All This Dust
Lived my life inside a fuse box
Put my doubts up on the stage
Stored our secrets in the basement
A mason jar of jealousy and rage

All this dust, it will destroy you
The photographs they make it hard for you to breathe
Throw your pennies to the mice and
Lock the door tight when you leave

I’ve been thinking you should settle down
Send a postcard when you do
I’ll let the angels know you’ll be around
Just in case they manage to get through
And they ask for you

Your piano is on fire, dear
It’s always one last cigarette
Rest a spell and sit for me here
And I will trace your silhouette

The moment to decide is drawing nearer
Sometime between this stoplight and the next one
Happiness lives in your rearview mirror
But you’re blinded by the setting sun

I’ve been thinking you should settle down
Send a postcard when you do
I’ll let the angels know you’ll be around
Just in case they manage to get through
And they ask for you

An Apology
Ed wasn’t like the other boys
So someone said,
“I’ll bet he goes for boys” and we agreed
We made jokes and I made friends
With all the guys who’d never speak to me

A family moved in up the street
In English they chose not to speak
We couldn’t grasp that ideology
So we threw eggs and I threw up
The next best thing to an apology

But somehow
We turned out all right
For awhile they had to wonder
If our fear would pull us under

When I was eight I tempted fate
A big mistake
I told a girl she meant the world to me
I broke down when she broke up
And spent the rest of recess in a tree

I wasn’t always thin like this
A TV lovin’ kid
I’d walk to class while insults followed me
They grew quiet as I grew up
But when will I get my apology?

But somehow
We turned out all right
For awhile they had to wonder
If our fear would pull us under

Appreciation
Wasted my days
So numbered, so few
Wish I’d been warned
So much work left to do

Frying some eggs
I’d picked up that day
That was the scene
When they took me away

Spiders in corners
Flies on the wall
This is my audience
They’ve come to see

The man who’ll be changing
The outside from inside
Maybe, just maybe
They’ll appreciate me

Get a reason to see it through
Set up… Been set up by the voices that asked me to
So let ’em scoff
Then let ’em turn
Their heads when they’re ready to learn

My days here are full
Fleshing out plans
Sharpening wits and strengthening hands

I don’t mind the wait
The world will need time
To move beyond defining
One’s worth by one’s crime

You’ve clipped my stories
Read them in secret
One of these days
You know I will go free

I know you’re out there
I’m dying to meet you
Maybe, just maybe
You’ll appreciate me

Get a reason to see it through
Set up… Been set up by the voices that asked me to
So let ’em scoff
Then let ’em turn
Their heads when they’re ready to learn

Becoming You
This time, it’s awfully clear to me
That this will be
My final chance

I’m on my way down to see you there
And meet your stare
And take a stance

You’re not in much of any shape to speak
Your words are weak
Or so I’ve heard

Somehow, you always seem to understand
What I have planned
Without a word

You say, “People drift away, that’s ok”
But I don’t hold against you
Things you think I do
It only makes me more determined
To get it right when it’s my turn
To become you
So that’s what I’ll do

I don’t care much for football scores
The great outdoors
Guys being guys

I don’t dream of fast cars, fat cigars
Or other things
I’m supposed to prize

I’m no good at spending time alone
Down to the bone
I bite my nails

But I am faithful to the ones I love
And that’s enough
I will not fail

You say, “People drift away, that’s ok”
But I don’t hold against you
Things you think I do
It only makes me more determined
To get it right when it’s my turn
To become you

Busride
I’ve been awake for twenty-seven years
You’ve been asleep for just as long
And that’s just about to change

I’m finally drifting off just as
You start to stir
But don’t you think it’s strange?
I know you’ve gotta get going, but you
See this is the only moment
Where our lives overlap

Let’s take a minute and lie here
And remember it when you
Come home to find me
Still sleeping
But you shouldn’t wake me up
I’ll drift away and dream that you continued to stay
There by my side
Some days that might just be
The extent to which this relationship exists
While I’m inside
You’re out there on your busride

I’ve been awake for twenty-seven years
You’ve been asleep for just as long
And that’s just about to change

I’m finally drifting off just as
You start to stir
But don’t you think it’s strange?
I know you’ve gotta get going, but you
See this is the only moment
Where our lives overlap

Let’s take a minute and lie here
And remember it when you
Come home to find me
Still sleeping
But you shouldn’t wake me up
I’ll drift away and dream that you continued to stay
There by my side
Some days that might just be
The extent to which this relationship exists
While I’m inside
You’re out there on your busride

Next time we speak you’ll be in another city
Just call me when you
Just call me when you
Just call me when you get there, baby

Chance at Greatness
Throw away your chance at greatness
Throw it all away and dare to be missed
Face the grind
And do normal things that must be done and feel fine
To make some space for a shining face like mine

Cuz I haven’t got the nerve
To fade in and smooth the curve
Afraid you’ll forget my face and meaningless name
Of losing identity
Fear of a life where every day is the same
But without people like you
There’s no use for people afraid like me

Throw away your chance at greatness
Throw away your chance and dare to be missed
Face the grind
And do normal things that must be done and feel fine
To make some space for a shining face like mine

Settle for second, settle for second
That’s the balance of things
That’s the balance of things
That’s the balance of things

Cuz I haven’t got the nerve
To fade in and smooth the curve
Afraid you’ll forget my face and meaningless name
Of losing identity
Fear of a life where every day is the same
But without people like you
There’s no use for people afraid like me

No use for people
There’s no use for people
There’s no use for people
There’s no use for people afraid like me

No use for people
There’s no use for people afraid like me (x6)

Choosing Sides
He’ll be close by
Twice a week, you’ll see him
So don’t cry, my dear

You’re old enough to make your rules
About caffeine, cassette tapes and
The cable TV

Dinner’s in the microwave
I’m off to work
And leaving you a key

Despite what I said
I’m moving downtown instead
I’m sure we’ll (he’ll) find a spot
To put your bed

I’ve asked he knock
He lived here once
And thinks he can just walk right in

She won’t come down, but sends a note
“It’s the first, where’s my check
And why is it late?

Let’s stay out of each other’s way
Let me know which functions
And which dates”

I need more time
Three houses and I’m behind
Here’s some paperwork For her (him) to sign

I know this must feel like
You’re choosing sides
No one’s wrong or right
But soon they’ll ask you to decide

Don’t feel any pressure
I know he’d (she’d) agree
She’ll (he’ll) always be your mom (dad)
But don’t you think you’re better off with me?

Don’t you think you’re better off Don’t you think you’re better off Don’t you think you’re better off with me? (x2)

Firenze
Three A.M., through the streets of Florence
A moped ride
She drives too fast, but I hang on tight because I
I’d never felt peril bear such bliss
Forever been waiting for my film-style kiss
And this could lead to that moment

This is the only place on Earth
Where every day feels as long as it’s worth

Three months pass and I’m at the station
And I’m on board
She says she’d come with if it was something she could afford
Slowly the train, it pulls away
Again like a movie, I’m tempted to stay
As she runs along side it

The skies they turn like pages
The trains don’t run on time
The stone reveals the ages
And somewhere love got left behind

I promised myself I would return
The only question’s when
Maybe on tour or with my bride
Or back to school again
Cuz nothing reminds you just how much
You’ve left to learn
Like a place where your right to be understood
Must be well earned
And mine’s Firenze

The skies they turn like pages
The trains don’t run on time
The stone survived the ages
And somewhere love got left behind

Heads Hurt Better
Locked inside that room of yours
Sounds as though your feet don’t touch the floor
We’re stuck staring at your door
For three dark days and four bright nights

But then we haven’t had enough time
To figure this one friend to friend
As the tempers and temperatures rise
We do damage time won’t mend

Ideals get the best of me
You’re left with the worst
Vices meant for testing me
Somehow they got to you first

Heads hurt better when drowned this way
But when do monkeys become demons?
And all that mattered dissolved one day
You stop breathing and she starts screaming

But you never spent enough time
Making sure she understood
That without her vigilant eye
All that drowning does no good

Ideals get the best of you
She’s left with the worst
Vices meant for testing you
Somehow they got to her first

What would it take to bring you home?
The lions wait for you at home
You swore you couldn’t stay with us at home
What would it take to bring you home?

What would it take to bring you home?
The lions wait for you at home
You swore you couldn’t stay with us at home
What would it take to bring you home?

I Don’t Know Where I Was Going with This
We’ll act like we’re first in love
And that was someone else’s problem
The changes we’re thinking of
Stop me short when I recall them

We swore if the spark expired
We’d bury this without a service
It’s possible that’s transpired
I thought I’d know, but I’m getting nervous

I don’t know where I was going with this… I don’t know (x3)
I don’t know where this is going

We will recognize our doubts today
Blocking out the sun to look at anything
Finding one another in a photograph
Smiling like we know each other

I haven’t the slightest clue
How you’d like me to preserve this
Maybe you were right, we’re through
And neither one of us deserves this

Yet still, we will try and start anew
In spite of me and in spite of you

I don’t know where I was going with this… I don’t know (x7)
I don’t know where this is going

Reached out, got bit in the dark
You’ve been on the job a little longer than you wanted

Impostors
Changing the station
Does nothing
To make you feel any less
A guilty part of the rest of the world

Turning the channel
Does nothing
To separate you
From the voices that spew
But don’t speak for us

Feels like you’re bound
Feels like they speak for you
Doing things in your name
Things you would never do

When thoughts swim like these
Tell me how anyone
With living to do
Is supposed to get any done

Throwing your hands up
Does something
To make you feel better
After skipping that letter you’d meant to write

Aiming at neighbors
Does something
To separate you from the guilt that you didn’t do
All you could

Feels like you’re bound
Feels like they speak for you
Doing things in your name
Things you would never do

When thoughts swim like these
Tell me how anyone
With living to do
Is supposed to get any done

Just a Star
Like your favorite song
That fades out as you drive
Away from the nearest town
It’s heartbreaking
And like advice
From almost anyone
Who gets it right the first time
It’s hard taking

But here it is
And there you are
It’s the sun
But you’d swear
It’s just a star
And so it is
If you believe it is

Just because
You didn’t work for it
That doesn’t mean
It’s not worth keeping
Tonight’s the perfect night
To see what else you might’ve had
The sky is clear and full of common lights
While the earth lies sleeping

But here it is
And there you are
It’s the sun
But you’d swear
It’s just a star
And so it is
If you believe it is

Magazine (Songwriter on a Train)
Gazes cast from eyes behind a magazine
Sitting, casting actors from the throng
You don’t see him
But he sees you

This is the sound of an absent son
Guilty, he fears, of a bond undone
A secret he thinks is his
Cuz he sends ’em a card every Christmas
And he always will
He needs a great idea
And you fit the bill

This is the sound of a poisoned man
(He thinks he knows you so well)
Muddling through with a drunken plan
(It’s not his story to tell)
A secret he thinks is his
Cuz his work’s done on time with a deadline
So he’ll always be fine

Gazes cast from eyes behind a magazine
Sitting, casting actors from the throng
You don’t see him
While you’re busy saving change on gasoline
Unwitting, he is saving you in song
You won’t hear it
(So what good’ll it do?)

This is the sound of a bitter mom
Stripped of the future she counted on
A secret she thinks is hers
Cuz she flouts at her neighbors’ big houses
And she always will
He needs a great idea
And you fit the bill

This is the sound of a cluttered wife
(He thinks he knows you so well)
Stumbling through her double life
(It’s not his story to tell)
A secret she thinks is hers
Cuz her nights don’t collide with the daylight
So she’s always alright

Gazes cast from eyes behind a magazine
Sitting, casting actors from the throng
You don’t see him
While you’re busy saving change on gasoline
Unwitting, he is saving you in song

Brother, he will find you
If he’s got a mind to
(Just wait)
Better be resigned to
Leaving it behind you
(Too late)

Mother, he will find you
If he’s got a mind to
(Just wait)
Better be resigned to
Leaving it behind you
(Too late)

Brother, he will find you
If he’s got a mind to
(Just wait)
Better be resigned to
Leaving it behind you
(Too late)

Mother, he will find you
If he’s got a mind to
(Just wait)
Better be resigned to
Leaving it behind you
(Too late)

Mexico City
Red-eye flight
I’ve been up all night
When I arrive, you’re just getting up

Awkward kisses
My bags are missing too
I watch them deal with you

You hail a taxi
Your boldness impresses me
But a coldness suppressed bleeds on through

Never had I felt so small
(So small, so small)
Though I towered over all
(Over all)
Skin so pale, a ghost I crawled
(I crawled, I crawled)
The mass and sprawl
They passed right through me, invisible

Cheap hotel
Your face I know so well
This just ain’t how I pictured it

Thought if I flew
Here, I could undo
The spell it cast on you

Scanning back through
The moments you failed to choose
Why wait ’til here and now for such bitter news?

Never had I felt so small
(So small, so small)
Though I towered over all
(Over all)
Through the streets, my heart I hauled
(I hauled, I hauled)
The mass and sprawl
They passed right by me, insensible

Wasn’t ’til I stood atop the pyramids
Free from the ‘should-’
And the ‘shouldn’t-have-but-dids’
Ancient nations raised and since dismissed
Certainly I can stagger my way through this

Wasn’t ’til I stood atop the pyramids
Free from the ‘should-’
And the ‘shouldn’t-have-but-dids’
Ancient nations long ago dismissed
Certainly I can stagger my way through this

Microphone Song
So, here I sit
Pen hangs forever an inch above the page
Feels just like schoolwork
Thought I’d be through with all that by this age
Caffeinated ideas race to and fro I can’t catch even one
Two hours to go
Someone remind me that this should be fun

I’m tired of trying
To express what’s not there
Forming opinions worthy to share
I’ve got things I’m thinking but why would you care?
Who am I?

Cuz on the ki-ki-kinda day like today
When I-I-I’ve got nothing to say
I feel that my-my-my words get in the way
Of what the fi-fi-five of them are trying to play
So please do-do-don’t pay attention to me
Cuz I’m go-go-goin’ broke lyrically
And if a po-po-poet’s what I wanted to be
A micropho-pho-phone’s not something I’d need
C’mon!

Still here I sit
Minutes to go and I’m losing my cool
I start to resent
All those of you who swear by the rule
That great rock n roll isn’t just something you pick up and play
But great rock n roll should always have something of value to say

Cuz on the ki-ki-kinda day like today
When I-I-I’ve got nothing to say
I feel that my-my-my words get in the way
Of what the fi-fi-five of them are trying to play
So please do-do-don’t pay attention to me
Cuz I’m go-go-goin’ broke lyrically
And if a po-po-poet’s what I wanted to be
A micropho-pho-phone’s not something I’d need
C’mon!

Money Making Money
Raised being told that he
Could do anything he wanted to
He wondered if that still were true
His son was three
His house was two
His wife kept quiet cuz she knew
Much better than that

He’s making money making money for a living
And it brings him down
She thinks it’s funny
She says, “Honey, count your blessings”
And it brings him down
When he was young
He thought that someday he’d be comfy
Now it brings him down

The things that he regrets not doing
Outnumber memories of the things that he did
No time to worry ‘bout that now
He’s busy cushioning his kid
To protect him from that

He’s making money making money for a living
And it brings him down
She thinks it’s funny
She says, “Honey, count your blessings”
And it brings him down
When he was young
He thought that someday he’d be comfy
Now it brings him down

Mountains of Molehills
This setting is perfect
At home, amidst your things
A quiet you can’t trust

Soon he will appear here
To order and adjust
Angles, numbers, names and dust

He visits when you are lonely
And thoughts wander his way
Invades because you’re bored

He lives in the mirror
Hides in every drawer
Look beneath your feet
He’s blanketing the floor

Mountains of molehills rising up
Words become a page
Speckles become stains
Home becomes a maze

Obsessions, they feed and feast on time
Minutes become days
Seconds become years
Moments become life
Where did it go?

It’s been nearly a week now
Since he’s shown his face
This is a test

Must seize any moments
He might’ve once possessed
Cuz you know better than to rest

He strikes under deadlines
When you’ve got places to be
Your schedules, he ignores

He’s got you living in fear of
What lies beyond those doors
Where chaos reigns supreme
And the control ain’t yours

Mountains of molehills rising up
Words become a page
Speckles become stains
Home becomes a maze

Obsessions, they feed and feast on time
Minutes become days
Seconds become years
Moments become life
Where did it go?

Plan Your Escape
Scour the starless skies
All night
For certain signs of life
And plan your escape

Soon you’ll realize
they’ve lied
Your future has been faked
And it’s still taking shape

Turn a deaf ear to
The din
Of gravity’s commands
And loosen its hold

But think it over, think it over
There’s far too much at stake
At least that’s what you’re told

Get yourself convinced
That it’s
Never been a matter of if
Just a question of when

Best say your goodbyes
Right here
Cuz chances are that most
Won’t see you again

Collect your thoughts and catch
Your breath
The flight ahead will put
Your will to the test

“Clear the runway, clear the runway,”
You’ll cry, wind at your back
A pilot, so possessed

Stranded in an airport hangar
Fuel lines frozen through
Engine stripped
Wings were clipped
Before you ever flew

Reading the Map Upside Down
Taking refuge
In leaves we’ve raked
In the throes of Summer, must be some mistake
Why here?
Why now?
For goodness sake

Sun-burnt shoulders
A peeling nose
In the thick of Fall, there’s sand between your toes
Why here?
Why now?
No one knows

I’ve taken stock
It seems we should be further along
But it’s not like us to ask
For fear that we are doing this wrong

This don’t look right
Doesn’t feel right
I think we’re reading the map upside-down
I vote we
Stay the course
And take the longer way around

Guiding kites as
It’s drizzling rain
It’s the dead of Winter, don’t you find that strange
Why here?
Why now?
I can’t explain

Turned to face you
And felt the sting
You hit me with a snowball in the heart of Spring
Why here?
Why now?
The strangest thing

Try tuning out
The blur of those who pass us by
While we’ve stopped to look about
I fear the journey’s gone awry

This don’t look right
Doesn’t feel right
I think we’re reading the map upside-down
I vote we
Stay the course
And take the longer way around

Rescue by Christmas
In a boy’s life
All the things going wrong
Momentarily felt alright
With Christmas in the air
And school nowhere in sight
We’d set everything aside for once
Nobody dared to fight
Mom loved dad and dad loved back
The gifts made that clear that night

I’ve been countin’ on
That rescue by Christmas
That time every year
Was it just me or was everyone
Glowin’ like no one was glowin’ all year?

Our holiday records play loud enough
Sometimes it’s tough to talk
If you need me
I’ll be out shovelin’ the walk
We keep the Christmas lights bright enough
Sometimes it’s tough to see
The faces that we force
As we gather around the tree

I’m still waitin’ on
That magic I’m missing
Though Christmas draws near
The snow’s out, the tree’s on, the family’s here
But the feeling’s more elusive
With each passing year

I wouldn’t trade it for anything (x8)

Shadowcat
Jesus talks in red
To separate the things He said
Every night I read
And memorized the famous parts
Just before I’d go to bed

All the rest appeared in black
As the authors recalled
The best they could while looking back
So careful not to confuse
The difference between the two
Don’t speak for Him
He won’t speak for you

You can try, but you won’t pin this on me
You were broken before we came to be
Don’t you dare claim to know what He wants for you

You stopped by to talk
Suggesting that we take a walk
Then you delivered the news
The reasons that you gave amazed
I wished they’d heard the quotes you’d used

After all the time we spent
Dodging pressure to bend
How could this be heaven sent?
And the church we passed by
For three years I tried
But couldn’t bear to set foot inside

You can try, but you won’t pin this on me
You were broken before we came to be
Don’t you dare claim to know what He wants for you

Ten years on
I think the anger’s finally gone
Since then I’ve learned
To separate the things He said
From all the phrases you have turned

Now it’s clear that we just weren’t meant to be
But not for reasons you gave me (x2)

Shortcut
She takes the roundabout
Congestion-free route
to each class

She lowers her head
Lightly treads
It’s attention that she dreads
As boys pass

He keeps his headphones loud
At lunch cuz he’s proud
Of the tune

He taps his feet
To the beat
Hopes an inquirer fills the seat
Someday soon

Shouldn’t take a hard look to see
What she is
And what she was
And can be

Should they ever cross paths again
Will they wish
They’d known the shortcut
Back then?

She sits where her teacher’s stare
Won’t force her to share
Her report

She longs for the court
It’s her sport
An underestimated girl
Of her sort

He’s got his hand aloft
And hopes to show off
But no one cares

But he’s
Got a plan
For a band
One thing he understands

Girl meets boy too soon
Boy meets girl too soon
Too soon

Should they ever cross paths again
Will they wish
They’d known the shortcut
Back then?

Shouldn’t take a hard look to see
What he is
And what he was
And can be

Slow Down Chicago
I’d like to ask this town to slow down
Selfish, I know
But I think it’s come to this.
I’m losing my breath and I’d take a break
If I thought I could
But the things I’ve been doing
To keep this town moving
Would surely be missed

From the corner of State and Madison, I cried,
“Chicago Slow Down”
A few folks glanced over
But none broke their stride
That’s when I found

This town it breathes on its own
With or without me
The skyline wakes up whether or not I get out of bed
El trains, they rumble along
And headlines will happen with no help from me
And when I can’t keep it all up
I’ll sing, “La, la, la, la”

It kills me to ask a thing of this town
Not mine alone
A burden I’d hate to be
I’m losing my step
And as I fall back
My life is living itself
But the seeds I’ve been sowin’
Could keep this town goin’
If only she’d wait for me

From the 95th floor, I looked out and I prayed,
“Chicago Slow Down”
But the teeming streets shrugged off
the plea that I had made
That’s when I found

This town it breathes on its own
With or without me
The skyline wakes up whether or not I get out of bed
El trains, they rumble along
And headlines will happen with no help from me
And when I can’t keep it all up
I’ll sing, “La, la, la, la”

Sympathetic Vibrations
Ah, the power of suggestion
It’s more convincing than a kiss
Everybody wants to feel this way
So when you finally do
It doesn’t matter
Where it’s all coming from

You’d rather not I ask the question
Who needs life when you’ve got love like this?
Now it’s been this long, he understands
That it’s easier to let it be than
Consider shaking it up

Sympathetic vibrations are what he feels for you
Heard you call it love
And we all wish that were true
The passion you possess seems to be enough
To cover his as well as yours
But he needs you near to
Remind him why he needs you at all

When we’re out, your smiles are matching
No one doubts the things you share
But clearly this was your idea
From the first date to the ring you wear
Now it’s been this long, he understands
That it’s easier to let it be than
Consider shaking it up

Sympathetic vibrations are what he feels for you
Heard you call it love
And we all wish that were true
The passion you possess seems to be enough
To cover his as well as yours
But he needs you near to
Remind him why he needs you at all

The Things You Don’t See
Something was different
When you woke up today
Feelings had changed
But exactly how you couldn’t say
You left the house whistling
The tune played by your alarm
And tapped out a backbeat
On the fore of your arm

You walked the same way every day, but today
Your footsteps become dances
You talk the same way every day, but today
Your phrases become stanzas
You’ve driven this way every day, but today
Your car rolls the road like a drum
You’ve given away your love
Now she plays on your heartstrings
And they hum

The moment it happens is easy to miss
I promise the changes they won’t be
It’s amazing a quiet revelation like this
Allows you to hear all the things you don’t see

But now you’ve felt it too
There’s no going back
It’s a beautiful thing
A beautiful thing
Now but It’s no wonder you
Would do what you can
To capture the sound
Of the world in full swing

Throwaway
Not sure how I earned the right
to flee that day
While everything we’d seen and done
began to wash away

But I took that break
no questions asked

The mayor swears, his prayers, on air
Fears laid bare on anchors’ faces
Dogs are whimpering from the roofs
A city’s history vainly braces

The waterline licks at the door
And window panes, they start to tremble
Reality turned on its head
In no way, does this resemble mine

Just like everyone else
when I traveled there
I arrived with next to nothing and then left with less
And in a throwaway haze
our souls unloaded
This time
it gave into the stress
I guess

Landed, headed straight on home
Combing AM stations to glean
A sense of what I’d left behind
Was it just as they’d foreseen?

Finally, I reached TV
And imagery of those who stayed through
That’s a memory you don’t shake
Watching others face the fate you dodged

And in a throwaway haze
our souls unloaded
This time
it gave into the stress
I guess