1. |
The Contest of Strength
04:16
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we were drinking in the back
after closing up the store
that old spirit in my throat,
a spirit for every occasion
the contest of strength
in the rain, beneath the stairs
transmuting all the faces
in the crippled weekend air
celebration
the stories all were said
we sank deep in our clothes
leaning long into each other’s words
until the bars were closed
daniel stole because he could
I breathed out through my nose
a bright and sudden pain came up
and killed the spirit in my throat
celebration
he came out of his car
swinging wide the pipe
I backed against a wall,
some mumbled supplication
running with head hung,
Daniel ran my way
he laughed hard
and resumed the conversation
celebration
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2. |
Undertow
04:41
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your arm in a sling from falling down the stairs at nine years
you broke your arm and I was scared to fall
if our deathbeds are next to each other
I will crawl right into yours
will you tell me all the things that I forgot?
we are swimming, spitting signals in the dark
and the clouds look just like mountains where we are
we are teething
what had you said to make me laugh with blood on my knees?
did you say “If our deathbeds are next to each other I will crawl right into yours”?
will you tell me all the things that I forgot?
we are swimming, spitting signals in the dark
and the clouds look just like mountains where we are
we are teething
I remember,
I remember when we were swimming, spitting signals,
now we are floating, the tide is clawing down
we are carried
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3. |
No Harm
04:19
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thought, thought I could grip
grip the dust
by the speed of my hand
bone crash into skin,
swinging hard,
swinging hard as you can
between the houses we cannot be seen
we made, made new words
for the pins
that we felt in our legs
stood, stood in our rooms
wide awake
just to watch the day change
cold on the beds where our brothers have been
you know we did no harm
when they ran and hid, no harm
hunting the kids, no harm
you know they did no harm
in June, June’s thick breath
will collect
and then drip down our chins
cut holes in the screen
make them wide,
and let the creatures come in
between the houses we cannot be seen
you know we did no harm
when they ran and hid, no harm
hunting the kids, no harm
you know they did no harm
forming slowly, all things holy
no breath showing
all outrunning, our skin humming
into the sun
always running to,
never running from
cold on the beds where our brothers have been
you know we did no harm
when they ran and hid, no harm
hunting the kids, no harm
you know they did no harm
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4. |
Monument
03:42
|
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in the end they’ll say his power
was lost in years and in hours
so what informed his lust
to turn the distance into dust?
oh, now I’m going, now I’m gone
and sure, he’s honed the craft
of speaking on our behalf
for us, he’d move a mountain
does that make him someone we can count on?
oh, now I’m going now I’m gone
oh, now I’m going
now he’ll part us like a sea
with these roads, with these roads
who’s he setting free
with these roads, with these roads?
behold his mighty gains
with these roads, with these roads
give kindness a new name
with these roads
now I’m going, now I’m gone
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5. |
||||
there is a fire burning underground
and it always keeps me turning back around
an agreement of silence, vessels made of wood
grey space that once was where something ancient stood
the weather made you so afraid
magnetic force, the inevitable return
to the place that I had left before
our friends are running,
living in cloud shadows
we made little tide pools in our open mouths
and stood like creatures frozen into silence or a shout
the weather made you so afraid
magnetic force, the inevitable return
to the place that I had left before
our friends are running,
living in cloud shadows,
cloud shadows, cloud shadows
there is a fire burning…
our friends are running
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6. |
The Contest of Wit
04:31
|
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how did you become
a series of of numbers attached to a name?
why must I call into question
if it’s your honour that is to blame?
you are turning
I am learning
where you’ll go
what could I have said
to make you smile, but bring you to the ground?
I saw myself shouting
“you are your father when he let you down”
you are turning
I am learning
where you’ll go
round and around and around
baffled by the lack of sight and sound
and the sound, and the sound
hit me once, and I’ll turn right around
and around and around
baffled by the lack of sight and sound
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7. |
Odessa Steps
05:19
|
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I know that this wasn’t the plan
don’t think anyone knew their own thoughts before the fighting began
and you trust that we will understand
that the lies you were told came direct from a higher command
a higher command
boy is falling
from the hordes
soldiers marching
pick him up and walk towards
and we yell without making a sound
watch the cradle that rocks slowly teeter and fall to the ground
as we ask ourselves, what have we found?
and how do you know who you’ll be the next time they come around,
with your chin up, eyes down?
boy is falling
from the hordes
soldiers marching
pick him up and walk towards
teach us regret,
guards of our debt
run from the steps,
run from the steps
teach us regret,
guards of our debt
oh
hold on baby, watch your step
it’s so easy to forget
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8. |
Born into Language
05:52
|
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a parking lot outside a church
we are laughing into our sleeves
they’re putting the tea out as the family turns
you’re still hanging from the eaves
I held you in two cupped hands
your feet became unstuck from the sand
you walked back to where you began
I held you in two cupped hands
your brimming eyes were so quick to ignite
tried to revise what I knew about light
your brimming eyes were so quick to ignite
tried to revise what I knew about light
surrounded by a swollen bed
you turned into a satellite
you were born into language, the destruction of dark
but you had sudden perfect sight
I thought about how all bodies end
they looked to see if you would ascend
I felt a calm I didn’t intend
I thought about how all bodies end
your brimming eyes were so quick to ignite
tried to revise what I knew about light
your heavy eyes were so quick to ignite
tried to revise what I knew about light
I held you in two cupped hands
your feet became unstuck from the sand
you walked back to where you began
I held you in two cupped hands
I thought about how all bodies end
they looked to see if you would ascend
I felt a calm I didn’t intend
I thought about how all bodies end
(your brimming eyes were so quick to ignite
tried to revise what I knew about light
your heavy eyes were so quick to ignite
tried to revise what I knew about light)
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9. |
Ceilings
04:22
|
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there was a sound the night after we were born
it flooded the air, and then it was ignored
he was the fur and she was a set of coloured teeth
twenty-two years slowly biting into me
you’re brand new
where the hell did you come from?
you said something to me then
when you came out of nowhere
you scared me to death
the creature that breathed and moved in my mother’s youth
is burrowing deep into her sinew
my eyes were gripped beneath blankets and the cold of the night
nervous loves and fears recorded in decaying light
you’re brand new
where the hell did you come from?
you said something to me then
when you came out of nowhere
you scared me to death
you’re brand new
where the hell did you come from?
you said something to me then
when you came out of nowhere
you scared me to death
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Yes We Mystic Winnipeg, Manitoba
Yes We Mystic no longer exists. Final album "Trust Fall" out now.
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