1. |
Happy Enough
04:24
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In the car up the Riverside Drive
Past the waters where the boaters play
Past the exit for the last "skyrise"
Thought you'd touch those skies one day
At a dead stop for the G.W. Bridge
Not moving an inch; think you'll step out of the car
And wave your hands like you're conducting the band
And celebrate that you've broken the spell
Oh you've got a condo squared away in the Garden State
And you've got most of my debt partially paid
Are you happy? Are you hap-hap-hap-happy?
Yes, I'm hap-hap-hap-hap-happy enough
Soon you'll be walking on the kings' bones
Eating tacos in their thrones
While you read poems of their demise
Might as well stop to spook the pigeons
And watch them fly—and regain your spine
And wave your hands like you're conducting the band
And celebrate that you've broken the spell
Oh you've got 9 to 5 from here to the other side
A belly full and a blanket stretching out so wide
Are you happy? Are you hap-hap-hap-happy?
Yes, I'm hap-hap-hap-hap-happy enough
Sometimes the clutter bunches up
It fills my mind and beats me up
I try and try and keep things straight
But I digress and I am late
And everyone wonders why
I don't show up but how I try
And everyone wonders when
I might be coming round again
Sometimes the moments are too much
And I don't care if I screw up
But you've seen me
Put on my best face
But sometimes my best face isn't enough
Oh, you've seen me
Put my best foot forward
But sometimes my best foot isn't enough
Are you happy? Are you hap-hap-hap-happy?
Yes, I'm hap-hap-hap-hap-happy enough
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2. |
Trust
03:35
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Jo-jo double-crossed me he's no Valentine
He's no go-to man, he's no friend of mine
He took a package upstate on a Greyhound bus
He never tried to text me-he's not the one to trust
Undercarriage rattles like an SOB
I swear the draft in here will be the death of me
Jeremiah told me that it beats the bus
He pockets all your money—not the one to trust
But I'm no angel; my wings aren't made for flying
They're weighed down by gross appetites that's why your lies I'm buying
Like the View Motel vacancy light my memory's blinkin'
What's so wrong with foolin' yourself; foolin' hurts less than thinkin'
Shivers up my back and I can't shake them off
Get the double fries and the secret sauce
Meet me in the city at the lions' busts
Don't wait around for crumbs; you're not the one to trust
What's at stake? What's at stake?
I'll take what's real, I'll take what's fake
As long as it has got the taste of a good time and a fair shake
A kiss can drill a well so deep it taps into a geyser
A hand that's pressing into yours can release the "none's the wiser"
There's a package you hold that I seek: Contents Wondrous
Will you run the scissors through its hide
Are you the one to trust?
I dream of the City of Lights
I dream of the full feathered bed
I dream of the trouble free nights
Somebody take this knife from my head
Jo-jo double crossed me he's no Valentine
He's no go-to man, he's no friend of mine
He took a package upstate on a Greyhound bus
He never tried to text me--he's not the one to trust
What's at stake? What's at stake?
I'll take what's real, I'll take what's fake
As long as it has got the taste of a good time and a fair shake
A kiss can drill a well so deep it taps into a geyser
A hand that's pressing into yours can release the "none's the wiser"
There's a package you hold that I seek: Contents Wondrous
Will you run the scissors through its hide
Are you the one to trust?
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3. |
Let the Baby Cry
04:39
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You cry real tears—Cry baby, cry baby
In the kitchen crib as I write in the bedroom at one end of our home
Your father plays a steady bass to counterpoint clocked by metronome
And you can hear him as can we all
And wonder why he does not rush to hush your howling
You don't say much in fact you're nearly powerless
Except to hear your voices different tones
Want and need and urgency—a steady rise
With each fall I hope you've given up on us
Trust that in the morning we will be right by your side
Bright and nurturing
But night is the time when we hide and fill our hands
With all the things the day does not allow
A pen, a page, piano keys—and selfishness—its low and keening call
Let the baby cry its low and keening call.
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4. |
Rocket to Love You
03:50
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When I dropped the bomb
It felt better than getting laid
Destroying all below
The World that this God made
When I dropped my load (payload)
On the people in their shells
It gave me burning joy
I swear that I heard wedding bells
When I gave it its freedom
And blew everyone to bits
I sent a rocket to love you
When I showed you the blue tunnel
And gave you that French kiss
I sent a rocket to love you
But it’s all right—Even the misfits can start it all again
Yes it’s all right—Even the misfits can start it all again
When I dropped the bomb
Once felt incomplete
But there really wasn’t a number
That would ever give relief
I’m glad I missed Mary Hepburn
I glad I missed Von Kleist
I ‘m glad I missed the Kanka-bono kids
Even though they ate that blind girl’s dog
It was time to start over
Hey we all make mistakes
I’ve got a rocket to love you
Let’s face it our big brains
Only got in the way
I’ve got a rocket to love you
But it’s all right—Even the misfits can start it all again
Yes it’s all right—Even the misfits can start it all again
It’s all right—Even the misfits can start it all again
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5. |
Underneath the Banyan
03:17
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Underneath, underneath the banyan
The strangler fig, my shady companion
Underneath, underneath the banyan
Here we’ll sit, until the spam’s gone
Gray branches
Shoot off slim sprouts
That drip down
Into the ground
Boring slowing, into the ground
The beauty may be
All that you see
But there’s a destructive flow
Beneath Hawaii
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6. |
Umbrella
03:11
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Umbrella—you stop the rain when it comes down
Umbrella—you give us shade when the sun is out
That fact is you make us feel invincible twirling round our heads above
You make us feel we can do anything—you are the umbrella of love
But when you're lost and when you're gone
It's hard to go outside, it's hard to carry on
And if a storm it starts to threat
We know you'll keep us dry; we know we won't get wet
Umbrella—just a touch and you open wide
Umbrella—you make every day just right
You know it seems like a simple thing how an umbrella can make us so strong
All we know is that where we go we want our umbrella along
Cuz if you're lost and if you're gone
It's hard to go outside, it's hard to carry on
And if a storm it starts to threat
We know you'll keep us dry; we know we won't get wet
Oh dear hearts do not forget your umbrella
Your fabric's strong so hard to tear
Our canopy up in the air
Our bumbershoot, our parasol
There's room for one, there's room for all
Just grab a hold step underneath and we'll be bold and move our feet
We'll all be sporty and unique as we accomplish every feat
Oh, umbrella
Do not forget your umbrella
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7. |
Submarine
04:08
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You say we’re friends I contend it’s
More than friends that we’ve been
You left me hanging suspended
Floating like submarine
Passions you cannot fathom My thoughts far from clean
We twitch and spasm in tandem Sometimes I think I will scream
From the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of my heart
If you could rate our attraction
It would rate very high
I can’t live with a fraction
I want all that’s inside
I can see past your surface to a city submerged
Take me to your Atlantis, show me your special urn
From the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of my heart
I don’t know
How deep we’ll go but I know we’ll reach the surface
And when we rise up to the waves
Nothing no one can ever ever hurt us
Anchor haulers and sailors cannot pull me from these dreams
I may have had a few failures But I have kept my esteem
All battle stations commanded all hatches latched and pristine
Up above you're abandoned but below.__________________.
And if you get lost and start to drift
Check your screen you'll see a steady blip
Giant cresting, full majestic---Silently sailing off into the sunset.
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8. |
Tiger Pudding
03:51
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Sitting like a catbird
More money than you've earned
You thought you had the fire
But you only had the burn
Perhaps you'd better come with us
Have the things you couldn't
The scarab of infinity
A bowl of tiger pudding
Parading like a peacock
Your feathers are a sham
You'll open like a picked lock
If you only take my hand
Aboard the yellow bus do climb
We take you to your purpose
We'll take you from that perfect line
To the tiger pudding
Tiger pudding—there is no escape
Tiger pudding—you're falling through space
Tiger pudding—it just takes a taste
Tiger pudding
And Guinevere in her gossamer and her broken [crooked] smile it is beckoning
And her body calls through gauzy clothes it is beckoning
Strutting down the cock walk
You're clawed foot exposed
You thought you were all puffed up
But everybody knows
Slip into these Chinese robes
Talcum and the good things
A porcelain rabbit and some myrrh
A bowl of tiger pudding
Tiger pudding—there is no escape
Tiger pudding—you're falling through space
Tiger pudding—it just takes a taste
Tiger pudding
Tiger pudding—we'll hack off the past
Tiger pudding—you're tied to the mast
Tiger pudding—into the abyss
Tiger pudding—it starts with a kiss
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9. |
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What Did You Hide in the Potato Barn? What Did You Hide in the Potato Barn?
Was it the realism of Dan Gregory?
Was it the strength and beauty of sweet Merilee?
Or was it the thoughts of your friends' suicides?
Kitchen the gun……Pollock the drive
What Did You Hide in the Potato Barn? What Did You Hide in the Potato Barn?
Was it Edith's old and new in the foyer?
Was it the wit born of despair from Dorothy?
Or was it the thoughts of jewels in a dead woman's mouth?
Vartan [victor] Mamigonian—really cleaned you out
Now it's time to reveal just how the war did end
It left behind the broken ones—the dead, the damned, my friends
Now it's time to reveal just how the world did burn
How men all brought us to our knees
Now women—it's your turn
Mrs. Berman, Mrs. Berman
Mrs. Berman, won't you take my hand and dance with me?
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10. |
Winner Takes All
03:15
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On the opposing team sits
A man, steady cool, with such keen wits
His face never tight
No sweat from the light
The trophy within grasp
He’ll outsmart, he’ll outlast
When you hear the things he’ll say…you will blink, you will pray
He gives us a nod to acknowledge us
With his slow falling hand the crowd is hushed
At the podium he stands
A true confidence man
No buckle to his knees
His dial is set to please
Can you see it? Can you see it? Can you see yourself
By his side, giving him notes
Would you hug him? Would you hold him? Would you make him scream?
If he scored a point? If he were on your team?
I will carry you upon my back
So the fruit that’s hanging low’s enjoyed
I will carry you through everything
Through airport security checkpoints
I will carry you through a snowstorm
You’ll avoid the icy slush
And if we should detour into Hell
I’ll make sure you don’t get burned too much
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Life in a Blender New York, New York
For over 30 years, Life in a Blender has been the canvas for singer and songwriter Don Ralph's blackly comic landscapes. The group has released albums ranging from screaming punk to orchestrated chamber pop, and has brought the high theatrics of its live act to stages from Berlin to Austin to Toronto to Brooklyn and Seattle. ... more
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