I wrote the music for the chorus and all the lyrics for "About Face" in 2005 but never came up with a satisfactory tune for the verses. I was also envisioning it as more of a loud 90s-ish rock song originally.
The chorus stayed with me for years, but I didn't really come back to it in earnest until January '09, as I was starting to pull together a few nagging stray ideas. "About Face" was one of the first ones I wanted to nail down. Thankfully, the verse tune came quickly, and the song was finally written on January 27th.
Lyrics-wise, I see a throughline to this song from a few past ones -- "High Wire" from INFINITY DOGS, "The Mirror In Your Mind" from the very-limited-release HUMBUG GLORY, "Automatic Caution Door," and others.
Voice and guitar was recorded in a single live take, as with all the acoustic-only tracks on the album.
I think "About Face" is one of the class tracks on the record, and I'm so glad it stuck around long enough in my mind to let me finish it at last.
________________________
About Face
Always wallowing in plunder
from the treasure that it takes
Don’t you ever start to wonder
why the cycle never breaks?
Jab a stick between the spoken promises
About time that you face
the face this is about
you’re turning an about face
and it’s really a close shave
Single, single, little vixen
How I wonder if you are
All the poison that you’re mixin’
Leaves you close to no cigar
The air is thick with all the smokin’ promises
About time that you face
the face this is about
but babe, it’s not about face
that you think you can still save
In a candy-cradled stupor
In a frozen lake a splash
You intended to be super
It’s unhealthy; it’s a smash
Aren’t you sick of all the broken promises?
About time that you face
the face this is about
Your ‘what’s-it-all-about’ face
Don’t you take it to the grave.