Complete Lyrics
1. MIRACLE
© by Jon Albrink
She waits for a miracle
But she can't say what it might be
Any old ordinary miracle, anything
To take her out of this misery
She stays up late
Fills up her nights
With blue note jazz and tv
The sound of the vibes
Most nearly describes
How she wants life to be
She waits for a miracle
And she's hoping that it's cheap or it's free
Should she just stay cool
Or go back to school
For some kind of degree
The three a.m. dogs
Are loose in the cogs
Of her memory
She waits for the sun to rise
So finally she can get some sleep
She waits for a miracle
But the future is so hard to see
And she can't say what it might be
2. NOWHERE FAST
© by Jon Albrink
All the years I thought that I was out of gas
Stuck in the breakdown lane
with the busted tires and glass
Skimming off the cream
From someone else's dream
On the super-scenic road to nowhere fast
Cards and letters come from friends and family
Offering advice on fiscal insecurity
They say the money's great
In rugs and real estate
Take a left to leave the road to nowhere fast
May the fates protect you
As they measure out the rope
What's that, my friend?
You want it when?
Abandon ye all hope
La la la another cheek is gamely kissed
Another name and number for the mailing list
A dollar bill was found
But it couldn't stick around
It blew across the dusty road to nowhere fast
La la la (etc.)
I'll take this show out on the road to nowhere fast
May the fates respect you
As they measure out the dope
The secret hex
For love and sex
Is in the envelope
La la la another sunset in the west
Another chance to show the world my very best
But best is relative
The longer that you live
Out along the county road to nowhere fast
3. IF I EVER LEARN TO SPEAK
© by Jon Albrink
If I ever learn to speak
you better watch your hide
it's much too late for letting go
too late to let it slide
I'm sliding all my life
my sliding days are done
if I ever learn to speak
there'll be nowhere for you to run
If I ever learn to speak
you better watch your ass
cause the truth I hear is sharp and clear
and it cuts the flesh like glass
cuts the flesh like glass
and it burns the soul like flame
if I ever learn to speak
my first two words will be your name
Go ahead and run
I'd be running too
Run the way that I was never able to
Mercy comes from God
who might be on your side
but mercy has no meaning
if it's carelessly applied
so go ahead and talk
I'll see that you're heard
if I ever learn to speak
you know I'll have the final word
You should speak your mind
the way I never did
I took the arrows
felt the sting and
kept my wound well hid
For all you quiet ones
who never made a sound
protecting your tormentor
on his self-appointed rounds
I may never learn to speak
but if I learn to sing
I'll stand on every corner
And I'll let your story ring
I'll stand on every corner
And I'll let your story ring
4. THE MEASURE OF THE MAN
© by Jon Albrink
I'm dreaming of your face
and your steely blue-grey eyes
the people and the things you loved
you would not recognize
I'm wearing out the patches
of your favorite checkered coat
you wondered all my life
if I would sink or I would float
Well I've had some practice
since you've been gone
and I've learned to float
without hanging on
Took a little patience
took a little anger
taken with a grain of sand
It's taken all this time
to take the measure of the man
The pouring of the liquor
And the cracking of the ice
a constant daily ritual
with a constant daily price
There's no way to measure
what a father gives his son
an ounce of strength, a pound of pride
and phantoms to outrun
Well I'm running hard
and I'm running fast
and I think I'm gonna win at last
Took a little patience
Took a little anger
taken with a grain of sand
It's taken all this time
to take the measure of the man
On and on the years slip by
this one way time machine
and all the things you said to me
come back to me in dreams
and I aim to understand them soon
when the light flows down
from your harvest moon
Took a little patience
took a little anger
taken with a grain of sand
It's taken all this time
It's taken half my life
to take the measure of the man
5. BROTHER AND SISTER
© by Jon Albrink and Billy Ward
You took a drag on whatever it is
you're smoking this week
Looked out across the dirty bay
then you refused to speak
You still got a little red eyes left over
from what's his name
Still trying to stop his words
from rolling and tumbling around your brain
Well I'm trying to find the words too
Cause I know we're more than
brother and sister
Out there there's a light
trying to fight it's way through the fog
Just like I'm trying to fight my way
through the fog inside
All the times we thought that we were on
the verge of a big breakthrough
all the times I should have cried but I only tried
Only tried to be touching you
The trying time is through
Cause you know we're more than
brother and sister
brother and sister
Now the chill comes in across the water
blows up little ghosts in the mist
back in the car you stare at the radio
looking like a girl who's never been kissed
(right)
This is the time to show you what I feel
cause you know we've never really been
brother and sister
brother and sister
A little fog on the windshield
never hurt no one
never hurt no one before
6. ALL THAT GLITTERS
© by Jon Albrink
all that glitters is not gold
all that's easy is not free
standing out here in the cold
I can't touch what I can't see
I forgot to ask directions
from someone who wished me well
on the road of good intentions
you can never really tell
shiny buttons to distract me
silver paper to remind me
velvet gloves against the cold
all that glitters is not gold
your voice is so familiar
you could make the hours bleed
I want only to believe you
in the hour of my need
in the hour of my need
will you offer up a word
but not everything that's spoken
is worthy to be heard
shiny buttons to distract me
silver paper to remind me
velvet gloves against the cold
all that glitters is not gold
shiny buttons to distract me
silver paper to remind me
velvet gloves against the cold
all that glitters is not gold
7. ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER
© by Jon Albrink
A little golden angel
she picked up in a shop somewhere
she pins it on my shoulder
she says "Please give my love protection"
now I'm kissing her goodbye
three months worth of tenderness
and then I'm off in the night of strangers
My only friend tonight
is the angel on my shoulder
suddenly it's colder than I had planned
I wish I'd taken time
to get her her own angel
to offer her protection
from what? I don't know,
whatever's out there
There's so much in the world
so much masquerading
I know she'll be waiting there for me
My only friend tonight
is the angel on my shoulder
suddenly it's colder than I had planned
I'm going far tonight
with an angel on my shoulder
suddenly it's colder than I can stand
And when I return
I'll bring her a golden angel
and I'll say please, oh please
protect her, and keep her
My only friend tonight
is the angel on my shoulder
suddenly it's colder than I had planned
I'm going far tonight
with the angel on my shoulder
saying things that I don't have to understand
8. DISSATISFIED
© by Jon Albrink
A certain friend of mine
Was speaking from her heart and from her mind
We were standing on a corner at the time
Heading off in two directions
She'd grown accustomed to her fate
But disgusted with the prospects on her plate
Mamas’ boys and married men
with all the freight
And a yen for indiscretion
"If I weren’t married baby,
but you know my hands are tied"
And who can really blame them
for all the times they've tried
At least it's understood, we're all dissatisfied
We stood and talked awhile
In a sea of faces mile on hungry mile
She tossed her hair with devastating style
And she talked about her lovers
She said their needs are all the same
Sex and comfort and the famous love and fame
And some mystery behind a stranger's name
That we're driven to uncover
She offered me her cheek
but before we said goodbye
I couldn’t help but think
that we're more than qualified
To be soldiers in the army
Of the great dissatisfied
The great dissatisfied
Standing at the Great Divide
Opening and closing every door
Shuffling our feet
To the end of Lonely Street
Holding out our hope for just a little more
For a time that's slipped forever from the hand
Time itself is overused and overplanned
So efficient is our grieving
And I think that's what she said
Though the traffic may have put words in my head
Love accounts are overdrawn and in the red
And the best are always leaving
So I kissed her on the cheek
And I bundled up my pride
And I walked alone and wondered
At the emptiness inside
That fills itself to bursting
And is still dissatisfied
So dissatisfied
Before the ink has dried
Before we get to where we were before
Shuffling our feet
To the end of Lonely Street
Holding out our hopes for just a little more
9. THE WAY I LOOK AT YOU
© by Jon Albrink
When your dreams are broken
and your blood is shed
no one wants to take you into his bed
When your bridge is smokin'
river's running red
all of your friends
have left you for dead
Nothing's gonna change
nothing's gonna change
The way I look at you
When your feet are tired
and the earth is scorched
someone's got to carry your heavy torch
all these years I've waited
high up on this hill
if you want me to be there
baby I will
Nothing's gonna change
nothing's gonna change
The way I look at you
I know I sound like a fool
when I go on this way
and give it all away to you
somewhere it's written in the book
that every fool
must have his day
Everybody's out there
circling the sun
sending radiation to everyone
I can read your signals
through a year of sighs
through the light that's shining
deep in your eyes
Nothing's gonna change
nothing's gonna change
The way I look at you
10. HOW LONG
© by Jon Albrink and Billy Ward
raging and crazy
dramatic and lazy
why the hell does she look that way to me
driving over the freeways
in a beat up car
bungalow just a walk from the sea
how long can you take it
how much is it worth
bang your own drum
dig your own earth
distant and angry
at the stacks of magazines
look between the lines
for the secret of your life
all through the afternoons
too many afternoons
whatcha gonna do with the rest of your life
how long can you do this
bang your own drum
hang your own moon
follow the sun
how many lifetimes
how many plays
walking the thin line
day after day
day after day
11. The Christmas Roses
© by Jon Albrink
The Christmas roses on the table
drop their petals with no trouble
and the new year holds its breath
so new and scared to death
while the old man takes a tumble
This winter feeling just gets stronger
even as the days are getting longer
we hang on by our teeth
and hide ourselves beneath
the blanket of our hunger
and the Christmas roses
are looking pretty sad
they're looking pretty sad and old
we were temporarily consoled
by the Christmas roses
The pile of mail is getting deeper
I guess someday I'll have to answer
recite the party line
say yeah, we're doing fine
hope no one's the wiser
And I would give my only dollar
for the music of your laughter
the blessing of your touch
the love we miss so much
and the lazy morning after
and the Christmas roses
they did the best they could
their charm was slightly oversold
don't throw my love out in the cold
with the Christmas roses
Wrap 'em up, take 'em out
lay them gently in the snow
but when I get back from the corner
I look around
where did they go?
And the Christmas roses
will have another chance
to spread a little warmth and cheer
come be with me tonight my dear
for the Christmas roses