THE SONGS OF NOAH MINTZ. ONE MIC. DIRECT TO 1/4” TAPE. MONO

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Spoke In Your Wheel: Before I get to the story, a caveat. This song uses the chord progression of G, C, D which is about as common as it gets, so, if it sounds like 500 other songs that’s why. I can’t quite recall which those songs are at the moment but feel free to email or comment me and let me know.

Last spring my dear and lovely friend Ashley, who resides in Nashville but was visiting me here in Toronto, was accompanying me on a motorbike ride. We made it not more than two blocks before my motorcycle starting spewing gasoline out its manifold or engine block or what have ya. Not wanting to spend anymore time riding a rolling molatov cocktail, we pulled over into the nearest alleyway and called for assistance.

While I was waiting for the tow, I decided to go locate my bicycle which was locked up somewhere in the area but I wasn’t sure where on account of the fact that I had rode it to the bar some nights earlier but then had forgotten about it after a number of bourbons.

I located said peddler and rode it back to the motorcycle. The tow-man was already loading it on to the truck. I hopped on my bike and Ashley rode in the tow the two blocks (they were long blocks) back to my house. Upon arrival and after unloading the motorbike we popped into my automobile and drove to our original intended destination.

Now, I had put my bicycle into the alleyway while unloading the motorcycle and completely forgot about it. In fact, I didn’t remember till a few days later when of course, it was long gone. I lamented the loss of my bike but figured it was my stupidity that lead to it’s disappearance so ces’t la vie.

Upon acceptance, a few days later, that my bike was gone forever, I decided to take a stroll to the local bike store and price a new one. As I turned the corner to walk, not even a few paces to the store, I saw a pair of handlebars and a bell sticking out from the side of a building. As I got closer I realized they both look awfully familiar. Lo and behold it was my bike, just sitting there, unlocked but a week after I had lost her.

After the initial shock wore off, I hoped on the bike and high-tailed it outta there. I went directly to the local blood bank and donated a few pints to pay back the forces at large that reunited me with my two-wheeled, human powered beauty.

That’s the story and all truth. Now, what does it have to do with the song? Well, nothing other than the fact that the song is kind of about a bike. Actually it’s not about a bike at all but I’ll let you figure that one out.

This song features some backups by Claire, Andrew and Milan. Thanks guys!

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Social Suicide: I love my friends but sometimes, I don’t like them.

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Indian Summer: It’s been two years since I left a 15 year relationship. I allowed myself 15 months of recovery. A month for every year. During that time I could make any mistake, experience anything I wanted to and it didn’t count. Meaning, that I’d not allow myself to regret anything. In theory it made sense. We need time to normalize after a relationship, especially long ones. A month per year is no steadfast rule but it’s what I went with.

During that time I experienced two short relationships and one longer one, the first person I’ve ever called a girlfriend. I learned a lot about relationships during that time. I’m no less confused about them though. We have this idea of soul-mates and that love is forever and so many of us are looking for a relationship as such. What is forever in our life? We’re not forever. Nothing around us that we can realize with our senses is forever. So why would a relationship be?

Can we enter a relationship knowing that there will be a middle and an end? Is that acceptable? Since it’s statically probable (super fucking sorry for the “Dr.” Phil link) that what ever relationship you’re in right now is going to end then wouldn’t you be better off going into the relationship knowing this? Wouldn’t it make the moments all the more precious? Of course it would but we don’t. We couldn’t. We continue to subscribe to the forever myth and then find excuses when it doesn’t last like “It wasn’t the one”. Well maybe it was and there will be another one.

Photo by Warren P. Sonoda

Morning has broken
And lies on the floor
Millions of pieces of the night before
Blackbird has spoken
And shattered her wings
Into millions of voices That no longer sing
Mine is the sunlight
Dies with the day
Millions of embers stay warm until late
Born of the one light
Soft is the sound
Millions of footsteps never hit the ground

You’re seeing the upside / upside down you’re seeing the upside / upside down
Try as you may to turn it around
You’re seeing the upside / upside down

Praise for the sweetness
No bitter of taste
Millions of words
None are to waste
Spring into completeness
And find within
To start from somewhere
You must begin

A brewing storm coming on the pressure drops thunder nearby
On the roof the silhouette of a lighting Rod luminates the sky
I’m alright. I’m alright, I’ll be fine
As long as I stay close, have hope and take the time

Don’t say a thing, let’s just leave, take my hand and come with me

The morning sun wakes us up the sparrows sing the flowers bloom
And all seems right even though we know it’ll all end soon
We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine, we’ll be alright.
As long as we stay close have hope and stay in sight

Don’t say a thing, let’s just leave, take my hand and come with me

She works down the street from me
Sweetest thing in the bakery
And I go in everyday
But I don’t know what to say
The words escape me
So I order a pastry

Oh, sweet little thing in the bakery
Your name’s still a mystery
Melt my heart with a butter tart
Or some delicious treat
Hope you like them chubby guys
Cause visiting you increased my size
But it’s worth it just to see your eyes
Oh you’re the one most sweet

I used to be so very trim
I used to have only one chin
But I’m so desperately lost
But it’s well worth the cost
To see those pretty eyes
Behind all those pies

Oh, sweet little thing in the bakery
Your name’s still a mystery
Melt my heart with a butter tart
Or some delicious treat
Hope you like them fatty one
Cause I keep ordering cinnamon buns
One look from you I come undone
Oh you’re the one most sweet

I made a promise to myself
To stop going in to spare my heath
But I was so incomplete
and I realize what was the best treat
So I’d go back in one more time
And, I’d speak my mind

And I’d say…

Sweet little thing in the bakery
I’d like to know your name please
Will you go on a date with me
A picnic in the park
Hope you like affectionate men
Cause I’m not gonna let go of your hand
I can meet you after I get home from the gym
Oh you have got my heart

Oh, sweet little thing in the bakery
Your name’s still a mystery
Melt my heart with a butter tart
Or some delicious treat
Hope you like them chubby guys
Cause visiting you increased my size
But it’s worth it just to see your eyes
Oh you’re the one most sweet

I’m staring at this empty coffee cup
as you’re breaking what took years to build up
you’re speaking future present past
each word stings more than the last

I’m holding on so hard that it’s going to crack
telling me things I wish you’d take back
Sorting through the years takes only hours
What is mine, what is yours now there’s no ours

there’s no trace of hope left in your face
if the heart is home then just what is this place
please don’t leave oh stay and lie to me
cause when truth hurts it’s fiction I’ll believe

sleeping on your side of the bed
a stranger where you should be instead
and it’s killing me as my heart begins to rot
but it’s filling the empty space where you’re not

I can’t sleep because then I will dream
of when I woke you will be beside me
why did you leave oh come back and lie to me
cause when truth hurts it’s fiction I’ll believe

I’m jumping through hoops walking on high wires
but I’m still putting out forest fires
Biting my tongue speaking to the choir
but I’m still putting out forest fires.

I’m sinking like a stone
half way gone and half way home
and the journey ends at alone

I’m jumping through hoops walking on high wires
but I’m still putting out forest fires
Biting my tongue speaking to the choir
but I’m still putting out forest fires.

I’m mintz’ng all my words
but what is said is not what’s heard
it’s all just quite absurd

I’m jumping through hoops walking on high wires
but I’m still putting out forest fires
Biting my tongue speaking to the choir
but I’m still putting out forest fires.

It’s cooling down to the boiling point

Pass that joint I’ve been stressed
been twisted up to a knotted mess
when I try to untangle it
it’s too far frayed to get it fixed.

It’s cooling down to the boiling point

Call it quits shut the door
don’t want to hear about it anymore
I’ve had enough of what’s wrong with life
and what it takes just to get it right.

It’s cooling down to the boiling point