1. |
Backburning
03:18
|
|||
|
BACKBURNING
by Derek Bishop
It’s a crutch that I don’t need
It’s supportive; it’s restrictive
It’s my knitted chain of greed.
It’s my complacency excuse
Did I sleep well with the promise
That in time I’ll cut it loose?
First I’ll push it back
I’ll sigh a smile
I’ll deal with it after a while.
But was my promise ever true?
I assumed that merely dreaming
Was the ambitious thing to do.
It kept my mind preoccupied
Mulling over what I had not done
Because I haven’t tried.
So they’ll push you back
Keeping you on trial
Don’t you think I’m dealing well with all of the denial?
I’ve got just one thing to do
Then I promise I’ll be through.
No, I’ve got just one thing to say
Then I promise I’m on my way.
My whole life is a celebration
Such a fine example of procrastination
Now I’m drowning in the time that I denied
Praying that given more my focus won’t subside.
There’s no gimmick, there’s no ploy
There’s no secret weapon to destroy
The trappings stay
It’s me who was getting in the way.
It’s a clutch I can’t concede
I will use my will and wisdom
To ensure that I succeed
So now I push back
Defeating them with guile
You’re gonna have to deal with me after a while.
Now, I’ve got just one thing left to do
Then I promise I’ll be through.
No, I’ve got just one thing to say
Then I promise I’m on my way.
I’ve got just one thing left to do
Then I promise I'll be through.
No, I’ve got just one thing to say
Then I promise I’m on my way.
|
||||
2. |
Automatic
03:53
|
|||
|
AUTOMATIC
by Derek Bishop
I was always wearing weights on my feet
All of my excuses all made concrete
The same old reasons cued up on repeat
And you pushed me from the start to disbelieve
Not to accept “not trying” as a defeat
Not to stand still, content with my dreams incomplete
Now, baby, I’m automatic
Every time I explain it to you
You always think that I’m so dramatic
But this is where my life’s lead me to
So now I can’t stand idly by or just sit and relax
’Cause, baby, I’m automatic
And I’m sorry but I just can’t go back
You, you’re always walking faster than me
Are you trying to catch up to where you should be
In the future you used to foresee?
So why couldn’t I just let you go free?
Instead of tethering all those dreams you conceived
On this worn out, broke down version of me?
But, baby, you’re so fantastic
Every moment I’m spending with you
There are times when I’m feeling static
And I’ll blame restlessness on you
But every time I look into your eyes
Please know there’s no regret
’Cause, baby, you’re so fantastic
I’m sorry but sometimes I forget
’Cause, baby, I’m automatic
And every time I explain it to you
You always think that I’m so dramatic
But this is where your love lead me to
No, I can’t sit idly by or just sit and relax
’Cause, baby, I’m automatic
And I’m sorry but I just won’t go back
|
||||
3. |
Shutting Down
04:06
|
|||
|
SHUTTING DOWN
by Derek Bishop
I’ve been mourning the possible upcoming situation I can’t control
’Cause every warning is a little bit more numbing knowing you’re not invincible
For so long, so long, I was afraid to be strong
Maybe, baby, it’s time, it’s time we stopped pretending that’s fine
So you’re ignoring my possible outpouring, ’cause it’s just one more thing to digest
Then you’d get stuck worrying about how I’m enduring, you’re frustrated and I’m depressed
’Cause you don’t, you don’t listen to what I want
And maybe, baby, it’s time, it’s time we stopped pretending that’s fine
I can feel you shutting down
Shutting down my love, my love, my love
I can feel you shutting down
Shutting down my love
I’ve seen the facts and I’ve acknowledged their existence
It’s a battle that no one wins
Every now and then I get a little distance
But for you, love, it never ends
You’re so strong, so strong, you won’t admit when you’re wrong
Maybe, baby, that’s fine, but it’s time to stop pretending you’re fine
I can feel you shutting down
Shutting down my love, my love, my love
I can feel you shutting down
Shutting down my love
It’s time we stopped pretending it’s fine
It’s time I started speaking my mind
We know the rules, the signs, the situations
We know we’re fools pretending we can beat them
We know the rules, we know the limitations
We have the tools, it’s our time to defeat them
But I won’t stop, baby, fighting and fixing this failing
I won’t stop, baby, fighting and fixing this failing
We know the rules, the signs, the situations
We know we’re fools pretending we can beat them
We know the rules, we know the limitations
We have the tools, it’s our time to defeat them
I’ve been mourning the possible upcoming situation I can’t control
|
||||
4. |
Number Ten
03:45
|
|||
5. |
Bicycling in Quicksand
04:32
|
|||
|
BICYCLING IN QUICKSAND
by Derek Bishop
So time has played that trick on us
Where we’ve settled into steady
We remember our routines and plans
Did we forget we once were heady?
Truthfully I like this calm as my body has grown tired
Of staying up almost till dawn dressed up and desired
But please know no love has yet diminished
However it appears
The doubts are road blocks in our minds
We will persevere
Well I’m just trying to hold your hand
But it’s like bicycling in quicksand
Mud splashing all around on what once was higher ground
And I’ve got nowhere to stand
Once we were coasting down a hill
But took a turn and took a spill
I thought by now we’d hit our stride
But it's still a bumpy ride
No matter what the skill (we’ve got the skill)
Another man might sink in shame
But I’ve got you to share the blame
So try and understand
Now, baby, take my hand
I should have known to hit the brakes
Instead of traveling this route further
Now syllables spill from my lips
Producing pictures of the perjured
I can’t backpedal in this sludge
And I know I’m sinking fast
We can’t reach out for rescue
With our hands mired in the past
So please know no love has yet diminished
However it may feel
It’s hard to navigate this road
When we’re both behind the wheel
Well I’m just trying to hold your hand
It’s like bicycling in quicksand
Mud splashing all around on what once was higher ground
And I’ve got nowhere to stand
Once we were coasting down a hill
We took a turn and took a spill
I thought by now we’d hit our stride
But it’s still a bumpy ride
No matter what the skill
Another man might sink in shame
But I’ve got you to share the blame
So try and understand
Now, baby, take my hand
|
||||
6. |
Baggage
03:40
|
|||
|
BAGGAGE
by Derek Bishop
I’ve had it up to here
But you’ll never know
I smile and let it go
On my face it disappears
But the remnants still remain
Clogging up my veins
Building year to year
Can you read between my lines
The ones now ingrained in the corners of my eyes?
You know I always play aloof
But if you’re tired of playing sleuth
Tear beneath the tissues, the tears, the tendons for the truth
Pack up your baggage from my brain
The only place where we remain
I thought that time would lobotomize what I held dear
Now I realize it’s all the same
The pieces left are yours to claim
Pack up your baggage from my brain
And it’s always playing back
But jumping parts like some still-working yet discarded, old 8-track
The casing barely holds it in, and the tape is wearing thin
Time has made it tragic to end
It’s not that I want it erased
But must my memories share this space?
Some silence can bring piece of mind
I know it haunts you too
A melody that’s never through
It's always playing our lives in a loop
Pack up your baggage from my brain
The only place where we remain
I thought that time would lobotomize what I held dear
Now I realize it’s all the same
The pieces left are yours to claim
Pack up your baggage from my brain
|
||||
7. |
Taffy
03:48
|
|||
|
TAFFY
by Derek Bishop
I’ve still got the imprints left from your last bite
And I’m trying to carry on and let it heal, despite
The fact that I can’t get away and you’re eyeing me at night
You’re not worth the energy
But still I’ve got to fight
I’m pulled in all directions yet I don’t get a say
When I speak my mind it doesn’t matter anyway
They say it’s a blessing to be needed every day
But you’re needlessly distressing
So just get on your way
Go ahead and pull
Stretch
Chew me out
To you I’m only taffy and you’re in a sugar drought
Even if you’re satisfied
And there really is no need
There’s a yearning deep inside you
Because all you do is feed on me
I know that I present myself all dressed up for delight
I’m reliant on attention and always driven to excite
But that’s not an invitation for you to gnaw at me at night
So don’t mistake my bending
As a sign I think you’re right
Go ahead and pull
Stretch
Chew me out
To you I’m only taffy and you’re in a sugar drought
’Cause even if you’re satisfied
And there really is no need
There’s a yearning deep inside you
Because all you do is feed on me
And how does it taste, all this time we waste?
All you do is feed on me
You’ve left so little substance of me to fletcherize
You wonder why I’m bitter – it should come as no surprise
With only strands of me connecting
And no sign of compromise
I see it’s never-ending
And I guess it’s my demise
Go ahead and pull
Stretch
Chew me out
To you I’m only taffy and you’re in a sugar drought
’Cause even if you’re satisfied
And there really is no need
There’s a yearning deep inside you
There’s a burning need that’s driving you
There’s a burning need inside of you
Because all you do is feed on me
How does it taste, all this time we waste?
How much more can I take before I break?
|
||||
8. |
Turn Around
04:23
|
|||
|
TURN AROUND
by Derek Bishop
Turn around, turn around, turn around so you can see
All the fear you’re holding onto is not your legacy
Let it go, let it go
Let it all just go free
Stop swimming the sea of mediocrity
Absorbing all the waves of jealousy
Turn around, turn around, turn around so you can find
There’s no room in all the baggage
For the struggle you confine
Let it go, let it go
Let it all just release
Recalling every vision of the promise you believed
Can you still find that dream inside your memory?
So break the mold that time has cast on you
Let it fade away
Reject the rules you’ve let define you
Break free from fear that always finds you
Within your heart you’ll always find the strength.
Free from minds with limitations
Wrap yourself in adoration and see what you
Turn around, turn around, turn around and understand
Without the weight of that armor
Your heart and mind expands
Let it go, let it go
Let it go and face the stares
Freedom is contagious
Inspiration can be shared
So break the mold that time has cast on you
Let it fade away
Reject the rules you’ve let define you
Break free from fear that only binds you
Within your heart you’ll always find the strength
To move away from all conventions
And there will be no limitations to what you can achieve
Moving on, moving on, moving on you will have me
Never doubt my dedication, always trust I will believe
We grow old, we grow bold
May we never lose our drive
Until my very last breath, I will fight and I will strive
Knowing you will always be here by my side
Break the mold that time has cast on you
Let it fade away
Reject the rules you’ve let define you
Break free from fear that always finds you
Within your heart you’ll always find the strength
To move away from all conventions
And there will be no limitations to what you can achieve
|
||||
9. |
Red Flags
04:31
|
|||
|
RED FLAGS
by Derek Bishop
I painted a perfect picture of us in my mind
Every detail, tint and color and stroke were mine
You said you loved it and you were on board
You gave me the freedom to finally move forward
I found great peace in knowing we would combine
Your desires and my dreams – a lifetime to design
But you have a habit of coloring out of the lines
And there’s no room, no way to erase
You best put on your better face
I’m finally seeing our paths don’t align
Yet every eye surveys the scene like they’re keeping time
All of our dreams and our hopes root in everyone’s mind
So if we back out now, who’s going to explain
And what will we say?
How will we ever make this go away?
I followed the numbers and I painted a field
Blended all our colors and I studied the reveal
You make me crazy trying to conceal
The shades and the hues reflecting your repeal
Still I found strength in knowing time would refine
The problems and the fears we never could resign
I have a habit of straightening up all the time
There’s no room, no way to erase
I best put on my better face
I’m finally seeing our lives won’t entwine
And every eye surveys the scene like they’re keeping time
All our dreams and our plans root in everyone’s mind
So if we back out now, who’s going to explain
And what will we say?
How will we ever make this go away?
You painted roses blowing in the wind
All I saw were red flags, and I could not pretend
We drew our hearts at opposite ends
You painted yourself into a corner with no end
Now every eye surveys the scene and they’re ticking time
And of all of our dreams and our hopes root in everyone else’s mind
If we back out now, who’s going to explain
And what will we say?
How will I ever make you go away?
Were you flushed with love
Or were you filled with dread?
When I look at you, all I see is red
|
||||
10. |
Toesmahsers
05:08
|
|||
|
TOESMASHERS
by Derek Bishop
I know I’ve been protective
I can feel it in my chest
My ribs are covering up my heart
While shielding out the rest
I believed I was saving my soul
By hiding what I’ve repressed
Time has long passed to believe this excuse
And it’s time that I progressed
So as a promise to myself
I’m going to smash the toes of anyone else
Who gets in my way, has opinions to say
Even if you have compliments to pay
No, I won’t promise I’ll agree
I’m not tiptoeing around you pretending to please
Compromising my stay
Impressing you with what I might say
It’s not about what’s black, white or grey
It’s the difference between being standing tall
And standing away
I hope I’ll be forgiven
For searching out a truce
For smiling away confrontation
And being passive and obtuse
I believed I was protecting my soul
But I was only weak and confused
You’d think after decades of hiding myself
I would have had enough of the abuse
So as a promise to myself
I’m going to smash the toes of anyone else
Who gets in my way, has opinions to say
Even if you love me in every other way
I won’t promise I’ll agree
I’m not tiptoeing around you pretending to please
Compromising my stand
Fearing my views get me banned
It’s no longer about being loved or being afraid
It’s the difference between being safe
And being brave
It would be so easy just to please
To entertain with standard tricks up my sleeve
Is that all you expect? Nothing too complex?
Why is ignorance something you fight to protect?
Is satisfaction just another word for neglect?
If I ruffle all the feathers
And I break all the shells
I’ll wade through all the ruins
In the shadows of myself
But I believe in striving for more
And expecting the same in return
The time has long passed to have conviction
It’s time I started to learn
So as a promise to myself
I’m going to smash the toes of anyone else
Who gets in my way, has opinions to say
Even if you love me in every other way
I won’t promise I’ll agree
I’m not tiptoeing around you pretending to please
Compromising my stand
Fearing my views get me banned
It’s not about what’s black, white or grey
It’s the difference between being good
And being great
|
||||
Derek Bishop New York, New York
Derek Bishop's sophomore album 'Bicycling Quicksand' blends disco, euro-pop, and new wave stylings. The ten-song album features Derek’s trademark energy, showcasing bona fide grooves that harken back to the days when the music was funky and the beats were undeniable. ... more
If you like Derek Bishop, you may also like:
featured on Bandcamp Radio Dec 31, 2013
go to album
Colleen Green's "Dude Ranch"
by Colleen Green
Colleen Green covers Blink-182's "Dude Ranch," the songwriter's self-professed "favorite album of all time," in its entirety.
go to album
Madrid's Caliza creates intricately sound-designed ambient art pop addressing the climate crisis on this striking new LP.
go to album
Nuits Plurielles (Album)
by Bronswick
Slick, swooning Francophone pop from the Montreal duo, tailor-made for creatures of the night.
go to album
Homespun indie pop matches bright, simple guitars with sparkly keys and a skittery drum machine. Melancholy and perfect.
go to album
Warm and shiny electro pop from Athens has gentle, propulsive beats and gleaming synths.
go to album
Truth or Consequences
by Chelsea Rose
The former Summer Twin steps into her own on a sophisticated solo record full of classic pop sounds and starry-eyed optimism.
go to album
