If The Supper Club was a love letter to Song Fight!, this one’s a Dear John.

In 2024, Song Fight! Live finally came back as an in-person event, after several years away due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When I arrived in Denver, though, I felt like I was only there out of obligation, and over the course of the next few days I felt like maybe I was done with Song Fight! for so many reasons. The community was a great way for me to get started as a songwriter, but it was starting to feel like I needed to pull back a bit and not be so emotionally-invested in it.

Over the next few days I had several good conversations with close friends in the community. They didn’t make me feel much better about Song Fight! itself (and in fact helped me to put words to some of the specific things I was feeling particularly bad about), but they did make me feel better about thinking it was time for me to move on.

I so was burned out and so frustrated at this thing that had been so important to me for so long, over half of my life at this point. The other music I’d been doing – small solo performances and scoring for video games and short films – was making me much happier than this ongoing thing, this community that used to bring me such joy.

So for the live fight title of “Valley Highway,” I decided to write a swan song.

But being up on stage, performing with friends, getting the reactions from folks about how much I’ve grown over the years and how much better we’ve all become for having participated in this ridiculous thing for so long? I started to feel a lot better.

I’m still not sure I want to be quite so involved in Song Fight! anymore, but at least I feel good about the time I’ve spent with it, and it’ll probably always be there for me when I need it.

Song Fight! has been so important to me, but it’s okay to move on.

Lyrics: Valley Highway

It is time for me to go Down this newly open road I am grateful for how I have Had some of the best times of my life

Looking to the setting sun Looking out for number one Half a life is better than Having never lived a life at all Stuffed inside a letterbox Regrets and things better left unsaid

Here we are In the valley of my dreams

Time to fly Try to live up to my means

I remain so grateful for some Of the best times of my life

Under stormy desert skies Where my former passion lies Chasing down a memory of Better times and times left yet to come Fix my broken wings right up Because it’s long past time for me to fly

Here we are On the highway to my dreams

Time to fly Try to live up to my means

I remain so grateful for some Of the best times of my life

I remain forever grateful For some of the best times of my life

In 2006 (after having settled on “Sockpuppet” as a band name), I decided to celebrate how far I’d come as a musician since I started doing Song Fight!, and started a project called Plus 5 where I’d remake my first year of Song Fight! songs and release them on the fifth anniversary of the original fight.

I didn’t get through the whole year before losing interest in the project, but due to the nature of this album, I decided that the Plus 5 versions should get remastered and re-released.

It’s funny how in 2006 I thought I’d completed a journey, when clearly I still had a long way to go. I still do, really, but this is at least a step in the right direction.

In any case, the ideas from this directly informed the version I did for Transitions.

Lyrics: I LOVE YOU [Plus 5, 2006]

The sun comes right up And there’s nothing I can do But state my mind Recite my point of view

It warms up my hair Passes behind a cloud I’m sitting here Thinking here of you

It shines in my eyes Like a beautiful swirl It blows my mind And trembles in my view

I cannot think Of anyone in this world I’d rather spend my Whole life with than you

I cannot believe Our love could go askew I would rather think What it’s like to be with you

I take a deep breath Let it out real slow The air is warm, and Smells of sweetened dew

It warms up my head I can see it now I’m sitting here Madly loving you

The world closes in Everything’s a blur I’m feeling dizzy Look around for you

I can’t help but think This must have been a dream Because you are nowhere Within my view

I could not believe Our love would go askew I would rather think What it’s like (I’d like) to be with you

I’d like to be with you

Lyrics: 120 MPH

One hundred twenty miles per hour It sure is cold outside alone One hundred twenty miles away After an hour far from home

One hundred twenty miles between us Why did you have to hurt me so One hundred twenty miles and counting I’m sorry that I had to go

Why did you hurt me was it (turn around and glare) Something that I said (aware) I try and try (unfair)

Why did you hurt me why (turn around and stare) Did I have to leave Why do I have to love you (nowhere) ‘Till the day I die (prepare)

One hundred twenty miles per hour It is now time to move along One hundred twenty miles away From everything that was so wrong

One hundred twenty miles between us It is now crystal clear to me One hundred twenty miles and counting We simply were not meant to be

Why did I even put up with (turn around and glare) your stupidity Why did I bother with you (aware) Now I cannot see (unfair)

How could I let you lead me (catch me unaware) On so very long I hope to never miss you (we share) Now that you are gone (repair)

One hundred twenty miles per hour I’m sure to get away from you One hundred twenty miles away It has vastly improved my view

One hundred twenty miles between us I just don’t need you anymore One hundred twenty miles and counting Good riddance, don’t wait at the door

Lyrics: House In My Head

There’s a house in my head A flea in my bed Everything I know is coming up red And the flea in my bed Is asking me why When I walk on water How I stay dry

I think It’s something to do with how I think My life isn’t mine somehow I try To be the best I can be I need To try to love me

There’s a house in my head A flea in my bed Everyone I know will someday be dead And the flea in my bed Is telling me why I feel these things like I wanna die

Everything I do I do it for you, but Nothing I do Seems to come through, so I think I need time alone, because I think My pain is my own

There’s a house in my head A flea in my bed Everything I know is coming up red And the flea in my bed Is asking me why When I walk on water How I stay dry