Morning Exercise

lesson in forgetting how
the candle does its work
impressing on me a solution
to let the jury burn

a story of sedation
many ladders later with patience
under the stars of a trusted notion
celestial worms

my arms in the air
stretching out for miles
my comrades were left there melting
when the whale took flight

it hurts so bad
this goes on the record
this goes on the record
and it hurts so bad

a sandy whisper found me
the yellow sheets around me
a soldier for an instant
in the missing arms of time

lightning strikes the corners
there's an odyssey in my eye
a casual torture is breaking
on an idiot mind

it hurts so bad
this goes on the record
this goes on the record
and it hurts so bad

a hundred smoky towers bright
a plastic haze of clouds each night
they make the little yellow, they make the little yellow lights

we tear the ribbons from the ash
and dress our fenders, slap the dash
the plastic from the ashes, the trash we take for ashes

oh the love we cannot feel for you
this love is anything but true
we sing of things we never we sing of things we never, never do

it hurts so bad
this goes on the record
this goes on the record
and it hurts so bad

The System

turn on the system
turn on the system
turn on the system now
turn on the system
turn on the system
turn on the system now

I'm gonna write my book
I'm gonna write my book right now
I'm gonna write my book
I'm gonna write my book
I'm gonna write my book right now

Put on your best coat
put on your best coat
put on your best coat now
Put on your best coat
put on your best coat
put on the lab coat now

I'm gonna write your book
I'm gonna write your book right now
I'm gonna write your book
I'm gonna write your book
I'm gonna write your book right now

Put on the last coat
put on the last coat
put on the last coat now
Put on the last coat
put on the last coat
put on the last coat now

you're gonna write my book
you're gonna write my book right now
you're gonna write my book
you're gonna write my book
you're gonna write my book right now

Lost in the Light

I met a doctor with a glass hand
he's runnin' speed down the line
you bring the salt and he'll sew you up
but those stitches they just buy a little time
the one who's standing beside him
lines up the tools on the tray
wipes the sweat, and the blood and the tears, and she
she'll keep you fed and she'll slap your face

and the west coast goes like a radio train
and it all comes down like a wave like a wave
like a big wave crashin' in my soul
like a big wave crashin' in my soul

cmon now baby get lost in the light
cmon now baby get lost in the light
all the children are dancin' all night
cmon now baby get lost in the light

under the candle there's a man and a spade
the man says he meant to go another way
he only finds what he's looking for
he's not so sure what he meant before

and the west coast goes like a radio train
and it all comes down like a wave like a wave
like a big wave crashing in my soul
like a big wave crashing in my soul

cmon now baby get lost in the light
cmon now baby get lost in the light
all the children are dancin' all night
cmon now baby get lost in the light

oh oh oh oh

out in the back, somebody's daughter
don't wanna do it no more
she got her own thing on the side
waters the weeds by the door, oh -- no --

and the gold coast goes like a radio train
and it all comes down like a wave like a wave
like a big wave crashin' in my soul
like a big wave crashin' in my soul

cmon now baby get lost in the light
cmon now baby get lost in the light
all the children are dancin' all night
cmon now baby get lost in the light

oh oh oh oh

Make-up

the kids stop to look at all the make up
at the bus stop, they're waiting for the pick-up
in the windows, the faces all look empty
in the middle, the middle of the story

they're laughing cuz someone had to break up
and the laughter surrounds the revelation
it's the accent of a simple situation
if you dance right, your future will be patient

the clock stops, no reason to escape it
and the pop top gives you higher elevation
if you dance right, your future will be patient
it's the rhythm of a constant reformation

ba badah
ba badah
ba badah
ba badah

the kids stop to look at all the make up
at the bus stop, they're waiting for the pick-up
in the windows, the faces all look empty
in the middle, the middle of the story

ba badah
ba badah
ba badah
ba badah

Sun Chase Moon

since I lost my sight, I can see you talking
always a delight, to feel the full moon stalking
the bark of an old tree
the cool back of a night
the only think against me
holding me upright

gonna will wait til the sun chases the moon away
gonna wait till the sun chases the moon
gonna wait till the sun chases the moon away
gonna wait till the sun chases the moon

since I lost my legs, I love to go out walking
and since I lost my friend, I only hear her talking
I can only breathe, and stand here very still
while shadows chase each other up and down the hill

gonna wait til the sun chases the moon away
gonna wait til the sun chases the moon
I'm a left man on a right-handed holiday
gonna wait till the sun chases the moon

when I lost my boots, I could finally feel my mind
the minstrel is a monster and the monster wears a rhyme
when I try to sing, the voice in my mouth skips
into a quiet river, never to be fished

gonna wait til the sun chases the moon away
gonna wait til the sun chases the moon
gonna wait til the sun chases the moon away
gonna wait til the sun chases the moon

Butterflies

in the big room
with the butterflies
they're on our side
they will let us know
they will let us know

oh we had them
up until our mind
was not on our side
we had to let it go
had to let it go

in the branches
of a little blind
we're not sleeping
we don't wanna go
we don't wanna go
the stinging of the snow
the stinging of the snow

whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa

you run and we are waiting for a fall

your breath has gathered you into a ball

when you leave us
with the butterflies

where do you go?

Roses

each time we meet to grab a bite to eat
the burden of a feast
our eyes go smooth under the old night
black buttons on a coat
I can see my eyes in your eyes
but my heart is hidden
you stand by me I'll stand by you
see you in the fire burnin'

the wind and fire breathe
making ashes of the trees
we are roses tied together by the breeze
I will stand by you
and you will stand by me
we are roses tied together by the breeze

everything we dream up we've gotta clean up
we chase each other with our brooms
and I know that you will hurt me
more than anyone could do
that place up in the attic
where thoughts turn black and blue
when I start to panic
holdin' on to you

the wind whips us free
and back eventually
we are roses tied together by the breeze
my fear of falling leaves
when you dance with me
we are roses tied together by the breeze
we are roses tied together by the breeze

I will never, never tire of minding thee

Pretty Life

this is the best, the best of the blessed
it didn't test the camera
I couldn't take another picture from the fire
but it's taking hold, the paper and gold
the foolish thoughts we inspire
I've somehow overthrown the places I've grown to admire
Oooo

sit on the throne, and talk on the phone
everybody's doin' fine
you'd be better off dead and the rest is a throwaway line
the lock of a curl of a beautiful girl who's standing by my side
she could've thrown me off like the deadest weight
she's all right
oooo

through the glass of the window
through the stone of the wall
through the red of the engine light
she will carry us all
it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll
and it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll
through the glass of the racecar
through the stone of the wall
through the red of the engine light
she will carry us all
and it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll
it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll

there is a mountain of lovers uncounted to dig up and throw away
you're one of those lovers it'll hurt to uncover one day
you are the west and the west is a test
dig it up and please and play nice
there's no way to measure but pleasure by pleasure
oooo

through the glass of the window
through the stone of the wall
through the red of the engine light
she will carry us all
it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll
and it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll
through the glass of the racecar
through the stone of the wall
through the red of the engine light
she will carry us all
and it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll
it's a pretty life
til you're smashing the rock into roll

Never Be Alright

Hangin' in the square a lonesome stranger
runnin' out of hope
hangin' in the square a lonesome stranger
who thought he couldn't cope
he was thinkin' and a thinkin' as he tied up his rope
but what's the sense of thinkin' when you're about to choke
the rest of us weren't listenin' when he needed it the most
it'll never be alright

she was drinkin' and a drinkin' and a drinkin'
til she had her stomach pumped
she was drinkin' and a drinkin' and a drinkin'
all she had to do was jump
her body floated in the river and out into the sea
the fishies pecked away at her until her heart was free
it sank right to the bottom and was bombed by submarines
it'll never be alright

time has always been an enemy
and the thought of death defines the human being
but it does not define me
it'll never be alright

Pathway Dreams

pathway dreams, a sunday drive
feather in a tunnel doin' suicide dives
a maiden wore her beads so bright
she put them over her head under the moonlight
over her head under the moonlight

one last chance to turn it back
fading like a father in a photograph
careless words make hearts collapse
the truth is like a tiger it's as wild as that
this is just a riddle you're a maniac

pathway dreams, a sunday drive
feather in a tunnel doin' suicide dives
no taking sides, they only ride
they're driving all the way out to the edge of night
all the way out to the edge of night

and it rolls
a song is paving the road
it says they'll never grow old
who knows

so it goes
the dust lights up like gold
no one watches them go
no one sees them be bold

the truth is like a tiger it's as wild as that
this is just a riddle you're a maniac

the tires burn, the baby turns
mama not supposed to say those words
I'll feed him like a little bird
get 'em up off their knees cuz they wanna learn
up off their knees cuz they wanna learn

pathway dreams, open eyes
bird in a tunnel doin' suicide dives
the maiden holds her beads so bright
she'll put them over his head under the moonlight
over his head under the bright moonlight
a tiger ate a tiger under the moonlight
the eyes glow from inside her in the bright moonlight

the truth is like a tiger it's as wild as that
this is just a riddle you're a maniac

My Little Friend

fillin' up with records and ruin and color cartoons
they must have been drawn with some memories that will come to you soon
and bloom
into the flowers of the power that you never knew that you knew
its brand new
give me time to fall behind before our joy is redefined
we zoom and zoom around the room
with nothing to collapse into

maybe, you're not
my little friend

you're sweet and might be dangerous and
waiting to be born to be wild
you smile
is it possible that we are what's possible once in a while
I look at you
you look at me
we're playing in the castle, as far as I can see
the tragedy
your majesty
is we are not strangers and this is not a dream

maybe, you're not
my little friend

how do you do
I'm an energetic heretic and
I'm just passing through to be with you
so you assume
a me in you, and you in me, and me in me for you, and you for you
woohoo
can that be right? it might it might!
we leave the fight to spend the night
the tragedy
your majesty
is tragedy is never free
to be what it was meant to be

maybe, you're not
my little friend

The Race

when boy was a kid in the mid he hid the things that he did
from the buzz of the buzz and the fuzz chasing after him
all the runnin' makes him sick
and that's a kind of kick

this is the race to the place where there's no complaint
the sky never ends but it bends into an atmosfriend -- amen
sky's closing in but there's nothing to measure the weight -- Yahweh

tear at the clay at the clay at the clay

boy was alone on the day that he had his own kid
it was his turn and he turned like a car in a skid
will it get to him?
he says, "I'll be just like him."

this is the race to the place where there's no complaint
the sky never ends but it bends into an atmosfriend -- amen
sky's closing in but there's nothing to measure the weight -- Yahweh

he likes it alone with his bones calling shots from the wheel
he shakes in his skin, thinks its all for the rush and the feel
the road is close to him
but who will crack the whip?

this is the race to the place where there's no complaint
the sky never ends but it bends into an atmosfriend -- amen
sky's closing in but there's nothing to measure the weight -- Yahweh