'Over the hills that climb the sky-

until Tabasco,' he said, 'we must be careful with our provisions.

The hike is long and I’m hungry  too

but our souls are on the line, and we cannot risk starvation.

Remember Jose, how he spoke of it there

and his eyes were like the stars.  Those eyes could be ours.'

 

'I remember holding you close,' she said.

'And I could feel Heaven in our embrace.

The soft breath of the angels as they closed their eyes.

The soft breath of you as I whispered.'

 

'Press on, press on,' he cried!

'From our past that child must hide to come out again, uncovered.

So pick up, pick up those sacred roots

That are waiting to be watered, for tonight we reach his altar.

So pick up, pick up those sacred roots

That are waiting to be watered, for tonight we reach his altar.'

 

And he’d heard that grace must be attained

by the middlemen throughout the ages

'There must be wine and bread, and all types of engagements.

Without this priest,' he thought, 'we are surely dead.'

 

Along the way they stumbled upon

a beggar and an echelon of soldiers

'There are many men here,' he thought

'responsible for one!'  So he asked one of the soldiers what the prisoner had done

'This man’s a priest,' said the soldier

'and we’re taking him to his death. Yes, we’ve been given very strict orders.'

 

'May I ask the priest one question before he goes?'

Said the soldier, 'Well, I suppose.'

'Father he cried, please hear my confession.'

'We haven’t much time, my son, you must be quick.'

 

'Well- this is my lover and this is our son,

and such a terrible thing we’ve done that I can barely come to speak of it.

But I must repent and be absolved,

or down that crooked road I’ll fall and end up with nothing at all

and I know that you’re on your way to the grave,

but there is no one left to right the wrongs that we've made.  And Father, we've come all this way.'

 

Said the priest, 'Well what would you like me to do?'

Said the man, 'Absolve me quick before you’re through!'

'You mean to say you’ve come such a way for this

and you didn’t bring me anything to fight the army with?'

 

She came at me when the sun was going down

Eyes full of light, begging to show me around,

With a glimmer of self respect

and a tattoo of an old lover on her neck

I thought of Jesus and the origin of names

I thought of whether or not she'd want to see me again

I brought down a peculiar wrath

Summoned from the Heavens or Satan's staff


Benny's a bum

Benny's a bum


I jam my fingers in every door

I throw myself at her mercy on the floor

I wiggle when she wags

I keep bringin' her those mestrual rags and


she throws tantrums like a child

She breaks my heart with her smile

I'm always picking up what she's throwing away

Each new item I find like a hint that she wants me to stay


She listens through my thin bedroom walls

She lives just across the hall

She takes lovers when they come

She moans like a beast when they're done

And the levees can't stop the storm

They get ripped up, tattered, and torn

Carried like a casket to its grave

on the shoulders of the waves


Benny's a bum

Benny's a bum


She reads books on writing and God

She carries with her the burden of Nimrod

To build something up and have it torn down

All her vanity scattered on the ground and


she throws tantrums like a child

She breaks my heart with her smile

I'm always picking up what she's throwing away

Each new item I find like a hint that she wants me to stay


Benny, keep you ears off the ground

Her rumble is never sound

Benny, always stay on top

Don't ever let her, let her make you stop

 The blue is green

The algae grows up around time

Let’s not make a scene

There’s no more room, not even for one of your famous lines

 

The silouette dances with the shadow

Until the memory complains

Saying, “I remember too many tomorrows,

Built on the morbid, brother or the strange”

 

Sometimes I wish that you were here with me

And sometimes I don’t

For every burden that you’ve laid on me

I think of some kind word that you spoke

 

My dreams are best

When I can think of something sweet

Sometimes I count the days left to see you

And sometimes I count sheep

 

There’s really no law we have to follow

There are no lectures to be endured

I’ll leave here with you tomorrow

If you really are sure

 

The mariachi band plays

A famous mariachi song

They play fast when you dance

And slow when you sing along

 

There have been times that I was sorry

And your forgiveness has been key

I will forgive you for anything

Unlock these shackles bound to me

But there’s no truth in symbols

Which you can now plainly see

And, yes it’s true I did ask you to wear my thimble

Before it was given to you for free

 

Whether by albatross or by wings

My love will stay above the ground

I might very well hang for certain things

But my love to my body is not bound

 Over my dead body
 
 Over the rubble that you've left behind
 
 Over the wrongs you've committed 
 
 And the graffiti left on his mind

 With your political manner

 Drawn up at the proper time
 
 And your unbearable debate between 
 
 The water and the wine
 
 And the spheres, they have their music
 
 They play on each string that is mine
 
 They move me very holy
 
 And they move me just in time

 

 A pirate at heart and a beggar on land
 
 With your lawyer's tricks there's no need to stand
 
 And you rise on the backs of those who've given you all
 
 That they can



 Well I've danced with the Misses
 
 I've stolen all, every one of her kisses
 
 I have left the ones who have loved me
 
 And the ones who did not mind
 
 And you found me 
 
 Deep in the meadow
 
 Beneath golden bars
 
 Beneath all that you've turned into money
 
 And all that you've stolen from the starts



 And I'm only made of skin and bones

 There's nothing I have you can't make alone
 
 With twigs and leaves you can burn down
 
 My house and home




The priest and the altar

The groom and the bride

The silence that moves between them
 
The passion that in public must hide
 
The pyramids and the workers
 
The faith that touches the sun
 
The work performed at the whip's lash
 
The fruits of labors eaten by those who've sewed none

 Well I'm crossing over muddy waters, boys
 
 Ten feet to Grace, but the gators, they're still cirlin' below
 
 And I, and I, and I just wanna be home

 

 Get 'em while they're hot
 
 Get 'em while they're hot

 

 Well if this don't work, I dunno what in the world I'm gonna do

  I have been stuck here for years with you
 
 And you can't help but feel a fright at the brink
 
 'Cause you never know, you never know, you never know what kind of trouble success may bring

 

 Get 'em while they're hot

 Get 'em while they're hot



 There's always metal stuck in my mind

 And it's weighing me down now all the time

 And there ain't nothing like superstitious beliefs

 But it's hard now, and it's hard now, gettin' hard now to see through the trees, but i know deep down that they are green



 Get 'em while they're hot

 Get 'em while they're hot

I go leading with my chin

My neck is blue again

I go leading with my chin

My neck is in the sling

One waives as one cuts me down

They all live in the same town

From those same hands come my crown

The ones that hung me up and set me down


I get it anyhow

I get it anyhow


I go riding with my thoughts

I put a suit on to look my best

I go riding with my thoughts

I think more but about much less

The air is fresh but the trees are old

I'm driving by lots of 'em on this road

Roll the window down to breathe in something new

Try to keep my mind off of the rear view


I get it anyhow

I get it anyhow


There's some good folks I knew

And by kneeling in pews

I can find them again

But there's nothing left to lend


It takes just one mind to judge a man

When there's a thought, you know there's a plan

I have a mind to take this land

What's yours is mine and goes round again

I have a flock of sheep and a mission

What will his mother say when the boy goes missin'?

I have a flock of sheep and a mission

What will his mother say when the boy goes missin'?


I get it anyhow

I get it anyhow

 The place is swinging, chandelier hung high

I’ve been gone too long, I ain’t slept a wink

Follow my father’s footsteps I’ll sink

My mind’s working too hard, too hard to blink

 

But I’d hurtle the moon if I could feel your strength

I’d break out that cell of blindness to find your faith

Let it rain on me

 

I’m singin’ jingles, not rhymes

The worst things said are in pantomime

The fog is thick now, makes the blood look like wine

All that we’ve shared can’t be covered up by darkness or grime

 

Standing on high is a two-backed beast

Standing on stilts just to watch the feast

Jezebel is hungry, there’s a man in the dark

He’s looking for the lightswitch, but he’s looking to hard

Let it rain on me

 

Danced a tango all on my own

The world can surprise you when you’re on your own

I’ve been down this road before says a voice in my head

You’ve gotta look up past the ceiling when there’s nothing left to be said

 

And Miss Lisa says she’s pulling the blinds down

I’ll bet you ten to one on a trader’s frown

Anyone can be trusted when there’s love in a heart

You’ve got to look deep in the shadows, there’s always light behind the dark

Let it rain on me

This empty place

The look on your face

This paralyzed feeling

To know that you're healing

The many stars

Expensive cars

The ticket salesmen

And the malnutrition



I know people like you

And they're always just passin' through

When they were here they didn't really care for you

People like you



The quick salvation

The water in the basin

Wedding rings and steeples

Brushes and easels 

The quicksand

Your thin white hand

Two months advanced appointments

And organic ointments



And I know people like you

They're always willing to see what they can do

They don't want their words misconstrued 

People like you



I keep my eyes open for you

But it was clearer when we shared the view, and

I built a home for two

I even shut the gate to get you through



Expectations

Justifications

The holocaust

Homemade applesauce

Movie shorts

Book reports

Wheels and spokes

Tallies and votes



And I know people like you

There's always something else they'd rather do

But when they miss the train they blame it on you

People like you

They stare out the window at you

And instead of helping with a box or two

They just recite their daily meditation haiku

People like you

 These dreams of you aren't getting easier
 
 In fact they're getting much worse

 You said storms as bright as your eyes

 Always must leave in a hearse 




 And you flew off into some paradise
 
 Some paradise known only by kings

 Draped in rags made of rain

 Followed by soldiers' prayers



 I'll claim my baggage

 At the gates made of stone

 My tears they scream for mercy

 My gull just screams for your bones



 
 And your picture, it is now wicked

 But once was something to behold
 
 I didn't leave you for silver
 
 But I should have for gold



 The sound of gypsies fills the market
 
 While beggars throw change in a box

 And their pious prayers ask for sympathy

 From a God who judges not



 And who are you ladies

 Who dance for me so slow?

 How long can you dance for

 Can you promise me never to go?



 Is his love so pure

 Does it dare seem like mine?

 Shall I send you a letter

 Are you the sending kind?



 Your footprints are still on shore
 
 They stand strong against the tide

 The water's never clean, babe

 But it'll do for a time

 Her mind is moving from thing to thing

 Stuck for a while on an angel's wing

 Fly me off to a pigeon's perch

 When you're hanging on there's always a moment of courage

 My love, she's made up of spit and fire

 I'd do anything for her that her heart desires

 Sun rises in the east, and it sets in the west

 Somewhere in the middle I found a treasure's chest



 The bird gets its silhouette from above

 It can shine all day, I'm still missin' your love




 Blood on blood and skin on skin

 I swear I heard you makin' love to him

 Shut your eyes and count to ten

 When you open up I will be better than him

 I'm trudging the road of happy destiny

 The road's much longer than I thought it would be

 And please baby don't call me a liar

 Ain't you never seen a man so full of desire?



 I'm crying into the furnace my friend

 It's cold outside, please let me warm my hands

 I know that you're busy, very busy this evening

 I remember when you weren't, I'm on my knees with this feeling



 I'm standing on the pavement

 You're dancing on the lawn

 To watch you smile, it's such a beautiful thing

 Oh I don't want everything

 I'm sorry for all the wrong that I've done

 I didn't mean to cause you any harm

 The day is bleak, my nerves, they're gone

 I wish that you were here in my arms



 The Lord is my shepherd and I shall follow

 Even if you ain't here tomorrow

 You're in love now under a starry sky

 And the tears, they're like fire, under my eyes

 I woke up this morning

And the blues tied me to the bed

I did dream the day away

My tears turned to lead

A guitar plays softly

In a window I know

Your smile burned deep now

Deep as it can go

 

Heaven’s full of simple sadness

As I picture you in the spring

And I’m full of fiery madness

I’ve got nothing left for to sing

 

The fixtures set in their places

I’ve got to shake the dust off

My house is made up of things

I hope won’t get lost

I stand under your veranda

Just to throw up the sages

I can’t hold nothing back now

I can’t hide in the mind’s mazes

 

And I just can’t remember

Where all of this is coming from

When all I want to do

Is feel your love

My hand, it’s on the trigger, My hand it’s on the trigger

My target just keeps gettin’ bigger

Too big to suit my eyes

I’m lost out on the range, I’m lost out on the range

It’s been months since I’ve seen any rain

These droughts sometimes slim me down to size

Wish I could be there to greet ya, oh I wish I could be there to greet ya

And I’ve never seen Virginia,

The mountains they might mend our ties

 

I wish I could hear that train whistle blow

But the tracks that ran through here left a long time ago

 

If I lose my wits I’m a goner, If I lose my wits I’m a goner

I remember you all too well mother

I remember even clearer when you died

The news just ate you up, the news just ate you up

Life has a funny way of making people tough

I could see you reborn through beaten eyes

His hammer’s still beatin’ on my head, His hammer, it’s still beatin’ on my head

I can still see his eyes turn red

They took even the most ready by surprise

 

The house that I lived in was sold

But the memories won’t grow old

And I wish I could hear that train whistle blow

But the tracks that ran through here left a long time ago

 

Her hair it’s filled with roses, her hair it’s filled with roses

My baby, she strikes many poses

The anticipation sometimes makes me blind

Never can tell who’s been cheatin’ who, never can tell who’s been cheatin’ who

By the end of the day it just makes me blue

If you love something you got to let it die

There’s not only a winner, not only a winner

By the end of the race there’s always a sinner

I was told by the truth in the whiskey priest’s lie

 

Over yonder the vines are growing tall

Every strangle to the top is a strangle for us all

And I wish I could hear that train whistle blow

But the tracks that ran through here left a long time ago

 

 Put your new dress on

And come here to me

There’s so much of the evening

To watch while we’re at sea

You can stand near the bow

See the waves pass by

Or you can watch the stars from the crow’s nest

It’s calming to be close to the sky

 

I hear goodbye whispers in the air

I can feel you move everywhere

In the strong hands of this sturdy oak

In the echo of those bells when they pulled that rope

 

You can be a miracle

Or a disaster

You can sail from the old to the new

Or drown in the sea’s laughter

Your passengers travel

In your enormous care

They trust you to carry them

Through weather both foul and fair

 

I hear goodbye whispers in the air

I can feel you move everywhere

In the strong hands of this sturdy oak

In the echo of those bells when they pulled that rope

 

The ship is sunk

And we’ve found our own floats

Yours is the life vest you brought for the voyage

Mine’s a piece of the boat

You must’ve had some idea

That this ship would go down

You had your vest straps pulled tight

Before anyone knew there was an iceberg around

 

I live in the woods now

To be near the trees

There’s a safe feeling you get

Whenever they grow new leaves

With my hands in my pockets

And my face towards the sky

Sometimes I wonder

Whether or not those people were destined to die

 

And I hear goodbye whispers in the air

And I can feel you move everywhere

In the strong hands of this sturdy oak

In the echo of those bells when they pulled that rope

 

 The day's gettin' old

 My soul's gettin' cold

 And the whole world is bleeding in my mind

 And the rain won't come

 To wash away

 Yesterday's

 Fog horn blow

 Take a trip out past the shrine

 Lookin' out over a hillside 

 And the world ain't a friend of mine


 

 Miles ahead

 I can hear a boy

 And he's whistling in the dark

 The echo's loud

 Drowning out

 Any train of thought

 And the dirt that's on my hands

 Suddenly turns to sand

 And slips off into the sea

 The current always takes its time

 As it's whistling by

 And the world ain't a friend of mine




 Ain't no more gray in the sky

 And the stars they just died

 And the earth opens up and swallows me whole

 It's a long way down

 'Specially when you know your way around

 And the tears they muster up like steam

 You're clawing at the sides

 Until the rock turns to dust

 And you find you ain't moved an inch

 It must be in letting go

 But every time I try I just choke

 And my throat is soar from screaming loud

 Maybe it ain't supposed to be here

 What you think is near

 And so just leave behind your pride

 The dark still ain't getting light

 But it's ok, let it die

 The world ain't a friend of mine