BARELY (IF AT ALL)   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

When my love complained, every word -- a breath on my last dandelion
and so lovers will leave and their tears -- souvenirs for the very first time
I searched the world reluctant -- to find a lover enthusiastic
speak to me barely if at all
When I was a boy, funny things -- water wings kept you confident
a belly of wine, similar -- to keep yourself indifferent
And I scraped the bargain basement -- bought a lover less than fantastic
spoke to me barely if at all
Taste perfume that burns my throat -- and i am free of envelope
squeeze an instant out of me
And she placed a hand between our lips -- how could anything be so precious
she kissed me barely if at all
And she, with her hand between our lips -- gave me what we now have in common
she left me barely if at all
 

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DRIVE YOU MILD   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

And if I ever drive you mild, and suffering this open kiss
and i'm barely juvenile
When everyone is outrageous - and I alone will be sleeping through the afternoon
And if I ever drive your style, and suffering your day predicted
with no ability to rile
And every yawn is contagious
and I alone will be sleeping through the afternoon
I should drive you wild

Ever drive you mild
Ever drive you mild
Ever drive you mild

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VILLAINS   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

I turned the volume up this morning -- till there was ringing in my ears
i haven't felt this good in years
Another villain on the cover -- of every major magazine
the victim somewhere in between
See how they twist and shout
And as i'm searching for the story -- subscription card falls to the floor
i'm losing interest more and more
To pick it up i'm bending over -- out of the corner of my eye
I see a pair of blazing thighs
See how they twist and shout
See how they twist and shout
I straighten up to look her over  -- and up my back a shooting pain
it's bound to settle in my brain
Another villain on the cover -- of every major magazine
the victim somewhere in between
See how they twist and shout
See how they twist and shout  

 

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REVEREND GIRL   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

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CUP OF TEA   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

I'm visiting - the ground's a little weathered where I stood
right field in my neighborhood -- I was mostly last, always least
dig it
At graduation everyone - will throw their hats into the sun
then they'll drop like flies to the sea
this is not my cup of tea
And valerie
the winter won't be keeping her around -- I'm nailing leaves to the ground
but it feels like sand underneath
dig it
She's never letting me forget - I've always been an idiot
and at times like this I agree
this is not my cup of tea
Crash
In a wrinkle of steel we are gone
will my last breath be a yawn
watching them sorting debris
this is not my cup of tea

 

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MYSELF   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

 

You never seen nobody as divine as - she can see reflections in her own eyes
an admission of desire, on a handsome afternoon
is an ovation to her ego
in her everyone is everything and everything is mine
Ms. Marceau
you don't need another, you'll always be your own hero
myself Ms. Marceau
you don't need another, you'll always be your own hero
As if we're speaking in another language
every word means I, me, mine every hello every good
no escape to the life of the average
it's an ovation to my ego
in her everyone is everything and everything is mine
We're very fortunate to have her here
accounts are empty and my friends deserted long ago but
she say that i'm okay, so i'm okay

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THE FRESHMEN   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

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PHOTOGRAPH   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

If you want beautiful, pitiful, have me in a picture
and if you want make me dance, throw me round spin upon your finger
Blind labors the blind and I am unwilling to uncover my eyes
And if you want take your time rifle through, find a very nice one
if there's a crease in my face over time, there's plenty more where that came from
Words, frozen, will thaw when I am wasted, I am better shut up
and a frame is quite confining, hang me up...hang me up
I'm in the photograph
When i'm alone and the world is a fist, I am weightless
a universe, gravitate, orchestrate, I am fearless
and spin, the sky surrounding free from all the picture perfect
and spin the sky surrounding, larger than life, meanwhile

 

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OMINOUS MAN   [written by Brian Vander Ark]

I should be half a mile from here - I will go anywhere she goes
shoulder the bags of a previous lover
I will go anywhere she goes - sleep on the pillow that reeks of another
A will of mine to be impressive
i'm an amorous man
I will go anywhere she goes - travel whenever, whatever the distance
The court deemed me to be offensive
i'm an ominous man
Once love is unanimous - no order demands
I should be half a mile from here
The court deemed me to be obsessive
i'm the ominous man
jury reject the alibi's seemingly watertight
for the ominous man
I am the ominous man

 

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REAL   [Written by Brian Vander Ark]

 

My sister had a nursery rhyme set of figurines
she'd often let me play with them, i'd set 'em up in different scenes
fifty plastic army men, led by superman
destroyed the ranks of mother goose
mary and her little
Lamb slips away and catches sister getting real
and I can too, as long as I don't make a sound
When we were real we were in love
with everyone and everything, I guess it was the beauty of
bluebird clears his throat of phlegm and static singing operatic
evening comes, and the butterflies are
Bats eat the spider that had saddled up beside her
and the dish, his lovin' spoon were never found
and i'm taking flight seeking relief, the lure of handkerchief so white
I chase it straight into the ground

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PENNY IS POISON   [Written by Brian Vander Ark & A.J. Dunning]

 

Blushing a cue for her falsities -- advantage is my only masterpiece
Penny is poison but I don't mind
Penny is poison but I don't mind
Gardening malice for murderers -- flushes to me are the weeds to her
We know who we are
Starving the love of the marvelous -- I was the penny to previous

 

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CATTLE   [Written by Brian Vander Ark]

Boy there was a day an assortment of rhymes
and waving, we rode that parade for awhile
and everybody knew everybody
Boy there was a day being lonely was hard
and then your attention was never enough
I don't really know anybody in love
I don't want to know anybody in love
And when the mouth is open grows a cancer everybody wins
round and round and settle down, settle down
Brand the herd of those who duplicate
and crush the wind of those who deviate
and ride the wave along the mitigated mile
ride the wave along the mitigated mile

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VENEER   [Written by Brian Vander Ark]

Thirteen miles on 31 are drying
all along adopt-a-highway lay the empty cans of masquerade
Thirteen miles on 31 are drying
the sky is lavender with ivory clouds that threaten drops of finger-paints
puddle jumping children clad in yellow raincoats splash the deeper purple of veneer
Rows and rows of animals, their shiver skin is painted different shades
and from grazing painted grass their teeth are stained the incandescent green
indifferent they watch the rainfall steady blend their spots and run their stripes of veneer
lovely ladies strip themselves of furs the winds require
lovely ladies bathe themselves in technicolor mire
lovely gentlemen
At 85 on 31 i'm flying
flying

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