1. Say You Care

Words, music, arrangement, performances, recording, and mixing by Stephen Solum.

©Ⓟ 2020. Stephen Solum. All rights reserved.

I wrote the essence of this song and made a short demo in 1986. As I expanded and re-recorded during the years of the album creation, 2017-2021, it turned into the most aggressive, and even angry, track of the group—the far end of the spectrum from “Whisper Praises”. Although none of these songs are autobiographical in any specific sense, all are intended to reflect some part of life. Whatever, there’s a lot going on, musically, in this song.

Say You Care - lyrics

Will you take a look at my position,

Hollow egg shells under my feet,

Doesn't matter where I turn I'm guilty,

I got no weapons but I can't retreat.

And you can say that I'm seeming distant,

That you feel we're drifting at sea,

But a lot of things I find inconsistent,

With a lot of people you want me to be.

Chorus:

You don't want to hear my story,

You don't want to sing my song,

You don't want to share my glory,

You don't want to call me wrong,

You don't want to tell me you love me,

You don't want to set me free,

Baby, then you say you care.

I can feel you’ve lost motivation,

But I swear I don't understand why;

Take a look at all the ways you need me,

And you think that I'm not gonna try.

I just read your protestation,

My resolve is draining away,

I can’t handle these conflagrations,

And my agendas in disarray.

Chorus

I'm in a ring of miscalculation,

I'm in a weave of weeds in the sea,

But I've got a chain of hard obligations,

And I'm better than you think I can be.

Chorus