River Songs

Gonna paint a picture
(alexander/badlees)
Gonna put it in a frame

So I can show you how I'm feelin'
Gonna paint a picture
Without having to explain
Gonna put it in a frame
And you can hang it from you ceiling
So i can show you how i'm feelin'
In your safe and happy home
Without having to explain
When you come to understand it
And you can hang it from your ceiling
You'll know you're not alone
In your safe and happy home

When you come to understand it
Once upon a time
You'll know you're not alone
We could speak our minds


Once upon a time
CHORUS
We could speak our minds
But now I don't believe you gwendolyn

I don't believe you're all that strong
(chorus)
I don't believe you know the dangers
But now i don't believe you gwendolyn
Of this road you're travlin' on
I don't believe you're all that strong
You're always asking questions
I don't believe you know the dangers
That you know the answers to
Of this road you're travelin' on
Tell me please
You're always asking questions
What do you want from me
That you know the answers to

Tell me please
Gonna write a song
What do you want from me
Gonna tell it like it is

And if you recognize yourself
Gonna write a song
I know you're going to be pissed
Gonna tell it like it is
And if you call me on it
And if you recognize yourself
I'll deny it through and through
I know you're going to be pissed
Just like woody allen would
And if you call me on it
If he were in my shoes
I'll deny it through and through

Just like woody allen would
Once upon a time
If he were in my shoes
I could speak my mind


Once upon a time
CHORUS
I could speak my mind


Gonna write a letter
(chorus)
Gonna mail it to myself

Sincerely and forever
Gonna write a letter
You and yours can go to hell
Gonna mail it to myself
Well, the I'll put it in my pocket
Sincerely and forever
So when this all comes crashing down
You and yours can go to hell
I'll have a way to show you
Well, then i'll put it in my pocket
How long I've been wearing down
So when this all comes crashing down

I'll have a way to show you
Once upon a time
How long i've been wearing down.
We could speak our minds
Once upon a time

We could speak our minds
CHORUS 2X
(chorus 2x)

Her parent's house exudes a reborn air
(naydock/badlees)
The bathtub virgins in the midnight air

Seem to smile in celebration
Her parents house exudes a reborn air
What an intercession
The bathtub virgins in the midnight air
All inertia washed away
Seem to smile in celebration

What an intercession
CHORUS
All inertia washed away
Resplendent in dignity

Angeline is coming home
(chorus)

Resplendent in dignity
I'd fantasize her clean and home again
Angeline is coming home
The quintessential reverie free of pain

Just to keep from going crazy
I'd fantasize her clean and home again
While the cracks had claimed her
The quintessential reverie free of pain
And now that fantasy sustained
Just to keep from going crazy

While the cracks had claimed her
CHORUS
And how that fantasy sustained


The beautiful acquaintance
(chorus)
I desired has inspired me

To levels unforeseen
The beautiful acquaintance
True admiration for someone who's
I desired has inspired me
Made it back from the hell she was in
To levels unforeseen

True admiration for someone who's
When do I see her?
Made it back from the hell she was in
What said when I do?

Do I let fantasized ideals come through?
When do i see her?
To hear her laugh at my hyperbole
What say when i do?
Would send me....
Do i let fantasized ideals come through?
It's nice to have her home and whole
To hear her laugh at my hyperbole would send me.....

It's nice to have her home and whole
CHORUS

(chorus)

we used to drink our bacardi
(alexander/welsh/badlees)
behind the old house

and bitch about dream
We used to drink our bacardi
that would never come true
Behind the old school
then you heard a callin'
And bitch about dreams
that i hadn't felt
That would never come true
I liked you better
Then you heard a callin'
when you hated yourself
That i hadn't felt

I liked you better
now you spend lots of time
When you hated yourself
at that natural food place

buyin' fresh block of tofu
Now you spend lots of time
just like mom used to make
At that natural food place
you kicked your bad habits
Buyin' fresh blocks of tofu
you're in perfect health
Just like mom used to make
but i liked you better
You kicked your bad habits
when you hated yourself
You're in perfect health

But i liked you better
change, it came a blowin'
When you hated yourself
like we never met

your inner child and you play games
Change, it came a blowin'
that i just don't get
Like we never met
somewhere it's written
Your inner child and you play games
that this too shall pass
That i just don't get
but lately you've just been
Somewhere it's written
a pain in the ass...
That this too shall pass

But lately you've just been
ask me if i care
A pain in the ass....
well, i guess i still do

friends don't come easy
Ask me if i care
even assholes like you
Well, i guess i still do
and that shrink of yours
Friends don't come easy
she can go straight to hell
Even assholes like you
i liked you better
And that shrink of yours
when you hated yourself
She can go straight to hell

I liked you better
last time i saw you
When you hated yourself
you were on donahue

discussing your book
Last time i saw you
and everything you've been through
You were on donahue
now you've got your glamour
Discussing your book
your fame and your wealth
And everything you've been through
but i still liked you better
Now you've got your glamour
when you hated yourself.
Your fame and your wealth
But i still liked you better
When you hated yourself

Last night I dreamt of flying
(alexander/badlees)
Over hillsides in the snow

And I dove down through the clouds
Last night i dreamt of flying
Into the valley there below
Over hillsides in the snow
When the fields turned into parking lots
And i dove down through the clouds
My freedom turned to dread
Into the valley there below
The ground rose up to greet me
When the fields turned into parking lots
And I jumped up out of bed
My freedom turned to dread

The ground rose up to greet me
You can fly, fly, fly
And i jumped up out of bed
Off to anywhere you choose

You can try, try, try
You can fly, fly, fly
But eventually you'll lose
Off to anywhere you choose
It seems there's always something
You can try, try, try
Tryin' to bring a good man down
But eventually you'll lose
I have no fear of falling
It seems there's always something
But I hate hitting the ground
Tryin' to bring a good man down

I have no fear of falling
Searchin' through my sofa
But i hate hitting the ground
tryin' to find some extra change

I thought that I knew everything
Searchin' through my sofa
'Til everything changed
Tryin' to find some extra change
Now I'm standing on an island
I thought that i knew everything
That is sinking into the sea
'til everything changed
And all that I can do
Now i'm standing on an island
Is just enjoy the scenery
That is sinking into the sea

And all that i can do
Well you can fly, fly, fly
Is just enjoy the scenery
Off to anywhere you choose

you can try, try, try
Well, you can fly, fly, fly
But eventually you'll lose
Off to anywhere you choose
They say a man hears sweet, soft music
You can try, try, try
Just before he drowns
But eventually you'll lose
I have no fear of falling
They say a man hears sweet, soft music
But I hate hitting the ground
Just before he drowns

I have no fear of falling
You and I have politics
But i hate hitting the ground
There's lines that we don't cross

And we live happily ever after

Inside this little box
You and i have politics
But you just can't take a lion
There's lines that we don't cross
And throw him into a cage
And we live happily ever after
And expect him to be thankful
Inside this little box
For the shelter that you gave
But you just can't take a lion

And throw him into a cage
Well you can fly, fly, fly
And expect him to be thankful
Off to anywhere you choose
For the shelter that you gave
you can try, try, try

But eventually you'll lose
You can fly, fly, fly
The more you try to cling to me
Off to anywhere you choose
The less I'll stick around
You can try, try, try
I have no fear of falling
But eventually you'll lose
But I hate hitting the ground
The more you try to cling to me
The less i'll stick around
I have no fear of falling
But i hate hitting the ground

he was the king of the back seat
(alexander/naydock)
of drunk reverie

saw him escorted out of a mets game
He was the king of the back seat
on network t.v.
Of drunk reverie
kept his head in the clouds
Saw him escorted out of a mets game
with any cheap high he could cull
On network t.v.
in his cancered impala
Kept his head in the clouds
and his hog shirts
With any cheap high he could cull
and his head tapes played dull
In his cancered impala
he lived in a company house
And his hog shirts
in the pardeesville woods
And his head tapes played dull
with a stir crazy dog

and a graveyard of old 'jimmy' hoods
He lived in a company house
sundays we'd run for his stash
In the pardeesville woods
at the new york state line
With a stir crazy dog
that summer when moments of
And a graveyard of old "jimmy" hoods
circumstance altered like wine
Sundays we'd run for his stash

At the new york state line
CHORUS
That summer when moments of
this is for the man
Circumstance altered like wine
this is for the days that we killed

was it my wind of change
(chorus)
or just a breeze at the top of the hill
This is for the man
he didn't talk the gold ring
This is for the days that we killed
he just schemed for a skeleton key
Was it my wind of change
but when you think you met thunder
Or just a breeze at the top of the hill
you only see what your head wants to see
He didn't talk the gold ring

He just schemed for a skeleton key
he threw back-mountain parties
But when you think you met thunder
five deep at the 'well'
You only see what your head wants to see
with his girlfriend, louise, who'd get lit

and tell us all 'go to hell'
He threw back-mountain parties
then he'd get liquored up
Five deep at the "well"
and throw me his keys and yell 'drive'
With his girlfriend, louise, who'd get lit
with him and louise in the back
And tell us all "go to hell"
doin' 'american pie'
Then he'd get liquored up
he'd talk of out west over beer
And throw me the keys and yell "drive"
and the garbage that we ate
With him and louise in the back
'bout the punk band he'd managed
Doin' "american pie"
in phoenix in '78

i was this kid of sixteen the enamored
He'd talk of out west over beer
impressionable kind
And the garbage that we ate
in the poetic pull of the passion
'bout the punk band he'd managed
of life with the lines
In phoenix in '78

I was this kid of sixteen the enamored
CHORUS
Impressionable kind

In the poetic pull of the passion
he just disappeared that mid-august
Of life with the lines
not even a shout

then i read in the news that september
(chorus)
that his time had run out

how he tried to outrun a state trooper
He just disappeared that mid-august
down 93 south
Not even a shout
a charge of possession is why he fled
Then i read in the news that september
said word of mouth
That his time had run out
the paper said nothin' was left
How he tried to outrun a state trooper
but the seats and the frame
Down 93 south
and i read in the write-up
A charge of possession is why he fled
for the first time his real name;
Said word of mouth
birthplace unknown, not from nowhere

no close family
The paper said nothin' was left
just a wild running river
But the seats and the frame
that cut it too fast to the sea
And i read in the write-up

For the first time his real name;
i still raise a glass once a year
Birthplace unknown, not from nowhere
on the night that he died
No close family
though hindsight says
Just a wild river running
he only let me believe that we'd ride
That cut it too fast to the sea
lord, he still taps a vein in my mind

like a summer rain cools
I still raise a glass once a year
long after that river ran dry
On the night that he died
and reality ruled
Though hindsight says

He only let me believe that we'd ride
CHORUS 2X
Lord, he still taps a vein in my mind
Like a summer rain cools
Long after that river ran dry
And reality ruled

(chorus2x)