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City Boy

Great Error

1.

City Boy (4:19)

only the song you sing
leaves a hole
in the wall where a photo once was
all the things
you ever had
are piled up in the dumpster downstairs
and the noise
is closing in
from the street below an open window

holding a coffee cup
to your lips
as the neighbors throw things at the wall
see the gate
close and open
to the grinding and whining of gears
call your mom
say you wanted this
as her tears fall out an open window

look closely
you can almost see the gears turning
city boy asked for drama
look what he got

fill up the grocery bag
mesmerized
by the eyes of a random cashier
furtively
eye the ass
of the guy next to you in the lift
better yet
take a running jump
at the ghosts outside an open window

put your hands to your ears
stops the sighs
of your life as it passes you by
smile at jokes
wash your hands
practice hard at not giving a shit
just to find
in your bed at night
that your mind went out an open window

fix me another one
if you can
i spilled the last one all over your shirt
accidents
monuments to my misshapen crumbling ideals
i'm surprised
that you haven't yet
jumped screaming out an open window

i feel like the oldest man
in the world
i feel 273
and am still
figuring out
the logic of your arguments
it would age me beyond belief
to see you jump out an open window

(no one knows
who you are
nameless drone
broadway star)

look closely
you can almost see the gears turning
city boy asked for drama
look what he got

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

extra performance:

jason harvey: bass guitar

2.

Corporate Casualty #1 (3:32)

first prize to
the genius
who wants to stay away from me
encourage
your friends to
share in your corporate evil mind

every day
is monday
except for friday afternoon
my digits
drag the ground
my eyes avoid your evil gaze

so much for
composure
i slam my head against the wall
your mouth hangs
wide open
shut it before your tongue falls out

this is the
last time you'll
see me in full-blown office drag
i've got two
tickets to
witness the story of my life

look at the water
in the woodprint above the desk
i could be there right now
could be with you right now

I WANT TO BE CORPORATE CASUALTY #1!!

take the knife
from my back
use it on someone innocent
i've dreamed of
dramatic revenge for years and years and years and years and years

5, 4, 3, 2, 1
i explode
but simply wind up walking out
it's tragic
unnoticed
exactly what you want from me

and now i'm
stuck starving
i've got your photo on the wall
a dartboard
a target
all is going according to plan

wining dining climbing fighting
rising tying biting trying
sliding striking whining sighing
crying dying by the hour

you are living in america
you are dealing with hysteria
you are an example of a victim
yearning for a new life

i want to be corporate casualty #1

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

extra performance:

jason harvey: bass guitar

3.

Invincible (2:38)

since the day you walked into my office
i have been obsessed with your muscular body
i have not been able to sleep for days
waiting for the right time to jump your bones
i am still formulating a plan for us
please don't think i'm weird
just because i keep blueprints for the bank
in my ninja suit with gear to pick the lock
and bags to bring the swag home

i'll be long gone
when you wake up
leaving no trace
only a note
giving directions
to the treasure
just don't spend it all
on plastic surgery
i have to find you
in 20 years
keep yourself away
from the IRS
keep an eye out
for the signal
we will have it all
and be invincible

but since you took all my shit and ran
i have no mercy on your thieving neurotic ass
therefore i will have to notify the cops
that you have victimized grandma x
small town folk will come down with a vengeance
when you put it that way
pass the time until i come for you
maybe i will have come to my senses by then
and let you off
come to daddy's arms

i'll be long gone
when you wake up
leaving no trace
only a note
giving directions
to the treasure
just don't spend it all
on plastic surgery
i have to find you
in 20 years
keep yourself away
from the IRS
keep an eye out
for the signal
we will have it all
and be invincible

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

extra performance:

jason harvey: bass guitar

extra composition/production:

jason harvey: composition

4.

Slinky (2:43)

it rolls down stairs
alone or in pairs
it makes a clinkity sound
a thing, a thing
a wonderful thing
everyone loves a slinky

slinky, slinky
it's such a wonderful toy
slinky, slinky
it's fun for a girl and a boy

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

5.

5:59am (3:08)

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | mastering | mixing | production | recording

6.

Cornered (2:11)

can you see
better
now that your eyes
are close to tears
open
please
have you gone
have you gone now
take this away
have you seen this man
catch me now
if you can

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

7.

Gone (4:40)

crash down
feel the wood of the floor
under the bed
feel the pillow and the blankets
where you'd been
birds are chirping outside
in perfect unison
to the echo of a car alarm

she said
it hadn't been as gray as this for years
pulled the blanket to her chin and frowned
looked out the window where i stood and stared in
i shivered once and leaned against the glass
men screamed below if i come down no one will be hurt
12 feet below the surface of the skin
she was watching the sky behind me turn gray
as the hair on my head

there's some money in a box on the desk
take it away
since i haven't any use for it
now that you've gone
there's a camera in a case by the bed
take out the film
since i have no one to photograph
now that you've gone
there's an alvarez guitar on a stand
tear off the strings
since i have nothing to sing about
now that you've gone
don't forget to get some pins and a match
and brand new cloth
since your voodoo doll is wearing out
now that you've gone

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

8.

Geronimo (2:45)

mouthing words only to break up uncomfortable pauses
between handshakes
make sure you never sweat or break eye contact
or hesitate
when you know what you want

geronimo says
take off your boots and jump into the bed
make sure you never get out of his head
keep the alarm set to eastern time

reach up and slap the shit out of the callout box
floating above my head
slap the number sign
slap the dollar sign
slap the exclamation point

geronimo says
have seven drinks and take off all your clothes
be sick in the john and still smell like a rose
pass out at dinner and stumble home
geronimo says
let your words come out distorted and vague
hiding the fact that you've nothing to say

check your pulse and
check your wallet
stamp your stats on
your forehead
8:30
too early
kill time with the DJ
tight leather
wife beater
nipple rings and crew cut
don't worry
they love you
they leave you standing there
drink in hand
get out while you can
check your pulse and
check your wallet
stamp your stats on
your forehead

geronimo says
drown out the static with headphones and hands
scream through your teeth but issue no demands
sit there and suffer in agony
geronimo says
break up a family and steal all the men
wash off your hands and then do it again
polish your halo and make it shine

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

extra performance:

jason harvey: bass guitar

9.

Tony Song (3:25)

straight down to hell
is where i go
now that you've taken all of my thoughts
and scattered them about
i've told you over and over and over and over and over
to stay the hell out of there
and now i've got to put the smack down

i wish you would stop coming in here and tossing that smile in my face
i was just kidding just then you know better than that

all my singing
with the door open
has driven you
to distraction

it's embarrassing
to think of what you think of me
standing there
in complete fabulousness
talk to me
please
i'm easy

i wanted you
you wanted me too
that way it worked out
for both of us
without missing a beat
i kissed you over and over and over and over again
and now we have to decide
how to decorate the kitchen

this is a perfect example of singing without any point
all of these words have been yours
i'm possessed
they've been nothing of mine

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

10.

Falling On Clear Night (3:39)

step #1: insert key into ignition, pull vehicle into street
step #2: turn on headlamps, activate atmospheric music
step #3: take entrance ramp onto deserted highway
step #4: take exit ramp onto remote mountain road
accelerate into sharp curve on narrow ledge
lose control

did
did i
did i meet
did i meet you
at
at that
at that par
at that party
the
the o
the other
the other night
when
when we
when we were
when we were drunk
i
i could
i could have
i could have sworn
we
we fell
we fell in
we fell in love

step #5: unfasten seat belt, crash through steel railing
step #6: calmly open door, eject self from falling vehicle
step #7: fall slowly through night air, gaze up at lunar body
step #8: feel in wind in hair, close eyes, smile distantly

you
you dreamed
you dreamed of
you dreamed of air
un
under
under your
under your skin
please
please com
please complete
please complete me
what
what was
what was your
what was your name

performance:

dennis harvey: all instruments | voice

composition/production:

dennis harvey: composition | lyrics | mastering | mixing | production | recording

performance:

dennis harvey:

all instruments on all tracks
voice on all tracks except 5

composition/production:

dennis harvey:

composition, mastering, mixing, production, and recording on all tracks
lyrics on all tracks except 5

extra performance:

jason harvey:

bass guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, and 8

extra composition/production:

jason harvey:

composition on track 3

Completed on April 23, 2013.

notes:

written recorded and mastered in various bedrooms and other living spaces in houston, tx september 2002 through november 2003. all sounds by dennis except: bass guitar on tracks 01, 02 and 03 by jason, who also helped write track 03. lyrics on track 04 are the eddie murphy version. track 03 contains a sample from "habanera" by george bizet, performed by charlotte church, ©2001 sony records; track 07 contains a sample from the film "reality bites," written by helen childress, ©1994 universal city studios, inc. leaf photo by shawn wheeler.

remastered spring 2013.