1. |
Jittery And Wobbling
02:10
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You are the ice in my tea
You hit me like caffeine
I’m jittery and wobbling
Let’s call in sick
Let’s not even deal with it
And make one thousand plans
Who cares if we follow them?
And speculate wildly
Nothing is idly
This illuminary, infusionary
Revisionary, envisionary
You are the ice in my tea
As it wobbles in its glass
And I am a footnote in your past
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2. |
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I was trying to follow certain practical guidelines
I was planning on taking better charge of the situation
If I may offer one small suggestion
that could conceivably
result in some improvement
I don’t know what’s going on
I don’t know what’s going on
I was trying to follow certain practical guidelines
I was planning on taking better charge of the situation
I was trying to speak in terms of the other person’s interest
If I may offer one minor suggestion
that could conceivably
oh, never mind
I don’t know what’s going on
I never know what’s going on
I was trying to maintain equanimity
I was planning to cut down on verbosity
I was trying to parry senseless commentary
If I may offer one meager suggestion
oh, never mind
never mind
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3. |
I Is For Incomplete
02:57
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Ten pages on media theory
I’m kind of weary
Things are looking bleak
My conclusions watered down
My argument built around
All these generalities
I know what they want to hear
And I know how to write that way
That’s what gets the A
Once it’s become an assignment
I’m no longer behind it
There’s difficulty getting done
Before this all-nighter
I thought of being a writer
But I may quit before I’m twenty-one
I know what they want to hear
And I know how to write that way
That’s what gets the A
I’ll take the C
I’ll take the D
Maybe I’ll take the I for incomplete
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4. |
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I was in my element
I had hit my stride
Because I was surrounded by people getting things done
Things were happening
Moving, shaking
Collaborating
The critics were critiquing
The skeptics were disbelieving
They were going to have to get out of the way
Because projects were projecting
Connections were connecting
It was the start of something big
There were no slogans
There were no fashions
No, it was not a commercial, it really happened
Sit up and take notice!
It was the here and now
The cynics were suspicious
The pessimists were pernicious
Nobody cared about what they had to say
Because ideas were gelling
The talent was overwhelming
It should have been the start of something big
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5. |
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I was the most absent-minded person I knew
My pens never ran out of ink
All the wasted time spent retracing my steps
Led me to finally think,
“A place for everything,
and everything in its place”
Wasn’t working for me
I needed a new strategy
You may have heard, you might’ve read
The conventional wisdom says
Losing small objects is a matter of simple carelessness
But it comes up short, there’s more
It’s about organization
And I am organized, I am oh-so-together
It had been said that I would’ve lost my head
If fate hadn’t intervened
Now I am liberated, I am free
I am A to Z
Everything is in my pockets that I know is there
Bring on the diminutive
I am so prepared
You may have heard, you might’ve read
The conventional wisdom says
Losing small objects is a matter of simple carelessness
But it comes up short, there’s more
It’s about classification
And I am classified, I am oh-so-together
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6. |
Stationary From Work
03:37
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7. |
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First, we are immune from prosecution
We work for the DOE
We owe no restitution
We’ve no accountability
Welcome to the team
At Rockwell International
Don’t believe all the bad publicity
This outfit is something special
Mere incompetence is no crime
Consider if this were true:
We’d all be in jail, now wouldn’t we?
Including you
We’re Rockwell International
Come join our corporate family
We give to local charities
We propel the economy
Not being aware of the laws
Which we allegedly used to violate
We could not possibly have conspired to break them
We rest our case
At Rockwell International
We know how to rationalize
So the bonuses always offset the fines
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8. |
Role Model Glue
03:01
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He was an artist of sorts, though he worked during the day
He spent his free time working with role modeling clay
He made figures of people much larger than life
Somehow he never got the proportions right
Things are never what they seem
You think you have an answer
Then you’re surprised to see
You’ve skipped over half the instructions
Your entire internal construction
Based on the wrong idea
He had some talent, looking at his work you could tell
It was just his choice of subject that didn’t work out well
And when his sculptures cracked apart they provided no clue
He put them back together with role model glue
Things are never what they appear
You overlook things
That have always been here
Use too much role model glue
To build up someone to look up to
Not such a great idea
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9. |
Ankle Of Repose
02:51
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10. |
Tale Of The Loophole Guy
02:47
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Looking for a loophole he got caught in a loop
Searching for a soup bowl he knocked over the soup
Some changes were in order
Some changes had to be made
Trying to avoid gridlock he got caught in the grid
Trying to employ a Ziploc is when he lost his grip
Soup may be good food
but something was pretty screwed up
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11. |
Stratego
01:52
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I try to keep track of the moves that have been made
It’s a stupid strategy game
There are all these pieces and pieces on the floor and a piece is missing
I don’t care about winning
Sure it’s a fine way to kill time
But I’m tired of waiting around
I’m tired of no action being the best course of
Action
Inaction
Stratego
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12. |
Holiday Park Flyer
03:20
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H.P. Flyer, where have you gone?
Broadly speaking, something is wrong
H.P. Flyer, I am a restless lot
Ready to go but still at my stop
I’ll take another dose of self-administered patience
Though it’s losing its effect against my latent non-complacence
H.P. Flyer, lake effect drizzling
Short-term prospects fizzling
Inside the park of holiday
Though things often seem to go my way
I’m not where I want to be
I’m questioning your port authority
I’m not where I planned to be
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13. |
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I could have been a contender
Call it a rookie mistake
Call it the sophomore jinx
I didn’t live up to my billing
The day my salary hit the ceiling
Well, I had my chance
The opportunity came
But I bobbled every grounder hit my way
If I knew then what I know now
I could have been a contender
Some kind of new-kid sensation
Did not rise to the occasion
Just call it orientation
I wasn’t paying attention
Well, I had my chance
The opportunity came
But I bobbled every grounder hit my way
If I knew then what I know now
Just wait ’til next year
This time I’ll get it right
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14. |
Adjustment
03:51
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Harriet Records Port Jefferson, New York
I ran Harriet Records between 1989 and 1998 out of Cambridge, MA. I released 10 CDs (most of which are available here) and
45 singles. There are 11 "new" releases so far, most recently the Coronets (London, ca 2000) and Kisswhistle (Pittsburgh). New releases next year by Chris Barickman, the Lookout Honeys, and a follow-up Ekphrastics CD!
-- Tim Alborn
... more
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