Released February 13, 1996 on A&M. Robin Wilson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Jesse Valenzuela (guitars, vocals), Phillip Rhodes (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Bill Leen (bass, backing vocals), Scott Johnson (guitars, backing vocals), Art Neville (Hammond B3 organ on "As Long As It Matters," "Competition Smile" and "I Cant Figure You Out"), Rick Purcell (acoustic guitar on "Memphis Time"), Rick Steff (accordion on "Memphis Time"), Robbie Turner (pedal steel guitar on "Memphis Time"). Produced by John Hampton and Gin Blossoms. Engineered by John Hampton and Erik Flettrich. Mixed by John Hampton. Recorded and mixed at Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN. (Except "Follow You Down," recorded at Vintage Recorders, Phoenix, AZ.)
DAY JOB (3:52)
(Scott Johnson, Bill Leen, Phillip Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson)
Well weve been here once before
And weve stuck it out for more
When we come around well settle down
The cracks below the floor
Has it been eleven years
Since Ive stood here with my peers
And we started out to conquer doubt and Frisbee
I shouldve been a whole lot farther
Im never going back to college
For just one good day job
Youre not missing much for sure
Only everything thats yours
And at times it fails and were full sail in the gutter
Is this home cause I forgot
If it is then thanks a lot
Cause I cant pretend to know one end from the other
I shouldve been a whole lot farther
Im never going back to college
For just one good day job
Youre not missing much for sure
Only everything thats yours
At times it fails and were full sail in the gutter
Is this home cause I forgot
If it is then thanks a lot
Cause I cant pretend to know one end from the other
I shouldve been a whole lot farther
Im never going back to college
For just one good day job...
HIGHWIRE (2:24)
(Robin Wilson)
I wanna take you so far
But they dont want to let us out
But they do, they do, they do
I dont wanna walk on that highwire
They aint gonna let us down
But they do, they do, they do
What I could never believe in
I was never really even
And I forgot about the cost
And then I got lost, I got lost, I got lost, I got lost
Didnt really wanna live it over
Or even wanna live it down
But I do, I do, I do
What I could never believe in
I was never really even
And I forgot about the cost
And then I got lost, I got lost, I got lost, I got lost
Didnt really wanna live it over
Or even wanna live it down
But I do, I do, I do...
FOLLOW YOU DOWN (4:30)
(Scott Johnson, Bill Leen, Phillip Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson)
Did you see the sky
I think it means that weve been lost
Maybe one less time is all we need
I cant really help it if my tongues all tied in knots
Jumping off a bridge, its just the farthest that Ive ever been
Anywhere you go, Ill follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, Ill follow you down
Ill follow you down, but not that far
I know were headed somewhere, I can see how far weve come
But still I cant remember anything
Lets not do the wrong thing and Ill swear it might be fun
Its a long way down when all the knots weve tied have come undone
Anywhere you go, Ill follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, Ill follow you down
Ill follow you down, but not that far
How you gonna ever find your place
Running in an artificial pace
Are they gonna find us lying face down in the sand
So what the hell now, weve already been forever damned
Anywhere you go Ill follow you down...
NOT ONLY NUMB (3:06)
(Phillip Rhodes, Robin Wilson)
Looking all around the room I see the clutter in the gloom
Im not only back, Im not only numb
Changing shades within the evening
In a day then Ill be leaving
Im not only back, Im not only numb
When the air at home is thin
Getting out then looking in
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
It aint awful hard to tell
What its like, my little hell
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
Im now familiar with the tone I hear in bed when Im alone
Im not only back, Im not only numb
In the shade below the eaves
Think I could chain smoke anything
Im not only back, Im not only numb
When the air at home is thin
Getting out, then looking in
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
It aint awful hard to tell
What its like, my little hell
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
She knows, she knows, she knows
She sees all the cars around the parking lots of bars weve played and stayed
Started laughing, looking down upon the bed that weve made
Weve made, weve made, weve made
She sees all the cars around the parking lots of bars weve played and stayed
Started laughing, looking falling down across the bed that weve made
Weve made, weve made, weve made
The air at home is thin
When getting out, then looking in
Im not only back, Im not only numb
Changing shades within the evening
In a day, then Ill be leaving
Im not only back, Im not only numb...
AS LONG AS IT MATTERS (4:31)
(Phillip Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson)
How can I find something
That two can take
Without stumbling as we
Walk into our futures wake
Im like a broken record
That you can play
Repeating as if it matters
Everything I want to say
Ill be all right
As long as it matters
As long as youre here with me now
Forget that time
Its nothing we touch and see
All this is fine
Even as it crashes down on me
Im looking around
Theres nothing that I could want
More than to tell you
Theres no more than weve already got
Ill be all right
As long as it matters
As long as youre here with me now...
Forget that our time is almost up
Ill be all right...
PERFECTLY STILL (4:05)
(Scott Johnson, Bill Leen)
Its our call
It sways, it stalls
I need a little extra time alone
Well maybe take the long way home
Just enough to get it wrong
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are
Fools rush in
For the grist in my
For the grist in my mill
Cant you see
When youre perfectly
When youre perfectly still
One big rout
Were all sold out
If nothings off limits, well pay
Price tags on every other day
Were bankrupt here for now
But they cant take my anger
It cant be touched
Fools rush in
For the grist in my
For the grist in my mill
Cant you see
When youre perfectly
When youre perfectly still...
Outdated maps
Missed pull-out ramps
I wont contribute to our own demise
Pass up the consolation prize
It starts from here from now
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are
Fools rush in...
MY CAR (4:17)
(Jesse Valenzuela)
Streetlights on, the night airs cool
Im driving right past my old school
Im looking for my pack of cigarettes
Im thinking back on things Ive done
I cant forget the stupid ones
It seems I do my best by accident
Whats that sound, whats that song
Whats this street Im driving on
In my car
In my car
I miss her feel, her touch, her taste
I feel the distance everyplace
This distance cant be taken casually
I take my time, just drive around
Feeling lost in my hometown
Every turn I take is comforting
Whats that sound, whats that song
Whats this street Im driving on
In my car
In my car
Ill take a break from all their big plans
My first mistake was listening to them
I made a mess its all been proven
Over and over again
Over and over again
Streetlights on, the night airs cool
Im driving right past my old school
Looking for some face I cant forget
I take my time, just drive around
Feeling lost in my hometown
Every turn I takes an accident
Whats that sound, whats that song...
VIRGINIA (4:02)
(Jesse Valenzuela)
Its like trying to light a cigarette
When the matches you got are soaking wet
Tallest buildings they got are bound to fall
When its coming down like a wrecking ball
Slow down, Virginia
Dont make me wait
Slow down, Virginia
Dont make me wait
Virginia
Its everything thats cool rolled into one
Everything thats not is left alone
You can hear it ring from near and far
You can hear it scream like a fire alarm
Slow down, Virginia
Dont make me wait
Slow down, Virginia
Dont make me wait
Virginia
Sometimes it sounds like shes been crying
But when she lights, this whole dump is...
Its everything thats cool rolled into one
Everything thats not is left alone
You can hear it ring from near and far
You can hear it scream like a fire alarm
Slow down, Virginia...
WHITEWASH (3:18)
(Bill Leen, Robin Wilson)
This night never happened
If its all right with you
Not a word of our weakness
So much as a clue
Theres a place outside
Im glad to play no part
The fairest arms can tally up the faintest stars
Wash away my weekend
Shatter my sight
Cmon sweet amnesia
Youre needed here tonight
Take a seat in the shadows
Forget it as it goes
Dissipate in the morning air
All you know
If you find out
Youll find every lie you might
I was nowhere near last night
Whitewash everything in sight
These suspicions have been long drained dry
Our persistence holds them here
A maze of bars and rented rooms remain
Enough to make you almost look away
This night never happened
If its all right with you
Another for the collection of things we didnt do
That private party is over
Thank God we get new starts
The fairest arms still tally up the faintest stars
When it comes down
In a clear and certain light
I was nowhere near last night
I was nowhere near last night
Whitewash everything in sight...
I CANT FIGURE YOU OUT (3:13)
(Jesse Valenzuela)
Whos to say whats right or wrong
If I stand out in the rain too long
Filling up my drinking cup
When I know Ive had much more than enough
Write in the pages of my notebook
But they never sound the way they look
Kicking at this old tin can
And I wonder where the hell I am
I cant figure you out
I cant figure you out
When it seems so fine
When its held to the light
I cant figure you out
I cant figure you out
They push and pull till it breaks in half
I never trust a guy with a nervous laugh
Worried bout the smallest things
While the world is coming crashing in
I cant figure you out...
MEMPHIS TIME (3:14)
(Scott Johnson, Jesse Valenzuela)
Hey, now its all right
Hey now, its fine, its cool
Seems weve done our worst
Its time to head for school
And so we tripped upstairs
I seen the sun come up
Judging by your shape
I think youve had enough
Its Memphis time
Just string that old guitar
Tune it up to Memphis time
Hey, now I couldnt know
Baby, I couldnt tell
Just whats going on
Inside of someone else
You know that this small world
Sometimes this big town
It can drag you up
As well as drag you down
Its Memphis time
Just string that old guitar
Tune it up to Memphis
You cant say that Ive been right
I cant say that youve been wrong
We knew it all along
(Take cover Scotty)
So we tripped upstairs
I seen the sun come up
Judging by your shape
I think youve enough
Its Memphis time
Just string that old guitar
And tune it up to Memphis time...
COMPETITION SMILE (3:38)
(Phillip Rhodes, Robin Wilson)
Looking up I saw nothing
But blue in the bluest sky
And now its creeping across my eye
Going down in my mind, down in my mind
Im high and Im hopeless
So help me to get untied
Fast asleep now Im going blind
Falling down in my mind, down in my mind
Just fine
Emulate the style
A competition smile
Now Im running, not looking
And opening up my brain
Where its easy to lose my name
Looking dumb in the rain, dumb in the rain
Im hoping youll notice
That no one else helps me grow
Oh, its not easy to let you know
What Im dying to show
Dying until you know
Pretending all the while
A competition smile
Now Ive thrown something far
And it haunts me like a curse
Im like a stone
Falling hard
And Im only getting worse
Looking up I saw nothing
But blue in the bluest sky
And now its creeping across my eye
And going down in my mind, down in my mind
Im high and Im hopeless
So help me to get untied
Fast asleep now Im going blind
Falling down in my mind, down in my mind
Just fine
Pretending all the while
A competition smile
Im hiding high...
TIL I HEAR IT FROM YOU (3:46)
(Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson, Marshall Crenshaw)
I didnt ask
They shouldnt have told me
At first Id laugh, but now
Its sinking in fast
Whatever theyve sold me
Well baby I dont want to take advice from fools
Ill just figure everything is cool
Until I hear it from you
It gets hard
The memorys faded
Who gets what they say
Its likely theyre just jealous and jaded
Well maybe I dont want to take advice from fools
Ill just figure everything is cool
Until I hear it from you
Until I hear it from you
I cant let it get me off
Or break up my train of thought
As far as I know, nothings wrong
Until I hear it from you
Still thinking about not living without it
Outside looking in
Til were talking about it, not stepping around it
Maybe I dont want to take advice from fools
Ill just figure everything is cool
Until I hear it from you...