- THE WOMAN NOT BORN BEAUTIFUL
- DON’T TWIST THE KNIFE
- SWIMMING THE YOUGHIOGHENY
- WHEN THE BLOOM IS OFF
- MURDEROUS
- NOT THERE YET
- BABY, I WISH WE HAD
- IN GOOD TIME
- LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
THE WOMAN NOT BORN BEAUTIFUL
Verse 1
The woman not born beautiful doesn’t suffer, or keep silent
She’s not waiting on a makeover miracle, or the wonders of modern science
The woman not born beautiful is happy to escape your notice
She’s rather not be bothered by the likes of you, rather not be crossed off a list
Still she’s smiling…
Refrain
And she says “I’m above all of that
I’m above all of that, I’m above all of that
I’m above it all
I’m above all that, above all of that, above all that
Above it all”
Verse 2
The woman not born beautiful says “All of your talk just makes me stronger
And if you’re gonna stare why don’t you take a picture
Or just ask my name, it’s gonna last longer”
Still she’s smiling..
Refrain (as above)
Bridge
Stepping through every doorway and facing the faces that turn away
Is a win over instinct every day
And to all the men who take a minute to call out
She just says to them, “Wait ‘til your hair falls out”
Repeat Verse 1
DON’T TWIST THE KNIFE
Verse 1
It’s a stillborn tuesday evening
We leave our phones and watches in the cars
You’re keeping to the shadows
Nobody ever sees you after dark
I know why we’re here
This cold observatory shuttered, silenced and blind
It’s a haven for the hangdogs
This time of night
Verse 2
They’ve gone and cleaned the sky for us
Nothing but a scrap of moon is left
You showed up dressed for mourning
But still the glimpse of gold between the breasts
I know why we’re here
At last we’re gonna face a most disagreeable task
I don’t blame you for the bleeding
But don’t twist the knife
Don’t twist the knife
Verse 3
We used to sit and stare til morning
The sky above our endless private show
But there’s nothing more left here for us
The city down there is hardly home
I know why we’re here
To mark an ending with a handshake and half an embrace
While i’m still at your mercy
Don’t twist the knife (4x)
SWIMMING THE YOUGHIOGHENY
Verse 1
Ruth was born in the Great War’s wake, and the Second saw her wed
Guests are gathered on a winter’s day, “But where’s her parents?” they said
A bridge-rail couldn’t stop a Packard spinning like a skidding sled
She walked down the aisle alone, said her vows at the water’s edge
The young couple got the family home, a hundred acres on the valley floor
The river runs beside the house where her two sons would be born
On the other side, a lonely graveyard holds the family bones
She visits them each morning, swimming the river alone
Chorus:
That river is wide and moves quick in the spring
The streams still carry snowballs while the valley buds are ripening
Frosty days won’t keep her from her one lasting joy
Swimming the Youghiogheny to see her boys
Swimming the Youghiogheny to see her boys
Verse 2
The oldest Davie got his place across the banks in ‘81
When the river rose in anger and broke free of its run
He was trying to save a tractor handed down with his share
But the water killed the motor, and it didn’t stop there
He was a fine, fine fisherman and a speed demon too
He loved his Kawasaki, and seeing what it would do
But he’d spend all day in the rowboat, just the fish for company
He never feared the river, and neither does she
Chorus
Verse 3
Kenny got a place beside his brother in 1985
Taking the motorboat out at sunset to see the glow from the Eastern side
The coal tug’s lights were nothing next to the fire in the sky
No time to start the motor, no stopping the barge behind
He’d skinny-dip with the girls, and knuckle-bust with his dudes
And he’d dust it up with anyone like he had something to prove
When Davie moved away, Kenny stopped playing so tough
Just keeping the farm together was more than proof enough
Chorus
Verse 4
Now she’s lived long enough to see old friends finish long lives of their own
And younger ones cut down before their roots took hold
Her husband loved her fifty years, then cancer took him too
But she never has a bitter word about yesterday’s bad news
She’s seen the farm fields giving ground to the grown-up kids they’d fed
They don’t leave their pre-fab mansions, tend their pre-fab flowerbeds
She’s creeping through their yards to be at water’s edge by dawn
May they never dam the Yough to keep the A/C humming on
Chorus
WHEN THE BLOOM IS OFF
Verse 1
This scene is innocent, it’s not like we’re caught in a crime
Just a couple of friends, passing friendly times
I know what’s yours, like i know what’s mine
But on nights like this, it’s hard to draw the line
Verse 2
You open a bottle, fill our glasses tall
Feels like i’m playing with fire, drinking with you at all
You have a lover, i didn’t pull that straw
But think of me when the bloom is off
When the bloom is off
Verse 3
The hour’s getting late, we can barely say what we’re saying
You can stay here, i wanna tell you, you can stay
But i swallow my tongue, swallow the wine
I’ve already said too much today
Bridge
It would be so easy
To pull you close to me
I’d touch that face i’ve known so long
Turn this prayer to song
Maybe we’re already guilty
For spending this time alone
Tell me again what villains we are
When i’m in your arms
Think of me when the bloom is off (3x)
Think of me, think of me
MURDEROUS
Steel yourself to friendly fire
Steel yourself to friendly words, spoken in a whisper
It’s a test of mettle, who’s made of sterner stuff
Who shows the toughest, tough
Chorus
Save me a seat at ringside and let the games begin
In our suits of armor we are barely human
Save me a seat at ringside and get your numbers in
It’s murderous
Verse 2
First thing you learn is hunger
First thing you lose is pity
It’s not your job to care for the fallen
We’re not proud of the executions
They’re allowed to happen
Allowed to be forgotten
Chorus
Solo
Verse 3
Comes a time to call in favors
Comes a time to cash it in
You’ve lost your taste for the kill
As the chips fall through your fingers
Does your life flash in front of your eyes
Can you leave the table satisfied
Chorus 3
Save me a seat at ringside and let the games begin
In our suits and ties we’re a terrifying sight
Save me a seat at ringside
And let the lions in
It’s murderous
NOT THERE YET
Let’s all give it up to the ones who built the foundation of our states
To the ones we never thanked, the ones we never paid
Might seem like ancient history, but for the color of her face
My grandmother’s grandmother might have been born enslaved
Wasn’t long ago the american experiment began
Those demigods with a vision and the itching to expand
They said we all are equal we the people with the land
Then they sealed the deal with a show of white male hands
We’re not there yet, we’re not there yet, look how far we’ve come but we’re not there yet
We are not there yet, we’re not there yet, we need to keep on going we’re not there
Yet the owners stick together, guard each other’s things
Birds of a feather always crown each other king
They paint a pretty picture when a revolution stirs
While laying down the laws, making sure they come in first
They say preserve my heritage, bet they don’t want things to change
They say but all lives matter, bet their kids are not the ones in range
The founders didn’t speak for everyone, i don’t think they tried
They had some good ideas but we can build a better prize
Some people only find their liberty in death
Did a signer rape a housemaid while the ink was still wet
Guess a man had to die with a uniformed knee on his neck
For the world to see that we’re not there yet
A more perfect union would settle up this debt we need to keep on going we’re not there yet
Need to keep on moving we’re not there yet
Need to keep on walking we’re not there yet
Need to keep on shouting we’re not there yet
Need to keep on crying we’re not there yet
Need to keep on voting we’re not there yet
Need to kick it up, we’re not there yet
Not there yet, not there yet
BABY, I WISH WE HAD
Verse 1
To fog a mirror in the hall of memory
It’s not the deed that counts, it’s the drama
You mainly remember the words that meant the reverse
A no thanks missing its comma
And all those hopes and chances without the mercy
To throw water on their burning desires
And each coal that smolders in the cold ashes
Someday still could catch on fire
Verse 2
We were the first off the ground, never made it to orbit
We just couldn’t beat gravity
I was packing all that baby ballast
That never felt so heavy
I don’t blame you for your solo flight
Taking wing while i was tied to the tracks
Whatever we didn’t do back then
Baby, i wish we had
Verse 3
There’s nothing like dancing to make two look like one
At least one of us forgot how to count
But songs always end with a few words unspoken
And secrets only shared between mouths
i knew nothing about you but the way you moved
With your heels planting holes in the grass
Whatever we didn’t do back then
Baby, i wish we had
Verse 4
You’ve gotta admire any pair that can make a diamond
Even one that’s fundamentally flawed
But good luck trying to stay harmless
Nobody can pull that off
I can’t remember if words of love were spoken
I know we didn’t build it to last
Whatever we didn’t do back then
Baby, i wish we had
I wish we had
Outro
There’s always some people you’re never gonna see again
And some things that should stay in the past
But whatever we didn’t do back then
I wish we had
IN GOOD TIME
Verse 1
Stay where you are
Don’t go anywhere
Don’t lose hope
You know where that gets you
Chorus
I’ll come to find you (3x)
In good time
Verse 2
Stay where you are
Stand firm in your place
Stay tough
Desperation is a cruel road
Chorus
I’ll come to find you (3x)
In good time
Verse 3
When we’ve figured out the lengths that we’ll go to
Is it worth the ruthlessness of time to get there
Making our way with these invented explanations
Sometimes one has to wonder
Chorus
I’ll come to find you (3x)
In good time
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
No ordinary crew, we’re all captains on this lifeboat cruise
Just takes one storm to prove there is strength in our numbers
When a cast of characters, meeting as strangers, becomes sisters and brothers
You’ll know when it occurs
It’s lightning in a bottle
There’s magic in this combination and strong work in our foundation
Nobody messes with one of our own
Growing up ain’t easy, taking on the weight of the world by degrees
When you’re feeling the squeeze you need your posse beside you
The winds of change may shift our course, we never lose sight of the shore
We know the harbor that takes us in
One day I realized just what we share
You know what I’m talking about, you were there
Treasure it, and remember that
You may never see the like again
Steady as we go
Pairing off, or flying solo
Even at a distance we know we’re winging it together
One spark in empty space
Strikes just once, strikes one place
Never forgotten, repeated or replaced
This one’s ours to keep