PLANTS

Fleur de Lis, oh, you refuse to dance.
The old man's hands have branded you--chimeric plant!
Compass Rose, who knows the way to France?
You right the wrong direction, you chimeric plant.
Please, let me know.
Cuz I could only wish, that you might exist.
Seeds, oversewn.
And I could only wish, that you'd tell me, are you gonna grow?
Fleur de Lis, oh, you refuse to dance.
The old man's hands have branded you--chimeric plant!
Come on Rose. Your shirt don't match your pants.
You write the wrong direction, you chimeric plant.
Please, let me know.
Cuz I could only wish, that you might exist.
Seeds, oversewn.
And I could only wish, that you'd tell me, are you gonna grow?

RUN RABID THROUGH THE HAZE

How can I see you by the dawn,
When this panacea's got it wrong?
These priests shall bury me alive.
Still weak from the bloodletting wives.
We're staving off the plague,
Our luck lasts on and on.
Run rabid through haze,
And sing another song.
Hey babe, this ain't where we belong.
And this panacea's got it wrong?
These freaks shall bury us alive.
Still weak from the bloodletting wives.
We're staving off the plague,
Our luck lasts on and on.
Run rabid through haze,
And sing another song.

HOLY COW

Holy holy cow.
The idol life's an Indian summer.
Where you're hiding out,
The syntax reeks of glossolalia.
Oh, you know, the word's out.
So, you throw, the lines
Left to right--it goes…
La la la la la la la. La la la la la la la.
Among the seething crowd,
the sunburned interns scan the scene and,
Someone found you out,
Among the souks of Jamaa el Fna.
Oh, you know, the word's out.
So, you throw, the lines
Left to right, and oh,
You know, the lines
Left to right--it goes…
La la la la la la la. La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la. La la la la la la.
Holy holy cow.
The idol life's an Indian summer.
Where you're hiding out,
The syntax reeks of glossolalia.

HALF LIGHT

Oh don't go in the wood.
Though something tells me that I should.
Them critters in the sky,
Their bones are made from beams of light.
Believe in what you will,
We've got a thousand years to kill.
I'll wait for you all night.
My bones are made from beams of light.
And we'll be married in the half light,
of an autumn night.
And all our friends will raise a glass high,
and the ones who've died will all return for just a while.
For just a while, we'll be alright.
Oh don't go in the wood.
Though I would do it if I could.
Oh cynics of the night,
You assholes always think you're right.
Believe in what you will,
We've got a thousand years to kill.
I'll stay and call their bluff.
My bones are made from stronger stuff.
And we'll be married in the half light,
of an autumn night.
And all our friends will raise a glass high,
and the ones who've died will all return for just a while.
For just a while, we'll be alright.

THE NIGHT WATCH

If you're gonna stay up till the dawn,
Won't you give that old star my regards.
Tell that fat bag of neon and gold
even dogs learn to do as they're told.
You swear that you came over quite sober.
Your eyes give you away.
If we're gonna just wait till the dawn,
I need something to steady my nerve.
Let's spill our guts and get drunk on the stuff
That remains in the moon's yellow curve.
I swear that I came over quite sober.
We got carried away.

BRILLIANT FUTURE

Four legs and a brilliant future--
Is this a wolf or a pot of gold?
She's mad but can I soothe her?
Her anger's ages old.
This road's been done by children--
Each stone nailed to the bone.
I called to warn our children--
Please, please pick up the phone.
Well, oh well.
Four legs and a brilliant future--
Is this a wolf or the right way home?
She's cruel but can I just shoot her?
Her luck runs deep I'm told.
She said you've got to hang out for the weekend.
I've a mind to have you overthrown.
Her church is a well-formed cheek, and
My cover's all but blown.
Well, honey, have you hands to hold
My spell? Only several hours old.
But soon his hairy hide and teeth will show,
And you'll find out who's really an animal!
We went down to the beach.
We'd heard that there would be
A beast whose reach was wider than the sea.

KING & QUEEN

Down the hall you broke the silence,
When you spoke your final lines.
You exclaimed a contempt for violence,
And then your head went rolling by.
Yeah, the blind can see
That the King and Queen aren't speaking!
I recall when I was five, and
All of the grown-ups smelled like wine.
When you held me up to see
My head was on the line!
Yeah, the blind can see
That the King and Queen aren't speaking!
Lies soothe her heart.
(I have sailed around the world!)
So I'll do my part.
(I'll bet you'll not believe the wonders that I have seen!)
Okay. So you're nervous of my fate.
That's great.
Cuz I can always go around the cape!
I'd take a photograph, but who'd believe me?
I can't develop it till 1830!
I could just hang around and read you poetry.
Have you got a pocket, or a place you could keep me?

CODEBREAKERS

Thank this climate for teaching me
The art of gauging all of your subtlety.
So fetch another mallard,
Pluck a quill for me.
Cuz trying to describe the sky is killing me.
Wait. I think I'm on to something now!
The doctor's insane, or seems to be
As puzzled as the girl who fell in love with me.
So skin another calf,
I'll skin another knee.
Trying to describe your eyes is killing me.
Wait. I think I'm on to something now!
I'll take the evening.
You have the day.
You seem to get more done in the sunlight. It's okay!
I'll take the pictures.
You do the words.
We'll make the strangest sounds the world has ever heard.
Cuz I've been believing your math.
And you've been agreeing. Write back!

STELLAR HOAX

I did the twist with willing sisters in the harbor.
Now countless urchins all keep calling me their father.
Their needy eyes all make mosaics of the sun.
Their moms are something, but they'll never be the one!
Oh, I built a tower to the height
That I once held you up to.
We've got eternity to try and cut our teeth on.
I guess that's fine, but it's not what we agreed on.
My mind is fine, you'll find. My tongue may be a bit slow.
When I was a child, I fell out a third floor window!
And I built a tower to the height
That I once held you up to, alright? Alright!
This stellar hoax of mine,
Let it shine! Let it shine!
If it don't last all night,
That's fine. That's fine.