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Secret Society

by T. Hallenbeck

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1.
Mothman, deliver me from evil - all the tough guys in town keep robbing me blind. Mothman, descend and tell me all the secret states of some higher mind. Let me walk in light, let me live in faith, love, and kindness. Holy, holy, holy, hosanna in the highest. Mothman, descend and tell me all the secret things you think I should know. I've been touched by your wings; I have seen your armor and your insect toes. Let me walk in light, let me live in faith, love, and kindness. Holy, holy, holy, hosanna in the highest.
2.
El Dorado 01:49
Looks like everybody's moving away from El Dorado. In the desert once, I spent a full day with El Diablo. He said, "The evil souls that come unto me - I don't need them." He said, "The evils that have come to be - I don't feed them." So why is everybody moving away from El Dorado? Looks like everybody's packin' it in for Couch Nation. Once I played a game that I couldn't win against the Lord of Creation. He said, "All the bad things that you fear - I make them." He said, "All the things that you hold dear - I take them." That's why everybody's moving away from El Dorado.
3.
Antigravity 01:36
She brings the green leaf from the stone, from solid rock, clear water running, and where she walks, frogs leap from puddles and pee on anybody who picks them up. She brings the rain from exhausted skies, from dry slate deep rivers flowing, and where she wanders, earthworms burrow, and die, and make more earthworms. And I'm stuck like glue to higher-order dimensions, nanomachines, time travel, superconductivity, tachyons, and antigravity gizmos. Check it out: I can't cry, can't mourn the dead, no matter how much I want to, but when she touches my mulelike intellect, I see the real world hiding. Her antigravity holds her up, her tachyons take her back in time, to wait in quantum states of grace for poor dumb fools like me. The many rivers of her tears flow through the many deserts as she mourns the dead and whacks the heads of poor dumb fools like me. And I'm stuck like glue to strange dark futures and things that no one ever thinks about, and I'm thankful that she comes sometimes, to visit me on my good days, because she brings the green leaf from the stone, from solid rock, clear water running, and where she walks, frogs leap from puddles and pee on anybody who picks them up.
4.
Missing Time 03:48
What did you do with you missing time when you slept in till quarter past ten, dreaming of golden June light in your window, over and over again? What did you do with you missing time when forgetfulness fit like a glove, when the heavens, they rent asunder, and the spirit came down like a dove? chorus: Some of us move tarnished coins with our minds, some talk to God in the dark. Some of us hear the low song of the Spheres, some await Judgement Day in the park. But all of us here, we believe in your missing time fervently - don't be afraid! None of us dare speak their names, none deny the dark plans that the Bright Ones have made. How did you feel when you came here to join us, on that cold winter day? Worryless wackos, wards of the mighty state, neatly sequestered away? (chorus)
5.
Black Charlie hides his face, and he never never never never never explains. Black Charlie hides his motives, and he never ever says why he goes to great pains to hide in me, and hide from me, and where the light goes, and where the time goes, and where the sun goes, and where the stars go, and he makes me oh so very blind. Black Charlie never shows himself, but he always always always always always comes through, with lots of timely little observations when the buzzer blares and I finally come to. He hides in me and speaks to me, about strange things that probably never really happened, and sad things forgotten long ago - Black Charlie is so very kind. He breaks my rules and sets my pace. He mimics the frowns that cloud my face. The more he tells the truth, the more I lie, and the more he lives, the more I die. Black Charlie bides his time, and he never says a word when he rides in the back seat, on all those barren winter nights when I drive to nowhere on empty dark streets. His funny little button otter eyes watch me through the rear-view mirror. He sees my shaking hands gripping the wheel, and he knows how very hard I try.
6.
Dear to Me 02:13
I'll leave the light on - don't stay away too long. God turned the night on - He'll turn it off at dawn. Please understand that you're so dear to me. You stay away for weeks, I get all cold and driven. The place is a dump, the roof leaks: gifts that I've been given. But please understand that you're so dear to me. I'm always mad, you're always drunk, but we get along. We fight, and fight, and fight, and you're always right, and I'm always wrong, but please understand that you're so dear to me.
7.
Jerusalem 01:50
I get up early, do stuff all day, far from your Jerusalem, hang with the lost ones, hear what they say - I have found a place with them. I swim in oceans, past dark cliffs, far from your Jerusalem, walk among they maybes and ifs - I have found peace with them, far from your shady groves, far from your shining streets, far from your wise rule, far from your Jerusalem. I see a thousand things unfold, far from your Jerusalem, hang with the ones who pan for gold - I have found a place with them. I see a thousand lives unwind - someday I'll be one of them, far from your grand design, far from your Jerusalem, far from your shady groves, far from your shining streets, far from your wise rule, far from your Jerusalem.
8.
Pharaoh, I am here to sing you a sad song, sadder than the saddest song that's ever been sung. Pharaoh, I am here to ring you a loud bell, louder than the loudest bell that's ever been rung. What was great now is humble. Watch as empires topple and tumble. It's time to wind up the dog-and-pony show - it's time to let my people go. Pharaoh, I am here to go back on those funny oaths that you made me take when I was stupid and young. Pharaoh, I am here to unlearn all those crazy spells that can't be said in my native tongue. You will have to do without us, and all those handy things about us. It's time to wind up the dog-and-pony show - it's time to let my people go. Here's your supercharged sweet ride back - take it so I'll get my pride back. I've supervised my last stone arch, and overseen my last forced march. Yes! Pharaoh, I am here to renounce all those strange oaths that you made me take when I was stupid and young. Pharaoh, I am here to forget all those crazy spells that can't be cast in my native tongue. You will have to make ends meet without our calloused hands and our sure feet. It's time to wind up the dog-and-pony show - it's time to let my people go.
9.
At Last 00:56
At last, I see the master plan. At last, I'm my own man. At last, I've shrugged it all off. At last, the scales have fallen off. At last, I'm out of the blizzard. At last, I'm steady as a lizard. At last, I'm proud as a cat. At last, I'm all that. At last, signs and wonders. At last, lightnings and thunders. At last, no more incessant mopin'. At last, heaven cracks open.

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Recorded in Oakland CA, 2001

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released October 1, 2001

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T. Hallenbeck Oakland, California

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