Tag Archives: boredom

Undertown

There’s nothing much that’s happening
here in Undertown
since they closed the old refinery
and sent those pink slips ’round;
Down at Cheaters they’re still drinking,
but the jukebox plays the sound of old frustrations.

It’s been fourteen years and odd days
I’ve been working here;
no advancement but the worry
and lost time etched in mirror,
watching everything around me
but my memories disappear down at the station.

And all the boys still thinking of winning,
but the girls just want to dance;
we’re all waiting for the times to change
so we can take our chance.
Me, I’m holding on to nothing
and it keeps bringing me down
See, there’s quite a lot of nothing to go round
here in Undertown.

Before the cops cracked down
on heavy drinking in the square
You could sit watching the girls
pretending that you weren’t there
With a sixer and a dime bag
and a half a pack of Kools, what did you care?

But Billy Dean got himself married
and you won’t see him around
And Carlton Healy got religion
when a crusade came to town

Me, I’ve got a wife and daughter
and just look like some old clown hanging down there

And all the boys think they’re important,
but the girls don’t go for that
We’re all waiting for some action,
sitting here and getting fat
Me, I’m holding out for something
and it keeps me coming ’round
Trying to get something from nothing in this town.

There’s nothing much that goes on
here in Undertown
Since they closed the swimming pool
when Eddie Franklin went and drowned
Down at Cheater’s they’re still drinking,
cursing fate but too far gone to try to blame it

It’s been fourteen years since I came back
and found another rut
The façade keeps getting older
while it’s holding in its gut
And the paint is cracked and peeling,
but there’s still no telling what is going to change it

Yeah, all the boys think they mean business
but the girls know it’s a lie
We’re all wanting firewater
but the well has long run dry
Me, I’m holding on to anything
to keep from going down
See, there’s lot’s of time to lose it in this town.

1999

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Just One More Night

Leaning out the doorway with a joint in my hand
Holding up the wall so the illusion can stand
The ground it never comes up on you just the way you plan
But it’s all right, sometimes

Looking out the window through a crack in the glass
Waiting for the minutes in this hour to pass
Could be one more day and then I’m out on my ass
But it’s all right, just fine

It don’t get no easier with time
There’s just so much here to occupy my mind
While I’m waiting for the imminent decline
Without a fight … just one more night.

Giving it the gas so that the engine won’t stall
Waiting in a line to make a long distance call
Makes you stand up straighter when your back’s to the wall
But it’s all right by me

Hanging in a backroom filled with rusty old nails
Wishing in the one hand and it just never fails
Could be a train a’coming you can tell by the rails
But it’s all right, you’ll see

Standing on the corner as the traffic goes by
Watching as the debutantes dissemble and cry
The future’s never certain and you never know why
But it’s all right, yeah, all right

Working on the road gang and I’m standing in the ditch
Waiting for the light to change, my finger on the switch
One more opportunity to hang around and bitch
But it’s all right, no need to get uptight

It don’t get much easier with time
There’s just so much here to occupy my mind
While I’m trying to figure out the bottom line
You’ll see I’m right … it’s just one more night.

Summer 1998

And here’s the MP3 demo.

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