Joe Henry Album

I'll keep your monkey
I'll treat him good
I'll talk to him like he talks to you

I'll cut your cord
And I'll keep it dry

And maybe someday, someday, someday baby
You'll come back to me
Maybe someday, someday, maybe someday
You'll come back

I'll dress myself
In your finest things
I'll chew my lip to keep it sore

I'll try forgetting
So I won't forget

And maybe someday, someday, someday maybe
You'll come back to me
Maybe someday, someday, baby someday
You'll come back

Here comes the rapture
Of song and story
Looking just like the Ice Capades

I'll play the harlot
When they make the movie

And maybe someday, someday, someday baby
You'll come back to me
Maybe someday, someday, someday maybe
You'll come back to me

And maybe someday, someday, someday maybe
You'll come back to me
Maybe someday, someday, baby someday
You'll come back

If I know my angels, I know what they'd say.
Be still my little butcher boy, you'll give us all away.
Be still you wretched little freak, give us room to move.
Give us milk, you little pig, we'll tell you when we're through.

My love is like a mountain, her mouth is like a mine.
Incubating diamonds, as we rise and shine, shine.
Rolling over granite, there's a smell like cloves and clay.
And if I know my angels, they'll take it all away.

Can you get it?

Now I've sold my bread, to keep my spirits high.
To keep some taste on my tongue, and my feelings dry.
They'll have their fun and leave me, I'm like a stone without a weight.
But if I know my angels, I'll fall just like a cane.

I can't get it.

Here comes the night, there go your knees, reaching for the floor.
You say I'll stand guard down here, she stands in the door,
With a pony on the tether pulling cold and sugarcane.

There go your knees.
And there she goes.
She's a-hauling cane like it was gold.

And when she calls upon the dead,
to stand up in her place,
They'll raise the roof up overhead,
and speak out from her face.
And fish jump in her boat all day,
and flog your feet like steel.

There go the dead.
Out through the roof.
She speaks your name,
Like it was proof.

The carnies kick the gravel,
and they wait for you in town,
They pull back on the lever,
and they bring the truck around.
But her fingers on her lips
Are like a penny for a fuse.

And it would take,
All the world to go,
The town will burn,
For all you know.

Have you seen enough?
Then go and see
Have you seen enough?
You might as well
Leave the sun, it's dreary face
Leave me something in your place

And so it was you, lying down
This close to me, turning your back
And all it would take, for you to be free,
Was never enough, but too much for me

I love you
With my skin and teeth
I love you
Skin and teeth

I know what to do, I'll show you know
I know better than you, but it won't help me
My hair will grow back, intermittently
And my clothes will dry like blood on my teeth

I love you
With my skin and teeth
I love you
Skin and teeth
Skin and teeth
Skin and teeth

Hey, look alive
I'm coming down
There's no one
Could stop me now
No writer's pleas
No riding free
Just save your skin
One for me

Oh no, not this
So close
How could you miss?

For the one and only Mona
I keep a place
Deep down in my coat
And hid behind my face
Her tongue's fat as her thumb
Her heart's a dime
Pick your poison
Leave me mine

Oh no, not this
So close
How could you miss?

I still remember
When your shoes were new
When I could hold a spoon
The way some people do
If this is our finish
Let's begin
A gamble I would lose
I guess I win

Oh no, not this
So close
How could you miss?

Oh no, not this
So close
How could you miss?

I want too much and I want you
When I hope I woke, I want too much
When you try to save yourself
And I hope you don't, I want too much

In dreams I fly above the barn
With goats and violins, I want too much
The palest girl raises her arms
Waving from the fence, I want too much

And even now, even now, even now
I want no more and I want too much

I want the lost forgotten miles
To swallow up your street, I want too much
Raining smoke and dandelions
And silver at my feet, I want too much

But I want the phantom at the door
To put his hand in mine and I want too much
I want you to pull me down
And cover me with vines, I want too much

And even now, even now, even now
I want no more and I want too much
I want too much

Your kiss left me a bloodied mess
And a trail behind, I want too much
And if you fall then I confess
Better you this time and I want too much

And even now, even now, even now
I want no more, I want no more
And even now, even now
I want no more and I want too much

I want too much
I want too much
And I want too much

[No lyrics]

I know she's right behind me now
without looking back.
I know she will untie me; how,
then, will I pay for that?

And like she was the railroad
Like she was the lost world
Like she was the big hand turning back the scene.
Like she was the raging flower in the brick-yard
Like she was the only thing holding on to me.

There is no revolution
without boots and song.
Her foot falls like a banner day
and I will song along.

Like she was the anvil
Like she was the fire bell
Like she was the fever I wear like a crown.
Like she was the bomb scare
threatening with heaven,
Like she was the only thing hold me to the ground.

She's pretending to be wide awake,
to be listening to me.
Promises her love to last at least for now
without a moment's peace.

Like she was the tightrope
Like she was the last hope
Like she was the Roosevelt's funeral in the street.
Like she was the wildest voice out of the jungle
Like she was the only thing calling out to me.

Like she was the railroad
Like she was the lost world
Like she was the big hand turning back the scene.
Like she was the raging flower in the brick-yard
Like she was the only thing holding on to me.

Teri comes in laughing
Shakes her coat off
And I just can't bear to look
Anymore I hear somebody laughing
I just figure, I've been took
She stands right behind me
With one hand on my back
My eyes are closed
At first I think she speaks to me
But when I hear him say, “Hi”
I say, “oh”
Oh, oh, oh

Here come the angels talking sweet to me
Just like the thought that I was dumb
Like I don't hear the talk from town
Like I don't know what's ‘bout to come
Everybody knows they left Paul without his clothes
Behind the barn in tears
Now we can't get him off that God damned horse
He's been there for years
Years, years, years

It's ten o'clock the tv's on my bed
The news is on, it's never good
I'm up, I'm up, I'm getting up, I will
I know I really should
This lake is too big for me Jesus
Don't hold me to anything I do
If I surrender now and let it swallow me
Don't think they won't blame you
You, you, you, you
Don't think they won't blame you
Don't think they won't blame you

I'm through with this, this beautiful hat
I've never let nothing be as easy as that
I won't let it be like the nest of a dream
A cradle for a stone when all of this seems
As likely as stones are to rise up and sing
As likely as birds to fly out of this thing
As likely as birds to fly out of this thing

The water grows quiet, or so it pretends
It stands deep and cloudy and waits to come in
And take up the place that one time was mine
When I was beginning to learn how to climb
Thinking myself to be doing just fine
Reaching your knees when just finding mine
Reaching your knees while living on mine

So take this away your hat full of birds
That refuse now to rise and I give you my word
That whatever comes I swear it was true
That nothing has ever looked better on you
Nothing has ever looked better on you
Nothing has ever looked better on you

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day
We'll smile through, just like we always do,
'Til the blue skies come and chase the clouds away

So won't you please say hello to the friends that I know,
Tell them I won't be long
They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go,
I was singing this song

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day