Everything And Nothing

I call you by your only name and whisper in your ear / you should have brought a camera for the things that you hold dear / and you hold me / and everything turns to nothing and nothing means that much / and these times they’d be the best / if we could keep in touch / with hands across a distance with hands across a hole / withholding information with secrets from your soul / and your soul is sweet / when everything turns to nothing / and nothing means that much / show me the ways that i’d be saved / throw me something to clutch / i got here by my own device / i’ve never felt so near / too close for you to turn away / am i loud enough to hear? / and i’m calling you / and everything turns to nothing / and nothing turns to black / even if you were to leave me here / no promise you’d be back

Here

The city lights are bright so let’s drive / i’m looking for something to blow my mind / most things feel fine alright / set my body alight / but i can’t come home tonight / and i can’t tell you why / so won’t you come inside / where i will hide you here / where you might find what you’ve been looking for / you’re running around looking for something you haven’t got / do you know who it is or even what? / or must everyone live their lives remembering what they might have had some time ago? / or is it to late to say just what you think your life is for? / signs in the sky tell me which way to fly / signs in the street tell me which way to move my feet / but i don’t listen and i don’t read the signs / that point towards the eventual decline / but i can’t come home tonight / and i can’t tell you why / so won’t you come inside / where i will hide you here / where you may have second thoughts about / whatever it is you’re running away from / i have nothing here to offer you but the safety of my arms / and i’ll keep everything here inside of you / and keep you from any harm / can you come down and see how we all feel? / because words escape me and i’ve forgotten what is real / some reason hat you might have had is slipping from you / and now you’re lost / i will hide you here / and keep you from all your fears

I Believe

Saw you on tv tonight i didn’t know you were that good / gonna try and reach you but i don’t know if i should / after all this time and i still think that you’re ok / because when things descend on you you don’t let them come my way / i’m going to look around and see what’s true / and i believe in reincarnation too / i look at you and i wish i could see the world right through your eyes / it would be so easy if we could see right through their lies / so if you’re gonna change / then i want to be with you / if you’re going somewhere / then take me along too / because you’re my hero / and when you laugh i cry / and if you leave then i will die

End Of This Day

At the end of this day will i know what you’re trying to say or will i know how to make a start? / end this day end of this hour i will open you up like a flower / and then i will know what’s inside your heart / at the end of this day will you know what i’m trying to say or will you know how to make a start? / end this day end of this summer / now i think that my time has come / and now i know what’s inside your heart / at the end of this day will you have anything left to say or will you know how to play your part? / end this day end of this year is anything anymore clear? / and now do you know what’s inside my heart?

Metal Baby

I’d like to see if you’re alive / i’d like to know if the stars still survive / the sky is blinding the temperature is down / i get the feeling that you won’t be around / i’d like to know if you’ve awoken / and if your consciousness comes crawling for the day / will it make it through unbroken? / or will it end up like the promises you made? / and i could have stopped the burning / but i couldn’t stop my head from churning / so far from your returning / not close enough to be discerning / you made a policy to choose the wrong direction of all your avenues / the guiding lights on the road you drive on have dimmed and blurred and slowed down all your motion / and i don’t want to hate / don’t want to have a clue / it’s not what i create / but it’s all that i’m getting from you

Conquering Fears

I dress and shave for you each day / you said i missed a bit but that’s ok / i sit down here and try and write a love song / but they’re too hard to write right? ? I stop and look / you’re such a pretty pretty girl / we’ve both grown up a bit and that’s alright / because i’m her friend and it’s never gonna end / i think about that a lot / that’s how with heads together we’re conquering fears / so you wait and stop and circumnavigate / no need to expand upon / if you cannot / so afraid to sit and try and write a love song / well take it from the top / and / you’re so afraid of when it comes so slow out from / and / she’s my friend / see her forever / yeah i’m gonna see her now / that’s how with heads together we’re conquering fears / and we tear it all apart now / and no one but ourselves left / and she’ll be here for good now / and all else to forget / we’re conquering

That’s Ok With Me

The lights are out through town / the radio’s buzzing and the telephone wires are down / all i want to do tonight is stay here at home / and do the things we used to do when we were alone / do the things we did that time we were alone / the space between us is solid / so let’s break it down tonight / i know this feeling from before so let’s try and make it right / the lights are out / the house is dark i’ve got nothing to hide from you / so let’s stay home and be alone and do the things we used to do / tonight i’ll leave it up to you / well that’s ok with me / not doing things you never wanted to / well that’s ok with me / if you want to leave tomorrow / well that’s ok with me / or you can stay another day / well that’s ok with me / have things how you want them to be / well that’s ok with me / you can dictate the terms to me / well that’s ok with me / take my hand and walk with me / well that’s ok with me / i’m used to treading delicately / well that’s ok with me

Surprise Me

Please guard this like a diamond in your mind / please save my thoughts for they’re all running wild / but you remind me of a flailing butterfly / as you quiver there in your fragile little – fragile little life / your weaknesses are betrayed in your face / something in your life slightly out of place / we all fall down but you fall with more grace / and heights are always higher in your – in your case / this night started out ok / i hope it ends that way / i feel so detached from everything / don’t know how you act so cool / my head feels like a swimming pool / with people jumping – people jumping in / you can walk the line if you’ve got the time / surprise me / surprise me / please guard this like a diamond in your mind / someone is gentle someone is unkind / someone stays someone leaves you behind / someone saves your life and you will – you will find /this night started out ok / i hope it ends that way / i feel so detached from everything / don’t know how you act so cool / my head feels like a swimming pool / with people jumping – people jumping in / you can walk the line if you’ve got the time / surprise me / surprise me

Book One

Some things change / some things fade / some things become frayed / there’s something in my head and it wasn’t there yesterday / oh how i really wish you’d stay / or go away / go away to stay / today i learned about space rockets and the stars / moving motionless the days fly by so fast / 1969 an astronaut’s walking on the moon / before they sent a dog up there but she came down again pretty soon / sun keeps us warm / stars shine at night / rain gives us water and moon gives us light / snow falls in winter we can skate on the ice / wind’s blowing the trees / turning frost into ice / look back on twenty years and see how far you’ve come / the story of your life was written when you were so young / can you see exactly where it is you’re coming from? / your whole life is in front of you / and this is your book one

Smoke From Tinsel

It happens to me ten times a day and as it happens i don’t know another way / perhaps i should have worn a wetsuit to keep out of the rain but i just want it to happen again / having to hold on tightly or i’ll be thrown away / having to let go slightly so i can stay / curse me again / call my name / give a damn / how much this time? / how much will i get? / i’ve been giving it away for free and i ain’t going to stop yet / how many good or bad things will it take to change this time? / it ain’t going to take much more to change my mind / having to treat my instincts as though they’re always wrong / promises made but left behind for later on / turn yourself around / have control / have control / how to get to you before it turns around / and i’m happy when my mind can find its way around / take your time and tell me if i frown / having to wind in gently / having my mind made for me / torn in two / follow through / it’s hard to do

Car Man

There’s too much fuel in my tank / no overtaking turning vehicles, man / hope it gets me home tonight / hope it gets me through all this / catching all the orange lights / going to stay up late tonight / they can’t get inside my car / they can’t get inside my mind / my windows are wound up tight / they can’t see in through my eyes / saw nothing / traveled for miles / saw nothing / i looked down deep inside / can’t see an end in sight / biting my nails every block / i can’t slow down for all the stops / can’t slow down at all / might crash out tomorrow / drown every sound / kill every motion / i can’t turn around / i hope it gets me through all this / car man

Snail Trail

I see you / you walk my way / i see you / you walk away / you don’t like me any more / i hear you / the words you say / if i had a gun i’d blow you away / i had a dream / i dreamed of your breath / i had a dream / i dreamed of your death

Weird Day

Weird day / thoughts carry me away / no feelings to convey / get up anyway / hope it makes some sense today / and i hope we find a way / ok / weird day / don’t know what to say / forgot it all before i said it / said you lost your mind / i think that i’ve lost mine / but i’ll get it back in just a minute / spilt my drink out of my cup / spilt my mind you wiped it up / spilt my heart you walked away / i tripped over myself / i was trying to say what a weird weird / weird day / weird in my brain / you don’t turn around before you’re gone / thoughts lead me astray / i always drift away / it’s been pretty strange here all day long

Hole Of Blood

There is a lot of major carnage in nature and we can only let it pass / real guys don’t want to watch the tarantula annihilate / they’d rather watch the cowboys kicking ass / but when she says she can’t have you because her hole of blood is keeping her whole / there’s a lot of bad inside the hand of every man / we don’t have to act like ants / we don’t live for the tribe / don’t have to live by the tribe to survive / it’s better to die / it’s better first that you should know some about the forces keeping you alive / don’t beat it to submission / it’s always fear that always underlies / too scared to adore / fresh orders to obey / keeping you unsure / keep your hate at bay / or does it make you bigger? / getting things disfigured / you are your own worst enemy / just admit it you don’t like alternatives / there’s a lot of indiscrepancies on board / contradictions are the only thing that’s sure / real guys don’t want to see a death they couldn’t create / they want some real action so they can relate

Thick And Shitty

All along you crave / what’s the song you gave? / little thoughts to save / now they’re gone – it’s late / little bits i keep / little loads to heap / lose em all in sleep / let em die, i leave / **i can’t remember these 2 lines** / did you learn it wrong / little locks i glue / stale crumbs of food / known a lot of untruths / thought i could have used / i should just let em fall / i get caught and snagged / i should forget them all

Know You Now

I never saw the world through your eyes / i never stopped to realise / because you’d never stop to communicate / the things i’d like were the things you’d hate / because i know how / and i know you now / and i know what it’s all about / did you ever stop to tell the truth? / did you ever let me in on the real you? / because i couldn’t understand the things you’d say / you thought i’d like you better that way / did you feel afraid to know? / or show me what you’d never show? / because all your thoughts and all your doubts / you don’t know what the hell they’re all about

Almost Past Caring

A month ago it would have hurt me / a month ago it would have made me cry / because i’ve given everything that i’ve got to give and now i’m quite content to let things lie / can’t think what you want from me / i certainly don’t want a thing from you / you’re trying to get me back for things i never even did or is that just another excuse / i’m almost past caring / i’m tired of wasting my time waiting for something that’ll never happen / and i’m tired of pretending that there’s something worth waiting for / i was dangling from a string waiting on your attention / but i’m not hanging there any more / a month ago it would have hurt me / a month ago i wouldn’t have known which way to go / rather than face you i would have curled up to die / but i’m over it now / well almost/ almost past caring / almost past caring

Cool Kinda Kid

Cool kinda kid has had enough of all his stuff / pushed to the edge / pain in my head / it ain’t that tough / hell bent on hell / like every next one / no more of this / cool kinda kid / cool kinda kid / it’s not what you will do / but what you did / can’t we wind up? Can’t we wind back / every little bit? / getting all wound out / getting all wound back / white turns to black / cool kinda kid getting kinda sick of all his shit

I Can’t Live

Saw you near the edge of town it was the other day / saw your long hair blowing round and then i heard you say / i’m waiting for my man and it’s been such a long time / he says he misses me but won’t tell me if he’s mine / and i’m looking and i see / and i’m thinking what can it be? / and i know that i can’t live if you don’t love me / saw you near the edge of town it was the other day / the night was coming down and then i heard you say / said i’m still waiting and i’ve lost all track of time / he says he misses me but won’t tell me if he’s mine / ch / turn turn around / turn turn around

Hold On

Ain’t got the flame to burn out your name / ain’t got the hammer to shatter the chain / can’t find the knife to cut you a slice / to kill off your hunger and dry out your eyes / hold on it’s nearly all gone / ain’t you going to tell me i’m wrong? / can’t find the words to make myself strong / ain’t got the strength to let it go on / ain’t got the heat to warm up your seat / ain’t got the spark to try and compete / can’t find the sugar to sweeten your mouth / i ain’t got the money to call you now / hold on it’s nearly all gone / can’t you see that it just is wrong? / ain’t got the words to make a new song / ain’t got the strength to let it go on / ain’t got the lips to give you a kiss / ain’t got the body to fulfill your wish / ain’t got the voice to sing you goodnight / ain’t got the arms to say it’s alright / hold on it’s nearly all gone / can’t you see that it just is wrong? / if you want me i won’t be along / ain’t got the strength to let it go on

Five Pointed Star

They’ve lost the focus / and all the hocus pocus / they want to be stock brokers / nothing like their folks / saying hippy mom and dad / look at all the fun you’ve had / the times have done their changing and now they are just bad / you tell them about twenty five years ago / you’re lucky if they can remember ten / pity you can’t just go back again / two turns and you can’t win / the world keeps getting its fingers in / secrets don’t last a second once out from within / never stop coming back again / they’ve lost the plot / out in all the empty lots / a five pointed star is all they recognise as god / satan’s in the suburbs / i saw his name written there / paint it on your bedpost / you probably wouldn’t dare / do you have a clue what your caper is / or are you trying to impress your friends? Is there really nothing else within? / do you really give your soul to him? / they’ve found the potion to drain them of emotion / got to keep it flowing / keep a constant coating / they’ve lost the exit / they can’t find the opening / you gave your soul to him / you can’t remember anything

7-11

I hear my name being called from machines along the walls / i move towards my goal / paper cups and chicken rolls / all lined up evermore / i have it in my soul / i know i can’t go home / please take me to the store / open up the oven door / don’t have to wait no more / microwave heaven is here / some noodles and some beer / and a vid for later on / for me alone / the store looks hot it looks quite packed tonight / and we could stop and stare if you just slowed a bit / and if we had some money we could go spend it / and we could stay and ogle at the counter chick / i gave my hands to her / show me where the best things are / drinks chill and coffee spills / and popcorn pops for me / at 10:55 we’ll see / she stacks the shelves so well / with tacos toothpaste gel / to clean me feed me brush my teeth / but they don’t make it heaven

Who’s Counting?

Put out the rubbish today / there’s a lot of things that i just can’t say / most of them wanting to be heard / all of them choking on a word / it’s a call that i can’t respond / since most of what i’ve said is at best half right / it’s all half wrong / facts are burnt but they’re not gone / they remain and i can’t remember one / can’t remember one / took a walk down my street today / there’s a lot of cars parked in the way / reminds me of words that don’t make my mouth / a million ways to block it out / so our conversation’s lame / here’s hoping my questions don’t sound the same / they’re thick and fast / i’m just trying to hold what’s past / if i can’t forget then how will i make it last? /i can’t recall the last / i can’t recall the last / filled up a box today / with all the things i managed to not say / still it’s a call that i can’t make / a message that no-one else can take can’t take / there is a word that i can’t fake / the sound of a voice going straight to tape / still it’s a call that i can’t make / a message that no-one can take

Better Let Go

Better let go if you’re holding too tight / better let go if the end is in sight / better not give up without a fight / better not fall asleep tonight / you know you won’t go but you know that you just might

Tower

There’s no one else around / and you’re the best thing in the world / so what do you want to want? / because there’s sadness in your eyes / and some place you wish you were / so let the light embrace / because we’re still heavy on this earth / i wish everything went around / and i wish there was a sound / i don’t want to be in far away places / never is anything coloured / or does it flower / this is the closest to my heaven transmission tower / if you’re scared you should have stayed / this is the place where no one goes / the edge without a seam / and we’re without a colour scheme / our eyes will swallow up the sky / never does it get darker / or does it change / never will the clouds lift / so they can make space / never will they let go / so they can take the test / never will they take flight / never leave the nest / never will they make the heavens or see the stars / never will they see the future or make the past / never is anything coloured or does it flower / this is the closest to my heaven transmission tower / there’s no one else around and now we’re more afraid / now they know how / and they’ve got the power / they’ve worked it out and they’ve built the tower / we’re more afraid

A Silence

Though i feel kind of easy there’s no one left that can hear / and the wind keeps blowing outside / and there’s nothing left i can fear / so i watch this yellow butterfly make a stand and make itself clear / and a rumble in the distance / and a mighty hum that’s bringing all fear / and a silence seems to watch me / and a silence seems so near / as a finger grates down a blackboard / it’s a silence i cannot hear / an unearthly movement through the crust / something wants to make itself known / and a dwelling through the ages / and a curse is carried home / and a grasping at the roots of all that we have known / and a grip with shivering tension as a silence turns to stone / and a silence seems to watch me / and a silence seems so near / as a finger grates down my backbone / and a silence makes me its lair / and a silence seems to watch me / and a silence seems so close / like the force of dew in the morning time / subtle / still it takes control

Button

Don’t bring me symptoms / I don’t feel sick / I don’t want a promise if it won’t stick / I don’t want nothing except you to push my button / don’t want anaesthetic / I’m not awake / I feel pathetic / mistakes I make / I don’t need nothing except you to push my button / you know the secret / I hope you ain’t forgotten / I don’t want nothing except you to push my button / don’t want an injection / I’ve got it sewn / don’t want your infections / I’ve got my own

Lost in the Snow

It didn’t hurt / we kept right on playing / we hadn’t heard the faithful praying / with all we had it didn’t seem to matter / the news was bad / the future badder / falling into a hole was pointless and just wrong / we only wish you what it takes to get along / it didn’t rain / skies didn’t open / the world spun on / angels were hoping / it didn’t hurt / it was a lesson / snowing on dirt / you were a blessing / you lost your vision and forgot your golden star / and when it did rain they weren’t tears for you at all / you kept it from us you were losing it / the angels watching over you just let you slip away so painlessly / they were the only ones who knew / now the snow has frozen up both your cities / the angels disappeared from view / they left before we could have owned them / like they had nothing left to do

Funny Fish

Funny fish can you stomach this? / don’t gimme that – there’s meat on my dish / I wish you’d tell me yeah tell me tell me I want you to tell me / is my baby gonna be ok? / whitey dread / what’s that you said? / don’t gimme that – it’s all in my head / I wish you’d wake up / yeah wakey wakey I want you to wake up / cos I heard the tale where she woke up dead / she’s out of my hair but not out of my headspace yeah / and she’s a funny fish / a funny fish / and she’s alright / honey hon / this ain’t much fun / you gave me that mercury on my tongue / I wish she’d quit it / yeah hit it hit it I want you to spit / cos I heard the tale then I found out the end / she’s left for heaven and she’s never to return / and she’s a funny fish / she’s a funny fish / what a funny fish / yeah a funny fish / and she’s alright

Terminal

Don’t turn around / they could be watching you / and every second gone / and every moment wrong / you feel a terminal unease / you feel you turned out wrong / and all the time you spent trying to get it right again / animal intuition guides your every step / did I let you know how things are prone to go? / don’t plan out every move too well to fit some groove / can’t say that I can expect anything from anything / never said I never wanted it all / but did you plan it that way when it turned out ok? / don’t say yes / yes yes yes / found you changed your mind today / found you changed your mind today

Millionth Wish

Here I am / can you wrap me up / wrap me up in your hands? / here I am / lost inside your desert when you bury me / bury me in the sand / in the sand / sand / if distance is your master / walk a thousand miles / another million wishes / and I’d kill just to see your smile / wait for me / it’s only been about a million days / I tried so hard to get through / wait for me / that is what you said you’d do / and I promised that I’d wait for you too / you / the train of thought has disrailed / you never thought I’d tell / communication’s failed / and I never thought you’d kill me so well / here I am / and your million wishes are now gone / and your million wishes are gone / the train of thought has disrailed / you never thought I’d tell / communication’s failed / and I never thought you’d kill me so well

Hole of Blood

There is a lot of major carnage in nature and we can only let it pass / real guys don’t want to watch the tarantula annihilate / they’d rather watch the cowboys kicking ass / but when she says she can’t have you because her hole of blood is keeping her whole / there’s a lot of bad inside the hand of every man / we don’t have to act like ants / we don’t live for the tribe / don’t have to live by the tribe to survive / it’s better to die / it’s better first that you should know some about the forces keeping you alive / don’t beat it to submission / it’s always fear that always underlies / too scared to adore / fresh orders to obey / keeping you unsure / keep your hate at bay / or does it make you bigger? / getting things disfigured / you are your own worst enemy / just admit it you don’t like alternatives / there’s a lot of indiscrepancies on board / contradictions are the only thing that’s sure / real guys don’t want to see a death they couldn’t create / they want some real action so they can relate

Lost in the Snow

It didn’t hurt / we kept right on playing / we hadn’t heard the faithful praying / with all we had it didn’t seem to matter / the news was bad / the future badder / falling into a hole was pointless and just wrong / we only wish you what it takes to get along / it didn’t rain / skies didn’t open / the world spun on / angels were hoping / it didn’t hurt / it was a lesson / snowing on dirt / you were a blessing / you lost your vision and forgot your golden star / and when it did rain they weren’t tears for you at all / you kept it from us you were losing it / the angels watching over you just let you slip away so painlessly / they were the only ones who knew / now the snow has frozen up both your cities / the angels disappeared from view / they left before we could have owned them / like they had nothing left to do

My Dad’s Hands

Temperature’s low / check my pulse / just found out that my fingers come from someone else / my cover is blown / I’ve been shown my moves / I feel the results of things I’ve yet to do / I realised I’ve got my dad’s hands / if I look back and calculate / I can work out which feeling was the bad trait / but I don’t mind what he might have done wrong / because I can’t help but repeat what he’s done / the mold is taking hold / the picture’s drying / at three and a half I could only stare / I knew for sure what I was loving there / I don’t know if I love it now that it’s here / but I’m trying

Sweet Little Oranges

Just like a flaming lip / enough spit would extinguish it / I feel its gentle fit / I’ll burn my hand a bit and I won’t change / I can’t retune my own preset personal frequencies / don’t need to reduce any of my inadequacies / I won’t respond to your accusations of negligence / I can’t relate to pretensions of non-intelligence / they burn a hole in me / found my insecurities / they’ve got a minute hand / I’ve got a grain of sand and all the power it holds / but I can’t release the energy for an eternal flame / the box of matches inside me has gotten wet again / they warm me up in little bursts each time a spark is thrown / and when the whole box caches light then I will burn alone / it is a recipe between a clenched up fist and sweet little oranges / it is a precipice / it is a hand to kiss and mine are flaming lips

Bad Time to be Leaving Town

Can’t rearrange at all / I move the lamp against the poster on the wall / these little words mean things I can’t recall / they echo down the hall / one by one my defenses go down / you picked a bad time to be leaving town / roads are closed to vehicles going west / information isn’t flowing the best / these small words they seem to be a test / hope I can guess the rest / never bothered to pretend I knew / now I’m relying on them to get me through / highway lights burn out and fall leaving dark holes formed / found my life was just a cold and closed off road / lines are torn severing words from lips I can no longer warm / I try to kid myself that I can make it home / can’t recreate at all / communication is impossible / these small words are all I can recall / can’t kid myself I will survive at all

Low

I’m going home I’m alone and I’m cold / I’d telephone but my call would be placed on hold / I’ve taken all I need for all my short term ends / never wanted to disregard or be distant from my friends / I know I’m being silly and I know I’m playing games / they make the clear picture fuzzy again / I know I fail in your view but it ain’t up to you / some games I can and some I cannot do

Numb

To the kitchen so I can leave the room / standing with the fridge light on / I don’t move around with ease no more / but you don’t mope around alone / seems I don’t listen to a word you say / leaving conversations dumb / but I pick up on each and every way we find to leave each other numb / we traveled to this place called nowhere it took so long to get this far / with all the signs we saw and all the wise words that we heard we only learned to grow apart / now only when I try to talk to you it seems you only want to try / but with all your chances gone / all the words that I can give ain’t enough to get you by

Fill Yourself with Music

Fill yourself with music let the good vibrations flow / if you ain’t heard the message then there’s something you should know / cos’ there’s guys to make you cry they start with e and b and m / and girls who’ll twist your world and you will be grateful to them / fill yourself with music! / fill yourself with song let the music do the rest / elation to depression / extreme emotions are the best / my baby’s gone away / I can’t get by without her around / just turn it up and drown myself in sound / fill yourself! / walk out in the sunshine let it fill you up with light / and curl up with your radio to make it through the night / there’s special songs for everyone to make you feel alright / they open up your heart and bring your pain to the light

Who’s Counting?

Put out the rubbish today / there’s a lot of things that I just can’t say / all of them wanting to be heard / most of them choking on a word / it’s a call that I can’t respond / since most of what I’ve said is at best half right / it’s all half wrong / facts are burnt but they’re not gone / they remain but I can’t explain you one / can’t pertain to one / walked down my street today / there’s a lot of cars parked in the way / reminds me of words that don’t make my mouth / I find I prefer not to talk it out / so our conversation’s lame / but who’s counting the ways we can be inane? / they’re all the same / but we drag them out again / can’t react / it’s a trap and it’s a game / there are cracks I can’t explain / got cracks I can’t explain / filled up a box today / with all the things I managed not to say / they can’t stay / because they’re no help / can’t throw them away all by myself / because they are cracks I could not foretell / I’m tracing them straight back to hell

Made of Stone

I have slept and I’m ok / a little more like you each day / you don’t phone and I don’t write / made of stone we do alright / I had dreamt that I was cracked / saw two statues interact / I was cold I couldn’t feel / I’m warming to your heart of steel / I awoke I too was clay / little fragments fall away / break my bones and I won’t fight / made of stone / we do alright

Three Way Punishment

Lines get crossed / connections fuse / messages lost / carriers abused / when the dark comes and you’re frightened / you need a well adjusted friend / because the guilt that you grew up with / you will carry until the end / it will bring you to your end / lines are broke / connections gone / we still have ropes / to drag along / when the causes are forgotten and circuits they are blown / they’re not secrets they’re just problems that you’ve never shown / too late to come unsewn / anger born from repression learned at home / fear taught – there’s no cure for being alone / love was wrong / self expression it was restrained / thought that was gone / ’till my best friend went insane / can I make a call? can’t make it back / emotions are mauled and burnt to black / when relations get mangled / confidence is a chore / it’s derision yeah makes me angry / to think somehow it’s my fault / what’s religion? what’s forbidden? / it’s a pit in which you crawl / it’s the room where you were born

Become Undone

And all my colours have run / my knots have slipped and come undone / my foot is caught / I have fought / I’ve been told / but I’m not taught / I’ve been sold but I’m not bought / and all my pieces have come apart / the sentence stops / before it starts / too tough to bend too late to mend / I can joke but can’t pretend that I won’t be broken until the end / and all I’m hoping is you’re still my friend

Lost all Trace

I used to satisfy your moods / I walked a thousand miles in shoes that you slipped on my feet / and upon the road of pain / I never felt your presence gain / but memories they don’t sleep / if you look upon with loss i’ll search my pockets to retrieve the cost / and if your feelings turned to stone / I’d dig an early grave for a place I could call my own / I’ve lost all trace of home / I set a question on betrayal / hope the answer’s in the mail for the fate that awaits me / it could have rectified the tune / presented futures on a spoon / but the mailman didn’t save me / when I see your options prosper i’ll search to see how much it cost you / I got your postcard from LA / I lit a cigarette and watched the black and white turn grey as it burned in the ashtray

Static I’m going to build a radio with static from the stars / and broadcast at a frequency you’ll pick up in your cars / I’m setting out on airwaves where I will feel right at home / I’m going to call it nothing because you don’t need to be known / my signal will get lost in all the white noise floating by / it drifts above the cities invisible in the sky / and if I transmit long enough someone will roll through the dial /and they’ll stop on some static and they’ll listen for a while / though they’ll feel some mysterious transaction has been made / a message slipped through interference has been received some way / because thoughts don’t need to be worded for you to understand / you listen through your eyes just like you hear through your hands / I’m feeling far away

Bridge over nothing don’t talk about what you thought about alone / it’s not true that you can make it on your own / don’t think about what you heard was true before / nothing’s holding any water any more / don’t be scared by laws that keep you in your lanes / it’s a cruel scheme that’s keeping us the same / don’t be cornered by the corners in your mind / you can’t build bridges or put up barriers inside / bridge going nowhere over nothing / don’t make a sound it’s a moment just for you / a tiny second amplified to hear through / it’s a come on from the force you would deny you can’t bridge the gap or build a wall to hide the lie

Dart I’m neat in cycles / mess on the floor / cram you in twice a day / you ask what for? / with every mention you make and every lesson you take / every question at stake is one big lie / with all the soul that’s on sale and all the lost / ones you bail / every boring detail is one big lie / bite with incisors / try all your might / denial’s exciting / treason’s alright / I’m in denial / losing litres by the mile / I’m cruising up your dial

Bruises Bruises are self-inflicted packets of pain / mysterious punishment reminds you again / I know I know I know I know I know / markings that show the secret feelings below / subconscious condones it but it won’t let you know / I know I know I know I know I know / so I’ll hibernate and sneak right out of the cold / freeze up the hate somewhere and leave it on hold / suppose suppose suppose suppose suppose / when I awake and crawl out into the sun / bruises have faded and resentment is done / suppose suppose suppose suppose suppose / little punishments you don’t deserve but you take / I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t

Explode your Friends Forced to abandon it / competition is stiff / let’s forget talk it’s dead / we’ll talk another day / let’s not compete no more / it’s there to make us sore / I’d rather be let down / but it’s the other way / oh come on / promises never stick / too tired to manage it / I can’t live up to you it makes me feel inferior / everyone knows by name weaknesses guilt and shame / they don’t belong but still they fill up their interior / oh come on / they’re there to fuel the fear / and burn you with embarrassment / they’re there to use their selfish standards as a punishment / explode your friends

Down the Drinker In a second i never fall never fall / looking under me I would always be so small / when is this over? tell me it’s over / coming second is never first never first / beat into my head I could never be so tall / when is this over? show me it’s over / winning doesn’t me anything to me / family policy there’s a plan for me drafted out for me / with all this weight on me no wonder I couldn’t grow at all / when is this over? show me it’s over / winning doesn’t me anything to me

Dead to the World Full moon I look to you / you’ve got time locked / while we’re in the grip of motion sickness / from calendars and clocks / four weeks have gone and been / I can’t believe / the ones you need no distance between are the first to leave / your sight is dull and selective as you move out of range / I ain’t got time to get reflective as focuses change?opinions that you relied upon to save you will be upside down the first / attitudes will vanish and codes of behaviour will be acting in reverse / they’re acting in reverse /the air is filled with canaries / they carry thoughts to think / the room has become the ocean / but you won’t sink / a kitten licks and asks you to hold her / today’s friend has arrived / a small bird lands on your shoulder and whispers “the world is alive”

Gravity I like a warm red glow (i like fast I like slow) / I like you sitting away from me (so I can stretch right out) / I like forgetting my name (and all these things you remember) / I like the smoothness of cheese (the way it slides down) / your tongue is silvery (as it touches mine) / your hands push me to be (they’re pushing me away) / a scared lamb to the slaughter / spiteful and petticoated / waiting for the sentence / is there safety to the silence? / saw the sun go down today (you write my name in the sand) / violent orange turned to grey (the sea turned silver) / gravity is good cos I can’t slip / comfort feels safe but I’m repulsed by it / lick the salt right out of my lips / my teeth sink in but they won’t stick / I like sitting in the dark (no one can see me smile) / I try not to touch the sides (no one can hear me breathe) / I drag it into the air (no one looks at me) / I stick pins inside of me (i just think it feels good) / when I close my eyes I can see the sun

Ant I went to school and I was six / the teacher said “you all must sit” / I didn’t do it so she got a rope / tied me to my chair to keep me there / I will be good I will be good I will be good I will be good / sit down sit down sit down / I am I am a business man / and there’s no time in business land / the sky is blue and I’m an ant / I know I want to but I know I can’t / I wish I could I wish I could I wish I could I wish I could I wish I could / sit down sit down sit down

End of the Wire They took a bird’s egg into space / hatched it out in a brand new place / it was very special as they waited for him to fly / staying up late conducting tests / instincts get lost in weightlessness / where no genetic memory could guide him when he tried / will you be proud will you be proud? / he stretched his damp blue wings and cut a path across the cabin / it was very confusing but he reinvented it all / they filmed him weaving around the room / he didn’t have to fly but he flew / the astronauts were very proud – he got a seed bell for being so brave / would you be proud would you be proud if I learned how to behave? / would you be proud would you be proud if I ever was that brave? / I will try I will try I will try I will try / now gravity has been turned up / unconditional achievement’s too much / it’s very demanding and i’ll make no guarantees to meet your expectations / but I will try to please

Broken Ladder Wrote a letter left it on the shelf / never call me worse things than you get called yourself / listen to you never calm / never realise that words could do such harm / bones can powder blood can catch fire in my veins / it won’t compare to what i’ve carried in my brain / you apologise like it’s an accident / you’re not sorry I know what you meant / every morning nothing’s gone / every part of how you got it wrong / if I told you everything I felt / maybe then a little part of you would melt

Pigtails on a Rock You said hey what’s your name? / coming on like i’ve got an attitude / well that’s news to me / guilty head down I try to escape the power that my words bring / they fly and sting / make us both suffer when I’ve got a problem that I can’t talk through / overdose on power / giving me a lecture saying it’s my attitude / expose my pride I didn’t say you could come inside / naked and unaware of my feet nailed to the floor / it’s weird I can’t conceive it / you swear you can’t believe it / I’m tired I try to break it / I know I don’t deserve this / make us both suffer when I’ve got a problem that I can’t talk through / overdose on power / giving me a lecture saying it’s my attitude / go back and step inside / there’s nothing to see here / pigtails on a rock

Harlan Electric ecstatic into the stratosphere / it leads to admission no destination’s clear / conspire then fire destroy the atmosphere / controller the tower exploit the greatest fear / hate ain’t a part of subversiveness / seems like there’s something amiss / confusion and power keep the people feeding / on poisons and toxins / make sure the poor are needing / diversions diverting paranoid reactions / and channel delusions into a clearer thinking / hate is apart from subversiveness / seems like there’s something amiss / depressing realist acknowledges / what’s going on with his fist / provoke a fear and loathing inside of every home / instill unrest and anger / gun shops on every corner / restrict the information / cos ignorance is bliss / keep hate within religion / then blow the world to bits / hate ain’t a part of subversiveness / seems like there’s something amiss / depressing realist acknowledges / what’s going on with my fist

Summertime Every time I hear another story I could change my mind about you / information’s strange I can’t ignore it / it turns a page to situations new / how can i can I count on what you tell me? forgot it’s true / every time I hear your conversations I could change my mind about you/ I try to disguise all my accusations/ I only ever want you to approve / feels good to pretend so you like it / feels painful too / every time I misread your expression / I could change my mind about you / feelings could be overflowing or they could lessen / or they could just be going away from you / inside of every hour there’s time to die / inside of every flower it’s summertime

All you can Know You can use all the force you can beckon but you’ll never speak to my soul / if you talk 99 words a second and one of them isn’t hello / you can shout about all of your power but doing so leaves you hollow / you can turn up the heat in the shower if you feel you need some kind of glow / all you can know / your touch on my skin is so gentle but your gestures are only cold / while you’re skimming the surface for metal / down deep there are pieces of gold / all you can know

Fooferon Lost all sense of patience I’m so sick of waiting / let me move my leg i feel it’s almost dead / like all your domination it saps my every breath / let’s not call it names cos labels are just frames / I’d rather bit my tongue than try and hide the focus of exactly what I’m saying / I’m saying you let me down / each time another reason I can’t keep playing blind / friends don’t understand / they think I’m playing dumb / they think I’m getting tainted / but I don’t have a plan I don’t need one there is no guilt that I must leave behind / let me move my hand / my technicolour land is waiting to be painted / I can’t keep playing bland I can’t keep playing bland / my technicolour land is waiting to be painted / it’s waiting for me to paint it

Oh Tom Oh tom she didn’t come home again / oh tom you were there to meet the train / oh tom you watched it pull out again / oh tom you walked home alone again / oh tom down the long road again / let’s say maybe she’s there maybe there’s a message / let’s say maybe i could undo some of the damage / oh tom wait for a new day to begin / oh tom what will tomorrow bring? / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom it wasn’t the arguing / oh tom she’s just not coming back again / let’s say maybe she’s there maybe there’s a message / let’s say maybe i could undo some of the damage / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom it wasn’t the arguing / oh tom she’s not coming back again

Early Talker my eyes are getting watery but you’re not in my way / you were an early talker now you don’t have much to say / but if that’s all you’ve got to give i’ll make sure it’s ok / hello to all the souls who can grab onto every moment / they form a bond with nature and inside they are a giant / but you’ve got to do your homework there’s no time to make a flame and set alight to all the bridges you may need another day, hey! / our heroes are the ones who have conquered all their fears / they escaped the desperation of their timid living peers /but all along the watchtower their sunsets will go grey from friends they’ve alienated or just let slip away / so i’ll ask for your opinion though it holds no real power / but it matters what you think and i feel less of a coward / but i don’t need to climb up to a sunlit mountaintop to die / cos if fulfillment is a ticket then i’m not gonna buy

Liner Notes – featured in Kitten Licks Deluxe

The heavens opened up for thirteen of the fourteen days we were at Rockinghorse studios just outside of Byron Bay. It just wouldn’t stop raining. On the last day, day 14, we had a guy called Luke come down from Brisbane to put some cello on the closing track Pigtails on a Rock. He and I got up early that morning, the sun was out and the sky was blue, it was like a new world we had woken up to. We took chairs out on the lawn and sat in the sun. I played the song on the guitar while he practiced his cello parts. Slowly everyone in the house woke to the haunting tones of the cello and came outside to see the sun and listen to the song. It was magical.. you had to be there.

This is our 1996 album Kitten Licks. This album not only changed our lives, but it seems it had an impact on a lot of other people too. Over the years it’s been noted that this could be the album we’ll be remembered for; it was likely our most successful albums in terms of sales and was widely critically acclaimed, it got us a whole legion of new fans, opened up our worlds and got us out touring solidly for a couple of years in Australia. Because of this album we played a lot of international supports, we got to program RAGE, appear on Recovery 4 times and play about a million festivals over a period of about 5-6 years. In 1999 it was remixed and re-sequenced and released internationally by an American label.

Now it’s being re-packaged and re-released by us. Most importantly for Screamfeeder, this album brought us together as the band we are today. It’s Tim, Kellie and Dean. We hope you enjoy. Kellie

Dragging out my by now well-battered copy of Kitten Licks to write these liner notes immediately brought back a slew of memories – a sure sign of a fine and much-loved part of your record collection. And while most of these recollections harked back to the (seemingly more innocent) time when the album first came out and spawned that incredibly strong string of singles that seemed omnipresent on the radio for ages, the sight of the album cover also – as befitting an album that has subsequently taken on “classic” status – triggered a raft of more recent reminiscences.

In particular it made me remember my time managing bands, when the monotony of life on the road was often alleviated by the addition of Kitten Licks to the stereo, and how the opening salvo invariably assured an onslaught of smiles and singalongs. It’s never easy to get a whole rock band to agree on anything let alone a record that they all like, which is why Kitten Licks quickly became a tour van staple, definitely the benchmark of a great album. But I digress… The mid-90s was something of a golden period as far as the Brisbane rock scene was concerned.

After a period of comparative stasis bands such as Powderfinger, Regurgitator and Custard had begun to make the rest of the nation sit up and take notice of what was happening in the oft-neglected climes of Queensland, and it was in this precise climate – August of 1996 to be exact – that Kitten Licks was dropped on an unsuspecting world. Of course, Screamfeeder had already been local faves for a long time at this point, having released three strong albums as well as a heap of singles, EPs and even compilations, plus they’d accumulated a fearsome reputation for their live shows. But Kitten Licks was something else. To start with, it was the first album to feature eventual band stalwart Dean Shwereb on drums, consolidating what would become to be known as the “classic Screamfeeder line-up”.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it showcased a new maturity in songwriting for the already impressive outfit. T im and Kellie had been writing together and apart for years now by this point, and this collective experience seemed to distil into a burst of songwriting unparalleled in its depth and consistency. It’s not just the radio staples such as ‘Dart’, ‘Static’ and ‘Gravity’ that make Kitten Licks so special, but what’s around them – Kellie’s intoxicating voice coming to the fore on ‘Down The Drinker’, or the gritty introspection of ‘Explode Your Friends’ jump to mind in this regard, but if you’re reading this you have the album in your hands so you don’t need me pontificating about individual tracks.

The collection of songs still had spades of the Screamfeeder indie sensibilities that brought to mind all of those cool overseas bands that were so enchanting at the time, but that was now augmented by a melodicism and pop structure that made the tunes far more accessible without relinquishing any of that hard-earned street cred. Even the album’s title and artwork evoked a warm, fuzzy feeling that complemented the catchy music perfectly… History shows that Kitten Licks was the album that introduced Screamfeeder to the rest of Australia and, eventually, the world, making it the high water mark of the great band’s canon.

Which is why it’s awesome that Kitten Licks is being released in this new, expanded format and is once again available for public consumption – it’s a really important album in the overall scheme of Queensland and Australian independent music history. It’s not the first great music that Screamfeeder released and certainly not the last – and hopefully there’s plenty more to come – but it still exists as a snapshot of a brilliant band in their prime capturing the national zeitgeist perfectly. Plus it goes equally well with either your dancing shoes or your drinking boots…

Steve Bell, Editor, Time Off

It’s Brisbane, mid-1990s. Some long-gone club – maybe it’s the Roxy, or maybe the Crash & Burn, maybe even the improbably named Van Gogh’s Ear Lobe. Or even The Zoo, which somehow still exists in downtown Fortitude Valley. Back then, the Valley was a vibrant inner suburb, yet to be completely sold down the river/sewer of gentrification – or “urban renewal”, as I think the euphemism for it is these days. A few years earlier, there was this old disused warehouse, right in the middle of the Brunswick Street Mall. A weird place – floor plans carpeted in primary colours with windows like submarine hatches.

The old offices were carved into rehearsal spaces. Bands used to practise there. Some of them even got famous, but no one had that much on their minds back then; this was all pre-Nirvana. Anyway, Screamfeeder was one of those bands, and here they are, at the aforementioned forgotten club. One of the River City’s great, yet somehow still underrated groups, maybe even by me back then, and they’re tearing up the stage – Tim Steward, the affable string-bean transplanted Londoner (via Townsville), firing out rounds of guitar that ricochet around the tiny room; Kellie Lloyd, her low-slung bass buzzing like a chopper as she locks in with Dean Shwereb, the band’s great new drummer. He’s a maniac, all over his kit, his dynamic and flat-out musical clatter reminding me, not entirely bizarrely, of the great Rob Hirst…

Listening to Kitten Licks again brings all this back. It’s Screamfeeder’s finest, most consistent album, the band given a new dimension by Shwereb’s addition. It’s energised power-pop with a nod and a wink to the band’s peers (Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom) and forebears (the great Husker Du). It’s got Dart – the great single with its magnificent boy-girl call-and-response chorus (there’s another bonus, a demo that sounds like the band is exploding with the sheer joy of just playing this tricky little number all the way through for the first time – although I’m sure it wasn’t).

It’s everything that’s good about the band – fuckin’ rockin’ with wide-eyed fervour, all powered along a great big beating pop heart. Enjoy.

Andrew Stafford Author, Pig City: from the Saints to Savage Garden (University of Queensland Press) Brisbane, April 2009