1992-08 – Bad Etiquette (cassette)
Harvey Dog (words), John Battaglia (music)
Lyrics
The books on the shelf
speak vibrantly and ominously
in clear concise language,
the books on the shelf
don’t ask me if I love them
or if I believe in God,
the books on the shelf
offer me no resistance
or disgust at my drinking.
The phone rings
and I know it’s you,
after 10 rings
the incessant shrill
finally subsides.
I pick up a book covered in dust
and caress the spine
and kiss the words,
talk to me Celine,
talk to me Bukowski,
talk to me Blake,
tell me your loves, your hates.
The phone rings
and I know it’s you,
what more is there to say?
You wanted to help me
I didn’t ask for help,
you wandered into territory
you found unpleasant,
you wanted to erase my demons
and put my life in order,
but I didn’t want to clean away the dirt,
it took too long to build up
the layers of filth,
and now I’m at ease with my demons.
You thought I was crying out for help,
I’m not a baby crying out for help, no,
I was crying out for some warmth
to melt the frozen solitude, nothing more.
The books on the shelf
are whispering to me:
stay strong, embrace solitude,
caress the bad, appreciate the good.
Video
The Books on the Shelf – 1992 – Bad Etiquette (cassette)