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Mean Times

by The Argyles

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1.
One Down 03:30
lyrics
Stop me stumbling, I get knocked over If I get knocked over anymore I'll know the score Stop me wondering, I get fucked over If I get fucked over anymore I'll know the score Take another one down, better make it this one Loving gets passed around, I get passed over again I don't know why I can't ever be decisive, ever make a change Start me stuttering, it t-t-t-takes me over Have me over where you live, I've love to give Start me wondering, I think it's over I feel left over and there's more I've got in store Take another one down, better make it this one Loving gets passed around, I get passed over again I don't know why I can't ever be decisive, ever make a change But take me by the hand, make me understand Make me love again, pull me back and in Take me by the hand, make me understand Take another one down, better make it this one Loving gets passed around, I get passed over again I don't know why I can't ever be decisive Ever be the same again, same again, same again Take another one down, better make it this one Loving gets passed around, I get passed over again I don't know why I can't ever be decisive, ever make a change
2.
I'll Take It 04:13
lyrics
Breaking hearts just a recent trend Hence the letters from former friends who got out Only to want back in again Though they stray miles away You keep their hearts, put them on display Would you like mine too? Being lonely is no excuse, between Love and affection you get confused and I get stuck My time gets taken up I'll take it, I'll take it in stride I'd do anything if it would only get me off the schneid I have my, I halve my pride I was a fool to think that I could ever turn this tide I saw you kiss him but you weren't there Hands and lips and a vacant stare and a smile I couldn't sleep for a while You said it's nothing, you shouldn't lie I'd call your bluffing but think there's something in my eye I can't take it tonight If I'm a project and you have a few You may not love me but you will never cut me loose I'll make it easier for you I'll take it, I'll take it in stride I was a fool to think that that would ever get me off the schneid I have my, I halve my pride I was a fool to think that I could ever turn this tide Now you're calling me up, I'm not acting the same And I'm falling over myself trying to forget your name I don't think that you're sorry But you're making me guess If I can't make it better I want to feel it less If I can't make it better I want to feel it less If I can't make it better I'd like to feel it less If I can't make it better I want to feel it less If I can't make it better I want to feel it Less
3.
Beta Male 03:54
lyrics
This is your life as a beta male If this were the wild, you wouldn't get laid Rational men can't go chasing tail When it's attached to just another ape Wish you could ape what they've got on sale Guys that look good when they're at the gate But you're looking starved and a little pale Cause they keep taking food you put on your plate Cause they wait for your mistakes, whoa This is your life as a beta male And you've been flirting with an alpha mate Holding it down like you never fail But then she's gone cause she has a date She can't be late cause he's out on bail And he's no good so he must be great You're looking hard but you just can't tell What you don't have that he's got in spades And he'll wait for your mistakes But you can be funny, you can be clever And you can talk about more than the weather You can be charming, you can be sweet Even if you can't talk without staring at your feet And don't worry what they think because they can't – oh This is your life as a beta male It's how you're born and it's how you'll stay Is it the same, just on a smaller scale? Doesn't it feel like an awful fate? But you'll be cured when they're getting stale Watch you take off while they watch their weight While they're getting hammered, you'll get to nail Cause you learned to think when they learned to drink As you wait for their mistakes But you can be funny, you can be clever And you can talk about more than the weather You can be charming, you can be sweet Even if you can't talk without staring at your feet And don't worry what they think because they can't – oh But you can be funny, you can be clever And you can talk about more than the weather You can be charming, you can be sweet Even if you can't talk without staring at your feet And don't worry what they think, don't worry what they think Don't worry what they think because they can't
4.
Across The Street 03:01
lyrics
Mont Royal 927 Address like it's going out But it's not even 11 They'll still be glued to the couch Buzzer's broken missed the click Somebody's smoking round back, quick Too slow where did they go Get in with the window trick Dinner interrupts a card game Winner cleaning up the hard way Parley that into a part-time job Making sandwiches just for Mott Summer's getting wetter better bring a sweater Drinking in the park Bottles clinking in the dark I'm apart But I'm getting to know you You know exactly what I mean If you ever need me You know exactly where I'll be Across the street Mont Royal 914 The 5 years in between Knowing nothing, knowing everything If I learned, I learned to pretend This room feels like a cave Clouds and TV snow the same Crowd round there's a movie on The couch is full, I love this song But I think I've seen this one before Take the door to the porch, Jubal gave me the tour More stairs to the ladder, ladder to the roof Shotgun to the brain 200 proof Hoping I can get back down Kinda nervous, til I look around See the city in the night, looking at the light From the other apartment I'm getting to know you You know exactly what I mean If you ever need me You know exactly where I'll be Across the street
5.
Take the 40 04:05
lyrics
Take the 20 out to St-Anne for the good view Or take the 40 up to the cottage Go west a handful of hours and you'll be home Just walk a couple minutes and I’ll meet you downtown City of Mary, there's a magnet in your mountain There's light on the cross Any season around, we’ll dance in the fountain First we get pulled and then we get lost Oh, it gets kinda dull You look and talk and sound so professional now But its no fun arguing moderation with a bunch of young liberals No it gets kinda dull, we best get to the beer Take the 20 west to the bright, bright lights Take the 40 north to the quarry Take the interstate south to Amherst or Nassau – it’ll lift you up Just hurry; you bring the rage, I'll leave the fury, hurry City of Mary, there's a magnet in your mountain There's light on the cross Any season around, we’ll dance in the fountain Oh we get pulled and then we get lost
6.
Blackjacks to Blackout 03:39
lyrics
Sometimes we go to this bar None of us have a car so we bike It's not downtown, it's a bit of a hike Always empty and the price is right And they have pitchers up to here It's not good beer, it's not even close But it's still great for making toasts Did I mention I love you all the most Little love of mine, I'm starting to hate this city Little love of mine, it's no good for me, whoa-oh Little love of mine, I'm starting to hate this city Little love of mine, it's no good for me So I'm Blackjacks to blackout again And every morning is the worst It kinda comes and goes I wake up in my clothes on a couch Dizzy head and a taste in my mouth Can you tell me the way to my house But even whispering's too loud I'm not proud of myself, I'm depressed But can I help it, I'm a little impressed I evaded another early death Little love of mine, I'm starting to hate this city Little love of mine, it's no good for me, whoa-oh Little love of mine, I'm starting to hate this city Little love of mine, it can't be worse So I'm Blackjacks to blackout again And every morning is the worst And I'm cursed, with this thirst that grows as I diminish Last to start but first to finish, last to start but first to finish Thirst that grows as I diminish, last to start but first to finish Last to start but first to finish, last to start and... Just when I thought I was done Another night of fun is the pits And I hate everyone that I'm with And there's an awful pain in my wrist But I just don't know what I did Did I father a kid, d'I get sick Can I make this lesson stick this time? Cause I've learned it a hundred times Little love of mine, I'm starting to hate this city Little love of mine, it's no good for me, whoa-oh Little love of mine, I'm starting to hate this city Little love of mine, it can't be worse So I'm Blackjacks to blackout again Blackjacks! Blackout! And every morning is the worst
7.
Stupid Little Things 02:04
lyrics
I got drunk enough at the campsite To play the coward I walked you home And left you at the door Stupid little things that I’ve done High school dance request list I picked your favourite song Disguised my handwriting And forgot to brush my teeth at the end of the night Stupid little things that I’ve done You’ll learn this the hard way So say what you oughta say Bundle it up today Pray for a quiet way To say it again I thought it might hurt To stick around Got caught up in the details and lost a bit Left you out of the loop when I took off for the summer Stupid little things that I’ve done I didn’t speak my piece So that you could hold your peace We all know how that turns out Recited this list and called it confession Stupid little things that I’ve done You’ll learn this the hard way So say what you oughta say Bundle it up today Pray for a quiet way To say it again
8.
My Bad Instincts 04:01
lyrics
Another morning and my dried-out mouth Makes the shapes and the words come tumbling out It's so boring playing these songs to myself Not getting any closer to what they were about Another morning of waking up strangers And for that reason I am less a friend When you live like you're alone every evening You'll still feel alone at night And we sleep through most of these days So there's little time left to think: "I want to learn from these fucks" Before they scare me away from my instincts My bad instincts Another morning and the swelling in my head Makes my thoughts hard to think A one night stand that reoccurs without warning Every time you and I drink Another morning and I'm snoring so you tell me So I roll back on my side And by the way I think you know it's ending Cause we stopped saying sorry, and started saying goodbye And we drink so often these days That there's little time left to think: "I want to learn from these drugs" Before they scare me away from my instincts My bad instincts Have never taught me anything No, they just make me miserable And it happened again, I'm so unoriginal I think that I'm hurting myself out of guilt that no one else could And then one morning it seemed better to be going Just when I thought I'd got the hang We're not poets and this is not the world we're ending So let's not whimper Let's just bang
9.
Get To You 03:28
lyrics
A pocketful of transfers, I'm searching for answers God I hope it isn't true But this line has got me reeling, staring at the ceiling Waiting for the bus to move And the toothbrush in my bag rubs up on a letter that I wrote I was staying for the weekend or coming home this evening Depending on the one that I chose A mile and a half, then, Belle and Sebastian "The boy with the Arab strap" Looking for distractions, doubting my reactions Holding tight the bag in my lap All the time since we've met, you've only been to my place once Am I making too much fuss for all the time spent on the bus when it has Only been a couple of months? This and more I thought, and I don't know what to do 'Cause it takes me way too long to get to you Scratching her elbow, she looks out the window God I hope he doesn't come Poking at my feelings, searching them for meaning Shouldn't we be having fun? And the thought of what she's done has been scaring her all week "If I can't be what he wanted then why's he so undaunted? I just can't face another critique" What you doin' uptown, Velvet Underground "I'm waiting for my man" So much hesitation, but stuck in the station Knitting and unknitting her hands And she knows what must be done but it's making her feel weak: "So quick to make a theory but he never seems to hear me No matter how plainly I speak" This and more you thought, but you can't make me see 'Cause it takes you way too long to get to me
10.
Ring, Tired Bells 04:34
lyrics
Ring, tired bells Out With a love that won't ever falter I'll follow you to the altar Ring, tired bells, don't ever falter Don't give me reason to doubt her O shameful love that makes me wonder Shouldn't I be torn asunder If she should die, or even wander Don't feed my fear or make me blunder Could you make me blunter? Anchor, tether, latch yourself to me Anchor, tether, latch or set me free Anchor, tether, latch yourself to me Anchor, tether, latch or set me free My foolish mind that never rests Can't even sleep at your behest But shallow eyes will let me rest You bare your soul, n'I'll bare your breasts You iron bells, you'll never tire Nor would you melt were this my pyre Ring, tired bells, 'til I expire You never will make me a liar Could you make me lighter? Anchor, tether, latch yourself to me Anchor, tether, latch or set me free Anchor, tether, latch yourself to me Anchor, tether, latch or set me free Don't I know by now that you've been here before But the hand you forsook wasn't mine Don't I know by now that you've been here before But I just can't help wasting my time Don't I know by now that you've been here before But the hand that you take could still be mine Don't I know by now that you've been here before But I just can't help wasting my time
11.
Low Point 03:06
lyrics
It's been a while since my latest injury Getting better, soon I'll practice with the team And when you talk to me I almost forget That I haven't been cleared for contact yet My numbers are a little down this year The crowd's so loud but it's not for me they cheer I do the right things and I almost forget It means nothing if it won't go in the net This is a low point, we'll get back to winning It's just a game even if it's your living But this is a low point that's not about winning Go play your game then get back to living Verse: I'm getting tired of sleeping in hotels It's more lonely now the team's not doing well On the the bus home I can almost forget The kind of welcome we are gonna get I don't know what happened to my confidence I'm second guessing every second guess And I can try but now I find I can't forget That this season's been a really awful mess This is a low point, we'll get back to winning It's just a game even if it's your living But this is a low point that's not about winning Go play your game then get back to living It's been a while since my latest injury Scars they heal and then they fade back into me And when you talk to me I almost forget That this low point isn't over yet
12.
Lights 04:10
lyrics
There were enough bottles to drown a room There were enough friends to go make war A couple nasty secrets got spun off the loom At least we know she ain't a bore It was the start of a couple months' lessons Thoughts of fidelity and discretion One got lost in the lights The other got lost on an old friend's plight Doors opened and closed all through the house They locked people in and brought 'em out Keeping different parts of the party apart Well the lights they'll run you down, the lights they'll run you down Day breaks like it always do Ca va, par boulevard ou rue That five-second glance how it turns to hours No freedom, no flight, I'll just cower And let it all go on the walking light And let it all hang on the red light I stepped off again, no change for today Just a couple second chances and a couple second days Doors opened and closed all through the house They locked people in and brought 'em out Keeping different parts of the party apart Well the lights'll run you down, the lights they'll run you down Doors opened and closed all through the house They locked people in, brought 'em out Keeping different parts of the party apart Well the lights'll run you down, the lights they'll run you down

about

Greg now makes music under his own name, over at gregmcleod.bandcamp.com

credits

released June 26, 2012

Greg McLeod - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Violin, Keyboards, Toy Piano, Autoharp, Trombone, Percussion
Matt Dowling - Vocals on tracks 5 and 7
Andrew Miller - Guitar on tracks 1-4, 12
Ryan MacKellar - Sax on tracks 2 and 5

All songs written by Greg McLeod except tracks 5, 7 and 12 written by Matt Dowling and track 4 written by Greg McLeod and Andrew Miller

Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Greg McLeod in his bedroom in Montreal, Canada from January to May 2012

Package design by Danielle Holmes
Photography by Lesya Nakoneczny and Lana McCrea

Thanks to Justin Wong, Martin Bradstreet, Alex Horky, Jenna Gogan, Arthur Cormon, Matthew Kassel, Jack Galloway

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The Argyles Montréal, Québec

The Argyles are an energetic rock band from Montreal raging at the hazards of life and love as thoughtful and polite young men.

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