This song was written while sleeping on my friend Nano's floor in Brooklyn, NY. I went to his tiny, one room apartment in the late fall of 2010 to try and get a lot of writing done during a week long break between tours. Having not seen Nano much since a cross country trip in 2009, it seemed I spent way more time cooking meals with him than playing music, and then when he'd go to sleep I found myself drinking beer and watching Entourage. For whatever reason I could not motivate myself to write much, and became highly discouraged. At some point later in the week I decided to force myself to work through some ideas, if for no other reason than to not seem like a lazy bum to Nano. I parsed through old notes and song ideas, scribbled lines in a book and strummed through some chords. Eventually I started to find small connections that led to bigger, stronger chunks, and then finally realized what the song was about. What came out felt like a real breakthrough, and made me proud to have fought through the laziness and seeming writer's block. From there I shared the song with some friends and my brother, Brian Bond, and we recorded a full band version that somehow seems to marry the sounds of My Bloody Valentine and Ryan Adams. That version will be coming out in the spring, but I've really enjoyed playing the song live, so I've made it a point to include the song in my set.
On a recent tour down to FEST 10 in Gainesville, FL, my brother, Brian, joined me on lap steel and harmonies, which was great fun for me. We had the pleasure of playing a fun show in Lynchburg, VA, where our friend Randy Scott Carroll
(lynchburgis.tumblr.com) told us he'd like to shoot some video of us together. What you're seeing here is a performance in Randy's loft, along with his beautiful American Fox Hound, Oliver, on a perfect October day. I think it came out really well.
lyrics
We never want to feel the ways we do. It's not a habit, I'm just trying to get through. I remember when we first met, covered in dust and stale cigarettes. We were sending smoke signals across the room, so maybe I misread the intention again. "I'd like to fuck you for a couple of weeks." We do what we have to do.
It's not fun anymore, and I'm full of holes. I'm in a bad way, I'm unlovable. It's not fun anymore, and it's a high shame. I'm unlovable, I'm in a bad way.
So, we call each other when we get lonely, and we fool around, with words and phrases, like, "hey cinnamon, will you be my sugar?" Or, "I'm lonely and worn out and sad, will you merry me?" We do what we have to.
credits
from Ten degrees and the floor,
released December 31, 2011
PJ Bond - Guitar and vocals
Brian Bond - Lap steel and vocals
Randy Carroll - Audio, Video and editing
Oliver - American Fox Hound
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