Misunderstood
When you're back in your old neighborhood
The cigarettes taste so good
But you're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood
There's something there that you can't find
You look honest when you're telling a lie
You hurt her but you don't know why
You love her but you don't know why
Short on long term goals
There's a party there that we ought to go to
If you still love rock and roll
If you still love rock and roll?
It's only a quarter to three
Reflecting off of your CD
You're looking at a picture of me
You're staring at a picture of me
Take the guitar player for a ride
'Cause he ain't never been satisfied
He thinks he owes some kind of debt
It'll be years before he gets over it
There's a fortune inside your head
When all you touch turns to lead
You think you might just crawl back in bed
With a fortune inside your head
I know you're just a mama's boy
You're positively unemployed
So misunderstood
So misunderstood
I know you've got a god-shaped hole
You're bleeding out your heart full of soul
You're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood
I'd like to thank you all for nothing
I'd like to thank you all for nothing at all
I'd like to thank you all for nothing
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing at all
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing at all
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
I Might
Was I wrong
Off all night long
So high
As the stinking sun
I came alive
Then I felt
Oh Uh Oh
Some guys
Have everything I know
It’s alright
I’ve done a lot of
Crawling around outside
And I heard
It’s alright
Your sno-cone
And it’s piss and blood
It’s in the cards
(oh, oh)
Get well soon
EVERYBODY!
Do all lies
Have a taste?
Let it go
I don’t know oh
A cow’s neck
Bad shave
In the low blow slo-mo
It’s alright
You won’t set the kids on fire
Oh but I might
H0
You come on
Sentimental
If the
Solar car’s coming
I’m home
The Magna Carta’s
On a Slim Jim blood
Brutha!
The sunk soul
With the coal clean toe
Is the mutha!
Yea that’s right
When you gonna find out
I’m all inside
You still might
It’s all right
It’s all right
It’s alright
You won’t set the kids on fire
Oh but I might
Ho ho
It’s all right
It’s all right
At Least That's What You Said
When I sat down on the bed next to you
You started to cry
I said maybe if I leave you’ll want me
To come back home
Or maybe all you mean
Is leave me alone
At least that’s what you said
You’re irresistible when you get mad
Isn’t it sad I’m immune
And I thought it was cute
For you to kiss
My purple black-eye
Even though I caught it from you
I still think we’re serious
At least that’s what you said
You Are My Face
I remember my mother’s
Sister’s husband’s brother
Working in the goldmine full-time
Filling in for sunshine
Filing into tight lines
Of ordinary beehives
The door screams I hate you
Hate you hanging around my blue jeans
Why is there no breeze
No currency of leaves
No current through the water wire
No feelings I can see
I trust no emotion
I believe in locomotion
But I've turned to rust as we've discussed
Though I must have let you down
Too many times
In the dirt and the dust
I have no idea how this happens
All of my maps have been overthrown
Happenstance has changed my plans
So many times my heart has been outgrown
Now everybody’s feeling all alone
Can’t tell you who I am
When everybody’s feeling all alone
Can’t tell you who I am
I am looking forward
Toward the shadows tracing bones
Our faces stitched and sewing
Our houses hemmed into homes
Trying to be thankful
Our stories fit into phones
And our voices lift so easily
A gift given accidentally
When we’re not sure
We’re not alone
Written by Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline
Instrumental Credits
Jeff Tweedy – vocals, electric guitar
John Stirratt – vocals, bass
Glenn Kotche – drums
Mikael Jorgensen – piano
Nels Cline – lead electric 12-string
Pat Sansone – vocals, acoustic guitar, Hammond A100 organ
Jim O’Rourke – feedback
One By One
One by one the teardrops fall as I write you
One by one my words come falling on the page
One by one my dreams are fading in the twilight
One by one my schemes are fading fast away
One by one the flowers fade here in my garden
One by one the leaves are falling from the trees
One by one my hopes are vanished in the clouds clear
One by one like snowflakes melting in the breeze
One by one my hair is turning gray
One by one my dreams are fading fast away
One by one I read your letters over
One by one I lay them all away
One by one the days are slipping up behind you
One by one the sweetest days of life go by
One by one the moments stealing up behind you
One by one she'll come and find not you or I
One by one I hear the soft words that you whispered
One by one I feel your kisses soft and sweet
One by one I hope you'll say the words to marry
One by one to one by one forever be
Words: Woody Guthrie 1939
Music: Jeff Tweedy 1997
Jay Bennett: piano, organ
Ken Coomer: drums
Bog Egan: pedal steel
John Stirratt: electric bass
Jeff Tweedy: acoustic guitar, vocal
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
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
Radio Cure
Cheer up
Honey I hope you can
There is something wrong with me
My mind is filled with silvery stuff
Honey kisses clouds of fluff
Shoulders shrugging off
Cheer up
Honey I hope you can
There is something wrong with me
My mind is filled with radio cures
Electronic surgical words
Picking apples for the kings and queens of things I've never seen
Oh, distance has no way
Of making love understandable
Cheer up
Honey I hope you can
There is something wrong with me
My mind is filled with silvery stars
Honey kisses clouds of love
Picking apples for the kings and queens of things I've never seen
Oh, distance has no way of making love understandable
Oh, distance has no way of making love understandable
Oh, distance has no way of making love understandable
Oh, distance has no way of making love understandable
Cheer up
Honey I hope you can
Passenger Side
Hey, wake up
Your eyes weren't open wide
For the last couple of miles
You've been swerving from side to side
You're gonna make me spill my beer
If you don't learn how to steer
Passenger side
Passenger side
I don't like riding
On the passenger side
Roll another number for the road
You're the only sober person I know
Won't you let me make you a deal
Just get behind the wheel
Passenger side
Passenger side
I don't like riding
On the passenger side
Should've been the driver
Could've been the one
I should've been your lover
But I hadn't seen
Can you take me to the store, and then the bank?
I've got five dollars we can put in the tank
I've got a court date coming this June
I'll be driving soon
Passenger side
Passenger side
I don't like riding
On the passenger side
I don't like riding
On the passenger side
Instrumental credits:
Jeff Tweedy – vocals, acoustic guitar
John Stirratt – bass
Max Johnston – mandolin, fiddle
Ken Coomer – drums
Brian Henneman – small stoned guitar
Whole Love
My gold marigolds attack
My black bed of roses
I’m going to bring ‘em all back
With hypnosis Ho
And I know that I won’t be
The easiest to set free
And I know that I won’t be the last
Cold captain tied to the mast
I recall you on the telephone
I recall when you get mad
I will still love you to death
And I won’t ever forget how
And I know that it won’t be
The easiest to set free
And I know that I won’t be the last
Cold captain tied to the mast
I’m on the other side
I’m satisfied
I’m a spirit dove
I’m looking for your love
I’m simple as a matter of fact
A punch in the nose don’t overreact
I will still love you to death
And I won’t ever forget how
And I know that I won’t be
The easiest to set free
And I know that I won’t be the last
Cold captain tied to the mast
And I know that I won’t be the one
To securely know when it’s wrong
But I hope I know when it’s past
And I hope I know when to show you my
Whole love
Whole love
Whole love
Whole love
Whole love
Whole love
Whole love
I won’t ever forget how
Box Full of Letters
I've got a box full of letters
I think you might like to read
Some things that you might like to see
But they're all addressed to me
I wish I had a lotta answers
'Cause that's the way it should be
For all these questions
Being directed at me
I just can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
You'll come back again
And I'll still be your friend
I got a lot of your records
In a separate stack
Some things that I might like to hear, but I
Guess I'll give 'em back
I wish I had a lotta answers
'Cause that's the way it should be
For all these questions
Being directed at me
Just can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
You'll come back again
And I'll still be your friend
I can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
Just can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
Instrumental credits:
Jeff Tweedy – vocals, guitar
John Stirratt – bass, vocals
Max Johnston – dobro
Ken Coomer – drums
Brian Henneman – guitars
Capitol City
Capitol city skyline photo
Skyscraper shines the sun so
Low in the sky
Secretaries at the hotdog vendors
Cabs honk at the bicycle messengers
Rolling by
I can’t call with a subway token
Anyway the phones are all broken
I wish you were here
Better yet I wish I was there with you
You wouldn’t like it here
You should stay right there
Breathe in that country air
You wouldn’t like it here
Capitol towers radiator steam vents
Scream along with the clarinets and arguments
Echo down the hall
I can’t sleep, I can’t wake up
I’m shaken up maybe we should break up
I wish you were here
Better yet I wish I was there with you
You wouldn’t like it here
You should stay right there
Breathe in that country air
You wouldn’t like it here
Capitol city skyline photo
Picture postcard signed the moon so
Low in the sky
I can’t smile when my hearts still broken
Faraway, in love and unspoken
I wish you were here
Or I was there with you
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.
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
Hummingbird
his goal in life was to be an echo
riding alone, town after town, toll after toll
a fixed bayonet through the great southwest
to forget her
she appears
in his dreams
but in his car, and in his arms
a dream could mean anything
a cheap sunset on a television set could upset her
but he never could
remember to remember me
standing still in your past
floating fast like a hummingbird
his goal in life was to be an echo
the type of sound that floats around
and then back down like a feather
but in the deep chrome canyons of the loudest Manhattans
no one could hear him
or anything
so he slept, on a mountain
in a sleeping bag underneath the stars,
he would lie awake and count them
but the great fountain spray of the great Milky Way
would never let him
die alone
remember to remember me
standing still in your past
floating fast like a hummingbird
remember to remember me
standing still in your past
floating fast like a hummingbird
a hummingbird
a hummingbird
Instrumental Credits
Jeff Tweedy Vocals
John Stirratt Electric Rhythm Guitar & Background Vocals
Glenn Kotche Drums
Mikael Jorgensen Piano
Jim O'Rourke Bass & Electric Lead Guitar
Frankie Montouro Hammer Dulcimer
Karen Waltuch Viola
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
Jesus, Etc.
Jesus, don't cry
You can rely on me honey
You can combine anything you want
I'll be around
You were right about the stars
Each one is a setting sun
Tall buildings shake
Voices escape singing sad sad songs
Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around
Don't cry
You can rely on me honey
You can come by any time you want
I'll be around
You were right about the stars
Each one is a setting sun
Tall buildings shake
Voices escape singing sad sad songs
Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around
Voices whine
Skyscrapers are scraping together
Your voice is smoking
Last cigarettes are all you can get
Turning your orbit around
Our love
Our love
Our love is all we have
Our love
Our love is all of God's money
Everyone is a burning sun
Tall buildings shake
Voices escape singing sad sad songs
Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around
Voices whine
Skyscrapers are scraping together
Your voice is smoking
Last cigarettes are all you can get
Turning your orbit around
Last cigarettes are all you can get
Turning your orbit around
Last cigarettes are all you can get
Turning your orbit around
Hate It Here
I try to stay busy
I do the dishes, I mow the lawn
I try to keep myself occupied
Even though I know you’re not coming home
I try to keep the house nice and neat
I make my bed I change the sheets
I even learned how to use the washing machine
But keeping things clean doesn’t change anything
What am I gonna do when I run out of shirts to fold?
What am I gonna do when I run out of lawn to mow?
What am I gonna do if you never come home?
Tell me, what am I gonna do?
I hate it
I hate it here
When you’re gone
I caught myself thinking
I caught myself thinking once again
Have to try to keep my mind out of this
Try not to pretend
I’ll check the phone
I’ll check the mail
I’ll check the phone again and I call your mom
She says you’re not there and I should take care
I hate it here
When you’re gone
I hate it
I hate it here
When you’re gone
I try to stay busy
I take out the trash, I sweep the floor
Try to keep myself occupied
Cause I know you don’t live here anymore
Written by Jeff Tweedy and Wilco
The Late Greats
The greatest lost track of all-time
The Late Greats’s “Turpentine”
You can’t hear it on the radio
Can’t hear it anywhere you go
The best band will never get signed
The Kay-Sette’s starring Butcher’s Blind
So good you won’t ever know
They never even played a show
Can’t hear ‘em on the radio
The greatest singer in Rock-n-Roll
Would have to be Romeo
His vocal chords are made of gold
He just looks a little too old
The best songs will never get sung
The best life never leaves your lungs
So good you won’t ever know
You’ll never hear it on the radio
You can’t hear it on the radio
Kingpin
I wanna be your kingpin
Living in Pekin
I wanna be your bigwig
Living in Pekin
I got the flu and away I flew
N.Y.C.P.D. blue
Dimetapp and spinal tap
City maps and hand claps
Statue of Liberty play
It only works once
Don't throw it away
’Cause I wanna be your kingpin
Living in Pekin
Living in
Pekin
Living in
How can I
How can I give my love to you when
I don't know what to do
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
Red-Eyed and Blue
We've got solid-state technology
Tapes on the floor
Some songs we can't afford to play
When we came here today
All I wanted to say
Is how much I miss you
Alcohol and cotton balls
And some drugs
We can’t afford on the way
When we came here today
We all felt something true
Now I'm red-eyed and blue
I Got You (At the End of the Century)
I got you and that's all I need
I got you and that's all I need
I got you and that's all I need
I got you
I got you and I still believe
That you are all I will ever need
It's you, oh
All the way back in the seventies
You were my little TV queen
Tarzan and your friend Janine
I got you
I got you and I still believe
That you are all I will ever need
It's you, oh
It's the end of the century
And I can't think of anything
Except you
It's the end of the century
And I can't think of anything
But you, oh
All, I, need
I got you
I got you, babe
I got you
You
You, ooh ooh
I got you
I got you
Oooh
I got you
Casino Queen
Well the money's pouring down
And the people all look down
And it's floating out of town
I hit the second deck
And I spent my paycheck
And my wife that I just met
She's looking like a wreck
Casino Queen
My lord you're mean
I've been gambling like a fiend
On your tables so green
I always bet on black
Blackjack
I'll pay you back
The room fills with smoke
And I'm already broke
And the dealer keeps on joking
As he takes my last token
Casino Queen
My lord you're mean
I've been gambling like a fiend
On your tables so green
Casino Queen
My lord you're mean
I've been gambling like a fiend
On your tables so green
Instrumental credits:
Jeff Tweedy – vocals, acoustic guitar
John Stirratt – bass, vocals
Max Johnston – fiddle, vocals
Ken Coomer – drums, vocals
Brian Henneman – guitars, vocals
Daniel Corrigan - vocals
Dreamer in My Dreams
Well there's a dreamer in my dreams
Swinging from the beams
With light shining off the snow
Well there's a singer in my heart
Burning up my charts
With songs about things we all know
Well there's a blister on his brain
That's driving him insane
’Cause all good things they gotta go
Well there's a child on the way
It could be any day
But how his life will change
That we don't know
Well there's a child on the way
Gonna look just like him
One day, he's gonna say
"Ain't you my dad?"
Then he's gonna look down and smile
And after a while, he'll say,
"That's for sure, cause you got my eyes."
Well there's a dreamer in my dreams
He's hanging from the beams
With light shining off the snow
There's a blister on his brain
It's driving him insane
And all good things have to go
There's a dreamer in my dreams
Swinging from the beams
With a light shining off the lake
Well I know I've made mistakes
I'm passing them on
But I hope he gets up before dawn
There's a dreamer in my dreams
Climbing up the back
Of a car they used to call a Cadillac
It's got a brand new set of keys
It’s got a new look, it’s got a new look
And he’s gonna, he’s gonna take it all the way
There's a dreamer in my dreams,
Swinging from the beams
All jacked up in my garage
He's hanging from a belt
He don't know what he's done
Just don't forget to say goodbye when he's gone