♪ But I make ♪ ♪ The mistake of forgetting ♪ ♪ You don't think about me ♪ ♪ I have to remind myself ♪ ♪ That I am ♪ ♪ Out of sight and out of mind ♪ ♪ (woman) "Prairie Musicians" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.

[playing slowly & melodically] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Scrolling through our messages ♪ ♪ To see if I was interesting enough ♪ ♪ For him to recall my forgettable name ♪ ♪ In a month ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm sure I made no first impression ♪ ♪ I'm sure I nearly bored him to death ♪ ♪ But he could get to know me ♪ ♪ And I could annoy him instead ♪ ♪ ♪ When is it my turn to have ♪ ♪ Somebody I can call my own ♪ ♪ Not romanticize someone I don't know ♪ ♪ But memorize ♪ ♪ Someone in real life ♪ ♪ ♪ Scrolling through our stalemate conversation ♪ ♪ Dissecting every word that you typed ♪ ♪ As if I didn't have ♪ ♪ Every syllable memorized ♪ ♪ ♪ When will he grow up and find out ♪ ♪ I'm the things he wished he'd had ♪ ♪ With him all along ♪ ♪ Before he met me two years early ♪ ♪ When will we graduate ♪ ♪ From turning a blind eye ♪ ♪ Graduate ♪ ♪ From in my mind's eye ♪ ♪ Graduate ♪ ♪ And start a real life ♪ ♪ ♪ When will I grow up and learn ♪ ♪ That I can't make a person ♪ ♪ Fall in love ♪ ♪ Just by thinking of them ♪ ♪ They don't even know me ♪ ♪ When will I graduate ♪ ♪ From fantasizing ♪ ♪ Graduate ♪ ♪ To realizing ♪ ♪ Graduate ♪ ♪ And start a real life ♪ [piano solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hi, I'm Nicole Jasperse, I'm from Moorhead, Minnesota, and today I'll be joined by Tommy Stueland on the drums and Olson Langness on electric guitar, bass, and keyboards.

I started songwriting in middle school, and it was immediately my favorite hobby, and the number one way that I expressed myself.

Writing for me is very based on personal experience and based on expressing emotions and telling stories and being able to put them into words that maybe someone else hasn't phrased things that way before or just kind of telling my story.

So words are kind of always the priority for me.

My goal is really to discuss shared human experiences through telling my own stories.

[keyboard plays a sustained tone] [guitar & keyboard play slowly & softly] [electric guitar joins in] ♪ ♪ ♪ Nobody sees me inside out ♪ ♪ Like the one who formed my inmost being ♪ ♪ ♪ There's something about being known that well ♪ ♪ ♪ It's simple but it's freeing ♪ ♪ ♪ Nobody knows me backwards and forwards ♪ ♪ Like the one who authored my whole life ♪ ♪ ♪ The one whose hand keeps all things in order ♪ ♪ Yet has me memorized ♪ ♪ And I've never never never ♪ ♪ Met a person half as kind ♪ ♪ And he'll ever ever ever ♪ ♪ Be the nearest by my side ♪ ♪ He's the treasure treasure ♪ ♪ Unlike anything that I ♪ ♪ Will ever find ♪ ♪ ♪ The most precious that I'll find ♪ ♪ ♪ Mm mm-mm-mm mm mm-mm-mm ♪ ♪ Mm-mm-mm ♪ ♪ ♪ Nobody can hold me like he does ♪ ♪ ♪ No one's for me like he is ♪ ♪ ♪ He's never anything less than more than I need ♪ ♪ Because I was made to belong to him ♪ ♪ ♪ And there's never been anyone ♪ ♪ Even close to half as kind ♪ ♪ And he'll ever ever ever ♪ ♪ Be the nearest by my side ♪ ♪ He's the treasure treasure ♪ ♪ The most precious that ♪ ♪ I will ever find ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You know me yet you choose me ♪ ♪ ♪ And you love me thoroughly ♪ ♪ ♪ The more I know you the more I wonder ♪ ♪ How could I not choose you back ♪ ♪ I'm yours to have whole-heartedly ♪ ♪ Ee ee-ee ♪ ♪ ♪ You know me yet you choose me ♪ ♪ And you love me thoroughly ♪ ♪ Ee-ee ee-ee ♪ ♪ The more I know you the more I wonder ♪ ♪ How could I not choose you back ♪ ♪ I'm yours to have whole-heartedly ♪ ♪ Ee-ee ♪ ♪ There's never been anyone ♪ ♪ Even close to half as kind ♪ ♪ And he'll ever ever ever ♪ ♪ Be my boast and my delight ♪ ♪ He's the treasure treasure ♪ ♪ The most precious that I ♪ ♪ Will ever find ♪ ♪ ♪ The most precious that I'll find ♪ ♪ ♪ Will ever find ♪ ♪ ♪ He's my treasure treasure ♪ ♪ The most precious that I ♪ ♪ Will ever find ♪ ♪ ♪ The most precious that I'll find ♪ ♪ The Taxidermist is one of my favorite songs I've ever written.

It's about this metaphor describing the way that we can hang onto things that really we should be letting go of and just what that process looks like.

Then has kind of a more helpful twist as the song goes on.

[playing softly in folk rhythm] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Someone asked me my biggest fear ♪ ♪ And I couldn't decide ♪ ♪ Between drowning and spiders ♪ ♪ And car accidents and heights ♪ ♪ ♪ But if I'm honest it's none of those ♪ ♪ It's something further inside ♪ ♪ A cavity in the depths of my chest ♪ ♪ So it took me a while to realize ♪ ♪ ♪ When I grow up I'm afraid I'll be ♪ ♪ An expert on taxidermy ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm really good at keeping ♪ ♪ Dead things next to me ♪ ♪ Someday will I have to lie ♪ ♪ To say I wanted my life ♪ ♪ To go this way ♪ ♪ And what if it's my own fault ♪ ♪ Just the way I am ♪ ♪ The way I am ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ What if I turn eighty years old ♪ ♪ With nothing to show for it ♪ ♪ No souvenirs on my shelves ♪ ♪ And an untouched bucket list ♪ ♪ ♪ My apartment only has one resident ♪ ♪ Still sleeping on a twin bed ♪ ♪ ♪ No visitors no light on the porch ♪ ♪ No reason to stay up past 10:00 ♪ ♪ So I'll flip through my empty scrapbooks ♪ ♪ Dust off my vacant picture frames ♪ ♪ ♪ It isn't dying that scares me at all oh no no ♪ ♪ It's dying alone ♪ ♪ ♪ When I grow up I'm afraid I'll be ♪ ♪ An expert on taxidermy ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm really good at keeping ♪ ♪ Dead things next to me ♪ ♪ Someday will I have to lie to say ♪ ♪ I wanted my life to go this way ♪ ♪ And what if it's my own fault ♪ ♪ Just the way I am ♪ ♪ The way I am ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm a taxidermist ♪ ♪ ♪ What if it's my own fault ♪ ♪ Just the way I am ♪ ♪ The way I am ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mm-mm mm-mm ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ You could keep me from being alone forever ♪ ♪ ♪ You could be mine ♪ ♪ ♪ You could make me forget all the things ♪ ♪ I'm hung up on ♪ ♪ And bring me to life ♪ ♪ ♪ You could make sure I end up ♪ ♪ With more than pipe dreams ♪ ♪ Someday ay-ay ♪ ♪ Ay-ay ay-ay ay-ay-ay-ay ♪ ♪ Ay ay-ay ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh you could save me ♪ ♪ From being a taxidermist ♪ ♪ What do you say ay-ay ay-ay ay-ay ♪ ♪ Ay ay-ay-ay ay-ay ay-ay ♪ ♪ What do you say ♪ ♪ ♪ What do you say ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ What do you say ♪ [playing in moderate folk rhythm] ♪ [slide guitar solo] ♪ ♪ I saw a city black out ♪ ♪ From an airplane window ♪ ♪ Could've sworn I nearly touched the moon ♪ ♪ ♪ I watched the world turn white ♪ ♪ From up above ♪ ♪ Wishing it was a sight you were seeing too ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I saw a semi crash on the 94 ♪ ♪ After that I didn't quite feel safe ♪ ♪ ♪ So I gave a commentary to nobody ♪ ♪ As if you were in my passenger seat ♪ ♪ ♪ And when I'm back where I grew up ♪ ♪ I just can't help can't help ♪ ♪ But feeling as if I should be ♪ ♪ Showing you around ♪ ♪ And when I'm with my family ♪ ♪ I just can't shake the feeling ♪ ♪ You should've come along to introduce yourself ♪ ♪ But I make the mistake of forgetting ♪ ♪ You don't think about me ♪ ♪ I have to remind myself ♪ ♪ That I am out of sight ♪ ♪ And out of mind ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Drove around my hometown for an hour or so ♪ ♪ ♪ Yet I didn't hit a single train ♪ ♪ ♪ Made a joke about it being a good morning ♪ ♪ But if you were there I wouldn't mind the wait ♪ ♪ ♪ And when I'm back where I was born ♪ ♪ I don't think clearly anymore ♪ ♪ It's like in my head ♪ ♪ I am never by myself ♪ ♪ And when I'm playing shows back home ♪ ♪ I look up and picture you front row ♪ ♪ Clapping for love songs that I wrote to someone else ♪ ♪ But I make the mistake of forgetting ♪ ♪ You don't think about me ♪ ♪ I have to remind myself ♪ ♪ That I am out of sight and out of mind ♪ ♪ ♪ Am out of sight and out of mind ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ When I leave the room do you forget my face ♪ ♪ ♪ I bet you do when I leave the room ♪ ♪ ♪ When I leave the room do you forget my face ♪ ♪ ♪ I know you do when I leave the room ♪ ♪ ♪ When I leave the room do you forget my face ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm sure you do when I leave the room ♪ ♪ ♪ I know you do when I leave the room ♪ ♪ I'm sure you do when I leave the room ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [finger-picking in folk style] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ How can I be the only one in a room ♪ ♪ ♪ And it still feels crowded ♪ ♪ ♪ So content one second ♪ ♪ Then so frantic just the next ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh how could how could I be ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ How is it that the oxygen seems to leave the air ♪ ♪ Though it's made of it ♪ ♪ How can walls close in that are made of cement ♪ ♪ ♪ I think the pressure might crush me ♪ ♪ Crush me ♪ ♪ I might snap every rib ♪ ♪ If I take a big enough breath ♪ ♪ ♪ So I take mine shallow ♪ ♪ I'm not scared of death I'm just tired of this ♪ ♪ ♪ Of broken ribs ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Of broken ribs ♪ ♪ ♪ How does gravity pull especially strong ♪ ♪ When I need it to let go ♪ ♪ The most ♪ ♪ ♪ It picks and chooses the grips it loosens ♪ ♪ And gives the weight to the rest ♪ ♪ Constricted half of the time ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ How do I manage to deal such damage ♪ ♪ To things that I'm handed ♪ ♪ I ruin and ravage them ♪ ♪ I guess it's a habit of mine ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh I guess ♪ ♪ It's a habit of mine ♪ ♪ I might snap every rib ♪ ♪ If I take a big enough breath ♪ ♪ ♪ So I keep them shallow ♪ ♪ I'm not scared of death ♪ ♪ I'm just tired of this ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh-oh oh-oh ♪ ♪ These broken ribs ♪ ♪ ♪ These broken ribs ♪ ♪ Broken ribs ♪ ♪ ♪ Those broken ribs ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh-oh oh-oh ♪ ♪ Broken ribs ♪ ♪ ♪ Broken ribs ♪ (woman) "Prairie Musicians" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.