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Tales of Nostalgia

by Rich Chris

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1.
Intro 00:14
none
2.
What are you holding onto so tightly? These words will fly off the tip of your tongue if you let go slightly Seconds can fall like sand thru your hands when you're too comfortable You'll never see the whole picture looking from behind the glass Let the birds out of their cages and watch them fly away Soaring thru the clouds as they chase the sky away Would they wander, oh I wonder Let the birds out of their cages and watch them fly away Watch them fly away Pictures only capture the one single moment But those thousand words have so much more to say Fleeting thoughts can storm the mind like comets - one at a time Until you find the use of using metaphors to explain your life Let the birds out of their cages and watch them fly away Soaring thru the clouds as they chase the sky away Would they wander, oh I wonder Let the birds out of their cages and watch them fly away Watch them fly away
3.
Somewhere down highway 34 Where you can’t see the city anymore The sun shines just a little more bright And the night stars don't get blocked out by the city lights and it's all just a drive down highway 34 I'm dreaming of Green Valley I don't wanna go home When I close my eyes, I see that swing on the tree before the autumn backdrop full of painted colored leaves There's no place quite like Williamstown It's so unique because there's nothing else around Its river flows thru the past behind the cottage houses Its hidden treasure lies behind the sign for he who browses It never rains, and no one complains and why would they when the land they have is so beautiful? You can smell the difference in the air When the sun goes down, I don't wanna go home No, I don't wanna go home So I'll keep driving down County Road 18 While I’m dreaming of Green Valley I don’t wanna go home tonight So why not stay up all night and watch the constellations shine bright Like I've never seen before This place feels like home in my heart and I've known it from the start When I close my eyes I see that bear-looking-dog smiling back at me Before I know it - it's all over even though the time passes a little bit slower I'll be back before I know'er and I cannot wait 'til then
4.
It only takes a second for someone to paint a picture of you inside their head Based on what they already know and what they see Regardless of details overlooked, invisible or hiding in shadows But you never see it all the first time First impressions / Second guesses Wearing our masks with our best foot forward A summary of the best of the text The best of the text Use all preparation and keep integrity They’re the best tools at your disposal Remember first impressions determine direction & momentum It’s a delicate balancing act in our superficial world Broken glass isn’t fixed too easily It’s an uphill battle to reverse the gravity First impressions / Second chances Starting on the wrong foot / Unlucky circumstances Seeking forgiveness / Rebuilding trust Rebuilding Trust Standing at the plate, there’s no time to explain Act as rehearsed or start to improvise It’s an uphill battle to reverse the gravity Pressure builds with increasing weight Under the scrutiny of judgemental eyes Every action has potential to seal fate First impressions / Second guesses Wearing our masks with our best foot forward A summary of the best of the text First impressions / Second chances Starting on the wrong foot / Unlucky circumstances Seeking forgiveness / Rebuilding trust Rebuilding trust
5.
228 02:41
Take me back to Augusta Street Take me back to 2010 University life’s so sweet And I wanna live those days again I lived just down the road / 5 minute longboard and I’m there Don’t gotta knock just walk on in / a welcoming roar to join the partying Pre-drinks and parties at the house at least 4 nights a week Flip-Cup off the kitchen table while I hit Lieutenant Dan Saint Patty’s Day was a kegger / somebody threw Marco thru the window Andrew bodysurfed down the stairs and everything’s covered in Timber hairs Hand-grenade flip cup with Molly, hotboxing the sauna daily Toonie Tuesdays at 1848 and open mics at Nostalgica Those were the days we felt so close Those are the days, the days I cherish the most The house was always a mess cuz none of us wanted to party less Hitting the bars and the clubs for shows became the Ritual Lots of friends make lots of noise and constantly wake up the boys Mac’s room’s right by the front door and he’s the one who got it more I saw Kalei and Abby there a whole lot more than I saw Jere Guiri, Joel and Andrei too and none of them even lived there I can see invisible Pasc looking pretty on the red couch In that living room where we chilled and that time that quarter spilled I missed the thanksgiving turkey and Willy’s lamb for Jenn G And when Bairn met Danielle, soon we’ll hear those wedding bells Six friends living in one house, couples then now they’re spouse Engineers and their lucky curses – they always end up with nurses Those were the days we felt so close Those are the days, the days I cherish the most Years have passed / Our distance’s grown From Alberta to Nunavut and Nova Scotia and all over Ontario The house is still there but we’re all gone And the spirit of our parties lives on and on and on Take me back to Augusta Street Take me back to 2010 Take me back to Augusta Street And I wanna live those days again
6.
I remember back in the day We used to go out and play We used to talk to each other When we had something to say And then the Internet came and it took it all away Now the kids born today won't know life any other way We have the whole world at our fingertips And we're hooked on flat screens and microchips The world's greatest tool becomes a toy in the hands of a fool Say goodbye to face to face Our ancestors could never believe we can order pizza online And contact our friends worldwide on an app called Facetime And we'll never ever get lost with Google Maps and Wi-Fi But a room full of friends aren't being social with their phones on the network We have the whole world at our fingertips And we're hooked on flat screens and microchips The world's greatest tool becomes a toy in the hands of a fool Say goodbye to face to face Say goodbye to face to face
7.
The Fear 01:06
Every year, the winter tries to kill us After we get used to the warmth We know exactly what’s coming but we try to prepare As the days get shorter and so much colder At about this time, I get terrified At about this time, I ask myself: Why do we live here? Why do we live here? Why do we live here? Why do we live here? Cuz it’s our home! Yeah it’s our home! And a couple of snow mounds and icy roads won’t take us away From the land that makes us who we are Every year the winter tries us like a test And all we have to do is just resist Till the light of spring comes & we’ll finally hang up our coats And we’ll be OK for another 6 months or so
8.
Best Wishes 02:32
We met in the month of December And I know you'll always remember those days We spent together growing up in our early twenties We've gone our separate ways You went to Asia for 90 days and I knew things were gonna change And I knew you'd meet someone The odds were more than one to one You've found a sparkle in his eye and now you're changing your plans And I wish you the best with your new man Cuz I know he'll make you happier than I ever can Maybe this is for the best We were both growing so depressed Last fall when we had nowhere else to go at all We brought each other out of dark, dark places Now we approach the world with stronger faces As you travel round the world chasing your dreams And I sing my songs each night And I wish you the best with your new man Cuz I know he'll make you happier than I ever can We both have nomadic states of mind Yet we seek a different kind of lifestyle and adventure I'm sure our paths will cross again, just don't know when Reluctant at first, but I tried Glad I took that ride
9.
10.
Push 04:11
CHORUS: (It’s) that push that lifts and leaves enough room for the oxygen to breath and feed those flames that fuel that push WOOOOAAH Sometimes it hurts and goes away / Sometimes it leaves a mark to stay Holding together, holding forever it seems As it doesn’t always get easier Heavy weights can crush us down / Hard hits will take their toll What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and that’s exactly how it works We always find a way to heal / We always find a way to fuel CHORUS I haven’t felt pain like this in years / Tension breaks, releasing tears The anxiety and the confusion can turn into a lifelong delusion If you can’t wait out the storm And it rains and rains and rains for days And you’re choked up on your mistakes And when those dark grey clouds have passed You’ll find once again what it takes to feed that push You’ll find once again what it takes to feed CHORUS Sometimes it hurts and goes away / Sometimes it leaves a mark to stay Holding together, holding forever it seems As it doesn’t always get easier Your strength – it always comes from within Sometimes you need a little help finding it We may not always see a clear refection from our perspective But our friends know us better than we know ourselves And our friends know us better than we know ourselves Our friends know us better than we know ourselves Our friends always know just how to find DOUBLE CHORUS
11.
There’s miles and miles and miles of land out there And we’re takin the backroads To see what the others don’t see To feast our eyes on the open country To just look back / To just let go Where we don’t know Ever rolling hills Trees thick of green, green forest The rushing waters of our rivers and lakes Beaches of sand and larger rock Open land and mountains snow high Deep, deep valleys / Dark, dark caves Where echoes sound like they last for days Every time I pass by a place like this, I wanna stop and take a picture And capture the moment where it lasts We may never see this again Open landscape as far as the eye can see An orange sunset above the ocean and its calm rustling waves The scenery poses for photography as it changes by the minute day by day with the weather A spectacle of nature on its own time The colour of the sky when it rains on an open field A lonely old wooden bridge that still crosses the river A silhouette of seven trees and its reflection on the water Every time I pass by a place like this, I wanna stop and take a picture And capture the moment where it lasts We may never see this again Scenery poses for photography if we can find it The world’s performing live for us And we’ll be around to hear its sound
12.
As the raindrops hit my skin I’m starting to believe that this isn’t the place No, it isn’t the place, the place I wanna be And I’ve got some things to ponder Some places I’d like to wander I’m not trying to get lost, I’m not trying to get found I just can’t bear stickin around And I know I can’t hide from life / but I can keep running And I know I can’t hide from life / but I’m gunna keep running And I know I can’t hide from life / so I’ll try to keep running Please grant me the power to change the things I don’t like And also the power to accept the things that I can’t change And then it’s up to me to learn the difference between the two At times when life just don’t make sense Tales are born for self defense There’s a hundred ways to explain life’s suspenseful events At times when life just don’t make sense Tales are told for self defense There’s a million ways to explain life’s suspenseful events Life’s suspenseful events
13.
You say that there’s no way / that you would wanna stay with me when we don’t quite feel the same and it’s ok to have your expectations your wants and desires to invest in a love that never expires But I see it differently / there’s no way it has to be I just loved your company that was just enough for me We both made sacrifices, became eachother’s vices And as the warmness ices, the feelings didn’t freeze Every time we tried to be friends we were fooling ourselves Then I learned we can’t be just friends / I felt sparks when we held hands Our connection – it’s so strong – it’s what carried us along Thru the times when things got hard / differences drew us apart We’re on different paths for now The beginning was pure bliss / I never thought I’d feel like this When I look back on those days, I still get shivers from our first kiss Skating dates on the canal, Sunday morning F&S breakfast Getting baked and watching Netflix and splitting cheese pizzas in the fort Then things got serious and I made you a promise Our feelings grew, we fell in love and I thought I could handle this Pointless fights broke me down and as the sweetness soured I acted like a coward / I just couldn’t break your heart Every time we tried to be friends we were fooling ourselves Then I learned we can’t be just friends / I felt sparks when we held hands Our connection was so strong – it’s what carried us along Thru the times when things got hard and differences drew us apart We’re on different paths for now We had a rocky start and you fought like a wolf for the key to my heart and you fought like a wolf for the key to my heart
14.
Houses 05:24
There's more than a house, There’s more than a house behind these bricks These walls watched us as we got up to our tricks We were so young back then but we felt so old This was the first time we didn't have to do what we're told We were raised by our parents but this is where we grew up Our new life was an adventure and we experienced it together And every year that we moved, we learned another lesson We kept learning the whole time, even though we thought we knew it all But what is there to learn? Some say it’s how it feels to earn (your own way) But what is there to learn? It's in the value and the worth (your own way) But what is there to learn? Now all my friends have moved on to different cities and far away And it seems I pass by a house where they used to live every day But the bricks, the windows and the walls They all remind me of a time in our lives It holds a place in my heart and the memory revives But what is there to learn? Some say it’s how it feels to earn (your own way) But what is there to learn? It's in the value and the worth (your own way) But what is there to learn? That every episode of your life will take its turn And it's important to learn that happiness is just a moment So learn to make these moments last, so that when they have passed You won’t be clinging on to retrospect or the past No matter how close we are as friends, we can’t forget the good time ends The end of one chapter’s the start of another And when those passionate fights turned into late, late nights We learned there's more than a house behind these bricks And when best friends live together, they experience all kinds of weather And it makes up for being woken up by slammed cabinets We never meant to piss each other off, though we didn't know it at the time We were just learning how to live our own lives And when those houses are ashes in the wind We learn there's more than a house behind these bricks But in the end all that remains is the memories kept alive

about

This album took almost 4 full years to make. Recorded with 3 different people in different years starting in 2014. These songs are a part of my past and hold their place

credits

released May 1, 2018

Credits:
All songs written and performed by Rich Chris
(except for percussion and keys on 2, 3, 6, 8, 12 and 13 performed by Zoltek)

Tracks 3, 9, and 14 recorded and mixed by Cam Hanes; mastered by Zoltek @ Steal! Records
Tracks 2, 6, 8, 12, and 13 recorded, mixed and mastered by Zoltek @ Steal! Records
Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11 recorded, mixed and mastered by Mike Poisson Recording

Cover image photographed by Andrew McClellan, edited by Rich Chris

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about

Rich Chris Ottawa, Ontario

been playin guitar since i was 12 years old. played in a bunch of bands, and now i wanna do the solo acoustic thing for fun

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