1. full
moon big circle
© 1998 third path
avenues
woke up in the night wonderin’
why it is that i can’t sleep
woke up in the night wonderin’ why it is that i can’t
sleep
the lady in the mirror says "it’s the company you don’t
keep"
you better go out in the
full moon, big circle, bright light
full moon, big circle, bright light
come into the company of everything you know at night
a lot of what i know is in the darkness
and cannot be seen
a lot of what i know is in the darkness and cannot be seen
but when i sit inside it, i can see the skinny outline of a dream
new moon, tiny sliver, sweet smile
new moon, tiny sliver, sweet smile
for the dream to come a’knockin’, it’s gonna take
a little while.
when you hear the dream a knockin’
well you gotta open up the door
when you hear the dream a knockin’ well you gotta open up
the door
say "how do you do," and let your dream come a’walkin’
inside of you
full moon, big circle, bright light
full moon, big circle, bright light
with what you got inside, you gonna take a little ride tonight
ride a camel in the desert, ride a
dolphin in the deep blue sea
take a boat to the bayou, take a train on into tennessee
you got wings on your feet, your dream is in the driver’s
seat
full moon, big circle, bright light
full moon, big circle, bright light
we dancin’ in the trees, we’re gonna be swayin’
in the breeze tonight.
we’re swayin’ in the breeze, we’re gonna play how
we please tonight.
we’re playin’ how we please, we’re bringin’
all our dreams to life.
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2. deep
green sea
© 1998 third path
avenues
This was the actual proposal
I sang to my husband. Grabbed my keyboard, as soon as the song
was finished, and knocked on his apartment door--pushed him down,
and said "I need to tell you something." The rest is
history.
i looked over and saw you there,
your towel hooked on, your shaving cream
i wondered how many women could swear
they had in their bathroom the man of their dreams
now i'm probably not the first to feel this way
but here are some things i have wanted to say
dance this dark embrace
look into my face
swim this deep green sea
will you marry me?
years ago, when i didn't know
the difference between the sight and the seen,
i tore around the world, i was such a busy girl
shakin' things out, trying to see what they mean
now i'm surely not the first to have lost then found my way,
so here are some things i've decided to say
dance this dark embrace,
look into my face
swim this deep green sea
will you marry me?
time slides by, but it only
proves how lonely
life would be without
what you and i are all about
so if it's all the same
i'd like to share your name
dance this dark embrace (this rich
embrace)
honey, look into my face
swim this deep green sea
will you marry me?
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3.
capable women
© 1998 third path
avenues
capable women at kinko’s, typing
up their resumes
hyping up their job descriptions, fighting for a place in the
game
playing just like the big boys, playing just exactly the same
driving my car down 10th street, looking
for a parking space
checking myself in the rearview, didn’t recognize my face
i don’t remember when i faded, i must’ve left without
a trace
did i let go of my tight strung bow?
or give away the barefoot way?
is there a choice for this forest voice?
the bills press in, the days push out,
you take less in, the lights go out. . .
capable woman at kinko’s, throw
away your resume
walk away from all the phone lines, walk into the light of day
listen to the drum of your heartbeat, listen to the moonlit gray
listen to your belly, listen to it
please
hear the space behind the breastbone, hear what it sees
listen to your needs, listen to your fears,
listen to what i am telling you here
i dig my feet in the dirt now, i stretch
my soul to the sky
my mind is my reminder, i can ask, but not know why
my heart is a mess, it beats in my chest,
i feel new. . .
and shy. . .
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4. ancestor
© 1998 third path
avenues
this is the way it was between my father
and me:
in 1978 he passed away.
somebody told me now he is my ancestor
i didn’t think him worthy of the name.
he was a warm quixotic man with a brilliant
mind
he was a cruel, unconscious father too.
my mother loved him blindly and without constraint.
the children were left with nothing else to do
but run as we could through that dark
wood
fighting the monsters that came our way
day by day, night by night.
i have for years and years and years
been working this.
fragments, dreams, scraps of paper, clues.
wanting to find the culprit for this darkness here
find the final reason for these blues
and what i found was darkness in my
father too
terror of it in his heart and in his soul
he ran away in ways that i would not have done
yes he ran away but i am running too
running away from my own life
from all the glory and power there
hiding where no one knows
all the unspent rage, all the bottled
tears
i would turn the page back on 40 long gone years
get the man to understand the danger and the harm
yell at him for hurting me, and hold him in my arms
this is the way it is between my father
and me.
i will not change him, he will not change me.
all there is now is seeing him for who he is.
all there is now is letting him see me
oh can you see me from where you are?
are you my ancestor from that far?
say you are.
and be with me.
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5. browning grass
© 1998 third path
avenues
For my mother.
they praise you for your schedule
how do you do it all?
you never miss a party
take every call.
your hand begins to shake now
when reaching for a glass,
your body starts to feel
like browning grass
i feel like i can tell you now
my needs are greater still--
i’m asking more of you
than your itinerary ever will. . .
sing with the river
stand there in the wind
bring down the night sky
dance it in, dance it in
oh grandmother, be our sage
be our elder, be your age
let go of all the details
leave white pages in your book
step outside the door
take a good long look
the world you’re letting go of
is mostly unaware
it doesn’t sing the glory of
your graying hair
i’m ready now to tell you
my needs are greater still
i’m asking more of you
than your itinerary ever will
sing with the starlight
stand there in the waves
bring down the hot desert wind
dance it in, dance it in
oh grandmother, be our sage
be our elder, be your age
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6. In
praise of taking
© 1998 third path
avenues
the giving of friendship
is half of the game
the giving is the striking of the match
the taking is the flame
the taking takes time to take place
it happens out of rhyme, at its own pace
and when i look at you i feel
a love that’s right and wrong and real
givers are given all the credit in
this world
and takers are mistaken for the thieves
but gifts can sometimes just be burglaries in drag
and taking can be daring to believe
that i gave you my love and my faith
and you gave it purpose and a place
and when you took it all away from me,
you gave it back, twofold and three
do it to me again and again,
I give you my truth, you
send it back home to me
let me take you away
awaken my body, awaken my soul
the giving of friendship
is half of the game
the giving is the striking of the match
the taking is the flame
the flame is you and me
[top]
7. coffee
at kathryn’s
© 1998 third path
avenues
Kathryn's used to be a
place in Cody Wyoming that you could only get to be descending
a long steep staircase. They told her because of that staircase,
she'd never make it, but her food was so good--AND she had the
brilliant idea of introducing Cody to the espresso machine--that
her place was always packed with exactly the types I mention in
the song.
there are some things that a guy should
try never to be without
a job in the daytime, a lover at night, and drinking your coffee
stout
if you don’t care how you fixed your hair, or if you travel
the world in style,
come down the stairs in your singles or pairs, and sit with us
for a while.
coffee at kathryn’s, it keeps the dogs at bay,
coffee at kathryn’s, it lifts the world away.
playing it safe or just play it cool,
playin’ it fast and loose,
you can play hooky, you can play the fool, you can play it however
you choose.
you can play bridge, you can play hard ball, you can play hard
to get
but one-on-one you can have the most fun with somebody you just
met
for coffee at kathryn’s, with a piece of cherry pie,
coffee at kathryn’s, it keeps your spirits high,
don’t be shy:
outawork cowboys and ne’er-do-wells,
actresses hiding, a reporter who tells,
children in trouble and couples in love, faces wth stubble, and
ladies with gloves,
we all gather here at the coffeeehouse,
not all at the same time.
we all love this lady for the way she does make us feel in our
prime
for coffee at kathryn’s, we’ll go there till we’re
old
coffee at kathryn’s, we’ll be there till we fold
putting clairol in our white heads of hair, poppin wheelies in
our wheelchairs,
yo kathryn, you’re gonna hafta put a ramp down those stairs.
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8. marriage
wishes
© 1998 third path
avenues
i wish that you could see me in a restaurant
and wonder who that pretty woman was
i wish you’d buy me flowers just for nothing
it shouldn’t really matter, but it does
to hear our conversation for the first
time
and think how great it is we think alike
discover with surprise all the depth that’s in your eyes
and see you as some cosmic lucky strike
if we could meet each other now we’d
surely be transfixed
and all our love would blossom into feelings that weren’t
mixed
you wouldn’t know i drove too slow i’d love your stroganoff
and i’d meet with no resistance if i turned the tv off.
i wish that i could want to know you
better
wonder what your lips would do with mine
feel my heart in panic as i mailed you my first letter
and smolder, smiling, while you poured the wine
if you could see me now without the
baggage of the past
and i could see you clearly, how our passion would outlast
the years of growing distance made of things you did to me
that made me treat you badly, made us watch the damn tv
so turn the tv off and let’s be
quiet
lie here in the dark and just hold hands
whatever happens darlin’ we should try it,
i’m sure the gods of marriage understand
and maybe they will intercept our signal
and send a warm spontaneous embrace. . .
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9. one
candle
© 1998 third path
avenues
one candle gives light
light enough to see
the shape of this place
the smile on your face
then that one candle gives
gives its light to two
so the two become three
brighter then they all be
light gives light
and love gives love
and life gives life
then those three candles share
share their light everywhere
four, five, six more can tell where they’re going
seven, eight more have wonder and glowing
light gives light
and love gives love
and life gives life
take with you now this light of yours
take it on into the night
carry it way deep inside of you
and just shine bright
one candle gives light.
let me give you mine.
now you give yours away
watch and see how we shine
hey now, isn’t this fine!
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10. empty
space
© 1998 third path
avenues
this is a time in my life
when i know that i can't say good bye,
but i can't stick around anymore.
there is a path that goes forward to where
i have wanted to go,
i have wanted to go, and explore.
i had become a cartoon of the one
that i thought i should be, when i
thought i should be someone else
my real self went in hiding to keep
all the pieces in place,
and i ran a good race, but i fell
i fell into this empty space
i fell into this state of grace
i felt all uneven and strange.
i felt unafraid of the change.
i saw all the things i could do
things that are simple and true
i saw where my big spirit grew
i saw in in me and in you...
...are my friend, you have always been
there
you have always been where i could
reach you when life was unkind
you are alive, you are
ready to strive for whatever would help you
to open up to your own mind.
now i am going and you are remaining
but one thing remains
and you know that it can't be undone
and that is the way that we enter the day
and believe all the magic of
everything under the sun
(so) fall into this empty space
fall into this state of grace
feel all uneven and strange
go on and feel unafraid of the change
see all the things you can do
things that are simple and true
things that are old and are new
see it in me
see it in you
#Anchor-14177
11.
mommy
© 1998 third path
avenues
who did jesus' diapers?
who laid out his clothes?
who made einstein take a nap,
and rocked him till he dozed?
who sewed shakespeare's costume
and took him to his first school play?
had to be mommy, had to be a mommy anyway.
someone had to make the bed, when
michelangelo left to catch the bus.
someone had to wash his socks
and teach him not to cuss.
someone had to pottytrain the great
painter, leonardo, it was hard, oh,
it was a mommy, had to be a mommy anyway.
joan of arc and gandhi
and the queen of england, and marie curie
oh yeah, and mohammad ali. . .
they all had a mommy
to call their very own
to make them feel guilty
when they don't telephone
someone to come over
and make them clean their place real fast
hurry up, hurry up, it’s your mommy, (comin’ up the
elevator)
it's your mommy (oh my god! the dishes)
it's your mommy (quick--throw this under the couch she’ll
never see it)
hi mom!
[top]
12. nitty
gritty
© 1998 third path
avenues
your scent is on my body like hundred
buck perfume
the memory of the richest love we shared inside this room
now i don't hardly know you, and you don't really know me
but let's stick around, let's share this town, and we will surely
come to see
the days my tongue is sharp, the days
your tune goes flat
the nights we have our noisy fights, wonderin' where we're at
love is only as real as the dirty dishes will allow
will you do these dishes with me now?
as i walked by you took me so suddenly
in your arms
the heat we felt make an anvil melt, set off all our smoke alarms
but will we wake tomorrow, debris and ashes all around
us ringin' round the rosey sweetie, ashes, ashes, we all fall
down
to the days your tongue is sharp, the
days my tune goes flat
the nights we have our noisy fights,
screamin' at each other "where the hell are you at?"
love is only as real as the dirty laundry will allow
will you do this laundry with me now?
sometimes i won't sleep
sometimes i won't care
there'll be promises i won't keep
and times i won't be there for you and
you might wonder why
you might catch yourself wantin' to die
you might come to realize
that this is not what you had in mind
but for now. . .
your scent is on my body like thousand buck perfume
the memory of the richest love we shared inside this room
now i don't hardly know you, and you don't really know me
but let's stick around, let's share this town, and we will surely
come to see
the days our tongues are sharp, the
days our tunes go flat
the nights we have our noisy fights, takin' our turns at bat
love is only as real as the nitty gritty will allow
will you get down in there with me now?
love is only as real as the nitty gritty will allow
get your butt down in here with me now
[top]
