The Things I Will Say Are All True

the moon is a cheshire cat
smiling upon you,
the stars are his frozen tears
of pain, joy, and gospel
according to john, you
grow lovelier every year.


the moon is a loveseat
that hangs from a willow,
and i hear the view's mighty fair;
the stars are the cars
that our loved ones drive,
and the headlights that lead them there.

The River

yes, things have changed,
but there's still blood in my veins
so it's still somewhat the same
even though you're not here

I still get up and go
I still put on my clothes
I still love because I know
how to fight against the fear

I still love you
but life goes on without you
I still love you
but the river rolls on without you
I still love you
but life goes without you,
the river rolls on without you,
the river rolls on.

I still put on a show,
I still feel it in my bones
when the music shakes my soul
even though you're not here

I still consume and create
Still know how to celebrate
I still love because I hate
living lost, alone, in fear

I still love you
but life goes on without you
I still love you
but the river rolls on without you
I still love you
but life goes on without you,
yeah, the river rolls on without you,
the river rolls on.

Yes I miss you
but I'm not alone without you
Damn I miss you
but life goes on without you
Yes I miss you
but I'm not alone without you
life goes on without you
the river rolls on

Life was never cream & sugar cuppa tea
But with or without you, life's a ball with me

Life was never cream & sugar cuppa tea
but with or without you, life's a ball with me

Life was never cream & sugar cuppa tea
But with or without you, life's a ball with me

Life was never cream & sugar cuppa tea
but with or without you, life's a ball with me

I still love you
but life goes on without you
I still love you
but the river rolls on without you
I still love you
but life goes on without you,
yeah, the river rolls on without you,
yeah, the river rolls on.

Yes I miss you
but I'm not alone without you
Damn I miss you
but life goes on without you
Yes I miss you
but I'm not alone without you
life goes on without you
the river rolls on

I still know how to live
I still know how to give
I still know how to love
how to fight and forgive

I still know how to laugh
I still know how to cry
And I'm still gonna live
every minute until I die

Life was never cream & sugar cuppa tea
But with or without you, life's a ball with me

Life was never cream & sugar cuppa tea
but with or without you, life's a ball with me

Satisfied

Eb
I got my passion
F
I got my pride
Dm
I may be a fool,
Bb
but I'm satisfied,

Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied with my life,
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied with my friends,
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my path,
Bb                               F
I don't need to pretend

Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I'm goin'
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I've gone
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my dreamin'
Bb
I keep it comin' on

                     Bb                       Fm                             Fm
Some people need to pretend that they're happy
Bb                               Eb                 F
I don't need that, no, don't need no lies
Bb              Eb         F
I just keep on bein satisfied

Eb
And I will keep my passion
F
And I will Keep my pride,
Dm
If there's a thing I cain't do,
Bb
It ain't because I ain't tried

Bb                                  Dm
But I'll keep-a this life,
Bb                                            Dm
and i'll keep-a these friends,
Bb                                            Eb
Keep-a travelin' this path
Bb                              F
and achievin' my ends


Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I'm goin'
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I've gone
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my dreamin'
Bb
Keep 'em comin', keep 'em comin', keep 'em comin' on

     Bb                       Fm                             Fm
Some people need to pretend that they're happy
Bb                               Eb                 F
I don't need that, no, don't need no lies
Bb              Eb         F
I just keep on bein satisfied

Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied with my life,
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied with my friends,
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my path,
Bb                               F
I don't need to pretend

Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I'm goin'
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I've gone
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my dreamin'
Bb
Keep 'em comin', keep 'em comin', keep 'em comin' on

Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied with my life,
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied with my friends,
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my path,
Bb                               F
I don't need to pretend

Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I'm goin'
Bb                                            Dm
I'm satisfied where I've gone
Bb                                            Eb
I'm satisfied with my dreamin'
Bb
Keep 'em comin', keep 'em comin', keep 'em comin' on

Regret and Happiness, pt. II

I'm done pretending I'm not happy
just to justify myself
done denying smiling, trying,
you do that to me, i can't help
it, if I could I wouldn't, shouldn't,
I'm not dumb enough to try;
I'm not gonna sigh and cry
and hide the twinkle in my eye

I'm in love and it's thrilling, really
i'm in love and it might be silly
I don't give a fuck 'cause it'd kill me, kill me
Chill me, thrill me, fulfill me, fill me, oh!

Deal me in 'cause I'm playin, playin,
I'm in love, I'm just sayin, sayin,
smiling, whiling away the day and
if I get a say then you're stayin, stayin, oh!

I'm done pretending you're the only
one I live for anymore
I'm done pretending that I'm lonely
just because you're insecure
I'm in love with someone else
just like I told you I would be
I never lied to you, I felt
much more for you than you'll believe.

i'm in love and i will be happy
though that's not how you would have me
not what you want, no, not exactly
if you wanted to keep me you could have asked me, oh! (/asked but no!)

i'm in love and it's not selfish
to want to love each moment, relish
every single second of it,
i am happy, i can't help it, oh!

Pilot Lights

Pilot lights
don't go out at night
don't go out when fires are dying
they are there to stay
until the end of days
they will comfort you when you are crying.

Pilot lights
are a lovely sight
to behold after goodbyeing;
they will light the way
back to the path from which you strayed--
they can see that you are trying.

Pilot lights
never get in fights,
never yell at you for lying.
They will still be there,
even when you're scared,
when your eyes show no sign of ever drying.

Pilot lights
are like fireflies:
they can teach you tricks like flying.
If you listen, Dear,
you can almost hear
their music over your sighing.

Old Things

and we've all kept old things
road maps to old dreams
sewn new thread on old seams,
and it seems
your love is secondhand,
but I can love a used man,
my mantra is "I think I can,
I think I can."

No Grievances

I have no grievances--
and no regrets!
I have not sold my soul away, at least not yet!
I like the way I've lived my life so far, as of today,
I cannot think of a single thing
I'd do again a diff'rent way,
which I guess is a good thing, cuz I know,
I'll never get another go at it, but even so:

Legal

C

You'd never know from her pigtails and Vans

D

that she was eighteen, ready to stand--

C

No, you never would guess in a long, long while,

D

not from her knee-highs and her warm, bracey smile,

C

That she's legal

D    Em

you'd never know that she's legal

D

No no no no

D    Em

You'd never know that she's legal

C

She's wearing shiny pink glasses and a grin

D

to see her standing there you would think she was in

C

middle school-- she's such a fiery child

D

you'd never know, I swear, I swear on my style

C

That she's legal

D    Em

you'd never know that she's legal

D

No no no no

D    Em

You'd never know that she's legal

C

She's skippin' at your side when something is wrong

D

and she's look in you eyes, say "Why's you face so long?"

C

She'll pause for a moment to pull up her socks

D

And to tie in a ponytail her bouncy brown locks,

C

But she's legal

D    Em

you'd never know that she's legal

D

No no no no

D    Em

You'd never know that she's legal

C

Yeah, she's legal

D    Em

you'd never know that she's legal

D

No no no no

D    Em

You'd never know that she's legal

C

Yeah, she's legal

D    Em

you'd never know that she's legal

D

No no no no

D    Em

You'd never know that she's legal

Hope and Happy Tears

Hope and Happy tears
'sbeen too long since you been here
and I've been so afraid
of losing, losing everything
and now you're saving me
i have faith in me
and faith in faith in everything

Hope and Happy tears
'sbeen too long, been four long years
since we were best of friends
what goes up comes down again
and this went up in flames
when you played fucking games
but now your mice are turning men

ERS

The past is what I never care to be
You murder my past, you kill my memory
but murder my future and you murder me

Who am I? Who are you?
in the past we've been two-faced
i'm in god's living room
his clock is too fast-paced

if god and the devil
are one and the same
and Abraxas passes time
by making life a fucking game

then tell me do I have a right
not to be forgotten
when you leave a person overnight
and wake up and they're rotten?

then tell me do I have a right
not to be forgotten
when you leave a person overnight
and wake up and they're rotten?

I suffer from an uncommon disease
I fear that no one will remember me
Like Father Mackenzie or Eleanor Rigby

I'm far too important
though I've nothing done
that makes me really worth
being referred to as someone

i've got too much to do
too many days to waste
my past is full of nightmares
and they've left a bitter taste

so tell me do I have a right
not to be forgotten
when you leave a person overnight
and wake up and they're rotten?

so tell me do I have a right
not to be forgotten
when you leave a person overnight
and wake up and they're rotten?

Disappointed

don't matter that i'm excited,
yeah, i'm excited for this,
feel like you're disappointed,
you're disappointed in me.
and it don't matter that i am oh so proud and oh so happy,
feel like you're disappointed,
you're disappointed in me.

i thought you were supposed to,
you were supposed to be,
supportive and excited,
or not opposed at least.
and it don't matter that i am proud of what i'm accomplishing,
you're not what you're supposed to,
what you're supposed to be.

'nd i guess that's how you feel,
yeah, how you feel about me,
feel like i'm not supposed to,
i'm not supposed to be free.
and it don't matter that i am soaring as i'm spreading my wings,
you think i'm not supposed to,
i'm not supposed to be free.

and i don't know
what you wanted from me
but it was something
that i couldn't give
you wanted someone
for a child but not me
you wanted someone
i don't know how to be

and i'd love to help you
help me succeed
where i've repeatedly failed
and conceded defeat
i'm just trying and vying,
aspiring to be
someone you could love,
and maybe even believe in.

but i was always clever,
and it's clear weather to see,
that you and i were never,
were never meant to be
and it don't matter that i love you and you still say you love me,
it's clear that i don't measure
up, you're disappointed in me.

Circle to Nowhere

We're running
around
and around
and around
in a circle to nowhere

and we
haven't found
haven't found
haven't found
the regrets that we left there

Eb(o) - Bb(o) - Gm3rd

There's a science to finding
our mistakes where we've left them
and there's an art to correcting
the regrets that we had

and there's a science to learn,
and there's an art to be passed on,
so come on, and cast on

and you'll learn how to find
the mistakes you've left behind
and how to correct
and erase your regrets

my papa told me
there's on-
ly so much
you can do
when you're full of frustration

but he said
you can always
make the best
make the best
of a bad situation

and there's a science to determine
where a fix-up is called for
and there's an art to doin'
just what is right

Or you'll be running
around
and around
and around
in a circle to nowhere

and you
won't have found
won't have found
won't have found
the regrets that you left there

There's a science to finding
our mistakes where we've left them
and there's an art to correcting
the regrets that we had

and there's a science to learn,
and there's an art to be passed on,
so come on, and cast on

and you'll learn how to find
the mistakes you've left behind
and how to correct
and erase your regrets

Or you'll be running
around
and around
and around
in a circle to nowhere

and you
won't have found
won't have found
won't have found
the regrets that you left there

my papa told me
there's on-
ly so much
you can do
when you're full of frustration

but he said
you can always
make the best
make the best
of a bad situation

and there's a science to determine
where a fix-up is called for
and there's an art to doin'
just what is right