1. |
Paradise
03:21
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Paradise
Words and music by Jim Butterfield
Just another day in paradise
As I stumble down this crooked road
Livin’ the dream and getting’ bad advice
‘Til my brain encounters overload
I won’t forget, but no regrets, I realize I’m not dead yet
Seems like this happens every day (every day)
A little medicine might do me good
But I took that cure three years ago
Know what I shouldn’t do, and what I should
And what I shouldn’t do, I’ll just let go
Don’t hang me up, don’t let me down
I feel better when you’re around
This doesn’t happen every day
BRIDGE
Impossible circumstances clouded all my dreams
They followed me everywhere, every day (every day)
But improbable happenstances were not all they seemed
I can make everything okay (alright, alright, alright)
My latest day here in paradise
Was the same as any other day
The only difference is I realize
It’s up to me to make this all okay
Yes now I know, it’s plain to see
I’m like a prisoner set free
I hope this happens every day (every day)
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2. |
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The One That Got Away (This Bird Has Flown)
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
Went for a ride in Bill’s brand new car
And we didn’t have to drive too far
Bird and a friend were having trouble
Bill and I were seeing double
We ended up at Ganim’s Bar
And now it didn’t take very long
Maybe the drinks Al poured were double-strong
It wasn’t quite the same
For Bill and “What’s-Her-Name”
But Bird and I sang Karaoke, off-key all night long
That was the one who looked my way
But she’s the one that got away
Now you know it isn’t much like me
I don’t impress the girls that easily
We had a million things in common
Like Beatles, gin and ramen
So we knew that it was meant to be
Just like a train you can’t slow down
Well, we were seen all over town
And one night it was official
When the contents of her satchel
Were a toothbrush, pillow and “Goodnight Moon” nightgown
She was the one that came to stay
But she’s the one that got away
Now if I had one hundred bucks
For every time I’ve had bad luck
I’d be rich as Rockefeller
But not a happy fella
Cause I’m always getting myself stuck
Now depending on whose side you own
It’s hard to say which one felt more “out-grown”
And even Billy was surprised
He read it with his own two eyes
The simple note she left just said “This Bird has flown”
This Bird has flown
She’s the one that got away
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3. |
No Way To Roam
04:45
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No Way To Roam
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
Ginny and Pete met at the Greyhound station
Planning their latest trip to God-knows-where
They had enough money saved from working Interstate exits
To buy a couple of one-way fares
Now Ginny looks cute in a tramp kinda way, and Pete can pretty much hold his own
So when they clean up from working at the Interstate exits
You could swear they both have jobs and a home
CHORUS
They might think they’ve found the way (he/they/you)
But I guarantee it’s not
Stumbling through another day
Just remember what you’ve got
Listen to what people say
Not every house is a home
Wandering far from home (all alone)
Is no way to roam
Now Suicide Jack with his hair slicked back
He thinks he’s some kind of self-made man
In an era gone by you’d call him some kind of grifter
Or at least maybe a confidence man
When he’s not dealing smack, he’s in his basement pitch-black
Playing GTA ‘til break of dawn
And when he wakes up at four, he does it all like before
Can’t figure out where all his money has gone
CHORUS
Ginny and Pete stepped off the Greyhound bus
Under the desert sun of God-knows-where
Pete puts on a stolen pair of Ray-Ban glasses
The sun shines bright on Ginny’s platinum hair
Now Ginny loves Pete, and it’s a fait accompli
When he presents her with a pawnshop ring
The platinum band matches her bleached hair strands
Cubic Zirconia’s her new favorite thing
CHORUS
CHORUS
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4. |
When Crystal Shatters
03:58
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When Crystal Shatters
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
I had a plan I thought was Oh, so fine
My perfect masterpiece was crystalline
But as it often seems to go these days
Everything changed when life got in the way (now I say)
CHORUS
I tell myself that it doesn’t matter
I tell myself oh well, hell, who cares
The problem is that when crystal shatters
Shards fly everywhere
Pretty soon I’m on the second verse
It isn’t better, it just might be worse
I’m digging holes and running out of time
This plan is really not so crystalline (Oh, I know)
CHORUS
BRIDGE
Stumbling through broken glass and twisted debris
A wasteland as far as the eye can see
All the King’s horses, and all the King’s men
Couldn’t put my crystal back together again
SOLO OVER VERSE
So now it’s come down to a matter of time
A shattered masterpiece, once crystalline
Just one more thing before I have to go
I’d say “I’m sorry”, but I think you know
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5. |
Psycho Girl
03:48
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Psycho Girl
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
Psycho Girl came to town last week
Looking to hone her unique mystique
Along with her sidekick, “Space Cadet”
This duo is something you can’t forget
She messes with lives and she plays with minds
Not what you’d call the empathetic kind
If screwing up lives is a superpower
Then Psycho and Space are “Girls of the Hour”
CHORUS
And everyone knows by now
There’s no match for that psycho power
She appears to be everywhere
Then vanishes in thin air…. she’s The Psycho Girl
When I met her I was quite unaware
Of the mystical powers she could share
She seemed like a mild-mannered girl
Like everyone else in this mixed-up world
Then eventually as if by fate
I discovered the Psycho Girl too late
Her powers immense, and her mission clear
To make my life miserable, now and here
Bridge
She’s an alternate universe Superman
Wreaking chaos and pain the best she can
With her fists on her hips, she does proclaim
Lies, Injustice, and The Psychotic Way!
Psycho and Space left as they came
Surviving to fight another day
If you want your own upside-down world
Find your own personal Psycho Girl
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6. |
Jersey Mary
03:32
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Jersey Mary
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
I met a Jersey Girl, who thought she knew the world
I think it happened in a club down in Soho
She gave me such a dirty glance, and after just one dance
Tried to convince me that I shouldn’t stay solo
CHORUS
Mary, Mary, Mary you look so fine
But I just don’t have time, to train another one
Mary, Jersey Mary, you’re so damn cute
But you’re a substitute, this just couldn’t be fun (no way)
Mary had too much to drink, at least that’s what I think
She ended passed out on the bar in a coma
The only I.D. I could make, was obviously fake
She’s not some California girl from Sanoma (she’s from Jersey)
LONG CHORUS
Mary, Mary, Mary you look so fine
But I just don’t have time, to train another one
Mary, Jersey Mary, you’re so damn cute
But you’re a substitute, and this just couldn’t be fun
You’re so fine, but not mine
Maybe another place, or just some other time
Mary, Jersey Mary, gotta get you home
But I was on my own, and she was no help at all (Oh, no)
I carried Mary to the PATH, and with a little math
I figured twenty’d get her halfway through Jersey
I pinned a letter to her sweater, for the Transit Cops who met her
“Hi, I’m Mary. I live somewhere in Jersey” (get down)
END CHORUSES
Mary, Mary, Mary you look so fine
But I just don’t have time, to train another one
Mary, Jersey Mary, you’re so damn cute
But you’re a substitute, and this just wouldn’t be fun
You’re alright, not tonight
I gotta balance all my options, pick the one that seems right
Mary, Jersey Mary, it was fun for a while
But it’s just not my style, to look the other way
Fine, fine - Mary of mine
You were the Valentine, that I never had
Mary, Mary, Mary you look so fine
But I just don’t have time, to train another one
Mary, Jersey Mary, you’re so damn cute
But you’re a substitute, and this just wouldn’t be right (no way)
(No….not tonight)
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7. |
It's All Good
04:46
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It’s All Good
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
She twirls the curls in her hair, and mentions something distracting
It’s better to let her pretend, it’s almost like she’s play-acting
She stares off in space to a place, a place where no one can hurt her
And repeats, and repeats, and repeats as if I never heard her
She says
CHORUS
It’s all good…..But I don’t believe her
I don’t wanna leave her 2) She’s my little deceiver
It’s just I’m not a believer 2) I just wish I believed her
It’s all good…..She tells me over and over
Like that song Crimson and Clover 2) It’s just like crimson and clover 3)Some kind of crimson and clover
Sometimes I don’t even know her 3) Not sure that I even know her
Once upon a time, back in time, the answers came before I would ask her
All the goals we set were always met, they ended happily ever after
But fairy tales often fail, at least that’s what the cynical tell us
I don’t wanna believe that it’s true, but only heaven can help us
Now she says
CHORUS
If a friend can pretend, not to notice the pain that’s inside her
Then it’s better to let her go on, as if I didn’t know her
I don’t wanna say it’s Okay, and hope she’ll finally discover
Maybe someday or someway, she’ll realize that I really love her
Until then, she says
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8. |
That's What U Get
04:50
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That’s What You Get
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
The Punks and the Rockers, Motor-Town Hip-Hoppers
Think they got it all figured out
Rock-A-Billy Poets who don’t really know it
Some just twist, and some just shout
Glamor Rocker Wannabe’s, and indie has-beens just like me
Looking for a wink and a nod
Don’t forget the K-Pop, Grunge and Modern Power Pop
They’re auto-tune Rock Legend Gods
Lock ‘em in a padded room, and give them each a gun
They’ll form a circular firing squad
That’s what they’ll get…..That’s what they’ll get
The girls in the back seat, groovin’ to the down-beat
Waiting for the drugs to kick in
They don’t pretend to care about, anything you talk about
They’ll tell you when it’s time to begin
Everything is better when you tell her that you’ll let her
Just pretend it’s one big joke
The new age is back stage, never act your real age
Can’t fix something if it ain’t broke
A friendly game between friends of Russian Roulette
But don’t forget which one of you last spoke…..That’s what you get
CHORUS
That’s what you get
You stupid Get
This ain’t over yet
That’s what you get
The latest iteration of a dysfunctional nation
Is appearing right before your eyes
Dystopian Nirvana with a hint of Che Guevara
Telling pure sectarian lies
A Marxist protégé’s your daughter’s latest fiancé’
But he’s telling you he knows where it’s at
They’ll infiltrate your T.V. set, invent a proletariat
You shoulda known better than that
The FBI and IRS are in on the joke
I guess we know who’ll get the final laugh…..That’s what you get
BRIDGE
A little bit of common sense can go a long way
But none of that is common today
Did you miss the warning signs, or did you forget?
Be careful what you wish for, or you just might regret
Be careful what you wish for, or you just might regret
Be careful what you wish for, or you just might regret
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet…..That’s what you’ll get
The Secular Society replaced religiosity
The lemmings all joined the same team
The Congress and the Parliament became the latest sacrament
Genuflect before the machine
Five thousand years of moral law, and lessons learned from Ma and Pa
They’re all just so “passé”
A narcissistic generation, supersedes good education
For ego, fortune or fame
When God becomes a party joke
To neo-cons and common folk
That’s just “end of game”…..That’s what you get
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9. |
Donna
02:49
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Donna
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
Jimmy and Donna sat on the rug, but they didn’t know what to say
So they started to hug, and they thought about love, but they didn’t know what to say
And all day long I am sitting singing songs
Singing to the little girl who never sings along
But Donna, I could have told you this would happen
‘Cause you never do things the way I want you to
And Donna, I always knew that this would happen
‘Cause you never do things the way I want you to
Now Jimmy and Donna had a big fight, weren't sure what it was all about
So they fought, and they fought, and they fell out of love
Never figured out what it was about
And all day long I’m still sitting singing songs
Singing for a little girl who never sings along (like this)
-BRIDGE-
Now Jimmy and Donna drifted apart, and they went their own separate ways
And they knew from the start, in this matter of heart, they just didn’t know what to say
And all day long I just sit here singing songs
Singing for the little girl who never sang along
But Donna, she always told me this would happen
‘Cause I never did things the way she asked me to
Yes Donna, we always knew that this would happen
‘Cause we never did things the way we needed to
Every once in a while, I’m on the rug and I smile, and I think of that little girl
And I just kinda shrug, when I think of her love, the difference it could have made to my world
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10. |
Take It Back
03:01
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Take It Back
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
It seemed so obvious to me, that this is how it’s meant to be
I had it figured out, without a doubt, I finally was going to be free
Guess not so obvious to you, that memo didn’t make it through
You liked the status quo, go with the flow, and all the time you thought that I did too
CHORUS
So now I’m tossing and turning from burning my bridges before
I knew the facts and confirming that I just can’t take this back
Thought this was temporary love, not something sent from up above
Thought this was one-and-done, a little fun, but now it seems that push has come to shove
You say you’ve heard it all before, but this was going to be more
Not just a passing thing, a two-week fling, you say it’s time to even up the score
DOUBLE CHORUS
So now I’m tossing and turning from burning my bridges before
I knew the facts and confirming that I just can’t take this back
I’m coming and going; I’m rolling with punches before
I knew the facts, and now knowing that I just can’t take this back
Sometimes you get what you deserve, this time my life threw me a curve
It’s time to suck it up, drink the cup, and show that I can muster up the nerve
You are not without any blame; this thing will never be the same
We’ll have to change the rules, and change the tools, this thing called love is no longer a game
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11. |
Turn Out Well
04:10
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Turn Out Well
(Words & Music by Jim Butterfield)
I had a dream, at least it feels like that today
It wasn’t what it seemed, so what more can I say?
That’s my story that I’m sticking to, that’s the story I will tell
Things like this never turn out well
Her form was ever-flowing, a Siren in the mist
Her lips a hologram, I never could quite kiss
Imagination is a funny thing; it never lets you down
Opportunities you think you lost, well they’re eventually all found
And every story has a perfect ending so much so that I fell
But things like this rarely turn out well
BRIDGE
In that moment of hesitation, you search inside your soul
In the blink of an eye, it slips away
If you measure accomplishments by everything you’ve gained
No reason it has to end this way
That form’s no longer fleeting, it’s right here in my midst
And talk of true love can be sealed with a kiss
Real life is a funny thing, we’ve both learned that my friend
Opportunities and risks untaken, they rarely come again
If you’re looking for a happy ending, you’re the one who has to sell
Who knows, this might just turn out well
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Butterfield 8 Cleveland, Ohio
Jim Butterfield is a Cleveland, Ohio songwriter who releases his music under the name "Butterfield 8"
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