The Smyrk

The End of Jason Todd

You must’ve seen this comin
Limited number of times a Clown Prince
Could laugh it off and keep runnin
So don’t be surprised when you hear I’m declarin war
Cause wouldn’t your soldiers be prepared for it?

Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause I hit what I aim for
Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause you might get what you came for

Laughin last, laughin the hardest
So won’t you keep it in mind that I’m an artist
And I’m sensitive about it
Cause, honey, you never ever know
Today you’re the punchline, tomorrow the joke

Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause I hit what I aim for
Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause you might get what you came for
Take this time (tick-tick) time out
Cause I hit what I aim for
Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause I might end the game for you

What have you done?

 

Farewell to Arm

It coulda been a perfect night
My girlfriend, sister, friends and I
Drove out to a cabin in the sticks
Now with all 4 dismembered
How this evening to remember
Became a night that I’d
Give my right arm to forget

Oh she wanted my fresh soul
In the fruit cellar
To leave me Dead By Dawn
I couldn’t let her
I had to self-inflict a wound
Singlehanded, brokenhearted
My dear Linda now discarded
I wondered if we’d be together soon

Why, why did he have to touch that book that he found?
It occurs to me that some things are better
Left in the ground
That’s cause Linda told me

“We are the things that were and will be again
Don’t try nothin stupid, boy we got your girlfriend
Won’t you give up and join us? Be logical, man.
If you can’t make your mind up, we can lend you a hand…”

Single-Serving Friend

I spilled my guts as she got on the bus
Was it rude that I looked away as she pulled away
I gave up, I turned myself in
They threatened my skin
But I got away, I ran til my heart pumped
Acid through my veins
I knew I couldn’t stop
I wish she could stay, but I heard her say

How’s this for not makin a big deal?
No, your name’s not real
But you pass the judgment on your face
Inside you’re so…

She’s a fool to only 1
Curse that sonuvagun
She’s a fool to only 1
I’m that son of…?
She said “You are the worst thing
That has ever happened to me…”

He made a break
As if he could escape from me
(it’s so pathetic)
No, he’s not the brightest, I’m startin to see
But I left instructions, plans in place
(just in case oh)
The sucker makes me hafta rearrange my face

(And if I stick around, I might just let you down)

With a splash of bright red on the ground
And the room is slowly spinning
We already cleared this building out
We’re the only ones left in it

The Ballad of Fletcher Reede

 

I don’t drink, I don’t smoke

We were out late, and as a joke

She dropped a sodium pentothal

In my Coke now I’m flushed

My mouth’s dry, my face wet,

Beneath the bare lightbulb in the basement

As I move to strike the statement

I just lost my self-effacing cool

 

She said “baby do you feel alright?”

She chuckled,

And I tried to ask her a favor

 

I wanna take the fifth, cause there’s some things you just don’t wanna know

You’re gonna wish I did, cause there’s some things you just don’t wanna know

 

“Baby are my jeans too tight? Where did you really go last night?”

How can I avoid this fight if I can’t keep my lips shut tight?

 

A hustle, a gamble

A handicap that I can’t handle

She lit up, like Roman candle,

That shot straight for my throat well I choked

I stalled, I sputtered,

She hung on each word I stuttered,

Sometimes to protect each other

The truth is silver, silence is gold

 

I would love to confess,

But I can’t control what’s been comin’ out

Cause me and my jaw ain’t speakin’

Me and the claw had a fallin’ out

I just can’t work in this condition

My whole life is a work of fiction

I hold myself in contempt

Why should you be any different?

 

Whenever You Call

 

Though you may not see

Me when you wake up

Still wearin your make up from the night before

I made sure you got home safely

Don’t worry baby that’s what I’m here for

Though I may not do

Everything you ask me at exactly the moment that you ask me to

Remember I love you

And as long as you want me, I’ll be there when you need

There’s nothin I won’t do

 

Whenever you call me

I’ll come runnin

Whenever you call me

I’ll be there

Just gimme a heartbeat

And I’ll catch you when you fall

When you call

Whenever you call

 

I play it close to the vest

I know

I won’t deceive you, believe its just a test to see how far we go

And if you want to, I wanna be close to you

You already know I will protect my own

Though I may not do

Everything you ask me at exactly the moment that you ask me to

Remember I love you

And as long as you want me, I’ll be there when you need

There’s nothin I won’t do

 

I wanna give you everything you need oh

You can just call me anytime

Cause you’re everything to me oh

I’ll be a still small voice

You can hear if you’re listening

Because I love you

I promise I’ll be there when you want me

Feel free to call on me

It Was Nice Meeting You Again

 

You’ll try to paint me into the lines of a past love

But the tint won’t saturate, won’t match, when the two shots are lined up

But that’s still six months away

And clear as a picture

I’ll capture everything you say

And I’ll still remember

 

And though I wanna forget

Time makes intentions irrelevant

Until we all fall victim

But I’m still tempted

I’m trying to attempt it

Wanna pre empt this tonight

 

I’ll try to make you into who I wanna see

But you won’t change, I’ll recut the frame until it works for me

But that’s still six months away

And clear as a picture

I’ll capture everything you say

And I’ll still remember

 

Dial V For Venom

 

I was your armor

But you disappeared

And yes I woulda loved for you to stay

You were never there

I persisted

You insisted you weren’t made for me

So close, you had to be free

I blinked and you fled the scene

I just looked up, you were gone

It’s so wrong because

 

I can’t

It’s criminal, I just can’t get over you lately

But I’m tryin to, baby

I want to but I can’t

It’s criminal, I just can’t get over you lately

But I’m tryin to, baby

Forgive me, but I

 

Where are you now?

Can we pretend this never happened

You’re a rorschach spot in my mind

All black and white, it’s a sign

I see the sleight in your red right hand (tap tap and thumbs out)

Through the cracks

Your precognition is lackin

Although, it’s such a secretive war

And I want to but

 

We could have been so perfect

You and I

We could have been so perfect

So tell me why

I sheltered you from the dark

Nothing could keep us apart

It was perfect

I was so deep in a love

Close as the blood

It was perfect

Perfect

 

Conflict Addiction

 

It seems my mistakes

Are scratched in ink never erased

An angel with a hip to break when

I just wanna move on

Cause she knows

It precipitates the friction

My baby got a conflict addiction

It’s wrong

To go on

 

This time I tried to compromise

She likes it best when we fall

So tell me what it feels like getting over

I tried I tried to make it right

She won’t accept it at all

So tell me what it feels like getting over

 

She knows what it takes

To make my patience shake

Accusatory glances whisper

And upset the tone

Cause she knows

It precipitates the friction

My baby got a conflict addiction

It’s wrong

To go on

 

 

Aphasia

 

You said I had every reason to trust you

You said there’s no way that you would ever let me down

But you put doubts in my head

Wonder what’s underneath my bed, so

I can’t see any reason to trust you now

 

Cause if I just stand by, I deserve

Whatever I get but I can’t help but be concerned

You won’t make this better…

 

I could get involved but it’s like

I don’t even care

I don’t feel, I don’t feel right

I’m at war with myself

I would get involved but it’s like

I don’t even care

I’m at war with myself

 

You failed

You missed your calling

I should scream at your gates til I’m crawling

I think it’s sick

I think it’s appalling

Cause I need you to lead but you’re stalling

 

 

My Weakness

 

Honestly, I never believed in love at first sight

(Now I know better)

Because you got my eyes, my heart and my tongue

Locked in a dogfight

(I can’t get it together)

‘Cause you’re so strong and tan

And lean and lovely

I can’t stand when you walk by

Your eyes take, trap me in the colour and the shape

You make it difficult to talk right

 

But, forgive the delay I just had to make sure it’s real

I know I can assure you, this is how I feel

 

I got a crush on,

Hope I don’t overstate what I’m about to

(What I’m about to say, my)

My time is less worth the livin’ if the livin’ is

Without you

 

Forgive the delay I just had to make sure it’s real

I know I can assure you, this is how I feel

I got a crush on you, I do, I do on you

(Couldn’t you tell? I just assumed you could tell)

I got a crush on you, I do, I do

 

New Fiction

 

Maybe it’s the taser talkin

But that feels like an illegal hold

And though your synapses fire

I know your heart’s still cold

Maybe it’s the sarcastic smile

From the man on the screen

And when he presses face against the glass

I’m not listening

 

Keep us all contained and paranoid

Dependent won’t you

Keep us in the dark and just destroy our common sense

Won’t you just

Feed us what you want us to hear

 

Stop all the statements you make

And justify what you break

Cause we’re not above suspicion

These days, all we get is New Fiction

 

Maybe it’s a short in the wire

From the satellite feed

And all the pistols on stun

Clocked to radio speed

Anyway the world is on fire

But you’re never gonna let us see

Cause you wanna stand on hot coals

Panic is what we need

Monsters on Maple Street

 

This is a loyalty review

Cause history repeats

Nobody wants to say a thing about it

But we got monsters on maple st

They want your hands up

They want you all afraid so they can

Silence things that you wanna say

Til they get their way

But we’ll have our say

 

So let me out

Cause if you sing it out

They can’t erase it out loud

With our heads down

Can you hear the sound?

Can you hear it pound?

I’m breakin myself, let me know

Can you hear me know

 

Recuse them all from judgment

None of them are worthy of it

The glass ceilin is on my lips

But there’s a party goin on above it

Somebody stand up

I want you all to say

These are the things we refuse to take

Today or they’ll take your voice away

 

You don’t see

You don’t hear me

You don’t understand

So you don’t speak for me

 

It’s Not Love

 

This one is overdrive

This one’s delay

This one puts the phase on every word you say

Which one makes you see yourself that way?

To look at what he does and think that it’s ok

 

Til it fades

The wounds keep adding up

Until it fades

I can’t wait til you decide you’ve had enough

And when it fades you’ll understand that you deserve better

This is not love

It’s not love

It’s not love

 

Help me understand what’s missin

Do you let this go

Cause you want his attention

He’s sorry and this time it’s for real

But it won’t stop, it won’t stop until it kills

 

Don’t pretend

To be happy

With him when we both

Can see

That you need to leave

 

That Ain’t Lake Minnetonka

 

You think you’re so smart

You can have my heart

But I already learned my lesson

I’d rather keep you guessin

Than make a premature confession

 

Is this where I belong?

With you, it must be

Can’t stop this beating alone

 

Cause I wanna let you know

But I won’t tell you so

Swing for the heart but never make contact

Cause I’ll cop to like

But love is a contract

 

For this simple feat of chance

I’d click back to track one to repeat the dance

 

And in the taillights, I search for the words to say

That the thaw of April’s gone and that was yesterday

I can’t be hurt now

This won’t be like the other times before

I’m bulletproof now

Cause once it’s broken, you can’t break it more

 

You think you’re so smart

You can have my heart

 

 

Sweeter Cyanide

 

I messed up I did it

It’s all my fault I admit it I

Showed you more than you were prepared to see

Opened up I let you inside

You were my Mt. Sweeter Cyanide

Cause you were so so good for me

 

I tried screamin but it wouldn’t go away

Bent the corners on photographs of yesterday

Set it free

Let it be ok

 

You were everything I wanted

All that I could ask for

You were everything that I was thinkin of

Now I’m so moody and restless

Cause I’m not on your guestlist

Hate to have to RSVP love

It’s no good for me

 

I tried screamin but it wouldn’t make a sound

Framed your memory it’s beggin me to take it down

Take it down

 

Cope Aesthetic

 

You make it hard on yourself

You make this whole thing difficult for me

You take it all so seriously

So it’s deeper than it needs to be

 

Tears stain your pillow and I wonder if you ever let go

 

What can I say?

What can I do?

To make you understand?

 

You take it all too far

Then you pretend its natural

You force the water to your eyes for show

Cause everything is theatrical

 

Put the blame on me

I will carry this

If you just let go

I will deal with it

 

 

Shot and Buried: Sudan

 

It’s the murder of a culture

Chained down for the vultures

But we turn a swollen I

To this evil axis spinnin

While we concentrate on winnin

And as we sleep, another thousand die

But oh what does it take to make us see

It’s an emergency?

 

Callin for help, but nobody’s listenin (nobody knows)

And they die, crawlin through hell but nobody’s listenin, nobody knows

 

We can’t justify another sanctioned genocide

But we never seem to learn

That this killing is faster

Than a natural disaster

Until we’re the next to burn

But oh what does it take to make us see

It’s an emergency?

 

What if everyone you ever loved was ripped away

From their beds in the darkness

And you couldn’t stop it

What could you say?

If someone shot the future and buried yesterday

Wouldn’t you care about them?

Could you live without them?

Is there any way?