1. |
Angel In The Classroom
03:37
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Clarence, Clarence never got it,
Clarence never got it in school.
He’d always take the chair right by the window,
And ask the other kids about flying away
For a day.
The others shook their heads,
“Clarence, you’re so dumb!” they said,
But he never fought back.
His teachers always wrote home
That he was an angel in the classroom.
After he died, nobody said another word
Except he was special, but nobody knew
Exactly what made him so special.
It’s just what they’d heard
Somebody say one time to themselves.
Clarence, Clarence never got his,
Clarence never got his wings to fly away.
He read about birds sometimes,
and Tom and ol’ Jim sailing away down the river.
The others laughed and flew away
In grey suits and ties.
Time flies when you’re reading alone.
And when he died only six people came, (five of them knew him, one just liked his name). God said “Clarence! I need Clarence!” and the life of a man flew by below. Clarence said “Hello?” and God said “Hi, have you ever wanted to fly?” and he pointed to a guy and said “So did he,” and he told him the story and got Clarence up to speed just as George cried out “I wish I’d never been born!” and Clarence knew those words so well.
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2. |
Sam Wainwright
04:29
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"Go Sam Go" I remember I'd call
At the precise moment I knew you might fall
Right Through the Ice
And Pay the Price
But that just wouldn't be like Sam Wainwright
“Hee-haw!”-ing the whole way across
The ice grew cracks but still
You never lost a single bet when I bet
That you’d fall and get all wet.
I still prayed at night
For S.W.
You ran and slid and walked on water, “Don’t worry, it’s frozen!” you said with a laugh.
With a hand to my ear in the mirror tonight, I wish that I could be as free
As S.W.
He always got the pretty girls, even though I was the prettier boy.
I never understood how he ran so quickly.
I’d yell “Look out!” he’d say “George, I know.”
He’d never come home for dinner, he’d just go, Sam, go.
You walk on water, “Don’t worry, it’s frozen!” you said with a laugh.
With a hand to my ear in the mirror tonight, I wish that I could be as free
As S.W.
Oh Sam, your balance was perfect. Oh Sam, so was your poise.
Oh Sam, we’ll have a great future: just us two ramblin’ boys.
We’ll get so rich and move to New York, you’ll be an actor on Broadway and more.
I’ll do everything, I’ll make every girl. There won’t be no problems in our own, small world.
Now we’re 11 but we’re thinking like teens. I’m so scared for everything we’ll have seen.
Yeah we’re getting older, and soon we’ll weigh more than ice.
But you can’t stand forever on what only happens
In the wintertime.
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3. |
Mary Darlin'!
03:29
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Mary darlin’, I’m sorry I left you tonight.
I hope you understand that the news about Dad gave me a bit of a fright.
Oh you gotta believe me that you look just like a star,
But not the movie kind, but the kind I wish upon wherever you are.
Mary please believe me, I didn’t remember your face,
But I must’ve been blind because you’re one of a kind, the kind of face that I wanna chase.
Thanks for the dancin’, you move your hips so nice.
I don’t care that we danced into the pool and got all wet, I had too much fun to want to stay dry.
Whatever you want, whatever you need,
I’ll be what you want just wait and see.
Tonight is too soon, but tomorrow’s too far,
So sing to me and I’ll sing along wherever you are.
If you want the moon
I will steal you the moon
And it’s not too soon.
Two of us only, George and Mary,
It’s certainly not too soon.
Mary darlin’, I’m sorry I left you tonight,
I hope you understand that the news about Dad gave me a bit of a fright
Thanks for the dancin’, you move your hips so nice,
And I don’t care that we danced into the pool and got all wet-I had too much fun to want to stay dry!
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4. |
Buffalo Gals
01:43
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Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight,
Come out tonight?
Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight,
And dance by the light of
The moon?
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5. |
My Trick Ear
02:43
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My trick ear lets me hear the sounds
That you don’t:
The urban waste, the starving strays
That’s why I’m still awake.
In silence the fan blades glide.
And mimic the noise in my mind.
Church bells aren’t as beautiful
Without the sound
Of Sunday morning dockings,
But you are so stunning.
When we last met you asked me
What I’d read since I’d stayed here
I’m watching films,
But you’re more learned
In Roman Catholic verse.
The first time we dropped the phone;
A New York matinee where we could kiss and tell alone.
I complained the characters don’t change enough
You said all films just end the same:
A single empty frame.
I’m sorry that I made you cry; so did I but the scene elides that.
My trick ear it makes me hear, and I hear you’re half-deaf yourself so I’m not alone.
But if you’re thinking that it’s funny, well ha-ha-ha who’s laughing?
And if you’re thinking that it’s fun and games, well please just go away.
But if you hear the bells (they’re ringing!), smells like spring the future’s bringing,
A reputation’s all I got to lose.
Because it’s a black and white world, and that’s a fact girl.
Words fly by me like balloons
As the townfolk are talking from their rooms:
They look perfect as they’re flying along
Until they end up on some other person’s lawn.
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6. |
Machine Gun Dreams
04:29
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Well I got machine gun dreams,
Darlin’ you know what I mean.
I wanna visit countries, I wanna join the navy,
I can see you and me aren’t gonna last, I’ve gotta leave.
Please don’t feel bad Mary. I gotta travel, I cannot get married.
You don’t have to remember me, but please don’t forget me.
You’ll always be my Buffalo Gal.
I can see Bedford Falls ain’t the place for me,
I’ve got to leave.
So we got hitched
And Mary I guess I was wrong before.
You are pretty swell, you’re my Buffalo Gal,
Let’s hitch a cab, the weather’s bad, I don’t care, soon we’ll be gone
From here.
Still got machine gun dreams
About all this world you and I will see,
But Mary there’s a bank run,
Mary I can’t come.
Can’t you see how much my father’s business means to me.
I’m stuck again.
I’m bats. I’m crazy, I’m bats.
The most exciting sounds in the world are anchor chains, motor planes, whistling trains.
The most exciting sounds in the world are anchor chains, motor planes, whistling trains.
The most exciting sounds in the world are anchor chains, motor planes, whistling trains.
I can see Bedford Falls ain’t the place for me.
I can see Bedford Falls is the place
I’ll never leave.
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7. |
320 Sycamore Lane
02:52
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Sweetheart you pick your homes just like you throw your stones:
On your own.
I am so sick of home. Train tickets like these were meant for me to go,
But now I’m tired and I’m stressed and completely overdressed
For the springtime.
When you call me at the office and say “Come on home,”
I don’t remember where we live, I just don’t know yet.
You say you miss me and you’re homesick,
Sycamore Lane.
You say “It’s a fancy hotel we’ve never heard of,
Don’t worry, it’s already paid for,”
I say “Great! Just what I need.
More debt is just what I need.”
But I know you well enough to know your smile over the phone
And if I were you I’d be pretty sick of me by now.
It’s a good thing that I’m not you!
All the rain can say is “No parade today!”
This house has character, but it’s kind of lame.
You say you like your houses,
Just like you like your husbands. So smile!
I love you remembered my record player!
My favorite 45s!
I love you remembered yourself!
I love you remembered
I love fireplaces!
When you call me at the office, say “Come on home,”
I don’t remember where we live, I just don’t know yet.
You say you miss me and you’re homesick
Sycamore Lane.
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8. |
The Richest Man In Town
04:35
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Don't get lost at sea.
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9. |
Zuzu's Petals
03:36
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Oh lord I know I made a lot of people happy last night,
But I want to die.
Oh lord it’s alright, it’s in the petals,
The augury of flower petals,
Petals soft.
They were dead but now they’ll be
Waterlogged.
They need a drink. The flowers need a drink,
But so do I.
I need a fucking drink
In the river.
Mary I can’t see the moon. Please tell me you still have it locked up in our room because I can’t see it.
Your moonbeam lips, your toes and your fingertips, because I lost my moonlight eyes last night,
And the rest is at the office with my coat and my hat as a matter of fact.
All I got are the petals.
They need a drink. Mary, they need a drink.
I forgot to brush my hair tonight.
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10. |
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I didn’t want to look outside, I still don’t want to look outside
If no one knows my name. I’d rather look to then decide
If miracles sure do reside inside my hindsight brain.
Sure enough you stopped the snow. Attaboy! What do you know?
I got my wish: A life without a George.
I’m scared to hear the bashful winter, it’s too damn quiet for December
That’s what snow and friends were there for.
Therefore please leave me alone, I’d rather go back home
Than spend the night alone.
What will it take to make this go away, back to the way it was? Come on Angel, what do you say?
Live or die, don’t ask me why but all I want are deep grey eyes.
I just want her back in the end. Just want my girl back by the end of the night.
It’s population: lost and found, I don’t mean a shoe to a soul around, it’s just not Bedford, just not my town.
This is it my brief catharsis. I can’t let down my audience. I had it good, I guess it all makes sense now.
What did it to me was Mary, a ghost played out in a library, but I guess a home for books is still
A home.
Sycamore’s more than enough, I’m sick for home and all my friends, this is it:
I want to live again.
Therefore count me a success, living proof that thoughtfulness
Sometimes is enough
What will it take to make this go away?
Back to the way it was? Angel, what do you say?
Live or die, don’t ask me why,
All I want are deep grey eyes.
Just want her back in the end.
Want my girl back by the end.
Don’t forget to hear
The bells as they ring
As they’re handing out wings
Singing, “Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Come and get them.”
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11. |
Wonderful
05:22
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Should auld acquaintance be forgot For auld lang syne, my dear,
And never brought to mind? For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot We’ll tak a cup o' kindness yet
And days o’ lang syne. For auld lang syne.)
As much as I’d love to swear we’ll always be together
Obviously you know that I can’t.
No matter how much I say why I love you,
I don’t have a clue, please understand.
Some friends lost in youth, some others lost in time,
The best ones are the strangest when alive.
In my life, my wonderful life,
At least I know I got some tonight.
And it’s true that I may not know the future
But I know how this probably will end.
Everything else might be fuzzy but I know
No man’s a failure who has friends.
Well I’m sorry darlin’ that sometimes I’m moody,
But believe me that I’m grateful every day
I wake up beside you
With my bedhead smiles and groggy “I love you”s
Well it’s true that I may not know the future
But I know how this probably will end.
Everything else might be fuzzy but I know
No man’s a failure who has friends.
You’re wonderful! I’m wonderful!
Take my hand as the snow falls
And the bars are making their last calls,
It’s dark enough to know you’re still with me!
Here I am as the snow fades,
I’ll never let my life become an old maid.
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Alex Whelan Tucson, Arizona
Mary's At the Library / Hip Don't Dance / Miser Amicus / Arthur Barnes is Dead / The Sadie Hawks / The Lamps / Noir Party / Trochee Trochee
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