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Good To Be Born

by JOHN COMMON

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James Compton
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andypalmermusic
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1.
What Are You Waiting For 03:51
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WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR copyright 2006 john common music you're with withholding now unfolding inside to be holding that smile that turns me into juxtaposer such a see through loser hold me closer this limping horse wants to run what are you waiting for? who’s going to save you when you’re on fire? what are you waiting for? for jesus to come and throw you in the ocean? motor scooter my fly commuter, to be your new suitor at least until the sun comes up something chemical illogical and digital it's beautiful in my head… quiet breakdown... my mistake was making those awake sounds you make when you want to get up what are you waiting for? who’s going to save you when you’re on fire? what are you waiting for? for jesus to come and throw you in the ocean?
2.
It’s Out 03:14
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IT’S OUT copyright 2006 john common music i just left to catch the bus, distancing the two of us, to go to work and fake like i could care. i imagine you in wrinkled sheets, flying planes while you're asleep, waking up and playing solitaire. go outside. live your life. it's out. you live too much inside your head. i've seen all books you've read that tell you what to think and not to do. solitude can leave a mark; leave you standing in the dark waiting for the light to come find you. go outside. live your life. it's out. i don’t care where you go as long as you know that it’s good for you. believe it. i wonder what you're waiting for... i see you standing by. it's out there. just waiting. i see you, don't worry.
3.
Call Me Right Now 04:09
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CALL ME RIGHT NOW copyright 2006 john common music two guitars, bass and drums... we drove here from washington. all the way in the snow. we came here to play for you. i don't want to be alone. oh not again. i'm tired of waiting by the phone so call me. call me. larry left, he could not stay. it was too much being away. a wife and kids, who's to blame? i don't wanna play that game. i don't want to be alone. no not again, not again, not again, not again. i'm trying to keep you in my mind but you're getting hard to find. i don't know why. i think your eyes are bluish gray. i think you were born on veteran's day. i can't recall. i don't want to be alone. i don't want to be alone. tired of waiting by the phone so call me, call me, call me right now.
4.
Coming In For A Landing 04:25
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COMING IN FOR A LANDING copyright 2006 john common music i felt a drop. i felt a drop, now i'm descending. i'm tired of where i've been. the messages. the messages that i've been getting are finally sinking in. i've got the wheels down. i've got the flaps down. it's time now. coming in for a landing. i thought the ground. i thought the ground was out to hurt me and put me in my grave. out of fuel. out of fuel and feeling lonely but finally not afraid. i've got the wheels down. i've got the flaps down. it's time now. coming in for a landing. coming in for a landing. it might be the last one... oh no. i see the ground. i see the ground rising toward me. it's time to put it down. i wonder who. i wonder who'll be waiting for me when i'm finally on the ground. i've got the wheels down. i've got the flaps down. i think it's time now. coming in for a landing. it might be the last one... oh no. it might be the last one... oh no. it might be the last one.
5.
Triste Y Hermoso 02:53
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TRISTE Y HERMOSO copyright 2006 john common music purple evening settles down. the ice caves in, the liquor drowns you used to sing to me in spanish. the key snaps off without a sound. i'm gonna put you back in gear. drive get me out of here. all the clocks are speaking spanish. you're catching fireflies in your hair. sad and horrible. sad and laughable. sad and terrible. you say you know what you’re gonna do... well i think i know what you want. you say you know what you’re gonna but you’re not gonna get it, you're not gonna get it from me. my pockets are filling up with sand. i see the dirty dollar in your hand. i was your teacher long ago... i gave it up to be your man. rust the wind with a greasy sky. stick a needle in my eye. my desk is covered with broken glass. it's not so bad to have to die. sad and terrible. sad and laughable. sad and beautiful. sort of terrible. it’s kind of biblical and sort of digital. sad and beautiful. very regrettable. sort of pitiful. sad and beautiful.
6.
Other Side Of Town 04:20
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OTHER SIDE OF TOWN copyright 2006 john common music on the other side of town, wear your love like a crown. with your heart on my vest. and you know that it's best on the other side of town. when your train gets in i won't ask where you've been… on the other side of town. with the rain coming in and my pockets jingling. this cigarette's all gone and i'm humming our song on the other side of town. when your train gets in i'll be playing my violin on the other. oh, just like a gypsy hanging around a painted tear on a clown. oh, just to be holding that which i love and can't let go of disappear in the crowd... oh my love i'll find you out. your heart calls to me like a stone dropped in the sea. on the other side of town. when your train gets in i'll be drowning in gin on the other side of town. when your train gets in i'll be drowning in gin on the other... oh, just like a gypsy hanging around a painted tear on a clown oh, just to be holding that which i love and can't let go of
7.
In a Bookstore 02:56
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IN A BOOKSTORE copyright 2006 john common music i don't mean to be the one to keep you from your bookish fun but i might be that guy today. it's difficult to act cool when you feel this way. the way you twirl your curly hair and bite your lip when people stare... it crushes me beyond belief to know the center of attention wants to be alone. let's go to the library where we can hide away and find a secret place. you and me... oh, like a romance novel. let's go to the library w here we can hide away and find a secret place you and me... oh, i can buy you books baby. before you blush and disappear let me whisper in your ear a secret only you and i will know. i'll see you in an hour... baby, don't be slow. i'll see you in an hour... baby, don't be slow. i'll see you in an hour... baby.
8.
Anyway 05:22
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ANYWAY copyright 2006 john common music she dresses like a fire sale. she's a punk rock jezebel wearing last night's favorite perfume whiskey and a cigarette plume. she could crush my heart like a flower. i've only known her for an hour. she thinks i'm young and i don't have a clue but i know what i'm gonna do. every syllable will fall in time. every single word will make her smile, smile. i'll sing her songs with my old guitar. i'll paint poems on the hood of her car. she's gone in the wink of an eye. she said you'll never see me cry. that's a wrinkle i could do without i'm fighting not to follow her out. but she was beautiful tonight. she made me feel alright sitting naked in the back of her car i fell like a shooting star it's obvious she never meant to stay but i'm gonna make her love me anyway. anyway. i'll sing her songs with my old guitar. i'll paint poems on the hood of her car. anyway. anyway. i'll sing her songs with my old guitar. i'll paint poems on the hood of her car
9.
Summer 03:12
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SUMMER copyright 2006 john common music What are you... what are you... what are you doing? what are you doing? you turned... you turned... you turned and looked at me. you turned and looked at me. summer coming down. summer coming down. summer coming down. i can wait. i can wait. headed for... headed for... headed for, for the ditch. headed for the ditch. i had to... i had to... i had to take the wheel. i had to take the wheel. summer coming down. summer coming down. summer coming down. i can wait. i can wait.
10.
My Heart Is A Wurlitzer 03:08
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MY HEART IS A WURLITZER copyright 2006 john common music my heart is a wurlitzer, you've got to beat it it makes a better sound if you mistreat it i want to tell to you that so you would know it’s your fault it's like a bicycle and when you ride it you've got to pedal hard so you don't crash it and it's only got one lonely gear -- really fast i don't want to see you when you're out, hanging with your boys it makes me kind of crazy just to think you used me like your... dog it’s a wurlitzer it’s a wurlitzer it’s a wurlitzer
11.
And Say My Goodbyes 03:36
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AND SAY MY GOODBYES copyright 2006 john common music how could everything have changed and nothing else remains the same except for you? empty places on the wall, no one left to call, you took them too. who said this was easy? they lied, okay. if i could crawl inside you i'd wither away and say my goodbyes. i can feel you on my skin trying to get in my head. and i know that that aint right. i fight it every night inside my bed. who said this was simple? they lied, okay. if i could crawl inside you i'd wither away and say my goodbyes.

about

GOOD TO BE BORN
(2006 Free School Records)

John Common's debut record, GOOD TO BE BORN, is a classic headphone album from start to finish. Smart, introspective songs and layered arrangements combine with artful production choices to create a fully realized record that documents Commons exploration into new territory.

GOOD TO BE BORN is a chronicle of a group of artists and friends experimenting and using the studio to define a new voice. "The only rule we had was that any obvious choices had to be challenged. And that meant hours of trying different things, looking for how the puzzle of each song might fit together in new ways," says Common.

"A brilliant, extremely ambitious disc... Denver's finest rock recording of the past decade." -- WESTWORD MAGAZINE (Good To Be Born)

"Raw, yet sophisticated pop." -- THE ONION

"Is something really going on in Denver’s music scene? If we need any more evidence that speaks to the vitality of our expanding catalog of acts, John Common’s new album, “Good to be Born” is that kind of prescription...It’s out. And not to be forgotten. " -- SYNTAX

"A rich mix of samples, guitars, and lyrical intensity in a quieter version of 'Bends'-era Radiohead or the missing step in Wilco's leap from 'Being There' to 'Summerteeth'. The music is complex and innovative without sacrificing catchy hooks or raw energy in a wide range of styles and tempos. " -- COLORADO MUSIC BUZZ

"Denver's John Common has cracked the code of modern-day songwriting and delivered us something surprisingly refreshing... "Good To Be Born," is full of energy, passion, creativity, variety, personality and most importantly, sounds you've never heard before. He is a damn good songwriter. " -- KCSU MUSIC DIRECTOR / ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGIAN

"The auspicious debut of former Rainville frontman John Common shares intellectual shelf space with mid-period Remy Zero and Radiohead. With supple vocals that glide from intoxicating purrs to forceful croons, Common weaves his way through intelligent, cinematic material that's thoughtfully augmented by well-placed samples, subtle brass accompaniment and murmuring keys." -- WESTWORD MAGAZINE

"This album portrays a band with the skills to embellish a writer who has a foot in the motherlode of great songs." -- AMERICANA UK

"Common has achieved the musical equivalent of picking up seven tiles in a game of Scrabble and being able to lay down “bezique” on the first turn. " -- FIVE MAGAZINE, TAOS, NEW MEXICO

"It would be much too easy to use John Common's last name as a pun to describe his 'uncommon' skills as a singer-songwriter, but what the hell." -- SANTE FE REPORTER

"John Common has a keen melodic sense and the requisite ability to take the basic pop formula and turn it on its head. The mix of goodies on his new release, Good To Be Born, bring together a host of elements and styles that, although diverse, avoid the abrasion that many artists suffer when trying to blend too much The blossoming Denver scene should be plenty proud to have Common in its quiver of emerging artists." -- KAFFEINE BUZZ

"Drawing as much from Radiohead and Yo La Tengo as it does from Wilco and the Jayhawks, the group folds elegant melody into brooding experimentalism -- an epic, adventurous sound that will be showcased on an upcoming full-length debut." -- WESTWORD MAGAZINE

"Common writes a great song just about every day... 'Good To Be Born' is a Matthew Sweet-meets-Queen rock opus filled with catchy songs and layers of clever vocals... Damn him." -- 5280 MAGAZINE

"Common is a gifted songwriter with a playfully weird sensibility." -- DENVER POST

"Good To Be Born is a compilation of 11 powerful songs with multiple layers and complexities..." -- NORTH DENVER NEWS

"There are songs that make me want to drink till morning you see... Songs that make me wish I'd somehow gone home with that handsome stranger who smiled when I looked up from my book... Songs that make me want to be loud and messy and get into lots of trouble, when normally I am quiet and neat and only get into medium amounts of trouble... Songs I've caught myself putting on repeat when it's 2 am and I have to wake up at 6..."
-- A GIRL

credits

released August 11, 2006

JOHN COMMON
GOOD TO BE BORN
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.

All songs by John Common (BMI), except for ‘The Other Side of Town’ John Common and Sara Thorpe.
Produced by John Common, Scott Davies
Engineered by Scott Davies, John Common
Recorded at Emmasaurus Sound
Mixed by Jeremy Lawton
Mastered by Andrew Vastola
Art direction and design by Nick Jackson

John Common
vocals, guitars, wurlitzer, piano, toy piano, glockenspiel, samples

Scott Davies
drums, samples, typewriter, backing vocals

Jed Marrs
piano, wurlitzer, organ, backing vocals

Kevin Meyer
bass, glockenspiel, backing vocals

Also
Steve Millin - Bass on ‘Anyway’
Chris Eagleton - Samples on ‘Call Me Right Now’
Jeremy Lawton - Conjunculator on ‘Anyway’
Paul Ewald - Trumpet on ‘In A Bookstore’
Briley Brown - Backing vocals on ‘The Other Side of Town’
P & C 2006 Free School Records
johncommon.com
freeschoolrecords.com

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JOHN COMMON Denver

Confession: I like broken shit. I’m just drawn to it. Always have been. I like it even more if it used to be shiny, beautiful, innocent or full of promise. See, the way down is so interesting to me. The way it actually happens, why it happens, the little details that break off as it’s happening. ... more

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