Make No Mistake

In the summer of '92 I had one more chance to see you. It was you, and me, and Sue makes three, and I'll never forget what you said to me. You said, "Take a look and don't forget . I'll be your first and last regret. I am the one. We're meant to be. Make no mistake: you will miss me." It was 1994 when I saw you last. I kept trying to see you behind your Halloween mask. But you were distracted, at least, that's how you acted, and I heard these words echo up in my ears. You said, "Take a look and don't forget . I'll be your first and last regret. I am the one. We're meant to be. Make no mistake: you will miss me." It was 1997 when I wrote this song. I have no idea what took so long. I feel my mistake from the inside out. Now I know what those tears were about. You said, "Take a look and don't forget . I'll be your first and last regret. I am the one. We're meant to be. Make no mistake: you will miss me."

“Make No Mistake” is a song based on true events. The dates and name-drops are real, as are the sentiments she expressed when we broke up. To this day, I still kinda wonder “what if?” when I think about Laura (an old high school flame of mine). I also felt the lyrics would end up being very relatable, because it seems like a lot of people sort of have “the one that got away” tucked away in their minds, or at least the curiosity associated with this very common hang-up. Musically, I went for an extremely 1980’s vibe, which ultimately set the tone for this entire 1980’s New Wave style EP!

Apple

She looks like an apple but I fear she deceives me. She's just out there to taunt me and tease me. Why does she do it? I barely resist. Her shape so tempting. Her behavior insists. She must be an apple. I'll just take a bite. She must be an apple. Perfectly ripe. She sways above me and pleads to be picked. She wants me to take her but I fear I'm being tricked. Why does she do it? Her sweet smell surrounds me. Too good to be true. The illusion confounds me. She must be an apple. I'll just take a bite. She must be an apple. Perfectly ripe. As my trembling hand plucks her from oblivious tree, I soon join the ranks of poor Adam and Eve. We ruined it for everyone with one simple bite. We just couldn't resist, try as we might. She isn't an apple. I've just been fooled. She isn't an apple. Her deception was cruel. She isn't an apple. I fear I might faint. She isn't an apple. Just an orange in red paint.

A song about wanting what you can't have. Man's (and my) natural urge to oggle other women, think about cheating etc. The apple is the beautiful woman that appears to be exactly what the man wants. He’s tempted as she taunts him... then finally, he takes her and immediately feels that it's wrong. His realization that she's not an apple at all, "just an orange in red paint" is a discovery that in fact the "perfect" ones are simply a deception. 

As Long As It Takes

I stare right at the sun and hope I'll soon go blind. I can't stand to see you with him even just one more time. I turn my stereo up as far as it will go. I can't stand to hear you love him. I don't want to know. But no matter what I do, he'll still be with you. I can torture myself as long as it takes to forget you. I can lie to myself as long as it takes to forget you. I spin around in circles to put you out of my mind. I count the breaks in the sidewalk to distract me from your crime. I run down endless streets as far as feet will take me. I stay out in the rain and wonder why God hates me. But no matter what I do, he'll still be with you. I can torture myself as long as it takes to forget you. I can lie to myself as long as it takes to forget you.

A simple premise - a man suffering the pain of a severe break-up. The hurt is so bad that, even when he does things to physically hurt himself (staring directly at the sun, blasting music at deafening volume), he can't get her off of his mind. But he's determined to find the strength to go on, hence the chorus: "I can torture myself as long as it takes to forget you."

Seriously

You don't care where I'm going. You don't care if I come home. You don't care if I call 1-900 numbers on your corprate cellular phone. I've got every reason to love you and I'm here to remind you I do. You're the perfect girl for me. Seriously. You don't care if I'm willing. You don't care if I'm able. You don't care if I'm the slightest bit emotionally unstable. I've got every reason to love you and I'm here to remind you I do. You're the perfect girl for me. Seriously. I love you 'cause you don't pay attention to me. You must know that's exactly what I need. I love you 'cause you don't really think about me. You must know that's exactly what I need. I love you 'cause you don't really recognize me. You must know that's exactly what I need. I love you 'cause you don't love me. You don't care if I'm cheating on you. You don't care if I'm cruel. You don't care if I'm somewhere drowning in a deep blue swimming pool. I've got every reason to love you and I'm here to remind you I do. You're the perfect girl for me. Seriously.

A about a man in love with a woman who completely ignores him. He claims to thrive on her disinterest, but is, of course, desperately trying to point out how badly she hurts him by not taking an interest in his life. The last verse points this out most clearly: "You don't care if I'm cheating on you, you don't care if I'm cruel, you don't care if I'm somewhere drowning in a deep blue swimming pool."