THE YOUNG IDEALISTS

I know I said I favoured peaceful resolution
But that was when we were the young idealists
The Young Idealists
Raging through the coffee shops and bars
Make believe the world was really ours
Still supposing we could make a difference
Then we bought into the neocon economic dream
And we were trading in futures we believed in
The Young Idealists
Careering through the markets to the Mall
Venturing that we could have it all
Still supposing we could make a difference
And then the markets fall
And the heavens open
And there’s no synergy at all
The synergy is broken
So maybe now I’d take that wholesale revolution
we were talking about
Maybe now I’d take a future we can breathe in
The Young Idealists
Raging through the forests and the streams
Breaking into your laboratories
Still supposing we could make a difference
I never dreamed I’d want a slogan on my people
mover
But that was when we were the young idealistsTHE YOUNG IDEALISTS
I know I said I favoured peaceful resolution
But that was when we were the young idealists
The Young Idealists
Raging through the coffee shops and bars
Make believe the world was really ours
Still supposing we could make a difference
Then we bought into the neocon economic dream
And we were trading in futures we believed in
The Young Idealists
Careering through the markets to the Mall
Venturing that we could have it all
Still supposing we could make a difference
And then the markets fall
And the heavens open
And there’s no synergy at all
The synergy is broken
So maybe now I’d take that wholesale revolution
we were talking about
Maybe now I’d take a future we can breathe in
The Young Idealists
Raging through the forests and the streams
Breaking into your laboratories
Still supposing we could make a difference
I never dreamed I’d want a slogan on my people
mover
But that was when we were the young idealists

WOMAN IN A BAR

Idealised vision of a woman through a smokefilled
twentieth century screenplay
Advancing
Towards protagonist with paperback and beer
Manifestly failing to disappear
Now that the children are asleep
You want to play
But you’re so lazy
She walks into the bar
And there you are
Still life watercolour Woman In A Window
Considers role of kitchen sink drama queen
Stage left - protagonist with cigarette and pen
Considers form of racehorses, IBM
Declining issues led advancing two to one
In slow trading
She walks into the bar
And there you are
No longer angry
No longer young
No longer driven to distraction
Not even by Scarlett Johansson
A few moving parts
Need to be replaced
The engine starts
But only on Tuesdays
but look at it this way -
Now that the children are asleep
You want to play
But you’re so lazy
She walks into the bar
And there you are
Idealised vision of a woman through a smokefilled
twentieth century screenplay
Advancing
Towards protagonist with paperback and beer
Manifestly failing to disappear..

NYC SUNSHINE

Suppose I told you everything I know
And it adds up to less than you already know
Well, I wont mind if you think I’m lazy
I wont care if you find me insincere
Because it’s the best that I can do
Come on, take my hand, it may be cold outside
But we’ve got New York City sunshine
Walking with the junkies and the millionaires
In the New York City..
New York City sunshine
I want to take you to the Metropolitan
But you say Man that really wouldn’t turn you on
Well, I wont mind if you think I’m a little crazy
I wont care if you find me insincere
Because it’s the best that I can do
Come on, take my hand, it may be cold outside
But we’ve got New York City sunshine
Walking with the junkies and the millionaires
In the New York City..
New York City sunshine
Maybe I’m going to get paid today
Maybe I’m going to get made today
Maybe I’m going to go back to Garden City
I know one of these days I’m going to leave this town
One of these days I’m going to pack her up and put
her in drive
And head into the great whereafter.

ANTIDEPRESSANT

I’m serving 12 to 15 working the coffee machine
I’ve got a licence to fly underneath the radar
She’s about 50 feet north As Seen On TV store
I know she’s going to tune me in sooner or later
With my medication I will be fine
I said I’m trying to write my novel
She said Neither am I
And either way I saw you reading No Depression
You’re doing nothing I’ll come over
We’ll watch 6 feet Under
And then we’ll maybe get around to your condition
With my medication I will be fine
First she’s going to tire of my fixations
Then she’s going to tire of my face
I’m going to need a new affectation
I’m going to need a new one everyday
With my medication I will be fine

I DIDN’T SEE IT COMING

Gone fishing, called an intermission
On account of being overcooked
Headswimming - the children and the women
Leave me stranded on my burning deck
One fine morning I woke to hear you calling
I couldn’t believe what I heard at all
I didn’t see it coming
Much later I’m your grand capitulator
Certain that I could be wrong
Head still spinning looking for an algorithm
To bring some sense to it all
You start singing along
With that rock’n’roll song
On you New York station
I didn’t see it coming
Don’t get me wrong
I wouldn’t change a single thing
It’s just that having been wrong so many many times
It’s hard to believe that I might get it right
I didn’t see it coming
And now I’m underneath the train
I didn’t see it coming

HOW WRONG CAN YOU BE?

I paid the full lip service to the repercussions
Which is to say I weighed the risk reward
But who can budget for a fallout of these proportions?
Take your shot
That’s what you pay me for
Nobody said
You’re getting away with murder
Here, smile into the hidden camera
with your friend
She didn’t ask
If we were on or off the record
Or what that may
Or what that may not mean
When you went away
I thought that I was free
How wrong can you be?
How wrong can you be?
Fortune hits the wall
And the whole 500 fall
How wrong can you be?
How wrong can you be?
I didn’t see it at the time as a conflict of interests
A pretty girl at the wheel of a German car
It isn’t hard to surrender to market forces
Take your seat
Become the passenger
Nobody said
We’re getting away with murder
No looking in the rear view mirror
Foot to the floor
She didn’t say
I’m working for the competition
A pretty girl at the wheel of a German car
When you went away
I thought that I was free...

EVERYSONG

Think you’re really something ,now
Just because I offer you
A ride in my brand new car
When you know we’re nothing more than just
Smoke and rhetoric
And we’re barely rhyming as we are
So don’t get so excited
He’s not that kind of writer
The chances are we’ll wind up in some godforsaken
cul-de-sac
Not love
No use to get sad about it
Can’t love everysong
Well let’s not lose perspective, now
Just because we spend a little time together while
we’re on our way
And sure I’ll hold you for a little while
If you ask me I can stay
At least until tomorrow
But now we’re halfway through the song and I’m still
tagging along
Surely clouds are coming soon
But as of now I can see nothing but blue
No use to go second guessing
Can’t cry everysong
Maybe the wine is going cheap at the creative retreat
Maybe our man’s smoking something
Because something’s feeling scarily like love
No need to complain
No siree Bob
Can’t cry everysong

I AM NOT WILLING

Never doubting
Always faithful
She returns
She says she loves me
And I could always
Come to her
She can’t imagine how
Another lover
Could turn her head
And I’m so grateful
That I’m still willing
To have her home
She says she loves me
She won’t forget me
And then she’s gone
She thinks that later
We can pick up the pieces
And carry on
And I’d forgive her
Still not suspecting
She could be wrong
Now I’m so grateful
I’m no longer willing
To have her home
Now I’m so grateful
I’m no longer willing
To have her home

SLIP AWAY

No longer harbour
To escapist design
I propose an exit strategy
Could you let it go?
A simple loss of traction
On an empty road
More than likely sleeping at the wheel
And then again
In it’s current condition
Sustainded disrepair
I’d say this house is falling down
Ripe for torching, then
A single cigarette falls
From a sleeping hand and
Softly, softly, softly I will slip away
And fade until I assume complete transparency
Softly, softly, softly I will slip away
And then into the ether where I belong

TRAVELING LIGHT

She’s got the porter by the baggage carousel
She’s got the means to make him hurt a little
She’s going places he no longer dreams about
Beautiful dreams, no doubt
Dreams of Savannah mornings hung with Spanish
moss
Dreams of New Mexico and endless miles of dust
Dreaming of soaring high above this vacant lot
All dreams of flight - traveling light
Traveling Light
If not for scheming constellations in the night
Determined to align themselves against my designs
I would be traveling light
Sailor’s harmonica and gypsy guitar
Like I’m the last of the true believers
Kicking the dirt that might unearth that lonesome
song
You know the one that I was counting on
Traveling Light
If not for bitter constellations in the night
Determined to align themselves against my designs
I should be traveling light
If not for twisted guidance councellors
In spite of sympathetic bartenders
intent to do me right
I should be
I should be traveling light
I am the porter by the baggage carousel
I am the leader of this small ensemble
And we will pack this little station wagon tight
Then take flight
Amongst the headlights

ROLODEX INCIDENT

Tripped on your Rolodex
Brought up a cloud of dust
I had to take an antihistamine
Before I could move on
and assess the damage done
The fallout to contain
The nonedescript manuscript
on which you wrote
In case of loss
In case of loss
It said return to this address
So here we are
except you don’t live here anymore
And I guess I’m leaving
I guess I’m getting around to leaving
And then again
Remember all I asked
was just a little quiet please