Even Stranger Flowers

Strange Flowers by Luxury is one of my favorite songs of all time. It amazes me every time i hear it. I was incredibly surprised to find the lyrics online so i had to share them. No way i would have uncovered them all simply by listening. You know what? Im gonna put it on right now.

Ok, now its playing. It's still amazing.

Sorry for all the song lyrics lately. I know they have gotten to be a bit much. When i get introspective i listen to a lot of music, and when a song attaches to the same feelings im feeling, i have an urge to share. I hope it hasnt been overbearing.

One more day of work and then it will be my weekend, since i have Sunday and Monday off. It will be nice (hopefully) to just watch some HD football, and do some laundry. Oh, i almost forgot! My Brightest Diamond show is Sunday night at soundlab. That should be great. I cant wait to hear Shara Worden's voice in person. Ill have to listen to her new disc a few more times.

So what did everyone do for Halloween? I went out with work friends last night, and had dinner with my best friend today. Nothing traditionally Halloweenish, but it kept me smiling. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you did for Halloween. Even you Mr/Miss anonymous commenter =)

Strange Flowers

I shall stay at the Red Red Rose
I shall pull the curtain closed
There's a satin comforter
Strange flowers
Strangers have made love there
The light o'er the mirror
The crease of folded paper
I shall lay down upon the sheets and not think

Just sleep, just sleep
'This is no Holocaust
You sow what you reap'
Just sleep


I shall wake at the light of day
(May the Earth open where I lay)
Convince myself that this is no mistake
(A trial by fire is a better way)
Must be there by 9
(Will He forgive a suicide?)
Meet the buyers' needs, manager's greed
(I never wait in line!)
Draw your number and wait in line
(I never wait in line, I never wait in line, I never wait in line)
I shall unfold the clothes
(The lion tears the lamb to shreds because he can, he knows)
I shall keep the curtains closed
(And when the curtain falls, our bleeding hearts will finally show)
Then I shall try for a better smile

Remember one hand shakes while the other feels for Life
For Life
The feeling of something inside, hidden and disguised
For Life
Somewhere behind suit and tie
Hidden, disguised

A King and a Queen...

If you want to see and be seen,
then be seen.
Your dress is dark red
and your opening eyes are bright green.
Make a scene,
but don’t lie on the bed,
laid out like you’re dead,
because honey,
you’re murdering me.

Be a little sheep learning who’ll shear and who’ll feed.
The hands come and they leave.
Be hands holding a knife.
Be a being on two feet,
with his heart trembling,
butchering for a king he believes in
though he’s never seen.
Be the princess in that stone tower,
crying for that handsome butcher’s plight
(and, as some princess might,
she still calls him a knight.)

But the best thing for you would be queen,
so be queen.
You’re all that I need.
Though I know that it never can be,
I’d be pleased to post your decrees,
to fall at your knees,
to name all your streets
and to sit down and weep when you’re carried back through them
and set down to sleep,
and to lie by your side for sublime centuries
(until we crumble to dust when we’re crushed by a single sunbeam)

Crush

Should I let you near me?
Did you take what's mine?
Maybe I should show you
Why I'm lying here
And leave you all behind

I think I caught this feeling
Standing by the light of the world
Maybe I was dreaming
Like I told you before,
I wanted to love you

Maybe I never understood
Maybe I'm just not pure
You tell me how you love me
Was that a lie?
I'm not sure

Here am I
Here am I
Standing by the river
Moving by the places that haunt me
Pure am I

We are finding where we want to go
We are trying to regain control
Let the streams of light pour down on me
Let the love that heals me set me free

Come on, crush me
Let it crush me
Crush me, you crush me baby
Crush me

I wanted to love you
I wanted to trust you
I just wanted to...

Bring it on now
Bring it on now
Fill my soul, it leaks
Fill my soul, it leaks

Could you save me now?
I didn't think I would fall so far down
When you crushed me

With a kiss you embrace me
With your lips you betray me
And you crush me, now
You crush me

Arabic Tremelo Radio

This could last all day
It's heaven when you hold me
Maybe fall like rain all around me
Heaven when you hold me
I am alive

I'm not asking
You're not saying
I'm not asking for much
To believe in
You're not leaving
I'm not staying

This could last all day
You know that I am
Painted when you touch me
Heaven when you hold me
Open my eyes
Inside, I'm a lot like you

I'm not asking
You're not saying
I'm not asking for much
To believe in
You're not leaving Wish I was staying

Close my eyes, so I can see
Your love, the light that shines on

Oh, how you take my breath away
When you fall like rain and surround me

Baby, don't let go
Spirit, don't let go
Let me stay in your arms
I'm not asking for much
But to lay me down
Why don't you set me down
Let me hide in your arms
Let me breathe, close my eyes
Let me see, pour your love on me
Oh, how you take my breath away

Tie up my hands

Wipe the make-up from your face
Tie your hair and gently fall from grace
Until I come again
Take the disaffected life
Men who ran the company ran your life
You could have been his wife

I wanna love you but my hands are tied
I wanna stay here but I've been denied
Lets watch the clock until the morning sun does rise

Wipe the sweat from off your brow
All that you believe is here and now
You could have had more doubt

Wipe the shadow from your eyes
Rest your daughter while your mother cries
You could have let him fly

I wanna hold you but my hands are tied
I wanna stay here but I've been denied
I wanna lie here 'til we've killed this bitter doubt

I wanna hold you but my hands are tied
I wanna stay here but I've been denied
Lets watch the clock until the morning sun does rise

I wanna hold you but my hands are tied
I wanna sleep here but I've been denied
I wanna stay here 'til we've killed this bitter doubt

I wanna hold you but my hands are tied
I wanna sleep here but I've been denied
Lets watch the clock until the morning sun comes out

The Hills are devoid of value

I went out with co-workers tonight. I like my co-workers. We had fun.

First we caught the end of the Sabres game. Good game the Sabres had no business winning. Good times. We cheered.

Then we watched the office. Was a good episode. I hadnt watched in awhile. I had no idea Jim and Pam were engaged. I have no idea why Pam is in NY. It was still funny.

Then we watched "The Hills". Good lord, ive never seen something so unworthy of even a second of my time. It's like a non surgical way to give yourself a lobotomy. I felt like the game show host at the end of Billy Madison, after Billy gave his answer to the essay question.

" At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. "

Okkervil River Song (W. Sheff)

Down by Okkervil River slow silent thick and black,
I stared into the water,
and the water it stared back.
The night it fell from tangles of the branches on the shore
as it had on Okkervil River before.
Down by Okkervil River’s cigarettes and rusty tires,
we made ourselves an altar,
we lit our nightly fires.
And the smoke lay thick and smothered all the skunk cabbage and vines
where Gods were born and Gods lay down to die.
With your hand inside my pocket,
you whispered in my ear
“We have come from ugliness to find some refuge here.
With this bracken for a blanket,
where these limbs stick out like bones,
we have found a place where we can be alone.”
And I tried to tell you,
as I kissed your hard dry lips,
all the things I dreamed about.
I touched your bone white hips.
Far away our parents slept in while we watched our fire burn.
They dreamed of nothing and got nothing in return.
And the water slipped on slowly past our bodies in the weeds,
pulling plastic wrap and razors on its current through the reeds.

Then I woke up one cold morning,
felt an absence at my back,
and I searched and stared but only the river stared back.

Underwater

Can I hold you under with me?
Lately, it's a little bit hard
So breathe in deep
Let's float here for a while

Is it healing me or drowning me?
The more I live, the less I know
When we walked on water
We were perfect
Decided to go

Have I gone too far?
Lately, it's more than just a little bit hard
Cause I'm caught underwater breathing
Breathing is hard
Have I gone too far?
It's all I know
More than just a little bit hard
Caught in the undertow, reaching
It's pulling me down
Have I gone too far?
Can you reach me?
I've gone too far

Just a little bit helpless
Just a little bit helpless

Okkervil River - The Tralf - 10/10/08

While it wasnt the most enjoyable of nights, you can only be so down when Okkervil River is playing 20 feet away from you. Thankfully some friend invited me out afterwards so an overly alone night became an enjoy early morning of (of all things) theology discussions.

Setlist:

Girl In Port
Singer Songwriter
A Hand to Take Hold of The Scene
Black
The Latest Toughs
On Tour With Zykos
John Allyn Smith Sails
Pop Lie
Maine Island Lovers
Pop Lie
Blue Tulip
Lost Coastlines
Our Life is Notm a Movie or Maybe
For Real
Unless it's kicks

Encore:

Okkervil River Song
Westfall

Take This Longing (L. Cohen)

Many men have loved the bells
you fastened to the rein,
and everyone who wanted you
they found what they will always want again.
Your beauty lost to you yourself
just as it was lost to them.

Oh take this longing from my tongue,
whatever useless things these hands have done.
Let me see your beauty broken down
like you would do for one you love.

Your body like a searchlight
my poverty revealed,
I would like to try your charity
until you cry, "Now you must try my greed."
And everything depends upon
how near you sleep to me

Just take this longing from my tongue
all the lonely things my hands have done.
Let me see your beauty broken down
like you would do for one your love.

Hungry as an archway
through which the troops have passed,
I stand in ruins behind you,
with your winter clothes, your broken sandal straps.
I love to see you naked over there
especially from the back.

Oh take this longing from my tongue,
all the useless things my hands have done,
untie for me your hired blue gown,
like you would do for one that you love.

You're faithful to the better man,
I'm afraid that he left.
So let me judge your love affair
in this very room where I have sentenced
mine to death.
I'll even wear these old laurel leaves
that he's shaken from his head.

Just take this longing from my tongue,
all the useless things my hands have done,
let me see your beauty broken down,
like you would do for one you love.
Like you would do for one you love.

My Birthday Present - Montreal

For my birthday this year my girl got me a weekend in Montreal, which i have just returned from. It was a good time, and surprisingly educational! Thanks to my girl for not only getting me the trip, but for putting up with my sometimes less than exciting plans for the city. We went to a biodome and a planetarium. She must think she is dating a closet science teacher. I guess it could have been worse, we could have gone on a tour of Quebecois auto insurance companies...


The view from Mt Royal. More impressive in person. Its not really a mountain, its more of a hill. The view is still pretty nice though. Right before we left this overlook, some people tried to steal my car.


Of course i had to get some Poutine. Not as good as Elgin St Diner Poutine from Ottawa, but much better than what they give you at Harvey's. I couldnt finish them. Im too far removed from my days of disco fry training.


Right next to the Olympic Stadium (that's where the tower in the first pic is from) is the old velodrome that was used for indoor cycling. Since then its been transformed into the Montreal Biodome which includes 4 separate climates, all with living animals. The best ones were the Tropical Rain Forest and the Arctic. This little Puffin was in the Arctic. I love Puffins. Usually cuter than penguins. Penguins are still pretty cute.


The beavers were the hardest to get a good picture of, but some of the most fun to watch. There was a camera inside the beaver home so you could watch on a TV what they were doing when they were in there. They swim pretty fast, hence the blurry photo. I had to try however. There is a law about taking a vacation in Canada without taking a picture of a beaver.


This little bird seemed to get a kick out of walking around right near people. He would walk between all the people, and when everyone started to pay attention, he would stop and pose motionless on one foot looking as majestic as possible. It was neat to see a bird that comfortable around people that wasnt dirty, like a pigeon.


This is my girl next to a giant picture of a lemur head. Sometimes she asks me if her eye makeup looks "too raccoon". I suppose it could be "too lemur" as well. In any event, it never looks raccoony. She's beautiful.


Here is me making an ass of myself in the gift shop. What else is new. That bear on my head is keeping my freshly shaven head from getting chilly. Thanks, Mr. bear.


This is far and away my favorite picture taken this weekend. I call it "Penguin Triumphant".