Sister Midnight
The time is right
To set your sights on home again

For we’ve grown restless
Your silver seed is
Rising from the garden bed

She says, “You’ve grown careless on me
Boy, you’ve grown faithless on me”

Sister Midnight
You turned your back on all of us, so tell us why
You gave us fire
We can’t help ourselves from burning up the sky

On and on and up you go

Don't you look back sister midnight
(Now she's gunning for a hole in the clouds)
No more godsent wasted wisdom
We’re wondering what the fuss is about

Sister Midnight
One look from you and empires tumble to the ground
Oh why, Cassandra
Does chaos like a contrail follow you around

I watched your children playing
You've been overstaying now

Pay no mind to sister midnight
Now she's gunning for a hole in the clouds
Don't believe her wasted wisdom
She got everybody spinning around

Instr

As long as there’re shadows
As long as there’s somewhere we can hide
As long as there’re shadows
Used to be somewhere we could hide

Say goodbye to sister midnight
Now she's heading for a hole in your crown
Don't repeat her warning story
She got everybody spinning around.

Say goodbye to sister midnight
Now she's just another myth in the crowd
Don't believe her tired story
She got everybody spinning around.

-------

This song wasn't intended for my voice, and my voice wasn't made for this song. I simply ran out of available session vocalists, so I used the last remaining voice I knew (my own). All apologies. I don't usually credit the artists, albums and songs that consciously or unconsciously influenced my songs. I like my songs to stand on their own. But I made this list at three am and thought it might shed light on what weird ingredients went into the pie.

Shawn Colvin (Sonny Came Home)
Oasis (What's The Story…)
Neil Young (After the Gold Rush)
Cat Stevens (Longer Boats)
Bowie (Ziggy Stardust album)
Beatles (Day Tripper)


Sister Midnite

I've never been strong
And my hands are lined in time
Keeping you alive
Ain't getting easier
 
I never belonged
I'm just one more part of you
Weary from our time
I swore to see you through

Don't ask why
You need someone
To watch over you
That's what I am

It's not about love
You don't know
Why I built my world around you
Not about love
That keeps me holding on
 
It's not about love
You won't know 
Of the stories that surround you
Not about love
That leaves me hollow
 
You’ve always been strong
Veins of iron deep inside
Running like a blood moon
You can pull the tide
 
These eyes can lie
Like they've done a thousand times
We’re all left believing 
In the departmental line
 
Don't ask why
You need someone
Who understands
That's what I am

It's not about love
Not at all
Why I need to stay around you
Not about love
That keeps me holding on
 
It's not about love
Not at all
Who’s to blame for what surrounds you
Not about love
That leaves me hollow

Don't break the silence
Of commandments handed down
Marching orders you won't understand
 
We shouldn’t be together
You can throw it away
What we’re feeling tonight
We shouldn't be together
My world can throw me away like they turn off a light
We shouldn't be together
You and I should have nothing 
Nothing to hide
 
It's not about love
Not at all
Why I built my world around you
Not about love
That keeps me holding on
 
It's not about love
Not at all
Why I need to stay around you
Not about love
That leaves me hollow

-------

This song wasn't intended for my voice, and my voice wasn't made for this song. I simply ran out of available session vocalists, so I used the last remaining voice I knew (my own). All apologies. I don't usually credit the artists, albums and songs that consciously or unconsciously influenced my songs. I like my songs to stand on their own. But I made this list at three am and thought it might shed light on what weird ingredients went into the pie.

Kate Bush (earlier career)
Barbra Streisand (Prisoner)
Roxy Music (Bittersweet)
Jim Steinman / Bonnie Tyler
Al Stewart (Cafe Society)
Tears For Fears (Sowing the Seeds of Love)
Led Zeppelin (Stairway)
Beatles (The End)


Not About Love

Who do you think you are?
I stop and ask myself
The powers that I need from me
Are far mislaid
I need them in this game

Tell me
Who do you think you are?
The lines are crossed and down
The victories I meant to claim
Are somewhere else
Bitterness remains

If you don't do anything
Then you can't do anything    (Le silence t'enterre)
If you don't do anything
Then you can't do anything    (Le silence t'enterre)

I used to be better than this
I used to be functional
I used to be more like a man
I used to be possible
Used to be good on my word
At least in my own mind
So what happened to me?
Oh, what happened to me?

Who do you think you are?
A fool can never see
The hourglass is losing time
I fall behind
I slowly fall behind

If you don't do anything
Then you can't do anything   (Le silence t'enterre)
If you don't do anything
Then you can't do anything   (Le silence t'enterre)

Instr

I'm missing my cues   (Send them my silence)
I used to be the one in charge here   (Send them my silence)
I'm asking you, 'cause you look like you're doing all right   (Send them my silence)
Take my hand-- Can you help me stand up again?   (Send them my silence)
Tell me there's still something else

If you don't do anything
Then you can't do anything
If you don't do anything
Then you can't do anything
If we don't do anything
Then we won’t do anything
If we don't do anything
Then we won’t do anything

I used to be better than this
I used to be functional
I used to be more like a man
I used to be possible
I used to be smarter than this
I used to be practical
Made a deal on the darker side 
Sealed with a Judas kiss

If You Don't Do Anything

Funny sometimes how we forget the best things
"Do the needful" and we leave the rest
Don’t say you’re doing fine
It ain’t in your design
Funny sometimes how we forget the best things

Funny how we all forget the worst things
"Do the needful" and we leave the rest
Trouble comes, turn and run
We play like this forever
Tell me why we can’t remember the worst things

The Best Things

I'd stay away if I was you, boy
Cuz I know where her patience ends
See her blazing away through the trees
As night descends 

Whatever made you think she needs you?
Her circle's been growing thin
Look, there falls another
She doesn't keep many friends 

No one knows her first or second
And the 3rd don't talk anymore

Here comes Beethoven's 5th
Knocking on the door

The beast, she heaves like thunder 
She sulks and grinds her teeth
She burns like hell on fire
But not for me

What made you think you can tame her?
She hoards everything she sees
It's far too late to help her
Who helped me?

No one knows her first or second
And the 3rd don't talk anymore

Here comes Beethoven's 5th
Fate knockin’ on the door

She'll clean you out like a bandit, boy 
And then she'll come back for more

Here comes Beethoven's 5th, 
Crashin’ through the door

Here comes Beethoven's 5th
Crashin’ through the door

Oh here comes Beethoven’s 5th 
Evenin’ up the score


-----

This song was inspired by a crazed squirrel that used to visit our doorstep, growl and headbutt her adversaries. RIP Beethoven. We loved you.

Beethoven's Fifth

If I didn’t know her better
I’d have long since run away
With her Mona Lisa smilin’
I'm kept another day

Roam her empty main streets
Don’t we know them all too well
But if you should find a back road
There are stories she can tell

Then she fades like clouds into an August sky
		
There's a silence deep inside
And her spirit in my mind
Centralia and me

I was tryin’ to catch her eye
Flying up behind the pines
Centralia and me

She don’t mind the quiet
She takes it all in stride
Marching in her own parade
With no one by her side

Billowed summer dresses
All drying in the breeze
There’s a secret place she knows about 
If you follow through the trees

And who am I to pull her spirit down?

I was tryin’ to catch her eye
Rising up behind the pines
Centralia and me

Write it down on 61
Let the highway colors run
Centralia and me

I hear the children playing
Everybody knows her name

I was tryin’ to catch her eye
Flying up behind the pines
Centralia and me

Somewhere out on silent hill
Hope she's waiting for me still
Centralia and me

Ghosts a-rising in the night
Take your time and say goodbye
Centralia, Centralia 


Centralia and Me

Night has flown 
You've already disappeared 
You're truer alone 
You know how to bring out all my fears

Once I was like you 
The give and take just got me down
In my rear view 
Dust blows all around

And all my fears are natural 
You take everything and nothin' at all

Now dinner’s cold 
No use in waiting up for you 
I should have known
Receiving is hard to do

So I realign
Feel my feet back on the ground
And I'll be fine 
The more of me I keep around

If I could walk away I wouldn't crawl
You take everything and nothin' at all

I ain't waitin’ for your call
You take everything and nothin' at all

And all my fears seem natural 
You take everything and nothin' at all

Everything and Nothing

She won't meet your eyes 
Her garden's overgrown 
You won't find a pathway to her door 

Weeds behind her wheels 
Won't tell you how she feels 
Hardly see her ‘round much anymore

You can climb the battlement
But no, you won't get in

It's the Great Wall of Wendy 
Growing taller by the day 
There's a distance in her eyes 
Thoughts are miles away 

Any summer afternoon 
She's gardening alone
See it growing higher… stone by stone

Wasn’t long ago
She'd tell me ‘bout her day 
Walking down the garden path
Like Alice in a maze

Was I just naive?
Far too late to say
Wish those days would last forever

You can storm the ramparts 
Oh, but no one's getting in

It's the Great Wall of Wendy 
Running rings around her place
Reticence her best defense
And then she turns away 

Any autumn afternoon 
She's working all alone 
See her slowly disappearing… stone by stone 

It's the Great Wall of Wendy 
You can see from outer space 
There's a silence in her smile
As it fades away 

Any any winter’s afternoon 
Is anyone at home?
Can you feel a heartbeat… through the stone? 


The Great Wall of Wendy

Big hands strike 12 o'clock
Am I turning one-three? Mom I’ll be at Brie’s

Mama shops one size too large
She’s still my lucky star

Dad lets me sit up in the front seat
Choose a tune, roll down the street

I hear the words before they leave your mouth

Don’t ever call me a teen
Or say I’m in between
Don’t say I'm too old

Don’t ever call me a teen
And never call me green
When what you see is gold
Look at me

Do you think one-three is fun?
Say yes and I’ll surely run.

Bro says, sissy four more years
Ooh, he makes me sick with tears.

Friends say make time for boys
But I’m in perfect voice

I hear the words before they make a sound

Don’t ever call me a teen
Or say I’m in between
Don’t say I'm too old

Don’t ever call me a teen
And never call me green
When what you see is gold
Look at me

Does the one-three really matter?
Different cake from a different batter.

You say there might be more to this.
Gotta run, I missed a call from Chris!

Will I like this teenage scene?
Ask again when I’m nineteen.

I hear the words before they hit the ground

Don’t ever call me a teen
Or say I’m in between
Don’t say I'm too old

Don’t ever call me a teen
And never call me green
When what you see is gold

Don’t ever call me a teen
I'm a pop 'n jazz queen
Don’t say I'm too old

Don’t ever call me a teen
And never call me green
When what you see is gold
Look at me

East West

Don't Call Me A Teen

FiftyDegrees is an exquisitely small songwriting and recording collective, based in Madison, Wisconsin.

FiftyDegrees

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