Better Than Ezra--Friction Baby

KING OF NEW ORLEANS

Got an angel on the stairs 
As if you'd even care 
When the lights are up 
And the sun had nearly gone... down 

Did you see him on the street 
Did you pass him at your feet 
Did you think at all 
How dare they even look me in the eye 

And he loves the girls 
And he loves the boys 
Gonna make 
Twenty dollars 'fore the weekend's over 

So set him up 
Then let him fall 
Turn him over in your hands 
God save the king of New Orleans 

Got a ticket to a show 
Did you see him take a blow 
When the drunk one said 
Cat Stevens was the greatest singer 

Did you kick him in the head 
Did you see the blood run down 
Did you laugh at all 
When the people walked right by and said aloud 

Gutter punks are all the same 
Gonna make 
Twenty dollars 'fore the weekend's over 

So set him up 
Then let him fall 
Turn him over in your hands 
God save the king of New Orleans 

Set him up 
Let him fall 
Turn him over in your hands 
God save the King of New Orleans 

Radio in my head 
Radio in my car 
Goin' down again 
He's goin' down... again 

Any way you look 
Any way you talk it over 
It's easier 
To let it slip out of your mind 

But it rips your heart out 
Then it kicks your head in 
But you give him one more chance 
To try and see the beauty in his world 

All the way in on my hands and on my feet and shoulders 
Gonna make 
Twenty dollars 'fore the weekends over 

So set him up 
Then let him fall 
Turn him over in your hands 
God save the king of New Orleans 

Set him up 
Then let him fall 
Turn him over in your hands 
God save the king of New Orleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaans 
Yeah 


REWIND

Cut a tape of my favorite songs 
Said what I can't face to face 
I hoped that you would share all my thoughts 
We are young and unimpressed, 
with all you'd recognize. 

So play it all over 
Turn it wide. 
Now there is nothing but a 
Mix tape left behind 
Now it won't rewind 

In my care we are superstars 
Run you lipstick down your chin 
While up ahead we saw such a crash 
Right there a song became a soundtrack 
for this space in time. 

So play it all over 
Turn it wide. 
Now there is nothing but a 
Mix tape left behind 
Now it won't rewind 

Wonder is often lost 
Jaded at such a cost 
Time undermines you when you close your eyes. 
We pass right by you. 

So play it all over 
Turn it wide. 
Now there is nothing but a 
Mix tape left behind 
Now it won't rewind. 


LONG LOST

Are you lost? 
Do you find life turning out 
Not quite the way you planned? 
Come around stay awhile 
that's OK That's alright 
Couldn't get to sleep so talk about it. 
Let's talk about it right now. 

Here it comes on my head again 
I guess I'm born to be the long lost friend. 
Long Lost Friend 

Are you cold? Is there no place better, safer, friendlier than this? 
Call me up, I'm alone. 
That's ok, That's alright 
Rather it be me than go without it. 
So don't think about it right now. 

Here it comes on my head again 
I guess I'm born to be the long lost friend. 
Long lost friend 

I've given ballast 
Held you up when you were falling down 
What happend when I'm not around? 

Friend? 
Friend? 
Long Lost Friend 


NORMAL TOWN

I still remember you dressed in grey. 
Working undercover for the CIA 
You were cursing Silber living in Back Bay 
Sailing on the Charles when I heard you say... 

Let's go down to Normal Town 
Right now 
Down, Down, down 

I washed you lover and scrubbed your face 
Running from Miss Porter's you showed up one day 
From a flat in South End where you made me strong 
You said, "We're burning out at both ends." 
So I came along. 

Let's go down to Normal Town 
Right now 
Down, down, down 

Hey! Wouldn't it be great to never worry 
about your future never asking why? 
Hey! Hey? In a subdivision watching television 
and our lives go by. 

Let's go down to Normal Town. 
Let's go down to Normal Town. 
Right now 
Down, down, down.... 


SCARED, ARE YOU?

Strong hands 
Big plans 
All reduced to this. 
Hard won Freedom 
How could you have missed? 

Scared, are you? 
You do it on your own 
You do it all alone. 
We all did. 
Scared, are you? 
Half the lines we make up dear 
The best that you can do 

Everything you would be 
Pass you like a ghost. 
And kind words are scarce at best 
When you need them the most. 

Scared, are you? 
You do it on your own 
We all did. 
Scared, are you? 
Half the lines you make up here. 
The best that we can do. 

Hope brings you luck 
Doors open up. 
And if you should fall, 
I'll catch you dear. 
It must be! 
It must be! 

Scared, are you? 
Finally on your own 
You do it all alone 
We all did 
Scared, are you? 
Half the lines you make up dear. 
The best that we can do 
And we do 


RETURN OF THE POSTMODERNS

Ten cent lovers 
beneath the covers 
Riding on a wet dream 
Silver tonic free 

High stool sweet tarts 
Equipped with green cards 
Chomp their 401k's 
Semi-chocolate brie 

Digging in Los Cruces 
for an army drab container 
Carbon dating clothes 
for the last time they were washed 

Shelby and Sheila 
Onomatopoeia 
Catch hang nail on Banion 
Shiver Martin Sheen 

Preschool mothers 
in Technicolor 
Are fire bombing Dresden 
Stanton, Harry Dean 

Feeding line caught tuna 
to a neutered Bodhisattva 
Writhing peached for the President 
Out on the White House lawn 
Beating Herbert Hoover 
With a leather tipped Pinada 
Thorn and Katy drink the milk 
tinted Amerasian Green 
RETURN, RETURN, RETURN 


HUNG THE MOON

They say you're off 
(a bit confused) 
But when the day is done 
I'll be with you 
I like your eyes 
They say you're true 
The others whisper and lie 

And you framed the sun 
Shot out the stars 
You paled the sky 
And hung the moon 

They say "your loss" 
That your mind's diseased 
But when you've finally won, 
Tell me who always believed 

Chorus: 

Down way low 
They never remember 
Down way low 
Down way low 
You always remember 
Don't let the words you hear leave your head. 

The say you're gone 
That you left today 
But if you change your mind 
Know I still feel that same way 


STILL LIFE WITH COOLEY

Everybody talking saying you will be walking 
This neighborhood will never be the same 
You said we'd understand. You found out what's happening now. 
So we all sat down and you broke the news. 

Now daddy don't love her anymore. 
It's still life with Cooley 
Now Daddy don't love her anymore. 
It's just still life with Cooley. 

All your friends show on time. 
They come in bringing red wine. 
You said if it's over then we'll go in style. 
You better best take care keep one hand to your ear 
So you're not left hanging when they're finally gone. 

Chorus: 

Watcha' saying? 
You're going to stay of at St. Madigan's? 
(reeled in again) 
You're just fooling around fooling around 

People hanging with their good friends 
Listening to those old songs 

Now Daddy don't love her anymore. 
It's still life with Cooley 
Now Daddy don't love her anymore. 
It's just still life 
It's just still life with Cooley. 


DESPERATELY WANTING

Past the road to your house 
That you never called home 
Where they turned out the lights 
Though they say you'll never know 

I remember running through the wet grass 
And falling a step behind 
Both of us never tiring 
Desperately Wanting 

When they pumped out your guts 
And filled you full of those pills 
You were never quite right 
Deserving all the chills 
They say the worst is over 
Kicked it over and ran 
Then they ask what went wrong 
When they turn you on again 
They turn you on again. 

Chorus: 

Kick them right in the face 
Make them wish they weren't born 
And if they bring up your name 
Well they'll say you won the war. 
Baby burst in the world 
Never given a chance 
Then they as what went wrong 
When you never had it right 

Oh the letters they have dropped off 
Though they say you got them all 
I finally figured out some things you'll never know. 
Take back your life and let me inside 
We'll find the door if you care to anymore. 

I remember running through the wet grass 
and falling a step behind 
Both of us never tiring 
Desperately Wanting. 


WWOZ

WWOZ is on in stereo 
A string of flowers haloed around your head 
Candle light 
Ceiling fan 
Curtains blow away and back again 
Back again 
Don't wake me, I think I'm in a dream 

Sleeping is easy 
I used to lay in bed for hours 
I've waited a lifetime now maybe I'll learn 

Calling back and forth through heavy air 
The barges sound their warnings in the dark 
Peace comes like a trusted friend 
As it starts to rain again fall away 
Fall away 
So don't wake me I think, I'm in a dream 

Now sleeping is easy 
I used to lay in bed for hours 
I've waited a lifetime now maybe I'll learn 
Sleeping is easy 
I used to walk the streets for hours 
I've waited a lifetime now maybe I'll learn 

Let go of your fear, let's grow old together 
Find a place along the way 
Let's reel through the years 
Each makes the other better. 
But what thoughts can I call allies 
when this circle of ribs keeps working on its own? 

Chorus 

WWOZ's on in stereo. Well it's on in stereo. 


HAPPY ENDINGS

And though you will say I'm wrong. 
It's much easier with you along. 
Sundays were made for this. 
Seeing Bond give the villain a kiss... 

Holding your face in the glow 
Play on, Play on 
Happy endings 

I thought that you'd like to know. 
I'm finally letting her go. 
You always said, "Tell me when 
You're ready at last to begin." 

Learning to chance it again 
Play on, play on 
Happy endings 

So let them all dissolve 
And welcome a new resolve 
Here's where the credits run 
Riding off into the sun 

And love is real 
Reading your eyes in the glow 
Play on, play on 
Happy endings 


SPEEDING UP TO SLOW DOWN

If they calm you down, 
Then excite them 
If they call you out, 
Then ignore them. 

You're speeding up 
You're speeding up 
To slow down 

When they all believe, 
You reject it. 
When they all are for, 
Be against it. 

You're speeding up 
You're speeding up 
To slow down 

If they call you out 
They will tear you down 
When your world falls in 
Then they'll leave you dry 

You're speeding up 
You're speeding up 
To slow down 
Down, down, down