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ROME You've
been there before
On a well-lit street
Waves beat on the shore
And the
people moved their feet Was 10 years ago
When
you set out on your path
You saw the green grass Open
your eyes
It's a cold, cold regret
Here comes an acquaintance
Are you
sure we've met? Ride the gravy train
Through
the wet streets in the rain
Fool yourself into believing
That all you do
is not in vain I once was in Rome
And the
people I met
Made me forget about time
And the haunting past
On those
old, stone steps
I looked within
People asked me why
People asked me
when
I said let's forget about time Do not
look further than the present
Turn around and clean off your shelf
All that
clutter is bad for your health
I urge you to head out into the world
ROCK
ME BABY The beat is sweet
Like
in Rome
The earth 'neath my feet
We know about this balance
We've found
a wrong to right
We know about the balance
But we still fight
THE
STRANGER WITH THE SUNGLASSES A
stranger wandered down the road
The light reflected off his sunglasses
The
light behind him was blinding
She couldn't see his eyes
Her voice was soft
So
quiet as she spoke
The stranger came over the hill
THE
PAPER He took the paper
And
went for the door
He wanted something direct
More than ever before
If
I can stay healthy
Perhaps that's all I can ask for
Throw it into the water
Pennies
sinking, gleaming
What does it mean if there
Is not a trace of ambition?
Throw
the paper away THE
SEA Ramon sat staring
At the
green grass, all alone
Nothing could stop him
So far from home Looking
at a blade of grass
Can't shake the thought of sin
Where does this field
end?
And where does it begin? Like a fisherman
In
a boat out on the sea
Fair against the waves, the birds,
There's no justice
there for me But to stand alone
In a world
you can't describe
Don't expect it to accommodate you
Be sure you can decide You
are smarter than the sea
But it's wiser than you
You're spinning like a
treadmill
Thinking of the things you should do
LOVELY, YOUNG AND PALE She
stood lovely, young, and pale
Outside pain came in the form of hail
On the
docks, the masts went high
Wind was blowing as the ships set sail
The ship
blew to and fro
Not sure exactly which way the ship would go THE
BLACK BEAST Rage against the dying
of the trip
I spent 24 hours on the highway
Over two days on the commode
Along
those winding roads
And my friend became ill
And I kicked the dust off of
a rock
It came as a shock
What is the point?
Who chose this paint?
The
Black Beast is always near
But there is nothing to fear
Do you want to someday
become
An old poet?
Dead on your feet
Staring out into the blue-black
void
Subtly annoyed
Not yet overjoyed
Mystified
Perhaps there is nothing
to fear
Realized it, remember it
But how is one supposed
To become close
to anyone else?
The Black Beast is always near
But there is nothing to fear
BUILDINGS TURNED AND CROSSES BURNED All
the buildings turned
The crosses burned
I waited like a sinner
Hold me
'neath the oak tree
Goodbye to all the things you need
Well hubris is catchin'
up to you
Coughing and bleeding
I wish I was him
I wish I was lost in
the organ trill
In the piano feel
Well, a wise man stood at the edge
Of
the shore
And said you'll never know
What you could have been
Gone are
the dusty shelves LONESOME
TIPPLER The tippler is leaning
Against the brick wall
What a fine thing it is
That holds us from a
fall Lonesome tippler
Where do you go?
When
the lights fade
And the bar is closed? Do
you flee to the underground?
Do you sneak into the dark?
Does your angry
face
Look quite as stark? When the lights
fade
And the trees sway
On the promenade
Where you seal the day Imagine
this: bright, ruby lips
Warm, burnt sun, sweet shakin' hips
Warm, burnt
skin, in smoky juke joints
Where black women sway And
the sun burns its way
Onto the floor that is alive
Shuffling with moving
feet
Changing form as it changes fleet SHEENA
Hey, Sheena's got the boyfriend
blues
Hard to fill those platform shoes
Mink fur and dimestore hat Love,
love has a pretty face
Moved into a brand new place
Woos you into feeling
like a fat cat So revolution is your game?
Do
you know about that? Well, it's hard to say
But
she's got the thing
I need today
I've never been to heaven
But I've died
a few times Well, maybe your pants are torn
But
your name is clean
You're unlike any other I've seen
It's alright
But
it's not what I thought it'd be Like a ramblin'
rose
In your mama's clothes
You look so cheap
But your not, I suppose
I'm
in heaven
But it's not where I thought it'd be Well,
I don't know
What you can do
But you hurt the ones
That are close to
you BEFORE ALL TRAINS
ARE GONE Come take my hand
Walk
along
Let's try and make the most
Of this time
There are choices we must
make
That are disappearing into the coast I've
been alone for a long time
And time is keepin' on
I'm tired of trying to
race it
I'm wrecked and I'm worn
So let's relish all our night times
And
let's catch a train and roll on
Let's get right down to hitchin'
Before
all trains are gone
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