Peter Mayer

I’m standing on a planet, breathing in the atmosphere
Waves vibrating in the air are beating on my ears
Invisible forces are holding me down
I am spinning faster than the speed of sound

I’m being bombarded by electromagnetic beams
Flying through my body, shining red and blue and green
A hundred million signals are racing through my brain
I guess it must be just another ordinary day

I live in eleven dimensions, seven more than I can see
Where matter equals light and I am made of energy
It’s all expanding from one microscopic grain
I guess it must be just another ordinary day

CHORUS:
An ordinary day for me and Captain Kirk
Every fact is so absurd
In this science fiction world
An ordinary day in the merry Land of Oz
The psychedelic Mind of God
The phantasmic Universe

There’s a giant black hole in the center of the galaxy
There’s a blueprint of my bones in every single cell of me
And everything with weight is warping time and space
I guess it must be just another ordinary day

CHORUS:

An ordinary day for Mad Hatters having tea
Oompa Loompas making sweets
In this Williewonkeality
And ordinary day for alarm clocks that beep
And shake me from my sleep
So I can wake up in this dream

Just another ordinary day

The sun once went around the earth
According to the holy church
Which helped to reassure
People that they were
The center of the universe

One day his holiness, the Pope
Met a man with a telescope
And said “hey Mr. Galilei
What does your spyglass say?
And the scientist spoke….he said

CHORUS:
It’s really quite amazing
Entirely life-changing
So let me ask before I show you—
Do you really want to know?

Emma read the bible for direction
She said she was a child of heaven
And that the human race
Came from a higher place
From the angels descended

She wound up marrying her cousin
He was a thinker of a husband
Lost in thought, she’d find him
And say “Charlie, what you writing?”
Darwin looked up and said

CHORUS:

Do you really want to
Let knowledge like a breeze
In through the door of your belief
Blow through the rooms and the corridors
Knock cherished heirlooms to the floor
That wind can raise the roof sometimes
And leave you blinking at the sky

So if you stare into this glass
Beware that there’s no going back
You’ll say “Sun Rise!” but it will refuse
Instead, the earth itself will move
And spin you ‘round from dawn to dawn
Amid the wonder of it all

Do you really want to know?

The ceiling is high
To let your soul rise
Up to the angels who teach you to fly
And when you're weary of clouds
It helps you back down
And welcomes you home
To this hallowed ground

CHORUS:
It's gilded in gold, gilded in rust
For heaven below and heaven above
The heaven we know here in this world
Here in our holy church of the earth

The windows are wide
So darkness and light
Mystery and Beauty meet you inside
And there's room enough
To hold all of us
Who gather in friendship
Gather in love

CHORUS:

Church of life
Ancient and bright
Life that inside us shines
Life that we share
This is our prayer
That we may always find

The heaven we seek
Here at our feet
Here in this sunrise
In this heartbeat

CHORUS:

The Cherub and the Virgin Mary
The Buddha and the Garden Gnome
All the back yard statuary
Talked in Spring of how things grow

Buddha said "from compassion"
Mary said "the Lord above"
Gnome replied "it must be magic"
Cherub sighed "it must be love"

And it rained then, in the Garden
And they all stood round
And witnessed in stillness
And listened to that lovely sound

Then St. Francis in the corner
Spoke up at the gathering
"Peace", he said, "is most important
Peace for all the living things"

And the stars burned, and the earth turned
And the sun shone down
And they knew then, in the garden
Life was stirring in the warming ground

And St. Francis stood entranced as
Cherub watched, beguiled
Gnome's hands lay on his sharp spade
Mary gave thanks
And Buddha smiled

I’m like one of those Japanese bowls
That were made long ago
I have some cracks in me
They have been filled with gold

That’s what they used back then
When they had a bowl to mend
It did not hide the cracks
It made them shine instead

So now every old scar shows
From every time I broke
And anyone’s eyes can see
I’m not what I used to be

But in a collector’s mind
All of these jagged lines
Make me more beautiful
And worth a much higher price

I’m like one of those Japanese bowls
I was made long ago
I have some cracks you can see
See how they shine of gold

Up and down the countryside
Underneath a lucky sky
Whistling a foolish song
I've been walking madly on

I bought into it long ago
The story of the pot of gold
But lately in my troubled sleep
I'm haunted by another dream

CHORUS:
I dream I reach the end of the journey I've been on
And all I finally find is a smiling leprechaun
So I ask a wee impatiently, "tell me have you seen a pot of gold?
And he says “have you seen the rainbow?”

Have you seen the colors gleam
And shimmer on a silent sea?
Have you seen the colors shine
Brightly in another's eyes?

Have you seen a firefly, have you seen a lark?
Have you seen the light burning in your beating heart?
Have you seen the way the morning glows?
Have you seen the red and green and gold?
Tell me, have you seen the rainbow?

Up and down the countryside
You can see me hurry by
Passing diamonds on the road
Just to find a pot of gold

CHORUS:

HARRY THE PHARAOH


Harry was a pharaoh on the Nile
In typical Egyptian style
But Pharaoh Harry did not always go
With the status quo
One day discussing funerary rites
And where to bury Harry when he dies
He said “please don’t ever put my body in
Some pyramid”
He said

CHORUS:
Tell me, what would a dead man do
With all that gold and all those jewels?
You can keep his body mummified
Make that dead man look alive
But he ain’t ever gonna spend that loot
Tell me, what would a dead man do
With all that furniture and all that room?
If you’re gonna build a house that nice
You oughta give it to some living guy
He could put it to a better use
What would a dead man do?

Now those were words Egyptians didn’t like
‘Cause they were in the business of the afterlife
And those plans and preparations kept them quite preoccupied
But he said keep that treasure in this life
Taste that spice, drink that wine
And eat those figs and pomegranates now
I think you’ll find they tend to taste the best
When you’re not dead
CHORUS:

So now no one recognizes Harry’s name
And Pharaohs like King Tut get all the fame
That old King Tut, now there’s a guy with one
Heck of a grave

DOROTHY’S PIE

Vern said “hey Dorothy, what are you baking?
It smells awfully good, I bet you must be making
My favorite apple pie, honey, please tell me it’s true.”
Dorothy said “yes Vern, but it’s not for you, dear
I made it for the bake sale this Sunday at church, you hear
So don’t go stealing a piece, now, Vernon, don’t you!

He sulked over supper and settled for cookies
But there at that pie on the stove he kept looking
With the thought that some stranger would have it, which he could not stand
He sat in his sad resignation all evening
Moped off to bed, stared at the ceiling
Then he started to smile, because Vern was devising a plan

Now most folks who have met him insist that he seems like a reasonable guy
So before I describe what he did, let me explain to you why…you see…

CHORUS:
After forty some years of her rhubarb and apple
Still nothing on earth could make Vernon more happy
Than the thought of a slice with a scoop of ice cream on the side
And that’s why Vern had to buy Dorothy’s pie

That Sunday Morning, quite coolly and calmly
Vern shaved and buttoned his shirt nonchalantly
Drove them to church, said his glory be’s and amens
Afterwards Dorothy fetched her creation
Went to the church hall to make her donation
And Vern followed closely behind with his secret intent

Passing by tables of brownies with walnuts
Poppy seed pastries and cheese cakes and cream puffs
He was unwavering, keeping his eye on the prize
And when she arrived at the back where you check-in
Vern stepped in with a deft interception
Slapped down a five on the table, and said “that pie is mine!”

Maybe you’ve heard of the old aphorism, “Love made a fool out of me”
Well, Love made Vern one in just 40 minutes at 425 degrees
CHORUS:

And actually he says the ice cream isn’t needed
Because every piece of Dorothy’s pie by itself is complete
She bakes all kinds of sweetness inside

SNUFFLEUPAGUS

Hey, have you heard the latest from Big Bird?
It sounds ridiculous, get a load of this
He says he has a friend only known to him
He calls him Aloysius Snuffleupagus
Apparently when no one’s watching
Is when the two get to talking

He says he’s big and hairy, but not the least bit scary
With great big lazy eyes, he swaggers side to side
And has a longish nose, and walks a little slowly
A peculiar invention, even for Mr. Henson
Which makes me think, though I hate to say it
That the creature is fabricated

CHORUS:
No, I don’t believe he really does exist
Because I’ve never seen this Snuffleupagus
It’s all in the big bird’s brain
And besides, what kind of name is Snuffleupagus?

I talked to Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster’s worried
Kermit the Frog agrees “it’s just a tragedy”
Someone should check that bird, take his temperature
Maybe he took a fall, or drugs or alcohol
Or maybe Big Bird has some problems
Well, if he does, hey, we all got ‘em
But that does not mean that we all should get
Our own imaginary, hairy psychologist

CHORUS:

I mean no ill intentions, but perhaps an intervention
Is what our bird friend needs to restore his sanity
So you round up the crew and I’ll go see how he’s doing
Here he comes as a matter of fact
Hey, did you see THAT?

No, I don’t believe he really does exist
Because I don’t think I’ve seen this Snuffleupagus
But hey, I’m open-minded
Let’s say I’m undecided

15 MORE MINUTES


I asked her when would you like to awake
She said at six and I mustn’t be late
So when in the morning I tugged on the sheets
She said just give me 15 more minutes of sleep
15 more minutes is all that I need

At 11 am she was still sleeping sound
So I made her some lunch just to lure her out
I said hey how about something to eat
She said “sure after a little more sleep
15 more minutes is all that I need

At 2 pm I told her she’d won a prize
She turned around without opening her eyes
At 5, I lied that I’d broken my thumb
She whispered faintly then call 911
I’ve got some sleeping that needs to be done

At 6 in the evening I shouted the bed is on fire
She said she’s sleeping in fire-resistant attire
Then she just pulled the covers up higher
She pulled the covers up higher

When nighttime arrived I went to her and said
Time to wake up and get ready for bed
She said hurray that’s my favorite thing
After a couple more winks if you please
15 more minutes is all that I need

TEE BALL


My name is Ryan, I’m going on five
And there’s something that I’d like to say
I know a wonderful game called Tee Ball
It’s like baseball mostly, but not like the big leagues
Now there is a game I don’t get
Where you swear and get very upset
Downright teed off

CHORUS:
But in Tee Ball, there are no strikes at all
And the ball’s always perfectly placed
You just keep swinging away till you hit one
And in Tee Ball, you touch ‘em all
And as you head back to home plate
Every one’s cheering your name for your homerun
OK, it might not prepare you for life but it’s
Glorious fun just the same
‘Cause in Tee Ball, you always win the game

There’s no consequence for not paying attention
You barely even have to try
Things always seem to go right in Tee Ball
No pitcher to trick you or ump to insist you were
Off second base by a mile
And no angry fans cramping your style with their cat calls
CHORUS:

So start up your own league for grown-up teams only
It’s bound to become all the rage
‘Cause in Tee Ball, you always win
In Tee Ball, you can hold up your chin
In Tee Ball, you always win the game

FAKE PLANT


Poor little fake plant, on the windowsill
Sad because you have no chlorophyll
So in the sun, you always tend to cry
Because you cannot photosynthesize

Poor little fake plant, you never were a seed
You came straight out of the factory
Your stem, your leaves, all petroleum derived
You’ll never grow; you’ll always be that size

You see the other plants around the room
They get watered, fertilized and pruned
But you just get a dusting now and then
Oh how you wish that you were one of them

It’s not just the attention that you crave
But having your own code of DNA
And feeling like your life is not a sham
Earning that certain self-respect that you don’t have

But hey little fake plant, don’t be so distraught
Just remember you’ll outlive 'em all
Or should I say you’ll last a longer time
Because, well technically, you’re not alive

Still you do look perfect to be sure
And your beauty always will endure
Yes, in so many ways you are ideal
Except of course for the fact that you’re not real

Nonetheless, you bring lots of joy
When we pretend that you’re the real McCoy
So cheer up fake plant, look on the bright side
If you’re not living then, hey, you’ll never die

JAMA DAY


You can sleep till afternoon
Make some chocolate chip pancakes
Wake up with Einstein’s hairdo
And let it stay that way all day

You can be an unclean slob
Skip the shower, skip the shave
As if you don’t have a job
Not even a resume

CHORUS:
On Jama Day…

Eat food without inhibitions
Have an extra piece of cake
Pajamas have no restrictions
Thanks to the elastic waist

Save the town from the outlaws
On the reruns of Gun Smoke
With remote controls you draw
From the pockets of your robe

CHORUS

Wear your Scooby-Doo pants and
Sponge Bob socks
When you’re walking to the mail box
Raising questions about your mental state
Helps to keep unwanted guests away

Read a book by Dr. Seuss
Play canasta, play ping pong
Make a list of jobs to do
Then do none of them at all

There could be a blue kazoo, a pair of ruby shoes
A silky new, fetching red kimono
A Pakistani rug, an Elvis Presley mug
Or “The Very Best of Perry Como”

There could be a handsome blonde, a Harry Potter wand
Or little strips to help you quit snoring
An anti-aging cream, a healthy self-esteem
Waiting there for you on Christmas morning
Then again, in light of life’s uncertainties
You may not find a single one of these

CHORUS:
But guaranteed, underneath that tree
Will be a brand new day begun
The ones who love you, the turning earth
And a great big shining sun
A big old shining sun

You might like a better job, a diamond ring from Bob
A cabin place on Lake Okoboji
You may pray to be released, or for Middle Eastern peace
Or a sword of light, like Obi-Wan Kenobi
And you can bring your list to Santa on your knees
All he’s going to say is “we will see”

CHORUS:

And if that’s all you get for Christmas
In spite of all your wishes
You might hang your head and then go back to bed
Or you might discover instead

That when you wake and see the day
And on the earth, you read your name
And cut the gold ribbons around it
You still might be surprised, and even realize
That you got everything you wanted

When you see, underneath that tree
Another brand new day begun
The ones who love you, the turning earth
And a great big shining sun
A big old shining sun
That giant fireball, the biggest ornament of all
Hung in the sky on Christmas Morning

In the ever-shifting water of the river of this life
I was swimming, seeking comfort; I was wrestling waves to find
A boulder I could cling to, a stone to hold me fast
Where I might let the fretful water of this river ‘round me pass

And so I found an anchor, a blessed resting place
A trusty rock I called my savior, for there I would be safe
From the river and its dangers, and I proclaimed my rock divine
And I prayed to it “protect me” and the rock replied

CHORUS:
God is a river, not just a stone
God is a wild, raging rapids
And a slow, meandering flow
God is a deep and narrow passage
And a peaceful, sandy shoal
God is the river, swimmer
So let go

Still I clung to my rock tightly with conviction in my arms
Never looking at the stream to keep my mind from thoughts of harm
But the river kept on coming, kept on tugging at my legs
Till at last my fingers faltered, and I was swept away

So I’m going with the flow now, these relentless twists and bends
Acclimating to the motion, and a sense of being led
And this river’s like my body now, it carries me along
Through the ever-changing scenes and by the rocks that sing this song

CHORUS:

God is the river, swimmer
So let go

Once, such a long time ago
I left all that I know
The things of kingly life
The ease of my warm palace home
The toils of my throne
To seek a heavenly child

He came to me in a dream
Full of wisdom he seemed
Full of goodness and light
And hope to rid the world of its woes
And so I knew I must go
To find the heavenly child

There’s only so much a king can do
To feed and clothe his multitudes
And give them comfort for their cares
And oh, they cry for justice and for love
I thought this child from above
Might be an answer to their prayers

It was cold, and the traveling was hard
As we followed that star
Many long desert miles
There were times we would mutter “what’s the use”
And we said we were fools
To seek the heavenly child

And then, one fair evening, we found
A simple stable near a town
A mother cradling her own
And lo, the boy was beautiful to see
A child heavenly indeed
We gave him frankincense and gold

But that was a long time ago…

And still the child haunts my heart
But I’ve not returned afar
To look into his eyes
For in the faces of this very kingdom
In every daughter and son
I see the heavenly child
I see a heavenly child

Set the Santa Candle out, my dear
On the toilet, where we put him every year
He shrank to half his height
In the heat that summertime
Now he’s shorter and he’s fatter
Like some sort of Buddha Santa

Make those Tom and Jerry’s extra sweet
I’ll go and get the artificial tree
And those boxes downstairs
Of Christmases we’ve shared
We’ll play Bing Crosby and unpack
All the days of love we’ve had and

CHORUS:
Hang the years like ornaments
On the tree and say
Would you marry me again?
Please say yes
That would really make my Christmas day


The electric snowflakes really have six sides
Because I brought back that one with only five
Set out the plates that say noel
Plug in the mice that play the bells
And Christmas cookies sure sound great
Honey let’s start gaining weight

Let’s watch the old home movies and old slides
And wonder at the way the time goes by
Sing Jingle Bells once more
And dance around the floor
We’ll raise our matching Santa glasses
To the days of love we’ve had, and

CHORUS:

I remember she was here
It seemed to be her place to rest
Until a flood of blood and tears
Washed away her nest

Was it when we felt afraid?
Or when we became us and them?
Or when the plans of war were laid?
Can you tell me, was it then

CHORUS:
That the bird of peace escaped our hands
To find an olive branch
Of kindness and of love
Flew away, leaving us to stand
Scanning the horizon
And the dreary skies above
Looking for the dove

I’ve seen hawks and I’ve seen crows
And I’ve heard their angry cries
I’ve seen buzzards flying low
But haven’t heard her lullaby

But we were foolish to believe
She’d be an easy bird to keep
We gave her a nest, a bed to rest
But didn’t know that even though she dreams
The dove of peace can never sleep

So the bird…(CHORUS)

Come back to us
Come back to us
Sweet Dove

When it’s late December, dark and cold Where is the light?
When old man year is bending low Where is the light?
When the sun runs off to bed too soon Where is the light?
And there’s nothing but a skinny moon Where is the light?

CHORUS:
Where is the light?
Where is the light?
Where is the light? Oh…
The light’s inside of me

When it’s dark each morning when I rise Where is the light?
And it’s dark when my eggs are fryin’ Where is the light?
And it’s dark when off to work I go Where is the light?
And it’s dark again when I get home Where is the light?

CHORUS:

It’s in my skin and in my bones
In my heart and in my soul
That light of life, so bright and golden
Like a summer day
When the sun goes missing in the sky
It is rising in my eyes
Chasing all that winter gloom away

I’m burning bright like kerosene Where is the light?
I’m twinkling like the Pleiades Where is the light?
I’m dancing like a candle flame Where is the light?
I’m flaming like a fruit flambé Where is the light?

CHORUS: (2X)

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Clouds are swift
Rocks are ancient
Mountains are high, oceans great
Winds are restless
Trees are patient
And you my child are awake

Waves are crashing
Rivers churning
Planets twirling, stars ablaze
Storms are raging
Atoms whirling
And you my child are awake

CHORUS:
To perceive these wondrous things
To count the beats of a blackbird’s wings
To tell a story and dance and sing

All the splendors
Of creation
Are very happy that you came
Because they needed
Someone to see them
And you my child are awake
CHORUS:

Seeds are hopeful
Dewdrops fleeting
Oak trees are crooked, Redwoods straight
And they are not known
To the sleeping
But you my child are awake
You my child are awake
You my child

When I go outside at night
And look up and the stars are bright
Sometimes I lay on the ground
And imagine that the sky is down
And if the earth should then let go
I’d fall into the stars below
I’d fall into the stars below

And when I see the red sunset
In it’s quiet splendor, I reflect
That that sun’s not going down at all
But the earth is turning somersaults
And through a sunlit sea it trails
And we are on that great big whale
We’re riding on that great big whale

CHORUS:
When I try to grasp the simple fact of this existence
And think of all the fantasies and fairytales and wishes
None strike me as more unlikely or magnificent than this is

Hands and faces seen up close
Galaxies through telescopes
Crimson hillsides in the fall
And more astounding than them all
Are pondering minds with eyes that see
These are deep mysteries
Deep mysteries
CHORUS:

Like a strange, enchanting play of impossible dimensions
The setting and the stage run light-years in all directions
And the breathless scenes and the storyline defy comprehension

And when I think of all the roles
In this production, all I know is
I’m in the cast, but could it be
I’m also in a front row seat
To sit in my amazement, gazing
To ooh and ahh and sigh and say
My, what a wonderful play
My, my, my, my...

Skyblaster Man
There in the lights of the midway he stands
Mustache and tattoos, caught in the thralls of his carnie dance
Entrancing passers-by, daring that they take
A turn on his dangerous ride
Making them see that the magic that he commands
Makes them feel like they’re flying
Skyblaster man

Skyblaster man
Taking the tickets they have in their hands
Their faces like many in the towns along his carnival caravan
Dollar thrill-seekers and brief death-defeaters who
Come from their comfortable lives
To be spun around, and turned upside down
And reminded that they’re alive
Skyblaster man

To be convinced you’re alive
It’s a mighty big job for a three minute ride
So he brings his powers to bear
As if he’s in prayer
While they’re in the air

And when they land
They stand in a daze and stagger and laugh
And he knows at that time, by the look in their eyes that a few understand
But will they remember, he wonders as he
Very carefully helps them all down
As if in his care, he’s aware of the much greater
Perils of life on the ground
Skyblaster man

There is music on CDs
Magazines of all kinds
And computers and TVs
For amusing the mind
But in the late days of the summer
Nothing nearly compares
To just seeing each other
At the Brown County Fair

You can meet Lawrence Little
And taste his prize pickles, home grown
And hear Grace play the fiddle
Who’s just seven years old
There are girls boys are teasing
In the carmeled apple air
Of the warm August evening
At the Brown County Fair

If the stock market fails you
Give the ring toss a try
And if loneliness ails you
Stick around for awhile
There’s a band playing later
And you can dance in a square
Promenade and greet your neighbor
At the Brown County Fair

And if you’re tired of walking
You can sit with your slush
And pass the time people watching
And you might fall in love
With the face of a stranger
The young and old strolling there
Across the unhurried acres
Of the Brown County Fair

There’s a light inside of people
Sometimes seen in the eyes
And it hides like a recluse
In these complicated times
But some say that it shines out
A bit more easily there
And for just five bucks, you can find out
At the brown county fair

Some say that it shines out
A bit more frequently there
For just five bucks, you can find out
At the Brown County Fair

Maggie Jane has a family
And makes a good salary
Her life is quite ordinary
Except for her astronaut dreams

They happen when she is sleeping
They happen when she’s awake
They come like abductors who sneak in
And carry poor Maggie away

CHORUS:
Suddenly Maggie Jane is floating high in space
Up among the super novi and the bright nebulae
And the earth is just another point of light, far away

Keep busy say the doctors
Clean house, turn on the TV
And they give her pills to stop her
From having her astronaut dreams

But the Universe still keeps calling
And haunting her daily routine
And defenses are slim when the light years creep in
And then steal her away beyond reach
CHORUS:

And that world of her work and her bills and her children
Is a tiny place in a remote solar system
And the size and the scope of the space where she floats
Is so big, so very big

So if you run into Maggie
And meet with an eerie stare
Don’t think she’s cold if you get no hello
Because Maggie Jane may not be there

I saw the Buddha open up his eyes
One Sunday morning
Say he’s invited to a party for Christ
And he must be going
He heaved himself up with a groan, standing slowly
Came down those steps of stone, and asked me
Where to catch the next train to Jerusalem

In India he sang with Hindus as they prayed
By the Ganges when the dawn came
Near Arabia, he saw Mohammed on the train
And asked if he would join him
Passing those teeming towns, they talked for hours
All about the truth and how it’s discovered
Trading bits of news and stories from these thousand years

Saying “great idea, this party for Jesus”
Then Mohammed said “hey Buddha, it’s great to see ya”

Finding the place with the help of Abraham
Waving from the doorway
They greeted faces from a thousand holy lands
Present day and all ages (always)
Everybody talking, laughing, fiercely debating
Saying how desperately the world is changing
Then somebody lit the two-thousand candles

And they all toasted Jesus, born in a stable
Then Jesus said “hey, let’s not be such strangers”

I like to make ‘em out of birch bark skins
I studied how with the Indians
A little pine tar, nice and thin
Makes a boat float just right

I like to brag about the perfect stroke
I own a paddle made of aged oak
Every maneuver I can do by rote
But there’s one thing I don’t like

CHORUS: Don’t like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don’t want to be no fishes’ fodder
I don’t want to tip in that canoe
I’d rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake

I sing “Allouette” in Francais
Just like the French in Hudson Bay
I smoke a pipe and drink Beaujolais
And I tell a tall tale or two

I know every river and portage
And in an emergency, I know triage
I smell a storm like a weather cock
But there’s one thing I won’t do

CHORUS:

I know the tensile strength of each one
Fiberglass or aluminum
I make plans and study maps
Draw lines across the world and back
I like to train on weight machines
Carbo-load and high protein
I’m a fanatic, it would seem
But baby, I’m no fool

CHORUS:

Edgar Allen Poe had it
In his tell tale heart
It’s the finest time to strike
Said Napolean Bonaparte

Inmates make their break into it
Cavemen make their art
Spy planes fly and spelunkers hunker
Somewhere in the dark

Batman catches criminals in the dark of night
Saving Gotham City from evil designs
Darkness, lovers love in and
Dreamers tend to like
And if you think you’re neither one
Well, in the dark, that’s just what
You might become

Some celestial bodies like to
Strut their stuff alot
But we know Mr. Black Hole is the
Big boy on the block

King Tut looked pretty comfy
In that old dark tomb
What’s good for an Egyptian mummy
Might be right for you

What’s the fun relying on something you can see?
That’s just so passe when you run toward the light
Why not make a dangerous tryst with mystery?
It’s a downright frightening hole
Watch your head
Down you go

Larry lost his inhibitions
Sally felt a spark
Jacob saw a mystic vision
Somewhere in the dark

Black cats eke out a descent living
Monsters make it far
You might find what you’ve been missing
Somewhere in
The Dark

His kin came from across the sea
He’s as tame as he can be
Born of the western mind
A child of the left-brained kind
A metal car on a concrete road
Is how he gets everywhere he goes
An automated and a mechanized mode
Is all he’s ever known

In his sober land
He does the dance of a modern man
But sometimes, when he’s sleeping, his soul
Is running with the buffalo

His mind calculates another fact
But his memory is searching back
To something he can’t quite recall
Or doesn’t remember at all
Something like a spiritual trance
Round and round in a circle dance
Round the light of a midnight fire
Freeing him as it grows higher

In his sober land
He does the dance of a modern man
But sometimes, when he’s sleeping, his soul
Is running with the buffalo

Great Spirit of this broken land
Have mercy on the modern man
Teach him how, body and soul
To go running with buffalo

Buffalo
Prairie below your feet
The hunter’s bow
Keeping your senses keen
The milky way
Over your traveling
And the plain
Is like an endless sea

You are the sun
I am the dew
Gifted with life for a moment or two
That I for my time
May sparkle and shine
O Sun, come fill me with you
O Sun, come fill me with you

You are the wind
I am the sail
You are my strength and without you I fail
Breathe but a sigh
And I’ll open wide
O Wind, come fill me with you
O Wind, come fill me with you

You are the wine
I am the cup
I can yield nothing till I am filled up
Hold me upright
And pour forth your life
O Wine, come fill me with you
O Wine, come fill me with you

O Wine, come fill me
O Wind, come fill me
O Sun, come fill me
With you

That’s not how the story goes
When do heroes play it safe?
You’ve got a job and a family-o
But not a single golden egg
And a pocket full of possibilities
Hey ho Jack, when
Will you plant them
Magic beans?

Jack, Oh Jack, what scared you so?
Made you hide those beans and run
Did you hear the rumors-o
Of the fee, fi, fo, and fum?
Were you frightened of the things you
Just might see
Hey ho Jack-o
If you plant those
Magic beans?

Jack, it’s not too late you know
To sow those seeds of fate
So throw them out your wind-o
Go to sleep, and when you wake
Things will happen
Things you never dared to dream
But they won’t happen
Unless you plant them
Magic beans

Farmer John wandered back
And when he reached the pumpkin patch, began to speak
He said “the weather’s getting colder
Summer’s over and it’s almost Halloween
That’s the day, the reason you were raised
When everything about your life will change

You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you’ll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness
But remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern’s heart”

The pumpkins held a meeting then
Some were very apprehensive and afraid
“Could this really happen to us?
What could be the meaning?” is what they were saying
“This is home, it’s all we’ve ever known”
Then one bold, outspoken pumpkin spoke

He said
“I don’t need eyes to see , it sounds like a lie to me
I like it just fine here in John’s garden
And remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern’s heart”

There is much to ask and to ponder in the pumpkin patch
When imposing old October shows up at last

Then a pumpkin from the farther end
Who had been silent up till then
Over the commotion, said
“What would you rather have my friends
A chance to shine, or die here on the vine?
The better way seems very plain to me

You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you’ll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness
And maybe that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern’s heart
Oh, but one goblin’s smile should make it all well worth while
You know you might even see the starlight
And knowing that time is brief, makes it that much more sweet
When you have a jack-o-lantern’s heart”

Edgar Allen Poe had it
In his tell tale heart
It’s the finest time to strike
Said Napolean Bonaparte

Inmates make their break into it
Cavemen make their art
Spy planes fly and spelunkers hunker
Somewhere in the dark

Batman catches criminals in the dark of night
Saving Gotham City from evil designs
Darkness, lovers love in and
Dreamers tend to like
And if you think you’re neither one
Well, in the dark, that’s just what
You might become

Some celestial bodies like to
Strut their stuff alot
But we know Mr. Black Hole is the
Big boy on the block

King Tut looked pretty comfy
In that old dark tomb
What’s good for an Egyptian mummy
Might be right for you

What’s the fun relying on something you can see?
That’s just so passe when you run toward the light
Why not make a dangerous tryst with mystery?
It’s a downright frightening hole
Watch your head
Down you go

Larry lost his inhibitions
Sally felt a spark
Jacob saw a mystic vision
Somewhere in the dark

Black cats eke out a descent living
Monsters make it far
You might find what you’ve been missing
Somewhere in
The Dark

My name is Charlie Porter
I was a union soldier
In ‘61, I signed up to fight
And it was a great adventure
But I have to tell you
Not the fairytale I had in mind

And when General Lee surrendered
And victory finally arrived
I heard no one hoot or holler
No hip-hurray for the stars and stripes
We only cried

Back when it started
Proud and foolish hearted
I thought I had a taste for rebel blood
But we were only children
They killed us and we killed them
And the misery and the dying made us numb

By then, holding back the sorrow
Was kind of like holding back the tide
The men did not hoot or holler
Nor hip-hurray for the stars and stripes
We only cried

And oh, victory seems hollow
At the price of half a million lives
A cold and weary stillness follows
You hear no hip-hurray for stars and stripes
You only cry

Now touch the air softly,
Step gently. One, two...
I’ll love you till roses
Are robin’s-egg blue;
I’ll love you till gravel
Is eaten for bread,
And lemons are orange,
And lavender’s red.

Now touch the air softly,
Swing gently the broom.
I’ll love you till windows
Are all of a room;
And the table is laid,
And the table is bare,
And the ceiling reposes
On bottomless air.

I’ll love you till Heaven
Rips the stars from his coat,
And the Moon rows away in
A glass-bottomed boat;
And Orion steps down
Like a diver below,
And Earth is ablaze,
And Ocean aglow.

So touch the air softly,
And swing the broom high.
We will dust the gray mountains,
And sweep the blue sky;
And I’ll love you as long
As the furrow the plow,
As However is Ever,
And Ever is Now.

You might think I’m a banker, and on weekdays, it’s true
But underneath this poly-cotton blend is a skeleton tattoo
Which I got when I was drinking
And I’m showing off this weekend
On my brand new Harley-Davidson

I may work in an office and look respectable and clean
But you should see me dressed in leather on my American machine
You would swear that I’m blue-collar
On my 15-thousand dollar
Deluxe, brand new Harley-Davidson

Come Friday evening
I don’t shower, I don’t shave
And I put my little earring in
And it’s time to misbehave
Yes I will clean your teeth on Monday
Or put braces in your mouth
But don’t flash ‘em at me Sunday, boy
Or I just might knock them out

My psychologist, he told me that it’s important that I ride
So I recreate my warrior who is pent up nine to five
And it’s therapy for hours
On my fifteen-thousand dollar
Deluxe, brand new Harley-Davidson

I kick off my loafers
Put on my big black boots
And I swear and curse while I rehearse for
My nasty attitude
Yes I will do your taxes Tuesday
So you get some money back
But call me CPA on Saturday
And I’ll have to kick your ass

No I’m not in a costume, I’ll bet a junk bond I’m real
I am an archetypal man astride a stallion made of steel
I’m a rebel, I’m a gangster
I’m a whiskey-drinking prankster
On my brand new Harley-Davidson

I saw the Buddha open up his eyes
One Sunday morning
Say he’s invited to a party for Christ
And he must be going
He heaved himself up with a groan, standing slowly
Came down those steps of stone, and asked me
Where to catch the next train to Jerusalem

In India he sang with Hindus as they prayed
By the Ganges when the dawn came
Near Arabia, he saw Mohammed on the train
And asked if he would join him
Passing those teeming towns, they talked for hours
All about the truth and how it’s discovered
Trading bits of news and stories from these thousand years

Saying “great idea, this party for Jesus”
Then Mohammed said “hey Buddha, it’s great to see ya”

Finding the place with the help of Abraham
Waving from the doorway
They greeted faces from a thousand holy lands
Present day and all ages (always)
Everybody talking, laughing, fiercely debating
Saying how desperately the world is changing
Then somebody lit the two-thousand candles

And they all toasted Jesus, born in a stable
Then Jesus said “hey, let’s not be such strangers”

Last night I was dreaming I was in my GMC
I was feeling kind of empty because it was just a ‘93
So I filled it full of fossil from the bosom of the earth
Which I burned up quite a lot of on my long commute to work
Where I worked at what I hated just to keep up with the bills
Which I paid to meet the rising cost of feeling unfulfilled
Which I felt at every moment with occasional respite
Like the times that I’d go shopping or watch TV shows at night

CHORUS: But I’m waking up, but I’m waking up
I’m waking up from the American Dream

Last night I was dreaming of the one eternal hope
That my life would be improved if the economy would grow
Which already was a monster on a mission to consume
And was eating almost everything and running out of room
And it whispered to me “mister, here’s some products that you need
And the standard of your living is too low” and I agreed!
So I got myself a credit card with not a penny down
And a long ride on the not-so-merry-money-go-round

CHORUS:

Yeah, the world was like an Amoco and I said “Fill er up!”
With a house, a car, a VCR, a lawn and all that stuff
But I got a nagging notion that enough did not exist
And at the end of every day I’d wonder “is this all there is?”
And someone said “Hey, you’ve already got ten times more than the rest
And six-billion other people want the little that’s still left!”
But I snapped “It’s a free country and by rights it’s mine to keep
And by the way, who do I pay to take away this garbage heap?”

CHORUS:

It seemed that the beginning of the dream was so benign, I mean
All I ever wanted was a smidgen of the pie
And some comfort and security and good things for my kids
And, OK, to please the neighbors and my ego while I did
Anyway, it’s great to be awake and feeling satisfied
With seeking out the simple and the deeper things in life
And with giving to the world instead of hoarding it for me
Boy, I guess I’m not too excited about falling back to sleep

And as crazy as it was, hey, was it a dream or not?
Well, just promise not to save me if I ever start to nod
Put no-doze in my coffee, throw me outside in the cold
Just don’t ever say “OK now, back to bed you go!”

CHORUS:

Oh Columbus
You become us
With your scheme, your glorious plan
And dream of a far-away land

And with your blessing
We keep pressing
Giving this present place up
For just one more America
But,

CHORUS: Every time I fly to the West
I arrive nonetheless
In the place that I left
In this round world

If I try to flee
And leave this city
To be free from humanity’s cares
Humanity follows me there

And if I steal aboard
The boat bound for the farthest shore
I’m told crossing the ocean won’t work
And the only boat left is the Earth

CHORUS:

So Columbus
Can you tell us
That there are no more new lands afar
If we don’t make it right where we are

We may not be wearing perfect shoes
We may not know sophisticated moves
We may not begin from a graceful stance
But in the end we’re going to start to dance

We may be standing in a public place
Careful clothing, proper public faces
When the social situation says we can’t
Right about then, we’re going to start to dance

And the ghost of something gone
Is going to try our bodies on
And break a smile a mile wide
When we dance to save our lives
When we dance to save our lives

Every limb long atrophied away
Will be brought back from the dead that day
Every ego, cool and in control, will suddenly be
Doing the Tango, doing the Do-Si-Do

After every remedy of an intellectual sort
We will dance a desperate dance, a dance of last resort
And it won’t matter what kind of degrees we hold
We’ll be relying on what we do not know

And the ghost of something gone
Is going to try our bodies on
And holler “hey, it’s about time”
When we dance to save our lives

And the ghost of something gone
Is going to try our bodies on
Exclaiming “hallelujah child!”
When we dance to save our lives
When we dance to save our lives

Put me like a lily on the water
Floating on my back to face the sun
Opening my mouth a little wider
Gobbling up photons one by one
Then when I have swallowed many colors
Who could tell the light apart from me?
If I were like a lily on the water
On the water
On the water
I would like to be

Put me in a kayak on the water
Hunting like a hungry eskimo
Steady with a spear, waiting for plunder
Lurking in the murky depths below
Maybe I will catch something for dinner
Maybe something will be catching me
If I were in a kayak on the water
On the water
On the water
I would like to be

Put me on my belly on the water
And it will kiss me like a water bug
Half of me above, half of me under
Where the air and water are in love
And the two would fly away together
If they were released from gravity
If I were on my belly on the water
On the water
On the water
I would like to be

I have found a hole in the center of the heart
Through which a thread goes, enters and departs
It’s fastened in the middle to inside of me
From where it then continues through the heart of everything

So when I get a feeling like a pulling on the chest
I have to ask if that was me or one of the rest
Sometimes it’s painful, sometimes just a tap
Sometimes it happens violently and knocks me on my back

When pain is not just mine alone, that’s when I know
Somebody’s tugging on the string

And when I start shaking, like a tremor in the ground
Or and organ pipe in rank when it’s resonating sound
Such a fine emotion of such intensity
Takes a hold, and I know that it can’t be only me

Then I guess that someone, maybe far away
Has grown a little tired of the instrument they play
And somehow has discovered that universal thread
And reached out a courageous hand and plucked that chord instead

When life seems like it’s only music, then I know
Somebody’s playing the string

And sometimes when I stand beneath the sky at night
I take up the slack till the string is tight
And staring at the stars, I take a step or two
And I see them move
I think I see them move

Everything’s connected like peas are in a pod
Or beads upon a necklace, decorating God
Going around the rosy, we’re all in the ring
Hand in hand, like a strand through the heart of everything

The things I need come from a shelf
They all just seem to make themselves
I plant no seed and I tend no vine
And I have no feast at harvest time

CHORUS: I cut no wood
I bake no bread
I spin no wool
To warm my head
I put no paint
On a canvas white
To take a picture takes
Less of my time

I heat my home with electric wire
But I still feel cold because I feed no fire
And my car, it goes when my care has gas
So I don’t walk slow and I don’t walk fast

CHORUS:

So fast
Where are we going?
So fast?
Where are we going?
Where are we going?
Where are we?

I’d trade my wage for a fertile field
For a plow and a spade and a pauper’s yield
I’d swap these streets for a single chance
To drop that seed from my own bare hands

Because the things I need aren’t from a shelf
And the things I need don’t make themselves
But I plant no seed and I tend no vine
And I have no feast at harvest time
No, I have no feast at harvest time

His kin came from across the sea
He’s as tame as he can be
Born of the western mind
A child of the left-brained kind
A metal car on a concrete road
Is how he gets everywhere he goes
An automated and a mechanized mode
Is all he’s ever known

In his sober land
He does the dance of a modern man
But sometimes, when he’s sleeping, his soul
Is running with the buffalo

His mind calculates another fact
But his memory is searching back
To something he can’t quite recall
Or doesn’t remember at all
Something like a spiritual trance
Round and round in a circle dance
Round the light of a midnight fire
Freeing him as it grows higher

In his sober land
He does the dance of a modern man
But sometimes, when he’s sleeping, his soul
Is running with the buffalo

Great Spirit of this broken land
Have mercy on the modern man
Teach him how, body and soul
To go running with buffalo

Buffalo
Prairie below your feet
The hunter’s bow
Keeping your senses keen
The milky way
Over your traveling
And the plain
Is like an endless sea

You cannot make one in the sky
Where the careless creatures fly
The careless creatures fly

You cannot make one in your home
Where your heart is safe and dry
The heart is safe and dry

CHORUS:
Only down on the ground in the cold
Can you make, make an angel in the snow

You cannot on a summer day
It will only melt away
Only melt away

You cannot when you’re standing tall
But only lowly as you lay
Lowly as you lay

CHORUS:

You cannot make one in paradise
That’s the place where the angels die
Where winter seems like a distant dream
And the cold has been forgotten

So get your coat and venture out
Find a place upon the ground
A place upon the ground

And when you think that you were better off inside
Is when you should be falling down
Falling down

CHORUS:

Chronic amnesia, a dreadful disease
Sadly struck poor old Harry last night
And now, a bit later, old Harry the hater’s
Forgotten who he didn’t like

CHORUS:
Blessed disease that makes us forget
Who is our foe, not our friend
Blessed disease, if we’re lucky, you’ll spread
And strike every head
So we can start over again

A victim names Sawyer had lunch with her lawyer
And just had begun to explain
“I’ll sue them!” she said, then got hit in the head
And forgot who exactly to blame

CHORUS:

Who is just different
Who is the same
Who is the problem
Wipe it away, wipe it away

Sergeant Divine, stationed on the front line
Took a bullet while drawing his gun
And clutching his chest, asked the man to his left
“Can you tell me which country I’m from?”

CHORUS:

I’ve heard of the lovely maiden
And the shiny pot of gold
The hero that killed the dragon
And the fall of mighty Rome
I’ve read the Shakespeare tragedies
And of the first Atlantic flight
Now would anybody, please
Tell me the story of my life?

I’ve heard of enchanting places
But not the beauty of my home
Alluring hands and faces
But not the power in my own
Tell a tale of mystery
And the adventure that is mine
Please, would anybody please
Tell me the story of my life?

CHORUS:
Like a child still awake
Even though the hour’s late
I’ve spent a lifetime open-eared
But not heard what I long to hear
(Bedtime stories in my ears
But still one more I long to hear)
Storyteller, can you spin
The very story I am in?

What is the world afloat in?
Who was it, caused my heart to form?
Was there a promise spoken
On the day that I was born?
What is the spell what makes me free?
Who is the villain I must fight?
Please, can anybody, please
Tell me the story of my life?

CHORUS

I’ve stood at starboard bow
Thinking how beautiful the waves
I’ve lingered at the stern
Where I have yearned to return the way I came
I have toiled down below
In the dark and cold
When these hands were made to row

I’ve been atop the mast
Holding fast and looking out ahead
But I’ve been unconcerned
And never learned where this ship was led
Now on every side I see
What I’ve never seen
Such a storm surrounding me

CHORUS:
This ship could be going down
And I see no sign of ground
Will I be, before I drown
The captain of my life?

I can do many things
And many things I’ve done since I began
But fear has sailed with me
And crippled me from taking the command
Now despair is in the hold
As the water rolls
Fear is waiting for my soul

CHORUS:

I made my money and I took it to the driving-fast man
I said I would like to be driving just as fast as I can
I need some speed and I need to be bad
I need to win respect that I never had
Why pay your money for what does not satisfy?

I took my new car and I drove it to the looking-good man
I said “please make me more attractive than the person I am”
He sold me some muscles and he shaved down my nose
Then got me fitted in some really neat clothes
Why pay your money for what does not satisfy?

Now I am driving, I’m finally arriving
Now I am looking really very good
Now I am wondering what else to be buying

I took what I had left and I gave it to the happiness man
I said I would like to be happy, as happy as I can
He said, “boy, why did you come to me last?”
Then he just smiled and he handed it back
And he said
“Why pay your money for what does not satisfy?”
Satisfy

No, no, no, can’t let go
I love them so
So I sung when I was young
Of all the things to have and hold
I’d gather them around me
Cling to them and cry
“Don’t lift me up!
Don’t lift me up!”

Important names, exciting games
All began to seem the same
I got bored and wanted more
And when I asked, you gave and gave
“Take them all away from me!”
Has now become my cry
“And lift me up
Lift me up
To uncrowded sky”

No, no, no, truth be told
I can’t see you any more
This stuff of mine, a mountain high
Keeps my eyes from meeting yours
Ceaseless expectations
Are all my life’s about
Lift me up, lift me up

Where did you, the giver go?
I am buried in this hole
With a fortune for a grave
And who’d believe I’d find you there
In such simplicity of air?

I used to dream of mighty me
Floating on a self-made sea
Success and fame, my middle names
Claiming what’s mine rightfully
Beneath this cluttered ocean
Of all my answered cries
Now I dream of you and me
And uncrowded sky

The sun is hiding in the misty morning
Soon you’ll see it shine
And further on it will be lowering
Right on down the line

Six o’clock and the whistle blows
The old conductor smiles
Another day to keep on rolling
Right on down the line

CHORUS:
Don’t fear change
It’s not to be afraid of
Welcome strange
It’s the stuff that life is made of

Do you believe in a life of motion
Changing all the time?
And do you plan to keep on growing
Right on down the line?

If you think you’re standing still
It’s only in your mind
Look out the window and you’ll see you’re moving
Right on down the line

CHORUS:

It’s not about not living long in
The places that you choose
It’s just about not hanging on when
You’re only passing through
You’re only passing through

Other trains, they stop or slow or they
Leave some folks behind
But everybody’s riding this one
Right on down the line

Six o’clock and the whistle blows
The old conductor smiles
Another day to keep on rolling
Right on down the line

I am a child and I'm pretty smart
But I'm just a little afraid of the dark
Sometimes I have to go outside at night
Out to the back yard, where there is no light

CHORUS:
When I step out the door
And I can't take one step more
Because I am too much afraid
It's then that I've been taught to say
Evil be gone

After I say it, I open my eyes
Then I take a deep breath and step out in the night
It's still dark around me, I still walk real slow
But it makes me feel better, like I'm not alone

CHORUS

And Mom and Dad say it's true that
Sometimes they say it, too
So it shouldn't make me feel strange
To say, every time I'm afraid
Evil be gone