Working
She’s mopping up this restaurant,
She’s cleaning up her life.
She could have stayed home with her kids
If she had stayed a wife.
It seems before she earns each paycheck
It’s already spent.
She was getting by until
The landlord raised the rent.
For her, there’s no glass ceiling,
She’s stuck right to the floor.
She can't say it's a living,
'Cause working isn’t working anymore.
He’s staring at the clock all day,
Perhaps he’s just depressed.
The end result’s the same if he
Does little or his best.
Retirement, if it happens,
Is another thirty years.
And thirty thousand dollars
Is the price to change careers.
It seems that he’s forgotten
Just what he’s striving for.
He can't say this is living,
'Cause working isn’t working anymore.
Some cash to set aside,
A chance to feel some pride,
A job that's going to last—
Is that too much to ask?
"Welcome to the company,"
He said when I was new,
"We’ve been looking long and hard
For someone just like you."
I put in hours I didn’t have
To get my due reward,
Then he said, "Your job’s duplicated
Which we can’t afford."
He thanked me for my efforts,
Then showed me to the door.
I can't say it's a living,
'Cause working isn’t working anymore.
World in His Pocket
He's got the world in his pocket,
Doesn't pay his share of tax.
When the laws start to catch him,
He just makes those laws relax.
He gets his sweetheart deals done
While the public is asleep,
Some small change to a senator
And profits he will reap.
He's got the world in his pocket,
'Cause politicians are so cheap.
He's got the world in his pocket,
Reputation is intact.
When the truth starts to catch him,
He invents a different fact.
It's all been kept a secret,
No one ever seeks redress
For the overseas slave labor
And environmental mess.
He's got the world in his pocket,
'Cause he owns most of the press.
His power comes from his invisibility,
But all of his decisions impact you and me.
He can be counteracted by the public voice.
Support him or expose him—we do have a choice.
He's got the world in his pocket,
He sees what he wants to see.
When the deaths start to catch him,
He just says, "Well don't blame me."
His global corporate empire
Will make all stockholders thrive,
He'll make grand ambitious forecasts
And then shift to overdrive.
He'll have the world in his pocket,
While the world is still alive.
Turn of the Tide
The last time we embraced,
The waves were swirling at our feet.
We touched like sea and sky,
The endless plane where two souls meet.
I could only see
The dreams I thought we could fulfill.
If I’d forseen the end,
I would have held you longer still.
The turn of the tide swept over us
And washed our love away.
The beach that we walked hand in hand,
I walk alone today.
The turn of the tide can come so fast,
My change of heart is slow.
What happened to the man I used to know?
We used to be so close,
And then you barely spoke to me.
I finally walked away;
I’m left with just a memory.
Your whisper's in the waves,
The sea reminds me of your eyes,
Something lingers yet,
I guess love never really dies.
The turn of the tide swept over us
And washed our love away.
The beach that we walked hand in hand;
I walk alone today.
The turn of the tide can come so fast,
My change of heart is slow.
What happened to the man I used to know?
Love eclipsed by loneliness—
The pain won’t go away.
It was hard to bring myself to leave,
But harder still to stay.
The turn of the tide can come so fast,
My change of heart is slow.
What happened to the man I used to know?
Right Thing to Do
She’s tried to have those talks,
Can’t budge his mental blocks.
The chances of him listening are pretty slim.
He blusters through his day,
She stays out of his way.
She calls a friend and says what she can’t say to him.
This time her friend is male.
Though it feels like betrayal,
She makes a few excuses to be at his house.
Platonic conversation,
Covert investigation—
His eyes and words alone make her forget her spouse.
The right thing to do,
The right thing to do,
The right thing to do
Is sometimes wrong.
He sees the ring she wears.
Surely her husband cares, but
He can’t help seeing how she hates to go back home.
Each time she has to leave
Inside it makes him grieve:
Her soul is what he’s waited for through years alone.
The right thing to do,
The right thing to do,
The right thing to do
Is sometimes wrong.
Wedding vows are hard to break,
But loneliness is hard to take.
All is fair in love, it’s said.
Who wants a cold or empty bed?
The right thing to do,
The right thing to do,
The right thing to do
Is sometimes wrong.
She’s tried to have those talks.
Only I Know Me
You taught me most of what I know,
And yet I'm leaving even so.
You made a plan who I should be,
So sure, but only I know me.
You said my wish was your command,
But what you failed to understand
Was how I longed to simply be
My true self; only I know me.
Yes, I love you,
Yes, I'm grateful,
There's part of me that wants to stay.
What you're asking
I can't give you.
To save myself I walk away.
You say without you I can't win;
You're hoping that I'll just give in.
In your strong arms I can't be free;
Let go now, only I know me.
Playing God
You wanted to be the last answer,
To see the world thankful and awed.
You had a rare talent for magic.
You thought you would try playing God.
You came from such humble beginnings:
The fields and the house made of sod.
You must have been destined for greatness,
Or how could you be playing God?
I wanted to believe
In visions you would weave—
I was a bit naive.
You thought you could sense people's secrets,
But could not see your own facade.
You raged if your insights were questioned—
It's a serious game, playing God.
They're either below or against you,
They think you're a saint or a fraud.
And no one can comfort or warn you;
You're left all alone playing God.
I wanted to believe
In all that you'd achieve.
For that lost dream, I grieve.
You wanted to be the last answer…
Kill His Memory
At the funeral this weekend,
They’ll treat him like a saint,
But you and I have secrets,
We know for sure he ain’t.
Who else did he mess up?
We’ve got to find them all,
And meet to plan a eulogy
Outside the schoolyard wall.
God sent our teacher’s soul to hell,
But we are still not free.
We have to dare to tell the truth,
To kill his memory.
Michael is the baseball star;
For sure they’ll let him speak.
He’ll call up the rest of us,
The timid and the weak.
"This man took me against my will"
Is all you have to say,
And if you can’t go through with it,
Please don’t give us away.
God sent our teacher’s soul to hell,
But we are still not free.
We have to dare to tell the truth,
To kill his memory.
Were we close? Yeah closer
Than anyone suspected.
Completely unprotected!
God sent our teacher’s soul to hell,
But we are still not free.
We have to dare to tell the truth,
To kill his memory.
Fade to Black
You like your rebel confidence.
Those uptight squares who take offense
Don't see the art in how you act—
They're slaves to reason, slaves to tact.
At work they've seen you start to slip,
Though they don't catch that secret sip.
Your family says they're near the end,
But you protect your only friend.
Sometimes you just wish the world cut you a little slack,
Have another drink, fade to black.
You live among the peeling paint—
This neighborhood your soul will taint.
You take the bottle off the shelf
To feel at home within yourself.
Trying not to think about the things in life you lack,
Have another drink, fade to black.
The sun goes down and shadows rise,
And you're alone with all your lies
And memories of dark abuse.
You give yourself one last excuse.
When you banish all the ghosts they threaten to come back,
Have another drink, fade to black.
Under the Moon
Looking at the night sky,
I remember when I last kissed someone—
It seems like a long time ago.
Even back at that time
I felt that somehow I'd missed someone:
A man that I don't even know.
Time passes by,
I hope I find him soon.
My love waits for me, somewhere
Under the moon.
I've almost given up—
So many new loves that didn't last—
It seems like it's not worth the ache.
I remain all alone.
The days are slow but the years are fast.
I don't want to risk a mistake.
Time passes by,
I hope I find him soon.
My love waits for me, somewhere
Under the moon.
I am in a shadow
Even when the moon is bright.
Maybe I will meet him
Tonight.
Time passes by,
I hope I find him soon.
My love waits for me, somewhere
Under the moon.
My love waits for me, somewhere
Under the moon.
Under the moon.
Other Ways to Fight
My father was a quiet man of faith and peace.
He wouldn’t stand against the Nazis and police
Who went around him when they charged the neighborhood.
I said to him, "We save ourselves, but don’t do good."
He said, "There’s a time and place to take
A stand for what is right.
Many things you do by day
Are dangerous at night.
Trust me when I tell you—
There are other ways to fight."
I had dreams of courage held in check by fear,
Of throwing stones and bombs—an underground career.
I wanted to avenge the deaths of friends from school.
I thought my Pa a coward when he said, "You fool."
He said, "There’s a time and place to take
A stand for what is right.
Many things you do by day
Are dangerous at night.
Trust me when I tell you—
There are other ways to fight."
The war ended, I grew up, moved to the U.S.A.
It wasn’t too long after that, my father passed away.
Last year I went back to my house in Germany.
Several Jewish families came and greeted me.
They told me that my father hid them all away.
Because of him, grandchildren are alive today.
There’s a time and place to take
A stand for what is right.
My father had great courage
Hidden through a long dark night.
At last I see why he said,
"There are other ways to fight."
You Will Find Me
Do not mourn me, do not miss me,
I am free now, please rejoice.
Feel my spirit right beside you—
If you listen, you’ll hear my voice.
You will find me in the green fields
Where I spent my summer days.
You will hear me in the laughter
When children play.
In the end my health was fading;
I had lingered far too long.
But from now on, in your mind’s eye,
You can see me young and strong.
You will find me in the first star
Shining down from evening blue.
I’ll be watching for your wishes
To come true.
I’ve transcended all the limits
That you know as time and space.
So wherever your heart leads you,
You will find me in that place.
You will find me in the colors
Of the ever-changing sea.
In the shimmer of the sunset,
There I’ll be.
I Don't Want to Tell You
You know that I grew up in East Colorado,
That I've lived overseas and was married before.
I dreamed about dancing but feared my own shadow.
I've left little unsaid, but you ask if there's more.
I don't want to tell you—
My story is missing a page.
A tale of a moment of weakness,
But I've become stronger with age.
I don't want you to see me
As the person I was years ago.
I don't want to tell you,
And you don't want to know.
You once played a prank on a teacher you hated.
On a history test, you decided to cheat.
You once lied to lead on a woman you dated.
All I can say is that I've got you beat.
I don't want to tell you—
My story is missing a page.
A tale of a moment of weakness,
But I've become stronger with age.
I don't want you to see me
As the person I was years ago.
I don't want to tell you,
And you don't want to know.
What happened to me wasn't pretty—
To tell you might ruin your day.
And I have no need for your pity,
Anyway.
I don't want to tell you—
My story is missing a page.
A tale of a moment of weakness,
But I've become stronger with age.
I don't want you to see me
As the person I was years ago.
I don't want to tell you,
And you don't want to know.
You Will Pay
You steal lunch money,
You rob a store.
You start a fight,
You start a war.
You pick on weaklings,
Exploit the poor.
You won’t get caught,
You’re making sure.
You can make your power play,
Karma will come back your way.
It could hit you any day.
Hurt someone and you will pay.
You’ll lose your status,
Or lose your wealth.
You’ll lose your friends,
Or lose your health.
You’ll go to pieces,
Or go to jail.
‘Cause in all you do
You leave a trail.
You can make your power play,
Karma will come back your way.
It could hit you any day.
Hurt someone and you will pay.
Your evil past can’t be destroyed.
The aftermath you can’t avoid.
You may buy time with lies and luck,
But someday you will self-destruct.
You can make your power play,
Karma will come back your way.
It could hit you any day.
Hurt someone and you will pay.
Night Ship
Hello my love, how was your day?
It sounds like you have got a lot to say.
This modern work we both perform
Cannot make us feel relaxed and warm.
But we both know where we can go...
We fly in our night ship,
Through our private sky.
We soar, floating weightless,
Even as we lie.
We dream and awaken
To sweet reality.
We fly in our night ship,
You and me.
Sometimes we touch, sometimes we sleep.
Sometimes we talk and tremble, laugh, or weep.
We journey to a distant star,
But never find the end of who we are:
The thoughts profound, the thundering sound...
We fly in our night ship,
Through our private sky.
We soar, floating weightless,
Even as we lie.
We dream and awaken
To sweet reality.
We fly in our night ship,
You and me.
Do you suppose that time can bend?
That somehow you receive before you send?
You laugh at me, then raise your brow,
And say you'd like to bend the time right now:
Reshape the past, and make it last...
We fly in our night ship,
Through our private sky.
We soar, floating weightless,
Even as we lie.
We dream and awaken
To sweet reality.
We fly in our night ship,
You and me.
Socks
Some things my husband seems to have reversed;
He gets up in the morning, puts his socks on first.
But I don't mind if it's unorthodox,
'Cause he just looks so sexy in socks.
He's very creative when it comes to food;
He makes big sandwiches to suit his mood.
Pickles and peanut butter, mustard and lox—
He's sittin' at the table lookin' sexy in socks.
He collects foreign accents, urns from Greece,
Deco lamps, and theatre seats,
Neon signs, historic rocks,
Statues from Egypt, and holes in his socks.
He proudly displays most of his facial hair,
But only I see him shave his derriere.
I'd still love him if he grew dreadlocks,
As long as he still looked sexy in socks.
Undressing for bed when the day has passed,
My husband out of habit takes his socks off last.
I'm wondering if anyone sells argyle jocks,
'Cause he just looks so sexy in socks.
Messiah Refugee
The light for which I used to search
I couldn't find in any church.
I found faith too all-consuming,
And the teachers all too human.
Religion lost its grip on me.
A guru has no mystery.
Some say I'm lost, I say I'm free.
I'm a messiah refugee.
I met with God of my own will,
Alone at night upon a hill.
Though skeptics call this grand psychosis,
Mystics used to call it gnosis.
Religion lost its grip on me.
A guru has no mystery.
Some say I'm lost, I say I'm free.
I'm a messiah refugee.
I won't join another's creed.
I have no desire to lead.
What's impossible to teach
Is within each person's reach.
Religion lost its grip on me.
A guru has no mystery.
Some say I'm lost, I say I'm free.
I'm a messiah refugee.
I Will Be Remembered
The land's army was in disarray,
A young leader rose to save the day:
Kept the villages from being burned,
Made sure many mothers' sons returned.
When the crops failed in a city's fields,
He made other cities share their yields.
He had wisdom in the people's sight,
And his monument proclaimed his might:
"I will be remembered:
Read my story carved in stone.
My heart is weighed and worthy.
I'm crowned in glory on my throne.
My kingdom's foes surrendered.
I will be remembered."
As an older king he paid respects
To his country's ancient architects.
At their shrines he prayed for crops and peace,
For his people's strength to never cease.
Many temples were in disrepair,
Under sand and worn by sea and air.
Would his also end up in the dust?
He said, "Somehow I just have to trust,"
"I will be remembered:
Read my story carved in stone.
My heart is weighed and worthy.
I'm crowned in glory on my throne.
My kingdom's foes surrendered.
I will be remembered."
Mythic places become lowly.
Sands of time have gathered slowly.
Legends that the ground is holy
Linger on in folklore only.
In the middle of a village square,
Sure that something from the past is there,
A young scientist removes the years,
And the message slowly reappears:
"I will be remembered:
Read my story carved in stone.
My heart is weighed and worthy.
I'm crowned in glory on my throne.
My kingdom's foes surrendered.
I will be remembered."
Taking the First
Our Constitution says you can keep silent,
Just take the 5th if you choose not to speak.
But me, I have a different motivation:
To tell you all my thoughts would take a week.
For better or worse, a blessing or curse,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
In prose or in verse, ad-libbed or rehearsed,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
Some of you might not get my religion,
Some of you prefer a different crowd.
You can take a stand on your own soapbox,
Everyone's opinion is allowed.
For better or worse, a blessing or curse,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
In prose or in verse, ad-libbed or rehearsed,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
The right to peaceable assembly,
The right to worship as I choose,
The right to make and sign petitions,
The right to print and speak my views!
I won't be dispersed, I won't be coerced,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
Opinions diverse, my raving outburst,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
For better or worse, a blessing or curse,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
In prose or in verse, ad-libbed or rehearsed,
I'm taking the first, I'm taking the first.
Sisters and Strangers
You were popular and cool,
Not spectacular in school,
But you always found the sharpest things to say.
You made fun of my good grades,
I condemned your escapades,
And I watched you win the games I couldn't play.
Sisters, and strangers
Same eyes, but different points of view.
You couldn't see what I went through.
Some understanding's overdue.
We're sisters, and strangers too.
I got promoted, got engaged;
You had some drinks, became enraged,
And the celebration turned into a fight.
As if we were in our teens,
We played out familiar scenes.
Until now, we haven't spoken since that night.
Sisters, and strangers
Same eyes, but different points of view.
I couldn't see what you went through.
Some understanding's overdue.
We're sisters, and strangers too.
We share a common history.
We both want ties to family.
Forgiveness won't come easily,
But you still mean a lot to me.
Sisters, and strangers
Same eyes, but different points of view.
I'd like to know what you went through.
Some understanding's overdue.
We're sisters, and strangers too.
Beth Doesn't Know
Beth was born with a simple mind.
She can't ask or answer why.
She says what she wants with a word or two.
She likes cars and tools and trains,
Batman's cape and treasure games.
She won't wear a dress, only jeans will do.
Beth doesn't know she's different.
She sees the world firsthand.
Those who say she has limits,
Beth can't understand.
As she leaves childhood behind,
Beth can't hide how she's inclined.
She has her first crush on another girl.
May, a teacher's aide at school,
Helps Beth find what she can do.
Beth says she wants May to marry her.
Beth doesn't know the closet,
Or that old cruel command.
Those who say love has limits,
Beth can't understand.
Beth's innocence protects her
From those who won't respect her.
No prejudice will reach her,
And shame you just can't teach her.
Beth doesn't know she's different,
As she extends her hand.
She makes a warm connection:
This Beth does understand.
This Town Is Dead
The company left here for a greener place,
Left boarded up buildings, people tossed like waste.
"As Good as It Gets" is on the rusted marquee.
Faces are vacant, like the stores I see.
They took our future, they took our past.
The whole town fell right out of the working class.
We're out of options, we're in the red.
Our way of living's gone—this town is dead.
Two types of ghosts are in this haunted town:
Some are memories, some still hang around.
Young people leave the only home they know.
Old people stay 'cause they're too tired to go.
They took our future, they took our past.
The whole town fell right out of the working class.
We're out of options, we're in the red.
Our way of living's gone—this town is dead.
Politicians see the devastation,
And offer just a fancy explanation.
They say it's "the market's adaptation."
Then they change the subject to salvation.
They took our future, they took our past.
The whole town fell right out of the working class.
We're out of options, we're in the red.
Our way of living's gone—this town is dead.
My Cable TV
I shouldn't have strayed from the channel for kids,
But Disney can't tell me what my mission is.
I searched on pro-wrestling, I searched HBO,
And sometimes I stumbled on some girlie show.
My remote took me places that no saint should be,
Now Jesus has cancelled my cable TV.
When I got my calling I took up my tools,
And then, disregarding a few earthly rules,
My God-given knowledge of wires I applied:
I spliced in and trusted the Lord to provide.
And with His great blessing, I got it for free,
Now Jesus has cancelled my cable TV.
One Sunday I almost found what I should do:
A famed TV preacher just seemed like he knew.
His words were inspiring, and I saw the light.
Then he asked for money; it didn't seem right.
I'm sorry I failed you, hear my humble plea:
Oh Jesus, please restart my cable TV.