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FAWM 2023 + Black Friday Connections EP

by Strange Talking Animals

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1.
When do I arrive? Have I found a way inside? Do I know what makes this fly? Do you know what I will find? Any other fool might flaunt this ride And blow away the chances that I try to hide inside A little piece of this and little piece of that Will get you everything you need tonight Answers cost you questions If you can afford the prize How do I survive the test I face tonight? Do you know what I should try? Do you know what I will find? Any other fool might flaunt this ride And blow away the chances that I try to hide inside A little piece of this and little piece of that Will get you everything you need tonight Answers cost you questions If you can afford the prize
2.
Fallout 04:21
The sky isn't blue when you stand in the rain You act like a fool to ignore all the pain But who do you believe? And what do you believe now? The sky isn't clear when you fill it with hate The bombs disappear when your anger dissipates But what do you believe? And who do you think you can believe now?
3.
4.
Why did I give in? Why did I let you go? If I had the strength, would you be alive? On any other day, would I have the chance to stand by your side? Down, down, down I go Down, down, down and I don't know Down, down, down I go Down, down, down I can't close my eyes without seeing you I can't close my eyes I can't close my eyes Down, down I go Down, down, down and I don't know
5.
Why do I face this lonely mountain? Why do I hate the dream? Why do I look for you where you have been seen in a hundred years? Why do I still shed these tears? Where do I go to change direction? How do I stop this war? Why do I look for you where you haven't been before, no matter what you said? My memories have all been bled I don't want this, I don't need this anymore This memory is not what this pain is for How can I face this lonely mountain? Why do I fear the dream? Why do I look for you where you have been seen in a hundred years? Why do I still shed these tears? I don't want this, I don't need this anymore This memory is not what this pain is for I don't want this, I don't want this anymore I don't need this to settle a score I can't believe the pain I put you through I can't believe what I did to you I don't want this, I don't want this anymore
6.
Come hear a tale of sin and greed Of a man with no morals, faith or creed Jan Reynolds his name, a small town miner Who felt his life could be much finer He gambled with horse, cards and dice Never to quench his thirst for vice An Ace was found concealed in his sleeve And to save his hide he took his leave Short of coin and out in the cold Jan sold his soul in return for gold The Devil laughed and said to he: “Listen well and hear my decree! Just know in the coming days You will not mend your sinful ways From a sermon in rain and thunder I will come rend the church asunder You would vice in the house of God And I will catch you on the nod.” Jan scoffed at his words and returned to his passions Of women, drink and the latest fashions So enthralled in the life of party and revel He soon forgot his deal with the Devil 2 years past, on a Sabbath day noon Thunder did break with a deafening boom Jan was caught whilst out on the plains And looked for shelter against hammering rains He came across the Wydecombe Parish And inside the chapel he did then vanish Away from the squall Jan took his rest And took place amongst the god-fearing guests In the town of Poundsgate lies the Tavistock Inn And the patrons inside heard a deafening din As a the storm was battering across their roofs There came the sound of clattering hooves Those nearest the window did cry out in terror For a fearsome sight were the rider and its bearer The figure jumped down and strode to the bar Its air of menace fully felt from afar He came to a stop and surveyed the crowd And all heard him when he spoke aloud “I’ve come to collect what is rightfully mine For the thunder is walking and that is my sign On my hunt for Jan Reynolds I will not fail But first my thirst requires an ale!” The barman poured with nary a word And was handed a coin of wealth unheard (The assemblage gasped at the sight of the gold For they were not rich men it has to be told) The greed of wealth overrode their fright And the barman hid the coin from sight The stranger laughed when he heard them grizzle And he drank his drink to the sound of sizzle Steam poured forth from the mouth of the man And many of the drinkers just turned and ran He turned on his heel and stalked to the door Only pausing to spit and scorch the wood floor He and his horse rode into the night While the barman groaned in loss and fright For the coin he had hidden in his case of thieves There was nothing left there but pennies and leaves. While at the Parish the sermon did drone Jan held a yawn with a stifling groan At the rear of the church he saw men sneak And wandered back himself for the slightest of peeks He found men, his brethren in vice and gamble And joined them swiftly without preamble As he threw the dice his heart gave a lurch And thunder shook the roots of the church A flash of light, searing the eyes And wall of sound with tears and cries The church window shattered like the soul of a sinner And the dark rider galloped with a grin that did glimmer He went straight to Jan, who cowered and cried And with fear in his heart he begged as he died The rider, victorious! Took of his prize And cowed those Christians with fear in their eyes For his passage has been one of fire and death And those who fell before him, breathed their last breath Collecting Jan’s body he galloped into the sky The ruined church awash with wail and cry As Jan's body slumped, from his pocket, cards fell And the Devil took his prize, all the way to Hell.
7.
Over Under 02:49
Over, under, upside down Maybe I should make a sound Maybe you should try and stick around Even when there's nothing there I have to stand alone and stare Maybe I should try and look around There goes my sanity There goes my heart There goes another chance People living underground Never seem to make a sound When I'm looking for a second chance When I'm standing over here You are looking over there Are you looking for another chance? There goes my memory There goes my heart There goes another chance Over, under, upside down Maybe I should make a sound Maybe you should try and stick around Even when there's nothing there I have to stand alone and stare Maybe I should try and look around There goes my sanity There goes my heart There goes another chance
8.
Karma 04:58
And so it goes I take a step and hope to understand The ebb and flow of yesterday It's not the same as today I feel the signs and follow you inside Why do I feel the need to understand every little thing? Why do I feel the need to explain Every accident that floats into my brain? And so it is I take a step and try to understand The ebb and flow of yesterday It's not the same as today I feel the signs and follow you inside To where I begin Why do I feel the need to understand every little thing? Why do I feel the need to explain Every little happenstance that floats across my brain? And so it goes And so it is
9.
No9 05:35
10.
Flowers 03:37
An empty hand and sullen eyes I shake the can, I don't know why You look around and see the sky I don't know what to do without you sitting here next to me A quiet room and peaceful night A gentle word without the bite I don't know what to do without you I wonder where you are and what you'll do An empty hand and tired eyes I feel you and I don't know why And now you're free to see the sky I don't know what to do without you I wonder where you are and what you'll do I don't know what to do without you sitting here next to me
11.
I know, I should take you to the stars But you know, we'll only get as far as Mars Proxima Centuri is too far You can walk it, but I'll take the car I know, I should take you to the Moon You know, I think it might be too soon Proxima Centuri is too far You can walk it, but I'll take the car How about we stay on this lagoon
12.
Passage 05:07
The sand falls gently from the clock As the stars paint visions on a wall of rock The wind blows swiftly over the seas Carrying echoes of forgotten dreams A solitary sparrow sings softly into the night To the lies left behind by the gods of power and light I don't know if I should leave I don't know how to run I see the images clearly now I'm waiting for the Sun For the Sun The sand falls gently from the clock As the stars paint echoes on a wall of rock The wind blows swiftly over the seas Carrying visions of forgotten dreams I don't know if I should leave I don't know how to run I see the images clearly now I'm waiting for the Sun For the Sun The sand falls gently from the clock As the stars paint visions on a wall of rock The wind blows swiftly over the seas Carrying echoes of forgotten dreams
13.
Nobody 05:34
Nobody believes the things he sees Because he appears to be just an empty, broken man The things he says never make sense And they blame it on the bottle in his hand He claims he saw a dinosaur talking to an alien And that the King don't visit them anymore He is just a stranger in a stranger land He walks around the park and smiles As he whispers secrets to the squirrels He babbles on like a small child But he understands the Divine He lives beneath the skies and trees And he doesn't give a damn about the breeze He makes believe that the air he breathes Is another tragic comedy And he disappears sometimes
14.
October 03:34
The Sun is hanging low in the sky The Moon is starting to rise It's hard to see with all the mist in my eyes I wonder, can you still see me? I wonder, can I still feel you? I wonder what would you think of me now? And where would I go? And what will I see? Where are the changes To help me believe? And where should I go? And who should I be? Where is the love That you left for me? The Moon is hanging low in the sky The Sun is starting to rise It's hard to see with all the mist in my eyes And where would I go? And what will I see? Where are the changes To help me believe? And where should I go? And who will I be? Where is the love That you left for me?
15.
Coda 03:33
After a time, she came to believe That all of the trees were speaking in leaves And all of the hills were staring to breathe Looking for moments inside the Weave She sat on the ground and pondered the waves Flowing from somewhere inside of her grave And then the hills revealed to her, their caves After a time, he came to deceive But nobody listened and no one believed He needed a moment to rend their belief Before the people started to leave He sat on the ground and wondered aloud “What can I say that seems so profound?” But no one was left to give him clues today How do the stars remember your name? And where are the fires that you used to claim? Somebody’s memories fading in flame Remember the Haunt to keep you in frame Why do the stars remember your name? It wasn’t your deeds, it isn’t your fame How will the world fade into refrain?
16.
Outside 03:09
Outside, in the cold distance I can see you waiting your turn You don't need to listen, you don't need to care Reach across the table and catch them unaware The fire is getting closer The ash is everywhere You don't need to listen, you don't need to care Reach across the aisle and say a little prayer You don't have to like it, you don't have to share You can reach for safety when there's nothing there Inside is better than outside Inside you can feel the churn You don't need to listen, you don't need to care Reach across the table and catch them unaware Outside in the cruel distance I can see you starting to burn
17.
And so we start again It’s hard to comprehend Just where this road will lead Another empty tomb inside an empty room The same as yesterday Why did you have to follow me here? And so this world will disappear A chance to look ahead when you and I are dead just as the light recedes Inside the Devil’s Eye You need an alibi But not the one you’re thinking of Why did I have to listen to you? Now i’m searching for a new taboo Maybe we could change the frame turn it off and start again Maybe we could see the whole idea before it slips away again Broken idols everywhere hold them up and compare is there a better way? Summer snow is coming As winter passes by is there a better way? How can we change the narrative When we don’t understand our past? And so we start again It’s hard to comprehend Just where this path will lead Another empty room inside an empty tomb The same as yesterday what did we learn just to forget when did we disappear? Maybe we could change our tune start again underneath the Moon Maybe we could see the whole idea And find another way Maybe we could change the frame turn it off and start again Maybe we could see the whole idea before it slips away again
18.
The world has changed into yesterday We cave when we should break away And still we hope that nothing else will change Why do we run when we should stand and fight It isn’t fun to live with second sight And still we hope that nothing else will change And so the story goes, the powers ebb and flow Until nothing else remains And time and time again, we fail to understand And so it all begins again Until we’re blinded by the light Until we fade into the night Or attempt to do it right And face another day The world is grey, but there is color everywhere We can change the view And now we hope that something else will change And now we run into another fight Oblivion under the Moonlight And now we know that everything will change
19.
Smile on me O’ muse of destruction Give me strength and wisdom and instruction Allow me to see the beauty of isolation in this paradise lost As I walk through this concrete mirror Watching faces of agony and terror I understand the divine plan of horror for this paradise lost The Devil lies prone on his throne of fire His parts strewn about in this murky mire Leviathan, his life consumed with desire in this, his paradise lost I am show the grace and peace of the garden And the terrible fate- of humanity’s falling And the desolation of Adam’s first calling in this, our paradise lost I am witness to the murder of brothers A testimony to the frailty of lovers The sin engaged by the son of the mother of this paradise lost I hide in my pyramid of pain My epiphany denied, my destiny restrained My eyes burn with sulfur, a fire contained in this, my paradise lost I am show the grace and peace of the garden And the terrible fate- of humanity’s falling And the desolation of Adam’s first calling in this, our paradise lost A vision of death unleashed and tormenting The first-born of Egypt, of Pharaoh’s lamenting I stand in denial of mankind’s repenting in this our paradise lost I stand at the center of a land left in waste A pillar of salt, a wife left in haste A nuclear visage of god’s loving grace in this, her paradise lost Never have I breathed so much dust The skin of the innocent, the flesh and the lust No gods to abide, just sin we entrust in this, our paradise lost

about

FAWM 2023 (February album writing month) tracks 1-15.

Plus the EP I started on Black Friday (November 25, 2022) tracks 16-19.

There might be is a lot here. The might not be is not a lot here. Perspectives shift, neurons lift. It all falls apart and starts again.

This is for Benjamin and Melissa and Rigby and Mom.

credits

released March 1, 2023

All songs written and performed by Brad James Beske *except "The Tale of Jan Reynolds and the Devil": lyrics by Troyificus/music by Brad James Beske, and "If I Had the Strength": lyrics by Brad James Beske/music by Benjamin Bradley Beske and Brad James Beske

Recorded at the Uranium Playpen, in the Dungeons

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Strange Talking Animals Springfield Township, New Jersey

Born in raised in Madison, WI. Transplanted to Brooklyn, Jamaica, and finally Springfield. Versed in chamber pop and rock, psychedelic and prog, and expanding musical horizons to experience electronic and ambient musics and experiment with modular and chaotic synthesis.Overfed with science fiction and fantasy and actual science. And stay-at-home dadness. ... more

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