Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
Jackson Cannery
Stop the bus
I wanna be lonely
When seconds pass slowly
And years go flying by
You gotta stop the bus
I'll get off here
Enough's enough
I'm leaving this factory
All she wants
Is food on the table
And I won't be able
To bring it home
And all I want, come on
Cause all I need, yeah, is free
Cause I�m a factory
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me
Big brother got the keys
I got Jackson Cannery
Millionaires and millrats live side by side here
Messed up my brother's mind
He's far from Earth
Tell me, what's he worth? Nothing!
The same as you
The same as me
In this factory
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me
Big brother got the keys and
I got Jackson Cannery
Come on
"That was pretty good, try it again."
"Think so?"
It's four in the morning
Mother don't know
That I'm going far away
She's whispering to the moon
I hope he don't join you soon
Baby boss
Climbs up on his soapbox
Great Caesar's Ghost
Knows what's best for me
He says stop the bus
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me, but
Big brother got the keys
I got Jackson Cannery
(Big brother got the keys)
And I got Jackson Cannery
Big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
Philosophy
Won�t you look up at the skyline
At the mortar, block and glass
And check out the reflections in my eyes
You see they always used to be there
Even when this all was grass
And I sang and danced about a high rise
And you were laughing at my helmet hat
Laughing at my torch
Go ahead you can laugh all you want
I got my philosophy
(keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground
And that�s why my philosophy
Keeps me walking when I�m falling down
(philosophy)
I see that there is evil
And I know that there is good
And the in-betweens I never understood
Won't you look at me I�m crazy
But I get the job done
Yeah I�m crazy but I get the job done
And I say, go ahead you can laugh all you want
But I got my philosophy
(keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground
That�s why my philosophy
Keeps me walking when I�m falling down
(philosophy)
I pushed you cause I loved you guys
I didn�t realize you weren�t having fun
And I dragged you up the stairs
And I told you to fly
You were flapping your arms
You started to cry
You were too high
Too high
Now you take this all for granted
You take the mortar, block and glass
And you forget the speech that moved the stone
But it�s really not that you can�t see
The forest from the trees
You never been out in the woods alone
So you can laugh all you want to
But I�ve got my philosophy
(keeps my feet on the ground)
And I love you, you�re my friend
But you got no philosophy
Now it�s time for this song to end
(philosophy)
Julianne
I met this girl, she looked like Axl Rose
Got drunk and took her home and we slept in our clothes
And in the morning put my feet on the floor and thought
Being awake never felt like this before
And Julianne, y'know she wouldn't approve
Talked all day on the phone 'cause I had nothing to do
Got rid of Axl by the afternoon
Being awake never felt so clear and blue
That's all I knew
Guess that I was innocent too
I'll sing a song and it won't be the blues
Cause I don't miss Julianne
My friend she told me she felt sorry for me
She said the truth would come crashing down on me (down on me)
That I'd be sorry but the truth all it is
That I feel guilty for not giving a shit
That's all I knew
Guess that I was innocent too
I'll sing a song, yeah, and it won't be the blues
Cause I don't miss Julianne
I got a bag of trash
I got my bag of trash
I walk it up and down, I drag it up and down the road
How could she miss a man
Who drags a bag of trash down the road? (put that over there)
This week I feel like I've been born again (born again)
You know that Julianne, she would have a fit (yeah, have a fit)
She'd find a reason for the things that I did
And give me credit for the things that I've never been
That's all I knew
Guess that I was innocent too
I can try just as hard as I can
And I don't miss Julianne
That's all I knew
Guess that I was innocent too
Yeah, I can try just as hard as I can
And I don't miss Julianne
Where's Summer B.?
I�d like to tell you, like to tell you
Tell you everything
Cause nothing changes, ever changes
Doesn't seem the same these days
Dave�s been a mess since Cheryl left
Just sits at home and beats back death
And Beth still wears that stupid dress
There goes Joe Caparo again
With Darren�s girlfriend
They�re asking where ya been
Like I know
Where ya been
Hey Summer, where ya been?
I tried to tell you, tried to tell you
Took a little bit too long
And now your phone is disconnected
And your shit�s out on the lawn
The Hardback cafe closed down
Now we got Office Town
You shoulda stuck around, cause
There go Ross and Frank again
They�re holding hands
They�re asking where ya been
Like I know where ya been
Hey Summer, where ya been?
I could take a train or fly away
Maybe write a book and change my name
I could settle down
"Yeah"
"Hell, yeah"
There goes Joe Caparo again
Hey, that�s Darren�s girlfriend!
And Ross and Frank are holding hands
They�ve been asking where ya been
Hey Summer, where ya been?
Smoke a bowl with Caleb , fly away, settle down, but
Hey, hey Summer, where ya been?
Alice Childress
Some summers in the evening after six or so
I walk on down the hill
And maybe buy a beer
I think about my friends
Sometimes I wish they lived out here
But they wouldn't dig this town
No they wouldn't dig this town
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Alice, the world is full of ugly things
That you can't change
Pretend it's not that way
It's my idea of faith
You can blow it off
And say there's good in nearly everyone
Just give them all a chance
And Alice, give them all a chance
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
No it didn't work out
No it didn't work out the way we thought it would
No it didn't work out
(An arranged marriage is not so good)
Thank God it's you
Y'know your timing is impeccable
I'm not fooling you
I don't know what to do
Some dude just knocked me cold
And left me on the sidewalk
Took everything I had
And everything I had
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Anymore, no not anymore
Underground
I was never cool in school
I'm sure you don't remember me
And now it's been ten years I'm still wondering who to be
And I'd love to mix in circles, cliques and social coteries - that's me
Hand me my nose ring (can we be happy?)
Show me the mosh pit (can we be happy?)
We can be happy underground
Who's got the looks, who's got the brains, who's got everything?
I got this pain in my heart, that's all
Hey you with the long and lonely face
There's gotta be something else
Let me tell ya something else
There was this girl that passed me by
She gave a smile but I was shy and
I looked down, so down
Don't look there no no, go go underground
Now, now, there's a place to go
It's the morning now, it's the evening, it's everything
I click my heels and I'm there
Underground, underground
Everything's heavy underground
(underground)
You been kicked around
(underground)
Did life bring you down here?
(Ooooh...)
Everything�s heavy underground
We'll be decked in all black
Slamming the pit fantastic
Officer Friendly's little boy's got a mohawk
And he knows just where we're coming from
It's industrial, work it underground
Get down (yeah)
Get down (yeah)
Get down, yeah
Underground, underground
Everything's heavy underground
(underground)
You been kicked around
(underground)
Did life bring you down here?
(Ooooh...)
Everything�s heavy underground
We can be happy, we can be happy, we can be happy underground
We can, we can, we can be
Everything's heavy!
(underground)
You been kicked around
(underground)
Did life bring you down here?
(Ooooh...)
Everything�s heavy underground
We can, we can, we can be
(Everything's heavy underground)
We can, we can, we can be
(We can be happy underground)
We can, we can, we can be
Everything's heavy underground
Everything's happy underground
Everything's heavy underground
Sports and Wine
Destiny was calling
Monday afternoon
Wednesday you�ll be crawling
And you�d pray to be there soon
With sports and wine, yeah
Sports and wine
Some men never grew up
Fortunate like you
Some men never found out what it takes to be a dude
Now sports and wine, yeah
Sports and wine
The girls don�t understand it
What you think is art
My oh my we�re all impressed how sensitive you are
Everybody�s talking about you now
You know it�s true
Cause it always has been sports and wine for you
So you ask me how I think I know
Just what makes you tick
I know what I know you know
I know you make me sick
And sports and wine
Sports and wine
The girls don�t understand it
Anything you say
And I don�t understand it either
Guess that makes me gay
Everybody�s talking about you now
You know it�s fucking true...
Uncle Walter
Come on!
Your Uncle Walter�s going on and on
Bout everything he�s seen and done
The voice of fifty years experience
He's drunk watching the television
You know he�s been around the world
Last night he flew to Baghdad in his magical armchair
With cigarettes and a six pack, yeah
He just got back
The spit�s flying everywhere
Hey, hey, hey, hey
(Your Uncle Walter�s going on and on)
You�re back so late
(Where did you go that you were gone so long?)
How could you leave me here so long with Uncle Walter?
Your Uncle Walter saw who fired the shots
He drove his chair in the cavalcade
He�s flown from South Africa
The countries where
They beat themselves on the backs with chains
Was a fleet of battleships
And one reclining chair
Headed north on the Arabian Sea
Now he�s back and to tell us what he and his oldest boy Blair
They're getting rich with their mail order scheme
Oh, oh, oh, oh
(Your Uncle Walter�s going on and on)
We're so glad you�re home
(Where did you go that you were gone so long?)
How could you leave me here so long with Uncle Walter?
Your Uncle Walter told me everything he�d do if he was president
Oh what a perfect world this world would be
If he was president now
But he�s not
And he sees the children smoking pot
He knows that in a moment they�ll be shooting up heroin
Teardrops in his armchair
A fifty minute lecture
And tobacco juice rolling down his chin
Hey, hey, hey, hey
(Your Uncle Walter�s going on and on)
You�re back so late
(Where did you go that you were gone so long?)
How could you leave me here so long with Uncle Walter?
Come on!
Best Imitation of Myself
I feel like a quote out of context
Withholding the rest
So I can be for you what you want to see
I got the gesture and sounds
Got the timing down
It�s uncanny, yeah you�d think it was me
Do you think I should take a class to lose my southern accent?
Did I make me up
Or make the face till it stuck
I do the best imitation of myself
The "problem with you" speech you gave me was fine
I liked the theories about my little stage
And I swore I was listening
But I started drifting around the part about me acting my age
Now if it�s all the same
I�ve people to entertain
I juggle one-handed
Do some magic tricks and
The best imitation of myself
Maybe I�m thinking myself in a hole
Wondering, who I am when I ought to know
Straighten up, now time to go
Fool somebody else and
Fool somebody else
Last night I was east with them, and west within
Trying to be for you what you want to see
But I can�t help it with you
The good and bad comes through
Don�t want you hanging out with no one but me
Now but it�s all the same
It comes from the same place
And if my mind�s somewhere else
You won�t be able to tell
I do the best imitation of myself
Yes it�s uncanny to see, you�d really think it was me
The best imitation of myself
The best imitation of myself
Video
Barren stares as they light up the screen
Bearing teardrops that shatter in slow motion
Novacaine our brains and we�re out like lights
And as I�m growing older I�m bored
And I remember when misery thrilled me much more
When I can�t relax
And I�d like to go back
But that�s gone
Yeah, that�s gone
Turn around
Turn the volume down
We�re counting the days down
Til the day when we�ll live in a video
I�ll be stone-faced and pale
You�ll pout in stereo
Twenty-four hours every day of the year
Oh what fun I can�t wait til the future gets here
Closing in on the pain and the torture
He�s slamming the doors like it�s something to strive for
The girl tearing the curtains down looks funny as hell
And of sense of humor can there be any doubt
Yeah, well natural selection has weeded it out
Used to keep me from laughing out loud
But that�s gone
We don�t think that way no more
That�s gone
Turn around
Turn the volume down
We�re counting the days down
Til the day when we�ll live in a video
I�ll be stone-faced and pale
You�ll pout in stereo
24 hours every day of the year
Oh what fun I can�t wait til the future gets here
Well, I�ve seen some old friends sort of die
Or just turn into whatever must�ve been inside them
Whatever all of us had then in common
Grew up
And left home
We don�t think that way no more
Turn around
Turn the volume down
We�re counting the days down
Til the day when we�ll live in a video
I�ll be stone-faced and pale
You�ll pout in stereo
24 hours every day of the year
Oh what fun I can�t wait til the future gets here
The Last Polka
Well she crept back back in the house at half past three
Shook her head to see him snoring in his sleep
If you really loved me she said
I wouldn't have to be so mean
He's a heap of junk that pours from his top drawer
He sometimes likes to spread it out around the floor
It's evidence of what he was like
He likes to remember when...
Sha la la, sha la la lo li
The end is growing near
And we're treading water now
And holding back our tears
And the day is rising
We're sinking
Sha la la lo li
In a minute it will all be coming down
And they know it now but no one makes a sound
It's such a shame to ruin this bright lazy sunny day
Sha la la, sha la la lo li
The end is growing near
And we're treading water now
And holding back our tears
And the day is rising
We're sinking
Sha la la lo li
My my, the cruelest lies are often told without a word
My my, the kindest truths are often spoken, never heard
She said, "You've been pushing me like I was a sore tooth,
You can't respect me cause I've done so much for you."
He said, "Well I hate that it's come to this
But baby, I was doing fine
How do you think that I survived the other twenty-five before you?"
Sha la la, sha la la lo li
The end is growing near
And we're treading water now
And holding back our tears
And the day is rising
We're sinking
Sha la la lo li
Boxing
Howard, the strangest things
Have happened lately when I
Take a good swing
And all my dreams
They pivot and slip
I drop my fists and they're back, laughing Howard
My intention's become not to lose what I�ve won
Ambition has given way to desperation and I
Lost the fight from my eyes
Boxing's been good to me, Howard
Now I'm told, you're growing old
The whole time you knew
A couple of years I'd be through
Has boxing been good to you?
Howard, now I confess I'm scared and lonely and tired
They seem to think I'm made of clay
Another day, I'm not cut out for this
I just know what to say, I say...
Boxing's been good to me, Howard
Now I'm told, you're growing old
The whole time you knew
A couple of years I'd be through
Has boxing been good to you?
Well sometimes I punch myself as hard as I can
Yelling nobody cares hoping someone will tell me how wrong I am
Boxing's been good to me, Howard
Now I'm told, you're growing old
The whole time you knew
A couple of years I'd be through
Has boxing been good?
Has boxing been good?
Has boxing been good?