1. |
TENDER AS WATER
04:06
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Tender as water
she loosens me
although my lips are dry
In an early frost
my forehead has yellowed with love
and there is no cure
but to fold in her breast
Between the thunder
listen to me
although my lips are dry
Broken under
but the ground still cries for her favor
but mountains have a wind
to find her
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2. |
LAZY LEGS
02:54
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Grow up, lazy legs!
Don’t let my head get old before you
Slow down, Mr. Hat!
Take back the head I borrowed from you
The Hat is rolling calmly, so
you never can be still
the Hat will not get old or young
so you are in his will
Better to return
what you never owned:
the Hat even lends out names!
Light as the dust
but what simple gravity
keeps you on the road,
and where can you be rolling?
Got my face from you
and my feet and my fingers
They must get back to you:
won’t you wait for me?
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3. |
BETTER HALF
03:47
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You are the better half
to my heart
but if I should tell them apart
then my love is a lie
Tougher to be a fool
because it teaches me to feel
Why am I alone?
What path have I come to?
Count the ways: they’re the same
as the days since you’ve been gone
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4. |
SEEDS OF SINGING
03:24
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Hard to count the seeds of singing
but there’s nothing from your hole to your head
besides them
Hard to keep the seeds from singing
when your soul’s inside them
You stack yourself from inside
your backbone
head is high on a string
held by huge hands
It’s so easy
your throat is open
it feels just like you’re yawning
and you’re smiling
Hard to keep the seeds of singing
when your belly gets afraid
The devil wants your seeds
all your life
sell them and you lose your song
the devil knows your needs
knows your strength and your speed
he knows what you’re about,
he knows you inside out
but he doesn’t know how you sing
Hard to count the seeds of singing
I’m learning to now
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5. |
VITAMIN C SHARP
05:47
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My friends are wait-
ing at the gate
I’m landing there
the helicop-
ter’s almost stopped
time in mid-air
Home, wanna go home
wanna go home
My friends are wait-
ing at the gate
I’m landing there
the helicop-
ter’s almost stopped
time in mid-air
Wanna go home . . .
wanna go home, and I
wanna go home
ooo, ooo, ooo
My friends are wait-
ing at the gate
I’m landing there
the helicop-
ter’s almost stopped
time in mid-air
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6. |
LOVE MYSELF TOO
05:27
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I’ll miss you
until I love myself too
it’s hard to move
and so easy to grieve
Just let her go, and may God bless her
Just let her go, and may God bless her
Guess what she’s into: why should you know?
Fly away before you grow
to love her again
When will I forget how much I need her?
Cry into the night until I’ve lived enough to leave her
I’ll miss you
until I love myself too
it’s hard to move
and so easy to grieve
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7. |
YOUR LOVING
03:17
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This time I know I’m here
go ‘round the earth before you start
now it’s come clear:
your loving gave birth to my heart
You are the one
who can make me in love
you are the one
who can me alive again
arrive again on your doorstep
Your smile has caught the wind
touching your land, the waters part
each way I find
my heart is a map of your hand
Hand caught the wind, go ‘round the earth Touch my hand
the map of your heart is clear
now I’m here I know
your smile has parted this time I’m here in your heart
the water each way before we start
to touch my hand Hand caught the wind, go ‘round the earth
the map of your heart is clear
I know now I’m here
this time I’m here in your heart your smile has parted
the water each way before we start
You are the one
who can make me in love
you are the one
who can me alive again
arrive again on your doorstep
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8. |
MANY HEARTS
07:47
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Laughter is the end-
sound of your fighting
sound of your fighting
Go where you began
and come from what is done
You owe neither birth,
Death is a loan:
so keep what you found
Hear what your elders
say in the twilight, seeing you
hear what your elders
cry at dawn, seeing your
brave, thin soul:
Are you really lost?
Are you really lost?
Many hearts open mine
to make you wonder how
many hearts open mine?
to make you my window of peace
release the wind that turns so endlessly
Many hearts open mine
to make you wonder how
many hearts open mine?
to make you my window of light
release the wind that turns so endlessly
Let it untwine
see its design
Wind blew night down the chimney
scattering still warm ashes
cold she woke in her chair
but found her eyes in anger
what she dreamt was glowing
but became grey to remember
children trick-or-treating
could hardly be as appealing
his face was brighter than fire
that would have shown him stealing
never to reveal the will-o’-the-wisp in his heart
House to house the wind blew
and woke every lady sleeping
each had felt a dream of
many hearts open mine
Just like you listen
in one ear, out the other
but never stop to tell how
many hearts open mine
east, south, west, north, center
the directions they are five
weather takes me everywhere to make you my window of peace
and everywhere I give
centering is all right release the wind that turns so endlessly
but wind keeps me alive
Laughter is the end-
sound of your fighting
sound of your fighting
Go where you began
and come from what is done
You owe neither birth,
Death is a loan:
so keep what you found
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9. |
SHADE SWALLOWING
03:25
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I got shade swallowing sickness
shade swallowing sickness
I’m afraid to lose it
I’m afraid to get it again
drank a shadow,
and I can’t reach where it itches
Shade swallowing sickness
Got shade swallowing sickness
I’m afraid to lose it
I’m afraid to get it again
drank a shadow,
and I can’t reach where it itches
Drank a shadow
thought it was a snake
and I then I jumped right out
and slid behind myself
It’s easy when the sun is high
to shine on what you have done
but for the grief inside you
you better hide, ‘cause your heart
gives no relief
Shade swallowing sickness
I got shade swallowing sickness
I’m afraid to lose it
I’m afraid to get it again
drank a shadow,
and I can’t reach where it itches
Drank a shadow
thought it was a snake
and I then I jumped right out
and slid behind myself
If I could trap the night
I would drink it ’til I was full
but the soul I let you steal
has left such a hole
to be healled
Shade swallowing sickness
got shade swallowing sickness
I’m afraid to lose it
afraid to get it again
drank a shadow,
and I can’t reach where it itches
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10. |
LOSING
04:51
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Losing
we learn to spring from where we fall
reap all we have sown
in still too unripe a season
foolish yearning
Into new earth
for an old need
where it’s less likely to bleed
turn our deepest ties
into lies
but why can’t you cut me loose
although you’ve lost your blade
you know it hurt so bad
the truest way you are to me
is stronger than all the walls you hide behind
When you’re scared it’s easy
to forget how to really care
but it’s a thing we all do
Look at you, twisting your tongue
at the cost of your honesty
the one who’s lost is you
Losing
we learn to spring from where we fall
reap all we have sown
in still too unripe a season
foolish yearning
Losing
we learn to spring from where we fall
reap all we have sown
in still too unripe a season
foolish yearning
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11. |
SHE GOT STUNG
03:50
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To catch a tin can
you needy goat bait
the right corner pocket
in the ball of eight
To catch a tin can
you needy goat bait
the right corner pocket
in the ball of eight,
in the ball of eight
She got stung
now she’s talking in tongues
She got stung
now she’s talking in tongues
she needs a saint from her belly
and tonight’s the night he’ll come
He must come out!
To catch a tin can
you need goat bait
To catch a tin can
you need goat bait
Her lord will call:
she’s seen signs of him
in the darkness when no one listens
she shines for him
hearing thunder roar
she’ll open up the door: she got stung
He is in darkness
that no shaft of sun can fill
and her arms are beautiful
when she holds him until the day
but they grow thin when he goes away
She got stung
now she’s talking in tongues
She got stung
now she’s talking in tongues
she needs a saint from her belly
and tonight’s the night he’ll come
He must come out!
The ball of eight, the ball of eight Bait, do you need goat bait, do you need goat bait?
Her lord will call: He is in darkness
she’s seen signs of him that no shaft of sun can fill
in the darkness when no one listens and her arms are beautiful
she shines for him when she holds him until the day
hearing thunder roar but they grow thin
she’ll open up the door: she got stung when he goes away
She got stung
now she’s talking in tongues
She got stung
now she’s talking in tongues
she needs a saint from her belly
and tonight’s the night he’ll come
she needs a saint from her belly
and tonight’s the night he’ll come
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Tom Ross Colorado Springs, Colorado
Music, art, poetry spoken here!
As E Dickinson says:
Nature is what we know
but have no art to say
so impotent our wisdom is
to her simplicity
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