The Mountain Goats Album

he came knocking down the street lights
tearing up the new grass on the lawn
he was frightening off the livestock
I could feel him coming down
I let the Citranella dissolve in my hand
I began to feel real bad
when the ghost of your father comes to town
what the hell else can you do
I flung open all the windows
put the water on for tea
and let him pass right through

he took to knocking over furniture
getting into the reception on the wireless
he tore up all the dry goods in the pantry
he was strong and he was tireless
when the priest came to call, I sent him on his way
I got a tremor in my hands and my feet are made of clay
when the ghost of your father starts pushing you around
how are you gonna make him stop
I took down all the crosses, I let him set up shop

yesterday I put in a good 5 hours
talking to the statues
chased your memory all around the room
didn't manage to catch you
but I cleaned out the savings account
blew everything I had on flowers
covered up the furniture in carnations
rolled around for hours

there are those of you, who got the wrong idea right now
but man you should of seen me when I got through
indistinguishable from a fourth century Briton
waiting on the couch for you
I put all the extras on the credit card
bubble of the universe and mylar balloons
everything we'd saved up in one room at the same time
cartoon stars, crescent moons
thank you notes, get well cards
condolences, congratulations
bright colors, hues and signals
reminders and rememberances

the cabbages that I will grow
one by one and row by row
will fatten in the spring sun
and breathe in the night air

you will hear them breathing
if you walk by at night
you may not hear them after all
but that's all right

I've set the table for two
I've cleaned the windows for you
I've got cinnamon from Jakarta
for making French toast
the doctor says that I've got
thirty days left at most

the cabbages that I will grow
the love songs on the radio
will deepen in the springtime
theylle be brighter than the stars

well I swung through town
shining like a new quarter
felt something sharp rise up within me
when I crossed the border
stopped at the gas station payphone
I let my fingers fly
the wicked impulses were dying
but I couldn't let them die
we were over at your place
singin about the old times
I ate so much (carrion)?
that I could not move
I was bloated

when I saw you in the kitchen
glistening like the old country
all your cups and glasses
lined up in front of me
I stopped at the faucet for a minute
waited til you came in to see what was wrong
your fingers brushed my ribs playfully
and I played along
you had your tongue in my mouth
your eyes glistening in the light
I ate rich raw (carrion) ?
til I could not think
I was full

All along the interstate
the palm trees were calling out to me
the line of them stretched fown the highway forever
as far as I could see
I waited til the sun was coming up
light morning traffic and a cool spring breeze
I heard the old voices calling down
from the tops of the trees

when I got up to the top, my head got light
for a minute everything in the world was alright
I saw the next tree just 10 feet away
give or take a few feet I guess
then I pushed off into the air with all my might
headed out into the center of the morning light
I knew that I was gonna make it
the new tree hardly shook to acknowledge my arrival
I knew that I would be alright