Trying to come to terms with the Pandora's box of evil in the world, "Guess I Tried" is about admitting that we are born into a broken thing, and that one can't use escapism to avoid dealing with the inevitable suffering of all humanity.
It features a robotic text-to-speech snippet of Louis McNeice's "I Am Not Yet Born", a plea & prayer to be pardoned from the corruption of living.
lyrics
I am not yet born, oh fill me
With strength against those who would freeze my
Humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton
Would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with
One face, a thing, and against all those
Who would dissipate my entirety, would
Blow me like thistledown hither
Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me
Otherwise kill me
Guess I tried to wish it away
Guess I tried to fuck it away
Guess I tried to drink it away
Guess that didn't work
Guess I tried to will it away
Guess I tried to drug it away
Guess I tried to make you stay
Guess that didn't work
Will it or won't it
I want it, I'm on it
I need light in me
Look, I hate that it always comes to this
Dancing with my demon uncomfortably
Got two left feet but still never take an off-step
You can tell a nigga does is often
That's not something I'm proud of
I cut in and bounce off the product
Got a monkey and a half on my back like
No man should have all that powder
So I split it with my G's, everybody eat
Toast every single drink to the fallen kings
So many brothers lost, spill a whole litre
Still paying for the sins of our old leaders
Still want the same Benz as my old preacher
Just to move and make ends like a dope dealer
Somewhere where the demons won't bother
Taking shit for granted like a genie in a bottle, uh
Guess I tried to wish it away
Guess I tried to fuck it away
Guess I tried to drink it away
Guess that didn't work
Guess I tried to will it away
Guess I tried to drug it away
Guess I tried to make you stay
Guess that didn't work
Will it or won't it
I want it, I'm on it
I am not yet born, oh fill me
With strength against those who would freeze my
Humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton
Would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with
One face, a thing, and against all those
Who would dissipate my entirety, would
Blow me like thistledown hither
Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me
Otherwise kill me
credits
released July 24, 2019
Written, produced & recorded by TZARA
Co-written by Laudable
Buoyant vocals and a varied palette of synths work in perfect tandem to create gorgeous art-pop that's able to address big realities. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 2, 2019
This restless experimental band bounces from bossa nova to indiepop to math rock to freak folk for songs that are curious and wide-ranging. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 28, 2018
Lyrics swirl in a dream-like state above a whirl of exploding guitars and driving drums on this LP of experimental rock. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 26, 2015
This drummer's group broke up, so he learned how to play everything himself and calls the result "villainous scuzz." Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 12, 2014