Lost in the Supermarket

I'm on the retreat and we had to take off our shoes for one activity or another and the girl next to me was upset that here feet were gross because she stepped in a muddy puddle with her flip flops. I couldn't tell really. She was disgusted by my socks because they were a bit brown. I explained that I had walked around in them without my shoes for a wile and that I hadn't asked to take off my shoes after all but she wouldn't get off it. I thought life is gonna hit her like a steam train but I guess it might not beautiful people can get away with anything. Then today after I got back I was at a recycling booth in berkeley and saw homeless and poor people screaming at each other for no reason. Someones gonna hit me for repeating the cliche of what ever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I've always thought whatever doesn't traumatize you makes you better. So there was the clean freak who was too sheltered and the sad people who had been thrown into the world and were no better for it. So is there anyway to be thrown into the world and survive it without being traumatized. And whats the healthy medium.

I wasn't born so much as I fell out

Layla

eight things that were bad about that were bad about that east bay express article about teenage bands.

1. kisses the ass of the bands for five pages
2. fundamentally misunderstands what it is to be a rock band
3. interview the parents
4. tells us nothing about the music
5. only takes stupid quotes from the bands
6. compares them to the likes of the backstreet boys and hannah montana
7. overly focused on the age of the bands
8. thought of high school bands as a new phenomenon

I'm away for the weekend. See ya later.

what do you do when you get lonely?

Bitter Sweet Symphony

$17.50 in an hour and a half and it smells sweet. As is shouting out songs into the street. And as I sing Like a Rolling Stone "how does it feel?" some kids walk by yelling "I feel it" and "this guys my brother!". And tourists sitting next to me and taking a picture. and old ladys warning me that someone might mug me for the monney in my guitar case. and cute chicks in blue shirts pointing from across the way and making the eyes at me and taking pictures. and talking to an african drum maker about busking. And seeing people stare at my case witch states "this machine kills fascists". and feeling like you made a million bucks instead of seventeen. Why would anyone get a real job?

I let the melody shine
let it cleanse my mind

The Distance

the truth is painful and depressing and aggressive and destructive and potentially meaningless but I have to believe its more important and that its always better to know.

Hes going the distance
Hes going for speed

What Is and What Never Should Be

new song, this time theres a tune and guitar part and all. I'm not sure if its quite finished yet though.

You want me
No you don't
You mean something
I don't know
A can of arsenic
To get me off of your toes

Do you want me
I should go
You are not me
Or did I show
A creep with pasty heart
And made of gold

A creep with pasty heart
Growing mold

if you say to me tomorow
take my hand child come with me

Radio Song

Bob Dylan is sitting somewhere in manhattan with his guitar. Its 1962. His friends have herd him play before but only other peoples songs. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, get him a little drunk and you drag an Elvis tune out of him. So for the first time he plays an original composition, lets say Its Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), but he really could have played them anything. They tell him 10 things

1. It makes no sense
2. I barely has a tune
3. You sound like you swallowed a toad
4. Its melodramatic and cheesy
5. Its a real downer
   
6. Its gos on for ages
   
7. Its a strange bastard child of rock and folk
8. It doesn't rhyme
9. Stick to your woody guthrie
10. Your names bobby zimmerman

Don't give up

the world is collapsing around our ears

Blues From a Gun

Today was a good day. It was a good day. I had a great breakfast at cafeina. I played guitar for two hours. I hoped a train into berekely and got two clasic records that had previously alluded me. I saw a good play and some people I rarely see. After that me and jack caught a buss into berkeley, grabed dinner and hung out until midnight.
But I also had a horrible day where things lacked significance and I just struggled to get out of my head for a moment.

dreams of escape keep me awake
i'm never gonna get out and make it anyway