Lies, Fear, and Hate
Stone Cold
And night had fallen, and the air was cool;
She was lying in a bloody pool.
She wasn't breathing, and I knew right then
That what I lost tonight I wouldn't find again.
My hands were shaking as I knelt in prayer:
"Please God, forgive this sinner here."
My palms were sticky — the door banged shut —
I ran through the night in search of God-knows-what.
I didn't kill her — I didn't kill no one! —
But the law don't believe no poor man's son.
Their eyes are colored, their minds are set;
I'll be a prisoner 'till I'm stone cold dead.
The judge and jury, when they looked my way,
They saw my anger but ignored my pain.
They saw a surly, street-raised man,
Not a broken-hearted kid without a chance.
They found me guilty, on every count;
Guess for a man like me there ain't no reasonable doubt.
The public defender — he was white —
He said, "Sorry son, you shouldn't 've done the crime."
And in the jailyard you got to watch your back,
'Cause we're all brothers here — 'till they shank your ass.
an watches from the towers above;
Please God in Heaven, send your child some love.
'Cause they've forgotten — or they just don't care —
Of the souls we own, of the blood we share.
'Cause I'm a person, and I have rights due;
I'll keep fighting for freedom 'till they kill me too.
Islands
In a pool of blood and vomit,
She swallowed it all, drank 'till she couldn't.
Close her eyes — her eyes are the hardest;
Now she swims in a pool of darkness.
Green grass, flowers surround you —
I miss everything about you.
In the shade, she's miles and miles and
So far away; a concrete island.
And her pills, her white little soldiers,
Their wreckage still burns and smolders.
Dirt and sand and a sticky tide,
Clutching hands under an empty sky.
Branches break, brown in the weather —
The trees will wake, but you're gone forever.
Molly
She wants a new doggy;
Her dad says, "Ask your mother."
She wants a new dolly;
Her mom says, "Tell that bastard
The station wagon payment came late again.
I hope he likes drilling that bimbo."
It's Christmas morning, and she's sobbing;
Even Santa seems to have forgotten.
She wants her mom to love dad,
She wants her whole new life back,
She wants her dad to love mom,
She wonders what she did wrong.
And when she looks out, across the backyard,
She sees a cardinal hopping through the fresh snow.
And the world is calm, and the sun is new,
And it has a warm nest waiting.
She puts her boots on, and tries to follow;
She slips and falls — she's cold wet and lonely.
And where's her mother, to kiss and hug her?
Triple overtime at the station.
And when the sun goes down, and when the stars come out,
She wishes upon Sirius.
It's all alone out there, a million miles away;
A pin-prick of silent fury.
And then a car pulls up, but it's not her daddy —
The lights are bright, reminds her back when:
Family campin', in a big tent —
The sun came up on a golden morning.
She wants her whole new life back.
Palestine
In the Garden of Eden,
So many nice things to be eaten.
Adam was beating Eve;
Said, "Bitch, bring me something to eat!"
Original — medicinal —
God told them, "No fermenting apples."
Brother, fighting brother,
One likes meat more than another.
They're fighting, in Palestine,
Keep trying to turn water into wine.
They're bombing, without stopping,
A family of hate, not talking.
It's bedlam in the Holy Land —
When will they admit it's out of hand?
They're killing, their God's willing;
There's no Ark for the blood they're spilling.
Abraham fucked Hagar —
That didn't sit too well with Sarah.
She said "Call him Ishmael;
Let Jonah and him eat kelp."
Handsome angels, in the desert,
When they'd left, she was pregnant.
Fed them saltines —
Lot's wife was good for meals.
Jacob born clutching Esau,
Wrestled WWF as Israel.
Iron chef, son Joseph;
Harry hunter's hunger he made the most of.
Isaac blessed Jacob,
Bristling in his sheepskin getup.
Treachery brother forgave him for —
But four thousand years later they're still at war.
Probe
They've come to steal you,
They want to feel you,
They want to know you —
They've come to probe you.
They've come to probe you!
They've come to kiss you,
They're gonna miss you,
They want to hold you —
They've come to probe you.
They've come to take you,
They're gonna break you,
They've bought and sold you —
They've come to probe you.
Cobra Commander
Mom says, "Honey, it's bed-time;
Put away Optimus Prime.
The Autobots can hold on
Against the Decepticons.
And Dr. Mindbender can wait
To battle with Lady Jaye;
She'll have an easier time
Helped by Duke, Flint, and Snake Eyes."
I just want to fall asleep under Hot Wheels covers;
I don't want to wake without my Ninja Turtles.
We'll hang with Miles and with Matt
While we try to get their masks back;
And just like Lion-O,
We've got lots of room to grow.
I just want to run away to Castle Grayskull —
Hide with Teela under chairs, sheets, and pillows.
Cops and robbers in the tree fort,
Looking down on the girl from next door.
We all said you had cooties —
But you had the same dirt on your knees.
Building castles with Legos,
Then feasting on blue Play-Doh;
Your Rainbow Brite smile drove me
To be Bo to your Daisy.
May (Lies, Fear, & Hate)
When the muezzin call, they sing for freedom;
And when the muezzin call, they sing for justice.
But when the people come, they come for vengeance;
And when the people come, they put down women.
Can you take it all away,
With your lies and your fear and your hate?
Can you take it all away,
With your guns and your bombs and your tanks?
When the ministers preach, they say "Love thy neighbor";
And when the ministers preach, they say "Follow the Savior."
But when the people go home, they take some more drugs;
And when the people go home, they load up their guns.
When the politicians speak, they'll talk of freedom;
And when the politicians speak, they'll mention justice.
But when you look at what they've done — there ain't no justice;
And when they tell you what to think — that sure ain't freedom.
The Camel
She smiles — across the room.
She smiles — her eyes are blue.
She smiles — when I walk up.
She smiles — she lights one up.
She smiles, her mouth says hello;
She smiles, her teeth are yellow.
She laughs — she thinks it's funny.
She laughs — she smokes a Lucky.
She laughs — she's debonair.
She laughs — her smoky hair.
She laughs, her face it lights up;
She laughs, she coughs a lung up.
Her eyes — they kiss goodnight.
Her lips — are full of life.
Her jaw — is so romantic.
Her throat — is full of cancer.
Her eyes are diamond flashes;
Her lips they taste like ashes.
Dead Phyllis
Dead Phyllis, love's so cruel:
She worked two shifts to put her kids through school.
They've got their own lives now, a long way from home —
So when the tests came back, she's crying all alone.
Dead people, rise up!
What she's got, she stumbles on the words;
X many months, no one has found a cure —
The universities can't work on medicines,
'Cause Washington, D.C. swapped science for religion.
In the darkest hour, the mist before dawn,
She lies awake and counts the days until she's gone.
'Cause when the sun comes up, that's one day closer still;
While you hide behind your god how many people will you kill?
Pigtails
Pigtails, miniskirt,
French class; such a flirt.
Bookbag, baseball cap,
Friday night, the dance.
Left early, drove out,
Wet lips, lights down —
My hands, her hair,
She's so cute; I didn't care.
I started feeling her body up;
She said, "No!" — but I didn't stop.
I held her down and I had her my way —
She tried to scream, but the words they couldn't say.
And with time even mountains fade away —
Always the tears streaked on her face.
Blonde hair, blue eyes,
Pink lips, a gorgeous smile.
Plays soccer, and volleyball,
And Friday nights: alcohol.
She goes to church — yeah, dear God, she goes and prays,
She wonders will it ever go away.
And someday maybe she won't be afraid —
Always the tears streaked on her face.
Lipstick, highlighter,
Earrings, eyeliner,
Mascara, a little blush —
Some things can't cover up.
Broken
Just because my skin is darker,
Don't mean my heart ain't as pure.
You don't know how long I've worked harder,
In the heat, and the rain, and the dirt.
And in time, when I can find work,
No one works harder, no one takes more pride than me.
When I face the mountains, my back to the desert,
One journey's ending — another one begins.
So, walk with me.
Just because I crossed the border,
Don't mean I'm ever going back.
I want more than just your dimes and quarters —
Gonna make me some real American cash.
And in time, I'll own my own home,
I'll drive a big car, I'll raise my family.
I crossed the desert, to climb the mountains,
And now the valley stretches out before my feet.
Just because I don't speak your English,
Don't mean I'm slow or I'm dumb.
And just because my life was hellish,
Don't judge what my future's to become.
'Cause in time, our kids will wear the same clothes,
Go to the same schools, watch the same TV shows;
We'll walk through the valley, when the trees are blooming —
They lean over the river, glistening under a broken sky.
Sugar & Spice
See her over there by the bar, that's my girl;
See the top of her stockings beneath her skirt.
Later on she'll be puking all over the floor —
Getting drunk again — yeah, that's my girl.
She likes to ride in a fast car, my girl.
She wants to hitch-hike all over the world.
I can't afford diamonds, these stolen pearls
She wears — and nothing else — she is my girl.
Candy canes, chocolates, pink and red hearts,
Teddy bears, sloppy valentine cards,
Pink ribbons, her soft lacy things,
Blown kisses, earrings, and diamond rings.
We go to strip clubs, me and my girl;
She likes to get up and give it a twirl.
Then she knocks down whiskeys with the boys —
But I'm the only one she takes home — she is my girl.
Chinese is all she cooks, she's is my girl;
She's got a tattoo of a fleur
That many men have seen — and a few girls;
But they don't touch her like I touch my girl.
She's always getting me in to fights,
But she cleans up the cuts every time.
We make love long into the night;
In a tangle we wake in the afternoon light.
She likes it when guys try to peek down her shirt —
She's such an un-repentant flirt.
She's always hiking up her skirt —
Shoplifting or card-sharking — she is my girl.
Sugar and spice, rose red lips, her painted eyes,
Beauty and grace, her sultry sense of style,
Fresh-cut flowers adorning her silken curls,
Her gleaming smile — she is my girl.
101
Your daddy don't like your new attitude,
Your punk rock music, or your friends from school.
Your daddy don't like you hanging with the band,
Knocking over mailboxes, or burning stray cats.
He don't like it — no-oh;
He don't like it — whoa-oh.
Your momma don't like the girls you pick up;
She don't like you smoking or coming home drunk.
Your momma don't like the fights that you get in;
She don't like your ripped clothes or the tattoos on your skin.
She don't like it — no-oh;
She don't like it — whoa-oh.
Your teacher don't like the way you talk at school,
Shouting and swearing and breaking all the rules.
Your teacher don't like you hanging in the bathroom;
She don't like what you wrote or the pictures you drew.
She don't like it — no-oh;
She don't like it — whoa-oh.
Your daddy don't like your new attitude,
Your punk rock music, or your friends from school.
Your momma don't like the girls you pick up;
She don't like you smoking or coming home drunk.
They don't like it — no-oh;
They don't like it — whoa-oh.
Mental Powers
Mental powers — send her flowers —
Social pigs fly — half-cocked advice —
Old-school romance — wooden ball bat —
Black-eye candy — rope burn — plan B.
Today, going steady can be so very hard:
Shrinking backseats in the family car;
Long walks on moonlit beaches can be a test —
Just beat her and force her to have sex.
If you think your girl is loosing interest,
Drive out to the mall for a brand new print dress.
Black tire marks on a light blue pastel —
Tell the cute nurse you didn't hear her yell.
To meet nice girls you need good logic;
Make sure you find a heavy object.
Check out a friend at the library —
Knock her off her feet with a dictionary.
Blue Cheese
I remember a quiet office.
I remember a drowning goldfish.
Magazines stacked on corner tables;
Padded chairs my bed of nails.
I remember a smiling lady,
Telling me Dr. Nick was ready.
I remember her tight pink scrubs,
Giving her heavy breasts a hug.
Brown teeth —
I ate too much blue cheese.
Now I face a pink tee,
Sedated in a tan seat,
Falling into a black sleep.
I remember the big vinyl chair.
I remember her peroxide hair.
An army of picks and scrapers at hand,
I sit down; she positions the lamp.
I remember the light in my eyes.
I remember the tight slacks 'round her thighs.
She leans closer — the latex veil;
I remember the scent, distinctly female.
She lets me choose the fluoride taste;
Squinting, I bask in her gaze.
I remember her hands in my mouth.
I remember my gaze roaming south.
I remember the bib she removes,
Her arms around me, I brush her boobs.
She scolds me to floss every day —
I remember hot cheeks of shame.
I dream of her white heat,
Making my gaping mouth bleed;
She wipes the steel on a rouge sheet,
Tenderly scraping my mouth.
Pyro Gyro
Dry wood and gas,
Charred brick and ash —
Your pride, your home, your dreams:
It's a smoldering mass.
And now the flame is lit,
And it's burning bright.
But I can't leave my love,
And slink into the night.
And if you think this game is sick,
Check out the blaze that I just lit.
You'll burn for my adulation —
I'm a hero, pyro, and a friend.
A hero, brave,
To salvage and save;
When everyone else ran,
I seized the day.
A burnt out block;
Timber and rot.
You know my name now,
And that's all I want.
Seven
When I was six years old
Teacher told me I was slow.
"You must learn to count to ten —
You can't just stop at seven."
But seven scabie Grahams,
And seven Gerar lambs,
And seven kits with seven cats,
And seven dwarves in seven hats.
When I go to work
The numbers make my head hurt.
My boss says, "A dozen even."
I say "No! It must be seven!"
'Cause seven sister stars,
And seven Argives sparred,
And seven streets with seven dials,
And seven horns and seven eyes.
I get home from work again,
Flip to Channel Seven.
The girl pulls the balls from the bin,
The next six — all sevens!
Yeah, seven autumn flowers,
and seven bidding bauers,
and seven champions kneel,
and seven colored wheels.
And seven bloody stones,
and seven kings of Rome,
and seven deadly plagues,
and seven floating kegs.
The bodies seven lie.
Mommy's Happy
Mommy's happy — she cleans all day;
Mommy's happy — her lemonade;
Mommy's happy — she goes to church;
Mommy's happy — Dad's got to work;
Mommy's happy — in the kitchen;
Mommy's happy — it's kickin' in;
Mommy's happy — the sun is out;
Mommy's happy — her shades are down.
In the top shelf — Mommy's happy,
In the top shelf — Mommy's happy medicine.
In the top shelf — Mommy's happy,
In the top shelf — Mommy's happy medicine.
Mommy's happy — she takes a sip;
Mommy's happy — Dad's on a trip;
Mommy's happy — her soaps are on;
Mommy's happy — her drink is gone;
Mommy's happy — on the couch;
Mommy's happy — she wets herself;
Mommy's happy — Dad's late again;
Mommy's happy — her distilled friends.
Mommy's happy — it's half past three;
Mommy's happy — still has some Beam;
Mommy's happy — she's not alone;
Mommy's happy — her liquid home.
Everything
Then one time with tweak and scoop,
She said she loved me — but we all knew
She was fucking high like the sky is blue.
And when she passed, it was much too soon.
She said,
"You had everything,
You had everything,
You had everything."
And now you're dead inside.
"I hate everything,
I hate everything,
I hate everything."
And now I'm dead inside.
We woke up in Jill Lander's house,
Her sister and a boy passed out on the couch,
Puke and semen mixed in her blouse.
She said, "Let's get fucked," and opened her mouth.
We lit one up in her parent's car;
She giggled when we couldn't lick the stars.
Her mouth was warm but the night was dark —
We talked about everything, nothing, for hours.
King of Beers
Well, I've got a factory that's full of hops,
And I pay nothing for American crops,
Now I'm pulling out all of the stops —
I'm taking my brewery to the top.
I'm the King of Beers!
I like to work on my golf driving;
It takes my mind off the babies dying.
And when I hear the sound of my stocks climbing,
It drowns out the noise of the nations crying.
Thinking about my St. Louis home,
My son and two daughters getting stoned,
Spending days, or weeks, on the phone,
Begging Grandfather for a loan.