Track 2

WHY CAN’T MINE END NOW

NOAH

ENFANT TERRIBLE

THAT’S WHAT THEY CALLED ME

PUBLISHED AND LAUDED

WHILE STILL IN MY TEENS

THEY SAID I HAD TALENT

I WAS GIFTED

THEY CALLED ME A GENIUS

WHATEVER THAT MEANS

 

BUT NOW, VERY SIMPLY, QUITE DIRECTLY, WITHOUT WARNING,

I CAN’T WRITE ANYMORE

MY MIND, ALWAYS FERTILE, SO INGENIOUS, ALWAYS SOARING

NOW LIES FLAT ON THE FLOOR

A GUY SHOULDN’T FACE A DISMAL TOMORROW

GIVE HIM A CHOICE SOMEHOW

WHO NEEDS A LIFE OF SORROW

OH, WHY can’T MINE END NOW?

 

So MAYBE I COULD ENTER TEACHING,

AN EXCLUSIVE EASTERN SCHOOL

AND BE WORSHIPED BY THE STUDENTS NIGHT AND DAY

BUT I’D SWOON WIND UP IN BED WITH SOME LITERATE COED

AND THO I GOT TIRED OF PLAYING, SHE’D INSIST THAT SHE WAS STAYING

AND WE’D GENERATE AN EXPOSE

NO, NO, NO

 

SALINGER MADE LIKE A HERMIT

I HEAR HIS BRAINS STATED TO BLOAT

HOW CAN I EVER DISCERN IT?

WHAT I’VE WRITTEN UP TO NOW MAY BE ALL NOAH RAYMOND WROTE

 

YOU CAN’T LET A PERSON REACH THE ZENITH, HARDLY PUFFING

HARDLY FEELING THE CLIMB

IT CRUEL, DOWNRIGHT DIRTY, LIKE SOME STEALER STOLE A FUTURE

THAT WAS RIGHTFULLY MINe

A MAN WHO IS FRUITFUL

DIES IN A DESERT WHERE HE WHERE HE CAN’T PLANT OR PLOUGH

I CAN’T LIVE A LIFE SO BARREN

OH, WHY CAN’T MINE END

WHERE’S THAT FINE END

WHY CAN’T MINE END NOW

Track 3

nobody knows us now

 

WHEN OLD ADAM TOOK OLD EVIE’S DARE

WE WERE THERE

AND WHEN DELILAH CUT OFF SAMPSON’S HAIR

WE WERE THERE

AND WHEN CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

SAID, “WHERE THE HECK’S MY COMPASS?”

WHO POPPED RIGHT UP

AND SHOWED HIM WHERE

 

WE WERE ALWAYS EVER

FAIRLY SMALL BUT CLEVER

WHY WE milk’d the holy cow

 

WE WERE REALLY SOMETHING

HAD THE WHOLE WORLD JUMPIN '

BUT NOBODY KNOWS US NOW

 

wHO TOLD GHENGIS, “OH, OF COURSE YOU KhaN”

THAT WAS US

AND WHO TOLD MOZART HE COULD WRITE DON jUAN

NOT TO FUSS

WHEN THE NATIVES SOLD MANHATTAN

AND TRIED THE PRICE TO FATTEN

WHO TOLD THE DUTCHMEN

NOT TO CUSS

 

WE WEREN’T ALWAYS GENTLE

SOMETIMES TEMPERAMENTAL

WE OFTEN MADE A ROW

 

OUR EXPLOITS MADE HIST’RY

NOW WE’RE JUST A MYST’RY

CAUSE NOBODY KNOWS US NOW

 

WHEN THE FIRST WHEEL ROLLED

WHEN THE FIRST SHIP SANK

WHEN THE FIRST BELL TOLLED

WHEN THEY BUILT THE ARMOR’D TANK

WHEN FIRST PLANE FLEW

WHEN WELLINGTON TOOK WATERLOO

we made sure he would WIN THE DAY

us gremlins MADE THE FRENCHMEN GO AWAY

 

WHEN GENERAL CUSTER MADE HIS FINAL STAND

WE WERE THERE

WHEN HEINRICH STEINWAY MADE HIS FINAL GRAND

WE WERE THERE

AND WHEN BILL SAID, “DON’T BUTINSKY”

GUESS WHO SENT MS. LEWINSKY

WHO COULD BELIEVE NO ONE WOULD CARE

 

WE WERE QUITE THE FASHION

FULL OF FIGHT AND PASSION

BUT NOBODY KNOWS US NOW

 

THOUGH we’re persevering

WE’RE STILL DISAPPEARING

HOW CAN WE SURVIVE?

PLEASE TELL US HOW

CAUSE NOBODY KNOWS US

AN ILL WIND BLOWS US

AND NOBODY KNOWS US Now

Track 4

WHO IS MARCI WALLERSTEIN

  DEBBIE

pizza place, dave

lou and harry’s cave

sun lee sing or sing lee sun

if asian food you crave

mom and dr. white

sid’s open all night

tommy at mcginty’s bar

for tickets to the fight

 

MARCI WALLERSTEIN, marci wallerstein

who the hell is marci wallerstein?

 

oH, WHERE IS HE?

I WONDER IF HE TOOK HIS KEY

AND JUST HOW LONG HE’S GOING TO BE

AND WHO IS MARCI WALLERSTEIN?

 

JUST AN OLD FRIEND THAT HE KNEW FROM SCHOOL

SOMEONE THAT I CAN OVERRULE

OR MAYBE TAKE OUT IN A DUEL

OH, DAMN IT WHAT A FOOL I’VE BEEN

I CAN’T BELIEVE I YELLED AT HIM.

I BET THAT MARCI WALLERSTEIN WOULDN’T HAVE YELL’D

WHY DIDN’T HE TELL ME JUST WHAT SHE MEANS TO HIM

LITTLE MISS WALLERSTEIN?

 

PERHAPS A FORMER LOVER

A YOUNG AND SKINNY THING

WITH HAIR TO HERE, A TOP TO THERE

FLAT STOMACH AND A RING.

A WONDER UNDER COVERS

WHO MADE HIM FEEL REAL GOOD

IN WAYS MUCH MORE EXOTIC

THAN I WOULD DO IF I COULD

I MEAN BACK WHEN I COULD

I mean, FOR ME, I WAS REAL GOOD

 

Perhaps I’m overreacting

to a no-one who doesn’t exist

to a name, nothing more with a number

not a person he cuddled or kissed

she’s a COLLEAGUE OR BROKER

I’VE NO NEED TO CHOKE HER

I SHOULDN’T HAVE LEFT HIM ALONE

BET SHE WOULDN’T HAVE LEFT HIM ALONE

NOT MARCI WALLERSTEIN

 

SO WHO

IS THIS MARCI WALLERSTEIN?

ASK ME IF I CARE

I’M THE ONE WHOSE BED HE SHARES

AND I CAN LOVE HIM IF HE DARES

TO ACT LIKE A MAN

LIKE THE MAN IN MY PLAN

AND I DON’T GIVE A DAMN

IF HIS PAST WAS DEPRAVED

IT’S HIS FUTURE I CRAVE

 

oh, WHERE IS HE

I WONDER IF HE TOOK HIS KEY

AND JUST HOW LONG HE’S GOING TO BE

I WONDER JUST HOW LONG…..

Track 5

cockney slang song

St. Jean

ye tayke two words

like hit and miss

then ye find a rhyme

in this case, piss

but you don’t say miss

when ye really mean piss

ye say hit

NOAH

Hit?

St. Jean

 

at’s raiwt, say the word at don’t rhyme

and in almost not time

you’ll be gettin the hang

of cockney rhyming slang

 

ye tayke two fruits

like apples and pears

then ye find a rhyme

in this case, stairs

but ye don’t say pears

when ye really mean stairs

ye say apples

 

NOAH

Apples?

St. Jean

 

at’s raiwt, say the word at don’t rhyme

and in almost no time

you’ll be gettin the hang

of cockney rhyming slang

 

ow many times would ye like the next bloke

to fink your speech was foreign

or let him fink

you’re sayin he’s oke

when ye definitely aren’t

every groups got its own special way

of whispering down the lane

we got cockney Rhyming slang

so ye don’t know wot we’re sayin

daff-a-down means silly it comes from daff-a-down dilly

fridge means man or geezer the rhyme is fridge plus freezer

a dig is a shave From dig in the grave

and coals means broke from coals and coke

green means wage from green and gage

corn means job like corn on a cob

So, A daff-a-down fridge surely needs a dig but he must be coals cause he’s got no corn…means

NOAH

I have no idea

St. Jean

It means a silly geezer needs a shave but he’s broke cause he’s got no job.  Blimey, lets try again.

ye tayke a dish

like china plate

then ye find a rhyme

in this case mate

but ye don’t say plate when you really mean mate

 

NOAH

You say China?

St. Jean

At’s raiwt.  YE SAY CHINA

at’s raiwt.  say the word at don’t rhyme

and in almost no time

you’ll be gettin the Hang

of cockney rhyming slang

 

ye tayke two fings

like frog and toad

then ye find a rhyme

in this case, road

but ye don’t say toad

when you really mean road

NOAH

You say frog?

St. Jean

At’s raiwt.  YE SAY FROG

at’s raiwt, say the word at don’t rhyme

and in almost no time

you’ll be gettin the hang

of cockney rhyming slang

 

ow many times would ye like the next bloke

to fink your speech was foreign

or let him fink

you’re sayin he’s oke

when ye definitely aren’t

every groups got its own special way

of whispering down the lane

we got cockney rhyming slang

so ye don’t know wot we’re sayin

 

at’s raiwt, say the word at don’t rhyme

and in almost no time

you’ll be gettin the hang

 

NOAH

i’ll be getting the hang

 

St. Jean

 

you’ll be gettin the hang 

 

both

of cockney rhyming slang

Track 6

THINK ABOUT A STREAM

NOAH

THINK ABOUT A STREAM

A BABBLING BROOK

DON’T LOOK AT YOUR REFLECTION,

NOT QUITE YET

FIND YOURSELF A MEADOW

OF GOLD OR GREEN

AND LET YOURSELF FORGET

 

AS COLOR BLENDS WITH COLOR

HORIZON INTO SKY

a troubled breath becomes a sigh

 

let color blend with color

reality with dream

think about a stream

 

IT’S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT THINGS

THEY SAY

WITH PROPER LIGHT AND PROPER SHADE

SOMEHOW YOU FIND YOUR FEARS ALLAYED

SOMEHOW YOU FIND YOUR NERVES LESS FRAYED

PERHAPS BECAUSE THE DETAILS FADE AWAY

 

THINK ABOUT A STREAM

A BABBLING BROOK

AND LOOK AT YOUR REFLECTION

IF YOU MUST

BUT SEE YOURSELF AS PART OF

A COSMIC SCHEME

AND TRUST

 

LET COLOR BLEND WITH COLOR

HORIZON INTO SKY

a troubled breath becomes a sigh

 

LET COLOR BLEND WITH COLOR

REALITY WITH DREAM

THINK ABOUT A STREAM

ESPEE

Dat is all being well and well, but I am wondering if you are taking your own advice.

NOAH

Hey, I don’t get excited about things…well not much anyway.

ESPEE

You are kidding me for sure.  When Alf is bringing you down to the keyboard, you are looking like your heart is about to bursting out of your nose.

NOAH

Chest.

ESPEE

So what is your favorite relaxing place?

NOAH

I like streams as well.  But in the U.S., not India.  Of course, I have never seen a stream in India.

ESPEE

I am thinking you should.  Streams are much simpler in India.

as waters change through morning light and haze

your mood becomes complacent

not malaise

perception softens what you see

not haunted forests

just a tree

no longer is your life

a complex maze, a complex maze

 

Both

 

think about a stream

a babbling brook

and look at your reflection if you must

if you must

but see yourself as part of

a cosmic scheme

and trust

 

LET COLOR BLEND WITH COLOR

HORIZON INTO SKY

a troubled breath becomes a sigh

 

LET COLOR BLEND WITH COLOR

REALITY WITH DREAM

THINK ABOUT A STREAM

All material copyright © 2004 Bill Barnett & Howard Kilik