A home-recorded demo of the song "Present Tenses," which was later included on the album Arms Down.
lyrics
Wait a minute
I'm fielding the failures of hindsight
How to spin it?
The feeling is wrong but it's coming out right
So stand down!
If you can't stand apart from your place
You can't stand to part with your pace
And slow down
Admit it - you couldn't sit still
How did I lose my voice?
I suffered with every choice
"Sound certain and make it up"
But knowing is not enough
When the road's so rough
And it's been a long time coming home
Maybe, lately
I'm playing the part of the playwright
Call me crazy
I'm calling it art but it's heartless and trite
So sit down!
If you can't stand and argue your case
You're back where you started so
Make it stop
You catch your breath and you let it drop
For one sweet second
But what do you do when the clock starts ticking?
How did I lose my voice?
I suffered with every choice
"Sound certain and make it up"
But "sorry" is not enough
When you say that stuff
And then you're off and running home, alone
Forget it, you've made your own bed to sleep in
So come on, cut me down from the fence
I can't keep sitting out
I need a little bit of time to figure out these events
In present tenses!