King Of America

Well, there's an old man's fantasy
Put in a young girl's mouth
Like cheap pink lipstick
Smeared on her wedding dress
Will you look what you've done to her
Will you look at this disgrace
Well, it's all over
Your suffering face
If we were chrome, we would be rusty
If we were thirst, we would be quenched
You don't need the same old rivet gun
You need a brand new wrench
Someone to pull you down on the ground
And cover you with kisses
Once i was the jewel of your heart
Now i'm only semi-precious
But if i seem so preoccupied
It's just my alibi--i'm all broken up inside
Even the words of love seem cruel and crass
When you're tough and transparent as armored glass
I prepared a bed for you
Then i sprayed perfume
Upon the wilted roses
That i'd scattered 'round the room
You came in gentle as a lamb
And turned into a terror
And you left your love and other threats
In the steam fading on my bathroom mirror
Well, it's an old man's fantasy
Put in a young girl's mouth
Like cheap pink lipstick
Smeared on her wedding dress
Will you look what you've done to me
Now you've put me in my place
Oh, it's all over
It's all over
It's all over
Your suffering face

Instrument

While nat king cole sings "welcome to my world"
You request some song you hate you sentimental fool
And it's the force of habit
If it moves then you fuck it
If it doesn't move you stab it

And i thought i heard "the working man's blues"
He went out to work that night and wasted his breath
Outside there was a public execution
Inside he died a thousand deaths

And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they put him in a suit of lights

In the perforated first editions
Where they advocate the hangman's noose
Then tell the sorry tale of the spent princess
Her uncouth escort looking down her dress

Anyway they say that she wears the trousers
And learnt everything that she does
And doesn't know if she should tell him yes
Or let him go

And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they put him in a suit of lights

Well it's a dog's life in a rope leash or a diamond collar
It's enough to make you think right now
But you don't bother
For goodness sake as you cry and shake
Let's keep you face down in the dirt where you belong
And think of all the pleasure that it brings
Though you know that it's wrong

And there's still life in your body
But most of it's leaving
Can't you give us all a break
Can't you stop breathing

And i thought i heard "the working man's blues"
I went to work that night and wasted my breath
Outside they're painting tar on somebody
It's the closest to a work of art that they will ever be

And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they pulled him out of the cold cold ground
And they put him in a suit of lights
And they put him in a suit of lights

We play these parlour games
We play at make believe
When we get to the part where i say that i'm going to leave
Everybody loves a happy ending but we don't even try
We go straight past pretending
To the part where everybody loves to cry

(chorus)
Indoor fireworks
Can still burn your fingers
Indoor fireworks
We swore we were safe as houses
They're not so spectacular
They don't burn up in the sky
But they can dazzle or delight
Or bring a tear
When the smoke gets in your eyes

You were the spice of life
The gin in my vermouth
And though the sparks would fly
I thought our love was fireproof
Sometimes we'd fight in public darling
With very little cause
But different kinds of sparks would fly
When we got on our own behind closed doors

(chorus)
It's time to tell the truth
These things have to be faced
My fuse is burning out
And all that powder's gone to waste
Don't think for a moment dear that we'll ever be through
I'll build a bonfire of my dreams
And burn a broken effigy of me and you

(chorus)

Well i had a little feeling to have a big night
And woke up feeling small and not so brave and not quite right
I had to face the who am i and where is she and what did i do
But worst of all i had to face the big light
<chorus>
The big light came through my window and it opened up my eyelids
And it snapped them up like roller blinds and told me things that i did
I can't face another day and night of good ideas and complications
And i'm thankful that i didn't open another bottle of inspiration
When the hangover this morning had a personality
And i cast my shattered mind over selected memories
I didn't even touch the light switch so i knew i'd never see
The haggard face that would be staring back at me
<chorus>
Well i had a little feeling to have a big time
And i woke up to alarm bells like a big church chime
I had to face the who am i and who is she and what did i do
But worst of all i had to face the big light
<chorus>

This love of mine is packed with stepping stone
These shoes are made for walking in reverse
In the dead of night, you tiptoe out and leave me all alone
Putting on your satin slip-ons and your sultry french cologne.

She's wearing shoes without heels.
She's walking over the floor.
She's walking all over me
Weirder therein, you know how it feels
When she walks right out of the door.

Well, i thought that i was bigger than this town
I thought i'd spend a pace and go the distance
But she picked me out, she used me up, and then she put me down
Now i'm driven til i'm crying, or i'm dreaming 'til i drown.

She's wearing shoes without heels.
She's walking over the floor.
She's walking all over me
Weirder therein, you know how it feels
When she walks right out of the door.

While you're busy packing underwear and other worthless trinkets,
Spare a thought for worthless men who drag on women like they're
Cigarettes, 'cause you watch him walk away from you
While he gets down and deals
Oh, he'll watch you walk away without heels

Oh, you think that he's a fool to tolerate
All the liberty you cherish and you roughly take
But to watch your love turn slowly from indifference to hate
Would hurt him more than any heart that you might care to break.

She's wearing shoes without heels.
She's walking over the floor.
She's walking all over you
But when she's finished, i know (?)
When she walks right back through the door.

Enter madam x painted in a shocking pink spangled dress
Her teeth are perfect but her mouth is loose
Rubbing their hands together she persuades them that it's better to confess
Which unpleasant fate they'd like to choose

(chorus)
Every step might be your last
Money signs are in your eyes sucker
You've been taken in this time
You might just get out alive if you're lucky
All the vultures tuning in to glitter gulch
Are looking in on you
And they're hungry

He stood five feet tall in his elevator shoes and stovepipe hat
He was known by several different names
Prompted by madam x he answered all their questions
And then after that he said i'm sick and tired of stupid games

(chorus)

We've got prizes if you can afford
Some small humiliation before you get your reward
And i'd rather be an outlaw than an inlaw to you
And to live my life in miserable poverty
Than to have to grovel to have some dream home hovel
So watch me while i get away with prime time robbery

As he enters madam x he things of red raged faces and the sweet greenbacks
He climbed upon his honey and he covered her with money
As they do their victory dance
He thinks i hope they choke upon their laughter tracks
They can all go straight to hell while we howl down the whole hotel

This is the place where i made my best mistakes
This is the place even angels don't understand
I've seen the disappointment in her face
And the collection of engagement rings on her right hand
She sits alone apart from the crowd
In a white dress she wears like a question mark
Friends speak of her fondly
Enemies just think out loud
You think you're man enough to please her
And you're fool enough to start
You're not going to do a thing to our little angel
There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change

Now the cabaret is frozen and the laughter comes in cans
And the lonely hearts club clientele don't know what to do with their hands
You think that you'll be sweet to her but everybody knows
That you're the marshmallow valentine that got stuck on her clothes
But you're not going to do a thing to our little angel
There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change

So you mix your drinks and words
You make bad jokes you make bad time
The floors are there to walk over
The walls are there to climb
You swear that you'll never go back again once you're inside
You're never the bridegroom she's always the bride
And you're not going to do a thing to our little angel
There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change

You'll come in a sweetheart and you'll go out a stranger
Well you try to love her but she's so contrary
Like a chainsaw running through a dictionary
So get your mind off the sweet behind of our little angel
You're not going to do a thing
You're not going to do a thing
You're not going to do a thing to our little angel

The soldier asked my name and did i come here very often
Well i thought that he was asking me to dance
In my holy coat and hat and him in his red bonnet
We'd have made a lovely couple but we never had the chance

[chorus]
And now you say that you've got to go
Well if you must you must
I suppose that you need the sleep of the just

Well it was a powerful day and there were black crows in the road
And i kept my strong opinions to my chest
I suppose i should have told them that i was on fire for you
When the bus burst into flames outside some place, 'the poet's rest'

[chorus]

A girl woke up in a naked light and said "oh no not again"
He even looked like her brother in the army but she never mentions him
He'll be tucked up in his bed tonight with his dirty-pictures girl
Saying, 'you're some mother's daughter you know or is it
Immaterial girl?'

Now she's pinned up upon the barracks wall in her home town
All the soldiers taking turns with their attentions
And as they speculate what she'd look like beneath that thin nightgown
His family pride was rising up as he cast his eyes down

He thought he was the king of america
Where they pour coca cola just like vintage wine
Now i try hard not to become hysterical
But i'm not sure if i am laughing or crying
I wish that i could push a button
And talk in the past and not the present tense
And watch this hurtin' feeling disappear
Like it was common sense
It was a fine idea at the time
Now it's a brilliant mistake

She said that she was working for the abc news
It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use
Her perfume was unspeakable
It lingered in the air
Like her artificial laughter
Her mementos of affairs
"oh" i said "i see you know him"
"isn't that very fortunate for you"
And she showed me his calling card
He came third or fourth and there were more than one or two
He was a fine idea at the time
Now he's a brilliant mistake

He thought he was the king of america
But it was just a boulevard of broken dreams
A trick they do with mirrors and with chemicals
The words of love in whispers
And the axe of love in screams
I wish that i could push a button
And talk in the past and not the present tense
And watch this lovin' feeling disappear
Like it was common sense
I was a fine idea at the time
Now i'm a brilliant mistake