Addicted

I want to fly 
I want to have my whole world torn apart
I want to dive so deep that I may not get out
I want to get addicted
I want you flowing inside
I want to get addicted
I’ll be shot through and through
and you’re the only one who’ll do

I want to walk to heaven but I want to wear your shoes
I want to fall to pieces
I want to come unglued
I want to get addicted
I want to know how it feels
I want to get addicted and you will overtake me
until there’s nothing at all

immersed, cursed, unprotected
blessed, second guessed, resurrected

I want to get addicted
I want to know how it feels
I want to get addicted and you will overtake me
until there’s nothing at all
you’re the one who’s gonna take me higher


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
guitar: Nick Moselle
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
french horn: Amy Sanchez
trombone: Adam Theis
EP, piano, voice: MB


That's all there is

if you write your name in pen & ink there’s nothing to be done
if you take your toys and run away you’ll be the only one
same mistakes, different play 
same old shit, different day
how it all got this way I’ll never know
every time I wake up I remind myself again
that’s all there is

if you wanted all that privacy I would’ve let you go
if you had to find out on your own you could’ve told me so
over space, over time
down we go, doing fine
happy trails, here’s to you and all you are
can’t afford to spend this time awaiting something new
that’s all there is

maybe the time will come / maybe it won’t be long
maybe there’s nothing wrong

every time I see you it becomes more clear to me
that’s all there is

strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter 
bass, guitars, piano, voice: MB


The good old days

you didn’t have to hide it 
it’s easy to see
you didn’t have to say it 
it’s already clear
you don’t love me like you used to
you don’t care the way you did
you don’t take the time to tell me
and you never – you never really did

slowly I’ve been finding out / it’s not so bad
nostalgia’s just a wish for things / we never had
but your words will still be with me
as your presence fades away
I may not be the best thing going
but I know that I’m ok

when everybody asks me 
where we go from here
it’s more convenient to surrender
than simply disappear

you don’t love me like you used to
you don’t care the way you did
you don’t take the time to tell me
and you never really did


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
guitar: Nick Moselle, MB
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
french horn: Amy Sanchez
EP, voice: MB


When I was a star

we made this thing move just as far as we could
when nobody thought it would work
I gladly took everything you had to give
can’t blame you for letting me go

if you bring the vodka then I’ll bring the punch
the show starts again and it’s never enough
and everyone laughs ‘cause it just gets too hard
they remember when I was a star

everyone wants you as much as I did
the first time I stood in your glow
soon you’ll turn into the one they adore
don’t be afraid of it now

it feels like betrayal to end up on your own
you’re stung by the things you wanted so much
and most of us know ‘cause we still have the scars
love only takes you so far
you’re alone, wherever you are

you take on the crowd ‘cause you have to
you go out and hope for the best
sometimes you get what you need from them
sometimes you fill in the rest

it helps to pretend that this world never ends
but it does, and we all fall apart
never thought to look out that far
long ago, when I was a star


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
electric guitar: Nick Moselle
acoustic guitar: MB
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
french horn: Amy Sanchez
piano, synth, percussion, voice: MB


I'm not

I could be one of those men you dream of
I could be one you avoid like the plague
somewhere between is the man I can offer
which might not be quite what you need

don’t make me waste all my time
trying to be someone else
if I’m not the one then nothing else matters
I can’t be something I’m not

I could improve my skills of deception
I could assume a new identity
but how can it be that all this pretending
is better than being alone

don’t say you love me and then
go pulling that rug out again
if I’m not the one then let’s say it’s over
I can’t be something I’m not

I don’t know what you want
if all I’ve got’s not enough

don’t try to rationalize
it’s easy to love a disguise
since I’m not the one then someone else should be
I can’t be something I’m not


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
piano, voice: MB


I'm losing you

I’m losing you 
you know it too
it’s strange to finally see it in the hard light of the day
it’s odd to be aware of things we never could’ve said

I won’t pretend 
it’s not the end
the one thing we hold onto in our silly little lives
is thinking we’re the author of the story that unfolds

I know it’s true 
you love me too
I wish that were enough sometimes I can’t believe it’s not
and everything comes to a stop

I really tried
to make things right
sometimes I thought of giving up but never drew the lines
between the dots you left me

but now we know
which way to go
it ought to be much clearer with the path in front of us
it ought to feel much better but somehow it never does

that’s one for me and two for you
it’s numb for me and new for you
but what’s it for if you never knew
you lost the war because I asked you to

I’m losing you
you know it’s true
and someday soon
everyone else will too


strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
french horn: Amy Sanchez
bass, piano, voice: MB


Space invader

in a place long ago far away
turned the page on a life that I made
but when I go back now the words all sound the same
it’s time to realize I’ve got no one to blame
don’t need to close my eyes to watch things turn to black
I finally recognize you’re never coming back

space invader give me another chance
still transmitting send a signal back

in a maze long ago far away
got confused by the traps that I’d laid
and when I tune in now the static’s all I hear
it’s time to realize I’m all alone out here
don’t have another plan don’t know I ever will
I can’t resign myself to never being heard

space invader give me another chance
still transmitting send a signal back


percussion: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
guitar: Nick Moselle
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Martin St Pierre
french horn: Amy Sanchez
piano, voice: MB


Consider it done

all that you hope, all that you know
fills in the space when nobody’s home
wait for the calm, wait for the flood
make a new dream to cover it up
feel the time that we have counting down as fast as it can
until then you’re the one

everyone hopes, everyone knows
it’s hard to explain anything else
you talk to your friends til you have all the facts
you talk to yourself just to cover your tracks
moving ahead, moving along

take a look and you’ll see how our world was meant to be
out of sight, out of mind, out of love
all the shame in our eyes puts a permanent bend in the light
so for now, consider it done

forgive and forget is a hard one to know
you run out of space just before it takes hold
I wish that the simple things still had a chance
but every attempt just falls back in our lap

I’d love you to death if you thought it would help
I’d sweep up the ashes and glue them myself
I’d make you believe that there’s nobody else


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
guitar: Nick Moselle, MB
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
piano, voice: MB


Turn of the screw

you think it’s too late 
well maybe you’re right
the end of a dream 
the end of the night

take what you need 
leave what you don’t
start to get lost 
and meet the unknown

become what you are 
get out on your own
get used to the feeling 
of being alone

you wish you could fly or drive far away
there’s an infinite loop that gets in your way
you cast on the water but love doesn’t float
everything falls apart whenever you go

you think it’s too late 
well maybe you’re right
the end of a dream 
the end of the night

and leaving is easy 
it’s nothing to you
like a stone in your pocket 
like a turn of the screw


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
guitar: Nick Moselle
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Martin St Pierre
french horn: Amy Sanchez
piano, voice: MB


Today's the day I die

can’t you picture us still so much in love
talking round and round
the things that matter most 
seems so long ago
you know well enough you can’t help growing up
it’s just not worth the pain
to wonder who you are

it’s time for us to call it off
to put away all other thoughts
and strip away the camouflage
today’s the day I die

you can’t promise me I’m the one you need
cause maybe I won’t fit
the ways you want to be and the spaces in between
I can’t promise you I’d know what to do
sometimes fucking up 
is the only choice you get

it’s hard for us to ever learn
when slings and arrows do their worst 
and sadness floods the universe
today’s the day I float away 
today’s the day I die

can’t you picture us still so much in love
but wishing’s not enough

you wonder what the future holds
you had your chance to almost know
forget the man who loved you most
today’s the day I blow away
today’s the day I die


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
electric guitar: Nick Moselle
acoustic guitar: MB
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Martin St Pierre
french horn: Amy Sanchez
piano, voice: MB


Big nowhere

can’t imagine anybody questioning
you surely did your best, it’s not some kind of test
wouldn’t be like you to take off recklessly
I’d never say unfair, our judgment was impaired

and I wish there was a plan from up on high
but every time I look it’s only sky
as we say goodbye and we take that ride
on an endless slide to nowhere

no time left for sentimental pondering
you turn the key it’s shut, and nothing’s getting out
packing up the sympathetic memories
won’t do you any good, they’d trick you if they could

but make sure you’ve got everything you had
cause after this we’re never coming back
as we tip our hats to the recent past
and we make our way

so brace yourself before we hit the ground
and turn this motherfucker upside down
empty all the pieces on the floor
or does it even matter anymore

gotta find a way out of this wildnerness
gotta find a path out of the dark
gotta find a place where I can see again
see myself for what I have become

everything I had is just a memory
everything I knew has flown away
all I’ve got are pieces but they make no sense
they’re just the random fragments of a dream

will you go where I go 
will you see what I see
will you come to the big nowhere
will you come home to the big nowhere


drums: Dan Thompson
bass: Vivi Rama
guitar: MB, Nick Moselle
strings: Ana Lenchantin, Heather Lockie, Julie Carpenter
french horn: Amy Sanchez
EP, piano, voice: MB

All songs © 2002-2004 Matthew Black (ASCAP)

My sincere thanks to all the excellent musicians who contributed 
to this CD. It wouldn't be the same without you.

Tracked & mixed in MB's studio using Cubase SX and UAD-1.
Drums tracked at Douglas Grean's studio using Protools.
Mastered by Dave Collins. Sleeve concept by Gino Lee.
Special thanks to Nikki Nash.