Reuben Walton: Recent Episodes
Reuben Walton
Reuben Walton is an artist and singer/songwriter based in LA. He is a graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood's Independent Artist and Electronic Music Production certificate programs and is also a graduate of UMass Lowell’s Music Business undergraduate program. Walton's involvement in music has been a long-term fervent passion, originally as a welcome escape from troubles at both home and school, gradually developing his Pop instincts in an alternate creative zone. As a vocalist, he has been a member of a variety of choral ensembles and also became inspired by unorthodox lyrical and tonal mavericks of the time such as Björk and Portishead. His early production work naturally gravitated toward creating sonically experimental and cinematic musical worlds, followed by a shift toward free-flowing explorations in Hip-Hop and atmospheric R&B. His agile ear for melody and rhythm is the common element unifying his body of work. Career highlights thus far have included performances at UMass Lowell's annual Mothers of Rock concert and various venues in Massachusetts and the Greater Boston area. In 2019 he released a self-titled EP in collaboration with LA-based producer AVLI Music and since then has been releasing singles, with more to come on the horizon.
This single is a collaboration with soul poet, rapper, musician, and producer The ZYG 808, who I met this year in 2024 when I participated in a selective artist fellowship program organized by The Cordial Eye, which is a community arts organization based on the Mid-Cape that strives to use the arts and arts education as a tool for expanding the definition of who belongs on Cape Cod and what it means to be a creative person here. Zyg is the son of my mentor, MWALIM DaPhunkee Professor, and from May 2024 to October 2024, I supported Zyg on select dates of his tour for his album Build/Destroy.The original melodic and lyrical idea that became the chorus for this song was written by me in a voice memo on my iPhone sometime in the late 2010s during the era when I was assembling my self-titled EP, and it feels great to see it find a home here and come to fruition through this collaboration.Lyrics: Verse 1, Reuben Walton:He knew a whole lot about the world, but when it came to loving me…He didn’t get itHe didn’t get itCame to lovin’ he didn’t do a thingHe didn’t get itHe didn’t get itWent over his headYou’ve been down every alleyYou’ve been to every cityYou know all the tea‘cept how to treat a human beingYeah you were M.I.A.just when I needed you mostNow you’re still in my headMy brain can’t leave you aloneIt made me who I am,for better or worseWe all know this feelingFrom the outside, he’s brilliantChorus:He knew a whole lot about the world, but when it came to loving me…He didn’t get itThe ZYG 808: didn't get it, he didn't get itRW: He didn’t get itCame to lovin’ he didn’t do a thingHe didn’t get itHe didn’t get itWent over his headVerse 2, TZ8:I saw her againmy body started buzzin'feel my lungs vibratingI don't like it, I need an adultI need to talk to somebody so I don't spiral'cause my homie told me that my energy seems way too restless butI thought I put it all behind me when I wrote that songhonestly I thought it was goodbye for goodI'll always cherish what we had but I don't quite know what it wasThe first time you said you loved me we'd already broken upChorus:He knew a whole lot about the world, but when it came to loving me…He didn’t get itHe didn’t get itCame to lovin’ he didn’t do a thingHe didn’t get itHe didn’t get itWent over his headTZ8:Alright let's listenVocals by Reuben Walton and Morgan James Peters IIBackground vocals by Reuben Walton and Morgan James Peters IILyrics by Reuben Walton and Morgan James Peters IIComposed by Reuben Walton and Morgan James Peters IIProduced by Reuben WaltonMixed by Reuben WaltonMastered by Reuben Walton
Title to be changedBurn LYRICS Update for CritiqueVerse 1: I cut you off, for a whole damn year Now you’re back with sweet talk, confirming all my fears, you’re so alluring, the way you turn it on I call it manipulation, ‘cause it’s been too longPrechorus 1: Actin’ like your not abusive We were friends with benefits I done told you what the truth is Now you want me back again You still won’t come out of the closet We can’t bring back yesterday you’re no longer that appealing and we closed that chapter babe We’ve all been to dark places Ain’t nothin’ new Though my heart is breakin’ I can’t take care of youChorus: That shit don’t work here Anymore baby wecan’t recreateWhat we had before ITold you and told you and told you againdon’t wanna talk I don’t wanna be friendsJust let that sink inVerse 2:I got tired of waiting for your love, yeahYou had enough timeBut you didn’t care enoughSpent so long, with you just hangin’ ‘round (woah)When both of us knewYou were the only game in townPrechorus 2: Don’t know what you were afraid of It was not my call to make and when you used to touch my body I could feel infinity You never came out of the closet We can’t bring back yesterday So my eyes are on tomorrow Only got one life to live We’ve all been to dark places Ain’t nothin’ new ‘bout thatand our whole arrangement’s a thing of the past, Chorus: ‘cause that shit don’t work here Anymore baby wecan’t recreateWhat we had before ITold you and told you and told you againdon’t wanna talk I don’t wanna be friendsJust let that sink inBridge:I guess some small part of me wanted to feellike I was in loveAnd subconsciously every man through the door gets compared to you (2x)
Toxic / Go to BedBy Reuben WaltonASCAP Writer IPI #: 771759894Intro:And when I walk through those gatesI knowI’ll hear you callin’ my nameand embrace you once moregive my all for yougive my all for yougimme gimme gimme give my all for yougive my all for yougive my all for yougimme gimme gimme give my all for youVerse 1:You know I came here for one reason(Give my all for you)Hear your ringtone I’m already leavin’We gon’, do it, all, we don’t rise, we don’t, fallWe don’t, bust, we don’t, break, ‘cause there’s, money, left to, makePre:‘Cause there’s no place for a snowflake like me in this worldYou gotta have nerves of steel just to be in this worldAnd that’s what I got you for, you’re the one I adoreSo I’ll just go on being treated with scorn by youChorus:You’re so toxic, but your sex game’s so goodAnd there’s no one else with your ten percentGuess it’s better than nothing, better than nothing, I’ll make the most of itCause I’m so lonely, cause I’m so lonely, I’ll take what you can giveVerse 2:So you had a hard day, I get that/and you need your space, I’m with that/But I can give you ways to kick back/Unless you wanna take a rain check/‘Cause I’m in your home, but I got my own, just say the word if you want me to goAnd I’m ghost, babyJust like a phantom, babeIn the night I’ll comeAnd the risin’ sunAin’t gon’ see me shineSo gon’ pour the wineI’ll make it worth your whileBut if not it’s fineThen I’ll slip away into the nightChorus:You’re so toxic, but your sex game’s so goodAnd there’s no one else with your ten percentGuess it’s better than nothing, better than nothing, I’ll make the most of itCause I’m so lonely, cause I’m so lonely, I’ll take what you can giveBridge:I don’t need you to come and rescue me,Stand on my own two feet, baby, don’t tempt me, and I know you think you’ve done it all and that’s okay, but you don’t know the half of it, so open up that cabinetChorus:You’re so toxic, but your sex game’s so goodAnd there’s no one else with your ten percentGuess it’s better than nothing, better than nothing, I’ll make the most of itCause I’m so lonely, cause I’m so lonely, I’ll take what you can giveOutro:I’ll hear you callin’ my n--allin’ my n--I’ll hear you callin’ my n--I’ll hear you callin’ my n-- I’ll hear you callin’ my n-- I’ll hear you callin’ my name
This is a song I wrote during Fall 2020 when I was in the dorms at Musicians Institute. The instrumental started as me practicing a chord progression for my Keyboard Essentials 1 class and then I used it for a project for my The Working Songwriter class. It underwent at least three revisions during the year leading up to its release in Fall 2021. Lyrically it covers my sensitivity and a relationship I got into in 2019 when I was living in LA and working at Whole Foods Market in Brentwood, Los Angeles. The emotional whiplash of coming and going to and from LA, and on top of that having to leave my boyfriend behind when I left in December 2019, being a sensitive person, loving LA while being simultaneously terrified of having to leave it for financial reasons, and unexpectedly getting into my first serious relationship in over five years, are just a few of the events that went into my frame of mind when I was writing this song. It's entirely possible that some of this didn't come across. Very often my songwriting process is as much about the storytelling as it is about the way melodies and words sound over a chord progression. Crafting a concrete, literal narrative for the song was not my intention so much as just following my muse.
Lyrics:
I’m back in town, finally free for the third time Look around and there’s so many cute guys And It’s not what I’m here for But naturally, I’m starved
Then came you comin’ through the phone line An invitation for fun and rosé wine I thought it was nothin’ Now you got me buggin’ ‘cause I
I wear my heart on my I wear my heart on my I wear my heart on my-y-y I wear my heart, I wear my heart
Post Malone got me crying in the rental ‘Cause you can tell I’m tryna break it to you gentle It’s all over your face The innocence has all been erased Then the conversation shifts to when I’ll be back here I can’t say when but maybe next year Or the next year Or the next year I’m fallin’ apart as I drive into the dark
I wear my heart on my (maybe I'll be back someday) I wear my heart on my (the heartland is a lonely one) I wear my heart on my-y-y I wear my heart, I wear my heart
(Bridge) Baby you were my little cherub I had to take care of Perhaps a projection of myself Guess I had some growing up to do Dysfunctional We were so codependent Breakin’ up was a blessin’ to my health Still I hope everything works out for you (I hope everything works out for you) Let’s not forget I practically invented This whole characteristic it’s more than an accessory for me It's just the way I am and I'm not sorry
I wear my heart on my (sleeve for you) I wear my heart on my (can't be removed) I wear my heart on my-y-y ('till I'm in the tomb) I wear my heart, I wear my heart
I wear my heart on my (sleeve for you) I wear my heart on my (can't be removed) I wear my heart on my-y-y (no matter what I do) I wear my heart, I wear my heart
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Melody by Reuben Walton Underlying chords by Reuben Walton Programmed by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Recorded by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton and Arthur Pingrey Mastered by Arthur Pingrey Edited by Reuben Walton Artwork by Reuben Walton, Jordan Gimenez, and John Keon
Hey there, nice to meet you! I’m Reuben Walton and I’m an Alternative Pop/R&B artist from Massachusetts. My goal is to become well-known for my music, to win Grammys, and to live in LA. People have said I sound like The Black Lips, The Weeknd, and The Postal Service.
Another self-penned empowerment anthem by yours truly. Based on real life, with a universal message.
Lyrics:
[Intro] (spoken): If you've ever been in a toxic friendship, this song is for you. Know your worth, honey.
[Verse 1]: I been down I been down I been so far down Now I call the shots I been here I’ve been there I’ve been everywhere, but what I’m not You been callin’ private I ain’t pickin’ up no way, No way If I do it’ll be a soundboard Baby that’s the troll in me, In me I’ve had about enough I’m callin’ your bluff Ain’t nothin' you can offer me now The boy you knew is dead I Taylor Swifted him Go find someone else to bring down
[Chorus]: Play with me at your own risk By now you know I’m not to be toyed with don’t care if it’s mood swings or not don’t care what problem you got don’t need that mess in my life just get your shit and get out Get out, get out, get out, Get out, get out, get out, can I get a witness tonight?
[Verse 2]: Crocodile tears, you prima donna queen, unaware you cut me like a knife. Girl I just can’t help but laugh when you beat your chest and act like I’ve just ruined your life feelin’ so betrayed now my frequency’s gone way down Matter fact I think it’s the third time Don’t know what you’re tryna pull here helped you out this whole year Have a slice of humble pie ‘Cause you been actin’ weird This ain’t no Hollywood premiere, no And it’s been such a crazy year I’m not your servant let’s be clear Boo I’m tellin’ you
[Chorus]: Play with me at your own risk By now you know I’m not to be toyed with don’t care if it’s mood swings or not don’t care what problem you got don’t need that mess in my life just get your shit and get out Get out, get out, get out, Get out, get out, get out, can I get a witness tonight?
[Bridge]: See someone hurt you a long time ago but I’m breakin’ the cycle I’m not here to help you reenact all your childhood trauma You can say it, yeah you can say what you like might wanna change it, but I know you’ll turn on a dime My invitation, self-awareness is nice This is me saying goodnight
[Chorus]: Play with me at your own risk By now you know I’m not to be toyed with don’t care if it’s mood swings or not don’t care what problem you got don’t need that mess in my life just get your shit and get out Get out, get out, get out, Get out, get out, get out, can I get a witness tonight? (Background adlib: Ooh, I want you to go now Ooh, I need you to go now Ooh, I want you to go now Ooh, demand that you go now)
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Melody by Reuben Walton Underlying Chords by Reuben Walton Programmed by Reuben Walton and Arthur Pochon Produced by Reuben Walton and Arthur Pochon Recorded by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton and Kyle Shearer Mastered by Kyle Shearer Edited by Reuben Walton Artwork by Reuben Walton
Lyrics: I wear my heart on my sleeve for you Let’s get some tea for two That’s all I seem to do You make me bleed for you I fucked around and gave you all my love Warmer than the sun above But you’re a nasty man Takin’ advantage of me
I wear my heart on my I wear my heart on my I wear my heart on my-y-y I wear my heart, I wear my heart
Post Malone got me crying in the rental Cuz you can tell I’m tryna break it to you gentle It’s all over your face The innocence has all been erased Then the conversation shifts to when I’ll be back here I can’t say when but maybe next year Or the next year Or the next year I’m fallin’ apart as I drive into the dark
I wear my heart on my (maybe I'll be back someday) I wear my heart on my (the heartland is a lonely one) I wear my heart on my-y-y I wear my heart, I wear my heart
(Bridge) Baby you were my little cherub I had to take care of Perhaps a projection of myself Guess I had some growing up to do Dysfunctional We were so codependent Breakin’ up was a blessin’ to my health Still I hope everything works out for you Let’s not forget I practically invented This whole characteristic it’s more than an accessory for me It's just the way I am
I wear my heart on my (sleeve for you) I wear my heart on my (can't be removed) I wear my heart on my-y-y ('till I'm in the tomb) I wear my heart, I wear my heart
I wear my heart on my (sleeve for you) I wear my heart on my (can't be removed) I wear my heart on my-y-y (no matter what I do) I wear my heart, I wear my heart
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton Programming by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Recorded by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton Mastered by SoundCloud with input of Reuben Walton
I actually never intended for there to be a remix on this single but one thing led to another and I felt this version worked better as a remix rather than the main version.
Lyrics: [Verse 1] I’m a hunter for destiny fulfillment seeking to find neverending freedom You’re in my way but you won’t admit it I’m an open wound That’s something I can live with
Obstacles I climb on top of them or dig around them and swim my way through the brine Searching for a brand new confidence and I think I found it and now it’s time to get what’s mine
[Chorus] Hangin’ around with you Now there’s nothing left to do Can’t be your caged-up angel though you love me through and through They’ve already counted me out this time Doesn’t matter I can take it Anybody wants to doubt it’s fine The strength in me is ancient
And I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime and I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime
[Verse 2] Could have lost my life over something petty ‘bout a hundred times Thanks for the protection What did I expect? I was livin’ reckless Now I grab my life by its goddamn necklace
Up all night just trying to get it right and it’s so precarious feels like I'm dancin' through the fire Oh my god here comes the pressure now and it's all around me but I do this all the time
[Chorus] I was hangin’ around with you there was nothing left to do Couldn’t stay your caged-up angel Though you love me through and through They’ve already counted me out this time Doesn’t matter I can take it Anybody wants to doubt it’s fine The strength in me is ancient
And I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime and I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime
[Bridge] Keep it goin’ goin’, goin’ goin’ You’re the champion You’re the only only, only only thing blocking you from the sun You either want it want it, gotta have it or you’ll find an excuse You don’t need permission, you know you run it, run it There ain’t no time to lose
[Chorus] And I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime and I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime
from Hunter - Single, released March 30, 2021 Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton and Dylan Thomas Programmed by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Recorded by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton Mastered by Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton Artwork by Reuben Walton
What inspired me to write this song was my isolation due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, my determination that I had to get out of here, my depression and rage, and me feeling like I was being held back. The inspiration was coming from a place inside me that was really turning depression into anger that I was being thwarted. Summer 2020 I was taking a songwriting class at MI and my assignment was to brainstorm a list of song titles and then pick one and write a song for it. I picked “Hunter”. I laid down a chord progression I had been practicing for my Keyboard Essentials 1 class and recorded some initial vocals over it. “I’m a hunter for, destiny fulfillment. Searching to find, never ending freedom.” I was in full “let’s go!” summertime, optimistic, active, full-bodied mode due to multiple factors including the warm weather due to it being summer in Massachusetts, and also maybe the novelty of those early months of Covid. I was also experiencing 2020 cabin fever, and had a tense relationship with my mom over this. Then, during my first day working on this song, I got an email in my MI student email account advertising upcoming American Idol auditions for MI students, and then I looked down at the bottom and saw that I was outside the age requirement. Not that I necessarily had auditioning for AI on my mind, but seeing that made me depressed because it felt like an outside limitation was being placed on me. So then I had an emotional moment where I was thinking, “well, whatever, I don’t need them anyway, I’ll die trying and it’s not gonna make or break me”. This led me to spontaneously come up with an idea interpolating part of Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” with the words “rage against the dying of the light”. In this case the dying of the light meant my being denied opportunities like this on account of my age. It was like my wounded warrior battle cry of bruised determination. I was really loving the way my voice was sounding as I was recording with these new EQ and compressor plugins/techniques I had learned so I was then inspired to write a typically dramatic bridge. Then later, in September, I had to quickly finish the song to submit as part of a final project requirement at MI so I had to quickly come up with a second verse. In finishing this song, I enlisted the superb mixing and mastering talents of Rob Murray, a mixing and mastering engineer I found via SoundBetter.
[Verse 1] I’m a hunter for destiny fulfillment seeking to find neverending freedom You’re in my way but you won’t admit it I’m an open wound That’s something I can live with
Obstacles I climb on top of them or dig around them and swim my way through the brine Searching for a brand new confidence and I think I found it and now it’s time to get what’s mine
[Chorus] Hangin’ around with you Now there’s nothing left to do Can’t be your caged-up angel though you love me through and through They’ve already counted me out this time Doesn’t matter I can take it Anybody wants to doubt it’s fine The strength in me is ancient
And I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime and I will ra-r-r-rage r-r—r-r-rage against the dying of the light as the game g-g-game g-game g-game game goes into overtime
[Verse 2] Could have lost my life over something petty ‘bout a hundred times Thanks for the protection What did I expect? I was livin’ reckless Now I grab my life by its goddamn necklace
Up all night just trying to get it right and it’s so precarious feels like I'm dancin' through the fire Oh my god here comes the pressure now and it's all around me but I do this all the time
[Chorus] I was hangin’ around with you there was nothing left to do Couldn’t stay your caged-up angel Though you love me through and through They’ve already counted me out this time Doesn’t matter I can take it Anybody wants to doubt it’s fine The strength in me is ancient
This is my second collaboration with Ghanaian producer, artist, singer/songwriter and beatmaker Lazzy Beatz, producer of Sarkodie's song "10K", among countless other Ghanaian and West African afropop, hip hop and highlife songs. He sent me this song for me to do a verse on it, so you can hear me on the second verse. It is also available on all digital music platforms that CD Baby, my digital distributor, distributes to. Enjoy!
Lyrics: [Intro: ] Lazzy… Weezy baby…
[Verse 1: Lazzy Beatz] Let me sing you a lullaby Show me your love is real Come enter my paradise Show me your love is real
Hella, hella, hella, hello Hella, hella, hella, hello Hella, hella, hella, hello Hella, hella, hella, hello
[Chorus: Lazzy Beatz] She love me and my style eeiei (brrruh) She love me and my style eeiei (wah!) She love me and my style eeiei (brrrah!) She love me and my style eeiei She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me (brrruh) She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me (wah!) She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me (brrrah!) She love me and my style eeiei
[Verse 2: Lazzy Beatz] Kalakame eei, yeei yeei Kalakame yeei Tsei benkemi eei,yeei yeei Tsei benkemi yeei Holla, holla, holla, holla, ooh Holla, holla, holla, ella Holla, holla, holla, holla, ooh Holla, holla, holla, ella Don't leave me lonely, lonely I will give you one million. Reuben Walton: One million. LB: Don’t leave me, don't leave me.
[Chorus: Lazzy Beatz and Reuben Walton] She love me and my style eeiei (brrruh) RW: She love me for my style LB: She love me and my style eeiei (wah!) She love me and my style eeiei (brrrah!) She love me and my style eeiei She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me (brrr) She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me (wah!) She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me (brrrah!) She love me and my style eeiei
[Verse 3: Reuben Walton] Tryna get the energy back like let’s get it let me warm up ‘cause I been gone for a minute Too much paranoia got me listenin’ to critics And forgettin’ how I did it yeah yeah I did it Always got me thinkin’ it’s gon’ be more hardcore than that Got a hundred fifty out me you ain’t gettin’ more than that takes me on a journey where everything’s a party I’m all set but I wish you the best I would live with you but it’s only as friends
[Chorus: Lazzy Beatz and Reuben Walton] She love me and my style eeiei (brrruh) RW: That's why she love me LB: She love me and my style eeiei (wah!) LB: She love me and my style eeiei (brrrah!) RW: 'Cause I'm so gangsta LB: She love me and my style eeiei She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me RW: She love me, she love me, she love me, ooh, yeah LB: She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me LB: She love me and my style eeiei, shake it for me She love me and my style eeiei
[Outro: Reuben Walton] Keep it goin', y'all To the beat, y'all From the left to the right We gon' do this all night Drop it down low
Vocals by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Vocal production by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Lyrics by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Programmed by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Produced by Daniel Agyemang Recorded by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Mixed by Daniel Agyemang Mastered by Daniel Agyemang Edited by Daniel Agyemang Artwork by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton
I wrote this song in November of 2020 living in Hollywood in my apartment feeling quite isolated and missing my ex. The lyrics are mostly true to life. Also the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to LA being very different from previous years and not as fun. I was using Ableton when I made the initial demo of this song and I feel that me being new to using it contributed to making a record with a different type of vibe. I.e. more potential for happy accidents and little quirks that can direct my creative flow much like big rocks directing the flow of water in a stream. Anyway, hope you like the song. I made sure to do my vocal take editing myself so I got it sounding the way I felt was best, and only then did I bring it to co-produce the song with Matteo Cerescioli, a great producer and mixing engineer I found on SoundBetter who was immensely helpful. The second verse contains a lyrical and melodic interpolation of "Leave This City" by The Sundays, off of their 1997 album Static & Silence.
Lyrics: Tequila shots On Venice Beach Summer ‘19 just you and me You wanted forever I had trepidation Now you’re incarcerated and it’s
So unfair How it had to be You wanted me in your family still have all your letters they’re crumpled but I’ll keep ‘em No I ain’t got a reason
But the city’s lonely It’s borderline unholy That you can’t be Right here with me You were my only homie But our lives unfolded So differently
We went back and forth Like a pendulum Like a light switch It was off and on I would try to ghost you Then you would come to find me Now in 2020 It’s gone forever, the stairs we used to go The vibe is different, The world has lost control Talked to your mom she said they took you away Mass hysteria, the color has all drained
and the city’s lonely It’s borderline unholy That you can’t be Right here with me You were my only homie But our lives unfolded So differently
At the edge of another winter I find myself missing my Silver Lake boy Silver Lake boy
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton and Harriet Wheeler Composed by Reuben Walton, Matteo Cerescioli and Harriet Wheeler Programming by Reuben Walton and Matteo Cerescioli Produced by Reuben Walton and Matteo Cerescioli Recorded by Reuben Walton and Matteo Cerescioli Edited by Reuben Walton and Matteo Cerescioli Mixed by Reuben Walton and Matteo Cerescioli Mastered by Reuben Walton and Matteo Cerescioli Artwork by Reuben Walton and Jordan Gimenez
"Gone" is the sixth song that I've worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA and it's a slightly paradoxically uptempo pop song with subject matter largely surrounding the death of my best friend of nearly 11 years in September 2016, as well as the longing, nostalgia, and homesickness I experienced when I was living in Los Angeles, CA without a car almost exactly a year later. The first four lines of the first verse were first recorded in a voice memo on my iPhone and weren't originally conceived as being about this subject matter, and more just about staying up late with my friend and collaborator Devin Johnson a.k.a. DejaVu at his house in Mashpee, MA. Incorporating the name of the band "Rage Against the Machine" as part of the lyrics in that verse was just something sort of funny and random that I felt like doing.
Lyrics: Verse 1: Got us crawlin’ around all night with each other And nothing’s even sacred here, got your eyes seein’ double, Oh yeah yeah yeah we rage against the machine, But we don’t know what it means And there's a definite sense of before and after Finally reached the epilogue of the chapter And as with everything else there were moments left uncaptured But baby in the end you know I’ll be following after
Chorus: Almost been a year since you've been gone Try to find a way to carry on Memories they fade and fade away No past or present friend could take your place
Verse 2: I would hang up the phone and soon hear you comin’ Bumpin’ with the windows down just right for the summer A caravan of kids up to no good, I would go back if I could and I wouldn’t be so scared of you
Chorus: Almost been a year since you've been gone Try to find a way to carry on Memories they fade and fade away No past or present friend could take your place
Bridge: I miss my home I miss my friends This type of sadness never ends Can't seem to get it together I wish that you'd come back to me Comin' up on your anniversary I guess I'll see you in heaven
Chorus: Almost been a year since you've been gone Try to find a way to carry on Memories they fade and fade away No past or present friend could take your place All that's left are pictures of your face Whether in a box or in a frame Let their colors shine in light of day You're a mark upon my life that always stays
Verse 3: We were gonna grow old together, laugh and joke together, rock and roll take over the world together and share each other's success Baby girl nothin’’s been the same since I was layin' in bed and I got that call
Vocals by Reuben Walton Background vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton, Jordan Siwek, and AVLI Music Programming by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Arranged by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Produced by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Recorded by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Mixed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Edited by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
"Birthday (feat. Questt)" is the seventh song that I've worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA. It was the final song we worked on for this EP.
Lyrics: Chorus: Reuben Walton: Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say
Verse 1: The spirit of the universe took you away from your friends took you away from your mother, the pain feels like it won't end and it takes so long to recover, oh no it's startin' again keep thinkin' over and over, I've lost my very best friend Keep you alive in my memory, memory Keep you alive in my memory, you and me Keep you alive in my memory, memory Baby to me you were everything, everything
Chorus: Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say
Verse 2: Questt: It’s Friday night and I been waitin’ for this shit all week/ workin’ 9 to 5 I swear to God I never get no sleep/ gotta do it ‘cause you know a nigga isn’t livin’ cheap/ thotties try to get my Gualla fall asleep on silky sheets/ I just leave ‘em in the suites, Q and RW: I don’t need to get too deep/ Q: Talkin’ all “I love you” shit, all I know is Q and RW: Talk is cheap/ Q: I escape up to the hills, like thank God I got a Jeep/ I don’t care about no drama ‘cause that beef is what I eat/ you can find me at a popup/ free all my niggas locked up/ we used to tear the block up we can kick it like some soccer/ now bitches wanna play Doctor I’m cookin’ like Betty Crocker/ I swear I was born a monster or somethin’ just being honest/ I’m earning nothing was promised I’m hotter than the month of August/ I’m workin’ on bein’ more modest, but right now my ego the largest/ I’m workin’ wit artists, we finally makin’ them hits/ hearin’ your songs when I start up the whip and I’m chillin’ with crew when I’m smokin’ them zips/
Chorus: RW: Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really care what you say Bitch I’m goin’ in, it’s my birthday And I don’t really do what you say
Vocals by Reuben Walton Background vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton and John Pickett Composed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Programming by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Arranged by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Produced by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Recorded by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Mixed by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
"Miracle" is the fifth song that I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA and it's an epic, tense pop song with musical/lyrical themes that reflect the mixture of anxiety and grim determination that comes with chasing a dream.
Lyrics: Verse 1: Twenty-six hundred miles away, there's a place where I'd like to stay, mmm day by day, man I got that airport runway callin' my name
I've built it up in my mind at this point, I'm runnin' outta time at this point, The situation's getting so dire, Fortune come take me higher
Chorus: I need a miracle to get out of here, to finally escape, don't wanna feel like I'm slippin' away, One tiny miracle to get out of here, to finally escape, don't wanna feel like I'm slippin' away, I need a miracle, I'm not gettin' younger, unsatisfied hunger, this desperate longing is takin' me under, One tiny miracle, I'm not gettin' younger, unsatisfied hunger, this desperate longing is takin' me under, ooh-woah, ooh yeah, it's takin' me under, ooh-woah, ooh yeah
Verse 2: I don't go out when everybody else goes out 'cause I'm only off Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I've been known to act a little crazy myself, so don't listen to the things that your friends say
Think you hit a nerve but I've heard it all before, heard it all before, h-h-heard it all before-fore What you're sayin' sounds absurd and I've heard it all before, heard it all before, h-h-heard it all before
Chorus: I need a miracle to get out of here, to finally escape, don't wanna feel like I'm slippin' away, One tiny miracle to get out of here, to finally escape, don't wanna feel like I'm slippin' away, I need a miracle, I'm not gettin' younger, unsatisfied hunger, this desperate longing is takin' me under, One tiny miracle, I'm not gettin' younger, unsatisfied hunger, this desperate longing is takin' me un--
Bridge: Baby don't lecture me, show respect to me, though I know that the shit is earned. I don't have to read twenty books just because you got your feelings hurt. Ooh and moreover, I want out this apartment, I don't wanna be starvin', I ain't never been phony, won't let money control me, Rest in Peace to the bullshit, gotta free my soul
Chorus: I need a miracle to get out of here, to finally escape, don't wanna feel like I'm slippin' away, One tiny miracle to get out of here, to finally escape, don't wanna feel like I'm slippin' away, I need a miracle, I'm not gettin' younger, unsatisfied hunger, this desperate longing is takin' me under, One tiny miracle, I'm not gettin' younger, unsatisfied hunger, this desperate longing is takin' me under, ooh-woah, ooh yeah, it's takin' me under, ooh-woah, ooh yeah
Vocals by Reuben Walton Background vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Programming by AVLI Music Arranged by AVLI Music Produced by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Recorded by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mixed by AVLI Music Edited by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA Single artwork by Devin Johnson and Reuben Walton Single artwork editing by Reuben Walton
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
"On and On" is a song I worked on in May 2015 with AVLI Music at his recording studio in Reseda, CA. We met at the 2015 ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. I'm happy with how it turned out. :)
Lyrics: Verse 1: I want you But I pushed you away years ago I need you I need to know that I could die tomorrow And go unresented into eternity For the things that I've done Back in the day Being annoying Hanging on every word you said What can I say? I was a kid and you were mostly too It's all in the past, and can't be changed, But the bitterness seems to linger
Chorus: On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on
Verse 2: So what can I do to get through to you and change your mind? I'd walk on eggshells for the rest of my life if that meant that it would be alright So consider this a promise I'll never hurt you like I did back then I just wanna be honest It hurts when you're mad all the time and it goes
Chorus: On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on, and it goes On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on
Bridge: We're gonna make it up that hill eventually It just takes time Sometimes I feel like my heart's gonna explode And then it's fine Maybe you get what you see maybe it's not even that deep Can we forget what we've seen here And try to move ahead, this animosity is killing me
Chorus: On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on On and on, and on and on, and on and on, and on and on
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Piano by AVLI Music Programming by AVLI Music Produced by AVLI Music Recorded by AVLI Music Mixed by AVLI Music Edited by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA Single artwork by Devin Johnson
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
"Supernatural" is the second song that I've worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA.
Lyrics: Chorus: Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural
Verse 1: I been sittin’ waitin’ wishin’ that you'd come over here and tell me what I wanna hear ‘cause baby we're grown and I don't care about tomorrow wanna give you all my time Even though time is money in this crazy world there's no place I'd rather be than here with you Everything I've ever felt parts of me you know so well it's all here for you baby
Chorus: Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural
Verse 2: Gloomy winter days are here now and I’m living in ice Frozen in isolation longing for more I guess I just miss that connection gotta be more to this life and with one call from you, I’m on my way ‘cause suddenly it’s not the same, and it changes my whole mood and I make a choice, when I hear your voice saying come on over and will you look at that, I’m right back to you
Chorus: Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural
Bridge: So lay down here with me, this house could be gone in a hundred years gonna have no fears the nerves in your mind, feel them all the time, and just do it to me, do it to me do it to me, do it to me
Chorus Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural Baileys got me lifted Consciousness is shiftin' Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural Baby, you're so gifted it's supernatural Supernatural
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Programming by AVLI Music Produced by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Recorded by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mixed by AVLI Music Edited by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA Single artwork by Devin Johnson
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
"Bittersweet" is the third song that I've worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, and it was a song I had been working on since February-March 2013.
Lyrics: Verse 1: I think of you ‘cause your words are on my screen And you're on my mind And as that day Grows further still in my rear view It still haunts me all the time
Chorus: But there's still so much to be happy for Even just to be here And be where I am today But it's bittersweet
Verse 2: It could be grey Or just indifferent sunshine But It's not alright
Chorus: But there's still so much to be happy for Even just to be here And be where I am today But it's bittersweet
Bridge: Situations they can change and a lot won’t stay the same and the moments, there’s no replay And I keep telling myself that one day I’ll get some help gonna put the bottle down
Verse 3: You’re far away all the way across the world but I’ll be here when you return
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Piano by AVLI Music Additional instruments by AVLI Music Programming by AVLI Music Produced by AVLI Music Recorded by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mixed by AVLI Music Edited by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA Single artwork by Reuben Walton
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
"Mess" is the fourth song that I've worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA.
Lyrics: Verse 1: My phone rings a lot 'cause I'm a slut, you say it's 'cause I'm Mr. Popular when in reality you know what's up, but thanks for the muthafuckin' compliment. We used to smoke 'dro and sip Burnett's, hangin' out in Mashpee with Seth and Red, party didn't stop 'til 6 a.m. and I didn't know what to do. Believe me, I've seen it all before, passed out on your bedroom floor, my feet brushing up against the bathroom door, until the morning.
Chorus: I'm a mess, I'm a mess So quick to give up everything I'm a mess, I'm a mess in all the common thread is me I'm a mess, I'm a mess but we're still making memories I'm a mess, I'm a mess but you've still got my loyalty
Verse 2: Woke to find that my glasses broke, I guess somehow I must've sat on them. Went to the fridge to get a glass of Coke, and then I see your mother staring back at me. We were only young, somehow my heart can't understand that, no baby.
Chorus: I'm a mess, I'm a mess So quick to give up everything I'm a mess, I'm a mess in all the common thread is me I'm a mess, I'm a mess but we're still making memories I'm a mess, I'm a mess but you've still got my loyalty
Bridge: The nights aren't long enough with you, I wanna stay in our cocoon, the cozy darkness beckons me, feel passion unexpectedly. The nights aren't long enough with you, I wanna stay in our cocoon. Cause I wanna spend the morning with you too, Now tell me what you wanna do
Chorus: I'm a mess, I'm a mess So quick to give up everything I'm a mess, I'm a mess in all the common thread is me I'm a mess, I'm a mess but we're still making memories I'm a mess, I'm a mess but you've still got my loyalty I'm a mess, I'm a mess So quick to give up everything I'm a mess, I'm a mess in all the common thread is me I'm a mess, I'm a mess but we're still making memories I'm a mess, I'm a mess but you've still got my loyalty
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton and AVLI Music Keyboard by AVLI Music Additional instruments by AVLI Music Programming by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Produced by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Recorded by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mixed by AVLI Music Edited by AVLI Music and Reuben Walton Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA Single artwork photography by Reuben Walton Single artwork by Reuben Walton and Devin Johnson
This is my self-titled EP containing seven tracks I worked on with AVLI Music, a music producer based in Reseda, CA, who I met in 2015 at the ASCAP I Create Music EXPO at the Loew's Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. There are also musical and lyrical contributions from Jordan Siwek and Maryland upcoming rapper Questt. Creating this EP has been a labor of love and I'm so happy to see it finally come to fruition after almost four years. The EP is a raw emotional journey through personal songs, vibey tracks and danceable midtempos. It was mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
This song is another release from frequent collaborators DejaVu and Reuben Walton (myself), as well as the first new collaboration with Connecticut YouTube personality, entertainer and rapper DDomino Geronimo. This song contains a sample of dialogue between Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard’s characters (Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak, who was nicknamed “Fred” by Holly, for his resemblance to her brother, respectively) from the 1961 American romantic comedy film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. It also contains a sample of “Everything You Do Is a Balloon” by Boards of Canada, off of their limited-release self-released 1996 studio album Boc Maxima. Putting together the credits for this song was almost like doing a research project or an investigation because of how much work I had to do to track down so much of the information. What is needed for a songwriter to receive royalty income from a PRO is either the SSN (Social Security Number) or the IPI number (the latter of which is available if the songwriter is registered with a PRO--performing rights organization--like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC). If they're registered with a PRO then they provided their SSN when they registered and I would just search their name and I can find their IPI # in the search results on their PRO's website. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC are the big three PROs in the USA. As far as the samples, what I'm technically supposed to do is get explicit and/or written permission to use the sample from the copyright owner of the sample. But because it's often pretty difficult to get ahold of these people (especially if it's a big name person), I usually just do the necessary research and then give songwriting credits to the appropriate people/parties. I had a close call with ASCAP about registering cover songs with them which I can't do anymore. For example like with this song ”Tiffany's (feat. Reuben Walton and DDomino Geronimo)" by DejaVu, I credited a bunch of people. I credited Blake Edwards who was the director of Breakfast at Tiffany's and I credited George Axelrod who wrote the screenplay and therefore likely wrote the dialog lines that are sampled in the intro to the song. George Axelrod (who died in 2003) is credited as a non-collecting songwriter on this song though since I couldn't find him when I searched the big three PROs for his name and obviously I don't know his SSN, even though I did a bunch of research and background checking with Spokeo.com and Google searches and even mailed a check for $27.00 to Social Security Administration headquarters in Baltimore, MD in accordance with the protocol for "Request for Deceased Individual's Social Security Record". I also successfully credited brothers Michael Sandison (born 1 June 1970) and Marcus Eoin (born Marcus Eoin Sandison, 21 July 1971) who are the two members of Boards of Canada. I credited Paul Gaughran who I went to UMass Lowell with and who, along with Alex Brennan and myself, helped compile a list of nicknames for me and puns on my first name, just for fun, during a student trip to Europe in May-June 2010 where we visited Berlin, Vienna, Buchenwald, Weimar and Prague. Luckily it looks like Paul is registered with ASCAP, maybe from his work with the band he's in, Professor Caffeine and the Insecurities, so I was able to search his name on ASCAP and credit him. Usually in these copyright lawsuits we hear about, the person filing it just wants credit for their work being used, so I think by doing this first, it helps. Even though it's a lot of work sometimes. That list of nicknames and puns on my first name ended up being in this song and parts of other songs. It was like a vertical list of nicknames/puns and I ended up writing rap lines after each one or otherwise incorporating them into lyrics. Some of them were ones they thought of and some were ones I had accumulated over the years or thought of on the spot. The chorus that I sang in this song was something left over from the making of my song “Supernatural".
I practiced this song in my voice lessons at Bristol Studios in Boston, MA and performed it live at one of their Open Mic Nights during the Spring of 2016. I could never do justice to her original version from her 2009 final album of the same name, but I enjoy this song and it has gotten me through different situations. During the same time that I was working on this song in lessons, I thought of putting the track into Logic Pro X and recording a studio version in addition to the live version which is on video at facebook.com/reubenwaltonmusic, so that's how this version came to be.
Lyrics: As I lay me down, Heaven hear me now. I'm lost without a cause After giving it my all.
Winter storms have come And darkened my sun. After all that I've been through Who on earth can I turn to?
I look to you. I look to you. After all my strength is gone, In you I can be strong I look to you. I look to you. And when melodies are gone, In you I hear a song. I look to you.
About to lose my breath, There's no more fighting left, Sinking to rise no more, Searching for that open door.
And every road that I've taken Led to my regret. And I don't know if I'm going to make it. Nothing to do but lift my head
I look to you. I look to you. And when all my strength is gone, In you I can be strong I look to you. I look to you. And when melodies are gone, In you I hear a song. I look to you.
My levees are broken My walls have come Tumbling down on me
The rain is falling. Defeat is calling. I need you to set me free.
Take me far away from the battle. I need you. Shine on me.
I look to you. I look to you. After all my strength is gone, In you I can be strong I look to you. I look to you. And when melodies are gone, In you I hear a song. I look to you.
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics written by Robert Sylvester Kelly Composed by Robert Sylvester Kelly Produced by Emanuel Kiriakou, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Tricky Stewart Mixed by Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton
Song: My Woman (feat. Reuben Walton) Artist: Lazzy Beatz Album: My Woman (feat. Reuben Walton) - Single Composer: Daniel Agyemang/Reuben Walton Genre: Pop
This song is my second Ghanaian collaboration, this time with artist/songwriter/producer/engineer Lazzy Beatz, a.k.a. Daniel Agyemang, who previously worked with me on the mixing and mastering process for my collaboration with Karim Osmanu a.k.a. K Yung entitled "Show Love (feat. Reuben Walton)". It is an Afropop club track he wrote and produced and wanted me to sing a verse on. He wrote the lyrics for his verse and the chorus. I wrote the lyrics for my verse. My lyrics are in English, but the song also features lyrics in Twi, Igbo and Ga. There are a number of different references in the lyrics. Kumkum Bhagya is an Indian telenovela. “Woho efe wonto akwele” means “If you are pretty, you can't be prettier than Akwele”. Akwele is a Ghanaian female name. “Se mehu woa na me kondor abele” means “When I see you I get an appetite for abele”. Abele is a Ghanaian food similar to ice cream. Kelewele is a popular Ghanaian food made of fried plantains seasoned with spices. In English, it is sometimes called Hot Plantain Crisps.
Lyrics: Lazzy… Weezy baby…
Lazzy Beatz: My woman My woman My woman My woman
Oya shake your body, my woman Oya turn your body, my woman Mese woso wosisi, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman
Come and wine your body, my woman Come and shake your body, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman Come and woso ma me, my woman
Come and wine your body, my woman Come and shake your body, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman Come and woso ma me, my woman
You one in a million girl, come come come come dance for me, girl. You are my señorita You are prettier than Kumkum Bhagya No one be like you, lady No one be no one be like you ohemaa ei You one in a million girl, come come come come dance for me, girl. You are my bona fide girl, sweet sweeter than kalewele Wo ho efe a, wo nto akwele, se mehu woa na me kondor abele
Keleba, kekeleba oya salewaba kaabuame Keleba, kekeleba oya salewaba kaabuame
My woman My woman My woman My woman
Oya shake your body, my woman Oya turn your body, my woman Mese woso wosisi, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman
Come and wine your body, my woman Come and shake your body, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman Come and woso ma me, my woman
Come and wine your body, my woman Come and shake your body, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman Come and woso ma me, my woman
Reuben Walton: I’ll sing to you, all damn night. I'll bring to you, all damn night. Your body moves, like sparks off a fire. Don't kill the mood, 'till the morning light. Way that you move baby you're mine fo' sho, tell me just tell me how far you will go, move 'cross the country and live in my home, everyday ecstasy never want mo'. Drop the mic, you kill it on the dance floor, gal
LB: My woman My woman My woman My woman
Oya shake your body, my woman Oya turn your body, my woman Mese woso wosisi, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman
Come and wine your body, my woman Come and shake your body, my woman Come shake that booty, my woman Come and woso ma me, my woman
Come and wine your body, my woman Come and shake your body, my woman RW: My lady… LB: Come shake that booty, my woman Come and woso ma me, my woman
My woman My woman My woman My woman RW: My lady…
Vocals by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Vocal production by Daniel Agyemang Lyrics by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Programmed by Daniel Agyemang Produced by Daniel Agyemang Recorded by Daniel Agyemang and Reuben Walton Mixed by Daniel Agyemang Mastered by Daniel Agyemang Edited by Daniel Agyemang Artwork by Daniel Agyemang Disc layout by Reuben Walton Back cover text layout by Reuben Walton
© 2017 Magic Fingers, Inc. and Reuben Walton Music. All rights reserved.
NOTE: Complete lyrics and release info can be found here: store.cdbaby.com/cd/reubenwalton2 and here: https://reubenwalton.bandcamp.com/album/gorgeous-feat-dejavu-single. This is due to SoundCloud's track description field having a limit of 4,000 characters. then roll up in another drop/ baddest all up in the game/ she ain't worried 'bout her mane/ yeah she's stayin' in her lane/ she really know I look gorgeous Back by the bar, you know I know I look gorgeous Snapchat on, you know I know I look gorgeous you know I know I look gorgeous you know I know I look gorgeous Came to the club, you know I know I look gorgeous I'm the baddest bitch in the club by far u a star messy ass hoes couldn't even pass the bar Hay muchas pendejas en el discotheque/ burn you with a blunt while I'm on my private jet/ Haven't had bravado in a real long time/ it's another side of me that's still gon' shine/ Anaphylaxis like Danica Patrick/ Hangin' with bad chicks and slammin' 'em back quick/ pop quiz name a rapper who don't rap with an accent/ Steady doin' backflips I'm feelin’ myself/ You be lookin' average, better deal with my wealth/ Either let the rage out or just bottle it up/ but I'ma vomit it up like an HIV-positive slut/ is this shit rockin' or what?/ bipolar chick say the wrong thing get popped in the cunt/ she should know I'm on the warpath like Phillip Horvath/ didn't let me Sony internship and treated me like a doormat/ cut the psychology shit, you can't handle anymore wrath/ you should be a zoologist, prick, you the one this lion roars at/ your life is more depressing than the rich-poor gap/ blowin' up my phone tryna start shit and school me?/ cuz you livin' all alone feelin' heartsick and woozy?/ Gotta keep it cool 'cause them goons is watchin'/ make a wrong move and them tools be poppin'/ mad at me 'cause you can't afford a pizza/ you done brought it up baby girl so speak up/ I shouldn't go hard, you ain't dealin' with a full deck/ fuck it, grab a crow bar, demolish your whole set/ talkin' breezy sayin' I need CBT/ go on and mind your business and top up your EBT/ all bark and no bite 'cause you're just a fat fuck/ lil sip o' wine finna make you act up/ always in the crib and never out mawfucka/ say you losin' weight but you a stout mawfucka/ type o' bitch to say some shit to clown mawfuckas/ attitude won't make me stay around mawfucka/ Whatever game you're playin' man you lost it bro/ Now to figure out how much to charge you, hoe/ Not to sell your dirty secret to The Boston Globe/ Then I'd turn up missing 'fore they caught you though/ I just wanna see can you hear me, I just wanna see can you hear me, I just wanna see can you hear me, I just wanna see can you hear me, yeah... DejaVu: You know I know I look gorgeous/ you know I know you can’t afford this/ Forbes listin’, Tom Fordin’/ I skerrd off like Jeff Gordon/ flash floods, rain pourin’/ God’s snorin’, my God you’re borin’/ plan some cross-country tourin’/ fly on the wall illusion/ RW: Fly on the wall illusion… DejaVu: Mass drug abusin’/ click-clack you’re losin’/ RW: Click-clack you’re losin’... DejaVu: My friends are muses/ me just livin’ my life should not be a nuisance/ alright, crime pays time/ I feel like I might die/ no lie, wideeyed, do or not do, there is no try/ pour some red wine/ fancy shit dine/ RW: Fancy shit dine… DejaVu: Smoke cigars fine/ why not be gorgeous in everyone’s eyes?/ why not be gorgeous in everyone’s eyes?/ It’s truelies, it’s truelies, it’s true lies/ true lies, it’struelies, it’s true lies/ RW:Whynotbegorgeousineveryone’s eyes?/ why not begorgeous in everyone’s eyes?/ It’s true lies, it’struelies, it’s true lies/ true lies, it’strue lies, it’s true lies/ Vox byReuben Walton and Devin Johnson Lyrix written by Reuben Walton and Devin Johnson Composed by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Programming by Reuben Walton Recorded by Reuben Walton EditedbyReubenWalton MixedbyReuben Walton MasteredbyCoryAllenofAlteredEarAudioMastering
Dis trak is a collab b/t me & Karim Osman, an Afropop artist based in Kumasi Ghana who has worked w/ OBMG Records, a record label based in Ghana. We met on Fbook in Oct 2016 & also expanded our communication 2 include WhatsApp. On 11/6/2016 at 8:12pm Karim sent me a voicenote on WhatsApp d@ included his acapella rendition of part o a "sweet song" he had written, which ended up bein dis song. He had me produce the instrumental for the song, and also mix it with his vocals he l8r recorded @ a studio w/ his engineer Daniel Agyeman. Agyeman is an engineer and produca who works w/ OBMG Records. Upon receivin Karims vox I added dem 2 da beat & mixd dem. On 2/10/2017 @ 4:26pm I got wut I thot was gonna b da final masta bak 4m Cory Allen @ Altered Ear Audio Mastering in Austin TX, but then I heard from Karim d@ he had gon 2 sum radio DJs he new @ they sed it sounded lik a demo masta. So I went bak & 4th w/ Daniel Agyeman on WhatsApp & receivd his guidance on da mixin process, applyin his suggestions 2 da mix, sendin it 2 him via email & den gettin more suggestions & we went bak & 4th like d@ until da mix was good. Agyeman ended up masterin da trak in d end & I received da masta back 4m him @ 3:55am on 2/26/2017. Da artwork was dun by DJ Nanabour a graphic designa based in Ghana, & Reuben Walton. Da song is an Afropop song w an upliftin message d@ talks bout d unity o humans, world poverty & life in Ghana. KY: Gon sing dis song, ooh, gon talk bout my lifestyle, its talk bout my lifestyle, bout our reality… KY: K Yung… KY: No sympathy we have. I gon sing dis song, gon talk bout my lifestyle & bout our reality ooh I gonna sing dis song, ‘cause it talk about my lifestyle. About our reality, no sympathy we have. I’m gonna sing this song, ‘cause it talk about my lifestyle. About our reality, no sympathy we have. Show love, show love, we should lovin’ each other, and stop on hating each other. If a Jah bless you, dont turn ur back away. Sho luv sho luv, we shood luvn eachotha, & stop on hatin eachotha. If a Jah bless u dont turn ur back away KY: No luv in d world (world) no luv in a modern Africa. No love in da world (world), no love in a momAfrica. Jah God a bless our homeland (homeland), but we’re still livin’ in poverty (poverty). Conflict between our leadership is making new effort. If it just making someone, show love, don’t turn a back on away. I wait another day, I see my people sufferin. Tears dey flo mom. Calamities make dem hustle, oh-ooh, ooh RW: I gonna sing dis song, KY: gon sing dis song, RW: cuz it talk bout my lifestyle. KY: cuz it talk bout my lifestyle. RW: Bout our reality, KY: Bout our reality, RW: No sympathy we hav. KY: No sympathy we hav. RWn: I gon sing dis song, KY: I gon sing dis song, RW: cuz it talk bout my lifestyle. KY: gon talk bout my lifestyle. RW: bout our reality, KY: bout our reality, RW: No sympathy we hav. KY: Ooh RW: Sho luv sho luv, we shood luvn eachotha, & stop on hatin each otha. If a Jah bless u, dont turn ur bak a-wo-way. Show love, show love, we should lovin’ each other, and stop on hating each other. If a Jah bless you, don’t turn your back a-wo-way KY: We neva want dis, we neva want d@, but 2 decades, we r livin dis, it is not our own wish 2 b like dis. Nobody knows 2morrow, RW: Nobody knows 2morrow, KY: Who gon b da king/queen in da next generation. So if u hear me callin RW: If u hear me callin KY: C me struggle dont turn a back awoway. Sho me luv, sho me luv, sho me luv, Im yo sis. RW: Im ur sis. KY: Sho me luv, show me love, show me love, I’m your brother. RW: Im ur brother. KY: Mom c a son d@s hustlin, tears dey flo mama. RW: Tears dey flo, mama. KY: Calamities make d hustle oh-ooh, ooh RW: (vocal run) RW: I gon sing dis song, KY: gon sing dis song, RW: cuz it talk bout my lifestyle. KY: cuz it talk bout my lifestyle. RW: Bout our reality, KY: Bout our reality, RW: No sympathy we hav. KY: No sympathy we hav. RW: I gon sing dis song,
This is a fun song (un-mastered for now) made by my friend Devin Johnson a.k.a. DejaVu and myself in over late Spring 2014 through September 2014. Different people have felt some divisive types of ways about it, but I quite enjoy it and it makes me wanna start twerking and being ratchet as hell!
I began working on this track on Friday, April 6th, 2012, at 2:55 a.m. This was during the spring semester of my junior year at UMass Lowell, where I majored in Music Business. I originally entitled the Logic Pro Project "130 BPM Ridin Beat". It eventually became another fun collaboration with my friend LeAnne Piepiora later in 2012, with slightly processed vocals. I worked with what we had recorded and created something resembling an "intro chorus/hook". I added in an additional verse in April/May of 2014 after I had completed my internship at PARMA Licensing, LLC in North Hampton, NH. At this time, I also added in additional background vocals and some sound effects and then had it mastered by Cory Allen of Altered Ear Audio Mastering, who is based in Austin, TX.
(Full Lyrics and Credits Information available on Bandcamp)
Lyrics: LeAnne Piepiora: I'm gonna make it smooth/make you move/make it smooth like bud/I'm gonna make it smooth/make you move/make it smooth like butter/ LeAnne Piepiora: (background vocals) Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, nev-- (pitch gradually lowering) LeAnne Piepiora: I'm gonna make it smooth/make you move/make it smooth like butter/I'm gonna make it smooth/make you move/make it smooth like bud/
LeAnne Piepiora and Reuben Walton: Gonna let this beat sink in, to my brain. LeAnne Piepiora: Give me a bag, give me a bottle, give me a bag, give me a bottle LeAnne Piepiora and Reuben Walton: Gonna let this beat sink in, to my brain. LeAnne Piepiora: Give me a bag, give me a bottle, give me a bag, LeAnne Piepiora and Reuben Walton: give me a bottle (with background harmonies)
Reuben Walton: I oughta start calling myself Jora Dak/been over ten years since I beat Majora's Mask/bet your ass I ain't lookin' back for a snack/one free Uno chip later and I still be scorin' cash/to all you hatin'-ass hoes, your personalities get boring fast/"Ye Olde Electric Chair" is where you're headed if you keep smoking more than crack/hell, even that shit'll do you in headin' straight to the loony bin with along with your lower back/so for cheaper thrills, get some rum, roll it up, go on and pour that 'gnac/check check, one two/finest, bun drew/lookin' like a bun made o' drew corny/lookin' like a horny/corny-ass fuckin' toadpole/lookin' like a toadstool/lookin' like a soadbool/loakin' on a stoadbowl/lookin' like a toad bowl/bitch please, toads smoke bowls, too!/'cause they gotta get high livin' in a vernal pool/fuckin' corny-ass, boring-ass shit/molecules movin' around, fuck shit/they don't really got no T.V. to fuck wit/they just sit there mad fuckin' bored with a wart on their body like fuck that shit/they ain't really got it like fuck that bitch/hoes on the black like fuck that clit
LeAnne Piepiora: Oh what it's like, bein' a dog/in the hood, walkin' the streets/(laughs) you see all those people walkin' 'round and LeAnne Piepiora and Reuben Walton: people walkin' while walkin' 'round/and people walkin' while walkin' 'round/and people walkin' while walkin' 'round LeAnne Piepiora: people walkin' while walkin' 'round (fading out) LeAnne Piepiora: Your best friend's name is Henry, he's a squirrel/you aren't really interested in girls/you're a dog, woof woof (laughs)/you're a dog, a dog, on the streets, you're a dog, woof woof, woof woof (more laughing)/throw me a bone/this the first time I rapped alone/I don't really know what to say, it just comes from my brain/these brainwaves reachin' out to you into your head/makin' you think about what I said
Reuben Walton: Look at me now, I'm on some worldwide shit/went from low-end pearls to certified diamonds and fly shit/and ain't nann thang wrong that nann hoe can find wit/the insatiable itch when your faced with a quick way to get away with this shit/pretty soon we gonna go from kale chips to high chips/in a quick truck headin' to where fat fucks knuck, buck, and ride dick/ain't nothin' like
Many people know this traditional folk song from military funerals, ceremonies, Irish culture, etc. While I am in fact not Irish (but do have some Scottish in me, I think), I of course recognize why this and folk songs in general have such longevity. I was inspired to put my stamp on this classic after hearing Sinéad O'Connor's stark and moving a capella rendition from the Late Late Show on YouTube. I'm accompanying myself on my Taylor 214ce electric acoustic guitar.
Lyrics:
Oh Danny boy the pipes the pipes are calling From glen to glen and down the mountain side The summer's gone and all the flowers are dying 'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow And I'll be there in sunshine or in shadow Oh Danny boy, oh Danny Boy I love you so
And when you come and all the flowers are dying If I am dead, as dead I may well be You'll come and find the place where I am lying And kneel and say an Ave there for me
And I shall hear though soft your tread above me And all my grave will warmer sweeter be And you will bend and tell me that you love me Then I will sleep in peace until you come to me
Vocals by Reuben Walton Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Frederick Weatherly Guitar by Reuben Walton String Arrangement by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton
I began working on this song during the summer of 2012. During this time, I was working as a cashier and a bagger at Stop and Shop in Falmouth, MA. I wanted it to be really over-the-top, and the synths, harmonies, drums, lyrics and the general sound design reflect that. I recorded the first verse in an invigorated mood, feeling fresh and clean from a shower after the gym. I got DejaVu to collaborate on it in 2013 at my studio at my house. I don't usually do the whole preamble "yo"'s before spitting a verse, but I was feeling myself and felt like being a little cliché. Once again, as in "Rude Awakening (California)" there are lyrical allusions to harassing phone calls.
(Full lyrics and credits information available on Bandcamp)
Lyrics:
Reuben Walton: Yo, yo, check it
Verse 1: Reuben Walton: Ridin' 'round trying to get the best of me?/Better pipe down so I let you breathe/now you're trying to clown like you're stressin' me?/broke-ass bitch, you can't get to me/always trying to ask for some extra cheese?/you be on narcotics and ecstasy/poppin' them bottles of promethazine/soon you're gonna need a hysterectomy/chill, 'cause I donate to the Service Center/have of y'all hoes ain't even worth your pension/I'ma make these dudes legs hurt and then some/try to step to me and you'll learn your lesson/too much of a risk, not even worth investment/'cause I ain't even on the Asperger spectrum/on YouTube, gonna burn this heckler/he ain't nothin' more than a burnin' ember/and I don't sugarcoat or Splenda/'cause everybody here's got their own agenda/don't wanna be a name people won't remember?/gotta spread your wings 'fore it's cold December/like it or not, the block is stifling hot/people won't come around if they might just be shot/you might despise and you might like it a lot/but in this life you ride or you're stuck in the lot
Chorus: You can't touch me, not anymore 'cause best believe I've moved on and you can't fuck with me, hang up the phone because your number is blocked 'cause you could never do this shit the way that I do I'm gon' always be me and you always gon' be you (DejaVu: Yeah, yeah) you can keep on hatin' but you know that it's true all jokes aside, I'ma live forever
Verse 2: DejaVu: In all honesty, I don't wanna make it if it means I have to give up myself just to make it/yeah that don't mean that I have to fake it, but don't come running to me when you are forsaken/I was there for you then but no more
This song showcases a little bit of the softer side of Distillery, that more pensive side of my writing previously seen in some of the more guitar-based tracks on Refinery. Started this song in August 2012, during a melancholy period when I was carless due to poor choices and unforeseen circumstances. I was listening a lot to the Best Coast album "The Only Place", released in May of 2012. I was also dealing with being on the receiving end of one of those cliché "let's just be friends" things, due to inconvenience with the transportation and a few mistakes I had made. The idea for the piano accompaniment came to me while noodling around on the piano. One lyrical passage has a heartbroken rebuttal of that famous Tupac Shakur quote where he says (I'm paraphrasing) that you can spend a lot of time trying to put the pieces back together of a situation and trying to figure out what went wrong, or you can just "leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on”. I was in no mood to do such a thing at that point, so I slyly included a reference to it in the lyrics.
Lyrics: We met there was a newness I saw promise something finally
now all I can think of is the chances and how I screwed them up
Chorus: Something changed within my mind and it's killing me inside and I'm terrified to think that I could possibly have missed my one lucky chance Maybe someday once again we'd be more than just good friends but that time is not tonight and I cannot deny that I'm outside looking in
The cloudy days they come and go staring into space with the radio it's shameful what I put you through I just wanted to be good to you in my head can't get you out echoes through this empty house if I knew then what I know now I'd still have you hanging around and how... how can I ignore the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on when they were in the air just a moment ago I need closure, baby
Chorus: Something changed within my mind and it's killing me inside and I'm terrified to think that I could possibly have missed my one lucky chance Maybe someday once again we'll be more than just good friends but that time is not tonight and I cannot deny that I'm outside looking in at all the people with their seemingly true loves while I'm out here in the cold wishing you were here with me
Vocals by Reuben Walton Written by Reuben Walton Composed by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton Mastered by Cory Allen of Altered Ear Audio Mastering
I began work on this song on Wednesday 9/19/2012 at 10:08 p.m. As winter came, I began to put together the beat to my liking. This was shortly after releasing the "Back of the Club" EP, which I now feel was sort of like training wheels for the banger that is this song. The "animals in freezers" line is a rather quirky reference to this time when one of the cats at my Dad's former house in Woods Hole (30 Hilton Avenue, Woods Hole, MA 02543) ran away and was apparently run over on Woods Hole Road. A concerned neighbor had found it in the street and brought it home and put it in a freezer in his basement. This came to be thought of by my friend Amber Scanlan as a particularly "Woods Holian" thing to do, as she remarked on Facebook when her mother did something similar with her dead cockatiel, aptly named simply "Bird". For a while I utterly despised the term "Woods Holian" with every fiber of my being, seeing it as a disparaging term. (I even made an Urban Dictionary definition page for it at www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?te…oods%20Holian). Then I turned that wound into the fuel to make this angry, and at times absurd, club banger anthem of self-empowerment, in which I address various grievances and swagger about. The California line naturally was the product of the December college student blues, i.e. being cooped up in the dorm studying and perversely uncomfortable with the chilly weather and overcast skies of Lowell, Massachusetts, likely due to the winter blues and a few bad hangovers. A reference to the It Gets Better anti-bullying campaign is also made. There is a bit of a trap influence in the production, particularly in the speed of the hi-hats and how they don't merely just keep the 16th or 32nd note, but are sped up to the point of distortion. The snare fills that taper out in triplets are another element I wanted to make use of. My long-time colleague and collaborator Derek Crofut connected me with Cory Allen of Altered Ear Audio Mastering.
(Full lyrics and credits information available on Bandcamp!)
Lyrics: Okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay
Verse 1: Oh shit, time’s up--I’m back again/If you don’t believe me, ask your friend/all else fails, better ask your man/y’all best believe I got the master plan/and I don’t give a damn ‘bout a ticket holder/better pack up ‘cause your shift is over/finna act up if I’m lit or sober/dead dogs know that I spit the dopest/I got the game, I got the brain/you mock my way, but you’re not the same/I keep it real, I roast and gag/you meet my steel, your toes are tagged/you hatin’ on me, I’m hatin’ back/blowin’ up my phone? Don’t make me laugh/get me in the booth, I’ma lace the track/and the only thing you can really say is “fag”/Oh shit muthafucka, I just called you out!/Rookie on the mic, you can always tell/album in the store, shit won’t hardly sell/bad bitch comin’ out her garter belt/chillin’ out in Weymouth/best believe I’m gettin’ payments/haters ain’t gon’ say shit/unless they want a facelift/I say the shit you afraid to say/put these rappers on layaway/six feet deep they gon’ stay away/I be on my day-to-day/I’ma make it rain today, yo swag is a raincheck/you be drinkin’ fake beer, I be goin’ apeshit
Chorus: I’m gon’ make it, you can’t break me California, come and save me storm or sunlight, that don’t phase me y’all are in for a rude awakening I’m gon’ make it, you can’t break me California, come and save me storm or sunlight, that don’t phase me y’all are in for a rude awakening
Verse 2: Catch me out in a brown ‘llac/steady blowin’ that loud pack/better give me my crown back/you just look like a drowned rat/animals in freezers/ladies pushin’ them beamers/po’in’ up 151 sittin’ pretty in a two-seater/hated on, look at me now/on these hoes, ‘bout to
Another hot new track, this one I started working on in October of 2012. I enlisted the lyrical talents of my buddy DejaVu as a collaborator. The main synth sample comes from a Meek Mill beat, and I got it from a kit of drum sounds and samples that I bought online. I added and programmed the additional electronic kick, bass, snares, hi-hats and other instrumentation. I also added background vocals behind parts of DejaVu’s opening verse.
Lyrics: DejaVu: I want that money and that cup of lean, yeah don't be callin' that a pipe dream/I sit down and I watch the big screen, yeah, I want that Wu-Tang money, all that cream/sometimes I feel like my life is a simulation of Animal Crossing, yeah no animal should cross me/yeah, your voices are wack, and that's where you lost me/I’m creepin’ in the house like Maniac Mansion/tryna perfect my skills of expansion/the key to the manor under the mat, I’m a little late/near the front door next to the gate, once I get the money I’ma make the great escape/the art of trespassing with a thing for passion/in this day and age almost everyone embrace fashion/stay fake ‘till they cash in/I’ma come around and break that mask in/‘cause you judgin’ without morals and didn’t even ask ‘em, DejaVu and I’m goin’ platinum Reuben Walton: In Nebraska, or front of Westboro Baptist/with a loaded chrome magnum and a chloroform napkin/duckin’ down in the classroom when them haters were laughin'/now they on a dirty mattress in a bus station bathroom/Through the years I spent my time with sped gangstas who were comatose/made my way through a bitchy school that had hipster irony overload/stuck it out in a music school where half the people were homophobes/Meanwhile just drink it down to relieve emotional overload/way too high with a box of wine, couple times I coulda overdosed/R-E to the U-B, E-N this the overthrow/Flow bitter like Mucinex/go getter I'm doin shit/my crew around, betta show respect/you fool around, meet a loaded tech/say you're not a user? Well get in line and prove it/them deep words ain't sayin' shit, I call it on a true tip/your bank account is empty, that shit is not my problem/them shoes been outta style since the minute that you bought 'em/keep it up muthafucka I'ma slit your throat/leave you in a body bag whipped and broke/got me laughin' at yo ass, your career's a joke/yeen really ridin' on hundred spokes/winnin' this shit no contest/got the game shook like a bomb threat/even though my money ain't long yet/Carrie ain't gone to the prom yet
Vocals by Reuben Walton and Devin Johnson Background Vocals by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Reuben Walton and Devin Johnson Composition by Reuben Walton Recorded by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton Mastered by Cory Allen of Altered Ear Audio Mastering
My production style here contains elements of dubstep, Southern hip hop and musique concrète. One of the synth parts contains an interpolation of the yuletide hymn "O Lord of Light" beginning at 3:10. Additional lyrics come from Björk's song "Pneumonia" off of her 2007 album Volta. Prior to being released on my album Diamonds and Plastic, this song was only available on my SoundCloud page at http://soundcloud.com/reuben-walton. It is now also available on my PureVolume page at http://www.purevolume.com/ReubenWalton.
Lyrics: Derek Crofut: If I wanted food, I'd ask for/If I wanted food, I'd make more soil/All this time, you/We have a picture for you/we framed it accurately/baby baby it's your birthday/oh, the sorrow, girl/You're just crying, after all/crying, after all/to not want them humans around anymore/made of this/you can trust in it/and your lungs are mourning tipi-style/all the stillborn love that oh-could have happened/all the moments you should have embraced/all the moments you should have not locked out/understand so clearly/made of this/you can trust in it/ Reuben Walton: What are you playing? Derek Crofut: Get over the sorrow, girl/
from Diamonds and Plastic, released March 30, 2011 Vocals by Derek Crofut Vocal production by Reuben Walton Lyrics by Derek Crofut and Björk Gudmundsdóttir Composed by Derek Crofut, Reuben Walton and Björk Gudmundsdóttir Programming by Reuben Walton Produced by Reuben Walton Recorded by Derek Crofut and Reuben Walton Mixed by Reuben Walton Edited by Reuben Walton
My mash-up of the acapella from the "I Still Believe" remix, "I Still Believe / Pure Imagination (Damizza Remix feat. Krayzie Bone and Da Brat)" and the instrumental to "We Belong Together". lyrics Mariah Carey and Krayzie Bone: No matter what, baby (no matter) No matter what people say (no matter what they say) I still believe we can still be together No matter what, baby (no matter) No matter what people say (no matter what they say) I still believe we can still be together
MC: Baby, I still believe (still believe) And it's more than my imagination It's so real I know we're gonna be together
Krayzie: If you still believe (still believe) Fine, everything you're searchin' for, maybe more
MC: Well, boy, you seem to be lost in uncertainty But when you wake up feelin' wrong, you shoulda never let it go
KB: Believe in your feelin', that's always been sure I just weren't too certain that yours were Legitimate, genuine, really the real McCoy
MC: And after all this time, you look into my eyes And everything is still the same My love for you won't fade away
Chorus: Baby, I still believe And it's more than my imagination It's so real, I know we're gonna be together Baby, I had a dream And it's more than my imagination Because I still believe we belong together
Krayzie: I'm still a believer of this, so STOP Just listen and look into my eyes I want you to visualize and realize They say that it never been too easy Being Krayzie Bone To bitches that runnin' outta there with that persuasion Runnin' up in my brain Won't go insane I figure that's why they be callin' me Krayzie Cuz I still maintain We gonna struggle through all them hard times And I can tell you that peace and happiness hard to find C'mon, we can get there I'm not trying to make excuses or reasons But these demons got me seeing things that's really misleading me Baby, that's just my life Baby, I'm just a thug, cold hearted But I can feel the love
Just keep the faith, and don't break it Shake all the players and haters And next thing we will make it And I say 'Yeah' and 'Uh huh' You got to believe it (you got to believe) You got to believe
Chorus: Baby, I still believe (no matter) And it's more than my imagination (no matter what they say) It's so real I know we're gonna be together (no matter, no matter what they say) Baby, I had a dream (no matter) And it's more than my imagination (no matter what they say) Because I still believe we belong together (no matter, no matter what they say)
MC: If you wanna be with me (if you want) Think about our love (to do it) Nothing could be closer (until we come) If we don't believe in it (let's do it)
Da Brat: Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, UGH! I know you be missin' every bit of the feelin' You'd get when you use to hit this Cuz can't nobody fuck (cough) like me (heh heh) They ownin' my business And vicious lies can lead To innocent victims losing their lives for greed Paparazzi invading my privacy Obviously, it's prophecy Ain't no article that can stop me (you can't stop) And even if my label drop me I'ma still sell copies I'm So So phenomenonal Def Most know me for leaving bullet holes In the abdominal, throat and chest One of the baddest motherfuckers left (you know?) Still puffin' and lovin' nothin' until my last breath I only believe in what's possible (uh huh) You ain't nuttin', my, me and amigo friend They in the dugout, pretendin' to be unstoppable Lose the ego! Get in the way of my guns And they ain't got no prob for droppin' you (uh huh) The best thing for you to do is run Cuz I'm plannin' on poppin' you I gotta live my life, my life Damizza Or Da Brat don't get no sunshine
Chorus to end, variations credits from Tequila Mockingbird, released December 30, 2010 oten, Sandra Sully, Bone
My cover version of The Smiths' classic B-side "Asleep", which appeared as the last track on their compilation/collection album "Louder Than Bombs" in 1987. Vocals by Reuben Walton and performed on my Taylor 214ce electric acoustic guitar. This cover produced, mixed and mastered by Reuben Walton. Written by Stephen Morrissey.