1. |
You Can Run
02:10
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eyes up
it's over
a universe is lost
it's not a disaster
it's only ending
you can run you cannot run forever
you can run you cannot run forever
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2. |
My Family
05:05
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my family came from germany, nineteenth century, far across the sea, from germany
what makes us wander around?
what makes us wanna settle down?
what makes a difference?
i'm not gonna give up, i’m not
i'm not gonna give up, i’m not
i'm not
so what was germany before my family came across the sea, 19th century?
they were moving around, they were glory bound
then they were refugees in the 4th century before they were germany
what makes us wander around?
what makes us wanna settle down?
what makes a difference?
i'm not gonna give up, i’m not
i'm not gonna give up, i’m not
i'm not
i don't have kids, i should have kids, all of those things i did, i should have a lot of kids
i should have a lot of kids
and if i did, i'd have a family, 21st century, next to another sea, far from germany
and if those kids had their own their kids and then those kids had their own kids
and then those kids had their own kids
i'd be the same to them as my family from germany, 19th century, is now to me
what makes us wander around?
what makes us wanna settle down?
what makes a difference?
i'm not gonna give up, i’m not
i'm not gonna give up, i’m not
i'm not
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3. |
Never Had A Home
05:34
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i've had chances, i've had luck, i've had friends who care for me
i've had reasons to give up and a loving family
i've had places where i lived with a zip code and a bed
but i never had a home until now
i've been all around this planet, i've been hot and i've been cold
i've been inside the offices where lives are made and sold
i've had a lot of nothing and i've had some poor man's gold
but i never had a home until now
when my arms were empty i had nothing left to lose
no one to come back to and nothing left to lose
now that i have something i wanna keep and own
i understand how easy it was just to be alone
first i sat inside a church and i heard the preacher growl
then i traveled in a caravan and i heard coyotes howl
i lost myself in nonsense and i barely made it out
'cause i never had a home until now
then i lived inside the city and i learned the underground
then i made it to the mountains and i hated what i found
i prophesied and plundered through the valleys and the towns
'cause i never had a home until now
i found the fancy scene, i was cool and i was quick
i learned their names, they took me in, i was thin and i was hip
then i lost it all one summer and i really paid for it
and i never got it back, not even close to what i had
no i never got it back, not even close
all the stars are empty, all the stars are dead
all the animals are dying, all the news is full of dread
there are reasons to be angry, there are reasons to be scared
there are reasons to believe in love that isn't even there
i've had women treat me rough and women treat me well
i've had women take their time with me, and women kiss and tell
i've had women scratch my skin and women tell me true
but i've never had a home until you
no, i've never had a home until you
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4. |
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i like the long way, i like to take my time
a shadow passing slow enough to see
step by step i get where i am going
day by day i end up somewhere new
we are barely here at all before we're gone
i thought about it, i turned it inside out
a ghost of a memory that haunted me and you
i see those pictures now and i know that we were there
i look at them like insects
we were barely there at all before we left
we were barely there at all before we left
we were barely there at all before we left
transform into a new life
live and life decays
i am only grateful
i am only grateful nothing stays
i am only grateful
I am only grateful nothing stays
high above the water, the valley down there below
what secrets did you keep? i want them all to know
how deep it was inside of me, how hard it was to breathe
how hard it was to breathe
how we both needed shelter, that was all
and so it was provided, essential and enough, until it wasn't there at all anymore
it wasn't there at all anymore
a fingernail crescent on my arm
you never meant me harm, but you hurt me
so i got mad and i got free
offices and vehicles imprisoning
so i got sad and i got free
i got free
i got free
i got free
it's not as if i knew it at the time
i saw i was wounded, i could not predict it
of all the skin my fingers traced
how many movies made would never be erased?
of all the skin my fingers traced
how many movies made would never be erased?
i always mean it in the moment
i always mean it at the time
always in the moment
and always at the time
all that changes is my mind
all that changes is my mind
all that changes is my mind
transform into a new life
live and life decays
i am only grateful
i am only grateful nothing stays
i am only grateful
I am only grateful nothing stays
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5. |
Opening Up
04:51
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from the canyons of computers
through the sunset and the dawn
they are telling what they think is true
and whose side they are on
there's a shadow in the alley, the boys are talking tough
it's opening
it’s opening up
it was a season of silence, people trailing their kills
it was a matter of time, it was a battle of wills
there's no contract stipulation, there is no pre-nup
it's opening
it’s opening up
still the lessons are unlearned, still the forest is ablaze
still the money that you earn is not enough
the light has turned to green, the greed has turned to rust
it's opening, it's opening, it's opening up
if we tried i guess we failed, if we failed we may have lost
lost it all and lost for good, we didn't even cover costs
we ran all the numbers, we ran 'em again
and we didn't have enough
it’s opening up
the misinformation is coming too fast
the ignorance is certain to last
the country is desperate, the city is rough
it's opening
it’s opening up
what we thought we had was wrong, it was vile and it was crude
it lied to us, it played us good
and still we fought for blind men
so mean and so corrupt
we're opening, we're opening, we're opening up
now we're stuck and we're distraught, we’re dumber and we're stick
we lost the plot, we're out of luck, we couldn't make it stick
we're out of water now, we've all got too much stuff
we're opening, we’re opening up
whatever is next, it's coming in hot
some folks are prepared, most folks are not
there's smoke in the breeze and there's poison in your cup
you're opening, you’re opening up
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6. |
Back To The Middle
04:50
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i'm going back to the middle, that's where i wanna be
i'm going back to middle if i have to leave
where whatever they tell you is whatever they mean
i'm going back to the middle, that's where i wanna be
in the finest of cities they're all walking so proud
they're all standing in lines, they're all talking too loud
well you get what you pay for 'till you gotta get out
i'm going back to the middle where i won't have to shout
when i came here i had nothing
it'll take the rest of me
after all of these times and all of my crimes
i'll be free
i'll be free
i'll be free
now i don't know what's coming and i won't say what was
if they ask me or wonder i will say just because
it gets cold by the desert, it gets cold by the sea
i'm going back to the middle, that's where i wanna be
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7. |
Old Friends
03:04
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it's good to see my old friends doing well
the situations left behind, the seasons when they fell so far
you give up or you get up and you turn into who you are
and it's good to see my old friends doing well
it's good to see my old friends growing strong
they’re still the souls i love
but they have changed in ways it's almost hard to speak of
their sentences are shorter, but their paragraphs are long
and it's good to see my old friends growing strong
all this time… all this time… all this time…
and still we're here
all this time… all his time
they knew me at my worst, i was broken, i was cursed
i almost didn't make it, but i did
they held me up and walked with me 'till i could walk again
and it's good to see my old friends doing well
it's good to see my old friends gotta go
we're always moving around
in the air and through the towns, it seems
if you stay around too long you just forget about your dreams
and it's good to see my old friends gotta go
and it's good to see my old friends growing strong
and it's good to see my old friends doing well
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8. |
Time Got Away
06:32
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well the first time that i thought of her she came to me so quietly
so calmly like a wrecking ball, calmly like a wrecking ball, calmly to me
and the second time i saw her she could twist around her lisp
she was borrowing those bracelets and giving me those eyes
watch out for the young ones, watch out for ‘em
time got away from me so easily
running wild and free so easily
oh my friend, we were so young then
oh my friend, we were so young
we didn’t know then it could get so bad and it could get so good
over and over, over and over
over and over
and the only thing i miss now is a thriller on a throne
and some friends to sit right next to me so i can’t be alone
i still wonder what comes next, yes, and i still worry
it was dangerous for a little bit, but not enough to hurt me
you gotta trust me when i tell you i’m not in a hurry
there’s too many places to get lost in, there’s too many forests
time got away from me so easily
running wild and free so easily
oh my friend, we were so young then
oh my friend, we were so young
we didn’t know then it could get so bad and it could get so good
over and over, over and over
the truth is when i’m far enough away i can’t remember this
the truth is when i’m far enough away i don’t remember this at all
i don’t want to remember it
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9. |
All Is Lost
08:10
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it's been a long time now since we where young and proud
since we were running around this city
and all the open roads have now been closed
the stupid shame of all that pity
i don't need to ask again or even know
why said you'd had enough and had to go
i'll just take it slow, take it slow
give myself another minute
let it go, let it go
all is lost and all's forgiven
i'll let you stand alone and i'll let you be
i'll be the only friend who tells you what it needs to be
let your hair hang down, let a long breath out
and don't worry about the reasons why you're here
if there's one thing i imagine it's that we'll never be that lost
i've got real love inside me and i've got all the time i want
i've got real love inside me and i've got all the time i want
recall the softer days
the endless nights, the long lit haze
remember when we didn't know a thing
it was just easier that time, it was just easier that time
it was just easier that time, it was just easier that time
you don't anything about me
give me your word, i'll give you mine
i've got real love inside me and i've got nothing but my time
i've got real love inside me and i've got nothing but my time
time is not enough to tell me why it didn't work it out
no one owes me anything and i don't owe anyone anything
my dentist takes beautiful pictures of wildlife, specifically birds, beautiful photography, and he sends them into magazines and competitions, he says, "it's important to me. relevancy is
important to me,” and he never wins so whenever i go visit him he shows me his beautiful photography and then he cleans my teeth and i am affected by the beautiful photography and i
besides me…
and i think about relevancy
and i think about relevancy
and i think about relevancy
i know that i am gonna die soon, relatively
and i hope when i do someone thinks of me like i think of my dentist's photography
back where i started, back where i fell
back where i told the truth and lied as well
i'm sorry now, i'm sorry now, i'm sorry now, i'm sorry now
from here on out i will be steady
from here on out i will be kind
i've got real love inside me and i've got nothing but my time
i've got real love inside me and i've got nothing but my time
i'll just take it slow, take it slow
give myself another minute
let it go, let it go
all is lost and all's forgiven
take it slow, take it slow
give yourself another minute
let it go, let it go
all is lost and all's forgiven
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10. |
Noticing
03:32
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i am noticing i recognize returning
it's time for spring again
it's springtime finally
a diamond ring, i understand committing
it's time to grow again
it's time, i know
eternity is just a word to me
i don't believe
i won't believe
i can't believe mythology
every fairy tale has a disappointing ending
but they all begin so promising
they always start so good
reality is all a dream to me
the breezes whispering
the trees just reaching for the sun
and to know that sun is not the only one
who needs a fairy tale when that is true?
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John Elliott San Francisco, California
“John Elliott is the Andy Kaufman of folk music.”
“Post Seinfeld, Post 9/11 Eyebrow
Rock.”
“Well crafted and artful songs by a potentially disturbed individual.”
Singer/songcyclist.
... more
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