the gifted children - bathtub full of dreams

Release date: September, 1996

The first full-length album by the gifted children, this is a solo affair written and recorded by Jeff in September, 1996 on his Tascam four-track. Originally released on cassette, only a few copies were given to family, friends and bandmates… This album marked the beginning of a shift away from acoustic folk songs and toward a lean approach to indie rock that would continue to evolve over the next few years.

Lyrics and individual track credits:

01 welcome (suszczynski)

i welcome you into my world
i know it's been a long time coming
it's time enough to step right in
and feel my sun, with yolk now running
the plaster casts are thrown aside
i will no longer screen my calls
the welcome mat is on the floor
and i am busy waiting
for you to come in
and take it all.

jeff suszczynski – drum machine, keyboard, voice, piano, electric guitar

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

02 a bang-up job for morsels (suszczynski)

you're pushed and you're pulled –
they do a bang-up job for morsels
tender, but not too bruised
as lazy susan's making eyes at you
whose tenderloin will you be?
or will you disguise yourself and run away
shielding yourself from death in the microwave
i hope you escape...

jeff suszczynski – keyboards, drum machine, acoustic guitar, voice

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

03 the greatest american hero (suszczynski)

the space between our bodies
is filled with little pinpricks
i'll make sure you feel them all
standing behind my tongue-twist
i know that i can scratch you
and take all your attention
but someday you'll catch wind of this
and learn to love prevention

the timetrial overtook me
my face almost turned purple
a wooden stiff, so powerless
my lips unbroken, wordless
i know that i can catch the ropes they throw me
but i'll never learn to let them get to know me
to remain what i am:
the greatest american hero.

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, drum machine, voice

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

04 my surrender (suszczynski)

i couldn't keep up if i wanted to
your goal is to leave everyone behind
now i'm standing alone, much thanks to you
wondering where i'll end up this time

so many forts under attack
so many brushfires left unmanned
so many questions under the lamps
so many demons in our path
i've raised my flag.

the simplest words never came from you
too many watchtowers in your head
setting it up so you couldn't lose
so high above you might as well be dead.

so many forts under attack
so many brushfires left unmanned
so many questions under the lamps
so many demons in our path
i've raised my flag.

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitars, keyboard, voices

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

05 i've made it grey. (suszczynski)

their blend will freeze you up
an ice cube in an old tin cup
you thought the air was free
yeah, well so did we...
and have a look at where we are
in the bastion of noise somewhere
in the ever-present grey
on a neverending day

through your bright eyes
see who i am and please run away.

i'd like to say hello
and lead you from the cold
but my heart of sand
is being filtered through
the hourglass shape of my head

and what i do to you
may seem a little cruel
but please believe me when i say
that if i could i would save you
take notice when i speak
that little cracks of feeling
vainly try to smile to you
in the haze that i live within
sometimes i'd still like to say
the three words...

through your bright eyes
see who i am and please run away.

jeff suszczynski – keyboard, acoustic guitar, drum machine, voice

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

06 glacier (suszczynski)

jeff suszczynski - piano

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

07 what columbus should have said. (suszczynski)

"i've got a long way to go."

jeff suszczynski – guitar, bass, drumset, voices

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

08 queen of ice (suszczynski)

never really knowing or even asking
why the stars still shine on her
never really pushing harder
than it takes to be assured
she never wonders why
she never blinks an eye
she is the queen of ice.

never really caring about the ones
who say they're fine when they are not
never really feeling for the ones
she turned away and left to rot
she never wonders why
she never blinks an eye
she never hears us cry
she never breaks her stride
she is the queen of ice.

jeff suszczynski – keyboards, drum machine, voices

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

09 one more rescued (from the firing squad) (suszczynski)

so you finally remembered my name
that's one more rescued from the firing squad
i thank you
but i must beg your pardon
for i seem to have forgotten yours
i'm so so sorry...

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, drumset, bass, voices

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

10 bathtub full of dreams (suszczynski)

the silver lining you despised
is back again to your surprise
he can fill hot air balloons with hope.
you say you've heard his every line
but he asks about you all the time
i just thought that you might like to know.

your loving spoonful lost a drop or two
somewhere on its way to his mouth.

do you hope that he'll remain
within your orbit once again
do you need his eyes focused on you?
he fills his pockets with your name,
hoping that you'll do the same
i think the time has come for you to choose.

your loving spoonful lost a drop or two
somewhere on its way to his mouth.

jeff suszczynski – pianos, voice

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

11 rest your little head (suszczynski)

in the bed where you sleep
i hope you're not alone
wherever it may be, i can feel you
i hope that you have something to keep you moving on
i hope that there's a place for you to slide into
to sleep and dream in peace
forget all the people who have shown you hell
forget the broken wishes you had to leave in the well
tonight is yours and should you forget
i'll tell you one more time that i'm thinking of you

forget the holes punched in your smile
all the ones you've had to leave behind
forget all the tears that you just cried
forget what they have told you
but please remember this:
that there is a place for you somewhere

so rest your little head...

i look into the lights of your incandescent lamps
and feel that i have always known you all
and whether i want to be alone
or want desperately to find someone
i can always feel every living soul
and it hurts me more to know that some of you burn
from the hollowness than it does to be alone myself
i want you to have someone
to hold to hear to love to feel to be with
more than anything else i can hope for from the world
at least a dream of it would find you closer than in waking
so goodnight my love
i wish you good night's sleep

so rest your little head...

jeff suszczynski – keyboards, drum machine, voice

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)

bonus track appearing on original release:

12 cipolla falls again (suszczynski)

jeff suszczynski – guitars, drumset, bass, voices

written: september 1996
recorded: september 1996
(wallace drive, grand island, ny)