look what we've done

look what we've done

we had a plan of attack

lined up our forces

then went out for a snack

look what we've done

we had a world here

put things together

then went out for a beer

we took out a wrench

and put parts together

we took out a wench

and put parts together 

now 

everything is going,

going, going, gone.

everything is going wrong.

now 

everything is nothing

nothing is everything

everything is nothing again.

we had the birds 

in the trees

now we have no birds

now we have no trees

now we have no have

now we have no we

no now no now

looks like we're done

hurricane states

I thought I'd look you up
it's been a hundred years, girl
see how life's treating you
you were so beautiful

I thought I'd look you up
but names just tumble from you
names and men and mobile homes
you go through southern states

I find you when I find you
in crime reports and
been-there mug shots
but how else can a girl
get her face in the news?

one story has you
walking home at 4am
screaming at dark houses
fighting strangers two at a time
they said you sank your teeth into them

one story has you
in your trailer 2am
telling your fiancee
walk away or I'll cut your throat
they said you did it, then swallowed pills

I thought I'd look you up
it's been a hundred years, girl
see how life's treating you
you were so beautiful

I thought I'd look you up
it's been a hundred years, girl
nothing left but concrete where
a trailer used to be

dancing in a small room

[[ At its simplest level, just two people dancing in a confined space (maybe the kitchen at a party) and falling in love. ]]

dancing in a small room
dancing with the world
dancing with the world
dancing with the world (with the world)
turning round my head

dancing in a small room
just you and you and me
just you and me and you
just me and you and you (you you you)
turning my head round

dancing in a small room
if I said I love you
if you said I love you
if I said I love you (I love you)
turning my world round

one hundred sheep

[[ After reading a National Geographic article -- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2013/02/wakhan-corridor/ -- but the situation is fairly universal. ]]

a woman like you

is a woman like you

you are two horses

you are one hundred sheep

you are the water

you carry from the lake

you are the milk

you pull from the animals

you are the rugs

you weave from the wool

you are the children

you bring from yourself

you are two horses

you are one hundred sheep

there is no money here

you are what you are

you light the opium

to live in this cloud

a woman like you

is a woman like you

you are two horses

you are one hundred sheep

the girl in a tower

[[ Listening to women. ]]

this incandescent light

these glowing coils

they make you seem 

a different creature

now I will listen 

to stories you tell

you always have another

a story to tell

tell me the story of 

the girl in a tower

of numbers and glass

the girl who never goes home

tell me the story of 

the girl in a box

with no air or sun

the girl who never goes home

tell me the story of 

the girl who grows old 

in the house an ogre

the girl who never leaves home

it's here already

when you know it's coming

you make a wish 

and blow them all out

you make a wish

and blow them away

then there is time 

for one more murder

one more little

stopping of the heart

hard-souled woman

[[ Soul or sole? The obvious ambiguity is intentional. It's a walking song about someone with hard shoes or hard feet (from walking) or a hard heart or any combination, but who can trust the persona? Maybe the "hard-souled woman" is bad, maybe the persona is bad, maybe both. Maybe she doesn't even know the persona exists or maybe they're married. Maybe the persona is a man or a woman: I like to imagine it being sung by a woman about a woman. ]]  

Hard-souled woman,

walking around my mind at night.

Hard-souled woman,

walking around my mind at night.

I know your sister

and your sister's all right,

But I've seen you walking 

and I've never seen a girl so tight.

Hard-souled woman,

out stepping in your best disguise.

Hard-souled woman,

out stepping in your best disguise.

I know your mama

and you've got your mama's eyes.

But I've seen you walking 

and you've got your own damn thighs.

You know you don't have to pay me one lick of attention.

You know you don't have to talk.

You know you don't have to stay for me one more damn second.

You know you know you know you know you can just walk.

Walking's what you're all about.
Walking's been good to you.

Hard-souled woman,

walking away.

Hard-souled woman,
walking away.

intentional love song 19: rescue

wounded in a corner, you sit

crumpled on the floor, you sit

slumped at the bar, you sit

falling through a door

into another country

and sending all the messages home

what will become of your soul?

where will it fly to now?

go through your inventory

let your anger roar

jealousy, lust, and fear

we've seen it all before

tick, tick, tick

the source of your fear, in here

a stack of curled bones, in here

a bundle of nerves, in here

sending out runners

to the ends of your senses

and sending all the messages home

what will become of your soul?

where will it fly to now?

you want me now 

to come to the rescue

the jaws of life opening 

wide to extricate you

tick, tick, tick

extricate your soul 

from the wreck of your heart?

as if ever the two
could be teased apart!

intentional love song 18: love is love

[[ As in all situations, change genders freely. It's a love-centered love song about love (losing love) love love.  ]]

love is longing to be

love becomes love

love is love is love is love is love

I am only love

but

love is falling apart

love undoes love

love is no longer, no longer love 

I am nothing

then I am mourning

I am mourning love

you catch yourself 

crying for

crying out loud

get hold yourself

you're s'posed to be 

right by now

get over yourself

but it's not me 

I am mourning

then get over him

but it's not him 

I am mourning

I am mourning love

but 

love is longing to be

love becomes love

love is love is love is love is love

I am only love

love is falling apart

love undoes love

love is no longer, no longer love 

I am nothing

then I am mourning

I am mourning love

you catch yourself 

crying for

crying out loud

get hold yourself

you're s'posed to be 

right by now

get over yourself

but it's not me 

I am mourning

then get over him

but it's not him 

I am mourning

I am mourning love

I no longer breathe the breath of life

love is the aroma of life

I no longer taste the flavor of life

love is the season of life

love is the season of life

love is the season of life

and love has died

but

love is longing to be

love becomes love

love is love is love is love is love

I am only love

intentional love song 17: the whole bed

he thinks 

she steals all the covers

he thinks 

she takes the whole bed

she feels

like lovers should be lovers

she feels 

alone in her head

she reaches -- 

he slides away

she pulls 

the blanket in like a net 

and finds the net empty again

she is

alone on the sea

intentional love song 16: everything runs down, everything runs away

[[ from a photo of Appalachia in the paper ]]

everything runs away

down this valley

everything runs away

the railway follows on one side

the highway holds to the other

the river flows in between them

down to the sea

everything runs down,

everything runs away

everything runs down, runs

down to the sea

there's even a mist on the river

who put that mist in the air?

as if someone drew it that way

knew I would need to go

knew I would need to stay

I could take a photograph of you

steal a photograph of you away

I could take a photograph of you

maybe give it back another day

I know there is nothing up above us

but a sky full of chance and blame

I know there is nothing up above us

but people like to give chance a name

Don't say you're going to turn it round

and make it like it was back then

Might as well pull all those trains back up the hill

and push that river back up the valley again

everything runs down,

everything runs away

everything runs down, runs

down to the sea

intentional love song 15: they get along (two girls in love)

[[ Just a lesbian love song, or a lesbian appreciation song (written from a third-person point of view. Also, silly jokes on 'they are coming for your children' and 'at the YMCA'. ]]

they get along, 

two girls in love 

with their local library

they get along, 

two girls in love 

with a cat named Harry

they get along, 

two girls in love 

with living 

in this town 

don't let them down

they get along, 

two girls in love 

with music playing in their ears

they get along, 

two girls in love 

at the corner pub with beers

they get along, 

two girls in love 

with living 

in this town 

don't let them down

somebody said 

they're probably sisters,

they have to be sisters,

no one could rightly say

somebody wondered 

where were their misters

a girl needs a mister

I said, it's not like it was in your day

it's not like it was in your day

they are coming for your children

as you arranged the other day

they are taking them for homework help

at the YMCA

they get along, 

like two girls in a song

an evening of possibilities

[[ from a photo I saw -- New York City, 1943, with signs as described in the verses. This should be big band, jazz, a dance number in an old movie.  ]]

[[bridge, chorus, and other repetitive apparatus]]

night!

night is coming

night is coming on

night is coming on for us all

this is an evening

of possibilities,

my friend

rain!

rain is falling

rain may stop right now

rain may fall forever on us all

we could go down

to the subway

where the parallel
rails never meet

we could walk on

in the rain

where the universe

shines in the street

let's share an umbrella

[[verse 1]]

See that sign?

"Johnnie Walker",

three stories high.

We could go buy

Johnnie Walker

and drink it tonight.

Three stories high,

my friend.

[[verse 2]]

See that sign?

"Saludos, Amigos"

on the marquee?

We could watch

the dancing alpaca,

we could snort

at 'Lake Titicaca',

my friend.

[[verse 3]]

See that sign?

"The Human Comedy"

larger than life.

we could enjoy

the Human Comedy

I can't promise you

Andy Hardy tonight,

my friend.

get out of this night

[[ escaping the immediate (literal) or escaping life (figurative) ]]

I'm only trying to get a taxi out of here

I'm only trying to make myself disappear

I'm only trying to leave this city behind

Before I catch that ride

I need to get out of this night

I'm only searching for a crosstown bus

I'm only searching for a way out of us

I'm only trying to leave my trouble behind

Before I catch that ride

I need to get out of this night

I can't walk any further

I can't walk any further

I can't walk any further

someone get me out of here

someone carry me away from here

I'm only hoping for a ride from a friend

I'm only hoping for this whole thing to end

I'm only trying to leave this world behind

Before I catch that ride

I need to get out of this night

intentional love song 13: Never get over

[[ a brooding song, with memories called up like pages from self-help articles, museum dioramas, films, plays  ]]

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Never get over.

I go through things

like the agony aunts

in magazines

a thousand times

in waiting rooms

I go through things

like a bad museum

with manikins

still holding poses

as if they were real

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Do you dwell on things?

Do you live on that street?

Do you eat and breathe, 

Do you dream it?
Do you?

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Never get over.

I go through things

prime vintage porn flick

with funk slap bass

here comes the pizza

but the plumber's here

I go through things

like art house drama

with painted tears

and painted laughter

to an angular dance

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Do you dwell on things?

Do you live on that street?

Do you eat and breathe, 

Do you dream it?

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Never get over.

intentional love song 8: he loves you if (indistinguishable from love)

[[ as in life, change he to she if needed ]] 

he loves you if 

you tell yourself 

you tell yourself

he loves you and 

you believe you

you believe you

talk to love

talk to

talk back at love

talk love

if it sounds like love

it is love

suspend your disbelief 

it is not unnecessarily naive

it is necessarily naive

suspension  

is no solution

but it will do

talk to love

talk to

talk back at love

talk love

if it sounds like love

it is love

if it is indistinguishable from love

it is love

cat and bird and me

bird in a cage

cat on the floor

me in my chair

she's out the door

bird in a cage

cat on the floor

me at the window

still feeling sore

cat and bird and me are doing fine (we don't need your company, we're doing just fine)

cat and bird and me are doing fine (we don't need your company, we're doing just fine)

but if \ you've got \ the need \ for me and mine... we've got the time

bird in front of me

cat behind

me at the table

papers all signed

cat in the garden

bird in the sky

me with the car keys

going out to die

cat and bird and me are doing fine (we don't need your company, we're doing just fine)

cat and bird and me are doing fine (we don't need your company, we're doing just fine)

dust off the stereo

turn up the knob

a day like this makes a man glad he doesn't have a job

dust off my daydreams

well what about that?

plan a vacation for a man and a bird and a cat

bird back in his cage

cat on the floor

I'll eat this apple

down to the core

bird in his cage (I think I'll teach him a song)

cat on the floor (I'll take him out for a walk)

me in my chair (yeah, I'm a rocker)

she's out the door (oughta change that lock)

cat and bird and me are doing fine (we don't need your company, we're doing just fine)

cat and bird and me are doing fine (we don't need your company, we're doing just fine)

but if \ you've got \ the need \ for me and mine... we've got the time

intentional love song 5: a little smoke

woman in a black dress

smoking secret cigarettes

says come and be the last man 

I'll ever kiss this year

roll down the highway

stop to buy some smoke

look around for a place to let

and drive on, drive on

woman in another state

says she's got a couch to spare

if I don't mind a little smoke

I say I don't mind 

a little smoke

she said the last man I ever kissed

was the last man I ever kissed

intentional love song 4: this demon love

imagine a demon 

controlling your heart

closing the valves 

and pulling them apart

the demon in your heart 

opens a door 

to see who shows

the demon in your heart 

opens a door 

to see who goes

this demon love 

that lives in your heart

beats out the rhythm

where all loves start

beats out the fire

that made your love burn

starts a new fire

because you never learn

intentional love song 3: not that it's true

[[ she (or he?) wants a change in the dynamics of their relationship or a change in herself (himself?) or she/he wants to leave him/her or she wants a sex reassignment or she wants to attain nirvana or she wants to kill herself or... ]]

what if I wanted

-- not that it's true --

to vanish forever?

what would we do?

what if I wanted

-- not that it's true --

to change... 

man to woman,

woman to man,

what would we do?

who would be who?

what if I wanted

-- not that it's true --

it's a simple thought experiment 

between me and you

what if I wanted

-- not that it's true --

to vanish forever

from you?

what would you do?

what if I wanted

nothing at all?

I am standing on the edge of this world

will you help me let go of this girl?

do you love me 

enough to let her go?

who wants 

a girl who wants

nothing at all?

who wants a girl... who wants a girl?

who wants a girl... who wants a girl?

who wants a girl... who wants a girl? 

intentional love song 2: under the hood (internal combustion)

[[ internal combustion, four-stroke engine ]]

got to get down 

under the hood

make it

make it 

make it

make it good

you know how the strokes go

intake, compression, combustion, exhaust

you know how the strokes go

intake, compression, combustion, exhaust

you know how the strokes go

suck, squeeze, bang, blow.

when love runs down

you've got to 

when love runs down

you've got to 

when love runs down

you've got to 

check the pressure

charge it up

snug the lug nuts

pop the top

adjust the clutch

grease the gears

new sparks and shocks

or this baby walks