They played this at the end of The Shield one night, and, well, I really loved it.

All My Little Words

You are a splendid butterfly
It is your wings that make you beautiful
And I could make you fly away
But I could never make you stay
You said you were in love with me
Both of us know that that's impossible
And I could make you rue the day
But I could never make you stay

Not for all the tea in China
Not if I could sing like a bird
Not for all North Carolina
Not for all my little words
Not if I could write for you
The sweetest song you ever heard
It doesn't matter what I'll do
Not for all my little words

Now that you've made me want to die
You tell me that you're unboyfriendable
And I could make you pay and pay
But I could never make you stay

— Magnetic Fields

Words Fell

Like roses at our feet
When you let me see you cry
Your silent lips against my cheek
Words Fell
On a night as black as coal
Your kisses traveled deep
Your eyes pierced my soul
Words Fell

Words Fell
In another place and time
We lived within the woods
Ate berries from the vine
Words Fell
When we lay among the stones
And watched the Druids dance
And walked along the rocky shores
Words Fell

Words Fell
In another place and time
I knew your mournful blue
Knew your golden grace
Words Fell
When we let the ocean hold us
And sank beneath the waves
In the silences of the roses
Words Fell
Words Fell
Words Fell

-Lucinda Williams

Waitress Song, Freakwater, Old Paint

If I didn't come home every day smelling like fried eggs
If I didn't have those veins poppin' out all over my legs
If I had my hair done up real nice, if I had some clothes that weren't too tight
Would you still be comin' home drunk in the middle of the night?

I believe it's all a joke but I don't think it's funny
There's a man at table five and he's calling me honey
Some people are born too late, some people are born too soon
Some people are born to die chokin' on their silver spoon

Maybe money can't buy everything
It looks like I'm never gonna know for sure
Maybe money can't buy happiness
Well neither can just being poor

Maybe money can't buy everything
It looks like I'm never gonna know for sure
Maybe money can't buy happiness
Well neither can just being poor

Some people are born with luck, some people are born without it
Some people are born with faith, some are born to doubt it
If I didn't go to bed afraid about some bills that'll never get paid
I wouldn't be down at the laudromat watchin' my work clothes fade
I wouldn't be down at the laudromat watchin' my work clothes fade

This is for analoguegirl and all the newly-former-smokers. Hope you find it as funny as I do...(it's really an anti-smoking song--very tongue in cheek)

Smoking Daddy, Freakwater, Old Paint

Smoking daddy, did the smoke get in your eye
Or was it just that brilliant sun that made you cry
Smoking daddy, looking down from out of a cloud
And the smoke goes straight up to heaven
With the words we would never say out loud

You never know, I might get Lucky®
You never know, I might break that Camel's® back
I'll be lit up like those girls down in Salem®
I'll be a cowboy twenty times in every pack

Smoking daddy, you see your breath and it cannot be denied
The smoke comes out and it means you're still breathing
You just don't quit even though I know you've tried

You never know, I might get Lucky®
You never know, I might break that Camel's® back
I'll be lit up like those girls down in Salem®
I'll be a cowboy twenty times in every pack

Smoking daddy, just a red light in the dark
The shooting stars out in the corner of my yard
Make a wish on that little trail of sparks

You never know, I might get Lucky®
You never know, I might break that Camel's® back
I'll be lit up like those girls down in Salem®
I'll be a cowboy twenty times in every pack
I'll be Kool®

Slip Slidin' Away
Paul Simon

CHORUS:
Slip slidin’ away
Slip slidin’ away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you’re slip slidin’ away

I know a man
He came from my home town
He wore his passion for his woman
Like a thorny crown
He said Delores
I live in fear
My love for you’s so overpowering
I’m afraid that I will disappear

CHORUS

know a woman
Became a wife
These are the very words she uses
To describe her life
She said a good day
Ain’t got no rain
She said a bad day’s when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been

CHORUS

And I know a father
Who had a son
He longed to tell him all the reasons
For the things he’d done
He came a long way
Just to explain
He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping
Then he turned around and headed home again

CHORUS

God only knows
God makes his plan
The information’s unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we’re gliding down the highway
When in fact we’re slip slidin’ away

Funny thing, Trudes, I woke up this morning thinking about posting some Paul Simon lyrics . . . he is one of the very best lyricists of all time, IMO. Thanks for posting some of him today

yes, simplicity is nice every now and then.


Sailor - Hem

i'm not a sailor
i'm not so strong out of my shoes
dragging like anchors

over the ocean
pearls in the sky strung 'round the moon
pointing to you

and i'll sail till morning
or i'll sail till i
am carried to you tonight

i'm not a sailor
but i'll spend the night out on the sea
out on the sea

and i'll sail till morning
or i'll sail till i
am carried to you tonight

Leave Me Here - Hem

i should wake up this town - my heart's on fire
main road and no one's around as the flames climb higher
i have been here before and i know the way
but love seemed sweeter and sure in the light of day

so as i rise, i will reach for the livin'
and i'll say no prayer
cuz tonight he brought me to heaven
and left me here

i could tell by his face - those two tired eyes
it's been a long night searching for grace, now the sun won't rise
now i have been here before though i know i am lost
cuz the same road that filled me with joy is just a road i crossed
just a road i crossed

so as i rise, i will reach for the livin'
and i'll say no prayer
cuz tonight he brought me to heaven
and left me here

so as i rise, i will reach for the livin'
and i'll say no prayer
cuz tonight love feels nothing like heaven
don't leave me here

Make It Go Away (Aaron Davis, Laura Harding)
sung by Holly Cole

Make it go away or make it better
Isn't that what love's supposed to do
Make it go away or make it better
Cause I would do either one for you

This is not the way you should see me
This is not the face I recognize
Could I lay my head down here for a moment
Would you sing to me like I'm your child
Cause I'm not angry I'm not crying
I'm just in over my head
You could be the angel that stayed on my shoulder
When all of the other angels left

Make it go away or make it better
Cause I am waking
This more then one should have to take
If you do this for me then I will promise
I'll make it go away for you someday

There are reasons silver linings
There are lessons but I don't care
Cause I just need a hand that I can hold onto
When it's darker then death out there

I'm so cold
And so far away from my home
But tonight you're
You're where I belong
You're everything right
When I'm everything wrong

Make it go away or make it better
Isn't that what love's supposed to do
Make it go away or make it better
Cause I would do either one for you
(repeat)

All the posts about the uniqueness of this forum reminded me of a song by Sara Groves
Every Minute

I am long on staying • I am slow to leave • Especially when it comes to you my friend • You have taught me slow down • And to prop up my feet • It's the fine art of being who I am • • And I can't figure out • Why you want me around • I'm not the smartest person I have ever met • But somehow that doesn't matter • No it never really mattered to you at all • • And at the risk of wearing out my welcome • At the risk of self-discovery • I'll take every moment • And every minute that you'll give me • • And I can think of time when families all lived together • Four generations in one house • And the table was full of good food • And friends and neighbors • That's not how we like it now • • Cause if you sit at home you're a loser • Couldn't you find anything better to do • Well no I couldn't think of one thing • I would rather waste my time on than sitting here with you • • And at the risk of wearing out my welcome • At the risk of self-discovery • I'll take every moment • And every minute that you'll give me • • And I wish all the people I love the most • Could gather in one place • And know each other and love each other well • • And I wish we could all go camping • And lay beneath the stars • And have nothing to do and stories to tell • We'd sit around the campfire • And we'd make each other laugh remembering when • You're the first one I'm inviting • Always know that you're my friend • • And at the risk of wearing out my welcome • At the risk of self-discovery • I'll take every moment • And every minute that you'll give me • Every moment and every minute that you'll give me • Every moment and every minute that you'll give me • Every minute • •
 

It's a cold (relatively) grey day here so I got out some Innocence Mission.

Look for me another day.
I feel that I could change,
I feel that I could change.
There's a sudden joy that's like
a fish, a moving light;
I thought I saw it
rowing on the lakes of Canada

Oh laughing man, what have you won?
Don't tell me what cannot be done.
My little mouth, my winter lungs,
don't tell me what cannot be done.

Walking in the circle of a flashlight
someone starts to sing, to join in.
Talk of loneliness in quiet voices.
I am shy but you can reach me.
Rowing on the lakes of Canada

Look for me another time,
give me another day;
I feel that I could change,
rowing on the lakes of Canada.

"The Lakes of Canada" from Birds of My Neighborhood

(this also serves as shout-out to all my Canadian peeps--word)

Creosote -- Son Volt

Passing under barren skies
Waiting for our worlds to collide, and there you are
All alone
Feeling bad

Interstate movin' again
Barrel through thick and thin, side by side
To survive like creosote

Born under a widespread changes
The search for higher reason
Learning the ropes okay
But fate just runs you around

From Memphis to New Orleans
In and out of railroad dreams, you're out there
In scenes
Passing by

Everyone faces what they deserve
Carousel to claim or curse, sticking around
At least
For the ride

Here are a few personal favorites:

Sam Phillips--"How To Dream"

When we open our eyes and dream we open our eyes

Under normal we change the wind
Facing every direction
Planted in the future we live two lives
All to reveal a secret we can't hide

When we open our eyes and dream we open our eyes

We search the sky planets chasing stars
Pulling toward deep affection
Weights and numbers measure a wound that won't heal
All to reveal a secret we can't hide

When we open our eyes and dream we open our eyes

Kevin Max--"Shaping Space"

And they said we wouldn't last
And they said the years would break our backs
So here we are again my friend
To mystify their narrow plans

You and I were meant to be
Much more than they could see
You and I were meant to stay
As they waste away

Chorus:
We are shaping the spaces
And harvesting places
We're the princes of the universe
We are living together
In the here-everafter
In the temple of the evening Son
We're the princes of the universe

It's a prophecy of long ago
It's a blueprint for the journey home
And we're writing as we stumble on
Making history to build upon

You and I will always be
Much more than they could see
You and I are meant to stay
As we'll waste away

Chorus

Bridge:
And the raven in the tower clock
Spins poetry and devil talk,
And the woman by the endless well
She's drawing water from the mouth of hell
"And these are the days", she says and

Chorus

Jars of Clay--"Art In Me"

Images on the sidewalk speak of dream's decent
Washed away by storms to graves of cynical lament
Dirty canvases to call my own
Protest lyrics carved by the old pay phone

In your picture book I'm trying hard to see
Turning endless pages of this tragedy
Sculpting every move you compose a symphony
You plead to everyone, "see the art in me"

Broken stained-glass windows, the fragments ramble on
Tales of broken souls, an eternity's been won
As critics scorn the thoughts and works of mortal man
My eyes are drawn to you in awe once again

In your picture book I'm trying hard to see
Turning endless pages of this tragedy
Sculpting every move you compose a symphony
You plead to everyone, "see the art in me"

Unsung Swan Song
for Chet Baker

by David Wilcox

My old addiction
Changed the wiring in my brain
So that when it turns the switches
Then I am not the same

So like the flowers toward the Sun I will follow
Stretch myself out thin
Like there's a part of me that's already buried
That sends me out into this window

My old addiction
Is a flood upon the land
This tiny lifeboat
Can keep me dry
But my weight is all
That it can stand

So when I try to lean just a little
For just a splash to cool my face
Ahh that trickle
Turns out fickle
Fills my boat up
Five miles deep

My old addiction
Makes me crave only what is best
Like these just this morning song birds
Craving upward from the nest
These tiny birds outside my window
Take my hand to be their mom

These open mouths
Would trust and swallow
Anything that came along

Like my old addiction
Now the other side of day
As the springtime
Of my life's time
Turns the other way

If a swan can have a song
I think I know that tune
But the page is only scrawled
And I am gone this afternoon

But the page is only scrawled
And I am gone this afternoon


Copyright © 1991 David Wilcox.

This song has been on my mind today.

BROKEN
Words and Music by Jill Paquette


I wanted to taste life, I ran out on my own and found no place to hide
So come and catch me, so unsure of myself and if choices are free
Then why aren't they mine anymore, my sin goes before me closing doors
And the day to day has me torn between right and wrong
Where do I belong



A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive
A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive
I go down, I fall at Your feet asking for You to save me
Only to save me
A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive



Surely I've failed You
I've failed to go beyond grace and seek after truth
Not wanting Your mercy, try to purchase a pardon my deeds my currency

Annabelle - Gillian Welch

We lease twenty acres and one Ginny mule
From the Alabama trust
For half of the cotton and a third of the corn
We get a handful of dust

We cannot have all things to please us
No matter how we try
Until we've all gone to Jesus
We can only wonder why

I had a daughter, called her Annabelle
She's the apple of my eye
Tried to give her something like I never had
Didn't want to ever hear her cry

We cannot have all things to please us
No matter how we try
Until we've all gone to Jesus
We can only wonder why

When I'm dead and buried, I'll take a hard life of tears
From every day I've ever known
Anna's in the churchyard, she got no life at all
She's only got these words on a stone

We cannot have all things to please us
No matter how we try
Until we've all gone to Jesus
We can only wonder why

Ben McCulloch - Steve Earle

We signed up in San Anton, my brother Paul and me
To fight with Ben McCulloch and the Texas infantry.
Well the poster said we'd get a uniform and seven bucks a week,
The best rations in the army and a rifle we could keep.

When I first laid eyes on the general, I knew he was a fightin' man,
He was every inch a soldier, every word was his command.
His eyes were cold as the lead and steel forged into tools of war,
He took the lives of many, and the souls of many more.

Well they marched us to Missouri and we hardly stopped for rest,
Then he made this speech and said we're comin' to the test.
We've got to take Saint Louie boys before the Yankees do,
If we control the Mississippi then the federals are through.

Well they told us that our enemy would all be dressed in blue,
They forgot about the winter's cold and the cursèd fever too.
My brother died at Wilson's Creek, and Lord I seen him fall,
We fell back to the Boston Mountains in the north of Arkansas.

Goddamn you Ben McCulloch,
I hate you more than any other man alive.
And when you die,
You'll be a foot soldier just like me
In the devil's infantry.

And on the way to Fayetteville, we cursed McCulloch's name
And mourned the dead we'd left behind, and we was carryin' the lame.
I killed a boy the other night who'd never even shaved,
I don't even know what I'm fightin' for, I ain't never owned a slave.

So I snuck out of camp, and then I heard the news next night:
The Yankees won the battle, and McCulloch lost his life.

hyep!

Goddamn you Ben McCulloch,
I hate you more than any other man alive.
And when you die,
You'll be a foot soldier just like me
In the devil's infantry.

I Still Cry - Julie Miller

I'm making flowers out of paper
While darkness takes the afternoon
I know that they won't last forever
But real ones fade away too soon

I still cry sometimes
When I remember you
I still cry sometimes
When I hear your name
I said goodbye
And I know you're all right now
But when the leaves come tumbling down
I still cry

It's just that I recall September
It's just that I still hear your song
It's just I can't seem to remember
Forevermore those days are gone

I still cry sometimes
When I remember you
I still cry sometimes
When I hear your name
I said goodbye
And I know you're all right now
But when the leaves come tumbling down
I still cry

Kathy's Song - Simon & Garfunkel

I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls.

And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To england where my heart lies.

My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day.

And as a song i was writing is left undone
I don't know why i spend my time
Writing songs i can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme.

And so you see i have come to doubt
All that i once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth i know is you.

And as i watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that i am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go i.

So many in the postmodernism thread spoke of a desire to see more practical evidence of Christian grace. It reminded me of a hymn text from a few centuries back.


So Let Our Lips and Lives Express
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

So let our lips and lives express
The holy gospel we profess;
So let our works and virtues shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine.

Thus shall we best proclaim abroad
The honors of our Saviour God;
When His salvation reigns within,
And grace subdues the pow'r of sin.

Our flesh and sense must be denied,
Passion and envy, lust and pride:
While justice, temp'rance, truth, and love,
Our inward piety approve.

Religion bears our spirits up,
While we embrace that blessed hope,
The bright appearance of the Lord;
And faith stands leaning on His word.

Storyhill lyrics confound me everytime I hear them. I guess they're really simple, but in a way that adds to their verisimilitude. (I had to add a big word to this post for you English fanatics out there). Either way, they're addictive.


Storyhill - "If I Could"

You have the heaven in your eyes that I've been looking for.
The fire that's in the sun is in our hearts.
And with a stick I write your name on the shifting shore,
and then you write mine next to yours.

And if I could I would write your name on every grain of sand on every shore.

We slept our sleepless nights alone wondering what it's all for,
Until we found each other here.
Still we lie awake at night and we talk about the things
That we would only talk about behind closed doors.

And if I could I would lie awake with you every night and all night evermore.

We don't have any money, we never had any money before.
Still we go window shopping
On Saturdays we hit the stores.
Some eat the apple we eat the core.

But if I could I would buy for you every diamond in every jeweler's store.

I Need You -- Julie Miller

I need something like morphine
Only better
I need something like a kiss
That lasts forever
I need something like money
That will not burn
I need something and I need more
Than I can earn

I said I need something, what can I do
I said when I need something, I need you

I need something like a cure
For my soul
I need something like amnesia
For things I know
I need something like a mother
'Cause I'm just a child
I need something like an asylum
'Cause I go wild, I say

Well now I need something, what can I do
I said now I need something, I need you

I need something like dynamite
For the mess I'm in
I need something like a tattoo
Underneath my skin
I need somebody more than a lover
In my bed
I need somebody here with me
Here with me in my head, I said

Now I need something, what can I do
I said now I need something, I need you

I need something bad, and I need it now
I got something wrong with me, you can see
I think you better fix it, 'cause I don't know how

One two three four, tell the people what she wore...

[rad Buddy guitar solo]

I said now I need something, what can I do
I said now I need something, something like you
I said now I need something, what can I do
I said now I need something, I need you

nice

whoa, Keith! I almost posted the lyrics for this song the other day--I love it. But I was too lazy. . . and now you've done the work for me. Yay! And hmm. I have also been meaning to clean my room and bathe my dog, but again, lazy. Could you do those things for me also?

Sorry Becky, you'll have to settle for a Leonard Cohen song:

I'm Your Man -- Leonard Cohen

If you want a lover
I'll do anything you ask me to
And if you want another kind of love
I'll wear a mask for you
If you want a partner
Take my hand
Or if you want to strike me down in anger
Here I stand
I'm your man
If you want a boxer
I will step into the ring for you
And if you want a doctor
I'll examine every inch of you
If you want a driver
Climb inside
Or if you want to take me for a ride
You know you can
I'm your man

Ah, the moon's too bright
The chain's too tight
The beast won't go to sleep
I've been running through these promises to you
That I made and I could not keep
Ah but a man never got a woman back
Not by begging on his knees
Or I'd crawl to you baby
And I'd fall at your feet
And I'd howl at your beauty
Like a dog in heat
And I'd claw at your heart
And I'd tear at your sheet
I'd say please, please
I'm your man

And if you've got to sleep
A moment on the road
I will steer for you
And if you want to work the street alone
I'll disappear for you
If you want a father for your child
Or only want to walk with me a while
Across the sand
I'm your man

If you want a lover
I'll do anything you ask me to
And if you want another kind of love
I'll wear a mask for you

Here's another one from Broken Things:

Out in the Rain -- Julie Miller

These streets all know me, the shadows whisper
The night keeps looking back at me with neon eyes
And if they've seen you, well they ain't talkin'
You'd think by now maybe they'd sympathize

Out in the rain, I keep on walking
Out in the rain, like the broken-hearted do
I could be wrong but that's where you'll find me
Out in the rain, just looking for you

The sky is cryin', the wind's against me
It blows like some fugitive with nowhere left to hide
I'm down to nothin' but just this heartache
That I keep carrying around inside

Out in the rain, I keep on walking
Out in the rain, like the broken-hearted do
I could be wrong but that's where you'll find me
Out in the rain, just looking for you

I take no comfort in my companion
Th rain is coming down now so wild and uncontrolled
Don't try to stop me, you best take shelter
Tonight the sky it will not be consoled

Out in the rain, I keep on walking
Out in the rain, like the broken-hearted do
I could be wrong but that's where you'll find me
Out in the rain, just looking for you

Actually, Keith, that was Mandy, not me. So I guess she'll be the one settling.

Oops, I guess I should really read a little more carefully before being in such a hurry to post the next song! Sorry Mandy.

Anyway, next up: Witches by Cowboy Junkies

There are witches in the hills calling my name
saying come join us sister, come kiss the flame.
Come dance in the moonbeams, ride the night wind
make love to the darkness and laugh at man's sins

I shiver with delight, I shiver with fear
my heart wants to go but my soul's filled with fear.
So I turn to my lover and ask what do I do
do I answer their call or stay here with you.

But under spell of deep sleep he moans and turns away
taking his protection and my desire to stay.
So I rise to the hill tops, I ride the night winds
I make love to the darkness and laugh at man's sins.

seems to me your having a hard time remembering which woman you're posting love songs to

One of my old favorites by Paul Simon:

Still Crazy After All These Years

I met my old lover on the street last night
She seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled
And we talked about some old times
And we drank ourselves some beers
Still crazy after all these years
Oh, still crazy after all these years

I'm not the kind of man who tends to socialize
I seem to lean on old familiar ways
And I ain't no fool for love songs that whisper in my ears
Still crazy afler all these years
Oh, still crazy after all these years

Four in the morning, crapped out, yawning
Longing my life away
I'll never worry, why should I?
It's all gonna fade

Now I sit by my window and I watch the cars
I fear I'll do some damage one fine day
But I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers
Still crazy after all these years
Oh, still crazy, still crazy
Still crazy after all these years

Here's one that always makes me smile by Steely Dan:

Haitian Divorce

Babs and Clean Willie were in love they said
So in love the preacher's face turned red
Soon everybody knew the thing was dead
He shouts, she bites, they wrangle through the night
She go crazy
Got to make a getaway

Papa say
Ohhh - no hesitation
No tears and no hearts breakin'
No remorse
Ohhh - congratulations
This is your Haitian Divorce

She takes the taxi to the good hotel
Bon marché as far as she can tell
She drinks the zombie from the cocoa shell
She feels alright, she get it on tonight
Mister driver
Take me where the music play

Papa say
Ohhh - no hesitation
No tears and no hearts breakin'
No remorse
Ohhh - congratulations
This is your Haitian Divorce

At the Grotto
In the greasy chair
Sits the Charlie with the lotion and the kinky hair
When she smiled, she said it all
The band was hot so
They danced the famous Merengo
Now we dolly back
Now we fade to black

[killer wah-wah guitar solo]

Tearful reunion in the USA
Day by day those memories fade away
Some babies grow in a peculiar way
It changed, it grew, and everybody knew
Semi-mojo
Who's this kinky so-and-so?

Papa say
Ohhh - no hesitation
No tears and no hearts breakin'
No remorse
Ohhh - congratulations
This is your Haitian Divorce

you're really reelin' in the years tonight

Whomever, it sure beats cleaning the room and bathing the dog!

Liberation Party by Miranda Stone

Lets hold a liberation party for whoever cares to listen
There's no glory in my poverty visible from your position
Cause I'm not a pleasant martyr; I fight myself on the way to the stake
I'll take my cross while they find beauty in the things they desecrate

Over-crowded, I'm surrounded, oh confound it
Stop asking me

Maybe "no" was just a challenge, maybe if I kicked you in the rear?
Was that the sign that you were waiting for, to see my eyes register fear?
I thought for sure it wouldn't go that far, I tried to see what lay ahead
We could list the string of failures now or we could call a truce
instead

Over-crowded, I'm surrounded, oh confound it
Stop asking me
Over-crowded, I'm surrounded, oh confound it
Stop! I'll burn the whole thing down

Can you read my body language? Are you sure you've found a fraud?
I try my utmost to be truthful -- I've got a soft spot for the underdog
And it's left me broken-hearted before and I guess it'll happen a little more
yeah, my hard-core friends have shown me you can use your boots and love the crew

Lets hold a liberation party for whoever cares to listen
There's no glory in my poverty visible from your position

It's about time you posted the lyrics for your namesake song! They're wonderful, which is not a surprise.

"And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right?...Am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Nothing But Flowers -- Talking Heads

Here we stand
Like an Adam and Eve
Waterfalls
The Garden of Eden
Two fools in love
So beautiful and strong
The birds in the trees
Are smiling upon them

From the age of the dinosaurs
Cars have run on gasoline
Where, where have they gone?
Now, it's nothing but flowers

There was a factory
Now there are mountains and rivers
(you got it, you got it)
We caught a rattlesnake
Now we got something for dinner
(we got it, we got it)
There was a shopping mall
Now it's all covered with flowers
(you've got it, you've got it)
If this is paradise
I wish I had a lawnmower
(you've got it, you've got it)

Years ago
I was an angry young man
I'd pretend
That I was a billboard
Standing tall
By the side of the road
I fell in love
With a beautiful highway

This used to be real estate
Now it's only fields and trees
Where, where is the town
Now, it's nothing but flowers

The highways and cars
Were sacrificed for agriculture
I thought that we'd start over
But I guess I was wrong

Once there were parking lots
Now it's a peaceful oasis
(you got it, you got it)
This was a Pizza Hut
Now it's all covered with daisies
(you got it, you got it)
I miss the honky tonks,
Dairy Queens, and 7-Elevens
(you got it, you got it)
And as things fell apart
Nobody paid much attention
(you got it, you got it)

I dream of cherry pies,
Candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies
(you got it, you got it)
We used to microwave
Now we just eat nuts and berries
(you got it, you got it)
This was a discount store,
Now it's turned into a cornfield
(you got it, you got it)
Don't leave me stranded here
I can't get used to this lifestyle

Now why weren't they on the Rolling Stone list? They coined the word Radiohead, fer gawd's sake.

Oh my god. I completely forgot about that. And to think, for all these years I've been blaming Thom Yorke when I really should've been blaming David Byrne.

Good Friday -- Cowboy Junkies

Sat at my window,
watched the world wake up this morning.
Purple sky slowly turning golden,
distant elms so orange
you'd swear they're burning.

All this flowing water
has got my mind wandering.
Do you ever finally reach a point of knowing
or do you just wake up one day
and say, I am going?

What will I tell you
when you ask me why I'm crying?
Will I point above at the Red Tail gracefully soaring
or down to below where its prey
is quietly trembling?

Two thousand years ago
Jesus is left is left there hanging.
Purple sky slowly turning golden,
Cowards at his feet loudly laughing.
Loved ones stumbling homeward, their worlds reeling.
Red Tail above my head quietly soaring.
Water turns from ice, creek is roaring.
He says, Enough of all this shit,
I am going.

"O Sacred Head Surrounded," as performed by The Innocence Mission

O sacred head surrounded
By crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding head so wounded
Reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
Of Thy most holy face;
Yet angel hosts adore thee
And tremble as they gaze.

The Lord of every nation
Was hung upon a tree;
His death was our salvation,
Our sins His agony.
O Jesus, by Thy passion
Thy life in us increase;
Thy death for us did fashion
Our pardon and our peace.

I know some folks don't agree with atonement theology, but this song gets me every time regardless.

hey Becky,

that's one of the few hymns that i love.
good friday.
d.

The life I've always wanted
I guess I'll never have
I'll be working for somebody else
Until I'm in my grave
I'll be dreaming of a live of ease
And mountains
Oh mountains o' things


To have a big expensive car
Drag my furs on the ground
And have a maid that I can tell
To bring me anything
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
I'll revel in their attention
And mountains
Oh mountains o' things


Sweet lazy life
Champagne and caviar
I hope you'll come and find me
Cause you know who we are
Those who deserve the best in life
And know what money's worth
And those whose sole misfortune
Was having mountains o' nothing at birth


Oh they tell me
There's still time to save my soul
They tell me
Renounce all
Renounce all those material things you gained by
Exploiting other human beings


Consume more than you need
This is the dream
Make you pauper
Or make you queen
I won't die lonely
I'll have it all prearranged
A grave that's deep and wide enough
For me and all my mountains o' things


Mostly I feel lonely
Good good people are
Good people are only
My stepping stones
It's gonna take all my mountains o' things
To surround me
Keep all my enemies away
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay


I'll be dreaming, dreaming...
Dreaming...

Tonight the moon shows an extra light
That shines for only us to see
And all it takes for you to smile
Is lift your eyes and breathe

And when you start to doubt
Somehow it all works out
The lies become the truth
What we need right now
Is somewhere to just lay down
And dream the whole night through

Your cousin had called
From somewhere across the ocean
Bad news a death it seems
I'll be a friend
A father to an orphan
A hand in time of need

Cause when you start to doubt
Somehow it all works out
The lies become the truth
And what we need right now
Is somewhere to just lay down
And dream the whole night through


The Whole Night Through - Josh Rouse

Take me if you need me
But never hold me down
You're asking me to trust you
Well there's little of that around

I'm trying to believe you
And I'm learning all the time
Two-part personality
The flower and the vine

Take me sleeping angel
Catch me when you can
Real love affairs are heavy spells
For a woman and a man

I need you because you let me breathe
Well you've taken me away
But never take me lightly
Or I could never stay

Well, someday when we're older
And my hair is silver gray
Unbraid with all of the love that you have
Like a soft silver chain

Oh, take me sleeping angel
Oh, catch me when you can
And unbraid with all the love that you have
Like a soft silver chain


Sleeping Angel - Stevie Nicks

Possibly my favorite Stevie song.

God, I love that song.

I was thinking about my all time fave lyric, and I think it would have to be "Chamomile, chamomile, someone spiked the chamomile." THis line was what attracted me to OTR in the first place. I would refer to this girl I liked at the time as "Chamomile tea," and I was so jealous that I didn't write that line.

OK, my favorite Stevie Nicks song.

You've left me now
and it's seasoned my soul
And with every step you take,
I watch another part of you go...

I continue to build a wall
You were so strong,
I fell to my knees
And I don't think I can handle this at all...

One more night
I'd like to lie and hold you
Yes and feel...
To make you smile,
I'd like to be there for you
Have you forgotten me?

And the days go by
Doing nothing about them
How much time will I have to spend?

My mind won't rest
and I don't sleep
Not even in my dreams

If you ever did believe, for my sake
If you ever did believe

And the days go by
Doing nothing about them
How much time will I have to spend?

Ooo baby don't leave me
I'm down on my knees
begging you please
baby don't leave me
Did you ever believe?

i like that song...

You Make My Heart Beat Too Fast -- Buddy & Julie Miller

You make my heart beat too fast
You make me want this to last
You make me spend all my money
Oh I think I love you honey

You make me think I could miss you
You make me think I should kiss you
You make me want your affection
I wanna make a connection

Baby I'm psychedelic with emotion
and I can't calm down
My heart played dead
but love changes everything
Around around around around

I wanna ride in your car
I wanna know where you are
Why don't you make me your fool
Come on baby take me to school

[rad Buddy guitar solo]

You make me want to be sweet
You make me walk down your street
You make me dance to your beat
I'm gonna save you a seat

Baby I'm psychedelic with emotion
and I can't calm down
My heart played dead
but love changes everything
Around around around around

You're makin' me lose my focus
You've got some bad hocus pocus
You make me think that you're clever
I'm gonna love you forever

So, I'm in the car, on my lunch hour, stuck in traffic stopped by one of the myriad of trains that pass through Vincennes daily, listening to Shawn Mullins' Soul's Core when Shimmer comes on. Now this is a CD I haven't listened to in several months. What a treasure it is. Nods to Richard Brautigan - gotta love a singer/songwriter into Brautigan and other cool things on this one.

Anyway, these are some of my favorite lyrics:

Shimmer

sharing with us what he knows
shining eyes are big and blue
and all around him water flows
this world to him is new
this world to him is new
to touch a face
to kiss a smile
new eyes see no race
the essence of a child
the essence
he's born to shimmer, he's born to shine
he's born to radiate
he's born to live, he's born to love
but we'll teach him not to hate
true love it is a rock
smoothed over by a stream
no ticking of a clock
truly measures what that means
truly measures what that means
and this thing they call our time
heard a brilliant woman say
she said you know it's crazy
how I want to try to capture mine
I think I love this woman's way
I think I love this woman's
way she shimmers, the way she shines
the way she radiates
the way she lives, the way she loves
the way she never hates
sometimes I think of all of this that can
surround me
I know it all as being mine
but she kisses me and wraps herself
around me
she gives me love, she gives me time
and I feel fine
I feel fine
but time I cannot change
so here's to looking back
you know I drink a whole bottle
of my pride
and I toast to change
to keep these demons off my back
just get these demons off my back
cause I want to shimmer, I want to shine
I want to radiate
I want to live, I want to love
I want to try to learn not to hate
try not to hate
we're born to shimmer
we're born to shine
we're born to radiate
we're born to live, we're born to love
we're born to never hate

Cher