In David’s own words:
This album is the result of several years of my own personal and musical exploration. Lyrically it speaks to open & honest self-reflection in an attempt to better understand who I am, and how I present myself in the world. Making it has certainly proven a learning and cathartic journey for me. My hope is that it resonates with anyone who may share a similar quest in pursuit of a better understanding of self… and who flat out digs the groove!
Lyrics & credits
Which way is up, which way is up
Which way is up, which way is up
You better know/ before you go
Which way is up.
Well you learned to run /before you could crawl
Built an ego/ 'bout 10 foot tall.
Things came easy / things came fast
Wasn’t long/ you was head of the class
But you better know / before you go
Which way is up/ which way is up
Well you had your parties/ and your rendezvous’
You was thinkin’ /you front page news
It don't matter/ it’s what I heard you say
To get to the top/ everything‘s in play
Well you better know /before you go
Which way is up... which way is up
Which way is up/ more than a direction
Which way is up/ mmm… that's the question
Which way is up/ takes some reflection
You better find out for yourself which way is up
Ohhh…which way is up, which way is up
Someday you'll leave here/ and that's a fact
Remember one thing/ there’s no turnin' back
So get it right/ while you still can
It’s all part… of the master plan
Well I hope you learn/ and don’t get burned
When your names on the wall/ and your
Number’s called
I pray you'll know/ which way to go…
Which way is up/ which way is up,
Which way is up/which way is up!
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
BG Vocals: The Tall Hot Mamas: Benedicte Schioetz, Rachel Prior & Noa Neuman Spivak
Guitar: David Symons
Drums: Edward Whelan & Sami Ghawi
Bass: Scott M Archibald
Keys: Jorah Kauffman & Bill Buckingham
Horns: L.A.
Percussion: Bill Buckingham, Sami Ghawi & David Symons
My heart is hurtin’/ I know somethin’ ain’t right
I feel conflicted/ I see darkness where there should be light
My spirit’s whirlin’/ like a dervish in flight
It’s like I’m fallin’/ while layin’ face down on my bed
Yes… I’ve been cryin’/ with no tears left to be shed
I need peace/ I need out of my head
Oh Lord I’m thirsty/ my cup is full and yet I thirst
Can’t quench this feeling/ it’s like livin’ with a curse
Please make it stop/ before it gets so much worse
Feel like I’m drownin’/ you know I’m fightin’ for my life
Yes I’m drownin’/ with no water in sight
Try as I may/ with all my might
You know I’m sinkin’/ outta sight
a lonely beacon/ fading in the night
Mmm.. I’m drownin’/ and I’m just tryin’…
To get it right… get it right/ get it right, get it right
Won’t someone help me - get it right
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Guitar: David Symons & Sami Ghawi
Drums: Sami Ghawi
Bass: Scott M Archibald & Bill Buckingham
Keys: Jorah Kauffman & Bill Buckingham
Strings: Bill Buckingham
Horns: L.A.
It’s occurred to me
That I’ve yet to see the best of me
Hidden in sight/ in fact in broad daylight
There’s the rest of me
It’s been quite a fight/ but I can see
Someone there/ inside of me
That’s waitin’, oh that’s waitin’…
To finally be free
And as each day goes by
I wonder why I stray this way
For something is wrong
Still I go along as if it’s OK
Deep inside/ I seek to hide
This God forsaken/ foolish pride
Now I finally realize
It’s time to get off this ride
I’ve come so far and changed my ways
But I’m not there yet
Bruised my ego, had my wings bent by the wind
These winds of change can lead a man to question why
But while I may question… I still believe
Oh I have to believe
That I will succeed in finding myself
I’ve lived for so long
Yet a part of my truths still there/ on the shelf
Searching within/ it’s very clear
Yes I’ve survived, but/ there’s still fear
It’s time for me/ to be the man….
I dream of being
I’ve come so far and changed my ways,
But I’m not there yet
Bruised my ego, had my wings/ bent by the wind
These winds of change can lead a man to question why
But while I may question/ I still believe/ believe
All that I seek is the strength to speak
The truth in me
To keep it alive/ as I strive to be a better me
Yes I’ll fight/ through the fear
Stick with my dreams till they appear
I’ll keep on workin’/ keep on workin’
I’ll keep on workin’… Till I’m the best I can be
Best I can be…
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Harmony Vocals: David Symons
BG Vocals: The Symons Sisters – Desirée Symons, Gabrielle Symons & Isabelle Symons
Guitar: David Symons, Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Drums: Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Bass: Scott M Archibald
Keys: Bill Buckingham
Percussion: Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
The colour that you choose/ is often black
It’s just so easy to walk away/ and show your back
Times seem uncertain/ we’ve seen all we can see
On come the blinkers/ you and I’ve become more me
It leaves a man lying in the gutter/ six more getting high
Blood pools beneath his head/ and still we walk on by…
We try to hide… ohhh but we can’t
We try to hide…ohhh but the tears inside we cry
Have now all long since run dry/ we try to hide…
We try to hide
Rushing to the next stop/ there’s a traffic jam ahead
Starts you feelin’ uptight/ starts you seein’ red
You’re driving ‘round in circles/ rooted anger in your eye
Frustrated living/ but more afraid to die
Lookin’ for deliverance/ lookin’ for a fix
Quick hand me a bottle/ I think I’m feelin’ sick
We try to hide… ohhh but we can’t
We try to hide…ohhh but the tears inside we cry
Have now all long since run dry/ we try to hide…
We try to hide
Ohhhhh there must be something we can change…
We gotta try… Yes we gotta try
We gotta try, We gotta try, We gotta…
Find a way to give
Can’t afford to wait
Change the way we live
I pray it’s not too late
(We gotta try)
I pray it’s not too late
(We gotta try)
Oooh… we gotta try
Ooooh…we gotta try
I pray it’s not too late
Yes… I pray it’s not too late
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Harmony Vocals: David Symons
BG Vocals: The Symons Sisters - Desirée Symons, Gabrielle Symons & Isabelle Symons
Guitar: David Symons & Sami Ghawi
Drums: Edward Whelan
Bass: Scott M Archibald
Keys: Jorah Kauffman & Bill Buckingham
Strings: Bill Buckingham
Horns: L.A.
Percussion: Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Late Night/ dark days
Guess it’s time/ to turn the page
I Don’t understand / why we choose this hand
I guess that’s just how it’s gonna play
Bitter taste/ mmm… in my mouth
There ain’t nothin’/ gonna rince it out
Curfews set/ sundown’s come
Here in this town we built for one
Things could different/ things could be good
If only you/ and I understood
This gift that we’re wasting’/and throwin’ away
Too many things that we just can’t unsay
Crosshairs in focus/ game, set and match
Love is lost, such a cost/ there’ll be no rematch
I wonder why/ this has to die
I guess that’s just how it’s gonna play
Things could different/ things could be good
If only you and I understood
This gift that were wasting’/and throwin’ away
Too many things that we just can’t unsay
Late Nights/ dark days
Guess it’s time/ to turn the page
I don’t understand/ why we choose this hand
I guess that’s just how it’s gonna play
… I wonder why/ this has to die
I guess that’s just how it’s gonna stay
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Harmony Vocals: David Symons
Guitar: David Symons, Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Drums: Edward Whelan
Bass: Scott M Archibald & Bill Buckingham
Keys: Jorah Kauffman & Bill Buckingham
Horns: Bill Buckingham
They say everything can be replaced
Yet every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
(Chorus)
I see my light come shining
From the West unto the East
Any day now/ any way now
I shall be released
They say every man needs protection
They say every man must fall
But I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall
Chorus
Standing next to me in this lonely crowd
Is a man who swears he’s not to blame
All day long I hear him/ shout out loud
He’s crying that he’d been framed
Chorus & Repeat to Extro
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by Bob Dylan
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Harmony Vocals: David Symons
BG Vocals: The Symons Sisters – Desirée Symons, Gabrielle Symons & Isabelle Symons
Guitar: David Symons & Bill Buckingham
Drums: Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Bass: Scott M Archibald & Bill Buckingham
Keys: Jorah Kauffman & Bill Buckingham
Horns: L.A.
Percussion: Bill Buckingham, Sami Ghawi
Sometimes, sometimes
There's an eloquence in silence
That words fail to capture on their own
Sometimes, oh sometimes
When side by side together
Silence speaks a language of its own
Sometimes, oh sometimes
When life is pained with sorrow
And it’s hard to express what's gone wrong
Sometimes, oh sometimes
There’s healing in the crying
Tears become a language all their own
Musical Break
Sometimes, sometimes
When you can’t help but feeling
That reaching out, well it’s the hardest thing to do
Know that…
Sometimes, oh sometimes
In the quiet of receiving
Lies the gift of someone giving to you
Sometimes, sometimes
There’s an eloquence in silence
That words fail to capture on their own
Mmm.. Sometimes, oh sometimes,
When side by side together
Silence speaks a language all its own
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Harmony Vocals: David Symons
Guitar: Sami Ghawi
Drums: Edward Whelan, Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Bass: Bill Buckingham
Keys: Jorah Kauffman & Bill Buckingham
Strings: Brian Samuels & Bill Buckingham
Percussion: Bill Buckingham
Ebow: Bill Buckingham
When you're thinkin'
It's all gone wrong
And you’re feelin' broke inside
Something's missing
Something's gone
A part of you has died
Beat back the burden
Push past the pain
Give it one more day
Now’s the time
To hold up high
The blessings of today
X2-Count ‘em up
Hold ‘em high
Give thanks and Praise
Every day
Life’s been rough
You’ve been in tough
You never learned to pray
A hard way to live
No way to die
You really want to stay
Take the time
To look yourself in the eye
Put an end to the lie
Nowhere to turn to
Nowhere to run
With no place left to hide
X2 -Count ‘em up
Hold ‘em high
Give thanks and Praise
Every day
Turn and find you’ve left behind
The way you used to live
Turn again and maybe then
You’d be willing to forgive
Willing to forgive/ willing to forgive...
X2 -Count ‘em up
Hold ‘em high
Give thanks and Praise
Every day
(Modulation)
Aww count ‘em up
Hold them high
Give thanks and Praise
Every day
Aww count ‘em up
Hold ‘em high
Give thanks and Praise
Every daaaaay
Hold them high
Every day/ Hold them high
Beat back the burden
push past the pain,
Now’s the time to hold them high and
Keep believin’ in what your breathin’
Mmmm keep believin’
Ooooooh/ keep believin’
Everyday/ everyday…
Everyday
To extro…
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics by David Symons
Lead Vocals: David Symons
Harmony Vocals: David Symons
Choir: Benedicte Schioetz, Andrea Brett, Rachel Prior, Kiki Connelly, Bazil Graham, Paul McDonald, Chris Fowles, Daniel Frankel, Brian Baroda, Ronnie Way
Guitar: David Symons & Sami Ghawi
Drums: Sami Ghawi
Bass: Scott M Archibald
Keys: Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi
Percussion: Bill Buckingham & Sami Ghawi