1. |
Desdemona Weeps
03:34
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Desdemona weeps
The car slams to a halt
She beats her fists against the dash
As if somehow its her fault
That the damn thing’s overheating
It just does that now and then
She lets it cool down for a moment
And she tries to start again
Its never left her stranded
On some dark stretch of road
She knows they’ve traveled way too far
But she’s tired of being told
That she’s still living in the past
Its no longer if but when
She shuts her eyes and says a prayer
And she tries to start again
Some things were built for speed
And some were built to last
Lasting love was never guaranteed
But did it have to burn so fast
She’s standing at the station
While they figure out the cost
The price of labor’s getting high
And there’s all that time she’s lost
But every mile is a memory
All the places that they’ve been
She smiles as she remembers
And she tries to start again
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2. |
Wide Open Spaces
03:36
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We drove south a couple hours
Highway 1 in July showers
Northern California fading slowly
A country bar every country mile
We could be out here a while
These kind of places used to scare me
‘Til I saw knowing glances
on unfamiliar faces
n these wide open spaces
Ocean air fills up my lungs
Cool green grass and white hot sun
Let the crashing waves hypnotize me
Sunny days bring sunny smiles
Running barefoot like a child
Laughing when
the shifting tides surprise me
In a million years I never thought I’d find my saving graces
In these wide open spaces
Forty years and a million miles
I’ve grown so far from that simple child
Building sand castles
just to watch them fall
Maybe I haven’t grown at all
I stood here before I knew you
They shot a rocket to the moon
Back then anything could happen
Endless summer turned endless years
Took me far away from here
Reaching for the stars gave way to reason
But I found that sense of wonder I had lost for ages
In these wide open spaces
I found that sense of wonder
In these wide open spaces
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3. |
Why, Why, Why
03:59
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There’s a man coming toward me down Hudson Street
He’s got squared off shoulders and turned out feet
His head swinging to side with the beat
Walking a big bulldog
at the end of a leash
I slip in for coffee behind a regular Joe
He orders half-caf, no-fat,
low-foam latte to go
Drums his fingers while he’s waiting checks his watch then his phone
Rushes out with a miniature
dachshund in tow
Is it some strange version of vanity
are they searching for true family
Are they drawn together subconsciously or does change occur more gradually
Why, why, why, why, why
do people look like their dogs
Big guy watches tv
he drinks beer from a bottle
Brings home a new greyhound
a sleek racing model
Does he get into shape
finally rev up the throttle
Or does that tiny greyhound
start to walk with a waddle
My charming neighbor
she looks good for her age
She’s thinking about buying
a little sharpei
How that will turn out no I couldn’t say
But a smoother dog
might just be the best way
Chorus
We’ve made a few trips to the ASPCA
To find a new best friend
who’ll help make our day
A full grown dog of unspecified breeding
‘Cause they’re the most loving
and they’re the most needing
Chorus
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4. |
Birmingham
03:21
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By the time we got to Birmingham
there was no one left to ask
The time for grieving
had long since passed
The names of better angels
are carved in stone and brass
The mystic chords of memory
hold heroes from our past
Happy anniversary
We gather in the memory
Of those who gave us hope and faith
The strength to be alive
Happy anniversary
Happy anniversary
A day, a week, a month, a year
Keep that dream alive
Early Monday morning
campaigners headed for the coast
The new deal riding shotgun
with the holy ghost
Of the wind and rain and policy
that blew through these towns
Raised the delta up
and washed the bottom out
Chorus
You know it when you see it
Which prophet to believe
His truth is not just what he says
But how he lives and breathes
Its only for the money
maybe for the show
But they are never at the ready
that’s the way things go
When we all are equal
what will they do then
When we have no need for power
just extraordinary men
Chorus
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5. |
Sacred Cows
03:57
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Sacred Cows
The sacred cows
are grazing in my backyard
They look like
ordinary cows in most regards
There are no fences here
they are free to roam
There’s surely greener pastures
behind other homes
But those sacred cows won’t go
Heard its getting warmer
by a few degrees each year
It would behoove us to make changes now that’s clear
Its an argument we cannot lose
We’ve got cold hard data scientific proof
But those sacred cows won’t move
Can you see the future
Can you see the change
Can you see the light
Of a brand new day
Will you be the future
Will you be the change
Will you light the world
In a brand new way
We could use sun or wind
or plant triglycerides
The perpetual motion of the ocean tides
Still money stampedes
for traditional means
They’ve got coal gas and oil
got no stake in green
Yeah those sacred cows rule
Chorus
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6. |
A Good Apartment
03:53
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It's a real nice place and urban find
The heat’s included it's the perfect size
For one
What am I gonna do with him
What am I gonna do with him
Either he’s too big or its too small
But he’s like Tom Waits
in that little dance hall
He’s got a great big coat, great big shoes
In the living room he blocks all the views
Outside
What am I gonna do with him
What am I gonna do with him
It's a crying shame
Because we’re two of a kind
I know he’s not to blame
But a good apartment is hard to find
It starts out cozy but it winds up tense
Closet wars and counter defense
No room
What am I gonna do with him
Why is he always here
I need some space,
but there’s none of that
So I walk three blocks to the laundromat
A homeless guy is trying to stay warm
I lose my cool create a storm
Inside
What am I gonna do with him
Where am I gonna wash my clothes
Chorus
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7. |
First Two-Wheeler
03:25
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Don’t be frightened, but I’m gonna let go
Don’t think about falling just let it roll
Keep pedaling steady
keep your eyes straight ahead
You’ll be surprised how far you’ll go
Now the world’s wide open
before you know
You’re riding twice as far as a week ago
Once you taste freedom
once you feel the wind
You can wait to see how far you’ll go
On a dime I turned from pride to fear I tried not to surrender
But the only way to keep you near
is to let you ride forever
I’m a little bit frightened
please take it slow
I never really thought about
how far you’d go
Keep pedaling steady
keep your eyes straight ahead
I’ll try to remember
I’m the one who let go
In time I turned from fear to faith
once I learned how to surrender
To the power of love and hope and grace
To keep you safe forever
Now I’m filled with wonder
At the way you’ve grown
You rode into the world found a home
You learned how to be steady
how to get ahead
But even when you ride away
you never let go
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8. |
Please Try Love
02:42
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Please
Please keep an open mind
Please
Please recognize that hearts exist
In many different kinds
We are all the same
We know love and hate
We have the power to choose
Which side to take
Try
Try seeing other sides
Try
Try walking in the shoes of those
Who struggle to feel pride
Chorus
Love
Love in spite of fear
Love
Love until the lines
That come between us disappear
Chorus
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9. |
Eleanor
03:17
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Eleanor McHenry lived on my block
We sat in the same class we liked to talk
After school we’d race home really fast
Pick out our favorite games
Eleanor always chose last
She was the best friend I ever had
best friend I ever had
And that’s saying a lot
We started junior high she fell behind
Teachers said she was smart
but just didn’t apply
I wrote for the paper I went out for track
Elly made new friends
and never looked back
She was the best friend I ever lost
best friend I ever lost
And that’s saying a lot
We got to high school
El learned to smoke
Wore too much eyeliner
cursed when she spoke
there were rumors about drinking
and going too far with boys
I turned my head, blocked out the noise
She was the best friend I ever left
best friend I ever left
And that’s saying a lot
A week before I left home
Eleanor crashed
There were things going on at home
that made her act rash
She never told anyone
never reached out for help
Kept it locked up inside
Kept it all to herself
She was the best friend I ever lost
best friend I ever lost
And that’s saying a lot
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