the gifted children - flowers for trudy

Release date: March, 1997

A short album written and recorded by Jeff during the months of winter 1996-1997 at the house he shared with Bill and Brett during the early years of TGC; only a few copies were sold/given to friends and bandmates. Features early versions of several songs (‘gaelen gets her way’, ‘parasol legs’, ‘screen guild nominees’) which would soon be included in live shows and later re-recorded for other releases.

Lyrics and individual track credits:

01 how boring... (suszczynski)

i've worn you out - i know
and if i could just lay to rest
and make a funeral pyre
of all the things that make you cry
and all the things that try
then i would be uptight
and you would just grow sadder still –
please know, you will.

jeff suszczynski – guitars, drumset, voices

written: january 1997
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

02 the anthem of international silences (suszczynski)

to break your heart with words
is something i could never do
although i tried, you never let me dent your pride
to step inside my head
is something you could never do
i know that you meant to
but you only leaned against the rail.

at any rate, our giant sum
amounts to nothing more
than a quiet phone across time zones...
so i'm singing proud the anthem of international silences
please won't you sing along with me?

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, ride cymbal, kazoo, drum machine, voice

written: january 1997
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

03 my acquaintance (suszczynski)

whisper to me that you love me
and i'll do the same
please leave me when the lights are still off
so i can forget that you came
it's not too late
to say i never even knew you –
please don't ruin it for me.

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, keyboards, voice

written: january 1997
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

04 prudish appletown, southern folklore (suszczynski)

time - talk is out of line
have you made up your mind today to let them say
they always knew what isn't true to you?
high in their beds they scribble notes to you
and you ripped out all the pages of the book you read
you never said it was true...

maybe you're the one for me?

time marches on
and carries with it the things that maybe you wanted to leave behind
one more time around the fence
the picket fence that you never mended was white,
now it's green with envy
grass grows up between the little posts...

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, drum machine, voice

written: december 1996
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

05 gaelen gets her way. (suszczynski)

too many ways to taint your breath
too many windows looking in
too many writers making scripts
knowing that you won't follow them –
gaelen.

too many statues in your hall
too many ways to make you fall
all of their lies are crystal clear
come and lay down your head, my dear –
gaelen.

(they are only after something they could never have.)

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, drumset, voices

written: january 1997
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

06 i'll never let you in. (suszczynski)

my subscription to your magazine ran its course a year ago
still you send me cards, begging back me for awhile.

you know, i'll never let you in
i'll never let you win.
so why don't you save your postage stamps
i must say thanks but really, no thanks...

jeff suszczynski – guitars, drum machine, voice, mispronunciations

written: january 1997
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

07 parasol legs (suszczynski)

if you could carry your own weight
i could pick up something new
if you could handle your nameplate
i could be the pig that flew...
or stick around and watch you
smile on your own
well, i guess that wouldn't be very fun
after all the times you made me break every bone i have
just to make you laugh.

jeff suszczynski – guitars, bass, drumset, voice

written: 10 february 1997
recorded: february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

08 luminous (suszczynski)

my head says danger
your heart says maybe
of course, we've already jumped
and all the windows that we left open
are crying please let us shut.

we've come to life...

watching the peepshow
we frighten ourselves
our little voices cry out
and in our horror
we're still not able
to turn away from the crowd.
we've borrowed teacups
for moments like this
but they can do us no good.
in light of all this my heart is churning...

...watch us fall.

jeff suszczynski – guitars, bass, drum machine, voices

written: december 1996
recorded: january-february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

09 screen guild nominees (suszczynski)

where are our legs when we need to run
i felt the need and was undone
the tension cut like power lines, always resigned.
we fear ourselves and so we hide
in air pockets that won't collide
with any bag that we can't guess the contents of...

someday she will take a knife
to all the objects in our room
she'll cut away the shining skin
my straining face is varnished in.

i stained my bed with words of sand
i drained them out upon command
and any sore or tender spot was rubbed right out
there is a fire under our bed
but we don't leave, we sleep instead
and so we still pretend to laugh, now smoldering...

someday she will take a knife
to all the objects in our room
she'll cut away the shining skin
my straining face is varnished in
my slipstream peels away to show
my lack of trying...

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, voice

written: 16 february 1997
recorded: february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)

10 hidden track (suszczynski)

jeff suszczynski – drum machine, keyboards

written: february 1997
recorded: february 1997
(southland drive, brighton, ny)