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Force of Habit

from Decline of Day by 20 Minute Loop

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about

I joined 20ML just as they were about to track their new record. Dan Jones, the bassist at the time, had decided to move on, but was going to do the recording sessions first since they had be rehearsing a long time for them. I remember seeing Kelly at the record store, who was an acquaintance from seeing the band so many times. I had my guitar with me, and she said something like "You should come by the studio on Monday and try out for our band on bass(mind you it was Saturday night, and I am a guitar player. I owned a bass, never played it in a band). I said "nah", but my brain said "you dipshit, this is your favorite band, do it". Sunday I learned the first record, and played it all with them on Monday around noon. My fingers were killing me from having played so much the day before. I rehearsed with the band for a couple of weeks, checked out mix and overdub sessions, and even played a little bit of guitar on this track... it is the arpeggiated bit in the chorus that probably doesn't even need to be there, but I was excited to lay something down on the new CD. I played my '52 reissue tele through a deluxe reverb, my fave combination at that time. My first show was a couple of weeks later, I still remember the bill: Inn of the Beginning in Cotati with Mates of State (who had recently released their first CD), The Secret Band who later renamed themselves The Velvet Teen, and Majesty's Monkey. It was on Valentine's Day 2001, and the show was called "Love Sucks". Somehow, I convinced the band that we should dress up ridiculously. I'm still not sure why they listened.
-ne

The melody in the verse to this song reminds me of the creepy Chicago ballad "Wishing You Were Here." I associate that song from my childhood (7-10) with sad summer days and Go Ask Alice (my brothers listened to a lot of Chicago). It remains a big bummer. I hope I have improved on it musically. Chicago is one of those bands you can always, ALWAYS, find in vinyl at Goodwill. Some DJ should specialize in sampling Chicago and just depress the fuck out of everybody. They'll love it in Wicker Park.
-gg

lyrics

I can lie here for hours while you breathe
indulging my doubts
All the dreams that escape you come to me and burn themselves out
I am hanging from shining threads that lead to the hands of the Fates
They have dressed me in pale faced jealousy and
left me to wait
And in the morning, we won't remember
why we're finessing a way of keeping each other down
We'll stay up all night, it's force of habit and that's not how it oughta be...
They say the night can fall too hard and you could lose yourself
And when the light returns again you'll find you are someone else
There are winged creatures who deal sleep to the bravest women
They will dive and circle over me until I give in
And if I could live this over, I'd change most everything
I would never leave myself open to anyone again

credits

from Decline of Day, released October 23, 2001
music: Greg Giles, Kelly Atkins, Joe Ostrowski
lyrics: Kelly Atkins

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20 Minute Loop San Francisco, California

Original music for the hook-hungry mob, the nervous foot, the jaded indie-phile.

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