My friend Corben and I have been working on this song on and off for a while. He wrote mandolin parts for the whole song. This is just a little live demo of the song. I’m currently working on a higher sound quality version now.

LYRICS: - VARIOUS BODY PARTS - Live with Mandolin

So put your gameface on
And hit me with your best shot
Cause I can only act
Interested for so long

Now that I have you ears
I’ve made it very clear
I’m working on a trap
And have been for years

I’ve seen a million faces
But none of them compare
I’ve gone a thousand places
And my heart I have laid bear
I’ve learned from my mistakes
I’m better for them now
Decisions have been made
And I will make you mine somehow

Now that I have your eyes
And this plot that I’ve devised
I need the missing piece
And I’ve got you on my mind

Now that I have your heart
It’s with that that I’ll depart
I got what I came for
This beautiful work of art

I’ve seen a million faces
But none of them compare
I’ve gone a thousand places
And my heart I have laid bear
I’ve learned from my mistakes
I’m better for them now
Decisions have been made
And I will make you mine somehow

The funny thing about taking general education courses at The Art Institute is that they’re a joke. In my Algebra class, we were to create any kind of art using math. As a musician, I chose to write a song. It’s the story of X and Y. Below you’ll find the lyrics, I’ve bolded all Math references. It was definitely the most fun I’ve ever had doing math homework. Enjoi!

I’ve been told all my life
That there’s someone for me
But I doubt, I doubt it
And I’ve gone down this list
And I’ve Xed them all out cause I wanted
Someone more like me
Someone to replace
All the variables in this place
Someone I can share my times with
Oh Y, oh where are you

Lying awake in your bed
As sleepless as the dead
Wanting the answers
The answers are worthless
Unless you ask you the right questions
Cause it’s a cruel world that we live in
Do the best with what you’re given

I’ve been waiting and watching
With my head on this window sill
Waiting and watching
I’ve been waiting my whole life
For someone, anyone to walk by
Someone more like me
Someone to replace
All the variables in this place
Someone I can share my times with
Oh X, oh where are you

Below you’ll find an mp3 of my newest creation, which is titled “Steady.”

LYRICS

Steady now, settle down
I sing to the foreign object I have found
It’s buried just inside my chest
Don’t you fret
We will be seeing her again
My little beating blood-red friend

I’ll try to get some sleep
I know I need the rest
I’ll even close my eyes
And lay down in my bed
And clear my head
But thoughts of you they keep
Me awake at night
So I spend my time praying
That you want me in your life
And by your side
Cause I’ve been hard pressed to find someone like you

Stop shaking, it’s embarrassing
I sing to the clumsy entities I see
Lingering at the ends of my arms
I know you’re alarmed
Cause one day we’ll protect her from harm
Until then just stay the way you are

This isn’t exactly new, but I have yet to post it. Just push the play button below. Enjoi!

LYRICS

And I’m in need of a distraction
And I’m not sure what just happened
And all I know, so I’ve been told
Is I need someone I can hold

When it gets dark and kind of lonely
My thoughts, they spark and then start roaring
I’ve wasted time, I’ve wasted so much time
On dead end roads and dim-lit signs

And this chapter is over
And I forgot what I just read
So I’ll hook, line, and sink her, I’ll sink her
And now I’m on the prowl for compliments
So you can light me up, light it up
And we’ll pretend we’re more than friends

And I have got to give it to you
For giving me words to look forward to
So I’ll sing my songs, sing them loud and clear
And think happy thoughts till you get here

City streets and yellow leaves
As far as the eye can see
And your next trip, where will you be?
The question is will you be thinking of me?

Below you’ll find whole albums you can stream. The first one is titled Tomorrow is Alive and contains most of my newest material. You’ll find expanded versions of some of the songs off of “And Thanks For The Tattoo.” If you like what you hear, head over to the VIDEOS page to see me play them live.

Jeff Blickenstaff - Tomorrow is Alive

This album is all acoustic. It was recorded around 4 years ago. You can find all the lyrics for this album below.

Jeff Blickenstaff - And Thanks For The Tattoo

“And Thanks For The Tattoo” lyrics.

From Brown To Bloodshot

And I will wonder where she is
I’ll walk doubtful through this town
I’ll have her picture on display
I’ll ask, “Have you seen her lately?”

I’ve got a bone to pick
With the thief pictured right here next to me
She stole my thoughts for way too long
And now it’s my turn

I’d love to keep her up at night
Till her stunning eyes turn bloodshot red
Screaming in her tender hears
Loud enough to wake the dead, I’d keep
A constant pressure on her fragile chest
To keep her lungs from tasting oxygen
I’d watch her pretty face turn blue
A kiss for every gasp she took

I would come up to her door
With a pistol in my hand
She’ll ask who I’m there to see
I’ve seen this before every time I dream
I’ll throw the song I wrote
As hard as I can across the yard
And take off broken down the street
She’ll pick it up and read

“I’d love to keep you up at night
Till your stunning eyes turn bloodshot red
Screaming in your tender ears
Loud enough to wake the dead I’d keep,
A constant pressure on your fragile chest
To keep your lungs from tasting oxygen
I’d watch your pretty face turn blue
A kiss for every gasp you took

Thank you for keeping me up nights
I hate you for keeping me up all those lonely nights

I’d love to watch you sleep at night
Till your bloodshot eyes turned stunning brown
Singing in your tender ears
Songs of growing up in this small town
And I’d keep constant my kind words
To keep you from feeling unwanted
I’d watch your pretty face turn from blue
A kiss for every breath you took

————————

Say Your Goodbyes

With your back to the pavement now
Hold on breath somehow
I’m here for you darling
And this hurts so bad I can’t imagine
The pain that you’re in
Oh my darling
Please stop screaming
“Life’s not fair!”
Well I’m screaming
“Head up high, grin, and bare”
These feelings will pass
These feelings will pass
Though it seems last
Thing they’ll do
The last they’ll do

Lying awake in your bed
As sleepless as the dead
Wanting the answers
The answers are worthless
Unless you ask you the right questions
Cause it’s a cruel world that we live in
Do the best with what you’re given

When you’ve led what appears to be
A picture perfect dream
It kills you to wake up
When you’re forced to your knees
By your tears and these pleas of
“Just wake up, why can’t you just wake up?”
You’re screaming, “Life’s not fair”
I’m screaming “Head up high, grin, and bare”
These feelings will pass
These feelings will pass
Though it seems last
Thing they’ll do
The last they’ll do

Lying awake in your bed
As restless as the dead
Wanting the answers
The answers are worthless
Unless you ask you the right questions
Cause it’s a cruel world that we live in
Do the best with what you’re given

Do the best with what you’re given
You’re given

Say Your Goodbyes
Try and make out pictures through
The blurred salty tears in your eyes
Fold your arms and bow your head tonight
You know in the end this turns out right

Lying awake in your bed
As sleepless as the dead
Wanting the answers
The answers are worthless
Unless you ask you the right questions
Cause it’s a cruel world that we live in
Do the best with what you’re given

——————–

Prove Me Wrong

9 months is too long
Too long since I’ve walked arm in arm with you
I can’t believe it’s been that long
Been that long since I’ve seen you
It seems like forever
Since I’ve seen your smiling face
Or heard you laughing

I never would have thought
That I could
Still feel the same
As that first day
You Prove Me Wrong
Every shining time you write me
I didn’t know my heart was capable
Of skipping so many beats
I’m missing so many beats because of you

“Tell her you feel”
“No, too scared of rejection
But I should though
And I’ve told myself that so many times
Cause if she says no
It’ll kill me
And there’s a chance
That she’ll say no
And I don’t want to die”

Together again
In these pictures we stand
But I wish you were here
To catch my tears
I’m crying for you

Together again
In these pictures we stand
But I wish you were here
To catch my tears
I’m dying for you now
This has gone on too long
You need to know just how I feel
This has gone on too long
This has gone on too long

——————

Chameleon

Lay down in your bed
And as your muscles hurt from a long days work
Reflect back on the day
That was spent digging and digging deeper and deeper
You’ve dug yourself a hole
A hold so deep you can’t see the top
And you’ve covered yourself in lies so thick
That no one can see the whites of your eyes
You’ve made yourself at home
A home that no one visits
So try and get comfortable
On your bed of foolish remarks and bad decisions

Isn’t it about time
That you got sick and died
Isn’t it about time
That you told another lie
When things start getting out of hand
You always seem to play dumb
The next time things get out of hand
Try playing dead and stay that way
Stay that way

Now that the sun’s gone down
And your by yourself without a friend
Don’t you wish that you hadn’t spent all your time
Making up stories and lying to save your skin
Now it’s too late
You’re at the bottom of a muddy mess
Even at the top of your lungs
You’re lies in the form of screams won’t leave your chest
Leave your chest
Your heartless chest

Isn’t it about time
That you got sick and died
Isn’t it about time
That you told another lie
When things start getting out of hand
You always seem to play dumb
The next time things get out of hand
Try playing dead and stay that way
Stay that way

If your insides were your outsides
You’d be as ugly as a hooker
Who would want you then
If everyone knew like I do
That your strongest muscle is your lying tongue
Who would want you then

Isn’t it about time
That you got sick and died
Isn’t it about time
That you told another lie
When things start getting out of hand
You always seem to play dumb
The next time things get out of hand
Try playing dead and stay that way
Stay that way

——————

To Be Continued

His head’s down between his knees
His tear ducts hard at work
Making signs of “I’m sorry, I made a mistake”
And he’d take on a pact of silence to keep him from ever
Having to deal with anything like this again
If she meant less to him but she doesn’t

So he talks and tells her everything
From right there on the curb
And Silent Oaks Drive
Had never heard a sadder story

There are tears mixed up in her pretty brown eyes tonight
She’s feeling worthless and screaming
“Unfair, how dare, how dare you do this to me?
I thought we had more than untrust
I thought I was worth more than last
Worth more than lust”

But she listened, she listened to every word
From right there on the curb
To the saddest story that Silent Oaks Drive had ever heard

And we hate the words “To Be Continued”
They always leave you with less than you wanted
But not this time
There couldn’t be sweeter words in this dull language of ours and I know

——————

El Dorado Hills

I feel nothing but this pen I hold
It wouldn’t be so bad, but it’s not you
Generic faces shine like fool’s gold
As I think back to that first week in June
That first week in June

Desperately wanting to know
Do you see my face when you fall asleep
I’m dying in this weather
And whether or not you want to see me
Do you want to see me

El Dorado Hills rolls on
Without you my dear
But I don’t take another breath
Until you’re breathing here with me

Another heart inspired cavalier
For the only deserving girl I know
I blame you for the way I feel
And thinking now you make my heart soar
You make my heart sore

Thoughts of you run through my mind
When I see your picture every day
Questioning myself again and wondering
Do you feel the same way
Do you feel the same way

El Dorado Hills rolls on
Without you my dear
But I don’t take another breath
Until you’re breathing here with me

Peace is your hand in my hand
And your side by my side
Holding you tight
At least for tonight

Peace is your hand in my hand
And your side by my side
Holding you tight
At least for tonight

Distance wasn’t meant for me and you
Distance wasn’t meant for me and you
Distance wasn’t meant for me and you
Distance wasn’t meant for me and you

El Dorado Hills rolls on
Without you my dear
But I don’t take another breath
Until you’re breathing here with me

——————

The After Party

She wakes up in an empty bed
Empty bottles next to her empty head
And she doesn’t know where she fell asleep last night
But everything’s forgotten with the morning light

That’s just her way of growing up
She’s in the bathroom throwing up
“Thank for holding back my hair,” she sings
Kind of muffled and off key
But I know she means everything to someone

He wakes up in a crowded bed
Lying next to some girl that he’s never met
And he gets up to make his way outside
Never bothers to say “Bye”
Or, “Thank you for last night”

That’s just his way of growing up
While she’s in the bathroom throwing up
“I hope she won’t regret last night,” he sings
As his head begins to ring
But I know he means everything to someone

Now they’re looking for that four leaf clover
That for so many years has been looked over
They keep winding up down the same old dead end roads

That’s just their way of growing up
Well wasted in the bathroom throwing up
“I hope we won’t regret tonight,” they sing
“Just another one time thing,”
But I know they mean everything to someone
To someone

——————-

The Death Of Me

Late night, car ride
Street lights on my side
I can’t quite pull my
Finger off the trigger

And I’ve been known to be sad
But not this sad
No, not this sad

“You know how bad this hurts,” I said
“10,000 volts right down my spine”
And I intend the worst
With this car ride
With a whisper on my lips
And a crack to my goodbye

Don’t you dare call bluff
Unless you want to be The Death Of Me

I’m not that good at this
I could use some pointers
For example, where’s the barrel
In relation to my skull

And I’ve been known to be dead
But not this dead
No, not this dead

“You know how bad this hurts,” I said
“Like a bullet through my brain”
But it’s over now
I wish I could change your mind somehow
I’d like to think that I was more entertaining than your favorite drug

And if not that then at least maybe cheaper
And better for your health

Don’t you dare call bluff
Unless you want to be The Death Of Me

——————-

Things To Do In New York

If breaking hearts ceases to satisfy you
May I suggest taking up a new hobby
Like kissing fire or casual murder
I hope you learn to love regrets

There’s a special place in hell for people like you
Where cheaters and liars aren’t looked down on
I’m sure you’ll love it there
I’m sure you’ll love it there

And I hope it wasn’t the best you’ve had
And I’m sure the next time you’re on your back
You’ll think of him and the memories it brings
Will choke you half to death

And while you’re lying there half paralyzed
I’m sure you’ll cry the most acidic tears
From your most perfidious eyes
And in that condition there’s no chance for sleep
I hope you learned your lesson

There’s a special place in hell for people like you
Where cheaters and liars aren’t looked down on
I’m sure you’ll love it there
I’m sure you’ll love it there

And I hope it wasn’t the best you’ve had
And I’m sure the next time you’re on your back
You’ll think of him and the memories it brings
Will choke you half to death

And what you did to Dave
Is like random drug tests at work to pot heads
Where the consequences are termination
I will choke you half to death

—————-

Growing Up Fast

Staring back
Blue eyes, blonde hair and all
Growing Up Fast
To learn to walk is to learn to fall

We all fall down now and again
But we get up, get up, and brush ourselves clean
The art of persistence is don’t give up
Don’t give up, don’t give up on me

Growing up in such hectic times
There’s nothing like good advice
Listen to your mom and your dad
And you’ll turn out right

Take it from me
I’ve seen my fair share of this town
To learn honesty is to learn to be free
What goes around comes right back around

Don’t worry about wearing the right clothes
Just worry, worry about what’s inside
Look forward to the tomorrows
And separate the wrongs from the rights

Growing up in such hectic times
There’s nothing like good advice
Listen to your mom and your dad
And you’ll turn out right
Yeah, you’ll turn out right

Growing up in such hectic times
There’s nothing like good advice
Listen to your mom and your dad
And you’ll turn out right
Yes, you’ll turn out right

——————-

Practice Makes Perfect

Dissect your wrist
With the cutest, sharpest object you can find
Now dig a bayou that your blood can flow through
From your neck right down your spine
Bisect a lime with a steak knife
Apply it’s insides to your wounds

A simple how to
To simply walk you through
How to feel like me

Find wire strippers
And strip your fingers right down to the bone
Now put that hand
Between a car and the ground
Exhort your blood onto the road
Grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol
And bathe your wounds in purging heat

A simple how to
To simply walk you through
How to feel like me

Force razor blades
To teach beauty in pain
Learn by repetition
Let the blade do the work
While you try not to jerk
As this foreign object divides your flesh
Pull the skin back
And lather with ajax
Rinse and repeat

A simple how to
To simply walk you through
How to feel like me

——————

For The Down

Lift your head up
No room to hang that here
We all have our problems
We all have our fears
Pick yourself up
Don’t settle for the concrete
What’s cold and uninviting
Provides no heat
This is not what you imagined
I am not what you imagined am I

No remorse for what I’ve done
No change of course for where I’m going
No reason to even look back

Now wake up
As cognizant as ever
Wondering why
The bright lights hurt your eye
I will tell you this once more
Maybe you’ve forgotten
Like so much before
This is not what you imagined
I am not what you imagined am I

No remorse for what I’ve done
No change of course for where I’m going
No reason to even look back
I’ll wait my turn, I’ll get it right
Another one down, we’ll chalk it up to long nights
No reason to even look back

This is For The Down
This is for the sad in heart
This is for everyone
Who found that one
And made ways part
Can you not help but imagine
Given the same time and place
What you should have done
And this time your
Begging for the rerun

No remorse for what I’ve done
No change of course for where I’m going
No reason to even look back
I’ll wait my turn, I’ll get it right
Another one down, we’ll chalk it up to long nights
No reason to even look back