Skip to Content Skip to Navigation

Dave Balson: Music

Push Me Away

(Dave Balson)
October 15, 2011
Written and performed by Dave Balson; Produced by Alex Chiger, who also played the instruments Dave can't.

This summer I visited my dear friend Alex Chiger in Tulsa, Okla, where he has been recording and producing in the legendary Church Studio, an old church rock/country/blues/folk-great Leon Russell converted for better, more sinful use in the '60s. Alex was kind enough to let me record a song, and I picked Push Me Away because I thought it might be something we could make work overnight. I was right. We spent 12 hours on it, both of us recording and Alex producing and doing all the other complicated shit that makes music shine. I wrote and sang the song, of course, and played the guitar. Alex did the piano and "strings."

I've never heard my music sound this good. Hats off to Alex for turning a pretty good song into an amazing track. I hope you all enjoy it, share it and learn to love it like I have. There is a lot new music coming, we just have to find the time and the money to get it down and bring it to you. 

Thank you for making me always want to do more.

-Dave Balson

Don't you even pretend to be hurt

you would never show pain from inside your cold fort.

And I think myself not as fragile, you see,

but your calloused soul feels like sandpaper to me.

 

The words that you use often make me feel like

I am homeless on a winter city night

and I think that you know 'cause I see you conspire

ways to keep huddled by the trash-can fire.

 

I can't understand what is in it for you.

Do you feed off of making me feel like I do?

Or do you just make people puppets in your hand

so you can justify why they don't understand?

 

I am to you like a moth to a flame,

draw me in close 'til I'm burnt by your game,

thinking I'm about to unlock your love

when you push me away with your hand in a glove.

 

Chorus:

So go and push me away,

but when you come back see if I decide to stay,

'cause I'm tired and I can't play,

no I can't stay another day in the gray.

 

You were the best thing to happen to me

and I still seek the sweet soliloquy

that's written on your face at every angle,

don't believe in god but you're some kind of angel.

 

What do you want? 'Cause I'll tell you you're right,

tell you you're smart and that you won the fight,

but I think that won't feed your insatiable lust

to grind up my dignity into a dust.

 

It seems you take pleasure in wounding my pride,

cutting me down 'til I'm nothing inside,

but I know there is good and you want me to stay

and I promise I won't if you push me away

 

Chorus

 

2nd Chorus:

But please don't push me away,

'cause I'm shaken and I want so badly to stay.

But I'm so tired and I won't play

No I won't stay another day in the gray