Lyrics listed in song order by album.
All Lyrical content by Jason Sanford unless otherwise noted.

|||| GONG LAKE ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
GREY SHALLOWS (Italic by Dan Boucher)
I felt that I must try
to occupy my mind
for a time before
I felt that I must try
authorities arrived
to occupy my mind
I took an inventory
I felt that I must try
of the other items
to occupy my mind
in the sediment
I took an inventory
the light at angles and
I felt that I must try
the motion of the water
to take an inventory
made it difficult
I took an inventory

the light---at angles
those limbs---at angles
the light---at angles
those limbs---at angles

Arms, Arms
Legs, Arms
Become exposed
Above the surface below

half above and half
the light at angles and
half below the surface
the motion of the water
limbs at broken angles
the light at angles and
my eye, they caught my eye
the motion of the water
and the pattern on that jacket
my eye, they caught my eye
and the water flowing past it
I felt that I must try
my eye, they caught my eye
to occupy my mind
my eye, they caught my eye
the motion of my mind

the light, at angles, the light
those limbs, at angles, those limbs
the light, at angles, the light
those limbs, at angles, those limbs

Arms, Arms
Legs, Arms
Become exposed
Above the surface below

PARIS GREEN
my darkening shutters,
old-timey and quaint
Parisian in make,
emerald in paint
my delicate bowels
and gastric pains
I shudder to travel
given my state
my racing heart,
my pallid skin
how did I reach
the state I'm in?

Wallpapering curls,
imperial green
embossed with floral
patterned relief
a noted designer
Parisian print
water spots and mold
have stained it
my cleverly hung
pastorals hide
walls which rot
from inside

We move like poison marching slowly
massing our forces
massing rats in sewers
teeming, teeming and massing green

decadent landscapes,
arcadian scenes
these lush oils
in gilded frames
these small windows
are my relief
a palliative,
my last retreat
nobly opposed
to this collection
a fine portrait
I'd once commissioned

We move like poison marching slowly
massing our forces
massing rats in sewers
teeming, teeming and massing green

YELLOW RIVER
red, yellow, golden and copper
red, yellow, golden and bronze
yellow
yellow
river
yellow
yellow
river
golden flecked at sunset
shimmering
did you glimpse the
bronze giant
lurking
beneath the surface
twisting
and flickering
flickering
and twisting
with his long arms
and his long golden tongue
his amber eyes
his angry eyes
his amber eyes
his angry eyes
looking up from
beneath the
yellow
yellow
river
yellow
yellow
river
yellow
yellow
river
yellow
yellow
river

BLUE GLASS (Lyrics by Mark Pearson)
The sun did a trick on your skin
Step in
the blue glass
Your reflection wrought in sand
Aspirating silt, unplanned
Her arms were rope
but you didn't think so
Her breath was weather
but you never supposed
Her arms were rope
but you didn't think so
You can tell it to the sand

Two bells on the wind
and you're so thin
You might cut your skin
and forget to swim

BLACK TIDE
we siphoned the dark from the night sky
we siphoned the dark from the night
because it's what we like
we siphoned the dark from the night
to make our black tide
we siphoned the dark from the night
with our oily fingers and our inky wishes
we've sealed ourselves away from the fish
with our searching lips
with our inky black lips and a long rubber hose
pulling and sucking, making it flow
we siphoned the dark from the night
hairless things with rubbery skin
pulling and sucking, pulling-sucking again
we swallowed the night and we spit at the shore
we swallowed the night and we spit
to make our black tide

|||| SPLIT 12" |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TELL MY PEOPLE TO GO HOME (Part I)
little wires
little live wires
in our ears
hear the ticking
silver needle
ever clicking
tell my people
to go home
the time is nearing
tell my people
to go home

smoke is clearing
tell my people to go home
land's depleted
tell my people to go home
they're not needed
tell my people to go home
they've been cheated
tell my people to go home

two silver rivers
two silver wires
one running current
under the skin
we are believers
and we are liars
silver deterrent
under the skin

TELL MY PEOPLE TO GO HOME (Part II)
the dark
young gardener,
pruning,
sneaks a pomegranate,
ripe and sweet,
I see him,
he's a guest here
and he sneaks
a pomegranate
ripe and sweet
a guest here
for six months
a year
the dark,
young gardener,
smooth and hard,
works his pruning shears,
long and sharp,
ripe and sweet,
and he says,
"tell my people
to go home
I miss my
family
I miss my
own land"
I've seen him
through the window
pane
it's a pleasure
to watch him
work
the garden,
ripe and sweet
please
stay a little longer
I will make you Queen
see his fingers
how they touch
the leaves
how they handle
the stems
see he knows
all that's green

CLOCKS (lyric by Dan Boucher)
Sight

|||| PATTERNS ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THE LIGHTHOUSE
I’ve always loved sailing
loved being out on the water
embrace the adventure ahead

we fought our veins
to stay in control
electronic systems
flooded below

appetizing meals to get acquainted
with a sextant and dead reckoning
with electronic navigation systems

we fought our veins
to stay in control
electronic systems
flooded below

crashing, I was afraid – determine our position
passing ships, in the groove – situation shifted
came the dark, the boat was lifted dim and distant

we fought our veins
to stay in control
electronic systems
flooded below

the night came off in our stomachs
the only relief crawled into our bunks
and then we saw the light

DONKEYSKIN
what did I see? my empty eyes saw only memory
I had watched you, but was blind to blossoming maturity
until a pretty miniature showed me,
showed to me your face anew
if you could know the pain I've known
while you in charm and grace have grown
my one, my only, pretty daughter
come and share this lonely throne with me

my one, my only, pretty daughter
come and share this lonely throne with me
tell me what you wish, you shall have it
call the royal tailor, sew a dress that's fit
the sky, the moon, the sun, these things will clothe you
the sky, the moon, the sun, let me behold you
tell me daughter, do you have another wish
my donkey's skin? but who has put you to it?
what do I care, this gold is shit, you shall have your wish
I will skin my banker for you

KAGUYA
the mouse with
two mothers
they call her
Kaguya
with sutures
and rinses
no need for
charmed princes
conception
synthetic
her wishes
prophetic
Kaguya
mouse princess

THE LATE WORM (Lyrics by Mark Pearson)
wings on the roof, beak pokes through
now the ceiling is leaking,
leaking ceiling to the floor
this spells the end of your big night

EQUESTRIAN PHANTASY
measuring prevention
by the ounce
good penmanship
and good intentions
to renounce
two fingers are
long legs
seen through a glass
from a stool that new my ass
two fingers that new my ass
and a pen
a fancy Parker ball-point
nice pen-
manship

sugar
and corn syrup
in a stirrup, in a saddle
with a whip that knew my ass
and knew these
long legs
at a gallop pal, at a gallop
nice horse-
manship

ride, ride, ride, ride
take a journey on the inside

FOURTEEN PLEASURES
a man
or his goods
are consumed
by flame
and the law
will respond
by prescribing
pain

a man or his goods are consumed by flame
and the law will respond by dispensing pain
in legislating pleasure for the common rule
the only tool of the law is inflicting pain
these simple pleasures in number fourteen
compound in value by extending their reach
these simple pains are only twelve
compounding harm as they touch us each

for money
for money you gratify
a man's hatred by putting to death
his adversary
for money you plough his field
you rob a man, he prosecutes you
out of resentment you set upon him
and hang him with your own hands

a man
or his goods
are consumed
by flame
by pleasure
by pain

THE PENETRATING GAZE
like drinking chalk
while they were watching
eyes were around him
it made him nervous
seeing the barium
passing through his skin
tracing a hallway
connecting his mouth and
conjoining intestine
now he was nervous
eyes were inside him
imaging systems
looked right inside him
physicians looked through him
saw right inside him
he felt uneasy
this was not easy
now they would probe him
in through the out door
hospital gown left
open the back door
fingers and latex
moisten the entrance
eyes right inside him
prehensile vision
tentacular eyes are
inside his business
a history of cancer
inside the family
it's never too early
advanced diagnostic
eye crystallizes
conditions within him

it's fiberoptic
the eye on this snake, it's
the eye of science
snakes slither in and
snakes slither out
snakes slither out from
mouth and ass hole
into the earth and
down through a mouse hole
a garden of mice and
worms inside him
a luncheon for snakes
penetrating inside him


|||| STUDIO RECORDINGS ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SPONGE ENVY
You know that I worship -- worship
Water that you bathe in -- water
Bathe your body in -- worship
Takes away your sins -- sins!
You know that I envy -- envy
Sponge between your toes -- envy
Wish I could help you clean -- clean
But dirt it always shows -- dirt!
You know that I want -- want
Want to clean your lungs -- want
Want to pump your heart -- want
Want to lick your tongue -- clean!
You know that I need -- need
Need to clean inside me -- clean
If I were only water -- water
You could swallow me and hide me!
JELLYFISH
I remember when we went down to the beach
And we took off our shoes and felt the sand in our feet
And I remember when you cam along just for the ride
And I remember when the jellyfish got stuck in the tide
And I remember when the children came down to the beach
And you and I were sitting there just out of reach
And then they picked up the sea glass and all of the sticks
And they crushed all the jellyfish, they crushed them to bits
And you said close your eyes and just make a wish
Yeah, you said close your eyes and just make a wish
WHEN I'M ALONE
When I'm alone and I'm all alone
When I'm alone and no one's around
I take out my gun and I clean out the barrel
I clean out the bullets and I listen for sounds
When I'm alone and I'm all alone
When I'm alone and no one's around
I take out my gun and I clean out the barrel
I take off my clothes and I act like a clown
When I'm alone and I'm all alone
When I'm and baby you're around
I take off my clothes and I sit and I stare
I stare at the walls and listen for sounds
When I'm alone and I'm all alone
When I'm and baby you're around
I take off my clothes 'cause there's something inside me
Something with claws and it's crawling around
TITANIC (Lyrics by Gregory Kenney)
I have a room on the Titanic
I've given up the salt of the earth for the brine
All of it's mine
Somethimes I can still hear the
Electro-cardio blip
I secrete a black tar
I must excercise to dredge my heart
I secrete a black, black tar
You can find me in my room, sitting
Sitting
Dredge
My
NEW
I'm not a slut
I'm not a cad
Gonna take a shower
With a Brillo pad
Gonna get real clean
Remove my skin
'till I got that sheen
Then I'll start again
New
New
New
AM I DEAD YET?
Know I fucked up maybe once maybe twice maybe
I know I fucked up a guess couple of times
Asky myself this, I say, "kid have you gone crazy?"
Ask myself this, "were you out of your mind?"
I just want to know
I just want to know
I just want to know
I just want to know
Am I dead yet?
Am I dead yet?
Am I dead yet?
Am I dead yet?
INK (Lyrics by Gregory Kenney)
Open a book, I take out a pen
If I let it happen, it happens again
I start to ink, to see what flows through
Every picture reminds me of you
Every picture reminds me of you
Every word it reminds me of you
Every line it reminds me of you
Ink was designed to remind me of you
Too bad the ink doesn't erase
From the lines in my throat
To the lines in my face
Every ink from the black to the blue
Ink was designed to remind me of you
Every picture
Every word
Every line
Ink was designed
Poisonious ink poison under my skin
I open my pores and they drink it back in
Poisonious hex-pointing-inward tattoo
Ink was designed to remind me of you
ELECTRICITY SAYS
Oh my darling, Oh my love
Wont you come home, come home to me
Wont you come home, come right back here home to me
Don't you start thinking that I don't care about you 'cause
Electricity is nothing without you
Got nothing to do but sit around here and
Watch as the static disappears
Got to get shocked, but nothing shocks me
Got to get on with it, but I am blocked, see
Oh my darling, Oh my love
Electricity has nothing to do with it
But you know that I know that I get what I get
When I got nothing but a squeaky chair to sit in
Electricity says to me dont fit in
Got to get shocked, but nothing shocks me
Wish I could walk, but you can't unlock me
If you knew karate, you could sock me
But electricity says that you forgot me
Oh my darling, Oh my love