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The Suffering of Joe Bean

by Mark Nichols & Bob McAllister

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Went down to the market To get my fortune read The guy at Tenzing Momo Well, this is what he said: He said, "You got to have a New Age mantra, To keep yourself alive. You gotta get yourself some (Clunks from the band) Joe: So I started in to singin' it And oh, so soon My head turned heavy Like a time-bomb tomb, Inside out, Upside down, Oh All: Mantra mantra kundalini ya ya Yoga Mat Gucci do a chakra cha cha Latte, Latte soy stigmata Feng Shui, dada, soul, oy! lambada! Nuc, nerf, revelation, chrystal raga Ding dong dairy deus machinata Baba Yaga burn pichuli rasta What you say bounces off me, na na na Na Mioho Renge Kyo yo Shivananda hopscotch vegananda Coca cola wicca hari kari mata She sews seashells on a square piñata Joe: Llama, llama, pizza rama Vishnu wish you peaceful manna Yin Yang paddywack hari hama This little piggy went to Market, Mama
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Joe Bean 03:55
Joe, Joe Bean your the luckiest guy we've ever seen Joe, Joe Bean, You're the happiest, luckiest, mellowist, friendliest, wealthiest, funniest, sickeningly modest, stable, religious guy we know Joe: Well I'm not really that religious I'd say I'm more spiritual My wife's the religious one in the family She's pretty old testament compared to me All: How do you do it? What's your secret, Man? Joe: Faith in the Universe, I guess If I lost it all tomorrow I think I'd make it back, back again Because there's nothing that people can't do If they put their minds to it All: Joe, Joe Bean He's the coolest guy we've ever seen Joe Bean, Joe Bean, Joe Bean
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Last summer's flowers have gone to seed The winds from the north like a day in fall I play in the leaves like a ghost from spring Kiss the earth so cold, it sings
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Afraid 03:24
Last night I dreamed a dream that had no color The wind reached in and found me in my head The icy tears spilled softly to my pillow And I could see the darkness spreading there The spirits stared, they did not even whisper And I could tell they wanted more And I knew then, that they were hungry For the sweet blessings that I adore I’m so Afraid— Afraid that God will take it away. I’m so afraid these blessings aren't really mine, I’m so afraid at any moment that the sky will tumble Yes, it's true that I'm afraid These dreams of loss will shatter me in time I know this life will someday fade away And then, it won’t be mine. And visions of all I love will disappear. This is the dream I fear: Tomorrow, when He wakes us I pray He won’t forsake us, And life will roll surely by, Without you I’ll surely, surely die.
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The Wedding 02:57
LEADERS Shiva, Isis, Gaia, Jesus, Baal Mother Earth, Father Sun, welcome one and all! Pantheistic, Atheistic, Muslim, Jew and Christian Fitting you in is our theologic mission DEVIL It looks like the house of God is subdivided Condos for rent, all utilities provided Aryabhatt, wine, Breaking bread, wedding cake and The Grateful Dead It’s all right here and it’s all just fine. ALL Welcome brothers, Welcome sisters Buddhas, Buffalos and holy cows, Mrs. & Misters LEADER I see that my man Mohammad’s in the house! We pray to the 4 directions North, East, West & South. North! East! West! South! DEVIL Oh my god, I’m bored already I hate weddings, don’t you Freddy? GOD Mirna , Mirna, I do to, But if we’re lucky they’ve boiled it down To a concentrated brew 2nd LEADER Oh, God, your light’s so bright that sometimes we are frightened ALL Oh, God, your light’s so bright that sometimes we are frightened. 2nd LEADER Give us all your gifts, so we may be enlightened GUESTS Give us all your gifts, so we may be enlightened! ALL Free us oh free us, free us from desire Meditate, medicate and dance around the fire SARA BEAN The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in JOE BEAN & MEN Mazeltof, Heichka, Sala malekum, The petals they are many but the flower is just one! Catch the Moon and ride the sun ALL Tara tara Tara Tara JOE plus MEN Hallelujah Heya Ho ALL Heya Heya heya! JOE PLUS MEN The water and rivers Flow! ALL Heya heya Heyo! JOE plus MEN Starchild do not fear the spaceship when you go. LEADER Who’s got the wedding ring? BEST MAN I do, I do. LEADER Do you take this bride to be your lawful wedded wife? GROOM Yes LEADER And do you take this guy here in sickness and in strife? BRIDE Yes! LEADER I now pronounce you muja mu Flippin dipity dipsy doo. You may now kiss the bride.
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Wax & Wane 03:16
LEADER There’s a chapel on a seaside coast bleak as mid December Where seagulls slice the air in the Country of Remember, There’s a wide open window where the curtains flap with wind And dark creatures scurry and scuttle deep within, There’s an altar of ancient oak obscured by smoke, Three words gouged on its surface, once he spoke: JOE I love you. CHORUS I love you. I love you. SARA I love you. [All the guests hoot and clap] GOD We were all born to breathe and also born to doubt. We were destined to come in, and all must go out. Life is a mix of dreams and despair. Nobody, no, nobody, ever said it was fair ALL We rise and fall and wax and wane, And suffer love, suffer pain And memory’s both our foe and a friend Our way of beginning is our way at the end.
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War 03:48
WaR © 2003 Music & Lyrics by Mark Nichols GOD It’s time now to lift a hand and set the plot in motion Tragedy has a way of testing man’s devotion For he who in his daily life might never ever pray Will say Hail Mary if a bomb is coming his way. GOD and DEVIL It’s time to raise the stakes It’s time to raise the stakes Give our theater piece some legs It’s time to make the stage It’s time to build the set. We’re talking ‘bout WAR! CHORUS and JOE (as part of a sarcastic protest) War! War! War! War! Give me a lovely war (Repeat) Let the fun and games begin It’s always best to start a war That neither side can win! Come on all you atheists Get in your foxholes now! Fatcats sit in penthouse pentagons Dreaming of toys t heir boys pull triggers on (repeat) It’s good verses evil It’s black versus white I love against anger It’s wrong verses right If neither side will bend, They should fight until the end It’s war! War! JOE I heard the big explosion. A blinding flash of melody And then I got the notion That this would be a T-T-T-T-Tragedy Don’t need no records in the shelter To hear a radiation Symphony A psychedelic smelter. Blister me with CHORUS and JOE Har-mo-ny.
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Repo Man 01:34
Mr. Repo Man...He’s here to take it back again. Mr. Repo Man...Mr. Repo Man REPO MAN Now I’m here to take it back I’m here to take it back again. I’m here to take it back I’m here to take it back again. Never had it to begin again. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win Sometimes you have to go broke to begin, again! [While they sing the chorus he sings…] REPO MAN We’re slashing half off everything. Get it while it’s hot, hot. --Diamond ring. Sure thing! Can you sing? Get it for a song! Bankruptcy is just a hiccup, see! We’ll have you back on your feet --Credit card within a week. But for now we’ll take the SUV, It once belonged to you and now belongs to me. THUGS and REALTORS and COLLECTORS Things things thing-a-ma-jigs Things they’re only things.
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I Hear 01:16
CHORUS I hear The Bean family is out on their ass! I hear he lost it all. A Bomb took out his whole building. Nothing left but a hole Everything he owned was invested right here Didn’t he have insurance? He didn’t believe in it Said he had faith in the system! Didn’t expect to be bombed JAUNDICE I heard they’re sleeping in a shelter. A NEIGHBOR I’d take him in but his pride won’t let him CHORUS It’s a shame. It’s a damn shame It’s a cryin’ shame It’s a cryin’ shame He said they could take the shirt off his back And he’d bounce right back. EDWARD I don’t know A NEIGHBOR I don’t know ANOTHER NEIGHBOR I don’t know JOE I just don’t know.
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JOE: OK, I lost this round But I’m standing here now with my feet on the ground They were trinkets and jewels Worthless crap put here for fools Life sets us up and traps us in To thinking that our ship might not be sinking’ JOE with BUMS But isn’t that the story we are in? JOE OK, so let them take it all away You got to die to be reborn You got to revolt before the reform You burn like the Phoenix in ashes You suffer the thorns and the 39 lashes You know it’s true. You got to get up to get down JOE with GIRLS and BUMS You gotta get down to get up! JOE So, now I’m a poor man But my soul’s got plenty more man And even though I’m all burned and dampened Soot blackened. I’ll be damned if I slacken I’ll find a new way to pay off the rent I won’t give in to livin’ depressed. I’m gonna get myself out of this mess My wife’s a gift My family’s the bow It’s all I really count on It’s all I really know You got to get up to get down. And you got to get down to get up. Got to get down….You got to get down to get CHORUS Up! Up! You got to get down to get Got to get down Got to get down Got to get down, up. Joe Bean, Joe Bean, He’s the coolest guy you’ve ever seen.
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Rich Man 02:07
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Lucky Mugsie 04:01
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A MASKED CHARACTER Only a mother can tell this story Only a drum can sound this scene Blind tragedies of time and space And now the deaths begin Begin with the son in a foreign place Begin with the Beans, happy but lost Begin with ignorance and end with fact Start the blows of the golden axe The soldiers don’t know that the Beans don’t know. The mother believes that the son still lives What was living will die What was cherished will not survive Filaments of love bind this story So fine we might not see them So frail we might not find them Only a mother’s grief and glory Her heart beats like a drum In the pulse... The eternal story.
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SOLDIERS Yo! This is the white house mix, So come on up and get your fix Back from K.P. We were just chillin’ ‘till duty. Took his back, pulled the slack, While Scud went lookin’ for some booty Saw a Sari Girl. This is the 3rd world He got adrenaline He got his glory in the end, Yo. SOLDIERS & ANGELS We’re so sad, Mrs. Bean, we’re so sorry, we’re so sorry Not a lot we can say “Friendly fire” that’s the story Black smoke, Stop Scud! Couldn’t see, burning tires. Scud got pop popped It was not our desire-ire SOLDIERS We had the hummer doing muckus It was ruckus We were shootin’ at the Sheiks And they were shootin’ back at us We got the order not to shoot And to dispatch With the chemical suits Scud was preachin’ to the choir When a round of friendly fire Came across the dunes It was from our own platoon The Chaplan got us all to pray And Scud told us what to say He didn’t mind, he didn’t mind it that way
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The Worms 02:51
JOE and SARA A Mother’s arms Can’t be there in the end, Let go your fears And loves you might defend, No worry for the life You may intend The worms will be No comfort in the end So sleep that long, long sleep And dream that long dream And row your boat Gently down the stream Row your boat Gently down the stream
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Faith 02:18
CHORUS and JOE I heard upon his heap of dung A man cry out of crusted lung If God is Good and Man is God, Then everything is as it should be Take the good; take the bad, He who is happy must be sad And take the world for what it is, And love the gentle breezes blowing. JOE *Faith is here in desperation In the twilight of my darkest night I do not know why fear should strike, But fear is what is stricken, stricken. (*This stanza by Archibald MacLeish from “J.B.”) DEVIL Wow, he’s coming back for more I’m impressed. I thought by now we’d be doing curtain calls for sure. GOD Oh, Faith leads to faith This bean man going to give it all he’s got. That’s why we put him on the spot. GOD and DEVIL These bugs were born with will They snap their mothy little wings Outside the window sill They-- [Snap, snap, snap] Sucked in by the light They beat their bones against the glass DEVIL Then die back to the night.
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GOD Why can’t we just end it here? You know how this story goes. DEVIL No! That isn’t possible We’ve got to push him some more.DEVIL Skin for skin, yea all that a man hath He will give for his life But put forth a hand now And touch his bone and his flesh He will curse thee to thy face. ALL (Repeat Chorus) That’s how the story goes. That’s how the story goes.
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SARA It’s time to go, It’s time to go, now, Joe I can’t stay. Can’t stay with you. I can’t live. Can’t live with you. So what else can I do? What else can I do? I know the feel of leaving all things bright, This place where shadows twist to conjure night Where once my heart protected peaceful light My soul is broken and my chest is tight Now I’m alone. Adrift with no desire. My heart’s a lonely house that’s been set on fire. CHORUS It’s time to go, It’s time to go now, Joe. SARA I have tried and tried and tried And shed my blood in tears, you know I cried. There is nothing left for you. A mother’s arms must let her children go. A mother’s arms must let her children go. And now my man won’t cry or scream! Where are your tears my love? Where is your dream? I can’t love a man who lets the world walk on him. CHORUS It’s time to go, It’s time to go, now, Joe! (Growing more intense.) SARA I know the feel of leaving all things bright, This place where shadows twist to conjure night Where once my heart protected My soul is broken and my chest is tight Now I’m alone [It becomes deadly quiet.] It’s your fault It’s your fault It’s your fault I think our children were betrayed by you. Betrayed by your strong, silent dirge. Man of faith. Faith in what?
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JOE: Praise the sky, Praise the Universe Praise the whales, Praise all the suffering creatures I do not know where this wind will take me Or if it will break me but I go on, I go on Like a battered boat on an insane sea The only choice: to be, to be, to be. CHORUS Don’t despair! JOE I don’t have health, I don’t have wealth I barely have my self. But I have hope And I still care And no matter how down...Down and out I might be The universe takes care. Takes care of me Oh Hallelujah This old world seems so unfair I got two words to tell you, Brother: “Don’t Despair” They all talk about the worms just waiting there But still my brothers and sisters Don’t despair. Don’t despair When you’re alone. All the prophets are there So don’t despair. Don’t despair Like Jesus, Buddha, & Mohammed too This is the message, they gave to you Oh don’t despair. Don’t despair Just keep your heart-coal burning, don’t despair If they take your faith, and leave you in fear Take the even take the odd and don’t despair. ALL Don’t despair! Keep your heart-coal burning Don’t despair! [At the end of the song Joe collapses and is taken to a hospital.]
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ERLICK: Joe Bean’s been seen Straying through wind Riding the weightless air of aware Scaling the Avatar past dreams, past hopes Past lives, past deaths. EZEL: Joe Bean’s been seen Peering down a chasm so steep it does not lean To a scene so small and sharp It can cut and slice an angel’s heart You may have seen him Just at the edge of your eyes. And turning to look, you surprised the shape That wreckage takes CHORUS Breathe once, Breathe twice, And praise the night that bears the weight Of a coming day, and stars that score our stumbled way.
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This place, it’s so sad. Sad place for a bum. He’s lucky though, that’s Joe. “Lucky Joe” I hear they pulled him off the street, ‘ya know? --Starved to death. --So weak and he don’t speak. Or maybe he just won’t --hasn’t spoken since he’s been here. Tried to get him to, but he don’t. How many weeks now? How many weeks now? Who is he?--Just a bum, right? --Just a bum off the street, right? Picked him up by a streetlight? --Just a bum off the street, right? Don’t be dumb. Nobody’s just a bum. Everybody got to be from somewhere. Everybody got somewhere they come from. Hey yo, Why you suffering Joe? Don’t you know, you got to let the pain go. You’re like the frog, climbin’ up a log, One jump two slips back, hey Jack. Have a bowl of chicken split pea soup for your soul. Doesn’t really seem like enough for someone who’s had it this rough. I saw it on TV, This guy’s had a bad year. His whole family, his wife, his money All of it gone, And he don’t even shed a tear. That’s a bad year. Why Joe? Why won’t you speak Joe? Do you think it’d make you look weak Joe? Why Joe? Why won’t you speak Joe? Do you think it’d make you look week Joe? Don’t worry Man! No one would give you any flack If you just went off and blew, Blew like a smokestack. Hey Joe. He’s suffering, He’s suffering Joe. Hey bro’…why’re you suffering so? Hey bro’ What’d you do to deserve this bro? Hey suffering, Joe. Hey Joe! Just let it go Just let it go, Joe. Just let it go. Just let it all go, Joe. Just let it, Go (Joe starts crying.)
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EZEL or maybe SARA There’s a wide space between words where the world can rise and fall a time when the tongue fails and the throat clenches There’s space so immense between suns that There’s a gap between people so small that There’s an instant before danger so quick that There’s a millisecond before love so brief that And only the eyes stop us like anchors Slam us to silence Stun our hearts close to break Or billow like a seagoing sail On seas yellow crazed stung by salt Plowed with foam. And the wind takes us like toys Into the future, even on our knees Away from ourselves Into eternal see. Even the air is enough Even the heart that beats The flowers we throw away The lions that we tame I want to be an arrow that flies Through disaster Seeing without sight, Hearing without sound Standing without ground When we cannot stand, We must fall down When we cannot speak, Our words melt the air. There’s a wide ... Space ... Between words.
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SUFFERERS Llama llama Pizza Rama Vishnu wish you peaceful Manna Yin Yang Paddywack Hari Hama This little piggy went to market Mama Na Mioho Renge Kyo yo Shivananda Hopscotch Vegananda GROUP LEADER Welcome to the weekly meeting of Sufferers Anonymous…. I’m glad you’re here. Jaundice, would you like to begin? A WOMAN Hi, I’m Jaundice ALL Hi Jaundice. JAUNDICE I’ve been free of suffering for 6 weeks and everything was going well and…my daughter has joined a rock band! I just don’t know if I can do it anymore. LEADER Remember, pain is mandatory, suffering is optional, Jaundice. Edward? EDWARD Hi, I’m Edward ALL Hi Edward. EDWARD Well I’ve been doin’ pretty well, But lately, man work has been hard, There’s this guy in the cube next to me, see Who’s got me on the edge. I’m tellin’ you man… I don’t know but I think I’m gonna go postal real soon If he doesn’t quit clickin’ that thing he’s always-- LEADER -- Edward! Thank you. That’s excellent. And someone new this week. Joe Bean? JOE Hi I’m Joe. well…my children are dead, and my wife left me. I lost millions in a bombing incident. My son was killed on the first day of the war By friendly fire. My littlest girl is missing and presumed dead. And I guess I have a horrible skin disease… and I still have hope, I’m doing much better... …Really… I’m really, really sad. [All sit stunned for a moment] LEADER O.K. This may be more than we are equipped to handle here in our little group. He needs some heavy healing --Some good holistic healing.
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I have treated many patients like you in my time, It’s Certainly conflict of the body and the mind. How’s your spleen? How’s your Colon? --Sphincter? I’m going to snap right here and here What do you think of when I say the word “peanut?” Did you ever try on your mother’s panties? I’ve made a tea of foxglove, chamomily, Calla Lilly, Penny Royal and Molasses. It’ll kick your ass. Pain… seems to me an insufficient reason Not to be content. Being dead is quite painless But we don’t want that, now do we? The whole person. Quick, turn him on his side, whilst I draw a sample of his life force.
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This ancient Chinese healin’ has been passed around for years. Unfortunately, in the States it’s quite new But I’ve taken two semesters at the tech school here in town And I can’t wait to get acupunturin’ you. Most people haven’t heard yet of the acupuncture/rolf combination. It’s sort of East meets West with some Tai Chi thrown in the stew Big needle, yes, but I know that you’ll suffer less you see Because the smaller needles are less familiar to me. Feel that? I bet that doesn’t feel to good, huh? Well, you know what they say Buckaroo, “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional” Now how ‘bout a little rolfin’? Ha! Ha! AAAAHHHHH! Yeah... You’ll be in agony for a few weeks And throwing up in a hundred different ways, But that’s normal when you’ve been studying Ancient Chinese medicine for only fourteen days.
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Everything 04:01
SARA Everything Everything speaks of you. Everything smells like you. Everything turns me to you. Dark birds streak through cancelled skies Like a lost girl, lost as my young girl’s eyes. My children gone like straws to the wind Whispers believe Whispers believe “Never again” In this dream, the end of the stream: I see us all on a beach in June Where blue herons stand like statues of doom. What do I do now? Just tell me how now... What do I do?
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SUICIDE GOD I was wondering if I’d get a chance To have a little chat You seem depressed I often feel like that. Sometimes it’s hard to know Where to begin But why not take it to the end, and Do yourself in. You know, sometimes How do I put this… Life just “ain’t worth livin’” ahhah? And as hard as you try, Well sometimes your tryin’ it ain’t hard enough. Makes you feel like dyin’ I know you think it’s a sin But maybe it’s time to do yourself in You know maybe, they’ve all been a foolin’ you Joe, Foolin’ you into thinking you got to stick it out --That there’s something wrong with goin’ your own way. Well don’t pout. We got it figured it out. No one really knows, where you’ve been No one really knows, where you’ve been So take it to the end buddy, And do yourself in. How hard have you tried? It’s been a while since you thought of suicide It’s only a suggestion But maybe all them people lied To be or not to be, what was the question? Was it meant for me? You know I know you think it’s a sin But maybe it’s time to do yourself in? Have you considered pills? A little cyanide goes a long way, Buddy Have you thought about pulling the car into the garage For a Sunday drive to nowhere? For a Sunday drive to nowhere? Sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin But why not take in to the end And do your self in.
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Why 03:20
JOE Everyone walk me hand in hand To a place you think I might crack Everyone push me into the well of despair. And take the shirt off my back. And leave me there Have the shirt off my back. Want the ending to begin. Send down an angel. Send down a God. A burning bush to welcome Why? Is all I wonder. Why... me? Why me? Should I not try to forget what I had? We all know good things happen to the bad. Cheers! Here’s to them, cheers! If all things are equal, Equal is equal in tears Why... me? Why me? Just tell me why. Send me a message. From the sky Send me a message. From the sky Feel the pain burn through me. Feel the sadness on my skin. Feel the whisper in my ears. Want the ending to begin. Send down an angel. Send down a God. A burning bush to welcome Just give me a nod. Why? Why? Why? [God and the Devil appear in a “whirlwind”.]
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Where were you? Where were you? Where were you? When I created all this for you. Remember Mendel and Aristotle, Tell me who was at the throttle? Where were you? Where were you? Kepler and Einstein, boy, Lifted my beerstein, Oy! The universe is simply mind unraveled. You know the helix double but don’t see it’s a bubble baby! Of all that I’ve created lately, still it goes, goes undated bated breath All related...‘Till the end of time… ‘Till I lose my mind…Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha! Seeds and spores, sex galore. Exponentially divide, multiply…collide Here’s a clue, here’s a clue I give to you: Where were you? When hell and earth met for the great divide! Were you inside? That’s where I abide! Where sea snails glide and tides elide! That’s where I abide! Sea of green, sky of blue, wild blue Where were you? Stone and matrix, Womb and pod. That’s God… In my trillion days, The only truth Is itch when you’ve Been scratched You’ve met your Match; more than Your matchThe great Unknown, eternity, The trumpet of theocracy, The architect of leaf, The carpenter of belief. Or to put it a little more simply While you grovel there limply, The earth is a pebble I flicked from My thumb, It’s chained to a star and You’re indelibly dumb. Na Na Na Na Na Na. And now You come to rest and ask me “Why?” And says I…Where were you? Everybody’s asking me, Where they come from. Everybody’s asking me, what to do. Think about me, think about you-hoo Where were you? Where were you?
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Finale 06:45
JOE Where were you? Where have you been? SARA I’ve been wandering to and ‘fro on the earth. SARA I thought there was a way away From bricks and stone and steel, But the heart can heal I’ve washed with the ashes, And I’ve slept in grime and muck. I’ve considered the weeds and I’ve counted all our...luck. I heard you down in the silence of my grief And I felt your hope wrap around me in the dark And my heart opened, and I saw you As you reached for me Through this maze of despair And the dream we made still lives There’s a coal in my heart that will not die. There’s a coal in the heart that’s for you. There’s a coal in the heart that’s for you. Just blow on the coals of my heart and we’ll get by,
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about

Executive Producer: John Eisenhauer. Recorded Bainbridge, WA. 2004.
Engineered by Tracy Beringer and Mark Nichols
Produced by Mark Nichols & John Eisenhauer.
Original masks by Roger Nelson

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released December 12, 2012

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Mark Nichols Bellingham, Washington

Is a writer, composer, and filmmaker
thereallybig.com

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