David Thomas Lyrics
More Places Forever
(1985)

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Through The Magnifying Glass

We all know the story about the grasshopper
Sitting around by the pool he's cool
On the other hand are the ants
What are they up to?
That's right.

Back to the grasshoppers
Sitting around by the pool
Hawaiian floral print shirts
Sunglasses
They disdain the work of the hands.

My mind is on the higher things of life.

Sing of the work of the hands
Why hold back and cheat yourself
Out of joy?
But enjoy the fruits of labor
To the full.

The heart and weary soul refreshment find.

The winter comes
Time to enjoy the fruits of labor
To contemplate the work of the hands
In the evening of the day
In the winter of the year.

These are the best things
To look back on a day well spent
To go to bed with a sense of accomplishment.


Back to the grasshopper
His mind is on the higher things
Doesn't inspire much confidence
Doesn't matter
We're at my favorite part.

An ominous shadow glides low across the pool.

What happens next is... nothing.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

Enthusiastic

I'm fine thanks
And I am enthusiastic
If I express myself somewhat unguardedly
It's so that you will understand
That you will understand
That I am enthusiastic for this plan.

I have confidence
In the two of us
That more than just muddle through
Or take the easy way out
We'll work hard
And not care if it hurts.

It's a good plan
Because it's got stuff that we understand.

Grinning like a daft old brush
That bullet-headed bird
That you see
That could be a picture of me
Because I have confidence
I have confidence in this plan.

Takes a worried man
To sing a worried song
It takes a worry man
I won't be worried long.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

Whale Head King

After pyramids Sudanese countless wondrous miles
The region of the swamps swallows up the flow of the Nile
Here's where monotony and misery contend
Where the aspect of such emptiness loneliness transcends
Two and a half thousand miles from the sea
The whale headed stork pokes among the reeds.

Swamp flies terrorize
Fireflies tantalize
How to go?
If the river knows it only lies
Heat!
Humidity.

The few thoughts left to me I shepherd so lovingly
I looked down then looked up again
There was the whale head king
We saw eye to eye
It was so civilized
I could see he pitied me.

I fell into a change
I went to sleep in Gay Paree
Woke up in Salt Lake City.

Nights are a cool breeze for senses that are stunned
In the roar of the sun the point of it's undone
Thoughts are a formless tune
That wanders in and out of key
The only words I don't forget
How much you mean to me.

The few thoughts left to me
I shepherd so lovingly
I looked down
I looked up again
I was happy to see you
I was so happy I danced a jig.

I fell on the ground
I jumped up again
I fell into a basement
As I lay on my back
I could hear water on the walls
The scurrying of mice in the corners.

I was in the basement
I opened my eyes
I picked myself up
I looked at the steps I had just bounced down
I brushed the cobwebs off
I looked around.

Equatorial lakes
Mountains of the moon
Like a dream
I happened to see you
Like a dream
I was happy to see you.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

Song of The Bailing Man

Harry had a notion
To bail out the ocean
Under the clouds he did stand
A bucket in his hand

Above the wash of the waves
Floated a confident voice
That did boast cajole and rejoice
I can get this done.

In the light of the big blue sun
I'm the one who will get this done.

Harry set up the motion
Needed to bail out the ocean
His toes could feel the relinquishing sand
His hand could feel the diminishing land.

In the course of time
Realization settled in his mind
I cannot bail out the ocean
I cannot empty the sea.

This work lends itself airs of nobility.

He let go the bucket
He regretted the voice
That floated cajoled and rejoiced
Harry burst the bubble.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

Big Breezy Day

Oh it's sublime the sweep of time
To suddenly find it's the month of May
Throw back your head open your arms
Take a deep breath get set to say
Everyday's a big breezy day.

Open your ears close your eyes
After the winter here comes a prize
Insects roar in appreciation
For the midday sun and its radiation.

The breeze blows and blankets the land
With the sound of the trees the lake and the sand
In the best part of the big breezy day.

The empty ore boats float like corks
The peoples on the beaches come in all the sorts
Water rolls in
Water rolls out
Nobody cares if the water's too loud.

In the best part of the big breezy day
Throw back your arms
Get set to say Everyday's a big breezy day.

A radio sun and the day like a beach
The perfect horizon is just out of reach
Big jets blow in from across the lake
You leave too soon it's a big mistake.

The new skyscraper's going up in town
Girders and the elevators going up and down
The steel mills forge on
Such a busy day
With so much going on every face is gay.

In the park at the edge of the lake
Modern sculptures rust and flake
In the best part of the big breezy day.

Rare is the drama
With a gripping suspense
As the power of such a day
Contends with common sense.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

The Farmer's Wife

The farmer's wife is taken aback
Taken aback by an empty tract
The farmer's wife is taken aback taken aback
Seeing how people run
Fleeing with the setting sun
A ruin is what a city has become
The dream faded soon
Faded soon by the light of the moon.

The Farmer's Wife takes the time to speak
To the empty streets
The ones who loved you
Where are they gone?
Who cared and thought about you?
Where are they gone?
Gone gone
Faded soon by the light of the moon.

The mighty are fallen
The proud brought low
The visions of the past
Are thoughts the heirs don't know
The mighty are fallen.

The Farmer's Wife is taken aback
Taken aback by empty tracts
What the old ones know
The young ones don't
What the lover knows
The stranger won't
Faded soon
By the light of the moon.

The Farmers wife takes her time
Speaks to empty streets
Through the years the Law is unchanged
The land is a loan Life will reclaim.

The Farmer's Wife is bigger than life
Bigger than life with a carving knife
Seeing how the people run
Fleeing with the setting sun
A ruin is what a city has become
Left overnight overgrown by noon Life leaps out of the ground
Out of the ground in the empty town.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

New Broom

The dust moved forward and the dust moved back
New broom
The dust ends up in a brown paper sack
New broom
Progress is made but progress is slow.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Maimone - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

About True Friends

When the sound of the day is the rain not falling
The whole world goes slow but a friend is not stalling
The hand of kindness is like a treasure found
A friend won't ever wear you down.

A friend's not shy
Not deaf dumb and blind
True friends will call and save you two dimes
True friends are hard to find.

Friends won't remember hurt and pain
The heat of the moment will not be sustained
Love is a bond not easily cracked
Never mind the tears and remember the fact.
A friend's not shy
Not deaf dumb and blind
True friends will call and save you two dimes
True friends are hard to find.

Writers: Cooper - Cutler - Monck - Thomas
© 1985 Hearpen Music / Arcades Music

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