Index / Music by Ned Danison

Plum Blossom She's good for a laugh, everybody's clown She knows everyone, everyone down town She's everybody's friend, but she goes home alone Always takes that lonely long road home She's got big, wet eyes She says she never cries Her mom's a dancer And daddy don't do nothing I've got a feeling things are gonna get better I've got a feeling that you're gonna hear some good news (Plum Blossom) If you're born beautiful, then life's a free ride But then the rest of us say, "Beauty's on the inside" Nobody looks there, and you wish they would I'd like to go there, oh I wish I could I've got a feeling things are gonna get better I've got a feeling that you're gonna hear some good news (Plum Blossom) It's okay to cry, okay to need someone You know what you want, so go ahead and say so It's okay to cry, everybody cries So don't hide your tears behind those big, wet eyes I've got a feeling things are gonna get better I've got a feeling that you're gonna hear some good news (Plum Blossom) Mom's a dancer, brother's not so close You say dad don't do nothing but plant flowers

I Wish I Could Tell You I wish I could spare you from what we all go through I can't go there with you, but I'll be here for you I wish I could tell you why life can be so cruel I don't have the answers, but I'll be here for you If there were a way, I'd beg, steal or borrow But to each his own joy, to each his own sorrow I wish I could save you and keep you from falling I can't come to catch you, but I'll be here for you If I had my way, you'd never step into the unknown I would take all your pain, you'd never have to walk alone I wish I could tell you why life can be so cruel I don't have the answers, but I'll be here for you.

I'm not done typing up song lyrics. I'll get right on that. They're kind of randomly arranged for now.

In Her Four Walls Every morning on the train with a face she wears for the crowd, her sad expression makes it rain, but her smile is a sunburst through the clouds. The darkness in her gentle eyes looks so out of place, like lines of age and loneliness on a child's tender face In the office after hours as the warmth of bodies fades away, people've gone off to their lives. She's alone but at least the ghosts will stay. She can hear her heart beat and the humming of the lights. Time to catch the last train and spend another night in her four walls. It's a pretty small apartment, but big enough to feel lost in, and in her four walls, Just right for the single person, and that is just exactly what is wrong. (She) slips the key into the door; the apartment is just the way she left it. Same old dust on the floor, and the pillow is cold upon the bed. The traffic in the background is the soundtrack to her life. I think she kind of likes the sound, 'cause there's silence inside. In her four walls; it's a pretty small apartment, but big enough to feel lost in, and in her four walls, just right for the single person and that is just exactly what is wrong. (repeat) The Ocean Fills My Body I've been driving 'round in a maze Meeting crossroads in the middle of nowhere I took a turn, surrendered to my fate Another turn, too tired to think it through Then I let go of the wheel The sun, they say Will be gone in a flash one day And if I had two seconds left to live Everything would be so clear, you know, the whole story told No choice but to obey I float around the lifeless sun, now the night's about to come The ocean fills my body Its weight will pull me down Well I gotta say goodbye to you now So leave my body on the rocks here Here comes a wave, it washes over me Another wave, it pulls me under the ocean No choice but to obey I float around the lifeless sun, now the night's about to come The ocean fills my body Its weight will pull me down (repeat) You'll Do All night long, I've played that little game Like I'm waiting for someone who never came All dressed up, nowhere to go And now no place left to hide 'Cause they've turned up the lights, and you see me a bit better So I duck out of sight to call the babysitter Acting carefree and nonchalant Can you see what I'm trying to hide? There's no one left and it's almost two There's no one left, just me and you There's no one left and it's almost two There's no one left, so I guess you'll do In the yellowy light, I see lines upon your face And your clothes are too tight, keeping everything in place Concealing the evidence I can see what you're trying to hide Is there someone at home? I bet you're a "devoted dad" And you put a poem in your personal ad Well, I need a shot of confidence Then I'll show you what I'm trying to hide There's no one left and it's almost two There's no one left, just me and you There's no one left and it's almost two There's no one left, so I guess you'll do All Crows are Black Let me tell you one of the oldest stories ever told It's about a body of clay and a heart of gold And once the door was opened and she stepped inside She found that human passion doesn't like to be denied Well all crows are black but they're not all that bad once you get to know them Cleaning up reckless passion's mess Mr. My Way or the Highway came back with a threat It takes two to tango, that's what he said It takes two to tango and what did you get Well now he says you got it all wrong But no matter what you thought he thought, now he is gone Don't look back and don't regret it Make up your mind and let it be just the way you want it to Do just what you want to do 'cause it's all up to you now (Free, you're free, so free, just as free as you want to be) Wait just a minute I know it sounds cliche You know, so close and yet so far away But it's a feeling, a feeling, and the feeling's like this It's a feeling, a feeling, and the feeling's like this You give me a place in the world It's a place  in your heart, and it's all that I want. 1970 I was looking out the window from a shadowy basement It was summer, 1970, and the daylight poured in I saw my father blocking the sun And a silly little dog, its body trembling It was begging for affection I was much closer to the ground in those days Close enough to smell the grass I could feel black dirt in my fingers Like a universe in my hands I was digging to China under the lawn Like a silly little dog Meanwhile music poured like water Rolled like thunder Blazed like summer Flowed from the Secret Room Small things were big in those days and my whole world was in my home To this day I still have dreams that the cellar had catacombs Threadbare easy chair Smut in the weave I was 50 inches tall Meanwhile music poured like water Rolled like thunder Blazed like summer Flowed from the Secret Room Craving Lie awake and it's quiet as a grave Whole body aches But I'm just a willing slave Chasing something out of reach and I can't catch up It's like the point is to die on the battlefield 'Cause if you don't, the craving won't let you go I had a dream At least I think that's what it was A waking dream With two arms all full of nothing Chasing something out of reach and I can't wake up It's like the point is to die on the battlefield 'Cause if you don't, the craving-- It burns 'till there's nothing left to burn A craving, consuming fire devours 'till there's nothing left to burn (repeat first verse) Miss Moonbeam My little Miss Moonbeam I wait for her all day long She only comes out at night when no one else is around My little Miss Moonbeam She has stars for eyes Her mouth is the Milky Way drinking the deep blue sky Don't go away, don't go away My little Miss Moonbeam My little Miss Moonbeam She's always a mystery Everything in her light just like a dream to me Wind rushing on my face Wind brushing her baby black hair I'm flying through darkness lighter than air Don't go away, don't go away My little Miss Moonbeam Let's ride tonight by the light of the silvery moon Reason to Live When you feel like it's time your life may as well be over You call me up to say goodbye And you know that I can't bear to hear you cry The world goes on for some reason As if there's a reason to live The world goes 'round like nothing ever happened It goes 'round again They say the Lord is close to the brokenhearted They say the Lord is close tothe crushed in spirit And they say he can't bear to hear you cry (repeat first and second verses) Smile So Wide If you ever want to cry, then I'll cry with you If you want to run away, I'll run away too If you don't want to talk then I won't say a word I could lay here for ever and ever You here with me is all I need Smile So Wide Lights up your eyes There's so much we could say but we're so tired Daylight fades, shadows grow in the sunset's glow Twilight pink and pastel blue I see only you Dark as the deep blue sea and you see only me I could lay here for ever and ever Me here with you is all I need Smile So Wide Lights up your eyes There's so much we could say but we're so tired Learn How to Fake It Don't they teach you in school To yourself be true Well, as a young fool, I believed that, too But when it comes to making a living, son You gotta learn how to fake it 'Cause that's how it's really done Refrain: You gotta learn how to fake it And look like you like it Bend over and take it Unless you're one of the lucky ones Just learn how to fake it And look like you like it Fake it and take it as it comes If you're not a king Then you must be a pawn You're a puppet with the strings the king likes to pull on You gotta pour on the honey You gotta have a glad hand 'Cause the boss has the money and he loves the yes man When it comes to making a living, son You gotta learn how to fake it 'Cause that's how it's really done (repeat refrain) No ma'am boss lady You got no trouble from me I ain't got no dignity I am what you want me to be Just put me in an entry level position I've got an immediate opening You can stick it in (repeat refrain) Footprints When we were young and we were pure We faced a lost, dying world and thought we had a cure We were so good, we were so high We thought there were always reasons why And as for God, whether he could carry you If God is God, there is nothing he cannot do But in this world that we walk through It would appear that God most often chooses not to Lift up your eyes, up to the hills Where does your strength come from if not from sheer force of will? When you look back, see your footprints in the sand And you'll be glad you made it through and next time you probably will, too. Heaven Right Now Don't people like to talk about buildings burning down And they ask you, did you hear them when they tumbled to the ground I'd like to change the channel or at least turn off the sound and be in heaven right now and tomorrow I'll go back to hell, I promise I will Hey mister, aren't you satisfied stirring up your stress and strife? Now I'm too tired to be terrified, so put away the knife 'Cause what's the point of living when fear is a way of life Give me heaven right now and tomorrow I'll go back to hell, I promise I will Well hey good boy with your finger in the crack Now that's all right for you But to keep my eyes open is all that I can do So don't expect a smile when I'm listening to you I'm thinking about heaven right now And tomorrow I'll go back to hell I promise I will Now you don't need to tell me that a loser never wins And I don't want to feel guilty for everyone else's sins 'Cause it's all happened before and it will all happen again Now step away from the edge of doom Never mind the fear and threat You can only take so much so long and it still ain't over yet So please stop reminding me I'm trying to forget Give me heaven right now And tomorrow I'll go back to hell I promise I will

Song for My Wife Wind's blowing cold, another winter's coming I'm feeling old and I'm thinking again When evening comes and the tables are set Who's gonna care if I'm not home yet? Windows lit up all along the street Who's keeping the light on for me? I'm so cold and out of place Until I see your face When what was yet to come has all gone by Who's gonna care if I live or die? I pity the fools who search in vain They could spare themselves a lot of pain If they knew a good wife is like the Pearl of Great Price And when you find her, the search is over I come to my door and I put in my key I see your smile and I know that I'm home And when I come home from a meaningless day, Who's gonna give damn what I say Who's gonna tell me not to waste my money? Who will say my songs are great and my jokes are always funny? Who will listen when I wanna complain? Who's gonna be willing to feel my pain? Who'll give meaning to my meaningless life, see me at my worst and still be my wife? Thank you.

Some People Some people don't know how good they've got it always chasing after something they can't catch Some people got it good but they don't want it But when it's gone you can never get it back And some people got to gamble with their good thing But you only lose unless you quite while you're ahead Just how much is enough to satisfy a man A bird on the wing is much prettier than one in the hand I lost it all Couldn't resist that siren call I lost it all Thought I was trying, not buying Some people don't know how good they've got it always chasing after something they can't catch Some people got it good but they don't want it But when it's gone you can never get it back Had an itch I couldn't scratch Like a flavor you crave So I moaned, oh no no, please no more But I was a willing slave I lost it all Just like a junkie needs one more hit I lost it all I said one more and then I'll quit

There Was a Pub I had a friend I used to drink with and there was a pub always crowded upstairs we were all far from our homes, but we weren't alone back then And there was a crowd I felt comfortable in they were all married people who wanted to be young again they wanted to be young again they wanted to have some fun again and there were the married ladies all wives of some important men and they liked to dance with their drinks in their hands we were so far away, but we were somewhere we always had something good to bitch about we always had a story to tell everyone had a medal to wear my friend had a friend just visiting town we went to the shoreline and watched the sun go down we went to the station and we said goodbye I wish I could say I have no regrets I wish I could say it's easy to forget I wish I could change my thinking and look on the bright side of things.

Always Knew You'd Do Well (No Reason to Look Back) talked to you after fifteen years you stuck to your guns in your career you got your milk and you got your honey you always were so good with money and I always knew that you'd do well you're a train on a track no reason to look back What about me? Well, I'm okay life is a clock ticking off days worn some hats and some costumes worn nametags and pushed some brooms but I always knew that you'd do well like a train on a track no reason to look back you got no longing and no regrets nothing back there you can't forget you said you shouldn't tie up the line and yeah maybe we should get together some time and it's been real nice to hear from you we'll keep in touch I'll see you around I forget for a moment I don't know where I'm going and the rushing wind smells sweet from the lawns mowed by people who stayed on the steady path wherever I've done whatever I've been it's not who I am that's not who I am good people keep their hands to the plow I know that but it doesn't matter now as for me, if I'm going somewhere don't think I'd know it even if I got there but I always knew that you'd do well like a train on a track no reason to look back

Vulnerable Most people you can trust, but only so much If there's a line they can cross, it's just a matter of time All the rules will break Only fools will make their promises, promises and other mistakes Make acquaintances many but friends one or two You've got to keep a safe distance 'tween the crowd and you You've got to stay on track, keep ahead of the pack You've got to keep on moving and never look back Don't let them know you're vulnerable, don't you cry, don't you cry You've got to be superhuman when it comes to the heart You've got to keep yourself together and not fall apart You've got to keep a tight grip Don't you let a tear slip Hold it down inside you, keep a stiff upper lip Don't let them know you're vulnerable, don't you cry, don't you cry

Commercial Pied Piper Here comes sad ballad 45 to pull a tear from my eye And happy peppy number 60 always makes me feel frisky Here comes song number 43 designed to mesmerize me And pump me up and make me want to buy buy buy The music sells the movie, sells the cell phones and CDs Sells the drink, sells the singer, and all the wannabes Who want to dress like me Commercial pied piper, come and give us a tune Come and make us want to buy what you want us to buy And we will spend as much money as you want us to spend Come and play your sales pitch and we'll make you rich I've had this hook in my nose since I dunked my Oreos Pulled by Nestle, General Mills, Captain Crunch and Cheerios I'm a statistical consumer marching lockstep to the beat I'm feeling warm and I need to buy buy buy Come on and make consumers of the whole human race Slap a Coke and a smile on every unit's face (Finished song has a tagout: Commercial Pied Piper come and give us a tune Come and make us want to buy what you want us to buy And we will spend as much money as you want us to spend So we can look and think and talk just like each other )