All We Make Is Enemies

All lyrics © Chris dela Torre (SOCAN)

All We Make Is Enemies

This is the dance of the empty promise.  This is the sound of our breaking bones.  This is the dream that we threw in the fire.  We did it all for the failure of love.  It was a dream.  I fell up the stairs and through the window and back to where everything began.  Are you alive?  Or are you a ghost with an alien charm and the illusion of calm?  But it was a dream.  It was only a dream.  If you’re unable to talk just try waving your arms and I’ll know what you mean.  The things we threw away, they all came back again to reclaim their space and original names.  You keep locking the door I keep walking in.  You keep giving more, I never wanted it.  You keep locking the door, I keep walking in.  You were right.  I couldn’t wait and you were waiting in vain.  All this time, I couldn’t wait.  You were waiting in vain.  Stop talking to me.  Don’t go.

The Pull (Morgan Greenwood Mix)

There’s a pull of will and a pull of love.  We spin our heels until we’re stuck.  We all want to be the one to rise above.  We all want the things we want to be enough.

Ladders and Snakes

I took a vow of perpetual poverty.  Now I’ve got everybody thinking something’s wrong with me.  I took a vow of perpetual poverty.  They’re saying ‘what were you thinking?’  I’m thinking something’s wrong with you.  I counted five six seven-hundred ladders and snakes.  You know the market value’s climbing.  Baby, act your age.  We’ve got prostitutes cleaning off their dinner plates.  See baby, that’s what it comes to.  So tell me, what are you going to do?  Oh Love, don’t turn on the light.  I’ve been losing this fight all my life.  It’s a concrete building in the downtown core.  We’ve got a cozy little carpet on the hardwood floor.  You know this inner-city living can be such a chore, but you’re friends don’t come over cuz’ your neighbourhood is such a bore.  I took a vow of perpetual poverty.  Now I’ve got everybody thinking something’s wrong with me.  I took a vow of perpetual poverty.  They’re saying ‘what were you thinking?’  Well, I’m thinking something’s wrong with me.  Oh Love, don’t turn on the light.  We’ve got to keep it together.  Just keep it together.  Forever and ever.  We’ve got to keep it together.

Delusions of Safety

All lyrics (c) Chris dela Torre (SOCAN)

This is where you’ll always want to be.  This room has everything you need.  There’ll be no reason or desire to leave.  This exit must always stay closed.  Boarded-up doors and corridors.  These barred-up windows remain closed for your protection.  No worries no cares no money no bills no friends no lover don’t be late you’re on your own you’re on your own but don’t panic now it’s far too late.  We’ve come prepared.  It took the whole year, but your lover guards the door with all her heart.  We came to mourn.  Forbidden and forlorn.  We ache for days when everyone would say to you ‘we’re sorry but the drugs, they just don’t work.  We’re sorry but they only make things worse.’

They Can See Your Ghost

‘Children! Listen! Leave the suburbs!  Children! Listen! Leave the suburbs, where culture goes to die!’.  So I read in the morning paper.  That’s outdated and archaic.  A goddamn betamax.  I wasn’t built for the modern world.  I’m outdated.  I wasn’t built for the modern world.  I wasn’t built for these modern girls.  I’ll just say it, I’m outdated.  A goddamn beta.  Men and women in the suburbs.  Living, competing with another.  Just listen to each other.

Don’t Be Alarmed (there’s a carcass)

You packed up all your things and laid them down beside the dying plants and hallway lamp that saved me more than once from a drunken fall in the dark.  A beat-up suitcase and some old photographs with colours fading, they look so much older than they really are.  Now that they wilted in the flood.  Don’t be alarmed but they’ve found a carcass down where the crows fly ‘round in circles up above.  That old light in the hall, we’ll keep it on in hopes your ghost can make it home.  You packed up all your things and you threw them down and dug a hole beside the one thing that could make you think of me: the only tree without its leaves.  It’s all you had to do.  I’ve got the same excuse.

Autumn In Juilliard

Well, I can see you now.  How you were hanging around.  Oh, how I cramped your style.  I really cramped your style.  To watch you blow your load and put a stain on your coat.  They’re spending all that dough to see your spectacle.  This is not the way it was back in the day when you were young.  This is not the way it was in Juilliard.  And with your knitted scarf, it made you look so smart.  A European car.  An intellectual heart.  I watched you play the part.  You made it past the guards.  They’re spending all that dough to see your stupid show.  This is not the way it was back in the day when you were young.  This is not the way it was in Juilliard.

Stop The Car

Don’t get in your car or travel on your own.  There’s trouble on the road.  I’ve got this crazy feeling you better stay home.  You better stay home tonight.  Something’s just not right.  I’ve had this crazy dream for the past few nights.  Flashing coloured lights.  I can’t believe you bought it when they told you I was lying to make you stay the night.  That’s fine.  Believe what you like.  But if you’ve got to go, I don’t ever want to know who you’re with or what you’ve done.  If you’ve got to go, I just want to let you know that I won’t pick you up again.

L’Axis de la Conversation

‘Hi.’  ’Uh, hi.’

The Pull

There’s a pull of will and a pull of love.  We spin our heels until we’re stuck.  We all want to be the one to rise above.  We all want the things we want to be enough.  I don’t ask for much.  Save your pennies cuz’ your dreams are about to come true.  Just pray you never come to.  We all want to be in love with what we want.  We all want the things we want to be enough.  I don’t ask for much.  Just live by your heart and not the clock that winds you up.  And I want love.

Christian Science

Have you thought about me?  Or thought a little more on what you’ve done?  How’s it stand without me?  Jesus, where’ve you gone?  And if I sing that story that brought you here, will it cancel out the burdens and burns you got from me?  And if I resurrect the story that brought you here, will I get apologetic and pledge undying loyalty?  Where’s your loyalty?  Oh the lines you scored, the smile you wore behind the back door.  You were hiding.  Yeah, I knew before they found you on the floor that you were lying.  So I got high.  As always, I got high and kept on flying.  I don’t know.  Oh here we go.  And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say.

There’s Hope For You Yet (just kidding)

All lyrics (c) Chris dela Torre (SOCAN).

L’axis de la Conversation

(Hi).  [Um, hi.]

Dizzy and Drunk With Love

I go for long walks alone (me and my headphones), strolling real slow, no particular place to go.  I’m just unwinding my mind like slow-mo convoes.  Me and my girl on the phone lost in translation like Sophia Co.  I tell her I love her and hang up the telephone.  The pressures of life, they got us down real low.  Together forever?  These things I don’t know. Check it out.  Ooh…no.  So with my minidisc and mini-mic I press ‘record’.  Ambient street sounds, commit to tape now.  And you can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop.  And it can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop.  It’s the excuse I use not to commit to you, instead I keep talking about the tapes in my head.  You can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop.  No, you can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop.  The time and the place in your life what a waste cuz’ I lie to your face.  I’m dizzy and drunk with love.

The Pull

There’s a pull of will and a pull of love.  We spin our heels until we’re stuck.  We all want to be the one to rise above.  We all want the things we want to be enough.  I don’t ask for much.  Save your pennies cuz’ your dreams are about to come true.  Just pray you never come to.  We all want to be in love with what we want.  We all want the things we want to be enough.  I don’t ask for much.  Just live by your heart and not the clock that winds you up.  And I want love.

Homemade Hearts / Highway Arteries

There could have been a situation, but I was thinking on my feet.  We just avoided a disaster, unless of course, I’m still asleep.  And if I am, can you remember to wake me please?  But if I’m not, I’ll say I’ll miss you all, but I’m glad I’m gone.  You’ll never know how close I’ve come.  You’ve got your mother’s milky skin and your father’s rotting teeth, and I love you like a childhood memory.  I’ll miss you all, I’m glad I’m gone.  You’ll never know how close I’ve come.

Parasite

These things I feel for you, they cut me up in pieces.  When you told me of your guilty truth, I wished so badly I could hurt you.  We lived inside each other.  We lost ourselves and left our souls to burn.  You were my angel, always overly inviting.  Forgot everything we needed when I sewed my heart into your hands.  The eyes of everyone told us we never had to give this up.  You always had the gift of changing every colour in me.  Cling to imaginary shadows just so they could throw me out in the rain to realize I’m just as breakable as you.  I told myself I was your hero and you couldn’t be without me kissing your tears, making you new again.  The eyes of everyone had no idea we were breaking down.  Parasite good night parasite I’m tired. I’m tired, good night.

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