7 Mary 3--Rockcrown

LUCKY

Mean Mr. Mustard says he's bored 
of life in The District. 
Can't afford the French Quarter high 
says it gets old real quick 
and he pales up next to me 
scrawled on the pavement 
It says: Son, time is all the luck 
you need. 

And if I stay lucky then my tongue 
will stay tied, and I won't betray 
the things that I hide. 
There's not enough years underneath 
this belt, for me to admit the way 
that I felt. 

Mean Mr. Mustard says don't be 
the wave that crashes 
From a sea of discontent, he says 
he's wrestled with that blanket... 
It leaves you cold and wet 
any way you stretch it 
Divine apathy! Disease of my youth 
watch that you don't catch it. 


ROCKCROWN

Well I haven't seen a doctor 
since I can't remember when 
But she tells me I've been a talker 
since 1976 
We went up to the lake and I, I remember 
this: my family secret 

Pits in my skin where I let you in 
This RockCrown never let you down 

I'm a season in Hell- 20 years 
from showing up, down on your scene 
without a semblance of what I've seen 
Tell me what I've seen 
Tell me what I've seen 
Enough to make this young man 
Filthy. Filthy. Clean... 

Pits in my skin where I let you in 
This RockCrown never let you down 


NEEDLE CAN'T BURN (WHAT THE NEEDLE CAN'T FIND)

I don't want to spend the rest of my life 
starin' at a man, Looking down a line 
what's he say? "Not my style" 
Just a stylized version of an obsolete file 

I don't want to spend the rest of my time 
lookin' for the words I'm never going to find 
You read them in a book and apply them to your life 
but how can I be as pretty as she writes? 

I know I'm all right. Because 
the needle can't burn what the needle can't find 

She don't want to spend the rest of her heart 
waste it on a job, and never get a start 
Part of her says she should be herself 
and part of her says she should be with someone else 

I don't want to spend the rest of my life 
looking for a girl I'm never gonna find. 
Starin' back at me when I come home at night 
but how can she be as pretty as I write? 

It will be hard, but I know I'm all right, 
because the needle can't burn 
what the needle can't find 
And the money won't save what the money can't buy 

And part of me is safe 
And part of me is lies 
So be mine tonight. 


HONEY OF GENERATION

What's your mother say? 
"You never listen to me" 
I know you want back in 
you don't get it for free 

You better read the book, and 
hear what they say 
Best learn the rules 
and sit up straight 

What's your daddy say? 
"You never listen to me" 
I know you're trying hard 
you don't get a reprieve 

Did you read good book? 
Did you bid good time? 
Did you push ahead? 
Bet you stood the line. 

Liquid used to surround me 
my freedom- swimming and drowning 
Today we throw it up for sale. 
Today we're giving it away 

It's the Honey of Generation 
makes you forget where you came from. 
It's the Honey of Generation 
and it's yours... 


HOME STRETCH

Yeah you in your mother's new shoes 
bet you like them as much as her blues 
Don't tell anyone - but I plan to move 
the first time you look away 
Tell me the new apron strings 
taste to you, yes 
my pretty young things 
You tell me that hatred is king 
(It's to the weak and the manor born) 

Like a trick that you've fallen for, 
you recognize me because: 
there's only one sound to love 

Bye bye Bye bye Bye baby Good 
Bye bye Bye bye Bye baby Good 
Bye bye Bye bye Bye baby Good-bye 

Tell me you in your mother's new shoes 
bet you like them as much as her blues 
Don't tell anyone, but I'm born to move 
like the first star you ever saw. 

Tell me the new apron strings 
trace to you, yeah. 
My pitied young things 
I tell you that love can be king 
(It's to the meek and the manner born). 

But like a trick that you've fallen for 
you recognize me because: 
there's only one sound to love 


PEOPLE LIKE NEW

Yeah the roads are right tonite 
they are twisting 
My mouth is dry - like cool air inside 

And maybe I worry 
do things in a hurry 
and follow the dust 
of people like new 

There's people like me 
and there's people like you 

Yeah the roads are right tonite 
they are turning 
I know that deep inside the pines 
an answer is lurking 
And maybe I worry 
do things in a hurry 
and follow the dust 
of people like new 
There's people like me 
and there's people like new 


MAKE UP YOUR MIND

Oh yeah 
she says: we can't tell them 
Oh yeah 
she wants up front 
I can't do that 
Oh yeah 
She's got backup 
Boyfriend and I'm him 

When you gonna' make up your mind? 
When you gonna' make up your mind? 
When you gonna' make up your mind? 
Because you know that I have made up mine 


GONE AWAY

It's not the clothes that she borrows 
just call me out - you know I'll follow 
Back thru the backdoor into June 
Luck will sleep the October June 

Sometimes in deep thought I'm 31 
she's wanting kids 
sounds like fun, 
I'll teach them to sing along 
sure beats the end of a smoking gun 

And I know that god exists 
because I feel him sometimes 
when she takes up the sheets 
or my telephone lines, but 
when I'm home she says: 
"Baby you're a lie..." 
"You're not really here." 
"You've gone away..." 


TIMES LIKE THESE

A young girl give me a good luck charm. 
Put a snake on my neck and a bird on my arm. 
Got one good leg 'cause the other went South. 
Got a brand new crutch and a brand new mouth. 

I got a sheriff's name branded where I should have kept clean. 
If you get too close you're going to know what I mean. 
And I know when I'm old the only runnin' gonna come. 
Away from lips and the fork of my tongue. 

It only gets to me in times like these. 
And times like these are getting to me. 

Put your hand in the oven there's a heaven inside. 
It burns straight through but the devil don't mind. 
Because he takes what he wants and he finds what you hide. 
And it will buy you a place on the Lower East Side. 

I rolled a number last night and I walked in my sleep. 
I could feel all the nerves in the tips of my teeth. 
As they crumbled into dust and washed into the sea. 
Finally shut my mouth so I could hear myself think. 

It only gets to me in times like these. 
It only gets to me in times like these. 
It only gets to me in times like these. 
And times like these are getting to me. 


I COULD BE WRONG

My good looks won't save my kids 
from their dad's predicament. 
They won't see my face like this 
see my face as a shadow 

I could be wrong 
or I could be strong 

The penny-rate my love collects 
could set your ass on fire 
Instead of praying thankful hallelujahs 
on the wire 
You turn on your radio regardless 
as you start your car 
But baby don't believe it 
when he tells you who you are 

He could be wrong and 
you could be strong 
You're finding out you're selfish 
because you like your happiness 
Don't sacrifice it to the average 
Keep it for yourself 

They'll buy your butterflies 
and price them down 
to clean the racks 
Until a kid like you 
can buy them back 

I could be wrong 
or I could be strong 


WHAT ANGRY BLUE?

I know how the good wind blows 
and it gives me my time 
Don't let them drag your hatred off the line 
I know how the anger goes so I bury mine 
You know they had me working overtime 

I want no part of your blackheart causes 
empty speeches 
broken promise 

I know how the anger flows so I carried time 
Don't let them drag the needle through your dime 
I know how the hatred goes so I buried mine 
Lucky seven Lucky rolls the dice 
Yeah that's right. 

I want no part of your blackheart causes. 
All this preaching and still no progress 

What angry blue has got into you? 


HOUDINI'S ANGELS

Do you think that people get tired of themselves? 
Is that why the T.V.'s on all the time? 
It don't take much to get it right back on track, 
but it won't fall from the sky right into your lap. 

I've made the most of Luck. 
You get a brand new chance 
in a brand new town. 
And if I don't read what they wrote about me, 
I might turn you on to something I've found: 

Silence. Priceless. Silence. 
The only way we talk. 

What if people get everything they expect? 
What becomes of hope? 
I'll bet she's a nervous wreck. 
What's the genius in a cushion on your couch? 
You better find yourself something that drags you 
out. 

I've made the most of Love. 
You get a brand new chance in a brand new town. 
And if I don't hear what they whisper about me, 
I might turn you on to something I've found: 

Silence. Priceless. Silence. 
The only way we talk. 


THIS EVENING'S GREAT EXCUSE

Time will pack a bag on you, my love 
organize, re-organize your Luck 
Pretty face, a pretty smile, 
a pretty shame you can't defile 
The message you have made for them to see 

And it will be 
And it will be 
H Y P O C R I S Y HYPOCRISY 

This evening's great excuse is this: 
To make your peace. 
And make a list 
of everything that's trivial and wide 

Handshake man, how could you be? 
A sweeter, softer, gentler king 
Spread out for every queen to see 

And it will be 
And it will be 
H Y P O C R I S Y HYPOCRISY 


PLAYER PIANO

Play me like a player piano 
roll me from the corners 
of your dark and dusty shadows 

Like a player piano, 
I sit useless 
most of the time 

The bar gets darker 
it swallows up the scarlet 
The barkeep's looking thin 
We sit together 
until only the piano 
of the player remains 

Tell me why you won't keep it 
Tie me up in a shoe-string box 
She don't keep it if 
she don't need it 

Get me out of the deep end 
my legs are dangling over the roof 

The room gets brighter 
when I can see inside her 
when I can turn the switch 
But she's so together 
I can do the damage and 
she can manage the flames 


OVEN

Get down and pray to the oven 
She thinks that god is there, in there 
Do you see Sylvia in the oven? 
Colossal Fact, Daddy's ex don't let you read. 
Here's what she sees. 

In the end her only friend, keeps herself wide open 
looks into a higher ground 
What did husband say was found? 
She found - a daughter going on with her life 
I can't juggle this 
I can't juggle this 
I can't juggle this 

When it slips she says: 
This Kansas wheat won't break me 
and another drink won't take me 
I can make it if you can 

Strip it down wide open still 
Was your head caught in that pill? 
Was your life one big regret? 
The smartest man she ever met 
was not buried or put up on a cross 

And she thinks it's over, still 
if that light won't go on 
There's no hope in life at all 
if the oven won't burn 

This Kansas wheat won't break us 
and another drink won't make us free 
The oven's wide open, hold your breath and see. 
Hold your breath and see . . .