Hey you, with that gun in your hand, look at me
I’m you just a year from today and you’ll see
Though it’s true, it ain’t easy to live like you do
You do, so don’t throw it all away
Hey you, my friend
This ain’t how the story ends

Hey you, with that sign on your back, don’t attack
They’re upset by what they don’t understand or don’t get
But who cares if the masses learn to accept
Long as you can live with some self-respect

Hey you, my friend
This ain’t how the story ends

Hey you, with that sweat on your brow, take a bow
You got down, but you got up each day somehow
You know now that a pat on the back can go far
It’s far out, but look how far you’ve come

Hey you, my friend
This ain’t how the story ends

Now let me ask you,
Can you see to the end of it all?
Oh no, I don’t think so
You should be glad that you’re here at all
You could be dead and gone
You could find some companions to call
Your own, alone no more
I did, and look where I’ve come so far
I’m here to rock with y’all

Performed live at Workplay in Birmingham, AL.

It wasn’t the time or the place
But I couldn’t contain my face
From betraying the thoughts on my mind
I couldn’t believe what I heard
And though I tried not to say a word
And quietly stand to the side
I’ve never been one to

Ignorant fool, how long have you drunk from the well?
Don’t open your mouth ‘till you can think for yourself.

It wasn’t the way that I wanted it to be
But I couldn’t keep this locked up inside me for long
I even tried counting down from ten
Thinking happy thoughts, but then
I just couldn’t keep from shouting out
‘Cause I’ve always been one to

Petulant fool, the words drip from your lips like drool
Don’t open your mouth if that’s what you’re going to let through

Oh but hey, look at me
I am just as bad as he is
So who is the jackass now?

It’s better to be what you believe
Than push what you’re spoon-feeding
On the next guy in the crowd
But I’ve always been one to

Ignorant fool, you keep making the same mistakes
Don’t open your mouth

I took my first steps today
But they were out the door
And every one I take
Only takes me further away
From you

I took another step today
And oh you were so proud of me
I could see it on your face
The lines I made just lifted away
From you

I took my last step today
And looked back on all that I’d done
Well I came a little ways
But nothing to how for I’d gone
From you

But I never wanted to watch my life go by
One step at a time
I wanted to fly and see the whole world in one try
I wanted to sing
I wanted to bring that light to everyone around
But I never found
A way to get up off the ground and take off

Instead of shuffling along
I should be running
But I’m running away
From you

Monday, crash there goes the
Alarm, hey I am up again
Another dream ends
But I used to wake up with a
Smile high on each brand new day
Extraordinary
How do I get to color from grey?
Well, I’ll tell you

One, two, listening to Kind of Blue
Three, four turn it up a little more
He’s blowin’ my mind
Five, six a little Sunday morning sex
Seven, eight turn around I’m feeling great
Let’s go again

‘Cause if you take the little things then
You will find that you can survive
Longer than the next man can
So come on children

Look back my children
To the days when you could dance in the dirt
you were the kings of the mountain
crowned in the glory days
you play your dangerous games, oh
you’re so oblivious
to all the misery around you every day

Monday, hey there goes the alarm
But I’m already up
A cup of coffee
And hey, you know, I know
Things are gonna be hard
But that’s alright by me
‘Cause I’ll be happy

‘Cause if you take the little things then
You will find that you can survive
Longer than the next man can
The next man can

Look back my children
To the days when you could dance in the dirt
You were the kings of the mountain
Crowned in the glory days
You play your dangerous games, oh
You’re so oblivious
To all the misery around you every, every, every day

There once was a girl who could not see herself
And went through life thinking she did not exist
Though people would tell her how pretty she was
Or how smart, or kind, or talented
She would think they can’t mean me
I don’t exist
Or else they want something I have and are lying
Or pity my lack and so now are just trying to be nice

There once was a boy who had nothing to lose
And went through life without a thing
Now matter how hard he would grasp at it all
It would slip and fall away

He would think it must be me
I’m not meant for holding
I live in the refuse of things that I’ve broken
And I just wish I could keep some kind of token for my time

Well, what do you do when your life is in tatters
Every days the same and nothing else matters
Well, sigh a small sigh and then smile and say thanks
And all the while inside
And all the while inside
And all the while inside
The nothing will dance

Well, once on a time, as they passed each other by
Well, he caught her eye and he kept it
And he held it tightly that she could not deny it
And finally she realized

Hey what do you know?
I am for real
He said, I don’t get this
But girl, don’t disappear
And oh by the way
Where should we go from here?

Hello, my friends
How have you been
It’s been a long time coming
I have been gone so very long
and I am sorry for it
you may be mad
but I am still glad I hurt you ‘cause
I am happy with myself
And my past brought me to where I am
And if I had it to do I again

I would, and I’d laugh
And I’d do my song and dance
And I’d look you in the eye
And tell another charming lie because
I can learn from my mistakes
The more I make the less time it takes ‘till

I am happy with myself
And my past brought me to where I am
And if I had it to do I again
I would, yes I would

Goodbye again
It’s been eventful
I have learned my lesson well
I can’t change anything about what happened
So stop stressing
Look ahead, don’t hesitate
Take a leap and levitate

And be happy with yourself
‘Cause your past brought you to your present
And if you had it to do again
Well, you should
Yes you should

2, 3, 4

Hair slicked back, thin tie on
He’s been waiting a long time for this moment
He’s counting down the seconds now
He don’t know how long he has to go yet

What if this was a trick
What if she changed her mind again
He tries not to think of tragic accidents

Skipping out under dark
Shimmy down the rain-pipe to the back porch

She had to spend too much time
Covering up the bruise her daddy gave her

What if he should wake up
But she won’t be coming back here
And she hope he has a tragic accident

They’ve never been so scared
He holds the car door for her
She opens up a beer
And then lets out a holler

Ten miles out and full of doubt
But he’s got his arm around her shoulder
She don’t say a single word
But she holds his hand as tight as she can

What if they don’t make it
What if something comes between them
But at least it’s not a tragic accident

I’ve been up twitching for forty-eight hours straight
This feels like a disease
Twisted into a blanket cocoon maybe
I will emerge as something clean
And as time ticks away
I look up at the window and say
Goodnight Moon
I’ll catch you on the flipside of the day
Hey baby, I’m coming over soon
I may be crazy, but at least I can talk to you

Walk out the house as the day gets under way
To escape all these questions I’m asking myself namely
What are you running from?
And what are you running from?
And as night fades to day
I look up to the sky and say

Goodnight Moon
I’ll catch you on the flipside of the day
Hey baby, I’m coming over soon
I may be crazy, but at least I can talk to you

Something inside me keeps hoping and I hope it dies soon
Cause I keep on breaking down without any reason
And if I am empty inside I won’t have to hide these feelings

I had this plan to remain calm, but dammit
My plan keeps on catching on your eyes
Step out for a cigarette and to get myself collected
I don’t want you to see me like this
And as you come out to check on me
I look up at you and I say

Goodnight you
I’ll catch you on the flipside of the day
And hey baby, I’ll come again soon
And I may be crazy
But have you seen the moon lately
And at least I can talk to you.

At Christmas in Birmingham
You can see for miles and miles
The lights turn on again
And everyone is smiles and hi y’alls
Momma’s cooking up a ham
Dad’s out in the yard
Me and my baby are going hard

At Christmas in Birmingham

At Christmas in Birmingham
The storefronts all get locked and shuttered
We don’t need anything
That we could get there if we bothered

The kids are playing with the toys
Grandpa takes a nap
Me and my baby are going fast

At Christmas in Birmingham

Christmas in Birmingham
Leaves a trail of wrapping clutter
That we will use again
When we gather this time next year

I am packing up my gear
Baby’s in the car
And everyone around here is going far

At Christmas in Birmingham

I am coming back again
Next year

Every day, and right on time
You stumble through my line of sight
I kind of hope you stay awhile
Kind of hope you’re leaving
And I don’t know if I can bear
Any more of your despair
It’s getting really hard to wear
This sunny disposition

So watch me now, and if you do you will see me vanishing
And no-one will notice there’s been any change
Any change at all

Every day another smile
Every night another lie
Justify you peace of mind
Tell yourself a tale

I’m numbing up, I feel no pain
Knock back one more link of chain
There is nothing left to gain
So let’s all go get wasted

But I don’t know if I can be left alone by myself tonight
‘Cause I can’t face the same mistakes made over and over
Again and again and again and again and again

The names they change
But the faces stay the same
The orders vary slightly
I may be kind
But in the back of my mind
My friends are complete strangers

Every day I draw a line
And step across a thousand times
I think somewhere I broke my mind
But I don’t remember

So bye for now
I’m going gone
One less name you can’t recall
I was never really there at all
And for that I am grateful

Lord only knows, I never meant to wait this long
But then I turned my head
And I awoke to find that my life had finally passed me by
Bye-bye, bye-bye, oh bye-bye

Black steeples look down on you and I
And all of the people as they’re blindly rushing by
They don’t care much about our tiny little lives
They know they will still all be here when we have gone and died

Black steeples, they’ve seen it all before
They get so bored, there’s no surprises any more
Ain’t it hard when you’re the worlds revolving door
And if you turn too many corners, you end up back at home

Black steeples, powerless and old
They’re forced to watch as our daily lives unfold
How many small defeats are they supposed to hold
When they finally do crumble, they must just be glad to go

Black steeples
Black steeples
Black steeples
Black steeples

Some days you wake up
And the world has gone crazy
All the doors shut in your face
And you can’t escape this endless hallway
And everybody stays the same
While you change and change and change
And you can’t go outside anymore
‘Cause baby
When it rains it shines and pours at the same time

Some days everything taste the same
Of cardboard and paste
It’s revolting
Some days colors change
Brights fade and drabs remain
And my head aches, my head aches

And when it rains it shines and pours at the same time

Watch all the walls
Of my cathedral crumble
And fall away
And leave me there
Standing

Alone, at home, surrounded by everyone you know
The background babble leaves you breathless
And you’ve go nowhere to go
‘Cause you’re already home
And no one knows what goes on when they’re gone
And you lay awake and count
All of your mistakes in the dark
And you wait for it to start

To rain and shine and pour at the same time
Let it rain and shine and pour at the same time

6 am day after Christmas
I throw some clothes on in the dark
The smell of cold
Car seat is freezing
The world is sleeping
I am numb
Up the stairs to her apartment
She is balled up on the couch
Her mom and dad went down to Charlotte
They’re not home to find us out

And we drive
Now that I have found someone
I’m feeling more alone
Than I ever have before

She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly

They call her name at 7:30
I pace around the parking lot
Then I walk down to buy her flowers
And sell some gifts that I got

Can’t you see
It’s not me you’re dying for
And she’s feeling more alone
Then she ever has before

She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly

As weeks went by
She showed me she was not fine
They told me son, it’s time to tell the truth
She broke down and I broke down
Cause I was tired of lying

Driving back to her apartment
For the moment we’re alone
She’s alone
I’m alone
Now I know it
She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly

Why do I put up with this interminable nonsense?
I have no reason, I am an inert consciousness
Trapped in a meaningless existence of my own creation
Have I created anything, anything at all
Even the smallest of original whatever?
No, no, no!
And time wastes away
All my mind wastes away
I can feel entropy eating at my soul
And still I will continue until I am nothing at all

Let me tell you a story
About this cat I know
And the sexy little kitty
He just couldn’t let go
He met her in the alley
He was prowling one night
She flashed him a grin
And then put up a fight
But the cat came back
The very next day
The cat came back
He should have known better
The cat came back
He just couldn’t stay away

He said, now baby
Don’t put up a front
Just come right out
And tell me what you want
She said, oh daddy
Just follow my lead
And she vanished faster
Than you could say speed

That’s when he knew
That this kitty was trouble
But still he sprinted after
Quick on the double
He rounded the corner
She was nowhere in sight
He’s left standing alone
In the sole streetlight

But the cat came back
The very next day
The cat came back
He should have known better
The cat came back
He just wouldn’t stay away

The cat came back
Day after day
Hoping to catch
A glimpse of her again
He waited and waited
And waited some more
And right when he gave up
She came through the door

She looked surprised
When he looked right at her
He made his move
But she moved right past him
She didn’t remember
That night on the street
When his life changed forever
Hers just missed a beat

But the cat came back
The very next day
The cat came back
He should have known better
The cat came back
He just couldn’t stay away

Here’s the moral of the story
For you strays on the street
A sexy little kitty
Is a hard thing to beat
But think twice about chasing
If she flash you a grin
‘Cause might end up living
Your life like my friend

The that cat came back
The very next day
The cat came back
He should have known better
The cat came back
He just couldn’t stay away