And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect.

But the angles and the corners -
even though my work is unparalleled -
they never seemed to meet,
the structure fell about our feet,
and we were free to go.

What a sad song. It just hits you so hard in the face with the truth. No matter what happens - in any lifetime, any profession, any time, any place - they will never be together. So much love, but the stars aren't lined up right or something. It just doesn't work out. "Guess it's better to turn this way."

It's all trial and error. Until you screw up a couple times, sometimes there's no way of telling which way is better to turn.

Isn't it funny how I feel that I learn more from listening to fictional songs than I do from my own experiences, or from hearing advice from my parents or friends?

Sometimes I think that music is just a form of communication God chooses to use with me because there are so few people who I feel understand me on such a deep, meaningful level - Jackson Browne, Colin Meloy, Paul Simon, and yes, even Carly Simon on occasion - and really, it's nice to have those people understand me. They're people I will never know on a personal level, and it's very unifying to have that connection to them. It's like that whole Avatar thing where we're all part of each other and blah blah blah. You know what I mean.

And really, why would I ever not want to have a deep connection to Colin Meloy? Uh, hello - yum.

He reaches me in such a way that it makes me want to change for the better.

I think I prefer learning from music, rather than learning about music.

If you ever really want to reach me, play a song for me - I might actually listen.

And here I dreamt I was a soldier,
and I marched the streets of Birkenau,
and I recall in spring
the perfume that the air would bring
to the indolent town.
Where the barkers call the moon down,
the carnival was ringing loudly now,
and just to lay with you
there's nothing that I wouldn't do,
save lay my rifle down.

And try one, and try two,
guess it always comes down to,
all right, it's okay.
Guess it's better to turn this way.

And I am nothing of a builder,
but here I dreamt I was an architect,
and I built this balustrade
to keep you home, to keep you safe
from the outside world.
But the angles and the corners,
even though my work is unparalleled,
they never seemed to meet,
this structure fell about our feet
and we were free to go.

And try one, and try two,
guess it always comes down to,
all right, it's okay.
Guess it's better to turn this way

And here in Spain I am a Spaniard.
I will be buried with my marionettes.
Countess and courtesan
have fallen 'neath my tender hand
when their husbands were not around.
But you, my soiled teenage girlfriend,
how you furrow like a lioness.
And we are vagabonds,
we travel without seatbelts on,
and live this close to death.

And try one, and try two,
guess it always comes down to,
all right, okay, guess it's better to turn this...
But I won, so you lose.
Guess it always comes down to
All right, it's okay, guess it's better to turn this way.