original lyrics

I've had the fortune of being in several local original alternative rock groups (some more long-lived than others). Believe it or not, Wichita has a rich, yet still hidden, music scene. Most recently I was in a classic-rock cover band, which was fun for a long while, but I needed a break. Maybe one day some of my poems will find their way into original songs again, after the pandemic (or during, if I resume instrumental practice)!

Photo by Les Brin

Half of Reason EP 'Force the Sunrise' CD print. Hear a snippet of the song 'Mockingbird' at the 1:45 mark of Jedd Beaudoin's interview with Julie on KMUW.

MOCKINGBIRD

I’ve held my voice back so many times
out of respect for you, but what have you got for me
you make me a mockingbird
I have a lot of truth to tell if I wouldn’t hide it from myself

you’re all so easy to imitate
it’s too easy to get my way
effortlessly I’ll echo the beauty and the pain
in the end, you’ll see it’s all the same

I seek to please, to tease, to feed, to deceive
look at this mockingbird you make of me

you think you can identify me at a glance
but you’ll have to look more carefully than that
I could change before your eyes
what you believe may be a lie

imitation is not always the sincerest form of flattery

I can speak in your language
I’ll even use your own words against you
don’t get your feathers ruffled, don’t take it personally
everybody’s got at least a little bit of hypocrisy

—Lyrics by Julie Ann Baker Brin for Half of Reason © 2005 (from 'Force the Sunrise' EP, music by Dave Johnson, Henry Harvey, & Kelly Brown)

WAKE UP

There’s something holding me up
because I’m barely holding on
There’s something lighting my way
because I’m barely flickering

When am I gonna wake up? When am I gonna choke up?

There’s something pushing me forth
because I’m barely stumbling
There’s something keeping me warm
because I’m barely registering

When am I gonna wake up? When am I gonna fess up?

I’ve got no control of anything — I never did

When am I gonna wake up? When am I gonna crack up?

There’s something giving me air
because I’m barely inhaling
There’s something bigger out there
because I don’t know what I’m doing

—Lyrics by Julie Ann ("BeauHemia") Baker Brin for Half of Reason © 2005 (from 'Force the Sunrise' EP, music by Dave Johnson, Henry Harvey, & Kelly Brown)

Photos of Half of Reason members (Clockwise: Julie, Henry, Dave, Kelly) by Lisa Lonning captured at Wichita's Shamrock Lounge

“These locals have some fine arrows in their quiver — such as "Wake Up," the one tune that truly crystallizes Half of Reason's potential in a mere four-and-a-half minutes. Driven by David Johnson's meaty guitar line, BeauHemia's soulful, full-lunged vocal delivery and by her well-penned lyrics the song isn't just the best tune here, it's also the most memorable.” —from Jedd Beaudoin’s CD review for Wichita’s F5 paper, 8/25/2005.

Half of Reason EP 'Tear it Down'

TEAR IT DOWN

Am I the doll in your dollhouse?
Am I the ghost come back to haunt you?
Am I not quite what you expected?
You’ll know better next time, now won’t you?

I never had a clue about you
But you had my life built up for me
I will never live there with you
Your castle tower with no key

I’ll tear it down before your eyes
Slowly … so slowly you won’t even notice
I will expose your empty lies
If only, if only you could really know me

Am I not quite what you imagined?
A little better, maybe a little worse?
You thought you’d given me a blessing
Now you’re haunted by your own curse

I could never live in this place
No, I won’t even come around

—Lyrics by Julie Ann Baker (Brin) for Half of Reason © 2008
(music by David Johnson, Henry Harvey, & Kelly Brown)

STAY AWAKE

I can see me spending my life with you
If you think you can stand me for that long
Oh, just think of all the things we can do
Where the hell have you been all along?

And hey, we’ll stay awake ‘til daylight
And everything will be brand new
We’ll talk for hours about nothing
If I believe in anything it’s you

I’m so glad you never gave up on me
All the while I tried to push away
I just don’t know how I got so lucky
How did I ever get you to stay (with me)?

I love the way you look at me, boy
I love the way you’re talkin’ to me
I’ll never get enough of you, boy
I’ll always be with you; stay with me

—Lyrics by Julie Brin for Half of Reason © 2008
(music by Dave Johnson, Henry Harvey, & Kelly Brown)
(Recording, engineering, mixing & genius-ing by Carter Green)

"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs. What's wrong with that? I'd like to know." —Paul McCartney

Half of Reason self-titled demo EP, inside CD insert.

"From the Ashes"

this is a different sort of animal
she has wings but is rooted to the ground
she's not going anywhere
at least not for now

the wind is a constant reminder
of what is missing, what was left behind
she wanted to set everything on fire
start over, purify

something free will rage from the ashes

the spirits watching whisper loudly
breathe wisdom into her eager ears
she has to burn the roots that bind
to overcome her fears

throw the feathers like punches
forward from the shoulders
rise up over the smoke
glitter, flutter, fly

—Lyrics by Julie Ann Baker (Brin, aka BeauHemia) for Half of Reason
© 2002 (from self-titled demo EP, music by Dave Johnson, Henry Harvey, & Kelly Brown)

"Chasm"

I saw the chasm, I saw you on the other side
I saw you watching, I saw it in your eyes, the pride
you knew the way, you knew the bridge that wouldn't fall
you thought I'd choose wrong, you thought that I would lose it all

I'm not gonna fall for you
you're not gonna take me down with you

I walked along the edge and looked into the sky
I looked down to the ground and knew that I could fly
I looked across at you and knew I couldn't stay
I turned around and walked the other way

I refuse to risk my health for you
and I sure won't lose my wealth to you
or anyone

the path I've chosen is the one that I have made
the one I've worked for, the one I know will keep me safe
I'll make my bridges and I'll burn them if I choose
I'm in control here; I know that I will never lose

—Lyrics by Julie Ann Baker (Brin, aka BeauHemia) for Half of Reason
© 2002 (from self-titled demo EP, music by Dave Johnson, Henry Harvey, & Kelly Brown)

Half of Reason self-titled demo EP, front cover.

Chakra Zippers (Julie and Tim) say "Namaste. Teehee."
Photo by Chris "Skeeter" Stover-Brown

A LOT OF WAYS TO LOVE

It’s a rainy night and you are gone
No, that doesn’t bother me
We make more sense when I’m alone
Together we’re such a mystery

You know I love you
Of course I do

A candle flickers, but the air is still
The whole world holds its breath when I say
I love you, darling, but I’ve lost the will
to do what it takes to make me stay

You know I love you
Of course I do
There are a lot of ways to love:
Holding on is one
Letting go is, too

The full moon will help you travel
And I hope it will help you to see
that you never should have asked that question
You never should’ve fallen in love with m

Listen at: https://www.reverbnation.com/chakrazippers

So, that's a smattering of stuff that has been put out into the world in various formats. It sounds better with the music; inquire about $5 HoR EP CDs (&/or advise how to make MySpace song links work again when you can't remember your password and you're not tech-y anyway) at juliebrin at gmail dot com.

See the page menu at the top for more. And thanks for visiting my portfolio site! —Julie Ann Baker Brin