My New Book - Greg Brown

Lipstick on a thermos cup

Lust and whiskey fill it up

And smoke blows from the chimney to the moon

It’s much too cold in the Midwest —

Chilly hands cup chilly breasts

Things not said fill up every room

As he stands there in the door

There’s no room for him anymore

She lies there saying

«Honey take one last look.»

I’ll tell it all in my new book

Above the city 300 feet

A derelict in a penthouse suite

Packs his suitcase for the midnight train

The rich girl could not face her dream

He’s bitter coffee, she’s sweet cream

She pulls on her shirt, outside it rains

And later in the rambling dark

He’ll unwrap her broken heart

And smile the weary smile of the crook

I’ll tell it all in my new book

Coyote sleeps with everyone

But in the morning he’s long gone

And it turns out that he was a she

Tales grow tall around the fire

Where there’s no truth, no one’s a liar

Whatever mask you wear is who you’ll be

There is a hole in the day

Through which we make our gateway —

I make mine every time I’m shook

I’ll tell it all in my new book

We sift through culture run amok

But our rhythm is still boom-boom-chuck

The whole world to us is now a theme park

The tourist takes the traveler’s place

Buys a new body, a new face

A hymn is not a hymn sung with no heart

And I turn to the Man of Woe

And ask him where there’s left to go —

He points down with his shepherd’s crook

I’ll tell it all in my new book

When they lead you to the wood

Remember that you always should

Leave a trail of black-eyed peas behind

So I can find my way to you

Whatever you may get into —

You are the one I always long to find

And when this crazy time is gone

We’ll build a home down by a pond

I’d make you a good mate — I love to cook

I’ll tell it all in my new book

On old Cape Cod, it blows a gale

I’ll be Jonah.

You be the whale

I want to dive as deep as we can go

Your ship is sailing for the dark

Leave your suitcase, take my heart —

Hold me, stow me, love me very slow

Why must this hour come to pass?

I look at you and raise my glass

Our kisses cannot stop the scythe, the hook

I’ll tell it all in my new book

I heard a young man sing a song

Just that one, and he was gone

Off on the journey we all used to make

It was a song like rain and wind

Reminded me of where I’d been

And that wild feeling I can’t seem to shake

I’d like to go into some shack

And wait for that kid to come back

And sing until the walls and windows shook

And tell it all in my new book

The soldiers meet between the fights

To drink and gamble half the night

While waiting for the fresh troops to arrive

The battlements will always stand

According to the ancient plan

Not a one of us gets out alive

And as we huddled in the smoke

I began to get the joke

I laughed and kissed you

While the whole world shook

I’ll tell it all in my new book