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Soft Power

by Doe Paoro

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1.
Over 03:32
I stay busy, I know But it lives in me Actively Backing me into corners Can’t control The impression you left on me Like a tattoo that I never asked for Under my skin Hovering over I avoid the places That remind me Yet still, your shadow’s behind me Calls like a siren It questions, it teases It never gives reasons Thoughts of you Like I’m trying to Put off Starting over I flip on a dime Keep changing my mind Won’t someone tell me, please? How long does it take? (How much longer can you take?) Will I get better? (How much more before you break?) Now that I’m older Does it get easier to get over? Common wisdom from friends You’ve got to get under In order to start to get over again But what should I do If I fear that I just may be too sensitive? I’m not built for this, dug too deep To start over I flip on a dime But I can’t seem to find My way to sweet release I know it’s just time But it’s taking all mine Won’t someone tell me, please? How long does it take? (How much longer can you take?) Will I get better? (How much more before you break?) Now that I’m older Does it get easier to get over?
2.
Roads on roadsWe paid tolls untold A fix to fill the holes Tarred souls to numb our woes I know we have to let go (Spiral keeps on spiraling) Over and over Raving and rabid Shaking the bars In a cage of habits Wrists in cuffs on chains We chose the links, how do we separate? And if you threw me keysWould I even change? Just a pleasure trapSome craving between us You know how I’ll reactSo you play to my weakness I know we have to let go (Spiral keeps on spiraling) Over and over Raving and rabid Shaking the bars In a cage of habits Now one of us has to break off Sickle to the cycle Been a long time since we could call this love So let’s just call it what it is… A cage of habits (Whatever goes up, must come down) So locked up I’m locked up
3.
Guilty 03:56
Your boys met me at the gates Dangled keys and hazed with promised fates I wish I could unknow What it’s like to have my body made a battlefield They paid until I owed Felt so trapped, like I’d been bought and sold While they played power games, got stoned, I blamed myself and forgot who was in control I’ve walked too deep inside a man’s world Lost my strength, forgotten what I came for And I know I’m not the first That you’ve made defend her word When I refuse to be coerced, Somehow I’m subversive? I’ll take the blacklist, I’ll do time But I’m not guilty So why do I feel guilty? So guilty As the gavel pounds Touch my navel and I know deep down Came all this way to see The shape your silhouette makes When you turn from me I’ve walked too deep inside a man’s world Lost my strength, forgotten what I came for And I know I’m not the first That you’ve made defend her word When I refuse to be coerced, Somehow I’m subversive? I’ll take the blacklist, I’ll do time But I’m not guilty So why do I feel guilty? So guilty Can I forgive myself, for myself? Too heavy to carry
4.
Loose Plans 04:01
So I just booked my flight Decided on the red eye Hope I can find sleep before we meet face to face I lose my mind in the cab to your place Now I’m here cause you asked me I wanted to know why Don’t believe in second chances Except for this time Came to you with an offering - That you might deny And I know that I’m not too proud to say it You should know by now that I’m complaining, quit playing And I know that I’m not too proud to say it: Love is easy, give it away Throw me overboard, already lost in your wake Throw me overboard, but make no mistake If I go overboard, I’ll go my own way Cause everything passes, everything fades I faked sleep as you got up to leave Held my tongue, as I lied through my teeth We made some loose plans to meet up later this evening, Plans we both know we don’t intend to complete Goodnight old city Goodnight to second goodbyes Never know the answers, never know why But somehow, I end up just fine Throw me overboard, already lost in your wake Throw me overboard, but make no mistake If I go overboard, I’ll go my own way Cause everything passes, everything fades Throw me overboard, tell me I’m weak Throw me overboard, make no mistake If I go overboard, I’ll go my own way Cause everything passes, everything fades Everything passes, everything fades
5.
In your shadows, I see mine Cruelty of nature Nice to meet you, The pleasure’s mine Keep on talking I’ll keep smiling Even at zero We wear the outlines Of our past lives Never old enough, to hold it all in your hand Don’t want you to know, everywhere I’ve been Eyes stare steady, longer than I can stand In my sea of shame In the shallows, Why ask why? Cruelty of nature Will let you know When it's your time Never old enough, to hold it all in your hand Don’t want you to know, everywhere I’ve been Eyes stare steady, longer than I can stand In my sea of shame Hardest thing to give up is worth giving Hardest thing to give up is worth giving It’s not what you see It’s not what you feel It’s not what you think Come on baby, let’s be real It’s the hardest thing to give up So give it up (Why ask why?)
6.
Second Door 04:23
Ear to the wall, I will wait For possibility I’m knocking, I know I am late The door is locked, I’m holding for grace Next time I’ll know I’ll help amend Let it be so Love comes again, And there’s a softening of hearts Oh, won’t you come on through? Open the second door Always makes sense looking back Do we get another chance? We know truth because it repeats Could we end this differently? Next time I’ll know I’ll help amend Let it be so Love comes again, And there’s a softening of hearts Oh, won’t you come on through? Open the second door Learning to be comfortable, when it’s uncomfortable Holding, I’m holding, accept it, it’s over And open and open and open the door again To be comfortable, when I’m uncomfortable Holding, I’m holding, accept it, it’s over And open and open and open the door again
7.
A thick haze Hangs over yesterday We sleepwalk through a maze Bruised faith And in the disbelief, we hope to find relief But lose days Against my best defenses, I can’t accept the senseless Standing alone in the mirror Wondering what went wrong Couldn’t have been any clearer We’re still hanging on I’d take an hourglass, and I’d shake it, shake it, shake it But we can’t turn back I would break it, break it, break it But there’s no more sand So we’re fading, fading, fading Into black Into black Into black Into black Now we drain The color wastes away We’re left to bathe In dark rain It’s like the night turned out the lights and now Forgot to wake All goodbyes are better, when they are not forever Standing alone in the mirror Wondering what went wrong Couldn’t have been any clearer We’re still hanging on I’d take an hourglass, and I’d shake it, shake it, shake it But we can’t turn back I would break it, break it, break it But there’s no more sand So we’re fading, fading, fading In denial or a dreamer, could be either or Lately I’ve been so unsure In denial or a dreamer, broken what you swore Only something time could cure
8.
Poised to analyze, the projector scans from side to side Choosing what he wants to see If the question’s fight or flight, his weapon is the harshest light So bright it blinds others from his deeds Nothing’s wrong, he’s always right Too insecure to empathize with anyone unwilling to agree We don’t need your recommendation We won’t be a screen for accusation Shifting in between and out of focus Just a way for you to separate from us Poised to analyze, the projector scans from side to side Choosing what he wants to see With the limits of his sight, fan the flames of archetype Creating stories to deceive Don’t you lay those lies on me Now my responsibility to remedy misguided points of view We don’t need your recommendation We won’t be a screen for accusation Shifting in between and out of focus Just a way for you to separate from us Nothing’s wrong, he’s always right Too insecure to empathize with anyone unwilling to agree
9.
Let there be spaces Let there be room For all of our faces A place to be new Through our changing I won’t name it I can’t frame it I can’t do what I’ve done before I can’t contain it I can’t tame it And no words could live up Wherever we go, we’re together apart No matter how it unfolds, we’re together apart Together apart It breathes Let it be free Let there be spaces Let them be true It doesn’t need saving There’s nothing to do I won’t name it I can’t frame it I can’t do what I’ve done before I can’t contain it I can’t tame it And no words could live up Wherever we go, we’re together apart No matter how it unfolds, we’re together apart Together apart It breathes If distance comes, don’t miss me Trust that I’m with you always I put my hand on my heart You’re with me And it seems we live forever
10.
Roman 03:50
Summer lover, you still hover in winter Help me make sense of the distance Tell me that you’re not with her When you’re 3000 miles away How can your hands press against my chest? Familiar death, Don’t come again. Tasting regret, bitterness overtakes me You’re so quick to forget Down on one knee, then betray me But I can’t see anything now Yet the future knows impossible things My memory plagues me now Familiar death Don’t come again Come closer, Roman Speak higher, Roman Don’t punch below Don’t go so low Come closer, Roman Speak higher, Roman Don’t punch below Don’t go so low Speak higher Speak higher Speak higher Speak higher Let the flowers spill out of your mouth again Back into the waters, where you once pulled me in You tell me I’m beautiful when I cry - Is that why you keep saying goodbye? Come closer, Roman Speak higher, Roman Don’t punch below Don’t go so low Come closer, Roman Speak higher, Roman Don’t punch below Don’t go so low Speak higher Speak higher Speak higher Speak higher Call me Roman, I can’t sleep tonight I close my eyes, but I can’t close my mind These clouds won’t shift shape These clouds block the light How could you leave with a full moon in the sky?
11.
Beauty can make me weep, and kindness too Now my eyes scan across your face Searching for a trace of what I once saw in you And in dreams I found a way to get you through But when I wake I know it’s something I can’t do You’ve got to walk through the fire alone Walk through the fire alone Walk through the fire Walk through the fire I’ve walked through the fire, I know Standing in front of the mountain, we’re losing the view Holding tight to the day we first met Trying to separate my illusions from you And in dreams I’ve found a way to get your feet on the ground again But when I wake I know it’s something I can’t do. You’ve got to walk through the fire alone Walk through the fire alone Walk through the fire Walk through the fire I’ve walked through the fire, I know I want you to be better now, But by the time you’re better, I’ll probably be gone I want you to be better and better, But by the time you’re better, I’ll probably be far away I hope that you get better and better, But by the time you’re better, I bet I’ll be far away I know that you’ll get better and better, And by the time you’re better, I better be gone
12.
The Vine 03:10
Motherland, fatherland Terra incognita of this otherness Motherland, fatherland Placenta of your traded dreams hovering Well, we’ve been running these religions For a long, long time Womb to womb Sky to sky And I might just take a blade to this vine That got me drunk enough to delude I could call anything mine. Motherland, fatherland All your children are creators If I’m the arrow to your bow How much further must I roam? Well, we’ve been running these religions For a long, long time Womb to womb Sky to sky And I might just take a blade to this vine That got me drunk enough to delude I could call anything mine.

credits

released October 19, 2018

DOE PAORO: vocals
LEO ABRAHAMS: guitar
SAM DIXON: bass
JIMMY HOGARTH: percussion, guitar
DAN MCDOUGALL: drums
MARY PEARCE: backing vocals
MARTIN SLATTERY: piano, organ, horns

on “Together/Apart”
WYNNE BENNETT: keys
RUSSELL MANNING: bass
AARON STEELE: drums
on “Walk Through the Fire”
RYAN GILLIGAN: trumpet
SHRUTI KUMAR: additional keys
BRANDON WALTERS: additional guitar

Cover Photograph: Logan White
Back Photograph: Enrico Policardo
Inner Artwork Photographs: Doe Paoro + Hekla Studio
Design: Hekla Studio
Logotype: Krishna Fitzpatrick

JIMMY HOGARTH: production + engineering
MICHAEL BRAUER: mixing
JOE LAPORTA: mastering
DANI BENNETT-SPRAGG: engineering assistance
WYNNE BENNETT: production on “Together/Apart”
SHRUTI KUMAR: additional production on “Walk Through the Fire”
DANIEL NIGRO: additional production on “Fading into Black”

Recorded at HOXA HQ / London, UK
Mixed at Electric Lady Studios / New York, NY
Mastered at Sterling Sound / New York, NY
“Over” written by DOE PAORO + MATT HALES
“Cage of Habits” written by DOE PAORO + WYNNE BENNETT
“Guilty” written by DOE PAORO + JIMMY HOGARTH
“Loose Plans” written by DOE PAORO + MIKEY FREEDOM HART
“Cruelty of Nature” written by DOE PAORO + JUSTIN RAISEN
“Second Door” written by DOE PAORO + LEGGY LANGDON
“Fading into Black” written by DOE PAORO + DANIEL NIGRO
“The Projector” written by DOE PAORO + JIMMY MESSER
“Together/Apart” written by DOE PAORO + MICAH GORDON
“Roman” + “Walk Through the Fire” written by DOE PAORO + SHRUTI KUMAR
“The Vine” written by DOE PAORO + VIKTOR BÄLTER LUNDIN

Doe Paoro: Sonia’s Publishing Party (ASCAP) /
Rough Trade Publishing. Matt Hales (PRS).
James Hogarth (PRS) / BMG Rights Management.
Wynne Bennett: Shawty Ra Publishing (SESAC) /
BMG Rights Management. Mike Hart (BMI).
Justin Raisen (ASCAP) / Heavy Duty Music Publishing.
Christian Langdon: Leggy Songs (BMI) /
Kobalt Music Publishing. Daniel Nigro (ASCAP) /
Heavy Duty Music Publishing. Jimmy Messer (ASCAP).
Micah Gordon (BMI) / Big Deal Music. Shruti Kumar (ASCAP). Viktor Bälter Lundin (STIM)

My heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed their vision, faith, time, and talent to this collection of songs and to my friends and family for their unwavering support:
JIMMY HOGARTH • ANDY KAULKIN • ANTI- RECORDS • SHRUTI KUMAR • MARC NICOLAS • TIM CHIN • BREE BEAUVOIR • Brandon Zmigrocki • Ryan Nagle • Michael Brauer • Ben Shmikler • DAN HILL • ALAN SANDERS • BARBARA KREITZER • RINNY PERKINS • MIRANDA SIEGEL • CHARLIE MEYER • DEBBIE KNOX-HEWSON • JANET KNOX-HEWSON • ENRICO POLICARDO • RAVI LABUA • WYNNE BENNETT • ANJIA JALAC • KYLE MCCAMMON • AARON STEELE • RUSS MANNING • DANIEL NIGRO • MAX SANDERS • JARED KEANE FELDMAN • ZAC MARICONDIA
• MOM + DAD + ANNA + GREG + ALICE COHEN • GODMOTHER TO HUMANITY.

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Doe Paoro Los Angeles, California

i'm with the trees


www.doepaoro.com

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