American Standard

there's a tall, a mulatto, boy I know
and he comes to every party -- he stands alone
viewing them the rest, from the corner of his glance
it gets so clear, he's not judging anyone
the way his arms float around his cage, he's caged
canary sings, silently rings, his voice to rage
the way they stop and stare, the way they turn their heads
it's enough to make him want to run away
but he stays he stands his ground

and I'm so lame
the way I condescend without ever knowing his name
he keeps it in a box, hangs it from his ear
looks at everyone without the slightest fear
it's making me so ashamed

slender body, slip through his glance
I don't give him a single chance
the way he's rocking back and forth
makes a buzzing in my ear
constantly reminding me that I never stop to hear
him say hello, hello

and I'm so lame
like a moth bumping off his godless flame
I cannot condescend or even apprehend, what comes over me
when I see his shameless face

so rage, please rage, against me
beat me down, beat me down, forgive me
for what I've done, I'm so lame, I'm so lame, I'm so lame
so lame, so lame, so lame

I slept through Easter yesterday
right through Christmas just the same
the priest came up to me all up in arms
he said, 'devil boy what have you done?'

the Jesuits rolled in their tanks to my front door
while the capuchins held a love-in on my front porch
the augustinians kept to themselves, stuck their tongues out in a row
they said, 'devil boy, it's off to hell you go!'

so I'll sit and pray for her to call me there
and I'll burn that bridge a 1000 times, on the cross I bear
just to wonder if you're listening from a soap box in the sky
to finally realize my price, was it you or I?

hey devil boy
we're going to blow you're house in
hey devil boy
what do you think of that?

for heaven's sake
it's only been 2000 years
and I can't wait any longer for you
for heaven's sake
I'd give away eternity
if you would come back to me, if would come back to me
if you would come back to me, if would come back to me

'he's a real cannibal.' she goes:
'I think I'll call him roderigo'
dress him up in darker clothes, sell him away
standing underneath her gun
'sit up straight or I'll hurt you'
you know he's not her only son, just the strongest

'I'm the real animal,' she goes
she wants to call me roderigo
tie me down with all her rope until I can't breathe
she can't help but beat me down
into a brand new roderigo
I'll slip away without a sound, into the air

tied him down to her tree
stayed fit to name him what's he's going to be
tied him up with her rope
you know it stained her neck but it can't hold roderigo

headstrong is willing to live like a rat in a hole
headstrong... unwilling to listen to anyone at all
keeps her head above the water,
keeps her head upon her shoulders
I know, I know, I know she has heard this all before
she don't break, she don't sink, don't think, a thing of me

headstrong can fake an awkwardness,
silenced by the price of love
don't get too close in case, push comes to shove
won't be your favorite girl, won't hear our favorite song
she's heard it all before

I don't mind she knows the words I'm writing
--we all need some pain
and remember, what you told me, we all bleed the same

headstrong is making a list so long, of all the people she has
done and undone again -- my name engraved
she doesn't notice the things that I take for granted were my
own to give, my own to give and take
she don't break, she don't think don't sink
don't want to give or take my love
don't break don't sink don't think of me

headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong
headstrong headstrong headstrong headstrong

Indivisible, you are the one
Impossible to hear what you say to me at night
can I have some covers back? It's so cold
on the wrong side of the bed
are you awake are you aware are you anything?
pictures high, high above the shelf
letters from me to you, you to me, us to them
do they mean anything? anything at all?
I know I'm not the man of her dreams
daddy said she'd marry rich, rich, richer than me
I know I'm not her man, but she can take anything
anything she wants
Do you think it's just enough to know
how I wanted you to feel
read things back to me, back up
to see from where I am
there is nothing more than this, more than this
Is it enough to say that I want you to keep it close to me
me, me is all I think about, but every word you say
do I mean anything?
anything at all?

'don't go there' I heard her say.
'you can't stomach what you're going to see'
It's down there, by the water's edge
wasted and bloated and waiting for someone else

funny how, these little things come about
when you're tied to the teeth and mouth
no sound or fury, no shot of pain
there was no real reason, no gain

I can't go down to the water's edge
I didn't do it... I saw who did it
Don't go down to the water's edge
they did it once and they can do it again

it ain't no secret to me
how she got there down by the stream
I'd seen her a minute before the van pulled up and opened
the door (took all my love)

but I can't say a single word
about what I saw of her
her killers...they got their friends
in familiar places, I tell you man

this ain't no fucking game
and I'm feeling so ashamed
because I didn't do anything

I didn' do a thing

I swear

Margaret came to me was all he said
before she know my name she was in my bed
she was only sweet sixteen
20,000 days younger than me

Margaret feels the world beneath her feel
shaking like a leaf falls from the tree
she don't care he's ten years older than me
as long as they're together happily

'marry me' she said I don't reply
'daddy said you better, or you'll die'
she wants a house and fifteen kids I guess
and I can't find a state we're legal in