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Three Men Make a Tiger

by Mike Vial

/
1.
“Intelligent Fool” I sit and I wait I wait and I try To pick through excuses and all of the lies I fell in the road as it grew cold outside She sits and she waits, and paints her long nails And comes up with long tales, and I eat them slow I’m so naïve I eat them slow I sit and I wait I wait and I cry Play the images [in the] back of my mind I promise myself to avoid all of her kind [But] she sits and she waits before she comes back again And I’m such a fool because I let her in My friends just shake their heads and ask themselves why I’m such a fool Such an intelligent fool As I ignore the obvious clues She sits and she waits and paints all her nails, red And comes up with painted tales, I’ve been fed Oh I wanted to believe them, So I sit and I wait I wait while she flies Pretend she had good intentions inside I crave attention in my life…
2.
“Julie’s Monsters” Julie runs from monsters that are Hiding in her reoccurring dreams Something isn’t quite right so it seems The curses she screams out loud when she sleeps And if I’m the one who is there When she wakes up she refuses to speak Secrets she keeps hiding in her sheets Behind dark eyes wax tears that seem to bleed And I sing hush little baby Don’t you cry Even if you can’t tell me why Secrets are always for you to keep Only skin deep Only skin deep But Julie’s running out of ways to hide those strange bruises over scars Mapping out her secrets on her arms She wears a bracelet with symbolic broken charms And if I’m the one whose asking what they mean She only shakes her head Changes the subject instead Whispers don’t worry go back to bed And I sing hush little baby Don’t you cry Even if you won’t tell me why And if your secrets are only for you see Keep them a mystery Dare I ask that if when they come around Do they have teeth do they bite (Keep them a mystery) And when they come around do their claws shine in the night (keep them a mystery) Or do they tell her something She’s not ready to hear ‘causes they’re right Julie hides her answers so skintight Julie runs from monsters that are hiding in her reoccurring dreams Better kept a secret so it seems Her monsters remain mysteries only Only to me.
3.
“My Lovely Enemy” I can’t trust myself today To stay away from her she can’t come out to play She hides herself…from me why can’t I see She’ll always stay my lovely enemy Amy, my lovely enemy, Amy And she’s away, away she always runs Since she has learned to distrust anyone’s Words, absurd I’m so ashamed to think That I could change her views with promises I’d keep Amy, my lovely enemy, Amy Who hates to love, who hates to love me Amy, my lovely enemy, Amy Who hates to love so openly My lovely enemy, Amy Who is always in a hurry To hide herself in subtleties She’ll never say She’ll never say She’s sorry I watch out for her in the corner of my eye Peripheral vision. Keep it inside It’s my turn to hide Cause she’s a riddle I’ll never figure out Even though my love will always be devout Recede my trust no matter what she pleads When she figures out I’m the one she could believe Amy, my lovely enemy, Amy Amy, my lovely enemy, Amy Who hates to love, who hates to love me Amy, my lovely enemy, Any, Who hates to love, she hates to love me Amy, my lovely enemy, Amy Does she regret the day she ran from me?
4.
“Pieces of this World” Pieces of this world Came down yesterday The old men sang out loud To the boys it was a mystery And young boys became men There was nothing to defend them from harsh sounds Preceding poor judgment made them A generation lost and jaded While pieces of this world Killed more than those boys Leaders should shake hands Instead they play with army toys And young men should question What they’re really fighting for When pieces of violence March up to their door Pieces of this world Hide the answers Treasures will be found If we dig ourselves deeper Will we fall into these holes And won’t be able to climb out Unless we question who we are Blend the colors into one We are all pieces of this world We are all pieces of this world We are all pieces of this world We are all pieces of this world.
5.
Mahogany 04:38
”Mahogany” If we could be synchronized And find friendship in the void of disguise You could wade through my dozens Of alibis As the sands of time fall through The hourglass in my mind It creates a hill of memories Too steep for me to climb If we were daring in red And could climb Inside her head Pick through her thoughts We’d find forget…me knots in the brain’s tiny slots and you could pretend to see traces of mahogany we let bleed so deep trying to move on so subtly As the sands of time turn to stone I finally realized I’m on my own So desperately alone As the world spins around me With past chances of romance and etymology It so plain to see
6.
White Wine 03:54
“White Wine” I sat all alone Drinking a glass of white wine And tried to ignore My memories and longings for her I waited by the phone Blaming myself for feeling so damn alone I sat by the phone Playing her games in my mind And I thought I’d lose this time Instead I just swallowed my pride And fought through love that became war Inside of myself I had lost so much more Trying to make it work Only got myself broken hearted hurt Now I’m lost in-between Respecting yourself is Harder than it seems I sat like a stone The phone rang so innocently My hand held its own [I said] she’s only a bad memory Because if I had took a chance, and danced with her voice I’d a lost all control in the strength of my choice So I sat all alone Playing those games in my mind I guess I won this time Drinking a glass of white wine
7.
“Faster Than Slow” I used to carry you home I used to push your hair back You used to pretend to like it alone As your friends shed some light on the subject We were like a Friends episode A pair of college brats We lived in the same apartment complex Lovesick, two room flats I made you smile so I should feel half good I only wanted you to feel worth it. I hope you know, I always understood I’d have to let you go Faster than slow… So you could change this world. And I never asked you to commit I always thought it would scare you away We used to jump around the subject And dance in the shades of gray but We’ve only got about a month left With you left living in this state So please avoid your state of mind Where you push me away. I made you cry so I could feel half good I only wanted to feel worth it, too you I hope you don’t misunderstand those tears ’Cause crying was my way of coping With you moving out West Please, don’t distress. If I feel the need to confess That I loved you so I let you go faster than slow. The water’s cold in your hometown My tears are salty and hot I’m still cheering you on Even if I’m hurting a lot I made you cry so I could feel half good I only wanted to feel worth it, to you I hope you and me suddenly agree Sooner than later we will both see It was all worth it.

about

Mike's first EP recorded in Michigan, featuring mostly acoustic songs of love, loss, and hope.

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released December 7, 2007

Produced by Marshall Block @ RealiiReel Studios, Fenton, MI in 2007-2008
Mastered by Marshall Block
All vocals, guitars & mandolin by Mike Vial

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Mike Vial Ann Arbor, Michigan

Mike Vial is a singer-songwriter from Michigan. He drinks too much coffee, plays Heritage and Taylor guitars, teaches writing at Community High in Ann Arbor.

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