give us the news
were you on the muse?
or was the muse on top of me?
and so licked, washed, and combed
by street dogs. good boy!
prick up your ears for me!
jagged stars and formaldehyde views
make this city seen
but you and i are on the country tit
so what they spill, we wean
the blast of a radio
in a faded photograph
quite simply, my dear
you are the dawn’s laugh
give us some room there isn’t much around here
give us some room there ain’t so much around here
give us some room there isn’t so much
give us some room there isn’t so much
give us some room there ain’t so much
around here
for one, you are the feel of every sofa to come
my a.m. darlin’ sun
my a.m. darlin’ sun
for one you are the shape of all my jazz to come
my a.m. darlin’ sun
my a.m. darlin’ sun
so give us your news, give us the ruse
they're handing us a spade
your life’s a mess they harangue
and the rest has been mislaid
for one, you are the tone of all compassion to come
my a.m. darlin’ sun
my a.m. darlin’ sun
for one, you are the spark of every song that’s sung
my a.m darlin’ sun
my a.m darlin’ sun
Beat Happening
boy, he makes his moves in the street
girl, she looks the other way
Nikola, he grabs ahold of his thighs
Oh Thomas, he takes the credit away
and you can’t discuss roots without opening up your mouth
awkward, daring
even conclude that the landlady is a louse
deemed necessary
on the hairs
on the hairs
of the day
on the hairs
on the hairs
of the day
they claim that there’s beauty inside
then claim that it turns to decay
ah but to look at us now
well we couldn’t give it away
and the greatest of sins, well it might be cowardice
Pontius Pilate
rest assured the execution never even took place
ah the moonlight
bathes your face
it bathes your face
it bathes your face
it bathes your face
it bathes your face
bathes your face!
welcome to the beat that’s happening
welcome to the beat that’s happening
welcome to the beat that’s happening
welcome to the beat that’s happening!
Blue Spell
closed my eyes
and i saw
i saw barbed wire closed my eyes and i saw i saw barbed wire running blue, running blue
over my mind you said don't sleep like that unless
you're tired
don't you sleep like that unless
you're tired and the pollen broke, the pollen broke
rust is your voice closed my eyes and i saw i saw barbed wire closed my eyes and i saw i saw barbed wire you said don’t sleep like that man ‘less you tired (‘less you tired, ‘less you tired) you said don’t sleep like that man ‘less you tired (‘less you tired, ‘less you tired)
and the pollen broke, the pollen broke, the pollen broke rust is your voice closed my eyes and i saw i saw barbed wire closed my eyes and i saw i saw barbed wire running blue (harmed and broken, broken and harmed) running blue (harmed and broken, broken and harmed) running blue
Bride's Head
you want to make the bride a widow
and the groom her ghost
but you're not quite sure
what to do with yourself push familiar further
keep the stranger known
they're all dying
my you have grown oh sigh
oh sigh oh sigh bye and bye
oh you'll sigh oh you’ll sigh oh you’ll sigh
bye and bye the guests were occupied
the bride was slipping down
the guests were entertained
you wish bride's head was in town nobodies touching that big ol' punch bowl
no nobodies touching that big ol' punch bowl
oh sigh
you hear the ladle cry
the bride’s a widow and the groom’s her ghost (not my fault)
Casual Piracy Revisited
and the piss-take poor illustration
you did of me
as you fired away
fired away
into my hull
into my heart
into my hull
into my heart you said "i'll hunt you down and eat your first born
if you ever hurt me"
and i tire away
tire away
of things that you say
but don't actually mean you were never deserving
of this second berthing
no never deserving of this
second berthing and if you smile too much in this life
you will make enemies
as they fire away
fire away
fire at will
into yours still
ah man these seas are high
but i have sailed higher seas
place this betwixt knees
and just feel the breeze you were never deserving
of this second berthing
no never deserving
of this second berthing and i turn to the sea
everything i've ever known
it slides out of me
fire when ready
fire when ready
'cause we are all victims of casual piracy
real intentions don't please
real intentions don't please
don't please
don't please
don't please
Cig No Fire
fire
doesn't know it's on fire
these words
they don't know they're on fire water and hand
can't extinguish this fire young shaver
he got a cig but no fire
pensioner
he got a pipe but no fire trust in the band
to deliver you fire steal everything says Jim
steal everything says Jim
steal everything says Jim
but you can't steal fire Arthur he answers him
Arthur he answers him
Arther he answers him
just watch me try a steal it all
steal it all
steal it all
ahahahahahahahahahah
Honey Babe
honey Babe i wanted to sing
honey Babe i wanted to sing
but the devil he done made
paws of my fingers
wrapped my throat around a ring
'round a ring
honey Babe i thought the funniest thing
honey Babe at least it's funny to me
how those keys they go under doormats, and those ballots they go into ballot boxes and sometimes under the callous
slips the guitar string
you're not laughing
honey Babe is that the devil you see?
honey Babe is that the devil you see?
cuz you've given all your attention to shadows
now there's none for me
but that's casting
and there go that same devil
whistling
How Many Listeners?
i’m gonna teach you appeal! she had only one delay
delay in this lifetime
he had only one delight
flirting with the idea set your phasers back to stun
and point them at what you want
set your phasers back to stun
and point them at everyone cause your heart beats like a hum-drum
your heart beats like a hum-drum
it goes bmm-tsk like it was done that might work for some set your phasers back to stun! the deaf are talking cross a traffic jam
deaf are talking cross a traffic jam
you can only look at your hands
I can only look at my hand the priest still preach from the front
the host still takes from a prompter
the art still hangs on a wall
the wall still hinges at 90
the band still plays on a stage
the curious approach
the skulls all live in a cage
everybody look at your hands! flirting with the idea
they were flirting with the idea
flirting with the idea
they were flirting with the idea with the idea with the idea with the idea