RAVEN

Raven fly on a river 
Rapids raging in her chest 
See her body flying over 
With a song of wild unrest 

River roll down a mountain 
Wash your face in the sea 
Tell the sirens I’m a comin’ 
I’m a comin’ and they’ll see 

Siren sing us a love song 
Something old that’ll put us at ease 
All these bones and all their tremblin’ 
All these bones and what they keep 

Raven cry on a river 
River roll to the sea 
Siren sing me a lullaby 
Lay my tremblin’ bones to sleep 

Raven cry 
River roll 
Tell the sirens I’m a comin’ 
I’m a comin’ and they’ll see 
I’m a comin’ and they’ll see

SHADOWS OF A MAN

I stood below the Lincoln 
Lily white in a marble seat 
He stood a trifle tall and so 
They took him off his feet 
The war has not been won he said 
"The dyings just begun" he said 
"The dying of our will to crawl 
Up the ranks of men" 

The shadows of a man will keep you guessing 
The shadows of a man can take their toll 
The shadows of a man can break your back then take your hand
But the shadows of your own can take you whole 

I stood in a sea of stone-etched names 
Some I recognized and others blurred into the same 
Like the colors of a flag when all the red's run in the ground 
A meadow bed of fallen men 
Their shadows standing round 

Standing in the shadows 
Walking through their dust 
Wading in the echoes 

The shadows of a man can take their toll 
But the shadows of your own can take you whole

TIDES ARE FOR SIRENS

Which heartbeat is yours and which one is mine? 
Am I the water, the mist, or the sky? 
Your sorrow’s heavy here mingled with mine 
And its lighter that way 

Which voice is yours and which on is mine 
Our songs by the sea, a blend of red wine 
Tides are for sirens, for singing in time and 
I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
And its lighter that way 
It’s lighter that way 

You take me in and I 
I don’t know what to say 
So I’ll hum here beside you now 
And we’ll sing of the day 
It’s lighter that way 

I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
I’ll echo yours 

Whose breath on the glass is blurring that light? 
Long as we’re breathin’ we’ll do wrong and do right 
I don’t wanna die but I don't wanna fight 
So tell me your story and I’ll tell you mine 
And its lighter that way 
It’s lighter that way 

You take me in and I 
I don’t know what to say 
So I’ll hum here beside you now 
And we’ll sing of the day 
It’s lighter that way 

I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
I’ll echo yours and you echo mine 
I’ll echo yours

TUMWATER

That was just another thing that I lost in the fire 
It settled in the ash and nail and a curl of barbed wire 
And I haven't found the gold yet 
Refined like I've been told yet 

Here she is, a fires plunder, looking out a blackened glass 
Spring is pouring out her tender but I've not the nerve to ask 
See I haven't found the gold yet 
Refined like I've been told yet 

Ashes on ashes 
Ten miles wide 
Ashes on ashes 
Ten miles deep 
And I haven't found the gold yet 
Refined like I've been told yet 

I thought that I'd do better than this 
I thought that I'd be better than this 
I thought that I'd fare better than this 
I fought and I lost and I cried 

Ashes on ashes 
Ten miles wide 
Ashes on ashes 
Ten miles deep 
And I haven't found the gold yet 
Refined like I've been told yet

TAKE WITH YOU LOVE

Love suffers long 
It's kind to the bone 
Love doesn't envy your things 
And it won't write down your wrongs 
It is not rude or greedy 
Or puffed up with pride 
Love delights in the right things 
And never in the lies 

Singer, sing 
And poet, write 
Prophet, speak like angels 
Wise men, lay the mysteries plain 
Healer, lay those hands on me 
But take with you love 
Wherever you go 
Cause without love it's just an empty show 

Love wears a cross 
Love washes feet 
Love reaches out 
When you're drowning cold and deep


SWEET ON YOU

If I had known ten years ago

That I’d be on this road with you

Bare feet on the dash

Three dollars in cash            

I got it made as far as I’m concerned

Cause I’m sweet on you

 

I’m sweet on you

I’m sweet on you oh

Like Bonnie and Clyde

Your hand in mine 

I’m sweet on you today

            

I’m not gonna lie

you make me sad

and sometimes mad but oh

I know its worth the fight

The fight for love

signed up with the law

in front of all

under God that oh

I’d be in this fight

for life

 

I’m sweet on you

I’m sweet on you oh

Like Bonnie and Clyde

Your hand in mine 

I’m sweet on you for life

 

for rich or poor I am

better or worse I am

like cherry pie I am

sweet on you my love

MORNING STAR

She walked along the seam of a roof 
Arms stretched out to side and I wondered why 
What a morning she said 
Fog lay like lashes on a the quiet rye 
to a wild eye 

Don't fall 
Don't fall 
Please don't fall 

Where the wild things close their yellow eyes 
A boy a sailor becomes a king 
Tows this heart near 
On foreign seas here 
But I'm losing line 
Sure as the time 

Don't fall 
Don't fall 
Please don't fall 

Morning star rise up to meet me 
Like a diamond in the dark 
"Love like this" he said 
"Love like ours fills the poets pages 
paints those cavern walls" 

Don't fall 
Don't fall 
Please don't fall 

I walked along the seam of a roof 
Arms stretched out to side 
Like a dragon fly 

If I fall 
If I fall 
If I fall 
Hang my picture on the wall

SEATTLE RAIN

Seattle rain
You bring me down
Like a chain I’m rusty from 
The rain, rain, rain pouring out

On seven hills
My city lays 
Like a penny in a well
She waits days days days for light
From the sky
Salty sea and summer sweet blue and
Emerald green

Seattle rain
You bring me down
Like a chain I’m rusty from the
Rain, rain, rain pouring out

So my sailor
So my Queen Anne
Grab yourself some hot hot coffee
Be a long long time for sun

When I wake up
It's pouring down
Heat my tea up 
It's sideways now
Take a walk and
It's down my neck
Through our clothes and
To the bone
We’re soaking wet

Seattle rain
You bring me down
Like a chain I’m rusty from the 
Rain, rain, rain pouring out

BROTHER

Oh I went off to see my brother

went off to mumble at his grave
his humbling grave
thought I would say "hello"
maybe stay a while
and watch as the roses unfold
but the quiet's got me thinking
I've nowhere to go



Said "Oh, brother can you hear me none?"
Said "Oh, brother where ya gone?"



Oh I went off to see my brother
brush the dust off of his grave
his weathered grave
told him off a dream I'd had
how it's cold and broken in my hands
these clumsy hands
how I'm supposed to be the living
but I'm dying instead

oh brother, where you gone
it's been a while
it's been too long
oh brother, meet my son
will he be like you?
will he be strong?
 

DAYS OF NIGHTS

I don't remember much 
But I still feel that floor 
Cold on my face and alone as before 
A swarm in my head of voices unkind 
Some of them his and none of them mine 

He said don't fight it 
He said its too late 
He said I'm just like the others 
As he gave me away 
To that red light 
Where my days are made of nights and he said 
"Won't nobody love you like this" 

Touch the scar on my skin 
Where the ink used to live 
Said that I'm his for the take or the give 
I took up the lies 
All at once over time 
Some of them his 
And none of them mine 

Would you take this 
Would you take this cup from me 
Touch the scar on my skin 
Said I'm just like the others 
Oh that red light 
Not going back to that red light 
I belong to me 
I will walk through the fire into a new day 
Oh I will walk through the fire into a new day 
Would you take this 
Would you take this cup from me