1.The Sweet Part of the City
Back when we were living up on Hennepin,
she kept threatening to turn us in.
At night she mostly liked us.
We used to pass around the thermos.
Some nights she was gorgeous.
We were living it.
We delivered it.
We didn't feel a thing.
We were living in
the sweet part of the city.
The parts with the bars and restaurants.
We used to meet underneath the marquis.
We used to nod off in the matinees.
She always claimed that she was from Tennessee
and now it seems to me
like distance doesn't equal rate and time no more.
It's like gravity doesn't apply.
No, everything sparkles and appears like we're on wheels.
It was dark, but I guess that's the deal.
St. Theresa showed up wearin' see-through.
It was standard issue.
We went out to get some more wine.
But it's a long haul to the corner store
from the center of the universe
when you can't get your car off the curb.
We were livin' it.
We delivered it.
We didn't feel a thing.
We were in heaven then.
The sweet part of the city.
The parts with the bars and restaurants.
So we shot ourselves out into outer space.
It was tough to place the after taste.
It was stark, but it was spacious.
It's a long way from Cedar-Riverside to Cedar Sinai,
three times St. Paul to Cheyenne.
And it's a long way from Sacramento, too.
We were bored, so we started a band.
We like to play for you.
We like to pray for you.
We like to pray for you.
We like to play for you.
2.Soft in the Center
Well, the hospital's gonna let you go
But the scene is gonna stick around
Yeah, sure the stars in the sky
But the money's still down on the ground
Man, if money didn't matter
Then I might tell you something new
You can't tell people what they want to hear
If you also want to tell the truth
And I'm just trying to tell the truth, kid
I'm just trying to tell the truth
You can't get every girl
You get the ones you love the best
You won't get every girl
You love the ones you get the best
Nobody's wanna freeze over
I'm from a place with lots of lakes
But sometimes they get soft in the center
And the center is a dangerous place
It's been a long, cold winter
And now you're standing on unsafe ice
But you can probably do anything
If you could just go and get yourself right
You gotta get yourself right, kid
I'm gonna give you some advice
You can't get every girl
You get the ones you love the best
You won't get every girl
You love the ones you get the best
Kid, you can't kiss every girl
You gotta trust me on this one
You gotta trust me on this one
I know what you're going through
I had to go through that, too
I know what you're going through
I had to go through that, too
You can't get every girl
You get the ones you love the best
You won't get every girl
You love the ones you get the best
You can't get every girl
You get the ones you love the best
You won't get every girl
You love the ones you get the best
I know what you're going through
3.The Weekenders
There was that whole weird thing with the horses
I think they know exactly what happened
I don't think it needs any explaining
I'm pretty sure I wasn't your first choice
I think I was the last one remaining
I wish we hadn't gone and destroyed it
'cause I was thinking we could pull another weekender
You've still got a bit of clairvoyance
I remember the metal bar, I remember the reservoir
You could say our paths had crossed before
So if it has to be a secret then I guess that I can deal with it
You and I both know it's a negative thing
In the end only the girls know the whole truth
There were a couple pretty crass propositions
There were some bugs in the bars
There was a kid camped out by the coat check
She said the theme of this party's the Industrial Age
And you came in dressed like a train wreck
I remember the OTB, the five-second delivery
You could say our paths have crossed before
So if it has to be a secret then I guess that I can deal with it
God only knows it's not always a positive thing
To see a few seconds into the future
And if you swear to keep it decent
Then yeah I'll come and see you
But it's not gonna be like in romantic comedies
In the end I bet no one learns a lesson
So if it has to be a secret then I guess that I can deal with it
You and I both know it's a negative thing
In the end only the girls know the whole truth
And if you swear to keep it decent
Then yeah I'll come and see you
But it's not gonna be like in romantic comedies
In the end I bet no one learns a lesson
In the end only the girls know the whole truth
In the end I bet no one learns a lesson
4.The Smidge
We used to lie to each other about using computers.
When we couldn't get it here we used to cruise to Vancouver.
We used to lie to the people when we'd show up at parties.
We used to pretend that we'd never met.
And then you'd send a signal with your cigarette.
At first it felt like heaven.
Then it felt just like The Whole.
Let's roll. Let's roll around.
Now when we lie to each other we do it through computers.
Now we never go dancing because we're not really moving.
She's got a bandolero belt filled with Kamikaze shooters.
She touches every table in a total eclipse.
It costs an awful lot for just a little bit.
At first it felt like faith.
Then if felt just like the void.
Now we're stranded on the southside.
So sick of waiting on our boys.
Let's roll. Let's roll around.
Let's go. Let's go back uptown.
You can ask me not to do it but you can't contain the kids.
We were living for the city.
Now we're living for the smidge.
We used to want it all.
Now we just want a little bit.
Living living living living living for the smidge.
Angel I didn't say goodbye.
But I'm already gone.
Living living living living living for the smidge.
You can ask me not to do it but you can't control the kids.
Living living living living living for the smidge.
We used to want it all.
Now we just want a little bit.
Let's roll. Let's roll around.
Let's go. Let's go back uptown.
Come on, send me a signal.
Something to show me you're alright.
Make the sign of the cross with your cigarette.
Come on, smudge a little smoke up in the night
5.Rock Problems
The girls want to go to the party.
But no one is in any shape to drive.
So we called up your guy
and when he comes we're gonna ask for a ride.
We get to the place. And she don't want to dance.
She says she's not really into this track.
She wants to know what's going on in the room
that's all the way in the back.
Back home we were listening to Catholic Boy
I got hung up on the people who died.
I didn't even want to go out
because I was way too fried.
She said I just can't sympathize
with your rock and roll problems.
Isn't this what we wanted？
Some major rock and roll problems.
That one girl got me cornered in the kitchen.
I said I'll do anything but clean.
She wants to know what I liked being better
a trashbin or an ice machine？
Some writer is by the fridge.
He said he didn't make the gig.
He wants to know if I was drunk.
He said the kids that he knows
from the net said the sound kind of sucked.
I didn't want to stay in.
Because the walls are so grey.
You can almost feel the tentacles tighten.
I didn't even want to go out
because I was way too frightened.
She said I just can't sympathize
with your rock and roll problems.
Isn't this what we wanted？
Some major rock and roll problems.
Didn't want to go out but it felt really right
when someone put on Heaven Tonight.
Had a moment in the middle of
In Color and In Black and White.
Sing along to the Southern Girls.
Rip me out of my little world.
These are rock and roll problems.
These are rock and roll problems.
These are rock and roll problems.
These are rock and roll problems.
This is just what we wanted.
We got some rock and roll problems.
This is just what we wanted.
We got some rock and roll problems.
This is just what we wanted.
We got some rock and roll problems.
This is just what we wanted.
6.We Can Get Together
She played 'Heaven Isn't Happening',
she played 'Heaven Is a Truck'
She said Heavenly was cool,
I think they were from Oxford
I only had one single,
it was a song about a pure and simple love
There's a girl on Heaven Hill,
I come up to her cabin still
She said Husker Du got huge,
but they started in St. Paul
'Do you remember？' makes no sense at all
And heaven is the whole of the heart
and paradise is by the dashboard light
Utopia's a band,
they sang 'Love Is the Answer,'
and I think they're probably right,
Let it shine down on us all,
let it warm us from within
He wasn't just the drummer,
he was the singer's younger brother
I still spin that single,
but it don't sound that simple
Let it shine down on us all,
let it warm us from within
He wasn't just the drummer,
he was someone's little brother
I still spin that single,
but it don't sound that simple anymore
Heaven is whenever we can get together
Sit down on your floor, and listen to your records
Heaven is whenever we can get together
Lock your bedroom door, and listen to your records
7.Hurricane J
Jessie, I'm not jokin' around
I see the crowd you're hangin with
and those kids don't see positive
Don't all those cigs make you tired？
You know I never ask you to change, I only ask you to try
I know you're gonna do what I know you're gonna do
but 22 and bangin' around in restaurants ain't that much
prettier
than bangin' around in bars
and why do you keep going to his car？
I don't want this to stop
I want you to know
I don't want you to settle
I want you to go
Forget all the boys that you met at the harbor
You're too hard already, you'll only get harder
Jessie, let's go for a ride
I know a place that we could stop and kiss for a while
I know a place that makes you smile
I know you're gonna say what I know you're gonna say
I know you'll look at the ground, I know you'll probably cry
You're a beautiful girl and you're a pretty good waitress
but Jessie, I don't think I'm the guy
I don't want this to stop
I want you to know
I don't want you to settle
I want you to go
Forget everything that I showed you this summer
You're too hard already, you'll only get harder
but they didn't name her for a saint
they named her for a storm
so how is she supposed to think about
how it's gonna move in the morning
she said it's balanced hypothetical
and if the cigs keep you warm
then how is she supposed to think about
how it's gonna move in the morning
'bout how it's gonna move in the morning
Hurricane Jess, she's gonna crash into the harbor this summer
She don't wanna wait till she gets older
Hurricane Jess, she's gonna crash into the harbor this summer
She don't wanna wait, she said it only gets harder
8.Barely Breathing
You shoulda seen 'em just after midnight
Well they were down on their luck and still high from a street
fight
Told it like it wasn't really much of a big thing
To be out on the tiles and barely breathing
We were barely breathing
Showing up at shows like you care about the scene still
Where were you when the blood spilled？
They almost killed me
It got pretty sketchy
We tried to push forward
Now we're pointing at the scoreboard and it feels so amazing
And the crowd's going crazy
Summer '88 was all heat and intensity
Saw the Youth Of Today at the 7th Street Entry
There were skins in the pit, some of them tried to kill me
Same club next summer, and now they're called Shelter
And after the show I spoke with the singer
And he tried to hand me a pamphlet about Hare Krishna
I said 'You gotta be kidding'
Who the hell is the blue guy？
But then he said something special
Using only his eyes
The kids are all distracted
No one wins at violent shows
The kids are a distraction
No one wins at violent shows
9.Our Whole Lives
kids are ripping into sugar packets
townies taking off their tavern jackets
i'm in the pews sticking bills in the basket
praying that they're cool when I come pick up the package
tonight we're gonna have a really good time
but i want to go to heaven on the day i die
going to make like a preemptive strike
hit the five thirty mass early saturday night
ring ring ring goes the telephone
tell my little lambs that i'm on my way home
stop by the shop and get a bottle to go
maybe something stronger if the right guy's on the corner
bang bang bang goes the quarter notes
saint theresa told me you should rattle our bones
now you're going off to the dial tone
some kid started blowing on the saxophone
cheerleaders dream of quarterbacks
jock jills go for jumping jacks
goth girls love the vampire bats
they wanna draw a little blood for their bath
well i don't go much for that spooky stuff
i like the lights and the uptempo tracks
you're damn right i believe in love
because i've been in love and i've loved right back
bang bang bang goes the backing track
some kid is coming around with a matching backpack
i didn't know that you could dance like that
i'm gonna have to ask that you take two steps back
sing sing sing every song we know
blowing out the speakers on your stereo
you finally stopped talking about that boy back home
maybe that's just better, if you want you can sleep over
we're good guys but we can't be good every night
we're good guys but we can't be good our whole lives
we're good guys but we can't be good every night
now father i have sinned and i wanna do it all again tonight
the townies taking off their tavern jackets
making guitars out of tennis racquets
and it's been getting so the hardest part
is trying to talk some sense into our sparkling hearts
ring ring ring goes the telephone
tell my little lambs that i ain't coming home
yes, yes, yes go the majorettes
they lead the band on to the field with their cigarettes
bang bang bang she's a cleaning freak
she scrubs the surface until it's sparkling
neat neat neat until her fingers bleed
she was giving off blue light on the first light that she came
to me
we're good guys but we can't be good every night
we're good guys but can't be good our whole lives
we're good guys but we can't be good every night
we're good guys but can't be good our whole lives
she was giving off blue light on the first night that she came
to me
father i have sinned, and i want to do it all again eventually
10.A Slight Discomfort
I thought you're through with all the bougie guys
Don't you wonder about the other side？
They only get invited because they think that they might buy
Ain't it sad about these metro guys？
Don't it hurt to watch them moisturize？
They're never funny and they're all so scared to die
We're not afraid, we have our faith
We've seen scattered action and we've mostly come out unscathed
We'll be alright, we'll get through the night
Our struggle still feels wonderful most days, most days
Don't it suck about the succubi？
The bloodsuckers and the parasites
They're never funny and they're all so scared to die
All the small talk seems like suicide
The spiderwebs with their legs and eggs and eyes
They creep up from behind
If I were you I wouldn't get too close
I've seen how they eat and it gets pretty gross
They slip their tongue and they hitch on to their host
We're not afraid, we have our faith
Seen a couple slaughters and they've mostly turned out OK
We'll be alright, we'll get through the night
Our struggle still feels wonderful most days
Hey New York City, I love it when you turn on your lights
Our struggle still feels wonderful tonight
And you say you're a princess
But I remain unconvinced
I've seen the guys that you've been with
They don't seem much like princes
And you say you're much better
But I don't quite believe it
I saw the girls that you came with
I saw the guy that you left with
And you say you tried Jesus
But it was too inconvenient
You just didn't have the patience
You say you said prayers
But it felt like there was nobody there
I didn't think that you'd get it
This shouldn't hurt
But you might feel a slight discomfort
This shouldn't hurt
But you might feel a slight discomfort
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