Briefly Cruel

Like she's in some foreign war zone
don't know who's the allies
Like she's in some foreign war zone
don't know who's the allies
she just point her gun 'n shootin'
everyone with different eyes.

Sometimes you look right through me honey
and I know it's not me you're out to get
Sometimes you look right through me honey
and I know it's not me you're out to get
you're after all those big bad bogeymen
that treated you like shit

I'm tired of pretending you're pretty darling
tired of smiling when I feel mean
I'm tired of pretending you're pretty darling
tired of smiling when I feel mean
you got a thing about you
bring me the lowest down I've ever been

When you act like a bad 'un
It's your father, your boyfriend , or your PMS
When you act like a bad 'un
It's your father, your boyfriend , or your PMS
and when I act like a bad 'un
well, it's just cause I'm a jerk I guess

When love is just a code word
for some kind of set of rules
When love is just a code word
for some kind of set of rules
Sometimes the only way out is to be briefly cruel
Sometimes the only way out is to be briefly cruel
Sometimes the only way out is to be briefly cruel

Mark's Notes:

Whenever one tries ones hand at an angry song, it's surprising how easily the emotions flow!. There's a tendency to want to soften it all afterwards. A temptation I resisted in this case. With Briefly Cruel the lyrics came first. They were written in 1997 while I was painting at Lycian Stage Lighting in Sugar Loaf, New York. Initially I had put a rock 'n roll tune to it but never really got around to performing it. It never felt like a 'set' song.

Later in 2004 I acquired a two CD set containing some 40 Robert Johnson songs and I delved into the blues for a spell. Since I'm more of a writer than a cover-tune type of guy I began to write songs in that particular vein. Somewhere, around this time period I began to make a cassette tape for Doc consisting of a collection of newer songs. I had toyed with the idea of putting the lyrics of Briefly Cruel to the blues but never got around to it. So with Doc's tape I just launched right into it. It was a totally improvised version right off the cuff. Doc and Peggy decided to put it on the CD. I'm glad because all songs deserve to see the light of day.

I am aware now, however that absolutely every woman that I have ever been involved with, upon hearing this tune will think it's about her. And of course, in a way it is.....