1. |
Popes (Intro)
02:06
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It’s almost heaven:
It’s center stage!
I’m 5’11”
But a thousand years of age!
I got a friend:
He’s in the wings!
My spirits bend
To whatever he sings!
I got a drum:
It beats a rhythm!
I took it from
The time before the schism!
He got a question—
(It just won’t quit)—
Had them all guessin’
And even made ‘em split.
So tell it!
How many popes does it take to see,
(How many popes)
Just what your baby is doing to me?
(Doing to me)
How many popes does it take to know,
(Take him to know…)
Just how fast his mama can go?
(His mama go…)
I said no no no, it ain’t right!
(Great night—the night of the soul…)
I said no no no, take me in a fight!
(Tensile—the light of the light…)
I said no no no, it ain’t right!
(Helios, in his golden bowl…)
I said no no no, take me in a fight!
(Turned cold at the sight of the light!)
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2. |
All Our Efforts
02:03
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Here comes a special thought,
Too good to let go to rot:
You just can’t retie the knot,
But it’s so easy to break it!
You put on a puppet show—
Told me things I don’t want to know!
Tell me, where did our passion go?
And if I found it, would you take it?!
No, nothing will bring it back—
From a yellow to a dirt-packed black—!
Through the clutter and the bricabrac—!
But listen up this time, gentle giant:
Open wide your eyes and ears!
Let them live in a different year—
In a world of faith and fear!
Savage, yes, but never defiant!!
(A jolt of joy, a surge of splendor
Within the madness
A wake-up call in the evening
Amidst the darkness
A glimpse of bliss, a wave of wonder
Slipping through the rain
An unexpected dance of fate
All our efforts are in vain)
I’ve got two words for you:
One is false and one is true!
What I’m saying isn’t new;
It’s just the difference of love and hatred!
Go ahead, ignore this song—
I promise you it’s not gone long!
The way we keep carrying on,
I thank the lord that nothing’s sacred!
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3. |
Song For Herod
02:15
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Eyes—
I could only see the shape of his eyes!
With a layer of gold
Inside a silver mold,
They were the only color light enough to rise!
Skies—
They were the color of the evening skies!
With his pupils pressed
On the pink of the west,
He got me up and cut me down to size!
Now I don’t remember
My mind anymore…
Some smoldering ember
Of life before…
And his sense of timing
Was stung by mine!
My passions climbing
From five to nine!
Why—
Why—why is he so far away?
If I could only place
All the rest of his face,
I’d understand what he meant me to say!
One day he’ll resemble
The soul foreseen…
The buildings will tremble
And the militant lean…
From the constellations
A gust of wind…
The world’s nations
Will all attend…
When he swoops down over
On three white wings,
We’ll see that body hung
By pulleys and strings!
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4. |
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God’s body, stored in the head:
I’m always frettin’ when I vomit it up!
Keep the living safe in the dead.
Does he got enough blood for my cup?
In the Rhineland, they built themselves a man
With the sun all aquiver behind.
Long hair, and his skin was tan!
Tell me this wasn’t divinely designed!
The rose, the bee, the dove and the sun!
Help me babe, I’m havin’ too much fun!
Rose – Bee – Dove – and the sun and the moon!
I don’t want it to end too soon!
Evil-wishers—they’re doing me wrong!
You only lose him by the strength of a sin.
If you can swallow, then follow along!
But don’t sweat it if you can’t keep it in.
Take the wafer, and put him on your tongue!
Say a prayer where the body was hung!
The rose, the bee, the dove and the sun!
They won’t stop till your lovin’ is done.
Rose – Bee – Dove – and the sun and the moon!
Keep them in key and they’ll keep you in tune.
The rose, the bee, the dove and the sun!
Help me babe, I’m havin’ too much fun!
Rose – Bee – Dove – and the sun and the moon!
I don’t want it to end too soon!
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5. |
A Vision
02:05
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The priest put his hand on my face
And I saw the light!
The people all rose saying grace
And it felt so right!
How should I feel when I feel my head
And the brain aflame?
I was a torch glowing orange and red
And I felt no shame!
It’s not a vision!
It’s all for real!
The world was a patchwork color
On a billowing blanket!
I got a drink, so bitter, so bitter
But you know I drank it!
Tell me what else could I do
For the brother above?
There were flickers of white and blue
And I felt the love!
It’s not a vision!
Hold up my big brown body
To the seventh station!
Oh—oh—oh lord, the heavy cargo,
And weird gesticulation!
It’s all for real!
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6. |
Chasing The Big Game
02:22
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I heard you got your palace,
Your paten and your chalice,
Two hundred pomegranates
On the capitals outside.
You said it all was past you,
That no one ever asked you
For your help to build or plan it,
But I knew it was a lie.
I’m a man—
You’re a king—
But you don’t know a single thing!
Chasing the big game!
Facing the big names!
Craving a new style!
Paving a new mile!
Chasing the big game…
I heard the kegs are flowing,
The brassy pipes are blowing.
For me you left a table,
So the messengers all say…
But I’m a man—
And you’re a king—
But you don’t know a single thing!
Not one! Not one!!
Oh, you’re a king—
But I told you I’m a man,
And I want no part of your plan!
I’m chasing the big game!
Facing the big names!
Craving a new style!
Paving a new mile!
Chasing the big game!
Embracing a new flame!
Driving the big cars!
Arriving as new stars!
Chasing the big game…
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7. |
Archbishops (Interlude)
01:39
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Archbishops got the body!
Archbishops got the feeling!
Archbishops got the carpet!
Archbishops got the ceiling!
Archbishops got the secret!
Archbishops got the code!
Archbishops got the billboards!
Archbishops got the road!
Archbishops got the baby!
Archbishops got the man!
They got all the oceans!
They got all the land!
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8. |
The Freedom Of Spring
02:43
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Days gone by, playing in the gardens,
White wind blowing through the conifer cones…
When it’s cold and the soil hardens,
You might wish nature hadn’t found you alone.
Shivering and crossing your arms tight!
Shaking and getting the frostbite!
Thinking about the miserable winter!
Days back then, loving in the gardens,
Asters emerging like a million eyes…
When it’s cold and your sentiment hardens,
You think that life is a lie—you know that everything dies—
And you’re shivering and crossing your arms tight!
You’re shaking and getting the frostbite!
Thinking about the miserable winter!
You gotta hope for the freedom of spring!!
You gotta hope for the freedom of spring!!
Days to come, walking in the gardens,
Sun trickles down through the hickory leaves.
When it’s warm and your memories harden
You might think the past was just make believe,
When you were shivering and crossing your arms tight!
You were shaking and getting the frostbite!
You were thinking about the miserable winter!
But now you’re hoping for the freedom of spring!!
Hoping for the freedom of spring!!
Trying hard to pick up the swing;
Seeing what the future brings;
Fantasizing wonderful things;
Listen to the way that she sings:
Tuning down the bottom two strings,
Playing for the venerable kings;
Brazenly displaying my wings,
Hoping for the freedom of spring!
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9. |
Meant To Be
02:19
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All the things you do to me!
I’m the lock and you’re the key!
Anything you want to do,
Take your time, I’m there for you!
And that’s how I know that we’re meant to be!
Like birds of a feather, or the fish in the sea!
When we get together, our hearts agree
That we’re meant to be—meant to be!
That we’re meant to be—meant to be!
Between the living thieves,
I see the fleur de lis!
I see him in the hall—
The vinegar and gall!
And that’s how I know what the future will be!
It will snow and snow, till it’s zero degrees!
When I show that it’s so, then you’ll have to agree
That it’s meant to be—meant to be!
That it’s meant to be—meant to be!
Down by the judas tree,
I went and took a knee!
I felt the urge to pray,
So I thought about the day
That you came, and you showed to me
What it meant to be—what it meant to be
A man who is free—a man who’s free!
It is meant for me—meant for me!
It is meant for me—meant for me!
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10. |
I Wanna Know You
02:03
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I, I know your mother.
I, I know your sister.
I, I know your brother.
But you, I must’ve missed ya.
I, I know your father.
I even know your preacher.
But you I never bothered.
I never really reached ya.
I, I wanna know you.
Won’t you treat me kind?
So that I can show you
Straight into my mind?
I, I need to know you.
Can’t you feel my pain?
I, I need to show you
What’s inside my brain.
I, I know your mother.
She says that you’re okay.
But when we see each other
You look the other way.
I, I know your cousins.
They say you’re doing well.
But now who really doesn’t?
In truth I just can’t tell.
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11. |
Love Heavy
02:27
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This love-heavy heart…
You tell me open up—oh, where do I start?
Trying to catch you got me huffing and puffing…
Like a leaf trampled down to nothing…
This hurt-heavy mind!
It’s pressing down inside and making me blind!
Trying to take it but it just isn’t fair…
Like a vapor swallowed up in the air…
I’m dragging this heavy heart… (so heavy heavy…)
I’m dragging this heavy mind… (so heavy heavy…)
This unbearable load!
No destination on an infinite road.
You say that life is short but I can’t see how!
I want a resolution time won’t allow!
I’m feeling so bad!
The times that we had!!
I’m dragging this heavy heart! (can’t take it take it!)
I’m dragging this heavy mind! (can’t make it make it!)
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12. |
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I’d like to stab the night—
Bleed light across the world!
I’d slit it open with my knife
And let the stars unfurl!
They’re like a dotted linen
That drifts off toward the shore!
Wait till the sinless injun comes
And pokes it with his oar!
Watch how it puffs its cheeks,
Then gets sucked down!
Now none shall ever know the way
The heavens came to town!
I’m gonna stab the night—
Bleed light across the world!
I’ll slit it open with my knife
And let the stars unfurl!
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13. |
Enterprise & Art
02:49
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Enterprise and art:
I jacked the harmonies.
I’ll tell you your part,
But you gotta say please.
I got you pulling at petals:
“Does he love me? is it a tease?”
You’re trying to work out the metal…
It’s a classical case:
The pot is calling the kettle
Black as a coal miner’s face.
I hate the envious looks!
They wanna take my place;
They want my perfect printed books;
They want the ink in the well.
How can I deal with the crooks
Who keep a-ringing my bell?
I’m trying to set the calculations—
I’m not trying to sell.
You know these class relations,
They’re gonna flip up the world.
With all my variegations
And my mother of pearl,
I’m gonna shine to my toes
Just like a summertime girl.
I tell ya nobody knows
How the paper’s so white.
None of the ruling shows
When it’s under the light.
They don’t know how much potential
Is right in front of their sight;
They don’t know how influential
My secrets run and run!
That means it’s confidential—
The machine has just begun!
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14. |
Up And Away
04:21
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There’s something unfamiliar
In the city overnight…
I see my long face flashing,
Past the windows’ glowing light.
I think I hear the strings of heaven
Throbbing sharp and loud—
The golden cymbals crashing,
And the cherubim in the clouds!
I wish a silver staircase would
Descend right to my feet—
Come down the great procession,
Flooding popes into the street:
Three hundred strong and half a million
Priests assigned to each.
They all must take confession;
To a billion they will preach!
In Eldorado, waving from
A balcony of gold,
I hear one cry, “The past
Is where all wisdom was told!”
In blue Atlantis, some are saying
Hate is far above.
The time has come at last
To trade our own out for love.
And even in Shambhala,
Blasted endlessly in sun,
The holy father’s head
Is bare—he’ll cover it for none!
I couldn’t make out more
From where that bottom step lay,
But lord, I would have said
To take me up and away!
From below the balcony! (Up And Away)
From the bottom of the sea! (Up And Away)
From the stoking choking flames! (Up And Away)
All fear and fret and shame! (Up And Away)
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Landed Gentry
seasons greetings from Landed Gentry
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