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Local Tourist

by Alex Dominish

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1.
I'm a local tourist I'm a connoisseur of my own town And if you ask me what's around I'll be down, 'cause I am proud of my hometown Take a look around beyond the trees The sights and sounds, the birds and bees On the avenue, the whizzing cars The busy bars, the brilliant stars Don't shine so bright here There's too much light here They're showing cars all day and night I'm a local tourist I'm a connoisseur of my own town And if you ask me what's around I'll be down, 'cause I am proud of my hometown See the endless chain of restaurants Familiar names, stray shopping carts There's a grocery store on every block It seems a bore though it is not When you are from here They all disappear And they get replaced by and by The corporations will survive The mom and pop stores always die I'm a local tourist I'm a connoisseur of my own town And if you ask me what's around I'll be down I'm a local tourist I'm a connoisseur of my own town And if you ask me what's around I'll be down, 'cause I am proud of my hometown Yeah I'll be down, 'cause I am proud of my hometown
2.
The sun's always shining from sunrise to set Except when the raindrops leave clouds overhead The afternoon rain, the sky won't forget A drum roll from heaven that leaves pavement wet You may see a hurricane or an occasional torrential rain But a little weather never ruined my day Florida in fall That's where I'll go Where the snow never shows and theme parks never close Florida in fall That's where I'll stay Like an Ohio summer that lasts 'til New Year's Day Some say that autumn's not autumn down south But witness yourself what I'm talking about The warmth and the waves and the Walt Disney daze Will keep you in Florida 'til Valentine's Day. No I'll never leave this place without seeing another Mickey parade You'll just have to drag me away Florida in fall That's where I'll go Where the snow never shows and theme parks never close Florida in fall That's where I'll stay Like an Ohio summer that lasts 'til New Year's Day Just think that no cold means no ice and no snow But most of all Florida has zero potholes That doesn't mean that there's no barrels or cones Instead of repairing, they're expanding their roads Sure I guess the secret's out about what Orlando's about Everybody comes here to play Everybody comes here to stay Florida in fall That's where I'll go Where the snow never shows and theme parks never close Florida in fall That's where I'll stay Like an Ohio summer that lasts Florida in fall That's where I'll go Where the snow never shows and theme parks never close Florida in fall That's where I'll stay Like an Ohio summer that lasts 'til New Year's Day
3.
Nothing but water for days Thought I'd mutiny, but I'll stay Found myself lost in the waves Can't spend another month in this maze We're stranded in this hellhole Let's get away I've got a lifeboat for two And I'm waiting for you To climb aboard, row to shore Find our way home We'll be there by dawn And we can love all day long 'Til the sirens shout, secret's out We've found our way home Send up a flare in the sky Girl I know our love will survive Let's row off into the night The atmosphere a sparkling white I'd sail the oceans for you There's nothing in this world I won't do You're my first mate at last I've found you No longer will my life be so blue We'll be taking a small boat And sailing away On a lifeboat for two I'm waiting for you To climb aboard, row to shore Find our way home We'll be there by dawn And we can love all day long 'Til the sirens shout, secret's out We've found our way home On a lifeboat for two I'm waiting for you To climb aboard, row to shore Find our way home We'll be there by dawn We can love all day long 'Til the sirens shout, secret's out We've found our way home On a lifeboat for two I'm waiting for you To climb aboard, row to shore Find our way home We'll be there by dawn Making love all day long 'Til the sirens shout, secret's out We've found our way home
4.
Home 03:21
Many days, many hours Many minutes wander by Many months, many weeks Many nights I've wondered why I can't be by your side In the dark, in the light I should be by your side In the day, in the night My dreams will soon come true I'm coming back to you 'Cause in the morning I'll be going Home My destination, my celebration I'm finally by your side Here until the end of time Next to you, next to you I'm no longer feeling blue I am in endless bliss Girl please give me one last kiss Say goodnight, say goodnight I'll sing you a lullaby Then I'll wake next to you When the sun comes shining through My dreams will soon come true I'm coming back to you 'Cause in the morning I'll be going Home My destination, my celebration I'm finally by your side Here until the end of time I'm dedicated, I've concentrated Warm by the fireside Burning through the dark of night Home My destination, my celebration I'm finally by your side Here until the end of time I'm dedicated, I've concentrated Warm by the fireside Burning through the dark of night
5.
Eight to Go 03:09
Eight months to go 'til I go home Eight months to go, time passes so slow But soon I'll be walking the streets that I know Not watching the waves from the bow of the boat Eight weeks to go 'til I go home Eight weeks to go, time passes so slow Soon I'll be walking the streets that I know Not straddling state lines of south and the north Eight weeks to go 'til I go home Eight days to go 'til I go home Eight days to go, time passes so slow Each day is a decade of five or six shows The truth is I don't know if anything goes Eight hours to go 'til I go home Eight hours to go 'til Ohio Cruising on 77 for now Up through the mountains way up through the clouds The ETA slowly crawls into the now Nothing stops me when I'm family bound Eight hours to go 'til I go home Eight miles to go 'til I am home
6.
Don't know how I got here Don't know how I made it this far How did I end up here? Was it a realignment of the stars? Just a passing glance helped me rewrite my past My half-empty glass, all at once, doesn't seem half bad And I'm happy to be here I'm happy to be here with you now I'm happy to be here I'll stay as long as time allows Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought That I'd end up right next to you I haven't seen the rainfall I haven't felt the pain that I recall No longer feel two foot tall There's a happy ending after all Every chance you gave me helped me find my way Every moment that you're with me's not a waste And I'm happy to be here I'm happy to be here with you now I'm happy to be here I'll stay as long as time allows Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought That I'd end up right next to you Now that we're together Our happy ever after's here and now Two birds of a feather Nothing will ever end our timeless vow And I'm happy to be here I'm happy to be here with you now I'm happy to be here I'll stay as long as time allows Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought That I'd end up right next to you And I'm happy to be here I'm happy to be here with you now I'm happy to be here
7.
It's my last week in Ohio and I know I'll be awhile But I'll come back to the place I call my home I hope that you won't miss me though the wind is always shifting I am sure that I'll blow back before you know Photographing my memories Everything's a necessity Packing boxes for Missouri, an unexpected turn Said I never would leave this place Another promise I've laid to waste This decision was made in haste, I'm certain I'll return It's my last week in Ohio, I don't think I can smile For I think I'm heading into Missouri Through the pain I'll find the passion followed by a bad reaction And I'll stumble to the land of buckeye trees Growing up was a side effect As I sit here in retrospect I should've known that there was no place for me to call my home Could've chosen to settle there Would be better than anywhere It's a long distance love affair that chills me to the bone It's my last week in Ohio and I know I'll be awhile But I'll come back to the place I call my home I hope that you won't miss me though the wind is always shifting I am sure that I'll blow back before you know
8.
Mobile Home 03:42
Let's pack up the bare necessities and sell off all our frivolous things I'll brush up on cartography to document our days All we need's a MadLib for the road, some pillows, and my Silvertone A Polaroid, a trunk of clothes, we'll set off on our way There's no telling where we'll go What's ahead only God knows Our car has enough room for three: you, me, our cat - our family Let's go create some memories, experience our world Through rain and snow and sleet we'll drive, through hurricanes and wildfires Together on this wild ride, a mystery unfurled Through the blinding city lights To the winding countryside The back-road scenic route we'll drive until the buildings scrape the sky The open air keeps us alive, we'll roll the windows down The ballad of our travels will be sent to family through the mail A postcard of each pretty view from every single town We'll see places of all kinds Hidden treasures we will find
9.
The heat is rising like an ever-growing skyline The streetlights shining bright, illuminates the night The weekend's coming fast like a freight train down the tracks Next stop will be downtown, turn the city upside down Headlights are blinding as we're flying down the road The traffic light turns red, we've got nowhere to go And then you look at me and tell it to me slow Let's make this night something wonderful The marquee scrolling like a film reel rolling Downtown in Playhouse Square, there's something in the air As thousands cheer, the end draws near Night sky is crystal clear like a brilliant chandelier The curtain closes and it's time for us to go A thousand people heading out into the cold And then you look at me and tell it to me slow Let's make this night something wonderful The curtain closes and it's time for us to go A thousand people heading out into the cold And then you look at me and tell it to me slow Let's make this night something wonderful Let's make this night something wonderful Let's make this night something wonderful
10.
11.
Home Again 03:35
Was it all a dream? Rose colored glasses blurred the scene A setting so serene Thought my grass was just as green The places come and gone I hardly know what street I'm on Was this drive always that long? Have I run this marathon? Am I home again? Don't recognize the bed I'm sleeping in Remembering These places used to be so different then What was it that I'd do? I'm bored to death, I have no clue This feeling's nothing new Down on Lonely Avenue My friends have disappeared Acquaintances are all that's here It's exactly what I'd feared There's no love of yesteryear Am I home again? Don't recognize the bed I'm sleeping in Remembering These places used to be so different then The scene keeps changing Familiar fading My memories appearing make believe It's time to face it My home's been taken And shrouded in the essence of a dream Was it all a dream? Rose colored glasses blurred the scene A setting so serene Thought my grass was just as green Am I home again? Don't recognize the bed I'm sleeping in Remembering These places used to be so different then
12.
Uprooted 04:22
Raised up in a little big town With not a whole lot around My days were spent wishing I could find a way out My winter's spent praying that it'd be somewhere south My cell phone wakes me for work I'm running late but my boss is a jerk My minimum wage can sustain me for now Until I make my break and I abandon this town Give me something more Show me what's in store It seems as if I'm never gonna be uprooted I'll never ever understand what was alluded To me of what I'd be All the things the television told me'd happen All the lies America had me believe in A dream is just a dream I'm stuck in this little big town With not a whole lot around My dead end job is barely even paying the rent I can't afford to take a day to manage my head Wake me from this state Help alleviate It seems as if I'm never gonna be uprooted I'll never ever understand what was alluded To me of what I'd be All the things the television told me'd happen All the lies America had me believe in A dream is just a dream I give up on this little big town It won't miss me anyhow I'm packing up and moving out to anywhere south I'm finally gonna find out what my life's all about It never seemed to me that I would be uprooted I never ever understood what was alluded To me of what I'd be All the things the television told me'd happen All the lies America had me believe in My dreams seemed so naive It never seemed to me that I would be uprooted In the end I was the one who instituted My own reality The world will change and I'm not waiting for the outcome I'm leading my own life and getting everything done My dream is still my dream
13.
It's about time to say a midwestern goodbye, my friend It's about time to say a midwestern goodbye, the end How will we carry on? Will our days move along? Standing out on the lawn, how will we carry on? No need to rush away, I'm free for the rest of the day Would you like lemonade? The neighbor's got some freshly made She buys her lemons from the old man down on the farm They seem to get along, a friendship that's going strong Hey did you see the new Dollar General that's in plain view? I bought some Elmer's Glue and a large can of Big League Chew Truly they've got it all; no need to have a mall Better than Mart of Wal, even have alcohol. Ope! I've been talking for a couple of minutes or more Sorry for being a bore, but saying goodbye's a chore I guess you can move along; our days will carry on Standing out on the lawn, say hello to your mom

credits

released September 4, 2020

All songs written, performed, and recorded by Alex Dominish.
All songs produced by Keifer Wiley.
Photography by Michael Cignoli.

Additional vocals on tracks 2, 4, 7 by Kayleigh Dominish.
Additional vocals on track 13 by Vanellope Dominish.
Additional percussion on tracks 2, 4, 7, 9, 13 by Kayleigh Dominish.
Additional percussion on track 2 by Keifer Wiley.
Clarinet on track 2 by Kayleigh Dominish.

This album would not have been possible without the help and generosity of a bunch of humans. First off, thank you to Kayleigh for putting up with the raucous noise during recording; thank you for putting up with me discussing (ad nauseam) the album and details of songs. Thank you for being willing to hit Amazon boxes with sticks, play clarinet, play wine bottles, and sing beautifully. Next up, thanks to Keifer for taking my less than stellar tracks and making them sound cohesive and clear; it's always a pleasure working with you! Thank you to Andy for lending me your super cool microphone to track vocals. Thank you to Will for lending me pristine cymbals to carefully strike with drumsticks. Thank you to Michael for putting up with my constantly changing ideas about art direction for the album.

Last but not least, thank you to anyone and everyone who takes the time to listen to this album. I love writing and recording original music, and I'm eternally grateful that other humans would spend a few minutes lending their ears. It's a bit personal in places and a bit sarcastic in others, but I hope at least one song catches your ear.

The songs from Local Tourist were written while I was traveling between 2014 and 2020. Each song is representative of a specific place and time. Of course there are exceptions - certain songs are truly make believe and have no connection to real life (so don't read too deep!). I challenge you to figure out which songs represent what events and locations.

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Alex Dominish Sandusky, Ohio

Silly songs.
Sappy songs.
Sassy songs.
Ska songs.
Seasonal songs.

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