Welcome to it
Welcome to the international house
Welcome to it
Be a rogue state or friendly satellite
Bring your delegation here
Welcome to the international house
Welcome to it
Be you king, chairman, or president for life
Step up to the podium
If you play our market game
Then for now you’ll be our friend
There’ll be no talk of democracy or basic human rights
Drag off your dissidents at night
We won’t turn on the light
It’s all fair and you’ll all get a share
If you fly the Jolly Roger
How ’bout an oil pipeline
Or a military base?
A contract with Bechtel?
Look who’s grandstanding
Give the man a chair
It’s his integrity he’s spending
Keep the racket alive on four continents
Be the one supreme
If you can play our market game
Then for now you can remain
The losers pay the costs, corporations profit
We’ll all be in debt
Dear leader makes his nest
There’ll be no talk of democracy or basic human rights
Drag off your dissidents at night
We won’t shine on the light
Who’s the rogue now when again you gear for war
With the enemy of the week
Security is the item that’s for sale
And they’ll make sure you need it
All you NATO aspirees
We can make a deal
We’ll coerce you and oblige you
Bully you and bribe you
There’ll be no talk of reforms
If you will climb on board
There’ll be no talk of democracy or basic human rights
Drag off your dissidents at night
We won’t shine on the light
For your majesty’s amusement
Look down and smile on your son
lying in the alley for your majesty’s amusement
Look down and grin at your child
frozen in the river for your majesty’s amusement
Frame me in your all-seeing eye
One shall live and one die
Look down and sneer at your daughter
up on the gallows for your majesty’s amusement
Look down and jeer at your son
chained inside a prison for your majesty’s amusement
Hold me in your all-knowing mind
Nine shall lose and one find
I hear you laughing your love
You’ve had your luck a long while
But what goes for us comes your way, too
One day the joke will be on you
Our turn to smile
Look down below you and see
distant torches burning for your majesty’s amusement
Look down below you and see
millions climbing closer for your majesty’s amusement
I’m sure that you will be amused
I’m sure that you will be amused
Enter the mind
Enter the night, you say goodbye
Enter the mind when out goes the light
You could be so easy to tap out
I’ll be upstairs, moving things about
Go find your priest, I’ll hear your words
The attorney general, yes, his ears will burn
All the evil plots you’re hatching out
Summary justice, you’ll be handed
All the symbols written in your scrawl
Will be deciphered in the justice hall
Enter the mind, we take control
We narrate the images, we dictate your role
You put foreign currency in the wishing well
You were biding your time in your sleeper cell
Twice I heard you evoke his evil name
Summary justice will slap you from that game
Enter the cage, your home sweet home
No one’s going to rescue you, no, no one will know
If these dogs won’t bite then we’ll find some that will
One of many client countries – they’ll make you spill
Twice I heard you call his evil name
Summary justice will slap you from your game
And it won’t mean anything to me
If they haul you off to a prison or a tomb
I won’t waste my sympathy on a sleeper cell
Just imagine what you’d do to we the people
Disruptive
Distracted, disloyal
Feign like it’s hard to hear
Disruptive, distorted
Walks with the worst of our fears
Neglected, negated
All of the world erased
Disgusted, discouraged
Lost in a vacuum and rage
Don’t think for a moment
I have served you well in heaven
Say something I can’t say
Mean something I can’t mean
Misshapen, miasma
Curses the motherland
Disjointed, distemper
Reigns over ruin and stands
Never for a moment
Will I stand in for your stead
I’m not likely to
Say something I can’t say
Mean something I can’t mean
Use something I don’t have
Free something I can’t free
Never for a moment
In your dreams
Earth mother goddess, come take me
carry me to your garden
I see her smile – Boy, only in your dreams
Father Anacondia,
rescue us from these headlines
and take the bad away – Only in your dreams
And you can have peace and plenty forever
but the gods are all busy helping other callers
Lord, can you build a mountain
so tall even you cannot raise it?
God can do anything – Only in your dreams
And you can have peace and plenty forever
but the gods are all busy helping other callers
Just hold the line, we will get to you
Institute of forgiveness
here’s your act of contrition
See me apologize – Only in your dreams
Earth mother goddess, come take me
carry me to your garden
I see her smile – Boy, only in your dreams
I see her smile – Boy, only in your dreams
Just hold the line, we will get to you
Operators standing by – Only in your dreams
Volcano man
You can if you believe you can, you can
You can surely believe
You can if you believe you can, you can
You can surely believe
That you can fly
Over the ocean in blue sky
And you can land
Onto the atoll, on the black sand
Oh my god, is it really you, is it you?
Oh my god, is it true?
You came up from a molten pool, you came
You came up from the Earth
And you were in flames
‘Hard to deny you were a lava flow
And we all caught fire
Glad to believe the man from volcano
Be a king of the clones you can, you can
Have a mother ship up in space
Drop me off at Atlantis, man
Look there, red Mars has a face
And he can smile
What a sense of humor, what a sense of style
And when you land
He’ll be there to greet you
And shake your big (green) hand
Asteroid
Baby, you’re an asteroid
You’ve come up from the swarm
Baby, you’re an asteroid
And now you’re coming up behind me
Your father killed the dinosaurs
Grandmother killed what came before
And now you’ll be killing me
Baby, you’re an asteroid
And you’re not to be ignored
Baby, you’re an asteroid
And what have you got in store for me
Your father hit the Yucatan
You can do it with your hand
On your least clever day
I won’t stop you
I’ll just go quietly extinct
And I’m bound to be among the many
Moved over the brink
And I’ll be there
shall I wait
And I’ll be there
shall I wait
Baby, you’re an asteroid
In the sky you’re getting larger
Baby, you’re an asteroid
Mother of all the martyrs
Once you were an animal
Now you’re in league with minerals
And their time honored ways
Baby, you’re an asteroid
Riding on a wave
Baby, you’re an asteroid
Looking to make a crater
Citizen you’re not to fear
Cling tight to your atmosphere
And you can learn to pray
I won’t stop you
I am so tired
I’m asleep
I’m resigned to dream a portion of your
apocalyptic scheme
And I’ll be there
shall I wait
And I’ll be there
shall I wait
Do it every time
I don’t know why I do it
But I do it every time
I don’t know why I do it
But I do it every time I believe someone
They tell me everything I want to hear and then
I’ve done it again
I don’t know why I do it
But I do it every time
I don’t know why I do it
But I do it every time I try to hold on
The ring slips from my hand, you’d think that somehow
I’d get it by now
If I do what I’m told
Be the thing you want me to be
There’ll be a folding chair in heaven for me
Oh, but I do it every time I resign myself
Repeating every word I ever tell myself
Believing every lie I ever sell myself
If I do what I’m told
Be the thing you want me to be
There’ll be a folding chair in heaven for me
All the loons are there
You can ride and you can play
All the loons are there
It’s back to the beginning
All the birds are there
Revisions of the past
There were heroic deeds undone
There was no human zeal
And all nights were mother night
Now there are only broken pieces of it
I can always be distracted
Something in my eye
They’re walking single file before me
I hope that they don’t slide
Then down they go
You’re pulling and you’re culling
On a worker’s holiday
Burning and refueling
Keep the jungle at bay
Motors run from morning until dusk
You can forsake the show
Neglect the parade
The redundant inventions
Go give them all away
You may find it’s a better course of action
One can always be despondent
What’s left in this time?
If you’re looking for a pristine acre
There’s none left to find
Go back and search
The bishop
So the bishop has replaced you
with some tuber off the shelf
Seems your talents are to be wasted
I never thought they’d do that
They threw the book right out the window
and any thought of forgiveness
Leave your scholarship in limbo
I never thought they’d do that
What is so outrageous?
What is so outrageous?
What is so important?
What is so important?
At the trial they condemned you
All the hearsay loose in court
Flag of justice they pretend to
I never thought they’d do
I never thought they were very serious
Your successor is defensive
And his spring is tightly wound
They really think he can replace you
Can you just see all the millionaires sing?
I never thought they would
I never thought they were very serious
What is so impressive?
What is so impressive?
What is so important?
What is so important?
What is so outrageous?
What is so outrageous?
What is so important?
Johnny’s gun
Johnny got his gun, so he dropped the bomb
He brought it home to mom
And showed her how to make his day
And so it goes
Johnny took his friend down to the school
And soon the teacher knew
Johnny never liked to wait in line
Still no one knows
where Johnny got his gun
But now they know what little John
thought of everyone
Right after school, down at the mall
John introduced them all
To the business end, the payment plan
Still no one knows
where Johnny got his gun
But now they know what little John
thought of everyone
Such a quiet boy, a bright boy
Such an uncomplaining son
Until he got his gun
Johnny and his gun went overseas
Now he’s all that he can be
And when he puts some peasant down
Everyone knows
where Johnny got his gun
Only he’s a hero now
Brookline’s bravest son
Such a quiet boy, a bright boy
Now he’s the pride of Big Red One
Johnny and his gun
Johnny and his gun
Come back home
Why don’t you come back home?
Why don’t you come back to stay?
‘Never know what’s in your eyes
‘Never see the things that prey on you
They’re alive inside your mind
It’s such a natural thing
Just put yourself on the road
Hit the bell when you arrive
I’ll be sure to drop my work
I’ll drop everything
And I’ll brew you pots of tea
And if I did
Oh – we’d forget what you said
Why don’t you come back home?
Please set your mind back three steps
‘Never heard what brought you down
‘Never glimpsed the beast that latched on tight to you
And sent those signals to your brain
And if I did
Oh – we’d forget what I said
Nothing could be more
Actually they had it wrong
In that play you saw
And all the actors on the stage
They should have never said a word
Well, I never did
And now it’s this
It’s obvious the author was a hack
Factually it’s turned around
That was no cape I wore
The reliance on the so-called pills
They were just vitamins, I swear
I never did half those things
And I’ve complaints for central casting
It’s obvious the author was a hack
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be more
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be further from
It’s a tragedy, I grant you that
And the terrain was bleak
There was never any concise end
And the protagonist, he fled
But I never did
Or I came back
Swell the band if you feel you need to
It’s obvious the author was a hack
I’ve complaints for central casting
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be more
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be further from
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be more wrong
Well, I never did
And now it’s this
It’s obvious the author was a hack
Swell the band if you feel you need to
I’ve complaints for central casting
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be more
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be further from
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing could be more wrong
Baby be bad
Where is the end to this loser’s purgatory?
I don’t deserve to be so happy
Baby, be bad to me
Give me something to bang my head on
I would be glad to see you
Come and lay my burden down
Time to mend your faithful ways
Time to give evil a try
Go and make me want you ’til the day I die
What’s to be gained from this kindness and understanding?
Love should not be so undemanding
Baby, be bad to me
Give me something to bang my head on
I would be glad to see you
Come and lay my burden down
Time to mend your faithful ways
Time to give evil a try
Go and make me want you ’til the day I die
Baby, be bad to me
Give me something to bang my head on
I would be glad to see you
Come and lay my burden down
Put pennies on my eyes
Go and lay my burden down
Place flowers by my side
Go and lay my burden down
It’s time you realize
Love matters when it dies
Send me to paradise
Go and lay my burden down
See for yourself
Best regards from Horace Pilfer
He plotted course five years ago
The owner of all our possessions
The landlord, what he says is so
In this life these men of business
Forge their chains, delay their sentences
It’s all our risk, and it’s their pleasure
It’s all for one and after all
Inform you only at their leisure
Consult with you when you’re on your knees
They’ll sell you little bits of living
Night they’ll dictate all you’re dreaming
See for yourself, they have purchased the day
And the land is theirs and the air
Jump if you will but it won’t do any good
Wall Street boys and Ivy Leaguers
Oilmen and Jerry Christ
It’s no surprise they’re all together
They’ve the biggest stack of dynamite
We are nothing to contend with
We have noting to defend with
See for yourself, they have purchased the day
And the waves that enter your ear
You can hang yourself but…
See for yourself, they have purchased the day
And the land is theirs and the air
Jump if you will but…
See for yourself, they have purchased the day
And the waves that enter your ear
You can hang yourself, but it won’t do any good
Taxidermist zoo
Say can you see the main attraction of our time?
Standing room only across the ’67 line
Welcome to the…
The taxidermist zoo
That we were born into
The taxidermist zoo
It’s a dream come, it’s a dream come true
Tin soldiers plan your reception straight ahead
May be your time to join the nation of the dead
Welcome to the…
The taxidermist zoo
The tanks come rolling through
Everything you’re looking forward to
It’s a dream come, it’s a dream come true
Can’t you see what your world is coming to?
Occupations stand like cages in a zoo
Turn away and the next cage is for you
Close your eyes and the next one is for you
The taxidermist zoo
The taxidermist zoo
Everything you’re looking forward to
It’s a dream come, it’s a dream come true
Can’t you see what your world is coming to?
All songs © 2008 by Matthew & Joseph Perry