Sitting in the shade of a manzanita

Waiting for the universe to come,

Tell me secrets

Hey, even when I'm doing nothing,

I'm not doing nothing

Cloud formations pass by overhead

Pieces of water been raised from the dead

On the earth, on the land, in the sea and the sky,

In the root of the tree and the tear in the eye

In the woman, the man, in you and in I,

We're given to live and given to die

And given to live… 

Flying over the mountains,

Swimming upstream,

Running down through the canyons

Wide awake in the dream

Hunting at night in the jungle,

Riding on the wind,

Sailing out on the currents

To the farthest shore and back again

Sitting in the shade of a manzanita

Waiting for the universe to come,

Tell me secrets

Hey, even when I'm doing nothing,

I'm not doing nothing

I See You

I see constellations in your eyes

You are older than the ocean

And much younger than the flowers

Picked by children in the springtime

I see you hiding,

Inside

Me, I see you hiding

In my mirror every morning

I see you

I see great red giants in your eyes

You are stronger than the mountains

And as gentle as the breezes

That caress the downy necks

Of snow white swans on ponds of summer

I see you hiding

Inside

Me, I see you hiding

In the most familiar places

I see you

I see you hiding

Inside me I see you hiding

In the most peculiar places

I see you

I see constellations in your eyes

Constellations in your eyes

I see constellations in your eyes

I see you

It's Spring

I could never say to you,

"Will you come and make it real,

Bring from me the smile, the touch,

Awake in me the reason?"

Is this enough to draw you near?

Have I held you clearly?  Come,

Make for me this waiting be

Only for a season…

It's Spring

On Our Way

Driving down the highway in my old brown truck

We're going to the gathering

Rolling through the desert

Scorchy a bit, but we're on our way

A little late in the day

We're kind of making Aaron pay

I'm not really malicious or vengeful

Or passive-aggressive

It's just that he can't take the heat anymore

Thinking I'll write at least a song a day

See how long it takes

To get back in the flow

We can't help but go once we're addicted to it

Writing and singing and playing and dreaming

Doing what's worth doing when you're human

Hanging with the tribes, and getting with the earth

Feeling alive, and showing heaven

We're on our way

Feeling … okay

The desert is a part of the trip, let's get hip,

Go back a different part of the day

Arriving at the site, feeling like a fight

Being told what not to do, and herded around

Not enough sleep, way too much heat,

And fresh out of patience…

Hey, everybody lashes out in their own way

Welcome home, they say,

You're family issues are waiting

Yes I brought my "stuff" to Rainbow

I piled it ten feet high

But there's no place for everything

And nothing is in its place

I rage, I vow, I shake my fist

I threaten to cut you all off

I'm living in a house divided

And it's falling apart

Hey, I'm Babylon in my own way

Should I go or stay?

Be here now, or run away?

Okay, feeling better by the second,

Pretty darn good the third day

The neighbors are nice, giving just enough advice

We're making good friends, we're making amends

Chanting and praying and dancing and saying

What's true about me, true about you

Smiling and hugging and loving and drumming

And eating dank dzu-dzus in the early morning

Tuning to the spirit, Now we can hear it

Falling from the sky, but it's okay

We're on our way

Hey, we're on our way

We're on our way

Hey, we're on our way

Let The Light

First you wake up to the darkness

Then you notice the light

Lose your need to struggle,

Run and hide, fear and fight

Why damn the darkness

From a place in the shadows,

Telling others to step in the light

You don't have to fight against the night

You can let the light … shine in you

If you look out in the world and judge others

It'll color the way that you see

You're playing the role of the victim

Like, 'look what they're doing to me'

Choices my friend are still choices

Even if they're unconscious and deep

We ourselves are the ones

Who make us or break us

That's what my pain has taught me

We graduate from fairy tales … to reality

Then we progress on back … to fairy tales

In the mind's eye of the beholder

Is the color of life

You pick your own brand of glasses

Your glasses color your sight

People say what they're seeing is darkness

Aren't shadows made by the light?

Why damn the darkness

From a place in the shadows

When you can let the light … shine in you

Imagination … does … the greatest part

As we create our lives

Yeah, we create our lives

First you wake up to the darkness

Then you notice the light

Lose your need to struggle,

Run and hide, fear and fight

Why damn the darkness

From a place in the shadows?

Why damn the darkness?

You don't have to fight against the night

You can let the light…

You can let the light…

You can let the light … shine in you

Little Four Cylinder

 Little four cylinder … made in Japan

Two-tone, tiny-tired

Four-wheel, rust-covered sardine can

It's a hot little car…It's a pustulant pockmark

It started out in Michigan, pretty and young

Now it's got an image problem here in Southern Cal

It runs on regular … It's been running since '77

In July of '94 it got me out to Oregon and back again

The mileage it was okay

It got about 20

With all the shit that I packed

It probably was plenty

I took it to the country fair

I left it in the dead lot

It liked the energy out there

The car it likes parking a lot

It's got trouble with the hot start

But it doesn't eat much oil

It's got good acceleration

It passed smog on the first shot  (yes!)

Little four cylinder…made in Japan

Two-tone, tiny tired

Four-wheeled, rust-covered sardine can

It's a hot little car…I call it Jabbar

'Cause even if a basketball player could get in it,

He wouldn't want to go very far

It's not the kind of car

That would inspire most people

To write a song about it

They would probably say

That for me a better way

To spend my time would be

Sanding, painting, and selling it!

Little four cylinder

Runs on regular

The current owner of the car

Is the lead singer for the Violent Yes-Men

--My very good friend

When people see me in his car

I always want to tell them that:

It belongs to him!

Little four cylinder

Little four cylinder

Little four cylinder 

Little four cylinder (etc.)

The Universe is Filled

The universe is filled

With self-absorbed beings

Obsessed with their own singularity

Each of them insists

On going their own way

Although it causes much lack of clarity

Don't take it to heart

They're still in the process of scattering

They're running, but they'll run into their self some day

Don't let it get you down

They're just a little dense and into suffering

And we all know how fun and dramatic

That can be in certain ways

The universe is filled

With self-important beings

Obsessed with their own singularity

I guess they still believe

That life is High School

An they're still trying to gain popularity

Don't let it bum you out

The way they think they must control just everything

Their destructive little habits

They haven't ruined it completely

For the rest of us

Don't let it tweak your beak

There's hope and there's still time for them to grow up

If we're willing we can set a good enough example

That they may see the light

Opening

And the masked man comes,

Singing love songs beneath your window

You invite him in; let him stay

And the pirate comes…

Seeking your buried treasure

Your deny him none; let him have his way

Because you know the sweetness of surrender

And you find that what falls apart

Held you from yourself, you’re not on the shelf,

You are where you are

You are … opening

And the mermaids come,

Singing their songs of wonder

They invite you … for a swim

And the ocean comes…

And threatens to pull you under

And you cry your salty tears as you dive in

Because you know the sweetness of surrender

And you find that what’s washed away

Kept you from yourself, you’re not on the shelf,

You are where you are

You are … opening

You are … opening

And the masked man comes,

Singing love songs beneath your window

You invite him in; let him stay

And the pirate comes…

Seeking your buried treasure

Your deny him none; let him have his way

Because you know the sweetness of surrender

And you find that what’s torn apart

Kept you from yourself, you’re not on the shelf,

You are where you are,

You are … opening

You are … opening

You are …

Number One

Tell me why do we live the lie

When we could come from peace?

Number one is not put food on the table

Number one is love the lord

With all of your heart,

All of your soul, and all your strength

Tell me why do we chase the wind

When we could walk in love?

Number one is not keep the lights on

Number one is love your neighbor as yourself

Number one, you are number one

There are a million fates worse than death

Chosen every day

And we keep on pointing fingers

And we go down together,

Number one, number one

Tell me why do we live the lie

When we could come from peace?

Number one is not put food on the table

Number one is love the lord

Number one is love your neighbor as yourself

Number one, you are number one, we are

Number one…

Yes there's time for other numbers

But we're in this one together

Never mind your wins and losses,

Never mind the stormy weather,

Number one,

Number one, 

Number one,

Number one,  (etc.)