In the Key of K

The new album, Out of Time Out of Tune, is streaming everywhere! However, you can buy physical copies here.

This is another track from Out of Time Out of Tune, my cassette tape release from 1998 (re-released in 2026).

There really isn’t much to say about this one. It’s about awkwardness, pain, frustration, uncertainty, rage, sadness, and change.

//
Take it Away

1, 2, 3

One step closer now don’t look away.
I wanted to leave because I wanted to stay.
Don’t look back and never regret.
The rocks below will engulf in one step.
The air smells bad by smelling so good.
When it all quit burning then I understood.

Take it, take it, take it, x2
Take it all away.
All the troubles and sorrow,
Just take it all away.

Always feeling sad no reason to be glad.
Life is the hardest place.
Always feeling good by being very sad.
Reality’s not a place.

Take it, take it, take it, x2
Take it all away.
All the troubles and sorrow,
Just take it all away.

Shards of glass eclipse my mind.
How I wish they’d hate me too.
It’s plain to see my luck in life is just way too overdrawn.
Still I see yeah still I see I can believe it when I see.
My eyes are wrong. My eyes are blind. They just see what they see.

Take it, take it, take it, x2
Take it all away.
All the trouble and sorrow
Just take it all away.

Always feeling good, no reason to be sad 
Life is the hardest place.
Always feeling good by being very bad
Reality’s not a place.

Take it, take it, take it, x2
Take it all away.
All the troubles and sorrow
Just burn it all away.

Always feeling sad no reason to be glad 
Life is the hardest place.
Always feeling good by being very bad
Reality’s not a place
//

Want to play it? This is the only piece I have ever written that uses that ska-like off beat up-strum. We will say there are three sections, even though it probably really only has two. The form is: ABCBABCBB.

The A section has the afore mentioned off beat up strums—all chords should be rooted on the 5th string:
D5***|D5*E5 F#5|
D5***|D5*E5 C5
Repeat

The B section has distortion and shouting that kick in right away—all chords rooted off the 6th string:
A5***|G5***|F5*E5*|F5*E5*| repeat

The C section continues with distortion and shouting:
G5***|A5***|G5***|F5***| repeat

I think this is a great song for 1998 me. It’s short, sweet, easy, and the feeling is right. It is a mood. I love it!