1. IVORY BOY

The ivory boy came to Hanburg and Cologne
He bought three one way tickets for the train
He travelled with his sister and a girl who looked like Lili Marlene

He said: 'Cancer, cancer is a hurricane
Blows away my body and tears out my brain
But the songs you play somehow ease the pain'

You're keeping my senses awake

Sometime just before going on stage
The girl with the pale and the beautiful face
Suddenly stood next to me
Like a ghost in the house of mystery

She said: 'Cancer, cancer, I'm a little flame
That started this fire, burning his brain
And I don't know who gave me a face like Lili Marlene'

How can you fade away. Like a light on a dark highway
A million years from now, I see you when the light changes

Keeping your senses awake, awake

So the lights went down and the crowd was dark
Like the moon that covers the sun
Except for two white faces that slowly became one

How can you fade away. Like a light on a dark highway
A million years from now. I see you when the light changes

I will be there


2. WALKING WITH MARIA

1999
I am walking with Maria on a cold winter's day
I'm dressed in black second hand clothes
She's wearing a blue winter coat, C & A
The river is a stillborn child. Seagulls in a purple sky
We walk from the light into the darkness
Hands like ice. Feet like ice

1959
I was walking with Maria on a warm summer's day
She was wearing her dress with the yellow flowers
Me in my blue jacket, C & A
The river was a new born child. Mother's milk and butterflies
We ran from the darkness into the light
Hand in hand to the swimming pool
I dreamed last night I was drowning but now I will swim
I won't be afraid

1999
The river is a frozen sheet. An old man lying underneath
We walk from the light into the darkness
A million starts - one yellow moon. I will die - maybe soon
I won't be afraid


3. 26A (CLOUDS IN THE SKY)

When I close my eyes, I see your face. The airplane flies
Like a time machine in space. I don't want to fall
I just want to fly back to you

Clouds in the Sky

Here I am. I'm a man with the child in his eyes
Your sweetest smile, your angry eye
When I lift you up. In the clear blue sky
I don't want to fall. I just want to fly back to you

Clouds in the Sky

I don't know where I am. Goodbye. Where I am
I know you live on in this world when I'm gone

Clouds in the Sky

When I close my eyes, I see your face. The airplane flies
Like a time machine in space. Here I am high above the ocean
Here I am in the clear blue sky. Here I am

Clouds in the Sky


4. THE 'DARLING' STONE

The wind is turning. A fire is burning, somewhere far away
Where are we going. To Hietaniemi Hautausmaa
It's a perfect grey graveyard day

Will I be saved when I call your name
Stranger, you're so late. Between the rich men and the soldiers
'Rest in peace', that's what they told us

I only want your life, your life, your life

We could not find it, the 'darling' stone
It simply disappeared beneath the leaves that were falling
I can hear your calling
Stranger, why I'm so alone

Soon I'll be gone with a suitcase in an airplane
Back into my life. Your life, your life

Where are you going, my sleepless darling
Back into your life, your life


5. SEVEN GREEN PARROTS

Seven little parrots in a tree outside
The colours of their feathers change like traffic lights
Snowflakes are falling on the ground
A feather is whirling without a sound

Sometimes in a dream I walk a snow-white street
I can hear somebody whisper underneath my feet
A needle is scratching rupper soul
In the ice on the river there's a big black hole

Now that I am looking at this naked tree
I feel every branch is a bone inside me
The boy who is climbing without a sounf
The man who is standing on the ground

So seven green parrots are flying away
The leave me in the grey light closing down this winters day
The snowflakes are falling on the ground
A feather is whirling without a sound.


6. CRIME & PUNISHMENT

The beauty of the town takes my breath awa.
Sunlight's cutting houses in two.
The beast of the town brings only death.
He's cutting a man in two.

My heart is so empty, my head is so full.
I cannot understand why they blew up a car
With a man and his wife

Crime & Punishment

Cut me like you cut a flower
Burn me like you burn a tree.
The lines in my face
The nails in my hand.

Crime & Punishment

Give me one reason when the truth is a lie
Don't take my body when I offer you my hand

Crime & Punishment

My heart is so empty, my head is so full
I cannot understand why they blew up a car
With a man and his wife.

Crime & Punishment

Lawyers Liars Lovers Losers Dealers Users


7. ANGEL OF HAPPY HOUR

I am the shame in the secret wars
She smells the leaves in the autumn cars

I am the rain from the falling skies
She came, the winter was in her eyes
She said: 'The wonders that filled my head
They fell asleep, but I'm not dead
I can change, I can change'

She came from towns where she was a famous silhouette
I turned around to light her a cigarette
Passion fruit was in her eyes
The ice and the fire. The lights in the sky

Something's wrong. Why you're gone. My eyes are red
Why does it hurt so bad

Why, you've changed. Why, you've changed. My angel

Where she lives nothing grows
A dry old plain, the ill wind blows so cold

She was the angel of happy hour
She took the honey from every flower
Passion fruit was in her mouth
The ice and the fire. The lights in the south

Why, you've changed. Why, you've changed. My angel


8. THE WIND, THE RAIN

The wind, the rain, the child, the train
The tree, the lake, waiting
The house, the shoe, the blind, the hand
The air, the face, waiting

Now that I've found every heart has been broken
Now that I've lost all the time that I had. I will be gone

Now that I've heard every word has been spoken
Now that I've seen every line that you wrote. I will be gone

I'm walking through the valley in the darkness and the light
I'll fear no evil with you by my side

The stone, the nail, the boy, the snow
The door, the heart, waiting

Now that I've seen every road has been taken
Now that I've lost all the the love that I had. I will be gone

The wind, the rain, the child, the train
The tree, the lake, waiting
The house, the shoe, the blind, the hand
The air, the face, waiting
The stone, the nail, the boy, the snow
The door, the heart, waiting
The thirst, the truth, the taste, the thing
The turn, the thorn, waiting


9. JAZZ BON TEMPS

She is waiting on us in the Jazz Bon Temps in Texas
Catfish on a plate. The kitchen's open late tonight
Diamond in her mouth, sparkles when she shouts
'Hey you guys, I can wait here'
Sad, but we have to go

Call me a stranger. Call me a fool

Bellatrix is playing tricks at midnight
Give my light to the Junkie XL
Farewell Iceland belle. A cowboy is shooting a hole in the wall
Strange, but we have to go
To the Iron Cactus. To the Electric Lounge

Call me a stranger. Call me a fool

Joni in your blue eyes I see open windows
Joni in your sad eyes I see
A door. A room. A wall

Sacrifice. Rolling dice. It's all there, it's all there
Love and hate. Fish and bait. It's all there, it's all there
There's a sign 'turnaround' at the end of a highway
I'm checking out of the Cactus Tree motel today
Sad, but I have to go


10. SWIMMING

Mister Bluebird on your shoulder. He stays very calm at his feet
I don't know why. Sometimes my eyes are swimming

Look at the way we were talking. Strangers for so many years
I've been away. You spent the day swimming

I'm sitting down by my window. Looking outside at the rain
I don't know why. Sometimes my eyes are swimming

Laurel leaves and thyme, salt and pepper, I'm cooking
Oranges and honey, coriander, open sesame, cooking

I don't know what it is. What is moving her. What she's diving for
Mister Bluebird on your shoulder. He stays very calm at his feet
I don't know why. Sometimes my eyes are swimming


11. THE STRAWBERRY GIRL

Dead leaf falliing from a family tree. Drop in the ocean. Rock in the sea
In a long cold winter. She's falling asleep on a pillow of feathers
Wool of sheep

China moon on a cold winter night
When she's sleeping, the light is milk on her pillow
Gold-fish is swimming around in a bowl near the window

The curtain is moving slow. The wind is blowing
Strawberry girl takes me to her kitchen
Am I fish or bait

Paper straw in her soft skin. Sip her lemonade
Koala faces, thick grey fur. Pieces of snake skin. Millefleurs
In a long cold winter she's waking up on a pillow of feathers
Wool of sheep

Strawberry girl takes me to the river. We sit down in the breeze
Goose-flesh when she starts to shiver
Cover her with wool and listen to the wind in the leaves of a tree

She tells me she leaves me. I don't know where I am going
I'm just a black sheep. A falling leaf. A falling leaf from a family tree


12. FROG

Once I was a green man living in a tin can
You cannot open it, cannot open it
I can. Green man

Once I was a blue man living in a bottle
I cannot open it, cannot open in
You can. Blue man

Once I was a red man living in a brown box
You cannot open it, cannot open it
I can. Red man

Green man. Blue man. Red man