Not Sure

This Dance

This dance is prohibited by distance.
The resistance and possibly too much persistence has underwhelmed us both.
But all I want is a simple waltz.
Perhaps a tango?
Is that too much to ask?

Before we walk away and may never have the chance again to have this dance.

The way we looked at the world.
The way you smiled when you twirled.
The way the lights hit just right.
The way you said goodnight….

But I really don’t want to say goodnight.

- jr

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I’ve held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It’s just as well for all I’ve seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That’s if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows

- billy joel.

i heart awkward silence.

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.
-
He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
-

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth…
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
-
For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars….the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
-
So think about this long and hard…
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at “dash midrange.”)
-
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.
-
And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.
-
If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
-
So, when your eulogy’s being read
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they
say about how you spend your dash?

propertyofzack:

It’s been months, but we’re so glad to have JR Wasilewski of Less Than Jake back to do a new Contributor Blog for PropertyOfZack. In his new blog, JR discusses the true toll life on the road can take on any musician regardless of how well they’re living the dream, friends wanting to trade places and not realizing the downsides of tour life, loss of sleep, and much more. Check it out below and enjoy!

It’s inevitable. I always have a few days on tour where I go to bed at 4 am, only to wake up (for no apparent reason) around 8 am and can’t fall back to sleep. I’m not sure exactly why it is that this happens: too much coffee, not enough beer, too much beer, it’s hot in the bunks, the driver is doing his best impersonation of Dale Earnhardt? I just decided that I must be a person with poor sleeping habits.

I have always had a battle with slumber. Its never ending. When I lay down, I can’t quiet my mind. Its like my brain says ‘GET UP ASSHOLE! ITS MY TIME NOW!’ Every little thing I could possibly think of has a full on bumper car session in my brain for what seems like hours. Because of this I have a nearly impossible time falling asleep in a quiet room. I need the sound of something. But NO MUSIC. Music makes my brain work even faster. A lot of people say ‘Oh! Just turn on some classical music! So easy to fall asleep to.’ Not for me. While it’s playing along I actually see the composer’s score in my head. My arm wants to conduct the piece so I sometimes actually start doing it. My tour roommate usually tends to think I’m insane, and I am, but sometimes I think this self-diagnosed insomnia is like some sort of punishment.

The worst part is when I have an idea that causes me to get out of bed to start pursuing it. The most common “offenders” are a lyric idea, chord progression or a melody that pops into my head. I lay there and try to convince myself that the idea is shit and to go to sleep. Then my brain says ‘…but what if you don’t record it and you forget it?’ In life, I always would rather have a shitty idea than no idea at all, so I always get up and then “the game” starts:

The game is called: Sleep or No Sleep.

There are no winners at this game. It’s the lesser of two evils, frankly. As I continue to stay up and watch the hours dwindle away to the witching hour where I actually have to do something of consequence, I start the conversation with myself:

“Maybe I should just stay up until I have to go.”

“Dude, that is a STUPID idea.”

“But if I sleep now it’s like…what…2 hours? I’ll feel like shit.”

“You’ll feel worse if you don’t and you know it.”

“Just have some coffee…”

It’s always something like that. The internal conversation between the 16 year old version of me and the 36 year old version of me. Basically, The Kid wants to stay up all night. The Adult knows that is a stupid idea. Yet, The Kid idea seems to always win out in this argument. Sadly, The Adult body of mine has to pay the price.

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propertyofzack:

JR Wasilewski of Less Than Jake is back to do a new Contributor Blog for PropertyOfZack, and it’s one of the best he’s ever written. In his new blog, JR discusses the challenge musicians and artists face when releasing new material after a band has already gained notoriety from fans. Bands often find themselves struggling to make music that they think their fans would like to hear instead of continuing to make the music they were made to, which brought them their fans in the first place. JR faces the topic head on and we’re beyond happy that he chose this subject to write about. Check it out below and enjoy!

I don’t have enough tattoos to fit the mold of what many would picture as a true punk rocker. I grew up a little too middle class to say I can fully relate to the plight of the working class. I have, at one time or another, spoke my mind and thusly altered what people think of me. My closest friends think I’m kind of an asshole, but I never say anything behind someones back that I wouldn’t say to their face. Good or bad, right or wrong; I am who I am and no matter how hard I try, I can not be something I am not.

In the same way we can’t be something we’re not, as musicians, we can’t try to make our music something that it’s not supposed to be. I realize this may sound very Yoda-like but seeing that little green muppet isn’t the one saying it, let me try to explain.

I had a great conversation with a young man who fronts a popular rock band while in Australia for the Soundwave Festival in 2011. It’s fun to talk to someone when there is a mutual level of respect for each others work. It makes conversation easy and honest. We talked about mutual friends, the deals they signed, the records they wrote, the career choices they made and their inevitable consequences. When I asked him how things were with his band’s new material, he seemed oddly stressed. I could understand why based on my own experiences, but in my opinion, his band has already done the hardest work: they built a strong, loyal fan base.

Eventually, he said “When we’re writing, I keep asking myself ‘Well, what do they (our fans) want?” My response was, “Have you done anything differently (with your writing style) up to this point?” He replied, “No.” My response?

“Afraid to change, right?”

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