1. THE CALCULATION

You went into the kitchen cupboard
And got yourself another hour
And you gave half of it to me
We sat there looking at the faces
Of these strangers in the pages
'Til we knew them mathematically

They were in our minds
Until forever
But we didn't mind
We didn't know better

So we made our own computer
Out of macaroni pieces
And it did our thinking
While we lived our lives
It counted up our feelings
And divided them up even
And it called that calculation
Perfect Love

Didn't even know
That love was bigger
Didn't even know
That love was so so
hey hey hey

Hey this fire it's burning
Burning us up

Hey this fire it's burning
Burning us
Up

So we made the hard decision
And we each made an incision
Past our muscles and our bones
Saw our hearts were little stones

Pulled them out they weren't beating
And we weren't even bleeding
As we lay them on the granite counter top

We beat them up
Against each other

We beat them up
Against each other

We struck them hard
Against each other

We struck them so hard
So hard until they sparked

Hey this fire it's burning
Burning us up

Hey this fire it's burning
Burning us up

Hey this fire it's burning
Burning us
Up


2. EET

It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song
You can't believe it; you were always singing along
It was so easy and the words so sweet
You can't remember; you try to feel the beat

Bee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee
Eet eet eet
Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee
Eet eet eet

You spend half of your life trying to fall behind
You're using your headphones to drown out your mind
It was so easy and the words so sweet
You can't remember; you try to move your feet

Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee
Eet eet eet.
Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee
Eet eet eet

Someone's deciding whether or not to steal
He opens a window just to feel the chill
He hears that outside a small boy just started to cry
Because it's his turn, but his brother won't let him try

It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song
You can't believe it, you were always singing along
It was so easy and the words so sweet
You can't remember, you try to move your feet
It was so easy and the words so sweet
You can't remember, you try to feel the beat


3. BLUE LIPS

He stumbled into faith and thought
God, there is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And all the gods and all the worlds
Began colliding on a backdrop of blue

Blue lips, blue veins

He took a step but then felt tired
He said I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
And all the people hurried fast, real fast
And no one ever smiled

Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away

He stumbled into faith and thought
God, there is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And no one saw and no one heard
They just followed the lead
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe

And no one saw
And no one heard they just followed the lead
The pictures in his mind awoke
And began to breed

They started off beneath an olive tree
And they chopped it down to make a picket fence
And marching along the railroad tracks
They smiled real wide for the camera lens
As they made it past the enemy lines
Just to become enslaved in the enemy lines

Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away

Blue, the most human color
Blue, the most human color
Blue, the most human color
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away


4. FOLDING CHAIR

Come and open up your folding chair next to me
My feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze
There's a shadow you can't see my eyes
And the sea is just a wetter version of the skies

Let's get a silver bullet trailer
And have a baby boy
I'll safety pin his clothes all cool
And you'll graffiti all his ties
I got a perfect body
But sometimes I forget
I got a perfect body
Cause my eyelashes catch my sweat


Now I've been sitting on this abandoned beach for years
Waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears
But every time the tide comes in to take me home
I get scared and I'm just sitting her alone
Dreaming of the dove and song

Maybe one day you will understand
That one lesson from you
But sweetly hold my hand
Til that day just please don't be so down
Don't make frowns
You silly clown

Just, come and open up your folding chair next to me
My feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze
There's a shadow you can't see my eyes
And the sea is just a wetter version of the skies

There's a shadow you can't see my eyes
There's a shadow you can't see my eyes
Eyes
Eyes


5. MACHINE

My eyes are bifocal
My hands are sec-jointed
I live in the future
In my pre-war apartment
And I count all my blessing
I have friends in high places
And I'm upgraded daily
All my wires without traces

Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into, hooked into
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into, hooked into
Machine

I collect my moments
Into a correspondence
With a mightier power
Who just lacks my perspective
And who lacks my organics
And who covets my defects
And I'm downloaded daily
I am part of a composite

Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into, hooked into
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into, hooked into
Machine

Eerie "ahs"

Everything's provided
Consummate consumer
Part of worldly taking
Apart from worldly troubles
Living in your pre-war apartment
Soon to be your post-war apartment
And you live in the future
And the future
It's here, it's bright, it's now


6. LAUGHING WITH

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God
When they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God
When it's gotten real late
And their kid's not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God
When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they're mistaken

No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one's laughing at God
When there's a famine or fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they're about to choke
God can be funny,
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God
When they've lost all they've got
And they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they're 'bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughing at God in hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God


7. HUMAN OF THE YEAR

Hello, hello
Calling a Karl Projectorinski
To the front, over the cathedral
You have won, dear sir
May I congratulate you first

Human, human of the year
You won
You won

Why are you so scared
You stand their shaking in your pew
The icons are whispering to you
They're just old men
Like on the benches on the park
Except their balding spots are glistening with gold

Human, human of the year
You won
You won
You have won

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Outside the cars are beeping
Out of sun
Just in your honor
And even though they do not know it
All mankind are now your brothers
And as the cathedral has spoken
Wishing well to all us sinners
And where the sight grew silent
Til next year's big human winner

Outside the cars are beeping
Out of sun
Just in your honor
And even though they do not know it
All mankind are now your brothers
All mankind are now your brothers

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hello, hello
Calling a Karl Projectorinski
To the front, over the cathedral
You have won


8. TWO BIRDS

Two birds on a wire
One tries to fly away
And the other
Watches him close
From that wire
He says he wants to as well
But he is a liar

I'll believe it all
There's nothing I won't understand
I'll believe it all
I won't let go of your hand

Two birds on a wire
One says come on
And the other says
I'm tired
The sky is overcast
And I'm silent
One more or one less
Nobody's worried

I'll believe it all
There's nothing I won't understand
I'll believe it all
I won't let go of your hand

Two birds of a feather
Say that they're always
Gonna stay together
But one's never goin' to
Let go of that wire
He says that he will
But he's just a liar

Two birds on a wire
One tries to fly away
And the other
Watches him close
From that wire
He says he wants to as well
But he is a liar

Two birds on a wire
One tries to fly away
And the other


9. DANCE ANTHEM OF THE 80’S

You are so sweet
Dancing to the beat
There's a meat market down the street
The boys and the girls watch each other eat

You are, so sweet, so sweet
Dancing and moving to that beat, that beat
There's a meat market down the street
The boys and the girls watch each other eat
The boys and the girls watch each other eat
When they really just wanna watch each other

Sleeeeeleeeleeeeep
They want to watch
To watch each other
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Sleeeeeleeeleeeeep
They want to watch
To watch each other
Sleep, sleep, sleep

You are so sweet
Once more
You are so sweet

I went walking
Through the city
Like a drunk but not
With my slip
Shown a little
Like a drunk but not

And I am
One of your people
But the cars don't stop
And I am
One of your people
But the cars don't stop

It's been a long time since before I've been touched
Now I'm getting touched all the time
And it's only a matter of whom
And it's only a matter of when

An addiction to hands and feet
There's a meat market down the street
The boys and girls watch each other eat
When they really wanna watch each other sleep
When they really wanna watch each other sleep

Sleeeeeleeeleeeeep
They want to watch
To watch each other
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Sleeeeeleeeleeeeep
They want to watch
To watch each other
Sleep, sleep, sleep

They want to watch
To watch each other
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Sleep, sleep, sleep


10. GENIUS NEXT DOOR

Some said the local lake had been enchanted
Others said it must have been the weather
The neighbors were trying to keep it quiet
But I swear that I could hear the laughter
So they jokingly nicknamed it the porridge
Cause of a night that lake had turned to stick as butter
But the local kids would still go swimming, drinking
Saying hat to them it doesn't matter

If you're just holding your breath
Til you come back up in full
Holding your breath
Til you thought it through, you're full

The genius next door was busing table
Wiping clean the ketchup labels
Getting high and muttering German fables
Didn't care as long as he was able
To strip his clothes off by the dumpster
At night while everyone was sleeping
And wade midway into that porridge
Just him and his secret he was keeping

If you're just holding your breath
Til you come back up in full
Holding your breath
Til you thought it through, you foolish child

In the morning the film crews start arriving
With donuts, coffee and reporters
The kids are waking up hung over
The neighbors were starting up their cars
The garbage men were emptying the dumpsters
Atheists were praying full of sarcasm
And the genius next door was sleeping
Dreaming that the antidote is orgasm

If you're just holding your breath
Til you come back up in full
Holding your breath
Til you thought it through, you foolish child


11. WALLET

I found a wallet
I found a wallet
Inside were pictures of your small family
You are so young
Your hair dark brown
You had been born in 1953

Your winter birthday
Was stamped on the plastic
Of a license so recently expired
I was so tired as I walked in my door
I laid all the contents of your wallet on the floor

Like a holy relic
Or a mystery novel
I thumbed them in the dim light
Searching for a clue

A blockbuster card
An old stick of juicy fruit
A crumpled receipt
From a pair of leather boots

I have no wallet
I have no wallet
I keep my cards together
With a blue rubber band
And with a free hand
I search in my pocket
For pieces of paper, pieces of paper and change

I'll take your wallet
To my local blockbuster
They'll find your number
In their computer
You'll never know me
And I'll never know you
But you'll be so happy
When they call you up


12. ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING

Your stitches are all out
But your scars are healing wrong
And the helium room inside your room has come undone
And it's pushing up at the ceiling
And the flickering lights it cannot get beyond

Oh everyone takes turns
Now it's yours to play the part
And they're sitting all around you
Holding copies of your chart
And the misery in their eyes
Is synchronized and reflected into yours

Hold on
One more time with feeling
Try it again
Breathing's just a rhythm
Say it in your mind
Until you know that the words are right
This is, why we, fight

Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do

You thought by now you'd be
So much better than you are
You thought by now they'd see
That you had come so far
And the pride inside their eyes
Would synchronize into a love you've never know
So much more than you've been shown

Hold on
One more time with feeling
Try it again
Breathing's just a rhythm
Say it in your mind
Until you know that the words are right
This is, why we, fight
This is, why, we fight

Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do


13. MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES

The man of a thousand faces
Sits down at the table
Eats a small lump of sugar
And smiles at the moon like he knows her
And begins his quiet ascension
Without anyone's sturdy instruction
To a place of no religion
Has found a path to our alikeness

His words are quiet like stains are
On a table cloth washed in a river
Stains that are trying to cover, for each other
Or at least blend in with the pattern
Good is better than perfect
Scrub til your fingers are bleeding
And I'm crying for things that I tell others to do without crying

He used to go to his favorite bookstores
And rip out his favorite pages
And stuff them into his breast pocket
And the moon to him was a stranger
Now he sits down at the table
Right next to the window
And begins his quiet ascension
Without anyone's sturdy instruction
To a place of no religion
Has found a path to our alikeness
And eats a small lump of sugar
And smiles at the moon like he knows her