WEEDS
We came across the North Sea with our carriers on our knees
Wound up in some holding camp somewhere outside Leeds.
Because we do not care to fight, my friends - we are the
weeds.
Because we got no homes they call us smelly refugees.
Ah. We are weeds, vegetation, dense undergrowth.
Thru' cracks in the pavement: there weeds will grow - the
places
you don't go.
This cut-price dairy produce that turns our bones to dust.
You want some entertainment?
Go on, shove it up me - if you must.
Make believe you're so turned on by planting trees &
shrubs
But you come round to visit us when you fancy booze 'n'
drugs.
Ah. We are weeds, vegetation, etc.
If you think it's a crime
We'd like to get you out of your mind.
It's just a matter of time, yeah
We'd like to get you out of your mind.
Gonna cut you down in your prime, yeah
We'd like to get you out of your mind.
For a little time: for all time.
Weed.
WEEDS II (THE ORIGIN
OF THE SPECIES)
This is the true story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
A story of cultivation, exploitation, civilization.
Found flowering on wasteland unnoticed, unofficial, accidental.
A cutting was taken but weeds do not thrive under hothouse
conditions & wilt when in competition with more exotic
strains.
A charming naivety, very short flowering season;
no sooner has the first blooming begun than decay sets in.
Bring your camera, take photo of life on the margins.
Offer money in exchange for sex & then get a taxi home.
The story has always been the same
A source of wonder due to their ability to thrive on poor
quality soil offering very little nourishment
Drinking 'Nourishment'.
But weeds must be kept under strict control or they will
destroy
everything in their path.
Growing wild, then harvested in their prime & passed
around
at dinner parties.
Care for some weed?
So natural, so wild, so unrefined & someone's gonna
make a
fortune one day
If only they can market this stuff right.
Come on: do your dance.
Come on, do your funny little dance.
Germination. Plantation. Exploitation. Civilization.
A sensational buzz - zzzzzz.
Crop rotation. Genetic modification. The creation of
expectation. Ultimate frustration.
This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
NIGHT MINNIE TIMPERLY
DIED
"There's a light that shines on everything & everyone.
And it shines so bright - brighter even than the sun".
That's what Minnie thinks as she walks to meet her brother,
who is nearly two years older, on a Saturday night.
He's DJ-ing at some do on the edge of town on the night
that Minnie Timperley died.
It's such a beautiful world, you're such a beautiful girl.
So much that you want to try, the world wants to sleep with
you
tonight.
But Minnie, Minnie if I could I would give you the rest
of my
life.
How can a girl have sex with these pathetic teenage wrecks?
Football scarves, the girls drink halves & her brother's
crying 'cos he has lost his decks.
Outside the air was cool, an older guy sitting in his car
asked
if Minnie needed a ride.
He thought he was still dangerous - paunchy, but dangerous
-
on the night that Minnie Timperley died.
It's such a beautiful world, you're such a beautiful girl.
And he only did what he did 'cos you looked like one of
his
kids.
But Minnie, Minnie if I could I would give you the rest
of my
life.
Minnie. Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain. Oh yeah
TREES
I took an air rifle
Shot a magpie to the ground
And it died without a sound
Your skin's so pale
Against the fallen autumn leaves
No-one saw us but the trees
Yeah, the trees
Those useless trees
Produce the air
That I am breathing
Yeah, the trees
Those useless trees
They never said
That you were leaving
I carved your name
With a heart just up above
Now swollen, distorted
Unrecognisable, like our love
You smell of leaf mould
And the sweetness of decay
Or the incense at the funeral procession here today
And the trees
Those useless trees
Produce the air
That I am breathing
Yeah, the trees
Those useless trees
They never said
That you were leaving
Ah
Try to shape the world to what you want the
world to be
Carving your name a thousand times won't bring you back
to me
Oh, no, I might as well
I might as well go tell it to the trees, yeah
Oh yeah, the trees
Those useless trees
Produce the air
That I am breathing
Yeah, the trees
Those useless trees
They never said
That you were leaving
Go and tell it to the trees, yeah
Go tell it to the trees, yeah
Go tell it to the trees, yeah
Go tell it to the trees, yeah
Go tell it to the trees, yeah
WICKERMAN
Just behind the station, before you reach the traffic island,
a
river runs thru' a concrete channel.
I took you there once; I think it was after the Leadmill.
The water was dirty & smelt of industrialisation
Little masters coughing their lungs up & globules the
colour
of tomato ketchup.
But it flows. Yeah, it flows.
Underneath the city thru' dirty brickwork conduits
Connecting white witches on the Moor with pre-raphaelites
down
in Broomhall.
Beneath the old Trebor factory that burnt down in the early
seventies.
Leaving an antiquated sweet-shop smell & caverns of
nougat
& caramel.
Nougat. Yeah, nougat & caramel.
And the river flows on.
Yeah, the river flows on beneath pudgy fifteen-year olds
addicted to coffee whitener
And it finally comes above ground again at Forge Dam: the
place
where we first met.
I went there again for old time's sake
Hoping to find the child's toy horse ride that played such
a
ridiculously tragic tune.
It was still there - but none of the kids seemed interested
in
riding on it.
And the cafe was still there too
The same press-in plastic letters on the price list &
scuffed formica-top tables.
I sat as close as possible to the seat where I'd met you
that
autumn afternoon.
And then, after what seemed like hours of thinking about
it
I finally took your face in my hands & I kissed you
for the
first time
And a feeling like electricity flowed thru' my whole body.
And I immediately knew that I'd entered a completely different
world.
And all the time, in the background, the sound of that
ridiculously heartbreaking child's ride outside.
At the other end of town the river flows
underneath an old
railway viaduct
I went there with you once - except you were somebody else
-
And we gazed down at the sludgy brown surface of the water
together.
Then a passer-by told us that it used to be a local custom
to
jump off the viaduct into the river
When coming home from the pub on a Saturday night.
But that this custom had died out when someone jumped
Landed too near to the riverbank
Had sunk in the mud there & drowned before anyone could
reach them.
I don't know if he'd just made the whole story up, but there's
no way you'd get me to jump off that bridge.
No chance. Never in a million years.
Yeah, a river flows underneath this city
I'd like to go there with you now my pretty & follow
it on
for miles & miles, below other people's ordinary lives.
Occasionally catching a glimpse of the moon, thru' man-hole
covers along the route.
Yeah, it's dark sometimes but if you hold my hand, I think
I
know the way.
Oh, this is as far as we got last time
But if we go just another mile we will surface surrounded
by
grass & trees & the fly-over that takes the cars
to
cities.
Buds that explode at the slightest touch, nettles that sting
-
but not too much.
I've never been past this point, what lies ahead I really
could
not say.
I used to live just by the river, in a dis-used factory
just off
the Wicker
The river flowed by day after day
"One day" I thought, "One day I will follow
it" but that day never came
I moved away & lost track but tonight I am thinking
about
making my way back.
I may find you there & float on wherever the river may
take
me.
Wherever the river may take me.
Wherever the river may take us.
Wherever it wants us to go.
Wherever it wants us to go.
I LOVE LIFE
Here comes your bedtime story: Mum & Dad have sentenced
you
to life.
Don't think twice; it's the only reason I'm alive.
I feel alright as long as I don't forget to breathe.
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out.
Look at all these buildings & houses
I love my life. I love my life.
Hey now, slow down a minute.
Take my arms & fill them full of life.
Don't think twice.
Does it ease the pain of being alive?
Or is it why - why you keep nodding out on me?
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out.
Another day, another major disaster
I love my life. I love my life.
You got a problem.
I lost my keys when I stayed at your place.
On the floor of your living room, you made the scene but
it'll
never get shown on TV.
So tonight prepare to kiss goodbye to my love life.
So get this right- I love my life; it's the only reason
I'm
alive.
It's mine, all mine - as long as I don't forget to breathe.
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out.
Corny I know, but you had better believe it
I love my life. I love my life. I love my life. God, how
I love
my life.
That's right: you've got to fight to the death for the right
to
live your life.
Alright: I'm gonna fight to the death 'til they give me
back my
life.
That's right: you're in the land of the living but there's
so
few signs of life.
Alright.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe out.
BIRDS IN YOUR GARDEN
It's six o'clock, the birds are singing.
I'm wide awake whilst you're still fast asleep.
I went outside, into your garden.
The sun was bright & the air was cool
And as I stood there listening
Well the birds in your garden they all started singing this
song
"Take her now. Don't be scared, it's alright.
Oh, come on, touch her inside.
It's a crime against nature - she's been waiting all night.
Come on, hold her, & kiss her & tell her you care
If you wait 'til tomorrow she'll no longer be there.
Come on & give it to her.
You know it's now or never. "
Yeah, the birds in your garden have all started singing
this
song.
My father never told me about the birds &
the bees.
And I guess I never realised that I would ever meet birds
as
beautiful as these.
I came inside, climbed to your bedroom.
I kissed your eyes awake & then I did what I knew was
only
natural.
And then the birds in your garden, they all started singing
this
song
"Take her now. Don't be scared, it's alright.
Oh, come on, touch her inside.
It's a crime against nature - she's been waiting all night.
Come on, hold her, & kiss her & tell her you care
If you wait 'til tomorrow she'll no longer be there.
Come on & give it to her. You know it's now or never.
"
Yeah, the birds in your garden have all started singing
this
song.
Yeah, the birds in your garden, they taught me the words
to this
song.
BOB LIND (THE ONLY
WAY IS DOWN)
When you think you're treading water, but you're just learning
how to drown.
And a song comes on the radio telling you that "The
Only
Way is Down".
You're out of luck, you're out of time, get out of here.
Your lover just traded you in for the very same model but
a much
more recent year.
It will not stop, it will get worse from day to day 'til
you
admit that you're a fuck-up; like the rest of us.
Oh, that's the time you fall apart.
That's the time the teardrops start & that's the time
you
fall in love again.
Yeah, that's the time you fall in love again.
The recreational pursuits that made you shine have worn
you
thin.
And it's oh so fine getting out of your mind as long as
you can
find your way back in.
You want someone to screw your brains out
I'd say they're running out of time & they'd only go
&
cut themselves on the daggers of your mind.
This is your future.
This is the sentence you must serve 'til you admit that
you're a
fuck-up like the rest of us.
Oh, that's the time you fall apart.
That's the time the teardrops start & that's the time
you
fall in love again.
When you've had enough, when you've had too much,
when you got knocked down & you never got up.
That's the time you fall in love again.
Oh, when you walked into the room I could not breathe, I
could
not speak.
Please could I hide myself inside you?
As far inside as it's possible to be.
Can you assist me? I could not make it on my own.
Can I give you all the love I have?
It's not much but I'll try & raise a loan.
I have no pride left, no, no there is nothing I'm trying
to
prove
No, I am a fuck-up; just the same as you.
Oh, I guess this is where I fall apart
And I guess this is where the teardrops start but I don't
care
'cos I just fell in love again.
And I'd had enough - well, far too much
I just fell down, could you please help me up?
"Cos if you help me maybe I could fall in love again.
Na na
na.
BAD COVER VERSION
The word's on the street: you've found someone new.
If he looks nothing like me I'm so happy for you.
I heard an old girlfriend has turned to the church -
she's trying to replace me, but it'll never work.
'Cos every touch reminds you of just how sweet it could
have
been
And every time he kisses you it leaves behind the bitter
taste
of saccharine.
A bad cover version of love is not the real thing.
Bikini-clad girl on the front who invited you in.
Such great disappointment when you got him home -
the original was so good; the one you no longer own.
And every touch reminds you of just how sweet it could have
been
And every time he kisses you, you get the
taste of saccharine.
It's not easy to forget me, it's so hard to disconnect
When it's electronically reprocessed to give a more life-like
effect.
Aah, sing your song about all the sad imitations
that got it so
wrong
It's like a later "Tom & Jerry" when the two
of
them could talk
Like the Stones since the Eighties, like the last days of
Southfork.
Like "Planet of the Apes" on TV, the second side
of
"'Til the Band Comes in"
Like an own-brand box of cornflakes: he's going to let you
down
my friend.
ROADKILL
The feel of my arm around your waist, the pale blue nightdress
that you wore.
Your hair in braids, your sailor top: the things I don't
see
anymore.
You lost your suitcase in my hotel room, a subway token
from
your Ma.
The sun reflecting off the water on your face & the
way you
drove your car.
All these things I can't forget tho' I don't see you anymore.
Drove to the airport thru' a traffic jam;
a deer lay dying in
the road.
Maybe I should have seen it as some kind of sign, except
I don't
believe in them no more.
No, no - but I believe these things I can't forget, tho'
I don't
see you anymore.
Yes, I believe these things I can't forget, 'cos I see them
-
tho' I don't see you anymore.
SUNRISE
I used to hate the sun because it shone on everything I'd
done.
Made me feel that all that I had done was overfill the ashtray
of my life.
All my achievements in days of yore range from pathetic
to
piss-poor,
But all that's gonna change.
Because here comes sunrise.
Yeah, here's your sunrise.
I used to hide from the sun,
tried to live my whole life underground.
Why'd you have to rise & ruin all my fun?
Just turned over,
Closed the curtains on the day. But here comes sunrise.
Yeah, here's your sunrise when you've been awake all night
long
And you feel like crashing out at dawn.
But you've been awake all night, so why should you crash
out at
dawn?
