disconnection day

somnambulist parade
we’re looking good in grey
even standing fairly straight
for the hateful holiday
we’re bound to celebrate
on disconnection day
we’ll go inside to stay and stay
receivers all, we’ll pay to get played
‘cause in the show of shows
tragedies come and go
and all debates are closed, none opposed
broadcasting now,
and lying loud
the fearful proud
sew up your mouth
and family
is a static sea
new oaths to say
on disconnection day
evidence on display
be true, believers, you couldn’t wait
for disconnection day
to receive your new clichés
the scheduled fears and pains
the icing on the cake
as strangers get more strange
and language isolates
will this weather never break
broadcasting now,
and lying loud
the fearful proud
sew up your mouth
and family
is a static sea
new oaths to say
on disconnection day



storytime (in the street of spies)

respect
the measure of a self-made man
paragon, pissed-off king parasite
night shifts, how the subjects do get restless
and check
the armor on the ice-cream van
chiming “it’s a small world after all”
but it’s still too big to go defenseless
it’s story-time in the street of spies
let’s tuck you in again
shit-talking at midnight
ballistics in the searchlight sky
wonder bread for generations
who wouldn’t pay for stronger medication?
it’s story-time in the street of spies
let’s tuck you in again
surface and dive, survive, survive
and get sucked in again
to the shadowed shell
on the carousel
surveyor for new maps of hell
get selective sight
& everything’s all right
you can’t fall off the floor, right?
but you can perfect
the special kind of self-respect
we’ve come to expect
brick-bats in the rain
the cops are on the way
the hours grind away like any other day
it’s story-time in the street of spies
let’s tuck you in again
surface and dive, survive, survive
and get sucked in again
to the shadowed shell
on the carousel
surveyor for new maps of hell
I got selective sight
but nothing is all right
we’re falling off the floor tonight



chivaree

kill all the copyrights and loosen my tongue
I love my friends and all my friends are in love
I’ll say it louder when you think I’ve said enough
we’re cynical and young and wide-eyed and old
anger is easy, everything’s over-sold
except the only ones who know you and you know
drum on the clocks and strum on the wires
unlock the box that cages desire
call it a jubilee
it’s not make-believe
beneath the satellites
there’s still a sign of life
and we are beautiful tonight
I curse 2003
they put bombs in my dreams
but I wake in the one place I want to be
the precipice of the arising event
all of the elements are present and tense
in fancy dress and all exploding to express
drum on the clocks and strum on the wires
unlock the box that cages desire
call it a jubilee
you make me believe
beneath the satellites
there’s still a sign of life
and we are beautiful tonight



to mt. wilson from the magpie cage

Alice in the lighthouse and it’s always night
the moon is descending
the gramophone is alive
and singing
she can’t explain on paper, can’t think straight to write
so much before goodbye
but who would ever see the light, the way it shines
through Alice’s eyes
Alice in the city with no peace or quiet
now treatment is teaching
but her head is still wired, receiving
she’ll take it to Mt. Wilson from the magpie cage
no money, no designs
and will they be surprised
open letter and no-one
to read or to return
observers all, and all so far away
like Mt. Wilson from the magpie cage
in Alice’s eyes
sublimely surprised
in Alice’s eyes
and no-one may ever know this again
we’re hanging by a thousand threads
the beautiful children and beckoning hands
and everything makes sense
open letter and no-one
to read or to return
observers all, and all so far away
like Mt. Wilson from the magpie cage



win instantly

we all want the same thing
dreamers in the same dream
always driving at speed
always want, never need
when our success succeeds
we all win instantly
we say just what we mean
re-enact favorite scenes
move away, never leave
follow all the right leads
when our success succeeds
we all win instantly
the targets are on the move
we’ll see America soon
the endless, restless multiplex
the uniform that fits you best
waiting for something to happen



fear is a man's best friend

... was originally written and recorded by John Cale sometime in the late 70's.
Our version is very different from the original musically, but the lyrics are all his.