118 : 8/6/98 : In the Box

I’ve got a box to live in
and a box that rolls me home
A box to fester in 8 hours
The man throws me a bone
I’m livin in the box
I’m pleased as punch I’m mad as hell
I’m rollin in my coffin
Lord I know my boxes well
I guess that I complain too much
and look too little for escape
I guess I choose to sit in here
Another braying jackanape
There’s one box that I’m stuck with
carry with me all the time
a sack for all my memories
a clock to count the time
A bobbing grinning jack o lantern
resting on my neck
A box to keep my ego in
to hold my wild spirit in check
I could jump outta this
insane rolling coffin
I could jump outta this
silly maze I’m lost in
But I know the smallest box
is something that I’m stuck with
Guess it thinks it’s got a good thing going
Guess it’s not the box to fuck with

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

117 : 8/5/98 : Burning Coal

Well we’re doomed doomed doomed
that’s all I have to say at last
we’re doomed doomed doomed
To constantly relive the past
The words I say are wicked
And my mouth is full of lies
Yet I’m better than the average
This brave new world is festering with flies
Lord put a hot coal on my tongue
I’ll start the prophet gig today
I don’t know why you’d bother
The people never listen anyway
Lord doom this wicked race
I want to see them run before you
Lord move this vile people
Want to see the ashes scattered too
Lord move my wicked heart
Do not harden it against your word
Lord make my speaking pure
I just can’t credit everything I’ve heard
Lord justify this sacrifice
The cup’s too much I cannot drink it
You’ve gotta have a plan for me
the alternative’s so bad I cannot think it
Lord I’m doomed doomed doomed
Please God put a hot coal on my tongue
Lord I don’t want to be doomed
I just need light inside to see the next rung

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

116 : 8/4/98 : Virtue

I must have thought I was some kind of friend to you
I must have thought I would fly round the bend for you
I must have thought I was a dangerous guy
I must have thought I had virtue in your eyes

I must have thought I was a smooth operator
I must have thought I would see you later
I must have thought I had a pretty good plan
I must have thought I was twice the man I am

Where is the virtue in this world?
Where is the method in this madness?
When will I see the freedom flag unfurled
When will the creator end the sadness

I musta thought I was a man on a mission
I musta thought I had x-ray vision
I musta thought I was made outta gold
I musta thought I was immune to gettin old

I musta thought I had a secret objective
I musta thought that truth was subjective
I musta thought I had a sensible goal
I musta thought I had an ace left in the hole

There is no virtue in this place
evil minds speak evil words in every corner
I’m no better than the rest of this wicked race
still I feel like I’m the only mourner

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

115 : 8/3/98 : Tips on Waiting for Miracles

Quiet is the essence of this little fishing trip
Try to keep your mind blank stay quite still don’t rock the ship
Waiting is the game you’re playing such a simple strategy
Watch the sunrise watch the sunset eat your dinner drink your tea
Your imagination’s not your friend this time around
Keep your lowest profile and your ear down to the ground
Terra incognita is the definition of the prey
This is not a war that’s won by living in the day
Make a stalwart effort not to look to your resources
Make sure not to count your blessings to their subtle sources
Hold out for the great big thing and keep your spirits low
Never ever let another tell you what you know
Waiting for a miracle I’ve done that road before
Guess the time goes by I guess the wind gets through the door
Don’t know what the difference is what makes it stick tonight
Just keep trying to believe that everything will be all right
Wish that I could I sincerely wish that I could find
A way to look beyond this rutted circle in my mind
Waiting for a miracle’s a tough habit to break
Still I gotta wonder how much shit I’m gonna hafta take

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

114 : 8/2/98 : Good Intentions

Somebody told me the road to hell
Is paved with good intentions
and priests’ skulls

Somebody told me the way to heaven
Was straight and narrow and
sealed with seven

I’ve got good intentions and
a pain in my skull
I’ve got a soft spot for a parable

I’ve a good idea that I’m in it thick
Wish I had some clue to
What it is that makes me tick

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

113 : 8/1/98 : Red Ink (Red Ink 3 of 3)

618 ?


This is not an exercise
this time is for real
This red ink is drawn in blood
Pain is all a nerve can feel

This is not an accident
This is by design
Heaven didn’t make this up
this one must be mine

I seem to be swimming in red ink
I seem not to know what I should think
I seem to be made of bad investments

I’ve had better years I’ll warrant
Some times trouble comes in torrents
I seem to be made of bad investments

brother can you spare a cup
of anything to make me feel right
brother can you spare a light
to wield against this endless night.

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

112 : 7/31/98 : The Account Must Be Drawn Down (Red Ink 2 of 3)

You can’t run away forever
The night will come at last
When you’re thinking of the past
When you’re looking for the lever

To pry up the hidden places
The trapdoors in the floor
When you’re looking for the door
You’ll remember all the faces

Of the ones you really failed
All the red ink of a life
All the memories under the knife
The well intentioned deeds that paled

In the light of hard truths saying
The horn must one day sound
The account must be drawn down
And I’ll be the one who’s paying

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

111 : 7/30/98 : Table of Contents (Red Ink 1 of 3)

The goal the means the method
the resources the plan
the summary the statement
of the condition of one man
the best worse case scenario
The way it all came out
The best laid plans screw up sometimes
I guess that’s what it’s all about
I guess my voice is never certain
I guess I teeter on the fence
I like to think I’m making progress
like to think I’m making sense
My books won’t seem to balance
even the contents are in red ink
My tables all are turning
And I just do not know what to think

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

110 : 7/29/98 : Magic

Don’t seem to find myself
praying for magic so much anymore
Maybe I’m getting old pray
for a good night’s sleep
a good day...

Rest back little fool
I’ll tell you what to do
once you have what you need
you won’t want magic
anyway

Spirit of forest spirit
of light spirits that
travel by day and by night

was it ever real
the magic I wanted
so badly

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

109 : 7/28/98 : They’d Like to Pinion Me

They'd like to strip me naked
and toss me in a pit
they'd like to gamble for my clothes
they'd like to make a game of it
they'd like to get inside my skull
I know they'd like to shave my head
they'd like to put a bullet in it
swear to God they'd like to see me dead
But instead
I think they'd like to pinion me
I'll teach them
some goals aren't reached so easily
I'd like to push the button
and watch the fuckers smoke
man the way that things are going
that's not such a funny joke
I'd like the world to know
just exactly what they give
my God this mess is growing
soon there'll hardly be the space to live

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

108 : 7/27/98 : Purple (Secondary 3 of 3)

612 ?


In his purple phase
the young artist sure could turn a phrase
Isn't it so cool to be among the elite
Culture was fragmented rents were low
the average starving artist could still buy nice clothes
every righteous brother did his time out on the street

In the purple period
the artist pondered myriad
issues of enormous purport
He let his hair grow down his back
and set himself a choppy tack
times were good
he had no lack of support

Little did he know
the royal hue was poisoning him
Cobalt lead and cadmium
all burrowing inside
slowly he grew more scattered
forgot the things he thought had mattered
Only spoke of purple anymore

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

Dingaling

I mentioned I was taking a two week break for Christmas, right?

Right.

So tune in after the holidays - say, the first of the year, when the million dollar question will be, will I have finally caught up the current project - which has been a week or so behind for a month or so... or will the rigors of the blessed season have driven me even further behind. Stay tuned and don't forget to breathe!

107 : 7/26/98 : Green (Secondary 2 of 3)

Now comes the time to admit the darkside
I see those worthless fuckers
taking all you suckers for a ride
And it turns me green
with demon jealousy
what about the rest of us
well mainly what about me...
I see superstars and supermodels
doing the exclusive bars
don't care much about the lifestyle
but I wouldn't mind the cars
houses in the south of France
yachts out on the sea
fear my soul's in peril
I am green with jealousy
Jesus won't you sit with me
and hour upon the grass
If I cannot learn it gently
Would you kindly kick my ass
I don't want to be this way anymore
I'm always counting green these days
but money's such a bore

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

106 : 7/25/98 : Orange (Secondary 1 of 3)

Cheshire orange,
nothing but a smile
color for surprises
for October
for the sunset mile

Jack-o-lantern orange
nothing but a carefree kid
color for magic
for harvest
Afire for anything I did

The fields the leaves
gone orange and red and brown
wherever I fly off to
mother nature always drops me down
gentle in a twilight orange
evening shadows stretch and grow
I stand aside and watch the wheel turn
watch the center shift and glow

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

105 : 7/24/98 : blue(sky) (Primary 3 of 3)

591 ?


Blue sky all I need to see
is a piece of blue sky
sorry I'm looking past your shoulder
on the bus my friend
I'm just keeping out one eye
for my blue sky
it's the only time I feel right
The days I see the least sky
are the days I feel most blue
I never want to feel that way
when I'm thinking of you
my blue sky
separate day from night
provide somehow a shore a divide
so I might thrive

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

104 : 7/23/98 : Yellow (Primary 2 of 3)

Man that guy must have it all
the goods the influence the juice
If I'm so smart why ain't I rich?
man I guess that's just the deuce

I guess I've had what he's had
such an unprepossessing fellow
guess I just don't have the hang of it
I guess I must be yellow

Funny I don't feel that way
feel like I am brave enough
if I wasn't yellow would I stand for this
funny how I never call their bluff

being yellow's maybe not so bad
you get a thousand shots at death
but I'm probably too cautious
being yellow saving up my breath

For what I guess that's the rub
maybe for a brighter new day
maybe the cliché's the way
for us to find a better way

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

103 : 7/22/98 : Red (Primary 1 of 3)

Everytime someone gets cut off
dentist drills ring in my head
Jesus I'm unfortunate I feel it
every time some hothead sees red

red red color of life
color of evening morning and blood
and in case you missed it Mr. Ku Klux Klan
The color of God's own creation mud

Can't you bastards all just get along
you're killing me you're driving me insane
can't you just calm down a minute count to ten
stop these lurid flashbulbs popping in my brain

And Godamighty when you all get started
In my fantasies I've shot you in the head
but that kind of thinking always gets me thinking
wondering just who I'm making see red

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

102 : 7/21/98 : Ex-Templars and Forgotten Saints

585 ?


Well oh what a merry misfit brigade we are
with our sitting room and finger paints
going through a past life's second childhood (Young Kaligula)
surrounded by ex-Templars and forgotten saints

Men who softly step in corridors
lined with lights in cages and locked doors
I slip softly glide 3 feet above the floors
a shadow in a shadow what the dark half stores

My girl's named Joan she led a mighty throng
Of brave young Christian soldier boys
she still talks of night and the revolution
makes up her lack of deference with poise

Don't be so quick to judge you're all in here with us
It's all one corporation count on it
I'm not a politician but I understand
A run of bad luck could land anybody in this shit

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

101 : 7/20/98 : When It Goes

You can buy a CD featuring a song of the day! Read more here

When it goes friend there's a good chance
it will come down very fast
Though I doubt I'll be the first to know
I guarantee I will not be the last

And I confess that I would feel a little more secure
If I thought you were half as worried as I am
you look like you are having too good of a time
looks like you are gonna wind up chiseled spam

He said there was a roar man
then another, louder
then a tide of mud took his little girls away

that's how it goes friend
boom, boom, boom
like the original night and day

Don't look now I'm gonna pick your pocket
rolling drunks is far too simple to resist
time's a'wasting I can't lose another second
anyway I'm not sure you exist

There's something goddamn beautiful
about a mushroom cloud
listen for the roar friend, trust me
next one will be really fuckin' loud

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

100 : 7/19/98 : Automatic Card Shuffler

You can buy a CD featuring a song of the day! Read more here

Hey automatic card shuffler
you hypnotize me with your
swish flick whirr whirr whirr...

Sort a hot deck for me
just this once: my life's
become a boiling cup of fur

How I love this palace
plastic chips and flashing light
how I love the lack of clocks and windows
every day here lasts all night

shuffle up a winner for me
don't work for the house this time
let me strike it rich: I'll free you
take you home and build a little shrine

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