Love & Other Ephemera – Lyrics*

At One Arm’s Length

I chased you to the desert with blinders on
It was a metaphor I couldn’t resist
Open-heart surgery is best left to the clergy
Cause I just don’t have the courage to try
I kept my phone off the hook
A pile of regrets
I kept my mouth shut and held my breath
Open-heart surgery is best left to the clergy
Cause I just don’t have the courage to try
You’ve been plowing these fields for 31 fallow years
WhiIe I’ve been treading water with one arm
You didn’t mean to do me harm
But you’ve been keeping me at one, at one arm’s length
You are keeping me at one, at one arm’s length
I loved you the best that I knew how. I was inept
For the record, I only had good intentions
All the old bones are burning. Will anyone weep?
The ashes are scattered over the compost heap
You’ve been plowing these fields for 31 fallow years
WhiIe I’ve been treading water with one arm.
You didn’t mean to do me harm
But you’ve been keeping me at one, at one arm’s length
You are keeping me at one, at one arm’s length

Headlong

I wanna love you headlong. Take a flier on me
I wanna love you headlong. Take a flier on me
What could you possibly be waiting for?
Spread out little violet, spread out
Spread out little violet, spread out
You’re floating in the ether
With the secret service at your back
You dress for success, You dress to kill
You slam the gate on every other thrill
Are you waiting for forgiveness or just room service?
Are you waiting for a silvery ghost? A phantom of perfection
Take a flier on the fly on the fly on the wall
Take a flier on the fly on the fly on the wall
I wanna love you headlong. Take a flier on me
I wanna love you headlong. Take a flier on me
What could you possibly be waiting for?
Spread out little violet, spread out
Spread out little violet, spread out
You’re holding court on the high dive with the lifeguards in tuxes
You treat the world like paparazzi. Hide-n-seek in the corner suite
Are you waiting for forgiveness or just room service?
Are you waiting for a silvery ghost? A phantom of perfection
Take a flier on the fly on the fly on the wall
Take a flier on the fly on the fly on the wall
I wanna love you headlong

Vivid in the Valley

It’s Vivid in the Valley, I can’t move
It’s Vivid in the Valley, I can’t speak
It’s Vivid in the Valley
The sky is dead but the grass is burning
It’s vivid in the valley
The sky is dead but the grass is burning
Logic defied because this heat won’t rise
I wanna explode that bubble of want inside your Wells Fargo heart
The flames are jumping from the porch and through the windows
The smoke is curling the air. It’s open season for snakes and bears.
It’s Vivid in the Valley, I can’t move
It’s Vivid in the Valley, I can’t speak
It’s Vivid in the Valley.
The sky is dead but the grass is burning
The chairlegs explode like TNT
You’ve tied yourself to this kitchen table in this Gothic plains fable
The flames are jumping from the porch and through the windows
The smoke is curling the air. It’s open season for snakes and bears
The room is melting but I feel nothing
The room is melting but I feel nothing.
I feel nothing. Only fear.
Are you after immortality? Or would a doting skinny girl do?
The room is melting but I feel nothing.
The room is melting but I feel nothing.
I feel nothing. Only fear.

Fine Trash

A touch of cortisone for your flimsy spine
Every bet is off, what’s mine is mine
All the lies are marching single file
This parade just might form a pile
If you’re lucky, don’t apologize
And when your luck runs out, don’t be civilized
We’re all fine trash
We’re all fine trash
It’s the season for this silly symphony
I hear the purple echo. But no one’s listening
The trash has not been picked up in 30 weeks
This whole neighborhood fucking reeks
If you’re lucky, don’t apologize
And when your luck runs out, don’t be civilized.
We’re all fine trash
We’re all fine trash
We’re all fine trash
We’re all fine trash
We’re all fine trash
We’re all fine trash

Frozen Summer

I am cut with shards of beauty
The glass is bleeding black
I am cut with shards of beauty
The glass is bleeding black
They say that all your pain is involuntary
Especially on Bastille Day on your balcony
How big of you to torch me in person
I’ll take a raincheck on humiliation
I’m stuck inside this House of blame
Pick my poison: stay lonely or go insane
Fickled fate mangled that December date
Are you truly sorry that I had to waste away?
If the pipes hadn’t frozen last summer
Would things have turned out any differently?
I am cut with shards of beauty
The glass is bleeding black
I am cut with shards of beauty
I am cut with shards of beauty
I am cut with shards of beauty
I am cut with shards of beauty

Conversation 16

I think the kids are in trouble
I do not know what all the troubles are for
Give them ice for their fevers
You’re the only thing I ever want anymore
Live on coffee and flowers
Try not to wonder what the weather will be
I figured out what we’re missing
Tell you miserable things after you are asleep
Now we’ll leave the silver city
Cause all the silver girls gave us black dreams
Leave the silver city cause all the silver girls
Everything means everything
It’s a Hollywood summer
You never believe the shitty thoughts I think
We had friends out for dinner
When I said what I said I didn’t mean anything
We belong in a movie
Try to hold it together till our friends are gone
We should swim in a fountain
I do not want to disappoint anyone
Now we’ll leave the silver city
Cause all the silver girls gave us black dreams
Leave the silver city cause all the silver girls
Everything means everything
I was afraid I’d eat your brains
I was afraid I’d eat your brains
Cause I’m evil
Cause I’m evil
I’m a confident liar
Have my head in the oven so you know where I’ll be
I try to be more romantic
I wanna believe in everything you believe
I was less than amazing
I do not know what all the troubles are for
I fall asleep in your branches
You’re the only thing I ever want anymore
Now we’ll leave the silver city
Cause all the silver girls gave us black dreams
Leave the silver city to all the silver girls
Everything means everything
I was afraid I’d eat your brains
I was afraid I’d eat your brains
Cause I’m evil
Cause I’m evil
Cause I’m evil

Alexandra (The Queen of Ephemera)

Alexandra, I followed you to the Left Bank
In our yellow T-shirts pitching pennies in the Seine
You were distracted but I couldn’t see
I couldn’t see through the jet lag
You benefited from my doubt but not in the way I imagined
I tried on maturity, I modeled forgiveness
But now I’m all worn out, now I’m all worn out
I’ll take the aisle seat
Alexandra, was it really noble to face me here?
You wanted your cake and you ate it too, crumbs and all
You know how to make a pretty mess. Leaving nothing to confess
You benefited from my doubt but not in the way I imagined
I tried on maturity, I modeled forgiveness
But now I’m all worn out, now I’m all worn out
I’ll take the aisle seat
Alexandra, the queen of ephemera
An undertow sneaky. Where’s your rhythmic sailor now?
You extend an olive branch from shore
But I will wait for the ghost of poor
You benefited from my doubt but not in the way I imagined
I tried on maturity, I modeled forgiveness
But now I’m all worn out, now I’m all worn out
I’ll take the aisle seat
This is what happens when narcissists meet
This is what happens when narcissists meet
This is what happens when narcissists meet
This is what happens when narcissists meet

Wounded Start

If you are ready
If you are steady
If you’ll be true
Then it won’t fall apart
For these colorblind hearts
Shoot the moon from upside down
Mystery wears me like a clown
I believe in anything that bleeds
Three days in Paris
Truth lurks between us
Nothing prepares us
For this wounded start
For these hapless hearts
Shoot the moon from upside down
Mystery wears me like a clown
I believe in anything that bleeds
When you can’t have the thing that you want most (of the time)
When you can’t have the thing that you want most (of the time)
When you can’t have the thing that you want most (of the time)
Surreal tensions mate with desperate mentions
Wilted flowers kill at all hours
It’s stillborn
It’s stillborn
If you are ready
If you are steady
If you’ll be true
Right girl rides into the setting sun
Right girl rides into the setting sun
When you can’t have the thing that you want most
Right girl rides into the setting sun
When you can’t have the thing that you want most
Right girl rides into the setting sun
When you can’t have the thing that you want most
Right girl rides into the setting sun.

Arise Lover Surprise

I really can’t fake it any more
Taking it for granted’s taking too much time
Bleeding gray in the margins. My heart’s encased in slime
Picture the horizon after uranium smoke clears
I really can’t fake it anymore
Blow up the mountain top before your heart turns to black
The little girl in the violet dress grins thru the tears
She’s not waving the white flag. She’s pointing at the orange sun
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
I really can’t deny it any more
Shadows of our fathers linger on the attic floor
Termites have eaten thru the windowsill
Cupboard is full of green and yellow pills
My heart can’t take it any more
Blow up the mountain top before your heart turns to black
The little girl in the violet dress grins thru the tears
She’s not waving the white flag. She’s pointing at the orange sun
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise
Arise Lover Surprise

Sleepless (In My Dreams)

I was dreaming I was dreaming I was dreaming
That I couldn’t sleep
I was dreaming I was dreaming I was dreaming
That I couldn’t sleep
It will breathe so softly sweet
Feed your soul, soothe your feet
I was dreaming I was dreaming I was dreaming
That I couldn’t sleep
I was dreaming I was dreaming I was dreaming
That I couldn’t sleep
It was faith so long ignored
It was truth waiting at the door
I can’t remember when I checked into this echo room
The mist appeared as the blind monk began to pray
It vanished in the typhoon. It took me by surprise
The trail has led me underground to find it by sunrise
I’ll hold it by the elbow. I’ll march it to the light
I’ll bow to intuition that you won’t put up a fight
I was dreaming I was dreaming I was dreaming
That I couldn’t sleep
You laugh so it won’t fade
Cry, there’s no other way
I can’t remember when I checked into this echo room
The mist appeared as the blind monk began to pray
The roof retracted and my lover felt so far away

*All lyrics written by Hank Kim except “Wounded Start” written by Hank Kim and Allison Green and “Conversation 16” written by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser.