The Assignment

I remember the first day I was up and back on the slow train trying to figure out is it the signals or the snow sixty-five days to go I was thinking of consequence this type beside me was making no sense he spoke out of the side of his mouth staring straight ahead with his hat down low midnight tomorrow the thirty-first day of the year the clock turns to zero and the time disappears I remember the next time I was breathing in, breathing out, waiting in line said put it to the back of your mind don't you know there's thirty-five days to go I thought I had the inside track I was wrong but it felt that way jumping at shadows taken aback slightly wary but that's ok midnight tomorrow the thirty-first day of the year the clock sets to zero and the time disappears midnight tomorrow the thirty-first day of the year the clock turns to zero and the time disappears

Sorrel Hill

Slow drops were falling on the western estates monday cloud silver chains the studded gates of the demesne the wide road without sound wet leaves falling falling on the ground forty miles of decent road seven miles of track monday cloud ropes of gold truck on the switchback Sorrel Hill King William's Glen the wide road without sound slow drops falling falling on the ground slow drops were falling on the western estates monday cloud silver chains the studded gates of the demesne the wide road without sound wet leaves falling falling on the ground

Portuguese Trucks

Sometimes you're stuck with what you know some places take you and don't let go the same ditch the same canal the same eastern air portuguese trucks rolling out of Echternach portuguese trucks with the portuguese flag on the back twelve hours from Metz to Pau let's go I can give you what you want If all you want is this sometimes you're lost and found sometimes you're lost but you come around the lights switch on the Diagonal from red to fair portuguese trucks climb up the climbing lane portuguese trucks rolling through Aquitaine heading for the spanish border putting up the miles in smart order I can give you what you want if all you want is this

The Fourteenth Floor

I don't have many tales to tell don't stop me if you've heard this before I work in a basement with a broken bell I hear voices on the fourteenth floor sometimes I feel I swear I know I'm on the edge of something big my girl has her days she says what she says but thinks what she thinks my mind's racing like never before make it slow make it slow come on up to the fourteenth floor come on up come around now I hear voices and I see the lights give me a drug that's full of impurities to make me feel so assured give me a lover with a string of insecurities oh tie me with that silken cord my father was a quiet sort he told it straight but he kept it short he'd been around he knew the score he kept them guessing on the fourteenth floor my heart's beating like never before take it down take it down come on up to the fourteenth floor come on up come around yeah I hear voices and I see the lights 

Queen of Time

Once I was the Queen of Hours I sent the wide-eyed to the tower for in such times as ours it's weird to be free maybe that's just me god knows it's no bed of flowers pity me the Queen of Hours once I was the Queen of Days it's true I had my little ways any chance I took any luck I made and that was fine by me why wouldn't it be humming a made-up phrase Listen to me I'm the Queen of Days once I was the Queen of Time you could say I was tough on crime I sewed the thieves in sacks of lime and set them free into the sea I built a wall put up a sign look at me the Queen of Time

The Seven Years’ War

When I was sick the doctor tapped her teeth with a painted nail she said don't expect miracles not at this stage and I must admit I tried to trick her I held my breath until my pulse beat quicker when I was cold she said that's how quick August goes a bare arm and a summer rose blink and you'll miss it she said am I supposed to guess how far this goes I said don’t overthink it when I took the cure my eye was steady and my touch was sure caught between peace and the pure thrill before addiction and when I was high my mouth was dry and I said what I had to say in a shy whisper when I was at war I was the master of them all in daring and wickedness a sly vicious fool and I must confess it was my pleasure then oh how I loved to be cruel oh how I loved to be cruel

Spooked

Forget these days the lost hours of light December drift the new world in the starless night thought I heard you in the still of night thought I heard you moving below forget these days wished away and controlled now I know how the wind sounds beating in open space when I was a kid I got spooked by the emptiness of this place now I know how the new world seems fallen on top of the old forget these days distant and enclosed forget these days forget these days

The Playground of the Rich

I took my girl to the playground of the rich eight days in a diesel three-door first she got bitten then she got sick but I was fine just a little sun-sore she became serene with the anti-histamine the supermarket gin hey girl it's the playground of the rich and we're in there's a sun the colour of lava hanging over the exit ramp maybe we'll reach the cove just as it sets a glass of cava and you know Roger from Supertramp is playing on the cliffs tonight Hey girl that's as good as it gets maybe we'll be seen among the pines and evergreens while The Logical Song rules the night It's you and me in the playground of the rich and it’s alright the icy smile that sometimes steals across her lips it is glacial and this country pile where we cool our heels and come to grips it's palatial here in the playground of the rich

You Say The Same Thing Twice

She sat on the bartop hugging her knees well please and she answered my question with one of her own tapping the keys on her telephone is your memory not so good you ask the same things twice it seems to me you should listen to your own advice she sat in the sky with the sun in her hand Like truth unveiled by time and a world at her side turned a revolution every once in a while she was lying on a snow white cloud safe in the arms of time staring at the usual crowd hanging around she was lying on a scrap of cloud lying in the arms of time staring at the usual crowd hey she stood at the counter keeping the score the click of a ring on an empty glass slowly echoes back who's drinking, who's pouring, who's keeping track she said your memory's not so good you say the same things twice if I was you I'd listen to my own advice lying on a snow white cloud lying in the arms of time staring at the usual crowd hanging around lying on a scrap of cloud lying in the arms of time

Silver River

We took the long way back east of the lake over the Silver River up through The Cut no-one can tell us what we make of our days nothing changes then it changes a lot did you really think nothing would change I was the kid with the lazy eye under the spanish sky wide and clear we took the long way by the banks of these streams O the Flamisel the Guadalquivir no-one can tell us what we make of our days no-one can tell us the names of these streams here where the river begins no-one can tell us what we make of our days