Circle Gets the Square is Kevin Devine’s first album.

It was released in 2002 through Immigrant Sun Records. Purchase on iTunes

Tracks:

01. Fingerprints and Photographs
02. Write Your Story Now
03. Protest Singer

04. Guys With Record Collections
05. If We Meet Today

06. This Box Is Empty

07. Working in Quiet
08. Letting a Good One Go

09. Confessional at 6 P.M.
10. Lullaby For a Snow-Faced Girl

Lyrics:

Fingerprints & Photographs
i’m looking at you through a wine glass.
i’m watching the light play games with your face.

i’m tracing your mouth with my fingers.
i’m trying to pick up your taste.
and will you dance for me?

two more drinks and i’ll forget everything.
i can’t remember your face by the time i get home.
your photograph in an album,
peeling plastic, yellow pages.
tainted by so many fingerprints. i need to remember this.
need you to dance for me.
can you dance for me?
dance for me?
dance for me?
coz i wont remember this in the morning.

two more drinks and i’ll forget everything.
i can’t remember your face by the time i get home.
will you dance for me?

Write Your Story Now
i’m running out of things to say to you
this always takes so long is what you said
before you said so long
this kind of wordplay gets you ostracized
but if you operate inside these perfect lines
you’ll be fine

and i’m running out faster than i ever have before
i’m seeing double and everywhere i turn my head things look like you again
so get your notebook out and write your story now
write your story now
write your story now

Protest Singer
I stopped today to see myself in subway glass
and I was scared of the way I look now
I knew the only thought my mind, my eyes
please don’t believe in me
I don’t wanna let you down

and I’m convinced it only rains in New York
and I am surrounded by everything that really scares me
a room full of empty people
regretting every time that they inhale

and I wanted to write one perfect song
to make you cry in your sleep
kind of like a soundtrack for your dreams

to let you know I’m watching
and making sure it turns out alright

it’ll be alright
I guess I wanted to make you feel something
I wanted to make you feel everything

and you may call me a protest singer
but I’m only protesting myself
I don’t believe in beautiful people
and I don’t believe in me
I wonder what it’s like to be in between

can you hear me?
can you hear me?
you may call me a protest singer
(can you hear me?)
but I’m only protesting myself
and you may call me a protest singer
but I’m only protesting myself

Guys With Record Collections
you always wanna be told you’re right
maybe i got sick of lying all the time
you always say you’re taken for granted
unjustly reprimanded
ruined by your father’s love

’cause it’s not enough
well i’m tired of being bitter

playing babysitter when you need a place to cry
so i’m starting up a boys club just like junior high
for guys with record collections
and the girls they hurt to get them

and i’ll go there to forget all about you
and i’ll go there to forget all about you
and i’ll never take it back

and i’ll go there to forget all about you
and i’ll go there to forget all about you
and i’ll never take it back
no, i’ll never take it back
no, i’ll never take it back
no, i’ll never take it back

If We Meet Today
Do you know how ridiculous you sound
When you say you might be in love with me
Not cause I want you to
Not cause I want you to

I’ve got to stop coming around here
You never seem to know what’s best for me
At least not when I want you to
Not when I want you to
Not when I want you to

And if we meet today
Promise that you’ll stay awake
Long enough to hear me say let’s go to sleep
Let’s go to sleep

And do you know how scared I am
Of the bottom dropping out?
And you’re breaking through to me

Not cause I want you to
Not cause I want you to
You’re breaking through to me

Not cause I want you to

This Box Is Empty
she’s crossing out the details.
and dusting off the picture frames, it’s saturday.
she’s been waiting for the phone to ring.
she’s been waiting all night.
but it doesn’t matter who’s on the line.
as long as the voice works.
but you’re too scared of what you might say.
so you think it out on paper, like hypothetical and safer.
while she’s thumbing through her catalogues,
picking birthday cards, her favourite stars.
i guess she’s lonelier than you.

and if this box is empty.
go out and find another one.
with a prettier design.
a greater depth inside.
and a lid to keep it all from spilling out.
and you can fill it up with letters.
back when things were better.
and both of you had blinders on
and read storybooks together.
and you pretended away all the bad things.
now she disconnects her phone, after the second ring.
and all the drama you could swallow
could never check your ego.
i guess no one’s lonelier than you.

and if this box is empty.
and if this box is empty.
and if this box is empty.
and if this box is empty.

Working In Quiet
I go to the places where you are
I find you hanging out
I paste my eyes wide open
And I turn everything inside out
I am turning into everything I hate
And you are graceful and absolutely fake
I am fake
I hear you laughing, am I proud of you
And I am turning into everything I hate
And you are graceful and absolutely fake
I hope you’re proud
I’m not changing
I hope you’re proud
I’m not changing
And I’m trying to be quiet
I’m trying to be quiet
It’s not working

Letting A Good One Go
I think I thought so much about losing you
That I never really had you
You spend so much time
You spend so much time
When you think you’ve got all the time in the world
And I turned you into
A conversation piece
And the things you take for granted
Turn out to be the things that you need
I’m timing my breath against the backbeat of your footsteps
As we walk along cobble stone streets
Arms at our sides, deliberate
Eyes on the ground
Counting down to when we can talk out loud

Move on, Steady now
Move on, Move on, Move on
You’re letting a good one go
You’re letting a good one go
You’re letting a good one go
You’re letting a good one go

Confessional at 6 PM
I’d give myself a hand if I were you
The right words are never ones I say.
Songs like these
They carry little weight now.
Cause they’re about honesty
They’re about sincerity
And I gave you neither
And I took everything
For me.
And I have broken your heart
For the first and only time
One day I’ll feel this way too
On the receiving end
Of heavy handed logic.
And I’m not real anymore
I’m like a story
Passed down by kids at campfire parties
Not getting out of bed today
Just lay here uninspired
Feeling bad that I threw you away.
I’m a shadow that whispers
Stupid songs about his heart.

I’m sorry for letting you down
I’m sorry for everything about me that hurts you
I think about what you said on the phone
If I die alone it’s my own fault

And I’m a shadow that whispers
Stupid songs about his heart
I’m sorry
I’d give myself a hand

Lullaby For A Snow-Faced Girl
sleep peacefully.
like the way you look this morning.

with faith in your eyes.
and me in your hands.
a whispered promise in your heart.

lullaby for a snow-faced girl.
is what i’ll sing.
watching you, the whole time
it’s three-oh-five on monday morning
or is it night?
i don’t know
is it night?
i don’t know
but we’ll be fine
we’ll be fine
we’ll be fine
we’ll be fine
we’ll be fine