Song #12: Amphetamine

The character in this song seems to have climatized to a life of loss. Like any of us, of course he doesn't desire brokenness but his attitudes and beliefs attract it time and again. And time and again, instead of dealing with these things head on, he tends to default to two coping mechanisms: self-medication and running away. "Amphetamine" is a dark song about a shell of a man, hardly someone worth admiring. And yet there's sympathy there, knowing that we all deal with loss and difficulty in our own variations of these ways. Part of me wants to scream at him - "it's worth the risk" - but he'll either toughen up and figure that on his own... or he won't.

On a production note, this is the first song so far that I've directly worked with another individual in the creation process. Music college friend, writing partner and excellent songwriter/performer Joe Aielli had the piano intro and idea for this song years ago. We've worked it on and off for a while but I knew when I began this love-themed writing project, this song would have to be revisited and finished.

Oh, and please swing by Joe's page and become a fan of his well-crafted music: www.facebook.com/joeaielli

PLAY:

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LYRICS:

she called me in and said I'm leaving
just like so many girls before
and once again I think that love, it ain't the answer
'cause what's united can be torn

friends and lovers, ya who needs 'em?
it just hurts too much to say goodbye anymore
well i've got all the ways I need to ease the pain
and they come out to play when it begins to storm

I think love is an amphetamine running through my head
just a high that becomes tomorrow's tears
I think love is an amphetamine,
so now I'm on my way until it all just disappears

as the dust blows up behind me
I can't think about all the people I left behind
what you call love I call the thing that trips me up
I'd rather move ahead alone and undefined

yes, I think love is an amphetamine running through my head
just a high that becomes tomorrow's tears
I think love is an amphetamine,
so now I'm on my way until it all just disappears

and when I take the pill I'm standing on top of the world
unconscious to the crowd below
but without fail, in time, I always come crashing down
it lifts me up and leaves me low

will i always think love is an amphetamine?
will i ever let anyone draw near?
see I think love is an amphetamine
so now I'm on my way until it all just disappears
you may live in love, but I live in fear
so I'll get the hell on out of here