1. |
Four Letter World
03:54
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Had the luck to make it home tonight
About the only thing that turned out right
Remind me, next time I get an invite
Not to say “yeah, let’s give it a whirl”
Earnestly checking out the beaten path
While fitting in like President Taft
Trying to squeeze a whole paragraph of my mind
Into a four letter world
Extroverts proud they aced their own test
The popular choice isn’t always best
Thinking it over gets you under arrest
While loud goes from baron to earl
Shiny new packaging dismisses with rage
Quality content daring to age
Everyone skims since to read a whole page takes up time
And that’s the ultimate crime in a four letter world
Yes, I’m old school and out of touch
As a rule, I don’t mind too much
Stay cool ’cause it’ll never happen to you
Going to have to hit the road today
And follow some idiot blocking the way
Our infrastructure is papier-maiche inlaid with mother-of-pearl
The planet’s beginning to overcook
You can keep your eyes closed or take a last look
Guess I might as well throw the book I’m writing in my mind
And will have to leave behind at a four letter world
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2. |
All We Have
02:54
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All we have is what we see
What was turns to what will be
The artificial crust is changing fast
The natural core is built to last
Together they include all on which we’ll ever agree
All we have is what we know
A tiny flame I hope will grow
We run around in circles wasting years
Staking our lives on beliefs and fears
Patiently waiting for a better place to go
The deck is stacked, I grant you
I admit our present circumstances
Hold no peace to say the least
And you can’t count on tomorrow
Which is why today is all we have
All we know is what we see and the laws of probability
It’s not either-or, you can cry and laugh
Whenever you’re ready, make do with all we have
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3. |
Can't You See
06:06
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You’ve got to admit – it’s been a heck of a ride
Seconds away from civilicide
The 21st century’s an interesting place to be
Adventure is dead, it went out with the frontier
Now there’s nothing but good old capitalist fear
The future we used to prize is burning before your eyes
Oh, can’t you see?
Dirt poor and too smart, American born
The best seats are ours, baby; pass the popcorn
Get ready to sit through the end of a tragedy
I thought we were special like my teachers would say
But we’re just another empire fading away
The patriots still in our midst are about to be super-pissed
Oh can’t you see?
Live forever while you can
When the fireworks start, you can hold my hand
Think about the sort of condemned man you’d like to be
There’s hardly a point learning where we went wrong
Your sweet time is better served singing some song
It’s nobody’s fault really, least of all you or me
The afternoon sun casts a beautiful glow
The sky will be pitch dark when it all blows
Enjoy your evening, my friend
Stay tuned for the bitter end or can’t you see?
I took a long walk earlier today
Thought about craters where we used to play
Sat on a stump our hard work made of a mighty tree
Too many chiefs, too few tribes
Plenty of cash, plenty of bribes
Special effects, the usual plot
Oodles of action, nary a thought
Not enough time with nothing to do
All of the power in the hands of a few
Obvious answers rashly ignored
Billions of good kids hungry and bored
What a disaster we’ve made for ourselves
Calling a thing good whenever it sells
Paying the downtrodden less than it’s worth
To carry more poison all over the Earth
Convincing the chain gang there’s nothing like being free
Believing in God is not the trouble at all
But zealots are famous for dropping the ball
By betting the farm on a storybook fantasy
Supposing you’re right about a heavenly home
How does that justify destroying our own?
The planet is under a spell or rather it was
Oh well, why can’t you see?
All may not yet be quite lost
Keeping humans alive might be worth the cost
Deep thinkers are a rowboat tossed around a shallow sea
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4. |
The Other Side of Life
03:43
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I wonder what it would be like
To see the world through a different light
The kitty or the bird
To see onward through a different height
See the world from a different sight
A cool dude or a nerd
Pollution and hazards have ruined the earth
Who gives anything for what we’re worth
Maybe better species will give birth
I wonder what it would be like
To see an animal ride a bike
Doesn’t matter if they’re alike
I wonder what it would be like to see clear in the night
As long as it’s different I don’t care about the eyesight
’Cause clearly we don’t have enough to change
Truth to told we have to be rearranged
But apparently that’s just out of our range
So I’m here to make that change, to be rearranged
We just need to see the other side of life
Killing vegetation, stopping preservation
Increasing desperation as it grows
We just need more of those peaceful foes
We just need more popularization
Of proper civilization as it goes
Cleaner skies, more highs as opposed to lows
We just need to see the other side of life, the other side of life
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5. |
Fool Coverage
02:59
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Sit your rich ass down in this casino
The blackjack table’s where the action is today
Dr. Nobody claimed it’s a trap, but what does he know?
He just doubled down, cashed out, and walked away
Now like the rules say, if you tie you get your bet back
Unless, of course, you tie over 21
If the dealer shows an ace, that might be a setback
But you can make an insurance bet; won’t that be fun?
Everything’s going to be all right, you know
’Cause you got fool coverage
Thank your sick ass for shopping with Humana
As if you had some other place to go
All the doctors rave about our deskside manner
I sure do hope the cancer kills you slow
If not for us you’d have to pay six million dollars
For the privilege of continuing to live in debt
We’re going to knock that down
To the most your sort can swallow
Not even running a dice game would give us a safer bet
Everything’s going to be all right, you know
’Cause you got fool coverage
Should the worst thing happen, as it obviously has to
Term life is the most popular game in town
One last kick after all the other ones life threw at you
Only mathematicians ever turn it down
Everything’s going to be all right, you know
’Cause you got fool coverage
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6. |
Pain
06:18
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There’s no point in fighting back
It’s just a skill we seem to lack
Pain is truth, truth is pain – I’m tired of this crimson rain
Maybe someday we won’t need it
But for now we need to keep it
It’s been quite a day for me and you
We hurt ourselves and we are blue
We’re in this cage of this pointless stage
We can’t break out, we’re not a mage
Someday soon we’ll be steady but for now we gotta be ready
’Cause pain is here to stay, danger is kept away
Pain will be flushed but only when it is crushed
On the bright side, from it we cannot die
After all it’s supposed to protect us, but why?
Really what’s the point to protect a broken joint?
People will realize, hey ya got a good point
But pain doesn’t know that and never will
From pain’s point of view it’s having a thrill
’Cause pain is a game, it’s a rain of the same
Pain is here to stay but no one can save the day
Pain is here, yes here and now
Nobody knows a cure, nobody knows how
’Cause pain is with us all – it is the earth’s call
Somebody tried to save us, he was tall
But he still failed in front of us all
But we still tried; we sobbed, we still cried and robbed
Things that didn’t belong to us, but we must stop this despair
And this rare disease of this sort and we must abort this pain
’Cause pain is not tamed
Pain should be named immortal terror for everyone at every time
’Cause pain is a game, sadly it isn’t lame
Pain is with us all, it’s even worse than I recall, oh pain
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7. |
Evacuation
06:22
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Pollution, resolution, we will not cowardly pray
We will spend what we have to pay
Because the day we leave our planet will come soon
No need to worry we have the action of evacuation
Just look at people like him
They think that then someday soon they’ll be able to leave
And weave our planet back together forever
No life support, can we really abort
Abandon our fort, no time to sort
There are only so many planets in our solar system anyways
What would the aliens think of our globe
No need to explore or send out a probe
Just go and destroy that pitiful world
It’s just made out of fire, twisted and whirled so fire
They’d be right you know our world’s about to expire
We’re more concerned about king and queens and squires
So take a break and drop the habit of being a liar
When you could get two for the price of one
You prefer to throw away both and get none
Stop making stupid choices and never be done
That’s right, stop, stop, quit, quit fooling around
Mop, mop, sit, it’s okay to take breaks
Just make sure you’re not making lava out of lakes
What will happen when we run out of planets
It’s definitely time to quit your useless sham
It’s stupid just like Qpid
That’s right, stop this fantasy in this dream world
You’re not thinking straight or you’d have more voice quarrels
When it comes to protection
Ahead of us are the birds and squirrels
A pond will turn into a river then a sea
Bad things will happen if you don’t believe me
Just you wait and see, your faces will show a frown
So it’s to stop being a clown
No time to wait before it’s too late
We’re counting on our quickness of action
A lot more than we should
We’re counting on evacuation a lot more than we could
We fill our hearts with ambition and focus on ammunition
They cannot resist the thought of being blissed, oh no
They cannot hold back, they just seem to lack
That ability of precious slack
In turn, we’re really gonna have to hack
The only reason we’re here today
Is because our ancestors weren’t playin’ a game
I just wish we knew some of their names
But when the Alexandrian library got destroyed
Everyone’s work got destroyed too
What if that happens again and we’re stranded on Mars
Decay, well say haven’t you seen the consequences now
I presented this to you so gimme a bow
But not now, but later on, after we’ve escaped
This dismal prison and stopped counting on evacuation
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8. |
Pass with Care
03:49
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I saw my first ocotillo in the pages of some Nat Geo
But today I watched one flower after a rain
Forsaking the Age of Simulation
Wandering around the Navajo nation
You’ve got to be somewhere for it to register in your brain
Amarillo and Dallas are nothing but traffic
Left lane huggers can kiss a giraffe dick
Tombstone’s tourist traps are the only danger there
But the stress of the drive became the next to go
As we crossed over into New Mexico
Where the signs on the back roads ask you to pass with care
Some are waiting for the Dies Irae
Me, I’m crossing the Carefree Highway
Killing ennui – there’s no need or way to kill time
Looks like success has ruined Sedona
That’s not happening to Fextonia
’Cause there’s so much to do
When you leave what’s done behind
Stuck between a big noisy oil can
And a few trillion grains of white sand
Hope is better at eking it out than the prickly pear
Sometimes changes drop faster than 82
Between Cloudcroft and Alamogordo: you
Probably know all things must pass
But only a handful manage to pass with care
Come the coming revolution
I’ll be vegging out here in Tucson
A piano and healthy love more than meet my needs
Took a left turn at Albuquerque
My mouth is drier than silica jerky
But I hate stopping every ten miles to water the weeds
Arms spread like the mighty saguaro
I’ll put off giving up till tomorrow
Long as MST3K’s still on the air
I nod to the West and fill the tank full
Headed for home, I find I’m thankful
I’m not a world-famous guy
The chance has long since passed me by
And it’s all right; I understand that it passed with care
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9. |
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What you got now? What you needing?
Watch that dry mouth and internal bleeding
What’d you find out Web-MDing? Are you ready for IVing?
Take your choice within your means
The customer is always sick
Don’t get sued and don’t get caught harming
The first and last laws of healthcare farming
Brand new cure uses praseodymium
Oh I see you can’t pay your premium
Get well soon and come again
The customer is always, always sick
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10. |
It Doesn't Matter
06:17
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It doesn’t matter if we can flatter
All day we go on and continue to chatter
I don’t care if you stare at me
Oh because really it doesn’t matter
Getting a tan on the beach, getting a fancy new leash
Picking out a new true love, praying for a lord above
Making it bright by turning on the light
Wasting precious energy when it’s not right
I don’t care if you eat by me
I don’t care if you leave me be, it doesn’t matter
Really what’s the point in money
When the government can make more anyway
Explaining life to your sonny all over again
What’s the point of getting your nails done
Tell me the point of buying a prettier gun
Why pay someone to cut your grass when it’s only for looks
After all the first people to set foot on the earth
Just went by the books
A dream can be a distraction just as easy as it can be a goal
The sun offers endless power but the money’s in the coal
When robbers steal pointless things we buy what they stole
Complaining about reckless drivers, it breaks your soul
I don’t care if you wrecked your car
Nobody cares about how you are, it doesn’t matter
Now it might seem like nothing matters but that’s just not true
Really only one thing matters, so let me tell you
The only thing that matters are the best decisions at every time
Sleeping, eating, drinking, learning at school but not just that
Good sleep, nutrition, water, focusing on the rule
But sometimes the rule isn’t right
All these people have a short sight
See the light while it’s still bright
Here’s the point of eating well, you’ll die before you’ll get to tell
What’s the point of anything if you’re dead?
Why don’t we all agree, that or leave each other be
Why should we live together if we’re not in harmony
Just you wait and you’ll see
You may not agree with me, it only matters what’s true
People don’t seem to get that except me and possibly you
You may not agree with me and my chatter
But that’s okay because it doesn’t matter
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11. |
The Sunflower Garden
03:15
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I saw you standing there with your long red hair
Admiring the sunflowers under the sky
With your beautiful smile and your wistful eyes
You stood in the middle of the sunflower garden and cried
Why did he break your heart?
He must’ve known from the start
You had a dream that you wanted to share
You sought a beautiful picture, always were a giver
You stood in the middle of the sunflower garden and cried
Never letting on, all the hurt you felt
Then when he made you leave you wanted to melt in his arms
You stood in the middle of the sunflower garden and cried
That’s when I saw you there with your long red hair
And your sparkling eyes where the tears had dried
I wanted to help you run away
Forget about today, show you a better way
We found a piece of land, you let me hold your hand
We planted a seed and grew a new garden for you
Now you can try again; it would be a sin
Not to live your dream – hold that pose please
Standing in the middle of the sunflower garden you smiled
I saw you standing there with your long red hair
You were happy now and you made a vow
To stay there all through the night
Not even the stars that came out
Could match your warm light
Standing in the middle of the sunflower garden you smiled
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12. |
Led by the Lambs
08:37
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Nobody wants to say the reason our wheels are spinning
We’ve been set in our foolish way
Ever since the very beginning
And it’s time now: a change has got to come
Lions are big and strong
By the happy accident of their birthplace
But a predator never lives long
And too many were born in the first place
It’s so easy to point out and cannot be undone
Alpha types strutting up, doing their thing
Impressive, but what benefit does that bring?
Our natural impulse to follow their kind
Gives them a chance to leave us behind
And we are led by the lambs
The modern world’s great surprise
We easily could have prepared for
The intelligent, calm, and wise
The people we have always cared for
May seem so quaint but hold the only key
The parasites seem so sure
But never learn from their mistakes
They don’t even know there’s a door
We’ve got to do whatever it takes
To turn away from their shortcut to destiny
Confidence, selfishness, short-term goals
Are gold dust covering quicksand holes
Foresight, reason, compassion too
These are the tools that will get us through
As we’re led by the lambs
The progress of our species has been, is, and will be
Impeded chiefly by how much shortsighted greed
The peaceable are willing to tolerate
It’s simple enough to say and obvious after you notice
But the pressure is strong to stay
Every poor person must know this
Still, it’s time now – tomorrow might be too late
Decision’s a minor task; get ready for something major
The people who must act fast are content by their very nature
Swim against the flow or deserve your fate
Turn it on: channel the lion’s roar
Admit when you’re wrong but pretend to be sure
Otherwise they’re going to steal it all
And the world will collapse
If you survive the fall you’ll be led by the lambs
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Fextonia Hawesville, Kentucky
Founded in 1996 amid the hills of southeastern Kentucky, Fextonia quickly evolved from a high school jam band into a songwriters' convention and continues to record original albums.
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