Lyrics - “Shadow Across The Moon”

TRACKLIST:

CD 1

1. Land Of The Living  (1986 Version)

Waves of sound
Waves of motion
I cast off the anchor
And drifted out into the night
I was bound
By some foolish notion
Lashed to the mast
Cast adrift on a sea of emotion
Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

On solid ground
I heard waves break in rhythm
Never thought that the song of the siren
Could lure me away
I sang a round
In harmony with them
Never thought that their sad orchestration
Would lead me astray
Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

Well, I nearly drowned
Lost on the ocean
I crashed on the rocks
Just a castaway
Back in your arms
I found sanctuary
But I can't help but thinking
About the one that got away

Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums
+ Tony Berg: Piano

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineered by Frank Sposato.
Recorded September 1986.

2. The Game

Said hello
Thought goodbye
I did not know
And I wondered why

All these things stay the same
We pull these strings
Play the game again
Play the game

When I said I do
Somehow meant I don’t
When I say I will
We both know I won’t

All these things stay the same
We pull these strings
Play the game again
Play the game

Said goodbye
As my mind screamed stay
But these lips they lie
And you’ve gone away

All these things stay the same
We pull these strings
Play the game again

© Music: Jarrett Lesko-Brian Bielski-Jessie Jacobson-Jerome Faulkner (February 18, 1986)
Lyrics & Melody: Jessie Jacobson (March 20, 1986)

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocal, Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead & Ethereal Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Keyboard, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion, Keyboard
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards
+ Tony Berg: Additional Keyboard and Rhythm Guitar

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineered by Frank Wolf.
Mixed by Frankie “Blue” Sposato.
Recorded May + July 1986.

3. Love’s Not Lost 

When the madmen come to their senses
When true heroes lay down their arms
Under sheltering skies
Silver lining, cold grey clouds disguise

When the preachers loosen their collars
When the righteous let down their hair
Flowing into the light
Certain, knowing
Nobody's wrong, nobody's right

Love's not lost, only hiding
Lurking just out of sight
Love's not lost, only hiding
Hiding in the night

When four billion hearts race in rhythm
When all eyes are focused as one
Holding each other's stares
Silent, knowing somewhere somebody cares

Love's not lost, only hiding
Lurking just out of sight
Love's not lost, only hiding
Hiding in the night

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocal, Guitars, Ocarina, Keyboard
Toni Zeto: Lead Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Keyboard, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Paint Tubs

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineer: Frank Sposato.
Recorded January 1987.

4. Rapture (Capture Me)

Reached the end of the line
Heard no welcome, saw no sign
Head in my hands, cried like a baby
The cutting edge had left its scars
Long ago it seemed so simple
My faith shone like the stars

Rapture, capture me

Oncoming light as in a dream
Life in slow motion, I slipped upstream
But it felt so incomplete
As my heart beat a dull retreat

Rapture, capture me

How in heaven will we know
When to let these hidden feelings show
Lost in love's reflected glow
How in heaven

Had a laugh poised on the brink
What choice was this to swim or sink
Sometimes life's a bitter pill
But if you'll love me, I’ll find the will
I will

Rapture, capture me

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums
David ‘Spiggy’ Miller: Guitars, Backing Vocal
+ Toni Zeto: Ethereal Vocals

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineer: Dan Bates.
Recorded October 1987 at Zeitgeist Studio.

 5. Say It

The silence calls
A distance so deep and blue
A shadow across the moon
Why won't you?

Say it, say it and I will believe it
Say it, save me, join the pieces
Bit by bit

As patience falls
You leave me without a clue
As you weave your grey cocoon
Why don't you?

Say it, say it and I will believe it
Say it, save me, join the pieces
Bit by bit

The empty walls deceive me
But truth shines through
The colors will fade too soon
Why can't you?

Say it, say it and I will believe it,
Say it, save me, join the pieces...bit by bit

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineer: Dan Bates.
Recorded August 1987 at Zeitgeist Studio.

 6. Words Into Action (1986 Version)

Words won't make you feel
What you should feel
What you once felt
Words won't reveal what is real
They'll just mislead you from the start
They will seal and constrict
Charismatic tongues
As they conceal
They contradict the language of the heart

And so one word leads to the next
As conversation slips into text
Let's put - let's put words - words into action
Words into action

Words turn into shouts
Triggered by doubts
Fall on deaf ears
Words sprayed all about
Ooze from the spout
But no one hears

So automatic
Reeled off by rote
Snag on your conscience
Catch in your throat
Let's put - let's put words - words into action
Words into action

I would give anything
To make you understand
No need to read my lips
Feel the warmth of my hand

Words mean nothing at all
They bounce off the wall
And fade away
But feelings that beckon and call
No matter how small
Can still save the day

Somehow the silence
Says so much more
And in the stillness
Love settles the score
Let's put - let's put words - words into action
Words into action

Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Drum Programming
Brian Bielski: Kick & Snare Drum, Sheet Metal, Brass Pipes
+ Tony Berg: Additional Keyboard & Drum Programming

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineered by Frank Wolf and Dan Bates.
Recorded at Enterprise Studio on 48-track, 1986.
Featured in the 1986 motion picture Welcome To 18.

7. Long Goodbye (1987 Version)

In the endless summer of discontent
The tip of the iceberg
On the darkest continent
Splintering puppets
Hiss through wooden grins
Toothless to bite the hand that force-feeds
Gets under their skins

This is the long goodbye

The deeper they go
The darker it gets
'Til blood stains the whitewash
Liquidates idol threats
The country club's burning
Body politic sweats
Soweto is up in flames
Out of time, far too late for regrets

This is the long goodbye

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Percussion, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion
+ Tony Berg: Keyboard FX

Produced by Tony Berg.
Engineered by Dan Bates.
Recorded 1987 at Zeitgeist Studio.

8. Welcome To Paradise (Version 1)

The world revolves
In a dream-like state
When you turn around
When you stand and wait
But not today

Sky resolves
To a perfect blue
Perfect clouds retreat
Perfect sun shines through
What did I say?

Welcome to paradise
Welcome to life

The moon escapes
From behind the bluff
And it shines so bright (burns so bright)
But not bright enough
You’ve gone away

Nights all lay
Out like souvenirs
Perfect days drag on
Like a million years
Why won’t you stay?

Welcome to paradise
Welcome to life

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Electric Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Backing Vocals
Brian Bielski: Drums
Richie Owens: Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar

Produced by Jessie Jacobson, Richie Owens
and Jarrett Lesko.
Engineered by Ken Jordan, Jessie Jacobson
and Jarrett Lesko.
Recorded 1988 (basic tracks, vocals, on Akai 12-track)
+ December 1989 (Richie, on digital 24-track).

9. Until Yesterday Comes

We’re always looking for something
We’re always searching in vain
We’re always waiting for someone
Someone without a name

We always search in the shadows
We always stare in the light
Melt the ice with salt
Spring and somersault
Falling head over heels

It’s too late tomorrow’s gone
And today goes on and on
I will wait until yesterday comes

We’re always breaking the promise
We’re always stretching the rules
We always ask the wrong questions
We’re always playing the fools

We’re always scratching the surface
We’re always digging too deep
Melt the ice with salt
Spring and somersault
Falling head over heels

It’s too late tomorrow’s gone
And today goes on and on
I will wait until yesterday comes

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocal, Rhythm & Lead Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Vocal
Richie Owens: Lead Guitar (solos), 6-string Bass,
Mandolin, Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Tony Berg, Richie Owens
and Jessie Jacobson.
Engineered and Mixed by Ken Jordan.
Recorded late 1989.

10. Heaven’s Gate (1991 Version)

Sad eyes stretch shadows out of shape
Search in vain for some means of escape
From your heart
As the night falls into despair
And the time crawls

I want you to hold me
Open heaven's gate

Sad eyes search for silhouettes, a sign
For a lifeline to your heart
As the dawn breaks down into tears
And your mind aches

I want you to hold me
Open heaven's gate
I want you to hold it open
Don't make me wait
At heaven's gate

As the day breaks into a smile
It's been a long while

I want you to hold me
Open heaven's gate
I want you to hold it open
It's not too late
Don't make me wait
At heaven's gate

© Jessie Jacobson (April 1987)

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
+ Toni Zeto: Ethereal Vocals

Produced and engineered by Frank Wolf.
Recorded February 1991.

11. Believe (1991 Version)

Believe in you, believe in me
Believe in everything you do
Everything I see

Love lies with her bedroom eyes
Love cries empty lullabies
Love dies with his fading sighs
He buys her vacant hours
With cheap flowers and half-baked alibis

Love sleeps under seamless sheets
Love leaps and his heart skips beats
Love weeps tears so bittersweet
She keeps him safe at arm's length
Saps her own strength, beckons as she retreats

Believe in you, believe in me
Believe in everything you do
Everything I see

Love strays outside time and space
Love stays in her hiding place
Love plays at a breakneck pace
She lays beneath the covers
And discovers love reveal his new face

Believe in you, believe in me
Believe in everything you do
Everything I see

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
+ David ‘Spiggy’ Miller: Guitars

Produced and engineered by Frank Wolf.
Recorded February 1991.

12. Don’t Want To Know

You close your eyes but you’re not asleep
On the rise, the bluff, up on lover’s leap
You cover your ears, but you still hear a voice
You can quiet your fears while you still got a choice

I don’t really want to know
I don’t really need your say so
I don’t really want to know
I just want to paint a day-glo night

You shut your lips but the word still forms
Until out it comes, but the blood still warms
You bite your tongue ‘cause it seems such a waste
When you’re so damned young, gotta get you a taste

I don’t really want to know
I don’t really want to lay low
I don’t really want to know
I just want to paint a day-glo night

Gonna feel the pull, you’re gonna feel the squeeze
You go light in the head, you go weak in the knees
I’ll spell it out for you, a four-letter disease

You got a feel, but you got no defenses
It’s too damned real when you come to your senses
You got no clues, not too sure what this dance is
But you pays your dues and you takes your chances

I don’t really want to know
I don’t really want to go slow
I don’t really want to know
Cause it’s just one hell of a way to go

I don’t really want to know
I don’t really want to know
I don’t really want to know
I don’t really want to know

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming
Brian Bielski: Drums
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
Dan Nolton: Lead Guitars
Freida Woody: Vocals

Produced and engineered by Frank Wolf.
Recorded February 1991.

13. Tomorrow

They’ll wipe that smile off your face
They won’t even tell you why
Take your time, take your place
It’s already passed you by
Too much too soon, too little to lose
It’s late, too late

They’ll squeeze you in on the sly
And push ‘til you’re too far gone
They’ll cut you off at the knees
Rip the wings off the fly
And tell you whose side you’re on
Too much too soon, too little to lose
It’s late, too late

Tomorrow is a fade away
Tomorrow, shades of grey
Tomorrow is here to stay
But it looks like yesterday

You can’t do it like this, you won’t make it like that
But there’s never an in-between
There’s no view from the ground
The world has gone flat
Sucked into the TV screen
Too much too soon, too little to lose
It’s late, too late

Tomorrow is a fade away
Tomorrow, shades of grey
Tomorrow is here to stay
But it looks like yesterday

Take your eyes off the wheel, the hands off the clock
And backdate the calendar
Bounce your thoughts off the wall
Draw the chain in the lock
Become part of the furniture
Too much too soon, too little to lose
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson and Ken Jordan, early 1992.
Engineer: Ken Jordan

14. All Fall Down

We’ll slip and slide through the thick and thin
We’ll wheel and glide and wrestle with the wind
To turn the tide as sands of time rush in
This great divide

Seems the king slipped on his crown
All fall down
All fall down

We’ll toss and turn the whole world inside out
Chug and churn and slowly come about
To crash and burn in ignorance and doubt
So watch and learn

Seems the king slipped on his crown
All fall down
All fall down

The machinery’s well oiled
In the heartland and on foreign shores it grows
It’s a clear and present danger
And it’s camped under the sleeping giant’s nose

Seems the king slipped on his crown
All fall down
All fall down
All fall down
All fall down

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Dan Nolton: Guitars
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
Brian Bielski: Drum Programming

Produced by Jessie Jacobson.
Mixed by Ken Jordan and Jessie Jacobson.
Recorded on AKAI analog 12-track 1991.

15. Pictures In My Head

You said this was forever
You said I was the only one
I close my eyes, I see your lips move
Soft and pink, I feel your skin breathe
Cross-fade to real time
A flash back in stop-frame motion
I never heard one word that you said
But I still paint these pictures in my head

This was forever
I was the only one
I close my eyes, I taste the acid of your words
You had me tongue-tied
Cross-fade to real time
A flash back in stop-frame motion
I never heard one word that you said
But I still paint these pictures in my head

Painted with the broadest brushstrokes
Splashed across the color field
Tainted with a touch of sadness, so real
Sadness that’s real
Sadness, so real, I feel
These pictures in my head

And if that was forever
Well then what is this that stretches outwards
Soft and slow, it snakes around me
Nestled in the never never
This was forever
This was forever
Cross-fade to real time
A flashback in stop-frame action
I never heard one word
Hung upside down in traction
Cross-fade to real time
A flashback in stop frame motion
I never heard one word that you said
But I still paint these pictures in my head

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboard
Dan Nolton: Guitars
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
Brian Bielski: Drum Programming

Produced by Jessie Jacobson.
Mixed by Ken Jordan and Jessie Jacobson.
Recorded on AKAI analog 12-track 1991.

16. Sinking Feeling

Shiftless are the locks
Pointless are the keys
And there’s no sure passage
Just the darkest blue seas
Breathless are the sails
Empty are the nets
Just a sinking feeling
And the deepest regrets

The rain that trickles
Down the window pane
The sun that never seems to set
The polished surface
Never shows the strain
And you haven’t even hit the bottom yet

Twisted up in knots
Lost without a sound
You tried to keep your ahead above
You might as well have drowned

The rain that trickles
Down the window pane
The sun that never seems to set
The polished surface
Never shows the strain
And you haven’t even hit the bottom yet
That sinking feeling

Though you’ve crossed a million times
Still you’re stretched out at the rail
You stare down at the waves retreating
Balancing the scale

The rain that trickles
Down the window pane
The sun that never seems to set
The polished surface
Never shows the strain
And you haven’t even hit the bottom yet
That sinking feeling

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboard,
Drum Programming
Dan Nolton: Guitars
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
Brian Bielski: Drum Programming
+ Ken Jordan: Additional Drum Programming

Produced by Jessie Jacobson.
Mixed by Ken Jordan and Jessie Jacobson.
Recorded on AKAI analog 12-track 1991.

17. All Wrapped Up (Rough Mix)

She sighs as her eyes recognize his disguise
That’s everything, everything all wrapped up
She knows more than she shows
She follows her nose wherever it goes
And that’s everything, everything all wrapped up

And though the seams are stitched together
They come apart
A patchwork where the pieces never quite fit
Too loose, too tight, too dull, too bright
For their own damn good
Too late for sainthood now

So tired, one wasted, one wired
The things they desired betrayed and backfired
But that’s everything, everything all wrapped up

And though they seem to fit together
They come apart
A puzzle where the pieces never quite fit
Too loose, too tight, too dull, too bright
For their own damned good
Too late for sainthood now

You’d think, when pushed to the brink
Nowhere left to sink
But, hell – what’s one more drink
But that’s everything, everything all wrapped up

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars, Basses, Keyboards,
Drum Programming

Produced by Jessie Jacobson
Recorded on AKAI analog 12-track 1991.

18. Carnival Days 

I slipped through the cracks
I fell through the grating
Suspending my time
Just watching and waiting

And the walls all seemed paper thin
And the walls just kept closing in
Til’ the walls were a second skin to me
And the halls held a million doors
And the halls stretched down corridors
And the halls never changed their course for me

I dropped through the ranks
And I flipped through the stations
There must have been something I missed
While trying my patience

But the blind kept a quiet eye
And the blind turned away the sky
And the blind hid the whitest lie for me
‘Cause behind all the bars and rails
And behind all the paint and nails
And behind all the dull details was me

Take the time to take the time
Take the time to take a chance
Take a chance and take a ride at the carnival
In these carnival days

Between here and there
Somewhere between now and never
Between every high, every low
Where each yes and each no waits forever

Spinning round like a Ferris wheel
Spinning round like a circus seal
Spinning round on a reel too real for me
Round and round like a crazy top
Round and round ‘til I crash and drop
Round and round ‘til I finally stop to see

Take the time to take the time
Take the time to take a chance
Take a chance and take a ride at the carnival
In these carnival days

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Drum Programming
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards

Produced by Jessie Jacobson.
Mixed by Ken Jordan and Jessie Jacobson.
Recorded on AKAI analog 12-track 1990-1991.

19. Land Of The Living (1992 Version)

Waves of sound
Waves of motion
I cast off the anchor
And drifted out into the night
I was bound
By some foolish notion
Lashed to the mast
Cast adrift on a sea of emotion
Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

Watched a flawless sunrise
From a dirty beach
Saw the whole world waiting
Waiting just out of reach

Well, I nearly drowned
Lost on the ocean
I crashed on the rocks
Just a castaway
Back in your arms
I found sanctuary
But I can't help but thinking
About the one that got away

Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

© Jessie Jacobson
Music: May 1985 + January 1992 (bridge melody)
Lyrics: May-November 1985 + September 1986
+ Bridge lyrics: July 14-21, 1981)

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Backing Vocals
Brian Bielski: Drums
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
+ Toni Zeto: Backing Vocals

Produced by Jessie Jacobson and Ken Jordan.
Mixed by Michael James (2023).
Engineered by Ken Jordan.
Recorded early 1992, 24-track at Power Trip Studio.
Featured in the 2016 motion picture Burn Your Maps.

CD 2

1. Prisoner (Demo)

Once I walked invisible
I never felt the pull of gravity
I slipped through the cracks in the wall
Shadowless, passed down the hall
Soft as a whisper on wind

A prisoner, a prisoner of my own mind

Once I thought I blended in
Like a chameleon
Kept my true colors concealed
I passed through the crowds like a ghost
Silent like some unseen host
One lonely voice in the dark

A prisoner, a prisoner of my own mind

Following this well-worn trail
I had fashioned my own jail

Now the secret is not to fit in
Or play the part of citizen
Resigned to this cell in my head

A prisoner, a prisoner of my own mind

© Music: Jerome Faulkner-Jarrett Lesko (5/84)
Melody: Jarrett Lesko-Jessie Jacobson (6/84)
Lyrics: Jessie Jacobson (7/84)

Toni Zeto: Lead Vocal
Jessie Jacobson: Guitars, Lead Vocal
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson.
Recorded on Fostex 8-track reel-to-reel,
March 7-13, 1986 (Version 2).

2. Love In The Realm Of The Senses (Demo)

Love's the voices in your head
Leaving nothing left unsaid
Doesn't matter what they say
You're not listening anyway

Love in the realm of the senses

Love's the mirror in your eyes
Its reflections hypnotize
You'll see what you want to see
You'll see someone but it's not me

Love in the realm of the senses

The realm of the senses
Is your private domain
Life's just present tenses
Till you leave me alone again
In the realm of the senses

Love's your perfume in the air
The scent of heaven in your hair
Intoxicating, the taste so sweet
I lose my head each time we meet
Sensations on my skin
Touch my hand, the fits begin
I try to hold on, tighten my grip
But through my fingers this love will slip

Love in the realm of the senses

Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals, Percussion
Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Clarinet
+ Julie Dancz: Additional Keyboard Sequencing

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Foster 8-track,
March 7-13, 1986 (Version 2).

3. The Fire (Demo)

The fire burns sweetly, my child
The fire burns sweetly, my child
The fire burns sweetly, my child
In service until it runs wild

We're walking down an endless road
In darkness, and it's getting cold
We're waiting for the future to unfold
All looking for someone to hold

The fire will flicker and spark
Enticing alone in the dark

We're walking down an endless road
In darkness, and it's getting cold
We're waiting for the future to unfold
All looking for someone to

Tell us that we're right for the right reasons
Show us that we've come so very far
Help us see beyond the passing of the seasons
Let us know exactly who we are

The fire leaves nothing behind
No visions, no sight for the blind

We're walking down an endless road
In darkness and it's getting cold
We're waiting for the future to explode
All looking for someone to hold

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Clarinet
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
April 18-May 1986.

4. Under The Flame (1986 Version) (Demo)

Time has come

She said the time has come, reason sleeps
I know that this time we play for keeps
To court disaster yet still be sure
To take the poison and know no cure
The time has come

She said the time has come to take your name
To seal the kiss like wax under the flame
To scale the heights of lovers’ leap
To cross the river that runs so deep

Time has come
For tempting fate
Against all odds
To beat the devil
To taunt the gods

Time has come

© Music: Chris Hutchinson-Jessie Jacobson (11/81)
Lyrics, Melody: Jessie Jacobson (12/81)

Toni Zeto: Lead Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums
+ Julie Dancz: Additional Keyboard Programming

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
May-June 1986.

 5. Out Of The Spotlight (Demo)

Ebb and flow, give and take. this for that
It’s touch and go, make or break
Like a weak-kneed acrobat
We’re slipping through the cracks
As they turn their backs

So we brave the high wire with no net
Each a slave to desire, strung out like a marionette
Each string so tightly knit, a spider’s web
A noose of idle threads

Out of touch
Out of sight
Out of love
Out of the spotlight

Glass and steel, pen and ink
Pushpins and paper clips
They don’t feel, they don’t think
The ventriloquist’s words on their lips
Each promise a charade, a shadow play
Each mime falls on deaf ears

Out of touch
Out of sight
Out of love
Out of the spotlight

Kept in the dark
Out in the cold
Buried deep
In the underground

We will dance on command to the whip
In the organ grinder’s hand as he tightens his sweaty grip
Dance like monkeys
We’re led around by the leash
We’re left chasing our own tails

Out of touch
Out of sight
Out of love
Out of the spotlight

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on TEAC 4-track,
October-November 1985.

 6. The Call (Demo)

Tighter than right, quicker than sand
Holding you now, I can’t tell you
Your giving touch, I’m hiding much
We’re just stoking the fire

I’m going to shake, I’m going to bleed
I’m going to crawl on my knees
‘Cause I can’t run till I can walk
I feel the road bend as we talk

Just hold me now, and in your dreams
Let it be me that you’re loving
I will be strong, forget the wrong
I’ve felt the pain of living
You remain in my mind
Though we both built this wall
Still I’m seeking to find
Are you answering the call?

I stumble, I fall, I crumble, I crawl
If you cushion this fall
I’m going to get back on my feet
I’ve got the power to survive
And the will to stay alive

We’re going to make this world, a better place to be
We’re going to make this world a better place to be
We’re going to make this world.
Are you answering the call?
We’re going to make this world, a better place to be
Are you answering the call?
Are you answering the call? Make this world
Are you answering the call?
Are you answering the call?

Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
March 7-13, 1986.

7. No Flight Of Fancy (Demo)

Eyes closed
The bloodless moon dangling
Sleep warms
Through the chill of night rains
But comfort’s somehow softly strangling
A shadowed form sheltered by dreams
By dreams

Silence cloaks the world on the outside
Inside all hell’s breaking loose
In violence
Daydreams give way to nightmares
As despair does its best to seduce
To seduce
To seduce

No flight of fancy

We saw morning sun burning
Ice cold ran the blood in our veins
A slow thaw
Feelings started returning
As memories tear us apart at the seams
At the seams
At the seams

No flight of fancy

My eyes may open each morning
But my eyes never really see
Waking, dreaming
Never a warning
I would be my own worst enemy
Enemy
Enemy

No flight of fancy

Toni Zeto: Lead Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Backing & Lead Vocals, Guitars
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on TEAC 4-track,
October-November 1985.

8. Mask (Demo)

You were driving me crazy
Living in dreams
You were driving me crazy
Thinking I’ve got a scheme

I was caught in the daytime
Never finding the sun
I was lost in the meaning
Finding right, finding wrong

Take off your mask
It’s just you
It’s just me

If I could do anything
And make it come true
I’d have you believe me
Like I believe you

Can’t you look in my eyes
Can’t you see that it’s true
You run and you hide
What am I meant to do

Take off your mask
It’s just you, it’s just me

My thoughts are more sincere
Than you’ve ever known
Though we’re both afraid of love
I won’t let go

I don’t see any reason
To run from your heart
I don’t see any reason
To make love in the dark

Stop denying your being
You belong to this earth
You have to know that I love you
Don’t you treasure its worth

Take off your mask
It’s just you, it’s just me

Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Guitars, Backing Vocals
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
Recorded March 7-13, 1986.

9. Idle Hands (Demo)

Nervous fingers, poison ink
Faceless snipers in the stands

Idle hands, idle hands

Pen is envy, vain and soft
Overloaded, undermanned

Idle hands, idle hands

Their watches run backwards
They miss every sign
But they always deliver
They're paid by the line
They've all seen the future
They'll rant and they'll rave
But they're always riding the crest of the wave

Nest of vipers spit venom on command
Skins shed in shadow, heads in the sand

Idle hands, idle hands

See the mighty brought down by the meek
Those who can do, those who can't, critique

Idle hands, idle hands

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocal, Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead Vocal
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
April 18-May 1986.

10. Listen!

You're refusing again to listen
You close your eyes so you don't have to see
You're refusing again to listen
You close your eyes

You're shouting out your existence
You're ordering me how to be
You're tearing apart my resistance

You're refusing again to listen
You close your eyes so you don't have to see
You're refusing again to listen
You close your eyes

©1984-1999 - Melody & Lyrics: Toni Zeto
Music: Jessie Jacobson-Toni Zeto-
Brian Bielski-Jarrett Lesko

Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals (samples from One Of Them, 1984 & Heaven's Gate, 1991)
Jessie Jacobson: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Loops,
Drum Programming
Jarrett Lesko: Slide Guitar
Brian Bielski: Drums, Drum Programming
Chris Fudurich: Drum Treatment

Produced by Jessie Jacobson & Toni Zeto.
Recorded 1984-1999, assembled from multiple sources.

11. Time Has Come

Time has come
As reason sleeps
We invent our own rules
And play for keeps

Time has come

Time has come
It can't stay the same
We'll seal the kiss like wax
Under the flame

To court disaster yet still be sure
For tempting fate against all odds
To take the poison and know no cure
To beat the devil, taunt the gods

Time has come

"The time has come the walrus said
To speak of many things
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and kings"

It's a slow burn
A cruel turn

Time has come

To brave the heights of lover's leap
Give up the ghost without a fight
To cross the current that runs so deep
To sacrifice forever for one night

It’s too soon, it’s too late
The time has come

© Lyrics and Melody by Jessie Jacobson (1995 + 1981)
Jabberwocky quote by Lewis Carroll.
Music: Sam Graf-Jarrett Lesko-Jessie Jacobson-
Brian Bielski-Katriina Huotari

Brian Bielski: Drums & Percussion
Sam Graf: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Katriina Huotari: Keyboards
Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass

Produced by Michael James and Jessie Jacobson.
Engineered by Chris Fudurich, Michael James
and Jessie Jacobson.
Mixed by Michael James.
Recorded on 24-track digital, 1994.
Outtake from the WrongSpeak sessions.

12. Not Your Own Man (Demo)

You were a very lovely baby
An angel in the crib
A silver spoon to succor
No poor relations trickled down your bib

With your sunny disposition
You’re the fairest weather friend
It never rains on your parade
You’ll always be left standing in the end

You’re not your own man, you’re not your own man
You’re not your own man...never were

It’s an out of body lifestyle
A second hand world view
A twice-removed reflection
I’m not too sure whose eyes you’re seeing through

You’re not your own man, you’re not your own man
You’re not your own man

And in your darkest hour
Just switch the night light on
Your friend is always there for you
In reflective glory until the dawn

You glad-hand and you strong-arm
You shake until it hurts
The world’s your slice of birthright cake
For us, pie in the sky’s our just desserts

You’re not your own man, you’re not your own man
You’re not your own man...

You’re not your own man, you’re not your own man
You’re not your own man...never will be

Jessie Jacobson: Vocals, Guitars, Bass,
Drum Programming
Freida Woody: Backing Vocal

Produced by Jessie Jacobson.
Recorded on AKAI analog 12-track 1991.

13. Land Of The Living (Demo)

Waves of sound
Waves of motion
I cast off the anchors
And drifted out into the night
I was bound
By some foolish notion
Lashed to the mast
Cast adrift on a sea of emotion
Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

On solid ground
Across the ocean
Never thought that the song of the siren
Would lead me astray
Like some magical potion
As I found that its sad orchestration
Could lure me away
Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

Waves of sound
Waves of motion
I cast off the anchors
And drifted out into the night

Like some foolish notion
Lashed to the mast
Cast adrift on a sea of emotion

Welcome back
It's time for forgiving
Land of the living
We're in the land of the living

© Jessie Jacobson
Music: May 1985
Lyrics: May-November 1985
Note: demo version features different lyrics and an intro/bridge composed by Jerome Faulkner (August 1985) that was later dropped for the studio versions.

Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Toni Zeto: Backing & Ethereal Vocals
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums
+ DMX drum machine

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on TEAC 4-track recorder October-November 1985.

14. Rapture (Capture Me) (Demo)

Reached the end of the line
Heard no welcome, saw no sign
Head in my hands, cried like a baby
The cutting edge had left its scars
Long ago it seemed so simple
My faith shone like the stars

Rapture, capture me

Oncoming light as in a dream
Life in slow motion, I slipped upstream
But it felt so incomplete
As my heart beat a dull retreat

Rapture, capture me

How in heaven will we know
When to let these hidden feelings show
Lost in love's reflected glow
How in heaven

Had a laugh poised on the brink
What choice was this to swim or sink
Sometimes life's a bitter pill
But if you'll love me, I’ll find the will
I will

Rapture, capture me

© Jessie Jacobson
Music: December 4+25, 1985
Lyrics, Melody: December 1983 & December 26, 1985

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars
Toni Zeto : Lead Vocals
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Harmonica
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion

Produced Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
March 7-13, 1986.

15. The Game (Demo)

Said hello
Thought goodbye
I did not know
And I wondered why

All these things stay the same
We pull these strings
Play the game again
Play the game

When I said I do
Somehow meant I don’t
When I say I will
We both know I won’t

All these things stay the same
We pull these strings
Play the game again
Play the game

Said goodbye
As my mind screamed stay
But these lips they lie
And you’ve gone away

All these things stay the same
We pull these strings
Play the game again

© Music: Jarrett Lesko-Brian Bielski-Jessie Jacobson-Jerome Faulkner (February 18, 1986)
Lyrics & Melody: Jessie Jacobson (March 20, 1986)

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocal, Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead & Ethereal Vocals
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
April 18 + May 1986.

16. Love’s Not Lost  (Demo)

When the madmen come to their senses
When true heroes lay down their arms
Under sheltering skies
Silver lining, cold grey clouds disguise

When the preachers loosen their collars
When the righteous let down their hair
Flowing into the light
Certain, knowing
Nobody's wrong, nobody's right

Love's not lost, only hiding
Lurking just out of sight
Love's not lost, only hiding
Hiding in the night

When four billion hearts race in rhythm
When all eyes are focused as one
Holding each other's stares
Silent, knowing somewhere somebody cares

Love's not lost, only hiding
Lurking just out of sight
Love's not lost, only hiding
Hiding in the night

Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocal, Guitars
Toni Zeto: Lead Vocal
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Backing Vocal
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track,
April 18 - May 1986.

17. Say It (Demo)

We choose to be forgiving
To bend or let it break
One more choice

Say it, say it
Live it and breathe it
Say it, save me
Join the pieces
Bit by bit

We want to be loving
Yet lock all our doors
One more choice

Say it, say it
Live it and breathe it
Say it, save me
Join the pieces
Bit by bit

We make a show at caring
Yet turn our eyes within
One more chance

Say it, say it
Live it and breathe it
Say it, save me
Join the pieces
Bit by bit

©1986
Music: Jarrett Lesko
Lyrics: Jessie Jacobson-Toni Zeto
Melody: Jarrett Lesko-Jessie Jacobson
Note: demo version features different lyrics later replaced for the studio version.

Toni Zeto: Lead Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion

Produced by Jessie Jacobson and Jarrett Lesko.
Recorded on Fostex 8-track January-March 1987.

18. State Of Mind (Demo)

You almost didn’t come in time
You almost didn’t raise the blind
You almost left me in the dark
But almost is a state of mind
State of mind

We almost lost our masterpiece
We almost left the work unsigned
We almost left an empty canvas
But almost is a state of mind
State of mind

Without a moment’s hesitation
Strip off the uncertainty
It’s off the deep end
To be free

I almost stripped the threads of fortune
I almost let this coil unwind
I almost crossed the wires of circumstance
But almost is a state of mind
State of mind

© Music: Jessie Jacobson-Jarrett Lesko-Brian Bielski (12/10/86 + 1/12/87)
Lyrics & Melody: Jessie Jacobson (12/10/86 + 1/12/87)

Toni Zeto: Lead Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboard
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Backing Vocal
Brian Bielski: Drums, Percussion

Produced by Jessie Jacobson and Jarrett Lesko.
Recorded on Fostex 8-track January-March 1987.

19. Mask (Alternate Refrain Demo Excerpt)

© Lyrics & Melody: Toni Zeto (1982)
Music: Toni Zeto (1982) & Jessie Jacobson (11/25/85)

Toni Zeto: Lead & Backing Vocals
Jessie Jacobson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars
Jerome Faulkner: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Jarrett Lesko: Bass
Brian Bielski: Drums

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on Fostex 8-track.
Recorded March 7-13, 1986 + 1987 (vocals).

20. I Spy The Lie (Demo Excerpt)

© Jessie Jacobson (April 1983)

Jessie Jacobson: Guitar
Toni Zeto: N/A
Jerome Faulkner: Clarinet
Jarrett Lesko: Bass, Talking
Brian Bielski: Drums (or lack of same), Talking

Produced by Jessie Jacobson on TEAC 4-track recorder October-November 1985.

21. The Game (Outro Excerpt)

(See credits for CD 1, track 2)

This double album features 40 vintage recordings from 1985-1994 produced by Tony Berg, Frank Wolf, Michael James, Jessie Jacobson, Ken Jordan, Richie Owens, Jarrett Lesko & Second Language, remastered and released for the first time in 2024.

Available for downloads, streaming and on 2-disc CD in 2024.

Learn more about the history of Second Language

Lyrics - “Shadow Across The Moon”

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