Melissa McClelland

My cousin recently went to see Jesse Cookin concert and apparently the opening act was Melissa McClelland. I first saw Melissa at the Ironwood in Calgary, a wonderfully intimate venue, and she enchanted me. Her powerful voice in that cute little package, the contradiction of her sweet melodies and her edgy lyrics... I bought Stranded in Suburbia right then and there. I haven't heard Thumbelina's One Night Stand, her new CD, yet but I just discovered that you can listen to the songs over on her website so I'm looking forward to the chance to check out the new material. In the meantime, I've uploaded "Good as Gold" to My Music Box and I'm going to move my old Melissa McClelland post over to this blog...

Originally posted 11.02.2004 on Limes with Orange

I've been getting a whole bunch of hits on my blog from people looking for lyrics to Melissa McClelland songs. I checked her website and found out that "Pretty Blue" has just hit the airwaves, so I'm thinking that may have something to do with it. Or the fact that she's been nominated for Female Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Video of the Year (for "Jaded") by the Hamilton Music Awards. And since her website doesn't provide lyrics and her CD, Stranded in Suburbia, is apparently too new to be included on most lyrics sites, I figured I would include lyrics to a few of her songs here. (You can listen to all of the songs in their entirety on the jukebox at the Orange Record Label site.)

Good As Gold (listen to sample)
[my favourite song on the CD and the inspiration to the working title of my novel: "Howling At The Moon"]

Who keeps track of things like that
Well, I do
You better keep me happy
Or I'll be howling at the moon

Read more...

It's all fun and games
Till I'm feeling blue
I discovered a continent in you
But now I've settled

So I'm hitting every party
Gonna find myself some fun
We'll take uppers in the morning
Light our cigarettes off the sun
When night falls we'll go cruising
And drink until we're numb
And I'll make you
Make you want me
Want me until I'm done

Here's your last attempt
At keeping me at bay
You're gonna chain me
To every word I say

Oh, my resolve is weak
I always crack
And I've been reading too much Nin
And you Kerouak

When you wake me in the morning
I'll be motionless and cold
You will bring to me some water
Yeah, you'll do what you're told
When I see you looking somber
I'll say babe you're as good as gold
But I can't see you again tonight
I've got a reputation to uphold

Then he whispered in my ear
'You're a sly bitch, you are'
So I drank away my headache
And I stumbled out of his car
Through the fogged up glass of the window
He made a clearing with his hand
And with his eyes he told me
'One day you'll understand'
~

Little Birds (listen to sample)
[my next favourite song on the CD]

Morning came with such a jolt
That I forgot my soul at home
This pick-me-up, stale coffee cup
Is filling up my insides though
And here I sit on subway stains
With blue pin stripe corporate charades
Outside I'm sure it's magical
But today I've got to get paid

Little birds over the south pacific sea
Falling from the sky in perfect symmetry
Well, there goes
each and every one of my dreams
Shattered images of who I'll never be

What is summer without sunshine
Who likes dancing in a straight line
When all these colours fade into mine
Tell me, am I black and blue?

It's comforting to know the day begins
(and it will surely end)
Tucked between these filthy sheets
Where nightmares start
Where sweet dreams end
Caught in a kaleidoscope
Of timely orchestrated screams
Filling space with barren thought
Motionless antipathy

Little birds over the south pacific sea
Falling from the sky in perfect symmetry
Well, there goes
each and every one of my dreams
Shattered images of who I'll never be

It's like fucking without kissing
Or never knowing what you're missing
And you're finally confessing
That you'll never stand a chance

Little birds over the south pacific sea
Falling from the sky in perfect symmetry
Well, there goes
each and every one of my dreams
Shattered images of who I'll never be

Seeing Venice through a TV
Or thinking beautiful means pretty
When all these colors blend completely
Tell me can you even see me?
~

Encinitas Rainstorm (listen to sample)
[and my next favourite]

Oh, you make my spring
And winter's such a mean old thing
When it's cold
And I freeze
While the birds and the bees
Chase the golden sun in the breeze

But now the birds are flying home
They've got stories from down in Mexico
Oh, I envy their wings
Cause I've flown in my dreams
And I've seen such beautiful things
From up above
But I have to admit without your love
I'd rather be where the sun don't shine
And it rains for days at a time

Cause he's my Encinitas Rainstorm
Ooh and he gets so fresh
When he sees me staring out my window
Longing to be undressed
And soaking wet
My hair's a mess
I'm out of breath

Thunder clapping
Raindrops splashing down
Oh, I'm so curious
And I'm so full of lust
And we're washin' away all this dust
We've collected
Cause honey I'm resurrected
And you wouldn't believe how it's flooded away
All of the grey

I'm falling... I'm astounded...
I'm dreamin'...
I'm drownin'
In all of your love
~

Jaded (listen to sample)
[I believe this was the first big hit but the second single off the CD, "White Lies (Stranded in Suburbia)" being the first single... if anyone is looking for the lyrics to that one, let me know]

These things I say
Come spinning out of my mouth
Like they've lost their way
And there's no doubt about it
You heard me.
I shouted.
I think you'd preferred it
That whenever you come clean
I say nothing at all.

So what
You'd left
Before I had a single chance to second-guess
These bittersweet diversions
And late night excursions
Secret perversions
Well, maybe I'm naive
Cause I can't believe this.

And now you fill my heart with doubt
You've turned me inside out
But I'm not jaded
And still with all this overkill
And bitterness instilled
My heart's left unfulfilled
But I'm not jaded

My life
Complete
With minor twists and turns
And just a small defeat
You know you really got me
You burned me
You shocked me
You threw me
You lost me
Well maybe I'm naive
But I'm catching on fast

And how could I have been so proud
You've turned me inside out
But I'm not jaded
And still with all this overkill
And bitterness instilled
My heart's left unfulfilled
But I'm not jaded

You came around
Your hands did all the talking
As you sat me down
For a bittersweet reminder
You heard me
I shouted
I'd never allow it
Cause maybe I'm naive
But I'm not fucking stupid
~

Pretty Blue (listen to sample)
[most recent single off the CD]

Pretty blue
On my way
Smoke a hundred cigarettes
Charm the gas station boy
Buy you a pack of Nicorette
I'm your missionary
Your guru
I'm your God
I've been saving you all along

Park the car
Rehearse my lines
Say the right things at the right times
Love you so
Miss you not
Gonna wait in the parking lot
Take a moment and gaze up
through the sunroof
And reach up through the say
To the stars
From the confines of this car
And I'm gone
Like a thief escaping in the dark
But I'm stumbling blindly
And I'm trapped in the night
Goodbye my pretty blue sky

Stole away
Almost night
Through plexiglass we fight
Count the stars
What a mess
This universe
This life
And I glide through the open window
So I can touch the sky
The stars
From the confines of this car
And I'm gone
Like a thief escaping in the dark
But I'm stumbling blindly
And I'm trapped in the night
Goodbye my pretty blue sky

The sky is falling
Scattered stars
Like pieces of my youth
These are my scars tearing
I've got to heal myself
Not you

Home sweet home
A week to go
Gonna get some sleep now
~

And a few additional Melissa links for anyone who's interested:
Soul Shine Magazine: Melissa McClelland — Do the Strand
SceneandHeard.ca: Stranded in Suburbia review
The GATE'S CD Reviews: Stranded in Suburbia
Ladybird Sideshow online — Melissa McClelland bio (Ladybird Sideshow is Melissa's side project with Erin Smith, Janine Stoll and Lisa Winn)