Showing posts with label aladdinfoot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aladdinfoot. Show all posts

Monday, July 06, 2015

"Barefeet and Bowties"

This is a song about individuality. About granting yourself permission to be eccentric without apology. (And when I write “yourself,” of course I mean “myself.”) There are basic rules and regulations we agree to in order for society to run smoothly, but within the allowable framework, there is considerable leeway.

I choose to be barefoot as often as possible because it feels good. Simple as that. There are books and websites devoted to the health benefits of walking and running barefoot, of “grounding,” and so on. That’s nice, but when I go barefoot I’m not thinking about anything other than the nice feeling of the ground beneath my feet.

The key line in this song is “I won’t apologize for being a good kid.” The media likes to portray the good kid as a geek, a loser, or a mama’s boy. In the Biblical parable of The Prodigal Son, the good kid gets the shaft while the wild child gets the goodies. Any good kid will tell you that in school, it’s the bad boys who get the chicks.

I was a good kid. I’m still a good kid. Maybe that’s not as interesting as the rebel with or without a cause, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of either. Besides, don’t the barefeet and bowties make me at least a little bit interesting?

Barefeet and Bowties

a musical statement of individuality
© 2011 Brian Hutzell

Barefeet and bowties
Living without compromise
And I won’t apologize for being a good kid
I won’t pretend I’m less; I’m not sorry for what I did
Now I’m too old to bloom
Too young to boom

I butter my feet and walk on toast
Isn’t that an unusual boast?
I don’t claim to be the same as most of the other folks
I don’t laugh at their jokes
I’d rather make up my own

Barefeet and bowties
Long hair and blue eyes
A hero in my fantasy, a creature of my fancy
The center of attention in my dreams
Special mention for those scenes

Feeling different, set apart
Jesus and Johnny Appleseed
The Artful Dodger, Boy of Destiny

In barefeet and bowties
Musicalize, evangelize, pilgrimize
I hear the music but refuse to march
I’ll leave my footprints in my own time

Barefeet and bowties
Living without compromise
Sunset to sunrise
And I won’t apologize



Sunday, July 05, 2015

"Cling to Nothing"

When I was still pretty young, my mom gave me a small spiral notebook of staff paper. Now I could write my own music! Imagining myself to be a young Bach, my first composition was, appropriately, “Prelude.” I doodled off a few little more piano pieces, including “Lovely Stroll,” which mom, a longtime church organist, played one Sunday as an offertory—the first public performance of one of my original compositions.

Meanwhile, a family tradition was using outdated, and therefore unsellable, calendar pads from my grandpa’s store. All of us in the family had a good stockpile of these old blank calendar refills, which found new life as stationery, shopping lists, memos, etc. I often used them for writing little poems, some of which later became songs. Most of those projects of my youth are long gone.

The first “real” song I remember writing—words and music—was “Away From You.” It was simple and stupid, but it was a start. In the mid-1908s, I revisited some of my earlier songs and gave them sometimes dramatic rewrites. “Cling To Nothing” is a head-to-toe makeover of “Away From You.”

I remember writing these lyrics in the library at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, where I was foolishly earning my BS in Finance. I actually took many classes at U. Mass that I greatly enjoyed, but my Major courses were dull dull dull. Since leaving college, I have never held a finance job of any sort.

Cling to Nothing

© Brian Hutzell 1987


Young amusements, like building blocks
Make a fortress of a great big box
Let imagination run wild
And it works for awhile
Till some tragic age and you come to that stage
You can't run away to the games that you played

Cling to nothing (if you can)
Cling to nothing (if you must)
Cling to something (better just)
Cling to one thing
Cling to childhood (if you want)
But if you could (give it up)
Cling to nothing (if you can)
Let it go

'Long in high school, camaraderie
Then in college: fraternity
Friendships formed for pleasure and fun
Last until the party's done
But work comes along and points must be won
New cohorts are found in the business crowd

Cling to nothing (if you can't)
Use your buddies (trade 'em in)
Choose your company (keep in mind)
There is one thing
Cling to family (if you must)
Keep it friendly (better just)
Cling to one thing (leave the rest)
That's success

With an empty scrapbook, no one can tag you
If they give you that look, you know you're in
Look at what you've gone through
Now was it worth it?
If you could, would you do the same again?
Or would you be more aware of the chorus of voices you lost
Have you thought of the cost?

Clint to nothing (if you do)
Cling to nothing (should you have)
Clung to something (that you had)
Come to wondering
Cling to nothing (if you can)
Cling to nothing (what you have)
Comes to nothing (cling to that)
If you can

Cling to something - even one thing
Better than nothing
Cling to something
You've been working, getting dirty
Never shirking
Now you're hurting
Was it worth it?
If you nurse it, you can turn it into pearl
If you cling to something


Monday, June 29, 2015

"Chatting On The Subway"

My first, and to date only, original full-length musical is “A Heart Calls Quietly.” I had several follow-ups planned and started. This was to be the opening number of one of them. Imagine each verse sung by a different person or set of people, until they all join together on the final verse. Neither this show, nor any of the others I started around the same time, was completed…yet. I did finish three children’s musicals in collaboration with Carol Smith: “The Dancing Princesses,” “Brave Little Tailor,” and “Hansel and Gretel.” Only the first of those was every produced on stage.

One humorous incident occurred around the time “A Heart Calls Quietly” was produced. A newspaper interviewed me about the show. (An original musical was sort of a big deal at the time in Des Moines, Iowa.) I explained to the interviewer that I had written the book, music and lyrics to the show as well as arranging and recording all of the music. The interviewer asked me how I found the time to do all that while at the same time going to college and working a job. I answered, “I stay up late and drink a lot of coffee.” The paper printed my reply as: “I stay up late and drink a lot.” My first experience with the press, and I was misquoted! I remember being angry at the time, but now it makes for an amusing anecdote.


Chatting On The Subway

© Brian Hutzell 1989

It sure was nice to see the Nelsons
They looked so happy in their new apartment
A pleasant dinner at the Nelsons
It's nice to know we've got good friends
Wasn't it nice they had us over?
Don't you think so?
I do
It's nice to know they're doing well
They've got a comfortable home
But the night is nearly over and it's off to our own

They gave me quite a lovely party
I know I'm going to enjoy my retirement
And on my parting day we partied
It's nice to know I've still got friends
What'll I do with all my spare time?
Will I love it?
I will
I've got books to read, places to see
My leisure life can begin
Now my working days are over and it's time to turn in

Beginning a new job is a little exciting
But things went well and my nerves have settled
What'll I do with all the money?
Will I save it?
Or spend?
Save would be best
Mom will insist
I guess my childhood's almost over
Now that I'm working
My real life begins

A happy one-year anniversary
One year ago tonight we started dating
You took me to a lousy movie
We've graduated to a play
Hasn't it been a happy evening?
Do you love me?
I do
And pretty soon we'll graduate
There's not much longer to go
College days are almost over and we're out on our own

Beginning a new year is a little exciting
We're doing well, feeling secure and settled
I can do all of the exotic things I've wanted to do
Buy some new shoes to wear to school
Now the night is nearly over
It's been a good day
It's been a good day




Friday, June 26, 2015

"Change"

Sometimes songs just refuse to come out the way I want them to. I had high hopes for this one, but it was determined to disappoint me at every turn. There reaches a point, when things aren’t going well in the creative process, that you need to make a choice: Do I continue wrestling with this, or do I just kick it out the door and let it go wherever it wants? I chose the second approach with “Change.” I don’t know where it wandered off to, and I no longer care.

Change

© 1994 Brian Hutzell

Losing the one who makes you happy catches you unprepared
Leaving you moody, blue and crappy
Feeling alone and scared

Why couldn’t love be neater--manageable, refined?
Why can’t life be sweeter, cleaner, clearer
Nearer to what we had in mind?

It’s a change
And I could use a change
A change of direction, a change in the weather
But is it a change for the better, or is it just a change?

Looking toward a different future, shifting gears again
Though I try, it’s not wise to be too sure
Of who and what and when

So many roads to choose from--taking me here to there
I know I’m bound to lose some, and I want to be prepared

Still it’s a change
And I could use a change
A change of direction, a change in the weather
But is it a change for the better, or is it just a change?

Trying to reach the mainstream
But I’m still on a sidestreet
Frustrated by the detours and delays
Now I’m finally realizing that pointless agonizing
Is less productive than harmonizing

I’m mingling at the party, but no one’s bringing me my punch
So I’m packing up and parting
Making my own free lunch

It’s a change, and I can use a change
A change of direction, a change in the weather
May be a change for the better
But whatever, it’s a change


Thursday, June 25, 2015

"Cars And Girls"

Even while trying to become a pop star, I thought the whole business of pop music was stupid. I have long felt at odds with myself regarding the entertainment business.

Cars and Girls

© Brian Hutzell 1984

The lines were tasteful
Elegant poetry
Lyrically flowing from metaphor to simile
Exquisite symbolism
Meshed with psychological probings
Enough to tantalize the mind
Without demeaning the listener.
I played it for the man behind the desk
And he heard graceful melodies
Tinged with jazz
And clever quotes from classics
He heard wonderful music, imaginative thinking
My heart and my life, my deepest convictions
Were there on the tape
And the man with the desk said:

Cars and girls
That's what they want to hear
Cars and girls
Am I perfectly clear?
Cars and girls
Nothing hard to understand
Cars and girls
No sleight of hand

He was right of course; he'd been through it before
As my fame increased so did my bank account
And the songs I thought were gross were the ones that sold the most
People love it if it sounds good turned up loud

Cars and girls
That's what they want to hear
Cars and girls
Am I perfectly clear?
Cars and girls
Nothing hard to understand
Cars and girls
No sleight of hand

From the rise of Henry Ford, people never got bored
Of hearing 'bout a screaming machine
And silly love songs have been sellin' since the very first musician
Sang his courtship to the daughter of a queen

Cars and girls
That's what they want to hear
Cars and girls
Am I perfectly clear?
Cars and girls
Nothing hard to understand
Cars and girls
No sleight of hand


"BASS-ic Training"

BASS-ic Training

© 2013 Brian Hutzell

In any band, the rhythm section’s main job is to provide a steady beat. That being the case, why do so many people, musicians especially, get upset when the drums & bass are provided by a drum machine and sequencer? I’ve heard complaints that the machines are “too perfect.” Is that possible? Isn’t a steady beat what you want? And those machines can play tremendously difficult licks perfectly every single time! If you saw a live rhythm section playing that well, you’d be very impressed. The “live” concert experience is another subject open to many debates: How much of the show is pre-taped? How much is sequenced? How much is performed by additional musicians who are out of site? Does any of  that matter as long as the show is entertaining? At larger shows, is anybody beyond the first few rows even looking at the musicians? No! They’re all staring at the big screens. The band really needn’t bother showing up at all.



"Capture The Moment"

A month ago, it looked as if Hitomi and I would be moving back into the Boston are, but that was not to be. So we are still in Des Moines, and even though Des Moines is a nice enough place, it’s got me a little down. I grew up here, and always swore I’d leave at first opportunity and never come back. Like the old joke says: How do you make God laugh? Tell Him your plans! At present, I have no job, no prospects, and no marketable skills. Turns out most employers aren’t terribly impressed by my many years of experience as a musician. Why didn’t someone tell me this? Oh yeah, they did. EVERYBODY did. Time to pay the piper, I guess.

Capture the Moment

© 1987 Brian Hutzell

It's been said that opportunity
Favors those with open minds
One thing's true in each community
There's no immunity from the march of time

Capture the moment
Put it in your pocket
Capture the moment
Before it's gone
Capture the moment
Otherwise you've lost it
Those moments keep you company
As your life goes on

Precious moments pass before your eyes
See them, if you're so inclined
Beauty wasted won't apologize
Love doesn't hide
But you've got to look to find

Capture the moment
Put it in your pocket
Capture the moment
Before it's gone
Capture the moment
Otherwise you've lost it
Those moments keep you company
As your life goes on

Picture books are fine, but photos always fade
Memories will shine as long as they are saved
Don't throw them away
You might be surprised how quickly you forget
Things you've memorized

It's been said Good Fortune comes but once
Better recognize his call
You can meet him if you're bold enough
And when you do, there's no stopping you at all

Capture the moment
Put it in your pocket
Capture the moment
Before it's gone
Capture the moment
Otherwise you've lost it
Those moments keep you company
As your life goes on


Wednesday, June 24, 2015

"The Camera Turns Away"

In one way, writing these little introductory blurbs to my songs is easy: My attention span has shrunk to the point where it can be measured in seconds then counted on one hand, so short is good. What keeps them from being TOO easy is that there are just so darn many of them. I don’t want to write the same thing over and over for every song, so I keep needing new material. The first time I heard comedian Steven Wright, I thought it must be much harder to write his act, which consist of zillions of short observations, than it would be for the more standard comedian who tells longer stories, or who sticks with a single subject until the humor potential is exhausted. Writing in the latter format, you’d only need a handful of topics to fill a set onstage. To do it the Wright way, you’d need to come up with dozens of independent ideas. This is all a way for me to pat myself on the back and try to convince you, Dear Reader, that though this looks easy, I am actually toiling away very hard. If I toil even harder, my material may begin to approach the excellence of Steven Wright’s, but probably not.

The Camera Turns Away

© 1994 by Brian Hutzell

Hush it up! No one has to know
It’s just our little secret
We’ll never show and tell the world about it
That’s not the proper thing to say
We’ll save the story for when the camera turns away

They’ll never know; they’ll never suspect
It’s all up front; we’ve let them inspect the books
Let them photograph our honest looks
If that’s not enough, well, tough!

Hush it up! No one has to know
It’s just our little secret
We’ll never show and tell the world about it
That’s not the proper thing to say
We’ll save the story for when the camera turns away

The truth is dull--makes us look unkind
Doctor it up; no one will mind the ruse
And the proper slant makes for better selling news
While the tabloids speculate, the facts can wait

Shh! Be very still
Let them say what they will
If we like it we’ll let it stick
If not, we can contradict with a lie of our own

Live by the lie, die by the lie
Don’t you trust me now?
Live by the lie, die by the lie
Don’t you believe me now?

Hush it up! No one has to know
It’s just our little secret
We’ll never show and tell the world about it
That’s not the proper thing to say
We’ll save the story for when the camera turns away


"Calling For Rain"

I remember singing this song often and loudly in our apartment in Medford. The downstairs neighbors were more than tolerant with the amount of noise that was generated above them. Can you imagine worse tenants to live under than a bunch of musicians? To add insult to injury, I once asked a member of the ever courteous and long-suffering family below us (who were our landlords, but the way) to turn down their stereo as it was TOO LOUD. What nerve! I hope I’m less of a jerk now, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

When I first wrote these lyrics, I was very proud of them. Sometimes in those cases, I am afraid to revisit a song because I often find that what I once thought was genius is in fact garbage. Happily, that's not the case here. I still like these lyrics. That doesn't necessarily mean they're brilliant; it may just mean that I'm not good at recognizing garbage.

Calling For Rain

© Brian Hutzell 1987


Last night, she told you you were Prince Charming
How nice, smile at you those eyes adoring
First bite may taste safe but there's no harm in foresight
Wouldn't hurt to look past morning
You think you'll never have a cloudy day
You think everything will be okay
You think the sun is here to stay
Don't kid yourself - it's gonna rain

Calling for rain, calling for rain
I heard the news and the weatherman said
Calling for rain, calling for rain
If you go out, better cover your head
Calling for rain, calling for rain
Nothing will grow if it never gets wet
Calling for rain, calling for rain
Look at the clouds, they're calling for rain

Sometimes feels as if you are the only
One who's breaking in new territory
New ground, care for it and hope it won't be cut down
Cause it's a familiar story
And though you've heard it in a thousand songs
Now you don't mind when the tune comes on
You'll listen till your mind is numb
Don't kid yourself - it's gonna come

Calling for rain, calling for rain
How can it be; there's s clear blue sky
Calling for rain, calling for rain
Nothing to indicate something awry
Calling for rain, calling for rain
You'd like to predict things are gonna stay dry
Calling for rain, calling for rain
Even the obvious evidence lies

Calling for rain, calling for rain
I heard the news and the weatherman said
Calling for rain, calling for rain
If you go out, better cover your head
Calling for rain, calling for rain
Nothing will grow if it never gets wet
Calling for rain, calling for rain
I see the signs, and the future is calling for

Changes in the climate
Who's crying now?
Time, uninvited
Is a window past the pain
Where you see the green the rain brings

You're finding things you don't want to feel
And now you seem to have lost your shield
You think you're safe behind the wall
Don't kid yourself - it's gonna fall


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

"Calculus"

As a kid, I had lots of big plans, and one of them involved a complex over-the-top complex piece of music to be called “Calculus.” I eventually created both a song and a piece of art with that title, but neither came close to what I’d originally imagined. Art is full of compromises, at least mine is. Sometimes that’s the only way to get it finished.

Calculus

© 1992 Brian Hutzell

How to begin, confusion again
Looks like a dump, sounds like a foreign language
Estimate the time and the date
Feel like a chump--watching the future languish

Combat ignorance
Give it a smack with Calculus
At bat, each of us
Go to the mat with Calculus

Angles arise, foolish and wise
Think it's a crock:  pretending they have the answers
Stumbling block--sharing a drink with cancer

Combat ignorance
Give it a smack with Calculus
At bat, each of us
Go to the mat with Calculus

Hang on to innocence
Give it a hand with Calculus
Do something scandalous
Take a stand with Calculus

Attention subjects!  Heed the call!
Unwise objections won't resolve
The problems facing us today
Don't be naive; they won't go away

But that ignorance,
Given a smack with Calculus
Won't stand the slightest chance
Driven back with Calculus

Hang on to innocence
Give it a hand with Calculus
Do something scandalous
Take a stand with Calculus



"Busy Signal"

Some of the worst moments of my life were only awful because I made them so, waiting by the phone for a call that never came. I’ve written about this subject a few times. As a song, “Waiting For Your Call” is better, but the desperation comes through more in these spare lyrics. Now that I think of it, on those occasions when I found myself waiting anxiously for a call, I did indeed have reason to be worried, as subsequent events proved.


Busy Signal

© Brian Hutzell 1990

I try to call you
I get a busy signal
Who are you talking to?
I have to solve this riddle

I try to call you
Your line is busy

Who is he?

My line is never busy
I'm keeping it open
My hand it getting itchy
The longer I'm hoping
You'll call me
I'm all free
And it doesn't matter who you are
The call is all I need

I'll be here to love you
My line is open and so am I
Call me...anything




"Burn Your Fingers"

Was there ever a time I could sing these lyrics with a straight face? I doubt it. Certainly not now. I like the music for this one, and the recording, made at Hinge Studio in Chicago, came out pretty well, but those words…sheesh! But why stop with embarrassing words?
Why not accompany them with an embarrassing photo! 

Burn Your Fingers

© 1994 Brian Hutzell

Once, you were taught
The iron is too hot, too hot
Careful of the stove
Don’t get too close, too close
But the warnings didn’t kill your hunger for the thrill
If you like to swelter, come to me; I’ll give you shelter

Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me
Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me

If you’re in the mood for danger, excitement and such
If you’re not afraid to blister, I’ll tell you where to touch

Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me
Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me
When you fly
Don’t go too high, too high
The blazing sun
Could be too much, too much
The power of the star tempting you to ride too far
Be aware you could be stung when the fire flicks his tongue

Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me
Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me

Can you take the furnace?  Feel your body sizzle and scorch
Welcome to my inferno; let me light your torch

Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me
Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me

If you’d rather burn than smolder--rather play it rough than nice
Come to my volcano; become the sacrifice

Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me
Burn your fingers, burn your fingers on me



Monday, June 22, 2015

"What I'm Reading Now"

When I was a kid, my parents took me to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. There was an attraction there called Herman’s Heaven, the highlight of which was a darkened room of mirrors and strings of lights that gave the impression of infinity. I’ve been intrigued by that layered effect ever since. Like the book cover of a man holding the book cover of a man…you get the idea.

I’ve been reading Nick Hornby’s Ten Years in the Tub, which is a book about books. One of the books he writes about is Gabriel Zaid’s So Many Books, which is another book about books. I wanted to mention that just so that I could add one more layer: I’m telling about a book telling about a book telling about books.

What I'm Reading Now

© 1992 Brian Hutzell

They accused me of not knowing what's going on
Told me I had no clue
Said I was hiding in a shell
Wrapped up in a silk cocoon

What they didn't know: the part about you
What they didn't see: the part about me
And the fact that now I'm free

If they could see what I'm reading now
What has happened to allow me to read what I'm reading now

We broke up, and I have lots of free time
Unless I constantly read, I can't control my mind
And it turns to you
And I freak out
Gotta forget about you
Get a new life now
And new books to read in new languages
Pages of stuff I'll absorb like an undiscriminating sponge
Only to forget it a week after I'm done

It appears I'm crawling in a hole
But that's only part of the story
There is a reason for what I do
And my library likes it too

What they didn't know: the part about you
What they didn't see: the part about me
And the fact that now I'm free

If they could see what I'm reading now
What has happened to allow me to read what I'm reading now
If they could see what I'm reading now
What has happened to allow me to read what I'm reading now



"Bottle In The Bedroom"

I recorded this song for my cassette collection “Making a Mess,” which is one of my personal favorites. It’s just a bunch of early songs I wrote, recorded in “everything-including-the-kitchen-sink” fashion. No commercial potential whatsoever! I began work on a sequel, “Another Fine Mess,” but never finished it. I leave a trail of unfinished projects wherever I go.

Bottle In The Bedroom

© 1983 Brian Hutzell

She's living with a bottle by her bed
It helps her get to sleep by lightening her head
"Just a little now and then," she says
But that little bit can sometimes make a mess
You know, making a mess of her brain
Making her insane
Making a mess of her mental facility
Hampering her mechanical ability
Wreaking havoc with her thought processes
When taken in reckless excesses
(Would you like a drink?)

She's got a bottle in the bedroom
And she touches it more and more
What does she need it for?
It knocks her to the floor
In the morning her head is sore
All the time it's making a mess
(Oh yes!)
Making a mess of her sense of discretion
Creating unneeded liquid excretion

She's got a bottle in the bedroom
And it's making a mess
And why should I have to clean it up?
That's not my job
She's such a slob
She can't even tell she's losing touch
Something she does not think about much



"Bombs Away!"

I wrote this one in Chicago. Yup. Other than that, I can’t think of a whole heck of a lot to say about it. Nevertheless, as I work my way alphabetically through many (but not all) of my lyrics, I have set the task for myself to write something about each piece across which I come. Therefore, I have composed this tidy little paragraph to let you, Dear Reader, know that I have nothing to say on the subject of “Bombs Away!”

Bombs Away!

© 1993 Brian Hutzell

Are you comfortable?  Do you feel secure?
Perhaps your confidence is a bit premature
Let me shake things up: I have an announcement
I'm looking for someone with a better endowment

Hey hey, bombs away!
This is the news to make your day
Hey hey, yippee-cay-yay!
I'm going to leave you--bombs away!

It's laughable to think you thought
With a sparkling stone I could be caught
And your candy hearts taste bittersweet
I'm off to find a better treat

Hey hey, bombs away!
This is the news to make your day
Hey hey, yippee-cay-yay!
I'm going to leave you--bombs away!

Hey hey, bombs away!
This is the way I choose to play
Hey hey, have a nice day
I'm going to leave you--bombs away!

Caught you unprepared for a sneak attack
Though I know you were aware of the target on your back
And you always knew this moment had to come

Let me wake you up; I've got an appointment
A new Mister Me has just been anointed

Hey hey, bombs away!
This is the news to make your day
Hey hey, yippee-cay-yay!
I'm going to leave you--bombs away!

Hey hey, bombs away!
This is the way I choose to play
Hey hey, have a nice day
I'm going to leave you--bombs away!



"The Boatman"

The usual Plastic Mikey  modus operandi on this one: Kevin Dempsey gave me a tape of the instrumental background, and I added lyrics. We have truly become a culture of information overload, even more so in the 20 years since I wrote these words. I just started reading How Google Works, which is all about one of the companies at the technological forefront these days. At the time “The Boatman” was written, “googol” was just a big number (10100).

The Boatman

© 1994 Brian Hutzell

If it's out there, I take it in
Information--I soak it up
Like a sponge, through my skin
Mental inflation till I erupt

Take a minute to watch The Boatman
The sea is tumbling, but he keeps on floating
He knows his business, doesn't waste a moment
Fishing and hunting for game that'll kill The Boatman

I'm a blank page; write on me
An empty billboard on the road
"This space for rent--going cheap!"
Input overload

Take a minute to watch The Boatman
The sea is tumbling, but he keeps on floating
He knows his business, doesn't waste a moment
Fishing and hunting for game that'll kill The Boatman

Gotta learn to say, "No!"
Step out of the flow
Gotta la learn to let go
Sit back and watch The Boatman

Don't want to exclude the multitude
But it takes too much thought for food
So I'd rather sit back and watch The Boatman

Take a minute to watch The Boatman
The sea is tumbling, but he keeps on floating
He knows his business, doesn't waste a moment
Fishing and hunting for game that'll kill The Boatman