The Other Right Place

the other right place

apsu's complaint

I'm the one who built this house, now

Guess I passed the biggest test

But these kids are messing around too loud, now

And I can't catch a bit of rest

Keep the noise down, y'all, do

Keep your voices down

Won't you let me hear myself sleep?

I'm the one who laid you in your cradle

I'm the one who made you lay quite still

I'd even read to you a fable

To stop you staying up until

Keep the noise down, y'all, do

Keep your voices down

Won't you let me hear myself sleep?

And he's working on his dribble and her diary is scribbled

And he's rousing up the rabble and she's challenging in Scrabble

And she pushed him off a ladder and he's acting even badder

And each is always yelling that the other's worse

Oh I wish I'd killed 'em first—yes I wish I'd killed 'em first

And there's still trangression when the school is in session

Cause they call about her skipping and they whistle him for clipping

And she has to have a letter and he takes it to upset her

And each is always saying it's the other's fault

Oh I think I'll kill 'em all—yes I think I'll kill 'em all

Don't say they need some extra chances

Don't make we wait till they're my age

Don't make those blandishing advances

Don't try to turn aside my rage

Keep the noise down, I will,

Keep their voices down

Cause it's time I got my sleep

when i'm dead

When I'm dead, put my head in the freezer

Of an old refrigerator—see you later? I don't know

Cut my hair and tape it to an 8-track player

Make a loop of music memories for a favorite group of friends

Watch what's left of me dance and dance

When I'm dead, you can search through all my pockets

And find the unwrapped candy that I meant to try again

And my fingers, you know they might or might not signal

Just let them lie down together and they won't make trouble

Watch what's left of me dance and dance

You got that, right? Stay up all night

Just one more time—see the sun rise

Sleep all the next day away

Then unplug me and put my ashes in the crisper

Of the old refrigerator

And throw it out in the sea—let the coral cover me

And I'm in the habitat just like that

I'm in the fishes' habitat just like that

You got that, right?

Just one more time

And sleep then—and sleep then

You got that, right? Stay up all night

Just one more time—see the sun rise

Sleep all the next day away

media mind

The information is in flood

It's in the system like a wound has blood and I

I run all the time

I'm in the system, I have a media mind

Information that you retain

Makes you heavy like a tennis ball in the rain

But I move with the time

For information, I have a media mind

It doesn't slow down at all

A man makes something and makes a name

And then he gets his commotion of fame, and then

It doesn't help him at all

To turn the speaker up when the President calls

Don't be the strainer in the sink

You want to be the communicating link and just

Let the traffic go by

You're in the system and you have a media mind

It doesn't slow down at all

Birds on the pavement, planes on the wing

In the quiet space station the radio sings (and up here)

We're on all the time

We're as reliable as all the planets combined

We don't slow down at all

virgin canyon

We had a trailer on the high desert, all its systems broke

I thought we better ditch it and I asked my folks

My dad was scratching dirt and my mom was licking dew

There wasn't much opinion and nobody knew

Oh I weep in Zion, who can abide this blow-dry flame?

Last chance is Virgin Canyon, where nothing is new, and it ain't the same

I'm scanning the horizon, it doesn't give a clue

And prickle-eye eagles shade the savage blue

Where is water running, where is water I can drink?

And is there something I can do where I don't have to think?

Down, two thousand feet down, gotta keep walking or get more lame

And wade in Virgin Canyon, where nothing is new, and it ain't the same

Think the Spaniards had a claim?

This old canyon ain't the same

A lizard was for breakfast, a lizard was for lunch

Don't tell me what's for supper now, I have a hunch

And please, no more promising a life that never fades

I could open a museum of the plans we've made

But stay by your companions and keep out an eye for the sudden rains

That shoot through Virgin Canyon, where nothing is new, and it ain't the same

shortwave

On lonely nights, my lonely nights

I listen to the world on my shortwave

I hear your voice in the background noise

As I spend the night with my shortwave

CHORUS:

1 in the morning in Morocco

2 a.m. in Tokyo

3 in the morning is Bombay

4 a.m. in Mandalay

On lonely nights, my lonely nights

I listen to the world on my shortwave

I hear the noise on my radio

Imagining your voice on my shortwave

CHORUS:

Wavelength, frequency

Clearly, my memory

It's past midnight where I hold the dial

Somewhere it's sunrise on my shortwave

I hear your voice in the background noise

As I spend the night with my shortwave

CHORUS:

one call

I saw a billboard

A man in a tie held out a phone

He's a big lawyer

He can help out with things like car wrecks and marriage

All my friends would laugh this off

But now I'm not inclined to scoff

It's a profession I would never disparage

CHORUS:

One call will fix it all, one call will heal you

One call will fix it all, one call

She was two new eyes

She looked directly in my mind

So that was her opening

We walked arm in arm and then she touched something rusty

Which I thought was safely caged

But I failed to act my age

Or I did, but it was not to be trusted

CHORUS:

For the future, who can say?

I have to deal with you today

We operate on borrowed time

But let's just keep an open mind, an open mind

La la la la, la la la

I operate on borrowed time

But I will keep an open mind, an open mind

One call

I'm optimistic

Although I know I messed up bad

But what kind of story

Comes to an end because there's no proper ending?

At least, I did not keep score

Or that's behind a different door

Than the one above these stairs we're ascending

CHORUS:

glider ride

We made some miles, we spent the night at one of those new franchise inns

They advertise, they're where true civilization now begins

And we can spill our drinks around the room

Mrs. Garcia will come and clean up soon

Vacation drive—it's a glider ride

Their office cantilevers out above the highway sea

They have a conference every week to grow their industry

And they can spill their drinks around the room

Mrs. Hernandez will come and clean up soon

Your powered flight—it's a glider ride

We're gaining speed, we're losing altitude, do you see why

We're on a roll—we're on a glider ride

(A moonless night)

We're on a glider ride

(The fifth floor)

We're on a glider ride

(A quiet crash)

We're on a glider ride

(That's right)

We're on a glider ride

morgano

I'm eager, I'm calm though

I think I'm ready to go

He taught me what I know

I trust the great Morgano

I'm on the high platform

I've got the bar warm

CHORUS:

O Morgano, I'm jumping now

And I know you won't let me fall

O Morgano, I'm flying now

I'll continue until you call

I'm balanced, I'm pointed

Just one touch from a helping hand

I'm limber, I'm jointed

I will obey your command

Maybe it's not time yet

I've got this bar all wet

CHORUS:

mind control

Creature—listen to your teacher

Utilize your features, both of them

Loser—beggars can't be choosers

I shouldn't self-abuse myself again

Don't drop the bomb, don't drop the bomb

Set it off, let it fly, tip it off, let it ride

Time for mind control, bring the mind control

Make it, let me know, let me go

You cheddarhead, you heed your betters

Give up your confederacies

Shave your sexual behavior

I'll owe you a favor, say can you see?

Now I'm out of joint, talking out of joint

Just a point, not a strand, just a man, not a band

Time for mind control, bring the mind control

Take it, let me know, let me go

Rebecca—you travelled off to Mecca

Jumping over wrecks on the road

Manic—you threw us in a panic

Finding you'd abandoned your clothes

Said you needed a day

It made me greedy that you stay

And step up on me

With Venus looking down, Venus on the town

Shining high, sky's a park, sky is high, superdark

Time for mind control, bring the mind control

Check it, let me know, let me go

I'm the golden ass in a golden house

Let me out, let me range, you can keep the change

Time for mind control, bring the mind control

Let it fly, let it fly, let it fly

aunt louise

I think I'm too scared to stay through the night

With all these machines in a room too bright

I'm gonna get news or fall asleep first

It might be nothing, it might be worse

What if I hold my own idea?

I'm conscious—I'm conscious

Somebody gave me a pamphlet tale

It says we live in a kind of jail

Give us a key, we fly out the door

We have a higher home in store

Well, thank you, I have a home right now

I'm conscious—I'm conscious

I want to lay down with Aunt Louise

Even though she's turned to clay

I'll be happy to see what she sees

Any old time of day

And I believe she'll let me stay

The way I've arrived is pace by pace

It's not a highway, it's not a race

I met my friends, I met my kids

Made some money, made a fit

Now if I could hold my own idea

I want to lay down with Aunt Louise

Even though she's turned to clay

Cause now she's able to take her ease

And just listen to what folks say

It mostly sounds the same anyway

I want to lay down with Aunt Louise

Even though she's turned to clay

I can help her to keep the peace

And watch out that the young don't stray

Because we know the young will stray

the cat in the hat

Hear the weather, hear the weather, rainy morning

Think about it, think about it, it's a warning

What you think you better write down

And save it up, save it up, keep a lid tight on that cup, but

I let him read it with the funnies

I let him take it to the movies

He mixed it up with all the folly

Art attack, maniac, give it back, give it all back now

The cat in the hat—he's ready to run

The cat in the hat, cat in the hat—it's all he's done

Cat in the hat

They always told me I should know you

Because my magic I could show you

But when I met you I was tongue-tied

Fearful of, start to cough, backing off, backing all the way off

So I don't like my secret friend now

When he leaves me I will learn how

To get it done and put it over

Megaphone, dog a bone, on my own, all on my own now

The cat in the hat—he's starting to pack

The cat in the hat, cat in the hat—he won't be back

Cat in the hat, cat in the hat

He showed a pretty flash of blue jay

He took us on a trip to Bombay

He mounted Jesus on a pony

Turned about, let him out, raised a doubt, made me all cloudy

He sent a cheeky manifesto

He got us speaking in a jail code

He said we ought to break some crystal

Down the drain, not in vain, on the brain, sip New Year's champagne

The cat in the hat—he's ready to run

The cat in the hat, cat in the hat—it's all he's done

Cat in the hat

you burn me

You burn me—you burn me girl

I'm thirsty for nothing but you

My eyes—you pull them with you

And inside you pull me apart

And breathing, breathing is hard

Stop by me, or just stand still

I've lived on this place all my life

I went down this road to school

Cicadas—I listen for you

I can't see the forest for you

I can't see the black pines for you