1. |
Narcissus
04:04
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Have you heard the story of Narcissus?
Have you heard the story of Narcissus?
He died alone, never having loved anyone but his own reflection
His mother visited a prophet
She asked him how her son was like to go
He told her not to worry unless
He ever came to know himself
The son was coveted around the place
A golden boy, a beauty queen's wet dream
He rather liked the attention he got
If only to hear them scream his name
He died alone, never having loved anyone but his own reflection
The first time that I saw him
I couldn't look away
I wasted my youth holding out
For a pretty boy not that way inclined
The last time that I saw him
He was naked by the pool
He didn't dare disturb the water
For fear his lover would take him for a fool, a fool, a fool
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2. |
Ghost Song
03:22
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I took one look at this very strange feeling
I took one look and bowled it over
My nerves they were humming
My skin it was dancing
But I wasn't ready to go
I took the hand of a beautiful stranger
I took his hand to think it over
And I found I was lost to the feeling
So I let his pretty hand go
I took the train to the end of the line
A full moon rose to shine me over
The tiniest sounds had me singing and dancing
They said look at that skinny man go
Joyful ghost, joyful ghost
Moondrunk, mournful ghost
Joyful ghost, joyful ghost
Moondrunk, mournful ghost
I took one look at this very strange feeling
I took one look and called him over
My nerves they were humming
My skin it was dancing
But now I was ready to go
Joyful ghost, joyful ghost
Moondrunk, mournful ghost
Joyful ghost, joyful ghost
Moondrunk, mournful ghost
Joyful ghost, joyful ghost
Moondrunk, mournful ghost
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3. |
Three Men
04:27
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Here I present three men
Three types of men
Three points on the sphere of love
Three points of view
Three points of you
The first the fool, in the best sense of the word
A creature of his own invention
He invented the colour of vowels
Got used to hallucination
The second the soldier, hides a fabulous opera
Under layers of habit and caution
He tethers himself to the promise of something worthy
Or the fear of love
These men I know
Might seem little more than cardboard cutouts to you
But even though we dream of a three-dimensional man
All we have are these
The third man, most of the time
Has his head in his hands, his doubts in his pockets
He would love to be the first man, or even the second
Then at least he would be sure
These men I know
Might seem little more than cardboard cutouts to you
But even though we dream of a three-dimensional man
All we have are these
These men I know
Might seem little more than cardboard cutouts to you
But even though we dream of a three-dimensional man
All we have are these
Here I've presented three men
Three types of men
Three points on the sphere of love
Three points of view
Three points of you
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4. |
Full Metal Jacket
03:37
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Perhaps the greatest mummy's boy who ever lived
After all she gave him special powers
On her advice he had a dress made to avoid conscription
But it wasn't long before he couldn't resist
A full metal jacket
A full metal jacket
Not the film, but a breastplate of gold
His best friend was a man who loved him dear
They went to war together chasing a girl
It wasn't long before they stormed the walls for the first time
He was almost unstoppable with weapon in hand
And his full metal jacket
His full metal jacket
Not the film, but a breastplate of gold
The other guy he wasn't a natural, not a jock or a skite
He always felt he had to prove himself
So when his buddy had a meltdown over the latest new girl
He decided to take things into his own hands
In the full metal jacket
The full metal jacket
Before long it was riddled with holes
It's not so far from love to bravery
It's not so far
It's not so far from love to bravery
It's not so far
In a full metal jacket
A full metal jacket
And a fool he was longing to hold
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5. |
Penelope
04:51
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If I was your son, I'd be on my way out of here
If I was your son, I'd be on a boat to somewhere else
In a boat to somewhere else
But I'm not your son, I'd be a terrible child
I'd be proud and weak, in a boat to somewhere else
In a boat to somewhere else
Will you be home in a while?
Will you be home in a while?
When can I stop waiting for you?
Will you be home in a while?
How can I go, when you you said you'd be home just a little while?
Yet they expect me to dance in perpetual mourning
A trance of perpetual mourning
Will you be home in a while?
Will you be home in a while?
When can I stop waiting for you?
Will you be home in a while?
I've unpicked my loom for you
I've unpicked my loom for you
I've unpicked my loom for you
And I can't bear to be wrong
If I had the chance to take a terrible vengeance
I'd drown your boat in the midst of my anger
You'd sink in my Charybdis of anger
You'd sink in a boat to somewhere else
In a boat to somewhere else
Will you be home in a while?
Will you be home in a while?
When can I stop waiting for you?
Will you be home in a while?
I've unpicked my loom for you
I've unpicked my loom for you
I've unpicked my loom for you
And I can't bear to be wrong
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6. |
The Desperadoes
01:40
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Hand in hand we skip
Down Molesworth Street
It's good to be alone
In a capital city
It's good to steal flowers
From the Parliamentary gardens
While the ministers are in session
Ah, look at your face -
You're as beautiful as jazz,
As jasmine.
We chuck pebbles at the night sky
Cracks appear in the moon
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7. |
Stars
03:59
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Look around at all your stars
All your shiny superficial stars
With their dreamy eyes and cream guitars
You have never looked so hard
Are you waiting for a hero
Are you hoping the stars will come near
Or are you bent on their destruction
Would you do anything just to take them for a ride?
You might say you're no one
But to me you're someone
Don't ever go away from me
Don't ever go away from me
Have you decided on a name
For your fleeting fifteen seconds' fame
Would you risk it all just for a name
Would you ever be the same boy to me?
Don't ever go away from me
Don't ever go away from me
Chase them down with just a smile
With your charming empty-headed smile
But there's more to you than meets the eye
They will never see the same boy I'll see
Don't ever go away from me
Don't ever go away from me
Don't ever go
Don't ever go
You're someone to me
You're someone
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8. |
Toe the Line
04:48
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You strain to contain your introversion
You strain to contain the emotion in your face
Put on a mask, make a diversion
You strain to contain the emotion in your face
Nobody sees you as yourself
Nobody sees you as yourself
You came to be trained exactly as they asked for
You're trained to appear precisely as you seem
Take off your mask, risk a disaster
You're trained to appear precisely as you seem
Nobody sees you as yourself
Nobody sees you as yourself
Toe the line
Toe the line
Is this the price you pay to be everything to every man
Is this price you pay for anonymity
Toe the line
Toe the line
To escape for a minute, reveal your secrets
Unburden yourself of everything you've been
What would be left but an empty vessel
A scar of a secret that you carried for a queen
Nobody sees you as yourself
Nobody sees you as yourself
Toe the line
Toe the line
Toe the line
Toe the line
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9. |
Laocoön
03:36
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He took his two boys swimming
Out every other day
They were his water babies
His wife was less inclined that way
The truth was swallowed by the sea
The truth it swallowed, swallowed, swallowed him
A giant horse was offered
A scam as far as he could tell
He tried to warn them off it
They didn't take it very well
The truth was swallowed by the sea
The truth it swallowed, swallowed, swallowed him
Laocoön, Laocoön
He couldn't foretell his doom
They came out of the water
Two silent messengers of fate
He tried to fight it for a while
Perhaps he was a little late
His last words to the Trojans
Before his terrifying fate
I fear the Greeks despite their gifts
Ignore me at your peril
The truth was swallowed by the sea
The truth it swallowed, swallowed, swallowed him
Laocoön, Laocoön
He couldn't foretell his doom
Laocoön, Laocoön
He couldn't foretell his doom
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10. |
Spurned Love
03:18
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Look to the left, look to the right
Don't let yourself get caught out in the light
It only takes one shot, it only takes one fight
But don't let yourself get caught out in the light
Spurned love
Spurned love
You might spot him a mile away, you might spot him tonight
He's weighing his options up, he knows just what he likes
He thinks he's God's gift to man, and you might just be his type
But don't let yourself get caught out in his light
Spurned love
Spurned love
Achilles was beautiful, Achilles was bright
He thought Troilus was his to have, when he had him in sight
But Troilus had other ideas, and Troilus took flight
Achiless he chased him down out into the night
Spurned love
Spurned love
Spurned love
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11. |
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We sit on the viaduct
Dangling our toes in mid-air
A truckload of turnips heads towards Auckland
Followed by a carload of nuns
All eating hamburgers
You close your eyes
Your thoughts become the night sky
The mist around the moon
I nudge you gently -
Look, love, at the white moths
An angel's wing is moulting
Look, love, at the white moths
An angel's wing is moulting
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Alex Taylor Auckland, New Zealand
Alex Taylor is a composer, songwriter and poet originally from New Zealand and currently based in San Diego, California.
Artist photo by Priscilla Northe, Striped Trees Productions.
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