"Patriot Acts" (2004) is a five-song EP about America under the reign of George W. Bush, written in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Billy Bragg. The songs are informed and angry, some satirical and some serious. It has received scattered airplay internationally, and Time Out (London) called it a "fine line in protest song."
Baker's second release, the album "Know the Rain Here" (2004), reflects broader influences and eschews political indignation in favor of bittersweet introspection on lost friends, lost years, and lost loves. The songs range in style from furious fingerpicking or all-ahead strumming and harmonica to the lighter touch that prompted a reviewer in New Jersey to make a comparison to Nick Drake.
The third release, a 5-song EP titled "Adding Up the Everything We Lost," was released in December of 2008. While a few of the tracks continue the fingerpicking and sparse, acoustic production of "Know the Rain Here," several songs boast fuller instrumentation of drums, bass, strings, and electronic noise. Lyrically, "Adding Up the Everything We Lost" continues the reflection on bittersweet moments, often marked with a biting humor.
Baker's second full-length album, "Where Are You Now?", was released in May of 2011. While some of the tracks are spare--just acoustic guitar and vocals--others feature fuller arrangements and contributions from pedal steel-player Bruce Kaphan (American Music Club, R.E.M., Red House Painters), NJ songwriter Sarah Jean, drummer Austin Faxon (The Grouch Marxists), cellist John Mescall, and bluegrass fiddler Melissa Lynn Lincoln.
Baker is currently working on a third full-length album, a cycle of songs about Los Angeles, called "An Evil Report of the Good Land."
Karma
Geoff Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to cover up the tracks you left in my backyard
December felt like trying to slip an onion back into skin
And I hate myself for walking out
The way I hated you for walking in
I've been pushing through a lifetime of bad karma
For what I did when I was out in California
And I hate myself for walking out
The way I hated you for walking in
I spent November trying to make my heart hard
And my hands are tired of the feel of wood and steel and my guitar
They want the touch of softer things, your skin, your hair, your skin
And they hate me now for walking out
The way I hated you for walking in
And now I've got nothing left, and there's nothing I got to be
And if I see you everywhere, it's cause you know where to be seen
We flew our love so high it came to pieces in the wind
And I hate myself for walking out
The way I hated you for walking in
The lyrics of the song Karma by Geoff Baker are a poetic representation of the struggles and aftermath of a failed relationship. The song is narrated by the singer who experienced heartbreak and spent the month of November trying to cover the tracks that the former partner left in their backyard. They then spent December trying to reconcile but found it challenging to do so, similar to trying to put an onion back into its skin. The singer hates themselves for walking out and the pain they caused, contrasting this act with the pain they felt when their partner walked into their life.
The lyrics are infused with a sense of irony and self-awareness as the singer recognizes their own bad karma for their past actions while also acknowledging that they may not know the difference between good and bad. The line "I've been pushing through a lifetime of bad karma" suggests the singer is aware that their relationship's failure is due to their past behavior in California. The repetition of the line "and I hate myself for walking out the way I hated you for walking in" highlights the cyclical nature of their relationship struggles.
In the final verses, the singer expresses regret for leaving and missing their former partner's touch, despite hating them for walking into their life. The metaphorical line "We flew our love so high it came to pieces in the wind" represents the abrupt end of their relationship. The song overall is an emotionally charged portrayal of a relationship breakdown and the self-awareness and acceptance of one's bad karma.
Line by Line Meaning
I spent November trying to make my heart hard
I attempted to make myself emotionally detached and distant in order to shield myself from the pain that you caused me in the previous months
Trying to cover up the tracks you left in my backyard
I wanted to erase all evidence of you and I ever being together, as a way to move on from the hurt you caused me
December felt like trying to slip an onion back into skin
Trying to mend my broken heart is a futile effort, similar to attempting to put the layers of an onion back together once they have been peeled apart
And I hate myself for walking out
I feel guilty for leaving you the same way that I resented you for entering my life and changing everything
The way I hated you for walking in
I was angry at you from the moment you entered my life and caused me pain, just as I am now angry at myself for walking away from you
I've been pushing through a lifetime of bad karma
The negative consequences of my past actions seem to be following me, weighing me down with guilt and remorse
For what I did when I was out in California
The specific event or choice that resulted in my bad karma happened during my time in California
And I may not know my bad from good but I know thick ends up thin
I may not always understand the consequences of my actions, but I know that everything eventually fades or wears thin
And my hands are tired of the feel of wood and steel and my guitar
The things that used to bring me joy - playing my guitar - now feel empty and hollow without you by my side
They want the touch of softer things, your skin, your hair, your skin
My hands long for the comforting touch of your skin and hair, and miss the physical intimacy that we shared
And they hate me now for walking out
My hands, which used to create beautiful music, now feel angry and resentful toward me for pushing you away
And now I've got nothing left, and there's nothing I got to be
I feel empty and purposeless without you, and struggle to find meaning in my life
And if I see you everywhere, it's cause you know where to be seen
I keep seeing you everywhere because subconsciously, I am seeking you out and putting myself in situations where I am likely to run into you
We flew our love so high it came to pieces in the wind
Our love was intense and powerful, but ultimately, it was fragile and unable to withstand the storms that came our way
And I hate myself for walking out
My regret and self-loathing for leaving you mirror the anger and resentment I felt towards you when you entered my life
The way I hated you for walking in
Just as you were an unwelcome and painful intrusion into my life, I now feel as though I have lost a part of myself by letting you go
Contributed by Lucas D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.