My baby’s sharp, she plays it smooth She’s got that style, she owns the room And everybody knows her name She’s quick with a grin, she’s hard to read She’s got the charm, she’s got the speed And everybody knows her name She’ll test your nerve, she’ll call your bluff Take what she can, never enough And everybody knows her name I said my baby, she's got game I said my baby, she's got game everybody knows her name No rules can hold her, no chain can bind She leaves her mark, one of a kind And everybody knows her name She walks through the door, the crowd turns ’round You feel the shift, you hear that sound And everybody knows her name She rolls where she wants, takes what she needs Turns every head, plants every seed And everybody knows her name I said my baby, she's got game I said my baby, she's got game everybody knows her name My girl can play you like a tune She’s the queen when she hits the room Everybody knows her name My baby moves just like the wind Got every heart she’s ever pinned Everybody knows her name She might take you for every dime And make you thank her all the time Everybody knows her name I said my baby, she's got game I said my baby, she's got game everybody knows her name I said my baby, she's got game I said my baby, she's got game everybody knows her name
THE ALBUM
THE MUSIC
THE WORDS
Side A
She's Got Game
Tonight Is All We Have
Tonight I hold you close and near While morning’s light is drawing near I know we’ll part and go our way But your touch will stay with me each day In the quiet hours, we find our peace Before the dawn brings our release Though the morning pulls us apart I’ll carry your love in my heart We talk and laugh as time slips by Underneath the darkened sky But as the hours slowly pass I feel the weight of time so fast Tonight I hold you close and near While the stars are bright and clear Every moment feels so right Wrapped up in the silence of the night Morning comes with light so cold Bringing the end of our locked tight hold The dawn will pull us far apart Yet I’ll keep you close in my heart We’ll part with promises of when We’ll meet sometime and start again Though we say goodbye tonight Your warmth will guide me through the light So let’s savor this embrace tonight And hold on to the feeling tight Though we part and go our ways I’ll remember this every day
Never Ending Story
You bring the morning in so slow Steam on the glass, warm hands in snow You turn the quiet into breath And pull me from the edge of rest I’ve wandered far, I’ve stayed too late But never found a welcome gate I want you to be the sunrise I wake up to The light that spills through a window view I want you to be the home I return to The scent of the hearth, the strength I knew I want you to be the story that never ends Spoken in laughter that rounds each bend I've read the roads with heavy feet Long days beneath the steady heat But in your words, I find the ground A place where quiet truths are found The rest was haze, the maps unclear But every step has led me here I want you to be the sunrise I wake up to A calm in the light, steady and true I want you to be the home I return to Lanterns lit and something to hold on to I want you to be the story that never ends Carved into moments we learn to defend If you're willing, I’ll stand still Build a life that takes no skill Just days strung out like old parade With hands that hold, and debts all paid I want you to be the sunrise I wake up to The hush of the morning breaking through I want you to be the home I return to Soft as linen and full of truth I want you to be the story that never ends Not on pages, but here — again and again
Sidewalks
Well I slept in the belly of Union Line Station Where the ticket man’s ghost sells hallucination I traded my shoes for a half-burnt map And the rats wear halos and dance in my lap There’s a dog playin’ cards with a priest and a crow And the jukebox plays backwards, it don’t wanna know Got a spoonful of matches and a pocket of teeth And a girl made of smoke singin' under the street I lit my regrets on a wet paper train Just hummin’ hallelujahs in a bourban rain There’s a hole in my coat where the moon used to be And a postcard from heaven just addressed to “me” I met a woman named Tuesday, her teeth were all pearls She sells clocks with no numbers to bewildered girls She said, “Time’s just a racket the landlords invented” Then vanished in smoke while the sermon repented Now the sidewalks moan when they hear my name And the lamplights blink like they’re feelin’ shame I paid my dues with bottle caps and gin Just hopin’ the devil lets a broke man in There's a man sellin' secrets from a rusted-out van He swears he once kissed the Pope's left hand Keeps a jukebox heart in a pickle jar Says he stole it clean from a downtown bar I drank with a mime who forgot how to lie He wept in the key of a lullaby His tears turned to buttons, rolled down the drain And the sewer rats traded 'em in for fame There’s a trumpet that screams from the fire escape It only plays songs 'bout sin and escape A pigeon conductor in a wool bowtie Waves his baton at the oil-stained sky Met a gambler with dice tattooed on his spine He said every roll costs a slice of time He laughed like a phonograph out of tune Then vanished beneath a cardboard moon Now the sidewalks moan when they hear my name And the lamplights blink like they’re feelin’ shame I paid my dues with bottle caps and gin Just hopin’ the devil lets a broke man in There's a waitress named Mercy who’s missing one shoe She hums old court cases and serves rotten stew Her laugh is a kettle, her eyes always shut She’ll marry a saint if he tips her enough Now the alley cats pray in a tangle of yarn And the preacher's asleep in a burglar's arm The clocks all drip like a Salvador dream And the milkman swears nothin’s what it seems I built a boat from a chapel pew With rosary oars and a Bible or two I sailed through the gutters with a choir of cans Preachin’ salvation to garbage and vans No, it’s not 'bout the fire or fortune or fame It’s finding your name in a matchbook flame So tip your old hat, don't try to explain You're just dancin’ along with the sidewalk saints Now the sidewalks moan when they hear my name And the lamplights blink like they’re feelin’ shame I paid my dues with bottle caps and gin Just hopin’ the devil lets a broke man in A nickel gets you nowhere, a dollar gets you hurt And love’s just a coat with blood on the shirt I asked for the time — they gave me a grin And said, “Here in this town, we don’t let it begin.” So I swallowed a compass and followed my knees To a backroom revival where guilt is the breeze They baptized a rat in a broken brass sink Then served up a sermon that tasted like ink If you ever get lost near the chapel of tin Where the choir is coughing and the candles won’t spin Just offer a riddle, and walk through the drain Tell 'em you came from the utterly insane So if you see me dancin' on a payphone wire With a matchstick crown and my coat on fire Just smile and nod, don’t try to explain I’m just catchin’ a ride... in the gasoline rain Now the sidewalks moan when they hear my name And the lamplights blink like they’re feelin’ shame I paid my dues with bottle caps and gin Just hopin’ the devil lets a broke man in Now the sidewalks moan when they hear my name And the lamplights blink like they’re feelin’ shame I paid my dues with bottle caps and gin Just hopin’ the devil lets a broke man in Now the sidewalks moan when they hear my name And the lamplights blink like they’re feelin’ shame I paid my dues with bottle caps and gin Just hopin’ the devil lets a broke man in
Side B
Völuspá & Ragnarök
Wire-Eye Bishop’s got a shopping cart full of weather, Pushin’ it down Cherry Bomb Street in a snow that tastes like leather. He’s whisperin’ secrets to a busted rotary phone, Got a patchwork crow in a tuxedo, chewin’ on a chicken bone. Redhands Malone’s in the alley, smashin’ beer cans with a hammer, Got a thundercloud tattoo and a mouth like a slot machine jammer. Says, “The rent’s due in Cincinnati, but the landlord’s dead in Toledo,” So they pawned the last music machine and fed the quarters to a mosquito. Spit-Nickel Jimmy’s got a grin like a busted escalator, Says he sold his last lie to a broke refrigerator. He’s wearin’ a tie made of shoelaces from dead shoes, Givin’ sermons in the parking lot on “How to Lose.” He tells Malone, “Your hammer’s just a bowling pin with rabies,” Tells Bishop, “Your wisdom’s just a stack of expired babies.” They order coffee that smells like an oil change in June, The record player groans out a gospel about the end comin’ soon. They hit the freeway in a rusted-out ice cream truck, The hood ornament’s a saint holdin’ a rubber duck. Malone’s at the wheel, hammer in his lap, Jimmy’s in the back makin’ counterfeit maps. Bishop’s chantin’ phonebook prayers to the wind, Countin’ every dead thing they’ve ever sinned. They pull into the MegaMart that never closes, Past the greeter who smells like burnt roses. In the frozen foods aisle they meet the giant in a hoodie, Says his name’s Carl but his badge says “Nobody.” He’s got eyes like drainpipes and a voice like gravel rain, He says, “I guard the feast, but it’s half-off for the insane.” Malone challenges Carl to a duel by the fish sticks, The hammer hits so hard that the ceiling drips. Jimmy picks the lock on the walk-in freezer, Pulls out a throne made of Spam and Velveeta. Bishop sits on it, calls himself Mayor of This Store, Declares martial law and outlaws floor number four. But the sprinklers go off, turnin’ the bread to mush, Malone laughs so hard he forgets who to crush. A cop made of cardboard tries to write ‘em a fine, But they bribe him with a fishbone and a box of wine. They crash the fortune teller’s booth with a stack of receipts, She says, “You’ll all be dead before the summer heat.” Bishop grins, says, “Lady, we been dead for years,” Malone takes the hammer, smashes all her mirrors. Jimmy steals the tent, turns it into a cape, They vanish in the fog like a videotape. They’re laughin’ over coffee that’s older than sin, And waitin’ for the world to let ‘em back in. Spit-Nickel Jim’s sellin’ matches to birds in disguise, Feathers full of secrets, beaks full of lies. Bishop says, “Boys, the clocks walk backward near the pier,” Malone says, “Hit ’em hard before they disappear.” Jim laughs like a typewriter spillin’ flames, Says, “If the end’s comin’ — it’ll need new names.” Wire-Eye digs up the phone that rings in reverse, Hears wings with teeth and a tide that’s cursed. Malone’s hammer slips, knocks the moon askew, Now it hangs like a bad tooth over avenue two. Jim deals with a stranger who pays in doubt, Every answer tastes like the inside out. Bishop says, “Boys, the hour’s eatin’ itself alive,” Jim lights his matches and says, “That’s how we’ll survive.” Then the doors start showin’ where doors don’t belong, In stairwells, in puddles, in the throat of a song. Malone cracks one open, finds a street he’s never known, Faces all borrowed, voices not their own. Wire-Eye finds his in the diner’s back wall, Opens to a field where green flames fall. Spit-Nickel’s door swings both ways for years, Behind it, leather whisperin’ in someone else’s ears. The air grows crowded, the ground turns soft, Windows stare back, the alleys lock off. Bishop writes the sky’s new address in chalk, Says, “Boys, I think it’s time for the talk.” Malone pulls his hammer like a ghost from bone, While Jim’s already walkin’ where he’s never been known. It starts with a howl that drags brick into breath, Then a light so wide it swallows up death. Roads lift up like they’re tired of the ground, Buildings lean close just to pass it around. Redhands swings and the air comes apart, Wire-Eye drinks the horizon’s heart. Jim laughs so hard he turns into steam, Throws the matches into the ribs of the dream. Water walks out of the river for good, The sun folds small where the night once stood. When the dust lays down, just three chairs remain, One coin on its side, hummin’ someone’s name.
Hate That You Still
You walked in like a rumor I never quite shook, One of those nights that never made it to the book. You had that same careless fire in your jaw, Like nothin’ ever happened, like I still don’t know what I saw. You ordered gin like it still meant somethin’, Looked through me like I was just background hummin’. Goddamn — I thought I was steel by now, But you cracked me open just by raisin’ your brow. (And I hate that you still look so good.) Like a song I forgot how to sing, (And I hate that you still look so good.) But the melody burns just the same. (And I hate that you still look so good.) I hate how the damage never wears on your face. (And I hate that you still look so good.) Yeah — I hate that you still look so good. My hands remember things my mouth won’t admit, Like how your back arched just to make it all fit. Or what I did when you begged me to quit, Or how you tensed up when I tightened my grip. I quit you like smoke — again and again, But you still curl around me when I let the night in. You're not a person anymore — you're a scent, You're a ghost with lipstick and no goddamn intent. (And I hate that you still look so good.) Like the kind of truth that don’t set you free, (And I hate that you still look so good.) Just lays there grinnin’ underneath your teeth. (And I hate that you still look so good.) I hate that I still feel you before I can speak. (And I hate that you still look so good.) Yeah — I hate that you still look so good. I keep my distance in measured steps, Like a thief afraid to touch what they never kept. But I’d trade every clean year I earned since you, For one more mess in that worn-out room. So go on — keep shinin’ like rust in the light, Like a wound that healed wrong but still holds tight. I won’t chase, I won’t beg, I won’t call — But I’ll drink to the shape of you in the wall. (And I hate that you still look so good.) Like the kind of truth that don’t set you free, (And I hate that you still look so good.) Just lays there grinnin’ underneath your teeth. (And I hate that you still look so good.) I hate that I still feel you before I can speak. (And I hate that you still look so good.) Yeah — I hate that you still look so good. I hate that you still… look so good.
Hurt Me So
Why do you say you care? Why are you never there? Baby, it just ain't fair Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? With you, I just can't win I just want your lovin' Is that some sort of sin? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? I have to tell you this Give me just one more kiss See what you're about to miss Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? With you, I just can't win I just want your lovin' Is that some sort of sin? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you say you care? Why are you never there? Baby, it just ain't fair Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so? Why do you hurt me so?
Work It Out
I smoke my last cigarette before I go to bed I wish I could get the thought of you out of my fucking head But it just don't work like that, now does it girl? You're pulling all of my strings and I don't like it at all But if you cut me loose, I am bound to fall I guess it just works out like that, doesn't it girl? And when you show up to my door, begging me for more You know I'm gonna give it to you, cause you i do adore I guess it just works out like that, doesn't it babe? But it doesn't even matter what I say or what I do You still never will have a single fucking clue But I guess it just works out like that, doesn't it girl? You threw me out your house, once you had your fill I guess the marrying type, i don't fit the bill But it just don't work like that, does it girl? Now it's late at night and I start to feel alone I head to the bar, I ain't stayin' home But I guess it just works out like that, don't it girl? I'm drunk and ridin' home, bottle sitting shotgun I'm feeling half blind, half deaf, and half dumb But I guess it just works out like that, don't it girl? I'll wait for the sun to rise before I pick up the phone While on the news, they're showing footage of your burnt down home But I guess it just works out like that, don't it babe? I look over to the side, empty can of gasoline Hell, I blacked out last night, I'm so bad at remembering But I guess it just works out like that, don't it girl? But I guess it just works out like that But I guess it just works out like that But I guess it just works out like that But I guess it just works out like that, doesn't it girl?
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THE ART
