HOARSE
A horse needs a rider like a man needs a gun
A siren needs her voice like the earth needs the sun
I didn't need you and you didn't need me
And we were never all the things we set out to be

So we talk about it
And we talk about it
We talk about it
We talk about it ’til the words are gone
We shoot the breeze with our weapons drawn
And there's no point and we just can't win
And the world goes round and it comes up again
We only make ourselves, we only make ourselves hoarse
Some pay lip service to the higher power
Then spit or swallow that communion flour
We beg for forgiveness, and pray for our sin
But we're only makin' noise, we ain't listenin'

When we talk about it
And we talk about it
We talk about it
We talk about it ’til our faces turn blue
Never mind the blather and the ballyhoo
We missed the point and we just can't win
And the world goes round and we do it again
We only make ourselves, we only make ourselves hoarse

And no-one hears a word that we say…

Two politicians on TV
They say the same thing but can’t agree
One wears blue and one wears red
Two faces on the same figurehead
And they talk about it
They talk about it
They even scream about it
They talk about it ’til we tune them out
We don't know what they're talking about
This debate, ain’t got no end
Gonna need me a lozenge, need some Fisherman's Friend
Gonna need some Chloraseptic, gonna need a stiff drink
Gonna need to talk it over with my shrink
Gonna need a glass of water, gonna need a new phone
Gonna need to call you up next time you're home
And we’ll talk and we’ll laugh and we’ll shout and we’ll smoke
We’ll cough and we’ll shout and we’ll sputter and choke
And we’ll talk and we’ll laugh and we’ll shout and we’ll sing
We’ll talk and we’ll sing and we’ll shout and we’ll scream
We’ll talk and we’ll laugh and we’ll shout and we’ll smoke
We’ll cough and we’ll spout and we’ll utter and choke
And we only make ourselves, we only make ourselves hoarse

CATCALLIN’ BLUES
We got nothin in common 'cept we’re standing on this street
I'm just on my way to the laundromat, this ain't no meet & greet
But now you've got my attention, I might as well break the news
Your so-called compliment comes with the catcalling blues
I was minding my own business with my own thoughts in my head
Like a song I was writing, or how to get some bread
What to do about global warming, or which candidate to choose
But you elected me the object of these catcalling blues
I know I’m mighty hot
I also think you're not
I don't want what you got
Is this what your mama taught
you to hoot and carry on, when you’re rollin’ with your crew
And would you like to see your sister get these catcalling blues?

I don't mean to sound conceited, but your muscles don't impress
And I'm sure there's more to you, like there's more to me than this dress
But you failed before you started to pick up social cues
So I will kindly say “scat” to you & these catcalling blues

BROKEN
There's a clock that tries to tick, but the hands don’t turn 
There’s a city where nobody lives, ‘cause under the streets, an endless fire burns 
There’s a zipper that’s missing a tooth 
There’s a doll with a missing arm 
There’s a cart with a missing wheel 
There’s a man with a broken heart 

And I, I want to fix it 
I want to make it better 
I want to mend your heart 
Put the pieces back together 

But you’re busy being broken… 

There’s a moth hole in the sleeve of my favorite sweater 
There’s a woman who’d vote for president, but the system just won’t let her 
The rent keeps going up 
The economy keeps going down 
There’s a crack in my favorite cup 
There’s a jack with a broken crown 

And I, I want to fix it 
I want to make it better 
I want to mend your heart 
Put the pieces back together 

But you’re busy being broken… 

Tried to make it up, but my face was worn 
Tried to dress it up, but the shirt was torn 
Tried to sew it up, and the needle stuck, 
Tried to write this down and the ink dried up 
Lost my voice and couldn’t sing 
Tried to play for you, and broke a string 

And I, I want to fix it 
I want to make it better 
I want to mend your heart 
Put the pieces back together 

But I’m busy being broken…

FOR FROGS & OSCAR WILDE
I’ve been walkin’ round for weeks with no umbrella in the rain 
Quotin’ Oscar Wilde inside my head to keep me sane 
But I don’t know what to do to keep from cryin’ over you, today 

I can look to lonely gurus in the mountains of Nepal 
I can listen to a frog playin’ banjo in the swamp 
But I don’t know what to do to keep from cryin’ over you, today 

You say “rainbows only come after the rain 
Love will always bring you ‘round again” 
And platitudes will make the whole world kin, 
But they won’t bring you back, or ease my pain 
Oh, lover won’t you sing me something in a different key 
For the dreamers and the frogs, and Oscar Wilde and me 

We’ve been singin’ the same love song since before our muses met 
Arm-in-arm they walk along, I watch the sidewalk getting wet 
But I don’t know what to do to keep from cryin’ over you, today 

You’ve been clutching your new lover like a sculptor holds a stone 
I’ve been picking up the pieces like a dog picks a bone 
But I don’t know what to do to keep from cryin’ over you, today 

I know rainbows only come after the rain, 
And love will always bring you ‘round again, 
Platitudes will make the whole world kin, 
But they won’t bring you back 
Oh, lover won’t you sing me something in a different key 
For the dreamers and the frogs, and Oscar Wilde and me

ARROWS & SLINGS
I have gambled with high stakes 
Seen accidents and earthquakes 
Been in fights and lost all control 
Picked up a stranger in a bar 
Went on a spree and crashed my car 
Survived by the grace of… I just don’t know 

I’ve seen hard luck, fate and circumstance 
But sometimes leaving it up to chance 
Comes out in our favor after all 
Or I’m better off than I ever planned 
‘Cause a friend is there to lend a hand 
And show me how to get up when I fall 

So here’s a song for my guardian angels 
Here’s a song for believing I could change, yeah 
But I’ll try not to make it so hard 
Try not to make it so hard 
Try not to make it so hard 

They said straighten up and fly right 
So I stayed up all night 
Getting high, but didn’t earn my wings 
And I’m not the kind to take a crutch 
But you’d still come through in the clutch -- 
My shield from life’s arrows and slings 

So here’s a song for my guardian angels 
Here’s a song for believing I could change, yeah 
But I’ll try not to make it so hard 
Try not to make it so hard 
Try not to make it so hard

HOW I BECAME A VILLAIN
I will tell you my life story; it’s a cautionary tale 
All the years of guts and glory in the belly of the whale 
How my bitter angels fly while my better angels fail... 
Oh, my beloved 

No fire for revenge led me to play the buzzard’s part 
No feud, no broken promise — just a string of broken hearts 
And the brokest one was mine, and that’s where my story starts 
Oh, my beloved 

But I’d be good if I could, but I can’t, so I won’t 
I’d be true, say “I do,” but it turns out that I don’t 
It’s too late to go straight… guess I’ll just accept my fate 
So listen if you’re willin’ to how I became a villain 

I was studying the people on the green side of that fence: 
And it’s not how much you can do, but how many you convince 
And if your teeth are sharp and white, then they will know you’re talking sense 
Oh my beloved 

So I built a shining tower such that no-one could ignore 
And with your name upon my banner, launched my armies off to war 
And in only two years’ time, forgot what they were fighting for... 
Oh my beloved 

But I’d be good if I could, but I can’t, so I won’t 
I’d be true, say “I do,” but it turns out that I don’t 
It’s too late to go straight, guess I’ll just embrace my fate 
So give me headline billing… It’s how I became a villain 

I walk the floor all night long 
Just wondering how I went wrong… 

And I’d be good if I could, but I can’t, so I won’t 
I’d be true, say “I do,” but it turns out that I don’t 
It’s too late to go straight, guess I’ll just embrace my fate 
The story’s worth a killin’ of how I became a villain

PERFECT RHYME
It’s apples and oranges: 
Which means, you are beyond compare 
You’re the one I adore 

While I work up the confidence 
The words just get stuck on my tongue 
So I’ll sing you this song: 

You’re a letter from a mystic shore, 
A bluebird melody in midair 
You’re a sunny day and a longing kiss goodnight. 
You’re a Motown song at Christmastime, 
An unexpected perfect rhyme 
Oh, baby, tell me it’s gonna be all right 
Baby, tell me it’s gonna be 

This feeling is dangerous 
Wanna tell you I’m falling head over heels 
Though my heart, I conceal 

But I can’t hide the rush 
Of my pulse when I’m lying in your arms 
Surrounded by your warmth 

And I’m afraid the world’s gone crazy 
Where to go? Just what is true? 
But I know, I can face it, baby, 
If I stand right here with you… 

Cause you’re the treasure map and the lucky sign 
The coffee cup and the sunset ride 
You’re the twinkle of a thousand colored lights 
You’re a Motown song at Christmastime 
An unexpected perfect rhyme 
Oh, baby, tell me it’s gonna be all right 
Baby, tell me it’s gonna be 
Be all right

ALONETOGETHER
Tell me you enjoy my company 
Such company as I afford 
Here engrossed in my own thoughts 
Inside a solitary mood 

My tall black boots and hood up 
Mean to block out more than the cold 
These headphones I am wearing 
Signal that I'd rather be alone 

And if I seem lonely 
I'm just longing for friendlier weather 
A warmer day I'll let my guard down 
And we can be alone, together 

We can be alone, together 
We can be alone together 
We can be alone, together 
We can be alone 

I hope you enjoy my company 
Such charms as only I afford 
Standing here blind in the spotlight 
Safely behind the microphone 

And if I feel lonely 
I’m just longing for a constellation 
A line between our bright suns burning 
In the darkness there would be union 
I would find my kindred spark 
Your arms would encircle me 
And leave me alone to dream 

We can be alone, together 
We can be alone together 
We can be alone, together 
We can be alone

SOMEONE
By Amy Kucharik and Andrew Delaney

It’s still raining. And this could take all night 
I’m just ready for a drink, and I’m too tired to fight 
But you’ve got questions, and names you wanna call 
And I wish that I felt guilty… or anything at all 

And I could hold you one more time but I'm already in the car 
And I'm lookin' for someone who breaks my heart 

“Mr. Right” — that’s what everybody says 
Maybe so, if you’re into that, I guess 
And we could try to spin the Earth around the moon 
But all I was ever after was a Johnny to my June 

And it’s just the way I am to want everything you’re not 
And I’m lookin’ for someone who breaks my heart 

And there's a stone in the left side of my chest 
And it's cold but I really must confess 
I do not mind… But every now and then 
Someone comes around 
Who swings the hammer down 
Just swing the hammer down 

‘Cause what’s the point in fallin’ if it ain’t gonna leave a mark? 
Yeah, I’m lookin’ for someone who breaks my heart

99 BOTTLES
99 bottles up on the wall 
Take them down and drink them all 
It ain’t the beer, but the bottle I need 
Gotta get a message to my baby 

99 days and 99 nights, 
Been stranded here on this desert isle 
Jumped overboard, wanted back on, 
Turned around and the boat was gone 
Now it’s my own damn fault, I will confess 
I’m sending out my SOS 

99 bottles up on the wall 
Take them down and drink them all 
It ain’t the beer, but the bottle I need 
Gotta get a message to my baby 

And it’s a cruel joke 
Leavin’ me stuck here 
Ain’t got no comfort 
But the whiskey and the beer 

99 bottles wash on the shore 
Tell him I can’t take it no more 
Say, won’t you turn this ship around? 
‘Cause you’re the best lovin’ sailor I’ve ever found 
And I would drink all the water in the sea 
Just to bring my baby back to me 

99 bottles up on the wall 
Take them down and drink them all 
It ain’t the beer, but the bottle I need 
Gotta get a message to my baby

LIKE WE USED TO
By Amy Kucharik and Andrew Delaney

lyricsIt’s warm for November 
And the war is long over 
I’m at the Cellar with all the old crew 
At the scene of the crime 
And a thousand good times 
From the years when I came here with you 

When you walk down the front stairs 
I slip out of my chair 
Pay my tab, toss a tip to the band 
But your smile is a white flag 
so I stop right in my tracks 
As you stroll up and offer your hand: 

Let’s dance one more time, like we used to 
Just hold me like you did when I first knew you 
We were so much younger then, and all of us still friends 
Let’s dance one more time, like we used to 

Then the music just hits me 
Or it could be the whiskey 
Or the memories that never do die 
Like that night in Montgomery 
When you told me you loved me 
That same something behind your green eyes 

We don’t even care 
That our friends are all staring 
At the spectacle out on the floor 
We turn and we sway 
And that holds at bay 
All I still can’t forgive you for 

But we can dance one more time, like we used to 
Just hold me like you did when I first knew you 
We were so much younger then, and all of us still friends 
Let’s dance one more time, like we used to 

And on a muted TV 
The world seems to agree 
That we’re all headed straight for the end 
And they’re right and I know it 
But here in this moment 
I’ll lean into your arms 
And try to pretend 

You laugh as you say 
We’ll be joking someday 
At the havoc we left in our path 
I said we’ll get along 
’Til the end of this song 
I can’t promise you nothin’ past that 

But let’s dance one more time, like we used to 
Just hold me like you did when I first knew you 
We were so much younger then, and all of us still friends 
Let’s dance one more time, like we used to

EVERYTHING BUT LOVE
​I'm tired of talkin' ‘bout romance 
It’s nothin' but the same old song and dance 
Don't wanna hear about the one who done me wrong 
Now, that’s enough about relationships… 
Don’t even wanna think about your lips 
Now, how on Earth did that get in this song? 

Let's talk about German Expressionism 
Let's talk about your artistic vision 
Let's talk about whatever became of Michael Jackson's glove 
Let's talk about really cool guitars, or where we got our scars 
Let's talk about almost any, everything but love 

Oh, but with your arms around me I just can't seem to concentrate 
And all I wanna do is hold you close and stay up late 

But let's talk about cephalopods 
Let's talk about the Viking gods 
Let's recount ancient stories about the stars above 
Let's talk about Batman, or denim from Japan 
Let's talk about almost any, everything but love 

Let's talk about robots 
And geological hot spots 
Let's talk about feminism, optimism, and the blues 
Let's talk about Kermit the Frog or places we would go in Prague 
Baby, I don't think there’s anything to lose 

Oh, but with your arms around me, Babe, I just can’t concentrate 
And all I wanna do is hold you close and stay up late 

But let's talk about German Expressionism 
Let's talk about your artistic vision 
Let's talk about the blue canary and the holy dove 
Just sing me some Leonard Cohen song, and maybe I'll sing along 
Let's talk about almost any, everything but love 

Or we don't have to talk at all…