songs: Atmosphere

My mom teaches English at a public high school, and in the summer of 2008, I went on vacation with her and several other educators to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.  Late one night, in the old victorian home that we were renting, I sat alone in the kitchen with my guitar, and while gazing through an open window at the flickering lights of distant homes, I wrote this song.

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If we are all just atmosphere
Tiny souls of candlelight
Destined to dissolve into that dark night
Then tell me, why should I burn out here?

When there’s a world of possibility
Or so I seem to have told myself
‘Cause I’ve got these visions of my future turning out well
Though I know circumstance can’t be deceived

[c]
Oh, oh, oh
We sing the sounds we know
Oh, oh, oh
It seems we’re all
Searching for something to hold

I had a date with opportunity
In a hotel restaurant
And on the street below my window sat starvation
While I drank Sauvignon Blanc and ate for free

She said “It seems you’ve got some talent there”
I said, “I keep that to myself”
She said, “I don’t need it, I just need hits
Artsy shit don’t sell”
And I was overwhelmed
Under prepared

[c]

I saw a soldier on my TV set
He said that God had held his hand
Well, I was quite surprised to hear of Christ, the marksman
That is was all pretend
Life, love and death

So I turned all of my power off
I found some wax and lit a flame
I sang it songs, it danced along upon my window frame
But when it’s light was gone
I was on my own singing.

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