Lyrics
Close To The Vest
iT’s too late
the train’s already gone
there’s a wise guy on the left
and he can’t see what’s in your head
if he could
it wouldn’t make much difference
he’d never live to tell
stuck in someone else’s hell
there’s no need to worry
this thing it must be done
this battle must be won
by any means necessary
you’re just scared growing old
and so am I
we play close to the vest
never mind what the rest do
we’ve always done it better
we’ll always do it best
we can’t come from the heart
we can’t stop once we start to
so forget all the rest
we always do it best
right here
drop that burden that you carry
i know it weighs a ton
i know this all seems scary
but soon enough it will all be done
and the right side will have won
yeah the right side
so play it close to the vest
never mind what the rest do
we’ve always done it better
we’ll always do it best
don’t you come from the heart
you can’t stop once you start to
so forget all the rest
we always do it best
play it close to the vest
i almost forgot to say what we came here for
there’s no use in lying
loose ends need tying
so take these pills and go to sleep
when wake up you’ll be free
you won’t even know me
it will be wonderful
i play close to the vest
i don’t care what the rest do
i always do it better
i always do it best
i won’t come from the heart
i can’t stop once i start to
never mind all the rest
baby it’s for the best
Robots With guns
they had their guns
and they had their principles
we were in love
yeah we were invincible
or so we thought
even the best of us
shares the delusion
that we were born to win
there’s no time for losing
they’ll hunt us down
run us out of town
they’ll rough us up
and burn up our luck
try to steal our souls
‘cause we’re walking through walls
though we’re destined to fall
we’ll continue to run
from the robots with guns
now i’m shot full of holes
i’m lead bellied for sure
i’ll be shot down, but never locked up
time and money
belong to the shallow
for the real man there is only death
you say what’s the use then
if we’re willing victims
i’ll shoot as many as i can
and see how it fits them
they’ll hunt us down
run us out of town
they’ll rough us up
and burn up our luck
try to steal our souls
‘cause we’re walking through walls
though we’re destined to fall
we continue to run
from the robots with guns
now i’m shot full of holes
i’m lead bellied for sure
i’ll be shot down
but never locked up
never locked up
i’m not a modern man
nor am i old fashioned
just a man escaped of time itself
my only folly was my illumination
they’ll make me pay for trying to let out their secret
they’ll hunt us down
run us out of town
they’ll rough us up
and burn up our luck
try to steal our souls
yeah we’re walking through walls
though we’re destined to fall
i’ll be shot down, but never locked up
Inland Sea
i sat beside the inland sea
i watched you drift away from me
i never learned to swim, you see
so i sat beside the inland sea
while you drifted away
i watched you silhouette the sun
while all my dreams had come undone
i never had a prayer, not one
so watched you silhouette the sun
you can tell lies
because you can
you drift away
while i’m stuck on dry land
swallowed up
i raced along the inland sea
i stared at where you used to be
we were always thick as thieves, weren’t we?
so i raced along the inland sea
Cosmonaut Romance
a year of night
followed by an endless summer
our past lies at the bottom of the sea
the sun slows down down
the evenings glow forever
the dust of stars blankets you and me
we came of age in a time after history
when we touched down
we couldn’t know it was forever
the dust of years will smother you and me
we fell in love in a time after history
we make it work in a time after history
i’ll wait for you
a thousand lifetimes
my rusted gears will give in to decay
we came of age
we fell in love
we make it work
in a time after history
I’d Love To (But You Play Too Rough)
once on the right
and once on the very left
the shots ring out
the lines will crumble
but the beautiful ones will be fine
the beautiful ones will be safe, yeah
the beautiful ones, they always find a way
so settle your scores
all your petty grievances
but you’ll always want more
the need is insatiable
once on the right
again on the very left
the bombs rain down
cities will crumble
the beautiful ones are fine
the beautiful ones are safe, yeah
the beautiful ones, they always find a way
it’s illogical
but i want you to know
it’s all cyclical
we get what we give
i expected this
it’s no surprise, love
you say, can we go again?
well i’d love to but you play too rough
i’d love to but you play too rough
Out Of Season
i want nothing more than this
some unexpected bliss
and then i’ll be fine
truth hurts when you’re old
and we’re all getting older
is there something that i missed?
i saw nothing that was risked
and still i walk the line
and my boots have no soul
suddenly we’re all out of season
i want nothing more than this
one year without a twist
or surprise ‘round the bend
this old heart
it needs to mend
where did the long days go?
and we were living
a sleek, modern kind of life
yeah we were living
and it was a magic life
i did not tire of it
‘cause we were living
as long as the money lasted
you lasted
and in the morning
it was morning
and i was still alive
1981
our sunset secret’s everywhere
in her eyes
and every strand of her hair
seductive as sin
but we can’t begin again
no no
she hides her fears in her lover’s head
lives out her fears in her lover’s bed
all the while, in her own style
she’s in love with a shadow
she just wants to feel god’s breath
moving through her years
moving her to tears
sometimes being used
is better than being nothing at all
like it was 1981
and i was driving you home
we could be in love
at least we could pretend
yeah i’m awake
but just barely
you’re laying next to me
and you look me squarely in the eyes
but to my surprise
you see nothing
what’s there to see?
a walking shade, mostly a ghost
if there ever were a time
when i needed you the most
this would be it
sometimes being used
is better than being nothing at all
i will wait for you to find yourself
and then i’ll wait some more
like it was 1981
and i was driving you home
yeah we could be in love
or at least we could pretend
Robots II