ISIS

I heard of Isis on the fourth of July

But I could not believe it was true for too long

So I grew a long beard and flew into the sky

For middle of the east, to sort right out from wrong

I came to a low place of anger and joy

The difference was carved into everyone’s face

The plane dropped me off, I walked up to a boy

I said I had some history I needed to erase

He called to a man who was ancient and scarred

I knew right away he was not understated

He said, “Are you lookin’ to decode something hard?”

I said, “I think so.” He said, “It’s all overrated.” 

We set out at noon for the heat of the dunes

I gave him some blue jeans and he gave me his word

I said, “Where we goin’?” He said we be back by June

I said, “That’s the best news that I’ve ever heard.” 

I was thinking about Iraq, I was thinking about Saddam

I was thinking about Bush and the world’s biggest drone

As we trudged through the sand like a satanic prom

I was thinking about ISIS and how they too had a home

How they told us that one day they’d nuke us to hell

And things would be different when they ruled the land

If they only could make propaganda to sell

But ours is so slick and so rich and so grand

We came a suburb all embedded in sun

He said, “There’s a man here who you need to shoot

If you take this man out then this war will be won

Just dump his body at sea” — I said, “that seems too cute”

The wind it was howlin’ and the heat was outrageous

We searched through the night and we searched thought the dawn

When he died I was hoping that it wasn’t contagious

But I made up my mind that I had to go on

I broke down a door, but the compound was empty

There was no man, no nothin’, I felt I’d been tricked

When I saw my companion was just being crazy

When I followed him here I must’a been sick

I grabbed his arms and I dragged him inside

I covered him up with a blanket and a skillet

I sang a quick song and I felt satisfied

Then I rode back to find ISIS just to curse it and kill it

They were there in the desert where the oil still flows

Surrounded by guns and in need of some food

I came in from the west with the sand in my toes

I struck them one time, then I took all their crude

They said, “What’s your deal?” I said, “I am special”

They said, “You look angry.” I said, “That’s my flow.”

They said, “You been wrong.” I said, “So have you.”

They said, “You gonna quit?” I said, “Never. No.” 

Isis, oh, Isis, you’re a mystical crew

What scares us in you is what makes us a lie

I still can remember the way that you grew

As the fireworks flew on the fourth of July

THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE IN HISTORY

the most qualified candidate in history

she's a mystery

all the time

she’s got money

she’s got money on her mind

the most qualified candidate in history

secretary misery

once upon a time

she’s got money

she’s got money on her mind

boo boo boo boo boo

she’s always changing up her hair doo

baa baa baa baa 

she gets in sticky situations

boo boo boo boo

she got a record reputation

she’s always saying something but she’s never saying nothing at all

the most qualified candidate in history 

she’s got money

she’s got money on her mind

THE ART OF THE DEAL

The art of the deal

Do some qualudes & steal  

In the 80s there were ladies and lines

There were shakers and movers

Check book bakers and boozers 

Groovers groovin’ to the wall street grind

The art of the deal

Order takeout every meal

Mind the market, hit your target, get your prize

Both the bear and the bull, what you wear gets you pull  

In the restaurants where the well to do dine

They say greed is good and they’re right about that  

At the drop of a hat, it could all be gone

All gone

The art of the deal

Go with your gut, do what you feel

Just groovers groovin’ to the Wall Street grind

They got money, they got money on their mind

They got money, they got money on their mind

DIMINISHING NUMBERS

I didn’t die in the epidemic

I stayed alive for awhile

I moved along the Mohawk river

I lived along the Mohawk river

I got along

A refugee showed up and said

They want an alliance

We were mourning our dead

We killed the refugee

We killed the refugee

We killed the refugee 

And we’d do it again

This is a war

This is a war

Whose side are you on? 

What are you fighting for?

Why are you fighting? 

We attacked the southeast

Took six hundred captives at least

Then they killed our leader

So we took ‘em out

We destroyed them

And their allies attacked us

And it went on and on and on and on

Diminishing numbers

And out of supplies

We accepted their offer

But it just wasn’t right

And then over time

Diminishing numbers

On the mohawk river

Diminishing numbers

On the Mohawk River

Diminishing numbers

Diminishing numbers

Diminishing numbers

HIKIKOMORI

Hikikomori

I don’t know anymore what I should do

I don’t know anymore

Hikikomori

I don’t know anymore what I should do

I don’t know anymore

I don’t know anymore

Hikikomori

I don’t go anywhere

I don’t go anywhere

Hikiomori

I don’t go anywhere

I don’t go anywhere

Hikiomori

I don’t go anywhere anymore

I don’t go anywhere anymore

Just leave me alone

Leave me alone

Leave me alone

I don’t know anymore

I don’t know

I don’t know

I don’t know

Hikikomori

I don’t know anymore what I should do

I don’t know anymore

Hikikomori

I don’t know anymore what I should do

I don’t know anymore

Hikikomori

I don’t know anymore what I should do

I don’t know anymore

IT’S OKAY, IT’S FINE (MOST OF THE TIME)

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, go that way

It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)

Lady got a walking stick and a lady to lean upon

Man I met last night was almost dead

Cluster here got drunk and sick, cluster there got a bone to pick

We’re hungry and we’re hunting

We’re hungry and we’re hunted

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, go that way

It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)

There is dog shit on the streets of America

There is human shit also on the streets

I haven’t been to Tokyo, but I would like to someday go

And see what kind of shit is on their streets

Oh! I wanna see what Japanese shit looks like

I’ll even smell it!

I wanna smell Japanese shit

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, go that way

It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)

I don’t need a jury or a justice

I don’t need a judgement from on high

I cannot speak for God above, but I believe in endless love

And I believe that humans beings can make it

Oh!

Yes, I believe that human beings can make it

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way

Whichever way you wanna be, be that way

Whichever way you wanna go, go that way

It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)

It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)

It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)

ON 9/11

On 9/11

I was still in heaven

I was still in trouble

I was still in love

I was in paradise

Too much paradise

So much paradise

You have to close your eyes

So much paradise you have to close your eyes

On 9/11

I was smoking cigarettes

I used to smoke in New York

When I lived there for a little bit

A couple months before 9/11

We were all unemployed

We were girls and we were boys

We didn’t think about justice

We didn’t think about pain

We didn’t think about torture

Or who was to blame

We believed in each other

We were simple and strong

We were young independents

We were all strung along

On 9/11

I can’t say I was scared

I was in paradise

So much paradise

So much paradise

You have to shield your eyes

On 9/11

On 9/11

You have to shield your eyes

All words written by John Elliott 2016.