1. |
Caligula
03:28
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The emperor awoke today
His golden curls in disarray
Fever swole his holy brain
He barely got one sandal laced
Before he stumbled to the door
His guards asleep there on the floor
Stepping down the marble hall
He braced his arm against the wall
And all around him bounced the morning light
All that he could smell was his own skin
That’s when it hit him
Like Jove’s lightning
He said I want to be selfish
I want to be selfish
I have held myself upside down
Like a purse above a crowd
I feel all emptied out
And I want to be selfish
I want to be
I want to be
Three black snakes in an olive tree
And I want to be a charioteer
With a tattoo on each bicep
I want to be
I want to be
The tallest wave in the Ionian Sea
Oh, senators, are you hearing me?
Write this down, you better write this
Down
Write this down, you better write this
Down
I awoke today to see
A Caligula in me
Reclining against my spleen
Sweating, shouting, shivering
And all day long, I keep him nice and small
All night long, he works at growing tall
That’s when he gets his
Song in my head
It goes I want to be selfish
I want to be selfish
I have held myself upside down
Like a purse above a crowd
I feel all emptied out
And I want to be selfish
I want to be selfish
I have held myself upside down
Till nothing more came out
I feel all emptied out
And I want to be
I want to be....
I want to be selfish
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2. |
Cartographer
04:37
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Humble cartographer, yes
Mumbling
Bumbling cartographer
Here to serve your ship, sir
Lookie, my inks and pens
See how I sharpened them
My parchment
Newly sent
From London, oh
I am not homesick, no
My home's still out there
Somewhere
Someday
I hope to draw
Ooowee, three months at sea
Orange-breath
No signs yet
Of scurvy
Ma would be so proud of me
Up in my crow's nest, yes
That's where I do my best
Imagining
What I'll see
When that salted spray
Finally gives way
To that
Secret scented scintillating
Sacred shaded salivating
Shore
(Shore, shore, shore)
I see it
Rising out the water
Like the belly of a bathing god
I tremble to describe it, yes
I tremble now
Inside it
My god,
No one ever told me it could ever look like this
My god,
No one ever told me it could ever look like this
How am I
How am I
How am I
How am I supposed to map you
When my hands can hardly handle handling
Anything not you
Not you
Your dirt
Your sap
Your sour trees
Sweet howling of your breeze
I am untamed by you
Earnest cartographer, yes
Nervous unlearned cartographer
Wholly unprepared for
Your wildfire wildflowers
Dizzy blue witching hours
Permutations
Of constellations
Oh, your wintry streams
How they flood my dreams
I wake up shivering
And wet between
My hammock
And the wooden beams
I rock
Myself to sleep
I see you
Glowing in the moonlight
You seem to have no borders, no
I tremble to describe you
Yes
I tremble now
Inside you
My god,
No one ever told me it could ever look like this
My god,
No one ever told me it could ever look like this
How am I
How am I
How am I
How am I supposed to map you
When my hands can hardly handle handling
Anything not you
Not you
Your dirt
Your sap
Your sour trees
Sweet howling of your breeze
Ooooo I am untamed by you
Ooooo I am untamed by you
Oooo
My god,
No one ever told me love could ever feel like this
My god,
No one ever told me love could ever feel like this
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3. |
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I want to know what you say about me, oh
I want to know what you say about me, oh
I want to know what you say about me
When the door is closed
At Versailles, even the walls have ears
You know I'd kill to hear
What you'd say
I'm King Louis and I love to dance, oh
I'm King Louis, I'm the king of France, oh
I'm King Louis and I love to dance
But I love to gossip more
At Versailles, even the walls have ears
You know I'd kill to hear
What you'd say
Oh! Believe you me that I know I can't be everybody's cup of tea
Oh! But, even so, I'd like to think I'm yours
Come on whisper into my wanting ear
Come on, let me know
I want to know what you say about me
I want to know what you say about me
I want to know what you say about me
When I leave the hall
Do you say a curse
Or even worse, do you say nothing at all?
There's not enough champagne I could sip
That would make me slip up and admit
That I care a bit what you think about me
C'est la vie
I wish you'd say you love me
Oh!
C'est la vie.
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4. |
Nuns of Abruzzo
04:02
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I was the third born
I had no prospects
Homely little thing,
Homely little thing
I was sent to the nuns in Abruzzo
They took my clothing
They cut my hair
Gave me a new name,
Gave me a new name
At night I could sit by the window
Will you take our vow of silence, sister, will you?
I think I nodded yes
But I'm afraid
As I sit by the window
I'm afraid
I don't want my body
To be a tomb
Don't want to be a tomb
For all these words
Buried deep inside
If I die tonight
Out, out brief light
Light a candle for the ghost
Of the things unsaid
Listen to the wind slithering
Through the Cyprus trees
It's the sighing of the dead
Through the centuries
Listen to the wind slithering
Through the Cyprus trees
It's the sighing of the dead
Through the centuries
I was the third born
I had no prospects
Many years ago,
Many years ago
I was sent to the nuns in Abruzzo
Mea culpa
Mea culpa
Mea maxima
Mea maxima culpa est
My eternal hesitation
Will you break your vow of silence, sister, will you?
I nodded yes
But I'm afraid
As I stand in the doorway
I'm afraid
I don't want my body
To be a tomb
Don't want to be a tomb
For all these words
Buried deep inside
If I die tonight
Out, out brief light
Light a candle for the ghost
Of the things unsaid
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5. |
Troy
02:25
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I am no Paris
You, no Menelaus
I took no blushing
Bride from your bed
Troy is burning in your head
But I am no Paris
I am no Paris
You, no Menelaus
You, no Menelaus
I took no blushing
Bride from your bed
Troy is burning in your head
I admit
That the armor fits
I've been soft and gutless
Awfully thoughtless
Like that pretty prince of Troy
I have been a spoiled boy
With hands that carelessly destroy
And wring themselves
And wring themselves
And wring themselves
But I am no Paris
I am no Paris
You, no Menelaus
You, no Menelaus
I took no blushing
Bride from your bed
Troy is burning in your head
I concede
I so rarely heed
Consequences
Common sense circumspection
Paris, I can understand
Consequences can be damned
To feel curving beneath your hand
Beloved bones
Sacred skin
I breathe it in
But I am no Paris
I am no Paris
You, no Menelaus
You, no Menelaus
I took no blushing
Bride from your bed
Troy is burning in your head
I am no Paris
I am no Paris
You, no Menelaus
You, no Menelaus
I took no blushing
Bride from your bed
Troy is burning in your head
But Helen never was a string
Of amber beads in your treasury
So no one could steal Helen
Not even Helen
Certainly not Paris
Trojan ghosts, now go to sleep
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Gawain and The Green Knight Brooklyn, New York
Music for falling in love with the ghost in your attic.
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