Speakin' The Queens... Pt. 3

As the release date for my new album, "Queens English", approaches, I thought it might be a fun idea (if only for me) to try and maybe dissect the record here at the old Blog space. A bit of a behind the scenes look under the hood so to speak. Since I've always dug reading about some of my favorite albums track-by-track, I thought that might be an interesting way to approach. Eleven tracks in eleven installments? Can I pull it off without boring even myself? Got me. Stay tuned and find out. Now let's flip that frown around, we're number three bound...

Track 3: "Happy" -

Late one morning some years ago while working a non-musical day job, I suddenly heard the disembodied voice of one of my fellow cube farmers as he yawned in an obnoxiously loud manner and excitedly proclaimed for all to hear the catch phrase that will forever be ingrained in my memory as the very summit of all that is mundane: "Tummy, says time for lunch!".

I remember going, "What?!" I don't even think I've ever heard a child utter such a thing, no less a grown man. And with such glee! Honestly, I didn't know whether to laugh or stab myself with a letter opener. Nevertheless from then on out I found myself morbidly fascinated with this uber-cheery, suburban dwelling, Docker-rocking co-worker. Who was he? What was he? What made him tick and what made him so... happy? In the end, I never came to find that out and I'm not so sure I really wanted to know. Truth be told, I was a little frightened. Sometimes you really shouldn't go swimming in the deep end of the pool... especially after such a heavy lunch.

To further compound my fears of drowning, around this time my wife and I had recently left Manhattan, bought a house out in Queens and were expecting our first child. Planting our stake firmly in the heart of the American dream, I started to feel a twinge of suburban dread. Would this new life truly make us happy? What if it didn't? What then? Grin and bear it? Or maybe more disturbingly, would I begin to coif my hair a la that, "business in front, party in back" style worn by my ecstatic (or denial ridden) co-worker? All valid questions and fears best exorcised by me, as always, in song.

Recorded, mixed and performed by yours truly, save for some track stealing, tuba-esque French horn work courtesy of the talented Mr. Rob Jost, this jam goes out to all you "cryin' on the inside" kind of clowns.

Happy

I’m so happy, everybody tells me so
Happy, luckier than average Joe
Got the house, the kid, the wife
Got a pretty darn beautiful life
I’m so, I’m so, happy…

Happy, see it written on my face
Happy, see it hangin’ ‘round my waist
Don’t need the drugs or a smokey bar
Got lots of cookies in my cookie jar
I’m so, I’m so, happy…

Sometimes I wake up crying, must be tears of joy I weep
‘Cause I sit right up and count my blessings like sheep
‘Cause I know, I know, I’m so happy…

I’m so happy, man you know it’s almost five
Happy, it’s crazy how the time just flies
Have the job, the shirt, the tie
Never ever bothered to wonderin’ why….
I’m so, I’m so, happy…

I’m so, I’m so, happy…

Next time on "Speakin' The Queens...", we get a little baking done with track 4, "Muffin in the Oven".