Wilco - Schmilco Album Lyrics

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Normal American Kids

Remind myself, myself long ago
'Fore drive, 'fore I could vote
All the time holding a grudge
'Fore I knew people could die just because
Shaft in a sling, head for the bus
I knew what I liked was not very much
High at the time, tied to the grid
Always afraid of those normal American kids

Oh, all of my spirit leaked like a cut
I knew what I needed would never be enough
I was too high to change my bid
Always afraid to be a normal american kid

Always hating normal normal american empty summer days
Lightning crazed and cracked like an egg
High behind the garden shed
Painting myself as a normal American kid
I always hated it

High as high as high can loom
Under the sheets in my bedroom
I was high as high can get
Always afraid of those normal American kids

Oh, bongs and jams, and carpeted vans
Hate everything I don't understand
Hard times tightening the lid
I had to get away from those normal American kids
Always hated those normal American kids
Always hated those normal American kids

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If I Ever Was A Child

I've never been alone
Long enough to know
If I ever was a child

I was tied up like a boat
Unbuttoned button like a coat
Set free for a while
Well I jumped to jolt my clumsy blood
While my white, green eyes
Cry like a window pane
Can my cold heart change
Even out of spite?

I slump behind my brain
A haunted stain never fades
I hunt for the kind of pain I can take

And I cry like a window pane
Can my cold heart change
Over night?
So I won't ever want to touch
Your heart too much
Or hold you too tight

I slump behind my brain
A haunted stain will never fade
I hunt for the kind of pain I can take

I never was alone
Long enough to know
If I ever was a child

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Cry All Day

I know that I'm on no end
I'm never totally right
I'm gonna walk away slowly
Instead I bid you good night
Another goodbye
I'm gonna cry

Cry, cry, cry
Cry all day

Whatever you're withholding
I never said it was good
If I could sell it by the dozen
I'd never doubt that you would
I know that you would
Where did you go?

Cry, cry, cry
Cry all day
Cry all night

I had a hole in my heart
I had accompanied me
It kept me holding from rolling
Someone in the something like me
Something like me
You don't wanna be

I cry, cry, cry
Cry all day
I cry all night
I cry all day

And I cry, cry, cry
Cry all day
Cry all night
At the open mic
I sing and starve
I fall in a knife

However there's another
Another future to fight
I never took it so seriously
Oh, you're serious? Alright
Watch 'em all fight
You can't fight it

And I cry
Cry all day
Cry all night
Cry all day
Cry all night
All day

Another houser calling
I see the world that fine
I'm sick of your affliction
But you're just as smart as you're blind
How would you like?
Now be kind

Cry, cry, cry
Cry all day
All night
Into the light
Into the light
Into the light

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Common Sense

When you're in some bad light
In the climbing flood
And you kneel before them
It's common sense
It's practical
Lay low
One moment I beg
I bolt
On a thousand legs
What you can't say swallow
At the moment I'm bored
Buried more and more and more and more

I slam my finger in the door of love
God damn the judging
Strangers judge
All I want, all that I want
A burning bush
Or
A button to push
A chance encounter
With common sense
Common sense

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Nope

Oh, I can't say what qualifies as pain
So transfixed by the wavering flame
Mortal kings of each grade and grain erased
Oh, I'm blessed

The slant may rain, knows my door
Tambourines my floor in four
Laughs and shakes my folded face where Jesus mowed my lawn

Fame has legs, blazing chrome
Amputate but it's never quite gone
Rakes in clover shown like snakes shine over rate my crime

Why kill a man when you can drive him crazy?
Why make it end when my amusement always depends on the joke?
Won't you lend me my punchline

As a favor, can you be entertained so that day I can savor whatever remains
Of hurricanes too rattled to romance massive plates of circumstances

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Someone To Lose

Where you gonna go in your winter coat?
I wonder what you're hiding cause it's not too cold
It's already too late
Somebody's gonna get you

And if I hold you too tight
Someone else won't get to
Oh, wouldn't you know it?
I keep it rolling
Considering no one
Punching a path
Facing the blast and the moon and the math
But you still never know where your soul is attached

Oh, wouldn't you know it?
Ah, wouldn't you know it?

I'm so confused
I can't move
I can't even try

I hope you find someone to lose
Someday

Now where you gonna go like a cobra coiled
Sweating in a sweater, you got too much style
But you're never alone
Some day they're gonna get you

I hope you find someone to lose
Someday
I hope you find
I hope you find someone to lose
Someday

Ah, wait
Come back

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Happiness

My mother says I'm great
And it always makes me sad
I don't think she's being nice
I really think she believes that
So now I bend my days around the people
All the people obey, whoa

So sad it's nothing
Happiness depends on who you blame
I gather things can change
So maybe she's asleep in her grave
She gave her body to science
So I'm not sure what's in her place
Maybe roses or Tanqueray, whoa

So sad it's nothing
Happiness depends on who you blame

I know the dead still listen
She sings a part of every refrain
Under the weight of the living
Pointing a finger
With no eyes to aim, whoa

So sad it's nothing
It's absolutely nothing
So sad it's nothing
It's absolutely nothing
So sad it's nothing
Happiness depends on who you blame

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Quarters

I travel where you worked
Was cold and dark as a cavern
You kept quarters in your shirt
But I never could just have them
You always made me sweep around every flying floozy
Under booths and bums asleep
Waking up, they'd ask you, "Who's he?"
Behind a glass without a glance
"My daughter's boy," you would say
Well, I stood there in a trance
Listening to the jukebox play

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Locator

Locator sees me swaying through the catacombs
Locator hears me whispering in my home
Even when the waves are falling
Beat me into diamonds
Even the wheels are winding
Even the wheels are winding
Something in the sky can find me
High, high, high, high, high, high, high, high
High, high, high, high, high, high, high, high

Here below, here below, here below, here below

Oh no, locator it is I

Even when I run I'm crawling
Even through walls and blinds and
Even when the wheels are winding
Even when the wheels are winding
Something in the sky can find me
High, high, high, high, high, high, high, high
High, high, high, high, high, high, high, high

Here below, here below, here below, here below

I love locator everywhere I go
I tell locator everything it wants to know

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Shrug And Destroy

Some harm for the past
Others dream of at last
Days continue
Multiply multitudes
I wonder who destroys
When no one is left, rejoice
All our statues, lullabies and rented rooms
Distances no one will go
For instances no one can know
I say good night
Leave the room unsatisfied
Like a child, I lie
Almost alone, not quite

Crowded avenues
Homeless in tennis shoes
Sometimes I wish to set free
The things that still matter to me
Days continue
Like a knife might intrude
I wonder who destroys
When nothing is left, rejoice
Nothing is left, rejoice

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We Aren't The World (Safety Girl)

Have you seen any mention, it's been quiet in detention all week
Is that so?
I saw the winter party person candidate give a sermon shook his fists, like this
Is that so?
And everyone sat as blank as a cake and in love like a stupid lump of clay
Is that so?
I know a good Armageddon might have made my day, that day
Is that so?

We aren't the world
We aren't the children
But you are my safety girl

And you know we could go and spend ourselves like money
Let's pretend we're hundred dollar bills
Like so
And complain every day there's a spider in my soup
Tired of my opinion, like everybody else
Is that so?

We aren't the world
We aren't the children
But you're my safety girl

Like so
Oh, is that so?

We aren't the world
We aren't the children
But you're my safety girl

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Just Say Goodbye

Sometimes when I'm fading
I fight to stay awake
Here I lie, come and take me
I'll go
I will go so far just to say goodbye

My, my in my opinion
I tried, I huff and I puff
Why am I in my skin again?

Well, I don't know how it works
So I just say goodbye

Sometimes I see sorry faces
I don't think I qualify
Be kind as the nights embrace us

Oh, oh, we tried so hard
Oh, as if I have answers
Oh, we tried so hard
Just to say goodbye