¡Vanity of Vanities!

by Todd Portnowitz

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lyrics

You begged
and you prayed
and you cried
and you raved
and you bribed
and you paid

and I gave all your money away—

and you clapped
and you stomped
and you laughed
and you patted my back
and you lauded my lack

and you showered me stupid in praise

and I caved.

On this island enshrined in my vanity,
up in arms with my middling destiny,
trying to swim in a sea of amenities—

(under further
where I wander)

In a jam on a bridge in a reverie,
half-expecting my phone to deliver me—

(all this calling
dull things gold)

I couldn’t say if ambition was uglier
than sitting 'round at a bar feeling lovelier
with every minute that slides out from under me—

(all is solved
while all’s annulled)

until someone’s sick, someone dies in an accident
some occurrence occasions you back again
consequence makes a fool of the act

and you’re so damned sorry
all at once

so you call your mom
and you mow your lawn
and you go play catch
with your orphaned son
and you read
and you run
and you polish your gun
and you harness your lungs
and you garner your glum
and you promise you're done

Oh, and nothing’s the matter
unless it’s the matter with you

credits

released May 23, 2014
Recorded @ Soundquest Studios

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about

Todd Portnowitz New York, New York

From 2004 - 2009 Todd Evan Portnowitz performed as singer/songwriter in the Florida band Clock Hands Strangle, recording two LPs, Redshift/Blueshift (2007 Team Grizzly) and Distaccati (2009 Chocolate Lab). He now performs and records as a solo artist out of New York, NY ... more

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