Actual Events (Based On)
I've been walking around in circles baby
Wearing a hole in the ground
I've been laying back for a year or 2 maybe
More or less hanging around
I've been turning up rocks and Turning down roles
tryin' to get a look at you
But if you're based on actual events
Driven but just like new
I've been looking for answers in all the wrong places
Hiding behind the truth
I've been shaken since you removed all traces
Dying, but just like new
I hear your footsteps in the darkest night
I see your shadow in the subway light
I've been waiting for a while
In search of that elusive smile
It's got a place in my permanent file
I Shook off my last beating and skipped my last feeding
And acted like I had no clue
I stayed true to a word that nobody heard
Reconditioned but just like new
I hear your footsteps in the darkest night
I see your shadow in the subway light
I've been waiting for a while
In search of that elusive smile
It's got a place in my permanent file
Everything On A Long Shot
What I’d like’s not likely to happen
What I need’s not on my plate
Taking it all for granted it’s not too late
Form a line to hear your sentence
At the edge of a hurricane
Lying in bed and you’re listening to the rain
Take another chance on another lost cause
As a sure thing passes by
Watching it fall apart and you started to cry
You put everything on a long shot
In the shortest span of time
Up and down the aisle without spending a dime
Can’t fall asleep
Can’t stay awake
Can’t face the day when all that’s left is the rain
Can I waste another day on just squeaking by
If I shake it long enough will it turn into wine
Should I base it all on what falls from the sky
There’s a trickle pounding on the window sill
And I’m staring at the ceiling still
The minutes and hours slowly go passing by
Can't See
I can't see through your soul
You seem to think so though
You're not the girl I got to know
Point out how little I know
I know enough now though
To see when something just won't grow
Star in your little show
But what your friends don't know
That's not how it goes at home
Seems like you're always alone
You're always tired, you're always stoned
You're always waiting for the phone
Sometimes I wonder If I should stick it out
Until it works out right
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the fight
I can't see turning back
Now that all my things are packed
I can't see turning to attack
Take You Away
You've never seen the Milky Way
Or snow that lasts more than a day
Maybe I’m the one to take you away
Spotlights, streetlights a million cars
Neon signs from a million bars
Make the blackest skies turn gray
Maybe I’m the one to take you away
Tinsel-town full of glass
The days are slow but you yet ‘em pass
It was warmer out yesterday
Maybe I’m the one to take you away
Hear the crunch beneath your feet
Count the regrets you won't repeat
See you breathing in the air
It's freezing cold but I don't care
Seen pictures but you have your doubts
Your downstate boyfriend's on the outs
It was warmer out yesterday
Maybe I’m the one to take you away
Hurry Up & Wait
Thought I saw the best that anyone could give
But it never came true
Heard an enemy claim you’ve got one live to live
I’ll live mine through you
Caught a virus causes apathy I’ll never see
What’s standing in my way
Don’t have time for two well what am I supposed to do
Hurry up and wait
Hurry up and wait
Take the time to sit and ponder all the numbness faced
Well I just need a taste
Staring in the mirror’s like staring into space
What a waste
Hurry up and wait
Trade it in for a newer one when I like the one I got
Trade it in for a stupid grin when it really don’t mean a lot
I’d rather sit home and rot
From the back seat of the bus I count ‘em on one hand
Hour glass out of sand
Staring in the mirror’s like staring into space
Hurry up and wait
What a waste
Party of 1
No new cause to celebrate, an excuse to relax
I’ll go in on my feet and I’ll leave on my back
Challenges pushed aside for a new word to say
My hand’s on the trigger of somebody’s day
Worthless old keepsake worth less than before
With an eye on the clock and an eye on the door
An apprentice to dozens but master of none
The life of the party a party of one
There's spit on my seatbelt and crap on my hands
You throw it away but wherever it lands
Take solace in knowing what you did was wrong
You act so surprised but you knew all along
I’m the life of the party - party of one
Short of Suicide
She's the kind of girl who likes bridges
And drawing pictures of the moon
She's got more problems than fixes
And she's hiding in her room
She keeps a stack of books beneath her bed
And a spare key in the drawer
Not one of them she's ever read
She tiptoes 'cross the floor
They call up the stairs to wake her up
And I whisper in her ear good luck
And I stopped short of suicide
After the lukewarm reception in your eyes
Dig to the bottom just to get the prize
I swore on a stack of pancakes
That last night would be the last
I got the integrity of a lampshade
If any indication is the past
From the booth I was eying up the parking lot
But I never made it that far
And I stopped short of suicide
The quarter landed on its side
You were out there waiting for a ride
I swore on a stack of bibles
I'd be gone by the first of June
And if May fell into the ocean
It wouldn't happen a day too soon
I never been to church a day in my life
And I never met a liar I didn't like
And I stopped short of suicide
When events like these coincide
Shrug your shoulders and say you tried
Thunder
Someone saw you yesterday said they saw you feeling low
The said the times had gone bad and the time had come to go
Someone saw you yesterday said you muttered a Hello
Said you gave out on ‘em and you never let ‘em know
Someone saw your picture and they said you looked so thin
But skin and bones are only a reflection from within
They said you looked so frail like a worn out welcome mat
Said they’d like to see you come alive and make it back
I wanna see you on my way home
I wanna hear about you where I roam
I see you searching for high ground
On the morning when the thunder comes around
Someone saw you Friday said you were moving a little slow
They said you looked so tired and I said I ought to know
I’m feelin’ a little tired, worn down and drained inside
If you’re looking for some shelter think I could catch a ride?
Feeding the Flies
I know when you signed up you thought it would be great
It didn’t take too long to wanna leave me in this state
I got you climbing up the walls
This is worse than the last show we saw
The grass is always greener on the other side of the tank
It might look a little cleaner but it’s still got that stank
If I used up my tries
I’ll just stay on home and feed the flies
Feeding the Flies - It’s pouring
From the skies - who’s boring?
Trying to pass this Tuesday afternoon
Back from the store - Ignoring
The phone on the floor - Imploring
Pick up a chair in this backyard living room
Take another day off
Sweeten it up with a hack and a cough
Just because the sun came up don’t make you see more straight
It didn’t take you very long to wanna leave me in this state
I’ll sit here for days
Feeding the flies to keep myself entertained
Where Do We Take It From Here
You can’t always plan on the inevitable
It’s not always the smartest move
By restraining we’ve got something to prove
We can’t always hide behind the crossing line
It gets blurry with a little booze
But it’s a mark that we both have to choose
Where do we take it from here
The sun is up but it’s a cold, cold day
And I’m counting the minutes that I can stay
But tomorrow I’ll be on my way
When the skyline calls and judgment prevails
But I’ll leave out some key details
In my head I’m a thousand miles away
Where do we take it from here
You can’t always blame it on the moment or the alcohol
I’ll wait a couple extra days before I call
You can't always count on the inevitable
And it’s never the smartest move
But it’s a mark that we both have to choose
With a little bit of time between us
And a pile of unmade plans
Let’s face it, we just don’t understand
Where do we take it from here
It'll Do For Now
Before I opened my tab to the last call
You know I really thought I’d seen it all
I feigned interest in what was because
It seemed a heavy price for the same old buzz
Can I get my bill
I’m only short a dime
What the hell did I do with my keys this time
Third stool down with a corporate tan
His wife caught him in bed with another man
But it’s not his thing
It was barely a fling
She tried her best to make him eat that ring
You’re better seen but never ever heard
While they’re waiting on your every word
Feeling like a caged in bird
It’ll do for now but it’s not preferred
Before I opened my tab to the last call
You know I really thought I’d seen it all
When the bottle’s empty and the glass is dry
And the last one out says the last goodbye
I put my collar up
And step into the street
Another day of feeling incomplete
You’re better seen but never ever heard
While they’re waiting on your every word
Feeling like a caged in bird
It’ll do for now but it’s not preferred
twenty3
We met at your brother's trial
My sunken eyes caught your smile
I was free but you were busy for a while
I wanted to be a part of you
But not the sole of your left shoe
I wanted us to make a fuss like green and blue
You said ‘there’s a skeleton in my closet’
‘Don’t you turn it off just pause it’
‘I might be caught up in this mess but I didn’t cause it'
You let me hang on every word
Like anyone else would have heard
To you it made such perfect sense to me it’s absurd
Friends by day
Strangers at night
Are you really far away or barely out of sight
What’s left to say
That doesn’t make it right
Are you really far away or barely out of sight
I thought I saw most everything there is to see
So now can I please leave
I doesn’t matter what you hear it’s what you want to believe
Like you don’t look a day over twenty three
I left through the sliding door
Thinking I could learn no more
When did counting sidewalk cracks become such a bore?
You cleaned your closet and made your bed
And set up camp right in my head
I should’a been there, I shouldn’t’a left I should’a said
Hallmark Holiday
Said I love you on a Hallmark Holiday
Couldn’t do it in a roundabout way
Just look inside to see the things I could never say
At your window I’m steamin’ up the glass
I’m just obsessed with being part of your past
I’ll take you back now all you gotta do is ask
I had you tailed and your cell phone bugged
I got inside and hid beneath your rug
I stole your lipstick off of your favorite mug
Changed your sheets on a Wednesday morning
Changed your number on a Thursday night
Said take a left but I really should have taken a right
I changed your tire and I mended your fence
Made sure to show up at all of your events
You’re in my future but to you I’m strictly past tense
To shake it up I dressed up like a clown
And just for kicks I tried to put you back down
Snuck up behind you but you never even turned around
Changed your sheets on a Wednesday morning
Left on Thursday for an early flight
Said you’re sorry but that really doesn’t make it all right
Fell in love on a Hallmark holiday
Ask me nice but I’ll never go away
Just look inside to see the things I could never say
Chapter 8
You’ve got a flair for the dramatic
And dirty housewife hair
It’s borderline fanatic
And maybe I’ll meet you there
A short drive up the coast
Takes you to a tucked away café
Where the scallops come from flounder
And you practice what you’re gonna say
There’s a beetle in the parking lot
Of the Abelard Arms hotel
Where the cars drive by and think ’what’s inside?’
And baby you’ll never tell
There’s a shakeup on the home front
Or in the hotel room
Now you’re bored to tears with everything
That’s happened since the baby boom
What do we do if we get caught
Maybe we should and maybe not
Shut up and tie me a sheepshank knot
I woke up from a deep blue sleep
Alone and feeling great
I grew up with a front row seat
On the pages of chapter 8
Motorcade
Looking out the window that you made
Take your place in the motorcade
When the memories begin to fade
And you start to show your age
There's a difference in the colors that we bleed
I'm persecuted by what you read
Alive or dead, in debt or in between
You can’t imagine what I've seen
Did you read it in a book that someone wrote
Did you beat it it out of them before you slit their throat
Did you happen to escape with a dollar more
Cuz’ no one's listening anymore
no one's listening anymore
Did you read it in a book that someone wrote
Did you drink it from a glass that someone broke
Did you pour a little salt into an open sore
Cuz’ no one's listening anymore
no one's listening anymore
Nothing To Get Dressed For
Spending hours on the interstate
And i don't even know what for
There's nowhere to go to and no words that hold true
And nothing to get dressed for
Remember the line that we had nothing but time
And at the time we both believed it was true
Did it get kinda late or was it someone you hate
Because today you sing a different tune
Take a last look back At that excuse for a shack
Your bags packed by the door
Drew a line in the sand with your own 2 hands
And forgot what you were fighting for
A sign on the wall says you must be this tall
If you wanna take this ride
You tried to confess but you couldn’t care less
At least you can say you tried
Standing outside the dressing room
You’re the problem behind the door
It was no affair but I had no business there
And nothing to answer for
’Is it my size? how does it look from behind?’
What’d I get myself into
Take a last look back, have a panic attack
Even though I think you knew
Don't Wanna Wait
I don’t wanna know what you’re after
The steps you’ll take to get you there
Through the door I heard the laughter
In the corner I felt the stares
Did my time on the outside
Paid my dime to look on in
Shook the cold off my shoulder
Fielding questions on where I’ve been
Don’t wanna wait for you to get home
You shook the hands of some strangers
You never thought that you’d be missed
With all that’s happened you seem distant
But awful quick to reminisce
Don’t wanna wait for you to get home
Don’t wanna be there when you’re down
Don’t wanna fight or stand my ground
And don’t wanna see whose still around
Don’t wanna stop and take a look
Or tear the pages from a book
I can’t retrace the steps I took
Don’t wanna wait for you to get home
Skoal Motel
Open a beer with the sun
Gin and grape juice - purple passion
In for a sixer, out with a tin
Don’t committ to nothing but committin’ a sin
Passin out in a phone booth before the set
Never admit’n that it’s time to go home yet
Piss in a plant on fraternity row
Kicked in the face and thrown in the snow
Got nowhere to sleep, oh well
You can always get a room at the Skoal Motel
Last in line at the wishing well
You can always get a room at the Skoal Motel
At the wishing well you’re last in line
You never know whatch’re going to find
At the wishing well you’re last in line
But you were never last on mine
Shakin’ off trouble like the fortunate one
But the weight on your shoulders felt more like a ton
Tearin’ it up on a Wednesday night
’Just let him go, man, he aint worth the fight’
Riding Fences
I don’t like you
I don’t like the way you live
I keep hoping that I’m gonna run into something better
What’s that for?
I just hate seeing anything go to waste
So this is what we fought all night to get back to
In the corner
Take a peek around the door
Stick around in hopes you’ll get a little more
Riding fences
You shouldn’t feel so left out
Besides there’s little left you aint found out
Riding fences
Riding fences through your door
Riding fences
Riding fences now no more
Look around you
Take a toll of what you see
Fences, dresses, sidewalks, trees and me
Riding fences
You shouldn’t feel so left out
Alone and scared but in your finest hour
Impulse Buy
You walk into the room but no one notices
Take two steps forward & one step back
You’re tired of the window shopping and the Sunday Paper
Bargin bin crap on the clearance rack
The city lights, well they promised you a brighter future
If nothing else you’d be closer to the stars
If nothing grabs your eye you’ll fall victim to an impulse buy
Everything ain’t worth a second try
At the counter
You stare for hours
A victim to an impulse buy
The only thing worse than leaving empty handed
Is leaving there with no hands at all
The only thing that you’re tired of is being reprimanded
You can’t see why everyone’s appalled
Abrasive Personality
I used to have some friends to ignore
`Till they went away
I don't go out too much no more
Maybe another day
Dirtly looks and angry backs turned
Now they're slinging mud
Wonder if you'll have me back now
Wonder if you could
No goodbyes, not even `Hey Man, Hello’
Recall the person that I used to know
Now I gotta know
What do you see
What have I done
What could it be
Is it my abrasive personality or me?
Remeber throwing back a few
And making all that noise
You got the numbers on a hundred napkins
From a hundred boys
Has it been a year or just a day ago?
Now you got the right to say you told me so
Sunshine State
From a torn screen door and the porch light on
In a vacant lot with a junkyard lawn
Headlights down a gravel road
You can’t cash in the things you’re told
With your hair pulled back and your raincoat on
In the sunshine state where you don’t belong
You’re silent when you tell the truth
From the bottom wrung or the tallest roof
I’m a Siamese cat on a window sill
Can’t keep my paws out of the till
I’m comatose but I can’t sit still
I’ll take one more but I’ve had my fill
You’re broken up and I’m broken down
On a one way street in a dead end town
You’re loudest when misunderstood
There’s a road away but I don’t think you could
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