LINK TO THE OLD FLASH ANIMATION : LIKE...THIS ICON ANIMATION (needs Flash)
LIKE...THIS
Listen to the whole album (my recommendation for some segues) or...
scroll down to get the lyrics and listen to individual songs.
- Peek
- Albuquerque
- Dance Manic
- Air Raid Siren
- Julia
- Tattle Tale
- Judy the Chimp
- Brace Yourself
- He Was Prettier Than She Was
- It was our Custom at the Time
- No Regular Day, No
- I Rely on Denial (you deny you rely on me)
- Walk Toward this Moon
- The Wedding of Electronics & Biology
- Osmosis
- Magical Food
- Sky Boy
- The Look You Give Me
1. Peek
Don't peek into that one and don't shake it
you know what's in it anyway and, even if you don't, you know
it's better to let it be a surprise
let it grow wings in your mind
imagine that one to have the balls to stalk you in your dreams
the ticking the ticking the ticking the ticking inside insures you
it's not all it's wrapped up to be.
you know the fancy wrapping, it could hold sticks, it could hold coal
could be the cure to all that ails you
Maybe I'm in there in a big feathery cape
maybe you're in there waiting to escape
the night is coming soon, before the moon rises again
before I'm finished growing these wings
before you finish opening the rest
when you are left
You are left with that one
under the tall trees
you are left with that one
on the frozen ground
Don't peek into that one and don't shake it
don't loosen the ribbons you yourself have tied around it
it is the present of the future
with each other
Don't peek into that one
Maybe I'm in there scared of what you'll say
maybe you're in there wasting away
the night is coming soon, before the moon rises again
before I'm finished growing these wings
before you finish opening the rest
when you are left
You are left with that one
under the tall trees
you are left with that one
on the frozen ground
You are left with that one
It is the present of the future
Don't peek into that
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
2. Albuquerque
The phone is sitting there sinister like a hangman's rope.
It's callin me over, it's callin me, I have no hope.
I know that as soon as I hear your hello I'll be lost
Lost to the dangerous knowledge of bridges I've crossed
but not burned
From where I stand out here I can still see your face
It could be inches away or floating in deep space
Oh, I'm like a comet feeling gravitational pull
still lugging around this lead educational tool
I've not learned
how to use yet
Learned how to lose you
Learned how to choose to cut loose.
Oh, I can't stay away long enough to forget you
Oh, I can't stay away long enough to forget you
I keep runnin right back 'cause I remember I remember
The sheets that we bought when the others wore through, I threw out
And then as I picked through the trash at the curb had to shout
Oh, why can't I bring myself to my senses anymore
You're haunting me bugging me making me into a bore to myself
and my friends
Simpering whimpering I'm not any of these
and you've come back yourself now and then so I think you'd agree
It's no fun making love to yourself, it's just too low key
I want to be grabbing your back
and your arms and your hair and your thighs and your heart and your eyes and it's here
it can't end
'Cause I can't stay away long enough to forget you
Oh, I can't stay away long enough to forget you
Oh, I can't stay away long enough to forget you
I keep runnin right back
You keep bringin me back
' cause I remember I remember
The phone is sitting there sinister.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
3. Dance Manic
To feel young
to hear death far off
but to hear it, yes
and to dance manic as when you were in love
and walked hand in hand through unknown plants
weeds which left something on the skin
so that only when you reached, finally, the very spot
where you both lay down in the woods together
does the poison start to mumble its effect
and to announce its itching loud
the tingling of death
and you danced, jumped, and shook for the water
danced for the air
to cool the immediate burn
and to dance manic
in order to prime yourself for the wash of permanent itching that's approaching
humming to itself
far far off in the forest
cracking twigs and beginning to whistle
a catchy tune about how frustrating and painful it
will be to be unable to scratch someday
I hear it
it's sounding closer
but tonight I scratch,
tonight I dance.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
4. Air Raid Siren
He sat down at the table like an air raid siren
Everyone else just sat there tryin'
not to let him damage their delicate hearts and minds
all of them just kept their heads down
duck and cover, duck and cover
fail-safe and sound, fail-safe and sound
He walked right into town like an air raid siren
all those dried-out worn-out faces
hiding 'til their rooves were all on fire
all of them down in their basements
run for cover, run for cover
fail-safe and sound, fail-safe and sound
And then he climbed up, up to my mountain
to look down at the burning town and
that is where we met in silence
that is where we looked down at the violence that we took for granted
he looked at me, the seed was planted
our discovery, our discovery
fail-safe and sound, fail-safe and sound.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
5. Julia
Sometimes the world is much too much too big
Sometimes it seems its sinking deep down deep down deep
It's scary
I'm not the one who can save it
I'm not the one who can save you
you, Julia, Julia
Sometimes I'm thrashing and trashing the things I love
Sometimes I just want to run off into the night and run and run and run
It's scary
I'm not the one who can save me
I'm not the one who can save you
you, Julia, Julia
You don't know it yet
but you can do it
Sometimes the world is much too much too sweet
and there you are standing on your own two feet
It's scary, it's so scary. Isn't it scary, Julia?
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
6. Tattle Tale
Tattle Tale fails to sell
the tallest tale of all
fashion up a giving
giving all to the church of choice
but choosing now is losing steam
using only dreams to give a voice
to get me through
what seems to be
abusing the passion
of my giving nature
of my living inside the dream
where I am the runner
and the road
simultaneously
a connection in simple moves
simple overload one two one two
never two at once
{hanging in between
like a dance re-repeating through the night
a trance ensuing as we break the day}
like a dance where the old guys figure in
where they lead the way
out of the village
and up the mountain
and into the sky
over to the other side
where we all see our parents as our children
and our children as ourselves
over to the other side
where we all see our parents as our children
and our children as ourselves
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
7. Judy the Chimp
Let's take our clothes off like Judy the Chimp
We can swing on the ropes we can climb the ladders
If you've got to go you can pee in the corner
that's what Judy would do
Judy the Chimp
Let's eat bananas like Judy the Chimp
If I had a mango I would share it with you
We can swing on the ropes we can climb the ladders
We ain't got no clothes but it doesn't matter
Just don't tell my mother
Judy the Chimp
Make fun of Tarzan and his girl Jane
He's so uptight, man, he must be insane
cause there's no one out here
there's no one to yell at us
He's still got his loin cloth
he must be jealous
maybe he wants to play
Judy the Chimp
(chimp solo)
We can swing on the ropes we can climb the ladders
I just hope we're not late for dinner
maybe we can play tomorrow
Judy the Chimp
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
8. Brace Yourself
Brace yourself
Brace yourself against the nearest building
as if against the strongest typhoon winds
brace yourself brace yourself
checkin’ out the battlements
Checkin out
checkin out and seein’ if I'm in your line of fire
in your line of fire, in time to tire
of your war games
I am the dalai lama without my patience
I am Luciano Pavoratti without the ovations
I am Sigmund Freud without my phallus
I am Louis X I V without my palace
So brace yourself
Pace yourself
pace yourself the race is runnin longer now and
you ain't lookin very strong to me
pace yourself, pace yourself
runnin out of energy
Runnin out
runnin out into the heavy traffic on the superhighway
the endless skyway
into the oncoming
American Dream
I am a one-armed bandit without a jackpot
I am a firehouse dalmatian without a single black spot
I'm a famous aging poet without my muse
I am a great big bomb without the fuse
so brace yourself
I am up a raging river without a paddle
I am walking on a summer's day without my shadow
I am a world gone mad without a care
I'm the solution to all your problems fading into thin air
and it's comin up on Judgement Day
and you haven't even begun to pray
so brace yourself brace yourself
brace yourself
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
9. He Was Prettier than She Was
He was prettier than she was by a long shot but she could never hold a grudge
But she could hold him all night long when he had those night long fits of rage
It was the flowers from the field It was the honey on his toast
It was the smell of dry sheets off the linethat seemed to calm him down the most
He was prettier than she was by a long shot But the long shot that she took Was to trust the beast inside the man
Inside the man with the beautiful looks.
His eyes rolled up into his headas he threw himself from her armsAnd he let out a sigh, a sigh that said“I’ve never been, I’ve never really been at all.”
“I’ve never kissed the ground, I’ve never held my breath, I never say my thoughts out loud, and I’ve always welcomed Death.”
The Night cried, “Mercy! Please! Let me go in peace!”
As he curled up inside her whispering, “remember, no responsibilities.”
“No flowers from the field, No honey on my toast, no dry sheets off the line
oh baby, can’t you seethat I’m a ghost.”
He was prettier than she was by a long shot But the long shot that she took Was to trust the beast inside the man
Inside the man with the beautiful looks.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
10. It was our custom at the time.
Music : Humberto Cordero, Various Texts, Various interviews
11. No Regular Day, No
No regular day, no. No regular day, no.
I see the sign posts at an angle. Which way should I go?
Which way should I go now, now that you have driven me off the road,
onto the sidewalk, out of control?
No regular day, no. No "how do you do, dear?" no.
No fruit cocktail in heavy syrup, no.
The fruit, it is falling.
The fruit, it is falling green and hard
and sour, down out of the clouds
in showers.
My crime is so complete. My crime is so complete,
but the guilt is sweet and the pain is sugar melting
melting on my tongue
melting on my tongue where you once hung
on every word, every kiss.
Now it’s me who's hanging
it’s me who’s hanging like this,
upside-down and naked
naked in the wind.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
12. I Rely On Denial (You Deny You Rely On Me)
Pieter Bruegel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
Who’s burned themselves inside your eyes?
I know that look, I’m really not surprised
to see the way that you touch my face.
You’re blind again, you’re lost in space.
You hurry to the phone, you sigh at the silence,
You get home in time to be away all night
Yesterday I saw you were bound for the sun
Today the oceans are sucking you down.
I rely on denial, You deny you rely on me.
Now, the big ships they blow right by our dinghy
I sit sulking while you are singing.
I’ve pulled you out of the devouring sea.
just in time for you to rescue me. (you rescue me?)
You need, you love, you take control
you bleed to show me what can’t be told.
I’m sure that a new sun will be rising soon
Until then, don’t you deny this full moon.
I rely on denial, You deny you rely on me.
I know, I know, you’ve got to go now.
I’ve seen that look you just flashed across the bow.
I guess, it’s time for you to be jumping ships.
Here’s what’s left of your wings, here’s a kiss
I rely on denial, you deny you rely on me.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
13. Walk Toward This Moon
it was a moon to follow
it was a moon to swallow
it was a hairless moon
the barnacles and seaweed stripped
this last ocean dip
must’ve been acid and turmoil
so walk toward this moon
with your paper cup
and fill it with water
walk toward this moon
with your heavy soul
and sand your edges
such a fool to walk toward this moon
that chalks you
and makes you human
human
walk toward this moon
Words : Amy K. (mimi) Allin Music : Humberto Cordero
14. The Wedding of Electronics & Biology
You tower high above the city
You give off high doses of radioactivity
globes make my head spin
wires hum, high tension
wires seek out the sum of the lot of us, all of us
how do we measure up, oh how do we measure up, oh
how do we measure the distance between
the sound of my voice and your heart
if it's there. Is it there?
how do we measure the sound that you make
when I say, "Alright, let's bring this thing to a boil, Sublimate,
take me out of this solid state
technology, technology, technology, technology.” Gee.
Let me drift between you and this wall of expectation
hovering
Let me lift up your veil and answer the preacher, the teacher, the state and your father
your father,
The Man Without Qualities.
and wouldn't it be loverly
loverly, loverly, loverly
loverly.
"Oh, Brünhilda, you’re so wovely!"
"Yes, I know it. I can’t hewp it.”
"Come be my wife!"
(Wagnerian interlude)
The Wedding of Electronics and Biology.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
15. Osmosis
I get my kisses through osmosis, get my love in measured doses.
‘Suppose it should get easier now that you're no longer here.
I got a patch across my worn out crotch to match the one across my heart.
It delivers what I want but not exactly what I'm needing.
kisses.
Needing to suck both their tongues out of their mouths
as I sit here feeling so strung out.
They're angel-hounds as they look at me and lick my wounds to bleeding.
Behaved so good for fifteen minutes but I'm only really good when I'm in it,
so let's finish off these sober dreams and get back to the sweet extreme
of kisses through osmosis.
It takes more man than I have in me now
to stay clear of that sacred cow,
so I bow down to the ground
as my hand goes for the dagger.
I throw myself into someone else's arms
thinking it could do me no harm,
but it only goes to show you
just how much is really broken.
I can still make out your Shroud-of-Turin imprint in the bed as I lay in it
and make the best of
all that I have left of you.
I get kisses through osmosis.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
16. Magical Food
Do you follow me now? Do you know this game?
I am magical food, Take your hunger away
Don't you back out on me now, You know you've written the rules
Didn't think that I'd play them so well
I am magical food
Never thought you'd feel that itchy tingling again?
eventhough it's been years and years since you've seen my face
Give yourself some credit, baby, You haven’t lost your swing
Do you follow me now? Are you liking this game?
Turn your memory off and turn the volume way up
You say your cup's half empty. It's time to smash that cup.
You can dress me up but don't you take me anywhere
I kinda like this place
I kinda like this fresh ocean air
Do you follow me now?
I see you've played this game before
I'm the lighthouse, baby.
It's time for you to slide into my shore
Now, you watch out for them rocks
You never know what's deep down there
The dream you see in my eyes
Will become your worst nightmare
Do you follow me now?
Follow me now
Get you what you want inside
How? Let you in on a secret right now
Bet you didn't even feel it sliding down.
There's more than love in this life
There's more than tears in my eyes
The way you're looking at me now
I'm afraid of all of my lies
Take a good look at me now
I'm not the man that you thought I'd be
Now that the fog is lifting, baby
The decision is so clear to me
Do you follow me now?
I am magical food
Now that I've rewritten all the rules
The rest is all up to you.
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
17. Sky Boy
There’re movements in the ground
which can never be tamed.
There are crimes of the mind
which are never ever named.
The Sky Boy holds tight
knowing nothing else can kill like fear,
nothing else can toss him to the wind
faster than his trust slipping from his grip.
Here under his watchful namesake,
high above the earth's unsettled shake,
the Sky Boy gives all he can
to every inch of hope
and betrays every foot that he takes.
He betrays every foot that it takes
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero
18. The Look You Give Me (la mirada)
Letting you taste Letting you breathe The dark earth of this place
While we Listen to the rain breaking up this damp this solid afternoon.
All light and air are held inside your brave and blinding stare
your eyes your eyes are searching your eyes are learning the signs
You arrive to find me Looking through the same old pictures
and the look you give me
is mirrored in the same way the cat approaches the door
sidles your leg and paws off into the night
So far away so close at hand you're asking me to wait I am
and I'm enjoying this invitation, expectation to close my mind seal the time
listening to the same old voices
and the look you give me
is sacred in the same way
you put your hand on an old tree that you planted in your youth
and the giant that has arisen
cannot be misunderstood
Toda la lus y el aire estan envueltos en tus ojos
tus ojos me enciegan estan aprendiendo los signos.
The look you give me
Words&Music : Humberto Cordero