1989 – Hated Uncles: “Variety Show” cassette
John Harvey (words) John Kinsella (music)
Lyrics
I don’t believe in suicide,
I believe in liver disease, alcohol,
lung cancer, cigarettes,
and breaking my ankle
doing fancy pirouettes.
I used to write a poem a day,
now I realize, there’s nothing left to say,
burning, turning in bed at night,
hoping one day I’d see the light.
Now I know, now I know.
There’s no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,
wizard of oz fantasies,
leaving us with no place to go – but Ethiopia.
A measles-infected child looking for some bread,
he’s got no home, people wish he was dead.
I’m not going to repeat myself,
repeat myself,
repeat myself.
I believe in liver disease,
and little green spots on the bottom of my ass!
As I stare into the bottom of an empty glass.
Like I said – I’m not going to repeat myself.
People dance and stare at their reflection in a broken mirror,
they make me laugh, with their costumes and purple hair!
I’ve got no money or time to waste my time,
making myself pretend that I’m really alive.
I’m not going to repeat myself.
An ancient, old man with a mosquito-infested body,
people have no patience to keep you in their memory.
I’m writing this poetry, for all of you,
you know I love you, I really do,
just don’t bother me, I won’t bother you,
you’re talking – when I’d rather hear the cows go “Moo!”
I’m not going to repeat myself.
Honestly.
Read the newspapers, and discover yourselves,
Politicians are talking, just like you,
elected to do nothing, they just blame somebody else,
but the problems didn’t grow without a seed,
and it’s not enough to kill the weed,
there are deeper roots you can cut inside yourself,
but if you let the roots grow, you can’t blame somebody else
I’m not going to repeat myself,
really.
Thank you!
Lyric Written: 1987
Video
The Left-Handed Approach – 1989 – “Variety Show” cassette