"Tell Yourself"

I know what you tell yourself, you tell yourself.
Look in the mirror, look in the mirror what does it show?
I hear you counting
I know you're adding. adding up the score.
I know, oh yes I know what you tell yourself,
Tell yourself.

Ever since Eden we're built for pleasing everyone knows
And ever since Adam cracked his ribs and let us go
I know, oh yes I know what you tell yourself
Tell yourself

Who taught you how to lie so well
And to believe in each and every word you say?
Who told you that nothing about you is alright
It's just no use, it's just no good you'll never be O.K.?

Well I know, I know that wrong's been done to you
"It's such a tough world," that's what you say
Well I know, I know it's easier said than done
But that's enough girl, give it away,
Give it, give it all away

Tell yourself that you're not pretty
Look at you, you're beautiful.
Tell yourself that no one sees
Plain Jane invisible me, just tell yourself

Tell yourself you'll never be
Like the anorexic beauties in the magazines
Just a bargain basement Barbie Doll
No belle du jour, no femme fatale
Just tell yourself

Tell yourself there's nothing worse
Than the pain inside and the way it hurts
But tell yourself it's nothing new
Cause everybody feels it too
They feel it too

And there's just no getting 'round
The fact that you're thirteen right now

"The Blind Men And The Elephant"

Six men of Hindustan
To learning much inclined
went to see the Elephant
Though all of them were blind
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind
Satisfy his mind, satisfy his mind
Six men of Hindustan
To learning much inclined

Well the First approached the Elephant
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side
At once began to bawl
"God bless me!
But this Elephant is very like a wall!"

And the Second, feeling of the tusk
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant is very like a spear!"

All of them were blind
All of them were blind
Six men of Hindustan
To learning much inclined

The Third approached the animal
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands
Thus boldly up his spake
"I see," quoth he
"The Elephant is very like a snake!"

Then the Fourth reached out an eager hand
and felt about the knee
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant is very like a tree!"

And the Fifth who chanced to touch the ear
Said: "Even the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant is very like a fan!"

And the Sixth no sooner had begun
about the beast to grope
Seizing on the swinging tail
that fell within his scope
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant is very like a rope!"

All of them were blind
All of them were blind
Six men of Hindustan
To learning much inclined
To learning much inclined

And so these men of Hindustan
Disputed loud and long
Each in his opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong
Each was partly in the right
but all were in the wrong

So often theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

"The Dancing Bear"

Oh, it's fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,
The dancing bear ran away with me;
For the organ-grinder he came to town
With a jolly old bear in a coat of brown.
And the funny old chap joined hands with me,
While I cut a caper and so did he.
Then 'twas fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,
I looked at him, and he winked at me,
And I whispered a word in his shaggy ear,
And I said, "I will go with you, my dear."

Then the dancing bear he smiled and said,
Well, he didn't say much, but he nodded his head,
As the organ-grinder began to play
"Over the hills and far away."
With a fiddle-de-dum and a fiddle-de-dee;
Oh, I looked at him and he winked at me,
And my heart was light and the day was fair,
And away I went with the dancing bear.

Oh, 'tis fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,
The dancing bear came back with me;
For the sugar-plum trees were stripped and bare,
And we couldn't find cookies anywhere.
And the solemn old fellow he sighed and said,
Well, he didn't say much, but he shook his head,
While I looked at him and he blinked at me
Till I shed a tear and so did he;
And both of us thought of our supper that lay
Over the hills and far away.
Then the dancing bear he took my hand,
And we hurried away through the twilight land;
And 'twas fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee
When the dancing bear came back with me.

"The End"

That’ll be the end of the road,
when my battered, embittered
body and soul will go home.

That’ll be the end of the war,
when we finally lay down
the barrel and the blade and go home.

By the sea, so wide and treacherous,
by the land, so dark and dangerous,
how can we have so far to go?

That’ll be the end of the law,
of Bible, Koran, Torah, lost and gone.

And the sea, so wide and treacherous,
and the land, so dark and dangerous,
how can we have so far to go?

That’ll be the end of arms stretched wide,
of begging for bread, of emptiness inside.

And the sea, so wide and treacherous,
and the land, so dark and dangerous,
so far left behind.

That’ll be the end of the war,
when we finally lay down
the barrel and the blade and go home.

"The Janitor's Boy"

Oh I'm in love with the janitor's boy,
And the janitor's boy loves me;
He's going to hunt for a desert isle
In our geography.

A desert isle with spicy trees
Somewhere near Sheepshead Bay;
A right nice place, just fit for two
Where we can live always.

Oh I'm in love with the janitor's boy,
He's busy as he can be;
And down in the cellar he's making a raft
Out of an old settee.

He'll carry me off, I know that he will,
For his hair is exceedingly red;
And the only thing that occurs to me
Is to dutifully shiver in bed.

The day that we sail, I shall leave this brief note,
For my parents I hate to annoy:
"I have flown away to an isle in the bay
With the janitor's red-haired boy."

"The King Of China's Daughter"

The king of China's daughter
So beautiful to see
With a face like yellow water
Left her nutmeg tree

Her little rope for skipping
She kissed and gave it me
Made of painted notes of singing-birds
Among the fields of tea

I skipped across the nutmeg grove
I skipped across the sea
But neither sun or moon, my dear
Has yet caught me

"The Land Of Nod"

From Breakfast on through all the day
At home among my friends I stay,
But every night I go abroad
Afar into the land of Nod.

All by myself I have to go,
With none to tell me what to do--
All alone beside the streams
And up the mountain-sides of dreams.

The strangest things are there for me,
Both things to eat and things to see,
And many frightening sights abroad
Till morning in the land of Nod.

Try as I like to find the way,
I never can get back by day,
Nor can remember plain and clear
The curious music that I hear.

"The Letter"

If I ever write this letter
The pages I could write
But I don't know where to send it
You have vanished
Heaven knows where you live
Heaven only knows

If I ever write this letter
Bitter words it would contain
Just an unrequited lover
Wishing she had never
Spoken your name
Had never known your name

But if I write this letter
The truth it would reveal
Knowing you brought me pleasure
How often I'll treasure
Moments that we knew
The precious and the few

"The Living"

What's it like there outside
With the living?
From this broken down place
Where I hide
From the living
From the living

Cause I don't care to stay
With the living

O, the bottle has been to me
My closest friend and
My worst enemy
Afraid that I've walked a fine line
Squandered it all
And wasted my time

And I don't stand a chance
Among the living

All the lovers I've gambled and lost
Count my mistakes
Whatever the cost
I'll go off, I'll make myself scarce
Come tomorrow
You won't find me here

Cause I don't care to stay
Among the living

No, I don't think I'll remain

"The Man In The Wilderness"

The Man in the wilderness
He asked of me
How many strawberries grow in the salt sea?
And I answered him, as I thought good
As many a ship sails in the wood

The Man in the wilderness
He asked me, Why
His hare could swim and his pig could fly?
And I answered him, as I thought best
They were both born in a cuckoo's nest

The Man in the wilderness
Asked me to tell
Tell all the sands in the sea and I counted them well
And with the grain, well, not one more
I answered him, you go make sure

Said with the grain, well, not one more
I answered him, you go make sure
I answered him, you...you go make sure