What I Want

All the old tricks

in the book that I bought

don't really work,

book cost a lot.

Lessons in love, 

hotel seminars, 

standing in meadows,

wishing on stars,

praying to gods,

and if there's just one,

pledging allegiance

to Him and His Son.

None of it mattered,

none of it flew,

I'll get on my knees,

I'll never get you.

Something, or nothing
has stolen your soul
you know the truth
but you haven't told
at least the devil
thought to suggest
you might be worth something
fingered your flesh
cause it's nice to feel
your worth someone's time
cause what really counts
is what is inside

To tell the truth
thought there'd be more
the ache of the exile
the scorn of the whore
you're already evil
you've done nothing wrong
dance to the tune
but you didn't write the song

Tell Jesus

Jesus, I'm tired.
Tell Jesus I said,
walked ten roads to Galilee,
tell Jesus I'm dead.

He builds the hour glass,
we hold it up,
He pours His holy grains of sand
til we've had enough.

Jesus, I'm tired.
Tell Jesus I said,
mine is the most sinful life
I've ever led.

Go up a child,
come back a man.
Stay away til there's hair on your chest and
blood on your hands.

Jesus, I'm tired.
Tell Jesus I said,
walked ten roads to Galilee,
tell Jesus I'm dead.

A Thousand to Zero

It's where I am
it's where I find myself
but I am okay though.
There may be
reason to hope
it could all be okay
but I don't think so.

It's not what I planned
not where I saw myself
I am in Limbo.
You're a no show
I am here on the shelf
I am in Limbo.

So do what you want
and tell me when you know.
Maybe you think you already said so
but all I heard
was you are in Limbo.

A look that you gave
that felt like a thousand words
a thousand to zero.
Something you said
and didn't think I'd recall
didn't think I would hear you.
I made a note I wrote on the wall
I want to be near you
and felt totally dumb
and not what you want
a thousand to zero.

What I Would Do

The voices in my head that said
you were the only one
they came back
in notes of black
to whisper what I'd done.

The pictures in my mind
I find when I close my eyes
the colors fade
and you're portrayed in only black and white.

Because I think about you,
think about me too.
Write a song and sing along,
that's what I would do.

The words you spoke
fade as smoke
but now they're in my clothes
and my hair and everywhere
your words are in my throat.

Empty prayers
to empty air
but still I must repeat
words of love are not enough
but mean so much to me.

Because I think about you,
think about me too.
Write a song and sing along,
that's what I would do.
Know I think about it,
know I love you still.
If you think about it,
know I always will.

Friday

You can pay up front
or you can run a tab
play it by ear over fourteen beers
and stumble outside for a cab.
Cause this is your youth
or at least it was.
This is what you did when you were 26
this is what you do as adults.