Meet The Author
Fastbacks Lyrics

Hi, hey, hello, how are you
Opening greeting and acknowledgment of the person's loneliness

You're looking awfully lonely on the edge of that barstool
Noticing the person's isolation

You don't know me yet, but for now that's just fine
Acknowledging that they are strangers

I'd like to talk about why you love life
Expressing an interest in the person's perspective on life

Are you up nights til sunrise, comatose and numb'
Asking if the person has struggled with insomnia and feeling detached from life

Awake at night hating life, alone on the rug'
Asking if the person has experienced moments of despair and emptiness

But you're making changes now, plans to go out
Noticing that the person is taking action to improve their situation

A couple of drinks to let your head settle down
Assuming that the person is drinking to relieve stress

You'd just stopped thinking, Eleanor Rigby
Referencing a Beatles song about a lonely person and implying that the person may have felt similar to the character in the song

Then I sat down and you started listening
Noticing that the person is receptive to conversation now

This city is busy, it'll eat you alive
Commenting on the overwhelming nature of the city

And strangers don't just sit down to talk about life
Acknowledging that it's unusual for strangers to have deep conversations

So what's it gonna be Neo, follow the rabbit'
Referencing the movie The Matrix and asking the person to make a choice

Call me a madman, pretend this never happened'
Addressing the possible discomfort of the conversation

Red or blue pill, but before you do choose
Referencing The Matrix again and asking the person to consider the options before making a decision

Just let me introduce who's been talking to you
Introducing oneself

It's nice to meet you, my name is ck
Formally introducing oneself and sharing a nickname

I like the Giants, punk rock, English, and beat breaks
Sharing personal interests

Certainly no Burgundy, my friends call me Charlie
Referencing Anchorman and sharing another nickname

My dorm room smells of a pungent mahogany
Referencing Anchorman again and adding a humorous line about personal space

A leatherbound moleskin, I wrote in some poetry
Sharing a personal detail about writing poetry in a journal

Scream into the speakers until my neighbors know me
Describing a passion for music and self-expression

I built the Eiffel Tower, invented the wheel
Joking about grandiose accomplishments

And when I got the mic I'm kind of a big deal
Acknowledging confidence in one's abilities

I was that nice dude who you knew in high school
Sharing personal history and referencing a past life stage

You could talk to about haikus or Ice Cube
Describing oneself as versatile in conversation topics

As time flew I'd choose to write words
Describing a shift in personal focus toward writing

My turn to learn til nights my eyes burned
Describing a dedication to learning and improving writing skills

I found two friends who at the same time
Sharing the experience of finding supportive friends

Were riding the same vibe of trying to make rhymes
Describing a shared focus on writing music

We gave it some time, added some substance
Describing the process of developing music with friends

Just some kids who made something from nothing
Emphasizing the creativity and effort involved in making music

It was online, the whole high school read it
Sharing a moment of success in sharing music

Mentioned it like it was social extra credit
Joking about the level of attention the music received

Kids I barely met like, 'nice rhyme last night?
Describing positive feedback received from peers

My whole goal was just to satisfy that high
Acknowledging that the motivation for making music was largely personal satisfaction

An addict to approval, respect injections
Describing a need for validation through positive feedback

I kept at it so I could get that next fix
Describing a drive to continue making music for personal validation

Cause I wasn't drinking stuff, I hadn't touched drugs
Clarifying that the mentioned addiction was not a substance addiction

I just lusted for a deep seeded need to be loved
Confessing a need for love and acceptance

I self-love, self-loathe, self-hate and self-gloat
Describing a struggle with self-esteem and self-perception

When the world's too loud I just throw on my headphones
Describing a coping method for dealing with external stressors

Someday I might stitch them to the side of my face
Joking about a desire for more permanently escaping reality

Plug myself into the stereo and turn up the bass
Describing a love for music and the power it holds

Frankenstein figure, fuse limbs and split nerves
Metaphorically comparing oneself to the Frankenstein monster, including the idea of being constructed from different parts

Inject ink into my veins so my fingers drip words
Describing the intensity of creative energy

Emerge out the fog like after jubala shows
Referencing a hippie gathering and describing oneself as emerging from a cloud of creativity

Open the exits, release the marijuana smoke
Continuing the hippie vibe and implying a release of creative energy

I'm on the road like Kerouac, anywhere been there and back
Referencing Jack Kerouac and describing oneself as a traveler

Always awake to the same face staring back
Emphasizing the struggle with self-perception

The puddles get muddy and the mirrors get foggy
Describing a literal and metaphorical lack of clarity

My mind's always moving but it can't leave my body
Describing a sense of being trapped mentally and/or physically

Undiagnosed neurotic, unfocused and toxic
Describing mental and emotional struggles

If I'm not sick I don't know that the problem is
Acknowledging a lack of clarity about personal struggles

The songs are just ways to keep my mind busy
Describing a motivation for making music as distraction

Distract me from what happens if I really started thinking
Acknowledging a fear of confronting personal struggles through introspection