43 : 5/23/98 : The Parallax Blunder

Can't see the forest for the trees
Can't see the crystals for the freeze
Always distracted by the flash and thunder
just another Parallax Blunder

Can't judge the cover for the book
Can't judge the things you overlook
Always mistaking over for under
just another Parallax Blunder

Can't look a gift horse in the mouth
Can't find the east by looking south
Can't stop the earth's spinning to stop and wonder
just another Parallax Blunder

God's in the details you said it a million times
well, sometimes I can't see the words for the rhymes
The temple curtain is torn asunder
Just another Parallax Blunder

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

42 : 5/22/98 : Distraction

Distraction the endless distractions
The endless reactions
To actions that stretch out
And endlessly bifurcate

I don't learn the lessons I'm taught
I live among the parapets of thought
knowing the illusion's depth
I endlessly hesitate

And I suppose it is what holds me back
And always flaws my soft attack
I only want to calm
My sad relentless mind

And all the minutes circle and fall
from ten to two to one I stall
and stutter out another
shot at what I never find.

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

41 : 5/21/98 : Five More Minutes

Could I stack it all into
Just five minutes more
All the sleep all the dreams
All the light all it means
Is another hour on the killing floor

I know I can't it isn't mine to do
All the cats in the attic
The screaming and the static
And me without a clue

Please give me over
Just five minutes five
And I'll say all I've left out
I swear I'll get my best out
I swear I'll be alive

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

40 : 5/20/98 : Bitch Goddess Blues

All the boys got the bitch goddess blues
All the slim latin lovers with nothin' to lose
They howl at the moon and stand in my shoes
Those sad clowns with the bitch goddess blues

All the girls got that stellar cat heat
Pretty print dresses and a pound of meat
A cylinder of glory rolled tight and sweet
Such silly ballerinas with that stellar cat heat

And the evil men with a boom boom boom
six by three by six is a mighty small room
And I'll just put an arrow on my tomb
Pointing up at a sign that says boom boom boom

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

39 : 5/19/98 : Tired

Guess it must always
get back to this,
deep tired, deep down tired
All that ancient lead
in my bones

The ether's thick like
honey, omnipresent,
such a weight pushing
us all in toward
inevitable oblivion

And once I slept as
a child, peaceful and
deep, and expanded
and diffused the weight,
the weight

Breathe deep I wrap my
strength around
my leaden bones
Another day
another load

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

38 : 5/18/98 : Knowingness (Neoformalismo #1)

I know what I know
I do what I do
I say what I say
I knew what I knew

I say what I say
I'm led where I'm led
I make what I make
I said what I said

I make what I make
I'm paid what I'm paid
I give what I give
I made what I made

I give what I give
I save what I save
I sing what I sing
I gave what I gave.

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

37 : 5/17/98 : Sooner, Later

Better late than never
Better break than sever
Better just leave it alone
Sooner or later it will clone

Another child of fortune
Just your daily portion
Of a meal that fate prepared
Well it's a shame she never shared

Her mind with all its portals
Down among us mortals
She's a cold and distant bitch
And while you sleep she pulls the switch

On you

And if you gotta learn it now
After all your fights with mater
better sooner than later
better sooner than later

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

36 : 5/16/98 : Later, Sooner

She steps right up when he shows
You can tell that she's wearin'
a look he knows
Poor soul must be late again
You can tell it's a fight
he knows she'll win

Throws his arms out, makes like Christ
Babe I'm important, you pay
the price
For bein' seen with me and my high class gear
Bein' seen is a full time career

Later, sooner it all falls down
I see it every day I'm out
on the town
It's not my problem I don't interfere
Far as I'm concerned he's
still not here

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

35 : 5/15/98 : Go Away

They don't look like us
They don't act like us
They don't have respect
They look back at us
They don't dress like us
They don't talk like us
They don't live like us
They don't walk like us

They don't...

Why don't they make them go away
Cause all the problems anyway
They're standin' in front of our bright new day
Wouldn't it all be better if they all just went away...

They don't...

We the people
In order to form a more perfect union
We the people
In order to form a more perfect union
We the people
In order to form a more perfect union

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

34 : 5/14/98 : The Wind (Imitations of a Divine Parody #3)

When the wind rose up in
The valley of bones
Then the wind rose up
And rattled those bones

And a voice said mortal man
D'you think I'm gonna set these dry bones free
And I said back to that voice
I said ah You know that not me

And then the wind rose
And the wind that's what I feel
And when the wind rose
I said oh lord I know that's real

And the bones rose up with a rattling sound
And the wind rose up and it shook the ground
And I said oh lord that's a fearsome wind
And I said oh Lord make those dry bones spin

And the wind rose up in
The valley of bones
And the Lord said watch those bones live boy
The Lord said nothin's set in stone
And the Lord said now it's your turn boy

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

33 : 5/13/98 : Shiloh

At Shiloh The Spirit came down
At Shiloh the spirit came down
At Shiloh the spirit came down
and they were filled with the power of the lord...

Heaven and all its dominions and thrones
Heaven and all its dominions and thrones
Heaven and all its dominions and thrones
Hang on to your alters and your holy stones

What was the word the apostles did say
What was the word the apostles did say
What was the word the apostles did say
Nearer my God to thee in every way

All of the princes and powers of this earth
All of the princes and powers of this earth
All of the princes and powers of this earth
Hang on to their money for what their life's worth

The waves will rise up and the columns crash down
The waves will rise up and the columns crash down
The waves will rise up and the columns crash down
The heavens will shake with an unearthly sound

Heaven and all its dominions and thrones
Heaven and all its dominions and thrones
Heaven and all its dominions and thrones
Hang on to your altars and your holy stones

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

32 : 5/12/98 : Prodigal (Imitations of a Divine Parody #2)

And I feel... I feel...
Like I've been here before
I am a prodigal son
Never meant to hurt anyone

And it seems... it seems...
That I've seen this scene before
just another wandering jew
I am so lost... without you

And this dream... this dream...
Is the dream I dreamed before
some old sailor lost out at sea
Just the wind my albatross and me

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

31 : 5/11/98 : Bandolier

Got seven silver bullets in my bandolier
Gotta get these sons of bitches right out of here
Got seven silver bullets in my bandolier
Gotta get these sons of bitches right out of here

One wolf's a raver he kills for kicks
He'll buy a silver bullet 'cross the river styx

One wolf kills to keep his belly filled
I'll cure his achin' with a silver pill

One wolf's lazy, only kills the weak
No need to say a word I'll let my silver speak

One wolf loves to take the little girls
He'll see a streak of silver through his golden curls

One sees beauty in his deadly form
Silver for him and then him for the worms

One wolf kills to get what he can't keep
Doctor silver come to put that dog to sleep

One wolf kills and kills all he can
I'll reach out and strike him with my silver hand

I'll reach out and strike him with my silver hand
I'll reach out and strike him with my silver hand

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

30 : 5/10/98 : Kingdom Come (Imitations of a Divine Parody #1)

Say mama How I come to be
say my daddy cast a line
pull me outta the sea
said Daddy how you make that sum
say one and one and
one equals Kingdom Come

Oh Kingdom Come
Oh Kingdom Come
Oh Kingdom Come

Say Mama how do I become a man?
She say you can't do nothin'
But ah clap your hands

Said Daddy if I lose all hands but one?
said listen to the sound of Kingdom Come

Oh Kingdom Come
Oh Kingdom Come
Oh Kingdom Come

Oh Kingdom Come
Oh Kingdom Come
Oh Kingdom Come

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

29 : 5/9/98 : The Sad True Story of the Girl Who Could Not Sleep

I suppose she's still out there
somewhere
Counting the hours she cannot
keep
No one seems to know
About her
The sad true story of the Girl
who could not sleep
Who will testify
who will justify
who could satisfy the need
that keeps her
up?

I suppose it all started
innocently
It's so hard not to steal a few extra
hours
From the nights that pass softly
gently
One day I suppose it simply crept up
The dawn's early light

Who could see it come
Who could keep the sun
Who knew that some thing would
happen leaving her
up?

I suppose that she's awake
right now
Living the sad true story of the
Girl who could not sleep
It's crazy what this world
will allow
To exist; It's crazy when you finally see how steep

a price you'll pay
To wish away
The hours that prey
on all
The fragments
The memories
The incredible true
sad story of the girl
who could not sleep

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

28 : 5/8/98 : Night and the Revolution

Put it to you simply:
Your priority... is
Sowing the seeds of dissent

In every night
Talk until we see the light
Till we pull down what heaven sent

Nothing stronger than ideas
When our flag flies they'll see us
I believe in kingdom come

I believe in the strength of our arts
If we choose to play our true parts
In the heart of night and the revolution

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

27 : 5/7/98 : Ease

That rock you push
that stone you roll
Is what you choose
Your path your toll

And so I choose
To take my ease
Relax my hold
Do as I please

(Easy money
Now
No More
workin' Jive Jobs
For chump change
It's all easy money now)

The roles I've chased
And parts I've played
I've held my corner
I have obeyed

To Caesar, Caesar's due
My shoulder to the plow
I've met my obligation
It's all easy money now

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

26 : 5/6/98 : Better Late Than Never

Look across the distance we create
by inattention and
The distraction of the
daily portion

My eyes are clouded with misery
And screwed up against the sun
Is it too late
Is it too late
Is it too late
to call you out into the
sun

Better late than never
Better late than never, right?
Better late than never

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

25 : 5/5/98 : WaterBreather

Well yeah now I saw it in that
moment
And made my only choice
It's so nice to have one choice

Ooh finally I'll give it up
I'll open up my arms and
let it go and let it slip away
oh just this moment just this day

And just this fall
into the water
falling falling in the water
open up my eyes wide open
open wide my mouth and
Breath
Breath
I am
a
Waterbreather
Now to see
This
other
Angle

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

24 : 5/4/98 : Dream

I must be insane
I must be insane
Talking myself in circles again
What's its use, all the wandering
The poring and the pondering
That I put myself through?

I'm crazy for a dream
I'm crazy for a dream
Some thing that I've never had or seen
All the thoughts I knew I had to bring
but never could recall to you.

Maybe it will finally come tonight
Maybe it will finally come tonight
The message of the fiery scroll
Some sign I've finally paid my toll
That I'll finally make it through

Oh I've seen so many mornings come
I've seen so many mornings come
And dreams that slip and fade away
Maybe that's why they're made that way
Maybe it's enough just making it through

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

23 : 5/3/98 : If It All Went To Hell

If it all went to hell when the
burning sky fell
It might be just as well
It might be just as well

If we all went insane
Due to all the toxic rain
It might balance all the pain
It might balance all the pain

If we rush scream and run
When the aliens come
Would we see another sun
Would we see another sun?

If it all went to hell
It might be just as well
Who can say, who could tell
Who could say, who can tell?

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

22 : 5/2/98 : Long Slow March

There's a certain way dust rises
on this trail
At the end of a long day
At the end of a long hard day
They never tell you of the boredom
Of valor turning stale
On the long slow march
To hold the enemy at bay
Here we all are
on the long slow march
To an uncertain end
The millions marching
Into an uncertain
valley

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

21 : 5/1/98 : Mayday

Oh no you don't
get away that easily
anymore

Forgetting isn't an excuse
anymore
That's no excuse
Anymore
This is too important
It's always some emergency
to you
Well
This Is An Emergency
If you are not as alive as
you can be right now, then
this is an emergency
Don't you dare tell me
I could ever buy her love
Don't you ever tell me I could
buy, buy happiness

Who doesn't know better?
Who doesn't know better than that?
Yet they tell us every day
Why do they tell us every day?
This is an emergency
This is May Day

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

20 : 4/30/98 : Jerusalem

Look the bright and shining walls
Look the tall and winding halls
Look the temple and the spires
Listen to the harps and lyres

Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Look there's blood on every corner
Babylon I tried to warn her
Look the rising rising tide
Such a waste such a beauty such a bride

Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Tried to warn her but it would not take
Will I ever live to see her wake
Listen to my pretty song
Look for her will she always be gone

Jerusalem
Jerusalem

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

19 : 4/29/98 : Swollen Glands

Swollen glands, swollen glans
won't you let go your hold on me
some days you leave me pale and wan
and others strong and happy

The little glisten you exude
bears so strongly on my attitude
Oh when I brush you with my fingertips
I dream of magic lands and sailing ships

Swollen glands oh swollen glans
I treat you oh so tenderly
I cover you with T.L.C.
You tell me what I want to be

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

18 : 4/28/98 : Piano Tuner’s Song

I play, not all that well
better than most, I suppose
But then I know better than most
just how well it can be played

But I love pianos so
I love my job I love
making the strings true
making the strings ring true

Everyone becomes quiet when
the piano tuner starts to work
with his small tools and fork
bending the notes to true

I feel so peaceful as
I'm tuning my pianos
Listening, pulling out the true
the true notes, the pure tones

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

17 : 4/27/98 : The Inspector

Somewhere in the grey grid of some disappointing suburb
Automatic sprinklers click dim lights begin to play
He shrugs into a rain grey raincoat as he locks a small grey house
The Inspector has begun another busy day

Watches as he goes and runs his fingers 'cross the railing
Sifts the dust and slowly walks away
Lights a cigarette and rubs the deep groove down between his eyes
The Inspector coughs and looks off, far away

Apprehension lurks in calm grey searching eyes
Which close as he sends out his mind into his land
Of motive and elusion the perpetrator's intellect
The Inspector never stops until the man is in his hand

In some absurd parody of some bright claustrophobic room
The throat clears, a flat voice asks the question once again
from a shadow hanging motionless behind a blinding light
The Inspector is the undisputed master of his game

He'll file that twist of dust away in some grey cabinet
Nothing's ever misplaced in his dessicated room
And as it were he sidesteps right outside of existence
The Inspector files himself away in dusks encroaching gloom

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

16 : 4/26/98 : Underground Man

Underground man I
know I'll never reach you
In your web of intellect and self
I doubt that I could teach you

What will I do now?
Everybody asks what do I
do now? As if I knew
“What is true?” I
Don't know how to reach you
underground

This thing you call spite
you hold it up your defiance
Your sins seem so small to me
Your spirit not so far from alliance

I suppose it's
a cautionary note
Out up from
Underground you wrote
trying to reach me
Underground...

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here

15 : 4/25/98 : Manual Transmission

Illuminated manuscripts
Abandoned flames and favorite ships
cashing bogus checks and scripts
For manual transmission

Broken watchsprings tarnished coins
cracked gaskets rings and dirty points
So roll the universal joints
For manual transmission

We just cannot let this thing
go on running itself this way
We've got to switch our play
To manual transmission
of the message, mission, vision

Chop it through two three four five
Master the dance and teach the hive
Dead or dying still alive
For manual transmission

The answer could be on the shelves
Those books aren't gonna read themselves
what fever raised desire quells
For manual transmission

You can read an explanation of the origin of these lyrics here