We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

first release (demos)

by The Paper Trail

/
  • Streaming + Download

    first release of assorted demo recordings. all songs written by James A. Davidson
    Purchasable with gift card

      name your price

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 6 THE PAPER TRAIL releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of BEST NEW THING, COMEBACK KID, degenerates, LV, NV - 10.31, Vice / Viscera, and first release (demos). , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $11.20 USD or more (20% OFF)

     

1.
Marquis de Sade You said you couldn’t be with me I said please don’t go you said you were leaving me for the other coast singing ‘baby I’m a libertine, I’m always on the go’ you swore those words would stay with me but you never could have known. she cries tears that drip like Chopin from her eyes are like Sinatra on the water late at night I am inspired something in me came alive and you are why. and I am more chemicals and strings than anything, and I will never be the same again. I said I am more chemicals and strings than anything, and I will never be the same again, cause ‘baby I’m a libertine, I’m always on the go’ you swore those words would stay with me but you never could have known. she cries tears that drip like Chopin from her eyes are like Sinatra on the water late at night I am inspired something in me came alive, and you are why. I had to let you go I’m a missing man formation on my own (God knows I never take it slow) (to the Pacific coast: I’m coming home) she cries tears that drip like Chopin from her eyes are like Sinatra on the water late at night I am inspired something in me came alive, and you are why. you said you couldn’t be with me and I said please don’t go you said you were leaving me for the other coast singing ‘baby I’m a libertine I’m always on the go’ you swore those words would stay with me but you never could have known that baby im the libertine im always on the road I swore those words would stay with me so I used them in this song. (I am more chemicals and strings than anything and I will never be the same again)
2.
a Workforce Basic holding second place trophies up over our heads to keep me in line ‘keeping in line,’ she said, ‘never goes out of style’ once in a while I’ll think I’m in love but it’s just another lovely hand wrapped round a gun and pressed to my chest when you held me hostage, with words on a page swimming in ink, I bled all those pretty little cities in England the words stood right out at me leaving little inlets, harbors, and chelseas where we used to be a morning after poetry, a morning after poetry where we used to be the way we felt, the truth in our heads, the lies that we told instead. none were quite as heavy as what held its weight, the words on a page, confessions I swore I’d make, hell, you cheated yourself when you held me hostage with words on a page, swimming in ink, I bled all those pretty little cities in England the words stood right out at me leaving little inlets, harbors, and chelseas where we used to be a morning after poetry begins the world ends, a morning after poetry left marks on my skin where we used to be I’m gonna stay in this daze from the songs that I made and the words that I made them sing, I’m panicking with strings and I’m gonna stay in this daze from the songs that I make and the words that I made them scream I’m panicking with strings when you held me hostage with words on a page swimming in ink, I bled all those pretty little cities in England the words stood right out at me leaving little inlets, harbors, and chelseas, leaving little inlets, harbors, and chelseas , leaving little inlets, harbors, and chelseas where we used to be a morning after poetry, a morning after poetry where we used to be
3.
she likes things like taste and sense ‘you either die a hero or live long enough to become the enemy’ I swore that from something I’ve seen when she spends half her time just quoting moving pictures, when I just wish she would speak realistically so I’d believe she’s got lightning under her skin, and Jersey glows electric when she’s in it there’s a difference to me she’s only in it to win these knock down drag out fights like there’s some prize, but I’ll be alright cause if she leaves me I’ll find her on Lincoln, chasing stars down boardwalks and boulevards she was looking at me wild eyed, head tilt left with a cocaine smile and I could tell she was about to thunderstorm if the DJ wouldn’t play one more now her heart beats a techno beat, she’s drum and bass and lost on South Beach and she’s got lightning under her skin, and Jersey glows electric when she’s in it there’s a difference to me she’s only in it to win these knock down drag out fights like there’s some prize, but I’ll be alright cause if she leaves me I’ll find her on Lincoln, chasing stars down boardwalks and boulevards South Florida hit a cold snap, all the students stayed in so I tracked her to a Key, Biscayne, where she was singing ‘something in the way’ serenading sea with Cobain, over the waves now she shivers like a static in this cold, and I can tell she’s done so I hold her like a grudge and swear that all is real around us, maybe she belongs back where she’s come from but she’ll keep searching all the ‘hot’ clubs for something she can’t quite get her hands on and if she leaves me I’ll find her on Lincoln cause she’s got lightning under her skin and if she leaves me I’ll find her on Lincoln, God, if she leaves me I’ll find her on Lincoln or in one of her pretty little cities in England now her heart beats a techno beat, she’s drum and bass and lost on South Beach and she’s got lightning under her skin, and Jersey glows electric when she’s in it there’s a difference to me she’s only in it to win these knock down drag out fights like there’s some prize, but I’ll be alright and if she leaves me I’ll find her on Lincoln, chasing stars down boardwalks and boulevards
4.
On the 7th Day…(I discovered nothing) I breathe like there’s an anvil on my chest, I hope Sunday never comes I survive off the reflection in your eyes like solar panels pointed to southern skies and we sleep til Columbus Day and discover I didn’t miss much that way except the people I love didn’t know who I thought I’d find, maybe someone who stayed behind, but they all scattered the globe. this town’s been scrapped and stripped of its parts, boxed up and shipped, and scattered the globe and you left to find a piece of yourself, peace of mind, so we scattered the globe and we love like we’re leaving tomorrow and pray it never comes dig til this place is hollow and we’re all alone this town’s been scrapped and stripped of its parts, boxed up and shipped, and scattered the globe and you left to find a piece of yourself, peace of mind, so we scattered the globe sleep til Columbus Day and discover I didn’t miss much that way except the people I love didn’t know who I thought I’d find, maybe someone stayed behind, but they scattered the globe and we love like we’re leaving tomorrow and hope it never comes dig til this place is hollow and we’re all alone love like we’re leaving tomorrow and it’ll never come one by one til this place is hollow and empty when we come, when we get back home and all the kids in the town want out, turn the volume up to twenty-two all the kids in the town want out, everyone except me and you the tower overlooks the sound and keeps the music coming loud so we can sing the songs we love like we’re leaving tomorrow and it’ll never come one by one til this place is hollow and we’re all alone, we’re all alone and we love like we’re leaving tomorrow and pray it never comes one by one til this place is hollow and we’re all alone hugging pillows that can’t hug back, I’m so missing my better half hugging pillows that can’t hug back, I’m so missing my better half hugging pillows that can’t hug back, I’m so missing my better half hugging pillows that can’t hug back, I’m so missing my better halves
5.
Her Favorite Song (Morning Glory) long is my memory, see the countless songs written about you, I let me heart get ahead of me let it guide this pen and craft this tune along sigh and if the words come please come as two not combined, it all depends on where it’s placed in ‘goodbye’ there is an end to every thing in this life but this was not just any thing it’s a lovelife for all of time to keep you up all through the night and hidden, in and out of sight, the undeniable butterflies survive it’s your bright eyes to the morning light, singing over Bright Eyes in the afternoon and Conor never sounded so good as when he duets with you a long sigh, and if the words come please come as two not combined it all depends on where I’m placed in my life, if you heard this like I heard this in my mind then you would understand it’s a lovelife for all of time to keep you up all through the night and hidden, in and out of sight, the undeniable butterflies survive it’s a lovelife for all of time to keep you up all through the night, yeah maybe I hide, but at least not from what I feel inside a serendipitous mistake made in my favor sits now, dilapidated, in my head. and the things I chose to keep from her have come back out again and I know it’s ok, laughing, while she dances in my head and now I find myself, singing, her favorite song again it’s a lovelife for all of time to keep you up all through the night and hidden, in and out of sight, the undeniable butterflies survive it’s a lovelife for all of time to keep you up all through the night, and maybe I hide, but at least not from what I feel inside now who, now who (are you)
6.
I am the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald I want to know you if ever, ever meant a word that you spoke. or is ‘starving your friends’ the most you can manage? is it me? or was something missing from this? cause of all of the men that you’ve kissed, I seem the worst for the wear. I will die with the morning light cause I’ve cursed myself over with prayers, the nightingales are hurrying to anoint me one of the fallen throats, but you maintain your throne. I – I have to go and I think you know it, I’m terminal and I’ve bled dry, the sea calls me. Hands to the sky, she always told me. You’ll go down with your dignity piercing the surface, raised in faint memory of a season’s worth of cigarettes ashed into the breeze, burnt and drifting. I will die with the morning light cause I’ve cursed myself over with prayers, the nightingales are hurrying to anoint me one of the fallen throats, but you maintain your throne balladeer under the sea, I’m calling you, I’m calling you, channel the siren in me, I’m calling you, I’m calling you. (x2) I’m calling you, I’m calling you Neptune I’m calling you, I’m calling you Neptune. I’m calling you, I’m calling you. (x4) and I’ll go down with all my flags waving, and all my ‘sincerities’ cause I will die with the morning light and there is no saving me. (x2)
7.
The K2 Effect I read your diary saw it clearly when you smiled at me and I’m pretty sure the words read, plainly: ‘come run away with me I sleep so much better at your side. Alabama could be a pretty sweet home for you and I a pretty sweet home for you and I? the way I lied, acted like I read her mind? just to disguise the fact, these words were really mine and I just wish I had the where-with-all to act on this but something keeps me restrained by a childhood memory. now I wanna play for keeps inhibition abandon me. if I taste defeat at your feet I bet it’s still sweet. so come run away with me I sleep so much better at your side. Alabama could be a pretty sweet home for you and I. a pretty sweet home for you and I? a pretty sweet home for you and I. a pretty sweet home for you and I- am slow dancing on the inside wishing you knew you are why I write. damn right I write. I am slow dancing on the inside wishing you knew you are why I write. and I’ll take my time getting better by the hour til I die. cause all our doctors lied when they said that we’d survive all this love making has made me lose my mind, so come run away with me, I sleep so much better at your side. Alabama could be a pretty sweet home for you and I a pretty sweet home for you and I (x2) (so just watch the sky lines fly by as we are looking at the stars we’ll close our eyes and drive to anywhere, we could have it all) a pretty sweet home, for you and I am slowdancing on the inside wishing you knew you are why I write, damn right I write, I am slow dancing on the inside wishing you knew you are why I write, so run away with me I sleep so much better by your side. Alabama could be a pretty sweet home for you and I. a pretty sweet home for you and I? a pretty sweet home for you and I. (slowdancing on the inside, wishing you knew you are why I write.) (slowdancing on the inside, wishing you knew you are why I write.)

about

Selected from a bundle of demos accumulated throughout the early years of recording what later became, The Paper Trail.

I'm slow-dancing on the inside, wishing you knew you are why I write.

credits

released October 6, 2010

all songwriting, lyrics, and performance by James A. Davidson
guest vox by Jeff Mishley
additional recording by Jeff Mishley

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

THE PAPER TRAIL Los Angeles, California

Hi, my name is James and this is The Paper Trail.

contact / help

Contact THE PAPER TRAIL

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like first release (demos), you may also like: