Whether

Mood Red / GoldcapX · 2026 · Trip-Hop · 11 tracks

Parents try to teach their children lessons. Some hard, some sweet. Dedicated to my own two children and the future they'll make.

Tracklist

  1. Weather
  2. Look Away
  3. Should
  4. Carry
  5. Same Road
  6. Hands
  7. Been Waiting
  8. Not Yours
  9. Take Back
  10. Two Of You
  11. Move

Lyrics

Weather

The weather comes smiling like a yellow dress
sun on its arm like it means to stay
swears it on the flowers
swear on the flowers
(ooh)

You have to watch its eyes
You have to read the skies
hanging there like a beautiful bruise
you give your heart away...

Never trust the weather, child
(can't trust it)
never trust a rainy day
(rainy day)
don't love a windy morning
(windy morning)
forgive a summer sky
(forgive it)

It turns without a word
the way the weather does
leaves you cold
and forgets your name
(ooh, ooh)

so don't you trust a warm day
(don't you trust it)
it won't show you why
(tells you first)
it wears its heart in colors
(colors)
And speaks in riddles...
(ooh)

Never trust the weather, child
(can't trust it)
never trust a stormy night
(stormy night)
don't love a cloudy sky
(cloudy sky)
forgive the dying light
(forgive it)

You don't have to close the window
but you have to know the sky
a sunset is a bruise
let it pass you by

a rainy sky needs loving
(needs loving)
a windy morning, a friend
(needs a friend)
and the sunrise, child—
let the sunrise in
(let it in)

love it when it's beautiful
(beautiful)
and let it
let it
pass you by
(pass you by)

Look Away

What you don't see
In the room with you
A mother, A father
A brother... all quiet

Read the room...
Learn to look...
Don't stare at the mirror...
(ooh, ooh)
It won't stare back
(ooh, ooh)

Your eye is the only thing
the only thing you own...
look away
(don't look away)
look away my love
(don't look away)
What you'll see
happens just the same
(just the same)
look away
(don't look away)

The room is bigger
The room is the street
The man on the corner
The man with your number

Read the room...
Learn to look...
Don't stare at the mirror...
(ooh, ooh)
It won't stare back
(ooh, ooh)

And the eye is the only thing
the eye is the only thing we have...
look away
(don't look away)
look away for now
(don't look away)
What you'll see
happens just the same
(just the same)
look away
(don't look away)

The room is the world
Real life on a screen
The war becomes the weather
The dead are just a number

Read the room...
Learn to look...
Don't stare at the mirror...
(ooh, ooh)
It won't stare back
(ooh, ooh)

the eye is the thing
the thing you surrendered...
Look away
(don't look away)
Don't keep looking, love
(keep looking)
What you'll see
is what you'll keep
(what you keep)
Look away
(don't look away)

I taught you how to look
(how to look)
the world is what you got
(what you got)
keep your eye on it
(keep your eye)
keep your eyes open
(eyes open)

keep looking
(keep looking)
keep your eye on it
(keep your eye)

Should

we wore the pin
we shared the news
we posted
donated
(ooh)
And we slept fine, mostly
we slept fine

What should we do
what should we all do
we know what
we know what

In the street
(we should)
In the door
(we should)
Be the body
(Be a body)
That the world...
Can't get around
(we should)
We should
(we should)

Not today, the rain
Got the kids
I've gotta work
the school, the bills
(ooh)
That was a lie, mostly
that was a lie

What should we do
what should we all do
we know what
we know what

In the street
(we should)
In the door
(we should)
Be the body
(Be a body)
That the world...
Can't get around
(we should)
We should
(we should)

What would change
what would move
who would notice
who would care
(ooh)
that's the prettiest lie
the prettiest lie

What should we do
what should we all do
we know what
we know what

In the street
(we should)
In the door
(we should)
Be the body
(Be a body)
That the world...
Can't get around
(we should)
We should
(we should)

maybe...
(maybe)
maybe we should now
(maybe)
maybe we know someday
(maybe)
maybe you
(maybe)
maybe...
(maybe)

Carry

There's a weight in this world
older than you
older than me
older than the name we gave it
I carried it
I'm carrying it
and now I'm telling you
you carry it too

You don't get to set it down
that's not how this works
your hands were made for it
the same as mine were made
the same as hers were made
the same as his

This is the work
this is the work

Carry
(carry it)
Carry it
(carry it)
You carry
(you carry)
You

There's a road in this world
longer than you
longer than me
longer than the years that hold us
I walked it
I'm walking it
and now I'm telling you
you walk it too

You don't get to stop
that's not how this works
your feet were made for it
the same as mine were made
the same as hers were made
the same as his

This is the work
this is the work

Carry
(carry it)
Carry it
(carry it)
You carry
(you carry)
You

There are hands in this world
my hands
your hands
the hands of everyone who came before
I lifted with them
I'm lifting with them
and now I'm telling you
you lift with yours

You don't get to keep them empty
that's not how this works
your back was made for it
the same as mine was made
the same as hers was made
the same as his

This is the work
this is the work
this is the work

Carry
(carry it)
Carry it
(carry it)
You carry
(you carry)
You

Carry
(carry it)
Carry it
(carry it)
You carry
(you carry)
You

And.

And because I love you,
I'm telling you the truth.

Same Road

Out of dark
The road rises
Travelling alone
I never knew

Light comes low
Across the field
Dust holds
The color of morning

We walk the road
We walk

Same road
(same road)
same road, love
(same road)
the long road
the long road
(same road)
We're on

Alongside
You appear
Light fills the window
When the sun rises

Make a sound
Don't have to turn
breath, your breath
the breath of shadow

We walk the road
We walk

Same road
(same road)
same road, love
(same road)
the long road
the long road
(same road)
We're on

Light changing
Light Fading
Ahead
Behind

Same pace
Hills came up
Dust holds
The color of evening

We walk the road
We walk

Same road
(same road)
same road, love
(same road)
the long road
the long road we're on
(same road)

the long road
(the long road)
we're on
(we're on)

Hands

Come here, love
the light is doing the thing
it does at this hour...
on the water

look how the boat sits
look how the lines go
the ocean is breathing
slowly... deeply...

This is a practice
this is a practice

Hands
(here, love)
hands
(look, love)
my hand on your shoulder
turning you toward the light
(turning toward)
Hands
(look, love)

There she is
at the end of the slip
she comes most mornings
I don't know why

watch the stillness
watch the way she chooses
when her wings go out
take the whole sky

(watch her take the sky!)

This is a practice
this is a practice

Hands
(here, love)
hands
(look, love)
my hand on your shoulder
turning you toward the sky
(turning toward)
Hands
(look, love)

The sky's working all morning
on a color I can't name
something between
gold and an apricot

I want you to have this
not the words for it
the looking
the moment is a gift

This is a practice
this is a practice
this is a practice

Hands
(here, love)
hands
(look, love)
my hand on your shoulder
turning you toward my
(turning toward)

What I hand you
(hand you)
is the noticing
(the noticing)
keep your eye open
(keep your eye)
not just for the dark
not for the light
but for my heart

keep your eye open
(eye open)
the sky, love
(the sky)
the light, love
(the light)

Been Waiting

Come on
the water's warm
warmer than you'd think
from where you're standing

I'm already in it
the sun is doing
that thing it does
at this hour

Don't wait
don't wait

Don't wait now
(don't wait)
come when you can
(come on)
the water knows you
the water's been waiting
(been waiting)
don't wait

The wind comes in
across the sand
it knows the way
it knows your name

There's nobody hurrying
nobody calling time
the day is what the day is
and the day is yours

Don't wait
don't wait

Don't wait now
(don't wait)
come when you can
(come on)
the water knows you
the water's been waiting
(been waiting)
don't wait

This is the part
where I stop calling
and you walk
on your own
toward the sound of the water
the part where the water
calls instead of me
the water knows the way

Don't wait
don't wait
don't wait

Don't wait now
(don't wait)
come when you can
(come on)
the water knows you
the water's been waiting
(been waiting)
come on
(come on)
come on
(come on)

come on
(come on)
the water
(the water)
the water's warm
(warm)

Not Yours

hey— hey—
nah nah nah, put that down
(put it down)

saw you reach for the bag
saw your little hand go flat
saw you try to lift the thing
been breakin' my back
nah— uh uh— not like that
that's a grown man's weight
that's a long night late
that's a bill I made
'fore your name had a date

so you can let it go
let it go, let it go
'cause I already know
who's holdin' this, oh—

not yours
this ain't yours
put it down, I got this
go on, you go on
not yours
that's a no
I'ma hold what I broke
go on, you go on

the debt— mine
the old fight— mine
the name they spit— mine, mine, fine
the door I slammed
the year I lost
the thing I said I'd pay no matter the cost
you don't owe it
didn't sign it
won't inherit one red dime of it—
your hands are clean
keep 'em that way
take the music, take the morning, leave the rest where it lay

not yours
this ain't yours
put it down, I got this
go on, you go on
not yours
that's a no
I'ma hold what I broke
go on, you go on

and look—
truth is
nobody carried it for me
had to hoist it myself, set it on my own knee
and I ain't mad
that's just how it came
but the buck— the buck stops on my name
that's the whole job
that's the only one
to stand here and say it ends with me, son
so you—

GO— (go on)
GO— (go on)
ha!— go on now
(put it down, put it down)

not yours
never was
put it down, I GOT this
go on, you go on
not yours
that's all love
I'ma carry the weight so you carry the song
go on— you go on

go on
(I got it)
go on
(I said I got it)
go on now...
hey—

Take Back

when she was small
she wanted the stairs
to climb forever
the door to open on a country
the light in the window
was a star

she wanted the rain to stay
she wanted the day to be longer
than the day,
she wanted, she wanted
we remember
how she wanted

now she is the one
in the doorway
now she is the one
with no time left over
we remember
how she wanted

go on
we will carry
what you cannot
go on
we have the time
we have all the time

when the child reached
and her hands were full
we took what she gave
and held it close
and hold it close
and kept it for her

now she would take back
everything
she would take it all back
but we are still holding
nothing is ever lost
only to be given again

do not be afraid
we are only the part of you
that remembers everything
forgives none of it
we remember
how she wanted

go on
we will carry
what you cannot
go on
we have the time
we have all the time

we were always with you
we were always with you
we are always with you
we are

Two Of You

you came in the morning
eyes open, ready for the day
asking why, asking why
take up all the room...
the room says thank you
don't wait to be invited
who needs to be invited
just arriving, arrive

two of you
one of us
from the same breath...
the two of you
one good reason
my whole reason...

you came in evening
eyes open, watching the room
asking how, asking how
taking up all my time...
but time isn't after us
slow to open
you don't close
always opening, open

two of you
one of us
from the same breath...
the two of you
one good reason
my whole reason...

how do I have two sides
From the flip of A quiet prayer
one of you is fire
one of you is water
no favorite sunrise
no favorite rain
completely different
and exactly the same

two of you
one of us
from the same breath...
the two of you
one good reason
my whole reason...

the two of you
go on now
the two of you

Move

the bag is packed
I packed it light
took out everything
that wasn't yours to fight
I kept the heavy stuff
you keep the song
I'll be right here
right where I belong

so when the weather breaks
and it's gonna break
you don't run from it
you walk

go
go on now
go
I already taught you how
everything I had
I already gave
go on, baby
go

I taught you to look
when it's easier not to see
I taught you to stay awake
to carry what's worth carrying
I taught you the world is yours
to answer and to mend
and I taught you wonder
'cause that's the part that never ends

so when the weather breaks
and it's gonna break
you don't look back for me
you walk

go
go on now
go
I already taught you how
everything I had
I already gave
go on, baby
go

I'm not coming with you
that's the whole gift
you out walking in a light
I can't keep
I won't lift
I'm not behind you
I'm not gone
I'm the ground you came from
now go on

go
go with everything
go
I already gave you wings
nothing left to carry
that you can't replace
go on, baby
go
(vaya)
go
(vaya con Dios)
go

go on...
go on...
I'm right here
go