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It didn’t leave. I wish it would. The coat is empty, but i’m gonna take care of it. I feel it watching from the back of the room. It says, “Figure it out,” and it says, “Love is money, but money’s not love.” It makes my skin crawl, but i’m gonna take care of it. I’m gonna write this down. Everything is beautiful and slow and glowing. It’s all coming back to me now: you said you love me and I’m worth something. I’m gonna write this down. In the alcove in a sort of a coma, I miss you so bad, but i’m gonna take care of it. The oily wheels of every fortune say, “Figure it out,” and it says, “You are about to become a genius.” It makes me angry, but i’m gonna take care of it. I’m gonna write this down. I’ve never been happier than in that hour where you were here and you really cared. It makes me think that all the years were: “Serpentine motion,” “Remember it when I laugh,” “Nervous, fluid force,” “The friction of gold,” “A sinuous design to guard against desire.” I’m gonna write this down. The spirit in the air keeps shouting about how my old ways are nothing, when I spent my life trying to win at everything, shouting about how money’s not love. “Love is money, but money’s not love.” I’m gonna write this down.
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The angels tell you, “Only perfect, perfect love will save us from the world, and only perfect people get that kind of love” It’s not as if you haven’t tried a hundred thousand times. It’s not as if you haven’t spent your life reminding yourself: they say, “It won’t happen,” but if someone loves you madly, you won’t have to listen anymore, and they are gonna tell you a hundred thousand times, and you will take it, and you’ll shut your mouth. “Love is a needle, love is everything you’ve ever wanted, in the space of fifty seconds in the space above the air.” Love is forever, love is something in the water, something in a plane, a hundred thousand miles above the air, they’re singing: “It’ll never happen,” but if someone loves you madly. you won’t have to listen anymore, and they are gonna tell you a hundred thousand times, and you will take it, and the angels tell you, “You can’t have it,” but if you want it that badly, who can really stop you? It’s about time you opened up your eyes and figured it out. It’s not as if you haven’t spent your life, as if you haven’t spent your whole life telling yourself. It’s not as if you haven’t tried the needle, not as if you haven’t tried the smoke and pills, as if you haven’t tried what they say. What they say: “It won’t happen,” but if someone loves you madly, you won’t have to listen anymore, and they are gonna tell you a hundred thousand times, nd you will take it, and the angels tell you, “You can’t have it,” but if you want it so badly, who can really stop you? it’s about time you open up your eyes and figure it out, and figure it out. They say, “It won’t happen,” but if someone loves you madly, you’re invisible to angels, and at first they’ll see through your disguise, and you will smile, and you will shut your mouth, but it’ll happen that when someone loves you madly, they won’t see you anymore, and you will have to practice at least a thousand times before you figure it out. Figure it out.
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I don’t know a thing about computer culture, but I got a feeling that it knows a thing or two about me. I won’t deny what we’ve been handed. We got this world for free. Couldn’t’ve robbed us better if you had planned it. Nothing left to do now but just wait and see. I don’t know a thing about the government, but I bet the government knows a thing or two about me. I won’t deny what we’ve been handed. We got this world for free. I don’t know a thing about playing dumb, but I got a feeling that it knows a thing or two about me. I don’t know a thing about playing dumb, but I got a feeling. How long have you been using us?
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Birds came in the summer rain: I took it hard, took it too hard, I took it way too hard. Cities melting in the sea again: I took it way too hard. Strange lights in the streets at night: I took it hard, took it too hard, I took it way too hard. The soldiers told me it would be all right: I took it way too hard. You know it found the cracks. It grows into the plants and wraps the cold and glowing heights. It blows in through your hands at night. It takes one to make the sun: I took it hard, took it too hard, I took it way too hard. It takes two to make the moon: I took it way too hard. You know it found the cracks. It blows in through the plants and wraps the cold and glowing heights. It grows into your hands at night.
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I got hunger like I got hunger, and I wish these days were—oh, I wish these days were over. I am making less and less sense to myself: the light on the horizon, this power over people. What is in your heart? Take me down hard. What is in your mind? I have to know why. What is in your heart? Take me out back and show me what’s in your design. I got worry. I got hunger. I got hunger like I got hunger, and I wish these days were over. Oh, I wish these days were over. Trilobites are gliding down the highway. The dinosaurs still run the Earth. We’re trapped in slow time. What is in your heart? Take me down hard. What is in your mind? I have to know why. What is in your heart? Take me out back and show me what’s in your design. I got worry. You win again.
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I lost my sister. She was in my arms. I really miss her. She meant the world to me. Won’t find another. She may have come to some harm. It’s been a long day. I hope I see her again. This is the dawning of the century. I’m not a hole into which everything falls on the radio dial. Gonna make it on time. On the radio dial, should replace the old light. I found my mother and told her of my fears, and she just closed her eyes and turned her face to the wall. I’ll see my brother in another hundred years. Well, that’s a long wait, but I don’t mind it at all. This is the dawning of the century. I won’t be holding onto anything false on my radio dial. Gonna make it on time. On my radio dial, I hear the static at night. Receiver, transmit. This is the dawning of the century. Someday I’ll make it to the phone in the hall. I’m a radio dial trying to live for what’s right. I’m a radio dial. Gotta save your own life.
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No security, but what’s my option? No one’s ever had a guarantee. If I get outta this, it’ll be like Christmas. If I get outta this, it’ll be like walking down a road in summer where time flows backwards, a flash of light through the southern trees, a year of silence and all’s forgiven, red dust falling on a shining sea. No insurance or transportation, all the houses burning cold and slow. If I get outta this, it’ll be like whistling. If I get outta this, it’ll be like Peter won the war in the valley where the sunlight showers a river winding through the melting snow, the grace of armies when the storm has lifted, the bright cloud drifting where the mushrooms glow, and what more could I ask for?
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Across the sea of frozen water, up the cold and cloudy river, mountains hum with lions yelling: “Sarah.” In the wind that pulls the weather, stars are singing all together, fireflies and birds are shouting: “Sarah.” I kept this all here for you. I just can’t wait to see what you will do with it. In the violence of the summer, bells are ringing out for lovers trying to find as much resolve as Sarah. Driven in the heart of winter, melting into liquid fire, this is why the lightning follows Sarah. You’ve been up working all night, for hours and hours and hours. Bet it’s gonna be amazing when you finally turn on the light. Turn on the light.
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This free E.P. contains four songs from our first album, 'The Long Afternoon,' and four songs from our second album, 'Stealing the Alphabet.' It was put together by our record label in hopes of attracting some attention to the band. At least, that's the story we remember. Having heard nothing from them for several months, we checked behind the door that says 'RECORD LABEL,' and all we saw was a roomful of cats.
released November 2, 1925
All songs © Jesse Livingston
