
ALBUM: RECKONING
							last revised 7/22/93 
SONG: HARBORCOAT
 
They crowded up together with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shoes on wood blister our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT"
 
They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown

Please find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it
Find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it
 
They crowded up together with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shoes on wood blister our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT", R-E-A-C-T
 
They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown
 
She said...
 

SONG: SEVEN CHINESE BROTHERS
 
The smell of sweet short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a chair
Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waited hold it to you in the colored come another
 
Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain
She will return, she will return
 
The smell of sweet short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a chair
Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas swimming colored come another
 
The smell of sweet short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a chair
Take in one symphony now, I guest we lost that battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas swimming colored come another
 
 
SONG: SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I'M SORRY)
	  (parts quoted by Michael Stipe in Rolling Stone in a letter in Dec 1988)
 
Did you never call?  I waited for your call
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away
The trees will bend, the cities wash away
The city on the river is a girl without a dream
 
I'm sorry
 
Eastern to Mountain, third party call, the lines are down
The wise man wrote his words upon the rocks
But I'm not bound to follow suit
The trees will bend, the conversation's dimmed
Go build yourself another home, this choice isn't mine
 
Did you never call?  I waited for your call
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away
The ocean sang, the cities wash away
Go build yourself another dream, this choice isn't mine


SONG: PRETTY PERSUASION
 
It's what I want, all has been tried
Following easily, hurry and buy
Cannot shuffle in this heat, it's all wrong
Try to put that on your sleeve it's all wrong it's all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
She's got pretty persuasion

It's what I want, all has been tried
Follow easily, hurry and buy
And I put that in this heat it's all wrong
Try to wear that on my sleeve it's all wrong all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
He's got pretty persuasion

________________
________________
________________

It's what I want, all has been tried
Follow easily, hurry and buy
Try to put that in this heat it's all wrong
Cannot wear that on your sleeve it's all wrong it's all wrong

 
SONG: TIME AFTER TIME (ANNELISE)
 
Ask the girl of the hour by the water tower's watch
If your friends took a fall, are you obligated to follow
 
Time after time after time
 
If the bull's on his hooves, you gather friends by the tower
If you try to refuse, will they judge your worth by the hour?
 
If your tired and you're tried you can find me in my room
You can stay if you want and the third time you can't lose
 
Ask the girl of the hour, by the water tower's watch
We can fight if you want but who will turn out the light
 
 
SONG: SECOND GUESSING
 
Why're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing
What will be your book this season?
Who will be your book this season?
 
Why're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing
What will be your book this season?
Who will be your book this season?
 
Here we are
 
Why're you trying to second guess me?
I am tired of second guessing
What will be your book this season?
Be in my club, buy a book this season
 
 
SONG: LETTER NEVER SENT
 
It's been pretty simple so far vacation in Athens is calling me
And knock, knock, knock on wood, I thought I'd left you behind
Heaven is yours, heaven is yours, heaven is yours where I live
 
The thought of the catacombs left my soul home
This letter never sent
And it's so far, it's so dark, i'm so lost
Nervous journey, seven shores, no one show us where I live
When I'm moving too fast, where's my new address?
 
The water is evening now, the catacombs are filling in
If my soul was made of stone, no, not, not so dark, dark
 
And it's so far, it's so dark, i'm so lost
And it's so far, it's so far, it's so far
 
Nobody show us, nobody show us, somebody show us where I live
Nobody show us, nobody show us, somebody show us where I live
 
 
SONG: CAMERA
 
From the inside room when the front room green
Becomes your special book, it was simple then
When the party lulls, if we fall by the side
 
Will you be remembered?  Will she be remembered?
Alone in a crowd, a bartered lantern borrowed
If I'm to be a camera, then who will be your friends?
 
I fell by your bed once, I didn't want to tell you
I should keep myself in between the pages
Of the green light room if we fall by the side
 
From the inside room when the front room green
Becomes your special book, it was simple then
When the party lulls, if we fall by the side
I still like you, can you remember?
 
 
SONG: (DON'T GO BACK TO) ROCKVILLE
 
Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for a bus
Going to a place that's far, so far away and if that's not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know
You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long
 
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
 
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don't care if you're not here with me
'Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to sea
But something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be too late to bring you back
 
It's not as though I really need you
If you were here I'd only leave you
But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and
That's not how it ought to be
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long
 
 
SONG: LITTLE AMERICA
 
I can't see myself at thirty, I don't buy a lack of thirty
Caught like flies, racing for tomorrow's jewelery - forget it
Lighted in the amber yard, a green shell back, green shell back
Listen for tomorrow's eyes, entry bare talk like rare sap
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest
The consular horse, Jefferson I think we're lost
 
Who will tend the farm museums?  Who will dust today's belongings?
Who will sweep the floors, engineer the givens?
Rally round your leaders it's the mediator season
Diane is on the beach, do you realize the life she's led?
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest
The consular horse, oh man I think we're lost
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest
A matter of course, Jefferson, Trevor
 
Lighted in the amber yard, a green shell back, green shell back
Skylight stock tight, Negro park tight, entry talk like rare sap
He's in there son, it's the tame, a logic knot stockader's game
Another Greenville, another Magic Mart, Trevor, grab your fiddle,
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest
The consular horse, Jefferson I think we're lost
The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest
The consular horse, Jefferson I think we're lost

