Too many words clammed up inside
Too many thoughts believed lost
Too many fantasies forced to hide
Too many plans written off
Too many songs composed in my dreams
Too many mornings when they were gone
Too many false fears as thick as cream
Too many clouds to block the sun
Uncork the bottle
It’s been sealed for far too long
What’s been meant to preserve is just turning foul
The smell and taste are far too strong
Uncork the bottle
Tip it over and damn the spill
It’s time to pop open the unstoppable stopper
and let all that’s inside flow wherever it will
So many futures I thought would be nice
So many speculations left untouched
So many stories I wanted to write
So many futile straws I clutched
So many pages and random thoughts left unwritten
So many ideas left to rust
So many doors with signs exclaiming No Admittance
So many dreams and schemes gathering dust
Uncork the bottle
Let the genie out of the lamp
It’s time to spill the wine and take back what’s mine
And leave all I produce with my indelible stamp
Uncork the bottle
Put the past behind me and just live
It’s time to move ahead and leave the bugaboos for dead
and reverse all the negative
No more waiting for inspiration to strike
No more waiting for the moment
No more waiting for circumstances to be right
No more waiting for a good omen
No more wondering what keeps me from my true love
No more sitting on the sidelines
No more rituals, pedestals, or kid gloves
I want to get somewhere in this lifetime
Uncork the bottle
But shake it up real hard first
Let the pressure build up till it’s ready to erupt
And then let the bubbled spirits inside burst
Uncork the bottle
Stand under the geyser and be immersed
Let it spray and soak, and break the yoke
And its blessings will remove the curse
©2024 The Hesh Inc.
This anthem to self-actualization was written in the early 2000s, undoubtedly after another go-around reading and doing the exercises in Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and "uncorking" a massive outpouring of lyrics, many of which have been posted in this blog.
My musical partner Izzy Kieffer and I recorded a bare-bones, keyboard-drums-and-vocals version of this, together with several other songs, to serve as the backbone of our projected second REALITY SHOCK album. But the album never got off the ground, and I was also not happy with our performance of the song. But Izzy loved it, and I consented to let him flesh it out with guitars, horns, sound effects, and additional vocals and use it as the title track to his second album, released May 2017.