East Of Here 02:20
Driving is still sitting down. Legs were fast through the towns. Never been. Going there. I was born east of here. I was sad. It was loud. I didn’t know ya. But I have ya. Photograph back was bare. I don’t know. I wasn’t there. I’m going out. My tongue is wet I’ll be gone cause I’m not there yet. I’m tired, too. So are you. I’ll be done when I’m through.
11.
Coffee 04:04
Coffee, black. Coffee, hot. In a cup. Or in a pot. Bring it out. Just try not to spill it. Bring to my face, down my gullet. Fresh brewed’s best. Got any more? Give me the rest. Cause even bad coffee is good. Weak or strong, I’ll drink it all ‘til it’s all gone. I’ll drink it until it’s time for bed. Coffee for me. Coffee for you. Coffee. It keep me awake. Even if it gives me the shakes. You keep pouring. I’ll keep drinking. Out in the open air or in some smoky, stuffy café somewhere, I don’t care. I don’t care. I’ll drink coffee anywhere. Out on the street or with some Europeans, with sweets or lasagna or just some bread. If this coffee can’t fix me, something else has gotsta. I’m gonna drink coffee ‘til then. Coffee for me. Coffee for you. Coffee.

credits

released November 15, 2004

Adam Balbo: vocals, guitar, harmonica
Mr. Andrews: drums

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