IN THE EYE OF RIPKILE

Album #9  lp 1998

1. Inbred Cornbread
2. Unseen Utilities
3. Ripkile Evanderlou
4. Fruit Fly
5. Melted Into Shape
6. The Authority Of Sewage
7. Hammer Time
8. Face Lift
9. Impeach The Pair
10. Discordant Immunity
11. Koils Of The Steel Ball Unwind
12. Bum Toise

All lyrics written by Rathke except "Face Lift" written by guest musician Aaron Heatwole

INBRED CORNBREAD
Catastrophe in the gene pool
It happened in the plains of Nebraska
The Asian Crisis cuts profit margins
Overproduction leaves little harvest
The maize grows old in the fields
In age they begin to yield
Kernels are rotting off the cob
Decadence in harmony cell walls are robbed
Minute particles swim in the damp soil
DNAcid mingles with the other ears
What will become is a horrid sight
Next years planting will bring the plight
70 foot tall stalk rock hard corn
This inbreeding must be brought down
Howitzers and laaz rockets make it torn
It falls with a thump to the ground
Riddled with heat and led
All we have is inbred cornbread

UNSEEN UTILITIES
Underneath the streets that you drive
Rest the Water and Sewer lines
Placed there by the locality
To provide service for you and me
Our tax dollars put to good use
Water on tap, jettison refuse
From wood and terra cotta
To ductile iron and PVC
Rigid standards a whole lotta
Circulation for the city
Megalugs and thrust blocks
Keep pressurized water on track
Cleanouts and manholes
Keep sewage out of cracks
They bury them deep into the ground
They throw 57 stone all around
Compacted cover keeps them from the cold
I hope they last until we're all old

RIPKILE EVANDERLOU
Underneath the chalk eraser
We can find the mutilator
Underneath the carpet sweeper
We can find the Oscillator
Channeling the residue
No one knows what to do
Channeling a guy named Lou
No one has any shampoo
Sitting up on number 9 cloud
Belittled blue sky shroud
Sitting thinking this is too loud
Belittled by what you've vowed
Stunning views of the wasteland
Fearing for what was in your hand
Stunning views of eyes in the sand
Fearing for what is now bland
Fluid fills all of the boundary
Nothing left of the foundry
Fluid fills your adversary
Nothing left of Frankenberry
Ripkile Evanderlou
Frankenberry left her shoe

FRUIT FLY
A little small fly
I think the call it a fruit fly
It's here by my side
That I cannot deny
It buzzes by so slow
It annoys me oh so
When you smack it goes go
It's just one small creature
But it's the main feature
I would have a ruler
If I were a teacher
And when I'm busy
It's flying around
Going into a frenzy
I want to knock it down
THERE it's dead!

MELTED INTO SHAPE
Heat put to death it's old shape
A ladle couldn't hold it down
It's poured into a strong steel frame
The crackle of the torches gas
Snaps like fire in the wind
Metal turned to lava
Red slow flowing syrup
As the heat increases A mercury rising
Silver in it's purest form Impending solidification
A dull grey mass, rigid and awkward
A hardened chunk of silver
Death to the old shape, life to the new
Ugly in it's rebirth to some
But beauty to the owner and craftier
A buffer has the power to polish and shine
Bring out the glow and luster of this object

THE AUTHORITY OF SEWAGE
Just south of Exit 240
The pungency is not to pretty
But, it's not as bad as you may think
Even amongst those who raise a stink
Yeah, it's an odor I don't mind to face
But, I wouldn't want to live downwind of the place
I realize they have the authority
To treat the waste from this valley
It's not as bad as stagnate water
To me, that really does bother
And when you step foot into that plant
You might see the sewage of your aunt
Some might think these things are contrary
But, it's a process that is quite necessary
We seem to take it for granted every day
What happens to the crap that we throw away
Sewage Stinks, throw it all away
HAMMER TIME 
Grand, Sledge is the man
He puts crooks in the can
Run, When they see his gun
44 magnum
Friend, Gun his only friend
Bullets it will send
Women, Can't live with 'em
No feminism
His boss, Trunk wants him lost
Miranda rights off
Doreau, Goes with the show
Sidekick in the flow
In the age of Ellen Degenerate
The best show on the air 
Ran from '86 to '88
His car, It will go far
It's a green Jabar
Hey there, 2 years on the air
It's just not fair
Coarse, With Sledge on the force
His gun is his recourse
O.J., Hammer on the case
You'd be put away
Impeach, If hammer had a seat
Or was the O.I.C.
Crime, Felons doin' time
His amigo his line
Of Defense

FACE LIFT
Hey! Walk in, glad not to see you
You! Got the keys, So help yourself
Hey! Break in, Your loss becomes mine
Understand the toll when I get you
Hey! Walk in, Glad not to need you
You! Got the keys, I'll be takin' those
Hey! Break in, Your soul, my fire
Understand the toll, Ha, Ha!
Heated lead bouncing around your face
Knowing your fate when you know I can
Rage! Rage! Soulless dancing
Yeah! Yeah! Believe it
Rage! Rage! Slay the deserving 
Yeah! Yeah!

IMPEACH THE PAIR
Bring the articles to the floor
The rule of law must not go out the door
Obstruction of justice and perjury
Should overpass partisan bickering
In a gauge of self ambition
A fearless misleader falls to submission
Pleaing for a censure resolution
Forget the laws of constitution
Running with his tail between his legs
He leaves himself room to beg
Falling from his legacy
Remembered only for perjury
Impeachment, Resignation
Constitution or Constipation
The media misconstrues
A friend to the establishment
A poll driven threshing floor
A vote of conscience or duty

DISCORDANT IMMUNITY
Discordant Immunity
Delegant disunity
Immoral to the beat
Frustration in the sound
No rhyme or reason
Or pattern Betrayed
Wasted hard disk space
Burned in time
Virile expose
Just to make you mad
No power just mayhem
True artistry is not here
Just madness n' stupidity
That is it's validity

KOILS OF THE STEEL BALL UNWIND
It's a big round steel ball
Koil didn't find it at the mall
It's very round and heavy
Like a cannonball Chevy
How will I polish it?
It has a thin coat of rust
Koil says sandpaper it
It will scratch it I trust
It's worth it's weight in steel
It's as solid as my heel
Is this really for real
It has on small pit or two
Like the Death Star in space it flew
But this object is a dense mass
Better not touch it or I'll kick your elbow

BUM TOISE (instrumental)

 



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