THE UNKNOWN SHOW 2008 REVIVAL
Forged from the chaos of quebb's 2004 road trip, the original Unknown Show was recorded in the high desert above Santa Fe, NM. Stranded for two months, the band was intent on finishing an album--many of the songs were conceived and recorded within days.
In 2008, a remix of the original tracks was completed, resulting in better sonic quality overall. The original, now a limited print, can still be picked up from CDBaby. The Revival will be pressed sometime this fall.
THE VENICE REPRISE PART ONE
Finally settled back in Venice, the band was invited to record at the Musicians' Institute in Los Angeles by friend and engineer David Martinous. With 2 hours for each song, it sounds like we are live at a speakeasy and this little EP was a welcome breath after the getting back to the beach. Street versions of The Unknown Show and Dogs & Swine join a solo rendition of Jourdan's The Waltz (his first opportunity to record on a grand), Mikel's Aquamarine is introduced, and John's dark entry, Atonement rounds out the quebb originals. Finally, a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, with simply a guitar and three-part harmony, brings the album home. The current version of the CD is hand pressed in Venice and can be picked up through CDBaby.
THE PEOPLE SANG
Music & Lyrics by John; Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Xylophone, Lead VOX: John; Piano, Harmony: Jourdan; Drums & Percussions, Harmony: Mikel
1. Let’s start off in an early chapter—
Excuse the part about the natives’ capture.
A tea party is a finer place to begin.
Wise words to fill a declaration.
Sovereign wills to form a sovereign nation--
But keep in mind, “white’s” a synonym for human.
Old Ben, he raised a furrowed brow,
“What’s freedom with our slaves behind the plow?
It don’t bode well for the future this will bring.
How do we secure our liberty
If We the People includes just you and me?
Lord help us if we’re only reinventing the King.”
1st Chorus:
Torn Tommy took the bully pulpit,
Struck the gavel and he called for quiet.
“A fair question, but we cannot solve it,
Unless we wanna lose the way we live.
We all want a taste of milk and honey,
But what’s freedom if you got no money?
And, after all, they had no clothes or country;
They should be grateful for the scraps we give,
Anyway.”
2 Page forward to a different era,
The red boogie-man has come to scare ya’.
Oh, Johnny, did you see this turn comin’ on?
Neck deep inside the swampy forest.
Back home, the students form a protest.
The man drops them like they’re weeds on the Union lawn.
Young Jim, he stops and looks around.
Takes cover while he writes Machine Gun down.
Oh, Jimmy, could we use a voice like yours…
They all followed to the farmer’s field and played.
The man threatens, but the poets won’t be swayed.
Their words thunder has the summer sky downpours.
2nd Chorus:
Tricky Dicky takes the bully pulpit.
Strikes the gavel as he calls for quiet.
“We gotta a problem and we cannot solve it,
Unless we wanna lose the way we live.
You talk pretty and your clothes are sunny,
But in the end I know you like your money.
And, after all, you only rent your country.
You should be grateful for the scraps we give…”
1st Bridge
Just then, the People Sang, (they sing)
Oh brother, it’s a grand illusion.
Oh, sister, won’t you march with me now.
They can’t stop us when we’re all in motion.
Once more, the peace bell rings:
We don’t need a New Revolution.
We’re in the one that never ends.
3 Jump forward to the blacked-out pages.
You’d hardly know about the war that rages.
Oh, Mister Bernstein, we could use a man like you.
Lord knows, we were all thrown asunder,
But more than bodies have been buried under
The great graveyard where the towers Babel renew.
A faint cry was heard above the din:
What in hell do you think we’re gonna win?
This ain’t poker, and our kids are not the ante…
What’d ya’ think, that we’d all just play along?
Right or left, don’t we all know right from wrong?
There’s no terror like our own hypocrisy.
3rd Chorus
King Georgie took the bully pulpit,
Strikes the gavel as he screams for quiet.
We gotta a problem, and we cannot solve it,
Unless we wanna change the way we live.
So shut up! And let me make you money;
Here’s a drop of all that milk and honey.
After all, you only rent your country.
You should be grateful for the scraps we give…
2nd Bridge
Just then, the People sang, (they sing)
Oh, brother, it’s a grand illusion.
Oh, sister, won’t you march with me now?
They can’t stop us when we’re all in motion.
Once more, the peace bell rings,
We don’t need a New Revolution.
We’re in the one that never ends.
Just then, the People Sang,
We don’t need a new revolution—
This is the one that never ends.
A MATTER OF REASON
Words and Music by John Caelan; Guitars, Lead VOX: John; Piano, Sax, Harmony: Jourdan; Percussions, Harmony: Mikel
Chorus
Hear, now
The urgent revival,
The people’s reprisal
Of the Commoner’s Chorus.
Come, now,
The wrongly divided,
The rightly united,
In the matters before us.
See, now
The change of the Ages,
The words of the sages,
The turns of the season.
Hear, now,
The urgent revival,
A matter most vital,
A matter of reason.
Oh, Lord, look down the road were on…
Turn, now, before the road is gone…
1You drink the whiskey,
And I’ll drink the wine.
We’ll all stumble on and
We’ll get home fine.
You tend to yours,
And I’ll tend to mine-
But listen to the poet
When he talks about The Line.
You see, truth isn’t owned
Or declared by the few—
It’s discovered by the many,
And, honey, that ain’t you.
So, you drink your whiskey,
I’ll the drink the wine.
We’ll all struggle on and
We’ll get home fine.
2You drink the whiskey,
I’ll drink the wine.
We’ll all struggle on,
And we’ll get home fine.
You read your books,
And I’ll read mine:
It’s the words they have in common
We were meant to find.
I say, empires rise,
Then they crumble into dust.
There’s no winning without honor,
You don’t win when you’re unjust.
So, you drink your whiskey,
And I’ll drink the wine…
We’ll hold on together,
And we’ll get home fine.
3You drink your whiskey,
And I’ll drink the wine.
If we hold on together,
Well, we’ll get home fine.
Stop talking about this war
Like we’re doing something right.
We don’t need a change of course-
Our boys know how to fight!
You don’t need a new map
When you’ve been taken for a ride.
You gotta kick out the driver,
And drop his ass to the side.
So you drink your whiskey,
And I’ll drink the wine.
We’ll lay in a course together
And we’ll get home fine.
THE BROKEN STRIDE
Words and Music by John Caelan
This is a live song and has not been recorded.
1What’s on your mind, my friend,
That seems to break your stride?
Your eyes reveal the worries
Your smile can’t hide.
Are you confounded by
The pieces that we’ve found?
It’s like the edgeless puzzle,
And every piece is round.
And I don’t claim to get the picture,
But I’m certain that it’s there.
2What’s in your heart, my friend,
That seems to cloud your sun?
You speak of sudden endings;
We’ve just begun.
Are you unsettled by
The thunder in your ears?
It’s like we’re slowly drowning;
It hasn’t rained in years.
And I don’t claim to know your journey,
But I know it’s one we share.
Chorus
We are all there,
Everyone seems to be there.
Everyone, everyone’s there.
3What’s on your tongue, my friend,
That seems to sour your tune?
It’s like you know the passage—
You come in too soon.
Are you bewildered by
The discord that you hear?
It’s like you feel surrounded,
When no one else is near.
And I don’t claim to fill that Empty,
But you’re not alone, I swear…
Chorus
We are all there,
Everyone seems to be there.
Everyone, everyone’s there.
THE ROOT OF IT ALL
Words and Music by John Caelan
This is a live song and not yet recorded.
1Here’s the one below the surface.
The well from where my thoughts are drawn.
And if you think you know my purpose,
Well, hold on…hold on…
It’s the one you’ve awaited.
It’s the root of it all.
It’s the thought left unstated
In these words that I scrawl.
It’s the truth that betrays me.
The hollow scream in the fall.
It’s the song that still plays me.
It’s the root of them all.
Chorus
Before I continue,
Before I implode,
Before I open up that door,
Let me sit down on my soapbox
And let my toes
Touch the floor.
You see, for all I think I’ve fathomed
I may know this, and nothing more:
Bridge
If your heart’s to be broken
Let it break all the way.
Just let it fall into pieces,
Let them fall where they may.
Don’t try to hold it together
Like the feet made of clay,
Or the green mile prisoner
Who still prays for the stay.
No, if your heart’s to be broken,
You gotta let it all go.
You just gotta set it down behind you,
And get on with your Show.
Or you may find that the fractures,
They work their way through your veins
‘Till the root of your essence
Is really all that remains.
2I guess that doesn’t bear repeating.
It’s just the sand I’m built upon.
And if you think you share my meaning,
Well, hold on…Just hold on…
It’s the one you’ve awaited.
It’s the root of it all.
It’s the thought left unstated
In these words that I scrawl.
It’s the truth that betrays me;
The hollow scream in the fall.
It’s the song that still plays me.
It’s the root of them all.
Now on with the Show…
THE UNKNOWN SHOW
2008 Revival Version
The Venice Reprise Street Version
Music and Lyrics by John Caelan. Revival Version: Acoustic Guitar, Lead VOX, Piano: John; Percussions, Harmony: Mikel; Sax, Harmony: Jourdan
1I feel Thinly veiled,
Like the lie about the check that I had Never mailed.
These words, They haunt my head,
Like the ghost of something clever that I Once had said.
I chase the perfect lines
Through imaginary fields laden with Land mines.
As my good sense tumbles like the domino-
I think I’m falling prey to the unknown show.
I feel Tense as steel-
Like the last frame’s missing from the Movie reel.
Each run through the same ol’ song
Well, it begs the inquisition: were we right or wrong?
I drown in a pool of sound-
While a flood of hesitation seems to Churn around.
Like the loose leaf spinning in the river’s flow.
You can’t break free of the unknown show.
Chorus 1
Let go the bird in hand—
We need every finger in a Three-man band.
Well, the road weaves like a fallen thread
On a tapestry, apparently, of Blue and red.
All rolled up in a sardine can,
It’s a funny allegory of the best laid plan.
Well, a worthy explanation we may Never know—
It’s the baffling attraction of the unknown show.
2Sunrise, Seattle hills,
Sax in the alley under window sills.
Fine folk on a greener grass-
A kind communiqué with everyone We pass.
See through the cunning ruse-
It’s the cordial final feast before we pay our dues.
It’s the effortless audition on the patio.
Just a little taste of the unknown show.
Strife comes, to the say the least,
When the needle on the compass points to somewhere east.
Strange towns where the people stare-
You’d think that we were walking in our underwear.
One down in the land of cheese-
It’s the end of the beginning that nobody sees.
It’s the fighter’s humble moment from a sudden blow.
Nine counts down from the unknown show.
Chorus 2
Slipped in from the Jersey side.
Dizzy like a kid on a carnival ride.
Rain falls where the rubble lies.
A lingering reminder of our broken skies.
Well, we marched down to Madison Square.
A worthy demonstration that would lead nowhere.
Well, there’s just one thing that I need to know:
How do we resume the unknown show?
Bridge
I flew like a startled bird
To my home where the angels have the final word.
I walked under moonlight on the Venice beach,
I thought, my God, is my sanity on the breach?
Then, I watched my landlord change the front door locks.
As I stood in the corner with a cat in the box.
I really must confess, I almost didn’t go-
But I had to find the meaning of the Unknown Show.
3Have you ever seen a train derail?
The next few months were like a Dickens tale.
Dead broke in the southern slough.
The engine’s really not the only thing we blew.
Let’s go to Santa Fe,
I think I heard a song that said we’ll be okay.
One more line before I finally go.
I see the lights are flashing for the Unknown Show.
WE ARE TOGETHER
Music and Lyrics by John Caelan. Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocal: John; Trumpet, Percussions, Harmony: Mikel; Sax, Harmony: Jourdan
1You see a division.
You hold the line.
You see disease in our invention
But you say we’re doing fine.
You see the ruins.
You tie the bind
You see the ease of resignation
To the automated mind.
CHORUS
We are together now.
We are in deep.
We are together now.
We are the covenants we keep.
We are together now.
We are in deep.
We are together now.
We are the covenants we keep.
2Go tell the soldier.
Go tell the farmer.
Go tell the poet and the Pilate
The myth of our armor.
Go tell the seers.
Go tell the blind.
Go warn the rich man and the poor man
Of the automated mind.
3You see dissension.
You hold your own.
You see the crystal night unfolding
And you say we are alone.
You see them gather.
You stand behind.
You hear the calling of the common
To the automated mind.
4Go tell the powers
Go tell the small.
Go tell the prophets and the preachers
Of the oneness of it all.
Go tell the fury.
Go tell the kind.
Go tell the stubborn and the stranger
Of the automated mind.
DOGS AND SWINE
Revival Version
Venice Reprise Street Version
Music and Lyrics by John Caelan; Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocal: John; Sax: Jourdan; Percussions, Harmony: Mikel
1I slip out when My words grow bold.
I see the failings in the Fables I told.
He slithers into my Reproving mirror.
Starts to talk like he was Always here.
(And he says)
My name is an empty gaze.
I’m sure you’re beyond your days.
You can’t swing with a band that plays.
There’s not a lotta profit in these
Boardwalk strays.
CHORUS
Back off, You stand too close.
I feel the breath of your Unholy ghost.
Move on, ‘Cause your game is clear.
The best intentions aren’t what Bring you here.
Stand down, ‘Cause we’ve heard your line.
The shrill commotion made by Dogs and Swine.
So live life, But get in our way,
And honey I can tell ya’
There’ll be more than hell to pay.
2I slip out when the curtains fall.
I see the writing on the smoke-stained wall.
He slithers into the adjacent chair.
Starts to talk like he was always there.
(And he says)
My name is a lengthy phrase.
And I’m sure we could sing your praise.
All you need is a fan that pays.
There’s not a lotta money in this
Hippy craze.
BRIDGE
Another dawn Is coming on,
We see the light.
Oh, what a crazy ride,
A stormy night.
But now the day Is on its way
And all is right.
Oh, well, there’s something coming closer
And it’s quite a sight.
3I slip out when my bones grow tired.
The spirit stumbles when my brain is wired.
He slithers down from his expired throne.
Starts to talk like he had always known.
(And he says)
My name is an endless blaze.
And I’ve seen the latter days.
The lights fade and the air decays.
There’s not a lotta promise for
The one who stays.
DINING WITH THE DEAD
Music and Lyrics by John Caelan; Sax, Harmony: Jourdan; Percussions, Harmony, Trumpet: Mikel; Guitars, Lead vocal: John
1Rise and shine, my dear,
It’s time to meet our guests.
We’d be pleased if you could
Wear your Sunday best.
You might be surprised at
Who I would invite.
The Dear Departed will be
Dining here tonight.
Turn the porch light on,
The recently deceased
Shortly will arrive and
Join us for a feast.
Find the silverware and
Linens clean and white.
The Dear Departed will be
Dining here tonight.
CHORUS
Seems I’m sleeping with the dead.
Might as well dine with them, too.
I can’t begin to see what’s
Going through your head,
But, you know,
I’m always there for you.
2Light the candles, dear, and
Stir the onsume.
Fill the glasses with a
Silky chardonnay.
Best behavior, kids,
We all must be polite.
The dear departed will be
Dining here tonight.
Hang the guest towels, dear, and
Close the bedroom door.
Place the hors d’oeuvres here and
Sweep the kitchen floor.
Avon hides the lines while
Valium hides the spite.
The dear departed will be
Dining here tonight.
BRIDGE
And Lord knows I try
To be the man that you would
Have me be.
But our pillows, dear, are like
Gravestones to me.
3Gather in the hall and
Greet our company.
Show them to their chairs and
Smile convincingly.
Keep the glasses full and
Conversation light.
The dear departed will be
Dining here tonight.
Send the kids to bed and
Mask a subtle yawn.
Hope they take the hint and
Soon they will be gone.
No such luck, my dear, our
Masquerade was trite.
The dear departed will be
Staying here tonight.
ATONEMENT
Atonement
Word and Music by John Caelan
1I ask your leave as the moment develops;
The angels abstain from a sound.
The secret revealed with the slip of your consciousness
Drops with a thud to the ground.
Your frozen expression
Betrays your own fear.
Like the souls of the damned
When the reckoning is near.
But I’ve got a little
Surprise of my own.
A different reaction from what you
Have known.
2I may have grown past the outbursts of bitterness,
But I’ve got a long way to go.
And this fatal encore that I have grown weary of,
Begs the reciprocal blow.
So I’ve made an answer
To placate my brain.
A repetitive song with
No clever refrain
And no bridge to soften
The message enclosed.
And no rests to lessen the
Sentence imposed.
3The mindful intention to render simplicity
Ensures it will rarely be heard.
A patient arrangement that’s doomed to obscurity,
Awaiting the unspoken word.
And that will occur
When you’re lying alone,
And the voice of your lover
Bleeds out from the phone.
The humdrum denials,
The usual fare.
The stench of betrayal that
Clings to the air.
4And when you’re consumed with the weight of the evidence
The verdict that can’t be denied.
You fall to the floor in a fit of reality,
And that’s when our fates will collide.
The scene will be scored
By the clock radio
A tired deejay
At the end of his show,
Assuming the listeners have
Gone there own way.
Selects from the shoe box
A strange song to play.
5And slowly the notes etch away at your memories,
Engraving the tune in your skull.
Relentlessly digging through graves in your history.
A hymn rendered ruthlessly dull.
In the grip of your frenzy
You suddenly stop
And realize it’s time for
The other shoe to drop.
The only atonement that
Fortune could deal:
That you’d see precisely how
You made me feel.
SOMETIMES
Music and Lyrics by John Caelan; Guitar, Lead Vocal: John; Harmony: Mikel, Jourdan
1Sometimes,
I’m the last to hear the spoken word.
Sometimes,
I’m the first to heed the call.
Sometimes,
I am everyone I want to be.
Sometimes,
I’m not anyone at all.
Sometimes,
I’m not anyone at all.
2Sometimes,
I can hardly stand and see my way.
Sometimes,
It’s like I could never fall.
Sometimes,
I am everything I want to be
Sometimes,
I’m not anything at all.
Sometimes,
I’m not anything at all.
CHORUS
And in my darkest moments when I
Struggle to regain
That fleeting sense of purpose that keeps
All’ our worlds sane.
Don’t want to hold you down,
But I’d be grateful if you stay
And keep a watchful eye on me
‘Till I’m up and on my way.
Hey, hey, hey…
3Sometimes,
I’m the last to hear the spoken word.
Sometimes,
I’m the first to heed the call.
Sometimes,
I am everyone I want to be.
Sometimes,
I’m not anyone at all.
Sometimes,
I’m not anyone at all.
Shoes
Music and Lyrics by John
SHOES
Words and Lyrics by John Caelan
1Don’t bother to ask us
Where we’ve been.
You guessed right, it’s where
The decadence and sin
Blend comfortably with class
In a style all our own.
A certain debonair and a
Hint of stale cologne.
It seems
That all of our dreams
Have casually collided with
Reality that deems
Appropriate behavior for
The middle class regime,
In a failed society, so we
Swim against the stream.
CHORUS
(We’re sayin’, “Hey!”)
Tell me, boy,
Where’d you get them shoes?
Tell me, boy,
Where’d you get them shoes?
With moves like that,
Lord, you just can’t lose,
You just can’t lose.
Tell me, boy,
Where’d you get them shoes?
2Don’t bother to ask us
Who we serve.
Our clients are a private lot,
We’d never have the nerve.
Above the need for any
Obvious invitation,
No formalities in our
Chosen vocation.
We persist
And rarely have we missed
The occasional opportunity
To add upon our list
Of growing patrons,
Who surprisingly consist
Of those pillars of society
With diamonds on their wrists.
3While shunned for our seeming
Lack of social graces
We do have deed to occupy
Certain established places.
And while the debutante of formal affairs
May seem rather nice,
At least when we turn tricks,
We’re up front about the price.
So wait
We suggest you hesitate now,
Before passing judgment and
Condemning us to fate,
That you excuse our fashion faux paus
And dilapidated state,
And consider the fiscal advantage of Our weeknight rate.
THE CRIER
The Crier
Music and Lyrics by John Caelan
1Cold walls,
So that nobody leaves.
Night falls,
I have felt this before.
And I
Too old for my years
Fear calls
Familiar to me.
CHORUS
And all the while, The crier’s calling
Oh, no…It’s all the same.
Dear Lord, It isn’t changing.
New day Never came.
2Cold days,
So that nobody moves.
Old ways,
I have seen them before.
And I
Run down through the years,
A long maze
Familiar to me.
3Cold lights,
So that nobody sees.
Old sights,
I have been here before.
And I
Too old for my years
Fear rites
Familiar to me.
THE INVITATION
Words and Music by John Caelan
This is a live song and not yet recorded.
1The Invitation of a
Friend, foe or lover has
Brought you to the curious scene.
Your hesitation when
The book defies the cover is
Expected where the vagrants convene…
Chorus 1
So come join
The motley assembly.
The Unknown
Will take its cue.
And kick back,
Or listen intently…
We can play our part
But the show won’t start
Without you!
2Let’s go
East to the barrio,
And take the music into the streets.
Uptown,
We’ll bring down the status quo
And knock the lofty out of their seats.
Chorus 2
So come join
The motley assembly.
The rogue ones
Whose time is due.
Kick back,
Or listen intently…
We can play our part
But the show won’t start
Without you.
Bridge
Your day
Was certainly a burden,
With annoyances unending, I’m sure.
The strained relations where
You hardly get a word in are
The least of all the pains you endure.
Meanwhile, in a far off land
Where the cradle falls and the palm trees stand,
A man finds some water that eluded the sun,
He says, Who’d have guessed I’d be the lucky one?
3Let’s ride
On through the country side—
You know we’ll grow the numbers out there.
Head south,
Down to the river’s mouth,
You taste the rhythms filling the air.
Chorus 3
So come join
The motley assembly,
The dirt poor and the
Ner’-to-do.
Kick back,
Or listen intently.
We can play our part
But the show won’t start
Without you!
Outro
The invitation of a friend, foe, or lover, has
Brought you to the curious scene.
Your hesitation when the book defies the cover is
Expected, I said it’s expected
Where the vagrants convene…
THE CHOICE BEFORE
Words and Music by John Caelan
1Calm the conscience.
And numb your minds.
Close the windows, and we’ll
Turn the blinds.
And if you think you’ve found the Answer,
Consider more:
The Choice Before.
2Calm the waters,
And hold the shore.
A cold baptismal for the
Old and poor.
And if you think we know the reason,
Will you ignore
The Choice Before?
Chorus
So, come what will,
And come what may…
The truth is more
Than all we say.
3Calm the mothers,
And warm their hands.
But hide the coffins when their
Loved-one lands.
As if we all don’t know the answer,
The cause of war:
The Choice Before.
As if we all don’t know the answer,
The cause of war:
The choice before.
MIDDLE OF MY SOUL
Words and Music by John Caelan
This is a live song and not yet recorded.
1Well, I don’t gotta job.
I don’t gotta a plan.
I’m barely getting through it anyway I can.
And my mind’s kinda slow.
My body is flawed.
It seems that all my hobbies have
Been outlawed, now.
But I got a geetar,
If we get bored.
You always know the melody,
I always know the chord.
So rock on out,
Or, baby, we can rock and roll.
Sing the little ditty in the Middle of My Soul.
2Well, I don’t gotta room,
I don’t gotta a bed.
I don’t gotta a pillow for your
Weary head.
And I don’t gotta a chance,
I don’t got game.
I really don’t know if you
Feel the same.
But I got nothing, and nothing to lose.
It’s easy making choices when you’ve
Only one to choose.
So pack your bags,
Or, baby, we could pack a bowl.
Sing the little ditty in the Middle of my Soul.
Chorus
Here’s a little nugget that I found upon the floor.
A little less than I’d hoped for.
I bought a candle at the 99 cent store—
We can light it up, and see if we find more.
3Well, I don’t gotta dime,
I don’t gotta clue.
I don’t gotta present to
Give to you.
And I don’t gotta phone,
And I can’t pay the rent.
I really don’t know where
The money went.
But I’ve got cable and
Nic-at-Nite.
You always gotta cigarette,
I always gotta light.
So pack your bags,
Or, baby, we could pack that bowl.
And sing the little ditty in the middle of my soul.
DON'T WANNA SERVE
Don’t Wanna Serve
Words and Music by John Caelan
This is a live song and not yet recorded.
1Don’t wanna serve the man.
Sell my time for a measly dime
In his Factory.
Fat, little froggy man.
Tie so tight he can hardly breathe
When he screams at me.
(Oh, lordy, now; oh, mercy now; oh, glory, now)
We’re living for the end.
Wait in dread
‘Till you purge your head
On Sunday,
A man can pray.
Cleanse his soul for another day.
Here comes the week, again.
Count the hours ‘till you hit the showers
On Friday.
A man gets paid.
Lucky dog if a man gets laid
By midnight…
Chorus
Well, I’m not opposed to the righteous buck,
But this ain’t effort, and this ain’t luck.
No, you’re piling up the corpses on a flat-bed truck.
Is the Devil satisfied with the deal you struck?
You say, you’re gonna let me go, ‘cause
We’re in a tight spot,
Then you spend my pension on a brand-new yacht.
You’ll get a paid vacation if you ever get caught,
‘Cause your daddy owns the Rolls in the parking lot.
Somewhere, a good man, he scrimps and saves
But he’s paying for shovel used to dig our graves,
And out there in the desert where you hide your slaves,
Your buddy’s counting gold in air-conditioned caves.
You think that freedom means you get it for free?
Well, I’m telling you, mister, don’t tread on me.
The people gonna have an epiphany..
Your time’s at an end, you just wait, wait and see.
2Don’t wanna serve the man.
Acting fools under rich man’s rules
That don’t apply to him.
Fat little froggy man.
Lies so big he can hardly breathe when he spewing them.
(Oh, Lordy, now; oh, Mercy now; Oh, Glory now..)
We’re living for the end,
Scratch your head like the living dead ‘till
Sunday,
A man can pray.
Cleanse his soul for another day.
Here comes the week again.
Count the hours ‘till you hit the showers
On Friday.
A man gets paid.
Lucky dog if a man gets laid
By midnight.
IT'S OVER NOW
It’s Over Now
Words and Music by John Caelan
This is a live song and not yet recorded.
1What a strange twist of fate.
What a deep irony.
What a long time to wait.
What a dark place to be.
What a hard test of faith,
But I know that somehow
We will see our way through,
And our faith will renew,
Though we can’t see it now.
Though we can’t see it now.
Though we can’t see it now.
Though we can’t see it now.
2What a strange consequence.
What an odd path to roam.
Must have read the wrong signs,
Took them so far from home.
What a large weight to bear,
But I always knew that somehow
There would come a day
When we would look back and say,
It’s over now.
Well, it’s over now.
It’s over now.
It’s over now.
3What a strange thing to see.
But we fought the good fight.
There were times when it seemed
There was no end in sight.
In the depths of despair,
I always knew that somehow
We would stand here today,
Take a deep breath and say
It’s over now.
It’s over now.
It’s over now.
It’s over now.
A FEW THOUGHTS (NO TIME)
Words and Music by John Caelan
Intro
You think we willed the fog to come?
Is this conceited of me?
Is it so hard to think that maybe we’ve grown
So damn cold, well,
We merely willed the fog to be?
Of course, I know this isn’t true.
We all see where fog is from.
If prophecy is just
A statement of the obvious, then
What a prophet I’ve become.
1No time like the present.
Except a thousand times before.
Fall down from your towers.
Light the fires; we’ve gone to war.
2Do you travel without title?
Do you stand among the choir without song?
Do you cling to things unreal?
Do you believe or do you just need to belong?
Are you humbled by their size?
Are you scared to see a nation without names?
Or do you envy what they prize?
Do you enjoy the paintings only within frames?
Are we harvesting the Seed
While wondering
Why nothing
Will grow?
Has everyone resigned themselves?
Did everyone concede?
Don’t we see what we lose
If we don’t stand and choose?
Don’t we reap
What we sew?
3No time like the present.
Except a thousand times before.
Fall back to your towers.
Feed the fires of endless war.
AQUAMARINE
Music and Lyrics by Mikel Farber
1Do they really want that?
Does it really mean this?
Gotta give up our cars and apartments and things,
Gotta swing and still miss?
Does it move like a dream?
Like a play with outrageously differing scenes but
A similar theme,
And just blackouts between?
2Are the ends in the means?
Only stuck in between?
And amendments just measured acceptance of
Threats from an enemy’s screams?
Is it clever to bet?
When you’re heavy in debt?
Is it relevant if you’re incredulous then,
Or enveloped in sweat?
Chorus
(Cause I never could)
Find the line in the sand.
It might be time to cry
If you can,
And is this mine to try
If it’s in my hand?
Or can I just ride the tide
If I can’t see land?
Are we up on the scene
Like a young Billie Jean?
Or just running circuitous paths like
We’re rats on a panic machine?
You’re still trying to win.
And Goliath invites you on back to his village
To visit his kin.
And you’re doing him in.
Like you’re righteous in sin.
(But) see some wild-eyed kid
With his knife your skin makes you think of
Forgiveness when nothing else did.
Did I say what I mean?
Did it come across clean?
(Bridge) Because you see blue,
I see green,
When it’s aquamarine.
Like this war of ideals:
Just as wrong as it’s real.
Just as wrong as it’s real.
PURGATORY
Purgatory
Music & Lyrics by Mikel Farber
1The state I’m in is strange:
From night to day don’t see a change.
I’m reading Nietzsche to assuage my little brain.
I’m lucky to be here and useful,
With nothing to fear but the future,
From this lovely, troubling viewpoint, it’s evident:
Chorus
(I’ve been in)
Purgatory for ages;
(The kind that makes you want to)
Sleep late and smoke all day.
In these mundane pages
That you can’t skip past,
You can’t turn away.
2I’ve mumbled through my twenties with a
Cool pair of shoes on, now I’m
Stumbling through a junkyard
So far from my home.
Running rings around my dreams and still
Holding up my jeans,
I couldn’t buy a bag of beans.
It’s unreal, but it’s how it feels.
Because . . .
Bridge
Bah bah dah bah bah bah . . .
3Could’ve signed a deal here in Los Angeles,
That’s cheating, see
My music came here free and
That’s how she’ll leave.
We’re singing songs that’s sweet,
The people clap and stomp their feet,
Got no conglomerate to feed,
But even still we’re in between.
Because of . . .
(Chorus)
SCALES
Words and Music by Mikel Farber
1Living large, loving slender.
Looking pallid from lack of Sun’s splendor.
It’s a laughable life to defend . . .
From the mind of a mighty pretender:
2Later on when our last hope’s on Mars,
They’re gonna say that we never left our cars;
On the highway, pipes shooting out smog.
Sitting still while the trees buckle backwards and fall.
Got a man: says he’s working for us.
His commander says: Up, up and up!
We’re dependent on stuff.
And they’re ready to fight cause it’s never enough.
Gotta tell them: “That’s too much!”
Give ‘em back all the plastic and gas and the fluff.
Say: “Get out of Iraq if you’re so tough!”
If you’re comfortable . . . better wake the fuck up
Chorus 1
(Cause you know)
I’m frightened of the price we’ll have to pay
For all the time we’ve sat away
Out there on the highway . . .
3Met a man with a knife on his belt
At a ten dollar dive with a two dollar smell.
(He) said the revolution was dead.
Had a diamond design on his tidy lapel.
He said: “The Hippies didn’t do too well,
Took a dive to the depths of a lime-colored
Lysergic well, and they found
Zen Patience there.
Then Staying Alive cemented the spell.
Can’t say that it’s unfair,
Cause a fever on Saturday night can be hell!
You don’t want to go back there . . . no.
Please don’t make me go back there!
No, no no.”
Chorus 2
Then he smiled as he said: “You know I’m
Frightened of the price we’ll have to pay
For all the cares we danced away
At night on Saturday . . .”
But we don’t have to lose it all
We just gotta let go of a little more
We’re staring at pillars like they’re walls
We just gotta fit back through these prison bars.
4Left the bar with a woman I like.
Took a stroll through the star-spangled night.
(She) asked me how I was feeling, I said “Fine,
But that old man might have been right
Cause if the revolution’s in our mind
That means we can’t take it outside
Cause it wouldn’t apply.”
I said something ‘bout leading the blind through the night
She said: “The truth’s like a butterfly:
If it’s captured, it might just die.
But that myth is a lie.
Knock the scales from its wings, and it’s still gonna fly cause it’s lighter and
We’ll be all right
If we’re strong through the rain and the fire, cause you know we’ve just
Got to be all right.”
Chorus 3
Then she said: “I’m frightened of the price we’ll have to pay
For all the lives we’ve talked away
In the morning on Sunday . . .”
But we don’t have to lose it all
We just gotta let go of a little more
We’re staring at pillars like they’re walls
We just gotta fit back through these prison bars.
THE INCIDENTAL YOU
Words and Music by John Caelan
1Do you think that she’s poor?
Without the things
That money brings
What she living for?
Do you think that he’s queer?
You must agree
It has to be
A father’s worse fear-
Chorus 1
And did I mention
Your scholarship came through.
A perfect passage
For the incidental you.
2Do you think that he steals?
He goes to jail
And pays no bail,
Living off free meals.
Do you think she’s a whore?
We didn’t need
Those mouths to feed
And now she’s bringing more-
Chorus 2
And did you notice
What a good masseur can do.
A perfect posture
For the incidental you.
Bridge
I don’t really know how I got here.
I’m you, but I’m not the same.
And I think that I might just discover
I share nothing more than your name.
3Do you think that he’s slow?
You know their kinds
Have lesser minds
The bible tells us so.
Do you think she’s insane?
We’ll never see
The world to be
As long as they remain.
Chorus 3
And did I mention
My partnership came through.
A perfect picture
Of the incidental you.
DEEP SEA DIVING
Words and Music by Mikel Farber
1Just sitting here.
Staring through the curtains
Like I always do.
It’s becoming all too clear:
The only thing I know for certain is
I miss you.
Chorus 1
Passerby smiling.
Might as well be deep sea diving.
2Couples shuffle on by
Exited righty by the dawning night,
The slivered moon slips slowly into sight.
Sky spans the vibrant spectrum
Of the deepest blues and reds.
The air’s electric; girls are turning heads.
Chorus 2
Passerby smiling,
Feel like I’m deep sea diving.
3Just sitting here,
Anxious, itching inside,
Just like I went for years.
I’m realizing
It’s gonna be a while before
I forget the way you feel.
Gonna be all right.
On such a lonely night,
Hope shines the only light.
Illuminated by it,
I feel la dee da dee da…
Bridge
Cause time’s what brought us here
And it’ll guide you right.
Back here to dry my eyes
After some lonely flight.
It’s only been two nights and
There’s no end in sight.
Just sittin’ here and
I just don’t feel right.
4Just sitting here stuck
Between the future and the past
Until my dreams arrive.
I’m seeing clear, but
All the feelings left me,
Seems my soul’s immobilized.
Chorus 4
Passerby smiling.
Oh, feel like I’m deep sea diving.
LISTEN LADY
Words and Music by Mikel Farber
1Next to you I feel distant,
Abstract, maybe vague.
You’re so realistic –
A little old for your age.
Your honesty strips me,
Though it’s you who’s afraid.
Say you already miss me.
Well the rules have been laid.
I’m not in this for blue skies
Not long days in June
Cause we’re here and it’s wintertime,
I’m just trying to do right by you.
2So your days have been painful
And riddled with tears.
That’s all gonna change, you know;
As long as I’m here.
Not as if I was an angel,
I wish I had wings.
I’d fly through life in limbo,
Be and see everything.
I hope you forgive me
When I’ve gone far away,
But as long as you kiss me that way, lady
It’s not gonna be today.
La la la la la,
La la la la la la,
Listen lady
3You can see that I’m drifting.
Feel me floating away.
For fear of seeming cryptic
I don’t think that’s gonna change.
It’s not like I’m impervious to your love, dear,
Get your emotions prepared.
It’s natural to be nervous up here
When we’re floating on air.
Did I mention – you’re charming
With your back turned to the breeze?
Your whole essence is calming.
I think you dig my extremes.
I can’t love you for certain.
My mind’s wild, and it’s free;
But as long as it’s worth it to you lady,
Let’s lay here in peace.
SOFT IN THE MIDDLE
Words and Music by John Caelan
1You say
I’m soft in the middle
Like a warm cherry pie.
I say
You’re kinda like the riddle
Of the head without an eye.
You say
You like my potential
But you wish I was already there.
I say
It’s fairly fundamental
That your vanity’s the cross I bear.
You say
I’m short on attraction
Though I’m aging like cheese and wine.
I say
You live for the reaction
Like you’re swinging in on a vine.
You say
I’m somewhat controlling
Like the yoke on the dogged mule
I say
You’re like the stone that’s rolling
Towards the house of the golden rule.
Chorus
And we
Were hardly meant to be.
Like the two plays contrary
On the same marquee.
But we’re drawn
To a stage long gone.
We’re the show that inexplicably
Keeps going on.
2You say
I change like the weather
Though you kinda like the sun and rain.
I say
You’re mind is not together
Like a coup de’tat is in your brain.
You say
You need your expression
Unencumbered by all restraint.
I say
Your lack of discretion
Could drop the devil in a faint.
You say
I’m trapped in a theory
That defies gravity.
I say
It’s evident that clearly
You’re the purchase with no guarantee.
You say
I’m slow like molasses
Though admittedly I’m kinda sweet.
I say
You’re like the X-ray glasses
That claim to see right through concrete.
LESS THAN LOVELY
Words and Lyrics by John Caelan
1A children’s world
And you were reigning princess
A thousand knights
At your command.
And you we’re blessed
With all that was called beauty.
The courts were full
To ask your hand.
Chorus
But if they find
That you are less than lovely
And if they see
You’re fading fast.
And if the years
Take their toll on beauty,
Do you believe
They’re love will last?
2A children’s world.
And I’m the lonely jester
To entertain
When skies were gray.
And you we’re blind
To all that I might offer.
You’d only laugh
When I would say
If you find
That you are less than lovely
And if you see
You’re fading fast.
And if the years
Take their toll on beauty,
Do you believe?
That love will last?
Bridge
Look on down.
Look on down.
Years come round,
Take you down-
-When you find that you are
Less than lovely;
When there’s no one who calls
Call to me.
3A grownup world,
Alone in empty parlor.
A tarnished crown,
A poor lady.
And in your hands
A book of faded pictures.
Did you save
The one of me?
I’ll never find
That you are less than lovely.
I’ll never see
You fading fast.
And if the years
Take their toll on beauty,
I do believe
My love will last.
Bridge
Look on down.
Look on down.
Years come round,
Take you down-
-When you find that you are
Less than lovely
When there’s no one who calls,
Call to me-
-When you find that you are
Less than lovely
When there’s no one who calls
Call to me.
I KNOW
Words and Music by John Caelan
1I had a thought the other day.
Couldn’t help but see the way
Your eyes fell to the floor.
And how you went and changed your hair
And you act like you don’t care
If I notice anymore.
I know who I am
And I know who you are.
And I know when someone’s gone.
I’ve seen where we been,
I see where we are.
I see you moving on.
2I hate to point out little things
Like how you take your calls outside
From numbers I don’t know.
And the quiet nighttime brings
When no matter how we’ve tried
The silence seems to grow.
I know what we were
And I know what we are.
I know when things are wrong.
I’ve seen when your close,
I see when you’re far.
I see it won’t be long.
Chorus
And I
Oh, I would like to recommend that you
Oh, tell me what the hell is going on
So I can have a final cry and go.
I’m tired and I really want to know.
3I don’t know where things when wrong,
I’m not placing any blame.
How were we to know?
But don’t string me along.
It’s a cruel and pointless game.
You have to let me go.
I know how we were
And I know how we are.
I know when love is gone.
I seen when you smile,
God knows it’s been awhile.
It’s time we both moved on.
Chorus
4I had a thought the other day,
You say it’s all in my mind,
But I’m leaving anyway.
HALLELUJAH
Words and Music by Leonard Cohen
This cover by quebb can be heard on The Venice Reprise, Part One.
Cohen recorded this in 1984. There are actually 15 verses to Hallelujah. Cohen himself as often changed which verses and when in various performances. Covers often present different combinations as well. We liked the verses Jeff Buckley chose to include in his cover. In the recording, while it may seem like John slips into accent, he actually says “sacred chord” instead of secret chord. It was an accident, but now he just says sacred—we have a feeling Mr. Cohen would not mind.
1Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Chorus
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
2Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
3Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
4There was a time you let me know
What's real and going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
5Maybe there’s a God above,
But all I ever learned from love,
Was how to shoot at someone
Who out drew you.
It’s not a cry that you hear at night.
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light.
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.
Final Chorus
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
THE WALTZ
Revival Version
Venice Reprise Version
The Waltz
Music by Jourdan D’Andrea Stephens