Silverlake Neophyte

(album: Our Bande Apart - 2021)

Well, I get nervous before my take outside the club in Silverlake
And there's no mistaking your perfect practiced innocence
But just start talking
You can see that I'm
Not gonna lie to you

And this folk music's fucking me up, makes me think I should quit
Maybe I'm just scared of it
Quick hit and a flip of a Zippo
Inhale and your eyes squint
You point at me with the cigarette fingers
Say you'll find some good shit
In the ruins
But deep down I'm not sold on what we're doing

Deep down I think you're seething with ambition
Like everyone else around, you're on a mission
To see
Just how many likes that you can get
Get your fingers wet
And have the people watch you rub a freeze

Everyone needs to be seen
There's no growing in the dark
You say it's just a pose
Well, what's wrong with a pose?
We all invent ourselves
As we go
So here we go

The same old itch
The air's meant to protect myself
Took a life on now, and they're breathing on their own
Some strange personality living up on me that I've been trying to ditch
I want things to be perfect, so I put it off
Maybe progress now will do
I'm on the outside, never satisfied
Something's always missing, so you convinced yourself that you're beautiful
I mean, look at those hands
You're all purity
With a splash of St. Germain

Oh, I want to be
A daring one
No more songs about being cozy and bored
Don't sing about the suburbs
And how you miss the scent of home
An Elliott Smith clone's all you'll be
Amidst all this urgency

And everyone needs to be seen
There's no growing in the dark
"It's just a pose"
Well, what's wrong with a pose?
We all invent ourselves
As we go
So here we go
I'll look for you outside after the show

I'll look for you again
And I'll go with you, 'cause I kinda love you
If I see you again, I think I'm gonna kill you
'Cause we'll keep doing this
Waiting around for someone who doesn't want me
To want me
I've been looking longingly
At the scene