John Cale Secrets
"What do you think is going on here?"
The old man said from his chair
"Do you think this is anything new? Now look here son
This is just like it was back in the old days before the last war
Then the politics changed, the scene rearranged
And became how we know now is quo"
"Oh yeah, there were times when everyone smiled
And the greed of the good times would roll
But a heartbeat away was the crime that did pay
The shot that was heard around the world"
"If you go to sleep", the old man explained
"You're just going to miss on your turn
But if you stay awake, the path that you take may in fact
Become a bridge to be burned"
And the old man turned away
(Secrets)
Wiping his tears from his eyes
"It's already too late", he whispered
"But that's certainly no reason to cry"
(Dirty little secrets)
"You see the last pioneer is waving his flag
Framing the organ bone by bone
Burning in sections, twisting his flag
And walking on glass as he is clearing his tomb"
"Yeah, nevertheless, there's no money", said the kid
"Eh well, half-price hookers are watching the mast"
The old man said, prepared to face the music and laugh
"Bring the shadows down on the heads of the soft ladies
That lie on their mechanical beds"
"And nevertheless, there ain't no money", the kid said
"Well, so call up a future and rewrite the past"
Said the old man, "Raise the hammer and stifle the news
Polish the armor and dust off the grass
There's more dead-end options here, than we'll ever use"
"But nevertheless, there's no money", said the kid
"Well, hell, there's glitter galore to tell you of gold"
(Secrets)
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
(Secrets)
"With second hand hardware all over the world"
(Dirty little secrets)
"Nevertheless there ain't no money"
"Well listen, times are hard but the crowd's flooding in"
"Yeah, nevertheless there ain't no money"
"Hey kid, second class will sell to the valley again, don't worry"
"But nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
"Well, what do you want me to do about it?", said the old man
"I've come up with every argument I can
For the fact that the lawyers are leeching
The marrow out of the bone of anyone
Who's got an original idea in this country"
"Well, what country are you talking about?", said the kid
"I'm talking about the country where my nephew makes honey
Out of old orange peels and plastic out of old BandAids
I'm talking about a country where the sun never sets"
"I'm talking about a country where fish are the bricks
That build the edifices from which you can throw yourself
In a veritable syndrome of court reverence
Ahaha, greed and gun and invests"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
"Marks and pounds and pieces of flesh?", said the old man
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
"Hey, no protection is worth a damn", said the old man
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
"They're sending the waters off Helega lamps"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
"They're carving the marble shape of the urn"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the kid
"A goateed image in Turkish stone?"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money"
"Oh God", said the kid, "What am I going to do with my life now?
The woman settled for anomalous clothes
And socks some place in Vermont
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the old man
The young man is evidently not worth suing
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the old man
"State of Vermont is in America?", said the kid
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the old man
They're doing it again and again and again
"Nevertheless there ain't no money", said the old man