1. Dented Landscape

cultural sensation
made up like a valentine
they all wear red

on the mexican stations
the genie's out of the bottle
bottle sits unopened

in a sack
by the cookbooks
afternoon stew

still in the fridge
office ready for appointments
purple fuzz

e harmonica
waiting for blues in a
borrowed power in el paso

near the border
houston's on the satellites
the ones sent from there

condesending smirks
from northern saltists
politics being important to them

to those with low blood pressure
rebates and gift receipts
help pending payments

roads through mountain towns
to the steep divide
power hours

twenty minutes at a time
rain boots in the snow
and thirsty dogs

dented landscape
buried alone
watched from ancient windows

near mirrors
and the unity candle
faith, love, hope all in a line

2. Sugarcane

lost blood almost every week
left our general dead in the creek
took an arrow in the eye
saw Jesus before he died
he was gone, gone, gone
yeah, he was gone, gone, gone

working sails on an irish boat
regardless he was always broke
jumped off in montreal
heard the great plains call
he was gone, gone, gone
yeah, he was gone, he was gone

indians tracked his tracks
the dirt was soft and black
paid 'em off with sugarcane
went to texas on a cattle train
he was gone, gone, gone
yeah, he was gone, gone, gone

planted cotten, wheat, and corn
lived his life near where he was born
always broke a smile
knew he only had a while
he was gone, gone, gone
he was gone, he was gone

3. Texico National Anthem

decended from the ancient martyrs, one by one they took the last breath in their lungs
lungs were needed for words and they had said them all.

we stand as texicans
together all along
without measure
our love for our God

the communion of saints and resurrection songs can be heard in the western winds
the ghosts of the holy promises He gave sing all the time.

we stand as texicans
together all along
without measure
our love for our God

to live forever near the carribean sea, watching morning turn into night, never an afternoon
the evening light is red in texico.

we stand as texicans
together all along
without measure
our love for our God

4. Mercury To Rise

had to think where i was when i got up
drinking strawberry kiwi in a paper cup
back up the hill i flipped and flopped
the kids kept going everytime we stopped

waited for an hour for mercury to rise
saw the wings of saturn in the southern sky
craters of the moon were clear as day
felt small that evening in the lone star state

a taunting copperhead coiled and hissed
had to take it out fast, he couldn't miss
lifted a stump high and then he took aim
killed that snake with the deadly fangs

can't see any color cause we're in the dark
but spiders are seen like diamond hearts
your skins gets covered in sweat and webs
songs are whispered and the Word is read

sacked in the back of the speeding car
reminded of just how lucky we are
passed town after town going north from la grange
an easy feeling got me feeling strange

a grain of sandy sand, a speck of dusty dust
a tired lonley man in a town he once cussed
the days we spend apart disappear slow
the days we spend together have a graceful glow

5. Pocketknife

my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
 
swear on her life she'll make it right
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
wake her at night and see if i'm lying
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
 
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah

6. We Still Got Trees

fighting through the jungle i see thorns and sticks and weeds
hacking every stump i cross, running from my own misdeeds
we torched his evil garden and we created paradise
we said that nothing mattered, indulge in it's delights

but we still got trees
have some empathy
want to fall to my knees and plead

happy days, they come and then the blues come falling down
we can't have what we want, and we want it right now
look at that money man, posing like a king
if the mask came off that man, he'd be shaking in his sleep

but we still got trees
have some empathy
want to fall to my knees and plead

what if you had to watch your life go up in flames
would you run back in the place to save the sinners and the saints
cause you can take the easy way and live a fruitful life
or you can take the dirty way and die broke and lean and tired

but we still got trees
have some empathy
want to fall to my knees and plead

7. Cold Meat Blues

pillowlike and greasy when i touched the bird
had woken me early with smells I've heard
thighs were soaking with the wings lifted up
white meat was tender and warm when touched

pulled the blade accross the neck
sliced a piece for myself
came apart like a house of cards
threw the scraps out in the yard
yeah, i threw the scraps out in the yard
yeah, i threw the scraps out in the yard

the bird's now sitting without no bones
just before he went he was thinking of home
got the cold meat blues like i never knew
help me Lord, help me Lord, got the cold meat blues

8. Don't Got Plans Of Making It In Nashville

i won't mind if you see right through me
i'm confined to a life of transparency
open the blinds in your mind and hear me
you can look right through me
you can look right through me

gather 'round the table if your able
among the sounds of people that are grateful
at sundown, "gotta go see ya later."
i remember not everyone was able
i remember not everyone was able

now understand, this band don't play for cash
low down man who knows he's been blessed
check His hands, they got smashed in the crash
don't got plans of making it in nashville
don't got plans of making it in nashville

on that note, let's keep on writing
texico, start talking 'bout the fighting
you never know, if anyone'll like it
might as well keep on writing
might as well keep on writing

9. Saw Him One Time In El Paso

freedom as we know it is a funny funny thing
what we've done to liberty is an awful crying shame
if you looked jefferson in the eye and tried to explain
he'd ignore you with disgust and swear you were insane

young soldiers left on the battlefield dying in the sun
in the sixties they fought each other and no one really won
sent them east to march the jungles and save poor vietnam
left some bones in the desert just for the black gold men

fighting cowards, snakes, and bandits through italian hills
the killer of His people was tracked and hunted and killed
santa anna at san jacinto, after he burned the alamo
sent him back to mexico, but i saw him one time in el paso

freedom as we know it is a funny funny thing
what we've done to liberty is an awful crying shame
if you looked jefferson in the eye and tried to explain
he'd ignore you with disgust and swear you were insane

it all started when the horsemen yelled and we filled the bay with tea
bayonets and bullets on bunker hill and the brits were brought to their knees
took 'em again in 1812, while washington was still on fire
the pearl was found in the ground of a hundred pacific islands

fighting cowards, snakes, and bandits through italian hills
the killer of His people was tracked and hunted and killed
santa anna at san jacinto, after he burned the alamo
sent him back to mexico, but i saw him one time in el paso

10. So Ungrateful (Brightness Of A Texico Night)

so ungrateful...

for the mothers
for the breeze
for candles
for all night ten cent stores
for cork and corkscrews
for the ability to measure time
for warm liquid in the morning
for caller id

for ladders and crystal chandeliers
for perfume and shadows

so ungratful...

for graceful companions
for flat serves
for 11 resolutions
for reading articulation
for God's Word
for eye lashes and long, staring smiles
for 12 month subscriptions
for cash

for working parts
for the view from the moon

so ungrateful...

listen all you brothers and sisters,
all you amigos and senoritas.

we all have times like these,
these are our times.

problem with getting what you want,
is the satisfying.

only lasts about a minute or two, don't it,
always thought we would feel better.

our sorry lot just asks for more,
begging like beggars for acceptance.

never understanding who they are,
or why they were able to live this life.

a box of bones await that man,
dust kicking up as he walks the road.

for me, i'm a grateful sort,
grateful for starlets and neon lights and
the brightness of a texico night.