The Flame
Page 6
And there’s nothing to do
But to wonder if you
Are as hopeless as me
And as decent
We’re joined in the spirit
Joined at the hip
Joined in the panic
Wondering if
We’ve come to some sort
Of agreement
It was fine it was fast
I was first I was last
In line at the Temple of Pleasure
But the green was so green
And the blue was so blue
I was so I
And you were so you
The crisis was light
As a feather
Thanks for the dance
It’s been hell, it’s been swell,
It’s been fun
Thanks for all the dances
One two three, one two three one
Old Ideas
GOING HOME
I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard living in a suit,
Living in a suit
But he does say what I tell him
Even though it isn’t welcome
He just doesn’t have the freedom
To refuse
He will speak these words of wisdom
Like a sage, a man of vision
Though he knows he’s really nothing
But the brief elaboration of a tube
Going home
Without my sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before
Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without the costume
That I wore
He wants to write a love song
An anthem of forgiving
A manual for living with defeat
A cry above the suffering
A sacrifice recovering
But that isn’t what I need him to complete
I want to make him certain
That he doesn’t have a burden
That he doesn’t need a vision
That he only has permission
To do my instant bidding
Which is to SAY what I have told him
To repeat
Going home
Without my sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before
Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without this costume
That I wore
I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit
AMEN
Tell me again
When I’ve been to the river
And I’ve taken the edge off my thirst
Tell me again
We’re alone & I’m listening
I’m listening so hard that it hurts
Tell me again
When I’m clean and I’m sober
Tell me again
When I’ve seen through the horror
Tell me again
Tell me over and over
Tell me you want me then
Amen
Tell me again
When the victims are singing
And Laws of Remorse are restored
Tell me again
That you know what I’m thinking
But vengeance belongs to the lord
Tell me again
When I’m clean and I’m sober
Tell me again
When I’ve seen through the horror
Tell me again
Tell me over and over
Tell me that you love me then
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Tell me again
When the day has been ransomed
& night has no right to begin
Try me again
When the angels are panting
And scratching the door to come in
Tell me again
When I’m clean and I’m sober
Tell me again
When I’ve seen through the horror
Tell me again
Tell me over and over
Tell me that you need me then
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Tell me again
When the filth of the butcher
Is washed in the blood of the lamb
Tell me again
When the rest of the culture
Has passed thru’ the
Eye of the Camp
Tell me again
When I’m clean and I’m sober
Tell me again
When I’ve seen through the horror
Tell me again
Tell me over and over
Tell me that you love me then
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
SHOW ME THE PLACE
Show me the place
Where you want your slave to go
Show me the place
I’ve forgotten, I don’t know
Show me the place
For my head is bending low
Show me the place
Where you want your slave to go
Show me the place
Help me roll away the stone
Show me the place
I can’t move this thing alone
Show me the place
Where the Word became a man
Show me the place
Where the suffering began
The troubles came
I saved what I could save
A thread of light
A particle a wave
But there were chains
So I hastened to behave
There were chains
So I loved you like a slave
Show me the place
Where you want your slave to go
Show me the place
I’ve forgotten, I don’t know
DARKNESS
I caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I said: Is this contagious?
You said: Just drink it up
I got no future
I know my days are few
The present’s not that pleasant
Just a lot of things to do
I thought the past would last me
But the darkness got that too
I should have seen it coming
It was right behind your eyes
You were young and it was summer
I just had to take a dive
Winning you was easy
But darkness was the prize
I don’t smoke no cigarette
I don’t drink no alcohol
I ain’t had much loving yet
But that’s always been your call
Hey I don’t miss it baby
I got no taste for anything at all
I used to love the rainbow
I used to love the view
I loved the early morning
I’d pretend that it was new
But I caught the darkness baby
And I got it worse than you
I caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I said: Is this contagious?
You said: Just drink it up
ANYHOW
It’s a shame and it’s a pity
>
The way you treat me now
I know you can’t forgive me
But forgive me anyhow
The ending got so ugly
Even heard you say
You never ever loved me
Oh but love me anyway
Dreamed about you baby
You were wearing half your dress
I know you have to hate me
But could you hate me less?
I used up all my chances
And you’ll never take me back
But there ain’t no harm in asking
Could you cut me one more slack?
I’m naked and I’m filthy
And there’s sweat upon my brow
And both of us are guilty
Anyhow
Have mercy on me baby
After all I did confess
Even though you have to hate me
Could you hate me less?
It’s a shame and it’s a pity
I know you can’t forgive me
The ending got so ugly
You never ever loved me
Dreamed about you baby
I know you have to hate me
I’m naked and I’m filthy
And both of us are guilty
Anyhow
Have mercy on me baby
CRAZY TO LOVE YOU
Had to go crazy to love you
Had to go down to the pit
Had to do time in the tower
Begging my crazy to quit
Had to go crazy to love you
You who were never the one
Whom I chased through the souvenir heartache
Her braids and her blouse all undone
Sometimes I’d head for the highway
I’m old and the mirrors don’t lie
But crazy has places to hide in
Deeper than saying goodbye
Had to go crazy to love you
Had to let everything fall
Had to be people I hated
Had to be no one at all
I’m tired of choosing desire
Been saved by a sweet fatigue
The gates of commitment unwired
And nobody trying to leave
Sometimes I’d head for the highway
I’m old and the mirrors don’t lie
But crazy has places to hide in
Deeper than saying goodbye
Had to go crazy to love you
You who were never the one
Whom I chased through the souvenir heartache
Her braids and her blouse all undone
COME HEALING
O gather up the brokenness
And bring it to me now
The fragrance of those
promises
You never dared to vow
The splinters that you carry
The cross you left behind
Come healing of the body
Come healing of the mind
And let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb
Behold the gates of mercy
In arbitrary space
And none of us deserving
The cruelty or the grace
O solitude of longing
Where love has been confined
Come healing of the body
Come healing of the mind
O see the darkness yielding
That tore the light apart
Come healing of the reason
Come healing of the heart
O troubled dust concealing
An undivided love
The Heart beneath is teaching
To the broken Heart above
O let the heavens falter
And let the earth proclaim:
Come healing of the Altar
Come healing of the Name
O longing of the branches
To lift the little bud
O longing of the arteries
To purify the blood
And let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb
O let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb
BANJO
There’s something that I’m watching
Means a lot to me
It’s a broken banjo bobbing
On the dark infested sea
Don’t know how it got there
Maybe taken by the wave
Off of someone’s shoulder
Or out of someone’s grave
It’s coming for me darling
No matter where I go
Its duty is to harm me
My duty is to know
There’s something that I’m watching
Means a lot to me
It’s a broken banjo bobbing
On the dark infested sea
LULLABY
Sleep baby sleep
The day’s on the run
The wind in the trees
Is talking in tongues
If your heart is torn
I don’t wonder why
If the night is long
Here’s my lullaby
Well the mouse ate the crumb
Then the cat ate the crust
Now they’ve fallen in love
They’re talking in tongues
If your heart is torn
I don’t wonder why
If the night is long
Here’s my lullaby
Sleep baby sleep
There’s a morning to come
The wind in the trees
they’re talking in tongues
If your heart is torn
I don’t wonder why
If the night is long
Here’s my lullaby
DIFFERENT SIDES
We find ourselves on different sides
Of a line that nobody drew
Though it all may be one in the higher eye
Down here where we live it is two
I to my side call the meek and the mild
You to your side call the Word
By virtue of suffering I claim to have won
You claim to have never been heard
Both of us say there are laws to obey
But frankly I don’t like your tone
You want to change the way I make love
I want to leave it alone
The pull of the moon the thrust of the sun
And thus the ocean is crossed
The waters are blessed while a shadowy guest
Kindles a light for the lost
Both of us say there are laws to obey
But frankly I don’t like your tone
You want to change the way I make love
I want to leave it alone
Down in the valley the famine goes on
The famine up on the hill
I say that you shouldn’t you couldn’t you can’t
You say that you must and you will
Both of us say there are laws to obey
But frankly I don’t like your tone
You want to change the way I make love
I want to leave it alone
You want to live where the suffering is
I want to get out of town
C’mon baby give me a kiss
Stop writing everything down
Both of us say there are laws to obey
But frankly I don’t like your tone
You want to change the way I make love
I want to leave it alone
Both of us say there are laws to obey
But frankly I don’t like your tone
You want to change the way I make love
I want to leave it alone
Popular Problems
SLOW
I’m slowing down the
tune
I never liked it fast
You want to get there soon
I want to get there last
It’s not because I’m old
It’s not the life I led
I always liked it slow
That’s what my momma said
I’m lacing up my shoe
But I don’t want to run
I’ll get here when I do
Don’t need no starting gun
It’s not because I’m old
It’s not what dying does
I always liked it slow
Slow is in my blood
I always liked it slow:
I never liked it fast
With you it’s got to go:
With me it’s got to last
It’s not because I’m old
It’s not because I’m dead
I always liked it slow
That’s what my momma said
All your moves are swift
All your turns are tight
Let me catch my breath
I thought we had all night
I like to take my time
I like to linger as it flies
A weekend on your lips
A lifetime in your eyes
I always liked it slow:
I never liked it fast
With you it’s got to go:
With me it’s got to last
It’s not because I’m old
It’s not the life I led
I always liked it slow
That’s what my momma said
I’m slowing down the tune
I never liked it fast
You want to get there soon
I want to get there last
So baby let me go
You’re wanted back in town
In case they want to know
I’m just trying to slow it down
ALMOST LIKE THE BLUES
I saw some people starving
There was murder, there was rape
Their villages were burning
They were trying to escape
I couldn’t meet their glances
I was staring at my shoes
It was acid, it was tragic
It was almost like the blues
I have to die a little
Between each murderous thought
And when I’m finished thinking
I have to die a lot
There’s torture and there’s killing
There’s all my bad reviews
The war, the children missing
Lord, it’s almost like the blues
I let my heart get frozen
To keep away the rot
My father says I’m chosen
My mother says I’m not
I listened to their story
Of the Gypsies and the Jews
It was good, it wasn’t boring
It was almost like the blues
There is no G-d in Heaven
And there is no Hell below
So says the great professor