1.A Working Day
I can do this, really, I'm good enough
I'm as good as them, but don't take it from me
Ask my friends, ask my sister
They all think my stuff is great
Up there with any of them
I just need a break
I'm a genius, really, I'm excellent
Better than them, I kick their asses
All of them, even that guy
Who thinks he's fuckin' cool
Gets all of the attention
He doesn't sell shit does he
Some guy on the net thinks I suck and he should know
He's got his own blog
Some guy on the net thinks I suck and he should know
He's got his own blog
I'm a loser, I'm a poser
Yeah really, It's over
I mean it and I quit
Everything I write is shit
I'm a loser, I'm a poser
Yeah really, It's over
I mean it and I quit
Everything I write is shit
Hey, hey
It's a working day
Hey, hey
It's a working day
Hey, hey
It's a working day
2.Picture Window
We checked into the hospital New Year's Eve
Nothing to be done about that
Rainbows, daffodils, she's not na？ve
Symbolism's all crap
There's a big picture window in the room on the ward
With a view over Parliament Hill
But the view offers more joy than they can afford
When there's this much pain to kill
You know what hope is
Hope is a bastard
Hope is a liar, a cheat and a tease
Hope comes near you, kick its backside
Got no place in days like these
The dust, the darkness around; there's still color
As the fireworks streak the sky
And their window gives them the prettiest picture
Their useless luck makes her want to cry
Then it turns midnight
The shitty whole year's spent
Another mom deserves some sparkling wine
And she nearly gives into the moment
But he'll still be sick in two-thousand and nine
You know what hope is
Hope is a bastard
Hope is a liar, a cheat and a tease
Hope comes near you, kick its backside
Got no place in days like these
And just as she's thinking
Of pulling the blind down
A rocket bursts in front of her eyes
The city lit up like a crown over London
And she tries and fails to stop
Spirits rise
You know what hope is
Hope is a bastard
Hope is a liar, a cheat and a tease
Hope comes near you, kick its backside
Got no place in days like these
You know what hope is
Hope is a bastard
Hope is a liar, a cheat and a tease
Hope comes near you, kick its backside
Got no place in days like these
3.Levi Johnston's Blues
Woke up this morning, what do I see？
Three thousand cameras pointed at me.
Dude says, 'You Levi？' I'm like, 'Yes, that's me sir.'
'Well, you just knocked up the VP nominee's daughter.'
So I tell him, 'No, you got it wrong, mister,
'Already got a girl, and her name is Bristol.'
And they all laugh and say, 'Where you been, sonny？
'Your mother-in-law's a heartbeat from the presidency.'
And I say, 'Mother-in-law？ No -- we ain't getting married!'
They say, 'Soon you will, boy; they just announced it.'
I get on my dirt bike and ride to my girl's home,
Gonna lay down the law. And tell her what's going on：
I'm a fucking redneck,
I like to hang out with the boys, play some hockey, do some
fishing
And kill some moose.
I like to shoot the shit, do some chilling I guess,
You fuck with me and I kick your ass.
So we talk and it turns out we don't believe in abortion
And sex outside marriage is against our religion.
And when I try to tell 'em I'm eighteen years old,
They say, 'Levi, it's too late, You gotta do as you're told.'
So I say, 'Mother-in-law？ No -- we ain't getting married!'
They say, 'Soon you will, boy; she just announced it.'
I get on my dirt bike and ride to my girl's home,
Gonna lay down the law. And tell her what's going on：
I'm a fucking redneck,
I like to hang out with the boys, play some hockey, do some
fishing
And kill some moose.
I like to shoot the shit, do some chilling I guess,
You fuck with me and I kick your ass.
I'm a fucking redneck,
I like to hang out with the boys, get on my snowboard, do some
fishing
And kill some moose.
I like to shoot the shit, do some chilling I guess,
You fuck with me and I kick your ass.
I'm a fucking redneck,
I like to hang out with the boys, get on my snowboard, do some
fishing
And kill some moose.
I like to shoot the shit, do some chilling I guess,
You fuck with me and I kick your ass.
I like to do some shit, do some chillin' I guess
... Kill some moose
I'm a fucking redneck,
I like to hang out with the boys, get on my snowboard, do some
fishing
And kill some moose.
I like to shoot the shit, do some chilling I guess,
You fuck with me and I kick your ass.
4.Doc Pomus
Man in a wheelchair, lobby of the Forrest
With freighters, hustlers, hard-up millionaires.
Mobsters, cops, whores, pimps and Marxist.
All human life is there.
Man in a wheelchair listens to the chatter,
Writes down all the insane crap he hears.
He can't move around, but it doesn't really matter
In the Forrest all you need is eyes and ears.
And out they pour, the hits and the misses.
Turn Me Loose, Lonely Avenue,
And down in Nashville, they always sing Suspicion.
Pomus／Shuman, 1962.
And he never could be one of those happy cripples,
The kind that smile and tell you life's OK.
He was mad as hell, frightened and bitter.
He found a way to make his feelings pay.
Back at the Forrest, in the steakhouse of the lobby,
The diner gets three bullets in the head.
Doc looks down, eating his linguine,
Thinking up a lyric for the dead.
And out they pour, the hits and the misses.
Turn Me Loose, Lonely Avenue,
And down in Nashville, they always sing Suspicion.
Pomus／Shuman, 1962.
Fred Neil, Jack Benny, crazy Phil Spector,
Pumpkin Juice and Eydie Gorm
Damon Runyon Jr. and the Duke's orchestra
All superhuman life was there
And he never could be one of those happy cripples
The kind that smile and tell you life's OK
He was mad as hell, frightened and bitter
He found a way to make his isolation pay
And out they pour, the hits and the misses.
Turn Me Loose, Lonely Avenue,
And down in Nashville, they always sing Suspicion.
Pomus／Shuman, 1962.
And out they pour, the hits and the misses.
Turn Me Loose, Lonely Avenue,
And down in Nashville, they always sing Suspicion.
Pomus／Shuman, 1962.
5.Your Dogs
I see it, I get it
I promise you I do
Your mom walked out on you
When you were only two
You've grown up believing
That this country is a bore
Your a dad three times
And your only twenty four
The Christians on the radio
They act like your a scum
Self righteous congressional
The bastards each and every one
I don't read the bible
But I try to love you man
Every flaw and violent act
I think I understand
But your dogs, Your dogs
What's fun about those
The tat on your neck and the ring through your nose
The weed the jump through the violent pornography
Don't think you want to be just a little more like me
I still have hopes
You can join our community
The more of us than you
But we welcome the diversity
Your not quite trash like the other neighbors say
If you want to challenge stereotypes join the P.T.A.
At night when your pitbulls are scaring our children
My wife I'll be honest here wants me to shoot them
Sometimes I bet my fantasy is fun
But your dogs, Your dogs
What's fun about those
The tat on your neck and the ring through your nose
The weed the jump through the violent pornography
Don't think you want to be just a little more like me
But that's only at night when I'm not really thinking
And your listening to Metallica in your backyard drinking
The rest of the time I think we get along fine
I've never judged you I'm a live and let live guy
But your dogs, Your dogs
What's fun about those
The tat on your neck and the ring through your nose
The weed the jump through the violent pornography
Don't think you want to be just a little more like me
6.Practical Amanda
Who'd look at that dump and see a home？
Why not move in somewhere easy？
Urinals where bedrooms ought to be
Who could be bothered, really？
You're really good at all that stuff
The nuts and bolts of living
Curtains, blinds and kitchen tables
I've got no time for dates and plans
No I'm too busy dreaming
You're the one with the attention span
You're not the free wheeler
Practical, practical
Amanda
Saved one life
And made two others
Practical Amanda
Who'd look at me, and see someone
That might be worth redeeming
Head and heart and soul fucked up
Who could be bothered, really？
I've got no time for dates and plans
No I'm too busy dreaming
You're the one with the attention span
Practical Amanda
Practical, practical
Amanda
Saved one life
And made two others
Practical Amanda
7.Claire's Ninth
So she stands and waits
And waits at the school gate
They're late, they come, so dumb
In two cars when they agreed one
And it's gone wild on her birthday
So they go to Joe's
For pizza and ice cream
They sit and stare
And Claire just wants to be 9 and a half
Next year she'll tell them she only wants world peace
But Claire, Claire baby
I wish you knew how this all got twisted
I wish you could see right inside us
Some of this stuff the best of us that we can't get out
What's the point of this？
What's wrong with two birthdays？
It's cool at school
Her friends they all have two birthdays
Aw jeez, he just asked the waitress out on a date on her
birthday
But Claire, Claire baby
I wish you knew how this all got twisted
I wish you could see right inside us
Some of this stuff the best of us that we can't get to
Here's the check
They pay with two cards like they've never met
Goodbyes
Outside it's cold in LA
But Claire, Claire baby
I wish you knew how this all got twisted
I wish you could see right inside us
The best of us
The most of us
You're what we were
You're all that's left
It used to be our birthday too
8.Password
I know you
You think I don't but I do
I've been listening
and I don't forget so I can do this
I can pass the test
You went to school in Chicago
Your mom's maiden name is Dupree
Your favorite actor is DeNiro
Your birthday's 03／08／83
C.H.I.C.A.G.O.
D.U.P.R.E.E.
D.E.N.I.R.O.
I know you
You think it's weird but it's not
You're all looking at it all upside down
It actually means I really love you
You used to have a dog called Mantey
You only drink chardonnay
Your sister's pet name is CeeCee
You have a thing for David Blaine
M.A.N.T.E.Y.
C.H.A.R.D.O.N.N.A.Y.
C.E.E.C.E.E.
And I know you
I know you
You think I'm blind but I'm not
I've been watching and what I've noticed is
distraction, boredom and vacancy
I know your favorite dish
I know your favorite band (Polyphonic S.P.R.E.E.)
You spent a year in Barcelona (B.A.R.C.E.L.O.N.A.)
That asshole's name was Anthony
Turns out you never went to T.U.L.S.A.
To see your old roommate J.A.N.E.
I think my middle name is S.U.C.K.E.R.
And I was born yesterday
I don't know you
I thought I did but I don't
I wasn't listening to the right things
One day I won't even remember your face
9.From Above
They even looked at each other once across the crowded bar
He was with Martha, she was with Tom
Neither of them really knew what was going on
A strange feeling of never, heartbeats becoming synchronized
It's been that way forever but most of the time it's just near
misses
And kisses once at a bookstore, once at a party
She came in as he was leaving and years ago at the movies
She sat behind him, the 6：30 showing of 'While You Were
Sleeping'
He never once looked around
It's so easy from above
You can really see it all
People who belong together
Lost and sad and small
But there's nothing to be done for them
It doesn't work that way
Sure we all have soulmates but we walk
past them every day
And it's not like they were ever
actually unhappy in the lives they lived
He married Martha, she married Tom
Just this fake notion that something was wrong
An ache, an absence, a phantom limb
An itch that could never be scratched
It's so easy from above
You can really see it all
People who belong together
Lost and sad and small
But there's nothing to be done for them
It doesn't work that way
Sure we all have soulmates but we walk
past them every day
Neither of them knew what was going on
A strange feeling of never,
heartbeats becoming synchronized
It's been that way forever
Who knows whether that's how it should be
Maybe a ghost lived in that vacancy
Maybe that's how books get written
Maybe that's why songs get sung
Maybe we are the unlucky ones
It's so easy from above
You can really see it all
People who belong together
Lost and sad and small
But there's nothing to be done for them
It doesn't work that way
Sure we all have soulmates but we walk
past them every day
Maybe that's how books get written
Maybe that's why songs get sung
Maybe we are the unlucky ones
Maybe that's how books get written
Maybe that's why songs get sung
Maybe we are the unlucky ones
10.Saskia Hamilton
I've only ever seen her name on the spine but that's enough.
I want to make her mine!
Never heard her voice, never seen her smile,
but I'm in love with Saskia Hamilton!
Well, shes a poet just like I want to be!
But her passport alone is great poetry,
and I'm in love with Saskia Hamilton!
Shes got more assonance than she knows what to do with.
I am in love with Saskia Hamilton.
She's got two sibilants no bilabial plosivs.
Saskia Hamilton, Saskia Hamilton, yeah! Right!
Saskia Hamilton, Saskia Hamilton!
Saskia Saskia Saskia Saskia!
Already got a girl, but she sounds real bad.
I am in love with Saskia Hamilton.
She's got alliterations and her surname's Dag.
Oh! Saskia Hamilton!
No hard consonents in my girl Saskia!
Every single syllable sounds like Shakespeare!
And I'm in love with Saskia!
Gonna live with her and it will be harmonious!
How could it not be when she's that euphonious？
I'm gonna marry her and it'll be idyllic!
And my teacher just told me she's dactylic!
Saskia Hamilton, Saskia Hamilton! Yeah! Right!
Saskia Hamilton, Saskia Hamilton!
Saskia Saskia Saskia Saskia!
11.Belinda
Every night around this time he has to sing 'Belinda'
'Belinda I love you, don't leave me, I need you'
He tried to stop, a while back, but what is he, without her？
A one-hit wonder with no hits is what he is.
And anyway he always hears how much it means to people
There's a lot of fortysomethings wouldn't be in the world
without it
So now he has to do it with this lyric in his head
Belinda I loved you
And I'm sorry I left you
I met somebody younger on a plane
She had big breasts
And a nice smile
No kids, either,
She gave me extra complimentary champagne
No one ever wants to hear the song he wrote for Cindy
'Cindy I love you, I need you, don't leave me'
And he can't blame them - they can tell his heart was never in
it
And Cindy never liked it, but she never much liked him
Belinda I loved you
And I'm sorry I left you
I met somebody younger on a plane
She had big breasts
And a nice smile
No kids, either,
She gave me extra complimentary champagne
So every night about this time he feels the old self-loathing
While the old folks in the audience sing along
And he smiles and waves the mike at them so they can do the
chorus
He's not there, he's somewhere else
He's with Belinda in he days before he made it all go wrong
Belinda I love you
She gave me extra complimentary champagne
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