Brian Freeman is a musician and multi-instrumentalist from Springfield, Massachusetts.
"The first "humorous" song on "Keep In The Sunlight." For a while now, garden gnomes have been creeping out the general populace. Have you ever given thought as to why? This song might give you the answers you're looking for...if it's not too late."
1. Facade
I’d like to thank the two of you for coming to see my show.
It means much more to me than you could ever know.
Someday I’ll be famous, I’ll be setting all the trends.
But until that time comes, I’ll have to settle with my friends.
When they hear my guitar, everyone winces up in pain.
You ask me never, ever, ever, to play that crap again.
But I know that you’re just helping me in striving to be good.
I take constructive criticism to heart just like I should.
CHORUS
Cause in my head I’m Hendrix, Page, Clapton, and B. B. King
But you hear Florence Foster Jenkins when I open up and sing
But really I’m a singing, dancing, playing triple-threat
And all my shows are empty because I’ve not been noticed yet
So in the meantime, I’ll exude my blood and sweat and tears
As my skill gets duller with the passing of the years
You all are pleased to meet me, the pleasure’s mine, you bet
Now here’s a guitar solo to now open up the set
[Guitar solo and other such nonsense]
Once again, I’m Brian Freeman, musical extraordinaire
Always putting up that front like I don’t even care
Cause really I’m the greatest that the world has ever seen
The guys who come on next will turn a brilliant shade of green
CHORUS
2. Forever With You
"This is the song I wrote about a very special lady in my life. Nice romantic feel while stilling having a "rock ballad love song" vibe to it. Plus, I dig the chords I used in the chorus!"
You're smiling at me.
I’m not looking at you, but I can just tell from the way the room gets a bit brighter
You don’t need to see
my visage to know how I’m smiling right back and my soul feels 1,000 times lighter
BRIDGE
How can two people put two hearts together and fall hard in love just as quickly as we did those days?
You could call it love, divine intervention, you don’t need to speak I know all your intentions
There must be something quite pure here and free of invention
CHORUS
You, memories of you, cascade through my mind and fill me with yearning
You, by being with you, the definition of love is one that I’m learning with you.
Forever with you.
Forever with you.
I’ve not felt alive
til’ you came in my life with your song and your smile and your touch sent me higher than soaring.
When together, we thrive.
And I promise to love you for all of my days and to make those days all far from boring
BRIDGE
CHORUS
I have never met anyone so full of life and of love
I question whether you’re human or angel above
Nothing else matters when I look in your eyes and you smile your smile.
No one is surprised when I’m singing this song to proclaim all of this love inside
For you
CHORUS
3. Home
"When my wife and I were trying for a baby, we suffered what was called a "missed miscarriage" where the fetus is not alive, yet the body still thinks it is pregnant. This was a VERY hard time for my wife and I, so I wanted to write a song that 1) talks about miscarriage in a society where the topic is verboten and 2) encapsulates how we can move on from tragedy."
Wind gently catches your unbound hair
as the moon ripples the surface of the deep.
My memories return to this one place where
we tried to put our problems to sleep
And I can’t even fathom all the futures you’d become
All cut short, as I view the screen.
I look for gentle flutter, but am greeted with none
And tears drop down on the scene
And I lash out in anger at the cards we’re dealt.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Words just can’t encapsulate how we both felt.
Memories too hard to reminisce
So with “Je me souviens” we gave up our plans
And pointed the compass towards now
Dealing with grief others silently understand
We’ll take control of this bow and we’ll point it home
Grief would have crumpled a lesser two
But we knew we had to move on
Life slowly took on a brighter hue
And lines in the sand were redrawn
Once more, in the office, I look at the screen
I see the flutter and I kiss the queen
And I can’t fathom all the futures you’ll become
As I stare into the eyes of my son
So with “Je me souviens” we renewed our plans
And pointed the compass towards now.
I can’t help but smile when he reaches for my hands.
We took control of this bow and pointed it home.
So with “Je me souviens” we move on with our plan
And point the compass towards what will be.
We’ll see our son grow up to be a man
and he’ll take control of this bow and point it home.
4. Bring On The Nights
Wind gently catches your unbound hair
as the moon ripples the surface of the deep.
My memories return to this one place where
we tried to put our problems to sleep
And I can’t even fathom all the futures you’d become
All cut short, as I view the screen.
I look for gentle flutter, but am greeted with none
And tears drop down on the scene
And I lash out in anger at the cards we’re dealt.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Words just can’t encapsulate how we both felt.
Memories too hard to reminisce
So with “Je me souviens” we gave up our plans
And pointed the compass towards now
Dealing with grief others silently understand
We’ll take control of this bow and we’ll point it home
Grief would have crumpled a lesser two
But we knew we had to move on
Life slowly took on a brighter hue
And lines in the sand were redrawn
Once more, in the office, I look at the screen
I see the flutter and I kiss the queen
And I can’t fathom all the futures you’ll become
As I stare into the eyes of my son
So with “Je me souviens” we renewed our plans
And pointed the compass towards now.
I can’t help but smile when he reaches for my hands.
We took control of this bow and pointed it home.
So with “Je me souviens” we move on with our plan
And point the compass towards what will be.
We’ll see our son grow up to be a man
and he’ll take control of this bow and point it home.
"The second segment of what I call "The Tryptch", this song is dedicated to my son, Alexander Freeman. After going through the missed miscarriage, my son is my world, and I hope this song really conveys how awesome I think he is (though I might be biased)."
Baby, there's something about you
and I just can't say what.
You're like a dream come down from Heaven
and I don't want to wake up.
Every time I hold you,
or your fingers hold my hand.
I know I am the luckiest
throughout all the land
BRIDGE
And I know I've got some work left
to be the proper dad for you.
But work is not a proper word for anything related to you.
CHORUS
Bring on the nights
when I hold you close and the stars above illuminate your bed
Bring on the days
when I hold you close and find I'm irrevocably lost inside the magic of your smile
No matter what I do
I'm so in love with you
I'm irrevocably lost inside the magic of your smile.
Even though I'm a teacher
and I studied English hard.
It pales in comparison when I think about who you are.
Every day I spend with you
is my brand-new favorite day
Yet I can't begin to ascertain what it is I have to say
BRIDGE
CHORUS
I love you more than words can accurately measure
Every day I spend with you is another day I treasure.
So please excuse the words used when authoring this song.
Words can't do you justice.
Words can't do this justice.
Words just can't define your inner fire.
CHORUS
5. Errant
"The final song within "The Tryptch", I confess that being a parent is the opposite of easy, yet I wouldn't give this up for any other job. I'm a big fan of "Hamilton: An American Musical", so this is my love letter to hip hop and being a parent."
Uh. Yeah. The Notorious D.A.D., feeling D.E.A.D.
Today, I fell asleep in my cereal, everything’s surreal
I’m exhausted and I just can’t deal
Alexander woke me up at three am, same routine again
My son’s in training to replace the famous Big Ben
Then it’s six, but my brain denies it, no surprise, it
feels like I’m am heading towards an early demise
All I hear are flies, cuz this deal stinks like bull
Brain power is null, there is no Dana only Zuul
But then I see the look in my son’s eyes
His smiles beguile the trials of caffeinated denials
And I would do this all over again
because my boy is my joy,
the little goy decked in corduroy
HOOK
It’s hard out there for a parent, but it’s apparent
We love it though our minds are errant
Rolling up to daycare with my posse
My thoughts are dancing like Bob Fosse
suckerpunched the Soup Nazi
BAM, Emeril Lagasse, my kid’s being bossy
Telling me “No” while my eyes are glossy, compression is lossy
That last bar was pretty poor
but it’s a metaphor
for how I never ever can think straight anymore
This baby brain’s insane, I look like I’m in disdain
I’m tired like I hitchhiked all the way to Brisbane
But then I see the look in my son’s eyes
His smiles beguiles the trials of caffeinated denials
And I would do this all over again
because my boy is my joy,
the little goy decked in corduroy
HOOK
It’s hard out there for a parent, but it’s apparent
We love it though our minds are errant
Alexander’s almost two years old now
It’s almost funny how
this gets a little bit easier with a little know-how
Wow, he’s growing up so fast, hope these memories will last
the past catching up with me like Mass Dash
I want him to grow up strong, but not quick
Slow it down like grandpa’s old beat-up Buick
Alex, baby, Mommy and Daddy love you, we’re proud too
even though you make us wanna reach for the corkscrew
Stay true, believe in yourself every day
And now we’ll play the hook cuz I’ve run out of things to say.
6. Gnomes
"I wanted a good song with which I could open an album and live shows. I think this is a good showcase for my musical talent as well as my tongue-in-cheek lyrics. I don't think I'm THAT bad, but I liked the idea of a band where the songs are "so-so", but the band thinks they are bigger than the Beatles."
Don't think I can't see you there.
That idiotic grin, face devoid of sin.
How could I not stop and stare?
I swear I saw you move but I've no evidence to prove it.
I know there's more of you.
I know what you're hiding
That sinister look in your eyes
I know what you're deriving
CHORUS
A secret army full of garden gnomes are ready to attack!
Switch to DEFCON 1
Fire up the fallout shelter
Duck and cover, it's too late to run
They're armed with more than guns.
They used to make fun of me.
Said I'd have no chance, I'm not worthy of a glance.
Now, they wish they stopped to see.
That short-statured stare does not belong to Fred Astaire
CHORUS
THE BATTLE
CHORUS
7. A Depressing Song
"It seems like everyone, myself included, turns to listening to depressing music whenever they're sad or in an extended funk. I question the logic of doing such my delivering a depressing song that will likely make you feel worse about yourself."
CHORUS
This is just another one of those depressing songs.
The ones you hear on the radio everyday.
You ask for a wake-up call and all you get are gongs.
So listen to what I have to say:
Your girlfriend left you for a fish.
You broke your Mother's china dish.
You got your test back, scored an F
Was that your Dad on Iron Chef?
Your brother just trashed all your files
Your sister thinks you have no style.
Your tryout failed, you got no part.
And women think you have no heart.
CHORUS
Your parents hate you, always will
Can't pay the next electric bill
Got a degree in basket-weaving
Your friends all look like Hugo Weaving
You fail in everything you do
So why'd you try out something new?
Your place is smaller than a hearse
Your whole existence is a curse.
CHORUS
There, now don't you feel better?
8. Would We All Be Happier?
"Would we even need depressing songs if we were all Smurfs?"
Funny, blue, and not too tall
The population of women is small
They're lead by Papa and they don't commit no crimes.
Happy faces, stocking feet.
To be in their number would be sweet
In other words, you could say they're uber neat.
CHORUS
And I wonder would we all be happier if we were all Smurfs?
I wonder would we all be happier if we were all Smurfs?
I wonder would we all be happier if we were all Smurfs?
I wonder would we all be happier if we were all Smurfs?
Getting chased by Gargamel
puts us through cerulean Hell
And that darn cat of his is pretty ugly, too.
Vocab defunct
Don't know words.
They say "SMURF!" instead of verbs
And yet they live like there's nothing wrong at all.
CHORUS
CHORUS
9. Live Life To The Fullest
"I wrote this song in high school in honor of my 10th grade English teacher who hated cliches. A bit hyperbolic, but I dig it."
I was chatting with Thoreau
asking him which way to go
he spoke to me with existentialist learning
He said the forest could, and would, end all my yearning
And so I went into a secluded cove.
I took a look around and "Oh my, by Jove!"
Nothing happened, much to my dismay.
Then Thoreau spoke of a mindless cliche:
CHORUS
No matter what you think.
No matter what thou doest,
always remember to live life to the fullest.
You don't have to be first, or the best, or the coolest
Just as long as you live life to the fullest.
I was disappointed, to say the least
Is it my mind or soul that must be diseased?
I called that bearded man and asked for his assistance
He praised me saying he admired my persistence.
But what I really needed to do.
Was stage a bank job, just one or two
And we'd have enough to move down to Rio
I packed my bags and guns, I'm ready to go!
CHORUS
And now I run away
I knew I shouldn't have done that
But although it's a mindless cliche
It's always been a feather in my...
CHORUS
I read the papers one day in Rio
When I espied a face that I thought I know
It turns out that bearded man, that wise schmoe
Was just a guy who only looked like Thoreau
I laughed and laughed and I leapt to my feet
For while I was beating a hasty retreat
I left Thoreau back there to take all the heat
Now I know victory while he knows defeat, because
CHORUS
10. Everyone's Entitled
"I have a tongue-in-cheek saying I use with my friends: 'You're entitled to your opinion even if it's wrong.' It seems like a golden opportunity to songify one of my expressions."
Climate change is a myth
Opinions always forthwith
You haven’t noticed that I just stopped listening
You sure the Earth is flat?
Well, I don’t know ‘bout that
Exactly who’s help are you enlisting?
I understand that everybody’s trying to find their truth
But our reality is just as clear as soup
So please excuse me for the lyrics to the song
I know that everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong
So there’s a hollowed Earth
You tell me, filled with mirth
And that our president’s an alien lizard?
I nod my head, say, “I see.”
Wonder what’s wrong with me
I never saw it before you must be a wizard
I understand that everybody’s trying to see what’s right
But I’m too tired to put up a decent fight
So please excuse me for the lyrics to the song
I know that everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong
The flouride in my water’s killing all my sons and daughters
GMOs aren’t gluten-free and that should mean a lot to me
The moon landing was faked, knave
I know cuz in space, flag’s don’t wave
MKULTRA CIA survives, persists, even today
Aliens in grey sweatsuits and probing livestock for a hoot
Please don’t turn a reddened hue, it’s on the Net, it must be true!
I understand that everybody’s trying to find their truth
But our reality is just as clear as soup
So please excuse me for the lyrics to the song
I know that everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong.
I understand that everybody’s trying to see what’s right
But I’m too tired to put up a decent fight
So please excuse me for the lyrics to the song
I know that everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion even if it’s wrong
11. I'm Fine
"Growing up, I had a fairly turbulent upbringing which, I believe, had an impact on my mental health. This song encapsulates a lot of the emotion I was feeling when I was growing up."
I've never grown too attached to places.
I never really felt the need
Because, every time, it’s just a bunch of new faces
To get used to every time I leave
And I’m wondering now, how my future could change
If I had any say in how my childhood was arranged
I’m wondering if now, a new life will begin
If I can ever get to where I was when it’s about to begin
CHORUS
You’d have no clue ‘less you’d been in my shoes
Caught in a slide and with everything to lose
You have no clue to what ills me today
Can’t we discuss this an alternate way?
I guess I’m fine
I guess it’s hard for me to make connections
And harder still to express myself
My life’s just a constant improvisation
There’s a pile of dust on my shelf
And I know I’m a guy filled with rational thought
But how things might have gone differently if my opinion’s sought?
And I know it’s not fair to blame this solely on you
But how much of me is nature and how much is what I’ve gone through?
CHORUS
Yet here I am, 32, a wife, a kid, a growing brood
I’ve got a job, a career, a clear direction I can steer
Maybe all of my hardship growing up
Were they tempering events that allowed me to develop?
And I know I’m a guy filled with rational thought
But how things might have gone differently if my opinion’s sought?
And I know it’s not fair to blame this solely on you
But how much of me is nature and how much is what I’ve gone through?
CHORUS
I’ll admit it, I’m fine
Hey, thanks for scrolling this far and reading all these words I wrote. That's very kind of you to do.