The Year Before The War

by Eric Maskol

The Year Before The War cover art
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1.
03:33
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02:48
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03:19
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02:36
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03:31
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03:00
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02:30
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03:06
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03:18
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02:45
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03:56
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01:55
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credits

released 18 July 2009
Mixed at Hyde Street Studios by Jaimeson Durr
Mastered at Trakworx by Justin Weis.
Tony Patel-Dunn played the drums.
Eric Maskol home-recorded the vocals, guitars, bass, and piano at various locations around San Francisco, Sausalito, and Berkeley.
Cover design by Tony Forte Visual Communications

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tags: indie pop rock San Francisco

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Track Name: All Around Us
This room's only got one way out
It's half unspoken and half out loud
But you stood by me when no one else would
When the cracks in the mirror
Had done all they could

They went on, they went on...

This bed's only a rock on the ground
You go out fighting 'cause you can't lie down
And you said nothing when they went in for the kill
But the stained glass victims
Would not sit still

They went on, they went on...

Don't look now they're all around, all around
Don't look now they're all around us
Track Name: The Big Hand
All the stars are aligned
I couldn't lose if i wanted to
Our house is on fire
But the rain will put it out
These impossible minds
Should be looking up
But they're looking down
And obvious signs get past me all the time

No story's so hard
It won't fit on a postcard
And the sun didn't shine in your backdoor
The angels wandered

And my chariot swung too low
Your home is further down
On the island in the back of your head
The big hand is clamoring
To grab you right out of the sky
Track Name: Fire At Will
I fall back on the only little trick I know
Don't take aim just fire at will
It's like blowing out a candle
I yell out to the crowded little life in view
The big balloons float high above the city
It's hard to see the people
Where we might drop

But that sun valley is right up there where I need it
Carolina keep my nose to the ground
Door to the hideout's drawn so uneven
I'd rather be on my, on my own
A rock in the heart of the well where there's no life
And knocking that high road down

I drop down to the only little cave I see
Try my luck to stay out of the cold
It's like blowing out a light bulb
Migrate south where the loudest baby always wins
But I'm not out, I got all the wrong words
But all the right feeling
Never doubted once

That that sun valley is right up there where I need it
Carolina keep my nose to the ground
Door to the hideout's drawn so uneven
I'd rather be on my, on my own
A rock in the heart of the well where there's no life
And knocking that high road down

The world's light might shine easier
Once I use up my own
Track Name: Tiniest Things
Once, at least...
At least once a night pick up the small
Be, before...
Before the living room's overrun
Stand, stand down...
When the separate house has eaten its young

And thank God for these little distractions
I lock my eyes on the tiniest things

Once, at least...
At least once a night pick up the small
Be, before...
Before the living room's overrun
Stand, stand down...
When the separate house has eaten its young

And thank God for these little distractions
I lock my eyes on the tiniest things
Yeah thank God for these little distractions
I stop my ears but they ring and ring

Tiniest things
Track Name: Ugly Hotel
The silence speaks for itself
It's not hard to surmise
Where your true sympathies lie
But no matter which crowd is cheering you on
They all would pale in comparison if only

If only you'd size me up

So follow your own advice
For dear life hold on
To that sunny disposition
That world on your shoulders must weigh a ton
But I'm sure I could help to lighten it some if only

If only you'd size me up

Again and again we were coming out ahead
But that last time we just about broke even

Now you've come a long, long way
Did you keep your heart young
Or were your blossoms nipped in the bud
Did you leave unprotected your deepest wish
When that world was hellbent on stealing it

And for all those fancy houses
You do just as well
In an ugly, rundown hotel
And maybe that crowd is still cheering you on
But they all would pale in comparison if only

If only you'd size me, size me, size me up
Track Name: Fatheads
All of those fatheads were hammering down
So I got up and went back in my hole
I never saw it clearly you were murdering me
And a death head was stuck in the window
Well the signs were simply everywhere
But the fog rolled back in place
My eyes weren't accustomed to all that light
So I look away
And you looked away

Run and hide
'Cause somebody heavy's going by
If you don't leave now you will never leave
So peel back the island and you only find
One giant land mine asleep in its bed

Shoestring budget and the trailer's gone
But the clown's still here in spirit
This whole sagging country was hunting me down
And I was just a circus rabbit
Well the signs were simply everywhere
But the fog rolled back in place
My eyes weren't accustomed to all that light
So I look away
And you looked away

Run and hide
'Cause somebody heavy's going by
If you don't leave now you will never leave
So peel back the island and you only find
One giant land mine asleep in its bed
Track Name: One Time
One time, maybe tonight
There'll be something sweet in the honey tree
One time, maybe tonight
I'll get one hand free, I'll get one hand free
One time, maybe tonight
There'll be something sweet in the honey tree
One time, maybe tonight
I'll get one hand free, I'll get one hand free

Once I was seeking it out, I was seeking it out
Now it comes only when I don't want it to

One time, maybe tonight
Let me wake up please in the southern seas
One time, maybe tonight
I will live and breathe, I will live and breathe
One time, maybe tonight
Let me wake up please in the southern seas
One time, maybe tonight
I will live and breathe, I will live and breathe

Once I was seeking it out, I was seeking it out
Now it comes only when I don't want it to
Track Name: How Did You Get Out
It's alright, who am I to say what goes on
It's alright, who am I to say what goes on
To say what goes on outside

A blown fuse is no excuse to not get it right
A blown fuse is no excuse to not get it right
To not get it right the first time you try it

Tell me how did you get out of here
How did you get out
Tell me how did you get out of here
How did you get out
Tell me how did you get out of here
And how are you gonna get back

A low sound, you hear it and frown, it's a hidden smile
A low sound, you hear it and frown, it's a hidden smile
It's a hidden smile on the backyard dog

Oh man, never again will they let you slip by
Oh man, never again will they let you slip by
Will they let you slip by your homegrown affair

Tell me how did you get out of here
How did you get out
Tell me how did you get out of here
How did you get out
Tell me how did you get out of here
And how are you gonna get back
Track Name: Automatically Fine
Now that you've worn yourself out around the block
So many times
What was the trade-off, no longer hungry
But you're going blind
It's heaven you pay for what you know

Now that you've trained your thoughts into a box
And made them stay
Realize too late they come down on your harder
When you're well behaved
It's heaven you pay for what you know

And now you're automatically fine
You're fine, you're fine automatically fine
You're fine, you're fine automatically fine
You're fine, you're fine automatic
Fine automatic, fine automatically

Try to be always up to spec
Haven't the have-nots gotten you yet
Here is a corner in life you can stand up
Nowhere to get in your two cents
Tiniest voice whispers your defense
Here in this corner it's tall and it's wide
Track Name: All That You Want
Why'd you give up so much?
It didn't have to be so rough
You should've saved some for yourself
Then you might've been someone else

Is that all that you want?

Now you know better.
Track Name: Stream Of Days
Out into the forefront
Steps that constant little voice
The keeps my big mouth shut
I look up and hope that
Pieces of a satellite are falling down
To knock me senseless
The kids that didn't work anymore
Ended up so sore
Just to sidetrack the stream of days

Out from the background
Steps that constant little noise
That keeps my big eyes open
I look up and hope that
Piece of a meteor were raining down
To knock me senseless
The kids that didn't work anymore
Ended up so sore
Just to sidetrack the stream of days

If I...
If I get there before you
Then I...
I'll cut a hole and pull you through

Out into the spotlight
Steps that lone dark little void
That keeps me up all night
I look up and hope that
Piece of the heavens were just raining down
To knock me senseless
The kids that didn't work anymore
Ended up so sore
Just to sidetrack the stream of days
To sidetrack the stream of days
To sidetrack the stream of days
Track Name: Maze Of Pipe
Broke that water main
Can't even wash
I guess the pressure comes
And pressure goes
But when my stars went home
I didn't miss 'em
I just found other stars
To mop my floor

But then I get lost under the maze of pipe
I've got a lifeboat under my bed
Yeah then I get lost under the maze of pipe
I've got a life under my bed

Don't know what went wrong
Plan to climb down
Into the sewer vent
To see first hand
And I know that I won't drown
As long as I still can tell
Which way is up
And which way's down

But then I get lost under the maze of pipe
I've got a lifeboat under my bed
Yeah then I get lost under the maze of pipe
I've got a life under my bed

And here we are up to the ceiling
Up to the ceiling, up to the ceiling
So goodnight, we're soaked right through
Track Name: Obscene
The creatures at night
Don't they look happy
Yeah, the creatures at night
Don't they look happy
Their smiles are so obscene
The creatures in daytime
They look unhappy
Yeah, the creatures in daytime
Sure look unhappy
Their crying is so obscene

Happy what's your secret
Happy what's your secret
Happy what have you figured out
Happy what's your secret
Happy what's your secret
Happy what have you figured out

Things were so nice
I was around
Yeah, things were so nice
You were around
Our smiles were so obscene
Now something's not right
I'm not around
Yeah, something is not right
You're not around
Our crying is so obscene

Happy what's your secret
Happy what's your secret
Happy what have you figured out
Happy what's your secret
Happy what's your secret
Happy what have you figured out

Don't listen to anyone
But your mamma
And her mindless chatter
'Cause then you'll have everyone
In your pocket
And it won't matter
Track Name: Modern Blood
Flip over and die
I can see it now
Peeking from out behind this firewall
That built itself around me
They're gonna let a bomb break the tie

Elephant guns and knives
I don't need this war
Selling the wholesale flesh so cheap that
The dead can walk unaided
And never even put up a fight

Before you're out on the line
Be sure to dumb it down
Keeping it easy for the mass mind
To wrap its arms around you
'Cause there aren't any words left
That can spill the modern blood
When you're under the rug

And we're under it baby