THE PAINFUL REMINDER SONGBOOK Here are all the lyrics to all the songs in "One Way Ticket: Songs To Slit Your Wrists By", and for that matter all the chords in case you want to play them. (I use pretty simple chords most of the time.) Save this file in plain text, open it in a decent word processor, and it should end up with page breaks in places that make sense. (In MS Word, you might want to hit Edit > Select All, then change the font to 9 points.) Unfortunately, I can make no guarantees of perfect adherence to the recording. Do what I do and wing it. - Ben HAPPY BIRTHDAY Em, Am, D Em All the open doors just waiting All the stories to be told Am All the time I spent just wishing D I was dead, stiff, and cold Em All the big goals that I shoot for That inevitably come to shit Am All the people I can't remember, D All the scars I can't forget Em Happy birthday to me, Am D Happy birthday to me Em For all the good friends that I dumped on And strangers that I kissed Am For all the other people's birthdays D That I brazenly missed Em For all the things that I did right And all the people I did wrong Am For all the work that I put off D So I could write these stupid songs Em Happy birthday to me Am D Happy birthday to me Em If I knew what I was after Am Then I'd never have complaints C I'd just float along, do people wrong, D And claim that I'm a saint Em But I can't pretend I'm happy And no I won't smile just for you Am I would rather let you hate me D If I don't share your point of view Em I had spent my whole life racing Am 'Till there was nothing left to do C But sit back and laugh at how much shit B7 I used to think I knew Em Happy birthday to me Am D Happy birthday to me ON THE ROAD TO HELL {Em G} Hey poor tired old working man, all you do is all you can You've worked your life away and now it's over Hey you that started life with a bang Got your silver spoon, you're glad you came But now you know success ain't what you came for Hey poor pregnant little girl, the one you love destroyed your world All your dreams shot down in one night You think your life is over. You're probably right but-- Chorus: C G D A Come with me and take my hand, I'm going to live in the broken land C G G G A Of the heartless, the shattered, the countless C G D A Come with me and take my hand, and walk with me, I understand C G G G A The heartless, the shattered, the countless {Em G} Hey you with the empty purse, now you know how much it hurts To get beaten by the ones who dwell around you Hey you with the broken heart, and hey you there that broke it I'm sure you'll both be coming along quite soon [chorus] Bridge: {Em G C Bm} Hey you with the cigarette in your hand You can bring that too, I understand I know you like the way that it destroys you Hey you on your pew with a frown Did I disturb your holy crown Don't be so quick to call out sin, Until you're sure you're the one who wins Or you may just be tumbling down beside me [chorus] Just come with me and my downtrodden band And don't try to confess 'cause we understand You're broken, and beaten, you fucked up We've been rejected by the Plan, it's all of us who understand What it is to be outcast by the chosen Just come with me and take my hand, we'll disappear in the dregs of man In the place where there will be no further judgement The heartless, the shattered, the countless {Em G C Bm} THE SELF-FULFILLING PROPHETS E Once there was a pagan A pagan, pagan, pagan, G A E Who lived out his beliefs without a bit of shame He'd say to all who asked him, who saw the symbol 'round his neck G A E That he was what he was and not to blame ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A Am And people would deplore him, despise and abhor him, G A E Because of fairy tales and ancient lies G A They burned him at a stake made out of ignorant suspicion C And left his reputation there to die E And left his reputation there to die ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A G D A He then felt that his religion made him the target of persecution B So he burned down all his bridges in a sacred fire A E And let his self-doubts quietly retire, singing oh so cursed am I A E Whoah, singing oh so cursed am I ---------------------------------------------------------------------- E Once there was a christian A christian, christian, christian, G A E Who lived out his beliefs without a bit of shame He'd say to all who asked him, who saw the symbol 'round his neck G A E That he was what he was and not to blame ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A Am And people would deplore him, despise and abhor him, G A E Because of christians he had never met G A They nailed him to a cross made out of prejudiced rejection C And left his reputation there to die E And left his reputation there to die ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A G D A He then felt that his religion made him the target of persecution B So he burned down all his bridges in a holy fire A E And let his self-doubts quietly retire, singing oh so blessed am I A E Whoah, singing oh so blessed am I ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A G D A They felt that their religions made them the targets of persecution B So they burned down all their bridges in a sacred fire A E And let their self-doubts quietly retire, singing oh so cursed are we A E Whoah, singing oh so cursed are we A E Whoah, singing oh so cursed are we A E Whoah, singing oh so blessed are... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BLOW, BLOW, THOU WINTER WIND [William Shakespeare | Amiens, Act II, Scene VII, _As_You_Like_It_; words in parens added by Ben Phillips] Am G Blow, blow, thou winter wind (blow), Em Am Thou art not so unkind G Em G As man's ingratitude; Am G Thy tooth is not so keen, Em Am Because thou art not seen, G Em Although thy breath be rude. Am G Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly: Em F G Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: Am G Then, heigh-ho, the holly! Am G This life is most jolly. Dm, C, F, C, Dm, C, F, C, Dm, C, F, C, Am, G, Am, Em Am G Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky (freeze), Em Am That does not bite so nigh G Em G As benefits forgot: Am G Though thou the waters warp, Em Am Thy sting is not so sharp G Em As friend remember'd not. Am G Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly: Em F G Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: A G Then, heigh-ho, the holly! Am G Em Am G This life is most jolly. Dm, C, F, C, Dm, C, F, C, Dm, C, F, C, Dm, C, F, C, Am, G, Am, G Am G (Blow, blow, thou winter wind, blow. Em Am Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, freeze. G Blow, blow, thou winter wind, blow. Em Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, F G Am G Freeze, thou bitter sky, freeze.) Am, G, Am FUCKING AND CRYING {D, A, G, A} You smiled again, the first time today. Invited in. Probably you'll be okay. It's not so hard just letting them get close to you You needed this. You're doing what you wanted to. (But why are you...) [chorus:] D A Fucking and fucking and crying and crying G You say that you're okay, you're okay F# You're lying, 'cause Em G D Inside, inside you're dying, you're dying {D, A, G, A} There's something left of the healthy one inside of you Chained to a wall by your own hand, bleeding but breathing. Coldness demands you be its lover And punishes you for thinking of another (You're...) [chorus, but change last line to:] Em G Inside, inside you're dying, Em Inside you're dying G Inside you're dying {Em, G, Em, G, ... } {D, A, G, Em, G, Em, G} Every one seems like the last one, and nothing takes the pain away And you're praying for some new outcome, some reason to face one more day You're carrying around your past in heavy baggage made of hate And if you ask yourself "Well, what's the point?" You'll crush your will beneath the weight So just take your pills and therapy and hope that nobody else Asks how you feel today What could you tell them anyway? D, A, G, A, D, A, G COSMO GIRL {A D E} Cosmo girl, you look so pretty when you smile like that Capturing the hearts of the entire world by bits You caught my eye, you really know how to stand out in a crowd Now get some clothes that actually cover your tits Cosmo girl, your heightened fashion sense more than makes up for Anyone's claim that you're a shallow little bitch {A B D E} I knew you would impress me when I first laid eyes on you Always talking about your outfit like it's neverending news You overdo your posture. You're boyfriend's just a tool. You drive your friends to anorexia with your ridicule {A D E} Cosmo girl, you look so pretty with your nose in the air Walking away with an asshole on your arm Cosmo girl, you're so empowered I can smell the conformity You get your way using just your looks and charm {A B D E} You're fucking two-dimensional, you're a self-obsessive prude Controlled by women's magazines that tell you what to do You've got no fucking values, you're a talking bleeding sore And despite your pristine image I think we both know you're a whore [bridge] {A D E} Cosmo girl, why don't you get your ass off your shoulder Cosmo girl, why don't you get a fucking clue Cosmo girl, what are you going to do when you get older And suddenly nobody ever wants to screw you (What are you going to do with your time?) {A B D E} You're fucking two-dimensional, you're a narcissistic prude Controlled by dipshit magazines that tell you what to do You've got no fucking values, you're a talking bleeding sore And despite your pristine image I think we both know you're a whore Cosmo girl WHAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND Dm, F, A, Dm, Dm, F, A, Dm Dm F A Dm Well here we are with the past on our minds F A Dm We never could quite leave it all behind F A Dm You and me, out here all alone F G Dm And memories take their toll F I've got so many things to tell you A That my insides are crying out to say F They're burning in me and I give them to you A And you nod and you grimace at intervals, yes Dm F But what you do not understand A Dm Is that you cannot understand F And all your well-intentioned sympathy A7 Dm Isn't going to matter worth a damn F I think it's kind of you to listen to me A Dm And it's sweet that you were there But don't you say you understand me F Don't you tell me that you care A7 Dm Don't you look at me and say you understand Dm, F, A, Dm, F, G, Am, F, G, Dm [repeat all of the above, but change instrumental bit at the end:] Dm, F, A, Dm, Dm, F, A, Dm INDIANA {C, G, Am, F} Chorus: Bunch of cornfields and shitty roads Truckers and single moms pulling their heavy loads A bunch of rednecks, maybe a cow or two A couple of roadkills, and nothing to do Indiana, you wretched place Are you so lonely you've got to steal from our state? C Am Indiana, what an empty place F G You took the only one I cared about away {Am, C, F, G} I'm just driving through to see what's so god damn important here And I just can't seem to sort it out without another beer So I'm throwing all my bottle caps along the empty road Hoping some poor cop will pull me over just so I can unload [chorus] I'm not bitter but I'll have to say I'm losing hope pretty fast And I hate myself for mourning things I knew could never last I can be pretty romantic sometimes when I'm acting dumb Much as I talk trash to Lady Love, I'm sure under her thumb Sure under her thumb [chorus] SMASH {C F G} I wish I could smash everyone who wears a certain colored hat Randomly selected. Randomly selected. I wish I could snipe everyone who steps across a certain brick In a courtyard... randomly selected. Chorus: {C F G F G} I would never advocate the senseless loss of human life, So if we start running out of people Let me know and I'll apologize I would never advocate the needless loss of human life, So if the world starts running out of people Let me know and I'll apologize {C F G} I wish I could poison everyone who gets a certain salad topping From the bar... randomly selected. I wish I could chainsaw certain legs that pass before my gutter's view Randomly selected. Randomly selected. [chorus] Yeah, if we start running out of people Let me know and I'll apologize GROWING TO HATE [A minus sign indicates an unusual chord. I've never learned the real names of these chords, but they're a lot easier to play than they are to describe. A- is formed by one finger on each of the 3rd and 4th strings, 2nd fret. C- is the same formation, only three frets higher (and, when I feel like it, barring the third fret at the same time). D- is one finger on each of the 4th and 6th strings, 2nd fret. - Ben] {A- C- D- A-} One step, two steps in a sidewalk square I measure them out as I walk everywhere Don't step on a crack, don't wander away Don't talk 'till the teacher has nothing left to say One step, two steps in a sidewalk square A demon of belittlement had followed me there I cried out, so desperate for someone to care But people will rape them if you lay your feelings bare BRIDGE {G Em Am G Em Dm Am Em Am Em} don't step- don't speak- {A- C- D- A-} One step alone in each sidewalk section I learn painful lessons of love and rejection [instrumental digression the length of those two lines again] [bridge] Chorus: Am Em I hid my head when all the children said I'd failed their little tests I held a guilt trip for the moments Am I thought I knew what was best for me Em I thought I'd never be as good as them in their own eyes Dm G Am Em Am Em And I was right, absolutely right. {A- C- D- A-} Walking alone, don't know where my steps fall in the sections I'm pissed off and impervious to all forms of correction The people I depend on for an air of acceptance Have left me instead with the stench of their own arrogance [bridge] [chorus, with abrupt rests] {A- C- D- A-} My steps will no longer fit in the lines Self-doubt and self-hatred are all left behind Rudely ignoring now all the cracks in my way I'm glad I don't give a fuck what anybody else has to say My steps will no longer fit in the lines (x4) [transition to {A C D A}] NO MORE A The neighbors fucked like goddamn little weasels until 4 a.m. D A I made it through the night only breaking seven bottles and a hand I watched a psycho serial killer movie on the cable TV D They said, "How could he do those things?" A And all I said was, "How can you not see?" I never used to smoke, but now I take a certain pleasure in pain D And you better do your homework before you A Start trying to tell me I'm insane Chorus: G No more D No more A I can't take it anymore G No more D A No more I walked into the night, down the highway, with a backpack and a gun D A I don't know what I wanted, I just knew I couldn't stand it home alone I walked up to a homeless man. He said, "God bless you, spare me just a dime" D I said, "Hell no that asshole won't. A Don't you think I've asked a hundred times?" [chorus] {A D A G D A} A It's lonely here without you. It's lonely here without you. D And I don't know who I'm talking to, A But it's lonely here without you. I ONLY WANTED YOU FOR SEX {C F G F G} Oh, baby, we've been together so long, Come closer to me, I want to whisper in your ear. I've been meaning to tell you: I only wanted you for sex I only wanted you for sex I never meant to be vague I only wanted you for one night but then you Stuck with me like a plague [chorus:] I only wanted you for sex I only wanted you for sex I only wanted you to impale in my room And then just call it quits I really hate your mother She's such a babbling whore I think her constant complaining is gonna get Her bloated ass kicked out our door And all your little playmates With their wagging tongues I think they need to find some dicks to gag on While they can still Convince the world they're young [chorus] I think you're really damn stupid I think you're absolutley dum I think I've got more brain cells than your skull Right in my fucking thumb [chorus] [bridge] [chorus] You know, I could just masturbate So you can go the fuck away I never really did like you I always thought you were ugly anyway [chorus] I only wanted you for sex I never meant to be vague I only wanted you for one night but then you Stuck with me like a plague I only wanted you for sex