The Mountain Goats

[fox69]

"Four New Trees"

"Four New Trees"



The first new tree is tall and good.
It gives hard dark brown burning wood
When winter comes it stands right outside
With its blossom-laden arms spread wide.

The second new tree gives out sweet sticky fruit.
And it took a long time to take root.
Sometimes we thought it had given up the spirit,
But now it makes me happy when i'm just standing near it.

The third new tree stands just west of the barn.
Its best branches grow thicker than my arm.
I will water him everyday.
And i will chase all the termites away.

But the fourth new tree is my enemy.
Yeah the fourth new tree shouldn't be here.
The fourth new tree
Sets its tendrils through the water mains and tries to poison me.
His leaves are thick, always falling, and pure

 

[fox69]

"Fresh Berries For You"

"Fresh Berries For You"



The world's overrun with new shades of green,
And the dandelions come up like recurring dreams
And the swallows give up their fragile little songs
In the new world

And i know you're only watching out for yourself,
And i know i'm not to take it real personal-like
And i know you only want what's best for everybody.
I know you only want what's best for everybody.

But you better be nice, or the easter bunny's
Gonna strike you name out of the
Little red book with the silver hinges on it
That he carries.

They've implemented a new system on the
Exhaust lines of the buses
And now the air is fresh and sweet and clean when they pass by.
And the bright sun shines down on our fair city,
And young cats play on people's front lawns.

And the time is coming.
And the time is coming.
And i can feel the time coming.
And i know that you can feel the time coming, yourself.

And the easter bunny's coming,
And god knows i'd hate for you to miss it.
And it's gonna be so nice.
When the easter bunny comes.
And it's gonna be so nice.
When the easter bunny comes.
And it's gonna be so nice.
When the easter bunny comes.
And it's gonna be so nice.
When the easter bunny comes

 

[fox69]

"Fresh Cherries In Trinidad"

"Fresh Cherries In Trinidad"



When I woke up on saturday and you came in
you brought the sunlight in
I felt sleep slipping away from me
I feel things occasionally like this
fresh cherries
hanging from your fingers

when the water on the window let the sunlight through
and I got a good look at you
standing above me bright and tall
there are no words for it
there are no words at all
I saw
fresh cherries
hanging from your fingers

 

[fox69]

"Full Flower"

"Full Flower"



I saw the ceiling spin
And I saw the room shift
And I watched my television flicker
And I let my mind drift

I would give anything in the world up for you
But I will not stop

I saw the blossom form
And I saw the screen glow
And I let my arm fall to my side
And I took one step back

I would give anything in the world up for you
But I will not stop

 

[fox69]

"Game Shows Touch Our Lives"

"Game Shows Touch Our Lives"



Dug up a fifth of Hood River gin
That stuff tastes like medicine
But I'll take it
It'll do

On the couch in the living room all day long
Music on the television playing our song
And I'm in the mood
The mood for you

Turn the volume up real high
All of that money, look at it fly
And you smoking
Like a chimney

Shadows crawled across the living room's length
I held onto you with a desperate strength
With everything
With everything in me

And I handed you a drink of the lovely little thing
On which our survival depends
People say friends don't destroy one another
What do they know about friends?

Thunderclouds forming, cream white moon
Everything's going to be okay soon
Maybe tomorrow
Maybe the next day

Carried you up the stairs that night
All of this could be yours if the price is right
I heard cars headed down to oblivion
Up on the expressway

Your drunken kisses, as light as the air
Maybe everything that falls down eventually rises
Our house sinking into disrepair
Ah, but look at this showroom filled with fabulous prizes

 

[fox69]

"Genesis 19:1-2"

"Genesis 19:1-2"



the girl who'd been haunting your dreams all your life
the butcher from brooklyn, the butcher's wife
the girl who kissed you in the seventh grade
her and all the others lined up behind the gate
the two angels came to sodom in the evening
when the sun up in the sky was bleeding all over you

and you had your camera
and you had your felt tip
and you had some money
and you had everything you needed
the two angels came to sodom in the evening
we saw you coming up the boulevard
the two angels came to sodom in the evening
when the sun was bleeding all over you

 

[fox69]

"Genesis 30:3"

"Genesis 30:3"



For several days the visitors were here
We saw them turned down and we watched them disappear
Talked about the days they'd said were sure to come
Had a hard time believing

I remember seeing you, my tongue struck dumb
When you first came here from wherever it was you came from
The power in your voice, your rough touch
You keeping care of me, keeping watch

Open up the doors to the tent
Wonder where the good times went
I will do what you ask me to do
Because of how I feel about you

I saw his little face contract as his eyes met light
Tried to imagine anything so bright
You only see it once and then it steals into the dawn
And then it's gone forever

For several hours we lay there, last ones of our kind
Harder days coming, maybe I don't mind
Sounds kind of dumb when I say it, but it's true
I would do anything for you

Open up the promise of the day
Drive the dark things away
I will do what you ask me to do
Because of how I feel about you

 

[fox69]

"Genesis 3:23"

"Genesis 3:23"



House up in Clear Lake where I used to live
Picked the lock on the front door and felt it give
Touch nothing, move nothing, stand still, keep my ears open for cars
See how the people here live now, hope that they're better at it than I was

I used to live here
I used to live here
I used to live here
I used to live here

Pictures up on the mantle, nobody I know
I stand by the tiny furnace where the long shadows grow
Living room to bedroom to kitchen, familiar and warm
Hours we spent starving within these walls, sounds of a distant storm

I used to live here
I used to live here
I used to live here
I used to live here

Fight through the ghosts in the hallway
Duck and weave
Stand by the door with my eyes closed
When it's time to leave

Steal home before sunset, cover up my tracks
Drive home with old dreams at play in my mind and the wind at my back
Break the lock on my own garden gate when I get home after dark
Sit looking up at the stars outside like teeth in the mouth of a shark

I used to live here
I used to live here
I used to live here
I used to live here

 

[fox69]

"Get Lonely"

"Get Lonely"



I will rise up early
And dress myself up nice
And I will leave the house
And check the deadlock twice

And I will find a crowd
And blend in for a minute
And I will try to find
A little comfort in it

And I will get lonely
And gasp for air
And send your name off from my lips
Like a signal flare

And I will go downtown
Stand in the shadows of the buildings
And button up my coat
Trying to stay strong, spirit willing

And I will come back home
Maybe call some friends
Maybe paint some pictures
It all depends

And I will get lonely
And gasp for air
And look up at the high windows
And see your face up there

 

[fox69]

"Ghosts"

"Ghosts"



I went down yale today
Just in the old way
A black dog hobbled past me
His tags jangled on his collar
It made me wish i was dead
It made me wish i was dead

Had a familiar sun on me
Just like it would always be
Rocky soil dry land
I knew it all like the back of my hand
It made me wish i was dead
It made me wish i was dead

A terrific view form here
The sky's clear
The sun's high
I let things lie
And i know what is and isn't mine
And i was good to get back to the sunshine
But 5 years is a long time
And i spent 5 years in sweden dying for you
I spent 5 years in sweden dying for you