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The Key

by Mike Shupp

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Mike Shupp
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    Formats ALAC (Apple Lossless—for iTunes) and FLAC both deliver full CD fidelity, uncompressed 16-bit / 44.1 kHz audio. This album has been meticulously transferred in the digital domain from the original production master. PDF Liner Notes booklet included with download.
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  • Full Digital Discography

    5
    releases

    Get all 5 Mike Shupp releases available on Bandcamp and save 10%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Wall Between Us (demo, ’90), This Time, The Key, A Little Fun / October Sun – Single, and October Sun. , and , .

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1.
Keep Me Waiting 04:50
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(lyrics) What changed your mind For the fifty-first time Turn me back out What's this all about You say you can't see Can't see you and me When you draw the line Is that your secret sign What will it be One or the other I'm thinkin' maybe you might Might want to see What we could discover tonight You keep me waiting You keep me waiting You keep me waiting All the time There's only so much I can take of your touch Only one thing Will keep us from sinking Don't want to scream and shout Or knock down drag out When you draw the line I can't read the sign What will it be Me or another I'm thinkin' maybe you might Might want to see What we could discover tonight You keep me waiting You keep me waiting You keep me waiting All the time What changed your mind For the ninety-ninth time Turn me back out What's this all about Don't want to scream and shout Or knock down drag out You draw the line I see a green light What will it be One or the other I'm thinkin' maybe you might Might want to see What we could discover tonight You keep me waiting You keep me waiting You keep me waiting All the time Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright (c) 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
2.
Head On Straight 03:11
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(lyrics) Got my head on straight today Made it through yesterday Relatively unscathed No time to figure it out Can't find a single lingering doubt Got my head on straight for once Haven't felt quite this well For so many months No time to scheme and plan Hit the ground start running as fast as I can Got my head on straight tonight Gonna find out what went wrong And make it all right Sometimes I feel this way Can't seem to make this feeling stay Make it stay, make it stay No time to scheme and plan Hit the ground start running as fast as I can As fast as I can Got my head on straight at last But voices are still calling me back to the past High time, just turn and go Stick around and I'll surely know my fate And that can wait That can wait Got my head on straight today Yeah, today Yeah, today Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright (c) 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
3.
The Key 04:52
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(lyrics) A place and a time Do you remember mine Fading ink on a dotted line And would you understand How the very best laid plans Fall apart as the stars align The lengths we will go to Now it's "if we only knew" So you pray for yours and I'll pray for mine It's startin' to feel that way What is this life really for 'Cause I don't know anymore You hold the key, you know the score Leave my name at your door Don't you know your own mind Well I can be unkind Didn't I tell you so long ago Far be it for me to say When I'm faking every day Reaching out from so far below It's startin' to feel that way What is this life really for 'Cause I don't know anymore Throw the key, hold the door Well I don't know I don't know I don't know anymore Here we go Here we go Here we go, down that road once more Ask and you receive Not easy to believe Empty handed out in the cold Turnin' on your heel Knowin' how it feels Knowin' you're only growin' old You're startin' to feel that way What is this life really for 'Cause I don't know anymore Turn the key, unlock the door Well I don't know I don't know I don't know anymore Here we go Here we go Here we go, down that road once more Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright (c) 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
4.
My Life 03:52
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(lyrics) Condescending Do away with words We go as far as we dare But I would not mind at all Save for this certain fall I don't even care I'll just keep on grasping at the air In the spotlight Turn the tables now It doesn't seem very fair But I would not feel a thing Walk home in the morning rain Stories volunteered Save face year after year, well When are you going to give 'Cause I'm just tryin' to live My life My life My life With you Condescending Do away with words We go as far as we dare But I would not mind at all Save for this certain fall I don't even care I'll just keep on grasping at the air When are you going to give 'Cause I'm just tryin' to live My life My life My life Tryin' to live my life Tryin' to live my life Just tryin' to live Tryin' to live my life With you Tryin' to live my life Live my life Just tryin' to live Just tryin' to live Tryin' to live my life Live my life Just tryin' to live Just tryin' to live Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright (c) 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
5.
Stranded 04:13
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(lyrics) Stranded here in a world you fear You 're on your own Sacred heart now come apart Where is your home In a world so cold In a daydream now grown old Stranded here in this new year What have you done Something unmistakable Are you having fun Oh but do come in Please confess your sin This is not how it was supposed to be This is not how they will remember me This is not how it was supposed to be Solid ground beneath your feet And heaven above Voices are Speaking of A place you know Now do you want to go Do you want to go Stranded here what's left to fear Nothing at all Slowly you begin to see What broke your fall Just a changing guard How can it be when you have come this far This is not how it was supposed to be This is not how they will remember me This is not how it was supposed to be This is not how they will remember me They will remember me Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
6.
When I Die 04:30
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(lyrics) Put on any disguise you like And you see through holes cut out for eyes You're taking notes as your life goes by Yeah you're wasting my time Now I can't look down memory lane There's a hole in the ground where I called your name Something changed, something feels the same Now I'm running away When I die I'll kiss it all goodbye Write your name up in the sky When I die Come to face the truth of it No they don't even know the half of it You ain't giving close to what you get Are you willing to try I won't take none of your advice When you look at me with those vacant eyes Oh yeah I know It would sure feel nice When I die I'll kiss it all goodbye Write your name up in the sky When I die Oh when I die Yeah when I die Oh when I die Quiet now Let me touch your face Let me hear the sound You wanna make So put on any disguise you like And you might find me in between the lines Mirror image, yeah it suits you fine Oh I'm wasting my time When I die I'll kiss it all goodbye Write your name up in the sky When I die When I die I'll kiss it all goodbye Write your name up in the sky When I die Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
7.
Don't Let Me See You This Way 04:26
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(lyrics) It's so good to see you So good to see you my old friend Those days are gone But we will bring them back again We never end What's happened to you Have they all finally brought you down I turn away As the bitter words tumble out They tumble out Don't let me see you this way Don't let me see you this way Don't let me see you this way You always knew the right way Don't listen to what they say Don't let me see you this way Well I tried my best To keep this old spirit alive I followed you Only to watch your spirit die Now where is your pride Don't let me see you this way Don't let me see you this way Don't let me see you this way You always knew the right way Don't listen to what they say Don't let me see you this way Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
8.
Right Through Me 03:47
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(lyrics) Is this a game That you don't wanna play I see you here Thought you were far away Turn around Not before it's too late What could be wrong Well you will never know What it is like When you never let it show Innocent eyes Always give you away Well she looked right through me Cut like a knife right through me I close my eyes I still see Her face Your hair is black Just like it always was You look so nervous There's no one you can trust Such a shame To see it turned out this way I want to run I want to hide And tell you everything I feel inside I want to go Then I want to stay Well she looked right through me Cut like a knife right through me I close my eyes I still see Her face Isn't it the least you can do Remember when I knew you We said our sad, our sad good-byes Now there's no trace in your eyes Into the night Leave you to watch the show Empty streets And nowhere left to go Why do you Always leave me this way Well she looked right through me Cut like a knife right through me I close my eyes I still see The way she looked right through me She looked right through me Cut like a knife right through me I close my eyes I still see Her face I still see her face Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
9.
Waiting For Tomorrow 03:57
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(lyrics) You're looking through an hourglass Watching the sand fall Wondering if your big plans will get you Anywhere at all Walking down an empty street Silence in your ears A million eyes upon you and you just Wanna disappear- yeah And oh, it's a crime how You're always waiting for tomorrow Stop wasting time now You can't beg, can't steal or borrow Can't beg, can't steal or borrow Giving in to circumstance You make it your ally Counting on a second chance Believing, believing your own lies Now the sun is setting low What happened to today What could have been you'll never know What will be only you can say Only you can say It's up there on the movie screen It's shining in your eyes It's cutting to the final scene That's got you paralyzed Down to the wire now There's no turning back Waiting 'til you find the power You're gonna, gonna fade to black And, oh, it's a crime how You're always waiting for tomorrow Stop wasting time now You can't beg, can't steal or borrow Oh, it's on the line now There's no one left for you to follow You're wasting time now Stop waiting for tomorrow Waiting for tomorrow Waiting for tomorrow, waiting for tomorrow, tomorrow Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
10.
What Did You Mean 03:46
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(lyrics) What did you mean When you said that to me What did you mean Could you enlighten me I've heard that tone of voice before And I'm already halfway out the door I don't guess there would be anything more I'll just pick my jaw right off the floor What did you mean When you said that to me I couldn't believe it Care to explain that to me I'm just not sure if I heard you right This will keep me up most of the night I hope that's not what you think of me I'm not thinking too clearly Not thinking too clearly Were you thinking at all Not that guilty really That I can recall Why don't you just come right out with it The pieces you're giving me don't fit I don't want to get your meaning wrong Is this how you've been feeling all along What did you mean, what did you mean When you said that to me Misunderstand you, I don't want to Misunderstand you, I don't want to Misunderstand you Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
11.
Starry Eyes 03:05
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(lyrics) Nothing ever changes Nothing ever really does In the game of love Go and rearrange us I won't be here when you call Don't watch me fall I don't need your reasons I don't need to see you I don't need to hear your sorry lies If you want to find me I'll be lost inside Your starry eyes Any situation You can find a new way out There is no doubt Your imagination You let it run away with you Now do you know the truth Far across the water You went searching after Now your answers they light up the night I've still got your picture I can still remember your starry eyes I still remember your starry eyes I can still remember your starry eyes You light up the night with your starry eyes Oh I'm lost inside your starry eyes Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
12.
Watching The Sun Go Down 04:03
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(lyrics) Watching the sun go down It's the end of today I've been quite a while in this town I feel far away But don't tell me What you think is wrong Just save your breath This moment is almost gone Watching the sun go down Fade into night Give away all I've found Wait for the light But don't tell me What you think I should do Just save your breath This moment feels brand new Watching the sun go down A chill in the air I don't know where I am bound Never used to care You don't have to tell me What I already know Don't waste your breath Yes I know, it's time to go Time to go Time to go Words and Music by Mike Shupp Copyright © 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)

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Album Notes:

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released October 7, 2000

(c) (p) 2000 Private Mind Records
all songs by Mike Shupp (c) 1999 Workplace Music (BMI)
upc: 615824000220 | catalog: PMR-40002

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Jeff Murphy
at Short Order Recorder, Zion, IL, December 6th - 18th, 1999
Mastered by Charlie Pilzer at Airshow Mastering, Springfield, VA
Design by James Lee at JML Design

Mike Shupp: Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Bass
Chris Zogby: Drums, Percussion

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Mike Shupp Washington, D.C.

"Big hooks, sharp pop instincts"
— THE WASHINGTON POST
"Once again Shupp has crafted a fantastic CD full of the sounds radio should be yearning for... great melodies... 4 stars"
— PASTE MAGAZINE

Mike Shupp writes American guitar pop songs that conjure the heartland, cruising through summer nights with one hand on the wheel, and the unlimited potential in tomorrow. ... more

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