Paul Lydon' lyrics
the shortest prayers are best
when the ladder tips
doctors decide what to cut
and what'll be left
you wait at the hospital
look at lit-up stripes
someone slams a door
like the Christmas troll
stability comes and goes
he knows how to run away
she knows how to escape
they try to clean a slate
that'll never be clean
we've gotten these bills too
and symptoms that come and go
some people cut down trees
without permission
and others head south
and lead double lives
stability comes and goes...
---
on the second of May
I got a letter with nothing inside
some kind of joke
or a way to get attention
I saved it with the bills
like a good collector
not quite convinced
or without suspicion
on the third of June
at the Kringlan mall
the same stickers were bought
that were on that letter
and it wasn't long
before you told me
about a strange little envelope
with smiles stuck on it
---
we look straight up into the sky
the moon is in its place
we're quiet
but wish we had another answer
in the dream he stood in a boat
plastic bags rose into the air
formed a face
and changed into snowflakes
a tent behind the shelter
plastic boxes fastened to the wall
the sand blew into a ditch
we're still reluctant
to name this hidden desire
realistic types that categorize clouds
and trust in weather forecasts
---
take your hand off the burner
you have nothing left to prove
the grass is on fire
run as fast as you think you can
mannequins hold hands
some are Leos, some are Virgos
make fun of a dog
barking inside a car
he stands in front of you
then leaves
doesn't hear what you say
he feels pressure
but can't taste any more
the difference between sugar and salt
mannequins hold hands...
---
on the shelf
is a drawing pad and scissors
and some glue that's almost dry
you can't lock up anything
even when you're asleep
bits of paper dangle
from your ears
they can't get wet
you're quick to figure out
what's supposed to be a luxury
but probably isn't
what happened to those phrases
we used to use to calm us down
it didn't look like a choice back then
it was a pretty typical story
a month, two months
the time lengthens in steps
since I saw you last
on a calendar
with decorative circles
that's supposed to be a luxury
but probably isn't
---
the ways I use to lie to you
count them for me
and how I tell you the truth
can you count them too
subtract one from the other
and whisper to me how much is left
they don't do the math
that's how it usually is
the times we fought
count them for me
the times that fingers and cheeks touched
can you guess at a number
subtract one from the other
we forget immediately
how much is left
they don't do the math
that's how it usually is
---
fake flowers, different sizes
out in the middle of the street
someone famous buys a kid's car seat
for a co-worker
a woman on Ingólfstorg square
seems to be talking to a sheet of A4 paper
no one pays attention
empty branches freshly scratched
from the blizzard
windshield wipers stand up from the snow
on a blue Skoda
she tells me that she feels like she's talking to a blank sheet of A4 paper
what kind of message is that