The Misadventures of Shea Grant

it was only half told
the rest lived inside my head
but it began to grow cold
so i whispered it at night to the souls of the dead
the souls of the dead
but ghosts are still people too
they’ve just experienced the change
that we’ll all go through
they still want to be entertained
before they listen to the things i have to say
and begin to give a damn and make a trade
for a little of the cold hard cash they made

but i would settle for attention to be paid
i would settle for a smile in the pouring rain
your smiles won’t pay the rent
it’s the retelling of my summer of discontent

and if you wondered bout my heart
it beated right out of my chest
and then you watched me fall apart
you explained that it was only loneliness
and it was not so bad you guessed

and I was livin in my car
my heart went pumpin down the road
so I watched it from afar
and decided it’d be safer on its own
it might even have a chance to find a home
out by the tracks where it would still be free to roam

but it would settle for attention to be paid
it would settle for a smile in the poorin rain
but your smiles won’t pay the rent
it’s the retelling of my summer of discontent

and oh my god
i tend to disappear
and you’ll know you’re wrong
cause you won’t find me here

but I would settle for attention to be paid
i would settle for a smile in the pouring rain
but your smiles won’t pay the rent
your smiles won’t pay the rent
your smiles won’t pay the rent
this is the story of my summer of discontent

A Long Slow Death in San Marcos, Texas

i’m not responsible for the way you say you feel
that’s what therapists teach assholes
so they don’t have to feel like assholes

flowered dress you don’t know how beautiful you are
but you’re the reason why the neighbor hung himself
from the willow in your backyard

one hand on the lever and the other on a shopping cart
one hand on the lever and the other on a shopping cart

no matter how much I give you say it’s not enough
til' i gave up my leg for six hundred dollars a month
now it’s costume jewelry so i know i’m still the one
yeah it’s costume jewelry so i know i’m still the one

three daughters, two sons, a trailer without a lot
you can’t love me for what i am
but you hate me for what you’re not
and there’s a leak in the ceiling and it’s causin' the floor to rot
yeah there’s a leak in the ceiling the floor’s begun to rot

so don’t go looking for a reason to be sad
cause it's already looking for you
you were lucky enough to put me in my grave my son
and I hope your kids get to bury you too
yeah I hope your kids get to bury you too

yeah I hope your kids get to bury you too
yeah I hope your kids get to bury you too


In My Pocket Forever

you said that you weren’t good for nothing
but pushin round strollers in the hot ass texas sun
blunt wraps on the window sill
a tattooed neck and a taped up dollar bill
you ain’t never been ashamed and I hope you never will
they took him away and they hollered and wailed
but who’s got time to send a hand written letter to jail
he ain’t never took the blame and I guess he never will
and no one ever asked if you was ok
but don’t let his momma catch you lookin' at the baby that way
i’m gonna swing by tonight and i’m prayin' that you let me stay

he crept into the room while you were asleep
lit up a match
and covered you in gasoline
he was twenty-eight years old
and you just turned fourteen
and all these food stamps can’t erase that memory

There was a girl who got set fire to down the street

Losing Pictures

Mary never knew she was a terrible person
that’s what she come to learn
some folks can’t handle what they’ve been handed
some folks get what they deserve

worn out dress on a line
footprints on her back
savior in your mind
make you drink like that

so drag your sorry ass back to Los Angeles but
don’t forget what you’ve burned
live inside my friends if you have to and
dig your knees in the dirt

flyin signs for a bath
stranger in your heart
cry for what you don’t have
let it rip you apart

Carolina

that don’t belong to you
so don’t carry it around
all alone readin' books in the back of the house
i wrote a song i thought would make you weep
but Carolina don’t you wait for me

it’s hard to believe that i know better
but i know it’s what you know to say
i keep comin' round with a bottle in my coat
and pretending that you want me to stay
but Carolina don’t you wait for me

i might be better off drownin all alone
lord it’s dark but at least it’s mine
your accomplishments are boring me to hell
send a letter if you ever decide
but Carolina don’t you wait for me

no Carolina don’t you wait for me

girl I’ve watched you watch me fall forever and
the story makes you feel divine
you try to hold on but it’s burnin your hands
my mental state is in a state of decline
but Carolina don’t you wait for me

no Carolina don’t you wait for me

no that don’t belong to you
so don’t carry it around
cause i couldn’t go on feelin' sorry for myself if i knew it was bringin' you down
no i couldn’t go on feelin sorry for myself if it wasn’t knockin you to the ground
so Carolina don’t you wait for me

Carolina don’t you wait for me
no Carolina don’t you wait for me
Carolina don’t you wait for me

You’ll Never Know

she said you won’t know what you got until i’m gone
but i never knew how much i hated this place till i left home
you were taking flowers to your father’s grave
while i’s waiting 'round for it to be too late
to save what we had by telling you to your face
there’s things that you’ll never know

brand new suit and a promise to save my soul
well that’s no match for a lack of interest and a restless home
you were busy pickin out your daughter’s name
while i’s making plans to try to hide my ways
the path to the truth is paved with my disgrace
there’s things that you’ll never know

the only thing you ever done with your life is beat it to hell
the only thing you ever done with your life is beat it to hell
the only thing you ever done with your life is beat it to hell

you were taking flowers to your father’s grave
while i’s waiting round for it to be too late
to save what we had by tellin you to your face
there’s things that you’ll never know

go lock the door
you might feel better
off alone


Sucker Punch

all he has to offer you
is his sickness
but don’t hold your breath
cause i don’t think it’s gonna pass
now the money’s gone
and the will’s all gone
and the truth is on the loose
and it’s on the way to end it all
and that’s a hard lesson to learn
and it’s a long way down
and i don’t know if you’re gonna make it
dragging all them bags around
She’s screaming in the front yard
of that three bedroom home
how am i surrounded by the ones i love
but i still feel so goddamned alone
and that’s a hard lesson to learn
and it’s a long way down
and i don’t know if she’s gonna make it
if she ever wants to leave this two store town
and i can’t help it if i can’t stand
the man you choose to love
but he reminds me of myself
and i know that ain’t good enough
and that’s a hard lesson to learn
and it’s a long way down
and i don’t know if you’re gonna make it
the way he’s throwin' you around

Meet Me By the Riverside

meet me by the riverside where you made me a man
actions shape who we are like the good lord shapes the land
and i heard you took to thievin' yeah you tried to bite the hand
so meet me by the riverside and help me understand

well i was lost yeah and so lonesome
set to let the water kill me with my sins but you
held out your bible and hiked your dress up
said you knew who had the power to forgive

but i was drownin' and disbelieving that
you could ever separate me from the wrong but you
you got to shakin and praisin jesus and
now hallelujah has become my favorite song

so meet me by the riverside where you made me a man
actions shape who we are like the good lord shapes the land
and i heard you took to thievin yeah you tried to bite the hand
meet me by the riverside and help me understand

i’s buyin' diapers and you quoted scripture
i learned to kneel and pray and laugh and carry on
you in my arms love was my medication well
cast out the demons holy ghost my only one

so meet me by the riverside where you made me a man
actions shape who we are like the good lord shapes the land
and i heard you took to thievin yeah you tried to bite the hand
so meet me by the riverside and help me understand

one day the sorrow it won me over and
i returned to let the river take my life and you
went back to drinkin' and robbin' old folks well
how else to deal with how you miss me all the time

well temptation will come upon you
just as sure as there’s a father and a son yeah but
if you carry the light of wonder
ain’t no darkness you could never come back from

so meet me by the riverside where you made me a man
actions shape who we are like the good lord shapes the land
and i heard you took to thievin' yeah you tried to bite the hand

meet me by the riverside and help me understand

The Hill

drinkin’s just a habit i developed to pass the time
between cleanin up the blood you leave behind

if you still love me why won’t you send me any money
so i can up and leave the water
it just feels wrong
like it’s the last place i belong

and i can see my breath in the mirror from across the room and i swear it’s you
caving in my chest turning my heart to smoke so you can be sure i’m through

and i ain’t very smart but i try real hard
and i never get very far but i dream real hard
you know i’ve been dreamin' hard

and i don’t know if i can make it out of thinkin' in circles inside my head
about the end and how nobody’s gonna tell no stories about me when i’m dead

remember when you broke that spoon across my back cause you said I held you down
and so I held you down
but it was just a ghost still floating around and hanging on to people inside this
dying dog of a town

and i ain’t very smart but i try real hard
and i never get very far but i dream real hard
you know i’ve been dreaming hard

The Fiscal Year

seems like all i write about
is this relationship and all my doubt
but it’s not lost on me
so you don’t have to point it out
but i thought that i
was makin art for you
makin art for you

clap your hands and go back in time
when any haircut that i had was fine
and i loved dancin' for a crowd
it made me smile to watch them shine
when i had thought that i
was makin art for you
makin art for you

may your intentions remain true
don’t go to work if you hate what you do

i was proud to be on time
but i think i was just confused
cause i wanna spend my life
makin art for you
makin art for you
makin art for you