My sister, Kim, went through a series of surgeries on her leg after the wreck. She's a runner so the injury officially ended her hope of being on her College's Cross Country team. Meanwhile, I was living my dream: playing shows every night, meeting some of my favorite bands, eating tons of great vegan food, and hanging out with friends. That contrast struck me pretty heavily. I mentioned my sister's surgery and car wreck at a number of the shows, which I don't know why I did, because it just bummed people out and made people feel sorry for me (which is probably what I wanted). I also felt like I needed to write this song to explain my guilt over how I handled this situation, because both of my bandmates said that if they had been in my shoes they would have canceled the tour and flew home, but I just went about the rest of the tour as if nothing were wrong.
lyrics
Oakland, California is more fickle than I thought. I can't help but notice... this whole town smell like pot. As I eat chocolate covered pretzels, three thousand miles away – Kim lies on an operating table subdued and dismayed. When I'm asked if I'm canceling tour to go home, I lie and say she wouldn't want that, if she had known. From a stage, I use Kim's plight to get stranger's pity. Sometimes my selfishness astounds me. Far from you, how do I sleep at night?
credits
from The "For Kim" ep,
track released November 18, 2010
All songs written, performed, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Brendan Stephens
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