low expectations

when it's getting way too late
there's nothing on the slate
you've got to take another break
step out of the room
into the street lit by the moon

walk down to the tombs
open the windows
no one said that that time would come
to finish what's begun
things get done when they get done
there's no use in worry
for a heart that's in a hurry
hang the jury inside out to dry

mind the gap

mazurra

sanchez

going on their lands for sale to stake my claim
burn my name in the soil
out past the borders beyond the hill
through seasons of nothing
safe for the self-destructive world
memories get altered
no point of reference to hold
and it feels like someone is watching
asi tear into the skin of innoncence
and decadence for awhile

so we settled in and half the veins where blood runs pure
troubled the cure for a short while
out in the dust they suffocate the sprawl and greed
bent on breed and stare
and children stare
stare through shiny little boxes
over landscape that is quickly foiled

haul

slag

"put the pedal to the metal"

paper route

glimpse

"you're looking in the mirror on your wall"

navy cut

spokes

started talking
to a couple of wedded strangers
sitting down on motorcycles
who passed on the highway

stepped into
the service station
took a piss, got water
bought fuel to ride

blood is flowing
and mountains are blurring
there is something stirring
way down inside

barely know
my homebase home
seems i'm rarely there
for any share of time

the neighborhood's the same
they all remember my name
holding no reservations
the newness is wearing in

checked my eyes to see if they had spokes
see if they are moving
see if they had spokes
see if there is somewhere else to ride

barely know
my airbase home
seems i'm rarely there
for any share of time
before i ride

scout

point vicente

she swings on the front porch
and sweeps her days into an empty sky
of a dream drowned in the rain
out where the land is as flat as the sea
there's a train pulling out west
and a box of money stashed under the bed

up through the pines
and down into the city of light
where the world spins on a string
the weave of lovers weave meet their fate
down by the sea falls in love with the sailor who keeps the light house

storm comes in, smashes the shore
the sailor's duty comes calling
begging and pleading as she falls to the floor
she's left waiting

she waits at the front
her husband come wrapped around her
where she fell the stoop in the night

(...) all alone for months at a time

wash

light shines through darker days
eyes close and lose their way
slip away the night
while the whole town's asleep
caught between the space
where you wanted to be
death acts and life reacts
spent time turning looking back
clues along the track
leave the following kind
the ground that seems to be new
winding up the same every time

ice cream jeep

windjammer

"the windjammer is speeding up"

mazurka

removed

follow the current through the city that lies in ruins
bottle is washed up but the message is missing
heroes and ghosts, graveyards and buildings
pay the price of admission

haunted for years in a hallway of mirrors
till i step through the window
over the river, coat of feathers sweeping out of view
weigh the difference, the scales are turned
let conscience be so judged

arrows with strings flung from below
striking and reeling you in
tied to mistakes, left there for days
seeing which side you're in
lately i feel so removed
fell back into the ditch i dug
and doing the things i normally do

heroes and ghosts, graveyards and buildings
pay the price of admission
haunted for years in a hallway of mirrors
till i step through the window
lately i feel so removed
doing the things that i do

hitch

stinging nettle

gypsy's curse

fake fur

the ride, part ii

beneath the neon hub of downtown
the local hotel ghosts blow back around
descend on those drugstore cowboy nights
cling to the bar, then disappear from sight
back to the daily regime
where the late night graveyard shift dampens your dreams
bitten by the desire and the spell
that leaves you stranded out
on the other side of town

where water flows

the black light

leave the heart of the city
for the heart of the world
leave the heart of this city
love the way her trust unfurls
follow her hand to the dark end of the street
cross in the night, invisible to the electric eye
sippin' on a little night train
slippin' in to the car to stay warm
keep moving, keep moving
sleep by day, move at night
keep moving
follow her hand to the dark end of the street
cross in the night
become invisible in a blink of an eye
out past the border patrol
whose thunderbird's no match
a helicopter shadow follows you
way out past the downtown city glow
cross the santa cruz and i-10
past the cancerous sprawl into fields of thorn
through the rincon mountains and cochise
stronghold south of the chiricahuas
drifting and drifting..

sideshow

chach

missing

wake up now little sleepyhead
from your nightmarish day with the dead trip
you'd be better off not to know
of the wild seeds you let go
from your thorny fingertips
try to clean bloodstained hands
that ran away and left the scene
of a crime last night
always thought you stood on the other side
never thought the roof would cave in
where you were hiding
there's a wave of fear that creeps right in
a vacant stare that can't say where it's been
or what's been laced
the trail leads all over the place
there's an angel at your side
who rescued you in a nick of time
explains how you almost fell
and vanished into a fatal spell
she looks into your eyes and sees
there's something still missing
she notices a chunk bleeding from your chest
tries to stop the bloodflow with her best compress
but the wreckage is in a mess
there's an emotional tax, figured in after the fact
and stories unfold
the world grows dark and bones get cold
you look into your heart and you know
there's something still missing

minas de cobre (for better metal)

over your shoulder (never see it coming)

vinegaroon

trigger

walking south along the river
never had he found that twist of pleasure
remembering times when they were younger
setting the town on fire

and watching as his fellow friends
fell apart in the wake
claiming it was all just a mistake
when his finger pulled the trigger

and he shot everyone
it was all just a mistake
when he shot everyone

nothing will stand in the way
when hunger hasn't eaten for days
scrounges around where ends meet
and disappears into the fray

he hopes for awhile he'll reconcile
the pain that never dies
the ghosts of his family constantly
gnawing at his insides

he pulls out a worn photo
and an old handmade gun
wishes it was he who was frying
when he set the whole town on fire

he walks off crying
he shot everyone

sprawl

stray

it rained the whole day he spent at his lover's grave
said his goodbyes to her family and friends
packed his things in a rusted car
and rode off in the rain
came upon a church in ruin
with an old man dwelling within
who said, "watch where you stray my friend"
old man spoke of meanings lost and without name
never shifting from their worn and weathered place
what was found in the endless serach
for truth behind the tale
beneath the ash and ember lies only one story to tell
watch where you stray my friend
there's a flower that grows in a cave
so lovely to see but need to be saved
its' beautiful blossom will wither and die
if ever this flower leave the darkness for daylight

old man waltz

bloodflow

her eyes are closed now that final breath is near
she lets go of my hand and i fall into a see of tears
search for the trail that we were both riding
lost sometime ago
now i'm stranded on the mountain's edge
and there's only one way back down...
and down i go
into the ground where the bad seeds are sown
take root and pull me further in
long and long and longer it takes
good luck's gone and there's no more breaks
just the ground beneath that shakes and gives way
swallowed up whole, there ain't much now i can pull
no stunt man surprises
or houdini-like disguises
for death defying escape
avoid the tap on the shoulder
from that one in the long black cape
just to see those eyes of hers shine
is worth any sum or length of time
that would fill up that space
where her love once flowed
but the more i resist
the further and further out i drift
get swept out in the rip tide
where part of me wants to lie
'neath the waves of sorrow and tears
sink to the bottom and linger there
the rest of my tears
walk amongst the mossy bones
of my fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers
feel their blood flow away
send the soul on its way

frontera

ballad of cable hogue

i live out yonder where the snakes and scorpions run
got myself a little goldmine to bank on
but one day my heart sank when i saw madame in town
i knew her love would be the death of mine

l'amour passait, l'amour obsolète
pourquoi perdre sa vie à chercher l'or d'un coeur?
je ne me noierai pas dans ce désert mystique
je ferme mes comptes et je repars
love is passé and love is obsolete
some spend their whole lives searching for a heart of gold
i'm tired of treading water in this desert mystique
i'm cashing in my chips before i ride

do me a favor while i'm hanging here
take this gold and go and hide
ne gigote pas, chéri, sur ta corde pendu
(don't twist too hard darlin' on your hangin' rope)
don't worry i'll be free in no time

she promised me she would be there when i'd return
she didn't say she'd have a whole army there as well
she whispered, "j'taime baby" as she fired that gun at me
(it's getting late and i'm running out of time)
i should've stayed way out yonder
better off with the scorpions and snakes
every act which has no heart will be found out in the end
guess i'm a little late this time
cause her love would be the death of mine
mine, all mine

ritual road map

fade

no one knows where the night can go
except for the few lovers
entangled and torn from the hour
the stars now are starting to leave
a silent moon begins to weep
and the lovers fall further and further
into the dark and deep
come morning, without warning
the absence of love's embrace
like winter's light, it creeps on in
and the moon's tears fade
he starts the car and is driving away
hearing her voice and tasting their last kiss
that sent them spinning and racing
the moon's glow lights the way
otherwordly underwater dreamscape
till a semi's headlights invade
come morning, without warning
the absence of love's embrace
like winter's light, it creeps on in
and the moon's sullen glow is fading
the glow is fading
the glow is fading
soul escaping
stars are leaving, the moon is weeping
soul escaping
soul escaping
racing through the night...
the glow is fading
the glow is fading

untitled iii

crystal frontier

marco's shadow falls on the door
to the 7 lost cities of gold
finds a raven's head and rattler's tail
dead in his tracks, this godforsaken soul's
unwanted here and his ghost lingers for years

amalia's face hides behind the mask
sweating on the tv factory line
that smile on her face is starting to crack
while welding back the pieces of shattered heart
that's scattered out here, with the ghosts of her peers
searched for her lost love along the river of tears

at the end of the working week
when drunken worlds meet
both sides keeping a close eye
for a break in the line here...
on the crystal frontier

blood spills out on the streets
and bodies are missing for weeks
both sides keeping a close eye
watching the bullets fly here...
on the crystal frontier

ramón tightens up his leather belt
and slips through a hole in the fence
he can get you anything you want
might cost you a life, might cost you
the whole price of freedom here...
on the crystal frontier

sonic wind

sonic wind, honing in, on a tune that no one can hear
perfect pitch, simple glitch, promises it would never appear
in the skies (disguised)
change in direction where birds never fly nor roam
lie 'neath green valleys and wait for the call to come
firetail bats, poised to attack
to set ablaze the rafters and the roofs
until the plan leaves the hand
burns the site down to the ground
through the ground
craters are carving and wounds are left to weep
sink to the table filtering through the years
closing behind the nightmarish fears that run deep
down in green valleys wait for the call to come
when it's all over and the empty quarter
returns to the emptiness again
5000 miles over airplane graveyards
landmass oceans wide. over continents
a sonic wind honing in on a tune no one can hear
perfect pitch, simple glitch, promises
over the skies - in disguise
change in direction
a sonic wind is blowing
and the fire it is burning
down in green valleys where birds never fly nor roam
over airplane graveyards, wait for the call to come
and the sonic wind is whistling

muleta

mid-town

service & repair

on the outskirts of expansion
looking out from blueprint peak
the flow is flooding of urban setters
panning through rivers running dry
numbers roll on in
smiling a lottery grin
a sadness blurs the eye
it's just a matter of time before they're moving on
it's just a matter of time before they're moving on
doesn't take much time for plans to go wrong
and chase another ghost of a chance
in the shadows of chain-store ghost towns
where no one walks the streets at night
a silent nation hooked on medication
stares into a blue flickering light
the young drift off alone
and the old are whisked away
and prospects keep looking up
but the line's getting longer on the lost highway
the line's getting longer on the superstition highway
doesn't take much time for plans to go astray
and chase another ghost of a chance
they say deep down inside, lie properties of a healing kind
if so it'd better come around soon
and do a little bit of service and repair
do a little bit of service and repair
do a little more service and repair
doesn't take much time for plans to change
and offer up another chance
for a little bit more service and repair
do a little bit of service and repair
doesn't take much time for plans to change
and offer up another chance
at sewing the dream better suited for both soul and soil

untitled ii

drenched

riding through nostalgia, shaking memories by the mile
the city lights are closing in on him
the distance grows shorter for a while
he wonders what dreams fill her heart
and wonders if what they had could ever be sparked
"the roads never lead where they're supposed to go"
that's what he tells himself before he lets it go
out on the cold grey plain, sunken on the side of the road
the words bleed off the page, the letter becomes well-soaked
"no more turning backwards," he says, as he drives off in the rain
ventures on up through the colorades and settles under the rock
and pines, and stakes claim
still he wonders what what dreams fill her heart
and wonders if what they had could ever be sparked
the roads never lead where they're supposed to go
they just twist 'round and 'round the flame
the eyes closing, the heart retains
a bit of a spark before it fades away
that's where he gets lost and drifts off alone
and what he tells himself... "better let it go"

16 track scratch

tres avisos

hot rail

sunken waltz

washed my face in the rivers of empire
made my bed from a cardboard crate
down in the city of quartz
no news, no new regrets
tossed a susan b. over my shoulder
and prayed it would rain and rain
submerge the whole western states
call it a last fair deal
with an american seal
and corporate hand shake
take the story of carpenter mike
dropped his tools and his keys and left
and headed out as far as he could
past the cities and gated neighborhoods
he slept ‘neath the stars
wrote down what he dreamt
and he built a machine
for no one to see
then took flight, first light
of new morning

quattro (world drifts in)

love the run but not the race
all alone in a silent way
world drifts in and the world’s a stranger
in a light, eclipsed and alienated
in a time, occupied and invaded
can’t tell what’s right, better hit the ground running
in the hills where the tall weed grows
hands are tied and won’t let go
can’t escape this place without leaving the world behind
in a light, ashamed and humiliated
in a time, sacrificed for the sake of trade
the soul is bent, feels the weight of truth
falling through
left behind, no choice but to run to the mountains
where no poppies grow, you have to hit the ground running
in a light, paralyzed and spirits fading
out of time, must decide to fall or run
into the eye, of the storm no sign or omen
make it right, or fall to the other side
where fields are burning
from the day you’re born
you’ll always hit the ground running

stucco

black heart

spring is frozen now i’m stuck in low
wrapped with wire, tapped to the heart
can’t find no poison, now i’ve got no cure
(the) fangs are stuck inside my skin
payne county line
watching unjust claims
one man’s righteousness is another man’s
long haul, sentence carried out
long haul, counting the miles
to the four corners of the world
spring is rusted shut, (faith’s) coiled and cracked
apparitions worth their weight in gold
scratched in metal, name erodes away
hands are scarred, heart is charred
burnt though, and ashen
trip on fence post line
sifting through the remains
one man’s close pursuit is another man’s
last chance, make it through the divide
last chance, suffer the weight or get buried by this
black heart, sweeping over the land
black heart, crawling its way
to the four corners of the world

pepita

not even stevie nicks

with a head like a vulture
and heart full of hornets
he drives off the cliff
and into the blue
not even the priestess
with her wrenches and
secret powers
could save (steer) him
from danger for a little while
not even she could save him

close behind

high atop radio towers
sky darkens in the final hours
marie, wrings her praying hands
don’t see why the spirit won’t understand
while lines are crossed
hope’s broken at the knees
and at a loss
the world’s made of dust
and dust it will return
sniper surveys the scene
angel chorus won’t intervene
takes her child to the river’s edge
and let’s her-go to the depths
where dark waters flow
a singing tide
pulls her to the edge and hypnotize
samn any fool willing to believe
there’s no hand behind any of this
what’s it gonna take, force the cycle to break
and skut it down before it makes another round
sworn in on an oath the lies
swat away a halo of flies
fast track vision deceives
the storm on the horizon
close behind

the album version of this song is instrumental

woven birds

the plaza in the village
where mission bells used to ring
is now crumbled to a pile of stench and ruin
even the swallows have spring
all the blossoms are burried
‘neath the waste
out of the shadows grow hatred
along the corrider crawls fear
crushed by the promise of hope
that never returned
watched with a hawk’s trained eye
trees grow silent fruit
‘neath a suffering sky
those who have stayed, keep a flame
in memory of the fallen
and pass on the old rites despite the risk
but many more have left here
on mended broken wings
turning to see your reaction
a tear drop fills your eye
but you protest not to give up as give in
heading straight for the wreckage
picking up a shovel and a hoe
start putting back the bricks one by one
numbers come out of the woodwork
corious to see the rebirth
above the swollen clouds
a strange sound fills the air
a silence never heard
falling like blessed rain
and the swallows return
as the mission bells ring

the book and the canal

attack el robot! attack!

across the wire

alberto hits his brother on the
back of the head, looks to the north
as he starts to get up
his brothers still sleepy
grumbles “it’s not light yet,”
“if you want a new life, what’s
a few minutes wait?”
darkness on the road and over the land
into the laws and out of the hands
from those with so much
and no show of heart
you’d think it’d be crazy
to ask for a small part
spotted an eagle in the middle of a lake
resting on cactus, feasting on snakes
but the waters recede as the
dump closes in, revealing a whole lake
of sleeping children
poison in the stream that flows to the sea
out on the waves that crash within reach
of those with so much
and so little to fear
you’d think it’d be crazy
to be so far away yet so near
some say a new day will shine here
over these catastrophes and horrors
of misfortune, all across the wire
alberto y hermano on the coyote’s trail
and dodging the shadows of the border patrol
out in the wastelands wandering for days
the future looks bleak with
no sign of change
darkness in the eye and down
in the soul
all across the wire to those in control
holding so much
with no show of heart
you think it’d be crazy
to watch it all fall apart
watch it all fall apart

dub latina

güero canelo

jump, scrape, break the switches
coast low wit da bitches
funky pop, drop 'n hop
here come the cops
güero canelo

gangs, guns, knives, thugs
chumps, chops, chill, chug
drink malt, smoke mota
i like you mucho
dame un beso

soma, valium, oxycontin
reds, whites, speed, vicodin
t's, b's, thorazine
screamers, pleasers
güero canelo

freak, tweek, week 2 week
kneel, feel, seek the geek
pump da bass in yo' face
contrabasso
how low can you go?

belladonna, mescaline
psylocibin, peyote
mda and dnt spells ecstasy
güero canelo

coil spring, bounce, crank
pumps, shocks, struts, tanks
psychoactive electroplade
it's necesito
dame un beso

impala, caddy
el dorado, comet
galaxy, el camino
chevelle, caprice
monte carlo
so low six fo'
how low can you go?

tweezer, teaser, tiger weezer
rusty, crusty, skuzzy skeezer
chuy, chata, cholo, chico
flaco, chucho
only at pueblo
molé y güero canelo

güero canelo
güero canelo

whipping the horse's eyes

crumble

no doze

ball of flame, it's all i saw
it pulled us in

spirit search, no angels dear
will find us here

corona

the people will survive
in their environment
the dirt, scarcity, and emptiness
of our south
the injustices of our greed
the practices we merit
the dirt, scarcity and emptiness
of our south
there on the beach
i could see it in her eyes
i only had a corona
five cents deposit

si tu disais (if you said)

if you said let's go
if you said i'm sick of this place
i would listen to you
i wouldn't hesitate
and whether it's for a town
a godforsaken place
it wouldn't bother me
i'd be ready as if
i was waiting
if you said up to now
we've gotten by with the blues
i would agree
i would answer that it's true
every wall, every crack
i am sick and tired of this place
if you said only this
i'd be ready as if
i was waiting
if you said let's go
if you said it was time
i would listen to you
i've been ready for a while
but you never say
you never decide
never think of what we could do
i don't know why you're still here

si tu disais on y va
si tu disais j'en tellement
marre d'être ici
je t'écouterais crois moi
je n'hésiterais pas
et que ce soit pour une ville
ou pour un bled, un bout de terre
paumé, crois moi
ça n'me défriserait pas
je serais prête comme si j'attendais
si tu disais jusque là
on s'est contenté de rien et ça va un peu
je t'approuverais, crois moi
je répondrais "c'est vrai"
chaque pan de murs, chaque fissure
je connais trop le dessin de cet endroit là
oh si tu disais ça
je serais prête comme si j'attendais
si tu disais on y va
si tu disais que pour nous c'est le bon moment
je t'écouterais crois moi
je suis prête depuis longtemps
mais tu n'dis rien de tout ça
tu n'décides rien et je n'sais pas
si tu as idée
de ce qu'on pourrait faire
je me demande pourquoi tu es là

falling rain

i hear a sound
it’s going through my brain
i hear talk of people
i feel the fallin’ rain

i see a man crying
‘cause the whole world has left him
kids are laughing at the funny faces
of a clown

my mind is like a spring in a clock
it won’t unwind
i can’t see, can’t think, can’t feel
i’m out of time

i’m up, then I’m down now
tell me where is it going to end
you say start at the beginning
of the end, my friend

i hear thunder
and I can feel the wind
i can see angry faces
in the eyes of men

and don’t forget kid’s stake
where kids lay bleeding on the ground
and there’s no place on this planet
where peace can be found

so there’ll be stabbings and shootings
and young men dying all around
and it keeps going through my brain
and I can still hear the sound

i hear talking of people
the whole world has gone insane
and all there is left is the fallin’ rain
and all there is left is the fallin’ rain

recalling regatta (raised by wolves)

late night streets all alone
no one's here, no one's here
watch the faces come and go

always spinning around
drifting further away
she is young, dressed in white
like a cloud, spins in the sky
not sure if it'll sun or rain

always spinning around
drifting further away
not sure if she will run or stay
or follow the holes leading underground

watching from across the road, she's older now
than her picture (poster) shows
some stay lost, some get found
others drift from town to town

always spinning around
drifting further away
always hear the lonesome cry frail away
far off in the cold and distant night

all the pretty horses

hush-a-bye, don't you cry
go to sleep you little baby
when you wake, you shall have cake
and all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses
hmm, and mama loves, daddy loves
oh they love their little baby
when you wake, you shall have cake
and all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
coach and six white horses
way down yonder, down in the meadow
lies a poor little child
the bees and the flies are pickin' out its eyes
the poor little child crying for its mother
oh, crying for its mother
hush-a-bye, don't you cry
go to sleep you little baby
when you wake, you shall have cake
and all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
coach and six white horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses

crooked road and the briar

down the crooked road a ways
a child's shadow hiding in the briar
tending to a twisted heart that's bent and broken
wounded and abandoned left amongst the rotted root to rot
moon, crimson moon
rose marie's walking down the crooked road a ways
all aglow, her fair white skin
portrait of beauty, angel to many
hears the hush crying from the briar
reaches in her hand to see what's the matter
and is dragged through the darkness
beneath the lonely cypress
the town's beloved daughter
carried to her death in the turbid waters
and set afloat downstream
whole town erupts, bursts into flame
parties go a-searching down the crooked road a ways
find old rufus there drunk and asleep
fishing by the water must have killed our beloved daughter
can't hold back these waves of anger
tie a rope around his neck
see if he still hollers
another innocent soul hangs over the briar

gilbert

gilbert works alone, late into the night
dangling from a free way overpass
he's welding rebar and sculpting concrete
they're paving in the gap way out west
in off in the distance, the sleepy city shines
he raises his mask to take a look
slip from the perch, still holding onto his torch
i see him falling just like a burning star
out of control
and went drifting way off course
and went drifting way off course
waking up confused in a bed of thorn
and a world turns upside down
no questions asked, no party ever searched
like a blip gilbert slips into a void
a rustle nearby then a vision appears
made from saguaro boots and rib
grabs a hold of this prickly hand
and together they stand
walk on through the ruins of a world
that lost control
and went way off course
drifting off its course

gift x-change

you say you're leaving - going back home
where's your family. where do you come from
something's missing in your life. you've felt it all along
retrace your steps, balance and check where it all went wrong
the spirit is broken. the path is overrun
you can't move forward and now nothing gets done
i hope you find some. in a peace along the way
whatever it takes i pray you'll make it home on christmas day
in case you don't find what you need when you finally arrive
and your heart is snowed in there's no warmth or light
take this candle with you and this book of matches as well
as you're climbing the walls there's no answer at all
except the gift you give yourself
i trust that you'll find some in a peace through times that are rough
what would it take to hear you say the gift you give is love
the gift you live in enough

clothes of sand

who has dressed you in strange clothes of sand
who has taken you far from my land
who has said that my sayings were wrong
and who will say that i stayed much too long?
clothes of sand have covered yor face
given you meaning but taken my place
so make your way on down to the sea
something has taken you so far from me
does it now seem worth all the colour of skies
to see the earth through painted eyes
to look through panes of shaded glass
see the stains of winter's grass
can you now return to from where you came
try to burn your changing name
or with silver spoons and coloured light
will you worship moons in winter's night
clothes of sand have covered your face
given you meaning but taken my place
so make your way on down to the sea
something has taken you so far from me

chanel no. 5

all the sweet mouth really wanted
just fell from her grip
the worst hell you can drag your soul through
is trying to make all the lies stick
you might as well not make an effort
lots of bills lying around unpaid
still i guess some things seem better than
lying in a bed an old child made
she's got her walkman on
she's got chanel number five
look at her walk
she's holding her head upright
wants to show she's got some pride
to the headlights
all over town people looking for
their little piece of goodnight
maybe it's finally time
to turn away from the light
all her sweet mouth really wanted
was lost in her smile
and her soul just lost the taste that makes
any good lie worthwhile
i know i never asked you to read their minds
so why did you have to go ahead and do it anyway
you think maybe someday if you're good
they'll let you disappear from the scene
but nothing can hide a beating
she's got her walkman on
she's got chanel number five
look at her walk
she's holding her head upright
wants to show she's got some pride
to the headlights
doesn't she look good

casey's last ride

casey joins the hollow sound
of silent people walking down
the stairway to the subway
in the shadows down below

following their footsteps
through the neon-darkened corridor
silent desperation
never speaking to a soul

the poison air he is breathing
has the dirty smell of dye
cause it's never seen the sunshine
and it's never felt the rain

but casey minds the arrows
and ignores the fatal echoes
of the clickin' of the turnstiles
and the rattle of his chains

oh, she said,
casey, it's been so long
since i seen you
here, she said
just a kiss to make a body smile
see, she said
i put on new stockings just to please you
lord, she said
casey can you only stay a while?

casey leaves the underground
and stops inside the golden crown
for something wet to wipe away
the chill that's on his bone

seeing his reflection
in the lives of all the lonely men
who reach for anything they can
to keep from going home

standing in the corner
casey drinks his pint of bitter
never glancing in the mirror
at the people passing by

and he stumbles as he's leaving
and he wonders if the reason
is the beer that's in his belly
or the tear that's in his eye

oh, she said
i suppose you seldom think about me
now, she said
now that you've a family of your own
still, she said
it's so blessed good to feel your body
lord, she said
casey, it's a shame to be alone

sundown, sundown

there's no one in this world for me
there's never gonna be
there's no one in this world needs me
there's never gonna be
yet sometimes in my dreams i hear...

sundown
i miss you, sundown
i need you, sundown
come on, come on, come on, come on, back to me
come on, come on, come on, come on, back to me
i need you, sundown
i need you, sundown

there's no hands ever reached for me
there's never gonna be
there's no one meant for lonely me
there's never gonna be
yet sometimes in my dreams i hear...

sundown
i miss you, sundown
i want you, sundown
come on, come on, come on, come on, back to me
come on, come on, come on, come on, back to me
i love you, sundown
i love you, sundown

sometimes in my dreams
i love you, sundown
i love you, sundown
sometimes in my dreams
i love you, sundown

tulsa telephone book

have you read any good telephone books lately?
if you ain't then let me recommend one
i've already read that tulsa telephone book thirteen times
if you don't know any last names it ain't much fun
readin' that tulsa telephone book, can drive a guy insane
especially if that girl you're lookin' for has no last name
i gotta find her and tell her, i don't want our love to end
so i'm readin' that tulsa telephone book again
well, i was in tulsa and didn't have anything goin'
she lived in tulsa and didn't have anything on
she said, "my name is juanita," and i said, "my name is j.b. [t.]"
when i woke up the very next mornin' she was gone
all of the tulsa operators know my voice now
and they gotta know how long i've been alone
if you meet a girl named juanita with some ribbons in her hair
would you tell her that she's wanted on the phone
readin' that tulsa telephone book, can drive a guy insane
especially if that girl you're lookin' for has no last name
i gotta find her and tell her, i don't want our love to end
so i'm readin' that tulsa telephone book again
i'm readin' that tulsa telephone book again

alone again or

yeah, said it's all right
i won't forget
all the times I've waited patiently for you
and you'll do just what you choose to do
and I will be alone again tonight my dear

yeah, I heard a funny thing
somebody said to me
you know that I could be in love with almost everyone
i think that people are
the greatest fun
and I will be alone again tonight my dear

convict pool

convict pool

in the land of salvation
is where you find this masterpiece
of a right-wing kidney punch
escape convict pool
escape

executions are nearly flawless
so riding forever
in the deep
or taking it into the shallow
is not a problem

escape convict pool
escape
convict pool
escape

check the underwriter killers
for video surveillance
of the convict pool
in the warden son's
private collection

escape convict pool
escape
social fool
we evade

i forget to mention
that the coping of this baby's like butter
so stand up and grind far

escape convict pool
escape
parental fools
we evade

tony and george
avoid the nipple
protusion on the wall
with a backside hurricane
over the death box
we fall

and escape
convict pool
escape
social tool
evade
courtroom duel
escape

sirena

to save this sad, lonesome cry
sorrow fills the oceans wide
calling you close, promising love
letting passion navigate you

into the arms of sirena
into the eyes of sirena
into the heart of sirena
dancing like ghosts, haunting the shore

the old ones warn, stay away
her love is sweet, but sorrow too great
dreams of leaving her curse for good
rise from the sea as flesh and blood

still the wind carries her voice
fills all thoughts, sways your choice
drawn the fear, capsize the heart
till all passion navigates you

into the arms of sirena
into the eyes of sirena
into the haert of sirena
dancing like ghosts over the waves
safe in the harber of her embrace

bebe mi vino de amor
besos de kerosina
volvierdo el mar en infierno!

to save this sad, tragic soul
sorrow's worse than the tide's pull
sinking deeper, gasping for love
till desire navigates you

into the arms of sirena
into the eyes of sirena
into the heart of sirena
dancing with ghosts under the waves

and into the arms of sirena
into the eyes of sirena
into the heart of sirena
caught in the rip tide, smashed on the reef
joining the mass of bones underneath
falling deeper in love's illusion of sirena

half a smidge

when the evening sun is setting low
blinding you on your drive home
and the lanes of traffic all converge
causing you to curse every other word
for to wish it all away

daily grind's got your screw stripped
no can of wd40 can fix your situation
seems to be losing steam

dream's been dropped on credit cards
and false hope pumping out of your soul
like oil in the gulf it's a dead end
drive it further deep into the ground
till the point's dull as your skull
and the same sun that you curse
powers your hybrid heart home

if only this car would move half a smidge

fresh schwamp

strange feeling you get
when you cross the switchbacks and bring it on home
just the farther and farther you drift
like that old crow, that's beaten and worn
it's been a long day, been a long way
fly your little wing
old crow, old crow, battered and worn all your
feathers
now you're tattered and torn

all that silver sparkles in your teeth
while it rains in your heart
swallowed it under, swallowed it down
gonna take a little sip, gonna meet them boys downtown
old crow, feeling kinda worn and worn out
old crow, gonna take a sip, and pass it around, pass
it around

grip-tape

wait to rise long after dark
been asleep at least three solid days
wandering round this house just like a ghost
searching for something in this life
that would fill the holes and satisfy
your need to please everybody else
while your nerves shatter and fall apart
wear out the grip-tape wrapped round your heart

now you're dressed and ready for the kill
check if your friends are asleep in bed
same ones who left you to yourself
make some noise and take a walk outside
all those years you kept the pain inside
strangled any chance to love your own
and veer from your collision course
but you'd rather go out in a ball of flame
grip-tape your name

simple mistake

it's a simple mistake
when you've painted over your painting
and it needs no more speaking

ghostwriter

dying of thirst, could i still be alive or worse
where was i last, parked on the street when a shadow
was cast
taking me out, a struggle ensued
what was that hole in my shirt and the blood that
spilled to the floor
like a dead man's

focus is blurred and a voice off camera is heard
the lighting's to blame, tell the assistant director
the same
pulling away to a final dissolve
soundtrack provides a lush bed of strings
before the screen fades to black
and the credits rise ab ove like the soul of
a dead man
wandering on

heavy with the bass

right outta port angeles like a bullet with no pain
driving north on the harbor freeway
up and over st thomas vincent bridge
making stops as you go, everyone you used to know
flashing your fury, gonna lay your enemies to waste

never hear them when they come
hear them when they come

drop 'em to the floor, settle every score as you roll
on
out of the southbay, into the san bernadinos
down into the valley drivin' to meet your connection

driving with the bass
never heard you when you come
when you come
heavy with the bass
never heard you

drop 'em to the floor blood pumping thru your vein
riding off with the score

driving 'neath the stars, you pull over to the side
a voice trickles from your heart
now the bleeding won't stop
now the bleeding won't stop
drivin' you insane
heavy with the bass
only a bullet could stop your pain
never heard you when you come
never heard you when you come

he was upstairs

near the woodpile
before the rain
where he last saw the snake

with teeth clenched
soured heart
lover's changed hands

an axe within reach
and a distant stare that weaves
through the grass and waits

for a stranger's one mistake

kiss and tell

come on back here into the kitchen
you gotta see this one
you gotta see it close
they told you be careful
don't trust no one but yourself
be careful

in the kitchen with one bare light bulb
the floor manager is your best of friends
and out late when the drinking crowd weighs in
way up late reading your book "kiss and tell"

kiss and tell, don't trust no one but yourself
kiss and tell, trust no one
you're under your spell
you can't trust yourself
you're under your spell
under your spell

drag storm around

through plumes of smoke
a few houses a blaze
your eyes scan over the water
where the city's outline is faded and erased

cries in the night
after the storm
arms entangled in wave and wire
frozen below in the darkness

days float
buildings sway
tensions rise with the waters
as the sense of your fears worsen

what's at stake
once the levee breaks
no one could imagine not returning
nor the shots that echo and ringing

no second line
will lay you down
the delta moon weeps and weeps
as the tide folds it little babies to sleep
'neath the darkness
sleep now sleep
sleep now sleep

cruel

cruel, cruel grounds
leak truths never found
torturous ways
whisper from the grave
a slow spun song of distortion

bitter, bitter mouth
spitin' out seeds of doubt
rituals seek root
razed before they're told
stories break like branches in the cold

seasons trial finds man's mistakes fair game

careless hand
lay and law of the land
falls by the side
silenced sentient cries
all within the lines of divine right

better bury the tracks in an unclosed case
weeds of discontent choke a broken ghost landscape

cruel, heartless reign
chasing short term gains
right down to the warning signs

birds refuse to fly
no longer trust the sky
drifting out beyond the signals

even the horizon is gone
weather flees underground
future's left to wallow in fortune's waste

yours and mine

getting late for decision
what's that waiting about
horses are chomping at the bit
the gate is nearly busted down
moment before the calm of the storm
and everyone's blood goes wild
except yours and mine

how many years has it taken
your restless heart growing old
horses running off on their own
and the stable's burnt to the ground
the longer you wait
your decision will fade
and wind up wasting this time
yours and mine

bisbee blue

when you can't find the hours                        
days keep on slipping thru
avenues under construction
blocking out your sky blues

burried beneath the letters
bills and the junk in the mail
finding the strain to your heart
from the troubles down the trail

no sign of your old haunts here                      

gone with the copper crews
veins mined in vein remind you
choices we choose to lose

new cities keep on sprawling
old towns falling too
raining a river of color

and it's flowing  bisbee blue                        

straight to you bisbee blue

some say this way's  the only one that's true

bring me back bisbee blue                        
bring me back

oh these days, seem dark                             

darkest i've seen

darling you send me thru the hours                   

days keep on sifting thru
chipping away to remember

days with you bisbee blue                      
shining like bisbee blue
bring me back bisbee blue

panic open string

panic open string, power grids blackout
birds all fly in numbers down to the ground
reassure the blades of green, green grass

season's still asleep more or less
wind is gearing up for a reckless ride
leaning  accidental  on nature's side

propeller power fields, solar panel sides
lightning bolts connect, it's with you i will go
i close my eyes and the seasons pass

above the cityscape,  the city out of reach
way beyond our lives, up into the sky, far below the
green

my dreams are all blue, so is my heart
light up screens of you, if you could only see
time's dreams escape, late into the night

when the stars align reminds me of you
words will lose their fear
and i will find their truth
church bells in the hills they will ring and ring

ocean's to the coast will cling to their host
the sun will split in two , sink thru an empty sky

it's where we'll go when we
leave this place and die

letter to bowie knife

everyday on my way home
the clouds would break and the angels
would sing their refrain

this world's an ungodly place
strangled by vines unchaste
so with my shining blade of steel
i would cut a path wide

dipped in the ink of the fight
written clean through the night
mark my words upon the front page
to set my world straight
                                      

it's too late, it's too late
it's too late, it's too late
just like i found it, my world is split
right down the spine

years bled dry now ripe for a reckoning
my blade's back slash beckoning
slice my wounds and i make the sign one more time

come on. come on. come home. come home
yeah it's too late, it's too late
it's too late, to refrain...refrain...refrain...

did those angels ever sing?
sliced my world in two

roka (danza de la muerte)

sleeping in the valley, valley of ill fortune
waking cross the river, river of delusion
full moon lures the waves,  waves  of desperation
empty hearts and mouths wither  away

so close your eyes
slow your breath
dream of northern lights
around this dance of death

no abandones, no llores, busca tu rio
no te sientas perdido
gira, vuelta y vuelta gira
danza de la muerte
que viene a verte
bailala

cup your hands to her parched heart, parched and
broken heart
no water here to drink way downstream
one goes where the water flows and water's running dry
so don't give up no don't cry, don't cry

just close our eyes
pretend we forget
north country dreams
twist this dance of death

danza de la muerte
si viene a verte
que bailando te encuentre
bailando, girando
danza de la muerte

spin round, spin round, spin round
vuelta, vuelta,  muerte

bailala

lucky dime

found a dime in the metro line
funny to see a familiar face
since you left us long ago
there's never been a trace of luck to guide me

hoping to see a sign
or a lucky dime

searching as i go
hoping to see a sign
or a lucky'

someone told you long ago
all you ever needed to know
no matter how far you drift alone
i'll always be here around'

hoping to see a sign
or a lucky dime

smash

is there anyway i can fix it
take out my tools maybe smash with it
let me destroy the parts that annoy

swallow the words i'm saving
fumble the chords i'm playing
better just break it apart
then where should they go

but you know i'm just following suit
it's something i aim not to do
can't mock up a model me and you

is someone out there
i can trust
with the words that never seem to fit

no sense looking backwards
shattered every mirror in my eye
scattering the scrapbook
blueprints on the floor

always thought things would snap into place
with a little more ease and grace
still a ship sealed in a bottle
never reaches the sea

and i stash all of the reasons      
dash them against the wall
and i smash your heart into tiny little pieces

and every time this happens
it gets harder and harder to build back again

deep down

when numbers matter more than the heart
your eyes are hollow and stiffness starts to take control
capsize the soul, deep down you know it's evil
you've always known

be a good example show your new tricks
and while you're out there they'll make the pitch
to rally the troops and make a huge contribution
to help push this through
deep down you know it's evil
you've always known it's evil

the days here are numbered but your record is clean
outstretched and waiting on banks that seem
to flow and flow, a rich reward  to show
duty carried out in the field
deep down you know it's evil
you've always known it's evil
you've always known

nom de plume

     
le corbeau s'approche
atterit sur  l'épaule de celui qui écrit
reviens lui picorer le cou
les veines sortent des chairs
le sang se répand sur la page
il crit ses dernières lignes
et s'endort

novembre et son manteau d'hiver   
revers sombres
chemise blanche comme la neige
manchettes noires
plane sur la ville
s'agrippe aux murs, détruit les rues

les lances de corne ac'r'es
plongent dans les yeux et les coeurs des courtiers
les enfants s'enfuient dans les rues des quartiers
les voitures quittent la route, avalées par la mer

les périls de l'hiver
les photographes, les barrillets ouverts
la poudre à canon et les éclairs aveuglants

etouffés par les fumées
les cendres des usines
livres de comptes déchirés
sem's comme des miettes pour les sortir
des tunnels, loin des murs de la vieille ville
avant d'être enfouis sous l'ordure nouvelle.

le corbeau se fatigue
les corbeaux se multiplient
le ciel noircit à chaque nouveau cadavre
les champs s'enflamment
l'hystérie les chasse des villes vers les cavernes
et les collines assombries

vers les hauts plateaux
vers les hauts plateaux

vers les hauts refuges
vers les hauts refuges

vers les hautes plaines
vers les hautes plaines

vers les collines
vers les collines

vers les hauts terre
vers les hauts terre

the raven  flies down to the writer's desk
landing on his shoulder, pecking at his neck
veins popping out, spilling on the page
makes a little note, falls to sleep.

november's coat with black lapels
dressed in a snow white shirt, ready for the grave
prepares to flee, from the city's gates
tear down the walls ripping up the streets

spearheaded horns stick into the hearts
of the ticker tape market trades
watch them all crash
while the children flee from the suburb streets
the cars veer off the road, swallowed by the sea

and the writer's peril, the photographers,
the open dusty barrels
gun powder and white lightning

choking on the fumes, buried 'neath the watse
receipts from the  factories torn up in haste
used as breadcrumbs to lead them away
out thru the tunnels while the city crumbles and
breaks

the raven grows weary
the raven grows in numbers
sky darkens with each kill
corn fields burn, break on the farmers' heads
for the high country
for the high country

hide in some hills
deep dark caves
return to the caverns
rebar skeletons
spell twisted, cryptic words
in the high country

all systems red

felt a tremor stir beneath my breath
that forecasts storms on the gallup poll
waking up from the nightmare news
hoping to read a sign in the morning air

nothing changes here and nothing improves
all say my friends who just want out
and leave these troubles behind
scatter like paper in the eye of the storm
documented with a silenced note
that's only heard from far away

more cards in play, following suit
everywhere you look, you only see red
wonder when to call off the race
watching a horse running down its last legs
when you think it couldn't get much worse
the numbers rise on the death toll
and the chimes of freedom flash and fade
only heard from far, far away

i hear you can't trust in your own
now the grey is broken in the early morn
and the words forming barely have a voice
it's just your heart that's breaking without choice

everything you hear is distorted in your head
bouncing off the walls, unraveling the thread
staying up with the blue screen glow
forgetting everything you ever dreamed years ago

when the dread is flowing down my veins
i want to tear it all down and build it up again
hear your heart that's breaking without choice
i want to hear those chimes ring again
ring again

canción del mariachi

soy un hombre muy honrado
que me gusta lo mejor
las mujeres no me faltan
ni el dinero, ni el amor
jineteando en mi caballo
por la sierra yo me voy
las estrellas y la luna
ellas me dicen donde voy
ay, ay, ay, ay
ay, ay mi amor
ay mi morena
de mi corazón
me gusta tocar guitarra
me gusta cantar el sol
mariachi me acompaña
cuando canto mi canción
me gustan tomar mis copas
aguardiente es lo mejor
tambien la tequila blanca
con su sal le da sabor
ay, ay, ay, ay
ay, ay mi amor
ay mi morena
de mi corazón
me gusta tocar guitarra
me gusta cantar el sol
mariachi me acompaña
cuando canto mi canción
me gustan tomar mis copas
aguardiente es lo mejor
tambien la tequila blanca
con su sal le da sabor
ay, ay, ay, ay
ay, ay mi amor
ay mi morena
de mi corazón
ay, ay, ay, ay
ay, ay mi amor
ay mi morena
de mi corazón

canción mixteca

que lejos estoy del suelo donde he nacido
inmensa nostalgia invade mi pensamiento
y al ver me tan solo y triste qual hoja al viento
quisiera llorar, quisiera morir de sentimiento
oh tierra del sol!, suspiro por verte
ahora que lejos yo vivo sin luz, sin amor
y al verme tan solo y triste cual hoja al viento
quisiera llorar, quisiera morir de sentimiento

cascabel

yo tenia mi cascabel
con una cinta morada
con una cinta morada
yo tenia mi cascabel

y como era de oropel
y como era de oropel
se lo di a mi prenda amada
pa' que jugara con el
alla por la madrugada

a noche por la ventana
platicando con leonor
platicando con leonor
a noche por la ventana

me pidio que le cantara
me pidio que le cantara
el cascabel por menor
y que no me dilatara
me lo pedia por favor

ay como resumba y suena
ay como resumba y suena
resumba y va resumbando
resumba y va resumbando
mi cascabel en la arena

cielito lindo

de la sierra morena
cielito lindo, vienen bajando
un par de ojitos negros
cielito lindo, de contrabando
ay, ay, ay, ay
canta y no llores
porque cantando se alegran
cielito lindo, los corazones
pajaro que abandona
cielito lindo, su primer nido
si lo encuentra ocupado
cielito lindo, bien merecido
ese lunar que tienes
cielito lindo, junto a la boca
no se lo des a nadie
cielito lindo que a mi me toca
ay, ay, ay, ay
canta y no llores
porque cantando se alegran
cielito lindo, los corazones

cucurrucucu paloma

dicen que por las noches
nomas se le iba en puro llorar
dicen que no comia
nomas se le iba en puro tomar
juran que el mismo cielo
se estremecia al oir su llanto
como sufrio por ella
que hasta en su muerte la fue llamando

ay, ay, ay, ay, ay,... cantaba
ay, ay, ay, ay, ay,... gemia
ay, ay, ay, ay, ay,... cantaba
de pasión mortal... moria

que una paloma triste
muy de manana le va a cantar
a la casita sola
con sus puertitas de par en par
juran que esa paloma
no es otra cosa mas que su alma
que todavia la espera
a que regrese la desdichada

cucurrucucu... paloma
cucurrucucu... no llores
las piedras jamas, paloma
¡que van a saber de amores!
cucurrucucu... cucurrucucu...
cucurrucucu... paloma, ya no llores

el son de la negra

negrita de mis pesares, ojos de papel volando
negrita de mis pesares, ojos de papel volando
a todos díles que sí, pero no les digas cuando
así me dijiste a mí, por éso vivo penando!

cuando me traes a mi negra, que la quiero ver aquí
con su rebozo de seda, que le traje de tepíc
cuando me traes a mi negra, que la quiero ver aquí
con su rebozo de seda, que le traje de tepíc

la malagueña

que bonitos ojos tienes
de bajo de esas dos cejas
de bajo de esas dos cejas
que bonitos ojos tienes

ellos me quieren mirar
pero si tu no los dejas
pero si tu no los dejas
ni siquiera parpariar

malaguey...ya salerosa
besar tus...labios quisiera
besar tus labios quisiera
malagueña salerosa
y decir...que niña hermosa
eres li...linda y hechisera
eres linda y hechisera
como el calor de una rosa

con tus ojos me anunciabas
que me amabas tiernamente
que me amabas tiernamente
con tus ojos me anunciabas

que ingrata me traicionabas
cuando de ti estaba ausente
cuando de ti estaba ausente
de mi pasión te burlabas

malaguey...ya salerosa
besar tus...labios quisiera
besar tus labios quisiera
malagueña salerosa
y decir...que niña hermosa
eres li...linda y hechisera
eres linda y hechisera
como el calor de una rosa

como el calor de una rosa...

ojitos traidores

por unos ojos negros
negritos como mi suerte
por unos ojitos negros
negritos como mi suerte
me estan quitando la vida
me van a causar la muerte
me estan quitando la vida
me van a causar la muerte

si de dia me camelan
de noche no quieren verme
quieres decirme serrano
que hace falta pa'quererte
quieres decirme serrano
que hace falta pa'quererte

el dia que tu me mires
con carino y sin desprecios
el dia que tu me mires
con carino y sin desprecios
voy a decirte serrano
lo mucho que yo te quiero
voy a decirte serrano
lo mucho que yo te quiero

more mariachi lyrics