Tokyo

Transistorised, and anodised
Chrome plated, squeaky clean
Oh Tokyo, oh Tokyo
Oh Tokyo I love you

You're trembling, you're choking
But you're magical to me
Oh Tokyo, oh Tokyo
Oh Tokyo I love you

Kimonos, and Geisha girls
From grade one, down to three
Oh Tokyo, oh Tokyo
Oh Tokyo I love you

Land of the rising sun
You have taken my heart away
With your beauty you nearly blinded me
In your beauty I want to stay

I bow to you with my heart
I think of you every day
When I dream you are there beside me
But when I waken you're far away

Perfection, in miniature
With tiny hands, smiling eyes
Oh Tokyo, oh Tokyo
Oh Tokyo I love you
Tokyo

Tolerance

The still and silence
is torn with violence.
A loud breaking sound
in the night is made.
Hear it grow, hear it fade.
The sound you're hearing,
the sound you're fearing
is the hate that parades
up and down our streets,
coming within bounds and within reach.
Now, inside the place we hide away,
we hear it near and hope it turns away.
Turn away
There's something seething in the air we're breathing.
We learn slash and burn is the method to use.
Set a flame, burn it new.
We're overpowered.
We kneel, we cower,
we cover our heads.
Feel the threat of blows
that will come and the damage
that will be done in its wake.
Now, inside this place we hide away,
we hear it near although it's miles away.
We hear it near and hope it turns away.
Turn away
This house divided, we live inside it.
Hate's dwelling place is
behind our door in fitful nights.
Hear it walk the floor and hear it rave
as it moans and drags along its ball and chain,
as it moves through this house it can't escape.
Now inside this place we hide away.
We hear it near and hope it turns away.
Turn away

Verdi Cries

The man in 119 takes his tea alone. Mornings we all rise to
wireless Verdi cries. I'm hearing opera through the door. The souls
of men and women, impassioned all. Their voices climb and fall;
battle trumpets call. I fill the bath and climb inside, singing.
He will not touch their pastry but every day they bring him
more. Gold from the breakfast tray, I steal them all away and then go
and eat them on the shore.
I draw a jackel-headed woman in the sand, sing of a lover's
fate sealed by jealous hate then wash my hand in the sea. With just
three days more I'd have just about learned the entire scire to Aida.
Holidays must end as you know. All is memory taken home with
me: the opera, the stolen tea, the sand drawing, the verging sea, all
years ago

What's The Matter Here

That young boy without a name
Anywhere I'd know his face
In this city the kid's my favorite
I've seen him
I see him every day
Seen him run outside
Looking for a place to hide
From his father
The kid half naked
And said to myself
"O, what's the matter here?"

I'm tired of the excuses
Everbody uses
He's their kid
I stay out of it
But who gave you the right
To do this?

We live on Morgan Street
Just ten feet between
And his mother
I never see her
But her screams and cussing
I hear them every day
Threats like
"If you don't mind
I will beat on your behind"
"Slap you, slap you silly"
Made me say
"O, what's the matter here?"

I'm tired of the excuses
Everybody uses
He's your kid
Do as you see fit
But get this through
That I don't approve
Of what you did
To you own flesh and blood

I'm tired of the excuses
Everybody uses
He's your kid
Do as you see fit
But get this through
That I don't approve
Of what you did
To you own flesh and blood

"If you don't sit
In your chair straight
I'll take this belt
From around my waist
And don't you think
That I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time
What could be the awful crime
He could do at such young an age?
If I'm the only witness
To your madness
Offer me some words to balance
Out what I see and what I hear
All these cold and rude
Things that you do
I suppose you do
Because he belongs to you
And instead of love
And the feel of warmth
You've given him these cuts
And sores won't heal
With time or age
I want to say
"What's the Matter here?"
But I don't dare say
"What's the Matter here?"
But I don't dare say

Who Knows Where The Time Goes

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it's time for them to go?
Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time

For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it's time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time

For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

And I am not alone while my love is near me
I know it will be so until it's time to go
So come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I have no fear of time

For who knows how my love grows?
And who knows where the time goes

Wildwood Flower


i will twine with your mingles of raven black hair
with the roses so red and the lilies so fair
with myrtle as bright as the emerald dew
the pale and the lyd-er and eyes of light blue

oh he promised to love me; he promised to love
and to cherish me always all others above.
i woke from my dream and my idol was clay
my passion for loving had vanished away.

oh he taught me to love him; he called me his flower
a blossom to cheer him through life's weary hour
but now he is gone and left me alone
the wild flowers to weep and the wild birds to mourn.

i will dance and i'll sing and my life shall be gay
i will charm every heart and each crown I shall sway
though my heart now is breaking he never shall know
how his name makes me tremble, my pale cheeks to glow.

i will dance and i'll sing and my heart will be gay
i'll banish this weeping, drive troubles away.
i'll live yet to see him regret this dark hour
when we won and neglected this frail wildwood flower.

You Won't Find Me There


I'd like to know what makes you stay
while your eyes still search for escape.
You think that I don't feel the cold,
but I wait while confessions unfold.
You'll never make a living from reading minds
or from getting your direction from exit signs.
Look into your heart and you won't find me there.
You won't find me where you hide
and that makes us a matter of time.
Like trees exposed by fall,
time reveals it all.
Tell me you want to do everything
but you're stuck up to your knees.
And I'm less likely pushed forward by ambition than a breeze.
But there's a flame that must be fanned,
and it appears as a beckoning hand.
Don't think 'cause you're not talking you're being kind,
you've been getting your direction from exit signs.
Look into your heart and you won't find me there