Music Is Blue

Once upon a time, I told myself
Music was all there was
Like a ghost town in quarantine
No road in, no road out
Music was my mistress
My one true witness
The prayer of a desperate nation;
a cheap fragrance, Penetrating light
Out of mind, out of sight

There’s not much more to say!
I wouldn’t have any other way
I love her, She loves me
She loves we, She loves you
Music is blue

She had me in chains at her altar
Busking in The Village like a real punter
A jealous maid, I stole to feed her
That’s the lie told by a cheater
We robbed Pluto, we ate nothing but beer
Made love on Sunday
We wept and wept and howled and howled
And played hooky on Monday

There’s not much more to say!
I wouldn’t have any other way
I love her, She loves me
She loves we, She loves you
Music is blue

Once upon a time, like Martinez slime
Music was all there was
Like a private island in quarantine
No boat in, no boat out
Then I found another love;
I see music loves you too
The fairies’ lie must have been true
To bring me to you
Now everything, everywhere, is blue

There’s not much more to say!
I wouldn’t have any other way
I love her, She loves me
She loves we, She loves you
Yes it’s true, Music is blue

Karaoke

You took to the stage, a Chiffon, a Supreme
And reading from a TV screen
You sang with genuine emotion
Or so it did seem

Your eyes expressed a Vision Of Love
Your arms outstretched to me
We met Under The Boardwalk
But did it mean anything?

You sang a melody, unchained
But will your love godspeed to me?
Are you going to Stand By Your Man
Or is it just karaoke?

Words from Cyrano are easy to ape
Anyway though it’s fun to escape
In the intoxication and fantasy
That’s much sweeter than the grape
I’ll live either way
The vapor or that other thing
If be the vapor, flood the lights
If be the other, Your Love Is King

You sang a melody, unchained
But will your love godspeed to me?
Are you going to Stand By Your Man
Or is it just karaoke?

Is it karaoke, all your words?
Is it karaoke, your antics?
Or is it all some kind of pantomime?
Playing the role of romantic?

Don’t let’s answer this question now
I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore Guess
I’m a load of karaoke too
Unable to say more

You sang a melody, unchained
But will your love godspeed to me?
Are you going to Stand By Your Man
Or are you just karaokeing me?

You sang a melody, unchained
But will your love godspeed to me?
Are you going to Stand By Your Man
Or is it just karaoke?

New Earth

Today is the day after the last day on Earth
It’s such a glad day!
After a very bad day
After today, who can say?

Today is the birth of a new Earth

The birds all returned to their original form
Dinosaurs lumber down Market St.
The junky is reborn
It was a bad day
Tweeting was muted all season
Now it’s a glad day
For the very same reason

It was a bad day
Mr. Musk was in a bad way
Stewing in his bullion like a phony chef
So he left The Bay
Now orchids mock him
Spread so wide
With such a lurid flavor
His foul name could not hide

Today is the day after the last day on Earth
It’s such a glad day!
After a very bad day
After today, who can say?

Today is the birth of a new Earth

Rain! Rain down a heavenly lube
Drown your phone, kill your television
You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube
Sleep in fields Elysian
Sleep! Sleep, for time has ended
Thank God time has ended
Catholic saints have too done their part
The universe beats as one heart
It was a bad day
Music was forked like a soul infernal Today we play
And ring the tones eternal

Today is the day after the last day on Earth
It’s such a glad day!
After a very, very, very bad day
After today, who can say?

Today is the birth of a new Earth

Unproud Warrior

September the second, two thousand seventeen
That’s your discharge date, etched in your soul
It’s been nearly two years now, gone by so fast
Like the fast food restaurants they built while you were away
Pull into the drive-thru, speak into a box
Discard the paper wrappers when you’re through

These people can’t comprehend the choices you made
So you don’t tell them a thing

Unproud warrior
Unproud warrior
Unproud warrior
You made your house your own

Some blame their actions on their government
It’s all orders for these lily-white comrades
They hang up their guns on a nail of rosewater
And participate in their grandson’s parade
But you know you had more choices than they let on
A soldier is not a cog, but a man, like any other

These thoughts you revisit every time you turn on a movie
And see a depiction that is far from your own experience

Unproud warrior
Unproud warrior
Unproud warrior
You made your choice alone

You were only seventeen when you enlisted, you remember
SE Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was just fifteen
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was just nineteen
At twenty-three, Stephen Crane published The Red Badge Of Courage
Which is still known as one of the most realistic depictions of war
Even though Crane was born after the Civil War ended

Maybe sentiments of regret are not all that unrelatable
You’ve always taken lengths to be aware of your own choice

Unproud warrior
Unproud warrior
Unproud warrior
You built your house alone
You made your house your own

Krakatau

Take my shirt but not the thread
Take my mind but not my head
Take my body not my bones
Take my rocks but not the stones

Take my impatience, Take my intolerance
Hate and avarice, Take it from me now
Take my temptations, Take it from me now
Take my frustrations, I don’t need them anyhow
I’m gone to Krakatau
Take it from me now

Take my image but not my face
Take my charm but not my grace
Take my life but not my breath
Take my decline but not my death

Take my impatience, Take my intolerance
Hate and avarice, Take it from me now
Take my temptations, Take it from me now
Take my frustrations, I don’t need them anyhow
I’m gone to Krakatau
Take it from me now

Take my brooding but not my fear
Take my false clarity but not my tears
Take my resentment, I’ve had plenty
I surrender them all effortlessly

Take my impatience, Take my intolerance
Hate and avarice, Take it from me now
Take my temptations, Take it from me now
Take my frustrations, I don’t need them anyhow
I’m gone to Krakatau

Take my impatience, Take my intolerance
Hate and avarice, Take it from me now
Take my temptations, Take it from me now
Take my frustrations, I don’t need them anyhow
I’m gone to Krakatau
Take it from me now

A Blue, Blue Band

They come all the way from Virginia City, Nevada
A blue, blue band
They broke down once or twice in their blue van
A blue, blue band

(And the mechanic said,
“I’ll do my best to get you to your show on time.”)
And when they pulled up to the club
The crowd was ready to rub
And the lights went all blue

A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band
And they started to play a blue, blue song
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band

The trumpet player Otis
Makes a sound like a lotus
A blue, blue band
And on bass fiddle, Fritz
Cooks it hotter than grits
A blue, blue band

(But don’t take my word for it!
Next time you feel like dancing, go see for yourself!)

There’s a tremendous harmonica player
Whose name now escapes me
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band

And the singer, she’s a ringer
Her name is Belle
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band

The clientele changes every so often
A blue, blue band
But whoever is playing turns the listener blue
A blue, blue band

Listen to them playing what’s been weighing Heavy on your heart
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band

You feel a release in your body From the instant they start
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band
A blue, blue band

Belong To Heaven

I remember you on the street at night
All glitter and chainmail but no time to fight
A grease fire burning bright
Now you belong to Heaven

Always stealing from the plebs
A rosary of Dos Equis beads
Instant film from the grocery
Now you belong to Heaven

Music was all we needed
Yeah, you’ve got to give it away to keep it
You surrendered undefeated
Now you belong to Heaven

Now you belong to Heaven
Now you belong to Heaven
Now you belong to Heaven

You were totally lunar
You had a gallows at City Hall and gallows humor
Wish I had met you sooner
Now you belong to Heaven

For all the questions I want to ask
I hope that you find peace at last
While the world keeps turning fast
So far away from Heaven

So far away from Heaven
So far away from Heaven
So far away from Heaven

So far away from all that now
I guess it doesn’t matter anyhow
How now, brown cow?
How’s Heaven?

Through all your madness and magic and stuff
I wonder if Heaven has finally called your bluff
Call me anytime for bail
From the jail
In Heaven

Now you belong to Heaven
Now you belong to Heaven
Now you belong to Heaven

Heartmind

Heart stops and starts each day
Giving itself away
Like a piece of candy on the sidewalk
It tastes the same, candy, crushed or not

Mind evicts heart for stealing its boots
Mind says You have no respect for property!
And Heart says That’s true!
At Turk and Taylor, Heart goes into seizure
Fumbling for meds at Pan’s seder

Heartmind
Heartmind

That burnt spot where they had met
Old friends, doctors, teachers, all out on the street
Tucked under the city’s tongue
Who will Heart stumble over next, its children?
Empty ketchup packets may inherit the city

Heart stops and starts, giving itself away
Heart stops and starts, giving itself away
Heart stops and starts, giving itself away
Heart stops and starts, giving itself away
Heart stops and starts, giving itself away
Heartmind