Have you ever felt like you were trapped in time?

Or living in a book one whose pages never turn

Not really living but not really dying
You say you are studying but what have you learned?
SHORTER LYRICS BY TOM JENSEN
COPYWRITTEN on April 13th, 2013 or before.
Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov
SNEAKY DRINKERS
WHO SAYS PRAYERS FOR SATAN
LOVERS AND LUSTERS
FINGERS LIKE FROST
HOLD MY WORLD
SNEAKY RABBIT
Sneaky rabbit
Stealing carrots
Who do you think you are?
(1)
ONCE
Doesnt it suck when its true
Nobody believe in you
Once upon a time
Yeah, maybe they used to
Ahbut thats a fairytale now
SHOW
I could go and see a show down in Orlando
Cause ya know the way it goes
NEW
Ive got a brand new method to my madness
SPEAKER
Become your own greatest motivational speaker

1
FINDING MYSELF
I was told that I should try to find myself
I didnt know I was looking
TWO THINGS
Do you know nothing about something or something about nothing
Maybe both?
HOLLOW AS A BOTTLE
Is temptation always your selection?

Has one second at a time become your motto?

REST OF THE STORY
Some may say
Youre a little crazy
That would be
Not telling the rest of the story
REAL COLD
Youre real cold
And not nice too
Im so glad
I didnt marry you
Oh yeah, its true
LONG SCREW
The carpenter said he needed a longer screw
My wife overheard him and responded
Hey, I could use one of those, too
LOOKING
I was searching for answers to the simplest questions
When I knocked upon your door
You said that you would help me as you proceeded to guide me
I found exactly what I was looking for

2
SECRET
This goes out to all you readers by the cover
Seekers of the truth never to be discovered
To those unknowing of where true love hides
The secret is that the best is kept inside
INSIDE
As a reader by the cover
With the truth never to be discovered
Never knowing where true love hides
And that the best is kept inside
So I kick it to the curb
NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST
Nuclear holocaust
The end of our time is near
The missiles are approaching
All the people tremble in fear
PASSING THROUGH
Daddy said, Son its nice to see you
Just what brings you around this way?
Sonny boy answers, Likewise
Ah, Im just passing through

Im so sorry but I cant stay

Sonny boy
DEAD RINGER
Reformed drinker and drugger
Wannabe drummer and singer
One fantastic lover
though not much of a hugger
Is that Keith Moon?
Yeah, hes a dead ringer
NICE TITS
Nice tits!
But since Im blind
Could I please see them with my hands?
Just let me get a grip
So I can fully comprehend and understand
POTATO
Potato is my satan
Ill eat it once you put it through hell

NO WINTER
Music has no winter
Summertime has no soul
DEADLINES
What if one morning you woke up
And didnt love yourself at all
Would you bother to get of bed?
Should anyone expect a call?
ORDER
I saw
I conquered
I came
The order of words is important
Youll find meanings can change

4
THIS MOFO
Do you really think theyd let a guy like me
Drink Crown Royal up in this mofo ?
No!
Why?

Because I be po yo!
NEITHER
Neitherin both Im an underachiever
Especially with the latter
Howeverin love Im still a believer
And isnt that all that really matters?
EXCEPTIONAL
Im the exception to your rule
I havent had six beers and one hundred years
MAN IN THE MOON
The sun awakes to start another day
Although we know hes never really gone away
Unlike the man in the moon who
Takes a long nap in the beginning of June
As the rings of Saturn flail all around
Thats why I try
To make friends of all my enemies
All the while my present friends
become my family
I let them know
just what they mean to me
CHICKENS IN A BASKET
They told me not to put all my chickens in one basket
They told me not to count up all my eggs before they hatch
At least thats how I remember it
I know it goes something like that
IN AND OUT
She falls in and out of love
About every other day
Its good and then its bad
But what youve never had
How can you tell when it goes away

6
IN THE WARMTH OF HER EYES
Once I crawled through the darkest alleys
Once I slid down the deepest valleys
But in the warmth of her eyes
FIFTY TWO PICK UP
How do you know if you
got something good?
Just throw it away
See if someone picks it up

I CALL HIM DAD

I call him dad but we dont have the same last name
We come from different blood but we bleed the same
The tests came back negative and my mom takes the blame
We come from different blood that flows through the same vein
BROTHERS
One man searches for power and riches
While his brother would settle for fortune and fame
Another kind of brother just wants bling bling and bitches
And his cousins a preacher screaming out Gods name
BEST MAN (OR WOMAN)
When your game plan doesnt go exactly as you had it planned
Sometimes youve got to cowboy up and make a goal line stand
Put the pressure on before things begin to get out of hand
Sometimes you have to put the ball in the hands of your best man (or woman):
A BLACK HAND
A black hand
Shadows the land
But this in not how it was planned
Yet evil has no particular face
Can hide in leather
Can hide in lace
Always present
Though it can fade away
That which may pass through tomorrow
Is certainly here today
BOX SETS
Everybody around here has become intrigued with box sets
The inside scene and knowing every little detail to the nth degree
Amendments never penned a word in the name of privacy
There is no law about just letting someone be

7
BUILDING BRIDGES
Well, my boat floats
but everybody gets soaked
The captain's floored
please just ignore it
Youll need your raincoat
if you hop onboard
BY THE POUND
Some people only buy a thirty
And they only get a little dirty
But when you buy it by the pound
Then youre nuttier than mounds

CANT DANCE IN THESE PANTS

I said, Hunny, Id love tobut I cant
I cant dance in these pants, theyre too big - I need a belt
But nobodyll give me one
Cause the last time they did - I tried to hang myself
CAR BROKEN DOWN
Car broken down by the side of the road
You gaze into your past and find your memories growing old
I dont have time to worry about the problems of the world
I dont even have time for myself, let alone for someone else
COMPLETED
Well, the circle has been completed
You finally got everything that you needed
That goddamn garden - you finally got it weeded
Ended by uprooting all of what you were once keeping
You can finally sleep in peace
Since you can only join them when you beat them
CORONAS AT THE BEACH
Coronas at the beach with no woman at my side
Must be that time again to take a deep look down inside
A slice of lime to kill the time
The station flips as I take a sip
Problems must be uncovered
Before anything is discovered

8
UPS
The only people who should be out
delivering a package in a snowstorm
Are those who work for UPS
I thought this while staring out a window
While waiting for my guest
Hes got rocks in his socks
And it sucks cause he stopped
When the cops locked him a small box
Awe shucks maybe its all for the best
DARIVEN INNAYUGO
(the Spell Check Song)
Iah givva hersum smoko
Ya sheego loko
Wella theer ahyah goe
Sumth thinz yoowernt sherra
Wella nowa yuno
Imma dariven innayugo
Toosum playsat Idont knoe
Imma dariven innayugo
Toosum playsat Imma gunnasee
Imma dariven innayugo

Dariven aroundda inna olde Tennessee

DEEP DARK PLACE
Theres some dark figure guarding the top of the hill
Someone ask if well ever escape but I dont think we will
The moons the only man who knows where we are
The sun wouldve tried to help us if not for the stars
A DOG IN THE YARD
Been so stationary lately
A caged yellow canary
So dont you come near me
Loneliness and despair
no longer fear me
Now Im a danger to the world
DOWN UNDER THE BASEMENT STAIRS
Down under the basement stairs is where they ran to hide
Now quite uncertain of the stranger that they had let inside
Just what his real intentions were they would soon find out
Would he fulfill the prophecies that he was speaking about?

9
EVERYTHING
Dont give in to the paradox
Living in sin yet preaching bullshit walks
Climbing the walls like a spider on a string
Just because you can
Doesnt mean youve got to try everything
FATHER / SON / SPIRIT
The father, the son and the Holy Spirit
To me the lighters, papers and the weed
The voices I hear inside of my left ear
Keep screaming kill kill kill
Your whole f%&^*$g family
You know these faces of insanity
May just end up getting the best of me
FDR AND THE FOUR FREEDOMS
I am speaking from The White House
And I call upon all loyal subjects
But mainly freedom, democracy and peace
ASOP SAID IT
Be careful of what you leave laying around your tables
You know Asop sure told some kick ass fables
And the moral of this song
Is that you better hide your bong
Sorry, gotta run so I cant stay long
BEING TO SEEING

When I said excuse me miss

I really like your pretty blue dress
I said what you doing here my dear
If you're aiming for the stars afar
Then you'll be searching in vain
For about a million years
GETTING STRONGER
Johns hitting the crack pipe
Me, Im hitting the hay
Me, Im getting stronger
John, hes wasting away

10
TAKE A SEAT
Now it is time to get in line
Stand up now or get left behind
Just no telling when the bus will pass
Jump on board before they run outta gas
Walking up so many hills will tire your feet
Time to take a rest, time to take a seat
GREATER THAN I
Wait is my wife, my beautiful young bride
Changed my whole life with just a blink of her eye
If everything feels right as you lay by her side
Turning off the light and then saying goodnight
All the anger in you instantly dies
Just close your eyes
HEY RAY
Thank Heavens Ray Charles was blind
That way he couldnt see any of his seven wives
But his nine children pondered as they grew
Hey Ray, did momma really feel good to you?
She sure aint much to look at.
Sometimes I wish that I were blind too
LOSING MY MIND AND HAIR
Im losing my mind just like Im losing my hair
Ive thought so much about it Im beginning not to care
MACHO
I am not a macho man
You know I write poetry
I hang around with mostly women
Dont worry it dont rub off on me
I am a guy
A real mans man
Who can do it?
I can

THE MIDDLE ISNT FORMING

Anything that isnt habit forming is just a waste of time
Not everything concerns money or nickels, quarters or dimes
There are some things that control you and others that you control
Like when your mind sees only colors like green and white and gold

11
MOTIVATION SEPERATION
Every word heard spoken
Just sounds so broken
Myself and my motivation for inspiration
Theres been a separation causing much frustration
MUST HAVE SEEN HIM FIRST
That man was just like me but you must have seen him first
I was just a minute late I dont know what could have been worse
To lose the race by a nose when it comes down to the wire
To give all you have to give and still they ask you to go higher
NO NEED TO STAY
We got the AC pumpin
Cause the heat is comin
I think I am perceiving
That Ill soon be leaving
No need to stay around here
NO SLEEP TODAY
Got so much to say
I wont get any sleep today
When trouble has gone away
that is when I will hit the hay
NOTHING BUT TROUBLE
You can go and pop your pills
Or you can go and lick your dollar bills
Either way trouble will come and follow you
There are some things you know you shouldnt do
PADDED ROOM
In here, the only thing I look forward to is smoking
Thats the only time we get to go outside
Though it may sound like Im joking
Sitting in my padded room really hurts my pride
RICK N ROLL,
ITS IN MY SOUL
Sure, I know that
youve been
fooled before
Many times
By false tags and signs
So why not once more?

12
SCENTED BERRIES
It could never be
A daughter like you and son like me
Berries scented with defeat
Like tainted fruit falling from a tree
Whose leaves youre not supposed to eat
Scalding shade seems to lose all worth
Hell has never stood so close to earth
SCREWING AROUND
I know what youre thinking
I know what youre planning on doing
Youre gonna be going down town
Because when you start drinking
I know that you like to go out screwing
Around with your fiends
SHIMMERING
I never use a first name towards the people I love
They know theyre understood
I only use their first name
When theyre up to no good
SIDE ROAD
The van has just pulled of the side of the road
The vitality for life of the man is waiting to explode
SOMEDAYS
Some days I just feel like sh*t
There aint no better words to say it
Some days I just feel like shit
I feel like a tool an unsharpened bit
SPINE
I gotta get the f*ck outta my own head
But I forget where I buried it
I gotta go outside and dig around
I even tried to live without a spine
But I had trouble standing up for myself
I just kept putting myself down
VIRAL
But cha wont
Stand the test of time
Once youve grown old
Itll all be left behind

13
VICTIM OF FATE
I watched the smoke rising up from the flames

Love is dead in my eyes but Im not to blame

A victim of fate
Call it what you will
It was a hard thing to swallow
But she had to take the pill
WHAT WAS THAT
I am awakened from my sleep
By the sound of someones scream
Grab my bat
Someone is in trouble deep
Now where is she at?
Wait, what was that?
Hey, I just got stabbed
Now I am longing to be returning to my dream
WHO IS YOUR HERO
Who is your hero?
Would I know him if Id seen him around?
Maybe a great baseball player like Joltin Joe
Or perhaps a teacher from your town
SILVER IS THE COLOR
Seems like silver is the color
Given up all chances at grabbing gold
Seems like silver is the color
Got to reach for something cause Im getting old
Given up on my dreams
When I heard my souls silent scream
Ill settle for just a cookie
I no longer care about ice cream

14
I USED TO BE ONE OF YOU
As soon as my leader
Georgie W. "The Defeater"
Drops a warhead on you
From one of his army planes
LITTLE BLACK MAN
My wife awaits...
At home with a little black man
Hey relax there are more facts than just that
She'll never get slapped
He's our kitty - it's only our cat, man
Your thinking of robbin
While I'm talking 'bout Batman
PASS OUT ON THE FLOOR
I never get to sleep theres always someone knocking on my door
I never sleep in my bed I always pass out on someones floor
I never thought you were interesting youve always seemed a bore

I never was a fan of blood and guts and bones and gore
I never was a fighter because I never believed in war
I never could see a reason that all that fightings for
I never was persuaded by my is mine and you is your
I never held much regard for this or that or neither nor
(2)
EVERY DAY
Who could forget it?
Another life...
I've never led it
Regrets are pathetic
My quote of the day
Every day
Let sleeping dogs lie...
Well not where I lay
But I am not a rabble rouser
More like Barney Rubble
I still get caught without my trousers
Hey, everybody gets into trouble

15
A BIG FAN
Im becoming a big fan
Of a guy whos barely five feet tall
Hes a man thats making a stand
While his friends play video games
And hang out at the mall
Ethan in a thirteen year old boy
Whos probably never even kissed a girl
Hes a singer who plays a mean guitar
And writes songs about changing the world
FILL THE VOID
What is it I want from you?
Im not sure if I know yet
Is it a lover for a lifetime?
Or just gratuitous sex?
What is it I want from you?
Im not sure if I know yet
Just a plaything to fill my void
Or just gratuitous sex?
SUMMERS HERE
The summers here
That means blue sky and sunshine
Happy children
Less work and more play time
The summers here
Warmer weather and more vacations
Grab yourself a beer
Barbeques and celebrations

16
FAIRYTALES
Fatalistic fairytales
Never make children smile
Little lads long to cling to hanging chads
and happy history teachers made up facts
That make great heroes of mom and dads
Grandpa and grandmoms after-the-fact
Though they know war sucks when people die
Take a rake from a peasant from the countryside
Replace it with a bullet encased in metal homicide
No its not nice
Crushing dreams
Run up behind a Frenchman
And yell Guillotine!
But watch out!
For hes bound to dish, dash, dart, doubt and then scream
Thats when things get mean
FISH IN THE SEA
Why is it so hard?
Contemplating the rest of your life
When can you be sure?
That you want to ask her to be your wife
Everybody knows
How many fish are out in the sea
Youre caught in her net
And yet you still have enough time to wriggle free
KICKING THE CAN
This woman Id been dating for nearly a year
Told me to get out with words so clear
Said her chains had been broken and shes no longer bound
To me, former lover, getting outta town
Walking down the street carrying a big black bag
In it is everything that Ive ever had
Looking up at heaven trying to understand
Why Im walking down the street just kicking the can?
I was wanting to travel but this is not what I planned

17
ALL SAPPY
Waiting for the other shoe to drop to the floor
I've given up trying to make sense of anything any more
Went from being born to being scorned and being burned
When one morning I turned the corner
Then the preacher and teacher of disaster
Became a learner and finally the master
As this illegitimate bastard who used to get plastered
Walked wicked straight before it was too late
And now he wakes up so happy and he writes all sappy

ARHUNDATI ROY
They say: first her hair
made her look like a little boy
Now she looks like she just rolled outta bed,
Its kinda half-combed, uncouth and unkept
In the right light she looked umemployed
And whats up with the barette?
You call that fashion?
Thats what they say about her
When they attack and lie: the Arandhati Roy haters
Those corporate - backed traitors
They are not my natural ally
ON ANOTHER PLANE
I sit on my steps and stare at a plane in the sky
Crash and burn two-hundred and thirty people die
Now I dont see things quite the same
Could have been me on that plane
Talking about vacation, talking to my friend
Talking about my lifes work, talking about the end
Read in the paper there were no remains found
Imagine the captains voice saying
Smoke em if you got em
Were going down
Living is what happens only from day to day
You can see how quick it all fades away

18
BATTER UP
Whatever you do
You better had make it count
Its good to go down swinging
When life strikes you out
Dont get caught on the dugout bench
Pulling out splinters from you know where
You gotta play hard everyday
If you wanna go on a tear
BEING POLITE
And I have been sleeping oh so well, can you tell?
Itll be a week that shes been away - the day before yesterday
And since my days have not grown dimmer
Its not just the moon that has that glimmer
Well it was time to say good night
And heres to a new life
What youd had - you had to lose
Hey, have you got a light?
Time to say goodnight
Oh Im so sorry, baby
( Hey, just being polite)

BURGER KING
Daddy dont believe me.
When I tell him I can do great things
Hed rather see me make forty grand
Managing Taco bell or Burger King
Daddy doesnt have the desire
To hear even a single one of my songs
He just wants me to be like everyone else
Find myself a leader and just follow along
CHASING YOU
Hey Bob Dylan Im coming chasing you
For deep inside I know what theyre saying isnt true
The general consensus is that youre the best
But what they dont know is that Ive yet to take the test
You know Im young and Ive still got a trick or two up my sleeve
And even though I just joined the party Ill be the last one to leave
I know you know that Ive been raised by video games
But the way you and I see the world is still the same
My friends know the only thing you have on me is age
And with every coming day to my book I add a page

19
THE CHROMOSOME KID
The neighborhood bullies called him the chromosome kid
He used to bag groceries at Stop and Shop
But the managers didnt quite like his style
So now hes collecting carts out in the parking lot
He never had a chance to cut the cards
And they stacked the deck
Now hes left standing in the rain
What else would you expect?
CLUTCHING PENNIES
You work so that you can pay for school
Clutching pennies is like pulling teeth
After work and after play
You somehow forgot to pencil in sleep
How many homes do you need?
Until you finally move in
How many friends do you meet
Until you find your new best friend?
FALSE GODS
I make my own gods and worship my own idols
But at least I dont try to pawn them off on you
I dont go knocking on doors with the good book in my hand
No bumper stickers about Jesus - you know its true
I worship my ears as you talk on
I worship the ground that you walk on
I worship your long blonde hair
And your sky eyes of blue

FINDING A CURE
I just melted in your eyes
Found something pure
From the disease of lies
I have found a cure
Grounded on my knees
Head between my thighs
Free from this disease
I just melted in your eyes

20
THE GATE OF FATE
By the time you know what I know
Itll be too late
You tried to predict your fortune
But you forgot about your fate
Theres something I cant put
My finger on so I guess itll have to wait
The time will come for the story to be sung
When Im checking in at Heavens Gate
But if I should happen to lose it all
Then you can find me on top of the Golden Gate
Bridge
GREEN
We all want money
Were all green with envy
We all like our honey
Is the message sent to me
My girl Mary Jane
Shes in another class
I put my stake in nothing
But theres a chance well last
THE GREETING
Trembling hands greet one another warmly
Eyes wet with tears fix upon each other
And long arms wrap around warm bodies
As beating hearts meet embracing chests
The two shook hands upon embrace
As eyes take sight of one anothers face
They wrapped arms around each other tight
And hold each other long into night
HARMLESS HIPPIE
I ran off towards him as fast as any rocket
Because he still had my weed in his pocket
Im just a harmless hippie never been in a fight
I work in the day and I go out at night
I used to walk a dark path
Now I follow light

My hook is in the water

But the fish never seem to bite

21
HEROES
Fatalistic fairytales
Never make children smile
Little lads long to cling to hanging chads
and happy history teachers made up facts
That only make great heroes of moms and dads
Grandpas and grand moms after-the-fact
Though they know war sucks when people die
Take a rake from a peasant from the countryside
Replace it with a bullet encased in metal homicide
No its not nice
Crushing dreams
Run up behind a Frenchman
And yell Guillotine!
But watch out!
For hes bound to dish, dash,
dart, doubt and then scream
Thats when things get mean
HEROS SAGA
There are so many things a stranger might not understand
Being so unknowing of danger as only a loner can
Yet expectations and reality are so apart
Seeking fortune and fame from the moment he came
Changed the clothes that he wears and the part in his hair
Set out for some place new seeking another start
A man once chained to stone
Managed to break free yet still remained alone
After giving his mother one last kiss
Surrounded by walls his one dream was to be free
Though no one could ever see what was to be
He kept striving all the while believing that anything was better than this
HIGHER POWER
I have been adopted by a higher power
Dont worry, though Im a hippy, I still shower
But music has stole my soul
Lost, gone, stolen
Trapped, slapped and wrapped and then bounded
But perhapsyou could make it bigger than King Kong,
Hey baby, you know that just maybe,
you could be the right in this land of wrong
Yeah, thats a fact and I like the sound of that

22
JAM
Stuck in a rut
Caught in a jam

Where up is down
And left is right
Its hard to make it
Without your right hand man
You know he skipped town
In the middle of the night
He couldnt make it
He couldnt take it
He put his hook in the water
But the fish didnt bite
He went back home
All alone
He went back to the governors daughter
And he gave up the fight
LEARNING HATE
Learning hate has taken years
Befriending sadness has cost me tears
As a blackened eye weeps
A young child sleeps
In the stillness of the night
She dreams in black and white
Dreaming of a world
Where colors wont blend
For when that happens
Theres only a blur in the end
THE LEGIONS
Only one man could kill with complete racial equality
I would drop the bomb - without any hesitation
Just waiting for the man to come calling on me
I would drop the bomb - without any reservations
So I'll keep on searching for another solution
Thus I guess this is the end

23
LOWERED THE BAR
I hear the kid downstairs playing on his guitar
I only heard two cords strum
I dont think hes gonna get too far
Yet he looks above as if hes looking at the stars
But he believes hes gonna make it
because ever since the sixties they lowered the bar
He gets tired so he turns on the radio
Listens to some loser that hes never heard before
If they can make it well there you go
It gives him inspiration and opens up the door
MACHINE
In and out the turbines in the machine keep on pumping
The engine is good it is only your mind that keeps on jumping
Back and forth just how badly do you need her?

Back again you always fall as soon as you greet her

No control the pilot is in but this thing flies by itself
But you have faith in your instincts and removed is all doubt
You will meet you final destination
And the foods pretty good at least what you been tasting
MARY JANE
Its not that I dont love you
But she knows how to play the game
After Mary Jane things will never be the same
Its hard to imagine being with anybody else
How could I love you?
When I dont even love myself?
I gave my heart away once
Just to watch it break
Only a fool would be taken twice
By the same mistake
MORE THAN A FRIEND
I once knew this girl
Yeah, she was more than a friend
Her love for me was once so strong
She never believed it would ever come to an end
We got a pet once our love was born
And I bought her a jacket to keep her warm
When the weather got cold with the winter wind
With feelings so strong our faith would never bend

24
MY BABYS GONNA LEAVE ME
I think my babys gonna leave me
But none of my friends believe me
I think my babys gonna leave me
If my eyes arent deceiving me
Why do I sit down when its better to stand tall?
Why is it me who never sees the writing on the wall?
NEVER FORGOTTEN
I open the window
But Im only looking out at the street
I think that I can see victory
But all I am ever tasting is defeat
Another victim of the pot and the bottle
It may be gone but it is never forgotten
Stepped on the gas and then broke the throttle
Finally found an apple but it was already rotten
THE NEXT BOOTH
Theres just too many damn people
In this world who dont have a clue
This girl I met last week
Told me I was kinda cute

So I came back tonight to see her

But now Im in the rear-view mirror
And Im wishing that I went to someplace else
Cause shes just two booths away
And shes sitting with someone else
NOT AFRAID
Never be afraid when your opinion is based on fact
Let someone know that its his or her own decision
to not be told how to act
Each day I become a little bit stronger
And everyday my story gets to be a little longer
And Im not afraid of that

25
OTHER PEOPLES CANCER
Ive smoked so many cigarettes
That Ive probably given other people cancer
Lighting one up to kill some time
While Im trying to find some answers
How did I become myself
Theres a million other people Id rather be
Why is this world keep destroying itself?
Is this really how it was meant to be?
RELIGION CLASS
Cigarettes feel just like pencils
Maybe we were all taught to smoke?
We were taught to trust the priests
That was the first time someone told me a joke
Because I taught myself to question
I got Cs in Religion Class
If the first bibles great why they make a second?
I was told thats not a question you should ask
RESCUED FROM THE WATER
Not that long ago there was this little man whod talk into my ear
Speaking of a life of parties and smiling girls, all things he knew Id want to hear
He talked of staying up all night and dancing until the sun came around again
Sitting in a circle, meeting someone new now theyre your new best friend
Thank god I finally got that monkey off my back
The skeletons are locked in my closet and theyre never coming back
As I waded in the water the tide started coming in
It dragged me out to sea and I found I couldnt swim
SO SORRY
Finally the time has come....
I am the one....
The one who will lead you
So sorry Mr. president....
Get bent!
Your military can not kill this son...

I will defeat you

26
SOMEONE ELSES FAMILY
Theres a brand new picture frame hanging on my shelf
And the people in the picture posed so perfectly
That I dont care if theyre models or pictures of someone elses family
Ive given them all names
To go along with their faces
I tell of each ones claim to fame
Where theyre fromall these different places
SOUL MATES LOST
Get this funny feeling deep down inside
Just sitting in the car going for a ride
Something is missing from my soul and
A heart thats lost is a heart thats been stolen
Once I lost my way in the fog
Blinded by sun and choked by smog
When Im with you I see so clear
Troubles of time just disappear
STARING AT THE CEILING
Laying in bed staring at the ceiling
I hear the music playing in my head
Then I get this feeling
Maybe todays a good day to stay in bed
You know we all get this inner fright
A hunch that nothing will go right
This sinking feeling that youre doomed
Whether or not you even fight
Turn back out that light
Good night
STORES CLOSED
Eight oclock at night you here someone rapping on your door
Trying to get back to what youre doing cant stand it anymore
Every time you do all you can to break away
She shows her face damn near the very same day
She knows that the stores closed
But she still acts like she owns the place
Always walks in smiling
Always leaves with an unhappy face

27
TAKE NO PRISONERS
Well lifes like playing chess
Clearing the board is an instinct
To every species less evolved than I
Humans are the only ones who take prisoners, more or less
Yet it is men and women who rule the world and every district
But maybe if we just shot on sight

Thered be more room for all living things to survive?

TEARS LIKE NIAGRA
What the hell were you thinking when you said goodbye?
Did it ever your mind all the tears I would cry?
Now my tears flow like Niagra
Ive since stopped taking my Viagra
My baby has gone away
And though Ill never see her
I gave her gonorrhea
And that will always stay
Shell remember me with a scratch and an itch
And Ill think of her as an unloving b*tch
Two lovers who parted, each their own way
THOUGHTS ON TWENTY ONE
Im so tired of being bored that Im restless
My mind is starting to slip away
If you think Im not well then you guessed it
I visit the liquor store nearly everyday
They say twenty one is your best year
But I think its all downhill from here
Once you reach the top theres only one way to go
Off the edge of the cliff face first down into the snow
TOMORROW IS THE DAY
We all remember Hitler
We all know of bleeding hate
Some can still recall the Bible
Although theyre losing faith
Vietnam still conjures up
Horrid and oppressed memories
We all felt the pain of being born
Stemming from our infancy

28
TOO CLOSE
Im just warming up
To you, to life
To the fact that I exist
Im just warming up
To what I am and am not
To what I can and cant resist
Sometimes I get too close
You know somebodys bound to get hurt
Some times are too high or too low
You either float on the clouds
Or get walked on like dirt
UNBENDABLE SOLDIERS
Unbendable soldiers never look over their shoulders
For no one ever told them that the goddamn war was over

Their ankles still shackled to the same old giant boulder

The earth is only considered to be just a temporary holder
People just dangle as theyre being carried away
Men in nice suits place another name inside a heavy folder
So sorry Mrs. Bojangles just be glad youre not the one who told her
You could try and you could try but you could never console her
As the wind blowing in your face just became a little more colder
And you would mold her and him again if they were both made of clay
WASTED TIME
When you feel that life has passed you by
Depression closes your eyes like sleeping
The thoughts of wasted time make you cry
So you begin your weeping
Bury your face deep down inside
The tears you spill are seeping
Down below the earth
Though there is no sense in keeping
All of the pain built up inside
So much that off the bridge of sorrow
You go leaping

29
WATTS
That well-schooled villain is at it again
Making sure that you got the cure
For whatever was
For where ever it hurts
But has a lesson been learnt?
Now what have you got?
A refrigerator bulb.or one and hundred and fifty watts?
That is with what Im concerned
Has a corner been turned?
Tell me did you get burnt?
WHACK A MOLE
If my pole was a mole
it just got whacked
I could use a good woman
to lie flat on her back
A neck rub would be nice
My shoulders seem quite sore
And I need a pack of smokes
from over at the liquor store
YOU BETTER KEEP IT
If you got it, you better keep it, you better lock it away
Cause I got a fe-eling that someones gonna be ste-aling
Somethings going to be taken away-ay-ay-ay
If you got it, you better keep it, you better lock it away
Cause I know theres someone out there somewhere
But who it is I cannot yet surely say

If you got it, you better keep it, you better lock it away
HARD WORK
I work my hardest for those who cant pay
Think about that thought for a moment
Alright
Okay
Youre right
Its a hard way to make a living
But if you could see the smile on my face
At the end of the day
Maybe then youd understand
Why when my name gets mentioned
People usually say

30
DANISH CLOUDS
Danish clouds are beautiful
So long as youre not afraid of the rain
There the fruit grows bountiful (or plentiful)
Albeit sometimes hard to obtain
Ive seen many apples fall
The morning after a storm touched down
Still I witnessed the tree stand tall
Standing firm as everything else blew round
SOUL BAY
Right nowis the time
Right hereis the place
Left outis not where to be
Time to rejointhe human race
Maybe then youd feel completely whole
Being among the living
It aint a bad thing to be, no
So long as you accept the fact
They just put a price on your life
And are now trying to E-bay your soul
YOU IN THE MORNING
I miss the morning you
Oh honey, you know its true
I miss my bus stop brew
As Id take a little time
For you know who
I miss all the amazing outfits you wear
Those clothes that make me close my eyes
Whenever we were heading
Either up or down the stairs
Oh how I love to stare

31
(3)

GOTTA BE
I can see an unfamiliar face
Presently looking back at me
A woman who knows her role
As shes accepted her place in society
Gotta be pretty
Gotta be witty
Doesnt matter so much about being wise
Gotta be most charming and pleasant
Gotta be inarticulately non-upsetting
Dont forget strong, sensitive and kind
IN THE KITCHEN
Black cats asleep in a box
While white cant isnt to be found
And I hear running footsteps
Means the boysll be comin round
I hear chopping in the kitchen
And the radio playing low
Theres safety in this sanctuary
From the frostbitten breezes that blow
Drumming rhythmic sounds
Echoing off of pots and pans
Amidst the stirring of busy active hands
The sizzle and whistle of water
Boiling and bubbling on the stovetop

32
DANCE CLUB WHORE
You can sing
You can dance
Get all us guys dreaming
About dropping down your pants
Hey, thats very pretty underwear
How about showing me
what you got under there
One thing Im knowing
Is you got us all going
Youre not the type of girl
I usually write poetry for
Because behind those pearls
Youre just a dance club whore
PHASE TWO
Do I have a strong enough faith
To look back in hindsight
And realize I made a mistake
Or do I pretend things are all right?
Am I willing to move on
To a new phase in my life
Write her this one last song

And finally part ways with my wife

Am I willing to move on
Or will I continue to postpone
Is this really her last song
Would I be better off on my own
POISON APPLE
Youre my poison apple
So tempting, bright and shiny on the outside
You just look so sweet
Youre my Snow White oh wait she died
Ha ha, Im just joking
She is only sleeping
But shes been asleep
For quite some time
After a good poking
She ran away weeping
STEADY HANDS
I've always been the guy...
Over these last countless years
Who ends up with warm yet steady hands
and wet shoulders from your tears
I'm one of the ones you trust and understand
Ive always been the guy...
that comes and tries his bestest
to clean up all the messes
That happen from living
of which you can't avoid or hide
Ive always been the guy...
To help pick up the pieces
Knowing when to halt and harken
Or else quicken our paces
When we come to an obstacle
Or an action needing erasing

34
LANDSCAPERS DREAM
You and me should get together
Id cut your grass in any weather
Even though you know you could do better
Love the way you look in that pink sweater
You can work it off if you cant pay the fee
I did something for you now you do something for me
Cause everybody knows you dont get nothing for free
I thought she knew I was joking but then she agreed
Just imagine my shock when she smiled and asked
Is that the only thing you can do is cut my grass?
Well, Im good at many things as a matter of fact
And with that she offered me a drink and a snack
(As she laid naked on her bed flat on her back)

CRESCENT MOON
My friends ask me just what it is that I would like to do best
Simply to touch the crescent moon that shines above the rest
Ive thought about her often, yet courage is hard to find
Ive been doing all I can to try to make that sweet girl mine
Shes the type you know all too well: likes to open her own door
Independence makes you lonely you find that everyones a bore
I care so much for her that sometimes it is hard to see
My heart can only be in peace when she cares this much for me
If she never does Ill have no choice
But to pack up everything and run
And go hide out on a crowded beach
Beneath the hot Floridian sun
AUDIENCE OF FATE
Plain and simple words
Can accomplish magnificent feats
Sometimes it all sounds so absurd to me
How many synonyms do you need for defeat?
I have but one
And the war has begun
Fighting father time
I want to ring his bell
And he wants to take
the batteries outta mine
Awe what the hell?
Its all in the name of the divine
Its all a good time

35
BAD LUCK
After youre dragged by a car
You wont make it very far
After you fall off the wagon
Your feetll be draggin
After youre ran over by the train
ou got no one to blame
After the wing of the planes caught fire
You aint going any higher
After the subway doors close
Theres no telling where it goes
After the escalator stops
You have to walk
After you break you ankle as you fall
You know that youll have to crawl
After all this well then youre stuck
You can chalk it up just plain bad luck
BARRED WINDOWS, OPEN DOOR
How can I be trapped in a room with so many doors?
Maybe if I just picked myself up off of the floor
I cant open the windows they must be locked from outside

In this empty room theres just nowhere to hide

On a shattered pane a pretty painted scene
Though it seems sort of dull my senses arent too keen
They finally came true, my deepest, darkest fears
Ive been locked in here for so many, many years
I often hear people laughing and crying too
They have no idea Im in here they havent got a clue
BIRTHDAY CANDLES
The big day is coming
One day bears your name
Year after year
The calendar is marked the same
And though people come and go
As many faces change
You know for sure that in the year ahead
So much will be rearranged
Your eyes grow large
Youre still running from the candles
Another step closer towards responsibility
That youre not ready to handle

36
BREAKING THE LAW
No need for seniority
When youve got the majority
CiCi took a hike
So I jumped on my bike
Al Cohol stole my car
Dont think Ill get too far
But I still got Mary Jane
And she still drives me insane
Its party time
Mary Jane has arrived
And when shes around
I never get too f%^$ed up to drive
I just forget where the bags are I hide
Shes the only law that I dont abide
Shell still come knockin on my door
Even after I die
BURIED TREASURE
So many of us know just how youre feeling
Surviving off thirty hours of sleep a week
Tossing and turning staring at the ceiling
Either that or else you were counting sheep
Living paycheck to paycheck
Struggling just to pay the rent
Time to tighten up your belt again
That hangs like a noose around your neck
Thursday night and an empty wallet
Leaves you wondering where it all went?

Two full-time occupations

Barely keep all your expenses met
Just enough gas to get to your next job
A few bare walls and a roof
One single window and a bed

37
BUTTER
Churning butter in the basement
You had better get used to it
Chase the carrot on a stick
Watch the rabbit on the run
Hear the time bomb tick
Wait for the next unborn son
If that dont work
Find yourself a pair of kicks
That are ready to run
Run your race so quick
Pave the road with bricks
And we all know that bricks are bound
To rise and fall with the pressure placed upon them
And you are not made of stone
Just simply here alone
Its all around you
But where did it come from?
CAPTAIN HAYBAR
Captain Haybar hit the deck
What else would you expect?
From a man who wears his
sailors hat just like a tattoo
If you lived like Captain Haybar
youd do it too
Every night he sails
Going out lookin for his whales
Sometimes he sleeps on the deck
But only when he makes bail
And when hes buzzin
We call him Ahabs cousin
When hes a comin
We all start running
Hes after us all
And hes hot on our trail

38
CATCH TWENTY-TWO
You planted in my brain
Your seeds of pain
Now I think of no one but you
And hear nothing but the sound of your name
Catch twenty two
You always want what you cant have

And good is never good enough

Catch twenty two
When you loved me I ran away
When I loved you you wouldnt stay
Aint that always the way?
CHANGING
I used to type on a computer
Until daddy stopped giving me hugs
I used to go to private school
Until I started doing drugs
I knew my days were numbered
When the calendar fell off the wall
I knew the weather was getting colder
When my spring turned into fall
I used to ride my bike
And maybe scrape my knee
But now I drive around in my car
All paranoid that the cops are after me
COVERED IN TAR
I am covered in tar
And I only half-shaved my head
But I'm already a star
Yes! That is what I said
Because I believe in me...
And I'm not the only one
Can you see what I see?
(The dark and forboding horizon?)
(The setting sun?)
No not this time!
I spy with my little eye
A new day
A new way
Hip hip hooray!
Yeah, that's what I say
Or said

39
ESCAPING THE DEMONS
My right is left
And left is right
My down is up
And up is down
I used to see come and see you
But now youre never around
Hallelujah
But you know I cant spell it
Theres something in the air
You know I can smell it
My lungs are clean
I now breathe fresh air

I escaped the demons

Theyre no longer there
FACADE
Maybe some day it will all fall into place so naturally
No more of these charades or this big faade
From this giant blockade I have flipped the page
Dont fight on the eminence front to put it eloquently
Yeah, and thank Townshend for me
He helped opened my eyes to what I couldnt see
As I learned to comprehend this great big mystery
Find the one key that will set yourself free
It could be me for you and it could be you for me
FEEL SAFE HERE
When you feel safe here
Theres no need to ask of your last residence
From mud to quicksand I fear
Anything need to be known is already evident
(Like stupidity, immorality and our president)
Wake up in the morning
Pray it all fades away
Wake up in the evening
Pray it all fades away
Front man with a finger on the trigger
George Junior was once a little boy
But that son of a Bush has gotten bigger
Wake up in the afternoon
In the bed you stay
Wake up in the morning
As your race faces another day

40
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
If you keep on talking
Then Ill just keep on walking
Ive told a million stories myself
You know I dont listen to anyone else
In my life through the ups and downs
Through everything
Theres only one thing that Ive found
History repeats itself
Staying in the same old places
Staring at the same old faces
Youre expecting something new
Well you just havent got a clue
HIT THE DIRT
But now this song
is gonna hit the dirt
If I dont come up
with something clever

To say to make you laugh

or give you insight
To the fact
that your dads
hooked on smack
Yeah I saw him get slapped
on a video of bumfights.
HIT THE ROAD
Youve heard about who Im talking about
The type of people that the clouds follow around
No warning of thunder and lightening
Trouble comes in a flash and doesnt make a sound
Its calm before the storm is what they say
Hey hit the road so I can hit the hay
I dont need you anymore
When its time to pay up
Its time to settle the score
Say goodbye with either words or fists
Pretending you and your clouds did never exist
People with problems that you just cant ignore
Kick you out of my house and then Ill lock the door

41
HOUSE FIXER
I wont be fixing houses forever
We all know that I can do better
People and their lives can change like the weather
Just look at my wife and the fact I havent met heryet
I just do the best I can
Im a simple man
But I got big plans
Someday Ill start a band
And someday well play a set
I wont be going to school
Until Im almost dead
For if I got too smart
Then my brain might get too big for my head
I finally dropped all the dead weight
Cause I was sinking like I was made of lead
HOUSE OF THE LORD
This is the house of the lord
Please walk in
This is the basket of the lord
Please put your money in
These are the eyes of the lord
Theyve seen what you done and where youve been
This is the basket of the lord
Please put your money in
This wine is the blood of the lord and it shall free you from sin
This is the basket of the lord

But wine isnt free, please put your money in

I DONT CARE
I dont care
I dont care
I dont care
I dont care anymore
If theres peace or if theres war
I dont care anymore
Can I tell you a secret?
I have built myself a garden
And it still needs a lot of weeding
So I had better get started

42
I USED TO BE AN A-HOLE
I used to be an a$$hole
And once I slammed my fingers in the cafeteria door
I was such an insignificant prick, my life sucked,
So I blamed you for my pain
I screamed what the hell are you doing and muttered
under my breath you f&%&*#g wh*re
Yeah thats how we met at school you probably werent impressed
With the way I walked, the way I lived
The way I talked and hell probably even how I dressed.
And to me you were nothing specialthen
INNOCENCE OF A CHILD
The innocence of a child
I wish it was all around
Cause lately Ive been feeling
That virtue couldnt be found
When I stop to see their faces
I look into their eyes
The innocence of a child
Who hasnt been told a lie
I dream I was Holden Caufield
And a catcher in the Rye
Though I know theyll be corrupted
Thats when I start to sigh
KING IN A HOUSE OF CARDS
Ive lived the life of a rock star and I dont even sing
I was a court jester who thought he was a king
Now that crown of thorns has been lifted off of me
The weight is finally lifted, a weight that sets me free
Once I was a king reigning over a kingdom so unclean
But I was forced to step down when I listened to my queen
I betrayed her trust and she stepped down off her thrown
Reality set in that I was all alone
I had no subjects so I followed the crowd
I had no wisdom yet I still acted proud

As others passed by no one ever bowed

When I should have spoken softly I starting getting loud

43
THE LAST SECOND
Now to errors Im prone
But at least Im never alone
When everyone is on my case
I go hide away in my special place
As I am saved by the grace
Of seeing your smiling face
It just happens to be to my benefit
I believe in god because you are heaven sent
Matched only by Autumns falling leaves
For having the freshest scent
MUDSLIDES
Twenty-percent of the people
Buy eighty-percent of the booze
Some are buyers, some are sellers
Some have been chosen
And the best of the rest still get to choose
It's the same thing with the money....
One out of twenty get the honey
They get to be the queen bee
Everything seems to be for free
Never knowing of envy or jealousy
All this built on the backs of you and me
A house built on will and stilts
And those are the facts jack....
They just hope the damn thing floats
But I bet that itll come tumbling down on me
MY BETTER HALF
Blood stains the ground as I look around
My heart is bleeding yet my heart beat still pounds
Surprised to see it
Surprised to hear it
Thought it was ripped away
Surprised to see you
Surprised to hear you
Thought you had gone away
Ive heard a lot of love songs where the girl got away
I decided to write my own when my you told me she would stay
She said you better go to rehab if you wanna stay with me
Where white coated men will bound you and say its for your own security
Bound may be too strong a word, more like strongly secured
Found has been my better half, but the illness still needs a cure

44
MY OWN HANDS

Just because my life didn't go as planned

Doesnt mean that fate isnt in my own two hands
So what if Miley Cyrus never sang my song
And Cheech and Chong never hit my bong
Maybe its good Paris Hilton never touched my willie
And that Cris Crocker never called me silly
Or that David Letterman never had me as a guest
And Fred never sent me a friend request
Sure I wrote Ray Charles once
But I bet he never read my letter
When I met Morrison in a dream
He told me in actuality that the East was better
MY OWN LITTLE WORLD
My thoughts are flashing
Like bright neon signs
Separating as if night and day
Both what I want and what is mine
Just the way of the times
As knowledge held is in the decline
Impulses start to take control
As placing right above wrong is considered being old
Extremism now rules the world
Satan walking the earth
Is just as worse
NEXT STEP NEXT BREATH
The wink of the eye of your future wife
The turn of a corner and the stab of a knife
Just a second could change your life
Beware of whats around
Be aware of where you go
Because you never really know
After the next step
After the next breath
It could be one life and one death
Forget all the rest

45
NO HOUSES
Who knew that the ride stopped here?
In the land of frozen lakes and polar bears
In a little three month town
That really nothing is near
I used to love the big city lights
But now that love has disappeared
Where every night there was a fight
But now its all right
Because people seem real polite round here
I spied a coastline with no housesonly trees
I found a town thats seventy-five percent below ground
And still no one ever leaves

NO NEED TO WRITE A SONG

Any snipers song is already to long
Theres no need to write a song
Let it into your memory and then let it be gone
No need to print it, no need to read it
No need to see it, no need to heed it
Everybody would love to see their face on T.V.
Everyone would love to be the inspiration for a movie
Everybody would like to think that they have no equal
Everyone would be the first to star in the sequel
Thoughts float up from the basement of my brain
The part of me that loves whats bad and when it rains
I only paddle ashore when I get bored
I only float away when I need something more

46
ON ANOTHER PLANE
I sit on my steps and stare at a plane in the sky
Crash and burn two hundred and thirty people die
Now I dont see things quite the same
Could have been me up and then down on that plane
Talking about my vacation, talking to my friend
Talking about my lifes work, and then talking about the end
Read in the paper there were little remains found
Imagine the captains voice saying:
Smoke em if you got em - were going down
Dennis Leary thinks it is funny
But he just says it for the money
Theres still no cure for cancer
And personally, I hope they never find the answer
Because living is what happens only from day to day
For you can see how quickly it all can fade away
And for some reason I think it is better that way
Thats why so many I know spend their time
Just trying get laid
OVERDOSE
Here it comes - early morning light
Could it be darkness - Ive been up all night?
Hey, excuse me do you have a light?
Suddenly my bulbs not burning so bright
Just wanted to have some fun, you know?
Uh oh, what has just been done?
I dont think hell see the sun
I barely knew him, he was a friend of a friend
He aint no ones friend now, not even mine
At least this wont happen a second time
POETIC LIFE
A poetic life is so hard to lead
When distracted by sloth and greed

You just meet your need

As you pretend to succeed
Wear a false face
Make decisions in haste
When life quickens the pace
We just race the race
Finish first and someone must finish last
History teaches to remember the past
In the life we know the sun fades too fast
As soon as we turn the shadows cast

47
HOLIDAYS
With paths crossing in all different directions
Ive been up and down while searching for perfection
There remains one who shows me to the road
Maybe I should listen to what Im told
She was up there when I was down here
Sometimes when I listen I pretend the words arent clear
Another Christmas all alone
Spent together with a phone
Hearing your voice could never replace
Looking into your eyes
Seeing your face
Maybe next year
I could be with you
December would be warmer
If you were around the corner
Upstairs or in the other room
Holidays wouldnt be so gloom
RAISING THE STAKES
I am prepared to meet my maker
Whether my maker is ready to meet me is another matter
Some of us gotta be movers and shakers
Some others Quakers and givers and takers
Some of us try to build while others try to shatter
So have a Winston its on the minister
And have a scotch on the rocks and try to stop the sinister haters
Who pollute our earth and lakes
You know, good old Mother Nature
For Gods sakes what could be worse than being
Kind of like a cross between the Yankees and the Lakers
Against the sin money-rakers, those no good snakes, we do whatever it takes
Watch their secret handshakes, as they speak with tongues that flatter
And they keep raising the stakes
And this time it matters!

48
RECYCLING
Self control is a common goal

By using free will people can kill

There is safety in numbers
Like solitary confinement
People, not unlike machines
Still need some refinement
Alas, there is no hammer for the heart
Certainly no wrench for the soul
And we havent perfected recycling yet
Youre still thrown out when youre too old
Dead vagrants and peasants
Thrown into the dumpster
Wisemen and nobles
Lowered into their casket
Both segregated by the pews of the church
Though each drop their money into the basket
SLAM THE DOOR
I always keep my promises
Except the ones I make to myself
And if I was someone else
Then I wouldnt need any help
Though you may not understand
If you dont wear my clothes
But you cant open new doors
Until all the old doors are closed
Slam! It takes courage to slam the door
Though the lock is never quite strong enough
Strangers and friends try to break it down
If you listen you can hear them huff and puff
Its only safe when no ones around
THROWING PIES
I threw a pie at Bill Gates during the convention
Whip cream on the face
A cherry off the head was my intention
But I missed and hit the queen
Then she started getting mean
But I, the joker, remained unseen
Therefore my hands were clean
I felt a hand upon my shoulder
My brow began to sweat
The temperature was getting colder
Was I the prime suspect?

49
SONAR
Ive been saving all these raisins
Since they were little graaaaaaaaaapes
Hey, hey, hey
Tiny minnows took their last dive
At least they know they gave their lives
Knowing they died to serve a porpoise

But holy mackerel

This fin is just for fun
This apparatus is for love
My flippers get their kicks
When our sonar clicks
Thats my treat from my bag of tricks
Whats the haul? The catch of the day?
Alright nowis it a sure betis she in the net?
Lets just get it out of the waaaaaaaaaay
SUNRISE
In my car
Were stopped at a red light
Waiting for the sun
After the longest night
I looked within your eyes
Searching into your soul
I found a heart full of love
That will never grow old
As the light turned green
I drove through streets that were dead
Straight down the highway
With only the future and sunrise ahead

50
THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT
Second rate, second best
No ones ever passed the test
Until I studied you
And you taught me
A lesson in love
Called chemistry
Talk about extra credit
I never would have believed it
I find myself asking if I really said it?
Never before could I conceive it
Ive been waiting for so long
Too young to settle for second best
I began to wonder whether I was wrong
I am too idealistic I will confess
THIS OR THAT
The end of the line
The edge of the cliff
Time will tell
Who youll be with
Me or him
Goodness or sin
Would he be a good father?
Or does he need to go farther?
My street turns here
A left or a right

That will tell

If youll spend the night

51
THREE MINUS ONE
There once was this girl and this guy and me
Once just us two but we became three
She loved me for over two years
Though she cried a thousand tears
We had our ups and downs and lefts and rights
Then I skipped town in the middle of the night
Yes I loved her once but I let her go
And he fell in love and he told her so
A nice guy from her town
But he caught her on a bound
Though he was in good from the start
The only problem she closed her heart
Which he soon learned still belonged to me
Such a poor man he just couldnt see
TIME STANDS STILL ON THIS BLOCK
Have they ever given any thought to leaving this harsh land?
The feudal system has long since passed but they just dont understand
A man with two young children raised to take on his trade
With every step the torch is passed and their dreams begin to fade
And of course when they have kids
the same will happen to them
One big wheel that keeps on turning
Around, around and around again
With every step thats taken forward there are two steps taken back
When the foundation of society is laid wrong you know its bound to crack
And when that time comes just maybe then all this madness will cease
The people will realize its finally time to let the dog off of the leash
TREADING WATER
I tried the dead mans float
When I lost all hope
But I started to think
After I didnt sink
That maybe I better not swim any more
In the middle of this dream
Soon I landed on the shore
After the current floated me down stream
While still unsure of what I was swimming for
I was alone in the water with no one around
Funny, I remember being alone
But trouble I still found

52
UNTIL GOD KILLS ME
(FOR ALL MY BLASPHEMY)
I searched for a paradise lost

Went looking for a pot of gold

Some of the things you thought you got for free
You pay the cost and then after theyve been bought
You find that youve been left in the cold before being resold
Caught within the clutches, the hold, of misery
Eden is a shadow of what could be
To hell with the garden
Eve and the fig leaf
Im gonna go and plant my tree
Just dont mind me if I spill some seeds
Lately bad thoughts have been getting the better of me
Vow to die for a cause and then I bend
I need some relief for one who only believes in what he sees
So pleaseLets get the garden going again
Heaven on earth is message Ill send
And the words that Ill spread
Up until the day God decides to kill me for all of my blasphemy
And then on that day Ill be dead
VERY HOT
Dogs hide in the shade
Even the shadows seem to fade
Sweat streams down the side of a brow
Even knocks over a cow
Skin burns
Children learn
Not to forget their sunscreen
Water turns to steam
Dries up the streams
Leaving the village unclean
And then the people get pretty mean
As everything begins to rot
It is very, very hot

53
VIGILANTE
I am the judge and jury
Jail is six feet underground
Im taking you down to the station
Where youll never be found
Vigilante, Vigilante, Vigilante
The judge and jury is me
Vigilante, Vigilante, Vigilante
Crime reduction no survey will ever see
Bad men say laws are meant to be broken
We say the same about arms and legs
The way I see it is an eye for an eye
If you take a life then you will die
WALK HOME ALONE
Pretty houses with fences so high
Will it make a difference on the day that you die?

Another traffic jam ahead

Another pistol full of lead
You stand outside waiting for whats in
With every passing thought another sin
You keep it in your secret hiding place
Alone and unnoticed as youre just another face
When youre not hear I walk alone
I get so scared here so far from home
Desperate confusion, where is she now?
I would tell her so much if I only knew how
Sometime from now shell see it too
That my lifes a who knows who

54
(4)
LUST
When it comes to listening to music
Youve let your guard slip way down low
Theres a better path its up to you to choose it
Know when to say no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
You see what the media shows you
You read what they put on the front page
Never wondered whether or not they helped to mold you
Did they lure you in or out of the cage?
Us smarts one know the answer
Yet nobody else even asked the questions
Attached to strings yet theyre still a dancer
Never had the foresight to wonder of others intentions
I dont believe in many individual people
I take my creed in my own religion
Ill take a living maple over a dead steeple
I make it the best that I can with whatever Im givin
And while some live to die
Well, I guess Id die to keep on living
MY SHITTY STOOL
So many choicesso little time
Hear so many voiceswhich one is mine?
Here at the bar its so hard to hear
Drowning my sorrows in the bottom of my beer
One by one they each take their toll
One day at a time we all grow old
Yes here at the bar I drown my sorrow
Because here at the bar there is no tomorrow
Sitting on my sh*tty stool my mind will roam
Until Im drunk and stupid and I go home
Sometimes reality can become a dream
When youre best friends with Jim Beam
Here I sit feeling all alone
Waiting for someone to take me home
The clock on the wall tells me it is getting late
The empty stool beside me tells me I dont have a date

55
SAME OLD SONG
Ive loosened up a bit
But I wont yet quit
Sick of this and that
You know the same old sh*t
Just my pen and me
Nothing that we cant see
At a table at the bar
It dont take that long
You may have come so far
But its the same old song
Im at my best this way
No living day to day
Time to plan a future
The old people say
Separate this from that
Throw out the trash
Go to Ash Wednesday
And dont forget your cash
Though you maybe getting along
Youre still singing the same old song
STALKED
Are they stalking me?
I dont really know
Funny how I see them
Almost every place I go
I retreat hoping never to be found
I turn around and they are there
Sneaking up behind me without a sound
There they are grinning at me with their wide-eyed stare
Breaking through doors and windows too
I wonder if this is just my fate?
How the hell they found me I havent got a clue
Even after closing the door and locking the gate
Down at the local bus stop I wear my hat down low
Button up high the collar of my suit
Are they stalking me I dont really know?
Hop on the bus but they even know my route

56
TEACHERS GONE
The weight has been lifted
That comes with being gifted
The plates have just shifted
Feel the weight being lifted
Tomorrows another day
School books have been thrown away
Homework tonight is planning on how much to drink

Raise your glasses for you dont have to think

Summers around the corner
Spring now fills the air
The weight has been lifted
Teachers gone he is not there
Graffiti on the desks has all been washed away
Recess has been reassessed and is now everyday
Count the days until summer ends
Until teachers pet is your best friend
THINK BEFORE YOU ACT
It has just been proven
That you dont have to be black
To be a nigger
You just have to believe
That a gun
Makes you bigger
But either black or white
When its time to fight
A real man uses his hands
To avoid a cell
Thats a living hell
Because he used bullets
Instead of using his head
And now he rots in prison
Because the other guys dead

57
MARK IT
Find your market
and you shall thrive
It's the only way
You can survive
That's what my
Professor said
He learned from all
The books he read
He was a banker
Before that a baker
Hmmm....once a giver
And now he's a taker
Who has taken to preaching
Money is the common religion
And gods are mere fish
Splish splashing in a paper ocean
DEAD HISTORY
As you see me handing you back your key
Do you know what just occurred to me?
we both knew wed become unglued eventually
Unityhas become severed
You and me we both can do better

And if you listen to me very carefully

Last night was the last night
I am setting you free
Dont you cry,
dry your eyes,
dont act surprise
But just what do you surmise?
That it is time to unwrite some dead history

58
MOURNING THE DEAD
Stopping to mourn the dead
Can get you killed around here
We dont bless ignorance
No matter what the sign says
Its all just a mirage
An image which will
Slowly fade and then disappear
Thats something we
dont discuss much
Since some things are
Still taboo around here
In the nod of a head
A look in the eye
And you know what it is
You have to do
CRIME OF THE CENTURY
What doesnt kill you just defines you
As your past creeps up behind you
Whatever you run from is bound to find you
If you check your rear view mirror
You will see them getting nearer
I just cant make it any clearer
You can put the pedal to the floor
But there aint no use running any more
Theres no escape for whats in store
You think to yourself Will they remember me?
While I rot in my cell inside the penitentiary
I came so close to committing the crime of the century
What the hell else does society expect from me?
For when a man has lost his dignity
Do you really think anything means sh*t to me?

59
SEVEN MONTHS
I heard about an accident on the train
The one that I normally take
This morning I overslept
Usually Im never late
Somewhere along the line

It seems someone made a mistake

After the two trains collided
There was enough blood to fill a lake
It took nearly three days
For all the cars to separate
These next worlds that I will speak
Give me reason to hesitate
So on what I shall now say
First I must meditate
Aboard the other train
Was my sons favorite playmate
Along with his mom
Who was seven months pregnant
BEES AND BUTTERFLIES
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Who am I?
Do I float like a butterfly?
Do I sting like a bee?
My ears look like Will Smith
Because Muhammad hit me
Nonot Aliit was yo mommy
Heard she barely survived
Felating the hive
Until she found out a better way
To get out the honey
But it still sucks
Because it costs bucks
Yeah, they still sell
everything for money
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Who am I?

60
(5+)
STARTING THE DAY
I light it up
When I wake up
And starting the day
Any other way
Would suck!
Get up quick and try to slip away
Pigs outta the pen
Those b*tches in blue are blue
the f$&^#@g you know who
Are at it again
Somewhere there sneaks a little dirty rat
Who tried to pull a rabbit out of a hat

Heard a dirty word form a little bird

Got to go out and gather up the herd
And trample over more than just the plains
For some things take much pain
Drowned in an oasis
I light it up
And he never wakes up
You go to sleep and wake up
Start a new day
Some breeds take up more space
Lets face it
The dinosaurs have hadand will again havetheir day
Therell be a new king of the jungle we just have to wait

61
STATE OF HARMONY
Ive been growing tomatoes
Out here in the fields
For my entire life
And what seems like
About a million years
I got my spot in the shade
Its a lot to know you have a trade
In which you get to make a living
And avoid blood spilling and killing
With just my friend Ed
And this rototiller here
I got my pitchfork ready
Like the corn I got my ear:
For the sound of the dew drop
In the morning before it starts raining
Im ready and willing to listen
While waiting for the rising sun that glistens
Thats when I love farming the best
When most people would be complaining
No, not mebecause I believe in seeds
And that we all live best in a state of harmony

62
TRAIN (THE OTHER ONE)
This is the train
thatll lead me outta here
Gotta get when the gettins good
And nows my time the coast is clear
When youve gone too far
you cant turn back
When they dont know your name
they never cut you any slack
Get back on track
Cant call this home again
Dont look back
Time to get on the train again

All of a sudden
the worlds grown colder
When theres someone behind
you watch over your shoulder
They say theres a heaven
but this sure aint it
Just trying to find
a place where I fit
UNFORTUNATELY
I said I didnt wanna try it
And be the one to cause a riot
Because they got lots of eyes in sky
That know what you are doing
And theyre working on something
That can tell what youre thinking
And if you tell them lies
Theyll know because youre blinking
Once youre mind becomes paralyzed
Those arent tears in your eyes
Its just the leaking truth serum
That theyve been serving youve been drinking
Youre the only one that cries
You are here by yourself alone
Thats what youre thinking
But you dont know your history
Its filled with similar atrocities
Against your fellow humanity
But you said, That couldnt happen to me
And now youre deadunfortunately

63
WASABI NIGHT
Something there was going on
But you missed it by a mile
I was there with a buddy of mine
And all we did was smile
We didnt need to worry
About impressing any fools
Didnt go looking for nothing
Didnt have to keep our cool
My buddy got shut off by the owner
And he only had two beers
I even argued that he was twenty-nine
And that he was wise beyond his years
I danced with a thirty five year old
She French kissed me out on the floor
I ended up slipping her my number
But only god knows whats in store
Someone shouted wasabi
And everybody bowed
For we went to a bar

Where almost anythings allowed

64
WILL DO
Ive come a long, long way the last couple of years
Ive fought my share of demons until they disappeared
Finally as I look now the coast seems clear
I know its time to start but I dont know whereto go
I dont knowwhat to do?
I dont knowwhat type of seeds Im gonna sew
I dont knowI just havent got a clue
I dont know what to do?
Ive penned a many sad, sad song
And shed a few tears
Ive had my share of lovers
Whove all seemed to disappear
To each one true
To each one dear
But the burden of it all
Was just too much to bear
For you know I dont know what to do
I dont know I just havent got a clue
Im still looking for the perfect hole
In which my seeds can grow
But I know that not just any old hole will do
65
PERIOD
I told myself, Ive got to give in!
Live on the same grid as the competition
Though I cant forget my regrets
Im still living with them
Somehow still tied up in knots
I give it all that I have got
Still caught up in the net
I am still
I am still
I am stillsomeone elses pet
I am still
I am still
I am stillunable to forget
I am stilla miraclewe can all play pretend
I am stillperiodthe end

66
67
LOVE SONG TO MYSELF
This is the love song
that I wrote to me from me
Who could ever say it better:

I love you than myself?

This is the be all and end all
Of what you thought was out of the box
Who could ever be so clever
as to build up bullshit
And then get it to walk and talk.
My hero is my ego
because hes fearless like a seagull
Although he treats me like
Im the carcass of a beached whale
Sure Im no shiny knight in armor
but am I really so blind
To the signs that politely say
its time to learn to read Braille
Sometimes our vision fails
as the tide has come to be
my truest friend today
Sometimes we build
castle walls out of sand
Just to see how long it takes
for them to wash away

68
LIVING A BUFFET SONG
You know you were drinking too much for too long
When you find yourself living in a Jimmy Buffet song
I overextended my stay in Margaritaville
Im still wasted this morning and will be for most of the day
Now some people claim
That the worm is to blame
Why my brain feels like its been scraping asphalt
Ive just gotten to know
Some guy named Jose Cuervo
Yeah, weve been hanging out together a lot
I woke up hung over and feeling depressed
Looked to my right
Howd I get myself into this mess?
Felt someone leaning on my shoulder
Man, Ive got to get this weight off my chest
It seems that last night
I rode the fat girl express
I was sick to my stomach
Had a bad taste in my mouth
I heard a noise in the bathroom
And another one ton came out
Just like the rubber
I used her and then threw her away
She knows I dont love her
So I have no idea why she stayed
Was it so that she could tell me
She feels like I ripped a hole inside of her
I responded dont worry, for I have the cure

There is the dooritll set you free

Id prefer not to see you anymore

69
70
LOVE SONG IN WORKS
I am too idealistic I will confess
Maybe thats why its taken so long
Im too young to settle for second best
But I began to think that I was wrong
Second rate wasnt second best
Since no ones ever passed the test
Until I studied you and you taught me
A lesson in love called chemistry
No I never would have believed it
Talk about extra credit
Never before could I conceive it
I find myself asking if I really said it
I was wasting away day after day
Living from hand-to-mouth
Navigating but losing my way
As my life kept on heading south
When the winter weather wasnt warmer
Id learned Id been led astray
If a picture is worth a thousand words
Then Ive still got a lot more to say
And so with that fact figured out
Its time to do everything
That Ive talked about
So I had better be on my way

71
HYMN TO JIM, ER JOHN
I get remorseful when I hear your voice
Still I must listen for I have no choice
Cant always turn it off and on
How uncertainly I react
Lost all faith in mankind
Cant think of any more questions to ask
The race has been run
And I still dont believe
Id like to take a few steps back
To right before killers and thieves
With all weve gained so much more we lack
One man brought the world to its knees
BEATLE MURDERED the headline was fact
So many crying: Why did John Lennon have to leave?
Kills all remaining faith
Hurts my ears, hurts my soul
Still I carry on your weight

Seems the best never die old

72