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
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
Heart and Mind
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.
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
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 day dreamin’ 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.
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
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 to 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.
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.
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.
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.
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