Lyrics
Complicated Matters: Lyrics
OUT ON THE LAWN
how are your knees, old woman?
can they tell of the oncoming rain?
or are you like me; are you lost in the dark
'til the first drop on your windowpane?
old friend, have I done you wrong?
won't you look in my eyes when you speak?
'the doctor says I have too many memories,
so I'm trying to let go of green'
I don't understand; if it's broken then why can't we fix it?
the answers in your hand dissolve at the sight of a witness
so why would you go and trade your flippers for feet
when the moonlight is so thick, you could drown in your sleep?
old man, with your panes on the lawn,
can I trouble you please to explain?
'the living is cheap with no windows, no heat
but you can't sell the sound of the rain'
I don't understand: if it's broken then why can't we fix it?
the answers in your hand dissolve at the sight of a witness
so why would you go and trade your flippers for feet
when the moonlight is so thick, you could drown in your sleep?
oh, oh, oh
don't you know?
THE ISLAND
go down to the riverside;
your brother is calling out your name
go out to the island;
your mother is calling out your name
ALIBI
climbed out of my window and into your life
both of us knew we'd be fine
'cause if you swallow the sunlight
then you don't need the blinds
lately you've been saying how I laugh in my sleep
lock every door while I search for the key
well my mind sees a mountain, but my heart sees a field
and it's easy to cry in the kitchen;
where the wallpaper swallows the sound
but we ran out of onions on Saturday;
so drive your alibi into the ground
climbed back on board with the memory
of the way this ship went down
like trying to rewind a movie
where the actors have already drowned
and it's easy to cry in the kitchen;
where the wallpaper swallows the sound
but we ran out of onions on Saturday;
so drive your alibi into the ground
I don't know why you're leaving, why you're leaving
you're going, you're going away
the quiet is already creeping, it is seeping
into the rooms where your voice used to play
I don't know why you're leaving, why you're leaving
you're going, you're going away
a man made of clay won't be bleeding,
no all he needs is some water to erase the mistake
I don't know why you're leaving, why you're leaving,
you're leaving when I asked you to stay
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BEING ALONE
being alone reminds me of when I was little
I never thought that I would feel so sorry about it
a house built on silence is no kind of home
the only sound we hear is the cracking of the dominoes
quiet at the table, quiet on the phone;
you've got a belly full of secrets and a body full of bones
NIGHT LIES
I woke my mama, in the middle of the night, said
you gotta come quick, cause something isn't right
there are monsters, up in my head, monsters
calling out the songs of the dead, it's like
"oh, child: go and spit that lie out on the ground
sometimes I get to wishing, when the winds are blowing sour
that you weren't"
I turned the lights out and crawled into bed,
but they were pounding on the floor of my head
unlocked my jaw now, and opened my mouth
when they were ready, they could let themselves out
I lay there quiet, while the parade rumbled on
was uninvited, so I waited for the dawn
'til the morning, when the bluest of skies made me forget
that they'd stay as long as I'm alive
"oh, child: go and spit that lie out on the ground
sometimes I get to wishing, when the winds are blowing sour
that you weren't so wild"
WET PAINT
oh, is there some way that I can go home?
I'm a social person but I prefer to be alone
wet paint, in impossible places
I heard they made you cry on your first day
wet paint, in impossible places
I heard you wanted to die on your first
this is a metaphor for the things I am not
used to understand what that meant
then one day I forgot
wet paint, in impossible places
I heard they made you cry on your first day
wet paint, in impossible places
I heard you wanted to die on your first
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COMPLICATED MATTERS
oh, did you have to? why did you have to?
why did you have to go, and say that again?
you know I love you; I know that you do
you know I love you to the bone,
but I’m not coming home this time
run away, but not so fast
run astray, but not that path
I’ll call your name, and you’ll come back
knew it’d be hard, but not this bad
I don’t remember saying that
but I think I know just what you mean
I don’t see any problems here
this house is entirely clean
oh, I don’t remember saying that
let’s chalk this all down to a dream, can’t we?
I’m sorry that you are upset
but I hope you know just what you mean to me
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oh, I want you to be free
but not if that means being away from me
so run away, but not fast
savor the light, ‘cause it won’t last
hold your breath, now, here comes the train;
it’s been headed in this direction for days
complicating matters
we can't seem to agree on color patterns
complicating matters
we are facing certain disaster
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