"Living The Dream" genre: Acoustic
	lo fi play (dial-up) hi fi play (broadband) download (4.7 MB)	email track to a friend	add to My.MP3
	An optimistic, existentialist acoustic groove about engaging the thrill of the road.
	CD: The Muse Tree   Label: Muse Tree Records Credits: Written and performed by Julian Rai, Copyright 2003 Julian Rai / Muse Tree Records, All Rights Reserved.
	Story Behind the Song "Living The Dream" marks, as a song, one of the moments my life shaped itself into most of what it is right now. As with most of the other songs in "The Muse Tree", this song was written years ago; having gone through a few revisions over the last eight years until finalizing at what it is right now -- which is where I felt it needed to be to both reflect the concept of the song and the album alike. The song captures several realizations on my part at the time, as well as a common theme concerning the way most of us here tend not to support things in other people that personally make us scared out of our wits about ourselves. In the studio, this song being pretty heavy on the right hand with all the fingering, taps, and hanging rhythms (as well as being recorded live), "Living The Dream" was the first recording in my entire career that took well over sixty takes to get through. I guess it was just one of those songs ... eventually I dropped it to move on to the rest of the album, finally coming back and laying it down in a take or two. Go figure; I guess sometimes space is all it takes. In the end, it's one of my oldest songs, one of my favorite tracks on this album, and it feels great to get all of these earlier works on CD once and for all. Lyrics Living the Dream D Standard Tuning / C IV Lyrics And Music By Julian Rai Copyright 2003, Julian Rai V I So I was stranded in Cincinatti On the edge of a city grove. And I swear that's where it happened -- Where I suddenly decided to go I was watching all the cars pass in all the chaos ... Folks I've never seen before. Pathos, storylines and drama Bars, coffeehouses and stores. CH And I said it's Too bad I'm stuck in Ohio Or I'd be living the dream I'd never take a chance with my safety And ruin everything ... Besides, I would probably die Of thirst or hunger or snow Unless I save a grand or two Before I go. Anyways, What would I do with my stuff: My precious writings and memories? But if all I can do is survive here What kind of a life would that be? So really, I'm dead either way: Whether I stay or leave. V II So I got to tellin' all my friends Gotta let 'em know I wouldn't be here long. Well, by a couple of days they sat me down Half laughing, half concerned. You know -- funny thing, I couldn't tell If they were talking about them or me ... I said "Hey, that's too bad, 'cause I was Gonna seek some company." CH II And they said, Jules -- too bad you're stuck in Ohio Or you'd be livin' the dream ... You should never take a chance with your safety You'd ruin everything. Besides, you would probably die Of thirst or hunger or snow ... Wouldn't ya' need a grand or two, right -- ? Before you go? Anyways, What would you do with your stuff: Your dishes, candles, VCR and TV? And I said: "If all we can do is survive here What kind of a life would that be? So really we're dead either way -- Whether we stay or leave." BR Well as the months go on, I find that I regressed Back to the world of jobs and safety nets. I keep pushin' forward the date, but I 'aint leavin' yet ... Started playin' in bars and smokin' cigarettes. I figured that I would let myself do what I needed to This was my birth town, it's gonna be a tough move. And when I'm ready, I'll just slide out like a silhouette ... Perhaps on a greyhound -- I don't really know ... It'll be alright But I 'aint leavin' yet. CH II It's too bad I'm leavin' Ohio Too bad I'm livin' the dream. Too bad I'm leaving the safety Of these familiar things. It's too bad I'll probably die Of thirst or hunger or snow. It's too bad I'm a little broke -- I'm still gonna go. It's too bad about that little Fire That took out all of my belongings and things. So if you're thinkin' of leavin' Go with your pack and your breathin' And maybe then, your guitar ... You just go as you are. RES I'm gonna take a boat to Liverpool Then take on most of Europe 'Cause I know my place is over there Yet I've never quite been over there But I saw it once in a photograph And I got this feelin' in my chest You said "You don't know, don't make me laugh" So I got my bookbag and I left And I think I can do this as I am No need to save up all this cash 'Cause I trust the seeds of confidence Don't believe in coincidence You can't always explain what you know Or how you know what you know you know But I've got this feelin', gotta go 'Cause this place no longer feels like home.

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).