SPLIT MYSELF IN TWO
The man layed his hat on the table / Hung his coat up on the wall / Sat down to dinner said as soon as I am able / I’ll say something nice to you all / Then he took a deck from his pocket / Spread em so I saw em all / Then he turned his back to me shuffled em and drew me / The card that said I never would fall / Oh mary lou won’t you tell me what to do / I got a dollar on the corner and a lazer in my shoe / If I don’t get an answer gonna split myself in two / He spun till a ton was glistening / Turned to me and gave me a smile / He said I’m leaving now but I want what you owe me / I’ll be back in a little while / That was the last time I saw him / Hope I never see him again / I know it sounds funny but I owe him some money / And I really don’t want him for a friend

LOST
Lost on the freeway again / Lookin’ for means to an end / Nobody know which way its gonna bend / Lost on the freeway again / Walkin’ the breezways again / Lookin’ for something my friend / I’ve grown tired of living nixon’s mess / Walkin’ the breezways again/ I know there’ll come a day / When you say that you don’t know me / I know there’ll come a time / When there’s nothing no one owes me any more / Locked in the attic again / Out of the shallow and into the deep end / I’ve got a wound I know will never mend / Locked in the attic again

PLATEAU
Many a hand has scaled the grand old face of the plateau / Some belong to strangers and some to folks you know / Holy ghosts and talk show hosts are planted in the sand / To beautify the foothills and shake the many hands / There’s nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop / And an illustrated book about birds / You see a lot up there but don’t be scared / Who needs action when you got words / When you’re finished with the mop then you can stop and look at what you’ve done / The plateau’s clean, no dirt to be seen and the work it took was fun / Well the many hands began to scan around for the next plateau / Some said it was in greenland and some in mexico / Some decided it was nowhere except for where they stood / But those were all just guesses, wouldn’t help you if they could

WERE HERE
The night is restless but no dream’s in sight / And the sounds have no beginnings or ends / And that glow is not a light / The walls turn into waterfalls with water made of thoughts that call, / “It’s not O.K. To tip the glass don’t make a noise or shed a tear / You’re not the only one that’s you things have changed, now we are here / We are not the king and queen what we are ties in between / The blankets that you’ve never seen but over you are spread” / “We are here,” the voices sing / “We are here,” the echo thunders / “yes we are,” the doorbell rings / “here we are and here in numbers” / The others came in from the hall and thoughts with voices start to call / “It’s not O.K. To tip the glass or smile too long or shed a tear / You’re not alone the way you thought / Things have changed, now we are here”

CLIMBING
Climb, climb, I always climb / Out of bed in the morning on a mountain made of sand / And I know this doesn’t rhyme / But the clutter on the table has been getting out of hand / I know that you tried to see me through / But honey I’m still having trouble finding out what’s you / Time, time, it’s so sublime / Well they say it’s non-existant but it’s playing with my mind / And phone calls don’t cost a dime / In the caverns of your feelings where the sun will never shine / Mine, mine, which things are mine? / Well I thought I saw a few before I found out I was blind / And I think I see a sign / And it’s saying where to go and when I get there what i’ll find

NEW GODS
How much do I owe you? / I’ll pay but I don’t want to / Days of where I came from / In a restaurant in mexico / They told me not to drink the water / And not to touch the food / “All we got is pepsi cola / And we know that it won’t hold / You but remember what we told / You no one else knows what’s in store / Remember that we told you”

OH, ME
If I had to lose a mile / If I had to touch feelings / I would lose my soul / The way I do / I don’t have to think / I only have to do it / The results are always perfect / And that’s old news / Would you like to hear my voice / Sweetened with emotion / Invented at your birth? / I can’t see the end of me / My whole expanse I cannot see / I formulate infinity / And store it deep inside of me

LAKE OF FIRE
Where do bad folks go when they die? / They don’t go to heaven where the angels fly / They go down to the lake of fire and fry / Won’t see’ em again till the fourth of July / I knew a lady who lived in duluth / She got bit by a dog with a rabid tooth / But she went to her grave a little too soon / And she flew away howling at the yellow moon / Now the people cry and the people moan / And they look for a dry place to call their home / And try to find some place to rest their bones / While the angels and the devils fight to claim them for their own

THE WHISTLING SONG
It’s the shadow in the dark / It’s the silver in the park / It’s the broken, faded bird / You’ve learned to call your heart / It’s not a border you can see / Just as plain as you or me / I can’t throw the lock back / And I don’t have the key / It hovers in the living room / Just above the door / It whistles while it hangs there / Feathers dripping from every pore / They show the spectacle of falling / And settle to the floor

Words by Curt Kirkwood

Lyrics reprinted with permission
All songs ©1983 Meat Puppets Music (BMI)
All rights reserved

Posted by Derrick Bostrom on Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 at 6:54 am.