witness tree

prolong the pain
he might as saw it as illusion
but pointing to the door, she made it seem so very clear
wanting him to go. a head filled a mind of solution
but wanting even more, she finds her silence in arrest
a picture long ago

by the time he has forgotten
his dignity begins, a message of reality
a matter near to him

he sees the anger and the good
call him out by name, begin again the remedy
then it's clearer days


prolong the pain
ten thousand miles right thru the heart of it again
prolong the pain
what may have been before you know will live again
you know, you know will live again

and it's easy not to see what matters
when you haven't got to dream at all


mr. simple
mr. simple got a big old house and a family
parks his car beside his 30 foot family tree

he holds no secrets
he's got a dirty book, what a mockery

with the fear of god in his veins
don't stop me, no you can't stop me


but it ain't that simple
no it ain't that simple
if you're gonna walk on air

mr. simple's got an attitude full of accolades
throws his point of view like an atom bomb
or a hand grenade

falls in love every chance, got the pride of god
you gotta hate

coursing thru his veins, don't stop me
no you can't stop me

'cause it ain't that simple
no it ain't that simple
'cause it ain't that simple
if you're gonna walk on air

mr. simple has a numbered bed and a crucifix
counts the days on end with a mindless game
and an i-v fix

'cause it ain't that simple
no it ain't that simple
'cause it ain't that simple
if you're gonna walk on air

good saint jane
tale of good saint jane
she was made in may
to a forgiving man
on a lucky day

me and jane were strong
she was fair and long
but she had higher graces
mine were less than tasteless

there she goes
there's another million saved
there she goes
give your thanks to good saint jane
will you come down, will you come down again
will you come down again this time

jane she cared a lot
she even sold our car
earned her weekly wages
pissing over pages

don't need me i guess
fact she could care less
still i can't forget her
even though she stole my leather

H2O
feeling the air, a taste of pain
the words unclear
feeling the water rushing in
then ice appears
every time he breaks into this pack of lies
but it's only him he hears

and then he listens, it's the same
let water heal your eyes again
let the water heal your life again

maybe it's something he would die for
to drown his sorrow
maybe it's something left to kill
and pay tomorrow
every time he finds another hole inside
but it's only a lie

and then he listens, it's the same
let the water heal your eyes again
let the water heal your life again

and then he listens, there's no change
let the water heal your eyes again
let water heal your life again

feeling the air, a taste of pain
the words unclear
feeling the water rushing in
then ice appears

every time he breaks into it
every time he lives another
every time wakes up to it
every time he finds another


angel
call to your bishop
call to your waiting savior if you're free
pack up your old tricks
take all your earthly treasures if you're free

wait by the front gate
covet that temple
holding in silence
holy in mind
a picture of your life
firmly against you
a page now unfolding
a secret that night

a fallen example further from sight
an act of contrition
a path so divine
the vow soon is whispered
never we lied
an angel in waiting
be you tonight

turn to the second book
turn to the world you've taken if you're free
give up that blackened curse
follow the path you've taken if you're free

stone
upon a sacrificial vow said for quiet sake
would rather not to be the past he'd soon forget
his father taught religion to the men who prayed
but mother stole all he possessed from his hands

somewhere beyond his means
as he waves his hands
every chance the bottom fell

maybe the silence he received was more than pain
but the same repentant faith is more than he will bear
now remained unto the sky under heaven
a trinity of conflict only unto men

he found it hard to see the light
through the backs of his hands
every chance the bottom fell
every chance the bottom fell
stone

if salvation is only believing you can live that lie
'cause if the worth of a man is only weighed in dollar signs
me i've finally found my heaven

a saving grace of only time
how it changed his point of view
every chance the bottom fell
every chance the bottom fell
every chance the bottom fell
every chance the bottom fell

waiting (on a wrong)
envy is on at 7
murder is on at 9
forget about the reasons
leave your shame behind

they call it easy livin'
the sum of a worthless pride
but if you could be there you'd be bigger than christ

you seek the first big weapon
you seek to define your life
take a big drink
shit tastes better with wine

when you can't turn that red light on
will you convince yourself you're waiting on a wrong
waiting on a wrong
waiting on that wrong

it's easy to see you need it
but you'd be the first to cry
the bigger the beating the more you fall in line

but who needs a complication
it's just another hill to climb
just turn on that station
i hear those babes are fine

this arrow
in your empty garden
where your flowers haven't found the rain
how you felt that winter
and the rays of light that fell from grace

will you answer that this ground wasn't meant for me
will you answer all in innocence eventually

in a fainting moment
through the mist on your window pane
how you saw that image
and the image that you tried to erase

will you answer that this anger wasn't meant for me
will you answer all in innocence eventually

this arrow
straight into your heart
found another weakness
that halo
fell onto the floor like so many other secrets
this life you lived on yesterday
just a second more to witness
this life you gave tomorrow

in your empty garden
where your flowers start to wilt away
how you felt that summer
and the rays of light that drowned your face

will you answer that this ground wasn't meant for me
will you answer all in innocence eventually

lean on me
lean on me when your legs are gone
think of me when your thoughts have turned
dream of me when you sleep at night
believe this time

worship me when your faith is gone
drink from me when your well is dry
sing to me when your throat is tired
believe this time

i'm not about to say those words
i'm not about to sell regret
i'm not about to turn my back on humanity
and this soul we've lived

the tides
this is all i'll ever be
as part of my belief
and i'll make the best i can
for the tides

why you take it all away
why you take it all away from me

should i fear what i might see
to awake the wakening
while i sleep i feel again
for the tides

why you take it all away
why you take it all away from me

now the tide begins to breathe
and the water deepening
how it takes them all away
from me

wash these hands
well i'll be the hero
the right from wrong
save the sinners, break the strong
this country so far away from home

and i'll be the criminal
the jury, judge
wash these hands
the pain and blood of so many lives
so many lives

sweet sister agnes said a prayer
for the boys in normandy
when the day would end they'd fall to their knees

sweet brother jesus saved their souls
to lie in a bed of leaves
as the moonlight falls upon the killing fields
as they fall to their knees
to end this war

well i'll be the hero
the right from wrong
save the sinners, break the strong
this country so far away from home

and i'll be the criminal
the jury, judge
wash these hands
the pain and blood of so many lives
so many lives

sweet jeremiah played guitar
for the boys in 64
how they waited for so long to hear his voice

sweet marilyn she found her home
in the boys of 44
how they waited for so long to see her face
for so long to hear her voice
to end this war

and i'll be the hero
and i'll be the criminal
and i'll be the hero
and i'll be the criminal

so long
you talk about the weather
as if a change in atmosphere will do any good
with your indecision

your perfume and the window
two faces, eyes locked on the door
with your honesty only undiscovered

well i love the way you said you were all about change
you could take that karma
though you waited so long

you walked for miles between it
the passion so misunderstood
served you own advice in your hesitation

complacency and placement
it framed an hourglass all your own
now you found a home in your new disfigure

well i love the way you said you were all about change
you could take that karma
your beating pulse took race
could you stand that pace
could you see it

no you waited so long
why you waited so long
with your fist behind your back
the fear slowly tied on


well i love the way you said you were all about change
you could take that karma
your beating pulse took race
could you stand that pace
could you see it

no you waited so long
oh why you waited so long
with your fist behind your back
the fear slowly tied on


no you waited so long
oh why you waited so long
though you never cared for less
the years slowly made on

it's not me
i took my hands away to see another face
the echo of my own life
a man in front of me
a baby in his arms
the bastard of my own child

this land so strange
this land so strange
this land so strange
it's not me


i took my hands away to see a broken face
the marriage of my own wife
she fell in front of me
tears upon the floor
deserving of her own pride

this land so strange
this land so strange
this land so strange
it's not me

i took my hands away to see my youngest son
a victim of his own mind
dying in front of me and the answer that i found
it was easier to say why

i took my hands away and everyone was gone
everything that mattered
how loss came over me
i'll be better in a day
i didn't need them anyway