OUTRUN THE REPTILE – Album Notes
TRACK LIST
1. Edge
2. Tiktok
3. Babel
6. Displaced
7. Vandals
9. They Told Me
10. Among the Wolves
All songs ©2015 Darren Harty & Jamie Schultz
LYRICS
1. Edge
Out here on the edge they’re talkin’ ’bout hangings
A shift in soul, the walls are coming down
They’re lining up to pull the lever
A fraying soul is going going down
Two hundred years against the wall
Load the gun, eye against the sight
They’re lining up to pull the trigger
Convictions crumble, deep into the night
OUT HERE ON THE EDGE
THE CASTLE’S COMING DOWN
KEEP THE CREATURE CAGED
BUT CAN YOU HEAR THE SOUND
OUT HERE ON THE EDGE
THE ROUGH BEAST IS COMING ‘ROUND
CAN’T OUTRUN THE REPTILE
CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN
Just the other day, they were talkin’ ’bout killin’
Hands are steady, loading up the vial
They’re lining up to, to plunge that needle
It’s all too perfect, nothing missing but the smile
OUT HERE ON THE EDGE
THE CASTLE’S COMING DOWN
KEEP THE CREATURE CAGED
BUT CAN YOU HEAR THE SOUND
OUT HERE ON THE EDGE
THE ROUGH BEAST IS COMING ‘ROUND
CAN’T OUTRUN THE REPTILE
CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN
Ready, Aim, Liar!
You wanna call me out – thinking I’m a hanged man
Don’t see it happening – cause I’ve done up and changed plans
See all you politicians on a plane you think is higher
Acting like your ideologies are something we admire
Trial after trial – prison after prison
We’re talking like a motherfucker but you fail to listen
Check it – let’s put the focus real issue
He’s got a plan – I think we all can agree
And when you’re gone, now tell me who’s gonna really miss you?
We all return to the dirt – eventually
And that’s real
OUT HERE ON THE EDGE
THE CASTLE’S COMING DOWN
KEEP THE CREATURE CAGED
BUT CAN YOU HEAR THE SOUND
OUT HERE ON THE EDGE
THE ROUGH BEAST IS COMING ‘ROUND
CAN’T OUTRUN THE REPTILE
CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN
Ready, Aim, Liar!
2. Tiktok
White lines
Blurring into streaks
Red embers and burning eyes
But the goal’s out of reach
Speed’s killin’ on a night like this
But the pedal’s down all the way
Rain pounding as you float through the curve
Wheels above the road
Road signs
Lost in the haze
You can’t afford to get lost now
Cause you don’t know the way
Too fast for a night like this
No matter, you’re already late
Rain flashing as you float through the curve
Wheels above the road
Not every moment needs a song
But every solution can’t be wrong
You’re the only loser
When you run out the clock
Even a dog has its day
When every good thing fades away
You’re the only loser
When you run out the clock
You’re the only loser
Well, you’re running out of time
You’re the only loser
It’s all in your hands
You’re the only loser
There’ll be no bodies left behind
You’re the only one
Deadlines
Lying in the streets
Running through the soles of your shoes now
And you can’t use your feet
The end is calling, wondering where you’re at
And you got no reply
Wind whipping as you float through the curve
Wheels above the road
Not every moment needs a song
But every solution can’t be wrong
You’re the only loser
When you run out the clock
Even a dog has its day
When every good thing fades away
You’re the only loser
When you run out the clock
You’re the only loser
Well, you’re running out of time
You’re the only loser
It’s all in your hands
You’re the only loser
There’ll be no bodies left behind
You’re the only one
3. Babel
She hasn’t said a word
For twenty-six miles
And the scrub brush and dead trees
They all look the same
Dead trees all look the same
I haven’t said a word
For twenty-six miles
And I feel like I need somebody to blame
Fuck it, I need
I need, I need
Someone to blame
Outside the wind blows
Like the breath of the Devil
Like a scouring lash that opens old sores
Every mile
Opening more
Inside just the engine
Over poisonous silence
The barbs are imagined
It’s real blood that pours
Oh, the blood pours
The fireball is sinking
The red clouds are boiling
As we cross the Nevada state line
As we cross the line
The first drops are falling like
Hammers on anvils
And I open my mouth up to ask why
Why, why, oh why?
I’m talking past her
And she’s talking faster
We speak the same language
We use the same words
But when the talking’s all over
Nothing’s been heard
It only takes two
To build a tower
Two to stop building
When words fail to work
When words fail to work
I’ve pulled the car over
And the shouting gets louder
There’s no consideration
Of the damage we do
Oh, the damage we do
Like a nuclear test ground
With scorched earth for miles
We’ve defeated no enemy
We’ve poisoned ourselves
Oh, poisoned ourselves
It only takes two
To build a tower
Two to start building
After words do their work
After words do their work
It only takes two
And, babe, if we can make it,
There’s nothing – nothing we put our minds to
That we cannot do
4. Everybody’s Fault
Soon as the sun goes down I’m coming out
The TV’s putting words into my – into my mind
There’s only so much I can tolerate
So I’m going out tonight, collect a pile of talking heads
I hear the pundits talking sacrifice
Shouting from the rooftops, shout it all day long
I hear them screaming for a sacrifice
Funny when the number drops, it’s always someone else
Am I insane
Or so deranged
To think that I
Did this by myself
Are we this lame
Dole out the blame
I’m so ashamed
This one’s on all of us
IF IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
IF IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
I hear them talking ’bout a middle way
Halfway between, no matter how far one side goes
Funny how they never seem to take a stand
Each madman on a soapbox seems to have a worthy plan
Am I insane
Or so deranged
To think that I
Did this by myself
Are we this lame
Dole out the blame
I’m so ashamed
This one’s on all of us
IF IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
IF IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S ALL MINE, ALL MINE, ALL MINE YEAH
We’re building up a sick new parasite
Grows fat on our attention, feeding off our eyes
But we decide whether they live or die
We can starve them out or keep on paying to hear their lies
IF IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
IF IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
IF IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S EVERYBODY’S FAULT
IF ITS EVERYBODY’S FAULT
THEN IT’S ALL MINE, ALL MINE, ALL MINE YEAH
5. No Such thing
Each night her thoughts return
Return to darker days
All the madness and the wonder
She never left behind
Read the silence in her eyes
The lies, the lies
The truth behind her cries
Bare footprints on wet sidewalk
A handprint on a rail
Across the street through the downpour
She saw him standing there
Drops of darkness in his eyes
The cries, the cries
A broken body lies
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS MOVIN’ ON
WHEN YOU CAN’T FORGET, NOTHING’S EVER GONE
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS MOVIN’ ON
Another city in the winter
And another after that
And every night rediscovered
She sees what she saw there
She sees the darkness in her plan
Her hands, her hands
It’s more than she can stand
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS MOVIN’ ON
WHEN YOU CAN’T FORGET, NOTHING’S EVER GONE
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS MOVIN’ ON
Drop down turn around
Pick up all your feelings
Your blood-pressure, heart rate
Done hit the ceiling
It’s a black day, heart break
Oh what a feeling
He took it all away and now the damage is done
You wish you had a gun
Or maybe you should run
Tell momma all about it
No but that ain’t your style
You thought he was the one
He came out under-done
And now it’s looking like you ain’t gonna eat for a while
Secret places
Hidden work
Covered up
With leaves and dirt
She left that night, never said a word
She never said a word
6. Displaced
That place is burned, she said
Left the red bricks of home
For a grey rainy city
Where the street signs and bars
Don’t haunt her days
Like murderous ghosts
She don’t see the bridge
Where she kept him from falling
She don’t see the street
Where they had their last fight
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME
That place was a bad dream
A dream in the womb, before I was born
It can’t haunt me no more
It can’t haunt me no more
Not even when I see
Lights in the rain
Not even when I hear
That song in the car
Or the cops on the street like the time that they stopped us
You were playing John Lennon and driving too fast
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME BUT THE GHOSTS ARE ALL QUIET
SHE’S MAKING NEW DREAMS AS EVERYDAY PASSES
OF A JOB IN AN OFFICE WHERE SOMEONE SENDS FLOWERS
WITH EVERYDAY THOUGHT AND POINTLESS DECISIONS
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME
And every day can’t be the same
And all the houses can’t be so brown
And I just want to feel the rain
And my feet upon the ground
This is the place, she hopes
Where new memories
Devour the old ones
Every day
She walks around corners
To find something better
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME BUT THE GHOSTS ARE ALL QUIET
SHE’S MAKING NEW DREAMS AS EVERY DAY PASSES
OF A BROWN-HEADED BOY IN A HOUSE WITH WIDE WINDOWS
WHERE SHE LOCKS ALL THE DOORS AND CLOSES THE BLINDS
THIS ISN’T HOME
THIS ISN’T HOME
7. Vandals
Look how far we’ve come
Full circle to another gilded age
Look how far we’ve come
We’ve handed over the keys to our gilded cage
We gave the Vandals the keys
They walked right in, without a sound
Said they could rule the empire
Said they could rule, if they’d just keep our taxes down
They’re vandals, aren’t they
They’re vandals, aren’t they
Tell me what we’ve learned
Joined forces with the lender and the priest
And in the end we got burned
The blade slipped when we could afford it least
We gave the Vandals the keys
We showed our disease, they put us down
We put our thumb on the scale
Never thinking it could knock the whole thing down
They’re vandals, aren’t they
They’re vandals, aren’t they
Keep keep keep coming around and around
Round and around
Keep keep keep coming around and around
Round and around
Real killers don’t make a sound make a sound
Don’t make a sound
Tell me what we’ve gained
From our sacrifice to Mammon and his kind
Tell me what we’ve gained
We’re the sacrifice, the blind leading the blind
We gave the Vandals the keys
And on Visigoths’ heads, we put a crown
Gave free rein to our feelings
Our impulse just to burn the whole thing down
They’re vandals, aren’t they
They’re vandals, aren’t they
8. Tearing Myself Down
Thought I’d go someplace different
Far away
But the hooks are dug in deeper every day
Thought I’d change my meaning
Change of place
But I’m dragging that shit behind me every day
Every day’s no better
Than the day I left
Cuz I changed my scene but I didn’t change myself
Goin’ in with a hammer
Crowbar and a knife
If God is good I won’t come out the other side
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
AND WHEN I PUT ME BACK TOGETHER
I’M GONNA LEAVE A FEW THINGS OUT
Tear down the things that don’t matter
Take them all away
Take my spiteful tongue, tear down my feet of clay
Tear down inclinations
That drive me to wound
Take my self absorbed, my self-inflicted doom
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
AND WHEN I PUT ME BACK TOGETHER
I’M GONNA LEAVE A FEW THINGS OUT
I’m not a victim
I’m original
It’s not a perfect system
I’m just a flawless flaw
Like a walking schism
Like to put up walls
What’s the fucking difference?
Don’t come looking for me now
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
TEARING MYSELF DOWN
9. They Told Me
Dust swirling down another hurricane’s ravage
A storm-savaged blow
A false equivalence, the call of cowardice
From a broken radio
Con artist talking just as fast as he can
The man puts money in his hand
The channels are open, and you know they’re all hopin’
To get their nut before the storm hits land
Sweat drips down maskin’ tears on my face
Another body out of place
It’s the same song – pretend to get along
For goin’ on like three decades
The facts of the matter getting kinda loud
And they think they can shout it down
Say it all again and it’s still not true
Is it warm in here, or is it everyone but you?
THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME AGAIN
CLOSE MY EYES AND IN A LITTLE TIME IT WILL ALL JUST GO AWAY
THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME AGAIN
AIN’T NOTHIN’ CAN HURT YOU IF YOU JUST KEEP LOOKIN’ AWAY
Twenty years from now I’ll be hell with a cane
And not a thing will have changed
Demons and heretics – it’s just the politics
Empty words from the criminally insane
My legs get weary from the weight in my head
Somebody please put these kids to bed
Enough with the soft-shoe – we let you slip through
We should have listened to the words unsaid
If the first press release doesn’t do what you need
Just buy a lobbyist or three
Your think tank’s in the tank – don’t forget to thank
Your boys Valdeez, and B.P.
Rain pours down as we pick up the mess
Will anybody confess?
Turn off the radio – break the status quo
Don’t need a goodnight and God bless.
THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME AGAIN
CLOSE MY EYES AND IN A LITTLE TIME IT WILL ALL JUST GO AWAY
THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME, THEY TOLD ME AGAIN
AIN’T NOTHIN’ CAN HURT YOU IF YOU JUST KEEP LOOKIN’ AWAY
10. Among the Wolves
Leaves home before the traffic starts each morning
Wears his armor, wears his armor and his gun
Passes by a man waiting on the corner
Waiting for something, watching for something unknown
SOMEONE ON EVERY CORNER
TRYING TO TAKE HIS SOUL
AND HE FEELS AS THOUGH HE’S WALKING
AMONG THE WOLVES
Hat pulled low crouching in missed directions
Sweat’s dripping, heart’s racing now
Too afraid to take his hands off his weapon
Can’t let his guard down, can’t let his guard down, can’t let his guard down no
THEY COME FROM ALL DIRECTIONS
TRYING TO BURN HIS HOME
AND HE FEELS AS THOUGH HE’S WALKING
AMONG THE WOLVES
What’s the worst they can do?
What’s the worst they can do?
What’s the worst they can do?
Run for cover!
Every flag is an enemy flag
Is an enemy flag
Is an enemy flag
Run for cover!
Every face is the enemy face
Is the enemy’s face
Is the enemy’s face
Motherfucker!
Dead eye of a hurricane of violence
Seems calm now, seems so safe
Already thought of the worst thing that can happen
Thinks it’s better if he pulls that trigger first
THE NEIGHBORS KEEP THEIR LIGHTS ON
WHENEVER HE’S NOT HOME
CAUSE IF HE’S OUT PROWLING
THEY’RE AMONG THE WOLVES
11. Astride the Earth
Word on the street is that the money men have spoken
The gods decreed that “your ass is mine”
They hold your fate, so put your nose to the grindstone
Watch ’em play games with your life
Better cash the fuck out while the wheels are on this wagon
Someone else will surely hold the bag
That’s how goes son, the gap’s getting wider
Just keep your head down and try not to look back
THEY STAND
ASTRIDE THE EARTH
ON THE BACKS OF THE MILLIONS
THEY SCREAM
THEIR BATTLE CRY:
“…CAUSE I’VE GOT MINE”
Bridges crumble and the trains run off their tracks
History says that’s what we get
These days I wonder if the gods are that evil
And has the time come to cast them down
It’s that devil workin’ his overtime
It’s that evil lurkin’ within our minds
It’s that burnin’ burnin’ – it’s constant
No more learnin’ learnin’ – it’s a mindset
THEY STAND
ASTRIDE THE EARTH
ON THE BACKS OF THE MILLIONS
THEY SCREAM
THEIR BATTLE CRY:
“FUCK YOU CAUSE I’VE GOT MINE”
Five men on a bench
Rolling back the quo
Who’s gonna speak up
When the big boys buy the vote?
Don’t worry, Congressman
Your district’s safe and sound
We’re gonna shut that shit down
THEY STAND
ASTRIDE THE EARTH
ON THE BACKS OF THE MILLIONS
THEY SCREAM
THEIR BATTLE CRY
THEY STAND
ASTRIDE THE EARTH
ON THE BACKS OF THE MILLIONS
THEY FALL
THEY FALL TO EARTH
WHEN THE MILLIONS FINALLY STAND
CREDITS
Darren Harty – Vocals, bass guitar
Jamie Schultz – Guitar, background vocals
Phil Robertson – Drums
Drums recorded by Phil Robertson
www.e-studio-drummer.com
Everything else recorded by H&S Salvage at the House of Stray Voltage
Engineer: Jamie Schultz
Assistant Engineer: Darren Harty
Produced by H&S Salvage
Cover art by Robin Ludwig
www.rldprint.com
Mastered by Bob Ohlsson
www.audiomastery.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Jamie: Holy shit, it’s done! I’d like to say thanks to Darren for countless hours of writing, re-writing, kicking my bullshit lyrics into shape, doing take after take in the vocal booth while I make fun of you over the talkback mic, fixating on that one cool throwaway lick I did in a version of a song that’s nineteen freaking months old and immediately forgot and making me go find the scratch recording so I can play the final version just like that, and pretty much being a hell of a guy who’s fun to work with and drags the best out of me, often kicking and screaming. I would also like to thank my wife, Jenny, for putting up with countless hours of me locking myself in the studio and vibrating the walls with weird sounds. Lastly, thanks to Phil Robertson for throwing down some freaking amazing drum tracks.
Darren: Huge thanks to Jamie for conceptualizing, organizing, resourcing and altogether facilitating this project. The man is a beast when it comes to getting things done! Writing, performing, engineering…I couldn’t ask for a better partner-in-crime. Thanks too, to Jenny, Inti, Loki and Freya for putting up with our special brand of weekday mayhem – I love you guys! Thanks to Phil for being a badass and also, a big thanks to Eva Marie for being my musical release-valve and talking me through those long drives home!