Lyrics to Adolescents: Presumed Insolent (entire album)

BIG ROCK SHOCK

(Reflex/Root)

My Self-help guru

Jumped off of a bridge

With Static magnificence

I’m out on a ledge

I’m in shock

I’m in shock 

Big Rock Shock

I need to scream

A scream isn’t enough.

This scream comes from a place

We never wanted to be.

Life gives us so much

We forget how lucky we are

Until we’ve been robbed

Of the things that matter the most.

CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE SEE MONKEYS

(Reflex/Soto)

From the Cradle to the grave

We are Media slaves.

Labeled, packaged, standardized

Consumer Analyzed-

Poster billboard generation

Spoonfed annihilation.

Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do

Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do

Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do like I do

Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do

Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do

Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do like me

Staring out your tv eye

We embrace the lie.

Dancing with a lottery wife

An imitation of life.

Jersey Shore to the OC

It’s our reality. 

Staring out your tv eye

We embrace the lie.

Labeled, packaged, standardized

Consumer Analyzed-

We are Media slaves.

DAISY’S REVENGE

(Reflex/Soto)

There was a time I was unaware

I’d lock my gaze on everything and glare

For no other reason than my will to be free

There was no power higher than the power in me

No need to justify

Or tell the truth when you look them in the eye

It’s our future, we have the tools

Might be there game but we make the rules.

In measured steps I’d play for time

In metered texts I’m looking for a rhyme

These riddles never made sense.

If I can’t break down walls, I’ll jump the fence

DISSATISFACTION GUARANTEED

(Reflex/Soto)

Well this is a story about little boys

Degeneration built on structure and poise

On an island of broken toys

Dissatisfaction guaranteed

In the pool of Narcissus

In this place of servants and kings

Climb up the ladder you get more things

Pull the puppets by broken strings

Dissatisfaction guaranteed

In the pool of Narcissus

Kids play Zeus with crocodile smiles

Holding court; they hold it with style,

Top dogs spitting venom and bile.

I can play along with the helicopter moms,

The queen bees, the ding and the dong,

The wicked witches singinging along.

Dissatisfaction guaranteed

In the pool of Narcissus

And I can play the king and play it with glee,

Rattle cages of lollipop thieves;

Sierra Madre don’t mean nothing to me.

Hear the Echo, yeah here we go,

In the village where no one knows

Who will follow and who will lead.

FOREVER SUMMER

(Reflex/Soto)

A marketing dream

If we play like a team

The profit unreal

A win-win for all 

An atomic Mall

Beachfront appeal

I’ll make the pitch

Without a hitch

We’ll seal the deal.

Here comes the summer

Here comes the summer

Forever Summer

Here comes the summer

Here comes the summer

Forever Summer

This land is gold 

Leave no lot unsold

Profits won’t cave

We bring glowing waves

Protest parades

To power slaves

People don’t care

When they aren’t aware

No buyer beware

S-a-n - Ono- f-r-e

We built your dream house next to the sea

S-a-n - Ono- f-r-e

Buy today and we’ll wave the closing fee

Here comes the summer

Here comes the summer

Forever Summer

Here comes the summer

Here comes the summer

Forever Summer

SNAGGLETOOTH AND NAIL

(Reflex/Soto)

Snaggletooth, tooth and nail-

Snaggletooth, tooth and nail-

Snaggletooth, tooth and nail-

Snaggletooth.

Vermin attack from the dark

Setting loose dogs- no bite, all bark.

We came back with a roar, 

They ran back to Hell

When we came through the door.

It took a village to screw

To screw our lives to fuck 

Like it was nothing new.

Treated us like we were a game

Try to play us like we were to blame

TRUTH or Snaggletooth?

They’d best keep this in mind

This isn’t over until the end of time

Heed this warning as proof

You can run, 

You can’t hide from the truth

TIC-TAC AT THE ALLIGATOR TREE

(Reflex/Soto)

There’s a place where trouble dwells

Between El Monte and Hell

Lots of vamps- lots of tramps

Below the Bible Belt.

We can laugh, joke, and play

Dance the day and night away.

Got a swamp beat you can’t deny

Tonight’s the night to let it fly

Tic-Tac at the Alligator Tree.

I talk to spirits, I talk to trees,

I talk to Ritter, I talk to D,

I talk to Lux, to Jeffrey Lee

I’d talk to you but you don’t matter to me

We can laugh, joke, and play

Dance the day and night away.

Got a swamp beat you can’t deny

Tonight’s the night to let it fly

Tic-Tac at the Alligator Tree.

We’ll Tic-Tac at the Alligator Tree

We’ll Tic-Tac at the Alligator Tree

I wan’t excitement, I want more,

A reputation you can’t ignore

To make a statement like never before

And Tic-Tac at the Alligator Tree.

I wan’t excitement, I want more,

A reputation you can’t ignore

To make a statement like never before

And Tic-Tac at the Alligator Tree.

THE ATHENA DECREE

(Reflex/Soto)

Push the button, then let it go.

Push the button, then let it go.

How long until I blow?

What’s the limit?

Well I don’t know.

Something boiling

You can’t see

An explosion inside of me.

I am more than you can see

Approximations

You won’t believe

Restitution

A state unknown

Retribution and broken bones

Push the button, then let it go.

Push the button, then let it go.

BROKEN WINDOW

(Reflex/Mia Brandenburg/Soto)

Tell me why people call these eyes

The window to the soul-

Yeah tell me 

Why I can’t read your eyes

Just tell me how-

Then tell me

How to act-

I can’t act that way,

How to look-

I can’t look that way,

How to speak-

I can’t speak that way.

To look away, just look away

Tell me why I’m not listening

I’ve had enough

Heard enough,

Yeah tell me 

Why I need to see your eyes

That window’s shut

I’ve had enough

Then tell me

Don’t look away.

Broken- broken

Broken Window

Don’t Look Away

Tell me why I knew it all along

It felt so wrong

Felt so wrong.

And tell me why

I sense the vice, the apathy

Then tell me

Don’t look away

IN THIS TOWN EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL

(Reflex/Mia Brandenburg/Soto)

In this town everything is wonderful 

In this town everything is wonderful

In this town everything is wonderful

In this Goddamn town.

We moved to town- 

The Mrs. and me

To settle down 

On a quiet street.

We had tall trees,

Butterflies, bumblebees.

This town has everything you need.

So we set up house

We planted seeds.

When they came up, 

We pulled the weeds.

There’s a church on every street

Birkenstocks for your feet-

This town has everything you need.

In this town everything is wonderful 

In this town everything is wonderful

In this town everything is wonderful

In this Goddamn town.

They have pitchforks at the park

There’s a curfew when it’s dark-

This town has everything you need.

They have a school patrolled by rats

They won’t put up with this or that.

They stamp out little boys

When they make too much noise-

This town has everything you need.

In this town everything is wonderful 

In this town everything is wonderful

In this town everything is wonderful

In this town everything is wonderful 

In this town everything is wonderful

In this town everything is wonderful

In this Goddamn town.

RIPTIDE

(Reflex/Soto)

Living on the outside

On the outside looking in

Caught in a struggle-

A struggle you can’t win.

Head above the water

On the outside looking in

Head above the water

It’s about to begin,

Riptide

No pointing in fighting

We’re taking a ride.

Riptide

No pointing in fighting

We’re taking a ride.

Want to trust in someone

No one left to trust.

No message, No messanger

Rising up from the dust.

No absolution

Nothing to forgive

No need to apologize

For the life that you live.

Riptide

No pointing in fighting

We’re taking a ride.

Riptide

No pointing in fighting

We’re taking a ride.

PRESUMED INSOLENT

(Reflex/Mia Brandenburg/Soto)

Told me where to meet

To keep me off the street

That’s no plan for me,

That is no place to be.

Presumed insolent.

Said I’d never learn

Kicked me to the curb.

That’s no plan for me,

That is no place to be.

Presumed insolent.

Told me what to think.

I’m not a machine.

That’s no plan for me,

That is no place to be.

Presumed insolent.

300 Cranes

(Reflex/Soto)

It was a different time

Another life it seemed 

He’d pay the price

For broken schemes and broken dreams

A man-child on the road of the damned.

I feel kind of empty

I feel kind of down.

I got to get me right.

300 cranes.

300 cranes.

300 cranes.

Build them up and tear them down

Again.

I watched him fold into the night

One page at a time.

His eyes were glazed

His fingers amazed

On the edge of a dime.

I feel kind of empty

I feel kind of down.

I got to get me right.

300 cranes.

300 cranes.

300 cranes.

Build them up and tear them down

Again.

He stopped, paused, and looked around

Like it was meant to be.

“If I could do it tonight, 

I could set them free.”

I feel kind of empty

I feel kind of down.

I got to get me right.

300 cranes.

Build them up, 

Tear them down again.

Troy Brandenburg.  (1964-2001)