MAXWELL MURDER
Maxwell can't tell he's in hell
he just wants you to visit him there
same old game that he's playin
his rules are never fair
nobody want to look back evrybody wanna get high tonight
before they run outta time where's the felon the chargible
felon the name of the crook who committed the crime
dial 999 if you really want the truth
dial 999 if you can't see it through
he ain't jack the ripper he's your ordinary crook
calling maxwell murder for you
maxwell got a hand in his plan
he knows who you are in this plan
chop the rock before you bought it
sick maxwell knows you got it
.
THE 11th HOUR
Hey sister do you know what time it was
when you finally seen all your broken dreams come crashing down your door
they demand an answer and they demand it quick
or the questions fade and the wasted days come crawling back for more
do you know where the power lies?
and who pulls the strings
do you know where the power lies
it starts and end with you
the face of isolation well well this one you recognize
well you can't get staright it's a lonely place
and it's one you do despise
boredom is for sale now and helplessness you feel
it's a wounded dove and the hawks are above
blood splattered on a reel to reel
I was almost over my world was almost gone
in a sudden rush I coul almost touch the things that I'd done wrong
my sungle's made of concrete through silence I could feel
my aim is true I will walk on through these mountains made of steel.
.
ROOTS RADICALS
Took the 60 bus out of downtown Cambell
Ben Zandito he was on there he was waitin' for me
all the punk rockers and the moon stompers
are out on the wriers where they sparing for change
I started thinkin' you know I started drinkin'
you know I don't remember too much of that day
somethin' struck me funny when we ran out of money
do you go now when your only is
with the music execution and the talk of revolution
it bleed in me and it goes
give 'em the boot the roots the radicals
Give 'em the boot you know I'm a radical
give 'em the boot the roots the reggae on my stereo
the radio was playin' Desmon Dekker was singin'
on the 49 bus as we climb up the hill
nothin' incoming but the reggae drummin'
and we all come from unloving homes
why even bother I pick up the bottle
hey mr. bus driver please let these people on
rude girl Carol was a mini-skirt girl my blurry vision saw nothin' wrong.
.
TIME BOMB
If you wanna make the move then you better come
in it's just the ability to reason that wears so thin
living and dying and the stories that are true
the secrets to a good life is knowing when you're through
black coat, white shoes, clackhat, cadillac
the boy's a time bomb
he's back in the hole where they got him living
like a rat but he's smarter than that nine lives
like a cat take him to the youth authority home
first thing you learn is that you got to make it in this world alone
now he's gotten out he's gotten free he's gotta go gotta car
21 years old he's runnin' from the bar
his pager's beepin' he's got in deep in
what ever he can move on in you know that kid's a creepin' in
tears come from the razor that's been tattooed below his eye
his mother cries she knows that he is strong enough to die
he's rollin' in the Cadillac it's midnight sunroof is down
three shots rung out the herd's deal the new king is crowned.
.
OLYMPIA WA
Hangin' out with Lars on 6th street he knew I was in
trouble I was feeling much like the devil there was
something burnin' deep inside of me ran into three
Puerto Ricans these girls took us to the funhouse
where we played a lonely pinball machine hangin'
on the corner of 52nd and Broadway cars passin'
by but none of them seem to be goin' my way New
York City well I wish I was on a highway back to
Olympia...I'm having a hard time understanding it
gets all too demanding she's all gone and I'm
stranded something burning deep inside of me
all I know it's 4'o'clock and she ain't never showed up
and I watched a thousand people go home from work
how many times will it take me before I go crazy before
I lose everything something burning deep inside of
me ran into three Puerto Ricans those girls took us
to the funhouse I don't wanna be alone again.
.
LOCK STEP AND GONE
The ending isn't here somethin' wrong but it's comin'
real soon I lock step I'm gone I said the feeling isn't
fear there's something wrong it's just telling you to
move I lock step I'm gone a fire on the corner and
it's never gonna stop killer in the neighborhood
never got caught I lock up my door step out and
I'm gone Waitin' for the buses but the buses won't
come all the docks are quiet there's somethin'
wrong and there's no ships comin' in I lock step
I'm gone where there once was a riot there's
somethin' wrong there's a whole lot of nothin' lock
step I'm gone the stop signs broken and the
meters goin' down wild dogs are runnin' themselves
into the ground everything was clear for that
moment in time if I don't come back well throw me
a line well the docks are quiet something wrong
and there's no ships comin' in I lock step I'm gone
where there once was a riot There's a whole lot of nothin'.......
.
JUNKIE MAN
The common man doesn't suffer pain like this
only the soul that has never been kissed let us
adore our beautiful son he's ridin' on the River
of Babylon bootin' up, shootin' up bring on the
brightness see the son of god is comin' up and
I see a likeness internalize the lunacy of the
misery is showin' when you're brought up you're
caught up in a system that's goin' no one answers
no one takes that call from you junkyman tell me
what your story is... water I despise some parents
house is on fire slowly the house gonna burn to
the ground the naighborhood will watch will
someone be a witness please tell me that he's
crazy but he's not and they know that and they
can't get him cause he's not crazy beat lock him
knock him take him away his authority hit 'em,
ship 'em, club 'em submitted conformity my hand
went blind clairvoyant I make love to my trance
sister my trance sister went on and my trance
parents see from the balcony I looked out on
the big field it opens like the cover of an old
brief And out come the wolves their plans
trampling the snow the asphalt I stand on my
head and watch it all go away, bootin' up,
shootin' up bring on the brightness see the
son of god is comin' up and there's a likeness
internalize the lunacy the misery is showin' when
your brough up and caught up in a system that is goin'
.
LISTED MIA
Stuck in the sewer beneath all the maggots I ain't
foolin' I've been pursuing god damn it man I almost
had it a way to get out of these dirty old ruins I'm
checkin' out I'm never comin' back I'm checkin'
out I'm listed M.I.A. god damn it man I almost had
it threw me out the door and called me a faggot I
ain't done I've only yet begun West Oakland is
the place where I'm comin' from god damn it man
I almost had it well I did it again yeah I do it outta
habit well I'm numb it ain't no fun I'm less than zero
when you add up the sum I'm checkin' out yeah
it ain't no doubt yea a courtship built from anger
is what it amounts I almost had it I came so close
man I almost had it I almost had it
.
RUBY SOHO
Echoes of reggae comin through my bedroom wall
Havin a party up next door but i'm sittin here all alone
Two lovers in the bedroom and the other starts to shout
All i got is this blank stare and that don't carry no clout at all
Destination unknown
Ruby ruby ruby ruby soho
He's singin and she's there to lend a hand
He's seen his name on the marquee but she will never understand
Once again he's leavin and she's there with a tear in her eye
Embraces with a warm gesture it's time, time to say goodbye
Ruby's heart ain't beatin cause she knows the feelin is gone
She's not the only one who knew there's somethin wrong
Little lover's in the distance as she wipes a tear from her eye
Ruby's fading out she disappears, it's time, time to say goodbye
.
DALY CITY TRAIN
He was an artist and a writer and a poet and a
friend in a man's life he will take a fall but how
low he goes it just depends he's shooting dope
in the men's room at the station daly city train
have you ever seen an angel well I know I have
they'll stay here for a while and then they'll fly
away Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I
seen him when he rolled the dice he never thought
twice never thought twice about being here some
grown up and some grow old but what about the
kid who never learned the rules spent all these
years on this earth when you look back it's just a
flicker of time Jackyl was one of the one's that
he was one of the one's that was already saved
through all the evil and wreckage he maintained
a sense of himself some men are in prison even
though they walk the streets at night other men
who got the lockdown are free as a bird in flight
.
JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EAST BAY
reconcile to the relief
consumed in sacred ground for me
there wasn't always a place to go
but there was always an urgent need to belong
all these bands and all these people all these friends and we were equals
but what you gonna do when everybody goes on without you?
to the end to the end i'll journey to the end
started in 87 ended in 89 got a garage or an amp we'll play anytime
it was just the 4 of us, yeah man the core of us too much attention
unavoidably destroyed us 4 kids on tour, 3000 miles in a 4-door car
not know what was goin' on we got a million years tourin' out
like this hell no no premonition coulda seen this
my friend came from far away from new orleans into the east bay
he said this is a mecca i said this ain't no mecca man, this place's fucked
3 months go by, he had no home he had no food he's all alone
matty said fool me once shame on you didn't fool me twice
he went back to new orleans
.
SHE´S AUTOMATIC
The way that she moves well I was aroused impowered,
impassioned by every move it's cold outside we need
a place to hide go into the club to thaw out for the night
she's automatic the way that she moves she asked
me if I would stand by her side like glue that I would till
the end of the night my head was spinnin' a million
miles an hour the chance I was takin' I get anxious
around her she put her head on my shoulder I started
to hold her swingin' and swayin' the morning began
.
OLD FRIEND
Look up you're in Cleveland again a solid line that
never ends I've got stories you'll never realize and
I know it I wear it on my sleeve there must be
somethin' about you that I liked but right here in
the rain you know it just don't seem right I always
go out I never hide but in Cleveland I should have
stayed inside good morning heartache your like
an old friend come and see me again testify my love
for you I know it runs deep through your body too
from the cold blacktop to the hot concrete the old tan
van it ain't so sweet somewhere in America in the
city at night we were far from home but you know it
was gonna be alright the unfortunate get prayed
on by vultures eyes 86 cents in these pockets of mine
.
DISORDER AND DISARRY
Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that i understand
Your my candle i'm burning your wick
Two sides comin' in quick
Say goodbye when you see the sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucifiy me
The ground is fertile and the grass is green
So many things to be seen
So many bands to be heard
Just for once can i be ignored?
.
THE WARS END
Little Sammy was a punk rocker you know his mother
never understand him went to his room and smashed
his Billy Bragg record didn't want him to hear that
communist lecture you know his mother tried to take
him to war Sammy now the war is over now we're at
the wars end now it's time for you to leave home
.
YOU DONT CARE NOTHING
A cat lies awake when it sleeps was she conscious
of her own miseries will the amount of her pain win
her to enlightenment and set conscience free do you
really wanna know what's happenin' do you really
wanna know what's goin' on hey girl you better please
take a look around you better explore your heart and
find out for yourself Jenny Demilo you don't care
nothin' about me I never realy had a reason never
had a use for one before but now I know that there's
now a prize but for the wise and the unwise do you
really wanna know what's happenin' do you really
wann know what's goin' on hey girl you better
please take a look around you better explore your
heart and find out for yourself
.
AS WICKED
I saw an old man on the street he was in a dumpster
lookin' for somethin' to eat he moved so slow like
a dyin' dream like a machinist who got caught in
the machine I saw this lady and she was cryin' she
said it's hard when someone you love is dyin' I
saw this kid who was about 5 years old he was in
the park all alone he was cold there's something
coming around as wicked as it may seem as
wicked as anything could be I know this girl she's
barely alive she's all haggard she's only twenty-five
she said she never had a friend before I said "hey
girl I'll be your friend but who's keepin' score" I saw
this other little girl on the phone her mother comforts
her from far from home the little girl was very hesitant
her best friend lie dead on the pavement I always
end up back on the hill lookin' down at the landfill I
always go there when I can my friend Marty said
Tim you're a lucky man
 
AVENUES AND ALLEYWAYS
I figured out the problem but you can't take my heart
it's in the city behind yea the problem is you you
didn't see us comin' now there's nothin' you can do
times are gonna change, change or step aside
it's my point of view that took you by surprise the
sun's comin up yea the new dawn arrives a new
generation standing stand with anger in their eyes
no love in the city because there's no connection
been stricken with disease a racial infection I'm a
battering ram comin' through to you in every
alleyway on every avenue actions could erase
all the fear that we suffer people segregated no
one understands each other he's a different color
but we're the same kid I will treat him like my
brother he will treat me like his well an eye for an
eye yea a tooth for a tooth brother against brother
should be singin' with the group the inner cities
burnin' yea it's screamin' black and blue the power
and the passion of a million youth figured out the
problem yea the problem is you you din't see us
comin' now there's nothin' you can do he's a
different color but we're the same kid I will treat
him like my brother he will treat me like his all the
blood that spills of all the guts that fly the media
paints a picture that stands pits dogs against cats
now who is responsible the power in the issue
the force is unstoppable
.
THE WAY I FEEL
Pick me back up just to throw me back down
apoogies too like when you're up against the
wall compassion heals while duplicity kills you
say I'm different the only thing different is the way
I feel about you You moved up the ladder at a
very rapid speed we mived methodically and
calmly when you got to the top you see enemies
if I knew back then what I know that it would all turn
out like this I'd sit back and I'd watch you squirm
cause you say I'm different the only thing different
is the way I feel about you.....