We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Desire Paths

by Unwoman

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $3 USD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD in digipack with full liner notes. None of my merch is shipped outside of the US. Image is a placeholder. Signed or not.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Desire Paths via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days

      $13 USD or more 

     

  • USB Flash Drive + Digital Album

    Crystal USB with red LED and 8GB capacity. Shiny clear acrylic & brushed steel, laser-etched with Unwoman logos. Contains 24+ hours of Unwoman's music including Desire Paths, Uncovered thru Volume 7, Selected Songpoems, both regular & instrumental versions of four original albums, several other original and covers albums & EPs including Everything Is Awesome and Snuggle, the dark-ambient EP IDTWS, and bonus tracks not available anywhere else. Does not contain the newest subscription-only songs or anything that was up temporarily on bandcamp.

    Files are very high quality 320 kbps mp3s. If you would prefer FLAC files, please purchase my complete discography on here and arrange to pay $12 + shipping for the USB -- write orders@unmediated.net

    I don't ship anything outside the US.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Desire Paths via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days

      $50 USD or more 

     

  • Poster/Print + Digital Album

    The Very Hot Photo, in a basic 11x17 print.

    It doesn't fit in the same kind of package as the CD so it will ship separately if you buy both.

    Photo by 2ndlifephotography www.instagram.com/2ndlifephotography/

    Includes unlimited streaming of Desire Paths via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days

      $10 USD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 35 Unwoman releases available on Bandcamp and save 75%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Music to Pine for Your Old Lady to, The Lemon Blossom, Desire Paths, Instrumentals: Of My Own Space and Time I Am Queen, Wallflower, Everything Is Awesome, Music to Snuggle Your Old Lady to, Uncovered Volume 7, and 27 more. , and , .

    Excludes subscriber-only releases.

    Purchasable with gift card

      $45.25 USD or more (75% OFF)

     

1.
Mother, mother You will sacrifice everyone you were Mother, mother You must not expect something in return You can’t repeat the past You won’t be borne ceaselessly back Until you see your whole life flash Elsewhere, somewhere Living all of their best little lives Other Mothers Having followed some pathways of desire I am not who I once was And I’m starting to hear the warnings of The old woman I will become: she says Freedom! Freedom to cut straight through it To evade all of the bullshit You can’t repeat the past You won’t be borne ceaselessly back Until you see your whole life flash And isn’t it only bad Compared to what you could’ve had If you had always followed your own path? (Who even gets to do that?) [And if you were not the one to break me Would I have worse to escape Love’s hell I built all by myself At least I gave up on the chase] You thought I could not get here from there But I did! Oh I did! and how I regret The lengths I chose to go to prove I could have sustained your brood A remarkable spider devoured — But first I would have consumed you I’m still not who I will be And the more I am pulled the more I beg to be free Free to cut straight through it Though it’s bound by blood and glue yet Something in me splits wide open When you speak to me of future [Was there truth in intuition To be loved and to be human] Shall I cry one last time For the death of who I was? No man is worthy of those tears! No man is worthy of those tears!
2.
Hey, hey The hills are already green As green as they can be Hey, hey Won’t you come out walkin with me Down by the bay laurel trees Hey hey And down where the babbling creek flows As quick as it can go Hey, hey And mosses on everything grow We will go, oh As grey clouds gather overhead The hills just look greener and warmer And warmer tomorrows are just up ahead If we make it through every storm And when I say blood is thicker than water I mean we hold our two cut palms together United against the past and all its snares! Hey, hey The hills are already green (etc) Hey hey The coyotes calling our names Come back the trees and caves And follow the paths you can’t see And walk till the night turns to day Hey hey As grey clouds gather overhead etc. Hey, hey Sharpen your blade Come with me now!
3.
If I say I’m drowning Will everything change? Have you ever asked for a hand out of something? To scrute the inscrutable And eff the ineffable Impossible to move against four -Forces that rhyme invisibly When three’s the most I ever could be -Beasts encoded each in its maze But I haven’t wandered too far away from it And I gather tether unto me bit by bit To scrute the inscrutable -As if I need to broaden my scope And eff the ineffable -As if the spell will break when it’s spoke Yes my purpose remained buried but never burned All the treasure I can unlock once I’ve learned No I haven’t wandered too far away from it And I gather tether unto me bit by bit All life is is labor And ours is for nothing At least Narcissus has himself! …will everything change? How could you forget pleasure, girl? -They said it would not buy me a seat When for some this is all that they need? -They said it would not make me complete All the sirens wanted was to sing their song And invite anyone who wants to to sing along Her breath on my neck my breath on yours Others surround in softness and yes Our love for you will still be as strong If no is all you’ve got left And if we awaken in fury what once was love Know that nothing will remain of us no matter what Yada da da etc Float away with me! Float away with me!
4.
I am coming out tonight I don’t wanna waste another moment I know I would regret it My hair is turning grey All these wrinkles on my face are going nowhere But I don’t cry over it Cause we are the lucky ones: we’re still here! So fight your battles And spill your tears Pedal to the metal to the— Lipstick hairspray pointy boots Hand-rolled cloves and good friends who know all the gossip I had it but I lost it I was never cool enough To be noticed when I wasn’t out there So come on let’s get out there! We are the lucky ones: we’re still here! So fight your battles And spill your tears Take some damage And kill your fear We are the lucky ones: we’re still here! What if this your last dance What is this is your last chance hear music Physical, electric And across the dancefloor Mirror spirits who are here to see through you Like they know what’s before you [And I’ll love them better now they’re dead And they love me better now they’re dead] We are the lucky ones: we’re still here! So fight your battles And spill your tears Taste the damage And kill your fear We are the lucky ones: we’re still here! When will I have had enough? When will the banks be full When will I have gathered enough to remember When will the last dance occur? We are still the lucky ones However much it hurts
5.
Could something be forgotten and then found again Prized like a trophy on a shelf Does beauty once it wanes ever bloom again Will chaos ever learn to sort itself? (It’s creeping, it’s creeping, it’s creeping up on me) (it’s growing, it’s growing, it’s growing around me) I found a ring of silver with a lapis stone Deep in an old treasure box I slid it on my finger as I stood, alone And then I simply took it off (it’s shining, it’s shining, still shining up at me) (it’s simple, bit crooked, one stone between two leaves) I put it on and felt nothing, no memory But someone made it and someone gave it to me I was forgotten I would like to be found Even if it’s only my hand that pulls me out I was once as glamorous as Marilyn (Be lovely, act sweetly, and you will be beloved) I was once as casual as anyone (Use your head, not in bed, you don’t want it enough) Could someone be forgotten and then found again (It’s creeping, it’s creeping, it’s creeping up on me) Even one as plain as I am (it’s growing, it’s growing, it’s growing around me) I have learned Not to ask for too much Because it burns to reach and never touch I was forgotten I would like to be found Even if it’s only my own hand that pulls me out I would like to be found A place of distinction: pinned like a butterfly
6.
The body keeps the score The body keeps the score Though I’ve been gone a year or more The body knows the score If I don’t have to be good And life is wild precious and mine Can I take back my time? Did it/didn’t mean something? Ready for the grand gesture? You’ll have to act impressed, yeah Will I let you be The villain of my memoirs? Or will I keep it censored? I’ve been an actor all my life Ever since I learned how not to cry Always putting logic at the fore But now I yearn for my heart even more [Has it all been a lie?] And the TV says, the TV tells me to: “When reality bites too much Dissociate! Dissociate! And you don’t wanna bite the dust Dissociate!” I’ve been an actor all my life Ever since I learned how not to cry Always putting logic at the fore But now I yearn for my heart even more And it seems a power to disconnect But what of those who never get it back? [The body keeps the score etc] When the medium no longer matters Everyone has every access If the TV’s dead something still tells me to… “When reality bites too much” etc Could I direct myself At what cost do I reattach those strings?
7.
You have to move forward On your feet, soldier! You have to believe that the future is in your hands Are you walking homeward? Do they let you have one? Or anything beyond a purpose to meet their demands? And do I have to entertain you To get through to you how you’ve been used? When it might cost us everything just To seek some deeper understanding CHORUS: If you fall in a trench Do you squirm, do you wrench Or do you hold your breath and just wait there If you lose the horizon Do you keep your eyes on The land promised to those who play fair In my dreams I survive In our dreams we survive But a fantasy’s not a solution And each hour that goes by Brings us closer to dying Without making one contribution Yes everyone’s different Deep in the shit I have to believe I might not recognize myself No matter what you serve On your feet, soldier! You can’t stop and rest on your way to all-consuming hell You can feel it collapsing Under your feet — you never! Believed any of their lies But you got so comfortable (We are all so comfortable) And do I have to entertain you To get through to you how you’ve been used? Like I would rather make something but I have to feed the hand that shaped me [Chorus] Get back on your feet soldier Now we all march home
8.
Did I ask for diamonds? I’m just looking for a new best friend! For the dream of comfort A hopeless hope for quiet Come, take my hand Fly from this land Where song is free Join in the dance Complete independence Is somehow a goal to aspire to High social regard, without the burden of Friendship for more than a few [Opulence, decadence Abundance, performance Destiny, held hostage We need you, don’t resist] This house could be filled with dancing girls and raucous laughter But instead we must do our best to make it His Castle As soon as we find a way to extract money for daily Activities we will destroy all those that once were free Earn it by competently performing the role you were assigned Don’t you dare ever ask, “why should I let someone who loves me less than I do choose my future?” Are you with me Aiming for free First as in love Next as in speech While he builds fountains in the desert Monuments and testaments His name on your lips Is the real payment White cats in snow Slyly they go Will they return? He’ll never know
9.
Now I lay me down But I will not rest Heavy is the crown Heaving is my chest We spin so elegantly and I’m lavished with praise In the trappings of queens we set the floor ablaze Is this the deal I made, and haven’t I payed? They say a girl should dream big but I wandered too far Into this realm where I’ve no power at all In the war for my heart I must ask who my allies are? CHORUS: Is this the deal and haven’t I payed? We dance all night and I die as I wake I know that I asked for something of interest But it destroys me to keep this a secret I am crowned each night — but I know illusions are cheap And the ones who stop dancing are tossed in a heap And the drums and the strings they would not dare to skip a beat Glasses are filled with sweet wine but I can’t stop to drink I am running on empty with no time to think And this smile on my face shows my pain but she never blinks I swear I’ve looked for the bright side But I so long for sunlight Am I alone here asking why why why? CHORUS
10.
I bet you’ll love me better when I’m dead You’ll get the opportunity to project Just what you wish I meant [Is it rage or sadness or sex? Incitement to riot, or hopelessness?!] You’ll love me so much better when I’m gone You’ll get to use all my pretty little songs Just however you want Ooh we have to take what we get Oh better than never Oh this is the farthest I’ve gone And never never never never never looked back! Part of me is coming out Part that I forgot about Part of me is coming up Part they made me cover up And when I finally get to rest my head I will look down on Earth and shake it instead when I see Suddenly, you want to know me But it’s for my own peace of mind To know I will have left something behind for you Ooh We have to take what we get Ohh better than never Ooh how could I let you love me The only way I can move is to swim upstream Ooh when can I taste the pleasure? Ooh when I’ve made all I can Ohh and I have seen the light now But I will not let it take me until I am done Part of me is reaching out Part that I forgot about Part of me is coming up Part I used to cover up Ooh they say we should be afraid Ohh of opening up Ooh but I am strong enough now And if you want to know me I want to be known!
11.
I only know as much as I can know I have only one head And one life in which to fill it To fill it up Play the fool When you don’t know what else to do Play the fool And ignore those who scorn you No fucks to give anymore No fucks to give anyone If no one cares, why should I? What a race to the bottom! If you really wanted you would learn to act right You could learn a lot of things just to stay alive Yes the cost is higher if you’re starting right at naught Or if you were taught that the whole world is dog-eat-dog Can you really blame someone for sharing what they know? Is it any wonder some are high and some are low? As for wanting credit when they rush to save the day — Would you rather no one ever tried in any way? I only know as much as I can know I have only one head And one life in which to fill it To fill it up Play the fool When you don’t know what else to do Play the fool And ignore those who scorn you
12.
A simple thing The fall of leaves Touches me, makes me weep Far away, far away, love, were those days Far now — the years carried those hopes away So many around me have given up “What if we all worked to make this world better” But it keeps getting harder to get better So pass it on to someone younger Though they may not know the stakes Would they prefer I shape myself Into perfection as a girl Powerless, powerless is the muse And that’s how we are crushed under foot It’s OK to weep For those we have lost For what might have been And what was the cost? I keep reaching still! And all the rest of them Must be so content Don’t have to be scrutinized or constantly pretend But I know they wonder How life would be If they could have survived being wild and brave and free! And the joke’s on me girl I’m still in this shit All the ones with self-respect have already quit But you’re still alive and You’re still the best Come and play a show with me once you’ve had some rest You’re still here, listening Just behind where I have been You’ll catch up Don’t you worry Don’t give up

about

My ninth original album. I really, really love this one. Themes of parenthood, middle-age, pleasure, spurning societal roles. Music for intellectual hedonists. All songs written between January 2022 - May 2022.

credits

released September 22, 2023

All music written, performed, engineered, produced, and mixed by Unwoman (Erica Mulkey.)

Digitally mastered by David Din at Corrosive Audio
www.corrosive-audio.com

Photographs by 2ndlifephotography
www.instagram.com/2ndlifephotography/

license

tags

about

Unwoman San Francisco

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Unwoman is a self-produced cellist-singer-songwriter. Layered with skillful cello, rich vocals, and electronically arranged beats, her solo music is a futuristic homage to her classical training. Unwoman has been featured at steampunk, goth, and sci-fi-related events all over North America and has collaborated with many notable acts. ... more

contact / help

Contact Unwoman

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Unwoman recommends:

If you like Unwoman, you may also like: