Ben Folds Five Album

stop the bus
I wanna be lonely
when seconds pass slowly
and years go flying by
you gotta stop the bus
and get off here
enough's enough,
and I'm leaving this factory

and all she wants
is food on the table
and I won't be able
to bring it home
and all I want, come on
'cause all I need
yeah, is free
'cause I'm a factory

did Mother Nature tell you:
"Boy, you come and go as you please"?
that's what she said to me,
but big brother got the keys
and I got Jackson Cannery

wah-oh
wah-oh
wah-oh
wah-oh

millionaires
and mill rats live side by side
messed up my brother's mind
who's far from Earth
and tell me what's he worth? (nothing!)
the same as you,
the same as me
in this factory

did Mother Nature tell you:
"Boy, you come and go as you please"?
that's what she said to me,
but big brother got the keys
and I got Jackson Cannery

wah-oh
(come on.)
wah-oh
wah-oh
(that’s pretty good, try it again!)
(think so?)
wah-oh

it's 4 in the morning
Mother don't know
that I'm going far away
she's whispering to the moon:
"I hope he don't,
join you soon"

Baby Boss
climbs up on his soapbox
Great Caesar's ghost
knows what's best for me
stop the bus

did Mother Nature tell you:
"Boy, you come and go as you please"?
that's what she said to me, but
big brother got the keys
and I got Jackson Cannery

(big brother got the keys)
(and I got Jackson Cannery)

big brother got the keys

won't you look up at the skyline
at the mortar, block, and glass
and check out the reflections in my eyes?
you see they always used to be there
even when this all was grass
and I sang and danced about a high-rise
and you were laughing at
my helmet hat,
laughing at
my torch

go ahead you can laugh all you want
I got my philosophy
[keeps my feet on the ground]
and I trust it like the ground
that's why my philosophy
[my phil]
it keeps me walking when I'm falling down
[los-o-phy]

I see that there is evil
and I know that there is good
and the in-betweens I never understood
won't you look at me, I'm crazy,
but I get the job done
yeah, I'm crazy, but I get the job done
and I say:

go ahead you can laugh all you want
but I got my philosophy
[keeps my feet on the ground]
and I trust it like the ground
that's why my philosophy
[my phil]
it keeps me walking when I'm falling down
[los-o-phy]

I pushed you 'cause I loved you guys
I didn't realize
you weren't having fun
and I dragged you up the stairs
and I told you to fly
you were flapping your arms
you started to cry, you were too high
no, too high

now you take this all for granted
you take the mortar, block, and glass
and you forget the speech and move the stone
but it's really not that you can't see
the forest for the trees
you never been out in the woods alone

so you can laugh all you want to
but I got my philosophy
[keeps my feet on the ground]
and I love you, you're my friend
but you got no philosophy
[my phil]
it keeps me walking when I'm falling down
[los-o-phy]

[cap that bitch off, somebody]
[driver]
[screaming]
[where's the party?]

I met this girl, she looked like Axl Rose
got drunk and took her home
and we slept in our clothes
and in the morning put my feet on the floor
and thought:
being awake never felt like this before
and Julianne, ya know she wouldn't approve
talked all day on the phone
'cause I had nothing to do
got rid of Axl by the afternoon
being awake never felt so clear and

blue
that's all I knew
guess that I was innocent too
I sing a song, yeah,
and it won't be the blues
'cause I don't miss Julianne

my friend, she told me she felt sorry for me
she said the truth would come
crashing down on me
that I'd be sorry, but the truth of it is
that I feel guilty for not giving a shit

ah-ooh
that's all I knew
guess that I was innocent too
I sing a song, yeah,
and it won't be the blues
'cause I don't miss Julianne

I got a bag of trash
I got my bag of trash
I walk it up and down,
and drag it up and down the road
how could she miss a man
who drags a bag of trash down the road?

this week I feel like I've been born again
you know that Julianne
she would have a fit
she'd find a reason for the things that I did
and gave me credit for the things that I've never been

ooh
that's all I knew
guess that I was innocent too
and I can try
just as hard as I can
and I don't miss Julianne

ah-ooh
that's all I knew
guess that I was innocent too
yeah, I can try
just as hard as I can

I'd like to tell ya,
like to tell ya
tell ya everything
'cause nothing changes,
ever changes
doesn't seem the same these days
Dave's been a mess
since Cheryl left
just sits at home
and beats back death
and Beth still wears
his stupid dress

there goes Joe Caparo again
with Darren's girlfriend
they're asking where ya been
like I know
where ya been
hey Summer,
where ya been?

I tried to tell ya,
tried to tell ya
took a little bit too long
and now your phone is
disconnected
and your shit's out
on the lawn
the Hardback Cafe closed down
now we got Office Town
you shoulda stuck around,
('cause...)

there go Ross and Frank again
they're holding hands
asking where ya been
like I know
where ya been
hey Summer,
where ya been?

I could take a train
or fly away
maybe write a book
and change my name
I could settle down

(ah.)
(yeah.)
(hell yeah.)

there goes Joe Caparo again
hey!
that's Darren's girlfriend!
Ross and Frank are holding hands
they been asking where ya been
hey Summer,
where ya been?

and I
could smoke a bowl with Caleb
or fly away
or settle down, but
hey
hey Summer,
where ya been?

Some summers in the evening after six or so
I walk on down the hill
and maybe buy a beer
I think about my friends
sometimes I wish they lived out here
but they wouldn't dig this town
no, they wouldn't dig this town
try not to think about it,
Alice Childress
try not to think about it
anymore
try not to think about it,
Alice Childress
anymore
no, not anymore, oh

Alice, the world is full of ugly things
that you can't change
pretend it's not that way
it's my idea of faith
you can blow it off
and say there's good in nearly everyone
just give them all a chance
now let's give them all a chance

try not to think about it,
Alice Childress
try not to think about it
anymore
try not to think about it,
Alice Childress
anymore
no, not anymore, oh

no, it didn't work out
no, it didn't work out the way we thought it would
no, it didn't work out
(an arranged marriage is not so good)

thank God it's you
ya know your timing is impeccable
and I'm not fooling you
I don't know what to do
some dude just knocked me cold
and left me on the sidewalk
took everything I had
and everything I had

try not to think about it,
Alice Childress
try not to think about it
anymore
it's getting late where you are,
Alice Childress
anymore
no, not anymore
anymore

I was never cool in school
I'm sure you don't remember me

and now its been ten years
and I'm still wondering who to be

and I'd love to mix in circles
cliques and social coteries, thats me

hand me my nose ring
(can we be happy?)
show me the mosh pit
(can we be happy?)

we can be happy underground

(who's got the looks
who's got the brains
who's got everything?)

I got this pain in my heart thats all

(hey you
with the long and lonely face)

there's got to be something else

let me tell you something else
there was a girl that passed me by
she gave a smile but I was shy and I looked down, so down

(don't look down no no,
go go underground)
now, now there's a place to go

it's the morning now
it's the evening
it's everything
I click my heels
and I'm there

(underground
underground
oooooooooo)

everything's heavy underground
(underground)
you been kicked around
(underground)
did my friend go down here?
(oooooooo)
everything's heavy underground

we'll be decked in all black
slamming the pit, fantastic
Officer Friendly's little boy's
got a mohawk
and he knows just just where coming from
(it's industrial
work it underground)

get down (yeah)
get down (yeah)
get down yeah

(underground
underground
oooooooooo)

everything's heavy underground
(underground)
you been kicked around
(underground)
did my friend go down here?
(oooooooo)
everything's heavy underground

we can be happy
we can be happy
we can be happy underground

(we can we can we can be)
everythings heavy!

(underground)
you been kicked around
(underground)
did my friend go down here?
(oooooooo)
everything's heavy underground

bye bye!

oh we can
oh we can
oh we can be
(everything's heavy underground)

oh we can
oh we can
oh we can be
(and everything's heavy underground),
(we can be happy underground)

oh we can
oh we can
oh we can be

oh we can
oh we can
oh we can be

everything's heavy underground
everything's happy underground

Destiny was calling
Monday afternoon
Wednesday you'll be crawling
and you pray to be there soon
with sports and wine
yeah
sports and wine
no, no

some men never grew up
fortunate like you
some men never found out
what it takes to be a dude
now, sports and wine
yeah
sports and wine
no, no, no

the girls don't understand it
what you think is art
my, oh my, we're all impressed
how sensitive you are
everybody's talkin' about you now
you know it's true
'cause it always has been
sports and wine for you

so you ask me how I think I know
just what makes you tick
I know what I know ya know
I know you make me sick!
and sports and wine
ooh
sports and wine

the girls don't understand it
anything you say
and I don't understand it either
guess that makes me gay
everybody's talkin' about you now

come on!
your Uncle Walter's going on and on
about everything he's seen and done
the voice of 50 years experience
he's drunk watching the television
ya know, he's been around the world
last night he flew to Baghdad
in his magical armchair
with cigarettes and a six pack,
yeah
we just got back
the spit's flying everywhere

hey, hey, hey, hey!
(your Uncle Walter's going on and on)
oh, you're back so late
(where did you go that you were gone so long?)
and how could you leave me here so long
with Uncle Walter?
yeah...

your Uncle Walter saw who fired the shots
he drove his chair in the cavalcade
he's flown from South Africa
to countries where
they beat themselves on the backs with chains
there was a fleet of battleships
and one reclining chair, headed
north on the Arabian sea
now he's back to tell us what
he and his oldest boy Blair —
they're getting rich with their mail order scheme

oh, oh!
(your Uncle Walter's going on and on)
we're so glad you're home
(where did you go that you were gone so long?)
how could you leave me here so long
with Uncle Walter?

your Uncle Walter told me everything he'd do
if he was President
and oh what a perfect world
this world would be
if he was President now
but he's not!

and he sees the children smoking pot
he knows that in a moment
they'll be shooting up heroin
teardrops in his armchair
a 50 minute lecture —
tobacco juice rolling down his chin

hey, hey, hey, hey!
(your Uncle Walter's going on and on)
you're back so late
(where did you go that you were gone so long?)
how could you leave me here so long
with Uncle Walter?

I feel like a quote out of context
with holding the rest
so I can be for you what you want to see

I got the gestures and sounds
got the timing down
it's uncanny, yeah, you'd think it was me

do you think I should take a class
to lose my southern accent
did i make me up
or make the face till it stuck
I do the best imitation of myself

the problem with you speech
you gave me was fine
I liked the theories about my little stage
and I swore I was listenin'
but I started drifting around the part about me acting my age

now if its all the same
I've people to entertain
I juggle one-handed
do some magic tricks and
the best imitation of myself

maybe i'm thinking myself in a hole,
wondering
who I am when I ought to know
straighten up
now time to go
fool somebody else
fool somebody else

last night I was east with them
and west within
tryin' to be for you what you want to see
but I can't help it if you
the good and bad comes through
don't want you hanging out with no one but me

our love is all the same
it come from the same place
if my minds somewhere else
you won't be able to tell
I do the best imitation of myself

yeah its uncanny to see
you'd really think it was me
I do the best imitation of myself

barren stares
as they light up the screen
bearing teardrops
that shatter in slow-motion, no-
vocaine our brains
and we're out like lights
and as I'm growing older
I'm bored
and I remember when misery
thrilled me much more
when I can't relax
and I'd like to go back
but that's gone
yeah, that's gone
turn around
turn the volume down
we're counting the days down

'til the day
when we'll live in a video
I'll be stone-faced and pale
you'll pout in stereo
24 hours
every day of the year
and oh what fun
I can't wait 'til the future gets here

closing in on the pain
and the torture
he's slamming the door
like it's something to strive for
the girl tearing curtains down
looks funny as hell
and a
sense of humor,
can there be any doubt?
yeah, well, natural selection
just weeded it out
used to keep me
from laughing out loud

but that's gone
we don't think that way no more
that's gone
turn around
turn the volume down
we're counting the days down

'til the day
when we'll live in a video
I'll be stone-faced and pale
you'll pout in stereo
24 hours
every day of the year
and oh what fun
I can't wait 'til the future gets here

well, I've seen
some old friends sort of die
or just turn into whatever
must've been inside them
(and whatever all of us had then in common)
(grew up)
and left home
we don't think that way no more
turn around
turn the volume down
we're counting the days down

'til the day
when we'll live in a video
I'll be stone-faced and pale
you'll pout in stereo
24 hours
every day of the year
and oh what fun

well, she crept back in the house at half past 3
shook her head to see him snoring in his sleep
"if you really loved me," she said,
"I wouldn't have to be so mean"
he's a heap of junk that pours from his top drawer
he sometimes likes to spread it out around the floor
it's evidence of what he was like
he likes to remember when

the end is growing near
and we're treading water now
and holding back our tears
and the day is rising,
we're sinking

in a minute it will all be coming down
and they know it now,
but no one makes a sound
such a shame to ruin this bright
lazy, sunny day

the end is growing near
and we're treading water now
and holding back our tears
and the day is rising,
we're sinking

my oh my,
the cruelest lies are often told
without a word
my oh my,
the kindest truths are
often spoken,
never heard

she said,
"you've been pushing me like I was a
sore tooth"
"you can't respect me 'cause I've done
so much for you"
he said,
"well I hate that it's come to this,
but baby I was doing fine"
"how do you think
that I survived the other 25 before you?"

the end is growing near
and we're treading water now
and holding back our tears
and the day is rising,

Howard,
the strangest things
have happened lately when I
take a good swing
at all my dreams, they
pivot and slip
I drop my fists and they're back,
laughing
Howard,
my intention's become
not to lose what I've won
ambition has given way
to desperation and I
lost the fight from my eyes

boxing's been good to me, Howard
now I'm told,
"you're growing old"
the whole time we knew
a couple of years I'd be through
has boxing been good to you?

Howard,
now I confess
I'm scared
and lonely and tired
they seem to think
I'm made of clay, a-
nother day,
I'm not cut out for this
I just know what to say, I say:

boxing's been good to me, Howard
now I'm told,
"you're growing old"
the whole time we knew
a couple of years I'd be through
has boxing been good to you?

well, sometimes I punch myself hard as I can
yelling, "nobody cares!"
hoping someone will tell me how
wrong I am
no

boxing's been good to me, Howard
now I'm told,
"you're growing old"
the whole time you knew
a couple of years I'd be through

has boxing been good?
has boxing been good?