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SPEAK DELUXE

by Marla Mase

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  • T-Shirt/Apparel + Digital Album

    Queen of Imperfection T-shirts - limited edition made for SPEAK (show) at NYC Summerstage 2013 -- tanks and tees available -- all sizes -- super soft....

    Includes unlimited streaming of SPEAK DELUXE via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    edition of 75 
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      $25 USD or more 

     

1.
I saw her. She came to me. I saw her. She came to me. And she said WHY?? I saw her. She came to me. I saw her, she came to me And she said WHYYYYYYY??? She’s all chained up, her arms bloody, Her face is scratched, her eyes insane WHY? She’s torn and bleeding, She’s In the dirt She’s in a cellar She’s all locked up WHY? Why didn’t you do anything? WHY didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why? didn’t you scream? She’s waiting She’s waiting She prays To be saved She’s waiting She’s waiting but The world never comes Why? Why? Why? FREE ME FREE ME FREE ME FREE ME
2.
I dreamt of bright flowers Huge blinding flowers They went from the earth to the sky Infinite they went in all directions Blossoming and growing They kept on going Nothing could stop them Nothing could stop them So what’s stopping us? So what’s stopping us? PEACE – give me a piece of peace We all need peace PLEASE Give me a piece Give me a piece Give me a piece of peace We say we all want the same things We say we all need the same things Babies sleeping Food for eating House to live in Education so what’s stopping us? so what’s stopping us? So what’s stopping us? PEACE – give me a piece of peace We all need peace PLEASE Give me a piece Give me a piece Give me a piece of peace PEACE – give me a piece of peace (give me a piece of peace) We all need peace PLEASE Give me a piece Give me a piece Give me a piece of peace I dreamt of bright flowers Huge blinding flowers They went from the earth to the sky Infinite they went in all directions Blossoming and growing They kept on going Nothing could stop them Nothing could stop them So what’s stopping us? (what's stopping us?) So what’s stopping us? PEACE – give me a piece of peace We all need peace PLEASE Give me a piece Give me a piece Give me a piece of peace PEACE – give me a piece of peace We all need peace PLEASE Give me a piece Give me a piece Give me a piece of peace We say we all want the same things We say we all need the same things Babies sleeping Food for eating House to live in Education So what’s stopping us? So what’s stopping us So what’s stopping us?
3.
Open up my heart (open open) Open up my heart (open open) Come on deep inside (deeper deeper) Come on deep inside (deeper deeper) Got nothing left to hide (open open) Got nothing left to hide (open open) Free Me Free Me Free Me Please Once upon a time there was a princess. She was the apple of her father’s eye, and to him she could do no wrong. But alas, our Princess was fragile. She was born with a hole in her heart. And so she always knew that her day here was numbered. She was forbidden to play, forbidden to laugh, forbidden to do anything that might cause her excitement or agitation in fear that it might do her grave harm and so she was forced to remain at home where she would always remain safe. It wasn’t that she wasn’t loved. It was that she was loved too much. PRINCESS: ‘I am tired Can’t go on like this. I want to feel love’s first kiss upon my lips.” ‘I am tired. Can’t go on like this. I want to feel love’s first kiss upon my lips.” Marla Open Up My Heart (open open) Open Up My Heart (open open) Come on deep inside Come on deep inside I’ve got nothing left to hide (open open) I’ve got nothing left to hide (open open) Free Me Free Me Free Me Please
4.
Lioness 03:44
I am a big hungry lioness Lying lazily in a heap on the hot hot concrete I don’t move much I don’t see much And I don’t feel much Other than the sun, which beats down upon me with a memory of other suns I dare not think of it Each day they throw a piece of meat my way I get up I eat it And I lie back down Once upon a time there was a feeder he was not afraid of me or indifferent….to me he looked directly into my eyes He even dared to venture close to my body, to observe, to speak This man spoke to me I cannot speak his language so I do not answer him But I cannot tear my eyes from him I can no longer sit still I can no longer sit still I can no longer sit still I can no longer sit still So I get up I pace around my cage Mumbling lowly growls I want more of this man More of his food I am no longer lazy, or indifferent to time Each day is intolerable in its length And, intolerably delicious My hunger mounts and mounts and mounts And my grumblings grow louder and louder and louder and louder until I can take it no longer and I do what I have never done before - - ROAR ROAR ROAR ROAR The next day my feeder is gone. They replace him with one who does not, “agitate the beast.”
5.
New beginnings – a new cell phone number It's a big deal To change one’s cell phone number Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people have had this number, Family, friends, business associates, clients, ex-lovers, new lovers, robots, husbands, credit card collectors, ex-husbands, acquaintances, all had this number I wanted this change, and I am relieved for this change, My ex-husband has asthma, he's allergic to the cats so there's no more long family dinners here at our flat Yes, it’s time for a change Blank Slate I am grateful for everything I have And I am Undoubtedly blessed all true And yet, I still have one small problem The feelings keep coming The feelings keep coming Like the rain keeps coming trains keep coming Like the snow keeps coming seasons keep coming And I am so stubborn I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way But the feelings keep coming The feelings keep coming Like time keeps coming Like the sun keeps coming the moon keeps coming the earth keeps spinning grass keeps growing And the bills keep coming the years keep coming love keeps coming laughter keeps coming And the tears keep coming Like I keep coming I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way Yes, I changed my cell phone number today The one that I got 8 and 1/2 years ago During that summer When on a hot solstice eve Destiny barged in and changed the course Like a professor fed up, bored, Might change his course After years of teaching the same course He decides, of course, That a new curriculum is what is needed! so too did Destiny call for a change in the curriculum of my life after all, new facts have come in. The old ones no longer relevant Just like in those times of yore When what was flat was round and what was round was found To be the cause to sound -- heretic, sinner, witch, Subsequently causing them to pound the ground With what is known as a martyr And the martyr in this case, my case, was sadly someone in my family Or perhaps it was the entire family. Not really sure But I know that Change had descended upon us Like a little bomb A smart bomb targeted specifically for our home The feelings keep coming The feelings keep coming Like the rain keeps coming trains keep coming Like the snow keeps coming seasons keep coming And I am so stubborn I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way But The feelings keep coming the feeling keeps coming Like the sun keeps coming the moon keeps coming the earth keeps spinning grass keeps growing And the bills keep coming the years keep coming love keeps coming laughter keeps coming And the tears keep coming Like I keep coming I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way But the feelings keep coming The feelings keep coming Like time keeps coming Like love keeps coming Like change keeps coming Like I keep coming I just want to turn away I don’t want to look their way I just want to turn away I don’t want to feel
6.
ain’t no cover girl ain’t no pornographic super model movie star I’m cracked, flawed, defective Just like you are I’m the Queen of Imperfection Queen of Imperfection I’m the Queen of Imperfection I’m not messing around messing around I got green eyes Yeah, they’re different sized They’ll see right through your soul my body has some wear and tear Cause it ain’t been airbrushed And I don’t care I’m the Queen of Imperfection Queen of Imperfection I’m the Queen of Imperfection I’m not messing around messing around messing around messing around I’m not messing around messing around messing around messing around Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa Yo soy la reina Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Yo no soy perfecta pa pa pap pap pa pa pa Yo soy la reina blah blah blah blah blah ain’t no cover girl Ain’t no pornographic supermodel movie star My hair ain’t combed My house is a wreck And I spend too much time on the internet I’m the Queen of Imperfection Queen of Imperfection I’m the Queen of Imperfection I’m not messing around messing around messing around messing around I’m not messing around messing around messing around messing around ain’t no cover girl ain’t no pornographic super model movie star I’m cracked, flawed, defective Just like you are just like you are just like you are just like you are (repeat chorus) blah blah blah
7.
She hooked him up Hooked him up With her sweet sweet body She hooked him up She hooked him up Hooked him up With her sweet sweet body She hooked him up He hooked her up Hooked her up With his honey sweetness He hooked her up His skin like chocolate butter She’s smearing it all over Ah ah oo oo She hooked him up Hooked him up With her yummy goodness She hooked him up She is a sweet oasis He’s really going places He going down down down like he promised in his dirty sex text she going down she going down down she going down down down like she promised in her dirty sex text Ah ah He could smell her, he swore he could, even though she was fully clothed and at least 6’ away from him She radiated a stream of steamy promises and she had an animal prowess— how could no one else notice this about her? Was he losing his mind? Was he losing his mind? She could smell him, she swore she could Even though he was fully clothed and at least 6’ away from her He radiated a stream of steamy promises – and he was such an animal – oh yeah, she could tell— how could no one else notice this about him? Was she losing her mind? Was she losing her mind? Ah ah oo oo She hooked him up Hooked him up With her sweet sweet body She hooked him up He hooked her up Hooked her up With his honey sweetness That sexy chocolate genius She hooked him up
8.
I often get the feeling that I have something to do Even when I don’t My work is all done, the kids are fine, still I don’t feel free Like there’s some thing I forgot Some thing I need to share Some key I need to find That will quiet down my mind Divine Restlessness Calling me away Pulling me away Divine Restlessness I should be fulfilled Life is good All around stability Yet I can’t relax Sit on the couch Sip tea or watch TV It grabs a hold of me Divine Restlessness Calling me away Pulling me away Divine Restlessness It tells me I have to speak It tells me I have to speak And it won’t let me go won’t let me go It tells me I have to speak It tells me I have to speak And it won’t let me go it won’t let me go It tells me I have to speak And it won’t let me go it won’t let me go It tells me I have to speak And it won’t let me go it won’t let me go like there’s some thing I forgot some thing I need to share some key I need to find that will quiet down my mind Divine Restlessness Calling me away Pulling me away Divine Restlessness Calling me away Pulling me away It tells me I have to speak It tells me I have to speak And it won’t let me go it won’t let me go (REPEAT and OUT)
9.
AnnaRexia 04:13
People like to make light of it They see it on the cover of a magazine People like to make fun of it They think it’s only part of celebrity scene Reality is people dying Reality is people starving It’s a hex, it’s a vex on our nation (nation, nation) It’s no exaggeration AnnaRexia AnnaRexia Anna anna anna anna rexia Anna anna anna anna rexia AnnaRexia AnnaRexia so what's the message we are sending why self-hatred we promote with them TV, newspaper, magazine how about time we make some money w/ a different plan get real see people suffer the consequence save yourself from suicidal trench internet promoting them zero size jeans give them such terrible delusional dreams The world is topsy turvy When our girls don’t like their curvy AnnaRexia AnnaRexia Anna Anna Anna Anna Rexia Anna anna anna anna rexia AnnaRexia AnnaRexia Lose 10 more lbs lose 10 more lbs lose 10 more lbs just another 10 lbs Why do our girls feel too big for their bodies? Why do our girls feel too small in this world? Lose 10 more lbs (for the way she used to look so nice) Lose 10 more lbs (anything to make her body right) She can’t get away from the demons in her head She wanna walk around like the living dead Lose 10 more lbs (it's like the shadow give her body a fight) Lose 10 more lbs (procrastinating to the body type) She-body gonna eat itself alive Heart and brain they cannot survive AnnaRexia (they walk around and look so feeble so) AnnaRexia (don't be take over by the evil so) Reality is people dying Reality is people starving It’s a hex, it’s a vex on our nation (day to day we have to pray) It’s no exaggeration Anna Rexia Anna Rexia Anna anna anna anna rexia Anna anna anna anna rexia Anna Rexia Anna Rexia Anna Anna Anna Anna Rexia Anna Rexia Anna Rexia Anna Anna Anna Anna Rexia Anna Anna Anna Anna Rexia Anna Rexia Anna Rexia (somebody need to fix this) She’s on a hunger strike till her world is right on a hunger strike till her life is right It’s not a war but it is a war It’s an internal war It’s a cultural war a spiritual war Believe in life
10.
Kill Love 03:07
What’s the point babe Tell me the point babe My loving you Your lovin’ me if its got no space to grow Tell me the point babe Convince me of the point babe And maybe maybe I’ll stay I’m going to kill love I’m going to kill love I’m going to stab it Let the blood Drip out of it Until it’s dead, until it’s dead I’m going to kill love I’m going to kill love I’m going to kick it Smash it And murder it Until it’s dead, until it’s dead What’s the point babe Tell me the point babe My loving you Your lovin’ me If its got no space to grow Tell me the point babe Convince me of the point babe And maybe maybe I’ll stay I wanna rip my heart out Expose it to you So maybe then you’ll see How much I love you I’m going to kill love I’m going to kill love I’m going to rip it out From inside of me And smother it Until it’s dead, until it’s dead What’s the point babe Tell me the point babe My loving you
11.
Blog 03:25
I am disappearing I am disappearing Where is my body? Where is my body? I am one big BLOG Floating around the universe Full of words thoughts and ideas I just sit here and stare into space What happened to my arms I can’t find my legs Where is my face I just sit here and stare into space I am lost in a crowded painting Surrounded by colors, dots, lines A speck Screaming (to be noticed) In a world where sound is an impossibility I haven’t left my home in 3 years I just sit here and stare into space where are my arms my legs I can’t find my face I am disappearing I am disappearing Where is my body? Where is my body? My PHANTOM BODY ACHES it wants to be touched in invisible places I can feel it but I can’t see it It yearns to return
12.
I read about your death in the local paper Said your age, 54, Left a note couldn’t take it anymore anymore anymore Anymore anymore anymore I read about your death in the local paper not married, no family Devoted to your job But they forgot to mention how you liked to laugh And how you loved to dance the tango But they forgot to mention how you liked to laugh And how you loved to dance the tango Oh oh oh you were a woman with no outside life that is the story they’ll tell us today How to flesh out a life in so few words? Explain such a tragedy, it is so absurd they like to keep it simple for the reader to understand so they tell us her life was empty sad and bland How to flesh out a life in so few words? Explain such a tragedy, it is so absurd I read about your death in the local paper Said your age, 54, Left a note, couldn’t take it anymore anymore anymore Anymore anymore anymore Anymore anymore anymore Anymore anymore anymore Anymore anymore anymore But they forgot to mention how you liked to laugh And how you loved to dance the tango But they forgot to mention how you liked to laugh And how you loved to dance the tango Dance the Tango Dance the tango Dance the tango Dango the tango Dance dance dance dance dance Dance the tango Ooh oooh ooooh Dance the tango oh oh ohhh
13.
Smithereens 04:50
I don’t need you anymore for day to day, for normal things I just need you To stoke the wild fire that burns within Take you apart Explore you I think I know you cause we are both the same You are my anger my love my passion You are my fear my hate my darkness Yes, you are explode me please into smithereens I just want to love you far away, from this world forget the trivialities shed my shell, remove the raving lunacy wrap myself around you and within you cause we are both the same You are my anger my love my passion You are my fear my hate my darkness Yes, you are explode me please into smithereens na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na I don’t need you anymore for day to day, for normal things I just need you To stoke the wild fire that burns within Flood you Still you, with my waters cause we are both the same we are both the same we are both the same na na na na na na na
14.
Scream 03:43
I saw her. She came to me. I saw her. She came to me. And she said WHY?? I saw her. She came to me. I saw her, she came to me And she said WHYYYYYYY??? Why didn’t you do anything? WHY didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why? didn’t you scream? She’s waiting for the world to save her She’s waiting for the world to save her But the world never comes The world never comes I saw her. She came to me. I saw her, she came to me And she said WHY?? I saw her. She came to me. I saw her, she came to me And she said WHYYYYYYY??? She’s all chained up, her arms bloody, Her face is scratched, her eyes insane WHY? She’s torn and bleeding, She’s In the dirt She’s in a cellar She’s all locked up WHY? Why didn’t you do anything? WHY didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why? didn’t you scream? She’s waiting for the world to save her She’s waiting for the world to save her but the world never comes but the world never come She’s waiting for the world to save her She’s waiting for the world to save her She’s waiting for the world to save her But the world never comes The world never comes Why? didn’t you scream? Why? didn’t you scream? Why? didn’t you scream?
15.
Squirm 03:43
I want to shut the shit down Burn my affirmations I want to shut the shit down That’s my proclamation I want to be mean Not friendly or nice Get out of this scene Put my feelings on ice I want to shut the shit down I want to shut the shit down I want to shut the shit down And squirm like a worm I want to shut the shit down Go away somewhere I want to shut the shit down Get outta here I want to shut the shit down I want to shut the shit down I want to shut the shit down And squirm like a worm I want to Squirm squirm Like a worm I want to squirm squirm Like a worm I want to squirmmmmmmmmmmm Like a wormmmmmmmm I’m tired of being up up up up I want to hide down below I’m hungry for that dark dark dark dark Cause that’s where I need to go I want to get out of the light Lay down in the dirt Feel the damp dank earth on my skin And let it all begin I’m tired of being up up up up I want to hide down below I’m hungry for that dark dark dark dark Cause that’s where I need to go I want to shut the shit down I want to shut the shit down I want to shut the shit down And squirm like a worm I want to squirm squirm Like a worm I want to squirm squirm squirm squirm Like a worm I want to squirmmmmmmmm Like a wormmmmmmmm I want to squirm squirm Like a worm I want to squirm squirm squirm squirm like a worm I want to squirmmmmmm Like a wormmmmmmm I want to squirm squirm squirm squirm like a wormmmmmmmm like a wormmmmmmmmmm like a wormmmmmmmmmm like a worm
16.

about

...a True Groove Production


'[Marla's] fiesty message of peace [on SPEAK DELUXE] will perhaps wake up the beast in all of us. "Piece of Peace" is a fearless rock anthem performed for the U.N. Global Peace Day event in Linzhou, China last September. Marla Mase and global soul veteran Tomás Doncker were invited to the event to look into the heart and soul of all and awaken the desire for peace. As a citizen of the planet, Marla aggressively sang her "Piece of Peace" song with the same fervor that John Lennon sang "Give Peace a Chance" and with the same commitment John and Yoko participated in their two week long Bed-Ins for peace in Amsterdam and Montreal.' Huffington Post

“Marla Mase is sitting on quite the powder keg with her new album “SPEAK Deluxe”, an offering brimming with passion, anger, pain, wisdom, and compassion. What was the last album you heard that you could honestly say that about? Embracing everything from rock and roll, punk and reggae to spoken word, electronic, and downtempo music, Marla Mase will appeal to fans of Patti Smith, Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, PJ Harvey and Ian Dury…….Marla Mase’s music and message is poised to spread in an industry starved for meaning.” — MusicPerk.com (March 6, 2013)

‘No matter the song, or message behind said song [on SPEAK DELUXE], Mase contains such a convincing believability within each moment of her vocals, it’s impossible to not be impressed.”Cody Conard, bigtakeover.com (Jun 04, 2013)

“Mase, a rising star and buzzed-about new figure within New York’s underground rock ‘n’ roll scene, isn’t the kind of female artist we’ve gotten used to hearing in the post-millennial music circuit. In an age where two of the biggest stars on the planet are female artists who take inspiration from classic singer/songwriter traditions (Taylor Swift, who borrows from ‘70s folk and pop, and Adele, who adds her soul and R&B records into the equation), Mase goes unapologetically in the other direction….her songs are dark, atmospheric, and gritty, and almost primal or elemental in execution. The songs on Speak are led by a voice that is harsh and rough around the edges, ornamented with loud guitars, and littered with shades of punk rock history. ” Craig Manning, absolutepunk.net (Jun 10, 2013)

“…the genre experimentation on this record is positively mind-bending – Mase transitions from airy spoken-word monologues to a dirty Patti Smith-style rocker like “Piece of Peace” to a kind of cheeky yet still meaningful reggae tune like “AnnaRexia” with no difficulty. The difference here is that Mase truly feels like she belongs in each of these genres. She embraces each style she attacks with aplomb, and the result is truly rewarding.” — read more Eric Garneau, nerdynothings.com (Feb. 25, 2013)

credits

released February 28, 2013

produced by Tomás Doncker and James Dellatacoma
label: True Groove
written by Marla Mase and Tomás Doncker
Lead: Marla Mase
guitars: Tomás Doncker
percussion: Daniel Sadownick
bass: Booker King and Josh David
drums: Tobias Ralph, Damon DueWhite and Mo Roberts
keyboards: Nick Rolfe and Manu Koch
Violin: Alan Grubner
Back-up vocals: Heather Powell, Tomás Doncker, Josh David
AnnaRexia and AnnaRexia Dubmix featuring Garrison Hawk on Vocals
AnnaRexia Dubmix by Bill Laswell
Engineer: James DellaTacoma at Orange Studios

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Marla Mase New York, New York

Marla Mase is a writer/performer from New York City. She writes songs, plays, erotica, blogs, & poems. She is known for her provocative performance style, intelligent lyrics & is regarded as a musical pioneer by her peers. Her songs are a fusion of rock-n-roll, spoken word, funk, punk, and Global Soul. Marla is backed by the True Groove All-Stars and is signed to True Groove Records. ... more

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