WALK ON WATER
with both these hands for hire
there’s an echo in my bones
i’ll etch your name in stone
these are things to do alone
would’ve like to have seen it while this house was still a home
at war like angry brothers
there’s an art to taking sides
i don’t do unto others
but believe me that i have tried
never walked on water but i keep my body dry
a dirty hand wipes dusty cobwebs from my eye
never walked on water but i keep my body dry
a dirty hand wipes dusty cobwebs from my eyes
never walked on water but i keep my body dry
a dirty hand wipes dusty cobwebs from my eye
never walked on water but i keep my body dry
a dirty hand wipes dusty cobwebs from my eyes
OVER THE OEUVRE
you hold the end of a lightning rod
or give a wily nod to the firing squad
but we all notice that when you throw your head back
and roll your wandering eyes
that it doesn’t feel quite right
over the blazes, over the limb
over and over turned into now and then
away in a daydream that fills my head
it’s the living dead on a thoroughbred
don’t you notice that when he pulls his head down
and wipes his watery eyes
no, he won’t enjoy the ride
don’t you notice that when you lift your head up
and squint your road-weary eyes
that it doesn’t look quite right
over the blazes, over the limb
over and over turned into now and then
over the blazes, over the limb
over and over turned into now and then
over the blazes, over the limb
over and over turned into now and then
BLACK AND TAN
a station left unmanned
short tempers and
i wear black and you wear tan
take my ten a day
buy myself a lay and shoot a fish in a barrel
a carpet, red, rolled out
like we read about
i could sing and you could shout
take my ten a day
tear myself away and let loose with a siren
i dress my wounds again
write a word to send
well i could break but you won’t bend
take my ten a day
fall asleep in the hay and put a curse on the morning
strategies gone wrong
this is where i belong
strategies gone wrong
this is where i belong
WELL, WHATEVER
we went broke, red-faced and alone
tried to leave that life behind
go where the sun would always shine
winter chill, a chin on a windowsill
getting old and going blind
here at the table where we dined
don’t believe a word i say
whatever gets you through the day
sky won’t yield inches for the field
pull a weed and a dandelion
there won’t be takings from the vine
don’t believe a word i say
whatever gets you through the day
with my keys, i drive through tennessee
found a ditch and a mountain pine
broken with matching black eyes
poured my last into a drinking glass
gave a toast and a sip of wine
and wait for our worlds to collide
don’t believe a word i say
whatever gets you through the day
IF YOU’RE ON THE MEND I’M ON THE MOVE
i don’t care if you don’t care
let’s call this off without despair
indifference is a worthless thing to share
i won’t cry if you don’t cry
i won’t heave another heavy sigh and
you won’t have to learn to compromise
spend enough of my time just trying to make sense of you
i’ll never tell another lie again in defense of you
i’m not waiting around for more trouble to brew
if you’re on the mend i’m on the move
i can move on if you can move on
once in a dream i was already gone and
haven’t slept so well in oh, so long
so i don’t care if you don’t care
let’s call this off without despair
indifference is a worthless thing to share
no i’ll never write a song just to try to poke fun at you
no i’ll never do you wrong even though i’m all done with you
i’m not waiting around for more trouble to brew
if you’re on the mend i’m on the move
if you’re on the mend i’m on the move
CREST
dark corners and doors that move
they left me here stranded with you
when you reach the crest
the pains in your chest
there’s not much a lady can do
strange places, the looks on their faces
cups pouring out into three-legged races
i run, i run, i run, i run
i run, i run, i run, i run
won’t you believe there’s only arms up my sleeves
so dress up and show us relief
with no one to trust, learn to do what you must
you’re helpless and you’re heartless with me
brainstorming like thunderheads forming
a salt-water feeling i’ll sink in the bright morning sun
the sun, the sun, the sun
the sun, the sun, the sun, the sun
won’t you believe there’s only arms up my sleeves
so dress up and show us relief
with no one to trust, learn to do what you must
you’re helpless and you’re heartless with me
won’t you believe there’s only arms up my sleeves
so dress up and show us relief
with no one to trust, learn to do what you must
you’re helpless and you’re heartless with me
THESE THREE THINGS
there, there are no walls of gold
there are no walls of gold
new year’s eve
a late hour and you cast your line in the caspian sea
hone your black arts
lately you just fall apart
don’t deceive
a night owl can move through the dark with the greatest of ease
my au revoir
lately you just fall apart
i think i see 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2,
3 is the number of things i can wonder about
just too much to puzzle out
i think i see 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2,
3 is the number of things i can wonder about
maybe we’ll just straighten out
window seat
sight lines but you only see what you wanted to see
miss morning star
lately you just fall apart
i think i see 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2,
3 is the number of things i can wonder about
i think i see 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2,
3 is the number i pillage and plunder
a 40-day slumber that you won’t stop talking about
maybe we’ll just straighten out
i think i see 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2,
3 is the number like lightning and thunder
a 40-day slumber that you won’t stop talking about
maybe we’ll just straighten out
MINOS MAZE
never thought i’d be in here with you
this place i’ve constructed can tear you in two
run you to ruin
cause the walls have no end
i think i know where to begin
let’s gather some feathers and string
we’ll bind them together
with wax to make wings
they’ll keep us from ruin
stay out of the sun or the wax comes undone
i watch as you take to the air
the smile on your face and the wind through your hair
but the flight leads to ruin
and the fall has no end
it’s the heat from the sun
the wings came undone
GALLOPING GHOSTS
these are the haunted places and rife with galloping ghosts
there are my last two friends
they washed up on the coast
arise from the grave
look out across a silver landscape of galloping ghosts on our heels
racing and chasing the nightmare’s almost over now
dusky day, there’s a fog on the high points
arise from the grave
pull your chains into the sun
a fair and dusky day, well
these are the haunted places and rife with galloping ghosts
there are my last two friends
they washed up on the coast
a fair, dusky day
there’s a fog on the high points
CLEAN BREAK
watch the river run dry
it really wasn’t much to see
saw the darkening sky
exactly as i thought it would be
i’ve seen so many signs
just can’t bear to feign surprise
and you can’t sing along
cause you don’t know the song
i’ve got a message for you
you’ll think you’re slipping on through
it’s gonna get you too
saw the mountaintop high
to get a better look at the sea
the ever-cycling tide
don’t betray a thing to me
i’ve seen so my signs
i’ve found contempt i can’t disguise
and it’s directed at you
cause you don’t have a clue
i’ve decided today
it’s time to make a clean break
getting out of the way
SHOULDER STORIES
the devil that sits on your shoulder
says i, says i
i’ll only tell you what you want to hear
lay down and rust and leave it behind with the dust
cause i’ll only tell you what you want to hear
i want to ride with you
lay down and rust and leave it behind with the dust
cause i’ll only tell you what you want to hear
let me ride with you
lay down and rust and leave it behind
your shoulder is rightfully mine
whisper and scheme, wicked awe
doesn’t it seem like on call
that i’ll only tell you what you want to hear
lay down and rust and leave it behind
your shoulder is rightfully mine
lay down and rust and leave it behind
your shoulder is rightfully mine
THE WHIP AND THE WORLD
the whip and the world and the wry
these are the things that caught my eye
hooray for a heavenly spy!
these are the things that caught my eye
a tryst and a girl and the lie
these are the things that make me sigh
oh, what a nice surprise!
these are the things that make me sigh
hooray for a heavenly spy!
these are the things that caught my eye
a trip and a coach we can ride
dragging the sun across the sky
hooray for a heavenly spy!
dragging the sun across the sky
INDIAN ISLE
oh dear, the breezes carry curses
bound to tweak your nervous brow
hold back the hate behind the hammer
for something you can write about
i’ll ride up the waterfalls
rising tide, port of call
old talk, the ghosts of conversations
fossilize inside my mouth
have you recent revelations
are you what it’s all about
i’ll ride up the waterfalls
rising tide, port of call
free under the sun
out on the sea, indian run
free under the sun
out on the sea, indian run
i’ll ride up the waterfalls
rising tide, port of call
mind my right weary sailors
i’m on my own
out here unknown
i’m on my own
out here unkown
high winds are coming
to steer me west again
free under the sun
indian run
GEORGE CLOSING
doors opening
george closing
your salty antics and half-brain behavior’s self-limiting
but riveting
she’s understanding and not that demanding
but withering and simmering
a pot boiling over a fire set to smoulder
and blistering
Kingsbury Manx 