Greg Brown

Ive got wheels of polished steel

Ive got tires that grab the road

Ive got seats that selflessly hold my friends

and a trunk that can carry the heaviest of loads

I gota mind that can steer me to your house

and a heart that can bring you red flowers

my intentions are good and earnest and true

but under my hood is internal combustion power

Satan is my motor

hear my motor purr

Satan is my motor

hear my motor purr

Satan is the only one who

seems to understand

I've got brakes

I'm wide awake

I can stop this car at any time

at the very last second

I can change directions

turn complety around

If I feel so inclined

I gota mind that can steer me to your house

and a heart that can bring red flowers

my intention are good and earnest and true

but under my hodd is internal combustion power

Satan is my motor

hear my motor purr

Satan is my motor

hear my motor purr

Satan is the only one who

seems to understand

Satan is my motor

I had a match

but she had a lighter

I had a flame

but she had a fire

I was bright

but she was much brighter

I was high

but she was the sky

Ohh baby, I was bound for Mexico

Ohh baby, I was bound to let you go

I dont know much about cinco de mayo

I'm never sure what its all about

but I say I want you and you

dont believe me

you say you want me but I've got my doubts

Ohh baby, I was bound for Mexico

Ohh baby, I was bound to let you go

I had a match

but she had a lighter

I had a flame

but she had a fire

I was bright

but she was much brighter

I was high

but she was the sky

Ohh baby, I was bound for Mexico

Ohh baby, I was bound to let you go

I need your arms around me

I need to feel your touch

I need your understanding

I need your love so much

you tell me that you love me

so you tell me that you care

but when I need you "baby you're never there"

on the phone long long distance

allways threw such strong resitance

first you say your too busy

I wonder if you even miss me

never there

you're never there

you're never ever ever ever there

A goldenbird that flys away a candle stick o' flame

to think that I held you yesterday

your love was just a game

A goldenbird that flys away a candle stick o' flame

to think that I held you yesterday

your love was just a game

you tell me that you love me so

you tell me that you care

but when I need you baby

take the time to get know me

if want me why cant you just show me

were allways on this rollarcoster

if you want me why cant you get closer

never there

you're never there

you're never ever ever ever there

never there

you're never there

your never ever ever ever there

I'm sitting by the,
Window of your,
Thirty-second,
Floor apartment,

Waiting,
For your,
Phone calls,
All to End,

I'm sitting,
watching, wind blow,Watching time go,
Watching cars go by,

I'm,
Waiting for these,
Memories to,
Begin,

If I,
Threw my guitar,
Out the window,
So far down,

Would I,
Start to regret it,
Or would I smile,
And watch it slowly fall, fall, fall,

Garbage trucks,
And taxi cabs,
Don't seem like they can,
Reach me here,

The clammer,
Of jackhammers,
Seems so faint,

Well, the way you treat me,
Like the only,
Slightly brings me down,
Alot

I don't think that I'll,
Ever be the same,

Yeah, If I,
Threw my guitar,
Out the window,
So far down,

Would I,
Start to regret it,
Or would I smile,
And watch it slowly fall, fall, fall,

Fall, fall, fall,
Fall, fall, fall,
Fall, fall, fall...

You turn the screws

You tear the bridge

Flimsy as it is

Its business like

You shake my hand

You brake up the band

Flimsy as it is

Its open mic punk rock

Red white and blue

You twist the knife

Then go home to kiss your wife

A bigger better slice is what you like

You kick the sand

You get the upper hand

You sell it to Japan

It's natural punk rock

Red white and blue

You turn the screws

Its what you choose to do

You think that I

Must turn them too

You think that I

Must be so satisfied

I stay inside

I wonder why

And the cement mixer gets it all ready

One good turn at a time

Then pouring it slowly and steady you're showing

Me where I can sign

What I can expect to fine

But how can you say you'll be

Happy when you turn the screws

You turn the screws

Its what you choose to do

You turn the screws

Its what you choose to do

You think that I

Must turn them too

You turn the screws

Its what you choose to do

You turn the screws

Its what you choose to do

Red white and blue

You turn the screws

Its what you choose to do

The house were you still live

Walk on by

The place were we would kiss

And the room were I held you tight

Tonight I must walk on by

Walk on by

The room were you still sleep

Walk on by

The company that you keep

And the room were I held you tight

Tonight I must walk on by

Some hour I know

I wont forget no no no no no

I wont

You wont forgot me no no no no no

You wont

I'll keep on walking away from here

I'll forget you when I reach the other side

Walk on by the house were you still live

Walk on by the place were we would kiss

And the room were I held you tight

Tonight I must walk on by

And the room were I held you tight

Tonight I must walk on by.

I'm not feeling alright today,
I'm not feeling that great,
I'm not catching on fire today,
Love has started to fade,

I'm not going to smile today,
I'm not gonna laugh,
You're out living it up today,
I've got dues to pay,

When the grave digger puts on the foreceps,
The stonemason does all the work,
The barber can give you a haircut,
The carpenter can take you out to lunch,

Now, I just want to play on my panpipes,
I just want to drink me some wine,
As soon as you're born, you start dying,
So you might as well have a good time,

Sheep go to Heaven,
Goats go to Hell,
Sheep go to Heaven,
Goats go to Hell,

I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip,
I don't wanna feel the emptyness,
Old marquees with stupid band names,
I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip,

I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip,
I don't wanna feel the emptyness,
Old marquees with stupid band names,
I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip,

The grave digger puts on the foreceps,
The stonemason does all the work,
The barber can give you a haircut,
The carpenter can take you out to lunch,

Now, I just want to play on my panpipes,
I just want to drink me some wine,
As soon as you're born, you start dying,
So you might as well have a good time,

Sheep go to Heaven,
Goats go to Hell,
Sheep go to Heaven,
Goats go to Hell,

Sheep go to Heaven,
Goats go to Hell...

when you sleep where do your fingers go?

what do your fingers know

what do your fingers show

where do your fingers go

when you sleep

do they tremble on the edge of the bed

or do you fold them neatly by your head

do they clench like claws against your own skin

when you're living your day al over again

when you sleep

when you sleep where do your fingers go?

what do your fingers know

what do your fingers show

where do your fingers go

do they play guitar in a latin bar

are they strangers or lovers

do they drive your car

are they swimming submissively

sex acts of life

or just cutting through jello with a very sharp knife

now zeus was a womanizer

always on the make

but hera usually punished her that zeus was one to take

when you sleep where do your fingers go?

are they pulling out weeds from the dusty soil

but then never rewarded with the fruits of their toil

are they scratching their nails on the chalkboards of death

only seeking attention when everyone in the room has left

when you sleep

when you sleep where do your fingers go?

what do your fingers know

what do your fingers show

where do your fingers go

when you sleep

do they tremble on the edge of the bed

or do you fold them neatly by your head

i am intrinsically no good

i have a heart that's made of wood

i am only biding time

only reciting memorized lines

and i'm not fit to touch

the hem of your garment

no, no i'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment

i have no love but only goals

how very empty is my soul

it is a soul that feels no thrill

a soul that could easily kill

and i'm not fit to touch

the hem of your garment

no, no i'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment

i am intrinsically no good

i have a heart that's made of wood

i am only biding time

only reciting memorized lines

and i'm not fit to touch

the hem of your garment

i am intrinsically no good

i have a heart that's made of wood

i am only biding time

only reciting memorized lines

and i'm not fit to touch

the hem of your garment

no, no i'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment

the hem of your garment

standing in the alpha beta parking lot

watching the sun set

i'll never forget

watching all the reds and oranges slip away

letting go of yet another dirty day

breathing in the fumes from so many idling cars

right beneath the sign w/ the dusty yellow stars

watching the sun go down

standing in the alpha beta parking lot

watching you leave me

not quite believing

standing in the alpha beta parking lot

watching the sun set

i'll never forget

breathing in the fumes from so many idling cars

right beneath the sign w/ the dusty yellow stars

watching the sun go down

When she walks
She swings her arms, instead of her hips
When she talks she moves her mouth, instead of her lips
I've waited for her for so long
I've waited for her for so long
I've wondered if I could hang on
I've wondered if I could hang on

"Let me go," she said
"Let me go," she said
Let me go and I will want you more
Let me go, let me go
Let me go and I will want you

When she wants
She wants the sun instead of the moon
When she sees
She sees the stars inside of her room
I've waited for her for so long
I've waited for her for so long
I've wondered if I could hang on
I've wondered if I could hang on

"Let me go," she said
"Let me go," she said
Let me go and I will want you more
"Let me go," she said
Let me go
Let me go, and I will want you

"Let me go," she said
"Let me go," she said
"Let me go," she said
Let me go, let me go

cool blue reason empties on the page

your colleagues are in prison and your enemies enraged

cool blue reason comes into your world

there's two more dead in texas and it's probably your girls

cool blue reason wraps around your throat

the minutes change like seasons

only 8 more hours to go

cool blue reason comes into your life

there's one more dead in kansas and it's probably your wife

cool blue reason i'm just talking to myself

cool blue reason i'm just rearranging hell

i'm just talking to myself

cool blue reason wraps around your throat

the minutes change likes seasons

only 8 more hours to go

i've been waiting for so long

i've been hoping your love's not gone

houses are sliding in the mud

rivers are raging in your blood

where would i be wihout your love?

where would i be without your arms around me?

you were to be the only one

if i knew you i would not run

you have been cloudy, distant, dark

i'm thinking of noah and the ark

where would i be without your love?

where would i be without your arms around me?

we know of an ancient radiation.
that haunts dismembered constellations,
a faintly glimmering radio station.
while frank sinatra sings stormy weather,
the flies and spiders get along together,
cobwebs fall on an old skipping record.

beyond the suns that guard this roof,
beyond your flowers of flaming truths,
beyond your latest ad campaigns,
an old man sits collecting stamps
in a room all filled with chinese lamps.
he saves what others throw away.
he says that he'll be rich some day.

we know of an ancient radiation
that haunts dismembered constellations,
a faintly glimmering radio station.

we know of an ancient radiation

that haunts dismembered constellations,

a faintly glimmering radio station.

while frank sinatra sings stormy weather,

the flies and spiders get along together,

cobwebs fall on an old skipping record.

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line,
engines pumping and thumping in time.
the green light flashes, the flags go up.
churning and burning, they yearn for the cup.
they deftly maneuver and muscle for rank,
fuel burning fast on an empty tank.
reckless and wild, they pour through the turns.
their prowess is potent and secretly stern.
as they speed through the finish, the flags go down.
the fans get up and they get out of town.
the arena is empty except for one man,
still driving and striving as fast as he can.
the sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
and long ago somebody left with the cup.
but he's driving and striving and hugging the turns.
and thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

he's going the distance.
he's going for speed.
she's all alone
in her time of need.
because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,
he's fighting and biting and riding on his horse,
he's going the distance.

no trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no wine,
he's haunted by something he cannot define.
bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse,
assail him, impale him with monster-truck force.
in his mind, he's still driving, still making the grade.
she's hoping in time that her memories will fade.
cause he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,
he's fighting and biting and riding on his horse.
the sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
and long ago somebody left with the cup.
but he's striving and driving and hugging the turns.
and thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

cause he's going the distance.
he's going for speed.
she's all alone
in her time of need.
because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,
he's fighting and biting and riding on his horse.
he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,
he's fighting and biting and riding on his horse.
he's going the distance.
he's going for speed.
he's going the distance.

to me, coming from you,
friend is a four letter word.
end is the only part of the word
that i heard.
call me morbid or absurd.
but to me, coming from you,
friend is a four letter word.

to me, coming from you,
friend is a four letter word.
end is the only part of the word
that I heard.
call me morbid or absurd.
but to me, coming from you,
friend is a four letter word.

when I go fishing for the words
i am wishing you would say to me,
i'm really only praying
that the words you'll soon be saying
might betray the way you feel about me.

but to me, coming from you,
friend is a four letter word.

she's writing, she's writing,
she's writing a novel.
she's writing, she's weaving,
conceiving a plot.
it quickens, it thickens.
you can't put it down now.
it takes you, it shakes you,
it makes you lose your thought.

but you're caught in your own glory.
you are believing your own stories.
writing your own headlines.
ignoring your own deadlines.
but now you've gotta write them all again.

you think she's an open book,
but you don't know which page to turn to, do you?
you think she's an open book,
but you don't know which page to turn to, do you?
do you? do you?

you want her, confront her.
just open your window.
unbolt it, unlock it,
unfasten your latch.
you want it, confront it.
just open your window.
all you really have to do is ask.

but you're caught in your own glory.
you are believing your own stories.
timing your contractions.
inventing small contraptions
that roll across your polished hardwood floors.

you think she's an open book,
but you don't know which page to turn to, do you?
you think she's an open book,
but you don't know which page to turn to, do you?
do you? do you?

you think she's an open book,

but you don't know which page to turn to, do you?

do you? do you? do you?

when you tried to kiss me
i only bit your tongue.
when you tried to get me together
i only came undone.
when you tried to tell me
the one for me was you,
i was in your mattress back in 1982.

daria, I won't be soothed.
daria, I won't be soothed over like,
smoothed over like milk,
silk, a bedspread, or a quilt,
icing on a cake,
or a serene translucent lake.
daria, daria, daria,
i won't be soothed.
i won't be soothed.

when you tried to tell me
of all the love you had,
i was cleaning oil from beaches
seeing only what was bad.
when you tried to feed me
i only shut my mouth.
food got on your apron
and you told me to get out.

daria, I won't be soothed.
daria, I won't be soothed over like,
smoothed over like milk,
silk, a bedspread, or a quilt,
icing on a cake,
or a serene translucent lake.
daria, daria, daria,
daria, daria, daria,
daria, i won't be soothed.
i won't be soothed.

the land of race car ya-yas.
the land where you can't change lanes.
the land where large, fuzzy dice
still hang proudly
like testicles from rear-view mirrors.

the land of race car ya-yas.
the land where you can't change lanes.
the land where large, fuzzy dice
still hang proudly
like testicles from rear-view mirrors.

the land of race car ya-yas.
ya-yas.

the land of race car ya-yas.
the land of race car ya-yas.
race car ya-yas.

At first I was afraid
I was petrified
I kept thinking I could never live
Without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights
Just thinking how you'd done me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to get along
And so you're back from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
Without that look upon your face
I should have changed my fucking lock
I would have made you leave your key
If I'd have known for just one second
You'd be back to bother me

Oh now go
Walk out the door
Just turn around now
You're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one
Who tried to break me with desire?
Did you think I'd crumble?
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh not I

* I will survive
As long as I know how to love
I know I'll be alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
I will survive
I will survive

It took all the strength I had
Just not to fall apart.
I'm trying hard to mend
The pieces of my broken heart
And I spent oh so many nights
Just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry.
But now I hold my head up high

And you'll see me with somebody new
I'm not that stupid little person
Still in love with yo
And so you thought you'd just drop by,
And you expect me to be free
But now I'm saving all my lovin'
For someone who's lovin' me

Oh now go
Walk out the door
Just turn around now
You're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one
Who tried to break me with desire?
Did you think I'd crumble?
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh not I

* Repeat

stickshifts and safetybelts,
bucket seats have all got to go.
when we're driving in the car,
it makes my baby seem so far.
i need you here with me,
not way over in a bucket seat.
i need you to be here with me,
not way over in a bucket seat.

but when we're driving in my malibu,
it's easy to get right next to you.
i say, "baby, scoot over, please."
and then she's right there next to me.
i need you here with me,
not way over in a bucket seat.
i need you to be here with me,
not way over in a bucket seat.

well a lot of good cars are japanese.
but when we're driving far,
i need my baby,
i need my baby next to me.

well, stickshifts and safetybelts,
bucket seats have all got to go.
when we're driving in the car,
it makes my baby seem so far.
i need you here with me,
not way over in a bucket seat.
i need you to be here with me,
not way over in a bucket seat.

You won't admit you love me.
And so how am I ever to know?
You only tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

A million times I ask you,
And then I ask you over again.
You only answer
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

If you can't make your mind up,
We'll never get started.
And I don't wanna wind up
Being parted, broken-hearted.
So if you really love me,
Say yes.
But if you don't, dear, confess.
And please don't tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

If you can't make your mind up,
We'll never get started.
And I don't wanna wind up
Being parted, broken-hearted.
So if you really love me,
Say yes.
But if you don't, dear, confess.
And please don't tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps,
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps,
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps

it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's raining outside.
you've nowhere to hide.
she's asking you
why you think it's funny.

it's coming down.
it's coming down.
she's leaving your house.
she had to get out.
she's mad,
and she'll take her mattress with her.

it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.

it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
you lie on the floor.
she's slamming your door.
she's gone,
and she's wearing your red sweater.

it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.
it's coming down.

heads of state who ride and wrangle,
who look at your face from more than one angle,
can cut you from their bloated budgets
like sharpened knives through chicken mcNuggets.

now heads of state who ride and wrangle,
who look at your face from more than one angle,
can cut you from their bloated budgets
like sharpened knives through chicken mcNuggets.

shut the fuck up.
shut the fuck up.
learn to buck up.
shut the fuck up.
learn to buck up.

now nimble fingers that dance on numbers
will eat your children and steal your thunder,
while heavy torsos that heave and hurl
who crunch like nuts in the mouths of squirrels.

now nimble fingers that dance on numbers
will eat your children and steal your thunder,
while heavy torsos that heave and hurl
who crunch like nuts in the mouths of squirrels.

shut the fuck up.
shut the fuck up.
learn to buck up.
shut the fuck up.
learn to buck up.

now simple feet that flicker like fire
and burn like candles in smoky spires
do more to turn my joy to sadness
than somber thoughts of burning planets.

now clever feet that flicker like fire
and burn like candles in smoky spires
do more to turn my joy to sadness
than somber thoughts of burning planets.

last night i said to her
i didn't want to live inside a lie.
if she wants him
more than she wants me,
let this be.
she'll come back to me.
she'll come back to me.
she'll come back.

all day i wait and wait
to hear her footsteps on my walkway.
she never came.
she never even called.
she'll come back to me.
she'll come back to me.
she'll come back.

somehow i know it won't last.
somehow i know it won't last too long.

she'll come back to me.
she'll come back to me.
she'll come back to me.
she'll come back to me.

she doesn't care
whether or not he's an island.
she doesn't care,
just as long as his ship's coming in.
she doesn't care
whether or not he's an island.
if they laugh, they make money.
he's got a gold watch.
she's got a silk dress
and healthy breasts
that bounce on his italian leather sofa.

she doesn't care
whether or not he's a good man.
she doesn't care,
just as long as she still has her friends.
she doesn't care
whether or not he's an island.
if they laugh, they make money.
he's got a gold watch.
she's got a silk dress
and healthy breasts
that bounce on his italian leather sofa.

she's got a serrated edge
that she moves back and forth.
it's such a simple machine.
she doesn't have to use force.
when she gets what she wants
she puts the rest on a tray
in a zip-loc bag.

she's got a serrated edge
that she moves back and forth.
it's such a simple machine.
she doesn't have to use force.
when she get what she wants
she puts the rest on a tray
in a zip-loc bag in the freezer.

she doesn't care
whether or not he's an island.
she doesn't care,
just as long as his ship's coming in.
she doesn't care
whether or not he's an island.
if they laugh, they make money.
he's got a gold watch.
she's got a silk dress
and healthy breasts
that bounce on his italian leather sofa.

i'm writing a song all about you.
a true song as real as my tears.
but you've no need to fear it
cause no one will hear it.
sad songs and waltzes aren't selling this year.

i'll tell all about how you cheated.
i'd like for the whole world to hear.
i'd like to get even
with you cause you're leavin'.
but sad songs and waltzes aren't selling this year.

it's a good thing that i'm not a star.
you don't know how lucky you are.
though my record may say it,
no one will play it.
sad songs and waltzes aren't selling this year.

it's a good thing that i'm not a star.

you don't know how lucky you are.

though my record may say it,

no one will play it.

sad songs and waltzes aren't selling this year.

I am an Opera Singer
I stand on painted Tape
It tells me where I'm going
And where to throw my cape
I call my co-star's brother
I call my co-star's name
I play both good and evil parts
I sing to Verdi's play

And every single morning
By 10 AM I'm dressed
My rehearsals last for hours and hours
With diligence I have been blessed
Some people they call me monster
Some people they call me saint
My talent feeds my darker side
Yet no one will complain
I am an opera singer
I sing in foreign lands
I've sung for kings in Europe
And emperors in Japan

And after each performance
People stand around and wave
Just to tell me that they love my voice
Just to tell me that I'm great
I am an opera singer
I will sing when you're all dead
I sing the mountains crumbling apart
I sing what can't be said
I am an opera singer
I sing in foreign lands
Most people seem to know my name
Or at least know who I am

Disempowered
The scattering flock
Dances in a fever
At the Castle Rock
Dust devils cypress
Ripening fruit
Ascending quick
Into the authors bathroom
Fon, Jo and Tootsie
Are out on a wire
Mans tooth junkies(?)
All full of desire

*Meanwhile Rick James takes her new
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile Rick James takes her new
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you

Uninvited
We'll stay if we want
Searching through your closets
For your grandfathers gun
We were swimming your kidney,
Kidney shaped pool
Scratching at the bottom
For another clue, yeah
Fon, Jo and Tootsie
Are out on a wire
Mans tooth junkies(?)
All full of desire

* Repeat

Adjectives on the typewriter
He moves his words like a prize fighter
The frenzied pace of the mind inside the cell
The man on the street might just as well be
The man on the street might just as well
The man on the street might just as well be

*Outside, outside the world
Out there you don't hear the echoes and calls
But the steel I,
Type jaw
Say it all
Say it all
But the white paint,
Plastic saints
Say it all... (x5)
Say somebody,
Has got to say it all
Somebody
Has got to say it all

I'm so nervous
I'm so tense
My heart can't forget about this self defense
The air is so hot and my breath comes fast
I thumb the cool blade but I know this can't last
I thumb the cool blade but I know this can't last...

* Repeat

Yeah, adjectives on the typewriter
He moves his words like a prize fighter
The frenzied pace of the mind inside the cell
The man on the street might just as well be
The man on the street might just as well
The man on the street might just as well be

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond
I want a girl who knows what's best
I want a girl with shoes that cut
And eyes that burn like cigarettes

I want a girl with the right allocations
Who's fast and thorough
And sharp as a tack
She is playing with her jewelry
She is putting up her hair
She is touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and a lonnnng jacket......

I want a girl who gets up early
I want a girl who stays up late
I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity
Who used a machete to cut through red tape
With fingernails that shine like justice
And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

She is fast, thorough
And sharp as a tack
She is touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and
a lonnnnng.... lonnng jacket

I want a girl with a smooth liquidation
I want a girl with good dividends
And at the city bank we will meet accidentally
We'll start to talk when she borrows my pen

She wants a car with a cup-holder arm rest
She wants a car that will get her there
She's changing her name from Kitty to Karen
She's trading her MG for a white Chrysler Le Barron

I want a girl with a short skirt and
a lonnnnggggggggg jacket

So you'll be an Austrian Nobleman
Commissioning a symphony in C
Which defies all earthly descriptions
You'll be Commissioning a symphony in C
With money you squeeze from the peasants
To your nephew you can give it as a present
This magnificent symphony in C
You'll be commissioning a symphony in C

Completely filling the palace concert hall
It's warm and golden like an oven that's wide open
It has a melody both happy and sad
Built on Victoria's young triads
You've entered the room with great caution
Though no one in the hall is even watching
They are transfixed
They are forgetting just to breath
They are so taken by your symphony...
In C

You're sitting there thinking your thoughts
They are not about what is but what is not
You are sitting there breathing in your breath
You are seldom breathing life but mostly death

So you'll be an Austrian Nobleman
Commissioning a symphony in C
Which defies all earthly descriptions
You'll be commissioning...
A symphony...
In C

Welcome to the King's palace

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

Why walk in circles?
Why walk in circles?
Why walk in circles when you can win?

Move your feet to the spirit of the ball
Move your feet to the spirit of the ball

Welcome to the King's palace

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

Crazy train, daisy chain
People just getting lazy, complaining

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

The parking lot sparkles hot
Around the busy sports complex

Crazy train, daisy chain
People just getting lazy, complaining

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

We are building a religion
We are building it bigger
We are widening the corridors
And adding more lanes
We are building a religion
A limited edition
We are now accepting callers
for the pendant key chains
To resist it is useless
It is useless to resist it
His cigarette is burning
But he never seems to ash
He is grooming his poodle
He is living comfort eagle
You can meet at his location
But you better come with cash
Now his hat is on backwards
He can show you his tatoos
He is in the music business
He is calling you "DUDE!"

Now today is tomorrow
And tomorrow today
And yesterday is weaving in and out

And the bliping white lines
That the airplane leaves behind
Are drifting right in front
of the waining of the moon

He is handling the money
He's serving the food
He knows about your party
He is calling you "DUDE!"
Now do you believe
In the one big sign
The doublewide shine
On the bootheels of your prime

Doesn't matter if you're skinny
Doesn't matter if you're fat
You can dress up like a solten
In your onion head hat

We are building a religion
We are making a brand
We're the only ones to turn to
When your castles turn to sand
Take a bite of this apple
Mr. corporate invents
Take a walk through the jungle
Of cardboard shanties and tents
Some people drink Pepsi
Some people drink Coke
The wacky morning DJ
Says domocracy's a joke
He says now do you believe
In the one big song
He's now accepting callers
Who would like to sing along
She says, do you believe
In the one true edge
By fastening your safety belts
And stepping towards the ledge

He is handling the money
He is serving the food
He is now accepting callers
He is calling me "DUDE!"
Now do you believe
In the one big sign
The doublewide shine
On the bootheels of your prime

There's no need to ask directions
If you ever lose your mind
We're behind you
We're behind you
And let us please remind you
We can send a car to find you
If you ever lose your way

We are building a religion
We are building it bigger
We are building
A religion
A limited
Edition

We are now accepting callers...
For these beautiful...
Pendant keychains

There's a long line of cars
And they're trying to get through
There's no single explanation
There's no central destination
But this long line of cars
Is trying to get through
And this long line of cars
Is all because of you
You don't wonder where we're going
Or remember where we've been
We've got to keep this traffic
Flowing and accept a little spin
So this long line of cars
Will never have an end
And this long line of cars
Keeps coming around the bend

From the streets of sacra mento
To the freeways of L A
We've got to keep this fire burning
And accept a little gray
So this long line of cars
Is trying to break free
And this long line of cars
Is all because of me
This long line of cars
Long line of cars
Long line of cars
Long line of cars

I don't want to wonder
If this is a blunder
I don't want to worry whether
We're gonna stay together
'Till we die

I don't want to jump in
Unless this music's thumping
All the dishes rattle in the cupboards
When the elephants arrive

*I want to love you madly
I want to love you now
I want to love you madly, way
I want to love you, love you
Love you madly

I don't want to fake it
I just want to make it
The ornaments look pretty
But they're pulling down the branches
Of the Tree

I don't want to think about it
I don't want to talk about it
When I kiss your lips
I want to sink down to the bottom
Of the sea

* Repeat

I don't want to hold back
I don't want to slip down
I don't want to think back to the one thing that I know I
Should have done

I don't want to doubt you
Know everything about you
I don't want to sit across the table from you
Wishing I could run

* Repeat

Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You'd end up just like me.
Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You'd fload down to the sea.
Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You'd say just what you pleased.
Without the sticky little kitten,
You're ticket could never be free.

*Without your tight little denum,
Your virtues would all go unknown.
Without the room that you live in,
Your cancer would eat through the bone.
Your muscles would bulge underground.
Your demons would all be around.
Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You'd end up just like me.

Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You'd end up just like me.
Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You'd burn all these dying leaves.
Without the pretty pink ribbon,
You would lift this steaming herd.
You would kill all the sick ones.
You would bury them deep in the earth.

* Repeat

I don't want to
hear you whisper
I don't want to orbit
your world of two.
There's only room for you
in your world of two.
I don't like to
hang around you.
I don't want to
live in your world
of two.
There's only room for you
in your world of two.
It's not that I don't like you.
But it's not that I don't love you.
It's not that I don't think you are
two of the most
perfectly,
beautiful
people in your world.
In your world of two
There's only room for you
In your world of two
There's only room for you
In your world of two
In your world of two
There's only room
There's only room
There's only room
For you

Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee

Every time I look into the Holy Book I want to tremble (tremble)
Or when I read about the part where the carpenter cleared the temple (temple)
For the buyers and the sellers were no different fellas than what I profess to be
And it causes me shame to know we're not the people we should be

So, put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee

My mama taught me how to pray before I reached the age of seven
She said, "there'll come a time when there'll probably be room in heaven"
But I'm feeling kinda guilty 'bout the number of times to do what we must do
But we forget what he said, then we figure that he'll still make room

So, you gotta put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee

Everybody come along

Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
(Who stilled the water)
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
(Who calmed the sea)
Take a look at yourself and you can look at

Comanche

You need to straighten your posture and suck in your gut.
You need to pull back your shoulders and tighten your butt.
Yeah, come Comanche, Comanche, Comanche, commode.
If you want to have cities, you've got to build roads.

You need to find some new feathers and
buy some new clothes.
Just get rid of the antlers and lighten your load.
Yeah, come Comanche, Comanche, Comanche, commode.
Yeah, if you want to have cities, you've got to build roads.
La la la la...

You need to straighten your posture and suck in your gut.
You need to pull back your shoulders and tighten your butt.
Yeah, come Comanche, Comanche, Comanche, commode.
Ah, if you want to have cities,
Yeah, if you want to have cities,
No, if you want to have cities,
You've got to build roads.

Ruby Sees All


Do you think she's swimming in your lies?
Do you think it's all just murky green?
Don't you think that she would realize?
Yeah, do you think she has never seen?

Cause when the seaweed sinks and the sun gets low,
When the waves retire to the darkness below,
I know, I know Ruby sees all.
I know,
I know Ruby sees.
..

I can feel the pressure building high.
You should see you're headed for a storm.
Don't you see it building in the sky?
Don't you think it's time to swim to shore?

Cause when the seaweed sinks and the sun gets low,
When the waves retire to the darkness below,
I know,
I know Ruby sees all.
I know,
I know Ruby sees all.
I know, I know Ruby sees.

Up So Close


Up so close, I never get to see your face.
Microscope, I might as well be out in space.
Up so close, I never get to see the view.
Down your throat, I'm never sure if it's still you.
Up your nose, down to your toes.
In your mouth, way down south.
Up so close, it seems I only think of you.
Up so close, I never see the sky so blue.

I only wanted to be sure
That what it was was really pure.
I put my face down in the cake.
My feet were flailing in a lake.

Up so close, I never get to see your face.
Microscope, I might as well be out in space.

Up so close, I never get to see you.
Microscope, I'm never sure if it's still you.

Pentagram


Your pentagram is down below our floor.
Your naked body shimmers in the night.
Dancing and chanting in a sacrificial rite.
Your feet are dry with the ashes from dead babies,
Who have passed the test just like all the rest,
But never really understood the reasons why
They took it in the first place.
Ah, in the first place.

Your feasty eyes won't make me fall apart.
Your turquoise and silver won't weaken this old heart.
Yeah, dancing and chanting in a sacrificial rite.
I fell to the ground on a windy, windy night.
Well I have passed the test just like all the rest,
But never really understood the reasons why
I took it in the first place.
Ah, in the first place.


Well I have passed the test just like all the rest,
But never really understood the reasons why
I took it in the first place.
Ah, in the first place.

Jolene

Well Jolene unlocked the thick, breezeway door,
Like she'd done one hundred times before.
Jolene smoothed her dark hair in the mirror.
She folded the towel carefully and put it back in place.

Yeah I want to pull you down into bed.
I want to cast your face in lead.
Well every time I pull you close,
Push my face into your hair,
Cream rinse and tobacco smoke,
That sickly scent is always, always there.

Jolene heard her father's uneven snores.
Right then she knew there must be something more.
Jolene heard the singing in the forest.
She opened the door quietly and stepped into the night.

Yeah I want to throw you out into space.
I want to do whatever it takes, takes, takes.
Well every time I pull you close,
Push my face into your hair,
Cream rinse and tobacco smoke,
That sickly scent is always, always there.

Haze of Love


It's three o'clock in the morning,
Or maybe it's four.
I am thinking of you,
Wondering what I should I do,
But I'm finally cutting through this haze.

It's four o'clock in the morning,
Or maybe it's five.
I think I'm alive,
And I think I'll survive.
I'm finally cutting through this haze of love.
Haze of love.
For days and days and days,
I'm in a haze of love.

Yeah you don't love me like I love you.
All though you pretend,
I can see this will end.
I'm finally cutting through this haze of love.
Haze of love.
For days and days and days,
I'm in a haze of love.


It's five o'clock in the morning,
Or maybe it's six.
I am sick of your lies.
I am sick of your tricks.
I'm finally cutting through this haze of love.
Haze of love.
For days and days and days,
For days and days and days,
For days and days and days,
I'm in a haze of love.

You Part The Waters


You part the waters,
The same ones that I'm drowning in.
You lead your casual slaughters,
And I'm the one who helps you win.

You've got your grand piano.
You don't even play piano.
I'm the one who plays piano.
You don't even play piano.

You part the waters,
The same ones that I'm thirsty for.
You invite your friends to tea,
But when it's me you lock the door.
You've got your credit cards,
And you thank your lucky stars.
But don't forget the ones who foot the bill.


You've got your grand piano.
And you don't even play piano.
I'm the one who plays piano.
You don't even play piano,
But you part the waters............

Is This Love


I can't believe it's true.
I can't believe that you
Don't want me anymore.
You're with him,
And you don't even know
That I've been dying all day long
And singing sad, sad songs
And wishing you were gone.

Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Or should I close the door?

My eyes are burning in my head
And seeing only red
And wishing you were dead.

Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Or should I,
Or should I, should I,
Should I close the door?
Should I close the door? Ah, I fooled myself.
..

Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Or should I,
Or should I,
Or should I, should I,
Should I close the door?

Jesus Wrote A Blank Check


Jesus wrote a blank check,
One I haven't cashed quite yet.
I hope I've got a little more time.
I hope it's not the end of the line.
Yeah, Jesus wrote a blank check.
One I haven't cashed yet, all right.

But if I had to choose a number,
I'd want it to be number one.
I don't want to be number two.
Yeah, I don't want to be number four.
But I can hear a knock on the door.
Jesus wrote a blank check, all right.

If Jesus saw me dying,
Would angels come a flying down?
I hope I've got a little more time.
I hope somebody lends me a dime.
Now, Jesus wrote a blank check.
Ah, one I haven't cashed yet.

Still I build my towers high.
I watch them pierce the blue, blue sky.
Still I wallow in the mire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.

Still I build my towers high.
I watch them pierce the blue, blue sky.
Still I wallow in the mire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.

Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.

Rock `N` Roll Lifestyle


Well, your CD collection looks shiny and costly.
How much did you pay for your bad Moto Guzi?
And how much did you spend on your black leather jacket?
Is it you or your parents in this income tax bracket?

Now tickets to concerts and drinking at clubs,
Sometimes for music that you haven't even heard of.
And how much did you pay for your rock'n'roll t-shirt
That proves you were there,
That you heard of them first?

How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?
Ah, tell me.

How much did you pay for the chunk of his guitar,
The one he ruthlessly smashed at the end of the show?
And how much will he pay for a brand new guitar,
One which he'll ruthlessly smash at the end of another show?
And how long will the workers keep building him new ones?
As long as their soda cans are red, white, and blue ones.
And how long will the workers keep building him new ones?
As long as their soda cans are red, white, and blue ones.

Aging black leather and hospital bills,
Tattoo removal and dozens of pills.
Your liver pays dearly now for youthful magic moments,
But rock on completely with some brand new components.

How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?


Excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking what they're selling.
Your self-destruction doesn't hurt them.
Your chaos won't convert them.
They're so happy to rebuild it.
You'll never really kill it.
Yeah, excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking what they're selling.
Excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking,
You're drinking,
You're drinking what they're selling.

I Bombed Korea


I bombed Korea every night.
My engine sang into the salty sky.
I didn't know if I would live or die.
I bombed Korea every night.

I bombed Korea every night.
I bombed Korea every night.
Red flowers bursting down below us.
Those people didn't even know us.
We didn't know if we would live or die.
We didn't know if it was wrong or right.
I bombed Korea every night.

And so I sit here at this bar.
I'm not a hero.
I'm not a movie star.
I've got my beer.
I've got my stories to tell,
But they won't tell you what it's like in hell.

Red flowers bursting down below us.
Those people didn't even know us.
We didn't know if we would live or die.
We didn't know if it was wrong or right.
We didn't know if we would live or die.
I bombed Korea every night.

Mr. Mastodon Farm


Birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.

You see birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.
I can see their dead weight
Just dropping like stones
For small loaves of bread
Past my window all the time.
But unless I get up,
Walk across the room
And peer down below,
I don't see their last second curves
Toward a horizontal flight.
All these birds just falling from the ledge like stones.

Now due to a construct in my mind
That makes their falling and their flight
Symbolic of my entire existence,
It becomes important for me
To get up and see
Their last second curves toward flight.
It's almost as if my life will fall
Unless I see their ascent.

Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.

Birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.
I said birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.
But unless I get up,
Walk across the room
And peer down below,
I won't see their last second curves
Toward a, a horizontal flight.
All these birds just falling from the ledge like stones.

Now due to a construct in my mind
That makes their falling and their flight
Symbolic of my entire existence,
It becomes important for me
To get up and see
Their last second curves toward flight.
It's almost like my life will fall,
My life will fall,
Unless I see their ascent.

Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.

she's gonna hand you a red-headed Gabriel
coming from the bar in a plastic tie
he's gonna swing from the Tree of Life
he's gonna try to sell you on a great big lie
but when you speak to her - her eyes light up
the music spills right into your cup
the minstrels play and the waitress brings ice
there are pies on a carousel - have a slice
but watch out - she ain't no good for you.

he's gonna spin like the tractor pull
she'll sit back when he tells his tale
he's gonna yell when he drinks his beer
she'll sit back and drink ginger ale
but when you speak to her - her eyes light up
the music spills right into your cup
it's so abrupt and it's so concise
there are pies on a carousel - have a slice
but watch out - she ain't no good for you
I say watch out - she ain't no good for you

she'd like to put you in her zoo
right between the canaries and the cockatoos
she'll pull out your feathers for her brand new hat
and when she's done that she'll feed you to her cat
so watch out - she ain't no good for you
watch out - she ain't no good for you
watch out - she ain't no good for you

We know of an ancient radiation
That haunts dismembered constellations,
A faintly glimmering radio station.
While Frank Sinatra sings Stormy Weather,
The flies and spiders get along together,
Cobwebs fall on an old skipping record.

Beyond the suns that guard this roof,
Beyond your flowers of flaming truths,
Beyond your latest ad campaigns,
An old man sits collecting stamps
In a room all filled with Chinese lamps.
He saves what others throw away.
He says that he'll be rich some day.

We know of an ancient radiation
That haunts dismembered constellations,
A faintly glimmering radio station.

We know of an ancient radiation
That haunts dismembered constellations,
A faintly glimmering radio station.
While Frank Sinatra sings Stormy Weather,
The flies and spiders get along together,
Cobwebs fall on an old skipping record.

Comanche

You need to straighten your posture and suck in your gut.
You need to pull back your shoulders and tighten your butt.
Yeah, come Comanche, Comanche, Comanche, commode.
If you want to have cities, you've got to build roads.

You need to find some new feathers and
buy some new clothes.
Just get rid of the antlers and lighten your load.
Yeah, come Comanche, Comanche, Comanche, commode.
Yeah, if you want to have cities, you've got to build roads.
La la la la...

You need to straighten your posture and suck in your gut.
You need to pull back your shoulders and tighten your butt.
Yeah, come Comanche, Comanche, Comanche, commode.
Ah, if you want to have cities,
Yeah, if you want to have cities,
No, if you want to have cities,
You've got to build roads.

Ruby Sees All


Do you think she's swimming in your lies?
Do you think it's all just murky green?
Don't you think that she would realize?
Yeah, do you think she has never seen?

Cause when the seaweed sinks and the sun gets low,
When the waves retire to the darkness below,
I know, I know Ruby sees all.
I know,
I know Ruby sees.
..

I can feel the pressure building high.
You should see you're headed for a storm.
Don't you see it building in the sky?
Don't you think it's time to swim to shore?

Cause when the seaweed sinks and the sun gets low,
When the waves retire to the darkness below,
I know,
I know Ruby sees all.
I know,
I know Ruby sees all.
I know, I know Ruby sees.

Up So Close


Up so close, I never get to see your face.
Microscope, I might as well be out in space.
Up so close, I never get to see the view.
Down your throat, I'm never sure if it's still you.
Up your nose, down to your toes.
In your mouth, way down south.
Up so close, it seems I only think of you.
Up so close, I never see the sky so blue.

I only wanted to be sure
That what it was was really pure.
I put my face down in the cake.
My feet were flailing in a lake.

Up so close, I never get to see your face.
Microscope, I might as well be out in space.

Up so close, I never get to see you.
Microscope, I'm never sure if it's still you.

Pentagram


Your pentagram is down below our floor.
Your naked body shimmers in the night.
Dancing and chanting in a sacrificial rite.
Your feet are dry with the ashes from dead babies,
Who have passed the test just like all the rest,
But never really understood the reasons why
They took it in the first place.
Ah, in the first place.

Your feasty eyes won't make me fall apart.
Your turquoise and silver won't weaken this old heart.
Yeah, dancing and chanting in a sacrificial rite.
I fell to the ground on a windy, windy night.
Well I have passed the test just like all the rest,
But never really understood the reasons why
I took it in the first place.
Ah, in the first place.


Well I have passed the test just like all the rest,
But never really understood the reasons why
I took it in the first place.
Ah, in the first place.

Jolene

Well Jolene unlocked the thick, breezeway door,
Like she'd done one hundred times before.
Jolene smoothed her dark hair in the mirror.
She folded the towel carefully and put it back in place.

Yeah I want to pull you down into bed.
I want to cast your face in lead.
Well every time I pull you close,
Push my face into your hair,
Cream rinse and tobacco smoke,
That sickly scent is always, always there.

Jolene heard her father's uneven snores.
Right then she knew there must be something more.
Jolene heard the singing in the forest.
She opened the door quietly and stepped into the night.

Yeah I want to throw you out into space.
I want to do whatever it takes, takes, takes.
Well every time I pull you close,
Push my face into your hair,
Cream rinse and tobacco smoke,
That sickly scent is always, always there.

Haze of Love


It's three o'clock in the morning,
Or maybe it's four.
I am thinking of you,
Wondering what I should I do,
But I'm finally cutting through this haze.

It's four o'clock in the morning,
Or maybe it's five.
I think I'm alive,
And I think I'll survive.
I'm finally cutting through this haze of love.
Haze of love.
For days and days and days,
I'm in a haze of love.

Yeah you don't love me like I love you.
All though you pretend,
I can see this will end.
I'm finally cutting through this haze of love.
Haze of love.
For days and days and days,
I'm in a haze of love.


It's five o'clock in the morning,
Or maybe it's six.
I am sick of your lies.
I am sick of your tricks.
I'm finally cutting through this haze of love.
Haze of love.
For days and days and days,
For days and days and days,
For days and days and days,
I'm in a haze of love.

You Part The Waters


You part the waters,
The same ones that I'm drowning in.
You lead your casual slaughters,
And I'm the one who helps you win.

You've got your grand piano.
You don't even play piano.
I'm the one who plays piano.
You don't even play piano.

You part the waters,
The same ones that I'm thirsty for.
You invite your friends to tea,
But when it's me you lock the door.
You've got your credit cards,
And you thank your lucky stars.
But don't forget the ones who foot the bill.


You've got your grand piano.
And you don't even play piano.
I'm the one who plays piano.
You don't even play piano,
But you part the waters............

Is This Love


I can't believe it's true.
I can't believe that you
Don't want me anymore.
You're with him,
And you don't even know
That I've been dying all day long
And singing sad, sad songs
And wishing you were gone.

Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Or should I close the door?

My eyes are burning in my head
And seeing only red
And wishing you were dead.

Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Or should I,
Or should I, should I,
Should I close the door?
Should I close the door? Ah, I fooled myself.
..

Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Is this love?
Or should I,
Or should I,
Or should I, should I,
Should I close the door?

Jesus Wrote A Blank Check


Jesus wrote a blank check,
One I haven't cashed quite yet.
I hope I've got a little more time.
I hope it's not the end of the line.
Yeah, Jesus wrote a blank check.
One I haven't cashed yet, all right.

But if I had to choose a number,
I'd want it to be number one.
I don't want to be number two.
Yeah, I don't want to be number four.
But I can hear a knock on the door.
Jesus wrote a blank check, all right.

If Jesus saw me dying,
Would angels come a flying down?
I hope I've got a little more time.
I hope somebody lends me a dime.
Now, Jesus wrote a blank check.
Ah, one I haven't cashed yet.

Still I build my towers high.
I watch them pierce the blue, blue sky.
Still I wallow in the mire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.

Still I build my towers high.
I watch them pierce the blue, blue sky.
Still I wallow in the mire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.

Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.
Still I burn this earthen fire.

I Bombed Korea


I bombed Korea every night.
My engine sang into the salty sky.
I didn't know if I would live or die.
I bombed Korea every night.

I bombed Korea every night.
I bombed Korea every night.
Red flowers bursting down below us.
Those people didn't even know us.
We didn't know if we would live or die.
We didn't know if it was wrong or right.
I bombed Korea every night.

And so I sit here at this bar.
I'm not a hero.
I'm not a movie star.
I've got my beer.
I've got my stories to tell,
But they won't tell you what it's like in hell.

Red flowers bursting down below us.
Those people didn't even know us.
We didn't know if we would live or die.
We didn't know if it was wrong or right.
We didn't know if we would live or die.
I bombed Korea every night.

Mr. Mastodon Farm


Birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.

You see birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.
I can see their dead weight
Just dropping like stones
For small loaves of bread
Past my window all the time.
But unless I get up,
Walk across the room
And peer down below,
I don't see their last second curves
Toward a horizontal flight.
All these birds just falling from the ledge like stones.

Now due to a construct in my mind
That makes their falling and their flight
Symbolic of my entire existence,
It becomes important for me
To get up and see
Their last second curves toward flight.
It's almost as if my life will fall
Unless I see their ascent.

Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.

Birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.
I said birds fall from the window ledge above mine.
Then they flap their wings at the last second.
But unless I get up,
Walk across the room
And peer down below,
I won't see their last second curves
Toward a, a horizontal flight.
All these birds just falling from the ledge like stones.

Now due to a construct in my mind
That makes their falling and their flight
Symbolic of my entire existence,
It becomes important for me
To get up and see
Their last second curves toward flight.
It's almost like my life will fall,
My life will fall,
Unless I see their ascent.

Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.
Mr. Mastodon Farm,
Mr. Mastodon farm,
Cuts swatches out of all material.

she's gonna hand you a red-headed Gabriel
coming from the bar in a plastic tie
he's gonna swing from the Tree of Life
he's gonna try to sell you on a great big lie
but when you speak to her - her eyes light up
the music spills right into your cup
the minstrels play and the waitress brings ice
there are pies on a carousel - have a slice
but watch out - she ain't no good for you.

he's gonna spin like the tractor pull
she'll sit back when he tells his tale
he's gonna yell when he drinks his beer
she'll sit back and drink ginger ale
but when you speak to her - her eyes light up
the music spills right into your cup
it's so abrupt and it's so concise
there are pies on a carousel - have a slice
but watch out - she ain't no good for you
I say watch out - she ain't no good for you

she'd like to put you in her zoo
right between the canaries and the cockatoos
she'll pull out your feathers for her brand new hat
and when she's done that she'll feed you to her cat
so watch out - she ain't no good for you
watch out - she ain't no good for you
watch out - she ain't no good for you

Gen'rals gathered in their masses,
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction,
Sorcerer of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning,
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind,
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh Lord Yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave peril to the poor, yeah

Time will tell on their empower minds,
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess,
Wait 'til their judgment day comes, yeah

Now in darkness world stops turning,
As you hear the bodies burning
No more War Pigs have the power,
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgment, God is calling
On their knees the War Pigs crawling,
Begging mercies for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
Oh Lord Yeah!

You've painted up your lips and rolled and curled your tinted hair.
Ruby are you contemplating going out somewhere?

The shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down.
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.

It wasn't me that started that ol' crazy Asian war.
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore.

And yes, it's true that I'm not the man I used to be.
Oh Ruby, I still need some company.

It's hard to love a man whose legs are bent and paralyzed
And the wants and the needs of a woman your age
Ruby I realize.

But it won't be long, I've heard them say, until I'm not around
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.

She's leaving now, 'cause I just heard the slamming of the door
The way I know I've heard it slam one hundred times before.

And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground.
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.

Oh Ruby, God sakes turn around....

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna
Mahna, mahna

They just don't know how lost I feel without you
My teardrops never see the light of day
I laugh and joke each time they talk about you
But if I told the truth I'd have to say

Excuse me I think I've got a heartache
There's an aching deep inside
and it just won't be denied
Excuse me I think I've got a heartache
and I'd better say goodbye before I cry

I guess it's pride that makes me hide my sorrow
I live a lie in all I do and say
My lips may lie and paint a bright tomorrow
but if they told the truth they'd have to say...

Excuse me I think I've got a heartache
There's an aching deep inside
and it just won't be denied
Excuse me I think I've got a heartache
and I'd better say goodbye before I cry

Strangers in the night
exchanging glances
Wond'ring in the night
What were the chances
we'd be sharing love
Before the night was through?

Something in your eyes
was so inviting
Something in your smile
was so exciting
Something in my heart
told me I must have you
Strangers in the night
two lonely people

We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment when we said our first hello
Little did we know
Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away and
Ever since that night
we've been together
Lovers at first sight
in love forever
It turned out so right
for strangers in the night

Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away and
Ever since that night
we've been together
Lovers at first sight
in love forever
It turned out so right
for strangers in the night
La da da da da

Oh, baby, oh, baby
(Keep on)
Come on, baby
(Keep on doin? it, right on)
(Right on doin? it)

You got it together
(Baby, keep on)
Oh, you got it together, baby
(Right on, keep on doin? it)
I will get it baby, oh, I will get it
(My my baby, keep on)
I swear you got it together, baby
(Keep on, keep on)

Whatever, whatever
Girl, I?ll do
Forever and ever, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I?ll see you through

I?ve got to keep you pleased in every way I can
Gonna give you all of me as much as you can stand
Make love to you right now, that?s all I want to do
I know you need it, girl and you know I need it too

?Cause I found what the world is searching for
Here, right here, my dear, I don?t have to look no more
And oh, my babe, I hoped and I prayed
For someone just like you to make me feel the way you do

Never, never gonna give you up, I?m never, ever gonna stop
Not the way I feel about you, girl, I just can?t live without you
I?m never, ever gonna quit 'cause quittin? just ain?t my stick
I?m gonna stay right here with you and do all the thing you want me to

Whatever you want, girl, you got
Ever, ever you need
I don?t want to see you without it

You?ve given me much more than words could ever say
And oh, my dear, I?ll be right here until my dyin? day
I don?t know just how to say all the things I feel
I just know that I love you so and it give me such a thrill

?Cause I found what this world is searching for
Here, right here, my dear, I don?t have to look no more
And all of my days, I hoped and I prayed
For someone just like you to make me feel the way you do

I?m never, never gonna give you up, I?m never, ever gonna stop
Stop the way I feel about you, girl, I just can?t live without you
I?m never, ever gonna quit 'cause quittin? just ain?t my stick
Gonna stay right here with you, do all the things you want me to

Oh, I?m never gonna give you up, I?m never, ever gonna stop
All the things I feel about you, girl, I just can?t live without you
I?m never, ever gonna quit

Man is born, man lives, man dies
and it's all vanity
and that's about the way it is with the merry-go-round
you get on
you go around
standing in the saddle

Man is born
man lives
man dies
and it's all vanity
He tried thrills
he said "I gave myself to enjoy pleasure"
What are teenagers doing today?
They're trying every thrill there is in the books
We've got colored TV
but it still isn't satisfying
Man is born
man lives
man dies
and it's all vanity

You can't understand it, it's going so loud, and so forth,
and they're all wigglin' and wobblin' around and everything else and
and yet, they feel unsatisfied
and these disc jockeys they say here is a tune that is different
hear the tone that is different

Man is born, man lives, man dies
and it's all vanity
You can't understand it, it's going so loud, and so forth,
and they're all wigglin' and wobblin' around and everything else and
and yet, they feel unsatisfied
and these disc jockeys they say here is a tune that is different
hear the tone that is different

Man is born, man lives, man dies
and it's all vanity

In a wooden boat in the shipping lanes
With the freighters towering over me
I can hear the jets flying overhead
Making lines across the darkening sky
And when the sun is going down I can take a taxi into town
And the waiter at the restaurant sets a table just for me

Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round
(alright)

So I had a plane to take me to a place so far away from you
Eventually we began to see that we could be completely free
And I could get away from you
And you could get away from me
And we could live each separately in our cities in the sun

Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round
(alright)

In a seedy karaoke bar by the banks of the mighty Bosphorus
Is a Japanese man in a business suit singing ((Platters:Smoke Gets In Your Eyes|Smoke Gets In Your Eyes))
And the muscular cyborg German dudes dance with sexy French Canadians
While the overweight Americans wear their patriotic jumpsuits

Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round


Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round

I don't know
I don't know
I don't know (Why you say you are not in love with me)
I don't know (Why you say you are not in love with me)
I don't know (Why you say you are not in love with me)
Why you say you (music stops) are not in love with me

No phone No phone,
I just want to be alone today
No phone no phone
Ringing stinging,
Jerking like a nervous bird
Rattling up against his cage
Calls to me throughout the day
See the feathers fly

No phone No phone
I just want to be alone today
No phone No phone
No phone no phone
I just want to be alone today

Rhyming chiming got me working all the time
Gives me such a worried mind
Now I don't want to seem unkind
But god, it's such a crime

No phone No phone
I just want to be alone today
No phone no phone
No phone No phone
I just want to be alone today
No phone no phone...

Shaking quaking, waking me when I'm asleep
Never lets me go too deep
Summons me with just one beep
The price we pay is steep

I've been on fire and yet I've still stayed frozen
So deep in the night
My smooth contemplations will always be broken
My deepest concerns will stay buried and unspoken
No I don't have any change but here's a few subway tokens

No phone No phone
I just want to be alone today
No phone No phone
No phone no phone
I just want to be alone today
No phone no phone
No phone No phone
I just want to be alone today
No phone No phone

You keep pushing me away
In spite of what you say
I found out yesterday
That I've been wasting all my time
Trying to make you smile
Trying to make this seem worth
While you've been pushing me around
In spite of what I do
Trying to make things good for
You, take your economy car and your suitcase
Take your psycho little dogs
Take it all away...

You've been racing through my mind
You're picking up in speed
You're driving recklessly
It's like a car crash happening on my street
Broken bodies at my feet
And sirens on the way
They're too late
'Cause nobody's going to save us
We're a rubbernecker's dream
We're burning gasoline
Go take your economy car and your suitcase
Take your psycho little dogs
Take it all away...

And go
Go ahead and destroy this
Better come with an army
Are you feeling, feeling okay baby?
Na-na-na-na-na-na
Take your economy car and your suitcase
Take your psycho little dogs
Take it all away

In the brown shag carpet of a cheap motel
In the dark and dusty corner by the TV shelf
Is a small reminder of a simpler time
When a crumpled up pair of trousers lost a brand new dime
Well you ask me how I made it through and how my mint condition could belong to you
When I'm on the ground I roll through town
I'm a president you don't remember getting kicked around
I'm a dime , I'm fine
And I shine I'm freshly minted
I am determined not to be dented
By a car or by a plane or anything not yet invented...

I'm a dime , I'm fine
And I shine
In the hiss and rumble of the freeway sounds
As the afternoon commuters drive their cars around
There's a ringle jingle near the underpass
There's a sparkle near the fast food garbage and roadside trash
I'm a dime, I'm fine
And I shine I'm freshly minted
I'm silver-plated, I'm underrated
You won't even pick me up because I'm not enough for a local phone call...

I'm a dime , I'm fine
And I shine
I'm a dime, I'm fine
And I shine
I'm a dime, I'm fine
And I shine

Too much carbon monoxide for me to bear X2
Where's the air? X4
After car after bus after car after truck
After this my lungs will be so fucked up
I wish I was in that Mercedes Benz
Sealed away from my scents
I'd have the music high going 95
Too much, too much, too much, too much...

Too much carbon monoxide for me to bear X2
Don't you care? Don't you care?
Don't you don't you don't you care?
After car after bus after car after truck
After this my lungs will be so fucked up
I wish I wasn't just a pedestrian
Breathing all this in
I look up at that grey sky
It makes me want to... (ohhhh)
Too much, too much, too much...

Too much carbon monoxide for me to bear.

Who draws the crowd,
who plays so loud baby,
it's the guitar man.

Who's gonna steal the show,
you know, baby,
it's the guitar man.

He can make you laugh,
he can make you cry,
He will break you down,
he will get you high.

And something keeps him going miles and miles away,
to find another place to play,

and night after night - who treats you right, baby,
it's the guitar man.

who's on the radio,
you know, baby,
it's the guitar man

when he comes to town and you see his face
and you think you might like to take his place

something keeps him drifting miles and miles away
searching for the songs to play

then you listen to the music and you'd like to sing along
and you want to get the meaning out of each and every song

and you find yourself a message and some words to call your own..

and take 'em home.

So we think that we're important
And we think that we make sense
And we think there's something better on the other side of this fence
And you can soak your bread in gravy
You can soak your bread in soup
But the car that you are driving doesn't really belong to you
So you know you'll always be waiting
Always be waiting for someone else to call
Yeah you know you'll always be waiting
Always be waiting
I say always be waiting...

And you can soak your bread in water
You can soak your bread in wine
It can seem like you are living like you're having a real good time
And you can do it to your conscience
You can do it all the time
You can do it with a vengeance in the morning after nine
But you know you'll always be waiting
Always be waiting for someone else to call
Yeah you know you'll always be waiting
Always be waiting
I say always waiting
I say always be waiting

She'll hang the baskets on the walls
Don't you know I've seen it all before

She'll hang the baskets on the walls
But I've seen it all before, heard the slamming of the door
Come summer, come fall
Come winter, there'll be baskets on the floor

He'll go to buy her turtle wax
But in his mind, he won't be coming back

She'll hang the baskets on the walls
But I've seen it all before, heard the slamming of the door
Come summer, come fall
Come winter, there'll be baskets on the floor

But I've seen it all before, heard the slamming of the door
Come summer, come fall
Come winter, there'll be baskets on the floor

She'll hang the baskets on the walls
She'll hang the baskets on the walls
She'll hang the baskets on the walls
She'll hang the baskets on the walls

People you love will turn their backs on you
You'll lose your hair, your teeth
Your knife will fall out of its sheath
But you still don't like to leave before the end of the movie
People you hate will get their hooks into you
They'll pull you down, you'll frown
They'll tar you and drag you through town
But you still don't like to leave before the end of the movie
No you still don't like to leave before the end of the show...

People you hate will get their hooks into you
They'll pull you down, you'll frown
They'll tar you and drag you through town
But you still don't like to leave before the end of the movie
No you still don't like to leave before the end of the show

When the house was standing
You'd never have believed it
When the house was standing
You'd never have believed
The bricks and mortar have all given way
At first they resisted but then they began to sway
How can you say forever is at your command
How can you say the future's in the palm
In the palm of your hand...

When the house was standing
You'd never have believed it
When the house was standing
You'd never have believed
That gaping hole was once a foundation
Where you stand now were tools in the basement
How can you say forever is at your command
How can you say the future Is in the palm
The palm of your hand

Well there is no such thing as you
It doesn't matter what you do
The more you try to qualify
The more it all will pass you by
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is

Well the more you try to shave the cat
The more the thing will bite and scratch
It's best I think to leave its fur
And to listen to its silky purr
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is

Well there is no such thing as you
It doesn't matter what you do
The more you try to qualify
The more it all will pass you by
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond
I want a girl who knows what's best
I want a girl with shoes that cut
And eyes that burn like cigarettes

I want a girl with the right allocations
Who's fast and thorough
And sharp as a tack
She is playing with her jewelry
She is putting up her hair
She is touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and a long..... jacket,

I want a girl who gets up early
I want a girl who stays up late
I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity
Who used a machete to cut through red tape
With fingernails that shine like justice
And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

She is fast, thorough
And sharp as a tack
She is touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and
a long.... long.... jacket
na na na....

I want a girl with a smooth liquidation
I want a girl with good dividends
And at the city bank we will meet accidentally
We'll start to talk when she borrows my pen

She wants a car with a cup-holder arm rest
She wants a car that will get her there
She's changing her name from Kitty to Karen
She's trading her MG for a white Chrysler Le Barron

I want a girl with a short skirt and
a long................ jacket
na na na.........

Welcome to the King's palace

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

Why walk in circles?
Why walk in circles?
Why walk in circles when you can win?

Move your feet to the spirit of the ball
Move your feet to the spirit of the ball

Welcome to the King's palace

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

Crazy train, daisy chain
People just getting lazy, complaining

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

The parking lot sparkles hot
Around the busy sports complex

Crazy train, daisy chain
People just getting lazy, complaining

Arco Arena
Arco Arena

Disempowered
The scattering flock
Dances in a fever
At the Castle Rock
Dust devils cypress
Ripening fruit
Ascending quick
Into the authors bathroom
Fon, Jo and Tootsie
Are out on a wire
Mans tooth junkies(?)
All full of desire

Meanwhile Rick James takes her new
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile Rick James takes her new
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you

Uninvited
We'll stay if we want
Searching through your closets
For your grandfathers gun
We were swimming your kidney,
Kidney shaped pool
Scratching at the bottom
For another clue, yeah
Fon, Jo and Tootsie
Are out on a wire
Mans tooth junkies(?)
All full of desire

Meanwhile Rick James takes her new
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile Rick James takes her new
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you,ohh,,,
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond
I want a girl who knows what's best
I want a girl with shoes that cut
And eyes that burn like cigarettes

I want a girl with the right allocations
Who's fast and thorough
And sharp as a tack
She is playing with her jewelry
She is putting up her hair
She is touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and a long..... jacket,

I want a girl who gets up early
I want a girl who stays up late
I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity
Who used a machete to cut through red tape
With fingernails that shine like justice
And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

She is fast, thorough
And sharp as a tack
She is touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and
a long.... long.... jacket
na na na....

I want a girl with a smooth liquidation
I want a girl with good dividends
And at the city bank we will meet accidentally
We'll start to talk when she borrows my pen

She wants a car with a cup-holder arm rest
She wants a car that will get her there
She's changing her name from Kitty to Karen
She's trading her MG for a white Chrysler Le Barron

I want a girl with a short skirt and
a long................ jacket
na na na.........

In a wooden boat in the shipping lanes
With the freighters towering over me
I can hear the jets flying overhead
Making lines across the darkening sky
And when the sun is going down I can take a taxi into town
And the waiter at the restaurant sets a table just for me

Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round
(alright)

So I had a plane to take me to a place so far away from you
Eventually we began to see that we could be completely free
And I could get away from you
And you could get away from me
And we could live each separately in our cities in the sun

Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round
(alright)

In a seedy karaoke bar by the banks of the mighty Bosphorus
Is a Japanese man in a business suit singing ((Platters:Smoke Gets In Your Eyes|Smoke Gets In Your Eyes))
And the muscular cyborg German dudes dance with sexy French Canadians
While the overweight Americans wear their patriotic jumpsuits

Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round


Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round spinning round
Wheels keep on spinning round
spinning round and round

I don't know
I don't know
I don't know (Why you say you are not in love with me)
I don't know (Why you say you are not in love with me)
I don't know (Why you say you are not in love with me)
Why you say you (music stops) are not in love with me