Beechwood and Dragon Heartstrings – Dec. 2007 to May 2008

The original idea for this song came to me while watching Accepted. Back then, the idea was that this was about the triumph of myself over any institution trying to hold me back from being everything I could be. But it eventually came to be a bit more narrow. This is about finally being thankful for getting out of a broken relationship. It hurt when it ended, because I cared about her, even if things about her grated on me like hell and if I really didn’t handle everything charitably, and because I didn’t want to be without her, partially because of who she was and partially because she was someone who cared enough to talk to me most every night. But since then, I’ve slowly come to realize how glad I am I’m out of it now. We weren’t right for each other. She wasn’t good for me. This is a song about the long road to accepting that.

The title is a Harry Potter reference (yeah, I’m lame). Many lines and images from this were taken from a song I was going to write on the same subject called “Monet.” Thanks to Nathan and Josh Glover for the many discussions which lead to this song’s creation.

Beechwood and Dragon Heartstrings – December 2007 to May 2008

They tell me that you’re happy when I’m not.
But I still took all the bitterness I’d got
And wrote it down,
Which was my first mistake; I should have said it out loud.
May 24^th showed all our flaws,
And Monet would say we’re a lost cause.
But here’s a try to make amends,
At making my apologies again.

Is this the price I pay for one more Saturday?
So I hope that you don’t mind
That I’m just calling you to say I’m fine
And I don’t care anymore…
I’ve forgotten what I did all this for.
But ever since you went away,
It’s been eleven months of better days.
So here’s to those days; they were our first…
And you’ve already done your worst.

They tell me that you’re happy; I’m not.
But they still say I’m better off,
That it wasn’t worth the second try…
They say you ruined my life.
It’s pitiful when your claim to fame
is your expertise in Eagles games,
Your plastic smiles with plastic teeth
and breakdowns on Ohio St.

Is this the price I paid for one more casualty?
But I hope that you don’t mind
That I’m just calling you to say I’m fine
And I don’t care anymore…
I’ve forgotten what I did all this for.
I finally found a getaway
In eleven months of better days.
So here’s to these days; they are our first…
And you’ve already done your worst.

So if I shot for piss and vinegar,
But came off a pissed-off teenager, well…
Then that’s okay,
‘Cause I know after these months I don’t feel that way.
Sometimes there’s nothing left to show
After the miles on Arden Parkway (all) alone.
But I’m happier with you where you are,
‘Cause I know old syndromes die hard.
I missed the start of the new event,
So good luck with the new French accident.
But I know it was amazing prom night,
And if you don’t care, then that suits me just fine.
I moved from you to better things;
You’re beechwood and dragon heartstrings…
So here’s to this year; it was our first…
And you’ve already done your worst.

So I hope that you don’t mind…
That I’m calling you again tonight…
(Monet would paint a nice impression of us…)

So I hope that you don’t mind…
That I’m calling you again tonight…
(Here I am, here I am…making my apologies again…)

So I hope that you don’t mind…
That I’m calling you again tonight…
(Monet would say that we’re a lost cause…)

But I hope that you don’t mind
That I’m calling you again tonight.
And I hope that you don’t mind
That I’m just calling you to say I’m fine
And I don’t care anymore…
I’ve forgotten what I did all this for.
My miseries were burned away by
Twenty-three months of better days.
So here’s to the first of many more.