Loose Future 


Crooked teeth, cigarette
The foolish ways we place our bets
I have learned from my mistakes
There’s parts of me I can’t give away

I just want to take it slow
Don’t wanna give a yes or no
Can we play it cool?

Loose future
If you wanna ride with me
Loose future
Nowhere we need to be

Running towards hearts to fix
When mine’s still busted, I’m not over it
Let’s keep it easy, honeymoon
Sweet as summer nights in June

I just wanna take it slow
Don’t wanna give a yes or no
Can we play it cool?

Loose future
If you wanna ride with me
Loose future
Nowhere we need to be
Loose future
If you wanna ride with me
Loose future
No big picture
Just the way it oughta be 
Loose, Loose

Who I am kidding, we’re halfway there
But I’ll keep pretending that I don’t care

Older Now

Can I say what’s on my mind?
I wanna get it right this time
Awkward talk, awkward dance
Missed another awkward chance

But, I am older now
And I am ready for a change

Fuck it up, make you laugh
We both have traumatic pasts
See it for what it is
Still feel like a little kid
Running through open fields
Dog is biting at our heels
Falling down in the sand
Life is better without plans

I am older now
And I am ready for a change

Let’s be honest it’s not what
Our parents all said it was
No one stays together now
No one gives a damn about
Pushing through until the end
I’m never calling you again

Because I am older now
And I am never gonna change

On The Line

Red roof inn, rain on the window
Free breakfast, an American cliche
The emptiness, distractions of hope
Mind wanders while I pretend to stay

Why do I give you the satisfaction of knowing I still care?
You only call when it’s your love on the line

Room above me, they’re having sex
With the tv up to drown out the noise
That’s just like this world we’re in
We cover up each truth with a void

Why do I give you the satisfaction of knowing I still care?
You only call when it’s your love on the line
You only call when it’s your love on the line

I’ve gotten used to moving on
Air fresheners dangling in my mirror
If you only knew how far I’ve gone
How far I’ll go to avoid these tears

Still I give you the satisfaction of knowing I still care
And you only call when it’s your love on the line
You only call when it’s your love on the line

Satellite

You are a satellite
orbiting around my mind 
I’d like to see you tonight,
tonight, and every night

Cause I, I, I like you all the time,
A constellation I always find 
And I, I, I like to see you shine, 
My favorite piece of the sky

You see me for who I am
More than a hologram
Or a projection of your plans
More than a woman, more than a man

But I, I, I like you all the time,
A constellation I always find 
And I, I, I like to see you shine, 
My favorite piece of the sky
My favorite piece of the sky
My favorite piece of the sky

You are a satellite
orbiting around my mind

These Are the Good Old Days

In the backseat of his car
Head out the window, eyes towards the stars
Big pink moon through the cypress trees
Tells me he loves me and I wanna believe him
He’s in a Queen t-shirt and baggy jeans
When he speaks he says what he means
Holds my hand, kisses my cheek
Sharing a bottle of something sweet

These are the good old days
Don’t let time slip away
These are the good old days
Don’t let time slip away

People like me think feelings are facts
Falling in love gives us a heart attack
One foot in the future, one in the past
Wanna know for sure if it’s gonna last

These are the good old days
Don’t let time slip away
These are the good old days
Don’t let time slip away
These are the good old days
These are the good old days

Thinkin’ On You

Pictures of us aren’t the same
Can’t hold your hand, or pick your brain
The heart in you is the heart in me
The stars you see are the ones I see

I’ll be thinkin’ on you
I’ll be thinkin’ on you
While you’re away
I’ll be thinkin’ on you

Empty bed and frying pan
No more colors, it all tastes bland
Let me know you got there safe
Until next time, face to face

I’ll be thinkin’ on you
I’ll be thinkin’ on you
While you’re away
I’ll be thinkin’ on you

You Do What You Want

I can still imagine you
Green as agave
True as the bluest sky
Making your brother cry with laughter
You and I in the corner of a room
At an awkward party
Where no one was talking
As you were mocking the disaster

I still hold space for you
Even with all you put me through

You’re the kind of person everyone forgives
You do what you want and somehow we’ll forget
You’re the kind of person everyone forgives

Often I remember times
With rose colored glasses
Handing me roses
Like some modern Moses, your apology
You and I in a truck bed
High off our asses
Pills from the neighbor
Your form of labor, ideology

I still hold space for you
Even with all you put me through

You’re the kind of person everyone forgives
You do what you want and somehow we’ll forget
You’re the kind of person everyone forgives

I can still imagine you
Green as agave

Let Her Go

She’s got wild flowing hair, and a California ease
She’ll make you fall in love with a heart you can’t keep
An actress with a voice, pure as honeybees
In her past life she was a willow tree, a willow tree

She’ll give you advice that she wouldn’t take
Freer than the winds blowing off the Cape
While you have her attention, love her and let her know
Then let her go, let her go

An emotional Aries dancing to Tim McGraw
Recalling her dreams in her underwear and bra
An old soul and a child all wrapped into one
She will help you remember what it’s like to have, like to have fun

She’ll give you advice that she wouldn’t take
Freer than the winds blowing off the Cape
While you have her attention, love her and let her know
Then let her go, let her go

Change My Mind

I don’t recognize the way you see me
I don’t understand the way you love
Something deep me inside won’t believe you
Even when you tell me I’m enough

I’m not used to feeling good
I’m not used to feeling right
Maybe you could change my mind
Change my mind

You’ve give me no reason not to trust you
But I keep looking for new ways to be let down
Trying to break old habits isn’t easy
When I’m addicted to losing what I’ve found

I’m not used to feeling good
I’m not used to feeling right
Maybe you could change my mind
Change my mind

I don’t recognize the way you see me
I don’t recognize the way you love

Me & Jerry

Me and Jerry
We got a good thing going
Two cigarettes, autonomy,
Two vagabonds with a history

We’re out of our minds
Out of our minds

If there’s a god above, I bet he’s making love
And it’s a good day on earth when love is enough
I’ve lost count of all the people at my door
All the almost fairytales with only a before

We’re out of our minds
Out of our minds

Jerry loves more than my body
And he tells me so every time
And I’m falling down the rabbit hole
And he makes me wanna strip down to my soul

And I’m out of my mind
Out of my mind

(Out of my mind,
She’s out of her mind,
Out of my mind,
She’s out of her mind)

Burlap String

In a small West Coast town,
there’s a family and a house,
where the memories of us belong
We used to live there,
free of worry, free of care,
free of pain and what we’d become

If I could go back now,
I’d pick you wildflowers,
Tie them in burlap string,
Tell you what you mean to me

Some days are good, some are bad
Some days I want what we had
Some days I talk myself into a lie
I’ve grown cautious, I’ve grown up
I’m a skeptic of love
Don’t wanna lose what I might find

If I could go back now,
I’d pick you wildflowers,
Tie them in burlap string,
Tell you what you mean to me

Time eases, but can’t erase,
the sad look on true love’s face
When you know what your heart needs
and you tell them you must be free
But deep down you know the truth,
there’s no replacing someone like you

If I could go back now,
I’d pick you wildflowers,
Tie them in burlap string,
Tell you what you mean to me

Guilty

Guilty, oh I’m guilty,
I have fallen in love with you
I can’t eat, no I can’t sleep
There is nothing in this world
I can do

When I wake up in
the morning next to him,
it makes me wanna cry
But I cannot bring myself to let it go
and say goodbye

‘Cause I know I’d hurt you too,
Get bored, find someone new
I cannot give my love to you,
when I am guilty

Painful, love is painful,
but I am thankful for
the time we shared
Hesitation, medication
Trying so hard not to care

Doesn’t matter the block,
every street, every thought,
leads me back to you,
‘til I almost make it
home and realize,
who I’m going to

But I know I’d hurt you too,
Get bored, find someone new
I cannot give my love to you,
when I am guilty

If I Told

It’s a full moon, L.A.
and we’re alone for the first time
on Venice Beach, under the palm trees
Tell me your dreams and I’ll tell you mine
What would you say, if I told you,
you’re my last thought at the end of each night?
Would you believe me
or would you even reply?

Would You?

I am a loner, I am stubborn
Can you handle this world I live in?
I know I can’t change, but for you I’d compromise
I’d be on your side, if you’d be on mine
Yes, you’re anxious and you’re stubborn too
but I’d learn to love the worst parts of you
Could be the full moon or this cheap wine
but I’m hoping that you’ll reply

Would You?

Is it in the stars? Or some age-old truth?
Why did the universe draw me to you?
You’re so magnetic, I am hypnotized
Feels like I’ve known you since before this life
I hope I always see you this way
Here’s to wondering if you feel the same
But I can tell when your eyes meet mine,
that the truth is in your reply

You do

Together Or Alone

When we first met,
your hair was in your eyes
Didn’t believe a word you said
but I loved those pretty lies
Now I’m the kind of person,
who acts how I feel
and for a moment in time,
I know what we had was real

You stay with me,
no you never really go,
in the bars out on Broadway,
in the chords of this piano
What a God damn mess
Fate is such a joke
but I hope one day we’ll be laughing,
together or alone

Last time I saw you,
you wouldn’t look me in the eye
I heard every word you said,
knowing it was real this time
My friends they will talk,
in clichés on being free
But the grass is always greener,
when it’s something you can’t see

I hope that you find,
what it is you’re looking for
I’m just proud to have loved you,
enough to ask for more
In some other lifetime,
would you pick me out again?
Would I have chosen to stay
and see us through until the end?

Carnival Dream

I’ve been searching
for you in my dreams
But I never find you,
you never find me
Bright lights, colors, and sounds
Long to find you and be found

Will I ever let love in again?
I may never let love in again

I’ve been trying
each day to forget,
how sweet life was
when we first met
Then I lose you each night
in this carnival dream
and when I wake up
all I find are memories
Big crowds, laughter, and games
I may never be the same

Will I ever let love in again?
I may never let love in again
Will I ever let love in?
I may never let love in

Old Flowers

I don’t see you that way,
not the way I did before
I’m not your object to break,
you can’t hold me like I’m yours
I don’t see you that way,
anymore

So please go home now
I can sleep on my own
I’m alone now
but I don’t feel alone

You can’t water old flowers

You can’t hurt me that way,
not the way you did before
Even if you have changed,
you can’t treat me like I’m yours
You can’t hurt me that way,
anymore

So please go home now
I can dream on my own
I’m alone now
but I don’t feel alone

You can’t water old flowers

Our love is gone

I don’t see you that way,
not the way I did before

Break the Spell

You and your magic ways,
your magic charms,
always begging me to stay
Why, why do I believe,
each and every trick
you have hiding up your sleeve?

Please, break the spell

Yes, I am hypnotized
Tonight you say you want me,
tomorrow change your mind
No, the distance does not help,
when magic rings through satellites
to the phone in this hotel

Please, break the spell

You tell me that you’re crazy
but that is no excuse,
to trick me with magic
and make me think it’s you

Please, break the spell

It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault

Hollywood and Vine
Passing through your neighborhood
Had a feeling I should stop by,
feed you a line from some old romance book
Oh, it’s been years since we’ve talked
Does that rock band of yours still play
or have you grown apart like we did?
How did we ever go our separate ways?

Oh, but it must be someone else’s fault,
Must be someone else’s heart
who tainted mine
No, I cannot be to blame
for the story of this pain
Oh, it must be someone else’s fault

Feels like I’ve gone crazy,
like the women in my family usually do
We can’t seem to keep our heads on,
long enough to make it through
But I’m still sensitive and stubborn
Still cry more than a person should
But it’s this feeling inside that’s changed,
like I’ve gone bad, but the world is good

Oh, but it must be someone else’s fault,
Must be someone else’s heart
who tainted mine
No, I cannot be to blame
for the story of this pain
Oh, it must be someone else’s fault

How You Get Hurt

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Do you wish that I would stay?
If I missed you, I wouldn’t tell you
Best not to give ourselves away

That’s how you get hurt
You let your guard down
You make a move,
then it doesn’t work out
That’s how you get hurt

Do you remember that night in Nashville?
Took you dancing with my friends
Laura taught you how to two-step,
then you took me for a spin

That’s how you get hurt
You let your guard down
You take a chance,
then it doesn’t work out
That’s how you get hurt

Thought of calling, thought of a letter
Thought of you almost every day
But maybe this distance is for the better,
until we both learn how to stay

I don’t wanna get hurt
Let my guard down
Fall in love,
if it doesn’t work out
That’s how you get hurt

Ships in the Night

I am sending you a postcard
from the United States,
with words on the back,
never got a chance to say
When it soars across that pond
and reaches your house,
may it leave you with closure
and a little less doubt

Hope you eased up on the drinking,
hope you laugh, hope you care
Hope your days are even better
than the ones that we shared
And I hope that you find love,
settle down somewhere new
And I hope that this world sees
who I see in you

I know you tried to reach me,
I know you tried
I know we felt the same way
but the timing wasn’t right
Ships in the night

Since the last time I saw you,
well I’ve seen better days
The person that I used to be
seems so far away
And she’s not traveling
down God’s highway,
in books, or melodies
But maybe in these words
is where you will find me

I know you tried to reach me,
I know you tried
I know we felt the same way
but the timing wasn’t right
Ships in the night

From this Arizonan desert
to your cold English shores,
I’m sending you my love
and nothing more

May Your Kindness Remain

You’re a good woman, and a good friend,
You’ve got a good heart, even when it’s busted and bent
Lipstick and perfume, underground queen,
Wearing loneliness like a costume, for the whole world to see

And if your money runs out, and your good looks fade,
May your kindness remain

Broke on a barstool, throwing your paycheck away,
On overpriced booze, slots, and valet
Fortune might buy you diamonds, all shiny and new,
But it can’t buy you happiness, or love that is true

And if your money runs out, and your good looks fade,
May your kindness remain

The richest of people aren’t rich with houses, cars, or fame,
No, they’re not rich with something that can be bought, or arranged
No, it’s kindness that makes them beautiful,
And a kind heart don’t cost a dime,
It’s a gift that keeps giving, for the rest of your life

And if your money runs out, and your good looks fade,
May your kindness remain

Took You Up

Is it the journey or the destination?
Is this love or is this addiction?
If circumstances are meant to be,
What does that say about you and me?
Karaoke on a Monday night,
Television when we want to hide,
Frozen dinners when money’s tight,
Makin’ love on a laundry pile

Ain’t got much, but we got each other,
Not much but love to offer,
I took you up

Good friends, good company,
In every corner of this country
But none of them quite get me,
The way you get me
Long drives through the countryside
Cheap motels, diners, and dives
Calling numbers on the billboard signs,
See who picks up on the other line

Ain’t got much, but we got each other,
Not much but love to offer,
I took you up

Lonely even when you’re standing there
In so deep, with few words to share
Sometimes love gets you so damn depressed
All you can do is hide from it
But I wouldn’t have it any other way,
Wouldn’t take the mansions or the getaways,
Wouldn’t trade love for a million bucks,
If I have you, then that’s enough

Ain’t got much, but we got each other,
Not much but love to offer,
I took you up

Rough Around the Edges

Pulled into meet you, windows down,
Duct tape mirrors, exhaust pouring out
Always late, never unwound
When will I learn to shut my mouth?

Guess I’m rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

You find the beauty in simple things,
In desert sunsets and in movie scenes
I see the flaws in all the in-betweens,
The past was cruel and it caught up with me

Guess I’m rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

Curtains closed so I can sleep in late
Nothing on the TV, but it always plays
Dirty dishes, butts in the ashtray
Don’t feel like picking up the damn phone today

I’m feeling rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

If I let you down, baby, don’t take it to heart
When my mind becomes a question mark
When I want closure, then I get confused
Don’t believe in much, but I believe in you

I’m just rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

Border

Twenty miles down a desert road,
If he walked that far, he ain’t never comin’ home,
Sonoran sun, it never quits,
If you cover your neck, it’ll burn your lips,
Thorns in his hair, dust in his teeth,
Coyote man, land of the free,
A water can, land of the free

There is always a reason,
A story to tell,
But you cannot measure a man until
You’ve been down the deepest well

“And when I get to the land of the brave,
Gonna buy me a hammer and work all day,
Send it all back to the family,
Save a few bucks for that bull canteen,
Stand outside that hardware store,
Don’t matter the job they need me for.”

There is always a reason,
A story to tell,
But you cannot measure a man until
You’ve been down the deepest well

Dear mother, how does it feel?
To know your daughter roams this world alone
Without the comfort of knowing her body is her own
Sweet mother, what will you say
When your daughter gets all dressed up?
Will you worry that some stranger will be entitled to her love?

When you’re weary and feel your light does not shine,
Know you’re more than a body,
You’re of heart and of mind.

Dear brother, what would you do?
If you knew your sister was made to feel ashamed?
For resisting and insisting a stop to another man’s games

When you’re weary and feel your light does not shine,
Know you’re more than a body,
You’re of heart and of mind.

Dear sister, my tears are for you
I know this life can be so cruel and unkind
But when you’re feeling weak,
Know your power is in your heart and your mind

When you’re weary and feel your light does not shine,
Know you’re more than a body,
You’re of heart and of mind.

May Your Kindness Remain

You’re a good woman, and a good friend,
You’ve got a good heart, even when it’s busted and bent
Lipstick and perfume, underground queen,
Wearing loneliness like a costume, for the whole world to see

And if your money runs out, and your good looks fade,
May your kindness remain

Broke on a barstool, throwing your paycheck away,
On overpriced booze, slots, and valet
Fortune might buy you diamonds, all shiny and new,
But it can’t buy you happiness, or love that is true

And if your money runs out, and your good looks fade,
May your kindness remain

The richest of people aren’t rich with houses, cars, or fame,
No, they’re not rich with something that can be bought, or arranged
No, it’s kindness that makes them beautiful,
And a kind heart don’t cost a dime,
It’s a gift that keeps giving, for the rest of your life

And if your money runs out, and your good looks fade,
May your kindness remain

Lift the Lonely from My Heart

I am a lonely woman who loves you,
Lonely I have always been
Many things have found their way between us,
But none more than my loneliness

Waxing, waning, always complaining
Always trying to fix what already works
Pining, mining, for a feeling I’m not finding
Looking to you to tell me what I’m worth

When morning comes, whistling comes the bluebird,
While I try to find the will to wake
My loneliness, it blurs the days together
My loneliness, it pushes you away

Working, cursing, in circles I am searching,
Looking for a cure to lift me up
Trying, lying, just to keep myself smiling
Believing that our love is strong enough

Can you still see the good inside me?
Or do you see a shell of who I was?
The loneliness has grown so much, it shadows
You, the only one I truly love

Coping, hoping, for a way of outgrowing,
These thoughts that keep me in the dark
Minding, finding, always such bad timing,
To learn that only I can ignite the spark,
Only I can lift the lonely from my heart

Two Cold Nights in Buffalo

Stuck in Nickel City, on the tainted side of a coin,
El Niño brought a blizzard, Greyhound brought a boy,
Those yellow city lights accent the gutters and the rats,
Only the cheap motels were open on the wrong side of the tracks

Two cold nights in Buffalo on the way to Syracuse
Outside town all the roads are closed
Gonna wash this rust belt new

A snowy prison out on Main St., heaters hang from the cells
A bum searches for shelter, so cold he dreams of hell,
Is that American dream dying? I hear whispers of each ghost,
Of the wealthy man who once dined in downtown Buffalo

Two cold nights in Buffalo on the way to Syracuse
Outside town all the roads are closed
Gonna wash this rust belt new, gonna wash it new

What happened to the middle class? Mom and pop 5 and dimes?
Soon they’ll be knocking it all down to build that high rise
What happened to the good ol’ boys throwing dice in the street?
What happened to the neighborhood, and the neighbors you would meet?
What happened to recreation? That old roller skating rink?
What happened to preserving this town’s history?

Two cold nights in Buffalo on the way to Syracuse
Outside town all the roads are closed
Gonna wash this rust belt new, gonna wash it new

Rough Around the Edges

Pulled into meet you, windows down,
Duct tape mirrors, exhaust pouring out
Always late, never unwound
When will I learn to shut my mouth?

Guess I’m rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

You find the beauty in simple things,
In desert sunsets and in movie scenes
I see the flaws in all the in-betweens,
The past was cruel and it caught up with me

Guess I’m rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

Curtains closed so I can sleep in late
Nothing on the TV, but it always plays
Dirty dishes, butts in the ashtray
Don’t feel like picking up the damn phone today

I’m feeling rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

If I let you down, baby, don’t take it to heart
When my mind becomes a question mark
When I want closure, then I get confused
Don’t believe in much, but I believe in you

I’m just rough, rough around the edges
Honey, I’m rough, rough around the edges

Border

Twenty miles down a desert road,
If he walked that far, he ain’t never comin’ home,
Sonoran sun, it never quits,
If you cover your neck, it’ll burn your lips,
Thorns in his hair, dust in his teeth,
Coyote man, land of the free,
A water can, land of the free

There is always a reason,
A story to tell,
But you cannot measure a man until
You’ve been down the deepest well

“And when I get to the land of the brave,
Gonna buy me a hammer and work all day,
Send it all back to the family,
Save a few bucks for that bull canteen,
Stand outside that hardware store,
Don’t matter the job they need me for.”

There is always a reason,
A story to tell,
But you cannot measure a man until
You’ve been down the deepest well

Took You Up

Is it the journey or the destination?
Is this love or is this addiction?
If circumstances are meant to be,
What does that say about you and me?
Karaoke on a Monday night,
Television when we want to hide,
Frozen dinners when money’s tight,
Makin’ love on a laundry pile

Ain’t got much, but we got each other,
Not much but love to offer,
I took you up

Good friends, good company,
In every corner of this country
But none of them quite get me,
The way you get me
Long drives through the countryside
Cheap motels, diners, and dives
Calling numbers on the billboard signs,
See who picks up on the other line

Ain’t got much, but we got each other,
Not much but love to offer,
I took you up

Lonely even when you’re standing there
In so deep, with few words to share
Sometimes love gets you so damn depressed
All you can do is hide from it
But I wouldn’t have it any other way,
Wouldn’t take the mansions or the getaways,
Wouldn’t trade love for a million bucks,
If I have you, then that’s enough

Ain’t got much, but we got each other,
Not much but love to offer,
I took you up

This House

Lift up on the door, on the old rusted hinge,
The lock might be fickle, it’s always been
But it’s a sweet old place to keep our memories in
This house ain’t much of a house, but it’s a home

Empty cans on the counter, and the laundry is never done
The dogs tracked in snow and mud,
For every rose there’s a weed, but every weed is welcome
This house ain’t much of a house, but it’s a home

The faucet might leak,
The staircase might creak,
The heater takes a while to kick in
But there’s a whole lot of laughter and love
This house, this house is our home

There’s a bed upstairs if you’re ever in town,
Or if you need a place to get your feet back on the ground
There’s coffee in the cupboard, take any food you want out,
My house, my house is your home

Tucker’s buried in the yard,
Under that old oak we carved,
That porch is where you and I first kissed
And there’s no shortage of laughter or love,
This house, this house is our home

Kindness of Strangers

How do you break through, when the words don’t reach your lips?
In a lump inside your throat, or in a pile of could’ve beens
All the small talk, and the catch ups, and the empty promises
How do you dive deeper in a shallow river bed?
When the current pulls you further from what you should have said

Getting by on the kindness of strangers

When you’re trying to be tender, but instead you come off cold
When your sweetness surrenders to the cruelness of this world
All the small stuff, and the bad luck, when it all becomes too much
How do you find solace in a place so quick to judge?
Do you try and play it cool, or play the part you think they’ll want?

Getting by on the kindness of strangers

People come, and people go, and some will make their mark
Like an iron to the bull, a symbol in your heart,
And the ones that stick around are the hardest ones to find,
And if you can’t find the closeness, you need the kindness to survive

Getting by on the kindness of strangers

I’ve Hurt Worse

I like you, honey, and the cool way you laugh
I like you, honey, when I argue, you argue back
I like you, honey,
‘cause you don’t hold the door
I like you, honey, when I’m fighting to be yours

I like when I have to call you a second time
It keeps me wondering if you are mine
Mother says we love who we think we deserve
But I’ve hurt worse, I’ve hurt worse

I like you, honey, even when I’m feeling used,
I like you, honey, you tell lies in the form of truths,
I like you, honey, even when you don’t come home,
I like you, honey, being with you is like being alone

I like when I have to call you a second time
It keeps me wondering if you are mine
Mother says we love who we think we deserve
But I’ve hurt worse, I’ve hurt worse

I like you, honey, you don’t listen to a word I say
I like you, honey, then you interrupt me anyway
I like you, honey, even if you only like yourself,
I like you, honey, for me and you there is no one else

I like when I have to call you a second time
It keeps me wondering if you are mine
Mother says we love who we think we deserve
But I’ve hurt worse, I’ve hurt worse

Long Road Back to You

Call me when you get to Austin,
When you’re filling up at that Chevron station
Get yourself a coffee, and power through
It’s a long, long road back to you

Days pass, and turn into the nights,
Those farms and fields fade into town lights,
Dip into savings, rent yourself a room,
It’s a long, long road back to you

Back to you
Back to you
It’s a long, long road back to you
Front porch, Luna’s humming a tune,
Moon’s swinging low, can you see it too?
Clouds are rolling in, soon they’ll block the view
It’s a long, long road back to you

Ten short of a ticket down to Denver
Borrowed cash and a bank cleared letter
Waiting for this check to come through,
It’s a long, long road back to you

Back to you
Back to you
It’s a long, long road back to you

Rookie Dreaming

I was singin’ with the choir on the train,
I was a travelin’ man,
I did not yet have a name,
I was a 1960s movie,
I was a one night love story,
I was a you will never see me again.

I was movin’ too fast to see all the paintings in Paris,
Or the sunrise in Barcelona,
I was too broke, too shallow to dive deep,
Too busy carrying the weight of everything.

Young with nowhere to be,
But you can’t get far for free,
This ain’t no rookie dreaming,
This ain’t no rookie dreaming,

I was on the hunt for visions out of reach,
All those daydreamin’ mornings,
All the wishful goodnight thinking.
I have steered through every dark alley,
In hopes of a light at the end that I could see.

Young with nowhere to be,
But you can’t get far for free,
This ain’t no rookie dreaming,
This ain’t no rookie dreaming.

I am sitting all alone on this train
I am a passenger to somewhere,
I do not yet know the name.
I am a 1960s movie,
I am an unwritten story,
I am a when will I see you again?

Not The End

You’d sing to me sweetly in the northern morning light,
Old love ballads replaced the words you could not find.
I have loved you for so long, ever since that Fourth of July,
I knew I was in trouble then, when your eyes met mine.
Didn’t think it was possible to lose you again,
So won’t you hold me and tell me,
That this is not the end.

So many nights we’d spent, in our little basement room,
A part of you became a part of me then, and I know you feel it too.
I’m so far away now, in this empty hotel room,
Trying to dream up every memory so I can feel closer to you.

Didn’t think it was possible to lose you again,
So won’t you hold me and tell me,
That this is not the end.

There’s beauty in the golden hills, and in the rolling sea,
But beauty means nothing, when you are not with me.

Didn’t think it was possible to lose you again,
So won’t you hold me and tell me,
That this is not the end.
Won’t you tell me that you love me?
And that this is not the end.

Irene

Farewell, Irene, where your dreams are bound I just can’t tell,
But we both know, Irene, they won’t come true at the bottom of a well.
Gain some confidence, Irene, if you speak let your voice ring out,
But keep your grace, Irene, Don’t go fallin’ in love with yourself.

You are a magnet, Irene,
Sometimes good people draw troublesome things.

The heart is funny Irene, you can’t control who it wants to love,
So let it love, Irene, man or woman, or anyone it wants.
You dream of the north, Irene, well than that’s where you oughta be,
But you gotta want it, Irene, don’t follow any path half-heartedly.

You are a magnet, Irene,
Sometimes good people draw troublesome things.

How Quickly Your Heart Mends

Empty promises and a broken heart,
Hiding in the bathroom of this bar,
Crossing out your name in my mind,
I’ll cross out yours, now that you’ve crossed out mine.

I can’t believe I got all made up,
Put on this dress that you love,
Only for you to go and pretend,
Like all those years meant nothin’

So go on and forget,
Act like we’ve never met,
Leave with your new friends,
How quickly your heart mends.

The jukebox is playin’ a sad country song,
For all the ugly Americans,
Now I feel like one of them,
Dancin’ alone and broken by the freedom.

Now, I’m all dolled up for any drunken fool,
Who thinks he can replace you,
Lucky I haven’t lost my self-respect,
Despite all you’ve done and all that you’ve said.

So go on and forget,
Act like we’ve never met,
Leave with your new friends,
How quickly your heart mends.

Let the Good One Go

Can I call you tonight?
I wanna know how you’ve been,
Have you been alright?
I’d be lying if I said you ain’t been on my mind.
They say a goodbye is a goodbye,
That my heart won’t ache,
All it will take is time,
But I’d like to think pain ain’t that black and white.

Oooh, you will know,
When you’ve let a good one go.

Where are you tonight?
Do you think of me when you close your eyes?
Do you wake up and reach for me by your side?
They say good things never die,
Well, if that’s true, than our love’s still alive,
If that’s true, than it’s safe to say it will never die.

Oooh, you will know,
When you’ve let a good one go.

Honest Life

All I’ve ever wanted was an honest life,
To be the person that I really am inside,

To tell you all the things that I did that night,
Sometimes it just ain’t easy to live an honest life.

All I’ve ever needed was a little time to grow,
A little time to understand all the things that I know,
So I can listen to you lovingly instead of getting up to go.
Some people take a little more time to grow.

Right when you have it all figured out,
Life comes to throw you another doubt,
But my head’s up high, and I ain’t got nothing but time,
To work at living an honest life.

All I’ve ever asked for was a way to understand,
All of life’s lessons the best that I can,
How to be honest, how to be wise, and how to be a good friend,
Some things take a lifetime to fully understand.

Right when you have it all figured out,
Life comes to throw you another doubt,
But my head’s up high, and I ain’t got nothing but time,
To work at living an honest life.

Table For One

Table for one,

I’ve got no one I’m waiting on,

I just pulled into town an hour ago,
From the streets of Houston,
To this diner in Ohio,
I’m just waiting for the bar to open.

Cause I’m a little bit lonely,
A little bit stoned,
And I’m ready to go home,

You don’t wanna be like me,
This life, it ain’t free,
Always chained to when I leave.

Been dancin’ with strangers,
Sleep in the van when the show’s over,
I’ve been drivin’ until I get tired.

Found peace in the Redwoods,
Lost it 20 miles later,

There is no tellin’ which way this road bends.
Been wonderin’ how you’ve been,
Hopin’ things have gotten better,
Hope you’ve finally settled down in Washington.

Cause I’m a little bit lonely,
A little bit stoned,
And I’m ready to go home,

You don’t wanna be like me,
This life it ain’t free,
Always chained to when I leave.

Put The Fire Out

On this flight, gonna see my baby,
One last night, no more maybes,
I’ve made up this road-worn mind,

And I’m stickin’ around for a while this time.
I’ve seen enough, too much seein’

I’ve lived it up, not enough sleepin’
I’ve been up, I’ve been down,
I’ve been lost and I’m ready to be found.

Cause I am ready to put the fire out.
There’s a place for everything,
And I think I know mine now.

Heard a lot’s changed,
How’ve you been?
Heard you started laughin’ again,
Once I’m off this plane, I hope you’ll make,
A little time to laugh with me.

A few more hours, feels like forever,
Here’s my chance, I wanna get better,
I wanna pick up the phone and return your calls,
Tell you how much I love you all.

Cause I am ready to put the fire out.
There’s a place for everything,
And I think I know mine now.

Now that I’m off this plane I think I’m ready to stay,
I wanna live in the now, live for today,
Stop worryin’ about what’s gonna come,
Let my hair down, have a little bit more fun.

Now that I’m in town we should go dancin’
Tell everyone we know, no need to plan it,
Hear the rock ’n’ roll at the Blue Moon Tavern,
I’m here for a while, no need to ask me if I’m goin’

Cause I am ready to put the fire out.
There’s a place for everything,
And I think I know mine now.

15 Highway Lines

15 lines on a highway stretch,
Is the amount of time it took to think of you.
I’ve been there before and I’ll be there again,
I’m like a tethered ball you can never catch,
You were my only friend.

Time is taut, there is no way to bend
It to way back when I knew you then,
To you, all the love I send,
From this long mile,
From this passenger bed.

Oooh, lonesome road,
Teach me to run, back into the arms of my darling one.

14 days and a fever dream,
Was all it took to wanna see me.
The lover’s card and some tea leaves,
Was all it took to wanna be with me.

But if fate is a dart that you throw at a map,
Than you can’t count on fate, you can count on that,
Fate is the devil that made you my past,
Fate loves and loses and never looks back.

Oooh, lonesome bird,
Teach me to fly, back into the arms of my sunshine.

13 hours ’til I see you,
Flying all around this world so you can see me too.
For once, this head has somewhere to lay,
In the arms of my long lost honey babe,

Time and fate,
Oh, time and fate,
Lay me in the arms of my honey babe,
Lay me in the arms of my honey babe.

Only in My Mind

In my mind, there is a house,
In a small forest grove,
Made of cherry logs,
And chimney smoke is always pourin’ from the stove.
In my mind, you’re there sometimes,
Dancin’ with a glass of wine,
Laughin’ as I come to join you,
Under the dim living room light,
But it is only in my mind.

In my mind, love was easy
A dreamy happy ending,
Full of passion never fleeting,
Full of feeling and surprise.
In my mind, love was unchanging,
Every demand was worth meeting
Every bad day worth defeating,
Love made every wrong seem right,
But it was only in my mind.

In my mind, you forgave me,
For all of my mistakes,
For being sad and selfish,
For the loneliness I create.
In my mind, I got better,
I was more thoughtful of others,
Never judgmental or stubborn,
Always gracious, giving and kind,
But it was only in my mind.

In my mind, life was a road without any turns,
Every chance was given,
No hard lessons to be learned.
In my mind, I had the answers,
Every dream was within sight,
Every heartache could be mended,
Happiness came with time,
But it was only in my mind.
Yes, it was only in my mind.

How Quickly Your Heart Mends

Empty promises and a broken heart,
Hiding in the bathroom of this bar,
Crossing out your name in my mind,
I’ll cross out yours now that you’ve crossed out mine.

I can’t believe I got all made up,
Put on this dress that you love,
Only for you to go and pretend like all those years meant nothing.

So go on and forget,
Act like we’ve never met,
Leave with your new friends,
How quickly your heart mends.

The jukebox is playing a sad country song,
For all the ugly Americans,
Now I feel like one of them,
Dancing alone and broken by the freedom.

Now I’m all dolled up for any drunken fool,
Who thinks he can replace you,
Lucky I haven’t lost my self respect,
Despite all you’ve done, and all that you’ve said.

So go on and forget,
Act like we’ve never met,
Leave with your new friends,
How quickly your heart mends.

They Say

They say that the heart is made of love and compassion,
Romance and affection,
Honest feelings.
But I’ve only know the heart to break and turn spiteful,
Jealous and resentful,
Calculated and cruel.
How can I ever trust a heart through and through?

They say that the soul is made of adventure and self-awareness,
That it’s ageless yet timeless,
That it hungers to be fed.
But I’ve only known the soul to trick me into thinking,
That I should be constantly searching for the person that I am.
How can I be sure the soul truly understands?

They say that the mind is practical and logical,
Reasoning and capable,
Of seeking out the truth.
But I’ve only known the mind to over-think and criticize,
Bring heart and soul to realize that life must go on,
Yes, maybe my mind was right all along.

Always Will

A goodbye to you ain’t an easy thing to do,
It always feels like it might be the last.
All the boxes in the attic, suitcase by the door,
Never know when I’ll be coming back.
But, I never asked you to wait,
Never expected you to stay,
Always wanted you to follow your own path.
Be who you want to be,
See what you’d like to see,
Kid, I’ll always have your back.

I love you baby, I love you still, I always have, and I always will.

I’ve drawn you in my memory,
Put your picture in a frame,
Forever how we used to be,
Forever unchanged,
With the good came the bad, and every feeling in between,
Every uneasy farewell,
And talk of being free.

But, I love you baby, I love you still, I always have, and I always will.

Near You

Man I miss the way you laugh,
Setting my head straight again.
Our walks haven’t changed, the barn’s still there,
The gate still sticks,
Guess I just didn’t know what to expect.

I’m glad you finally got your car out of the mud,
Now we can make plans for the bar,
Man I missed getting you to dance,
Getting you drunk enough to dance.

I’m not asking for the moon, or even the whole truth,
I don’t need to know everything about you,
I don’t need the purest spring, You can have eyes for anyone in the room,
I just want, just want to be near you.

Your cigarette was lit inside,
You were ready to go, ready for anything,
Ready for all those lonely nights.
I was ready to rip the ticket up,
Throw it in the street, so I didn’t have to leave,
Drive your damn car back in the mud.

I’m not asking for the moon, or even the whole truth,
I don’t need to know everything about you,
I don’t need the purest spring, You can have eyes for anyone in the room,
I just want, just want to be near you.

Lifetime Company

You are always on my mind,
Like a dream, like a song that is right in time,
And when I can’t find the ground, well you just pull me back down,
You are the weight that keeps me around.

They say the road of life is long,
That it ain’t meant to be travelled alone,
So just come with me, and we’ll make it easy,
Won’t you be my lifetime company?

You are always on my side,
Always fair, always real, always honest, always kind,
And when I’m down on my luck, well you just pick me back up,
You have learned to carry the burdens of love.

They say the road of life is long,
That it ain’t meant to be travelled alone,
So just come with me, and we’ll make it easy,
Won’t you be my lifetime company?

A Song For Amy Ross

I remember you at The Grand Saloon, laughing with all your friends of the town,
When the sun had set, there was a quietness,
You said the music is what kept you around.
Well, there ain’t no music now,
Only the echo of your last sound.

Oh Amy, you were an angel even before death took you down,
I can still hear you singing for all the folks down in Bisbee town,
Oh Amy, if only they could all hear you now.

I won’t ever forget those adobe steps that led me up to your door.
When the sun it rose, it cast a shadow,
Outlined your pretty shape on the floor,
But I can’t see your shadow anymore,
So tell me, what is this sunrise for?

Oh Amy, you were an angel even before death took you down,
I can still hear you singing for all the folks down in Bisbee town,
Oh Amy, if only they could all hear you now.

Woman of Many Colors

I’ve been around this country in a wagon of Indian quilts.
I’ve met the ones who’ve claimed it and I’ve met the ones who’ve built.
Of the ones I’ve met I loved many.
Of the ones I loved, I knew few.
They’d always know I’d be leaving; sooner or later they’d be too.

I’m a woman of many colors.
Yes, my mind is never made.
So I’ll travel this land like a canvas until I’m out of paint.

I’ve worn out my welcome, so I’ll leave before the dawn.
If there’s one thing this country taught me, it’s to leave before you’re gone.
Of the ones I’ve left, I’ve mourned many.
Of the one I’ve mourned I call two.
They’d always know I’d break their hearts before they broke my blues.

I’m a woman of many virtues, if you’d only let me grow.
But my spirits been broken in so many ways, my seed you must learn to sew.

I know this town like I built it.
I know which roads will lead to where, and I’ll stay and visit as long as these roads know how to take me
somewhere.
Of the places I’ve been I’ve kept many in mind, but I’ve dreamed them all the same.
Of the ones I’ve dreamed, there’s only one place that gave me my name.

I’m a woman of many stories; if you’ll listen I’ll tell you one.
I’ve called many places my home little darlin,’ but I only come from one.

This Time

Haven’t been home in four years, I’ve forgotten the road that takes me there,
Haven’t seen a face like yours in a long time,
Hell, I’ve seen the hungry on the streets, Hell, I’ve been the hungry on the streets,
I’ve seen everything from here, to the midnight.

But I aint’ going back this time

I’ve been holdin’ on this lonely blues, just to try and make a buck or two,
Just to try and make enough for a nice bed tonight,
I’ve met men in every dirty pub, in the corners of every city slum,
I’ve stayed with the prince of Thailand through the summertime.

But I aint’ going back this time

These boots been movin’ much too fast, so I think I’ll stay and share a glass,
Can I stay with you in your nice bed tonight?
In fact these boots they haven’t touched the ground,
Never been taught to stick around, but I think I’ll stay and settle down for a while

It Keep Going

When will you come, come to your senses?
Realize it’s not only my heart you’re breaking
Laugh it off, just to cry inside your kitchen
Locked in for weeks, your friends become your fiction

All we wanted to do was ask you how you’ve been
The world ain’t some object you can turn on and off again
It just keeps going

Remember the nights in the north country
Singing and dancing in the snow
So young and so sad, so happily
Remember those nights if you never decide to show

And you can come around if you feel you’ve been missing out
Just don’t expect things to be the same
‘Cause the world it’s been moving ever since you went away
But our love for you stays the same,
My friend our love for you doesn’t change
It just keeps going

Blue Woman

Winter, he’s on our front porch,
Laying down a sheet of snow.
Me, I’m in our big brass bed laying in all my sorrow.

Cause I am a blue woman, and you are my blue man.

Winter, he’s got me dreamin’ of my first home, the burning southwest.
So I lay here through the quiet morning counting on dreams I can’t quite grab, when counting dreams is
all I have.

Cause I am a blue woman, and you are my blue man.

Haven’t Seen It

Haven’t truly seen you in weeks.
Haven’t looked you in the eye, haven’t asked you how you’ve been, haven’t left it all out on the table for
it to be taken again.

Do you still think of it that way?
Cause thoughts they’ll take shape, then they’ll walk their own way, until you don’t even know how you
can relate.

So call me out, when I don’t love you like you love me.
Haven’t gone the long way in quite some time.
I’ve been acting like a child in all the worst ways,
Never truly hear what it is you have to say.
Do you still want to drive a little longer past midnight?
Laugh like we’ve forgotten about the time and what it’s done to us?

So call me out, when I don’t love you like you love me.

500 Nights

Tonight on Asher’s porch I swear I heard you laugh like you did when we first met.
I tried to catch your eye, but you’re too damn stubborn now let me in.

500 nights spent by your side and I could’ve spent 500 more.
But this lonely mind, it needs some time,
These lonely dreams need something to work towards.

It’s easy to talk about the past, wishing that time was in a frame upon your bookshelf .
I saw you crying in Beau’s lap, talking about life as if it was something you could pass or fail.
But it doesn’t have to be a test. All the things we did, all the things we said, there’s no use dwelling in.
No, it’s the whiskey on your breath that’s keeping you in a state of rememberence.

500 nights spent by your side
We’re living in restless times,
No one wants to be tied to the selflessness of every hour.

500 nights.

Fall City

Fall City in the winter,
At the Raging River Bar.
Shannon she enjoys the company, when the locals start to get a bit too rowdy. She’s a mother to anyone
whose dancing with a drink, you got something on your mind, tell mama but the bar closes at three.

We got a breakdown on the highway, and we’re holding up a string a trucks, but my old man he’ll take
care of us,
He’s got a baseball hat to hold up the hood.
He knows a friend of a friend who’ll give us a jump if we get stuck.

We never been too good with our money,
Or should I say the money ain’t never been good to us.
We’ll put a tip jar up at the market, get us half a good tank of gas.
We may not have much but we have something to talk about.
And when the music’s playing, this little light of mine it won’t ever burn out.
You’ve got troubles on your mind, sing a tune, and let those troubles out.

Paintings From Michael

I like the one with the sky storm.
The one with the abandoned barn.
I heard you painted in prison, right before they took your brushes away.

Michael, I don’t know you but I dream of you sometimes.
To tell you the truth, I don’t you did to deserve such hard times.
I’d read to you on Sundays, right before they took your visits away.
I’d kept all the letters you’d send.
The ones about being home again.

Michael, I don’t know you but I dream of you sometimes.
To tell the truth I don’t know what you did to deserve such hard time.
When you paint the pretty women, do you see them in your cell?
When they take you out for field work, do you hear the city bells?

On My Page

Battle the turnpike, in through the film light, at war with the moon.
Tim sleeps through the FM, lightly dreaming with an ink pen halfway in his hand.
Johnny wakes from the truck buzz, wearily fallin’ out of love with seeing anything new.
I feel it too, except all of the time, I’m crying in the rear view.
I ain’t someone you want around you.
Often do I use my feelings to paint my mood.
Yeah I get sidetracked.
I ain’t someone you can count on to have your back.

At least not the way you’d want me to.

Fell asleep on the drive back with Bugsy steering trying to make us laugh to keep us all awake.
In the backseat in a raincoat, lulled by the engine and the shadows always moving to my right.
Do you feel it too?
Like your the only one trying to level with your own blues.
I’m trying to be on your page, but I’m the only one who always tends to feel this way.

If you love me you’ll give me a break, won’t you?

Left-Handed Angel

Carry my bag ten blocks,
It’s August but it feels like the end of the year.
Going to dance with the Scottish broads,
The house band is playing like a jukebox,
Put a quarter in their jar.

You’re looking like I should take you home,
Sing you to sleep in your wicker throne,
Left-handed angel, it is time to go.

You’re either on, or you’re off
You’re either with me, or you’re not.

I’m sorry I had to wake you up,
My bags are round, I have to catch the next bus.
Your Saturn eyes are tired and wild,
You’re waving goodbye like a jovial child; steam in you hair, moon on your mind.

Go back to sleep in your cotton mine, wishful thoughts and a Polish sunrise,
Left-Handed Angel, goodbye.

You’re either on, or you’re off
You’re either with me, or you’re not.

Bumper in the Hail

Barnyard creeks,
Your mother speaks,
Will you head into town to get her some things?
That night the moon wasn’t sharp enough to cut through the clouds,
Another rainy night with you, locked inside,
Another dream, another dim lit light.

Let’s not talk about things that we can break,
There’s no going back once it’s made,
No taking back the things we say.

My bumper’s fallin’ off again,
We’ll duct tape it in the hail,
I’ll call you when I’m back on the 5.
That night we talked about our doctors,
And the valley of the sun,
I laughed with ten strangers, and I could’ve called it love,
The problem is you see, I see a little bit of me in everyone I meet.

Let’s not talk about things that we can break,
There’s no going back once it’s made,
No taking back the things we say.
My mind the critic has nothing to complain about,
I have nothing to say.

Monkey on a Chain

Motorbike on the island,
Steering like an angry hornet,
I don’t belong in this ritzy palace,
Show me your shanty,
Show me your corrupted churches.

There’s a pearl in the mud,
There’s a penniless child next to a mansion in the sun,
There’s a monkey on a chain,
While his puppeteer pulls his strings for change.

I’m a honey-haired lonely traveler,
You’re a rice-picking lonely sailor,
And despite the language barrier,
I appreciate the gesture.

The museum is filling up with flies,
A rosary from the man with ebony eyes,
The barefoot children stick out their hands for coins,
The barefoot street men advertise their tricks and their noise.

I’m an empty bar storyteller,
You’ve just made enough for dinner,
And despite the language barrier,
I appreciate the gesture.

Songs For Tourists

Songs for tourists; some from France.
They like the ones with weird instruments.
Songs for people that I used to know;
they send me invites, but I never go.
An ode to heavy eyes, too much space,
Too much time to think about this awful place.

I’ve got nothing to prove,
I aint’ nothing but molecules,
I’m doing nothing but wasting words,
And breaking my own rules.
So I’ve broken a heart or two,
Whose to say mine aint fucked?
Whose to say I mean anything to anyone?

They’re throwing coins in the case,
I’m singing out your name, but saying the truth out loud, it just aint the same.
We’re crossing state lines, robbing rich food banks,
I tried to call you from a payphone last night in some southern state.
An ode to our traveling band whose home is the time it takes, to get from gas stations to the ends of
interstates.

I’m living in this sleeping bag,
What city am I in?
I’ve taken advantage, I miss my best friend.
So maybe I’ve taken you for granted,
Maybe it’s the mind frame I’m in,
But none of it means anything if you’re alone in the end.

Mistress of the Stone

My thoughts are dirty when there’s no one in the room,
If you were a lonely traveler like me you’d be the same way too,
I could have gone out dancin’ at the fancy opera house,
Instead I ordered room service,
I bought a ticket home, drunk dialed my brother, and ignored every message from you.
You say my desires are outlandish,
That I’m weak minded and half-true,
It’s just when you think you got a hold of it all,
It all gets a hold of you.

But when I’m back in town,
You won’t see me hanging around,
Cause I was who I was and I am who I am now.
I heard you ran off with Penny Lane,
Your Irish mistress of the stone,
She calms your sailor mouth and keeps you sane, Makes your garden grow.
When I’m back I’ll hear the useless talk,
A piece of news on everyone;
Those that are fixed, and those now that are lost,
Those forever no one.

But when I’m back in town,
You won’t see me hanging around,
Cause I was who I was and I am who I am now.

When this highway ends I guess I’ll write you back,
We’ll catch up and paint the town.
When this highway ends, I’ll guess I’ll empty my sack and meet you on your side of town.

Ballad of a Home Once Left

Diving for the gold in the Lake Geneva cold,
Swimming for your grandpa’s lost treasure.
Your tobacco fed the birds,
Your tongue it cast a curse on whoever dare try and keep you there another year.
And the town it gawked at you as you sailed your wooden canoe through the lake in the harsh Swiss
winter.

Cut the strings,
And leave if you need to leave.

Find the marvels of the world but keep that rusty spoon,
Keep the gifts that your dear ones shed you.
And always remember the lake, but never the eyes of your mistakes,
Keep your past as a reminder for your future.
Leave if you need to leave,
Just know that your home is with me.

Sex Dreams

Indoor flight,
Time to say goodnight, time to call it a day.
Men in drag, smoking in the taxi cab,
Dancers wave as we pass them on the strip.
Fancy white sheets,
You call to talk of your sex dreams,
I remember when you meant something to me.

Now you’re dealing packs of cards for dollar bills,
When we all know that sadness doesn’t sell,
I think that you need help.
Is it wrong to say I think that you need help?

Record temperatures,
The Memphis blues in our ears,
The washed out junkies sing for a beer.
Laughs of prostitutes,
They’re smiling to try and escort you,
But they really just need somewhere to go,
I’m trying to be myself, cause I’m 20 now and I already know the routes around Hell.

So I’m selling everything that I have,
And I’m moving this twisted heart to the Northwest
to have an affair with my new found prince,
And we’ll drink away our nights with poker hands and sinner grins, and no one can say anything,
Yeah, no one can say anything.

Unbalanced Suns

I think it was in the basement that I saw you let up;
Our naive eyes wandering like four unbalanced suns,
Our New Years was shared ten days in, when the light came on without rhyme or reason.
I’d never believed in such childish things, but my contentment was filled in our slumbering sleep, when
the light came on like a dream.

I could plow the snow, but I’d like to stay,
With all these innocent pursuits, I have much more to say.
I’ve heard longing can turn into a creature of fear, ’til you’re talking to yourself in some truck stop mirror.

The letters have been sent, and we’ll continue to write, sincerely and always, we have plenty of time.
I’m somewhere in the Southwest helping brothers cut Mesquite, but I’ve heard things often blossom
come Spring.
So when March hangs its’ coat, I will see you through,
‘Til then I’ll be thinking of your basement, I’ll be thinking of you.

Canals of Amsterdam

My fear has settled in like the canals of Amsterdam,
I see romance in the cobblestones among debris and trash,
Looking for love wrongly I am a display in the glass,
For strangers, under the red light.
I only know the eyes of men who know my disguise.

I know no one, and no one dares to know me.

My trust is a rag doll, wearing thin, running out,
You can’t hold me to nothing now.
I saw your face in every town that I was in across the sea, but I tend to let it go when I’m with others in
my sleep,
Some I just meet,
Some mean nothing,
They mean nothing to me.

I wanted someone, but someone never wanted me.

Georgia Guilt

Holy bible,
Note from mother says to stay clean,
On the table,
Religious fable,
Kid your guilt reeks, it reeks.
Conscience, fuck off, along with cheap talk,
Out to ruin me,
Out to get me.

It’s hard to care for another,
When you hate your father.
It’s hard to show you why I am comfortable when we fight.

Boy says mean words,
Don’t just say words, just because,
Boy is right though,
Steady and slow wins the prize.

It’s hard to care for another,
When you hate your father.
It’s hard to show you why I am comfortable when we say goodbye.
Let’s say goodbye.

Dear Sister

My sister Mary Lee is drunk again,
She’s barging in my room and bawling on my bed.
With eyes just like cups she pours just enough for the two of us,
Until it’s me and Mary Lee just cursing at our luck,
Even though I don’t care all that much.

The days keep getting shorter,
It’s been ten months of winter,
It’s been a rough year on everyone, I know.
It’s just one thing after another when you truly believe nothing gets better, but I wish that you’d just let it
all go.

Mary Lee is in the front yard,
She’s taking off with our used car,
For once I’m not the one bidding goodbyes.
Her steering wheel’s an ashtray,
Her cassette deck plays my demo tapes,
And she lends us all a cheap farewell, but I know that she means well.

You finally got away,
A cure will come in another place,
At least that’s what you told me.
But your head goes along with you and with everything that you do, and if you hate it now, you’ll hate it
again.
Mary Lee, don’t you see that it’s all in your head?

Come back home.

Magician’s Best Trick

Take me back, I won’t do it again.
Nothing has an end, Parmenides once said.
So forget what was once fallible and written in lead,
Forget me not if today is all we have left,
Tomorrow is a magician’s best trick,
Put your yesterdays back into that pretty head.

Take me back, teach me how to change.
You can’t mold me, you can’t shape me,
You can’t fit me into your little frame.
Know your soil before it rains,
I suppose no one is really to blame,
For this endless and recycled shame.

Take me back, but keep your expectations low.
Don’t you give to receive,
It’ll leave you ample with greed,
And when you look at your reflection don’t you try to find me,
Judge not the colors but the whole painting.
Don’t go searching for the bad that could be,
‘Cause you will find it comes subconsciously.

Take me back, but take me how I come.
My slate it aint clean, but I will not forget where I came from.
So don’t tell me how to do things when that’s always how they’ve been done.
I’ve always taken the road less traveled on,
So you can meet me here when you’ve moved on,
But you can’t me how you want,
The truth is you can’t have me at all.