- Miracle Drug
He was tied to the bed with a miracle drug in one hand,
In the other, a great lost novel that, I understand, was returned with a stamp
That said "thank you for your interest, young man."
While preparing his soul for a perilous slide into crime,
He had decided that he would err on this side of divine,
Being told this was wise, that there'd be payback with interest in due time
So why all the history now?
He was tied to a job selling miracle drugs from his home,
At his door every morning, a trophy arrived with the dawn,
With the following inscribed:
"we've followed you with interest for some time."
So why all the history now?
He was tied to the bed with a miracle drug in one hand.
- Drink To Me, Babe, Then
Come to me, please, all these years fall through,
Through the cracks and now this perfect view,
On the upside, both sides win.
On the downside, we buy, we pull through,
Through the pouring choices rich kids choose,
On a landslide, you ride in.
(Chorus)
Drink to me, babe, then. Think of me, babe, then.
Lady, we both know what the scores don't show,
Drink to me, babe, then.
Now it's come home, held on, held the truth,
Like a threat to point-blank eyes as proof,
You were too shy to lie to.
We're offended, shocked our plan would fail,
Now you've wandered farther from the trail,
On a landslide, you ride in.
(Chorus)
Instrumental bridge
(Chorus to end)
- On The Table
On the table, the deal that kept the courts at arms length,
Stealing our thoughts with the force of their non-sequiturs - amateurs.
On the table, the view behind the legs of dancers,
Windows of chance there, lost on the trail of dissent - innocent.
Do re mi, innocent.
On the table, the deal between the thieves and exits,
Common and breathless, shrugging at what they've become - number one.
On the table, the steal that kept the courts at arms length,
Stealing our hearts with the force of the new evidence - innocent.
Do re mi, innocent.
Now the plain blondes are playing along with you x 2
On the table, our hopes become a starting pistol,
Though we have missed all the minutes, we know what weíve won.
Are we done?
On the table, the deal between the legs of mankind,
Walking a straight line, copping a plea as they went - innocent.
Do re mi, innocent.
Now the plain blondes are playing along with you x 2
On the table x 4
- Most Of Us Prizefighters
Sing what your worth, dinner is served, open your eyes,
Most of us prizefighters will fall for fashion.
But who of us here wants to look back, just to realize
That most of us prizefighters will fall for fashion?
So why wouldn't we fall for you?
The curse of the crowded room, one we have all been to
In the course of a lifetime.
Cut to - a figure alone too soon. Figure it out.
Now who, who would you like it to be?
Yeah, who would you like it to be?
Some have to fight, forced onto sides, heroes will rise,
But most of us prizefighters will fall for fashion.
Most of us prizefighters will fall for fashion. x 2
- The Battle For Straight Time
O come sweet life, wash clean my hands.
The revolution has been left to chance.
This dawns on me every morning at about three.
Battle for straight time x 4
End of the road, our clock strikes nine.
Take back the streets, or take straight time for this.
My pure gone days, every morning an about face.
Battle for straight time x 4
(Bridge)
Our time in hell has served us fine.
At last alive, we'll meet at five for this.
Cocktails on me, we can light them on the count three.
Battle for straight time x 4
(Bridge to end)
- Secretarial
One day you blew across the water after racing through the countdown,
Spewing ancient wisdom like your friends the revelations had come,
And they were looking for me.
I took the red-eye back to glory but the more I got the facts straight,
It turns out that the story's getting shorter,
And what I want to know is: will it happen to me?
(Chorus)
Can't take them out, can't take them out with baby artillery.
Can't take them, can't take them out,
Lady, it's secretarial. Secretarial.
We've been divided, we've decided it's a problem we can live with,
The motion to defeat it is repeated,
And what I want to know is: will it happen to me?
So come on, let the son in, we've been gunning for promotion,
Postering the slogans on the roadsigns,
But I want to know when it happens to me.
(Chorus)
(Instrumental verse)
(Chorus to end)
- Come Crash
That's luck, she led, we should be dead.
We eyed the wreck. Good god, we said.
She plants one kiss, for the road, on my chest.
Sirens came after we left.
Christine, come crash on my floor x 2
That's life, she said, we should be dead,
We should be stars and perfect tens,
And that's just three off the top of my head.
Once again, you're a godsend.
Christine, come crash on my floor x 2
That's true, she said, we should dead,
I should be sleeping in your bed.
Instead, I'll crash on your floor
Christine, come crash on my floor x 4
- Better Than Most
Better than most at feeling your pain,
Walking wounded through the stars tonight, we wander the plains,
Pointing pistols at the dawn.
(Chorus)
Never looked into your eyes this long, with a dollars worth of distance run,
Courtesy of the broken and holy one.
Your lipstick is thick but Paris is gone,
And I wish this was a crowded room, now the challenge is on,
And I never learned to fly.
(Chorus)
Better than most at feeling no pain,
Just as soon as you arrive, we'll start,
I want to explain why I never learned to fly.
(Chorus)
Better than most at feeling no pain.
Better then most at feeling your pain.
- The Cloud Prayer
You don't think that I tried for you? I went into disguise for you.
So, of course, almost no one knew.
You don't think there was payment due? I blew up in the sky for you.
Anyone who saw it knew.
But did you, didn't you ever wonder,
Maybe if you were under your own spell?
Thinking it was all she wrote, thinking it was all she wrote,
Thinking it was all the words ever written.
So, of course, almost no one knew x 2
- The Town Halo
Up through the crystal, nineteen and counting,
And miles away, a voice from the mountain.
Back from the program, our own girl Jesus,
So proud to say we love her to pieces. We do.
So tell us the story again, of how you became the town halo.
Up through the crystal, raised on mythology,
She winds her way from truth to apology,
Topless in new wings, free for the taking,
And miles away, a foundation shaking for you
So tell us the story again, of how you became the town halo.
(Bridge)
Under construction but based on a true one,
The facts will change so tell us what you want.
Air from a bottle, the press can't breathe it.
We're proud to say we love her to pieces. We do.
So tell us the story again, of how you became the town halo.
- 35 In The Shade
Game on, Cleopatra get mad, pull a rabbit from your top hat.
Pick a card, any card,
When they kept to the yard, you strayed - 35 in the shade.
Game on, Cleopatra get down, leave your coat in the lost and found.
Coasting purely on feel,
Where the others would steal, you paid - 35 in the shade.
Tell me I'm - tell me I'm the best argument for our side.
Every time, every time, the best argument for our side comes from you.
All joking aside, there goes my ride.
Game on, I found you in the stars, holding court in a downstairs bar,
Until the champions arrived,
Where the others survived, we played - 35 in the shade.
Tell me I'm - tell me I'm the best argument for our side.
Every time, every time, the best argument for our side comes from you.
All joking aside, there goes my ride.
All songs written by A.C. Newman ©2004 SOCAN
Produced by John Collins, Dave Carswell and A.C. Newman
Recorded at JC/DC studios by John Collins and Dave Carswell, October to December 2003, except track 8 which was recorded at home
Mixed at The Factory and JC/DC
Mixed by Howard Redekopp
except: tracks 4 and 6 were mixed by John and Dave, and track 8 was mixed by John and A.C. Newman
Mastered by Jamie Sitar at Suite Sound Labs
Thank yous - John Collins, Dave Carswell, Howard Redekopp, Heather Delong, Shane Nelken, Fisher Rose, Pete Bourne, Patrick Amory, Chris Lombardi, Gerard Cosloy, Nils Bernstein, Ben Goldberg, Miwa Okumura, Robin Mitchell, Karin Bubas, Randy Iwata, Bill Baker, Yvette Ray, Ali Giampino, Sarah Wheeler, Shaun Brodie, Max Lee, Megan Bradfield, John McLean, Sheldon Zaharko, Ed and Barb Collins, Kurt Dahle, Blaine Thurier, Erin Collins and we acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Music Fund for this project.