Desert Lights Lyrics

[reeyano]

Every time I get a new SFK album I type out the lyrics, and this is no exception. If it's in the wrong section my apologies.

Also there are a few missing words here and there. Esp in Oh Kamikaze, suggestions would be good!

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1. California
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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I'm all chalked out on the ground by the curtain call.
All the sharp observations are a paper trail 40 stories tall.
Yeah where any conclusions might slip through my fingers.
As I was listening to the story she's telling now.

It's a beautiful life.
It's a beautiful lie.

When it's late she's still talking about California.
Where a distance to the myth has never been greater.
From the sea to the boulevard stretchin' our arms to the, desert.

It's a beautiful life.
such a beautiful lie.

It's a beautiful life.
But she's leading me one step behind.
with a promise one day we'll arrive.

And if she ever runs out of California.
She's always got, she's always got last summer.
In a state of mind, with occassional tremor.

It's a beautiful life,
under restless and flourescent skies.
She's all coloured all into the lines, lines, lines, lines.

It's a beautiful life.
and she's leading me one step behind.
with a promise one day we'll arrive, one day we'll arrive, one day we'll arrive.

When I get there I,
When I get there I'm,
always one step behind.


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2. Down the Garden Path
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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Dropped two magic hands in careful lies.
To a vanishing point, that leaves me tongue tied.
She's all magnetic storm, out of her mind.
Her promise kept, to bless and curse and disguise.
Her spider webs, spin and hypnotise.

She uses every trick in slight of hand.
Her patterns play just like a paper doll dance.
Went out the back door and down the garden path.
When morning comes, we walk the tightrope again.

Together in space, together in time.
We're all dressed up, serene and wild-eyed.
And here of possible worlds is where we might find,
A promise kept, on days departing light.
Her spider webs, across the skyline.

She uses every trick in slight of hand.
Her patterns play out like a paper doll dance.
Went out the back door and down the garden path.
When morning comes, we walk, we walk the tightrope again.

Reasons and answers may never be clear,
But I thank every accident for bringing you here,
though I can't for the life of me figure out where I went wrong.

Reasons and answers may never be clear,
But I thank every accident for leading you here,
though I can't for the life of me figure out where I went wrong.

Reasons and answers may never be clear,
But I thank every accident for leading you here,
though I can't for the life of me figure out where I went wrong.

Reasons and answers may never be clear,
But I thank every accident for leading you here,
though I can't for the life of me figure out where I went wrong.



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3. Cigarettes and Suitcases
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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Maybe, maybe nothing could prepare you.
That something and that someday, always comes.
And the only thing around worth hangin' onto.
Is a love with a twisted symmetry demanding it be done,

This way, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh, this way.
You're always the last to know,
your cigarettes and suitcases,
and so on the story goes,
you're shell shocked in your shoe laces,
and now that you're on your own.

And it won't be so far away tomorrow
Everybody says 'cause, everybody knows.
Oh one by one in single file they'll follow,
in paying up to drop like, dominoes.

Today, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh, today.
You're always the last to know,
your cigarettes and your suitcases,
and so on the story goes,
your sweet dreams and your sci-fi sunsets.
And now that you're on your own, (now that you're on your own),
now that you're on your own, silver,
where are ya gonna go? Oo-ooh.

(Where to go? Where to go?)
So the story goes, so the story goes.
So the story go-ooo-oh-oh, no no no.

You're always the last to know,
your cigarettes and your suitcases,
and on and on you go,
you're shell shocked in your shoe laces,
and now that you're on your own,
now that you're on your own, silver,
now that you're on your own,
on your own, on your own, your own, your,
oh-oh oh-oh oh-oh, ooooown.



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4. This is the Life for me
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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Domestic bliss, and trapdoors.
Where have I been?
I step from this falling elevator, this speeding train.
Crawling down the freeway, just to start,
to start it all over again.
My tired eyes, come crashing down to fall...

Fall on my feet, fall on my feet again.
Set myself free, set myself free and then.
Make me believe, make me believe again,
that this is the life for me.

We stand in a line, but secretly,
we're crashing into the desert, brilliantly.
Our burning eyes can barely, pass off the light.
Oh we go so quietly, like silent blinding, flashes of lightning.
Striking down,

Down at our feet, down at our feet again.
Set ourselves free, setting us free, and then.
Make us believe, make us believe, again.
That this is the life, for you and me, oh.

Tonight I will dream, tonight I will dream.
That this is the life for me.



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5. A Fool's History Part 1
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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Everything's understood, nothing more to know.
You sleep by the river and walk yourself home.
You're picked up by the breeze and put back on your feet.
It shows you the way back to,

Triggers, and loopholes in the back of your mind.
Barefoot, and walking on, it's still morning light.
Got one last chance to make it all alright.
So come and sit next to me, and I'll tell you everything,
another fool's history.

Innocent bystanders captured in the frame,
with unfinished business that don't show on your face.
Standing in the doorway between decisions unmade.
But you'll never know, you'll never know..

So come on now, and leave all your sirens and cry.
And you and me, we could stay quiet one time.
We'll throw open the windows and we'll turn out the lights.
And we'll lay in here listening, and not telling everything.
Some other fool's history.

So come on now,
come on now.
So come on now,
come on now.

To triggers, and loopholes in the back of your mind.
You're barefoot, and walking home, it's still morning light.
I got one last match to set it all alight.
Well it's not what it seems to be,
and nobody's listening to another fool's history,
who's blindfolded memory will just deny everything.
If the cause of your mysery, is never deciphering,
your heart's lonely whispering, to think you've seen everything.
You think you've seen everything, you think you've seen everything.



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6. Oh Kamikaze
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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You, you.
You were a fast one, and always in control, kamikaze.
Be, spreading your wings full of holes as you drag the sky.
And no one can tell you, if this is tail spin or, free falling.
'Cause no one is so sure that this was meant to fly.

(Uptight), you flicker and flame like the,
(Bright lights) They're calling your name from the,
(Outside) You don't believe in the real world.

Trying to process all of your need in desperation.
So you can straighten out every doubtful, lie.
Before April is falling, coming down slow, like, silent movie.
And they will abandon time.

(So far), you want it too much,
(And it's closer), so close you could touch it.
(For one time), you disappear, you disappear.

(Uptight), you flicker and flame like the,
(Bright lights) They're calling your name it's a,
(Sure sign) You don't belong in the real world, the real world.

You'll never see it coming 'til it carries, you, off, the, ground.
But I see it in your face, the way you come back, come back,
Down, down, down.
Down, down, come, back, down.

(Uptight), you flicker and flame like the,
(Bright lights) they're calling your name in your,
(Sweet time) you slip away from the real, world.

(Uptight) You flicker, you flicker,
(Bright lights) They're calling, they're calling your name!
(Sweet time) You slip away from the, the real world!



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7. Impossible
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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Don't listen too hard to the beating of your wings,
Or you might fall.
You only do what you do 'cause a part of you believes,
That you're here at all.

But something, reminds you,
And sometimes I can hear it too.
And I, don't wanna be the rain,
Falling on this impossible parade.
So as sure as I can be of anything,
I will be so sure about this impossible thing.

I, I, I'm hiding out when in the chameleon appears.
She comes around.
With a werewolf mood-swinging from a chandelier,
and I hit the ground.

'Til something reminds me,
It's a full moon, shivering.
And I, don't wanna be the rain,
falling on her impossible parade.
So as sure as I can believe in anything.
I will bite my tongue and believe in impossible things.
-edited- Yeah I will bite my tongue and believe in impossible things.
Yeah I will bite my tongue.

I saw the werewolf (I saw the werewolf).
I saw the full moon (I saw the full moon).
I saw the werewolf. (I saw teh werewolf).
I saw the full moon (I saw the full moon).

I saw, I saw,
I saw the full moon.
I saw the werewolf, the werewolf, the werewolf.
I saw the full moon, the full moon.



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8. Transparanoia
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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And now he craves a complication.
You're something up his sleeve.
He bends the rails to miss the station.
To let the pressure breathe.
And now for readers of this fiction,
there's something to believe.

He's going under, (the red flag's falling down).
My only brother, brother.

He, cuts, in with the harmony,
The voice, of, his own worst enemy.

And in his head it doesn't matter.
There's nothing else to do.
With every stepping new cliffhanger.
He begs for one false move.
To send his silver lining scattered,
and make this mess come true.

He's going under, (the red flag's waving around).
My only brother, brother (the red flag's falling)
He, cuts, in with the harmony,
The voice, of, his own worst enemy.

And in his head it doesn't matter.
In his head it does not matter, matter, matter, matter!

He's going under.
My only brother, brother.
He, cuts, in with the harmony,
The voice, of, his own worst enemy.




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9. Statues
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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Who put this doubt in your soul?
And who put, that storm on your face?
Or is it, the noise of, irony and boredom,
fighting it out for first place?

Making, black hole from mole hill.
Well hey now, what did you expect?
When you're spending it all on, construction.
Construction, of a wreck.
Construction, of a wreck.

My precious one, hanging by a thread,
Until you've come undone.
And you've come undone,
Linger, but tomorrow won't come soon, enough, oh.

Give us, all of, your nonsense.
Something, to light up our lives.
And I'll make, all your, decisions.
And we will, not turn out that light.

My precious one, hanging by a thread.
Your mind's made up.
And you've come undone,
Linger, but the answers won't come soon, enough.

Street lights, here we, buzz around.
We wait for, an age to pass.
Then still as, the stone, these statues call home.
But now we, can crumble at last.
Yeah now I can crumble at last.

2 x (Who put this doubt in your soul?)
3 x (Like a statue) / (Like statues)




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10. Washed out to Sea
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By: Ryan Parsons
Album: Desert Lights
Date: July, 2006
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She's out in back, she's looking for the matches.
We built our own logic, and now we scatter it's, ashes.
We dropped a feather from the eighty-first floor,
And watched it swing down to the world below.
Such a long, slow, fall.

Washed out, to sea.
Where you're so far, from me.

Arrivals and departures, they all know them so, well.
Oh from sleepin' and dreamin', on the baggage carousel.
We know every step and every crack.
Every scene leading to the final act.
Every comet trail. Circling back, back, back.

Washed out, to sea.
And you're so far, from me.

Yeah we get washed out, to sea.
And you're so, far, from me, from me, from me.
Yeah you're so, so, far now, you're so far now.
So, far, so, far now, ooh-ooh-oooh.

You're washed out, to sea.
And now you're so far, so far, from me yeah, from me, yeah, now.
From me, yeah, yeah. Oooh-oohoooh.


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That's it! Enjoy.

[sheeps]

I thought it was beautiful life twice.. well there you go.

[MD]

Overall it looks very good and has cleared up a lot of lines for me !

The only real problems I can pick out is in Statues, the outro bit is just repeating the first line. And I thought the first lines were "who put the stone in your soul, and who put that stone on your face" but not sure on that sounds like "this doubt" as well
Pretty sure the line later is "still as the stone these statues call home"

the other songs look quite good ... some bits seem a bit dodgy but I can't do any better, and no idea on question marks

[sheeps]

I think it's more likely doubt actually and the 's' from the word this just overlaps into the word doubt.

-edit- I think you may be right about the end though "still as the stone". Storms aren't exactly still, but it could be ARTISTIC IRONY!

-edit2- and I think "and hang out to drop like, dominoes" might be "and paying up to drop like, dominoes" but that could just be my crazy ears. I'm pretty sure there's a "p" sound in there though, you can hear it pop on the mic. Also it's "they'll follow" not "we'll follow" I think.

Guh, the more I listen to it I'm not sure. I've listened to three different recordings.

[reeyano]

slotmansnoz said:

The only real problems I can pick out is in Statues, the outro bit is just repeating the first line. And I thought the first lines were "who put the stone in your soul, and who put that stone on your face" but not sure on that sounds like "this doubt" as well
Pretty sure the line later is "still as the stone these statues call home"

Thanks for the input! The outro is definitely repeating the first line. My arguments for "doubt" and "storm" are that when he sings "this doubt in your soul" it sounds like "thisdou din your soul", so the t in doubt stands out as a d sound. Same with the m in storm, it sounds like "who put that stor mon your face".

Later on with "still as, the stone, these statues call home" that's definitely right, it fits the context much better and sounds right now that I hear it.

Thanks again and hope some more people can polish it all up a bit.

[reeyano]

sheeps said:

-edit2- and I think "and hang out to drop like, dominoes" might be "and paying up to drop like, dominoes" but that could just be my crazy ears. I'm pretty sure there's a "p" sound in there though, you can hear it pop on the mic. Also it's "they'll follow" not "we'll follow" I think.

I definitely think it's paying up. I think it's also "in paying up" not "and paying up."

I think it's definitely they'll, though I'm not sure whether it's they or they'll though! i.e.

"And/in one by one in single file they'll follow,
in paying up to drop like, dominoes"

or

"And/in one by one in single file they follow,
in paying up to drop like, dominoes"

The first and/in is also confusing!!! Very trivial point though. Paying up was definitely good. I heard the p too but I couldn't think what the hell he could be saying that would fit the context.

Thanks again!

[reeyano]

sheeps said:

I thought it was beautiful life twice.. well there you go.

Paul always has to make a point with tricky to hear lyrics huh? lol As soon as I heard it with lie I thought yeah actually that makes more sense in the context of dissing California, which is what he's basically doing; as described by his descriptions of the songs.

[reeyano]

Listened to the songs again whilst reading - made a lot of edits. People might think I'm nuts but I love doing it lol.


California
"Yeah where ready conclusions"

I'm not sure about that...

Down the Garden Path
"Dropped two magic hands in careful lies"

I'm sure is wrong now.

For those who might not know like I didn't, "in slight of hand" means stealthily.


This is the life for me:
I think "we're standing aligned, but secretly" is actually
"we stand in a line, but secretly"


A Fool's History:
"You picked up all the breeze and put back on your feet"
I think should be-

"You were picked up by the breeze", he just says "you were" really quickly, 'cause I think logically, you can't pick up breeze in a tangible way lol.

I also added "throw open" in "we'll throw open the windows", somehow I missed that lol

Paul says "'cause you think.." very quickly lol.

Oh Kamikaze
"You are the first one" could be "You were".

The rest of that first verse I think is right.

The second verse is a minefield for me. The second and last lines I have there are right but the first and third lines are totally up in the air I think.

Impossible:
"And something, reminds you" I think has something more in there, could be "And then something, reminds you" or "And that something, reminds you". Dunno.

Added another line into the bit before I saw the werewolf: "Yeah I will bit my tongue and..." etc was missing.

Transparanoia
The whole red flag bit took me a while to get lol, not sure of the reference.First song I think that's exactly right.

Statues
The whole high pitched thing in this song is what makes it so hard to get it right.

Changed "and now I" to "yeah now I"...

Added (my statue) which is what Paul I think sings in the outro as well..

Washed out to Sea
Changed "She's out in bed" to "She's out in back".. an American phrase I forgot about. Makes way more sense than bed lol

Wasn't sure about "Every common trick" I just figured it out. It's "Every comet trail".. hence circling back...

Changed the outro a bit, added a few yeah's and now's lol
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This was a good way of killing time 'til the semi final of the world cup.. glad I saved it 'til now lol 3am that is.

[sheeps]

Isn't it "like a statue" at the end?

and I think it's just "Oh one by one" in C&S.

-edit- not a big one and possibly not even right but I thought it was (in Down the Garden Path) "She uses every trick <b>and</b> slight of hand"?

[reeyano]

sheeps said:

Isn't it "like a statue" at the end?

and I think it's just "Oh one by one" in C&S.

-edit- not a big one and possibly not even right but I thought it was (in Down the Garden Path) "She uses every trick <b>and</b> slight of hand"?

Agreed on like statues and oh one by one.

Slight of hand describes the way she uses the tricks, so I think it's - She uses every trick in slight of hand. LOL the more you listen the more confusing it gets.

[Delirium]

I think in oh, kamikaze its "you were a fast one"

look at the lyrics i posted on the main forum (accidentally), you get alot of lines more right than me, but i think there's a few differences that i think im right with. Just little words though, ill outline them all later.

[forevernights]

Heres what i believe is being said in some of the lyrics. (they are in bold)

CALIFORNIA

Yeah where any conclusions might slip through my fingers

In a state of mind, with occassional tremors

When I get there I,
When I get there I,
I'm always one step behind


DOWN THE GARDEN PATH

To a vanishing point, that leaves me tongue tied.

(first time)
Her patterns play just like a paper dolls dance

A FOOLS HISTORY P.T1

You're picked up by the breeze and put back on your feet.

Standing in the doorway between decisions unmade

You're barefoot, and walking home it's still morning light.

If the cause of your mysery, is never deciphering,
your heart's lonely whispering, to think you've seen everything


OH, KAMAKAZE - I'm just gonna post what i got when i transcribed it

you, you
you were a fast one and always in control, kamikaze
spreading your wings full of holes as you drive the sky
and no one can tell you if this is tail spin or free fall
and cause no one is so sure that this was meant to fly

uptight,
you flicker and flame like the
bright lights,
there calling your name from the
outside,
you don’t believe in the real world

trying to process all of your need in desperation
so you can straighten out every doubtful line
for April is falling coming down slow like a silent movie
and they will abandon time

so far up,
you want it to much and its
closer,
so close you could touch it
for one time,
you disappear, you disappear

uptight,
you flicker and flame like the
bright lights,
there calling your name its a
sure sign,
you don’t belong in the real world, the real world

you'll never see it coming till it carries you off the ground
I see it in you face when you come back, come back
down down down
down down come back down

uptight,
you flicker and flame like the
bright lights,
there calling your name in your
sweet time,
you slip away from the real world

(uptight)
you flicker, you flicker
(bright lights)
they're calling, they're calling your name
(sweet time)
you slip away from the, the real world


IMPOSSIBLE

I, I, I'm hiding out when in the chameleon appears


TRANSPARANOIA

sounds good to me, the only thing is i thought he said (with red flags falling down) and (with red flags waving round) but it could be either one


STATUES

And I'll make, all your, decisions.

Then still as, the stone, these statues call home. <-- this line confuses me, it could be storm, it could be stone gah!!!!

Also the first 2 lines in 'Washed out to sea' i just can't seem to get what he's saying

[reeyano]

Thanks for that forevernights! Cleared up a few things for me. One or two things you've said I didn't change but basically everything you put in I reckon is good and made the changes.

[antipersonnel]

"My precious one, hanging by a thread." - is that supposed to be a lord of the rings reference?

[unkindethedude]

Down the Garden Path


She uses every trick in slight of hand.

I thought this was:

She uses every trick and sleight of hand

As in the magician's technique. Seems to make more sense.