I start with a clean house and big clean desk
Except for the ashes, I can't clean them
But bridges are big things that I don't understand
The social beast inside of me, he just can't contend
And I'm stuck on the outside
Who would have known
That I'd ever feel so home that I'm stuck on the outside
Feeling so gone
How long?
Cause I long for that clean house
And that big clean bed
I'd come from work every night
And I'd kiss my wife in it
But love is a big word that I thought I knew
But then why? How can it be it makes me feel so blue?
And I'm stuck on the outside
Who would have known
That I'd ever feel so home that I'm stuck on the outside
Just being gone.
How long?
Cause everyone says what is sought will be seen
But it ain't happened to me, doo-doo-doo
And I looked and I looked til my knees shook
But I ain't found that big house
Or that big clean desk
But brother when I do,
You know I'm gunna burn it
Cause I'm stuck on the outside
But I'm getting it
You'll never know that I've been
Stuck on the outside, la dee da dee da
I've been all along
How long?
So long.
lyrics
ABOUT
I don't remember writing this one either, really. Maybe it started with that opening riff. I haven't listened to this recording in a long time and am particularly happy with the way that intro turned out!
But what a bummer song, huh? I remember around that time I had just lost a lot of friends and felt just positively disconnected from everything around me. It also felt like nothing new, like that was how my whole life had been. Not true, but feelings are powerful things.
I wanted the record to be creepy, I knew that. It had to feel like it was coming from somewhere beyond the static, beyond the places most people let their minds go, somewhere like that. But it also had to taste like Burt Bacharach, you know? Sweet sweet sweet, with an intricate arrangement. I think that this is a really shitty recording, but I love it to high heaven and feel very proud for having made it.
Chicago’s NIIKA has made a record rich in nuance, drawing on soul, pop, jazz, and even folk to craft stunningly intricate songs. Bandcamp New & Notable May 16, 2020
Consummate pop songwriting both smart and smooth, with the ability to resonate universally without compromising uniqueness. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 20, 2017