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I Should've Listened to Ferris Bueller (feat Steven Page)

by NEWSKI

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about

At age 13, Brett Newski's dad "The Vin Man" suggested Newski get a job at Mcdonald’s in order to buy his first guitar. Newski was uncertain because his hands were still tiny and square, like goat hooves. But after seeing Barenaked Ladies to a sold out Milwaukee Amphitheatre, Newski felt the fire and walked down to fill out an application at the nearest Mcdonalds. He was hired. 

At $5.15 an hour, it took a bit to acquire the guitar, but he did, and became obsessed by learning BNL and Better than Ezra songs. Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page became Newski's first musical hero. 

Last year, Newski uncovered old notebooks of song ideas from two decades ago while still in high school, including early lyrical ideas for the "coming of age" tune "I Should've Listened to Ferris Bueller" which is now the lead track to "It's Hard to be a Person: the Soundtrack to the book." (The book is a collection of Newski’s quirky illustrations making fun of his own anxiety and depression, offering hacks and ideas to feel better in your brain.)

While Newski and his collaborator Spatola were finishing the song, Newski reached out to Steven Page to see if he would guest-vocal on the track. Page replied within 10 minutes and had vocal parts done within 48 hours. 

----
Written by Newski
Vocals by Newski and Steven Page
Drums and bass by spatola
Guitars by Newski

lyrics

Wish I could get psyched
To go out at night
See my former friends
Watch them all pretend

That they don’t know me
So I take a seat
Next to you instead
Wish I never did
Why did I do that?

Whoa
Why did I do that?
Whoa
Why did I do that to myself?
It’s gonna hurt like hell
I’m a freak now I can tell

So I do what I can
To give you all I have
Courage I muster up
But that ain’t good enough

I see you hangin 'round
At my best friends house
It’s worse than ever now
I watch the lights go out
Why did I see that?

Whoa
why did I see that?
Whoa
Why did i do that to my eyes?
Ain’t going to sleep tonight
I’m a freak that’s in disguise

My self-esteem
Is wearing thin on me
I stare down the drain
As I wash away the days
Are these just dues I gotta pay?

Got this chronic pain
In my heart and brain
It’s self-inflicted now
Cause I still hang around

You and these talking heads
Motor-mouths at best
My welcome's wearing out
Cause I can’t take a hint right now
Why do I do this?

Woah
Why do I do this?
Woah
Why do I do this to my head?
Don’t wanna leave my bed
I’ll be a freak until the end

credits

released April 1, 2021
Recorded and Mixed by Spatola
Mastered by Justin Perkins

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NEWSKI Milwaukee, Wisconsin

FESTIVAL APPEARANCES: Rolling Stone Festival, Iceland Airwaves, Reeperbahn Germany, SXSW official

BRETT NEWSKI supports and tours: 
Courtney Barnett, Pixies, Violent Femmes, Manchester Orchestra, New Pornographers, Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Ezra Furman, Better than Ezra ... more

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