Less Than You Think
Your minds a machine
It’s deadly and dull
It’s never been still and it’s will has never been free
Lightly tapping
A high-pitched drum
And as your spine starts to shine
You shiver at your soul
A fist so clear and climbing
Punches a hole in the sky
So you can see for yourself
If you don’t believe me
There’s so much less to this than you think
It’s almost gone
The night is dissolving
In a cup god lifts to toast the lightning
Lightly tapping
It’s high pitched and it hums
Your spine starts to shine
And you shiver at your soul
A fist so clear and climbing
Punches a hole in the sky
So you can see for yourself
If you don’t believe me
There’s so much less to this than you think
Instrumental Credits
Jeff Tweedy Vocals, 6 String Acoustic Bass, Loops, Filters & Synths
John Stirratt Acoustic Guitar, Loops, Filters & Synths
Glenn Kotche Drums, Hammer Dulcimer, Loops, Filters & Synths
Leroy Bach Acoustic Guitar, Loops, Filters & Synths
Mikael Jorgensen Serge Modular Synthesizer
Jim O'Rourke Loops, Filters & Synths
Poor Places
It’s my father's voice trailing off
Sailors sailing off in the morning
For the air conditioned rooms
At the top of the stairs
His jaw's been broken
His bandage is wrapped too tight
His fangs have been pulled
And I really want to see you tonight
There's bourbon on the breath
Of the singer you love so much
He takes all his words from the books
That you don't read anyway
His jaw's been broken
His bandage is wrapped too tight
His fangs have been pulled
And I really want to see you tonight
Someone ties a bow
In my backyard to show me love
My voice is climbing walls
Smoking and I want love
My jaw's been broken
My heart is wrapped in ice
My fangs have been pulled
And I really want to see you tonight
It makes no difference to me
How they cried all over overseas
When it's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside
They cried all over overseas
It makes no difference to me
When it's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside
It's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside
I'm not going outside
I'm not going outside
Art of Almost
No!
I froze
I can’t be so
Far away from my wasteland
I never know when I might
Ambulance
Hoist the horns with my own hands
Almost
Almost
I heard a faint olé
True love but
I had other ways to hurt myself
Like calling
I could open up my heart
And fall in and
I could blame it all on dust
The Art of Almost
Almost
Almost
Almost
I’ll hold it up
I’ll shake the grail
Disobey across the waves
Tomorrow
I’ll have all the love I could ever ache
And I’ll leave almost with you
All of almost
Almost
Art of almost
Almost
Art of almost
Almost
Company In My Back
I attack with love, pure bug beauty, curl my lips and crawl up to you
I attack with love, pure bug beauty, curl my lips and crawl up to you
And your afternoon
And I’ve been puking
I move so slow, steady crushing hand; holy shit! there’s a company in my back
I move so slow, steady crushing hand; holy shit! there’s a company in my back
Hide your soft skin; your sorrow is sunshine; listen to my eyes
Hide your soft skin; your sorrow is sunshine; listen to my eyes
They are hissing radiator tunes
I move so slow, steady crushing hand; holy shit! there’s a company in my back
I move so slow, steady crushing hand; holy shit! there’s a company in my back
You learn so slow, old radiant beauty; I’ll curve my flight
You learn so slow, old radiant beauty; I’ll curve my flight
Under your bended knee
And I will always die
I will always die
I will always die, so you can remember me
I move so slow, steady crushing hand; holy shit! there’s a company in my back
I move so slow, steady crushing hand; holy shit! there’s a company in my back
There’s a company in my back
Instrumental Credits
Jeff Tweedy Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
John Stirratt Bass
Glenn Kotche Drums, Hammer Dulcimer & Percussion
Leroy Bach Piano & Korg CX-3 Organ
Mikael Jorgensen Fenix Modular Synthesizer & Stylophone
Jim O'Rourke Acoustic Guitar
Remember the Mountain Bed
Do you still sing of the mountain bed we made of
limbs and leaves: Do you still sigh there near the
sky where the holly berry bleeds: You laughed as I
covered you over with leaves, face, breast, hips
and thighs, You smiled when I said the leaves
were just the color of your eyes.
Rosin smells and turpentine smells from
eucalyptus and pine Bitter tastes of twigs we
chewed where tangled woodvines twine Trees held
us in on all four sides so thick we could not see I
could not see any wrong in you, and you saw none
in me.
Your arm was brown against the ground, your
cheeks part of the sky, As your fingers played with
grassy moss, and limber you did lie: Your stomach
moved beneath your shirt and your knees were in
the air Your feet played games with mountain
roots as you lay thinking there.
Below us the trees grew clumps of trees, raised
families of trees, and they As proud as we tossed
their heads in the wind and flung good seeds
away: The sun was hot and the sun was bright
down in the valley below Where people starved
and hungry for life so empty come and go.
There in the shade and hid from the sun we freed
our minds and learned Our greatest reason for
being here, our bodies moved and burned There
on our mountain bed of leaves we learned life's
reason why The People laugh and love and dream,
they fight, they hate to die.
The smell of your hair I know is still there, if most
of our leaves are blown, Our words still ring in the
brush and the trees where singing seeds are sown
Your shape and form is dim, but plain, there on
our mountain bed I see my life was brightest
where you laughed and laid you head...
I learned the reason why man must work and how
to dream big dreams, To conquer time and space
and fight the rivers and the seas I stand here filled
with my emptiness now and look at city and land
And I know why farms and cities are built by hot,
warm, nervous hands.
I crossed many states just to stand here now, my
face all hot with tears, I crossed city, and valley,
desert, and stream, to bring my body here: My
history and future blaze bright in me and all my joy
and pain Go through my head on our mountain
bed where I smell your hair again.
All this day long I linger here and on in through
the night My greeds, desires, my cravings, hopes,
my dreams inside me fight: My loneliness healed,
my emptiness filled, I walk above all pain Back to
the breast of my woman and child to scatter my
seeds again.
Published by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. (BMI)/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing
Corp./Words-Ampersand Music (BMI)/You Want A Piece Of This Music (ASCAP),
administered by Bug Music
Words: Woody Guthrie 1944
Music: Jeff Tweedy/Jay Bennett 1999
Leroy Bach: piano
Jay Bennett: organ, nylon-string guitar, backing vocal
Ken Coomer: drums
John Stirratt: bass, backing vocal
Jeff Tweedy: vocal, 12-string acoustic guitar
Forget the Flowers
You're trying my patience, try pink carnations
Red roses and yellow daffodils
Don't forget the flowers, someday, I know you will
Displayers of affection and all good intentions
Why don't you just send me the bill
Don't forget the flowers, someday, I know you will
Lately you've been taking me
Way too seriously, oooh
I can't ever explain why
I don't feel your pain, oooh
I left you behind, I know it's been a long time
But I'm not over you
Don't forget the flowers, someday, I hope I do
You're tryin' my patience, try pink carnations
Red roses and yellow daffodils
Don't forget the flowers, someday
I know I will
Don't forget the flowers, someday
I know I will
It's Just That Simple
There's a whole lot of money that you gave me
I'd gladly empty my pockets right now
You'd parlay all that by triple
It's just that simple
Those days I'd gladly walk so long for you
Although it seemed I crawled most of the way
After some time I felt like a cripple
It's just that simple
Last week I was thinking about traveling by land
And the time you remember we were by the lake
It wasn't even like we made a ripple
It's just that simple
In my head, the time didn't make a ripple
It's just that simple
Instrumental credits:
Jeff Tweedy – vocals, acoustic guitar
John Stirratt – bass
Max Johnston – mandolin
Ken Coomer – drums
Brian Henneman – guitar
Lloyd Maines – pedal steel guitar
Born Alone
I have heard the war and worry of the gospel
Ferried fast across the void
I have married broken spoke charging smoke wheels
Spit and swallowed opioid
I am the driver at the wheel of the horror
Marching circles at the gate
Mine eyes have seen
The fury so flattered by fate
Tonight I’d rather count the warm fuse internally
Subtract the silence of myself
I would rather choose the middle mind of mystery
Reverse a riddle for my health
I’ll unwind strange rinds overpowering
Toss the chimneys in the sea
I believe I’ve seen
The finger divine extremity
Please come closer to the feather smooth lens fly
Sadness is my luxury
Will you weather, join the cold, come before I die
More aware of it than me
The valves are blowing stone
The kids are unabashed
Loneliness postponed
Mine eyes deceiving glory
I was born to die alone
Alone
Alone
Impossible Germany
Impossible Germany
Unlikely Japan
Wherever you go
Wherever you land
I’ll say what this means to me
I’ll do what I can
Impossible Germany
Unlikely Japan
(The) fundamental problem
We all need to face
This is important
But I know you’re not listening
Oh I know you’re not listening
If this was still new to me
I wouldn’t understand
Impossible Germany
Unlikely Japan
But this is what love is for
To be out of place
Gorgeous and alone
Face to face
With no larger problems
That need to be erased
Nothing more important than to know
Someone’s listening
Now I know
You’ll be listening
Written by Jeff Tweedy and Wilco
War On War
It's a war on war
It's a war on war
It's a war on war
It's a war on war
It's a war on war
It's a war on war
It's a war on war
There's a war on
You’re gonna lose
You have to lose
You have to learn how to die
Let's watch the miles flying by
Let's watch the miles flying by
You are not my typewriter
But you could be my demon
moving forward through flaming doors
You have to lose
You have to learn how to die
If you wanna wanna be alive
O.K.
You have to lose
You have to lose
You have to learn how to die
If you wanna wanna be alive
You have to die
You have to die
You have to learn how to die
If you wanna wanna be alive
O.K.
I'm the Man Who Loves You
All I can see
Is black and white
And white and pink
With blades of blue
That lay between
The words I think
On a page
I was meaning
To send to you
I couldn't tell
If it would
Bring my heart
The way I wanted
When I started
Writing this letter to you
But if I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you
All I can be
Is a busy sea
Of spinning wheels
And hands that feel
For stones to throw
And feet that run
But come back home
It makes no difference
Ever known
Makes no difference
Ever known to me
But if I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you
All I can see
Is black and white
And white and pink
With blades of blue
That lay between
The words I think
On a page
I was meaning
To send to you
I couldn't tell
If it would
Bring my heart
The way I wanted
When I started
Writing this letter to you
If I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you
If I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you
If I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you
I'm the man who loves you
I'm the man who loves you
I'm the man who loves you
Dawned On Me
I’ve been young
I’ve been old
I’ve been hurt
And consoled
Heart of coal
Heart of gold
So I’m told
I’ve been lost
I’ve been found
I’ve been taken
By the sound
Of my own voice
The voices in my head
I can’t help it if I fall in
Love with you again I’m calling
Just to let you know
It dawned on me
Every night is a test
To the east from the west
The sun rises and sets
That’s the sun at it’s best
I forget, then I know
I’d regret letting you go
Sometimes I can’t believe how dark it can be
I can’t help it if I fall in
Love with you again I’m calling
Just to let you know
It dawned on me
It dawned on me
So on
And so forth
And again
I will stop to begin
At the end
I can’t help it if I fall in
Love with you again I’m calling
Just to let you know
It dawned on me
Oh I can’t help it if I fall in
Love with you again I’m calling
Just to let you know
It dawned on me
A Shot in the Arm
The ashtray says
You were up all night
When you went to bed
With your darkest mind
Your pillow wept
And covered your eyes
And you finally slept
While the sun caught fire
You've changed
We fell in love
In the key of C
We walked along
Down by the sea
You followed me down
The neck to D
And fell again
Into the sea
You changed
Oh, you've changed
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm
Something in my veins
Bloodier than blood
something in my veins
Bloodier than blood
something in my veins
Bloodier than blood
something in my veins
Bloodier than blood
The ashtray says
You were up all night
When you went to bed
With your darkest mind
You changed
Oh you've changed
What you once were isn't what
You want to be any more
What you once were isn't what
You want to be any more
What you once were isn't what
You want to be any more
What you once were isn't what
You want to be any more
What you once were isn't what
You want to be any more
Instrumental credits:
Jeff Tweedy – vocals, acoustic and 12-string guitars, synthesizers
Jay Bennett – lap steel, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, drums
John Stirratt – bass
Ken Coomer – timpani
Tomorrow Never Knows [The Beatles cover]