Chapter 1 // January 2013//Columbia//I’m In No Pain

Joel Ackerson – vocals and guitars // Eric Andersen – vocals and piano // Megan Slankard – vocals and guitars //Zack Teran – vocals and basses

“Columbia” and “I’m In No Pain”

Produced by The Novelists // Engineered by Joel Ackerson at True Story Records // Additional Engineering by Eric Andersen, Megan Slankard, and Zack Teran at True Story Records // Mixed by David Peters // Assistant Engineer on “I’m In No Pain” – Tyler Stafford // Piano for “I’m In No Pain” was recorded and engineered by Tom Gordon at Imirage Sound Lab

Guest Musician on “Columbia”

– Justin Kruger – drums

Guest Musicians on “I’m In No Pain”

– Paran Amirinazari– violin

– Jenna Bauer – violin

– Dustin Budish – viola

– Charles Taggart – cello

String arrangement on “I’m In No Pain” by Eric Andersen and Joel Ackerson // Thanks to Dean Rossi for letting us use his microphones for the recording of “I’m In No Pain.”

“Columbia” ©℗ 2013 Joel Ackerson

“I’m In No Pain” ©℗ 2013 Eric Andersen and Megan Slankard

LYRICS

COLUMBIA (Ackerson)

My town ’tis of thee
Auctioning democracy
A vote for him might count for me
But you can’t prove a thing

It’s funny, my position here
Mouthpiece for the men of fear
My track record was more than clear
And still they made me king

For the right price, justice throws her blindfold down
And you can find her selling her dirty sheets
With the rest of the whores on the streets of my town

My friend Jesus puts a man to shame
The way he bears his family name
He’s always helped me just the same
But, I don’t know why he bothers

‘Cause I remember when we talked that night
And I asked him about wrong and right
He said, “Truth is not our war to fight
When we have such powerful fathers”

For the right price, justice throws her blindfold down
And you can find her selling her dirty sheets
With the rest of the whores on the streets of my town

These are the streets of my town

Repeat after me, repeat after me, repeat after me repeat after me 3x
We hold these truths self-evident, that men are created dogs
Endowed with life by the president, who allows them the right to play along

See, I thought you folks would see right through
But the men I work for always knew
That I just had to make up a word or two
To keep you bastards distracted

For the right price, justice throws her blindfold down
And you can find her selling her dirty sheets
With the rest of the whores on the streets of my town

Justice throws her blindfold down
And you can find her selling her dirty sheets
With the rest of the whores on the streets of my town

These are the streets of my town
These are the streets, these are the streets of my town
These are the streets, these are my streets
These are my streets, these are my streets…
And my town

I’M IN NO PAIN (Andersen/Slankard)

You forgot to open up your eyes
Forgot to hear me when I sighed
And I’m so tired
Did you take the time to learn my language
Notice I was bandaged
Uninspired

My voice is cupped inside your hands, I can’t get out (Can you hear me?)
Almost like I’m stuck to the roof of your mouth (Please let me speak)
I keep building everything you’re pulling down

But I’m in no pain
Though I’m cold to the touch
Near asphyxiation
I’m in no pain
I’m not going to give up
I’m just going to stop finding a way

You are trying to warm me with a shadow
You’re far above me in falsetto
And modulation
You forgot to make me feel I was allowed
To be a finger on your hand when you count
Your equations

I am grown inside your head amongst the weeds (Can you hear me?)
You cut me down anytime I get past your knees (Please let me speak)
I keep patching up the things you want to bleed

But I’m in no pain
Though I’m cold to the touch
Near asphyxiation
I’m in no pain
I’m not going to give up
I’m just going to stop finding a way

If I get through this morning
I’ll get through (whoa)
If I get through conversations
I’ll get through (whoa)
If I get through these feelings
I won’t have these feelings

Though I’m cold to the touch
Near asphyxiation
I’m in no pain
I’m not going to give up
I’m just going to stop finding a way

I’m in no pain
Though I’m cold when you touch
Near asphyxiation
I’m in no pain…