They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shoes on wood push through our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT"

They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown

Please find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it
Find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it

They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shoes on wood push through our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT", R-E-A-C-T

They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown

She said...


SEVEN CHINESE BROTHERS LYRICSThis mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a seat
Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waited hold it to you in the colored come another

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain
She will return, she will return

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a seat
Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas swimming colored come another

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain
She will return, she will return

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a chair
Take in one symphony now, I guess we lost that battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas swimming colored come another

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years the Communi did reign
She will return, she will return

SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I'M SORRY) LYRICS(parts quoted by Michael Stipe in Rolling Stone in a letter in Dec 1988)

Did you never call? I waited for your call
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away
The trees will bend, the cities wash away
The city on the river there is a girl without a dream

I'm sorry

Eastern to Mountain, third party call, the lines are down
The wise man built his words upon the rocks
But I'm not bound to follow suit
The trees will bend, the conversation's dimmed
Go build yourself another home, this choice isn't mine

Did you never call? I waited for your call
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away
The ocean sang, the conversation's dimmed
Go build yourself another dream, this choice isn't mine


PRETTY PERSUASION LYRICSIt's what I want, hurry and buy,
all has been tried, follow reason and buy,
Cannot shuffle in this heat, it's all wrong
Try to put that on your sleeve it's all wrong it's all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
She's got pretty persuasion

It's what I want, hurry and buy,
all has been tried, follow reasoning,
And I put that in this heat it's all wrong
Try to wear that on my sleeve it's all wrong all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
He's got pretty persuasion

In the light I saw
quite a scene there

It's what I want, hurry and buy,
all has been tried, follow reason and buy,
Try to put that in this heat it's all wrong
Cannot wear that on your sleeve it's all wrong it's all wrong


TIME AFTER TIME (ANNELISE) LYRICSAsk the girl of the hour by the water tower's watch
If your friends took a fall, are you obligated to follow

Time after time after time

when the bull's on his hooves, when you gather friends by the tower
If you try to refuse, will they judge your worth by the hour?

If your tired and you're tried you can find me in my room
You can stay if you want and the third time you can't lose

Ask the girl of the hour, by the water tower's watch
We can fight if you want but who will turn out the light


SECOND GUESSING LYRICSWhy're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing
What will be your look this season?
Who will be your book this season?

Why're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing
What will be your look this season?
Who will be your book this season?

Here we are

Why're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing
What will be your look this season?
Be in my club, write a book this season


LETTER NEVER SENT LYRICSIt's been pretty simple so far, vacation in Athens is calling me
And knock, knock, knock on wood, I thought I'd left you behind
Heaven is yours, heaven is yours, heaven's yours where I live

The thought of the catacombs left my soul at home
This letter never sent
And it's so far, it's so dark, i'm so lost
Heaven's yours, heaven's yours, heaven's yours where I live
(Another story, another story for a while, someone show me)
When I'm moving too fast, where's my new address?

The water is evening now, the catacombs are filling in
If my soul was made of stone, no, not, not so dark, dark

And it's so far, it's so dark, i'm so lost
And it's so far, it's so far, it's so far

Heaven's yours, heaven's yours, heaven's yours where I live
(Another story, another story for a while, someone show me)
Heaven's yours, heaven's yours, heaven's yours where I live
(Another story, another story for a while, someone show me)


CAMERA LYRICSFrom the inside room when the front room greeting
Becomes your special book, it was simple then
When the party lulls, if we fall by the side

Will you be remembered? Will she be remembered?
Alone in a crowd, a bartered lantern borrowed
If I'm to be your camera, then who will be your face?

I fell by your bed once, I didn't want to tell you
I should keep myself in between the pages
Of the green light room if we fall by the side

From the inside room when the front room greeting
Becomes your special book, it was simple then
When the party lulls, if we fall by the side
I still like you, can you remember?


(DON'T GO BACK TO) ROCKVILLE LYRICSLooking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for a bus
Going to a place that's far, so far away and if that's not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know
You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don't care if you're not here with me
'Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to sea
But something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be too late to bring you back

It's not as though I really need you
If you were here I'd only bleed you
But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and
That's not how it ought to be
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long


LITTLE AMERICA LYRICSI can't see myself at thirty, I don't buy a lacquered thirty
Caught like flies, preserved for tomorrow's jewelery, again
Lighted in the amber yard, a green shellback, green shellback
Preserved for tomorrow's eyes, in tree beer tar-black brer sap,
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest,
The consul a horse, Jefferson I think we're lost

Who will tend the farm museums? Who will dust today's belongings?
Who will sweep the floors, hedging near the givens?
Rally round your leaders it's the mediator season
Diane is on the beach, do you realize the life she's led?
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest,
The consul a horse, oh man I think we're lost
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest,
A matter of course, Jefferson, Jeffer

Lighted in the amber yard, a green shellback, green shellback
Sky-lied, sty-tied, Nero pie-tied, in tree tar-black brer sap,
Reason has harnessed the tame, a lodging, not stockader's game
Another Greenville, another Magic Mart, Jeffer, grab your fiddle,
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest,
The consul a horse, Jefferson I think we're lost
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest,
The consul a horse, Jefferson I think we're lost