Boys
spoken word intro: “Joe and I are going to teach you
about the bitterness that is, boys”
we have no rattlesnakes here(x2)
we have no devil in here
cause we have boys(x2)
who share the same poison(x3)
we have no devils here
we have no devil in here
we have no rattlesnakes here
cause we have boys(x2)
who drink the same poison
who share the same poison(x2)

To The Neighbors of Our Age
How does the right or either hand
in a prayer that my debts will all fail me
to the now departing team
with their fugitive customs
like grieving for us
and to the neighbors of our age
we’ll let grieving be lost
to what is appropriate for us(x4)

Freedom Pt. 2
see your teeth are robed in crimson
from your biting back this pain
and if I had the strength for smiling
you’d see that my pain looks the same
and I must walk these roads to freedom
cause I can hear them call my name
in due time I shall return
my first word will be your name
then I will have the strength for smiling
you will see that crimson stain
turn your passion into patience
there is bound to be great pain
and I must walk these roads to freedom
cause I can hear them call my name
if you can shoulder patience burden
in due time I’ll wear your name

Trans Am
Have you been adventuring
From your native grieving
I elect its conquered
She elects its conquered
These paths to exit
These paths rise often
They are a lie
They are against you
We all should have ruin
Ruin so swift
When it’s eager its treason
with no conscience
When it’s love (2x)

Soul
I tell all your friends that
you’re bound for glory
and how long did you know
that you’d make it there before me
and what is it like
is it worth this misfortune
what is it like on the other side
these 20 years I’ve loved one thing only
I love what I know about passion
I love what I know about mercy
I love what I know about patience
I love what I know about soul
and I know you(x3)
I tell all my friends
that I’m bound for heaven
and if I ain’t so
you can’t blame me for living
I know what it’s like
and it’s worth this misfortune
I know what it’s like on the other side
these 20 years I’ve loved one thing only
I love what I know about passion
I love what I know about mercy
I love what I know about patience
I love what I know about soul
and I know you(x3)

Still Around
to make you stay I’ll never try
and when you go I will not cry
but for awhile I might be found
somewhere near, still around
and may you find a love that’s true
someone to love and cherish you
and may you love as I love you
and if you ever feel alone
with no true love to call you own
and if you need a place to hide
these arms of mine are open wide
and if a cold love brings you pain
my love is warm as summer rain always
remember I’ll be found, still around

Waltham
and the most honest one with
razor wit tongues
cut the bellies of their debtors
and I’m one
and the last line of all stands thus
in my black letter
despair, there are hopes
in darkness there are suns
collapse, there is service in love(x2)

Nay, ’tis not death
the lord knows mercy he don’t know fire
and fire receive thy soul(x2)
the devil knows mercy, the devil knows fire
and fire receive thy soul(x2)
I see the sun alone every morning
I see the soul of you
the rest is instinctive
guess now who holds thee
is it death(x5)
nay, its not death
and this…tonight do not retire
the lost trade their bibles
for whiskey’s sweet fire
and fire receive thy soul(x2)
the lost tonight do not retire
I’m faithful I’m faithful in fire
and fire receive thy soul
is it death(x2)
nay, its not death(x2)

Napoleon
is there any room for death even to try
the movement, were it granted,
is only going to go
you are not, as day follows day
to be forgot
you I have not, forgot
at least, we are touched upon
our last days at this place
this time you will not talk of risk
only of certain consequence
oh, you and Napoleon all of that ambition
you are not, as day follows day
to be forgot
you I have not, forgot

How To Be Perfect Men
suppose my life has its plan
I choose to have women write my plan
and I have my reasons
they’ll write that list of all that I should be
and perfect men would never be
jealous or desperate
my ghost and I in our grave will lie
and we’ll read that plan
on how to be perfect man
if anyone succeeds you
this will be her song to know that
I will get it wrong(x2)
be mine
’til you’re reminded of something better
be mine
until it comes along
be mine
’til you’re reminded of something better
until it comes along

For You (Greenbrier-black album LP only)
an abuse of mercy is the action of
a survivor only
the stars that glow from port to Portland
are not the same to abort their sting
when judgment comes to walk the earth
he will come with heaviest tidings
when he knocks on the door is for you(x3)
unless a friend were in deed to labor
his life alongside his greatest hazard
they’red always be room for you

7th Street Wonderland
the sky was full with a gray winter light
and each freezing degree made its target that night
and the pulse of the snow was the pulse of twighlight
the pulse of the snow was the pulse of diamonds
and you wear it in your hair like a constellation
and we both swear by the size of that moon that
the sky will sink tonight(x4)

Darling You Are….
darling you are one of the bad women
darling you are one of…..

Journey On
though the morning will bring your leaving
I’ll shed ne’er one tear while you’re here
and though weeping will bring small comfort
let your sorrows by and
journey on(x2)
when your love has gone journey on
though this sunshine ship she is sinking
her sailor’s near despair
they journey on(x2)
when your love has gone journey on

Calling Bird
a calling bird
calls our name out loud
a calling bird
knows our fate
his voice is thick and slow
and he’s singing in the rain
a calling bird
spells our name out loud
d.e.a.d.

Untitled #1 (Eye Of the Beholder CD)
you don’t have to know, a lot
you don’t have to know, I know
news of the world arrive (arrive)
you don’t have to know, arrive
news of the world arrive (x2)
arrive

Fade Street
when the struggles of the day are emptied out
the black equator of tar will trace them out
the laurel of moss will trace the route
the steady line of empty cars to trace the route
the steady echo, the unending pulse
the map of shadows with no corrections
fighting the army of the moon and her reflections

Untitled #2 (Comes With A Smile CD)
covered in the ash gray shade of the overhead track
ace of spades black in those chestnut browns
most of the way to over dose
looming dark, damp earth and deaths laid
wolf headed guests, let them in, all of them
they can all come right in at least their honest,
at least with me they have been
and i think how much you look like my sister
christ, it doesn’t take much, you look exactly like her
and you sense a gate of fire, we are all passing through
some of us wait ’til the end and some of us pass right through

Howler
the light in the dust, the light in the desert
the shadow on us, shadow on the compass
dog’s ghost red eyes the dog’s ghost blue eyes
howler (x4)
electric eyes in hell run on power made in cleveland
the slow bells write time out in blood
the slow bells write our shadows out in blood
and the slow bells write my echo down in blood
howler (x3)
the breath in my skull horizon in my blood (x2)
howler (x5)

Untitled #3 (Travels In Constants CD)
compass bright scarecrow balance blackness
ember moon girl easy lips
????? attacker stare balance ending
light of the caravan and thunder across the vast plain above the wings loom like sickles above them there wings loom like sickles
their hearts and their black hearts
the sand and the sand that darkens the blood
their wings loom above like sickles
a son of the earth has not put out the night
it’s breath won’t catch up, the wilderness in front (x2)
the sand is thick in the blood
the moon and the black moon beside the moon
the owl and the black owl beside the owl
the moons above like a sickle (x2)
as the hardest day quiet ends
chalk on the wet wood around the shadow
of alphabets around the globe
all of these corrections and all of these failings
all of these corrections permanent says:
tell me to remember (x2)
your pulse beats on forever in the wreckage of this man
briar is coiled around his star (x2)
and you write the word for this and you write for this with your eyes closed (x2)

No Moon On The Water (Chunklet 7″)
no moon on the water
the way i’m acting it’s no wonder
the blues come
i can’t outrun ‘em
i ain’t foolin’ me
i ain’t foolin’ no one
i have to work hard to suffer alone
i have to work harder to be so alone
don’t like half of who i’ve been
but i’ve kept my promises to all of them
tie my wings behind my back
cut out my eyes and fill ‘em with lead
cut off my head and put the black mules there
trade my heart for a fire
fill my bones with the grey wolf
face me to the shore
give me one reason to live
give me one single reason to live
don’t have to be good (x3)

In The Human World (Chunklet 7″)
mountain of the dead
are you listening
you’re gonna lose so much
if the lightning’s going by
you’ve already lost so much
if the moon has gone by
all the good things
are asleep in the human world
it’s made more room
for the dark to walk around
my heart is sick and i didn’t make it out
speak to all my friends whose names i don’t remember now
you’re gonna lose a lot
you’ll get used to it somehow

Down The Wrong Road Both Ways
If I could follow my whole life’s track
I’d still be here at the crossroads, dear
My broken heart has never left
Half the time it took half my life
To have half a right to say
Nothing ever comes back home
That takes the blue star highway
Nothing ever makes it home
That takes the blue star highway
If today you’re left with nothing
Be thankful you’re not left with less
Some of us only lose the dark
To get lost in darkness
Red crescent moon you can lay the lantern down
I’m back where you join hands
With the blue highway now
If I could have my heart come back
And be forgiven for them old days
We’d be headed where we always been
Down the wrong road both ways
We’d be headed where we always been
Down the wrong road both ways