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Alter Ego

by Shen Teh

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1.
My Pleasure 03:58
May I bring you towels, sheets and wash your underwear? May I rub your neck and comb your hair? May I throw away your junk and trash? Then wipe off your table and empty your ashtray? May I pour you a beer, or two, or three? Chicken or pasta? How was your steak? I smile when you yell at me, God, I’m not faking, when I say, it’s my… …Pleasure, I’ll do anything for you! It’s my goal to make you happy through and through It’s my pleasure, oh absolutely, Sir! What can I do for you? May I make your bed and read your complaints? Your faces and toenails lacquer with paints? May I sing you a song, or two, or three? But keep eating your sandwich, it’s all for you, not for me. My Bachelor of Art’s more useful than it seems, for eight bucks an hour I’ll fulfill your dreams, from riches to rags, my American Dream, unlimited freedom is not what it seems, it’s my goddamn… …Pleasure, I’ll do anything for you! It’s my goal to make you happy through and through It’s my pleasure, oh absolutely, Sir! What can I do for you? But when darkness falls, I say “Adieu” make my malicious thoughts come true Leave me alone, you snobbish pricks! It’s enough! I’ll Rip off my apron, spit in your soup, step on your steak It feels so good Throw off my nametag, pour beer in your bed and smash your TV It feels so good You’ll soak in your cocktail, I’ll chop off your hair, dump waste on your frontyard It feels so good, yes, it feels so good! Now here’s a reality, the way that I see it, I’ll take that damn bed and you’ll serve instead. Like puppets on strings, you’ll bring me sweet things, with “What is your pleasure?” and “All for your leisure!” You’ll bow and you’ll scrape, such sweet Jack’a’Napes, and should you displease me, I promise, you’ll feel me! Now, dance till you drop, till your arrogance pops, I’m done with your wining, your childish pining for someone with nametag to carry your fucking bag! So, come along, folks, harness your yokes and sing: “It’s our… …Pleasure, I’ll do anything for you! It’s our goal to make you happy through and through It’s our pleasure, oh absolutely, Miss! What can I do for you?”
2.
I would like to write a song full of anger full of rage. All the questions in my head all laid out no secret “Why’s” But instead I’m sitting in this room , very soon I’ll leave. All the grieving quietly swallowed, it is what it is. When people look at me, they see you in my face. We share body, nose and hair, I hope my heart’s a different color. You kissed her sitting on a tree, loved and gave her a ring. But if I try to spell this feeling inside, there is nothing. I often wonder who you are, there are few things I know: That we talk twice a year, but I’d never say “I love you”. It is not my fault that I am here, and your blood’s in my veins, I would like to love or hate, how hard can that be? How hard can that be?
3.
4.
Snowflakes 03:33
Leaves fall from the trees, the moor glows. It releases a shivering breeze, summer’s a long time ago. It tickles my toes and creeps up my neck, winds up my spine. I close my eyes and feel Snowflakes, cold like little ghosts Leave a blanket of frost on my heart The sky’s all white and winter dead The ground cracks and falls apart. The joyous songbirds’ tunes still linger in my ear. A reminder of laughter gone by when you called me your dear. The cranes have already moved towards the sun. Like you they left behind a desolate world where Snowflakes, cold like little ghosts Leave a blanket of frost on my heart The sky’s all white and winter dead The ground cracks and falls apart. Ooo, up above a crystal clear cover Ooo, the snow white dove’s wings are numb as Snowflakes, cold like little ghosts Leave a blanket of frost on my heart The sky’s all white and winter dead The ground cracks and falls apart.
5.
They call me Jeanne Baré, a woman wild and brave I’m sick of stove and home, yet not afraid of storm and waves. I wanna ship the world, for nobody must know, I wear a hat and boots and pants, hey hey, I’m Jeanne Baré. Chorus: Hoist the sail, lead me astray, my love, goodbye. Your voice, frail and frailer, my love, goodbye! The see calls me! My sweetheart we must part, the ship has sailed ashore, you know I love you so, though adventures I love more. Tonight I’ll flee from thee, the salt in the air is tearing our bond of love, hey, hey, I’m Jeanne Baré. Chorus My alter ego Jean Baré is clever bold and wise, he hides the wife in me, no one will notice my disguise. At your service am I, respected captain, ay, ay! My heart and soul are strong as steel for I am Jeanne Baré. Chorus Night and day, and day and night, the handsome cabin boy looks lively for and aft, swabs the deck until it shines. Back and forth and forth and back, I swing the mob and smile, miles and miles of blue around me, here’s where I’m supposed to be! Chorus It’s the twentieth night on sea, the crew’s a roaring crowd, bottles of rum are piling up, the manners getting rough. I close my eyes and dance… suddenly I feel steel, running up my shirt - a cut! My snow white breasts revealed! “This woman can be part of the crew, this woman can’t be part of the crew Grab her and throw her over board, grab her and throw her over board!” I’m lying on the ground of the sea, my coffin a pink orange coral. And there is nothing to regret, nothing to regret, nothing to regret, nothing to regret. To watch the sunrise from the mast, each and ev’ry single day was worth to die for! And there is nothing to regret, nothing to regret, nothing to regret, not a thing to regret! For I’ll eternally be Jeanne Baré! Hoist the sail, lead me astray, my love, goodbye. Your voice, frail and frailer, my love, goodbye! The see calls me!
6.
Better Man 04:00
A few years ago, I was pretty, pretty young, I listened to the crap you had to say. Quite a while ago I often bit my tongue instead of saying: “Hey! That was not OK!” When I was a girl, I was pretty, pretty dumb, I didn’t run and scream when you said things like that: “Your laugh hurts my ears, can you just shut up and smile? I know, it’s your birthday, but sorry, we are done… Thank you, babe, you were so great, what’s taking you so long? No, I won’t put that thing on, it just doesn’t feel right, it just doesn’t feel right.” God, I really, really… Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man I Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man than you lalalalalalaaa a better man, better man, a better man…………… I Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man I Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man than you lalalalalalaaaa a better man, better man, a better man than you! It’s June, I’m back, and I’m walking through those streets that remind me of a few years ago. When you shut me up, because you were afraid no one would listen to the crap you had to say. I was just a girl and I was way, way too dumb, I believed you when you said Things like that: “You will never make it sweetie, better stop it now! If you don’t wanna do it with me, you don’t really love me, you don’t really love me.” God, I really, really… Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man I Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man than you lalalalalalaaa a better man, better man, a better man…………… I Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man I Hope that the boy that you’ll squeeze out of your groins will be a better man, will be a better man than you lalalalalalaaaa a better man, better man, a better man than you!

about

ALTER EGO takes the listener on a journey from the sea to the forest and adventures in between. Shen Teh incorporates elements of dark cabaret and theatrics into her piano-driven sound and layers haunting vocals and keyboard sounds to tell the stories of various alter egos.

credits

released March 6, 2015

Band:
SHEN TEH – main and background vocals, piano, keyboards
COLIN JOHNSON – bass
ERIC GERKE – drums, pots and pans
MICHAEL VON MUCHOW – guitar

Thanks to the crew of the "WAYWARD HOOVER"
for drunken mayhem.

All songs © 2015 Shen Teh –
Little Ghosts Publishing (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
Produced 2015 by Michael von Muchow and Lara Olson at
Actual Sound Studio
www.SHENTEH.com


ALTER EGO was recorded by Michael von Muchow at Actual Sound Studio, mastered at Sanctuary Keep. Photography by Eric Gerke, Destiny Skubis and Ashley Worden. Editing and Design: Shen Teh and Shira Atakpu. Logo Design: Shira Atakpu. I sincerely thank all of you for your dedication and support in making this record possible. Special thanks to Rosemary & Will Valentine, Tom Vaughn, Lana Rodionova & Dmitri Rodionov, Carina & Rick Richter, all other backers, my wonderful band, my friends and family, and especially to my love Audie.

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Shen Teh La Crosse, Wisconsin

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