Street Magic

i can’t sit down, i can’t stand still,
my glass for long, it won’t stay filled,
i’m thinking everything i say, is profound in some way,
i slow down, i’m talking fast,
i try and act like i’ve got class,
then the room it starts to spin,
i take a sip and i grin.

i say goodbye to my life here with my old friends,
i’ll drink away the memories, sure “this’ll never end,”
i hate myself now because i believed you then,
life’s in extra innings there’s no one in the ‘pen,

and i know yeah i know, i know, know, know, know, know,
you’ll regret this all before too long,
(you’ll regret this all before too long),
you’ll regret this all by the time i’m done singing this song.

i wouldn’t have left you high and dry,
you shoulda banked on me, you shoulda banked on me,
sickening feeling in your side,
you shoulda banked on me, you shoulda banked on me,
lion has no land without his pride,
you shoulda banked on me, you shoulda banked on me,
lost alone within the night.

i almost wish we had some fight, on some drive all through the night,
back where i could point the blame, i’d say things ”never were the same,”
now i’m drinking double time, i’ve got knob creek on my mind,
spy face says he’s doing “fine,” we clink our glasses one more time.

reminisce about the past i’m trying so hard to forget,
i thought things were going good, they should not have ended yet,
been drinking for awhile it’s hard not to get upset,
i’m mixing up my words, ready, go, set,

i’m home alone again so i sing,
i sing along to songs on the radio.

The Con Artist

look me in the face when you speak to me,
he said then spat quite suddenly,
and aimed his 9 directly at my chest,
i pleaded sir, i'm innocent,
swear i've never been west of Dent,
and i've certainly never ridden on no train.

and if i die (if i die),
well i'll be thinking of you face,
can't go home (can't go home),
i've just a memory of that place,
we used to roam when we were kids,
and hadn't yet robbed the whole damn town blind.

the sheriff growled i know you've done it,
i've this here sketch,
now boy, go and fetch,
that golden haired pretty little girl of yours,
i replied, i'd love to sir, but i've got no gold,
its just me and my mutt out in the cold,
i'm all alone ain't got no pretty girl.

sheriff he, scratched his head, said i don't know,
you don't seem the type to steal no gold,
and with a face that ugly no girl'd love ya neither.
i said thank ya sir, you're mighty kind,
but i've still one thing on my mind,
i've got to say, before you let me go.
i looked him in the face, just like he'd asked,
told him how you were back,
at his jail, and how we took that bank.
well girl, that sheriff he looked quite surprised,
when you shot him between the eyes,
and with you, my liberated brother.

Answer My Call

the car, it broke down,
on the side of the 135,
i went to make a call,
then i realized the phone it had died.
so i set out walking towards exit number 8,
hoping something would be open but it was really late,
and i, oh i know,
that you'll answer my call.

i woke with a start, sat straight up, the clock blared a red 3:19,
i picked up my phone, but when i called i just got your machine,
so i grabbed my coat.

i've been all around town,
looking for stores that aren't closed,
i can't find nothing been years since this place saw a pay phone,
i walked, and i walked, seemed like more than one night,
then i tripped, i turned a corner, i saw headlights…

i found your car abandoned, so i started to drive around town,
i reached for my water it fell, for a second, looked down at the ground,
then i heard a thud.

i felt searing pain up and down my right side.
i screamed, and i screamed, and i screamed, for my life,
i yelled to anyone listening, i don't want to die,
then through the haze, i saw you eyes,
i knew that you'd come for me...

Big Top Dale

he loaded all he could in a bag,
pillow and blanket's all that Dale ever had,
a couple of shirts some ratty old shorts,
that he cut from old jeans.
dale ripped all the sleeves off his shirts,
he'd toil day after day after day in the dirt,
he built up the tents, he tore them down,
and he dreamed of the day.

they made him a beggar, they made him plead,
if they'd just give him a chance, they'd see him succeed,
dale gave it his all, he didn't need rest, he'd always believed,
if put to the test, he'd puff out his chest, in the paper they'd read,
how dale had been free'd.

every night he'd run all his routines,
after crowds had gone home he'd fly the trapeze,
he'd walked on the tightrope while juggling,
but nobody cared.
vacant seats lined up row after row,
empty boxes of popcorn from the eight o'clock show,
in his head he reveled in the spotlight's glow ,
that he knew wasn't there.

one night in stomped an old clown called the king,
he sat atop his throne, he stared menacing,
as he chomped a cigar with dale practicing,
he turned a wry smile.
behind dale snuck the twins ken and phil,
jugglers from the east they were intent on the kill,
they said if folks saw dale, well who would hire them still,
so they gave the king the sign.
the king pulled a hidden lever right then,
as the tightrope gave way out sprang phil and ken,
they tackled poor dale beat him beyond mend,
then they dragged him away.

Mountain of Doom

sixty yards away they loomed,
an imposing mountain of doom.
the captain shouted out his orders,
his army plowed into icy waters,
as the bullets began to fly,
a young man emerged with bright eyes,
he looked around surveyed it all,
screamed "my brothers we shall not fall!"

look deep inside and find,
a courage that is blind, to fear and we shall overcome,
they'll rue the day they came, into our home!

in time they'll write this down,
the author wears the crown,
the story from our side,
of how we won the fight!

nobody comes in our home!

I Got Out, I'm Alive

you go walking down the streets hoping to find a way out,
of your life, and all the problems that you got,
you've been asking everyone you know about your situation,
and what it was they thought that you should do.

maybe you'll find a way,
maybe things'll be ok,
maybe you'll live to say,
i got out i'm alive.

all the people ask what it is you know, they ask you what have you got to show,
why's your head always down and why are you sitting by yourself,
you wanna thrash, yell, scream and shout, grab a drink stuff it in your mouth,
but you just sit there and burst on the insides.

you don't know a way out of the situation,
spending all your time trying to avoid a confrontation,
try and keep it cool no need for escalation,
the best plan might be a trial separation.
get out of town, go and try a vacation,
spend some time driving around go and see the nation,
go and climb a mountain, up the elevation,
and when when you get up high, look into into the sky, scream it till you die,
i got out i'm alive.

Born With a Blue Nose

i, spent my entire life in a cage,
folks say things are much better this way,
i'm a menace that you can't let on the loose,
i'll bite your kids won't need an excuse.

but I won't listen to a thing that they say,
they dont know nothing bout me,
and i need a change.
i want out of this crate, want out of this life, i want a place to call home.

but the papers say no,
they talk about attacks in the night, and another dog fight,
they say that i'm menace,
but they don't get us,
in here we're not all so bad,
judged for a coat I've had since birth, and all around the earth, they all hate me.
i've been here for 3 years, and all i hear are fears, about how i'll chew up their homes,
so they leave me here all alone.

i know you think i'm wrong but i'm not,
we spent the whole night in the lot,
behind fridays outside the park,
i was fine, it was june, we do it a lot.

don't listen to a thing that they say,
they don't know nothing bout me,
we're not all the same,
at that lot she found me, a drive surrounded, by older hounds and young pups.

i said i'll take this one here with me home,
but the man at the drive he said no,
he said i've got something more in your size.
i told him I've had enough of the lies.
the perfect life that i can provide,
put him in the car we went for a ride,
left the man there just saying it's wrong,
took him home to where he belongs.

The Lemon in Bridget’s Bag

sat down beside her an instantly knew i was home,
she leaned over and whispered "i missed you while you were gone,"
i said now that i'm here i can't figure why i ever left,
if ever again i try leaving smack me in the head.

all of the time, that i spent away,
only made me wish i was here,
by your side, everyday.

all around her apartment was littered with notes,
letters she'd written and some that i'd wrote,
each of them begging and pleading for me to come on back home,
6 months at sea will break even the heartiest folk.

so we took all the money from my voyage afar,
and gathered the cash from that old mason jar,
and we moved by the ocean and from that day forth,
we'd sing all our days.