CHEMICAL PLAYSCHOOL VOLUME 11: “EXCESS”

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

The promised land spreads wide its hands
And traitors at the gate
He thanks me for not choking, advises me to wait
Say cheese in 15 languages
Here comes the wine, the sandwiches
I thank you for your courtesy
Afraid I must recline
Outside these walls the black prince rules
The trains don’t run on time
Steer me swiftly to your leader
Point the way, I’ll float downstream
A house is not a home without a gently heated pool
Debutantes in deck chairs, mosaic on the wall
Everything’s at my disposal
Hide your eyes, I’ll cast these clothes off
By the blistered tongue of Bluebeard
Sir, you have a lovely wife
Blends nicely with the Brueghels
So handy with a knife
She’s ordered out to order in
He sets the timer, stabs his ring
And peacock feathers fly
Our host keels over with a stroke
We’re nudging forty minutes, still there’s nothing here to smoke
It melts the couch, bites the phone
I mute the channel, hear him moan
This is my religion
This is what I do
Have some too
You’ll like it
(end 6:28)

IN THE JAR … O

There goes another million
And I could not even taste it
Watch stars collide
Confiding in you, wasted
You just roll your eyes, now I’m shouting to the waiter
‘Cause the night is still so young
He taps upon his hearing aid, walks on and on and on
Now everything is spinning and I’m clutching both your wrists
Please put me down
I’m scared of heights
I’m scared of you
I’m scared of mice
They’re running through the kitchen
They are toying with my knife
Call the cavalry, exterminator
I believe in Jesus Christ
So save me, I confess to everything
I’m sorry, hear me scream ’cause I know that I’m not worthy
I believe for your eternal mercy
I need it now, oh can’t we strike a deal?
Take everything, it’s fine, signed, sealed — delivered.
[some voiced lyrics in background]
(end 14:31)

A PROBLEM WITH THE NATIVES

No need to dress for dinner here
We’re informal, we’re winners
We radiate success, relax
And gamble the rewards
And watch it all fall down beyond these walls
They’d break in, but they haven’t got the balls, the brains
The bullets rain, my my see how they fly to pieces
And sure, regrets? I’ve had a few, but after all, we’re the same
species
The same species — you get that?
I cannot sacrifice this life, so precious, so complete, it’s mine
So I remain vigilant and I watch the screen
And make sure no trespassers get in
My — our — heritage, our sin
But be assured, please be assured of this: {we’re} winners.
(end 19:08)

IN ONE

instrumental
(end 27:24)

LONDON’S BURNING

London’s burning, yes burning
I peep through the holes of this sack
As they queue for the bus
As the tenement cracks
And old Jack spies from trashcans
The flash of his blade under wraps
In a mac, in a gas mask
It’s raining, go under
Stay calm and collected
But please mind the gap
Electric, {so delayed?}
And they’ll wait in the flames
And they’ll bend to a queen that’s in {exile?}
Watch it all on {tv? vd?}
Red, green, we’re all stuck in amber
Take care now
It’s burning, still burning
(end 34:38)

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

They all come to me
{The screams draw me up and behind the staircase?}
They just look the other way
{Only for the dream my sickle fermented?}
As I said, they look the other way
{Their hunger by a tree of destructions?}
{Hesitating gibberish?}
In fact, everything’s perfect. Clean as a whistle.
And now it’s time for me to say: thank you.
It’s 4 am and the old lady in blue has waited long enough.
It’s time for my date with an angel.
(end 38:25)

FURTHERFURTHERFURTHERFURTHERFURTHER

instrumental
(end 56:01)

10TH SHADE

It was a bit like waking up in a tunnel
Logic told me it must be morning, but still I had to stumble out of my
room
Groping for familiar things to hold on to, until I could emerge
Half dressed at the top of the stairs and realize that it was morning
Then it all came back: the dream.
Somebody close died in this dream and for some reason I felt like it
was my
fault.
I felt guilty, dirty, just had to wash it away.
And the best thing I could come up with was a nice cup of coffee
So I put the kettle on the stove, lit the gas and waited for the water
to boil
And I must have waited there for an hour, but no steam {ever came
through?}
And when I dipped a finger in, it was cold
It was as if the physical laws we depend upon ceased to be effective
And right now I needed company, so I switched the radio on
And I could hear the DJ shouting, cajoling, flirting and I didn’t
understand a word
Oh sure, he was speaking a language, but it was all fractured, maybe
backwards
I just couldn’t put it together.
And I concluded that it was still part of that dream in the tunnel
And that if I get back in bed, I’ll wake up once more and everything
would
be normal
But I couldn’t find the stairs.
Sure the house looked the same, everything in its place, but the stairs
were gone.
As if they’d never been there.
All I wanted to do was to get out.
But I couldn’t find the door.
I must have searched for an hour, just couldn’t find the damn door.
As if it’d never been there.
And then I scrambled out the window
(Then the angel landed, and said, fear not.)
Real company was what I needed now.
(This is just the waiting.)
And if it meant a mile or so of walking, I didn’t care, people was
enough.
(How long?)
Must have walked for three hours
(How long of a wait?)
still I hadn’t reached anywhere, seen anyone, heard anyone.
(No more patience.)
And night fell.
(No more patience.)
And then I couldn’t see anything at all.
And my senses told me it should still be early in the day
And I wondered if I was still trapped in that dream in the tunnel.
(And the night sky opened, and the stars flew together, swooped
around.)
Jesus.
It was the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen.
I fell to my knees, and screamed to whoever or whatever may be
listening
To release me now
Because enough is enough.
But my voice didn’t carry
(And the night sky pressed itself against me)
And I tried to stand up but I couldn’t
The night sky seemed to have a shell an inch above my head
I shuffled forward, and my knees hit solid nothing
(Pressed itself against me)
Now I couldn’t get to my knees
And the night sky pressed itself against me
Like it wanted to hug me
I {blacked out?}, voices, solitary, waiting
But nothing happened.
And it still hasn’t.
I don’t care.
And who the hell are you?
{Cursed to keep the same thing?}
(end 1:07:20, end of track 1)

SCHATTEN

instrumental
(end of track 2)

CHEMICAL PLAYSCHOOL VOLUME 12: “WHERE THE HELL????”

GUINEVERE

He pitied her with flowers
Hung the key to her high tower
On a ribbon around his neck
But when the wolves were howling
He’d be more direct
And climb her ringlets
Climb inside
And he’d peek in
But she’d be so so shy
Yet so refined
This precious rose, of Jericho
Run dry
Yet she can slide
Right over him
This ocean, this oasis
Kept in stasis, lest
Some cruel unworthy hand
Should steal his dream away
So there she’ll stay
And there she’ll weep
Till that dark and fateful day
And he shall fall
(end 5:59)

YOU AGAIN

Step out from the restless shadows and show your face
You’ve been creeping through my laundry for far, far too long
And you don’t scare me anymore, Bogeyman
We’re all made of the same substance
The same building blocks
Face me! I demand it!
Or maybe I should just stop believing in you
And where are you, then, my friend?
Ah … Bogeyman.
(end 11:30)

VAVAVAVAVA

instrumental (other than “insane”)
(end 12:23)

CHRISTMAS ON A SUNSPOT

instrumental
(end 16:21)

SHANTY

One fine day our captain spied
A brutal whale some five miles wide
Jaws so big he’d drink the sky
Our captain just refused to die
Held a hand up to the clouds
A silver dollar on his heart
Asked the blessed Lord above
For those wretched waves to part
The monster made a growl
He fell into the darkness
We feasted for five years
Our captain Salt’s a brave young man
He may be short but all you landlubbers
Shudder when he speaks
Catch the rudder when he orders
(end 18:10)

RASCAL HELMUT

instrumental
(end 22:14)

BRIDGE

instrumental
(end 24:14)

WHERE WE’D CHOOSE TO BE

All we really wanted was a place to call our own
Nothing special, but secluded
We’ll call you when we’re home
Where seasons had their place
Where it was good to feel the space
And simply be
Address unknown
Someone’s out there
(I’ll hide behind a rock)
Someone’s out there
(I have to turn the lock)
He’s out there
(I wait and he will watch)
He’s out there!
I cannot find a reason why we’re chosen
Because there’s nothing here
{These little houses, seldom opened?}
Treasures we all {dear / dig?}
But they’re worthless, do you hear?
It’s the wrong place
Why don’t you just go look elsewhere
Leave us be
Address unclear
Someone’s out there
(It’s such a fright, the cracks)
Someone’s out there
(It creeps, this creep behind our backs)
He’s out there
(Now he’s ready to attack)
He’s out there!
(end 27:53)

SNARLING AT MY SHADOW

(vocals start 36:09)
Jede Frau hat irgendeine Sehnsucht
Einen Wunsch im Herzen ganz geheim … (can’t decipher the rest)
– (by Fritzi Massary, Jede Frau hat irgendeine Sehnsucht, 1932)
(end 53:40)

AND MY SHADOW SNARLED AT ME

(instrumental)
(end 55:57)

CHEMICAL PLAYSCHOOL VOLUME 13: “I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW (I THINK)”

TOUCHED BY THE MOON

In the summer dust we lay together
Waiting for the storm
Beneath the sobbing chestnut tree
Upon our bed of thorns
It’s hot down here
A rash of metals
Can feel the fever crawl
A touch is all I need
A touch is all I need
Take my blackened hand and lick it
Hold it to your breast
I need to feel you close to me
But Honey, please don’t press
Don’t let this love be turned to ashes
Willing is the flesh
A touch is all I need
A touch is all I need
There’s mouths to feed
I feel them {bleeding?} on my bleeding foot
Inheritors, they’ll clean the place
When you and I are soot
Life goes on, let’s steal a little more
Ah, that’s good
A touch is all I need
A touch is all I need
(end 14:00)

NO NAMES

In the sinister shed with shrunken heads
And toxic beds of snails
They’re nailing cents to rails
They sip blood from {rails?}
They slaughter quails
And jumped ad nauseam
All hail, let’s torture
Flail the {sights?} my Christian brothers
Nail those false apostles to the devil
All hail!
See those horns in every hovel
Give them my old shovel
Can’t you see he’s everywhere
All hail!
And I’m the simple soul who goes to heaven
Marks his heart with sevens
All hail!
Because he’s everywhere
All hail!
All hail!
(end 18:42)

IT’S TICKING (BUT NOT FOR YOU)

(instrumental)
(end 24:20)

CAT

Tiger tiger, burning bright with dignity, no fight
Etched upon those knowing eyes
Let’s leave that to the crowd
The front row’s empty lest those chains should snap
And tiger light growls gently, showing nothing
Nothing
Keeps it all inside
(end 26:59)

ON A HOT TIN ROOF

instrumental
(end 28:46)

SLEEPING (BUT NOT SICK)

Don’t give in
So much to live for
To give, sure
The past’s imperfect
Present’s tense
Be not dismayed
By mere events
It’s you, my friend
Who {resists?}
Yes it’s you, my friend
Who mends
Don’t give in
So much to live for
To give, sure
The past’s imperfect
Present’s tense
Be not dismayed
By mere events
It’s you
(end 31:22)

PUSH THE PIE

instrumental
(end 34:20)

PART TWO

instrumental
(end 38:49)

PART THREE

instrumental
(ends 40:23)

LEARNING TO SWIM

Talking to your picture
Walking with a ghost
Come close
You’re so real
I’m leaning on your shoulder
I’m sweating in your hand
It’s soft
There’s no fear
Now take me to the border
Guide me through the fence
I promise I won’t wince
As bullets fly
I’ll hide my eyes
And trust you
Now I trust you
Though you don’t hear
No, you don’t hear
(end 43:30)

STILL NO NAMES

instrumental
(end 45:46)

PEDESTAL

Five stars on your shoulder
Dripping from the hip
Seems you don’t get any older
See, no slips, no indiscretions
No sessions till the day breaks
It’s hard {wood?} upon your head
Should it burst now from the curtains
It’s / You’re dead
It’s the tapping of a key
It’s a thread pushed through the eye of a needle
A world we can handle
Where nothing’s ever trapped between lines
It’s all in black and white
Yes, it’s all in black and white
And our warriors they’re fighting on the screen
Hear it scream, it’s over there
It’s in the floodlights off the square
Catch me there, catch me there
There is nothing
It’s all in black and white
Yes, it’s all in black and white
And our warriors they’re fighting from a screen
Hear it scream, it’s over there
It’s in the floodlights off the square
Catch me there, catch me there
There is nothing
Nothing
It’s all in black and white
Yes, it’s all in black and white
And our warriors they’re fighting on a screen
Hear it scream, it’s over there
It’s in the floodlights that illuminate our sanitary square
Catch me there
There is nothing
Nothing to conceal except my breath
Don’t take my breath away
Don’t take my breath away
(end 52:37)

I TOLD YOU … NO GODDAMN NAMES

instrumental
(end 58:53)

OK, IT’S BETSY THE BUMBLEBEE

(end 1:02:05)

BYE BYE

(instrumental other than sample “bloody damn sure you’ll come back as a dolphin” from A Velvet Resurrection)
(end 1:02:52)
Transcribed by Nancy Thuleen, who also provided her estimates of where one track ends and the next begins.