Where’s My Bike? (NPR Tiny Desk Contest Submission 2020) - Elizabeth Moen

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Description

My bandmates, good audio gear, and videographer are not in this house so alas this submission is done with whatever I’ve got here to respect the necessity of social distancing. This song slapped me in the face when I wrote it. I had no clue I was in a rut until the lyrics spilled out on the back of an unpaid bill envelope. These times are weird and hard, but like this song, there’s got to be a positive ending. Stay safe, wash your hands, and get your bikes back from your exes when the summer weather or the end of the quarantine hits!

Song written and performed by: Elizabeth Moen
Video by: Elizabeth Moen lol

Lyrics:
My bike is still in my ex’s garage
I’ll never get it back
The pile of to-do lists has gotten quite large
I guess I’m alright with that
My mom calls to ask about my week
And I can tell it’s a trap
My leg starts to jump to show me I’m in
For another panic attack
My car is parked at the edge of my parent’s lot
Because I basically live with them
My phone overheated on the seat because I forgot
To bring all my stuff in
My friends don’t talk to me much anymore
And I don’t blame them
What do I have left to say about shit
That’d be worth listening to

I didn’t know I was in a rut
Until I could feel it in my gut
I didn’t think things got this far
Now I’m not sure what these things are

My shoes are wet from the neighbor’s yard
My dad warned not to walk in
I’m going to a cafe to stare at a book
That I’m too tired to be reading
My coffee is almost as bitter I am
Isn’t even worth drinking
I’m going to the park to lay on a tire swing
Til’ someone catches me sleeping
My arms are dangling back and forth
Almost touching the hot sand
I’m sick of singing songs about my exes
Should just join somebody else’s band
Play songs about their life instead of mine
Be a part of a very marketable brand
Or I could keep wallowing all afternoon
Only think about my own problems

I didn’t know I was in a rut
Until I could feel it in my gut
I didn’t think things got this far
Now I’m not sure what things are
I didn’t know I was so far gone
Now I admit that I was wrong
I didn’t think I could turn things around
Now I’ll put my feet back on the ground