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New tunes for old friends

The upcoming EP is slowly trickling into existence, one track at a time...

The newest song, Smoke Signals, is perfect for a mellow night, sitting by the campfire. Just what you need to make this long weekend great. Also recently released is Metropolis, an anthem for the hustle and bustle of the city. Perfect for when you're stuck in traffic on the 401, trying to get to cottage country!

Good news: you can download both of them right here. You're welcome.

(Smoke Signals coming shortly!)

Have a worry-free long weekend,

Sam

PS: If you haven't seen it yet, check out Sam's Soapbox #8. I talk about the census and libertarianism and such.

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We'll salute you, dilute you, then mute you.

A summer videoblog! I'm so excited! No, it's not about the G20. I wouldn't know where to start.

Our dear old Queen came to visit last week, so I spent some time thinking about the monarchy. How it shaped our politics, how it affects us as citizens, and what influence it still has. Here are my thoughts, summed up by a new song at the end of the video! :)

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New sights, new sounds... do I hear an EP in the works?

So it's been a couple weeks since I moved into the big city... I've been overwhelmed by the new sights and sounds, which inspired me to finally record a new song! It's been a while, but now you can head over to my Bandcamp page and download "Asylum". It's pretty rockin'.

Yes, that's right. It's a free download! What's more, it's licenced under Creative Commons so you can share, remix, and distribute (but not sell) to your heart's content!

The best way to tell your friends is to just give them the website URL (http://samnabi.bandcamp.com/track/asylum).

This track is part of a larger project that I hope to complete before August. I'm going to be moving around a lot over the next couple years, so I thought it'd be cool to create a sort of musical scrapbook for every new city that I live in. Over the next two months, I'll be exploring this city, writing new songs, and recording them. Eventually, I'll have an EP that captures my impression of this city. To keep up to date on the project, follow me on Facebook or Twitter. If you want to be the first to receive new freebies and extra awesomeness, subscribe to the mailing list!

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Concert Videos

Photos

Lyrics

Chance of Rain (2009)

• 1. Daylight

  These washed-out greys and blues
  Become the dreariest of hues
  When I look up at the constant rain
  It paints the landscape one again
  The windswept city heaves a sigh
  At all the rain clouds passing by
  And thunderclaps in all the peoples’ minds
  Eclipse the hope of better times, better times
  
  All this rain, this dreary atmosphere
  It calls my name, I want some daylight here
  All this rain, this dreary atmosphere
  It calls my name, I want some daylight here
  
  These washed-out greys and blues
  Become the dreariest of hues
  And all the colours seem to wash away
  And all emotion falters, like today
  The jaded poet heaves a sigh
  At all the dreary people passing by
  As thoughts of inspiration crowd his mind
  But then are all extinguished by the time
  

• 2. Convicts

  For a good man
  One might possibly give his life
  To be remembered in the end
  For a villain
  One might possibly give a damn
  Depending on the circumstance
  
  We are all convicts
  Numbers without names
  Those who have seen the light
  Can see the balls and chains
  But there is a power
  Beyond these concrete walls
  A higher purpose
  To anyone who calls
  
  In a moment
  I might possibly have the strength
  To call out once again
  To the poet
  Who might possibly give an ear
  If I stop with my demands
  
  To anyone who calls
  We are the ones who initiate the fall
  We are the ones who call beyond these walls
  And I know that there is hope for all
  
  When the shackles
  One might possibly have endured
  Are broken and forgotten
  Love resembles
  Quite possibly all the things
  That we had never thought could exist
  

• 3. The City of Lovers and Friends

  The city is a minefield
  People swallowed up behind the wheel
  Tearing up the urban fabric
  As evidenced by cracks in the pavement
  
  Gridlock is warfare
  Fierce competition against the enemy
  Each one, the sole commander 
  Of a lumbering, gas-guzzling SUV
  
  Oh-oh, oh, ooh oh oh oh oh
  Oh-oh, oh, ooh oh oh oooh
  Oh-oh, oh, ooh oh oh oh oh
  Oh-oh, oh, ooh oh oh oooh
  
  Pedestrian casualties abound
  Every day, fewer are seen
  As they slowly die away
  Disappearing in a puff of gasoline
  
  Forget the damned motor-car
  And build the city for lovers and friends
  

• 4. Here Life Comes

  One week to go and I don’t know if I can
  Take the torch alone, on my own
  One more goodbye and I will have to leave
  Before I start to cry, this is goodbye
  
  I’m undecided, I don’t know where to run
  But ready or not, here life comes, here life comes
  
  I am running round in circles
  Under water, over hurdles
  I did not want to leave my life behind
  But I can’t reverse time
  I am standing at the threshold
  Waiting for my life to unfold
  I will never know if I am
  Ready or not, so here life comes
  
  Let’s play charades so I won’t have to say
  I’m gonna miss this place, let’s pay charades
  I’m leaving town with one hand holding on
  The other in the air, yeah, you take care
  
  I’m at the starting gate, ready to run
  Because ready or not, here life comes, here life comes
  

• 5. Things We'll Never Need

  We live in excess of the things we’ll never need
  And we will regret this when the world falls to its knees
  We are the poorest when it comes to sympathy
  ‘Cause we live in excess of the things we’ll never need
  
  Not everybody wants the good life
  What’s the good life anyway?
  Settle down and find a good wife
  House and job with lots of pay
  Automatic tinted windows
  On the Cadillac you drive
  Who’s to say you’re at your best
  If you need these things to keep your ego high?
  
  You’ve put razor wire on the chain link fence
  You built around your heart
  Bulletproof glass to keep you safe
  And keep you in the dark
  You don’t trust no one
  You’re a self-made man, oh yes you are
  It’s too bad you didn’t make yourself
  With an ounce of compassion
  
  News flash on the radio
  As you step in your car
  Category five just hit
  The southern tip of Myanmar
  But it makes no difference
  Traffic’s blocked and all you see is red
  It’s too bad you didn’t make yourself
  With an ounce of compassion
  
  Evacuate, we’re running out of time so hurry up
  It’s not too late to gather up your things before the flood
  Another day, just waiting for some other help to come
  It’s not the same when all that you can do is turn and run
  
  Please excuse my ignorance, but how
  Can a world get through the challenges now?
  Please excuse my ignorance, but why
  Does the world just stand and pass them by?
  

• 6. Staring Contest

  It’s rude to stare, I know
  But I can’t back down now
  Our eyes are locked
  In a struggle between pride and privacy
  I can’t take much more of this
  You’ve caught me off my guard
  It’s not that fair
  Oh look, made you look, I win
  
  I want to look away, want to look away but why can’t I?
  I want to look away, maybe I’ll wait till you pass me by
  
  Don’t stop, keep walking, just turn your head away
  I don’t want to be the one to break this, one to break this
  One to break this
  
  It’s quite a childish game
  To play with children in the street
  A pair of eyes
  That you seem convinced to conquer
  I can’t take much more of this
  You’ve caught me off my guard
  It’s not that fair
  Oh look, made you look, I win
  

• 7. Absolutely Crazy

  Oh, I’m absolutely crazy
  About you, well I mean it’s
  Two AM and I am
  Staying up to write because I cannot fall asleep tonight
  Too much, too fast
  Flirting with danger every time
  Hold me close again
  I want to feel the rhythm of your heart beating against mine
  
  I’ve done this waltz before
  Played this game of cat-and-mouse
  I just feel like I should
  Take a stand and tell you I’m a starry-eyed lovestruck fool
  
  I, I have something, something to tell you
  You’re my, my best friend, I would not want to
  Leave behind our friendship in the name of romance
  But it’s tearing me up, I’m falling in love, I’m absolutely crazy
  
  Oh, I’m absolutely crazy 
  About you, well I mean we’re
  Holding hands and I am
  Ten feet in the air, you know I love it when you take me there
  Best friend, more than?
  Flirting with you is a struggle
  I’m afraid, I must say
  Of shattering the “I can talk to you about anything”
  

• 8. A Day in the Life

  Yesterday seemed so nice now that we’re under siege
  I hear the dripping rain and the screaming bombs disturbing the peace
  The man across the street is hanging his shirts in the breeze
  Just another day in the life of the Middle East
  
  They say we don’t belong here, and I’m wondering
  Where I can go that I wouldn’t be seen
  And I don’t understand why they can’t use their words
  Just another day living life at the very worst
  
  So don’t send your infantry
  It won’t mend the tragedy
  Just pray we realize
  That we shouldn’t have to keep living a day in the life
  
  Don’t spend your time with me
  It won’t mend the tragedy
  Just pray we realize
  That we shouldn’t have to keep living a day in the life
  

• 9. Paris 1793

  A price is on his head and they come
  Running toward with burning torches
  And eyes, eyes that see
  In disguise, eyes
  
  The fires shine like desert sun on
  Bridges that burned, and everyone
  Is surprised, all our lives
  Paradise is here
  
  Long live the free republic, people sing
  In the rain, and
  Citizen, now how do you do?
  I’m quite alright now thanks to you
  And I, I’m happy to be alive
  
  A price is in the beds as people sleep
  And catch disease
  In the night, fever’s high
  A battle cry tonight
  
  You want a revolution, here it is
  On the streets, the city weeps
  As the sword takes control
  Now you know
  

• 10. Ode to a Security Camera

  Hey you, yeah you, yes I’m talking to you
  I can see you keeping tabs on me from around the corner
  And you are so disciplined in what you do
  I wonder what it’s like to be a security camera
  
  I bet you get awful lonely watching everyone go by
  Without a chance to look them in the eye
  It’s not your fault, you’re misunderstood
  Like everybody else that we don’t take the time to get to know well
  
  You’re just a lonely heart like
  Anyone who needs compassion
  I’ll try my best to smile and wave
  If it’ll make you feel alright
  
  Feel alright by the exit light
  Feel alright on and through the night
  

Sam Nabi (2007)

• 1. A Simple Song For The Selfish

  So I think it's time for a simple song
  Straight from the heart
  Just some words that rhyme, it shouldn't be too long
  Yeah, that's where I'll start
  
  'Cause everything around me seems to constantly degrade
  I can't live without saying something that'll make it change
  What's with all these people that are living in the moment
  I see that what you're doing is a major component
  
  Of the breakdown of society
  It's just our selfish nature saying 'to hell with community'
  Take down individuality
  'Cause living your life really shouldn't be
  All about me
  
  The information age hasn't helped at all
  It's torn us apart
  The products of laziness and urban sprawl
  It's a detriment to art
  
  I listen to my iPod almost every single day
  Then sit at the computer, posting comments on MySpace
  Download a few songs and watch a pirate DVD
  In the comfort of my bedroom that I never leave
  

• 2. Rise

  Oh, let's get away
  To my island, I found it today
  Come, jump in the canoe
  We'll have a good time, just me and you
  I see it up ahead  
  Past the horizon, beyond the riverbed
  Take a look out behind
  The lives we once led have done their time
  
  Rise
  Up to my island, where my inspiration lies
  Rise
  Out of the stagnancy of our mundane lives
  
  Yes, let's build a wall
  To block the sunset, so we won't see it fall
  Look to the other side
  And wait till morning so we can see it rise
  
  All we'd ever need
  Is right here with us, now ain't that sweet
  All alone out on the sea
  Ain't such a bad thing when it's just you and me
  

• 3. On My Own

  The emptiness surrounds me
  It’s hard to keep my calm
  An army of illusions
  Waits till I become
  So intoxicated
  With a poisoned tongue
  They’re waiting for the moment
  To detonate the bomb
  
  This army has won
  I’ll only be a memory
  After this is done
  Till I can fight back on my own
  
  It’s not what I expected
  There’s nothing here at all
  Superficial kinds of things
  I’d rather not recall
  With them or without them
  Either way I fall
  I’m hanging on to substance
  Although I know it’s wrong
  
  This army has crawled
  Under my skin, so deep within
  But not for long
  Because I won’t fight back on my own
  
  So get out, get out
  Get out of my head
  
  The quietness surrounds me
  I’ve never been so calm
  The army of illusions 
  Has disappeared and gone
  

• 4. Push

  She's depressed and all alone
  Got no friends at school, and it's not much better at home
  She's crying out to You
  Just relies in God, and asks 'What would Jesus do?'
  
  Just push, it'll all work out
  Just push, without a shadow of doubt
  Just push, you're gonna make it through
  Even if eventually you'll need someone to push for you
  Can you hear me now?
  Just push, yeah it'll all work out
  Just push, and keep your faith alive
  Even in the face of all that makes you want to lose the fight
  
  She likes to stay home by the pool
  'Cause going out means being judged and ridiculed
  Looking up at clouds and airplanes in the sky
  Helps to comfort her, and take off her disguise
  
  Push, have you got the will
  To push, stop standing still
  Just push, you'll make it in the end
  Even if you need to pick yourself up and start again
  Are you serious?
  Just push, you're gonna get through this
  Just push, you know the end is near
  Step into the light and surrender all of your fear
  
  Won't somebody show a little love?
  Won't anybody show a little love?
  Won't somebody open up and show a little love?
  Won't somebody show a little love?
  
  She faces challenges of faith
  Attacks from enemies she knows she should embrace
  Well it's not easy when everyone's laughing
  So take a deep breath and just pray till something happens
  

• 5. Never Stop

  A little slice of paradise would be nice
  Summer nights, I'll roll the dice once or twice
  And if, enticed, I fall to vice by your eyes
  I'll pay the price with bitter lies and goodbyes
  
  Look at the sky, the northern lights are so bright
  You and I are side by side and it's alright
  One of these times I'll get it right if I try
  Try to rise out of the lies and goodbyes
  
  Never stop moving, never drop or lose your faith
  When everyone's abandoned you, know that I'm standing true
  To put a smile on your face
  Never stop moving, never drop or lose your pace
  I like you just the way you are, I'll never be too far
  To pull you back in the race
  
  I'm satisfied, no bitter lies or goodbyes
  I paid the price, and now I find I'm alright
  It's paradise, but so unlike the last time
  No more vices punctuating my life
  
  Distraught and dejected, with no courage left
  You put your head on my shoulder and you wept and you wept
  If there's anything that I can get through to you
  Don't lose heart, don't lose heart
  
  Because I like it that way...
  

• 6. Roads

  I'm sitting on the side road
  Don't really have any place to go
  I'm thinking that I'll stay here and set up camp tonight
  Traveling is harder
  When you're walking down the narrower road
  Suprises waiting just beyond your line of sight
  
  Roads are everywhere
  Winding 'round in circles
  One path will take you there
  Binding you to one goal
  Finding your one-way road
  Ain't hard, but you've all been told
  That it's harder to believe
  That you'll stay with it
  
  Unexpected changes
  In the landscape of my spiritual life
  Mirror tribulations that I'll have to fight
  My shoes are wearing thin now
  But I'm nowhere near the end of the road
  I guess it's true what they say, all things have a price
  
  Na na na na na na na na na ...
  
  Over in the distance
  The city gives and emerald glow
  And looks as if it's calling me to come on home
  But in between, the darkness
  Uncertainty and probable death
  Valleys and disaster suck out all the hope
  

• 7. Sing Along

  It doesn't matter
  Exactly what I say here
  Because the words that I just said
  Flew right up over your head
  Try to focus
  Try to look beyond the rhyme
  Although I know it's easy
  Just to clap your hands in time
  
  Here it goes, here it goes
  This is the part you will remember
  Because the backbeat is going strong
  And everybody sings along
  
  Throw your hands up
  As the band begins to play
  At least soak in the music 
  As the meaning starts to fade
  Crank the volume
  Feel the bass begin to pound
  Oblivious to everything
  But that incessant sound
  
  Sing along...
  Sing along...
  The more you sing along the less you think about the song
  The less you start to think the more the crowd begins to
  Sing along
  

• 8. Expectant, At The Railway Station

  What a pleasant change
  I'm standing in the rain here
  Waiting for my train to come
  I know that this is strange
  But my life's been rearranged now
  I've taken what I've claimed and run
  Shuffling my feet
  I'm trying to retain heat
  As I glance up and I read the sign
  A couple minutes late
  But I'm willing to wait here
  As long as it'll take to arrive
  
  This isn't a protest
  This ain't a revolution
  It's just a selfish act of faith
  To prove to you that I'm okay
  This ain't a protest
  This ain't a revoluton
  I guess I'd best be on my way
  Before I lead myself astray
  
  I'm looking down the track
  The train is rolling in fast
  And everyone gets on their feet
  There's nowhere to sit down
  So I guess I'll stand around
  And try to get a window seat
  What a pretty sight
  I'm looking through the night
  And the scenery is white as snow
  Strengthened by the light
  But someday I just might be
  Strong enough to fight on my own
  
  I'm leaving all behind
  Nothing I say can change my mind
  I'm leaving it all behind
  Leaving it all behind...
  
  Nothing they say will ever make me change
  I'm half crazy throwing it all away
  Forget my sense and reason
  I'm thinking this is treason
  But in my mind, I know I'm fine
  And it's all gonna be okay
  

• 9. My Gethsemane

  This place we've found
  This place is a part of me
  This place we've found
  It's my Gethsemane
  This place we've found
  This place is the heart of me
  This place we've found
  It's my Gethsemane
  
  What happens when yesterday is over?
  Hearts are getting colder
  And what happens now, as we're getting older
  The world's upon our shoulders
  
  You gotta go hard or you gotta go home
  Let His praises be known
  And the grace we've found goes something like this
  Protection from all evil that exists
  Go hard or go home
  
  My Gethsemane's there, showing me somebody cares
  My Gethsemane's strong, it's my will to hang on
  My proverbial tent, it's my hope when I'm spent
  I'll live and I'll die but I'll never forget
  
  Father, I'm your son
  Without you I am numb
  I need you, I need you
  To sustain me through this
  What's done can't be undone
  But I'm forever on the run
  I need you, I need you
  My Gethsemane proves this
  

• 10. Reality Check

  So call me primitive
  Call me juvenile
  Just because I've got my head in the clouds
  Doesn't mean my feet aren't still on the ground
  You see, you're limited
  Why don't you stay awhile?
  We could talk about dreams
  And read between the lines
  
  It's because I've chosen not to choose
  It's because I've chosen to refuse
  Your advice, I don't need to get
  My reality checked
  
  You think I'm out of line
  You think I'm out to lunch
  Just because you've got your head in the sand
  Doesn't mean you can't try looking ahead
  You've got a narrow mind
  It doesn't help you much
  Well, I don't know if you dream
  But who am I to judge?
  
  I don’t need to get my reality checked
  I don’t need to get my reality checked
  I don’t need to get my reality checked
  Open your mind; you’ll be surprised with what you find inside
  

• 11. Broadway Musicals

  You make me feel like a Broadway musical
  Hit the lights, take a seat for an hour or so
  Sit back, enjoy the show
  You keep it real like the Broadway musicals
  Every night, take a seat by the orchestra band
  We'll watch it all again
  
  Somehow, I feel it now
  A rush from within
  Fill my heart with happy thoughts
  A heart made of tin
  
  Broadway musicals, I have found
  Have a way of brightening the mood
  Broadway musicals, I have found
  Have a way of making me think of you
  
  I saw you walking down that Broadway Avenue
  After dark, not a care in the world on your face
  You just lit up the place
  You're radiating all your Broadway happiness
  Everywhere, and my heart skips a beat when you're near
  I hope I made it clear
  

• 12. A Place Called Solina

  My life is flashing before my eyes
  Or maybe it's just the neon lights
  Of this high velocity urban life
  
  I don't know what I've been doing wrong
  We haven't talked in far too long
  If I get away, will you come along?
  
  In a place called Solina
  Yeah, that's where I want to stay
  Just a run-down hick town
  Every time you turn around
  The neighbours smile and wave
  
  I can't relax in this atmosphere
  I need to get myself out of here
  Cause my prayers and questions nobody hears
  
  I hear your voice and I touch your face
  There's something special about this place
  Such a calm that cities cannot replace
  

All lyrics © Sam Nabi. All rights reserved.

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With a delicate voice remnant of an early Ben Harper, Sam Nabi creates more than a haven of well-written tunes. He transforms you into his atmosphere, and before you've realized it, you've been listening for over an hour.

- ECHO Weekly, 10-16 December 2009