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The Cheese Stands Alone

by Mark Lint

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1.
Idiot, Listen 02:38
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Idiot, listen, the time is at hand The power is upon you now Idiot, listen, and rise where you stand The hour is at hand for you now Idiot, asking for more than you know You got more than you know, you know how Idiot, wishing, you’ve got what you planned What more could you stand, you dumb cow? You’ve got it all, you know Just take it, dude, and go Rock the whole shebang Cherish the love, you fool Take a seat back and drool Rock the whole shebang Idiot, listen, the one that you love Is on caring for you, an on eye Idiot watching as she ascend through Rejoice as you do, and don’t lie Idiot asking for more than you know You got more than you know, you know now Idiot waiting, assessing on you Transcend, pass on through, you know how You’ve got it all, you know Just take it, dude, and go Rock the whole casbah
2.
When I Was Yours 02:16
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When I was yours I wasn't acting my best I wasn't acting my worst neither When I was yours you were immune to the test I didn’t care if you failed, I would adapt And that was the wrong way to deal with a baby Like you were After all, I’ve been in service I’ve been around my block and the next one Now I drive past you on my way to work That’s a good symbol For when I was yours, yes, I expected a lot But never enforced it with awareness When I was yours I saved us both some time By acting the lummox that I am And that was the wrong way to deal with a lady Who is not my type After all, I’m kinda hippie, while you were just curvaceous But you’ve been around the sick and underaged And you won’t swallow the ideas and stuff I nurture While you look untoward You were the wrong way And I missed you Missed you by force You were the wrong way Of course When I was yours
3.
Run Away 02:54
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The camera glosses the pages of a wasted life It sees the lost encounters and the things that might have been It doesn't care that you couldn't stay All it knows is that you ran away The memories glow like the pages of a burning book The bright recollections of a chance you never took And so the memories will always burn You've got to learn You can't run away from the action of the day You can't run away from life I know you're looking for someone that you can blame But it's you who must shoulder that everlasting shame Cause no one can change the past Life goes too fast
4.
Granted 03:32
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I don’t know how to fix myself so I work like you want me to work I try to keep you at the top of my mind, but my mind has no top I bottom out again. What can I do for you love, that I can help? I would die for you love, but that wouldn’t help I can’t believe it would be any easier for you If I took all my problems and just stayed away from you So we’re stuck for the long haul, and all I want is an easy ride I’m sorry I don’t always say the right thing or do What you want me to do I’ll be here, I’ll be here for you, love, if I can help Don’t think I can change completely, but I don’t think that would help I can’t believe it would be any easier for you If I changed my focus and put it all on you But I don’t take you for granted I don’t know what that means It’s just something you’ve invented And it’s the last thing that we need I don’t know if I can fix myself so I work like you want me to work I can make little gestures, but my face, will give away that it’s me What can I do for you, love, this moment, this minute right now? It’s only the moments I’m off my guard that seem to matter I know a lifetime of moments is harder Than a man of less than steady hands can give But I’ll give you this one, and the next And maybe you can adjust your expectations Because I don’t take you for granted I don’t know what that means It’s just something you’ve invented And we’re bursting at the seams Please please give me some credit Even if it’s more than I deserve I’m dished in for the long haul And it’s all that I can serve Give me seven more chances Give me 60 more years To prove I’m into your dances And to show that I can hear you
5.
Indefensible 03:13
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Well, your life’s indefensible I hope you could guess You deny what’s forthcoming But your actions say yes Well, we’ll see how cool you are then when it comes Well, we’ll see how hard you bite when you’re all gums When you slowly discover that you can’t keep this up As you start to reflect more as you learn to shut up Well, we’ll see how cool you are then, won’t we now? Yes, we’ll see how much disgrace you will allow When your stain has been lifted and your lies are exposed When you feel suicidal for the ones that you’ve hosed When you bleed from your nostrils till you lie on the floor When you can’t stand the feel of being you any more When you’ve sold off your infamy to some other guy When your few years have trickled off and left you to die When your mind has deserted and your heart has gone home When the worms eat your fetid flesh and gnaw at your bones Well, we’ll see how cool you are then, won’t we now? We’ll see how many insect homes your carcass will allow
6.
People Who Throw Away Love 02:24
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People who throw away love Are interesting people to eat with Then tend to order their portions too large And never get a to-go box People who throw away food Are people who suffer distraction They might ignore everything that you say Or interpret you as they please People who throw away words Are always disgruntled by something You might say they’re driven, you might say obsessed By something they’ll later think not for the best People who throw away time Aren’t the one’s classically lazy They often look the most harried of all From exerting their will on the world People who throw away will Have none left to spend on you Unless you’re part of their scheme of the moment And when that fails, you’ll be gone People who throw away love Are pitiful when they are strong People who throw away people who love them Are sick and you and wrong
7.
Space 02:15
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I can feel you tonight Your warmth lurks in this room It’s a rush and repeat Like a beautiful tune You’ve affected my life Unbelievably much And I don’t think I even Feel like killing and such And I love this space In front of me And I love this place Embracing me Cause you’re in it! Every day I get up About three hours late After lying there seething with you My omnipresent mate Even though you’re not physically here I’m convinced that you’re not only near But you’ve claimed this place as your identity And whenever I’m in it, you’re practically me And I love this place Confronting me Cause you’re in it! Though I truly believe that you’re normal and real You persist in this place stronger than I can feel When I scrub the toilets, you moan with delight If I mow the lawn, can I edge you goodnight? And I’ve fallen in love With this magical house And I hope you come home My omnipresent spouse
8.
Request Denied 03:02
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So now you’ve got yourself psyched up And if it please you take me with you Move it there, move it there And though you think you’ve time enough I’d better hurry and forgive you Move it there, more it there What I’m talking about is the point that you raised About the things you decided not to save And the person you were before I met you Whom I think I should know by now I mean I live with all your stuff And it’s a blessing to be with you Now we’re there, now we’re there So now it’s time to open up Nothing’s embarrassing enough to Move it there, cause a scare What I’m talking about is the point that you raised About the things you decided not to save And the things that you still think about, I’ve noticed You think I don’t know by now? Certain boundaries are good Certain doors should remain shut Certain scripts are stronger With some lines cut (request denied) So now I’m sharpening my love To cut out the things between us Hold it there, hold it there So now I’m waiting for a sting from you And I think that I can take it Plant it there, I’ll beware And while you’re talking about how we should be closer I’ve been wondering which of our urges is grosser And I’m not sure that we need to see that closely If you know that it’s there and you’re not too bothered What I’m talking about are a few general forms Of the things that fall far off our usual norms I don’t have to be crude to say I love you That’s something I think you should know by now Leave it there, leave it there.
9.
Undershirt 03:05
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10.
Sleep 04:37
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Foregone conclusions Carry us now Take my illusions No use for them now Stroke by the lamplight Care through me Carefully highlight Each memory Sleep -- I sleep for you now Sweep beyond distance And if she's alone Take with you solace Let mine be her own Hold this token In place of me Let it be broken You shall be free Don't seek abstractions Take what you feel Mark my reaction Say that you're real Some wiser, so close Will that disappear? One for us next time Mark off next year
11.
Mother's Day 02:44
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I'm trying to think of all I want to say to you And how to show you how important you are to me No words ever do justice to a life-time of getting through I want to thank you more than I can breathe I hope you know how much you're loved And I hope you know how much you've done And I hope you know what effect you've had To make me what I am All I want to tell you couldn't fit in my big mouth A hundred years could pass, it's not enough I'm so very grateful for the time we're given I've known you half your life, it's not enough I want you to stay where you are Not more than forever by far And I hope you know what effect you've had To make me what I hope to be I hope you know how much you're loved And I hope you know how great you are And I hope you, you've been proud of me I'll see you again
12.
Ann(e) 03:23
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Ann, I go to meet you in Diane I touch you when I take her hand It seems immortal how you sit and watch me Your eyes are blue, but show up green here Ann, I go to take you in Joanne She speaks your voice, I know she can It’s complicated how I’m faithful to you I kiss her soft; I feel you breathe here Dim sentimental monism Or an unhealthy grieving for the long gone Or a mean, shallow way to use people Or a fine strategy to move on Or a general desire to capture the moment Or a desperate attempt to feel secure Or a vicious betrayal of the others and the self Or religious sublimation, I’m just not sure Just what this says about us Me and I are staying with us We can’t even agree that These things are happening simultaneously And who is who, and what is red? And how do I know I’m not dead? With all these weapons in my head They fight to get me to your bed Ann, I go to meet you in Suzanne Without you I’m a lonely man It seems apparent that I’ve come to hold you My world exposed is shaped by you, dear You’re fetching in the fiction of the plans I’ve laid But do you know the way out?
13.
I Am the Cosmos 02:52
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14.
Let Us Meet 03:40
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Let us open our wings in one fluid stroke With our heads poised just so And with eyes searching only The empty horizon Let our stomachs not rebel At the vast space below Without fear Chests pressed out to meet the rising wind Let us bow our legs to make the muscles hard And then in one tremendous rush Let us thrust our entire selves forward To meet the streaking daylight Let us pump our wings to reach the hazy clouds Let us screech and call To meet the ragged trees Let us fold our hands to meet the heavens Let us close our eyes to meet the ground
15.
Se Piangi, Se Ridi 02:34
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about

A home-recorded album project started in 1997 but not completed until 2015 (with additional remixing and procrastination until May 2020). These were songs that didn't fit with whatever band I was playing with at the time.

My intention was to complete this in 2000 in my time right after moving from Austin to Madison, with Trent Sinclair (the first musician to join my band here) playing all the drums and me doing everything else. At that point I mapped out all the songs to be included, but probably fewer than half of them have survived to this 2020 release. New things were recorded, some songs I still haven't gotten around to recording or completing, some recordings were gobbled up by other releases while some other, earlier ones were deemed too awful-sounding to fit. Most of the older recordings here I entirely remixed, and all I at least re-mastered.

credits

released December 12, 2015

Mark Linsenmayer: singing, songwriting, lots of instruments, engineering and production

with special guests:
Steve Petrinko: drums on 12,15; additional guitar on 12, mixing on 15
Trent Sinclair: drums on 7,8,14
Geoff Esty: electric guitars on 8
Valree Casey: oboe on 3
Eric Schumann: main keyboard on 14
Edison Carter: keyboards, shaker, clarinet, production on 9
Robert and Mina Linsenmayer: choral vocals on 3
Kim Casey Linsenmayer: lyrics on 14, love and support throughout
13 written by Chris Bell, 1978
15 written by Mogol - Marchetti - Satti, 1965
Cover art by Corey Mohler

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Mark Lint Madison, Wisconsin

Catchy, homespun tunes ranging in style from power pop to folk ballads to alt country, laced with a sense of the absurd.

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