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  1. The Knife

CCL: lyrics/vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, percussion 
JJR: bass, piano 
GFC: drums
Published By Lords Of Rock & Sons (ASCAP) 2016.

CCL – Oh, you’re still here? In that case, why not get a parting gift in the form of Erratic Markers’s punkiest demo turned Americana fade-out? You heard right – this tune was to be a double-time romp of the sweaty, two or three-minute variety. But a weekend excuse to put a gaggle of Collings acoustics on record gets goosed by the rhythm section, and suddenly it’s sounding a whole lot like a right coda. If there’s doubt and bizarro and slithery stuff in the preceding bits, this is a way to go out remembering that there’s no actual exit door for the whole mess and one might benefit from the cutting of slack for oneself. Or something. Hey, it’s pretty. What do you want from us? An acoustic cover album? Hmm, wait a second… 

JJR – I would argue “The Knife” is the strongest tune of the lot as CCL managed to somehow leave enough room for GFC’s incredible drum line, a pinch of piano played by yours truly, and then the many acoustic guitars that were layered on top of one another. The word choice here is impeccable and the outro creates a place and a moment for me in my head that I literally want to stay in forever. 

GFC – How we got from the SocialD-styled demo to this (dare I say it) pretty tune will remain a mystery for the ages, like the fate of the Ark, the existence of Sasquatch or the point of a rickroll. But it works. The brushwork on the hi-hat and the piccolo snare was intended to emulate the strumming of an acoustic guitar. I dig it.

Lyrics

The Knife 

I had heroes once 
They’ve fallen aside 
I knew what I thought was enough 
Felt something like pride 
And this doesn’t mean I don’t love the things 
That I keep around me 
But I’m so afraid that I’d disappoint 
The boy who was waiting 
  
Sounds like apathy 
Closer to eulogy 
  
Stop falling on the knife 
You aren’t wasted 
Stop falling away 
  
I had heroes once 
Every one’s changed 
What if it is what it seems – always been this way? 
There are those nights when I think of the son 
That I never had 
I think of the name that I gave up 
And what I would take back 
  
Sounds like apathy 
Feels like everything 
  
Stop falling on the knife 
You aren’t wasted 
Stop falling away 
Stop falling on the knife 
You aren’t wasted 
Stop falling away 
Stop falling away.