RECKONING



HARBORCOAT

They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off.
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got.
Metal shivs on wood push through our back.
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "react."

They shifted to statues for harboring ghosts. (Watch those harbor ghosts)
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes. (They might be real)
Then we danced the dance but the menace got out. (Friendly harbor ghost)
She gathered the corners and called it her gown. (She went to tell and see)

Oh, please find my harborcoat.
     (These holidays wear my harborcoat)
     (Harborcoat is long gone)
Can't go outside without it .
     (These holidays wear my harborcoat)
     (Harborcoat is long gone)
Find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it

They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off. (I finally got a letter that said she was dead)
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got. (You have done no wrong)
Metal shivs on wood push through our back. (Relatives all pass)
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "react." (Let her be exact)
"R-e-a-c-t."

SEVEN CHINESE BROTHERS

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a seat.
Take in one symphony mountain, we've just begun to battle.
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color.
Autumn waited, hold it to you, in the colored come another.

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean.
Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain.
She will return, she will return.

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a seat.
Take in one symphony mountain, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas, swimming colored, come another

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers, "Pull up a chair."
Take in one symphony mount -- "I guess we lost that battle."
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color.
Autumn waded seven seas, swimming colored, come another.

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean.
Seven thousand years to calm united rain.
She will return, she will return.



SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I'M SORRY)
(parts quoted by Michael Stipe in Rolling Stone in a letter in Dec 1988)

Did you never call? I waited for your call.
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away.
The trees will bend, the cities wash away.
The city on the river, there's a girl without a dream.

I'm sorry....

Eastern to Mountain, third party call.  The lines are down.
The wise man built his words upon the rocks.
But I'm not bound to follow suit.
The trees will bend, the conversation's dimmed.
Go build yourself another home, this choice isn't mine.

Did you never call? I waited for your call.
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away.
The ocean sang, the conversation's dimmed.
Go build yourself another dream, this choice isn't mine.



PRETTY PERSUASION

It's what I want. Hurry on by.
All has been tried. Follow reason by.

Cannot shuffle in this heat, it's all wrong.
Try to put that on your sleeve.
It's all wrong, it's all wrong.

He's got a pretty persuasion.
She's got pretty persuasion.
God damn your confusion.
She's got pretty persuasion.

In the light I saw
quite a scene there.

TIME AFTER TIME (ANNELISE)

Ask the girl of the hour by the water tower's watch,
"If your friends took a fall, are you obligated to follow?"

When the bull's on his hooves, when you gather friends by your tower.
"If you try to refuse, will they judge your worth by the hour?"

If you're tired, and you're tried, you can find me in my room.
And stay if you want, the third time you can't lose.

Ask the girl of the hour by the water tower's watch,
"We'll fight if you want, but who will turn out the lights?"

Time after time after time.

SECOND GUESSING

Why you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing.
What will be your look this season?
Who will be your book this season?

Here we are...

Why're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing.
What will be your look this season?
Be in my club by the book this season--

LETTER NEVER SENT

It's been pretty simple so far. Vacation in Athens is coming.
And knock on wood, I thought I'd left you behind.

Heaven's yours, heaven is yours, heaven is yours where I live.

The thought of the catacombs. Left my soul at home.
This letter never sent --

And it's so far, it's so dark, I'm so lost.
Heaven's yours, heaven's yours, heaven's yours where I live.
(Another story, another story for a while, someone show me.)

When I'm moving too fast, here is my new address.

The water is evening out, the catacombs are filling in.
If my soul was made of stone, no, not, not so dark...

CAMERA

From the inside room, when the front room green
Becomes your special book. It was simple then.
When the party lulls, if we fall by the side,
Will you be remembered? Will she be remembered?

Alone in a crowd, a bartered lantern borrowed.
If I'm to be your camera, then who will be your face?

I fell by your bed once, I didn't want to tell you.
I should keep myself in between the pages
Of the green light room. If we fall by the side,
Will you be remembered? Will she be remembered?

From the inside room when the front room green
Becomes your special book. It was simple then.
When the party lulls, if we fall by the side...
I still like you, can you remember?



(DON'T GO BACK TO) ROCKVILLE

Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for the bus.
Going to a place that's far, so far away, and if that's not enough.
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know.

You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go.
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself.
I know it might sound strange, but I believe you'll be coming back before too long.

Don't go back to Rockville, and waste another year.

At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don't care that you're not here with me.
'Cause it's so much easier to handle all my problems if I'm too far out to see.
But something better happen soon or it's gonna be too late to bring you back.

It's not as though I really need you. (If you were here I'd only bleed you.)
But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and that's not how it ought to be.

LITTLE AMERICA

I can't see myself at thirty, I don't buy a lacquered thirty.
Caught like flies, preserved for tomorrow's jewelery... Look here.
Lighted in the amber yard, a green shellback, green shellback.
Preserved for tomorrow's eyes, in tree beer tar black br'er sap.

Who will tend the farm museums? Who will dust today's belongings?
Who will sweep the floors, hedging near the givens?
Rally round your leaders, it's the mediator season.
Diana's on the beach, do you realize the life she's led?

Lighted in the amber yard, a green shellback, green shellback.
Sky-lied, sty-tied, Nero pie-tied, in tree tar-black brer sap,
Reason has harnessed the tame, a logic knot, stockader's game.
Another Greenville, another Magic Mart -- Jeffer, grab your fiddle.

The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest,
The consul a horse, Jefferson I think we're lost.
Lost...

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