Beethoven Dream (Live)

[Verse 1]

Well love is like a drug that we often take

To ease our pain, to ease our sorrow, and ease our misery

Which ironically is usually caused by love

And I had a dream where I met Beethoven

And Beethoven told me that I wasn't very good

He said, "all your songs are simple, like two or three chords

And you never wrote a symphony, and your music makes me bored"

Oh I- I got burned by Beethoven

And Beethoven asked me, "how come in modern music

There arе so many metaphors about like being likе the road?"

And I was like, "I don't know

I guess cause life moves pretty fast

And you can't slow down and you can't turn back

And every musician at some point has to scream out

'Life is a highway!'"

[Verse 2]

And he said, "life moves pretty fast, even in my day

But we didn't have cars, and we didn't have highways

And we didn't have autopilot: this thing that you invented

Oh man, what were you thinking? Giving up your control of direction?"

I said, "I guess we got lazy"

He said, "I know you got lazy

Your songs are three chords"

And I was like, "come on! Give me a break!"

[Chorus]

He said, "you could give the wheel to God

You could give the wheel to Satan

You could fall down on your knees

You could beg to be forgiven

You could give the wheel to love

You could give the wheel to hate

Or you could just not give the wheel away."

[Verse 4]

I told him, "When I was a child, the classroom was my stage

I knew if I could make the nuns laugh, then I could do anything

…  But it's hard to make the nuns laugh

I don't know if you've tried

I don't know how many nuns

You hung out with in your life

But trust me, it's hard to make them laugh

[Verse 5]

Ah yeah, but every now and then

The Bible would say something silly

And if you've read The Bible

You know it happens all the time

And I would form my joke

Trying hard not to offend

Oh, like the court jester

With an axe over his head

Yes, and every now and then

Oh I, oh I, I could make the nuns laugh

[Chorus]

Yeah and you could give the wheel to God

You could give the wheel to Satan

You could fall down on your knees

You could beg to be forgiven

You could give the wheel to love

You could give the wheel to hate

Or you could just not give the wheel away."

[Verse 6]

Beethoven told me I was about to wake up

And Beethoven apologized for saying that I sucked

He said, "man, who am I to talk. I've been dead for so long..

I mean do people still remember me? Do they still play my songs?

And I was like, "yeah. You're fine dude, just chill"

[Verse 7]

He asked, "am I a ringtone?"

I said, "sometimes you're a ringtone..

But we also put you on a gold record

And shot you into space"

And he said, "man, how 'bout that?

I mean, without a doubt

To be a ringtone

That's what it's all about"

And I was like, "No! Not enough!"

[Verse 8]

He said, "John let's write a song together before you wake up..

It could even be simple, I just want it to be about love:

Sweet and sarcastic, and a little bit negative"

And I said, "Oh Beethoven, now you're speaking my language"

He said, "can I write the first line?"

And I said, "probably"

He said, "will you finish it in the morning?"

And I said, "probably"

He said, "can we call it 'Fuck Auto Pilot'"

And I said, "probably"

He said, "Is it gonna be three chords?"

And I said, "for you Ludwig, oh baby, I'll make it four!"

[Verse 9]

Yeah and he said, "wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

There is life behind your eyelids and so much steering to be done"

[Spoken]

My name is John Craigie, I'm from Portland Oregon

And kicking the fall tour off. I love this room. I love you guys

You're an amazing crowd and I'll do my best...