American Standard Released September, 1995 Mammoth/Atlantic Records American Standard was recorded in a whirlwind. The summer of 1995 felt like a dream. I graduated from college in May, and by the middle of June we had signed to Mammoth Records and started recording our first album. We all went down to Tampa, where I met one of my closest friends and collaborator Tom Morris, and got to work. All I can remember is how hot it was, and how hurried we were. They say you have your whole life to make your first record, but for us that wasn’t the case. Cumbersome was already getting radio airplay off of our independent release Churn, and we wanted to get something out there as soon as possible. By August we were out in the van touring the country, sweating it out wherever someone would have us. It was an exciting time. We were all so young. Cumbersome took on a life of it’s own, and by the time it hit number one it was 1997, and we had played 256 shows in the last 365 days. ~ Jason Ross Songs Audio Water's Edge Cumbersome Roderigo mp3 Devil Boy My My mp3 Lame mp3 Headstrong Anything Margaret Punch In Punch Out Favorite Dog Water's Edge "don't go there" I heard her say. "you can't stomach what you're going to see" It's down there, by the water's edge wasted and bloated and waiting for someone else funny how, these things come about when you're tied to the teeth and mouth no sound or fury, no shot of pain there was no real reason, no gain I can't go down to the waters edge I didn't do it.....I saw who did Don't go down to the waters edge they did it once and they can do it again it ain't no secret to me how she got there down by the stream I'd seen her a minute before the van pulled up and opened the door (took all my love) but I can't say a single word about what I saw of her her killers....they got their friends in familiar places, I tell you man this ain't no f***ing game and I'm feeling so ashamed because I didn't do anything no I didn't do anything to stop this from happening I didn't do a thing I swear Back To Top Cumbersome he calls me goliath and i wear the david mask i guess the stones are coming too fast for her now you know I'd like to believe this nervousness will pass all the stones that are thrown are building up a wall I have become cumbersome to this world I have become cumbersome to my girl I'd like to believe we could reconcile the past resurrect those bridges with an ancient glance but my old stone face can't seem to bring her down she remembers bridges, burns them to the ground I have become cumbersome to this world I have become cumbersome to my girl too heavy too light, too black or too white, too wrong or too right, today or tonight cumbersome too rich or too poor, she's wanting me less and I'm wanting her more the bitter taste is cumbersome there is a balance between two worlds one with an arrow and a cross regardless of the balance life has become cumbersome Back To Top Roderigo "he's a real cannibal." she goes: "I think I'll call him roderigo" dress him up in darker clothes, sell him away standing underneath her gun "sit up straight or I'll hurt you" you know he's not her only son, just the strongest "I'm the real animal." she goes she wants to call me roderigo tie me down with all her ropes, until I can't breathe she can't help but beat me down into a brand new roderigo I'll slip away without a sound, into the air tied him down to her tree stayed fit to name him what he's going to be tied him up with her rope you know it stained her neck but it can't hold roderigo Back To Top Devil Boy I slept throught easter yesterday right through christmas just the same the priest came up to me all up in arms he said, "devil boy what have you done?" the jesuits rolled in thier tanks to my front door while the capuchins held a love-in on my front porch the augustinians kept to themselves, stuck their tongues out in a row they said, "devil boy, it's off to hell you go!" so I'll sit and pray for her to call me there and I'll burn that bridge a 1000 times, on the cross I bear just to wonder if you're listening from a soap box in the sky to finally realize my price, was it you or I? hey devil boy we're going to blow your house in hey devil boy what do you think of that? for heaven's sake it's only been 2000 years and I can't wait any longer for you for heaven's sake I'd give away eternity if you would come back to me, if you would come back to me if you would come back to me, if you would come back to me Back To Top My My my my stomach hurts again tonight she says: and crashes on her floor cuts what she can't unite ties it to a door if mercy was a cattle call she didn't hear she didn't want to play the role of the fool again won't be fooled again indifference as my witness I think she'd take me back she tears down my front door just to see my photograph my my head is getting so confused she says what's she trying to do to me? put my sticker on her car bought a CD if mercy was a cattle call she didn't hear she didn't want to play the role of the fool again won't be fooled again indifference as my witness I think she'd take me back she tears down my front door just to hear my phonograph it spins.... I ain't too proud to beg sweet darlin don't you leave me baby don't you go I ain't too proud to beg sweet darlin don't you leave me my my skin can't take much more of this, she says you're scaling over me. every time I wash it off, I find you underneath and if mercy was a cattle call she didn't hear... she didn't want to play the role of the fool again won't be fooled again... Back To Top Lame here's a tall, a mulatto. boy i know and he comes to every party - he stands alone viewing them the rest, from the corner of his glance it gets so clear, he's not judging anyone the way his arms float around his cage, he's caged canary sings, silently brings, his voice to rage the way they stop and stare, the way they turn their heads it's enough to make him want to run away but he stays, he stands his ground and I'm so lame the way I condescend without ever knowing his name he keeps it in a box, hangs it from his ear looks at everyone without the slightest fear it's making me so ashamed slender body, slip through his glance I don't give him a single chance the way he's rocking back and forth makes a buzzing in my ear constantly reminding me that I never stop to hear him say hello, hello and I am so lame like a moth bumping off his godless flame I cannot condescend or even apprehend, what comes over me when I see his shameless face so rage, please rage against me beat me down, beat me down, forgive me for what I've done, I'm so lame, I'm so lame, I'm so lame so lame, so lame, so lame Back To Top Headstrong headstrong is willing to live like a rat in a hole headstrong....unwilling to listening anyone at all keeps her head above the water, keeps her head upon her shoulders i know, i know, i know she has heard this all before she don't break, she don't sink, she don't think, a thing of me headstrong can fake an awkwardness, silenced by the price of love don't get too close in case, push comes to shove won't be your favourite girl, won't hear your favourite song she's heard it all before I don't mind she know's the words I'm writing -we all need some pain and remember, what you told me, we all bleed the same headstring is making a list so long, of all the people she has done and undone again - my name engraved she doesn't notice the things I take for granted were my own to give, my own to give and take she don't break, she don't think don't sink don't want to give or take my love don't break don't sink don't think of me headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong Back To Top Anything Indivisible, you are the one Impossible to hear what you say to me at night can't I have some covers back? It's so cold on the wrong side of the bed are you awake are you aware are you anything? pictures high, high above the shelf letters from me to you, you to me, us to them do they mean anything? anything at all? I know I'm not the man of her dreams daddy said she'd marry rich, rich, richer than me I know I'm not her man, but she can take anything anything she wants Do you think it's just enough to know how I wanted you to feel read things back to me, back up to see from where I am there is nothing more than this, more than this Is it enough to say that I want you to keep it close to me me, me is all I think about, but every word you say do I mean anything? anything at all? Back To Top Margaret Margaret came to me was all she said before she knew my name she was in my bed she was only sweet sixteen 20,000 days younger than me Margaret feels the world beneath her feet shaking like a leaf falls from the tree she don't care he's ten years older than me as long as they're together happily "marry me" she said I don't reply "daddy said you'd better, or you'll die" she wants a house and fifteen kids I guess and I can't find a state we're legal in Back To Top Punch In Punch Out I wake up to beat the sun from her glory I'm only one cigarette away from mobility It's always punch in punch out go to work and go back home there's only one chance left and I know and I know where she is waiting Back To Top Favorite Dog that's my other hand, open and empty it wants one too I guess that's my other jaw, swollen and shameless it talks too much I know and another singer is born, with every sip I take wash away my words, just like my flesh and bone and they're barking at me, yeah they're workinf on me just like my favourite dog geronimo, look out below I love that rusty water like it was my favourite dog geronimo, look out below I love that rusty water like it was my favourite dog that's my other head, open and bleeding it thinks too much I guess that's my other eye, swollen but fearless it's seen too much I know and another singer is killed with every sip I take drain away my words, just like my flesh and bone and they're working on me, yeah they're working one me just like my favourite dog Back To Top day&nightdriving Dis/Location Economy of Sound Orange Ave Rock Crown American Standard