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I loved working on this one. Not that I don’t almost always love working on them. And not that–like the rest of them–there weren’t moments where I was furious and shouting abusive insults at my laptop and/or self for not performing up to expectations. And not that my process was all that different from the usual thing I’ve always done. In many of the ways that are observable, this was a standard Derek Brink experience of making an album. But I loved it. I’ve been in a good place lately. That despite some bad things happening. There are bad things talked about on this album. Some sadness, guilt, fear, and so on… That kind of stuff will always creep into my work, the same way it creeps into my life. But in general, I’ve been a happier person lately, and I think it’s coming through in my songwriting. Even the hopeless songs have a little hope in them this time. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t like 90% because of adopting the cats. They kinda saved me. So, the tone of this one is a little bit brighter just from a structural standpoint, but the performances and recordings are cleaner, too. And I’m playing better. I changed a little bit of my approach and tried to make things sound really clear and presentable…and I wanted you to be able to HEAR the bass. And everything else. No mud. No mess. I even tried to sing more from my diaphragm and take my vocal parts a little “easier.” Sometimes I did one and not the other. Sometimes I did both. It ended up working out. And I’m singing in different registers, that suit my voice a little better than the stuff I have to shout to hit. A lot is different this time.' Getting all of that together was waves coming up the shore… Each time I tried something, I went back to the start and got a little farther than I did on the first wave. I reinvented songs when they weren’t working. And I’m happy with the result. I also tried to SIMPLIFY. Especially in the lyrics. No need to cram in a million words where a few sentences will do the job–he said while writing his seventh paragraph in this introduction. I like songs where the singer has a chance to breathe and the audience has to do a little work to put the linking pieces in, between the big thoughts. I think it worked okay. It’s called “Third Act Problems” because…hey…I’m in my 40s. Creatively, that’s getting into the third act. And it’s a theatre thing to go to a play and complain that the show was alright, but “it has third act problems.” It just means the ending needs work. And for me…it’s going pretty good…but that doesn’t mean I’m done working on the ending. There’s still a lot to do. I drew the cover myself. It’s done mostly in pencil. The theatre on the front is largely meant to evoke the Tivoli in St. Louis–which is now mostly defunct but used to be a really cool movie venue before some church bought it and ruined it. I’m happy with how it turned out. I’m happy with how the whole thing turned out. Primary Guitars/Basses Used: Lyrics and Song Summaries: |
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(Are you feeling better yet?) In summary of the last several times we did this, Walking around with joy in your heart In remembrance of the last several years, ‘Cause walking around with love in your heart ------------ I don’t want to talk about the bad things. I don’t want to hang around in darkness. I don’t want to spend my life in quicksand. Forever’s not long enough to be with you. |
Well…it isn’t. What do you want me to say? Seriously though…on a couple of my albums, I’ve felt the need to do “transitional” tracks as the opening song. (See “Something to Look Forward To,” “Third Act Problems” and “It Could Be Worse.”) They’re meant to be a little taste of what I was doing on the last album, in case you dove right in after hearing the last one, but also indicate that this isn’t going to be quite the same. And that’s sort of what this song is. My last two were released on the same day and are both pretty strong “breakup” albums. So this one starts with a kind of frantic love song. Like most songs, there’s a little truth mixed in with some lies. Writing anything is just taking the truth and manipulating it until it’s interesting. |
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You Hands raised, You… (etc.) I fall at your feet. I’ve been in this place before. You… (etc.) |
Now this one sets the tone for the REST of the album. I was interested in doing songs that seem simple, or are simply constructed, but that have a lot more going on if you listen a little closer. This one’s a good example of that. The lyrics are really just a few sentences long. The music arrangement isn’t too difficult. But there’s a lot of sound happening, and several of those sounds are contrary to the norm, or even to the key. I’ve had the acoustic part around in one form or another for a very long time. The “chorus” parts are kind of a right-hand-picking warmup I do from time to time. I’ve been addicted to the sound it makes when I do it. So I’ve decided to share it with others. The bass is very simple. The lead guitar is pushed WAY to the back and is very Townshendy in nature… The strings are pretty much playing “One Vision” at one point–though legally distinct! And so on. There’s a lot to dig into on this one. Lyrically, people are going to think this one is about God. I won’t dissuade you. A song should be important to you for whatever reason it speaks to you. But that wasn’t what I had in mind at the time. |
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I’ll give you all my days. Took a while to get here, didn’t it? I’ll give you all my days. (Etc.) Who could’ve guessed it? I’ll give you all my days… (Etc.) Solo I’ll give you all my days. (Etc) |
I’ve been kicking this one around since about 2014. I’ve almost included it on a few different albums. I like it, it’s fun. I decided to finally give it a home here because I needed another fun rocker, and this fit the bill. It’s kind of Frank Black/Pixies-ish. Fun to play and sing. And short, even with a nonsense solo. Catchy, too. And it’s another love song. Truth with lies, again. |
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We sit here Scratching off the numbers The world outside is quiet. Measuring reactions Tell the person behind me And all I can see right now I’m missing you. |
I like writing these song summaries. I hate writing THIS one. I don’t know what to say. At the very end of 2021, my friend Jon had an accident at home and passed away suddenly. It broke my heart, and the heart of anyone who knew him. He was one of my dad’s best friends for about 60 years. Dad spoke at his celebration of life. I named my cat Jonco after him. Some words Jon penned were passed around by his family in the days immediately following his death. I thought there was a song in them: “Find things to laugh about. Spend time with family and friends. Don’t let someone ruin your day. Treat people the way you want to be treated. How you react to things that happen in life is much more important than the things that happen. Practice random acts of kindness. Pay for someone’s meal at a restaurant drive-thru. Remember that you’re not always right and they’re not always wrong; people say things from their own perspective.” After the Celebration of Life had ended, I went home and recorded 99% of this song, as I made it up. I tossed in some references to some stuff Jon’s brother Paul said, and also to a story Dad told of the tradition between him and Jon to exchange Lotto scratchers instead of prayer cards in times of loss. There’s too much space between verses. That’s on purpose. I wanted it to feel like something was missing. It’s hard to write a tribute to someone you never imagined having to miss. I hope I did okay. |
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I just want to see you again. I sometimes think I should just call. I’m afraid that I’ll fall too fast. Would you like to meet up for a drink? Or would you like to come over sometime? I’m afraid I’ve already fallen deep. Would you like to show up in my songs? But I hope that you will sing with me. |
A little hopeless Irish love song. There are a couple of love songs on this album, huh? At least this one’s hopeless. That’s a little more Derek… Yeah, I don’t know. I’m a wimp. I need the woman to be FAR more forward than I am or else nothing’s ever going to happen. So that’s this. And I’m aware the tin whistle is somehow a little out of tune. Let’s all die mad about it. |
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You’re pretty damn weird You come in and you leave. And you’re pretty damn weird, I don’t know where you’re going, But you’re pretty damn weird All I want is to be with you… But you’re pretty damn weird That sorta makes you mine. |
Yep. Another love song. More truth…but fewer lies in this one. Some imagination, though. This is how I imagine my cats think of me. Or vice versa, in some parts. Whatever. “You’re pretty damn weird, but you’re really just my kind…” The guitar melody is from a love song I wrote for a girl in high school. It didn’t go great at the time. But I still like that chord progression. So now I’ve used it for a relationship that’s going to last. |
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It started out with wanting you. Welcome home. Infatuated with you, Welcome home. Before you came, Just look at you! Welcome home. Before you came, Welcome home. |
This one is also for my cats. I put the cat songs together. For convenience. This one was written within about 2 weeks of them moving in. We refer to it as “finding a forever-home” when an animal gets adopted. They’re home. I’m theirs forever. That’s all this one’s about. And y'know what? I really hated that phrase until I adopted these guys. (I still don't like when people spell it "fur-ever home.") |
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I really could’ve called more. So much for the high road. I really should’ve stopped in. So much for the high road… (etc.) Being “right” doesn’t matter Solo So much for the high road… (etc.) |
My grandma passed away in July of 2020. It was during the pandemic, but even prior to that, we didn’t see a lot of each other. We lived within driving distance, but it just worked out to be a mostly-holidays relationship. There are a lot of reasons why, but it mostly boils down to, “I should’ve called more.” On the other side of that, Grandma had a phone too, and wasn’t exactly blowing up my voicemail either. But, as any of those relationships go, it was really more my responsibility than hers. Saying otherwise is trying to take a non-existent highroad. In the end, I’m shy and quiet. I don’t like the phone, even when I’m talking to someone I love. And it cost me. So this is about that. But it sounds happier than it is…sometimes that happens. |
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As you turn to leave here As this era/journey/moment ends I’ll miss the games and joking Dust returns to dust again. |
There’s been a lot of loss in my life over the past year. (Or 20.) For my entire lifetime and a couple generations before, there’s been a family farm in Goobertown, AR inhabited by four sisters. It’s “the house.” Everybody knows where you mean when you say those two words… Over the years, four became three became two became one… And the last of the sisters passed away in 2022. “The Belles of Goobertown have all gone home,” as my cousin Terry put it. Stole that line. If this song ever makes any money, I owe you a Coke, Terry. So this one is about family and how it never really dies as long as you keep being family. And remember. Even when the farm goes to auction–which will be happening right around the time this album is released. On a happy note, at the time of writing I am awaiting delivery of the piano that sat in the house for my entire lifetime--and longer! As the auction approaches, some of the nicer items are finding homes still within the family, and the piano was offered to me. I wish I'd had it in time to play it on this song. |
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I said something stupid. You only I said something thoughtless. You only It’s not that you heard it. I said something stupid. You only |
This one kind of explains itself. Most of them probably do. I say a lot of stuff thinking I’m being funny and sometimes the person on the receiving end doesn’t agree. Not because they “don’t get it” or because of a difference in taste…but because what I thought was “funny” was personal and ended up being hurtful. I’m working on it. I’ve been working on it forever. It just happens. I think it happens to all of us…but i hate it when it happens to me. I want to make people laugh. You’ve got to time stuff right. You’ve got to have the right audience. And sometimes you need to play it through in your head and just realize “that’s a shitty thing to say” and shut up. When you slip up, all you can do is hope the other person is forgiving. Thankfully, I’ve been luckier than I haven’t. |
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Getting right to the fact, This could be a great show Seeing right through the smoke ‘Cause this could be a great show To use a simpler metaphor, |
The title of the album comes from this song. I’m using theatre terminology to talk about the gun-problem in America. Surprise, surprise, I’m anti-gun. Whodathunkit? I thought it was common knowledge, but I’m finding people don’t seem to have heard of “Chekhov’s Gun.” It’s an old theatre/playwriting thing attributed to Anton Chekhov. Basically, the principle of “Chekhov’s Gun” is, “if there is a gun introduced in the first act, someone must fire it in the third.” America introduced a shitload of guns, they’re all getting fired, and the show’s almost over… The politicians are actors. The gun manufacturers are the fat-cats. The audience is the American people. The show is the country. I assume you’re smart enough that you don’t need me to keep going. Mix that all up and you’ve got this song. My only real lyrical regret is that I couldn’t find a good way to work in “The Scottish Play.” Sometimes you have to let things go. (I referenced that in “Shit About Shakespeare” on the “Something to Look Forward to” album, anyway.) I recorded the lead vocal track shortly after a school shooting took place in my beloved St. Louis…and a couple of days later a kid was arrested for trying to take a gun into my old high school. |
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It’s been a while So how do we fix this now? ‘Cause I’m tired… So how do we fix this now? If you open up the door, So how do we fix this now? |
It’s difficult to know what to say about this one. My closing songs are often the most personal and hard to talk about. “You and You Alone” isn’t about God. This one is. |
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This album came at the right time in my life. It's a good summary of what's happened since "Happy Now?" (which I consider the immediate successor to this one, even though "The Derek Brink Acoustic Show" happened in the middle there). It's also maybe a precursor of things to come. Since the time of recording, more stuff has happened. In fact, since the first draft of these notes, some more stuff has happened! Some of it great. Some not so great. All I know is I'm still writing. Maybe you'll get an EP or something later this year. Maybe not. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, I'm very proud of this one. There's a ton of my heart in it. I hope you enjoy hearing it.
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Thank You List: Dad, Dave, Susan, Valerie, Tessa, Patterson, and Melody. Bruce Lynn. Brandon and Kaylene Lynn (and their multitudes). Nancy Lynn. The Heacocks. Kim Carpenter. Jim Ousley. Michael Branson. Ethelyn Bruce. Josh Woodard. Colby Knight. Michael Feldman. Marc Schneider. Amanda Bergdorf. Kristen Little. Sara Johnston. Janet Anderson. Becky Outlaw. The Greshamports. Erik Marks. Steven Ford Witaker. Will Shriver. Dan Wilson. “Jules” whose last name I don’t know, and whose first name MIGHT be either Julia or Jen...but either way, she is regularly very nice to me on Twitter. Everybody I work with. Tenth Life Cat Rescue. Euclid Records. Vintage Vinyl. Planet Score. Other cool record stores. And of course to my sweet boys, Jonco and McGuire. You guys probably can’t read this because you’re cats, but I hope you know how much you changed my life for the best. And thanks to anyone who presses “like” on pictures of my cats. And to you for giving these songs a chance, if your name isn’t already listed. Feel free to write it on this page. Or anywhere. Write it in a Taylor Swift cover, if you prefer. I don’t mind. The cover of this album did not begin as a tribute to Wes Freed, but it definitely ended up there. Rest in peace, Wes. The cover was hand-drawn using a combination of colored pencil, charcoal, and ink. If you hear it, I either played, programmed, or sang it. Though there may be some accidental explosions in the background vocals for which I’m not responsible. My neighbors like fireworks. There also may be some meows here and there that I haven’t noticed. The bass part in “Indelible” is a variation of a part I first played in the 1990s in a song called “The Letter” in my band union jack (yes, it’s supposed to be lowercase). Marc Schneider wrote that song and gave his approval for me to use the bass part in the new one. The songs are otherwise unrelated. INFLUENCES (incomplete): Music: Authors: TV/Movies/YouTube/Podcasts: |
