Are You Ready

Hear the ol' whistle blowin'
they're pulling the plug
we got to get goin'
they got our hole dug
are you ready? are you ready, are you ready to love?
And are you ready? ready, are you ready to love?

the Devils in the Blues
smoke it to the stub
never accept
then accept with a shrug
are you ready? are you ready, are you ready to love?
And are you ready? ready, are you ready to love?

to love
to love
to love
to love
they got safety fifth
and they take the world straight
whatever it is
they'll just have to wait
to get pretend back
who wants to be tough
to be permanent
permanent enough
are you ready? are you ready, are you ready to love?
and are you ready? ready, are you ready to love?
are you ready? are you ready, are you ready to love?
and are you ready? ready, are you ready to love?
to love
to love
to love
to love
to love

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Use It Up

Use it up
use it all up
don't save a thing for later
if there's music out there laying in wait
to pounce and drain every ounce if you
wait or hesitate
and music that'll help you be tough
and come together on more than Springsteen
though most days it's been enough
then there's music that can take you away
away
away
away

so use it up
use it all up
don't save a thing for later
use it up
use it all up
don't save a thing for later

if there's music out there staying away
to cry and drain every eye until
hatred's eliminated
and music that can help you feel great
and come together in 'the fictive dream'
with a kinda Randy Newman take
there's music that can take you away
away
away
away
Where we can jump to our feet, agape
cause nothing is cruel
and even if it is or way
indefeasibly cruel
we don't care because....
yer a fool
I'm a fool
yer a fool
and I'm a fool...
for music that can take you away
for music that can take you away
for music that can take you away
music that can take you away

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The Darkest One

Come in, come in, come in, come in
from under these darling skies come in
it's warm and it's safe here and almost harkening
off to a time and place now lost in our imagination

where you don't complain- but you still do
and you don't explain-but you still want to-explain
where you believe what you say without shame, 'I just do'
to say what you mean you don't mean what you say
-or you do

where the wild are strong
and the strong are the darkest ones
and you're the darkest one

Come in, come in, come in, come in
from thin and wicked prairie winds, come in
it's warm and it's safe here and almost heartening
here in a time and place not lost in our imagination

where you don't explain-but you still do
and you can complain-if you want to-complain
where you're real instrumental or supple
or sexy as hell
where you say "I believe" or say without shame
'I can't tell'

where the wild are strong
and the strong are the darkest ones
and you're the darkest one
O' and you're the darkest one
and if that's what you want
O' then you're the darkest one

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It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken

When the colour of the night
and all the smoke for one life
gives way to shaky movements,
improvisational skills,
a forest of whispering speakers
let's swear that we will
get with the times,
in a current heath to stay
let's get friendship right
get life day-to-day
in the forget-yer-skates dream
full of countervailing woes
in diverse-as-ever scenes
proceeding on a need-to-know
in a face so full of meaning
as to almost make it glow

O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken
and find somewhere to go
go somewhere we're needed
find somewhere to grow
grow somewhere we're needed.

when the color of the night
and all the smoke in one life
gives way to shaky movements,
improvisational skills
in the forest of whispering speakers
let's swear that we will
get with the times
in a current health to stay
and let's get friendship right
get life day-to-day
in the forget-yer-skates dream
full of countervailing woes
in diverse-as-ever scenes
proceeding on a need-to-know
in a face so full of meaning
as to almost make it glow

O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken
and find somewhere to go

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Silver Jet

There's a still in the night
a tuneless moonlight
just the I-need-you-and-here's-whys of
snoring Gords and Cheryls
there's a heron outside
inviolate light
there's an urge to go, a shadow
a heightened air of peril
your heart jumps to
and my heart jumps too
I think, to myself "I don't really know my heart"
and as you whisper 'me too'
a silver jet roars overhead
rocks the nocturne all everglade
and grey sheers
silver jet, so far off already
ya fought the hot spurs off all the way
to Cape Spear

it's quiet again
when a car like Big Ben
it's radio dopplerin'
'...'and for all you Gregory Peck fans...
-Let Us Now Praise Famous Men-
to take some pressure off all the wondrous
to fight' and
your heart jumps to
and my heart jumps too
as if the Wolves of Northhumberland themselves
were rumoured to be en route
silver jet, way overhead
yer an archipelago, a satellite,
a green star
silver jet, so far off already
with your I-need-you-and-here's-why
flying to the next part

your heart jumps to
and my heart jumps too
I'm thinking, to myself, 'packing, is a secret heart'
and as you whisper, 'me too'
silver jet roars overhead
silver jet flying to the next part
silver jet so far off already
silver jet, a satellite, a green star
silver jet way overhead
silver jet evergladed grey sheers
silver jet, so far off already
silver jet Clayqout Sound to Cape Spear

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Throwing Off Glass

'Why is the world so creepy?" she asked
after a car full of haircuts drove past
a backseat full of 'the boys'

I told her that 'It isn't...
that...that it's exquisite
but like love, it has it's barbarous threats

still in spite of the cads
and the stoop-shouldered teens
I know I'm losing you
I know what that means, yea

I told her that it isn't
that it's real exquisite
but like love, it can have it's
stubbed-toe effects

and juts like after she heard
the word 'iridescent'
and everything was iridescent for awhile,
it wasn't long
before she exalted out of nowhere,
'Isn't this exquisite?'

Once you've said 'mmm' in unison
and 'oh' in double surprise
and shared relief with a mutual 'phew'
and a look in each others' eyes

I tell her that is isn't
insisted that it isn't
because like love
it has too-cunning effects
I told her that it isn't
that it's just exquisite
because like love it has
it's barbarous threats

'Why is the world so creepy?' she asked
after a car full of haircuts drove past
a backseat full of the boys
breaking glass
throwing off glass.

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All Tore Up

we were a blow-out of wicked proportions
an accidental company
if we said, 'We're gonna go out
and get all tore-up tonight
then we did
we got a little happenin'

play yer Tonight's-The-Nights right
and don't clear the place
sweep up a little on your way out
we might make it

with Dottie, the bluegrass singer
baring her local breast
singing, "You want an open concept!?
-I'll give ya open concepts!"

ya play yer Fuck-Off-Nows right
and don't clear the place
wreak some havoc on the way out
you might make it

"Drink up folks it's getting' on time to close"

they said, "we don't even like you."
'I'm with you,' I said,
but perhaps you think the road
is a means to have an end
where it's a living in the end,
the living end
the living image of the end

play yer Tonight's The Nights right
don't clear the place
sweep up a little on your way out
you might make it
if yer Tonight's The Nights right
ya don't clear the place
sweep up a little on your way out
you might make it

tonight's the night
tonight's the night, tonight
tonight the night
tonight
tonight tonight tonight
tonight's the night
tonight
tonight tonight tonight
tonight's the night
tonight

tonight tonight tonight

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Leave

'Do you mean the attack is routine?'
a bird asked of a bird
'In this context, a concave nest,
how do we learn to hurt?'

'do you mean there's no variation?'
watching a dog charge a flock
of birds exploding in congregation
"Why plan when' when we stop?"

'I dunno...but why suppose
it's not the way it should be?
when you can fly above the great waiting list,
as the grow implies we won't be missed,
we can
leave
we can
leave
we can
leave.

It's a routine flight for this bird tonight
there's more worms than earth
in the afterlife
where the blind feed the blind,
whispering things like;
'On the money' and 'Bull's-eye'
she picks up the little leaves
where human wrecks are left to seed
left to repaint their deities
and plaster away at their villainies
where there's love
there's hope

'and do you hope those earthbound poets
could learn to sing as good as us?
so we can sit back and enjoy our illusions
and our quietus?'

'Well I don't now...but why suppose it's
not the way it should be?
when you can squawk and wait for word from above
and change yourself into something you love
when you
leave
when you
leave
you leave?
 

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A Beautiful Thing

In the ulcerating silence
perspective comes
the way it always does-for it's random
so randomly...somebody calls...
the phone rings and it brings Niagara Falls
and 3 o'clock in the morning
"'You'd better be dyin'-and you were
-So we talked about time
and where it went,
unremarkable events,
and how one day took two days
and they got spent.
how you'd continue, careful, in degrees
trying to do one true beautiful thing

and your beautiful thing
it'd be
a beautiful thing
to see
that beautiful thing
continuing

'I don't live there, I just commute'
secretly cradling a joint and I might puke.
a-fumble with the keys, under duress
the point is, this is, practise duress
at 3 o'clock in the morning-
'you'd better be dying'- and you were
-so we talked about things and where they went
big remarkable events
and how each day's a new day
and they get spent
how you'd continue, artfully, like the breeze
trying to do one true beautiful thing

your beautiful thing
it'd be
a beautiful thing
to see
that beautiful thing
continuing
your beautiful thing
continuing

your beautiful thing
will be
a beautiful thing
to me
a beautiful thing
continuing
your beautiful thing
continuing

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The Dire Wolf

in that September off
Isle aux Morts
the desultory sea
grew more so through the night

and made one think of
tawny ports,
as aspen tremblin'
in tomorrow's thorough light
and of Tallulah Bankhead
and Canada Lee
somewhere far-off, peaceful, sleeping
and done with acting

past the Dire Wolf's lair
on a Newfoundland's paws
close to nowhere
and halfway across

but never more 'here'
expanse getting broader
though bigger boats been
done by less water
tho better boats been done by this water
tho better boats been done by less water

in that september off
Isle aux Morts
colourable seas
grew more to through the night

And made one think of
yawnin' shores
Gambier-bleached
in tomorrow's thorough light

and the Tallulah Bankhead
and Canada Lee
somewhere far-off, peaceful, sleeping
they learned to love sleep

at the Dire Wolf's crest
the Newfoundland paused
desolate's best
was gotten across

we were never more 'here'
expanse getting broader
when better boats been
done by this water

at the Dire Wolf's best
the Newfoundland paused
so desperate as
to be a lost cause

you were never more hear
expanse getting broader
when better boats been
done by this water
where bigger boats been done by less water
and betting boats been done by this water
when bigger boats been done by less water
and better boats been done by this water

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The Dark Canuck

This one is for you
and it goes on and on and on
when nothing seems to do
for when the doubtless and the wrong
ask; 'can I help you?'
in that way that says, 'I can't'
or claim we're all the same
just inconsistant
or pretend all understanding
turned out to be pretense
then pretend the pretense of understanding
How long does it take depends

You can cast your doubts
Turn em inside-out
Hang em upside-down
Til their art falls out-the short answer's; forty-eight hours
Let your heart all out-the short answer's; forty-eight hours
Til your art falls out-the short answer's; forty-eight hours
Let your heart all out
Summon up your power

If you need a good connection for drugs
or a strong tolerance for alcohol
Too little religious education
Some pain threshold
If from the outside
There's no deman for what you do
And inside there's an army waiting
For their marching orders for you
Come sit on my swing-set
Come sit on my porch
After Ten at night, smoke your cigarettes
if you like, of course

You can cast your doubts
Turn em inside-out
Hang em upside-down
Til their art falls out- the short answer's; forty-eight hours
let your heart all out- the short answer's; forty-eight hours
Til their art falls out- the short answer's; forty-eight hours
Let your heart all out
Summon up all your power

And it does on and on and on

If we ever get home
let's don't compare
let's relinquish all our holidays
and Drive-In Premieres

if we ever get home
gonna have me three children
Apple, Zippo, and Metronome
that's what I'm gonna name them

and get celebrity skin
the illusion of tough
I'm gonna talk about nothing
til nothing's enough

if we ever get home
and the subject comes up
this War isn't for children
War is nothing's enough

O' in the clouds of blood at the end of JAWS
in the misted cars honking their applause
at the Drive-In Double Feature
at the heart of dark enough
O' it's JAWS and The Dark Canuck
should we stay for The Dark Canuck?
yea.Everyone, hands up!?
Who's for 'The Dark Canuck'?

I think we relinquished enough
and it's still dark enough
and it goes on and on and on

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Problem Bears

Writing a song about Lake Memphramagog
And tonight I don't believe there are words to spare and be a tip and a nod
Admitting it's half the defeat

Tonight the non-essential worker is hunting the problem bears
One sounds cornered and one can go no further
And it all sounds like it's happening upstairs

Do you hear that?
Like dry leaves a-straggling
Or a guard dog's claws on cement
Or an idea that's gettin' more determined to get where it's gettin'

This might be harder than keeping it simple
Yeah, this can be simpler than keeping it real
This might be harder than keeping it simple
Yeah, this can be simpler than keeping it real

Shakespeare, you're a drunken savage
Well, you're a sober and green-eyed Voltaire
It almost sounds funny like two tough-talking goalies who are really going at it upstairs

This might be harder than keeping it simple
Yeah, this can be simpler than keeping it real
This might be harder than keeping it simple
Yeah, this can be simpler than keeping it real

Tonight the non-essential worker takes on the green-eyed Voltaire
Who won't go further than sounding just like murder when everything is quiet upstairs

Now do you hear that?
The song of Memphramagog
The shush-shush of his gentle lament
It's maybe a song that can't quite be determined till it gets where it's getting
 

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Ultra Mundane

Come the ultra mundane of another life
You know it by the trail of the nervousness
Your memories compress, your senses are sly
And portions of your shadowiness on, on your everyday nights
Into northern lights
Pour it all at their service

Start beginning by beginning
It's time, it's time, it's time
A new tradition, a new beginning
It's time, it's time, it's time

It's time to make it inside with a wristband, alright
To see Etobicoke coyotes
To get pretend scars, to see like a pair
To feel as welcome as a sneeze in a motorcycle helmet


Feel the ultra mundane of another life
A poet in the service

Start beginning, new traditions
It's time, it's time, it's time
The demolition is beginning
It's time, it's time, it's time
They're underpinning the tradition
It's time, it's time, it's time
No perdition in the beginning
It's time, it's time

But there's no time to ask, "Hey, whatcha building? Another ocean?"
You looked at me like I was eating runny eggs in slow motion
Maybe, maybe I saw you soften, baby
When your angst had me over your shoulder
Your beleaguered old lady

Start beginning, a new tradition
It's time, it's time, it's time
No tradition of dereliction
It's time, it's time, it's time
No conditions, no sedition
It's time, it's time, it's time
A new beginning, a new tradition

And at the end I'll burn so unkind
You might ask, "Hey, whatcha building? Another ocean? Another ocean?"
 

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Forest Edge

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