The Old Gold Shoe

The gold stereo
stretches out the sound
turns the plates until they're rounded
the whole that you know
gets closer to the ground
closer to that thing you found

Chorus:
for all our massive brains
to call on choked remains
it's painful
it's certain
that something's bound to break
(inside)

this house is not alone 
I'm kicking 'round here somewhere
so check behind the ancient speaker
Like painful southern bliss
pured upon like caramel
and garnished with some crushed pecans

To grow is not to grind
to mope is not to mind
the old cap
the geezer
the 15 second teaser

Behold and you know
everyone's a ringer
he's not even a very good singer
The dirt on the tracks 
has hardened into clusters
earthen legs and honey mustard

A storm is closing in
our leaves start to spin
It's getting
much later
I wish I heard your radio
(tonight)

the people in the rain
are staring through our backs
wishing you had half a brain
for all our little pain
tender is the mangle
the science diet the ivory tangle

The world goes away
each every stinking day
I'm getting 
much better
this night's little upsetter

the kids out in the street
take their toys and break them
look at them, then walk away
the guy on the cross
is holier than I
but then again he's made from plastic

Chorus

There's cattle tied witha a chain
Pinch the weeping Willie
I know it's dumb, but sometimes I'm silly
I crawl out of the rain

think of me as fetal
think of me as the fifth Beatle

Grumpus

oooooh (what's the matter with the boy?)
oooooh (did he really have to be so sure?)

but you're not thinking ride around without a sound.
restless boy in restless town and you commence to
drinking a bottle up, a bottle down, a bottle white, a
bottle brown another day peels away

oooooh (what's the matter with the boy?)
oooooh (don't you want another try?)

part of the process is sifting through the piles of shit
tell us you don't mind a bit from a different angle such
power rarely deviates, in times of love, in times of hate
another spring will come

faithful friends all around you wonder why you
feel so low look at me, if you really want to see the
comedy and the clown

oooooh (what's the matter with the boy?)
oooooh (has he really given up for sure?)

here's a new solution be square and kind to all your
friends, stop staring through the bitter lens ancient
institution this learning not demonstrate, your asinine
and callous traits I could take some practice, I know

You Masculine You

The shape of the sun ah, pretty ways pretty ways and
things to come

When this day is done you will collapse collapse into
(the funnel of) my arms

And as always they're not strong And as always you
do believe and as always I'm very wrong about the cut
above the bleed

April she finds the sugar time and so slow, syrupy yeah
She'd be inside you shed away a shadow as we go

And you know, it's not bad and I'm so into the blue And
it's so, like goofy said I just fly above the few

The last thing we do turn our heads around, closer to
the ground, you're falling

you and your masculine you forever benched sitting by
the dirty window

Coda

Though this seems to be a drag you skirt around the
thing that's comfortable purple peppers dirty rags make
your life albeit more portable to turn around to follow
me don't follow me don't follow me don't follow me

Up with People

yes there comes a booming sound
it used to come from underground
now it emenates
from a kind of welfare state
of the soul
yeah baby of the soul

and of the sweet sweet soul
let's be certain
of the deliberate monologue
as sure as if it will fall
across you
unto you
will most certainly leave the doing undone

come on undone

and we are doing
and we are screwing
up our lives today
what's that we chanted
it's this we planted
c'mon progeny

Nashville Parent

but it just looks plain cold from the bottle another part of the ritual standing in the kitchen arms are braced against the counter swallowing like mercury down the drain

and the neighbors have been drinking and they are raising quite a stink pretty soon they will be fighting it can get pretty ugly

the city makes a hooting sound tonight the owl on the roof has got it right if it's left up to him he'll take that stupid grin decapitate a rodent or a mouse

take the b train or the shuttle at the exit have a smoke try to spit onto the sidewalk instead you wipe it off your chest

I don't wanna freak but the tongue erodes each time we start to speak on a timely mission you look pretty swell in your new position

fiberglass funny face up on the wall It's funny when it isn't funny at all and if it's up to him we will take the ways of sin and smash them like glass against the wall

but it's not to pathetic with your teeth full of rhetoric and doubt carry on like little creature in the fields of our love

What Else Could it Be?

it's the bad way you feel today brush the dog as you
walk away oh ther it is baby, you know that they feel
the same

but they wave as you turn away got your mind but you
cannot stay sooooobaby you say what...high

as stragne as it feels today I better die it's the same any
thought of you the sweet sweet soul...yeah yeah it's a
man in a winter mood something about you (stop) baby
(stop) da da (DAH) da da (stop) da da da

oh fell the breeze our soul you see 'em saying ohhhh
baby they are saying...feel good just a storm is your
heart try to raise some understanding see me standing
they are stone...gone

is a problem we see today californ...california It's the
way that you will be sorry, sorry is a man as he will be
sorry sorry (stop) baby (stop) da da (stop) da da (stop)
da da da da

The Distance from Her to There

so shy tonight I'm told you were, I'm in the thick
of it, I've been a dick with it you're just not used
to it


am i'm alright well, as you were there's no use for
this it's not a theater kiss more like a railway piss

chorus:
the lights outside tonight are far from home and
I'm out drinkin' in the yard and I fell sadder for
the sad old bone it's not far, really babe, it's just
not that far...umm m

and by the light and so you were it's such
a cleaner wish a much softer fist a much weaker wrist

and by tonight you'll wait for her so little hell to
pay it just works out that way on almost any day

The Book I Haven't Read (Fearless)

Incorrectly titled "What Else Could it Be?" on the Spanish 7inch
the crickets cry tonight
here comes your girl
the showers fall tonight
it's a rainy world

the shivers on the spine
could be what we had in mind
remember all the times we said
we could be we should be in love

on a windy porch tonight
here comes your girl
beneath the dull porch light
your thoughts will curl
past the women and the men
to where the story ends
the voice from up above says
we could be we should be in love

my disgusting habits end
it's a crazy world
neither real nor pretend
and there's your girl

my eyes fall from my head
with all the pages read
and i'm so glad you said
we could be we should be in love

the petrified florist

a goofy Libra a drafty car I do believe I've stepped on
my guitar

a borrowed bender a liver ends until you've seen it it's
really just pretend

a coward's trade a careful foray against the blade a patent
answer can't wait to get my hands on her

the closing of the coor the blistered buttered roar oh
callous even hand in the village of the damned

a broken glass the broken table the spitting image if I
was able

a frightened bird the written word our daily logic has
become absurd

and when you see her smile you live the fever for a little
while you'll never ever leave her my crippled friend

the butcher boy

(lyrics Public Domain)

she went upstairs to make her bed and not a word to her
mother said her mother went upstairs too saying oh
daughter my daughter what troubles you

oh mother oh mother i can not tell that butcher that
butcher that boy I love so well he courted he courted my
life away and now at home at home he will not stay

ther is a place a place in london town wher that
butcher that boy he goes and sits down He takes that
strange that strange girl on his knee and tells her and
tells her what he won't tell me

her father her father came home from work saying my
daughter my daughter she looks so hurt he went upstairs
upstairs to give her hope and found her and found her
hanging from a rope

he took a knife a knife and cut her down and in her
bosom her bosom a note he found go dig a grave
both wide and deep and place a marble slab at my head
and feet

and over my coffin my coffin place a snow white dove to
warn the world the world that I died for love