Kevin's Watch

*sigh* with recent Simon & Garfunkel lyrics popping up here, nostalgia sets in and I thought I'd add one more.... I must admit it's probably more for the music that I loved this song, but most S&G lyrics are pretty good.

Gee but it's great to be back home
Home is where I want to be.
I've been on the road so long my friend,
And if you came along
I know you couldn't disagree.

It's the same old story
Everywhere I go,
I get slandered,
Libeled,
I hear words I never heard
In the Bible
And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine
Two steps away from the county line
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied,
Satisfied.

Deputy Sheriff said to me
Tell me what you come here for, boy.
You better get your bags and flee.
You're in trouble boy,
And now you're heading into more.

It's the same old story
Everywhere I go,
I get slandered,
Libeled,
I hear words I never heard
In the Bible
And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine
Two steps away from the county line
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied,
Satisfied.

Bob Walkenhorst - Ridiculously Beautiful

Some days it's a comedy
Others it's a crime
Some days riches turn to water
And rags turn to wine

Most of my days blur into
A blanket of my thoughts
But it all adds up to something
Though I'm never sure just what

I saw you across a parking lot
Some approaching storm
With your hands in your coat pockets
Like you're carrying a gun

Loaded with possibilities
All meant for me
You put me to the pavement
It was pretty plain to see

Everything I'd known before
Was weightless, thin and wet
You leaned over me and whispered
"You ain't seen nothing yet."

I stood beside the canyon
Saw you far across
Smiling through our many secrets
Like they just weren't worth the cost

Or the anger or the heartache
Or the worry or the fear
We are pebbles in an avalance
That's ringing in my ears

That's how I shot my hearing
That's how I wrecked my sight
Staring at the burning fuse
Near down to the dynamite

Women women everywhere
But not a drop to drink
You're the one that I thirst after
Forever until I sink

Beneath your swirling surface
Disappearing, bubbling air
Am I swimming? Am I drowning?
What's the difference? I don't care

Some days are a comedy
Others are a crime
But most are masterpieces
Of a ludicrous design

Ridiculously beautiful
Absurdly rich and dense
I'm delirious with fever
It's finally making sense

Bob Walkenhorst - Overland Hill

Down Overland Hill, she was waiting there
At the bottom for me with a big blank stare
That was open to anything, legal or not
I fell in love with her right there on the spot
She kissed me soft for a minute or two
And we rolled rolled rolled down Overland Hill

She was blowing Salina, dust on her truck
When she ran into me and a stretch of bum luck
It was more like dumb luck on my part
When I jimmied the lock and broke into her heart
Hit the gas and the gravel blew
And we rolled rolled rolled down Overland Hill

Roll down the window, let the wind blow away
All the things that you don't want to think about today
Tears don't roll uphill they say
As they broke through the clouds and into the day

We got off the highway at some railroad town
Where we bounced a few checks and slammed a few down
At the White Horse Motel in an hourly room
She lay naked on the bed watching cartoons
In our rearview mirror they were shaking the bill
As the snow rolled in on Overland Hill

We drove in spirals to who knows where
Figured we'd know when we finally got there
Forty miles from Manhattan, we ran out of gas
Spent the night shivering under an overpass
The way she looked in the verlant vapor light
A sunflower nodding in the white Kansas night
I was a scarecrow trying to keep my head
While she slept like she was along in her own bed

Every once in a while she would talk in her sleep
And mumble some name unfamiliar to me
I guess in the morning I should have let it go
But I've never been one to leave well enough alone

Roll down the window, let the wind hit your face
You can have it all, just not all in one place
Sometimes things work out good
Sometimes they don't, no matter how you wish they would
Tears don't roll uphill they say
But over my shoulder I expect someday
Hear a voice saying, "Love, aren't you going my way?"
She'll kiss me soft as the wind blows away
All the things that we don't want to think about today
We'll roll roll roll down Overland Hill
Down Overland Hill

Probably my favorite band so far from this decade (along with The Shins.) Consistently very touching and whistfully beautiful music.

From Death Cab for Cutie's Brothers on a Hotel Bed:

You may tire of me as our December sun is setting
'cause I'm not who I used to be.
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise
the youthful boy below
who turned your way and saw something he was not looking for:
both a beginning and an end.
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize
when he catches his reflection on accident.

Cause now we say goodnight from our own separate sides
like brothers on a hotel bed.

They're awesome lyrics, AjK.

Maynard James Keenan is often very poetic, and this commentary on human kind's natural tendency to cock things up particularly resonates with me. And it is an unbelievable song musically - the drumming (and guitar) surpasses belief - I can't believe how stunning they are!

Tool - Right in Two

Angels on the sideline,
Puzzled and amused.
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they're all confused.

Don't these talking monkeys know that Eden has enough to go around?
Plenty in this holy garden, silly monkeys
Where there's one you're bound to divide it right in two.

Angels on the sideline,
Baffled and confused.
Father blessed them all with reason,
And this is what they choose?

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys.
Give them thumbs, they forge a blade,
And where there's one they're bound to divide it right in two.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys.
Give them thumbs, they make a club to beat their brother down.
How they've survived so misguided is a mystery.
Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability
To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here. - ugh, brilliant!!

Gotta divide it all right in two.

Fight till they die over sun, over sky,
They fight till they die over sea, over air,
They fight till they die over blood, over love,
They fight till they die over words, polarizing.

{the best musical build up I've heard in a looooong time....}

Angels on the sideline again,
Benched along with patience and reason.
Angels on the sideline again,
Wondering where this tug of war will end.

Gotta divide it all right in two.

A couple from Over The Rhine. I always play these two together and back when i was courting my wife, made her a mix tape and she always thought this was one song.

Lullabye

The night has a thousand eyes and ears
the rain tends to wash away my fears
it’s not been long but it seems like years
and now you’re here

brush away my tears
brush away my tears

the lullaby in your quiet eyes
instinctive as the night
and just as warm

brush away my tears
brush away


Rhapsodie

And i couldn’t love you
any more
than i do right now

and The Furies that i feared were
Eumenides to lead me here
here i linger

and the cadences we hear
may grow different in coming years
still I’ll tell you

that I couldn’t love you
any more
than I do right now

and if you should ever leave
then I would love you for what you need
I could still tell you

that I couldn’t love you
any more
than I do right now

Oooh. I love them. Vain introduced me to their music.

I love this one:

I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears
I was born to love
I'm gonna learn to love without fear

Pour me a glass of wine
Talk deep into the night
Who knows what we'll find

Intuition, deja vu
The Holy Ghost haunting you
Whatever you got
I don't mind

Put your elbows on the table
I'll listen long as I am able
There's nowhere I'd rather be

Secret fears, the supernatural
Thank God for this new laughter
Thank God the joke's on me

We've seen the landfill rainbow
We've seen the junkyard of love
Baby it's no place for you and me

I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears
I was born to love
I'm gonna learn to love without fear

Great choice Sea. I almost posted that one too. It stays in my head more than any of their songs after I hear it.

Queen were instrumental in my youth - Freddie Mercury an enormous talent. This song is heart-wrenching - after he knew he was dying of AIDS, and wanted to keep making music:

The Show Must Go On - Queen

Empty spaces - what are we living for
Abandoned places - I guess we know the score
On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for

Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore

The show must go on
The show must go on
Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
Another heartache, another failed romance
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for

I guess I'm learning, I must be warmer now
I'll soon be turning, round the corner now
Outside the dawn is breaking
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free

The show must go on
The show must go on
Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly - my friends

The show must go on
The show must go on
I'll face it with a grin
I'm never giving in
On - with the show -

I'll drop the bill, I'll overkill
I have to find the will to carry on
On with the -
On with the show -
The show must go on

Endymion9 wrote:Great choice Sea. I almost posted that one too. It stays in my head more than any of their songs after I hear it.

My favorite part is this:

Put your elbows on the table
I'll listen long as I am able
There's nowhere I'd rather be

I don't know why. Just always loved that!

Seareach wrote:

Endymion9 wrote:Great choice Sea. I almost posted that one too. It stays in my head more than any of their songs after I hear it.

My favorite part is this:

Put your elbows on the table
I'll listen long as I am able
There's nowhere I'd rather be

I don't know why. Just always loved that!

Sea,
Besides Karin's beautiful, beautiful voice and Linford's great lyrics, they are very nice people also. Linford personally answers every fan mail/email they receive. Too bad they don't get the widespread attention they rate.

and StevieG,
I agree, those lyrics are very powerful knowing the sitation Freddie was in.

OK - can you good people recommend one Over the Rhine recording for me to start with - I haven't heard their music, but always looking for something new, and it's sounds like my cup of tea.

Thanks

StevieG wrote:OK - can you good people recommend one Over the Rhine recording for me to start with - I haven't heard their music, but always looking for something new, and it's sounds like my cup of tea.

Drunkards Prayer. I think that's what the album is called.

And Endy, I was actually quite chuffed to hear their song Born played on the US tv series "Bones" (series one) a little while ago.

"Ghost Of Corporate Future" - Regina Spektor

A man walks out of his apartment,
It is raining, he's got no umbrella
He starts running beneath the awnings,
Trying to save his suit,
Trying to save his suit.
Trying to dry, and to dry, and to dry but no good

When he gets to the crowded subway platform,
He takes off both of his shoes
He steps right into somebody's fat loogie
And everyone who sees him says, "Ew."
Everyone who sees him says, "Ew."

But he doesn't care,
'Cause last night he got a visit from the
Ghost of Corporate Future
The ghost said, "Take off both your shoes
Whatever chances you get
Especially when they're wet."

He also said,
"Imagine you go away
On a business trip one day
And when you come back home,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan."

"And people make you nervous
You'd think the world is ending,
And everybody's features have somehow started blending
And everything is plastic,
And everyone's sarcastic,
And all your food is frozen,
It needs to be defrosted."

"You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now.
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now."

"Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee,
And never ever watch the ten o'clock news,
Maybe you should kiss someone nice,
Or lick a rock,
Or both."

"Maybe you should cut your own hair
'Cause that can be so funny
It doesn't cost any money
And it always grows back
Hair grows even after you're dead"

"And people are just people,
They shouldn't make you nervous.
The world is everlasting,
It's coming and it's going.
If you don't toss your plastic,
The streets won't be so plastic.
And if you kiss somebody,
Then both of you'll get practice."

"The world is everlasting
Put dirtballs in your pocket,
Put dirtballs in your pocket,
And take off both your shoes.
'Cause people are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you.
People are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you."

The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
It's coming and it's going

_-----------------------------

Click on season 2, episode 10 to listen to it.

THE FALL
Ministry - Filth Pig (1996)

Take this invitation
Bishops Queen to Pawn
All of us were taken
All that was is gone
Of this information
Shames us one and all
Where's my compensation?
Watching others fall

Welcome to the fall

Everything is useless
Nothing works at all
Nothing ever matters
Welcome to the fall
Welcome to the fall
Welcome to the fall
Welcome to the fall

Like a flash of light in an endless night
Life is trapped between two black entities
'Cause when you trust someone
Illusion has begun
No way to prepare
Impending despair

Did one say so cruel
'Tis better to love than lose
Ignorance is bliss
Wish not knew your kiss
So many times been burned
This lesson goes unlearned
Remember desire only fuels the fire
Liar!

Betwixed birth and death
Every breath regret
I pity the living
Envy for the dead
Emotionally stunned
In defense - I'm numb
I'd rather not care then to be aware
Be scared

I don't need love

Are a thousand tears worth a single smile?
When you give an inch, will they take a mile?
Longing for the past but dreading the future
If not being used, well then you're a user and a loser

World reknowned failure at both death and life
Given nothingness, purgatory blight
To run and hide, a cowardly procedure
Options exhausted, except for anesthesia

I don't feel anything

Seareach wrote:

StevieG wrote:OK - can you good people recommend one Over the Rhine recording for me to start with - I haven't heard their music, but always looking for something new, and it's sounds like my cup of tea.

Drunkards Prayer. I think that's what the album is called.

And Endy, I was actually quite chuffed to hear their song Born played on the US tv series "Bones" (series one) a little while ago.

Ah, I don't watch Bones so missed that. Umm does chuffed mean offended or impressed? Excuse my ignorance!

And Stevie, Drunkards Prayer is an excellent choice.

Was listening to this one on repeat on the way home...my favorite Dylan tune. And had some thoughts about it. I've always recognized it as the greatest depiction of the generation gap ever. However, today I realized that it plays on themes much deeper than that. Dylan's angry voice and the dark (minor?) chords always leave me with the impression that this isn't just about misunderstanding but about harm meant to "Mr. Jones".

I see visions of tv series "The Prisoner" last episode, but I think an even more fitting visualization is Franz Kafka's "The Trial". I find myself envisioning Mr. Jones as poor Josef K. As someone who has wandered into a situation and doesn't even realize the danger he is in. It gives the song a very creepy, sinister coolness for me.


So finally..the lyrics <grin>...

Bob Dylan
"Ballad Of A Thin Man"


You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man ?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you will say
When you get home.

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is ?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine ?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is ?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone ?"

But something is happening
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak ?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone.

And something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To all give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations.

You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known.

But something is happening here
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan".

And you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason ?"
And he says, "How ?"
And you say, "What does this mean ?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home".

And you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones.

Cause something is happening
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Not a big Dylan fan...but those lyrics always seemed to me the voice of Prufrock's tormenter personified.