Lyrics My New Book - Greg Brown

My New Book

Lipstick on a thermos cup
Lust and whiskey fill it up
And smoke blows from the chimney to the moon
It’s much too cold in the Midwest —
Chilly hands cup chilly breasts
Things not said fill up every room
As he stands there in the door
There’s no room for him anymore
She lies there saying
«Honey take one last look.»
I’ll tell it all in my new book
Above the city 300 feet
A derelict in a penthouse suite
Packs his suitcase for the midnight train
The rich girl could not face her dream
He’s bitter coffee, she’s sweet cream
She pulls on her shirt, outside it rains
And later in the rambling dark
He’ll unwrap her broken heart
And smile the weary smile of the crook
I’ll tell it all in my new book
Coyote sleeps with everyone
But in the morning he’s long gone
And it turns out that he was a she
Tales grow tall around the fire
Where there’s no truth, no one’s a liar
Whatever mask you wear is who you’ll be
There is a hole in the day
Through which we make our gateway —
I make mine every time I’m shook
I’ll tell it all in my new book
We sift through culture run amok
But our rhythm is still boom-boom-chuck
The whole world to us is now a theme park
The tourist takes the traveler’s place
Buys a new body, a new face
A hymn is not a hymn sung with no heart
And I turn to the Man of Woe
And ask him where there’s left to go —
He points down with his shepherd’s crook
I’ll tell it all in my new book
When they lead you to the wood
Remember that you always should
Leave a trail of black-eyed peas behind
So I can find my way to you
Whatever you may get into —
You are the one I always long to find
And when this crazy time is gone
We’ll build a home down by a pond
I’d make you a good mate — I love to cook
I’ll tell it all in my new book
On old Cape Cod, it blows a gale
I’ll be Jonah.
You be the whale
I want to dive as deep as we can go
Your ship is sailing for the dark
Leave your suitcase, take my heart —
Hold me, stow me, love me very slow
Why must this hour come to pass?
I look at you and raise my glass
Our kisses cannot stop the scythe, the hook
I’ll tell it all in my new book
I heard a young man sing a song
Just that one, and he was gone
Off on the journey we all used to make
It was a song like rain and wind
Reminded me of where I’d been
And that wild feeling I can’t seem to shake
I’d like to go into some shack
And wait for that kid to come back
And sing until the walls and windows shook
And tell it all in my new book
The soldiers meet between the fights
To drink and gamble half the night
While waiting for the fresh troops to arrive
The battlements will always stand
According to the ancient plan
Not a one of us gets out alive
And as we huddled in the smoke
I began to get the joke
I laughed and kissed you
While the whole world shook
I’ll tell it all in my new book