Album: Gravity Makes The Flame Rise
Artists:
- Michael Guy Bowman
Date: January 26, 2021
Date Added: February 12, 2021
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-makes-the-flame-rise
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lq-rVPYo6-1z313xT4bIwwkXqrGqYJoGA
Has Track Art: false
Cover Artists:
- Kazee
Color: '#b2a89d'
Groups:
- Michael Guy Bowman
- Beyond
---
Track: Gravity Makes The Flame Rise
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
- Tensei (guitar solo)
Duration: '5:26'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/gravity-makes-the-flame-rise
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GOscE_AAEQ
Lyrics: |-
    Is this an ending
    If it all works out
    We'll be all screwed up
    If we're all still standing
    There can be no question

    Or just an omen
    And if so, so what
    Do the doors swing shut
    When the big one opens
    To the sound of trumpets

    'Cause all I see are effigies
    The howling of the flames
    And you can tell the energy
    Will never be the same

    Is this a climax
    When the gloves and guns
    All go off at once
    At the intermission
    And you lose your program

    Or just the footnote
    From a book you read
    For a quiz you flunked
    In a classroom episode
    On a history lesson

    'Cause all I feel is gravity
    So heavy you could drown
    Before you know it's happening
    You hear it in the sound

    Everyone is waiting for a sign, sign, sign
    Sign, sign, sign,
    Chemicals reacting in your mind, mind, mind
    Mind, mind, mind
    All the empty stations on the line, line, line
    Line, line, line
    I don't want to be the one who's left behind
    Left behind

    Here in the house
    Where the window's always white
    And the walls are black as night
    When it comes

    Out of a dream
    Where we both went for a ride
    You are laying by my side
    When it comes

    Is this an ending
    If it all works out
    We'll be all worked up
    If we're all still working
    In a club called nowhere

    Or just an omen
    'Cause it's all so dark
    And it's all so drab
    And we're all so broken
    In a streetlight ocean

    'Cause all we have are effigies
    Of who we were before
    The pictures and the Polaroids
    We buried in the drawer

    The paradox of promises
    The breaking of a heart
    And you can feel it burning
    Before the fire starts

    Everyone is waiting for a sign, sign, sign
    Sign, sign, sign,
    Chemicals reacting in your mind, mind, mind
    Mind, mind, mind
    All the empty stations on the line, line, line
    Line, line, line
    I don't want to be the one who's left behind
    Left behind
    Left behind
    Left behind
    Left behind
    Left behind

    Smiling and waving
    To where your family stands
    With the cameras in their hands
    When it comes

    Flash on the screen
    There's no order to the slides
    There is nothing left to hide
    When it comes

    You're bored and ignored
    And you're barely not alone
    It's the worst you've ever known
    When it comes

    Bright red with the shame
    But you can share the blame
    Catch the roses for your name
    When it comes

    We're running back in time, yeah
    We're running back in time, yeah
    We're running back in time, yeah
    We're running back in time, yeah
    We're running back in time, yeah
    We're running back in time, yeah
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i>
    (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl6xxSx9-Ww">Music video!</a>)
---
Track: They Want To Live Forever
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '2:50'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/they-want-to-live-forever
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0M0dljCPcY
Lyrics: |-
    When the young rebellion rides
    At the crest of a raising tide
    In the dance at the world's end
    You better watch your back, my friend

    They come on like kamikaze planes
    They got the chemicals in their veins
    They want to know where the danger lies
    And the magazine man cries

    They want to live forever
    They want to have it all
    They want to kiss their idols
    They want to break the walls
    They want to die for love
    Before the love just dies, dies
    They want to live forever
    They want to live forever

    When the true believers run
    Through the fire of the falling sun
    In the clash of the new and old
    You better hope that the water's cold

    They want to know what heaven's worth
    They're gonna make a little hell on earth
    They got a ticket to the teenage dream
    And so the morning headline screams

    They want to live forever
    They want to have it all
    They want to kiss their idols
    They want to break the walls
    They want to die for love
    Before the love just dies, dies
    They want to live forever
    They want to live forever and ever and ever and ever
    And ever and ever and ever and ever

    They want to live forever
    They want to have it all
    They want to kill their idols
    They want to break the walls
    They want to die for love
    Before the love just dies, dies
    They want to live forever
    They want to live forever and ever and ever and ever
    And ever and ever and ever and ever
---
Track: Burnout
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '4:30'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/burnout
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpgbfXU6u84
Lyrics: |-
    Congratulations, Sir What's-Your-Name
    You're all that glitters, like a moth into the flame
    Designer clothes, imported cars
    And just enough cologne to cover your cigars

    Your power station is quite secure
    Haunting the hallways and hiding in the doors
    Your innovations don't ever last
    Your occupation's got you going nowhere fast

    If you really want to have it all
    You're never gonna have enough
    Baby, you'll be burning up

    If you really want to rule the world
    You're gonna have to burn it down
    Baby, you'll be burning out

    Year after year, locked in the game
    Update the menu, but the venue's all the same
    The power players already know
    You hit the ceiling such a long, long time ago

    You take it out on little things
    Swipe at the insects underneath you when it stings
    Dreaming of conquest, dreaming of pride
    Throw down the whip, my friend, you're cracking up inside

    If you really want to have it all
    You're never gonna have enough
    Baby, you'll be burning up

    If you really want to rule the world
    You're gonna have to burn it down
    Baby, you'll be burning out
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i>
    (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LJ6poFhBJI">Music video!</a>)
---
Track: Get Tough
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '4:04'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/get-tough
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk63Bsib_Vk
Lyrics: |-
    Don't talk to me about living the dream
    I might be dreaming, but I'm not sleeping sound
    Don't talk to me about living on handouts
    When you're living on hand-be-downs

    I feel like I must be losing my grip
    Clinging to memories, but trying to be hip
    All the other ways I could've gone instead
    I could be a lawyer or a doctor or dead

    It's a long time living
    Long before you're living it up
    And every chance I'm given
    I've thought about giving it up

    There are bills to be paid
    There is love to be made
    There are treacherous waters
    That we all must wade
    And you can beg on your hands and knees
    But it isn't enough
    You've got to get tough

    Don't talk to me about beating the odds
    I'm only standing where the world beats me down
    Don't talk to me about rising above
    When you run with the underground

    I feel like I must be losing my mind
    Opening windows, closing the blinds
    All the other ways I could've gone instead
    No matter where I go I can't get out of my head

    It's a long time living
    Long before you're living it up
    And every chance I'm given
    I've thought about giving it up

    There are bills to be paid
    There is love to be made
    There are treacherous waters
    That we all must wade
    And you can beg for mercy, please
    But it isn't enough
    You've got to get tough

    And just a little bit stronger
    And just a little bit wiser
    For just a little bit longer
    We'll get a little bit higher
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i>
    (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qvyplr1Z3A">Music video!</a>)
---
Track: The Real Thing
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '2:46'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/the-real-thing
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbxPoJRifPc
Lyrics: |-
    Now that the money's run out
    What was all of this all about
    Counting the hours and days
    Every moment you sold away
    Looking for the right stuff
    Waiting for the right friends
    Vanish in the light of
    Morning when the night ends
    Were you only dreaming
    Don't you feel like screaming

    I want the real thing
    I want the real thing
    Oh oh oh
    I want the real thing
    I want the real thing
    Oh oh oh

    And if it all comes back
    And you find yourself on the track
    Where you came off the rails
    When they promised you couldn't fail
    Reading all the right books
    Thinking all the right thoughts
    In another light looks
    Like you had a blindspot
    Who would ever choose this
    Would you rather lose this

    I want the real thing
    I want the real thing
    Oh oh oh
    I want the real thing
    I want the real thing
    Oh oh oh

    And when the diamond in your hand was only coal
    And every bullet in your plan was full of holes
    And you're not sure there ever was an easy street
    It's a minor defeat
    'Cause you know what you need
    And you want something real
    Do you know what is real

    Well

    I want the real thing
    I want the real thing
    Oh oh oh
    I want the real thing
    I want the real thing
    Oh oh oh
---
Track: Manufacturers
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '3:44'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/manufacturers
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtSvK1dCJow
Lyrics: |-
    Who controls sound?
    Who controls sound?
    Who controls the music you hear
    The music you hear

    Who controls love?
    Who controls love?
    Who controls the way that you feel
    The way that you feel

    Manufacturers
    Manufacture us
    Satisfaction guaranteed

    Who controls light?
    Who controls light?
    Who controls the wonders and signs
    The telephone lines

    Who controls words?
    Who controls words?
    Who controls the stories you read
    The things that you need

    Manufacturers
    Manufacture us
    Satisfaction guaranteed

    Who controls time?
    Who controls time?
    Who controls the magazines
    The changing scenes

    Who controls us?
    Who controls us?
    Who controls the things that you do?
    Is it only you?

    Manufacturers
    Manufacture us
    Satisfaction guaranteed
---
Track: 2020 Visions
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '3:01'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/2020-visions
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo4PbMSvieU
Lyrics: |-
    Last year was a total bore
    This year is a total war
    Last year was a total joke
    This year we go up in smoke

    2020 you're a memory now
    They're lining up at the end of our town
    2020 you're a memory now
    They want to burn the government down

    Ooh, I had a vision
    Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn
    Ooh, I had a vision
    Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn

    Last year was a big mistake
    This year see the chessboard shake
    Last year was a safety zone
    This year is the great unknown

    2020 you're a memory now
    They're coming up from the end of our town
    2020 you're a memory now
    They want to burn the government down

    Ooh, I had a vision
    Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn
    Ooh, I had a vision
    Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn

    Ooh, I had a vision
    Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn
    Ooh, I had a vision
    Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn

    Come on and burn baby burn baby burn baby burn
    Come on and burn baby burn baby burn baby burn
    Come on and burn baby burn baby burn baby burn

    Last year was a warning sign
    This year is a firing line
    Last year was a failing grade
    This year is a midnight raid

    2020 you're a memory now
    They're coming up from the end of our town
    2020 you're a punchline now
    They want to burn the government down
---
Track: Anarchy
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '3:42'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/anarchy
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66z3wjsnDak
Lyrics: |-
    There was a time
    You thought it all was for you
    You saw the sun in the sky
    You breathed the air and you knew
    That the world was yours
    It was something to have
    It was all-you-can-eat
    You took all you could grab

    Oh, what a time
    What a sight to behold
    You were more than alive
    Your ambitions were bold
    You were high on a bluff
    Could not confess a mistake
    You demanded the best
    Left the worst in your wake

    You could never be stopped
    It was your moment
    All the destiny talk
    It kept you going
    What an awful surprise
    To see it all flash through your eyes

    Tonight we live in anarchy
    Tonight the idols will fall
    Tonight we live with the heartache
    Fooling like you rule it all

    Tonight belongs to no one
    Tonight is bigger than you
    Tonight we're going to show them
    There's nothing that we will not do

    These are the thoughts
    That we have in the dark
    While you're calling the shots
    We're swimming with sharks
    In a battle royale
    In a bevy of blows
    Every bump in the road
    Like a punch in the nose

    This is the crowd
    That you cannot control
    They are calling you out
    They will swallow you whole
    There is fire in their eyes
    There is blood on their hands
    You're the one they despise
    And they're making demands

    There is nowhere to run
    They're at the front door
    And now that you are the one
    That they have come for
    What a horrible shock
    To be the new head on the block

    Tonight we live in anarchy
    Tonight the idols will fall
    Tonight we live with the heartache
    Fooling like you rule it all

    Tonight belongs to no one
    Tonight is bigger than you
    Tonight we're going to show them
    There's nothing that we will not do
---
Track: Land Of The Free
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
Duration: '3:33'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/land-of-the-free
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XydnukcuI0
Lyrics: |-
    We don't know who we are
    We don't know who we are
    And we don't care
    We don't care

    We don't know what we want
    We don't know what we want
    But we want it now
    Yeah we want it now

    And we know we have rights
    Written by magical men
    With the wave of a pen
    In the land of the free
    Where you don't have to be
    Anyone at all

    We don't know why we're here
    We don't know why we're here
    But we won't leave
    We won't leave

    We don't know when to stop
    We don't know when to stop
    And we won't slow down
    No, we won't slow down

    And we know we're in charge
    With a license from God
    To take whatever we want
    In the land for the free
    Where you can give your disease
    To anyone at all

    And we don't negotiate
    And you can't retaliate
    And we hold on to our hate
    Because it's all we have
    And we don't think twice
    When it all comes crashing down
    Crashing down

    We don't know who we are
    We don't know who we are
    But we know where
    We know where

    And we love it to death
    And you can't disagree
    Because it's all true to me
    In the land of the free
    Where you don't have to be
    Anyone at all
---
Track: With The World Sitting On Your Shoulders
Contributors:
- Melancholy Robot (drums)
- Thomas Hatfield (piano)
Duration: '3:28'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/with-the-world-sitting-on-your-shoulders
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfYadGpHk5c
Lyrics: |-
    There's a riot on the pavement
    When you walk into the street
    With a dream of retribution
    And the rising of the heat

    Do you kiss the feet of beggars
    Do you let them stand alone
    When you look down to your fingers
    And the body's not your own

    Tell me how it feels
    With the world sitting on your shoulders
    All the time

    Tell me how it feels
    With the blood inside you running colder
    On and on
    On and on

    There's a blackout in the city
    When the poles are realigned
    And the compass spins forever
    So you have to speak your mind

    At the mercy of the public
    In the violence of the state
    If you cannot change your answer
    Will you trust the hands of fate

    Tell me how it feels
    With the world sitting on your shoulders
    All the time

    Tell me how it feels
    With the blood inside you running colder
    On and on
    On and on
