Personal Politics
I was hanging in the balance, I was balking in the breach, My troubled mind seemed all to near, And the world was out of reach, I was trembling in the cold wind, In turmoil and despair, I was dying by the wayside, And the world didn’t seem to care.
I am the reason that there’s a world at all, And if I lose my grip the world will surely fall.
You are your own mystery, You may never ever get caught, Just because your not to blame, Don’t mean it’s not your fault, You don’t seem to heed the warning, But your sure you know what’s right, But do you ever wonder, If you really see the light.
You are the reason that there’s a world at all, And if you lose your grip the world will surely fall.
It’s time we know the river’s depth, It’s time for you and me, It’s time that freedom really meant, Really meant being free.
We are where you and I meet, We are what must be done, We are where the cries of the many, Become the voice of the one, We must come to the rescue, Of a world that’s divided and torn, But first I must know, This is why I was born.
We are the reason that there’s a world at all, And if we lose our grip I will surely fall.
Aug. 89
Simpleminded Complication
The world’s in color I’m in black and white, Give me the stars you can have the night, I feel like a fish swimming in the fishbowl of my mind, Just another man in the trap of mankind, So let it come down hard and let it come down quick, Let my soul be the window let my heart be the brick.
Simpleminded complication, Throw that dog a bone, This case don’t need investigation, Just leave me alone, Never seen such thought provoking action, And I still can't figure out the attraction.
Romantic heartbeat philosopher's tongue, You’ve got to be old to know how to act young, We disagree with that we agree with this, When all we really want is just one more kiss, Who lost who won let’s figure out the score, You don’t want nothing but you’ll settle for more.
Simpleminded complication, Throw that dog a bone, This case don’t need investigation, Just leave me alone, Never seen such thought provoking action, And I still can't figure out the attraction.
The world’s on fire should we just watch it burn, This lesson cost more than we were ready to learn, I’m at home call me if you need me, But I’m not a follower so don’t try and lead me, Makes you wish for days of a simpler light, When I was in color and the world was in black and white.
Complicated simple mind-ness, It’s easier done than said, A simple act of human kindness, Let your heart control your head, If you fight a war ipso facto you lose, Peace is an offer you can't refuse.
Aug. 89
Land of Strange
Welcome to the land of strange, Where the only constant is change, I hope you find what you need, Because here the biggest charity is greed, But the victims don’t seem to mind, The assailants are always so kind, A smile will kill you quicker than a gun, It’s a slow painful death but you can't say it wasn’t fun, Pride is the best defense for the offensive, But after a while these cheap trills get expensive.
Oh it’s a dime a dozen oh it’s a penny a pack, You can't get the jump on a sneak attack, Time is wounded tomorrow’s out of range, Living day to day in the land of strange.
Hope is all the hopeless can hope for, The ones that have more than enough just want more, The same old problem what’s the newest answer, It’s kind of like a common cold this common cancer, Dead from the neck up; numb from the waist down, If you’ve got a solid middle you can strike it rich in the boomtown, I don’t think this is what they mean by living off the land, Just pretend you do; if you don’t understand, Throw down your weapon if you want to die like the brave, Pick up a shovel; start digging your grave.
Oh it’s a dime a dozen oh it’s a penny a pack, Don’t turn the other cheek slap ‘em back, Time is wounded tomorrow’s out of range, Living day to day in the lang of strange.
Even a blind man can still feel the warmth of the sun, Even the many are cast by the one, Let not a word be uttered from a tongue to false to tell, Let not the dead leave the unborn the ruins of a living hell, We always make split second decisions about a second to late, But man need not face his destiny man can turn his back on fate, Could a king not want but for you to dance, Could a man ask for more than another chance, Lets take this time bomb cut it off at the fuse, Lets turn all this waste into something we can use.
Could be one in a million; a million to one, We must save our only son, Time is dead if tomorrow cannot change, And the dead bury the living in the land of strange.
Nov. 88
Thankful for the Blues
I can't help but be thankful even though I’ve got the blues, I can't help but be thankful even though I’ve got the blues, Don’t have a lot of money don’t have a big fine house, But there’s always food on my table and I’ve always got a decent pair of shoes.
The worst thing in the world is greed, We overlook the basic need, There’s a hungry world to feed.
My heart goes out to the people of this world who are in real pain, My heart goes out to the people of this world who are in real pain, Me; I’ve got it pretty good I wish I could do something to help, But I'm just like the weatherman even he can't stop the rain.
The best thing in the world is compassion, While we chase the latest fashion, There are people living on a skeleton's ration.
I can't help but have the blues even though god is in my heart, I can't help but have the blues even though god is in my heart, I’m talking about the spirit that binds us all together, And if we want to change the world god is the best place to start.
The only thing in the world is god, Even in the land of nod, Be thankful for what you’ve got.
July 89
Where Beauty Cannot Be
I left on a journey; my soul is up ahead, They tried to tell me you can't understand life until your dead, I kept moving toward my vision; moving toward the light, I knew I was wrong; I knew I was right, I moved thru the future; I sorted thru the past, I was just a shadow that time the artist had cast, I was swept up by the current; carried by the stream, I’m the mighty sleeper; creator of the dream.
I close my eyes for I cannot see, Beauty is blind where beauty cannot be.
I came to know the river's depth I came to drown my thirst, I came to know at last what I knew from the first, The ways of the world seemed not fit for man, I saw a stairway to the stars so off I ran, My mind went blank; my vision it blurred, Till I was sought out by my solitude; hunted by the word, I thought it was a dream; couldn’t believe it was real, I couldn’t trust my feelings so I tried not to feel.
I close my eyes for I cannot see, Beauty is blind where beauty cannot be.
I’m still on this road trying to find my way, And the difference between what we do and what we say, I can't help but wonder I can't help but strive, I just cannot take for granted the fact that I’m alive, The spirit of the water; the ghost of the field, This foggy light for which my passions yield, Bring me a rose bring me a thorn, I know why I’m dying just to be reborn.
And now I know my vision comes from me, I am blind where beauty cannot be.
Aug. 89
Honor Among Thieves
If it weren’t for you I couldn’t be me, If it weren’t for us we couldn’t be, Life is just a game of chance, Each person is shaped by circumstance, If not for the fighter you couldn’t fight, If somebody weren’t wrong you couldn’t be right, If it wasn’t for the hero there’d be no villain, If not for the virus there’d be no penicillin.
Some love this and baby some love that, Some stay skinny and some get too fat, Everyone knows but everyone still believes, That's why there must be honor among thieves.
If not for the servants there’d be no king, If it wasn’t for nothing there’d be no thing, If it wasn’t for here there’d be no there, If it wasn’t for the careless no one would care, If it wasn’t for the sun we wouldn’t know the rain, If it wasn’t for pleasure we wouldn’t know of pain, If it wasn’t for the immoral there’d be no morality, If it wasn’t for the gentle there’d be no brutality.
Some love this and baby some love that, Some stay skinny and some get too fat, Everyone knows but everyone still believes, That's why there must be honor among thieves.
Honor is more important than love, If not for the ground there’d be no sky above, Honor your enemy as you love your friend, For it’s on him that you depend, We need the weak to make the strong, We need the singer to sing the song, It’s time the victim heed the call, Of the killer in us all.
Oct. 87
Off in the Distance
Off in the distance I see a great change coming, There’s a silent supernova in the memory of the dead, It’s working thru the night I can hear the machine humming, My vision relays order to the chaos of my head, Time is just a dream that’s over when the sleeper awakes, In the power of a pulse there’s a weakness of a heartbeat, But the dream is like a beggar that gives more than he takes, So it’s down the narrow path where body and soul meet.
What does it matter what do you care, Life is just a game and games ain't always fair, What do you want take what you need, Off in the distance I see a world destroyed by greed.
Over the slope of the hills I see the crest of the valley, I see trees burning down under a rain forrest cloud, There's two lovers locked in love there’s a fight back in the ally, I see one lone soldier turn his back on the crowd, Everyone stops fighting and turns around in awe, Someone shouts hey what’s wrong with you jack, And in the next split second I can't believe what I saw, He wouldn’t turn to face their music so they shot him in the back.
Oh what is it what could it be, Been to long in bondage gotta set this spirit free, Don’t pull the trigger don’t shoot down the dove, Off in the distance I see a world saved by love.
In a moonless night I see a child in the dark, I can't tell if he’s lost or just a little scared, There’s a hunter in the field and he aims at his mark, Then he lowers his gun in mercy just to show he cares, So the child made it thru the darkness and into the early light, He was weary and his hunger brought him to the nearest door, He was amazed and enraptured that he’d made it thru the night, A man stood in the doorway and asked what he’d come for.
When time has come and gone what will you do, Will white change to yellow will black change to blue, Can we beat the system will we meet the challenge, Off in the distance I see a world hanging in the balance.
Aug. 89
Obsolete Tomorrows
Tomorrow has already come and gone, And I have already sang this song, I’m a time traveler in a timeless maze, I’m a sleepwalker in a dreamer's daze, This river has already ran its course, This shore has already been washed by tomorrow's tide, Life before in the sweet meadow's way, Now in this humble shelter we bide.
Oh if only for now we sing and so we sing, So we sing.
Whitewashed memory eclipsed by tonight's moon, Doing our different dance to the same tune, Eyes cast in wonder at the starry night, Hearts fawn the rush of the blinding light, I trembled when that part of you touched me, In this flesh coated spirit I went home for the while, In ecstasy from the hand I felt the numb silence, And I traveled that miracle mile.
Oh if only for now we sing and so we sing, So we sing.
A vision of the dawn in my sleep, A glorious vain promise to make me weep, It’s a never has been way of life, She was a wonderful mistress but she’s an unfaithful wife, Oh why even bother to roll the dice, In this world where nothing is left to chance, But I just want to make some music, So I can watch you dance.
Oh if only for now we sing and so we sing, So we sing.
Jan. 87
Innocent Bystander
Why did the chicken cross the road, Surely not to get ran over in the middle, But if he slows down traffic he’s as good as dead, Our brains are so big but our hearts are so little, And I’m dying a little man’s death in this big man’s world. I’ve never done no harm to nobody but that don’t do no good, Why should I fight for freedom when I’m already free, We live in a world that does what it does regardless of what it should.
And I don’t wanna be another spoke in the wheel, Of the machine that sucks my brothers life blood for its fuel, oh no, My heart says yes and my head says no, Maybe I should challenge myself to a duel, oh yeah, I don’t wanna be a nobody, But I don’t wanna be Mr. Somebody’s right hand man, oh no, I don’t wanna be an innocent bystander, No I don’t wanna be but I am, oh yeah.
To many facts turns life into fiction, To much soup in the kitchen oh it spoils the cook, Heard about a man had another man killed, Two hundred bucks was all it took, The prices have really come down, A life just ain't worth that much anymore, If there’s gonna have to be a sacrifice made, Maybe death is worth living for.
And I don’t wanna be another spoke in the wheel, Of the machine that sucks my brothers life blood for its fuel, oh no, My heart says yes and my head says no, Maybe I should challenge myself to a duel, oh yeah, I don’t wanna be a nobody, But I don’t wanna be Mr. Somebody’s right hand man, oh no, I don’t wanna be an innocent bystander, No I don’t wanna be but I am, oh yeah.
But if the worlds not with me it’s against me, I believe in love and that’s why I’m willing to fight, Why should we argue about what’s wrong, When we all know what is right, Why does man drive down the road, Surely not to crash and burn, One man can change the world but it’s gonna take every man to save it, And I know we know but when will we ever learn.
And I don’t wanna be another spoke in the wheel, Of the machine that sucks my brothers life blood for its fuel, oh no, My heart says yes and my head says no, Maybe I should challenge myself to a duel oh yeah, I don’t wanna be a nobody, But I don’t wanna be Mr. Somebody’s right hand man, oh no, I don’t wanna be an innocent bystander, And I’m not sure that I am, oh yeah.
Aug. 89
I Came to Know the River's Depth
I came to know the river's depth, On a bright and sunny day, I came to know the river's depth, In the early days of May,
I sat upon its banks to ponder, The fulness of the flow, Nothing else was on my mind, But just to watch it go,
I sat upon its banks to ponder, The fulness of the flow, Nothing else was on my mind, But just to watch it go,
I came to know the river's depth, And my eyes were not to see, As if from my heart it poured, This fountain of dark mystery,
I was caught up in creation’s swirl, To see life in its true worth, The taming of the white heat to mend, The stitch that binds death and birth,
The ghost of air that haunts my breath, And out beyond the very sky, The dawn asked the sun to rise, The moon is the night's reply,
I came to know the river's depth, I sank thru its realms like a stone, And a flower grows in the meadow green, When the flesh does offer bone.
The music of the thunder's voice, Plays unto the lightning's dance, Sweet sleep descends to the wearies bed, To give the dreamer's dreams a chance,
All is beauty in beauty’s eye, And all is pain to the wounded heart, And if we could but know this end, We would know just where to start,
All is beauty in beauty’s eye, And all is pain to the wounded heart, And if we could but know this end, We would know just where to start,
But temptation is an angry guide, And envy seems to mock your way, But this spirit is stronger still, Than all that man could do or say,
And now I know I can abide in peace, And harmony for evermore, Because I came to know the river's depth, When I let go of the shore.
July 89
Enlightenment
Don’t I feel different don’t I feel blessed, I don’t feel nothing I must confess, Don’t I feel special don’t I feel pure, Don’t it feel good knowing I’ve found the cure, Don’t it hurt just the same maybe even a little bit more, It don’t help one bit to know what for, Don’t it feel like a cramp in my mind, Don’t it shine like a vision in front of these eyes so blind.
Oh you can't afford not to pay the price, The truth hurts but these lies kill, Even the best choice is a sacrifice, Between what’s easy and what is real.
Don’t I feel like a martyr don’t I feel like god’s fool, Don’t I feel like hell’s enemy don’t I feel like heaven’s tool, Don’t I live in ecstasy don’t I shudder in bliss, Don’t my lips get numb from beauty’s kiss, Don’t this pain ever stop even after you pull the thorn, Must I always suffer this scorn, Don’t I feel sorry for myself don’t my heart ache, Don’t I give and give and give and never hope to take.
Oh you can't afford not to pay the price, The truth hurts but these lies kill, Even the best choice is a sacrifice, Between what’s easy and what is real.
Don’t I wanna be a hero don’t I wanna be a saint, Don’t I wanna be everything that I ain't, Don’t I wanna teach the people don’t I wanna shine the light, Haven’t we lived long enough in this cold black night, Don’t I wanna live in a cave live on grapes and meditation, Don’t I wanna shun the world and the curse of complication, Do I feel like a gentle lamb in this world so rough, No I just feel like me and that’s good enough.
And that’s a price you can afford to pay, These lies hurt but this truth is gonna kill, The only way is the best way, Between what is and what is real.
Jan. 89
Back Page News
Good news is no news, The rainmaker has left town, In the back ally there’s a king, Looking for his crown,
If tomorrow comes like a rainbow, Tonight will disappear like a dream, If hate is like an engine, Then love is like steam,
Oh Romeo where for art thou, Juliet is sick in bed, He’s off in the part of heaven, Where angels fear to tread,
The great conquerer of the evening, Surveys his new acquisition, The priest turns out to be a pimp, And the poet a politician,
Oh if the night had a name, I wonder what it would be, If the darkness had vision, I wonder what it would see,
Beyond the lonely horizon, The morning approaches so silently, In a dark room two pawns of the night, Make love so violently,
Who will write this great chronicle of time, Who will burn with fury for a distant shore, Who’s gonna say I’ve had enough, Who’s gonna beg for more,
Turn the day and bend the river, Find a door and wonder why, Dance the unknown dance of the morning, Turn your lover to the sky.
With all the pity of the morning, And the mercy of the night, Hunger fights against modesty, And it’s always a fair fight,
And the princess must swim, In her lake of tears, and the coward is the one, Who must face the hero’s fears,
The jury must someday judge itself, And the judge must know when to believe a lie, The man of action must know when to give up, The man of thought must know when to try,
Truth is like a brick thru a window, Thrown by the hand of sorrow, In a house where joy is hidden, In the cellar of tomorrow,
But now one last drink, To the anonymous characters of this story, Who have slain all the dragons, But have never tasted glory,
The front page is for dreamers, The rainmaker’s muse, Turn to the ink of wonder, In the back page news.
Sept. 88
All Songs Composed, Performed and Recorded by M.M.
Released 01 August 1989
