SET LIST FIFTEEN
(15)
1
Shield……………………...160
2 Story of My Life
3 Floating
Head……………….160
4 Come To Me
5 Flim Flam
Man……………..162
6 Other Times
(first part)
7 Solving
Problems…………..164
8 Messy Room
9 Monarch…………….165
10 Heavy Machines
11 Brain
Games………..167
12 Chit Chat Chatter
13 Sign of the
Times……...168
SHIELD
"Either
write something worth reading
or
do something worth writing"
Looks
like Benjamin Franklin's right again
So
rather than be a man of action
I'm
off to get my pen...
Whatever
keeps me free from blame
Surely,
that's the choice I'll choose
For
in this game I never said I had to win
I'm
happy to draw if it means I don't lose
Call
me a coward
Call
me what you will
While
you're crawling among the fallen
Well,
I'll be standing still
So
what if I'm standing still?
At
least treading water
Means
that I'm still alive
Just
look here at my great big book
So
what if it lacks a spine?
It
makes for a magnificent shield
Which
I use to hind behind
And
I hide behind it all the time
STORY
OF MY LIFE
I
just picked up my pen
It’s
been God knows when
Since
I really tried
To
see something through to the end
And
now I’m back at it again
Don’t
know just where to begin
Sifting
through the rubble
Digging
myself out of trouble
Won’t
someone come and burst my bubble?
Unentrap
me
and
I’ll simply walk away happily
I’m
just waiting for the time to be right
Always
hesitating…
That’s
the story of my life
Probably
cost me a dozen loving wives
To
think that I might have made it
Had
I acted on what I knew
Everyone
knows I’ve always said it
But
why are there some things
That
we can just never do?
FLOATING
HEAD
I’m
a white boy with no rhythm
And
even less soul
I’ve
faced the fact
that
I’ll probably be like this
Until
my last days of growing old
Hell,
what I’ve been told
You
know I just won’t allow
myself
to believe it
Every
girlfriend I’ve ever had
Tells
me I dance just like a quadriplegic
I
give….They take
They
live…I die trying to save
A
drowning doggy from the lake
I
give…And they take some more
Both
me and the doggy
Never
paddle back to shore
(Because
I have no arms and legs)
COME
TO ME
You
were right
to
come to me...
When
you wanna learn
about
the system
uh
ha
About
how the
powers
that be
Try
to keep
greatness
down
So
that people like me
Lose
our will to fight
and
resist them
uh
ha
Divide
and conquer...
The
oldest trick
in
the book
Mix
in politics
and
religion
Add
a little
gender
and race
Into
this melting pot
And
now they're
ready
to cook
uh
ha
Can
you hear
us
screaming?
As
we're being
boiled
alive
Oh,
oh they say
we're
dreaming
If
we want more out
of
life than to survive
uh
ha uh ha
You
were right to
come
to me...
When
you wanna
learn
all about love
uh
ha
About
how I have no doubt
That
the greatest feelings
Come
from the inside out
The
light within shines
brighter
than the light above
uh
ha
Falling
in love
is
overrated
While
growing to love
Is
what true love
is
really made of
This
is the truth
that
is rarely stated
It's
such a simple idea
You
know that
greeting
cards hate it
FLIM
FLAM MAN
Flim
flam man
Flim
flam man
You
would have me understand
You
hold my whole world in your hands
But
that’s a lie I’ve found out your plans
About
me or my you don’t give a damn
You
only build so you can break
You
give… just so you can take
And
I’ve grown tired
Of
fakes and flakes
For
goodness sakes
I’ve
had it up to here
Not
sure how much more
I
can take before
I
make a big mistake
The
weapon is loaded
There
will soon be explosions
I’m
leading the legions
To
a new Eden, yeah!
The
countdown has been ticking
Since
the problem needs a fixing
As
the balance keeps on shifting
Many
people’ve been predicting
The
coming of a fight
Say
it might be going down tonight
But
those who are likewise heady
Know
it’s been happening already
And
by the time we get to see it
There
will be no way to defeat it
Everybody
have to beat it (OW!)
That’s
bad in black or white
No
other colors needed
‘Cauce
once you see you start bleeding…
You’re
only trying to stay alive
To
hell with getting even!
OTHER
TIMES
The
more get less as less get more
They
keep on raising the ceiling
While
dropping the floor
The
rich get richer
Those
in the middle grow poor
When
will the soldiers realize
They’ve
been fighting the wrong war?
There’s
a curtain of silence
Now
draping over this island
It
blows in from the highlands
Where
everything’s in ruins
So
many were trapped there stranded
Left
right where they were standing
Poor
fools lacking the tools
Who
got caught not knowing the rules
We
all know what leads you
Your
reputation precedes you
You
may say you’ve changed
Still
no one believes you
Healing
takes time
Mending
broken minds
When
the wound cut deep
To
all the way inside
As
my luxuries
have
become necessities
I’m
being slowly stripped
of
my spirituality
This
lack of harmony
within
humanity
Has
begun eating away at me
I
can’t decide
if
this is a side effect
Or
the scheme behind the plan
I
don’t know where it’s going
What
I was or who I am
Positivity
triggers mental agility
While
negativity kills our ability
To
foresee a future better than the present
As
intuition tunes us in to what isn’t evident
Every
pauper’s voice
shall
be equal to the president’s
When
we get things right
no
more will we be hesitant
To
speak out against
what
we feel isn’t right
Sometimes
love heals
other
times it starts the fight
SOLVING
PROBLEMS
Precision
beats power
and
timing beats speed
I
walk up to the biggest motherfucker
and
see that he’s afraid of me
My
defiance and disdain
Act
as my suit of armor
Your
reliance on the same old same old
Leaves
you distressed while I get calmer
When
things change
Chaos
thrives
Those
stuck in chains
Will
not survive
Minds
with walls
Will
not evolve
The
riddle remains
The
puzzle’s unsolved
Cunning
and wit can have the same effect
To
soothe the savage into deep introspect
Or
else prove to the farmer he’s incorrect
That
a peaceful life is what is best
Yeah,
you told me the price
And
yet knew not the value
The
trouble was the bubble
They
been trying to sell you
It’s
gonna burst there’s no doubt
You
were the first man in
but
the last one out
You
lost your shirt,
your
spouse and then your house
You’re
playing in the dirt
so
why you still running your mouth?
Punk!
Life just damn knocked your ass out!
I
suggest you stop talking and think about it
Cork
that kettle before you go off spouting
Oh
shit… he’s still dribbling toxins
And
just the sight of him is making me nauseous
When
I get like this it’s best to be cautious
It
can lead to flying fists
or
else me dropping logic
I
got answers to your questions
either
way the problem’s gettin’ solved, kid!
Precision
beats power and timing beats speed
I
walk up to the biggest motherfucker
and
see that he’s afraid of me
MESSY
ROOM
The
smoke from my cigarette
encases
me like a tomb
As
the aura of my bitterness
becomes
happier with gloom
Don't
you fret but can't you sense
the
oncoming distress?
When
you live inside your mind
because
this world is a mess
Yes,
there is danger out on the street
Faces
of anger for you to meet
And
some even stranger and others you can't see
The
chosen ones that always were
Along
with those that'll never be
What
we have found are many faces walking
While
looking down at the ground
Hear
the echoing of malicious words
The
first time they were ever heard
See
the small hands that have grown
And
the fists that have been thrown
Traversing
the uneven roads that we have traveled
While
watching the moral fabric that's unraveled
When
a sweaty palm fuses with cold steel
A
hand extends but does not feel
A
pokered-face turns the tables after a bad deal
As
fantasy vengeance has now become real
Pent-up
aggression can no longer be concealed
Aim
is taken and fate is sealed
Two
eyes full of blood are suddenly revealed
As
fantasy vengeance has now become real
Don't
you fret but can't you sense
the
oncoming distress?
When
you live inside your mind
because
this world is a mess
MONARCH
My
demons act as faithful dogs
Arriving
as if summoned
How
do they know even before me
That
there’s trouble coming?
If
I let go of my anger for you
Then
baby I’ll have nothing left
Maybe
that’s what I should do?
Perhaps
that’s for the best…
Playing
stupid games
Will
only win you stupid prizes
Truth
never needed many words
Or
any veil or disguises
They
say never let ‘em see you sweat
And
don’t stay crying in your beer
Yeah,
all those good words of advice
Passed
right on through my ears
When
it feels guilty to laugh
Tell
everyone your secret
Such
burdens from the past
We
all know you don’t need it
If
feelings are not facts
Why
do words carve like knives?
As
the scars left in the aftermath
Reflect
two broken lives
Give
the people some bread
For
they just want another circus
And
it’s hurting my head
Knowing
I don’t deserve this…
I’m
a prisoner of my brain
A
victim of biology
How
does a butterfly find its way?
Maybe
by using astrology
HEAVY
MACHINES
I
try to comprehend infinity
While
operating heavy machinery
And
that’s just by using my brain
While
slowly jogging in the passing lane
Of
time and space and rhyme and plane
I’m
trying to see just what makes me
Superior
to royalty
probably
because of my belief
In
fairness and equality
to
the nth degree for all humanity
Which
unfortunately includes
the
sufferers of insanity
Stupidity,
vanity…
Are
you kidding me?
I
have to fight for them, too?
Couldn’t
we just let them be?
For
each one of them
just
add one to get their I.Q.
–
yup….it’s
two….
When
that’s your crew
what
the hell you gonna do?
It
sure beats me…So I ask you
The
time has come
Something
must be done
The
time has come
We
are the chosen ones
The
time has come
No
longer can we run from this
Sure
I talked a lot of s%^t
But
I never made a stand
Can’t
take back any of it
Well
that’s not what I have planned
Time
to let the new revolution begin
All
this time I’ve been blaming myself
When
I should have been blaming you and you….
And
her and him
This
crazy look inside my eye
Should
tell you a little bit about me
There’s
so much that I despise
So
many things that keep me from being free
So
let us make a list of the biggest causes
Of
our collective misery
BRAIN
GAMES
Brain
games... Brain games...
She's
been playing brain games
'Cause
he's been playing brain games
'Cause
she's been playing brain games
Since
you get what you give...
You
just get more of the same...
Brain
games... Brain games...
She's
been playing brain games
'Cause
he's been playing brain games
'Cause
she's been playing brain games
What
a horrible way to live...
When
it's as monotonous as the rain
As
lovers turn to strangers
Or
couples that I call not lovers but painers
When
their broken hearts fill up
Then
start brimming over with anger
As
Valentine's Day greeting cards
Are
blank and black except for the word 'danger'
And
soon refused and remarked
'Won't
you please return to sender'
For
sure sometimes silence is golden
If
or when speechless
if
and when powerless you are rendered
Or
when hurting words into your mind enter
It
is surely better to refrain...
Rather
than play brain games...
Brain
games...Brain games...
Since
you get what you give...
You
just get more of the same...
Brain
games... Brain games...
CHIT
CHAT CHATTER
Chit
chat chatter...
Can
you hear their teeth rattle
As
if underneath the warm breath
Of
a baby and his rattle
Chit
chat chatter...
Does
it really matter
Speaking
just to fill one's idle time
Without
expressing what's on your mind
Chit
chat chatter...
All
the words blend together
Like
the birds of a flock
Birds
of the same feather
Chit
chat chatter...
As
words end up in a blender
And
the thoughts get lost
When
there's no core at the center
Chit
chat chatter...
From
the circling tongues
Never
ending, never starting
Once
the talking has begun
Chit
chat chatter...
Sometimes
the words hurt
Sometimes
the words flatter
To
me it all sounds the same
Chit
chat chatter...
As
their oohs and their ahhs
Resemble
goos and gahs
One's
candle of thought
Slowly
loses its flame
SIGN
OF THE TIMES
Calling
all revolutionary reformists
Just
how long can we ignore this?
Somebody's
gotta try to resist
Before
the boot gets too big
Sure,
in my heart stands a pacifist
But
behind him stands a line of people
Who
are pissed and it's a sign of the times
When
it actually has to come down to this....
I
fell down….
When
I felt a smack to the back of my head
Yeah,
and so….
Didn’t
the sign I was holding which read:
World
Trade Organization
You
had best be on your way…
We’re
sick and tired of evil corporations
Getting
caught
and
then just changing their names
Sometimes
all it takes
To
create a crime
Is
the wrong word
At
the wrong time
To
push a man
Not
unlike myself
Right
over the edge
Right
across the line
I
can see that now
This
time like never before
A
new place to go
Just
waiting to be explored
So...just
know that my last
Gasping
breath will be spent
Denouncing
at length against
Whatever
corrupt powers that be
And
judging not all but some
Without
regards to
Or
from they’re from
Whether
or not they must pay a penalty
Calling
all revolutionary reformists
Just
how long can we ignore this?
Somebody's
gotta try to resist
Before
the boot gets too big
Sure,
in my heart stands a pacifist
But
behind him stands a line of people
Who
are pissed and it's a sign of the times
When
it actually has to come down to this....
