Mark Linkous

I am
the only one
can ride that horse
th'yonder
I'm full of bees
who died at sea
it's a wonderful life
it's a wonderful life
I wore
a rooster's blood
when it flew
like doves
I'm a bog
of poisoned frogs
it's a wonderful life
it's a wonderful life
I'm

why don't you sing me that
pretty lullaby
then when you're singing great
pack it all up

I wanna new face right now
and I want it bad
I wanna new body that's strong
I'm a butchered cow

I wanna try and fly
I wanna try and die
I wanna be a pig
I wanna fuck a car

I wanna new face right now
and I want it bad
I wanna new body that's strong
I'm a butchered cow

I wanna be a stupid and shallow mutherfucker now
I wanna be a tough skinned bitch but I don't know how
I wanna be a shiny new baby with a spongy brain
I wanna be a horse fill of fire what will never reign

goddamn it's so very hot
supposed to come a rain but it's not

oh yeah
here come the painbirds
oh yeah
here come the painbirds

spiral down those hateful dears
between our skins and burning spheres

oh yeah
here come the painbirds
oh yeah
here come the painbirds

goddamn it's so very hot
spiral down those hateful dears
supposed to come a rain but it's not
between our skins and burning spheres

oh yeah
here come the painbirds
oh yeah
here come the painbirds
oh yeah
here come the painbirds
oh yeah

blanket me sweet nurse
and keep me from burnin'
I must get back
to the woods dear girls
I must get back to the woods

in the bloody elevator rising for their first cup of tea
of the day
when does sky turn into space
and air into wind?

the only things
I really need
is water, a gun, and rabbits

let me rest
my fevered cheek
upon your warm sweet bellies

in the bloody elevator going to the bright theater now
come on boys
please let me taste the clean dirt in my lungs
and moss on my back

if I could just keep my stupid mind together
then my thoughts would cross the land for you to see
no one sees you on a vampire planet
no one sees you like I do

seconds click in which I'm changed to dust
whithered roots of knots and hairy rust
no one sees you on a vampire planet
no one sees you like I do

I'm so sick
of goodbyes, goodbyes
I'm so sick
of goodbyes, goodbyes
goodbyes

the night comes crawling in
on all fours
sucking up my dreams
through the floor

I'm so sick
I'm so sick
of goodbyes

I'm so sick
of goodbyes, goodbyes
I'm so sick
of goodbyes, goodbyes
I'm so sick, so sick, so sick
of goodbyes, goodbyes
I'm so, I'm so sick

my bones wish to escape
and run along an alien expanse
to collapse from the heat
in a cartoonish heap
to sleep oh to sleep

I opened my eyes
and watched the sunshine
it had been out all night
to relax and unwind

there will come a time gigantic
waves will crush the junk that I have saved
when the moon explodes or floats away
I'll lose the souvenirs I made
la la la

I lay down on the grass
and let the insects do their thing
she covered me with wings and
held my head and said 'poor thing'

there will come a time gigantic
waves will crush the junk that I have saved
when the moon explodes or floats away
I'll lose the souvenirs I saved
la la la

if I had
if I had more
more would be laid at your feet

if you give me
just a little smile
the dogs on my trail wouldn't drag me back to jail

I woke up in a horse's stomach upon a foggy morning
his eyes were crazy and he smashed into the cemetery gates

and all I want is to be a happy man
all I want is to be a happy man

I've seen teeth
across the horizon
fangs spanning yellow against the earth

and if...

I woke up in a horse's stomach upon a foggy morning
his eyes were crazy and he smashed into the cemetery gates

and all I want is to be a happy man
all I want is to be a happy man

I woke up in a horse's stomach upon a foggy morning
his eyes were crazy and he smashed into the cemetery gates

and all I want is to be a happy man
and all I want is to be a happy man
all I want is to be a happy man
all I want is to be a happy man
all I want
all I want
all I want
all I want

hey Joe
c'mon Joe
don't make that sad song
any sadder than it already is

hey Jack
get back
get yourself together
c'mon c'mon

I know you're thinking about your nervous laugh
I know exactly what you're thinking of

hey Sid
no matter what you did
it can work out
work out

no matter how you feel
right now

hey George
do your chores
don't feel sore

I know it's a lot more
than just being poor

there's a heaven and there's a star for you
there's a heaven and there's a star for you
there's a heaven and there's a star for you
there's a star for you
there's a star for you
there's a star for you

now I lay me down to sleep
I pray my soul to keep
if I die before I wake
I pray my soul to take

come on in
come on in
take me home tonight

now in perfect peace I rest/now I lay me down to sleep
in full salvation blest/I pray my soul to keep
for thy grace that keeps me still/if I die before I wake
safe from every ill/I pray my soul to take

come on in
come on in
take me home tonight

come on in
come on in
take me home tonight

now in perfect peace I rest/now I lay me down to sleep
in full salvation blest/I pray my soul to keep
for thy grace that keeps me still/if I die before I wake
safe from every ill/I pray my soul to take

well I'll bet my Maria's got an elbow full of lonely
now here's a little prayer so that she might get some sleep
don't let her face be skinned by the sun today
don't let it in when it comes knocking at your door

loneliness
loneliness
loneliness
oh oh

sometimes you feel you've got the emptiest arms in the whole world
try to make sense but it always comes out absurd
sleeping horses keep eating up your flowers
don't let 'em in when it comes kicking at your door

loneliness
loneliness
loneliness
oh
came kicking at my door

she said 'I've really come to hate my body
and all the things that it requires in this world'
I bet you're out there getting drunk with all your friends
and it'll get you in the bathroom of a Texaco

loneliness
loneliness
loneliness
oh
came kicking at my door

it's crawling
still all in
befallen
cruel sun

in summer
oh slumber
my number
is up

there's peaches
in reaches
with leeches
at heart

i'm thinkin'
and blinkin'
it's stingin'
mine eyes

abhorring
he's gorging
still boring
on me

it's lighter
it's brighter
no fighter
is I

it's dried up
and tied up
and fried up
mine eyes

it's crawling
still all in
befallen
cruel sun

shining motorcycle
through the trees we rifle

we're gonna drive
all night home
we're gonna drive
all night home

down to West Virginia
like the blood within ya

we're gonna drive
all night home
we're gonna drive
all night home

shining motorcycle
all her worries stifled

we're gonna drive
all night home
we're gonna drive
all night home

this ought to hold her now
this ought to hold her now
this ought to hold her now
this ought to hold her now

he don't get out much
these days
but I wouldn't call him
lazy

he sees the dawn sneak
into the room
and knows the dogs will
be up soon

and we thought that he was doing alright
as the sun chased down another night

and days carreen
like the waters
of a river rushing
to the sea

here she comes again
down the staircase
she never passes without
saying hello

and we thought that he was doing alright
and she says hello

I can't forget the ghost
I can't forget the ghost
I can't forget the ghost
of his smile

dogs will wag their tails
and birds will sing
hell it's hard world
for little things

and we thought that he was doing alright

I can't forget the ghost
I can't forget the ghost
I can't forget the ghost
of his smile

every hair on your head is counted
you are worth hundreds of sparrows
the tree you planted has become fecund
with kamikaze hummingbirds

wings of hundreds of beats per second
of people whose wings are just a blur
afraid our eyes might become impaled
by their sharp and tiny beaks

I'm so sorry
my spirit's rarely in my body
it wanders through the dry country
looking for a good place to rest
your head upon my chest
and I can feel the pillow of your breast

you are worth hundreds of sparrows

my bones wish to escape
and run along an alien expanse
to collapse from the heat
in a cartoonish heap
to sleep oh to sleep

a beautiful woman she rose
from the smokin' waters of the lake
with a candle that burned in each palm
my teeth each sank gently to the floor

bring me some luck little junebug
your cousins they're gods to the seas
the march afternoons
the sun and the moon

before I fall asleep
a white blood of wolves must be drained
and that sorry captain howdy
scatters my bones for the lambs

bring me some luck little junebug
your cousins they're gods to the seas
the march afternoons
the sun and the moon

It's A Wonderful Life

I am
the only one
can ride that horse
th'yonder

I'm full of bees
who died at sea

it's a wonderful life
it's a wonderful life

I wore
a rooster's blood
when it flew
like doves
I'm a bog
of poisoned frogs

it's a wonderful life
it's a wonderful life

I'm the dog that ate
your birthday cake

it's a wonderful life
it's a wonderful life
it's a wonderful life