Unglued was recorded at Crime Dog Studios in Grayslake, IL. We started in June 1999 and recorded through the rest of the year. The band spent way too many hours mixing it (but we did it!), and then Kyle Johnson and John Griffin mastered it (thanks, Kyle!).
Rick Bennett wrote the songs that make the young girls cry, except "Bittersweet" was written by both John Griffin and Rick. The arrangements were very much a band effort. The Swiss-German and French spoken toward the end of "Great Expectations" was done by our very good friend, Ginger Hobi-Ragaz.
Tara Griffin took the awesome photos for the cover (thanks, Tara!). Rick did the CD designing and misspellings, and handed it over to Tom Neal (Tom's a pro - thanks, Tommy!) to get everything in order.
We didn't thank anyone specifically on the CD insert. But hopefully, we've thanked everyone personally who helped us. If not, we thank you now. We've got lots of great friends and family. You guys rock.
The Unglued Band:
Rick Bennett - vocals, bass
John Griffin - guitars
John Flamini - drums
you say my aim's not really true
you say I haven't got a clue I'm heading for a fall
wouldn't be safe wouldn't be prudent
how can you say that I'm impudent
I'm not that way at all
you think everything I want is well beyond my reach
but I know that I'm reasonable I've only simple needs
I want to bask in fortune's light
I want to live in spring eternal
I want to be the king of the world
I want to be the king of the world
you'd hate to see me disappointed
disillusioned and disjointed
it's not a pretty thought
am I being too pretentious
maybe I should come to my senses
doing what I ought
but should I bear your condemnation for avarice and such
I am but a humble man I really don't want much
maybe failure's on the brink
maybe I'm foolish so you think
everything I want is well beyond my reach
but I couldn't be more reasonable so simple are my needs
you know the facts but what you lack is the vision to excel
look at me you'll agree my life is a living
hello children can you see through the ruins and debris
it's your course your destiny
whatever it takes to succeed
that is how you've got to be
eyes on the purse but family first unless they start to drag you down
it's OK because someday you can pay them off
around the corner you will see everything your life can be
the mantra you must repeat
whatever it takes to succeed
that is how you've got to be
make your decision
persistence of vision
let nothing you dismay
forget your reason
quitting is treason
let nothing stop this train
around the corner you will see everything you'll ever need
the mantra you must repeat
whatever it takes to succeed that is how you've got to be
around the corner you will see everything you'll ever need
it's your course your destiny
whatever it takes to succeed
that is how you've got to be
someone left the cap off of the soda pop and everything went flat
imagine that
imagine that
someone left the small town for the city to find fortune and some fame
someone left the cake out in the rain but who likes green cake anyway
and she told him yes let's do it and there will be no strings or complications
great expectations
great expectations
great expectations, seldom realized
someone worked hard to get rich and found that money wasn't quite enough
then he gave away his money but realized that he missed all the stuff
someone told me if you have faith everything you need will come to you
someone said if you wish upon a star than your dreams will soon come true
and we can solve the problems here with tougher penalties and legislation
great expectations
great aspirations
great expectations, seldom realized
how come everybody doesn't do exactly what I say
sometimes they haven't got a clue as to what I'm thinking
doing what I can but people could you consider lending a hand
can you even hear me
thank you yes I understand that you won't help me
no I don't understand the reasons you don't understand
don't understand
don't understand
if I really said what's on my mind would you believe me
if I told you what I really want would you appease me
in the safety of this room he'd like to stay you might assume
that I 'd want nothing more
but I do want so much more
when I think of all the things I've never done for all of you
but then you never asked me to
and if I can convince you to help me it won't happen today
how come everybody doesn't do exactly what I say
I don't understand
I'm not an actual doctor
I never played one on TV
I'm really not an expert and I do not have a license to be
but I can see you've got issues
everything is not well in happy land
you were once so mighty and you were once so pompous and grand
look at you you've come unglued
desperate and dysfunctional
trying to hold on without much left to hold on to
it's not a case of schadenfreude
I just want to Sigmund Freud ya
so tell me about your mother and tell me a little more about your dreams
I had another dream you gave marmalade to the commandant
you should have heard him scream washing camembert at the laundromat
he held his own expertise in an envelope
held by government bureaucrats and the irs
and the table turns
and the paper burns
you can taste the heat
and it's bittersweet
the accountants were feasting on canard and profit-loss
and the soldiers arrived wielding staplers and orange sauce
laying waste to the scene with their secret files
and miles and miles of dental floss
and it's bittersweet though the wind blows
sour wakes me up despite the hour
'til I once again resume this restless sleep
don't be scared
be preposterous
you've always been restrained
nothing ventured not much gained
put away your shame and take all you can gain
and stuff it in your mattress or a jar buried in the yard
take a chance
you find Romania is really not that far
but you can't get there in a car
so just choose another route
so just gather up your doubt
and stuff it in your mattress or a jar
quite extreme
you know what I mean kids don't really dig your scene
but they don't know what you mean
cause you're not the kind of band for their attention spans
and their daddies buy them mattresses and jars to bury in the yard
young yes and slightly impetuous
but old enough to know
and looking for some validation
all those years of rejection fading away
you trusted me to be kinder how were you to know
that I would be just like the others
all those years of obsession taking control
I'm not asking for absolution
but I'm fumbling for the ways and means of telling you and the world
I was wrong
tricking myself into thinking that just wasn't me
he doesn't even look much like me
deep into my quintessence I pray that I've changed
you climbed up the ladder of success rung by rung
never looking down
you took the bull by the horns
you never did let go 'til you threw him to the ground
and you leap tall buildings in one maybe two bounds
soar through the air at twice the speed of sound
confidence oozes from your pores
you win the battles and you win the wars
and though it does become you I just don't want to become you
and I've seen the hoops you jump through
and I don't want to be like you
you made a mountain in the plains inch by inch
higher than the sky
and you stood upon the highest peak
but only for a moment
there were other hills to climb
and though it does become you
I don't want to become you
it's not that I don't like you
I just don't want to be like you
you built a tower to the sky brick by brick for everyone to see
as you rest to plan your next endeavor all alone
and you'll always be
I could have been a lawyer
lots of wealth and power
charging by the hour
but I got no patience
I could have been a doctor
go to school forever
playing golf whenever I got no patients
I could have been anyone
could have been someone
could have been something special
I could have been anything
could have been the real thing
could have been someone with some patience
I could have been an actor
an award winner
wants to be a singer
but I got no patience
I could have been a singer
living with a model
living for the bottle
but I got no patience
I could have been an athlete
tearing up the fields with commercial deals
but I got no patience
I could have had you
but the idea just didn't make any sense
cause you don't have the patience
sometimes I feel so bad for me
and then I feel the need to say it aloud
sometimes I tend to complain
can you feel my pain
I'm not very proud
don't think I'm that all too greedy
yet why do I feel so needy
trying to assess this burgeoning unsuccess
this I must confess is nothing I thought about 'til now
so why should I care anyhow
I pray thee Lord my brains to keep
and as I'm lacking sleep I'm not thinking clear
knowing that I really tried
combined with this shameful pride
is that what I fear
I'm needing gratification
hard to meet these expectations
I've been running
I've been running
and now I've forgotten what I was running from
it's been so long it's been so long
and I clearly need some shelter from the sun
I've been running
I've been running
and I haven't stopped too often on the way
now my eyes are strained
body's torn
head is aching
nerves are worn
I was hoping it would be okay
would you let me rest in your shade
would you let me hideaway
in the shadow of your kindness I could ease my mind
in the stillness of your beauty I could contemplate why
I keep running
I've been running
I've been running and I've forgotten what I've been running to
I've come so far
I've come so far
my meanderings have led me now to you
I'm not sure I could be wrong
but I can only run so long
I couldn't last another mile
and it would be so nice to stay awhile
many of my values compromised
many expectations never realized
many of my schemes have gone askew
but everything I need is here with you
while I'm slowly trudging through the sand
while I'm trying hard to be a better man
while I do so much and please so few
everything I need I have with you
everything I need is here with you
in my little galaxy of misguided fantasy
you keep me company and you'll always be
your patience I cannot duplicate
your compassion I can only imitate
your devotion always sees me through
and everything I need I have with you
everything I need is here with you
maybe I will never be the king
maybe I will never be the real thing
maybe I will keep on trying too
but everything I need I have with you
as I look in your eyes I know it's true
everything I need is here with you