The Elusive Unicorn Blues
You know the drill
you went to dental school
just to pay the bills
you were chomping at the bit
for much, much more
than hanging your plaque
out on your door
and here I am in Jersey
staring at a cow
wondering where I’m going
asking when and how
wild horses may be tame some day
and bucking broncos
might buck off their shoes
but in the meantime
I’d gladly play my horn for you
on those elusive,
Unicorn Blues
there was a star
up in the eastern sky
and I thought of you
it was dropping down
‘neath the horizon line
nearly escaped my eye
oh me oh my
here I am in Jersey
staring at a cow
wondering where I’m going
asking when and how
wild horses might be tame some day
and bucking broncos
might buck off their shoes
but in the meantime
I’d gladly play my horn for you
on those elusive,
Unicorn Blues
when it’s so dark
and it fills my empty cup
and it seems so stark
when I’m waking up slow
like I’m comatose
sure could use your love
make it a double dose
here I am in Jersey
staring at a cow
wondering where I’m going
asking when and how
wild horses may be tame some day
and bucking broncos
might buck off their shoes
but in the meantime
I’d gladly play my horn for you
on those elusive,
Unicorn Blues
Blood Moon Blues
Can’t stand up, can’t sit down
fell into a windfall been all over this town
got hop-slammed hard playing rock & roll
almost lost at cards but I undug that hole
Now I don’t keep track of every change up in the sky
I knew that it was coming but I didn’t know when and why
and I’ve grown too distracted to book myself a room
so I’ll let my spirit animal guide me to the Blood Moon
had too much fun near the garden gate
wound up planking on the Davenport and waking up late
with some blurry eyes and a blurry brain
saw it through the window up the staircase lane
Now I don’t keep track of every change up in the sky
I knew that it was coming but I didn’t know when and why
and I’ve grown too distracted to book myself a room
so I’ll let my spirit animal guide me to the Blood Moon
Now that goddamn moon with its orbit and
its tension got more tricks up its sleeve
than it ever cares to mention
on this globe of blue and green
we scribe it down like monks in a tower
cranked up on Benzedrine
There it is and there it ain’t
and it’s red to boot like it’s covered in paint
another thing too that’s twice full this month
which also makes it blue from whence it cometh
Now I don’t keep track of every change up in the sky
I knew that it was coming but I didn’t know when and why
and I’ve grown too distracted to book myself a room
so I’ll just let my spirit animal guide me to the Blood Moon
Calico Dress
Summer days grew shorter and the moon was on the rise
I was just a lost boy trying to win some kind of prize
the Midway was so noisy as the band began to tune
while magic or illusion really magnified that moon
She wore a calico dress, hair as wild as a raven’s nest
her eyes were like the color of the sky
and I happened to be there with all the others at the fair
and when she turned I knew I caught her eye
The music was intoxicating and the spirits were so high
I was just so awestruck by her freedom on the fly
she took off her Birkenstocks and danced out in the aisle
while I melted from the inside from the beauty of her smile
She wore a calico dress, with hair as wild as a raven’s nest
her eyes were like the color of the sky
and I happened to be there with all the others at the fair
and when she turned I knew I caught her eye
When the fireworks were over and the moon was lost at sea
I lost my navigation locked out of love without a key
the Midway was so quiet as the Ferris wheel shut down
and I was still a lost boy as my heart began to drown
She wore a calico dress, with hair as wild as a raven’s nest
her eyes were like the color of the sky
and I happened to be there with all the others at the fair
and when she turned I knew I caught her eye
Did I Forget to Feed the Fish?
Woke up from one of those fever dreams
where anxiety is transferred to those frustrating scenes
where I was just wasting the whole band’s time
but I knew, deep inside, it had less to do with the rock & roll blues I know I was just missing my Valentine
trying to be a good boy, get to bed at a decent time
but I just toss and turn up there
trying to think of words that rhyme
trying to conjure up excuses
to head out and make my favorite wish
did I forget to set up the coffee,
did I forget to feed the fish?
If I had what I really wanted
I’d grab my electric guitar and let it blurt
but the universe is unforgiving
and someone’s bound to get hurt
won’t you beam me up Scotty and pour me a fifth
of the fifth amendment on a crystal ship
and set the sails to the west
because I think I got a lot to say
trying to be a good boy, get to bed at a decent time
but I just toss and turn up there
trying to think of words that rhyme
trying to conjure up excuses
to head down and make my favorite wish
did I forget to set up the coffee,
did I forget to feed the fish?
woke up to the sound of birds
they got gorgeous melodies
but they don’t know any words
moments before the buzzer buzzed
they were songs of life not elegies
and in the morning I had a little daydream
saw your smiling face and set the buzzer to birds
trying to be a good boy, get to bed at a decent time
but I just toss and turn up there
trying to think of words that rhyme
trying to conjure up excuses
to head out and make my favorite wish
did I forget to set up the coffee,
did I forget to feed the fish?
Take Another Shot of Moonbeams
It took a long time to get here
never thought we’d get here
the tree tops cut the sky like pie
and the moon is shining bright
I’ll take another shot of moonbeams
take another shot of moonbeams
It’s been so long since I’ve seen you
been so long since I’ve seen any of you
it’s been too much, without that touch
and with all that we’ve been through
Never thought this could happen
I never knew what can happen
the moon’s too bright to see the stars
or even Jupiter and Mars
I’ll take another shot of moonbeams
take another shot of moonbeams
never thought we’d get here
never thought we could get here
as the tree tops cut the sky like pie
and the moon is shining bright
I can’t guess what tomorrow’ll bring
we’ve seen just about everything
we’ll just be here in the present tense
while that moon is shining bright
I’ll take another shot of moonbeams
take another shot of moonbeams
I’ll take another shot of moonbeams
take another shot of moonbeams
took a long time to get here
never thought we’d get here
the tree tops cut the sky like pie
and the moon is shining bright
The Day After National Pancake Day
It was the morning after
all the banners and the hoopla
were down and so were we
dead balloons hanging from rafters
stone silence replacing laughter
welcome to the day after
National Pancake Day
so sorry to inform you but you really
should have been here yesterday
they were out of eggs and flour
chocolate chips and jelly roll
with this type of mass hysteria
they needed bigger mixing bowls
welcome to the day after
National Pancake Day
so sorry to inform you but you really
should have been here yesterday
on my way out, I pulled a
commemorative poster off the wall
fastened with maple syrup
and as wide as I am tall
welcome to the day after
National Pancake Day
so sorry to inform you but you really
should have been here yesterday
the party was a huge success and
everyone who’s anyone was here
don’t forget to mark your calendar
for the same time next year, but till then
welcome to the day after
National Pancake Day
Ten Years After
I saw Ten Years After, about 10 years after Woodstock
no one brought a watermelon up to the stage
and looking all around at this motley crowd who paid 92 cents
to see this and all the free Moosehead they could drink
as he hit that first note on that ES-335 I felt a sparkle in my soul
but then all the Mooseheaded motherfuckers behind me
pushed up to get a lot closer to the show
ten years after puts a new perspective in your head
all the cries and laughter can be watched, heard and read
one night I dreamt, I was at the Berlin Wall
with the barbed-wire and the machine gun fire
as it tore holes in the souls of the ones who got away
the ones who got away
but now there’s a brightness on the plaza
where the shadows used to be so tall
where ol’ Roger Waters and Ronald Reagan
used it as a prop to tear down that wall
ten years after puts a new perspective in your head
all the cries and laughter can be watched, heard and read
subtract ten years from your children’s age
and think about how small they were
when they learned of this world’s rage
and you just didn’t have the proper answers
you really didn’t know what to say
ten years after puts a new perspective in your head
all the cries and laughter can be watched, heard and read
I’ve Learned My Lesson
(Again and Again)
Mike the Angel came home late
hung up his Sears & Roebuck wings
said I ain’t ever going back there
I just can’t do this thing
I’ve learned my lesson
(again and again)
had some bad intuition
In the lion’s den
took a couple shots of virtue
and put it on your bill
chose every word so carefully
but almost died up on that hill
I’ve learned my lesson
(again and again)
had some bad intuition
In the lion’s den
Someday he’ll get this shit right
and come up with a win
still gets paid for protection,
with cigars and bathtub gin
I’ve learned my lesson
(again and again)
had some bad intuition
In the lion’s den
The Sky isn’t There (When You’re Not There)
The ties that kept us together
through thick and thin
are gone, but they’re not gone
and I’m getting that feeling again
I’ll always wanna be with you
I never wanna lose you again
the sky isn’t there, when you’re not there
and my heart’s still on the mend
the sun shone through the aqua
found a path to your winter skin
the breeze flew like the meadowlarks
with all the freshness of a floral gin
I’ll always wanna be with you
I never wanna lose you again
the sky isn’t there, when you’re not there
and my heart’s still on the mend
my head’s on a different planet
and my soul’s in the atmosphere
drifting along like a summer cloud
wishing you were near
I’ll always wanna be with you
I never wanna lose you again
the sky isn’t there, when you’re not there
and my heart’s still on the mend
Andrea’s Exile
Nighttime was just a suggestion when blackness filled our eyes
bonfires under the trestle bridge lit the river and the railroad ties
there’s just nothing to prepare you to take the stand at a lover’s trial
no sadness greater than the crash then the silence of Andrea’s exile
if time machines could fix our past or bring us to that moment to spill
those words that would ever last of the love meant for that bestowment
there’s just nothing to prepare you to take the stand at a lover’s trial
no sadness greater than the crash then the silence of Andrea’s exile
if there’s a place beyond and after I’d ask so many questions to fill the air
would we have had a life of love and laughter? or is it best we left it there?
there’s just nothing to prepare you to take the stand at a lover’s trial
no sadness greater than the crash then the silence of Andrea’s exile
