This is the lead song from an EP that was a bit of an end of an era.

It is cleaner and more coherently produced than anything that was leading up to it – and it would be the last time I took that approach, really. From here the full band sound would pretty quickly dissipate, to be replaced in a couple of years by just guitar and vocal recordings. Many of the parts were still pretty much one take and fairly improvised but everything feels a bit tighter.  Doesn’t mean that my bass playing doesn’t go on one of my trademark walkabouts at the end of the bridge, though. Cracks me up – I just couldn’t help myself.

I like the tunes and I like the feel and I would come to like the EP format better than anything longer.

Shoot the Moon is from We Got Our Paint At…, recorded in 2003 in Wicker Park, Chicago. I think. Maybe. It might have been Albany Park. I can’t remember. I should have written this stuff down somewhere, really.

The photo on the top of this page is of the reflections in the windows of the Art Institute of Chicago and taken about that time.

The photo for the album cover gave the album its name. It was taken by Damen Mroczek several years before in Bloomington, Indiana. It ended up being used here because there were some great shots from that photo shoot and I was always bummed that I never found good reasons to use them.

If the video is slow to load you can find it on youtube HERE.

Shoot the Moon

There’s too much placed on sad blue eyes
Too many scenes that make you cry
Too many twisted reasons why.
Just shoot the moon, don’t say goodbye

You couldn’t take another day
Trust me, you’d see it all my way
To many games for you to play.
Just shoot the moon, don’t try to stay.

You’re down and out with every grind
Just punching in and counting time
And the check is spent before it’s signed.
Just shoot the moon, don’t pay the fine.

There’s too much saddled on the fallen
Too many schemes that can’t go right.
There’s too much life that just keeps stalling
Without hope, without fight.
There’s too much saddled on the fallen
Too many dreams that fade to light.

Just take a step into my shoes
With nothing left to pay the dues
And you’re just standing here confused.
Just shoot the moon, what’s left to loose?

Nobody looks when you have gone
Nobody cares among the through
And no one is right and no one’s wrong.