Lyrics

Alley cat's crying out the back door
Moisture is collecting on the leaves
Old widow Johnson is waiting by the window
She never likes to give before she receives

I hear that in Moscow they're freezing
Crops are dying in the fields
But out here everybody wishes they were naked
These rags can't hide what they don't want to conceal

I wish someone would turn down the heat
I wish someone would turn down the heat
If you're listening up above in the holy name of love
I wish someone would turn down the heat

I wish I went down on the Titanic
To die amidst the ice and the cold
I wish I went down on anything
That wasn't burning right down through my soul

My baby fell asleep on the couch again last night
Face down in a pool of lemonade
So I took a walk down by the old graveyard
To find a friend who just loves the shade

Lyrics

Last thing I remember
Was laughter from a joke
That I didn't think was funny
Today there's only pain
Where my memory should be
And nothing where I used to keep my money

They say I started a fight
With a man in black tights
They say today he looks worse than I do
They say his brother has connections
With witness protection
And I'm wondering who I have to lie to

I'm always
At least one step away
From solid ground
Success is finer
But I find failure
Is cheaper by the pound

There's a woman on the phone
Calling from the danger zone
For the St Louis Post Dispatch
She says she wants my opinion
Of the 27 million
And I'm wondering, "what's the catch?"

Let me tell you about a friend I met
His name is Chet
I met him on my journey
He said he lost his breath
He lost his cigarettes
But he retained his power of attorney

Lyrics

The rains came down on this year's man
I left my wallet at home again
didn't have no change, didn't have no dollar bill
all alone at the top of the hill

murdered my brother, I betrayed my best friend
I held my breath and I counted to ten
let out the air and said "thou shalt not kill"
all alone at the top of the hill

the end of the world is coming soon
put blood on my door so they'll pass my room
I got a chain-link fence and a siren that goes off at will
no cause for alarm at the top of the hill

rabble rousers speak their minds
why change the system when everything is fine
but the tears from my eyes can't wash down this bitter pill
something's gone wrong at the top of the hill

Lyrics

wipe the smile off your face, baby
this stuff just ain't enough
smashed all of the 78s, baby
made up a song for Lester Young
improvised on the waffle iron
tore up the back room in D-natural
wipe the smile off your face, baby
this stuff just ain't enough

emptied out the medicine chest
I drank a toast to your health
chased the diet pills with Nyquil, honey
felt pretty good myself
had a dream I was Lester Young
at the Savoy on a Saturday night
wipe the smile off your face, baby
it's gonna be alright

got the tape recorder running, honey
we'll send a copy to your mom
roll off the high end, baby
this ain't no cause for alarm
stompin' down at the Savoy
yeah, this one goes out to the Prez
raise up another high ball, babe
and lay it down to
rest

Lyrics

A little hot around the collar
a little long in the tooth
a little bit nostalgic for the errors of the youth
everybody says you're crazy
everybody says you're nuts
everybody say "you just picked up and ran? man that takes guts"

free and easy
miserable and confused
guilty as charged!
the trial sparation blues

you used to romanticize about your better days
you used to fantasize about more difficult ways
now it's enough for you to stay awake until you sleep
you used to count your blessings
now you're just counting sheep

free and easy
miserable and confused
guilty as charged!
the trial sparation blues

the bottle is empty
your wife is on the phone
you like when nobody's around
but you hate to be alone
if I know, if they know
if we know, if she knows
if we all know, why didn't somebody say so?

free and easy
miserable and confused
guilty as charged!
the trial sparation blues