"No News Is Bad News"
 
I took a stroll down a primrose lane on a clear blue day
Everything seemed so perfectly placed
Daises lined each manicured lawn
Well groomed men walked well groomed dogs
Stopped in a bar for a mid-day drink
On search of a scene more inspiring
Shooting off the cap of a ball point pen
Thinking happen, something happen

When everything's in order
Is that what you write about?
There's nothing much new
There's not much to say
Well there's not much to say
I got everything in the news
It occurred to me
No news is bad news
When you trying to spark that fuse
Well you wanna sing them blues

You're waiting 'round for a water to boil
For the fire to lose control
But you can't heat up that kettle
You gotta leave the elements alone
It scares the shit outta me
When weathered writers lose their steam
I'm lonely, getting older, less interesting
You can't make this shit up
You can't make this shit up
You can't make this shit up
You can't make this shit up

When everything's in order
Is that what you write about?
There's nothing much new
There's not much to say
Well there's not much to say
I got everything in the news
It occurred to me
No news is bad news
When you trying to spark that fuse

I stumbled out into a black alley on a blood red dawn
The ramshackle block seemed trampled upon
Shattered glass smeared on burned cement
A stray dog eating from a black bean tin
Stopped in Eddie's for a pick me up
For leads on how the town got so fucked
Bought a bloody mary with tired grin
Saying, too dramatic
Try again

"Nonsense"
 
do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
bah-duh-buh-buh-buh-buh
does it matter now, what the songs about?
do-do-do-do-do-do
buh-duh-bu-buh-buh
does it matter now, what the songs about?

i really dont want to write another "im a dick" song again.
does it matter now,what the songs about?
my my oh my oh bed shak i keep saving its deafening
does it matter now,what the songs about?

no matter what i did no matter what i said
it doesnt matter know,youve gotta figure it out
we can continue on such non-sense to fill the days
and we wont speak of ugly things
but when these lyrics come out youll scream at me
one foots in your mouth, the other ones in your grave

so sing your heart outloud, sing your heart outloud
sing your heart outloud
do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
bah-duh-buh-buh-buh-buh
sing your heart out loud
im a dead man from singin
sing your heart out loud

"Once"
 
Once a liar, always a liar.
Once a cheater, always a cheater.
Once a day you'll remember her death.
Once you'll love but you'll love once too many.

Just this once.
Just this once.

I forget who you're with hon, where's your heart sleep this week?
Who's your baby, your hookup, your mama, your sugardaddy?
Once you're guilty you'll carry your due.
Once you spill out your heart, there's no refill.
Once you told me you loved too much.
Once you start it's never enough.

Just this once.
Just this once.
Oh..

Once a liar, always a liar.
Once a cheater, always a cheater.
Once a day you'll remember her death.
Once you'll love but you'll love once too many.

Just this once.
All right...
Just this once.

"Sinner's Serenade"
 
Oh God, no - please don't tell her
what I've done
I can hardly look at her
everything I love, I hurt
Oh God, yes - she is love
she is sex
But I used her for the game,
A scapegoat to carry the blame
for a hate song
For a hate song
It's like masochism - I hate
these hate songs
Holding a dove
then clipping it's wings off
Someone you love
and you give them the kiss off
Someone to love - and you fuck it up!

How I hate these dirty words I emulate
How i hate ruining what I create
How I hate this (and I hate that
you don't fall for it) - this
sinner's serenade
This hate song (this self defecation)
isn't helping anyone
Save the sinner
Save the sinner
He knows not what he's done to himself
What he's done to others
He hides behind words
he hides behind liquor
He hides in his bedroom with his guitar
screaming, "Sinner!"

Oh God, look what I've done
in the bedroom.

"Ten Percent To The Ten Percent"
 
You seemed like such a smart young man.
And your Fathers got a lot of friends.
We didn't bother to check your references.
We're a successful company.
With endless opportunity.
So why must you shit where you eat?
It all started out in the warehouse.
Watching the stock watching the clock.
Taking shots from a flask of scotch.
My first evaluation came.
Remarkably they sang my praise.
"Keep up the pace. You could see a raise in pay."
This seemed like a good challenge to me.
So I started a game of craps in the back alley.
What better way to supplement minimum wage.
Despite these bits of debauchery,
The managers failed to notice me.
So what the fuck?
I started stealing things.
Once inventory rolled around
A few sku items could not be found.
Some DVD's and a wide screen TV.
"We'll dock these items from your pay.
We expect you to finish out the day.
Your father must be so ashamed."

Fuck you and your job.
And I'll shit where I want.
This country is gonna go out with a bang.
This country is headed for Dependence Day.
So lay out your blanket and wait for the fireworks display.

You're restless devoided your job keeps you broke.
Big Business booms and makes sure that we don't.
So get in the ring, you just ran out of rope.

I'll give ten percent to the ten percent.
Now hand me those classifieds.

"The Bitter End"
 
When the bitter end arrives,
will we be at war or sadly, madly in love?
Will we beg for one more night?
Or will we have our bags packed
waiting at the door?

When the bitter end arrives,
Will it be a finish line or a starting gate?
Brass and pearl, or maggots and dirt --
bittersweet or just desserts?

When you didn't answer your phone
I knew there was something wrong;
you'd been a wreck all week.
When it's unbearable,
the more unavailable the world can often seem

When the bitter end arrives,
will we be exhausted or will we toss and turn?
Will we claw out our eyes?
Or will we simply close them
and let sleep seep in?

When your bitter end arrived
you could've at least
chicken-scratched some cliched note:
"on the razor's edge",
"at the end of your rope",
"the bitter pills you just had to swallow."

When you didn't answer your phone
suddenly the last time we spoke
became the last time we spoke.
What would I have said if I knew
just how desperate the situation was?

But I know that I knew --
such overstated clues --
you stopped eating, kept drinking,
stopped showing up for work.
When you're alone, did you utter dying words?

Why'd the bitter end have to come?
Why'd the bitter end have to come for you?
So sad, so soon.
When your bitter end came around,
did you wonder how your sentence would sound?
An exclamation or a question mark?!