Happy Enough, by Life in a Blender

Happy Enough

by Life in a Blender

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1.	Happy Enough 04:24	lyrics	buy track
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
2.	Trust 03:35	lyrics	buy track
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?
3.	Let the Baby Cry 04:39	lyrics	buy track
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.
4.	Rocket to Love You 03:50	lyrics	buy track
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
5.	Underneath the Banyan 03:17	lyrics	buy track
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
6.	Umbrella 03:11	lyrics	buy track
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
7.	Submarine 04:08	lyrics	buy track
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.
8.	Tiger Pudding 03:51	lyrics	buy track
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
9.	What Did You Hide in the Potato Barn? 03:34	lyrics	buy track
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?
10.	Winner Takes All 03:15	lyrics	buy track
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

credits

released August 30, 2017

Life in a Blender is:
Don Rauf, Dave Moody, Rebecca Weiner Tompkins,
Mark Lerner, Al Houghton, and Ken Meyer.

Produced by Al Houghton
Basic tracks recorded by Kenny Siegal at Old Soul Studios in Catskill, NY.
Overdubs recorded by Al Houghton at Dubway Studios in New York City.
Mixed by Al Houghton.
Mastered by Scott Hull/Masterdisk.

Cover painting by David Kramer.
Design by Mark Lerner.
All songs © 2017 Don Rauf (Stingy Brim Music/ASCAP)
except “Let the Baby Cry” (music Don Rauf/lyrics Emily Perez).

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about

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