Survival of the Cutest

by Zru Vogue

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1.	Intro/Pretty Fairies on the Daisies 05:21	lyrics	buy track
Intro: Scientists have uncovered conclusive evidence that the origin of the universe was a "happy accident." Natural Selection. Improvisation. The survival of the cutest! Lyrics: Whatever happened to that princess? The little girl who witnessed… Pretty fairies on the daisies Pretty fairies on the daisies Pretty fairies on the daisies I seen her grow older, I seen her grow colder Bring her back, bring back that sweetness Don’t be afraid to show your weakness Got your defenses up I want you to drop them for me Got your defenses up I want you to drop them for me Whatever happened to the little girl who played Imagined games that lasted days? I seen her grow older, I seen her grow colder I seen her grow older, give me the cold shoulder Used to smile and say “hi” Now she just pass me by Afraid to be real with me Bring her back, bring back that sweetness Don’t be afraid to show your weakness Got your defenses up, I want you to drop them for me Pretty fairies on the daisies -- Lyrics ©2005 Andrew Lawrence Jackson
2.	What It Means to Be 03:44	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: How did I get here? I know I don’t belong here I don’t even know what it means to be I appreciate the concept It’s easy to believe in things But look around and nothing seems to be… to be… Real. What is real? What you feel, what you see, what you hear? What does it mean… to be? So much has happened And so much hasn’t happened And so much never happened And so much never happens But I still feel inside Like I’m on a great thrill ride I look around and I wonder Will I be brilliant in your eyes Or will I blunder? And when I look around, I’m in wonder… How did I get here? Do I belong here? And I ask myself what it means How did I get here? Do I belong here? And I ask myself what it means… To be. Do I belong here? And I ask myself what it means How did I get here? Do I belong here? And I ask myself what it means… To be. -- Lyrics ©2004 Andrew L. Jackson
3.	If Blood Was Wine 04:20	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: If I were brilliant If I were profound I'd pull it together And write it all down If I could see you Through innocent eyes I'd drop all the pretense And cut through the lies If it were easy If life weren't so hard We'd just sit and look At the clouds in your yard If I could meet you And if you were me You'd fall in love almost Immediately And if time were frozen And love reigned supreme You'd still be the girl That I kiss in my dream And if food were flesh And if blood was wine I'd eat and I'd drink of you All of the time If I were funky And if I was chic I'd take you back home And kiss you when you're weak And if I could be you And if you were me You'd fall in love almost Immediately And if time were frozen And love reigned supreme You'd still be the girl That I kiss in my dream And if food were flesh And if blood was wine I'd eat and I'd drink of you All of the time If blood was wine -- Lyrics ©2000 Andrew L. Jackson
4.	Act Like Nothing's Wrong 05:10	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: When they treat you like you don’t exist Act like nothing’s wrong When they try to draw you into their shit Act like nothing’s wrong When you feel like you can’t fake it for another minute Act like nothing’s wrong When you feel like you can’t suffer through another second Act like nothing’s wrong When the world keeps turning even when it shouldn’t Act like nothing’s wrong When you’re doing it again even though you said you wouldn’t Act like nothing’s wrong When you thought you were immune but it turns out you’re the one Act like nothing’s wrong When you want to make a killing but your phaser’s set to “stun” Act like nothing’s wrong Do your little dance, sing your little song And act like nothing’s wrong Pretend that you are weak, pretend that you are strong And act like nothing’s wrong -- Lyrics ©1994 Andrew L. Jackson
5.	Dig Deeper 04:50	lyrics	buy track
Interlude: Don't stop now. Pile on some more! This fire has only just begun to burn! Lyrics: Why don’t I dig deeper And what is it I’m trying to see? This life is full of strange occurrences Twists and turns of fate no one decrees And if I ever said I did Now I don’t agree I never understood then Exactly what’s expected of me Is it really possible To be the man I always dreamed I’d be Or have I already passed that test Now I can just be me Anyway, who’s to say That what I wanted then Still pertains today My guess is that it doesn’t Anyway Life and love are everything We measure out our steps along the way Time stops But I will never give my dreams away I need them more than ever now I think I’ll be okay Don’t question everything Leave some things alone and let 'em stay You don’t always have to fix something That is and likely'll always be that way There’s a little simple wisdom Or something I just happened to say Anyway, who’s to say That what I wanted then Still pertains today My guess is that it doesn’t Anyway Dream life How can you just dream your life away And is There something wrong with wanting nothing more Than what you have today Anyway, who’s to say That what I wanted then Still pertains today My guess is that it doesn’t Anyway -- Lyrics ©2002 Andrew L. Jackson
6.	Iron Man 03:35	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: Iron Man Wears ironed pants He does all his own ironing Since his divorce Iron Man Wears ironed pants He does all his own ironing Since his divorce Iron Man wears ironed pants He operates the register At Tasty Dan’s Tasty Dan is The Chicken Man He says it without irony And no remorse He’s got a leg up on the competition A leg up on the competition A leg up, a leg up, a leg up, a leg up A leg up, a leg up, a leg up, a leg up A leg and thigh and breast as it were As Iron mans the register Iron Man is down on his luck He needs a change but don’t know how He’s feeling stuck Iron Man is down on his luck He feels like a stripped sedan To Tasty Dan’s fully-loaded truck He’s got a leg up on the competition A leg up on the competition A leg up, a leg up, a leg up, a leg up A leg up, a leg up, a leg up, a leg up A leg and thigh and breast as it were As Iron mans the register Iron Man wears ironed pants He does all his own ironing Since his divorce Iron Man wears ironed pants He does all his own ironing Since his divorce Iron Man… -- Lyrics ©2005 Andrew L. Jackson
7.	No One Knows 02:29	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: Tear away the hands of time Peel back the skin of fate Break free of the ties that bind Run for it, it’s not too late She hears the voices in her head She feels the music in her bones Her body feels the heat of passion She shuts it down, so no one knows… Shuts it down so no one knows… -- Lyrics ©2005 Andrew L. Jackson
8.	Nuthin Means Nuthin 04:19	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: There ain’t no tellin’, sho’nuff I ain’t tellin’ Don’t make no sense at all It all ain’t nuthin’, sho’nuff it ain’t nuthin’ It don’t mean nuthin’ at all. Folks’ll disagree, they’ll tell you sumpin’ else They’ll go and talk your ear off, folks’ll up’n laugh They’ll say you’re out’yer mind They’ll up’n laugh, but that’s all right ‘Cause it don’t mean nuthin’ When there’s nuthin’ more to say Nuthin’ in the whole roun’ worl’ Nuthin’ means nuthin’, ain’t dat sayin’ sumpin’ Don’t dat make yo’ hair curl? There ain’t no tellin’, sho’nuff I ain’t tellin’ Don’t make no sense at all It all ain’t nuthin’, sho’nuff it ain’t nuthin’ It don’t mean nuthin’ at all It all ain’t nuthin’, sho’nuff it ain’t nuthin’ It don’t mean nuthin’ at all It all ain’t nuthin’, sho’nuff it ain’t nuthin’ It don’t mean nuthin’ at all -- Lyrics ©2004 Andrew L. Jackson
9.	Japanese Schoolgirl Mapping Device 05:07	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: It’s easy to find your piece of mind It’s easy to find what you left behind It’s all about positioning and global stance It’s all about fine etiquette and designer pants When you’re feeling lost When time has passed you by Remember that it’s easy if you try… This Japanese Schoolgirl Mapping Device So open up your book bag And grab your sparkly gel pen And your Tare-Panda notebook Right there beside your cell phone I want you please to write this down ‘Cause every boy in every town Needs a Japanese Schoolgirl Mapping Device A Japanese Schoolgirl Mapping Device Japanese Schoolgirl Mapping Device (Mapping Device) -- Lyrics ©2004 Andrew L. Jackson
10.	Imperfect 05:52	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: We’re imperfect and it shows That’s the way the universe grows To accommodate beings like you and me Happily being whoever we are We’re imperfect that’s okay I think I like us more this way With expectations at an all-time low We don’t need to try too hard To get where we’re going To get where we’re going All this disinterest keeps us going Anticipation for what’s growing Unfinished business we keep throwing Away, away Pick up the pieces ‘cause we’re going Away, away Sort through the garbage looking for jewels All day Imperfect and we like it that way We’re imperfect and it shows (leaving behind reason and rhyme) That’s the way the universe grows (we hypnotize, we compromise) To accommodate beings like you and me Happily being whoever we are We’re imperfect that’s okay (wearing clichés, turning a phrase) I think I like us more this way (leaving behind this point in time) With expectations at an all-time low We don’t need to try too hard To get where we’re going To get where we’re going All this disinterest keeps us going Anticipation for what’s growing Unfinished business we keep throwing Away, away Pick up the pieces ‘cause we’re going Away, away Sort through the garbage looking for jewels All day Imperfect and we like it that way -- Lyrics ©2004 Andrew L. Jackson
11.	Falling Into Quicksand 04:17	lyrics	buy track
Lyrics: So long my friends It’s time for me to go I’m sorry I can’t stick around to play another show I don’t know how to tell you this I’m driven to distraction And fading in the mist And it feels just like falling into quicksand So shouldn’t someone break a branch from a tree? And shouldn’t someone hold it out with both their hands? And shouldn’t someone try to rescue me? The darkness always comes It happens every day So why should it be strange to feel the edges start to fray It’s nothing new It always comes to this Driven to distraction And fading into mist And it feels just like falling down a rabbit hole Where everything is curious and queer And nonsense is the only sense you understand And everyone regards you like you’re weird And it feels just like falling into quicksand And it feels just like fading into gray And it feels just like melting into water You rise out of yourself and float away Don’t worry, it’s just a passing phase Eventually, it’s sure to go away I’m serious. It’s just a passing phase Eventually, it’s sure to go away… But it feels just like falling into quicksand. So shouldn’t someone break a branch from a tree? And shouldn’t someone hold it out with both their hands? And shouldn’t someone try to rescue me? -- Lyrics ©2004 Andrew L. Jackson

about

In recording Survival of the Cutest, Zru Vogue (Rick Cuevas and Andrew Jackson) took each song down to its bare essentials, and built it from the ground up, constructing and composing rhythm tracks first, then carefully layering bass, keyboards, guitars, and other instruments. As soon as they had enough elements in place, they stopped, and if it seemed they'd gone too far, they removed any elements that seemed to be cluttering the song. This approach resulted in some creative arrangements that they would not have come up with any other way, and helps to give the album a cohesive style while continuing their avant-garde Zruist underpinnings.

"Some of the original playful Zruishness has been recaptured in Survival of the Cutest, and fans will be happy to hear the trademark 'ethnothrob' sound once again in the rhythms of these tracks."
-R.C. Barajas

credits

released April 15, 2005

All songs performed, arranged, and produced by Andrew L. Jackson & Rick Cuevas. Engineered and recorded by Rick Cuevas and Andrew L. Jackson at Zrubutus Studio in Palo Alto, CA, USA. All songs lyrics & music by Andrew L. Jackson, except “Intro,” “Interlude,” & “No One Knows” words by Andrew L. Jackson, music by Andrew L. Jackson & Rick Cuevas. Cover illustration by Mari-chan, Tokyo. Cover design by Andrew L. Jackson.

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about

Zru Vogue San Francisco, California

Avant-pop, art-funk, post-punk from the San Francisco Bay Area. Zru Vogue's first single "Nakweda Dream" (1981) is a dark-wave classic. Band members are Andrew Lawrence Jackson, Rick Cuevas, and Patrick Coyne.