Bern Kelly

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Available digitally on iTunes and Amazon

1. Bitter Kisses (Click here for FREE download of “Bitter Kisses”)
2. The Offer
3. Malorie (Click here for FREE download of “Malorie”)
4. Have You Been Kissed Tonight?
5. Your Secret Too
6. Its…Over
7. The Damage
8. Incognito
9. Death of Me (Click here for FREE download of “Death of Me”)
10. In’s and Out’s
11. Smoke and Mirrors
12. Bottom of a Fence (Click here for FREE download of “Bottom of a Fence”)
13. Traits and a Graveyard
14. The Worst Mistake (Click here for FREE download of “The Worst Mistake”)

Bern Kelly: “The Damage”
Produced by Leon Karpovich and Bern Kelly
Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Leon Karpovich
All Songs written by Bern Kelly
(c) 2009 U Gonethen Pigeon (ASCAP)
(p) 2009 Bern Kelly /Underpass Records

Paul Gallello-drums, percussion, glockenspiel
Leon Karpovich-bass, backing vocals
Tom Karpovich-harmonica “Death of Me”
Bern Kelly-lead/backing vocals, electric/acoustic guitars, elec. piano, percussion

Cover Image: Michael Butcher for Butcher Photography
Design: Chris Kayes for DesignKart

Contact: underpassrecords@gmail.com

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BIO:
Bern Kelly is a 27-year-old songwriter currently residing in Nashville, TN. This year saw the release of his current effort The Damage, via his own Underpass Records. Produced by frequent collaborator Leon Karpovich, The Damage is a guitar-driven rock/pop album that engages fans of Pearl Jam, Death Cab for Cutie, Ryan Adams, The Raconteurs, and John Mayer.

“Although the guitars may get loud at times, this is still a songwriter’s record at heart,” says Kelly.

Exploring a time line that fluctuates between heartbreak and love that has been tested and tried, the album includes the sonic prologue, “Bitter Kisses,” and epilogue, “The Worst Mistake,” along with pop-driven songs, such as ”Malorie.”

Kelly released his first solo album, Table Salt, in 2006 while living in New York City’s famed Greenwich Village. The first solo tour for Table Salt found him visiting coffee houses and bars up and down the east coast from 2006 into 2007.

Relocating to Nashville in early 2008, he released the country/folk inspired album milemarker as a free download on his Web site:www.bernkelly.com The release of milemarker resulted in subsequent shows with The Milemarker Revue Band, a revolving-door of touring Nashville musicians.

Kelly cites Bruce Springsteen, Mark Kozelek, Marshall Crenshaw, and Neil Young as key personal influences.

hi-res press pics:
click photo to access

 

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ALBUM LYRICS:

BITTER KISSES

I can be fine
totally fine
one of your lies
pops into my head
could only rewind
before they took place
forward when they
stop bothering me

you can be sweet
with your fingers crossed
in case it comes back
on your conscience too hard
i’ve sustained
your bitter kisses
until they bounced right off
of me

you get the clean
the clean break
cover yourself up
like only you can
as i take
the first steps
into this
uncharted land

you can be sweet
with your fingers crossed
in case it comes back
on your conscience too hard
i’ve sustained
your bitter kisses
until they bounced right off
bounced right off
of me, of me

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THE OFFER

the breeze on the roof brought her question back to sea level
she asked me again with a please and that half smile
just like that all my worry fell down
from around my head twenty stories to the ground

if you say today there’s a plane that’s leaving
better go and get our bags packed
and about the offer
i accept

spending time with you is like reading a book in just one sitting
maybe we’ll just run on this luck and keep the chapters turning
just like that all my worry fell down
from around my head ten stories to the ground

if there’s no plane maybe there’s a train leaving the station
if that’s the case, don’t have time to pack
and about the offer
i accept

what makes you the girl that makes this function?
and what kept you from already leaving?
what makes you the one that makes this function?
function, function

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MALORIE

if this elevator is really going up
got twenty-five floors to finally spill my guts
maybe just offer up a plan
to partake if this vessel decides to crash

malorie
if i knew what i had in front of me do you
ever think i would have left your side?
if someday you wanna believe painfully it’s not your fault
malorie would you give me one more try?

maybe this cab will keep getting us lost
and i can escort you down your block
you’ll say this is fine close enough
and give me the time i need to hopefully pull this off

malorie
if i knew what i had in front of me do you
ever think i would have left your side?
if someday you wanna believe painfully it’s not your fault
malorie would you give me one more try?

the last time i saw your face i wanted to die
was just last week you didn’t see me
you were dodging passing cars
i tried to catch up and plead my case
but its just like you baby
to cross before the light had changed
the light had changed
the light had changed

malorie
you’re the only one who tried to see right through
the subtle things that always cloud my mind
if some night you wanna relive the first time we realized
malorie i’ll be right by your side
for one more try
by your side
for one more try

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HAVE YOU BEEN KISSED TONIGHT?

suspicion been part of my routine
lately you operate so parallel with me
wasn’t just the rain running down your face
i could see the guilt from a mile away

have you been kissed tonight?
did you willingly try?
to destroy our whole world all our love with your cold spine
have you been kissed tonight?

perfect doesn’t really exist
for a while we had a grasp on everything thrown at us
wasn’t just me who fell right on their face
your restlessness sure did come with a heavy price

have you been kissed tonight?
did you willingly try?
to destroy our whole world all our love with your cold spine
have you been kissed tonight?

destroy our whole world all our love with your cold spine
have you been kissed tonight?
have you?

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YOUR SECRET TOO

thinking about your goals
been thinking about your vision
seems i’ve spent half my life to get your eyes to really reach me
sitting on my back porch it came like a comet in the sky
if we were happy in our last thing
why wouldn’t we give this a try?

if i just kissed your lips i’d know if its true
my secret is your secret too

feel i already wrote this song twenty or thirty times before
girl you keep giving me the material as you keep flirting with my heart
it only takes one split second of glimmer in your eyes
to erase the false pretensions that say our hello’s and our goodbye’s

if i just kissed your lips i’d know if its true
my secret is your secret too

secret too, secret too
secret too, secret too

all along you’re holding out for me
all along i’m holding on to you
as i kiss your lips i know its true
my secret is your secret too

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IT’S OVER

insist that you’re unhappy
predict that i’ve been wrong
about everything that brought us to this quite revealing talk

un-code you’re sleek confessions
and pick my point apart
tomorrow the slate could be wiped clean
that’s what you really want, you really want, you really want

you know what
you know why
know why it’s over
you know what
you know why
know why it’s over

resist the light that’s seeking
to display your soul to all
can you barely even look yourself in the mirror anymore

roll out the red carpet
put all your makeup on
run a full page ad in the paper
you’re ready for another shot, another shot, another shot

you know what
you know why
know why it’s over
you know what
you know why
know why it’s over

did you get all you wanted from me?
no, no, no, no
were you really even happy with me?
no, no, no, no
did you really even care for me?
no, no, no, no
did you get all you wanted from me?

you know what
you know why
know why it’s over
you know what
you know why
know why it’s over

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THE DAMAGE

if zero was a feeling
put me on display right now
if that was your exit
you’re such a wicked, sad, soul

if trust was our pillar
it was burning as it fell

if flat lining was something you could pay to feel
take my wallet and enjoy yourself
before the damage sets in

i should take this pain with me
i should have it framed
you deserve much more than silence
you deserve cold, cold, days

i had heartbreak for breakfast man
it tastes just like they say

if flat lining was something you could pay to feel
go and take my life now and enjoy yourself
before the damage sets in

before the damage sets in

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INCOGNITO

subway car slowing at the station
blood pressure starts to fall
i heard from one of your neighbors
you’re living on this block

i get this horrible feeling
my pulse grows so weak
the part that died with the end of us
won’t stop haunting me
haunting me
haunting me
but who am i hiding from?

taxi cab slowing at the red light
the air grows so thin
feels like i’m being driven to prison
you’re the one who turned me in

i get this horrible feeling
my pulse grows so weak
the part that died with the end of us
won’t stop haunting me
haunting me
haunting me
but who are you hiding from?

incognito
incognito
incognito
who, who, who are you hiding from?

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DEATH OF ME

i think the death of me just walked into the room
got eyes icy blue just like a wolf
there must be fifty people in the air between you
but you’re pulling like a magnet like a vacuum

what will she tell me? what will be new?
what could happen that forever will hold?
part of us in a box on that calendar
she’s the death of me and she knows i don’t care

i think some of me just floated out the window
the second hand stops babe, when you’re talking to me
a stranger’s wisdom i do hold so dear
but if you’re from New York City what are you doing here?

what will she tell me? what will be new?
what could happen that forever will hold?
part of us in a box on that calendar
she’s the death of me and she knows that i don’t care

she knows, she knows, she knows
that i don’t care

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IN’S AND OUT’S

you’re so set in your ways
of course babe it’s easier than whatever you discover day to day
not that i’ve been wrong
you can’t take away all of the credit i’ve earned
or what you call where i’m from

i’ll let you try and refrain
you hide yourself you disappear from time to time

you’re not being too convincing with what you’ve found
if you’re gonna stay it’s on my terms for now

you sure did play it safe
or that’s what you hoped and thought i’d end up to believe
it’s like you were trying to say “i’m stuck on an island i’ve found another
and i’m leaving cause there’s only room for me”

let me try and explain
i see the door i may go in, i don’t need to buy the place

i’m not the one that’s trying to break new ground
if you’re gonna leave please get out

got plenty of miles to find out if there’s really something better
cliche i know but playing with love is worse than playing with fire

honesty sure does make the loudest sound
the in’s and out’s that secrets found
honesty sure does make the loudest sound
these are the in’s and out’s that secrets found

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SMOKE AND MIRRORS

how does it feel to get dressed in the morning
when you broke someone’s heart the night before?
mister fool is the last one to know

you’re just smoke and mirrors
a fragile surprise
and your show is over
over goodbye
and the wind never blows so cold

do you lie awake alone all night in the dark?
so burdened with all you tore down
get some of your lies out there everything will come around

you’re just smoke and mirrors
a fragile surprise
and your show is over
over goodbye
and the wind never blows so cold

you’re just smoke and mirrors
a fragile surprise
and your show is over
over goodbye
and the wind never blows so cold

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BOTTOM OF A FENCE

i appreciate you telling me what to be
don’t know nothing about me
don’t know nothing about me
i appreciate you telling me what to be
don’t know nothing about me
don’t know nothing about me

don’t need your help this time around
don’t you see?
don’t need your help this time around
don’t you see?

i can’t help what you ended up to be
don’t hold it against me
don’t hold it against me
i can’t help what you ended up to be
don’t hold it against me
don’t hold it against me

started on the same road how was i to know
which way you would go?
started on the same road how was i to know
which way you would go?

here i am again
at the bottom of a fence
trying to get over it
there you are again
speaking from your ledge
don’t wait for me up there

here i am again
at the bottom of a fence
trying to get over it
there you are again
speaking from your ledge
don’t wait for me up there

i appreciate you telling me what to be
don’t hold it against me
don’t hold it against me
i appreciate you telling me what to be
don’t hold it against me
don’t hold it against me

started on the same road how was i to know
which way you would go?
started on the same road how was i to know
which way you would go?

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TRAITS AND A GRAVEYARD

how could she look into my eyes
and lie her way back into my soul?
ten minutes ago it looked like i would never ever really know

quite a difference between
climbing out or digging a hole
say one thing with your left brain
use the right to betray me some more

a mirror is a beautiful thing
when you believe everything that you see
now that all your traits have come clean
i’d rather spend time in a graveyard
than with the one who just destroyed me

now that i’m wandering on my own
will my mind take me so far from home
the last one i had imploded from a wrecking ball

same things will always haunt me
that forever have made me strong
speak all the damage with your lips
and let the heartache die slow

a mirror is a beautiful thing
when you believe everything that you see
now that all your traits have come clean
i’d rather spend time in a graveyard
than with the one who just destroyed me

take all your kisses back to the drawing board
take all your fake tears with you too
if you want remorse you can buy it now from any poor fool

shape the past all you want
cause your future here is gone
it was you who decided this for us
it was you who could never get enough

a mirror is a beautiful thing
when you believe everything that you see
now that all your traits have come clean
i’d rather spend time in a graveyard
than with the one who just destroyed me

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THE WORST MISTAKE

the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up with the rain
i crossed a bridge i think it was for a lake
the further i drove the further the wheel tightened
so much to prove when you’re trying to fight the nighttime

if i come back
she swears things will change
when i turned the key i may have turned the way i see our love
i see our love more like a crime
maybe it’s for the better
maybe it’s the worst mistake of all time

the gas light came on as the sun came up
i stopped for coffee and a book with motel coupons
the cashier smoked as we stared into the clearing sky
she said “you look just like a guy who’s never been so lost in his life”

if i come back
she swears things will change, yeah
when i turned the key i may have turned the way i see our love
i see our love more like a crime
maybe it’s for the better
maybe it’s the worst mistake of all time

hold me only onto me like you do
only hold me onto me like you do
hold me only onto me like you do
only hold me onto me like you do
hold me only onto me like you do
only hold me onto me like you do
hold me only onto me like you do
only hold me onto me like you do
onto me like you do
onto me like you do
onto me like you do
onto me like you do

 

all songs written by Bern Kelly
(c) 2009 U Gonethen Pigeon (ASCAP)