Firas Durri

Greg Knauss:

There’s a building, visible when you’re driving east on the 101, that has a sign tacked to its top story. “Count your blessings,” it says, “not your cares.”

And every time I drive by it, I think, “It goes so much faster that way.”

Dave asks, “Is this the mixtape to blow your brains out to?”

Not quite! It’s the mixtape with which to keep yourself from blowing your brains out.

• Pink, “Don’t Let Me Get Me”
  

  Never win first place, I don’t support the team
  I can’t take direction, and my socks are never clean [...]
  Doctor, doctor won’t you please prescribe me something:
  A day in the life of someone else?
  Cuz I’m a hazard to myself—Don’t let me get me!

• Garbage, “Bleed Like Me”
  

  Avalanche is sullen and too thin
  She starves herself to rid herself of sin
  And the kick is so divine when she sees bones beneath her skin
  And she says:
  Hey baby can you bleed like me?
  C’mon baby can you bleed like me?
  [...]
  Therapy is Speedie’s brand new drug
  Dancing with the devil’s past has never been too fun
  It’s better off than trying to take a bullet from a gun
  And she cries:
  Hey baby can you bleed like me?
  C’mon baby can you bleed like me?

• Tupac, “Pain”
  

  And I be, ballin loc, don’t let ‘em make you worry
  Keep swingin at these suckers ’til you buried [...]
  I’m on the scene steady muggin mean; until they kill me
  I’ll be livin this life, I know you feel me
  There’s so much pain…

• Eminem, “Rock Bottom”
  

  They threw me in the mix
  With all these gloomy lunatics
  Walk around depressed
  And smoke a pound of ses a day
  And yesterday went by so quick it seems like it was just today
  My daughter wants to throw the ball but I’m too stressed to play
  Live half my life and throw the rest away…

• Dido, “Thank You”

  I drank too much last night, got bills to pay, my head just feels in pain
  I missed the bus and there’ll be hell today, I’m late for work again
  And even if I’m there, they’ll all imply, that I might not last the day…

• Elliot Smith, “Miss Misery”
  

  I’ll fake it through the day
  With some help from Johnny Walker Red
  Send the poison rain down the drain
  To put bad thoughts in my head
  Two tickets torn in half
  And a lot of nothing to do
  Do you miss me, miss misery
  Like you say you do?

• Billy Joel, “Piano Man”
  

  Now Paul is a real estate novelist
  Who never had time for a wife
  And he’s talkin’ with Davy, who’s still in the Navy
  And probably will be for life

  And the waitress is practicing politics
  As the businessmen slowly get stoned
  Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
  But it’s better than drinkin’ alone…

• Green Day, “Basket Case”
  

  Sometimes I give myself the creeps
  Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me
  It all keeps adding up
  I think I’m cracking up [...]
  I went to a shrink
  To analyze my dreams
  She says it’s lack of sex that’s bringing me down
  I went to a whore
  She said my life’s a bore
  And quit my whining cause it’s bringing her down…

• The Corrs, “Would You Be Happier”

  Have you ever wonder where the story ends, and how it all began?
  Did you ever dream you were the movie star, with popcorn in your hand?
  Do you ever think you’re someone else inside, when no one understands you are?
  And wanna disappear inside a dream, but never wanna wake, wake up?
  Then you stumble on tomorrow, and trip over today [...]
  Are you not afraid to tell your story now, but everyone is gone, it’s too late
  Was everything you’ve ever said or done not the way you planned—mistake?
  So you promised that tomorrow, be different than today [...]
  You’re racing for tomorrow, not finished with today…

• Garbage, “Only Happy When It Rains”

  I’m only happy when it rains
  I’m only happy when it’s complicated [...]
  You know I love it when the news is bad
  Why it feels so good to feel so sad
  I’m only happy when it rains [...]
  I feel good when things are going wrong
  I only listen to the sad, sad songs
  I’m only happy when it rains
  I only smile in the dark
  My only comfort is the night gone black
  I didn’t accidentally tell you that
  I’m only happy when it rains [...]
  You wanna hear about my new obsession?
  I’m riding high upon a deep depression!
  I’m only happy when it rains! (Pour some misery down on me)
  I’m only happy when it rains! (Pour some misery down on me)
  Pour some misery down on me
  Pour some misery down on me…

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