No Friend

Another brick-red room

Another black-top town

Another misspelled band burning their own houses down

Another pine-box tomb to fill the cemetery dead

Another star, a touch of orange over purgatory grey

Another thorny field to scatter fruitless seed

Another song that runs too long, God knows no one needs

More misguided ghosts, more transparent hands

We'll drop a nickel in our basket and we'll do our riot dance

Beneath another burning sky, behind our painted verses

In scores of catatonic smile-covered ankle-bitten ships

So throw your pedestal of stone in the forgetful sea

As protection from the paper-thin perfection you project on me

When this repetition ends behind the window shades

I'm semi-conscious, already sleepin' in the bed I made

That most unrestful bed, that most original of sins

And you'll say that's what I get when I let ambitions win again

I'd hate to let you down

So I'll let the waters rise

And drown my dull reflection in the naive expectation in your eyes

Back in a cast bit-part, back when I felt most free

I had a butcher's heart and no one thought they knew me

So before the regiment resumes

Before the dreaded sun appears

My driver's waiting, so let's make one point crystal clear

You see a flood-lit form, I see a shirt design

I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine

You're no friend of mine

You're no friend of mine

I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine

You see a flood-lit form

I see a shirt design

I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine

I see myself in the reflection of people's eyes

Realizing what they see may not be even close to the image I see in myself

And I think I might actually be more afraid

I feel like they know the story

I saw a bear floating in the river and thought it was a fur coat

Twelve years ago, I stood on the shore

Jump in and grabbed the coat

And the river is rushing toward a waterfall

And my friend stood at the shore and shouted to let go of the coat

And swim back to land

I let go of the coat but the coat won't let go of me

In any case please let me know if there's more I can give you

If nothing comes of it, then just know we are grateful