1. |
More Than the Sum
05:28
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When we were talkin' last week about your latest regret
You said, I know where I should be. Why aren't I there yet?
And even as you were speaking, your mind was whirling with plans
So many you didn't notice as I slipped right through your hands
All of these moments, these shinin’ bright faces, that you just see as means to an end.
You’re lookin’ past them, weighin’ their value, choosing your endgame, losing your friends.
But don’t you/ Don’t you want to / to remember this someday?
Every fragile passing second is a gift in some small way.
As far as what you’ll become, the parts are more than the sum.
It’s easier said than done
You’re always checking that screen there, to see what word’s going ‘round
In love with chasing those things that lose their shine once they’re found
There's no outrunning the sun / there's no outsmarting the moon
You can't be here for what's now if you're obsessed with what's soon
All of these moments, these people and places, you think they’re part of some kind of scheme
That’s pinnin’ you down and holding you back from finally reaching what you think is your dream
But don't you / don't you want to / to remember this someday?
Every fragile passing second is a gift in some small way
As far as what you’ll become, the parts are more than the sum.
It’s easier said than done.
I'm tired of tryin' to keep up / I'm tired of runnin' around
Of seein' time like a match / that's burning things to the ground.
I'm ready now to make peace / I'm ready now to stand still
I'm ready now to just breathe / there's both a way and a will
All of these moments, these shinin’ bright faces, they are much more than means to an end.
Some of them broken, some of them sacred, all of them real as the heart of a friend.
Because don't I / don't I want to / to remember this someday?
Every fragile passing second is a gift in some small way
As far as what I’ll become, the parts are more than the sum.
It’s easier said than done
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2. |
The Strong One
04:40
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You were holding out for fate. It arrived a little late
And not quite in the way that you’d planned,
When you said that you’d make one last stand
I would not call that defeat. What was bitter now is sweet.
Hearts and lines, they were both being crossed
All that wandering was worth the cost.
‘Cause you are always invited
There’s always a chance
The only real game is the long one
And you’re always enough /
If you take a step or two back
And don’t worry ‘bout being the strong one
At first, it seemed so clear. The reason you were here
But from all of those things that you knew
You resentment and bitterness grew
You turned to cruelty to fit in, ‘cause you weren’t at home in your own skin
But compassion does not mean you’re weak
You were bravest when turning your cheek
And you are always invited
There’s always a chance
The only real game is the long one
And you’re always enough /
If you take a step or two back
And don’t worry ‘bout being the strong one
I'd say the thing that defines you
Is what you choose to do
When you find out that life isn't fair:
Do you angrily cling to your share
And grab on to others', too? Or instead, are you made new?
Rising outward and up in the air
Like a bird or some smoke or a prayer?
Well, you are always invited
There’s always a chance
The only real game is the long one
And you’re always enough /
If you take a step or two back
And don’t worry ‘bout being the strong one
We are older now, but still / You are pushing stones up hills
Hearts and lines, they were both being crossed
All that wondering was worth the cost.
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3. |
Blessings and Curses
04:51
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I was young and so eager
You seemed to know best
About living and dying
And all of the rest
Well, you said the end's comin'
At a pretty good clip
So you'd better get ready
And prepare for the trip
But I wouldn't find / what I'd been lookin' for / until I looked away
Better stay on his good side
Pay distractions no mind
Because nothing is worse
Than to be left behind
But what about those
Who are left behind now?
Just outside of your vision
When I asked you, you frowned
And said they won't find / what they're lookin' for / if they live that way.
What do you feel?
Tell me, what do you feel
When you're casting a stone at the same time you kneel?
What do you gain?
Tell me, what do you gain
By singling out all the others by name?
Maybe doubt is a blessing
Maybe failure's no curse
Maybe kindness is better
Than a memorized verse
Maybe welcoming strangers
Means more than drawing lines
Maybe grace is much bigger
Than what you once defined
But I wouldn't find / what I'd been lookin' for / until I looked away
Now I greet you from someplace
That's both ancient and new
The dogma was false
But the rumors were true.
And for all of this teaching
There is only one test
Did you love those unlike you,
Or at least try your best?
What do you lose
Tell me, what do you lose
When you open your heart and you see past your rules?
Blessings and curses
They're one and the same
We knew this once
We will know it again.
Blessings and curses
They're one and the same
We knew this once
We will know it again.
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4. |
Still and Always
05:48
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When we first saw your picture, I fell and fell fast
You were scared, but your eyes were so sweet
You had been through quite a wringer or two
Before landing here on your feet
The best gift I’ve been given in all of my years
Was watchin’ you come out of your shell
And seeing your face as you raced ‘round our place
With a look that said: Now, all is well.
Seasons come and seasons go
I love you still and always
Somehow, I hope you still know
I love you still and always
Still and always
Grief is a funny thing—it ebbs and it flows
It both swallows you and sets you free
Like a bird in migration, it’s there, then it goes
Part landslide, part riptide, part sea
One last favorite car ride, one last ice cream cone
One last hold-you-as-close-as-can-be
The hardest part, honey, was comin’ back home
To just silence when I turned the key.
Seasons come and seasons go
I love you still and always
Somehow, I hope you still know
I love you still and always
Still and always
It's been two years now. We’re no longer alone.
She's lovely, she's lively, she's sweet
Like you, she'd been through quite a wringer or two
Before landin' here on her feet
Sometimes I tell myself she'll never grow old
She'll always be right here, in plain view
It's just wishful thinking, ‘cause one day I know
I'll be singing this song to her, too.
Seasons come and seasons go
I love you still and always
Somehow, I hope you still know
I love you still and always
Seasons come and seasons go
I love you still and always
Somehow, I think you still know
I love you still and always
Still and always.
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5. |
Somewhere in Between
02:49
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You were livin’ your life by some comforting code
One that didn’t account for those bumps in the road
You said, well, we got through that one.
I said no one gets out clean
But the truth, dear? Well, as always, it is somewhere in between.
You were telling him something you’d come to regret
You had had a few beers, and you’d only just met
He was certain you were hurtin’
I was sure you were just mean
But the truth, dear? Well, as always, it is somewhere in between.
He always demanded what he thought he was owed
He said life is straightforward; you reap what you’ve sowed
I said, your silver spoon is showing
He said, that’s just the machine
But the truth, dear? Well, as always, it is somewhere in between.
I said bridging this gap is the way to move on
You said dig in your heels, cause you’re right and they’re wrong
I said, then we’ll never get there
You said, leave’ em where they’ve been
But the truth, dear? Well, as always, it is somewhere in between.
You have always feared endings that come far too soon
Days unfairly cut short by the rise of the moon
You said, nothing lasts forever
I said, love is evergreen
But the truth, dear? Well, as always, it is somewhere in between.
And the truth, dear? Well, as always, it is somewhere in between.
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Patrice Taddonio Boston, Massachusetts
Patrice Taddonio is a singer-songwriter living in Boston, MA. Her music grapples with the complexities of trying to live a life that's meaningful in a world where immense beauty and tremendous suffering co-exist. With lyrics that probe yearning, hope, love, blame and forgiveness, her songs explore what it means to stay optimistic in the dark. ... more
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