Ordinary Conversation

She's got the quarters
He's got a paper bag
She's got a sci-fi novel
He's got no way home

She's got an empty basket
He's got the whole damn night
She's got a turkey sandwich
He's got a lemon drink for her

Names and faces
fall away from my head
But always right now
and in the end I remember yours

At the washing machine
The dryer doesn't heat
But everyone comes prepared for this
Takes us an hour or two
Just to dry a load

Oh and I love
this time alone with you
And we're both watchin the strangers
As they're foldin their clothes

And we lower our voices
Even though it's an ordinary conversation
Names and faces
fall away from my head
But always right now
and in the end I remember yours

We Can Miss the Movie

Hey I've seen this one before
Hero saves the day just in time
Main character dies in the end
But a sidekick lives on
Drives off into the sun

And credits roll
And credits roll
And credits roll
And credits roll

Lights come on theater clears out
Just me and my girl
And the guy with the broom in the aisle
sweeping popcorn off the floor

I lean over and I whisper in her ear
Boy chases girl
She wakes up and says
How did the movie end
Cause I fell asleep in the middle

Someday everyone will be dancing on T.V.
So it don't even matter on T.V.

We sit around can't think of much to do
My girl gives a smile to the guy
with the broom in the aisle
and he says we can stay another round

People come sit in opposite corners
Hot dog dances on our screen
Lights turn down and our movie begins
Maybe we'll make it through this time

I lean over and I whisper in her ear
Hey I've seen this one before
Just like the time before
and the time before
And the time before that I said

Someday everyone will be dancing on T.V.
So it don't even matter on T.V.

The Weather

People say the weather
ain't what it's supposed to be
People say a lot of things
that they don't mean
When you go
how will you tell me
where you go
Where you go

25 or 26 or 27

Oh shit looks like it happened again
I get cornered by zombies when
I look for the secret room
Must've killed a thousand since
Early this afternoon
But the sun goes down

And I won't I don't I can't stop
till I get all the jewels
Evil doers it's up to me to save the world
Tonight will be night of the living-living
Been lost between the dungeon walls
I get hit get bit my health runs out
but it's ok

It's only a video game
And no one's counting anyway

You left at six o'clock
Just two taxi cabs and two trains past
where the airport was
When you made a wish
The day I turned nineteen
You said another twenty years and maybe then
I'll want to see how things add up

But it was only a passing thing
And no one's counting anyway

Friend of mine said she had a dream
but it was vivid you know like real life
One where she was alive until she died
She was wearing red
She dreamt she was twenty five or twenty six
or twenty seven years old
And her mom dreamt it too
So this girl got a tattoo
not more than two days later
of a twenty five
or twenty six
or twenty seven
on her wrist

No I can't ever remember which
But she's always had beautiful skin
And it's only a mark on her skin
Yeah she's always had beautiful skin

So I make a call for the weekend plan
I say how ya doin
He says I'm livin like I'm dyin
I say where've I heard that before
He says I just made it up
I said I think it belongs in a song

Anyway this other girl I liked her then
And she kissed me once
And told me that souls are like parasites
Like a body in a body
only one that you can't feel
but in a good way

I said I can't I won't I don't
believe in parasites
My body is all that's real
It's been four years and three months
and two weeks and an hour
Since I spoke with her face to face
You know like in real life

But it's only real life
Yeah it's only real life
Yeah it's only real life

The Way

Cool in the way you never give up
Crazy you can't see
What's in front of you
What's in back of you
And what's to the left of you

But you're cool in the way you never give up
Crazy you can't see
What's in front of you
What's in back of you
And what's to the left of you

Renting

My friend says
Judging by the walls
A smoker used to live here
But I don't mind
I'm always renting
Never buying anyway

I sleep on the floor
When I wake up my room is orange
And I'm staring at the ceiling fan
Maybe it's the angles
Or maybe it's my fault
But I can't tell
which one of us is spinning

All the other rooms are blue
All the other rooms are tinted blue

This five o'clock
traffic is killing me
When at home I know
In my window somehow
Sunlight cutting through
Sunlight cutting through
All the trees in the back yard

All the other rooms are blue
All the other rooms are tinted blue
All the other rooms are blue
When there's no lights in the house
All the other rooms are tinted blue
Not mine it's orange
All the other rooms are blue
Tinted blue

Now That You Are Gone

I don't know why
I don't know why
I never clean my room
I leave dishes on the floor
Pizza boxes on the bed
I leave dust on the T.V.
Old mail on the desk
Paper towels on the night stand
Dirty laundry in the doorway
But on the walls old photographs of you
And on the floor old photographs of you
And on my shelves old photographs of you
And on my chair old photographs of you

I don't know why
Can never seem to wash my hair
Don't get around to brushin teeth
And I've been wearing the same pair of pants
For at least a couple of weeks
I've got stains on my shirt
And holes in the soul of my socks

I don't know why
I go driving late at night
I sneak out without a sound
I bring the goldfish with me
And I think he understands
While he is spinning in his bowl
We go barefoot in the grass
And I point him to the sky
I say look at that
I point him to the sky
I say look at that
I point him to the sky

Copy And Give To Friend
Solo Acoustic (c. 2006)

Production

This collection was recorded as a side session during the production of the Icarus Learns to Swim concept album, and later distributed in CD format as Rich Kern's EP to accompany solo performances. While starkly different from the Icarus album, which is at times dark, primal, and forboding, Copy And Give To Friend is an X-ennial coming-of-age anthem.

In true form for Kern at the time, the Copy And Give To Friend recording session was mostly first takes performed in a single afternoon, with no effects or accompaniment.

It is simple, heartfelt, stripped down, and a bit sheepish, yet drenched in the realities of a 20-something making their way through an uncertain world, struggling to find love and an economic future. It is as relevant today as it was in the early 2000s.

Credits

• Recorded and Produced 2006 by Autonome
• All songs written and performed by Rich Kern
• Album cover art is "Sunfish" by Spacie Gracie