Lyrics for Back to BASIC by Children of the CPU


1 - Slay Your Dragons

Grey light filters through green leaves
In this din your eyes look blue
Deep breath, exhale, check under the bed
Okay everything is cool
Get up, climb down, step into the dark
And wander through concrete forests
With no one to slay your dragons
And no way to shake your ghosts

Little One say good morning
Little One hug the trees
Little One fight the power
But not before you drink your tea
This world wasn't built for dreamers
But don't let that get you down
Don't lose your imagination
Little One stand your ground

Trapped in a maze of broken dreams
And all your hopes seem lost
You want a map to help you find yourself
But YOU ARE HERE and X marks the wrong spot
Walk on, stand tall, stay cool, don't falter
Don't get your back up against the wall
Sit back and wait, someday you'll see
Love's the only map you'll ever need

Little One life ain't easy
Little One take my hand
Little One I believe in you
Little One I got your back
Little One seize the day then
I'll tuck you in and turn out the light
Little One close your eyes now
And I'll sing you a lullaby


2 - Omega Race

I remember when we thought we were punks
But my disco heart couldn't take the beat
Do you remember when the future looked bright?
Despite your techno mind you got left behind
I remember the last time I cared
But who gives a damn that life is unfair
I remember the last time we laughed
You said take it all in stride and don't look back

I'm not exactly sure
What I've been waiting for
All of these days
My hear and mind are cluttered
With minor distrations

Enchanted times have passed me by
While I pursued Love and Innocence
Apathy is happiness, ignorance bliss
Why fight for the cause? the cause is dead
If I open my heart they'll just let me down
But not you, there's something you always knew
With struggle comes hope, you can't give up the fight
You grew up to be a punk, well so did I


3 - Firefly

Did you see the moon tonight? Did you know it's made of dust?
Did you hear they found another way to ruin your day?
Did you see the stars tonight? Did you know they're made of tears?
Did you hear they found a perfect way to take away your everything?

You could phone in sick and sneak in to a movie with me
We'll share some tears and a flask full of wine
Later we can cruise the scene like skaters on longboards and then
Head to the creek and catch a jar of fireflies

Did you lose another fight? Did you try to walk away?
Did they try to tell you what to think and what to feel and what to say?
Did you walk alone tonight? Did you get lost along the way?
Did you cry yourself to sleep, did you wish you could just fade away?

You should phone in sick and sneak in to a movie with me
We'll share some laughs and a flask full of wine
Later we can cruise the scene like hipsters on scooters and then
Head to the lake and catch a jar of fireflies

Did you catch my drift tonight? Did you see it in your dreams?
Peace in the blink of an eye and true love in a memory
The trees are whizzing by, a warm breeze on my feet
With the crickets' lullaby it was the last time I felt safe and free


4 - Closer Than You Think

There's only one way to fly a kite
There's only one way to ride a bike
There's only one way to drive a car
There's more than one way to break my heart

I can't find a place to roam
I can't find my way back home
I can't find heaven above
I can't find my one true love

Three-sixty degrees of rotation
Six degrees separation
Three degrees of murder
Only one degree of love

I can't find a place to roam
I can't find my way back home
I can't find heaven above
I can't find my one true love


5 - Laurentien

I'm tired of awkward silences and of shooting stars that fade
I'm bored with this particular orbit, this one last dance is getting stale
This is not rocket science but I always seem to get it wrong
They say they will build you a spaceship but no one ever does

Wandering star don't know where you're heading
I'm sad to see you go and I hope you're not gone for long
Send me a postcard of the places you've been
I hope the weather is fine, just don't forget what you've left behind
Wandering star don't know where you have been
I know you had to go but I hope you're not gone for long
Send me a drawing of the places you've seen
And never forget to always colour outside the lines

I'm tired of broken promises and of staring at my feet
This room is getting crowded and our eyes will never meet
I'm weary of being selfish but no one seems to want my love
They say they will show you the stars but no one ever does


6 - Stardust/Note to Self

I recognise your silhouette, and even though we've never met
I hope someday to jam with you, and maybe you will dig my groove
It's all new moves, all new moves, all new moves for me

Glide by shooting star / There's nothing left unless you use it up
Saturday night rollerskating rink / Held my breath but it was hard to take
There's something you should know by now / There's nothing left until you use it up
Glide by shooting star

Shallow hot-shot show-off jerks, I think I'm ready for something else
Disco ball spins round and round, your sparkling eyes light up the room
It's all new moves, all new moves, all new moves for me

Glide by shooting star / There's nothing left unless you use it up
Saturday night rollerskating rink / Held your hand but it was hard to take
There's something you should know by now / There's nothing left until you use it up
Glide by shooting star

Let's spend every weekend at the rink
our fingers entwined, our feet in sync
Will you show me how to shoot the duck?
I'd like to know how to heel-and-toe
It's all new moves, all new moves, all new moves for us

                        -----------

All you do is cruise through life and just fake it fake it fake it
When you gonna get on the floor and shake it shake it shake it?
When you gonna make your move and groove it groove it groove it?
When you gonna live your life and not just waste it waste it waste it?


7 - Cascadia

They went swiming without you again
On this sparkling August Sunday
There was no cream for your coffee this morning
And you are broken
The sky is tilted
The rains are coming
The horizon is greay
And you will welcome them with misty eyes
And rubber boots


8 - Logic is for Loners

I try not to live my life in the past
Never could understand why memories of happier times
Make the future seem so sad
And now all the days go by so fast
The summers used to be long, our hearts used to be strong
And 8-bits never did us wrong
If you could freeze one happy time, what would it be?
That day in September, we climbed up that tree
Do you even remember the trembling leaves drifting away?
They couldn't hold on, and neither could we

I sit at this window and watch these clowns roll by
I catch a glimpse of regret reflected in their tired eyes
If their gaze would stray beyond the everyday to the periphery
They'd see the puzzled looks of the wonderless souls
Who placed all of their hopes in a machine

It broke my heart when you told me that logic is for loners

Well I have been wondering: do you think it's too late?
To go back to BASIC, to re-roll our fate?
To chill in the basement and never grow up?
'cause 64K was more than enough
Now as I get older I find it kinda strange
That I remember your laugh but can't remember your face
I wouldn't blame you if you have moved on
I ask just one little favour - don't forget met?


9 - I Spy

Every boy I meet thinks I should be a rock star
I don't even know how to play guitar
Every boy I meet thinks I act like a porn star
I'm just a girl who's never been loved

I'm just a girl who's never been loved
And I'm just a girl who's never been in love

Every boy I meet wants to protect me
And keep me safe from myself
Every boy I meet ends up just rejecting me
But not before I reject myself

I'm just a girl who's never been loved
And I'm just a girl who's never been in love

I'm just a girl who's smarter than you think
And I'm just a girl who's stronger than you think

Every boy I meet tries to write my song
Every boy I meet gets it wrong


10 - Weeping Willow

Caught you staring off into space again my love
What's going through your head these days?
Never thought I'd see you like this again my love
But something's got you in a daze

In this whole wide world surely we can have some fun
Let's bike down to the ocean and blow bubbles in the sun
In this whole wide world surely between you and me
We can find a way to build a house in that willow tree
And be happy

Has this broken world got you down again my love
And put you in a tail-spin?
I would fix all the broken bits for you my love
If I only knew where to begin

In this whole long life surely I can find the time
To tell you you are lovely and I'm glad that you are mine
In this whole short life surely I can find a way
To say "you make me happy and I love you" everyday


11 - Analog Heart

Sparkle Eyes I wish we had been friends
Back in the days when we were just small
Sparkle Eyes I wish I had known you
Before the weight of the world had set in

Sparkle eyes I wish I had been there
When you first learned to ride a bike
We could race around the block with cards in our spokes
Then play Atari downstairs and have chips and pop

Lying on the dock with you at the cottage
We hear the cry of a loon under darkening skies
As the thunder rolls in it seems the storm is upon us
And a thousand bolts of heaven flash before our eyes

Sparkle Eyes I wish you had been there
To play with me in my first synth band
With my Casiotone and your digital know-how
We'd rule the 80s and be binary stars
Sparkle Eyes I wish I could be there
To see exactly how you turn out
I'm sure the clouds will part and the dawn will shine upon
The sparkly-eyed boy with the analog heart


12 - Endnote to self

All you do is cruise through life and just fake it fake it fake it
When you gonna get on the floor and shake it shake it shake it?
When you gonna make your move and groove it groove it groove it?
When you gonna live your life and not just waste it waste it waste it?