Here are many of my lyrics. 

 

copyright 2002-2009, Boyd Holmes,

             Thanks.

                           

Save That Smile                

Revealing, concealing,

Shadows on the moon,

Funny how those shooting stars

Always fall too soon.

Midnight skies and fireflies,

A cricket whispered to me,

“Save this smile to remember you were here.”

 

Quite the bon vivants, they blushed

And said they were my fans.

A mocha here, a latte there,

Such a seamless tan.

But in the end, we parted friends,

Such a waste of beauty,

I’ve saved that smile to remember I was there.

 

Through these fingers slippin’,

Lightly trippin’,

Spirit away.

Damn the premonitions,

Indecisions

That stay.

 

Aviaries, tributaries,

The Brandywine’s soft roar,

A blade of grass, some sassafras,

What boy could want for more?

He looked into that stream of blue,

And guess what came back to him?

That smile I saved to remember I was there.

 

BRIDGE

 

Revealing, concealing,

Lovers on the moon.

We were like two 45s,

Who’s grooves end all too soon.

You glanced at me, the stars agreed,

One look was all I needed,

I’ve saved that smile to remember we were here,

I’ve saved that smile to remember you were here.

 

 

Every Song I Sing                   

Every song I sing, I sing with you,

Every note I play, I play with you.

 

When I close my eyes,

Imagine my sublime surprise,

Your smile is always waiting there for me.

 

Every phrase I turn, I turn to you,

Where you go, my voice will go with you.

 

Whether near or far,

We’re here within this old guitar.

No matter how hard we shall play,

Heartstrings will never break,

And every song I sing, I sing with you.

 

Every song I sing, I sing with you.

 

 

The Mandarin        

Ripped from the pages,

Torn from the sky,

Wondering through

these streets

Like a motherless alibi.

 

Shadows at vespers,

He’s alleyway mist,

He’s chakras akimbo

With an El Fly Agaric twist

 

Swizzle sticks

frozen in time,

As he enters his lair,

Molecules re-arrange

themselves

Out of thin air:

He’s the Mandarin.

 

Picks one up as he

drinks down another,

He’s got the inside line,

Bartenders tab him up

by his order:

He’s the Mandarin.

 

Placid environs

At the end of the road,

Dispensing with

all the prelims,

He comes with his

own bar code.

 

Nothing deters him,

His pursuit of the prize.

The tears that he cries are real

But they never fall from his eyes.

 

Swizzle sticks frozen in time,

With a hint of Bordeaux,

Molecules have a habit

of startin’ to flow;

‘Round the Mandarin

 

Off one stool and onto another

In the blink of an eye.

A card-carrying member

of the Lush Life:

He’s the Mandarin.

 

A sea of little children

Lift him so high in the sky.

Hovering overhead,

The mothership can

only wonder why.

 

He’s the tonic that

thrives on the rim,

A fresh citrusy slice,

With a tinge of a

lonely sin over ice:

He’s the Mandarin

 

In one arm and out the other,

I’ve got the inside line,

If you haven’t caught my name,

Let me throw it:

I’m the Mandarin.

 

Heaven Knows             

How you’ve been?

You’re lookin’ fine.

You know, I think about us from

time to time,

How I’d sneak out your

back door,

How we scratched the

kitchen floor.

Heaven knows you’re the one,

You’re the one I’ve been

waiting for.

 

Careful of that coffee lid.

I can’t believe you’ve had

a couple of kids.

It’s like mercury on glass,

How the years are sliding past.

Heaven knows you’re the one,

You’re the one I’ve been

waiting for.

 

Given time,

Some dreams rewind.

Pandora’s equal to the task.

The masses shift,

They scratch, they sniff.

Who are we to wonder why?

(I caught your wonderin’ eye.)

 

This one’s home,

this one’s my cell,

Your're my reason d'etre for e-mail.

So, if you feel the feelin’s right,

Why don’t we sleep on it tonight?

Heaven knows you’re the one,

You’re the one I’ve been

waiting for.

 

Given time,

Some dreams rewind.

Pandora’s equal to the task.

The hourglass,

It says, “Half past”,

But half the future’s

better than none.

(We’ve only just begun.)

 

Call me right or call me wrong,

Call it a hunch I knew

all along.

It’s not a prospect lightly posed,

But if I do, do you suppose,

Heaven knows, you’re the one,

You’re the one I’ve been waiting

‘Fore I forget

Let me sing it once more,

 

Heaven knows you’re the one,

You’re the one, you’re the one,

You’re the one,

I’ve been waiting for,

You’re the one, you’re the one,

Heaven knows.

 

Until You’re Here         

Until you’re here

There’s an emptiness in my soul

That can’t be filled.

Until you’re here

I don’t know if I can go on

Another day.

 

And I walk down the street,

And I buy me a cup,

I try on a smile,

I try to look up.

It’s a second hand

That never quite seems to move,

Until you’re here.

 

I must concede,

There’s a sadness I must concede,

That pulls me down.

It comes in waves

This feeling, it comes in waves

I can’t explain.

 

And I ride on the bus,

And I stare out the pain,

A reflection looks back

But it doesn’t remain.

It’s a second hand

That never is holding mine,

Until you’re here.

 

Until you’re here,

My table is set for one.

Until you’re here,

My tandem bike’s no fun.

Until you’re here,

Know this love has been

put on hold,

Absent of the life I’ve led,

After all is done and said,

Until you’re here.

 

Until you’re here

There’s a secret I must confess

At least to you.

There’s not a day

That I don’t hear your name

murmured

Behind my ear.

 

And I put down the cup

And I pick up the pen

And the pen says to me,

“You’re at it again.”

The words scoff at me,

And needle a sharp rebuff

Until you’re here.

 

Until you’re here,

My table is set for one.

Until you’re here,

My tandem bike’s no fun.

Until you’re here,

Know this love has been

put on hold,

Absent of the life I’ve led,

After all is done and said,

Until you’re here.

 

 

Whistler’s Pallet

Twilight’s last light,

Sleepy hazel eyes,

Pictor in disguise,

Whispered soft goodbyes,

Intrigued by thoughts of

Silkscreen lullabies,

In the twilight skies.

 

Midnight, sleep tight,

Alizarin smile,

Innocence beguiled,

Drifting for a while,

Waking up amid a sea of

Lilies of the Nile.

 

We're goin’ away

Forever to stay,

Whistler’s palette and me,

This world’s grown too cold

For high tea and scones

Se vou play, mon ami.

 

Wood sprite in flight

Primrose indigo,

That’s my cue to go,

Tears fall like they’re snow,

Crossing over one last time

This Ponte Vecchio.

 

With our final breath,

We mock certain Death,

Whistler’s palette and me,

This world’s grown too bright

For midsummer nights,

Se vou play, mon ami.

 

It all fades away

To Dorian Gray,

Whistler’s palette, and me.

 

A Party in Tangier                   

Is the caller there?

You’ve reached my Tangier line:

The call’s declined.

 

The lobby café’s closed.

Notice that the lift is filled

With bullet holes.

 

The concierge is gone

He got a better gig

With less intrigue.

Fetch me another tall surprise

One with some Truth

And fresh Vermouth.

 

Perfumed water and soft lights,

Claxton on the walls,

And Bird in flight.

 

That chanteuse from Hong-Kong

She’s lookin’ oh so right

In that sarong.

 

We regret tonight’s event, has been postponed

To another zone (no, no, no)

“These glitches may occur”,

To quote Harry Lime,

“From time to time”

 

Dear friends and gentle hearts

Need not apply

Or turn a weather eye.

 

Atmospheric ambiance with opaque eyes

Will typify

This party in Tangiers.

 

Translucent tassels sway

While the shaykh is telling jokes

Between tokes.

 

The general and his aides,

They’re playing Baccarat:

It’s a coup d’etat.

 

Your friends have stepped outside

To sell some air

In the market square.

 

We supply as they demand

The odd racketeer

Or  Grand Wazire.

 

Dear friends and gentle hearts

Need not apply

Or turn a weather eye.

 

Atmospheric ambiance with opaque eyes

Will improvise

And hear

The music of the spheres

At a party in Tangiers.

 

We regret tonight’s event, has been postponed

To parts unknown, you’re on your own

That Royal's is all you’ll need.

Type it well

And you’ll be free.

 

Dear friends and gentle hearts

Need not apply

Or cast a weather eye.

 

Atmospheric Ambiance with opaque eyes

Will realize

Their appeal

Sporting Cuban heals

As they finalize the deal

With a guest list so surreal,

This party in Tangiers.

 

Relinquish all your fears,

To a party in Tangiers,

To a party in Tangiers.

 

You’ve reached a party in Tangiers.

You’ve reached a party in Tangiers.

You’ve reached a party in Tangiers.

The operator softly says,

“You‘ve reached a party in Tangiers”

The operator softly says,

“You‘ve reached a party in Tangiers”

The operator softly says,

“You‘ve reached a party in Tangiers”

 

Then the line went dead.

 

Again                

I love to see you look at me,

I love to see you look at me,

‘Cause when I see you look at me, Chick-a-dee,

I’ve seen all that I need to see.

 

I love to see you when you smile

I love to see you when you smile

‘Cause when I see startin' to smile, Crocodile,

I feel like staying for a while.

 

I love to see you gently sway,

I love to see you gently sway,

‘Cause when I see you gently sway my way,

It makes me think of brighter days.

 

I love to see you wave your hand,

I love to see you wave your hand,

‘Cause when I see you wave your hand, my man,

I know that we understand.

 

I hate to see you when you cry,

I hate to see you when you cry

‘Cause when I see you start to cry, Small Fry,

I feel like I will surely die.

 

I love to hear you say “Hello”,

I love to hear you say “Hello”,

‘Cause when I hear you say “Hello”, my friend,

I know I’ll never say “Good-bye” again,

And you make me feel alive again.

 

And you make me feel alive again.

 

 

Another You          

Another time,

Another place,

Another girl and

Another face.

 

Another crash,

Another song,

Another chronicle of

What went wrong.

 

Everyone, please, can’t you see

These towering walls

all around me?

Can somebody, please,

set me free,

Set me free from this loop?

 

Another year,

Another ring,

Another Grey Goose waiting

In the wings.

 

Another hook,

Another rhyme,

Another fool running

Out of time.

 

Let’s play pretend

Tonight,

And save

All the rest for

Another night,

Another me,

Another you.

 

Another tic,

Another tac,

Another toe that used to tickle

Down my back.

 

Another pass,

Another fail,

Another toothbrush destined

For my cleaning pail.

 

Everyone, please, can’t you feel

This loneliness

all around me?

Can somebody, please,

          take me in,

Take me within your soul?

 

Another ghost,

Another town,

Another Jagermeister

Going down.

 

Another kiss, and

Another tell,

Another life support

For this living hell.

 

Let’s play pretend

Tonight,

And save

All the rest for

Another night,

Another world,

For you, another guy and

For me, another girl, for

Another night,

Another me,

Another you.

 

 

Azure Skies And No Goodbyes      

Azure skies and no goodbyes,

I’ll be on my way,

Drifting over borderlines,

Through space and time,

Azure skies and no goodbyes . . .

 

Absurd as such illusions appear,

This light will surely bend,

And just as smoke of cobalt blue

Becomes you,

Azure skies and no goodbyes . . .

 

Everybody needs a little help from time to time,

And I think my time is near.

Now right in front of me

The roulette wheel’s come free.

It’s nice to hold a pair at times like these.

 

My hombres, Space and Time, we agree

You are lurking everywhere

But maybe through this Drakian haze,

 A vice anglais,

Or maybe one day I’ll

          Turn a corner and feel your smile,

Azure skies and no goodbyes.

 

 

Back It Up              

I know what I see,

Ain’t no mystery.

You like to talk the talk,

Ain’t gonna walk the walk.

 

It can’t be easy living in your house of cards,

A figment of your fevered mind,

Bliss is ignorant of all you’ve ever lost,

Seek and you will surely find.

 

Back it up,

Back it up with more than words,

Back it up,

Back it up with more than words.

 

All your bridges burned,

Ain’t nowhere to turn

Now that the truth is out

Ain’t no room for doubt.

 

A reason detre squatting in your house of cards,

A figment of your fevered mind,

Bliss is ignorant of you’ve ever lost,

Seek and you will surely find.

 

CHORUS

 

Singed but never burned

Ain’t gonna ever learn

Life’s one big rearrange

Ain’t gonna ever change.

 

Better Off If You Forget My Name  

Better off if you forget my name,

I’ll be leavin’, if it's all the same,

Easy as she goes,

My Juliana Rose,

Better off if you forget my name.

 

Think I'll take my jacket for a walk,

Find some lonesome dog who wants to talk.

Give this heart a tug,

My jitter baby bug,

Better off if you forget my name.

 

Bluer skies,

And long good-byes

Are friends I’ve never known.

Memories

And reveries

That were never meant for me.

 

Mellow moon is hangin' in the sky,

Whippoorwill is cryin', "Me, oh my!"

Early morning mist,

I think of our last kiss,

Better off if you forget my name.

 

BRIDGE

 

Evening comes and I’ll be on the trail,

Lookin’ for a sea to set my sail.

Don’t think ill of me for I’m to blame,

Better off if you forget my name.

 

So long, Sweet Potato Pie,

Cross my heart and hope to die,

Better off if you forget my name.

 

 

Corazón

En Español:

La carisia  del cielo,

El ritmo del mar.

 

Olvídese del pasado ,

Olvídese del los otros,

Olvídese de las noches solas.

 

La carisia de tu mano,

El ritmo de su samba.

 

Recuerdo la puesta del sol,

Recuerdo las sombras azules,

Hecho el pelo de sus ojos.

 

Corazón,

Canción de la vida,

Corazón,

Canción del amor,

Corazón,

Canción yo canto

para usted.

 

English:

The caress of the sky,

The rhythm of the sea.

 

Forget the past,

Forget the others,

Forget the lonely nights.

 

The caress of your hand,

The rhythm of your samba.

 

I remember the sunset,

I remember the

blue shadows,

I brush the hair back

from your eyes.

 

Corazón,

Song of life,

Corazón,

Song of love,

Corazón,

The song I sing

for you.

 

 

Every Song I Sing                   

Every song I sing, I sing with you,

Every note I play, I play with you.

 

When I close my eyes,

Imagine my sublime surprise,

Your smile is always waiting there for me.

 

Every phrase I turn, I turn to you,

Where you go, my voice will go with you.

 

Whether near or far,

We’re here within this old guitar.

No matter how hard we shall play,

Heartstrings will never break,

And every song I sing, I sing with you.

 

Every song I sing, I sing with you.

 

 

Hit the Lights When You Leave  

 

So, in closing, I say:

Why the long face,

Why the dismay?

Darlin’,

One more box,

Then I’m changin’ the locks,

Hit the lights when you leave.

 

Take that carnival bear,

Take those e-mails you’re hiding upstairs,

I’ll keep those pictures of you on your knees,

Hit the lights when you leave.

 

Simple truths are often hard to face

When they’re laced with lies.

Careful of that monkey on your back

His kind won’t be denied.

 

Unplug the phone,

Take the wall where I

Wrote you the poem.

Ain’t no paint gonna cover that pain,

Hit the lights when you leave.

 

Simple truths are easy to embrace

Or replace in time.

Careful of the loves you choose to keep

Or jettison behind.

 

Who’s that on the phone?

Tell all of your tribe this isn’t your home.

Show some tact: don’t look back,

Hit the lights when you leave.

 

Rip out all the phones,

It’s not like I’ll ever be home.

Show some class: kiss my ass,

Hit the lights when you leave,

Hit the lights when you leave.

 

One more thing,

About that ring . . . . .

Hit the lights when you leave.

 

Tonight Might Be the Night  

She wanna pill for what’s ailin’ her,

She wanna dog who’s always lookin’ down,

She wanna loose what she never had,

She wanna kick it like she never kick before.

 

She wanna swing in the Devil’s Playground,

She wanna fold, bend, and mutilate,

She wanna make all the cookies crumble,

She wanna shake it right over your face.

 

Take a number, all you ladies,

The line forms to the right.

Take a number, all you ladies,

If you’re lucky,

        Tonight might be the night.

 

She wanna dum-dum in her mouth,

She wanna roll it all around her lips.

She wanna whip it up and never put it down,

She want it all and a bag of chips.

 

       CHORUS

 

She will do just as she please,

She will bring you to your knees.

And in case you haven’t heard,

“Love” is just another word

She never ever took the time to learn.

CHORUS

Tonight, tonight,

Ain’t gonna be just like any other kinda night.

Tonight might be the night.

 

How Was I To Know         

He says happily ever after

Ain’t got the same old ring,

Forever and a day these days

Don’t mean a damn thing.

 

He knows just how to set ‘em up,

Knock ‘em back, cut and run,

But how was he to know

She was the one?

 

How was he to know the things he should have said?

Silly Boy, it’s not what you say,

It’s what you do instead.

 

Bring out the brooms and sweepers,

Dig out from this old mess.

Where the hell’s that napkin

With her address?

 

Now he knows much better,

But knowin’ ain’t changed the feelin’ none.

How was he to know she was the one?

 

How was he to know that she would call his bluff?

Buy a clue, she loved you, too,

But knew you’d never be enough.

 

Bring out the brooms and sweepers,

Let’s drop the old pretense.

It doesn’t matter what you learn,

Just as long as you forget.

 

But, hey: just between you and me, baby,

I hold on to my memories

And I’ll never let them go

‘Cause how was I to know (happily ever after),

How was I to know (forever and a day),

How was I to know you were the one?

 

 

I Can’t Go On              

I can’t go on,

I can’t go on without you.

I, I can’t go on without you.

 

Here I wait

At Shepherd’s Gate

Wishing that this light won’t change.

 

Most every night

I don’t feel right

But I only have myself to blame.

 

I wouldn’t want to so indulge

my feelings

As this numbing tendency prevails.

Perhaps I’ve given in to

just concealing,

Less said, the better,

Better no details.

 

There was a day

I’d laugh away

These specters and their whisperings.

With each pending wreck,

I’m more circumspect,

I know what the next morning brings.

 

I wouldn’t want to jump to

false conclusions,

As these nagging doubts keep

clouding my mind.

 

Perhaps I’ve given face to

these preclusions,

But when I find I scratch the surface,

I look away from what I find.

 

CHORUS

 

So here I wait

At Shepherd’s Gate

Wishing that you’ll change your mind.

 

Truth be told,

It’s getting old

These mawkish sentimental thoughts.

 

I wouldn’t want to jump to

false conclusions,

As these nagging doubts keep

pulling my leg.

Perhaps I’ve given face to

these preclusions,

But when I get down on my knees

Should I pray or should I beg?

 

I, I can’t go on without you,

This song will always be for you,

And I can’t go on  . . . .

 

Here I wait

At Shepherd’s Gate

Seeing that the light has changed.

 

Lead Pipe Cinch 

Lady Chatterly

Sits satorially,

Listen as she plays

Lady Clairol’s polonaise.  

 

See her flick his switch,

See that monkey twitch,

See his shrinking spine,

Same old saline every time.

 

The quintessential lead pipe cinch

‘Cause she’s never, never,

               never, never gonna

Give an inch.

Place your bets,

And pour yourself a healthy pinch,

It’s a lead pipe cinch.

 

Lives in constant fear,

Comes with push-up gear,

Flips the welcome mat,

Goes to bed with a baseball bat.

 

Such a prolix pout,

With trace amounts of doubt,

Pensive eyes look back

To wistful sojourns from her past.

 

The quintessential lead pipe cinch

‘Cause she’s never, never,

               never, never gonna

Give an inch.

Place your bets,

Better hold on to your hats,

The woman lives with

 

Cats and debt

And dreams

She can’t forget

His name or why

The song,

The song remains the same.

 

Come on, baby . . . .

 

She’s always gonna be

That quintessential lead pipe cinch

‘Cause she’s never, never,

               never, never gonna

Give an inch.

Hide your brooms:

She moonlights as a

Celtic witch.

It’s a lead pipe cinch.

 

Perfect Symmetry 

Every now and then,

Ideas coalesce.

It’s the shape of space,

With the hint of grace.

 

Our planets turned around,

My Goldenshlager hit

the ground,

With your smile so fly

How could I deny

 

It’s perfect symmetry,

The way I feel

when you’re with me,

Wouldn’t you agree

It’s perfect symmetry.

It’s sheer chemistry,

An isomorphic master key

For love eternity,

It’s perfect symmetry.

 

Up-town droids sashay

Mixing Cosmos with the stars.

Their life’s a centrifuge,

Nothin’ left to loose.

 

Our turbines purr and hum

Sweet as Madagascar plums.

Form and felicity,

Sum of simplicity.

 

CHORUS

 

On foreign sand,

A Tchokwe maiden

starts to draw.

In a tantric groove,

Her picture starts to move.

 

Her patterns interlace,

The palindrome is set in place.

Peering in the dust,

Kinda looks like us.

 

CHORUS

 

 

Pythagoras Was Wrong       

One-on-one ain’t easy

When your

two becomes a three.

That foul line is your friend, son,

Take a tip from me.

 

That’s as bad a case of chokin’

As I have ever seen.

Close you eyes and

put it up there

Just like you do in your dreams.

 

Rippin’ down another

loose ball,

Talking’ trash until

the dawn.

A simple game we

make so hard,

Pythagoras was wrong.

 

Throw it down there, Big Man,

You think you own that shot,

You’ll game will only suffer

Should you ever get caught.

 

It’s a bump-and-run world

For folks like you and me

Shirts and skins

And a later-to-be-named

will make three.

 

          CHORUS

 

Spoils of war,

Crystal tea,

It’s a game of points and curves

It’s your Manifest Destiny

 

Some can make and break,

They tell me you can

pick and roll,

I like to lace ‘em up and under,

Wanna see my ‘give and go’?

 

One-on-one ain’t easy

When the one I want is you

Let’s roll that tape back, baby,

We’re a matter for review.

 

          CHORUS

 

 

The Beast   

She’s the Beast,

She’s Al Capone,

She’s Belushi on a bad night

     all alone.

A golden girl

Who’s off the map,

She’s the China Kitty

Sleepin’ in my hat.

 

And when her love boat

     comes to town,

It’s a coin toss if I’m

Ever comin’ down.

 

I’m a mess,

I’m a wreck,

I’m fifty-one cards shy of

     a full deck.

West Coast turnarounds abound,

I’m a River Styx who’s

Flowin’ underground.

 

And when she’s acting oh so fey,

I’m an isotope in

Seach of ‘bombs away’.

 

She’s takin’ me to the bridge

     this time,

She’s takin’ me to the bridge

      over the bay.

We’re gonna dine on wine and

     fine paté,

We’re gonna cruise control and

Taste the ocean spray,

     Miami way.

 

Cell phones ring,

Doctors shout,

Times like these can

Make a weak man doubt.

A paisley theme induced by Proust,

Am I passing through or

Am I checking out?

 

Whatever name you choose to use,

You serve at her discretion or at

Her abuse.

 

BRIDGE 

 

She’s the Beast,

She’s Al Capone,

She’s the reason why I

     alway drink alone.

A golden girl

Who’s off the hook,

She’s the Queen in hot pursuit

     of my last rook.

 

She’s my famine,

She’s my feast,

She’s my Bromo,

She’s my Buddha,

She’s my Beast.

 

The Death of Me             

If it were up to me

I’d give you another chance.

What’s a little pain and suffering

For the cause of true romance?

 

But these little voices in my head

Are sounding more and more perturbed,

And these little feet inside my gut

Are tryin’ to kick you to the curb.

 

And while it’s eating me away,

I “shuck and jive” ‘em everyday.

It’s only hubris

But at least I know it’s mine.

 

They tell me that I’ve got no right

To believe that you still care,

That I’ve got to come to grips

With this notion of despair.

 

But the days drift by oh so slow

And what I’ve done, I can’t undo.

I look at these hands a million

times a day

And think of how they last touched you.

 

This broken heart of mine

Ain’t gonna wither on no vine.

And, if I may, inject my

lethal point of view:

 

I got a funny feelin’

You’re gonna be the death of me.

A funny, funny feelin’

You’re gonna be the death of me.

 

It wouldn’t be prudent of me

To continue on this way,

Any chance to get my privileges back

Hinge on what the doctors say.

 

These meds keep messin’ with my head,

But I take it all in stride.

It’s almost like the good old days

When you were still alive.

 

When I think of you that way,

It’s like the taste of cabernet

And every drop’s still

Chillin’ to the bone.

 

CHORUS

 

Fast forward:

three long years since we

Did our little act.

Talk around the courthouse was

The jury pool was stacked.

 

If I’m lucky, just another

two before I’m

Walkin’ out this door.

I’ll be that model citizen again

Workin’ in some retail store.

 

I’ve seen the errors of my ways,

I’ve held Beelzebub at bay,

I’ve found Jesus,

But they’ll never find my gun,

No, no . . . .

 

CHORUS

 

The Melting Sun                      

Don’t bother backing up those files tonight

It’s not as if they will survive.

We’ll nail some vocals and then dial a quick mix

Before the melting sun arrives.

 

As the world signs off,

Our red light’s on,

And every note we play will be like it’s our last.

 

And we’ll roll tonight and then we’ll

          Punch in tight,

And when the consoles dim,

          We’ll dine by radium light.

And as the sky explodes,

          The lens will pull in tight,

What’s your hurry, son,

          The party’s just begun,

Take a load off and

          Behold the melting sun.

 

Cement dripping off the window ledge,

Roaches squealing in delight.

Semi-conductor over-load ahead,

We’ll play it silky smooth tonight.

 

Jimmy Taa-daa,

And that Rastafar

Will take their cue

And play johnson-friendly tune.

 

CHORUS

 

The Region of My Heart  

Take this map,

It’ll get you just so far,

Enjoy the bus,

You’re bound to see some stars,

Suppositions and regrets,

The sound of fingers working frets,

Let my man take care of you tonight.

 

Watch your head,

It’s a short step to my pier,

These canals,

They’re nice this time of year,

Indisposed and so discreet,

Trace of ganja floating sweet,

This street is mine, mention my name.

 

Weary roads, weary smiles,

Weary signals up and

down the dial,

Vacancy in a house of prayer

Nero’s crown climbin’

through the air,

 

One more life that’s come undone,

It’s Jacob’s ladder with a

missing rung,

A broken place where

love comes a la carte:

The nether world, the

region of my heart.

 

 

I curse the day I woke up in this land.

Whoever said,

“My kingdom for a horse.”?

Make mine a catamaran.

Ancient dust and sun-baked clay,

Midnight tides and Grand Marnier,

A buyer’s market waiting for you.  

 

CHORUS 

 

Hard beginnings, harder ends,

Little work and fewer friends,

I was fresh, I was young,

He took me in,

And said, “Hey, son, . . . .” 

 

“Take this bag,

It’ll get you just so far,

Enjoy the bus,

You’re bound to see some stars.”

Don’t you know, it’s the

Same old s____ with a new address,

Same old devil with a new caress,

Let Madam Kim Soo take

care of you tonight.

(A happy ending in sight)

 

CHORUS

 

Try To Believe            

Way back when I was still in college,

Major: Transcendental Bartending

Love didn’t mean a thing.

 

Time and space I since have traveled,

Shared many sunsets in exotic lands,

They all led to your hand.

 

Worlds collide, slip, and slide,

Truth and dare, side by side.

Don’t you know logic will not work,

Just close your eyes and it won’t hurt:

Try to believe.

 

Faith, Hope, and Charity,

And every other girl that I once knew

Don’t have a thing on you.

 

You look lucky in that green chiffon,

Why don’t you take a chance on what you see,

Someone like me?

 

CHORUS

 

Leave all your worries, they’ll be fine,

Walk through this world with me,

And never look behind.

 

Worlds collide, slip, and slide,

Truth and dare, side by side.

Give up this fight, come on, admit,

Just close your eyes and blow a kiss:

Try to believe.