Joel Pelletier: CHAMBER POP (version 2.0, 1999)
12 song audio CD & 10-language CD-ROM
Publisher: The Way Home Music (BMI)
Used by permission; All rights reserved


1. What Are You Now?

You're full of flowery words to describe your state of mind,
Quite creative in telling me you're going nowhere fast.
Now I don't mind, it passes the time, but it seems to me
If you used half that energy getting somewhere
Instead of talking about it, you'd be there.

First you are lost- then you are found-
Then you're misplaced- then you're not around,
First you are great- then you're a clown-
What are you now?

You're behind the times or ahead of your time,
You talk a lot about time, which is kinda funny
'Cause you're always late, and you don't even wear a watch.
But I don't mind, 'cause unlike you
I don't spend half my waking hours
Pretending to be someone-
Or do I?..

First you are lost- then you are found-
Then you're misplaced- then you're not around,
First you are great- then you're a clown-
What are you now?

-------------------------

2. Lie To Me

What I know is so little of what's here
What I see is not enough to make it clear
What I feel is so hard to put in words,
When I must tell you.

And when I lie
I'm lying to myself,
And when I cry
I cry for no one else,
I cry for me
Because I still can't see
How much I lie to me.

I admit I'm not all that I may seem
I submit I live mostly in a dream
Why can't I see that I can't get away
With not living for today?

And when I lie
I'm lying to myself,
And when I cry
I cry for no one else,
I cry for me
Because I still can't see
How much I lie to me.

What I know I've tried to put into this song
But I feel could never fit - it'd be too long,
And when I sing, just behind each of these words,
My soul is pouring out-

And when I lie
I'm lying to myself,
And when I cry
I cry for no one else,
I cry for me
Because I still can't see
How much I lie to me,
How much I lie to me,
How much I lie to me.

-----------------------------

3. Rather Have You

There have been times I have craved for
A life to myself, alone to the core
Have all kinds of time- and then I'd have more,
But I'd rather have you, rather have you, rather have you.

Someone more submissive, perhaps, I might like
Or someone more aggressive, who can really put up a fight
Faced with these choices, which one is right?
Well, the right choice is you, cause I'd rather have you,
Rather have you.

Sometimes I start to fantasize
About another's arms, another's thighs
Of a different life I might realize-
But then I stop myself and ask myself why?

Sometimes we fight and we disagree
There are things to dislike about both you and me
But if this isn't love, then what else could it be?
It could be that it's true, that I'd rather have you,
Rather have you.

Everytime I start to fantasize
About another's arms, about another's thighs
Of anothert life I could realize-
I stop myself and ask myself why, cause I'd rather have you,
And you know that it's true, I'd rather have you!

Could anyone's love (other than you)
Be as intense, or be as true?
To be loved anymore, well, the chances are few,
And I'll chance it with you, cause I'd rather have you,
Rather have you-
And I hope you agree, and you'd rather have me,
Cause I'd rather have you.

--------------------------

4. Wall Inside

There's a wall in me and it's eight miles high,
And it's too tall to fly above and parachute supplies
It's not made of brick and it's not made of stone,
It's made of memories and pain and of heartache
And flesh and of blood and of bone.

And if enough people want it,
And they all take a stand
Then down a wall will come
And a country can heal,
And the world may survive
What the people have begun
But a wall inside is a whole different wall
For you must tear it down alone,
And that's the hardest job of all.

My wall keeps things out and it keeps me in
No fear of failure, but no way to win
And the more I deny, well, the more it grows
It looms large over everything I do,
Casting shadows wherever I go.

And if enough people want it,
And they all take a stand
Then down a wall will come
And a country can heal,
And the world may survive
What the people have begun
But a wall inside is a whole different wall
For you must tear it down alone,
And that's the hardest job of all.

It can't be ignored- It can't be gotten around
Many have been wounded trying to escape
When it should be torn down -
TEAR IT DOWN!

And if enough people want it,
And they all take a stand
Then down a wall will come
And a country can heal,
And the world may survive
What the people have begun
But a wall inside is a whole different wall
For you must tear it down alone,
And that's the hardest job of all.

Tear it down, bring it down.

--------------------------

5. Same to You

I go down the list of everyone I've known...

I go down the list of everyone I've known,
Not always on good terms, it's true
I don't always work to stay the best of friends,
Please don't let me do the same to you.
Over time I've known too many men to name,
And a few too many women, too,
But by now their names are hardly there at all,
Please don't let me do the same to you.

Pettiness and inconsistency
Internal conflict and disparity
The politics of personality, they all stare at me-

I have tried to be as focused as I can,
So sure there is no other way
Enough good intent to pave an interstate,
And it's got me where I am today
I expect too much, and always get let down
By myself first, and by others, too
I expect the world and maybe get a town,
Please don't let me do the same to you.

Opportunities that pass me by
I just ignore them, and I don't know why
Have no excuse, I have no alibi,
It's like something died inside...

All the friendships I have squandered
Sometimes it really makes me wonder
If I could have known them longer
I go down the list and everybody knows...

I go down the list of everyone I've known
Aquaintance, friends and family
Some that I still miss have fallen by the way,
And it's fair they've done the same to me,
And as I go down the list a pattern falls in line
One name repeats more times than a few-
The name that I've let down the most is mine,

Please don't let me do the same to you,
The same to you, the same to you.

----------------------------

6. Birthday Song

Another year has ended
And what have I become?
A bit more like my father,
A bit less like his son.

Have I moved a little forward?
Have I come out ahead?
Am I closer to my dreaming,
Or just closer to the dead?

And so, a few things righted
And so, a few things wronged
And so, another year ended
This is my birthday song.

I think I haven't changed much
My goals are still the same
It's just that they've been scaled back,
And some have changed their name

I was to change the planet
Do big things and not small,
But now I see the small things
Are biggest after all

And so, a few things righted
And so, a few things wronged
And so, another year ended
This is my birthday song.

----------------------------

7. 20th Century

There's nothing wrong with it- it had it's good and bad
It was exciting and different- it was ecstatic and sad
But it's over and done, and the future is mine
To live in the past is just a stupid waste of time
I'm not nostalgic for the 20th Century
Though I was born there it doesn't mean that much to me
I'm not nostalgic for the 20th Century,
'Cause then I'd live in the past, and that's the last place I want to be.

Look behind- what do you see
Only what you were, not what you're going to be
What is past is past, what is done is done
If I just lived in the past I'd have no chance for new dreams,
New hopes, new fun!
I'm not nostalgic for the 20th Century
Since I was born there it hasn't done that much for me
I'm not nostalgic for the 20th Century,
'Cause then I'd live in the past, and that's the last place I want to be.

There's been plenty of good, this is true
There's been Gandhi and Bartok,
John Lennon and Orson Welles, to name a few,
But it's already been molded and it's already been cast
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past...

There was nothing wrong with it (give or take quite a few)
It had it's share of disasters, but then what else is new!
But it's behind me now and I'm looking ahead
I want to learn from the living and leave for the dead what is dead,
Because THE DEAD ARE DEAD!
I'm not nostalgic for the 20th Century
Though I was born there it doesn't mean that much to me
I'm not nostalgic for the 20th Century,
'Cause then I'd live in the past, and that's the last place I want to be.

---------------------------

8. Always

I'm always looking for somewhere to go,
I'm always looking for somewhere to go,
I'm always looking for somewhere to go,
But no matter where it leads I always end back home.

I'm always thinking that I'll never stay,
I'm always thinking that I'll never stay,
I'm always thinking that I'll never stay
But after all this time I'm still here anyway.

I wake up in the morning,
And it feels like any day,
No different from the day before,
And each time I awaken
I realize, even now,
It's my best chance to restore, restore my faith in beginning.

I'm always thinking that we'll never last,
I'm always thinking that we'll never last,
I'm always thinking that we'll never last,
But we're still together after all that's passed.

We wake up in the morning,
And it feels like any other day,
Not much different from the day before,
But each time we awaken
We should realize, even now,
It's our best chance to restore, restore our faith in beginning over.

I'm always looking for somewhere to go,
I'm always looking for somewhere to go,
I'm always looking for somewhere to go,
But no matter where it leads I always end back home.

--------------------------

9. Touch

And I touched her as she touched my
And I felt her rhythm inside
As I touched her and she touched my...

And I  kissed her as she kissed my
And her tongue felt  like the damp sky
As I kissed her and she kissed my...

Now, I'd run to see her,
To touch and to please her,
And maybe to squeeze her wherever...

And I  stroked her as she stroked my
Feelings for her within my life
As I stroked her and she stroked my...

Now, I want to be near her,
Even only to hear her,
Though I'd never steer her away from devouring me,
And I'd still run to see her,
To touch and to please her,
And maybe to squeeze her wherever she wants me to...

And I  held her as she held my
High esteem for her ever pleasant sigh
As I held her and she held my hand.
---------------------------

10. Sword

He didn't love her anymore
Atleast that's what he said
What he meant is that he couldn't
And she wanted to be dead.
He said he was really happy now,
And said something 'bout their past,
And something 'bout a sword,
And how it couldn't last

And it cut deep inside
His aim, it did not miss
He said,"Better to end with a sword than a kiss..."

He said he didn't love her anymore
What he meant is that he won't
What he means is that he can't,
That's what he means when he says don't.
She's given back his loneliness
And it fit again, he said,
And she gave him back his watch,
And now he only looks ahead-

And it cut deep inside
His aim, it did not miss
He said,"Better to end with a sword than a kiss..."
And he seems just as surprised
That it'd ever come to this,
He said,"Better with a sword than a kiss..."

And a sword takes no prisoners
And a sword never lies-
And a sword shouldn't care
And it doesn't have to compromise,
And it cuts deep inside
It's aim, it does not miss
"Better to end it with a sword..."

He didn't love her anymore
Atleast that's what he said
What he meant is that he couldn't
And she wanted to be dead...

-------------------------

11. Not Afraid of the End

Doomsday-speak is everywhere, they're all predicting the worst
Be it war or Armageddon, a plague or a curse
Overpopulation or pollution, lack of morals, lack of health
Lack of food or lack of fiber, lack of family, home and wealth
But when the world ends with a bang or a whimper
I won't shed a tear...

I'm not afraid of the end of this world that I'm in
Because the world must end for a new one to begin.

This world can be a feeling, or this world can be a place
Or this world can be the universe or a smile upon your face
This world can be your master, or this world can be your friend
But no matter what you call it someday its all gotta end
And when the world ends with a bang or a whimper
I can't shed a tear...

I'm not afraid of the end of this world that I'm in
Because the world must end for a new one to begin.

And you say, "I don't believe it,"
And I say, "Take a look around you,
How much of what you see is what you saw,
How much of who you were is what you are?"

And when the world ends with a bang or a whimper
With a groan or a scream or a sigh or a  simper
Somethings gotta die for something else to grow
But somethings gotta go on, atleast that's something that I know
I'm not afraid of the end of this world that I'm in
It's got all to do with cycles and not a thing to with sin
I'm not afraid of the end of this world that I'm in,
Because the world must end for a new one to begin.

I'm not afraid of the end...

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12. Never Be the Same

Who knows how it will be?
It will never be the same.
Three weeks, three months, three years-
It will never be the same, never be the same.

I leave here to find something
That I think I've always known,
But never had -
And it will never be the same, never be the same,
And you're to blame.

I must write all this down now,
Because I'll never be the same.
You've asked me to come to you,
And I will never be the same, never be the same,
And you're to blame-

(And that's okay)


All lyrics © 1998 Joel Pelletier, 
The Way Home Music (BMI), Box 1842, Hollywood, CA 90078  USA 
Duplication without permission prohibited.
website: http://www.joelp.com
email: joelp@joelp.com