Artist: jandek
Song: worthless recluse
Worthless recluse
Bang, pow, steel, muscle, k 
What worse, I'm alone 
Grown the bane of not being interested in the plate they passed to you 
All the pleasure spots in the city 
And if I walk in, my person screams 
I'm obviously out of place 
My shoes don't kick one over the other 
So much as they used to 
I'm here, God knows it 
But where are you 
The object of my satisfaction? 
But this solitude doesn't agree with anyone 
What's my name? 
Go, and be alone, and stop crying 
Well it's not any fun 
And I look at myself being busy 
And I know I'm putting something off 
What is it? 
I remember being alive 
In the cold northern cities 
I didn't need to think if I were interested 
Eight-thirty wasn't too late 
And I look at my lonely bed 
Where once in my life I shared it regular 
Oooooh, the years, and the time 
These memories that keep me going 
From one activity to another 
Well I don't know which is the real life 
What I do actively 
Or when my thoughts are lost in time 
My new house, in elegant comfort, is one thing 
But being huddled in red, blue, and orange 
Cracks in the walls, wind whistling 
I'll not ever forget 
And your face behind the flowers 
Somehow branded to my half-life 
Which may take over yet 
Consciously I play the game of making money 
Back in my brain, is the cold northern cities 
And the cold that makes me jump up and down 
I just can't seem to kill this pain today 
I can't afford to do me in 
And it makes me wonder whoever is happy in this world 
I can't see them, are they there? 
The supermarkets are always jam packed, the acceptable way 
I got a big frame, born with it, sure do need a side of beef 
42 heads of lettuce, 888 potatoes 
And all the apple pies my Mack truck can drive away with 
Cure all, better than a bandage 
Better than the blue 
Better even than TV 
Oh oh, here comes the pain 
Break out a barrel of cheese 
Yep, we got ours 
Ooh, coming on years since I met you 
Half the time I saw you 
Half the time one of your eyes looked past my shoulder 
What was there? Was it better than my eyes? 
When you let me see you 
Nothing looked better 
Even, unfortunate or not, me 
Maybe that's why now, I view myself in the dream 
And finding myself, and it hurts 
And the dream is more fun 
Anything beats the pain of being me and knowing I'm alone 
And putting off doing something, whatever it is 
I guess, something, like 
Living in northern city doorways 
Heading north, to the woods, to clean earth (?) 
Back where the police invite you to 
The back seat of their car, check you out 
Why can't I shave and do my part to build man's home? 
Where do you live, man? Do you really live here? 
Why does my dream keep forgetting that? 
Power, let's build power 
I guess it spreads the English language 
Communication, no more tribes with shrunken heads 
It's inevitable, it's my playground 
But I have to be serious 
Step into the car, mister. What are you? 
I'm a little boy, I don't wanna be big 
I'll act out my part, and lean on my half-life 
In times of trouble, or when it's just there 
What else can I do? 
Except be a man, and visit ice castle 
And live on rocks even if it is cement 
And anything's better than all this dirt and grass 
So far from the woods, give me cement and wall to wall people 
Let me know where I am 
Or show me the way to the woods 
Wearing deerskin shoes, and carrying a club 
Or walking naked on top the snow, light as the air 
Black leather head to toe 
With some place to go. 
I wanna be where no time is the wrong time 
Where everything falls in place 
Like fiber-optics, ultrasonic waves, and control systems 
Control is the name of the game 
Lord God, let me get it down 
When I get it to a fine T, it's gone 
Let it build to perfection, and stay 
Oh well, take off 
Target eternal light, all systems go. Satisfaction 
Maybe then this worthless recluse can carry a torch 
Look, I'm a human 
But I'm something supernatural 
The dream gives light 
Listen all you dead and dying 
Don't be afraid 
If it hurts, let it die 
The Easter lily blooms 
Its smell surrounds the table 
An unforgettable presence, an ominous sight 
The purple foil covers the vase pot 
Casting reflections through the diffused light 
Such beauty and awesome fragrance 
Who ever thought they could remove this sanctuary 
I don't like fighting, especially when I'm fighting me 
I'm staying up late and I don't really know why 
I hope I can live till tomorrow and the next day without eating 
I'm fed up with eating for a while 
I know it, it's only weakness 
That binds me at the supermarket counter 
Trading green paper for something to do 
Blessed are the sociable, that say stupid things 
And get close to their neighbors 
It takes a worthless recluse to shrink from groups 
It takes a half-hearted chicken recluse 
To live among people 
The best of them disappear 
And that's what it's all about 
That's why I can't make it 
I'm not strong enough to disappear 
It takes a supernatural being to disappear 
I'm not that good 
This human thing in me wants me to be a hero 
I want people to think I'm great 
I want people giving me so much money 
That I have an airplane, a boat and car and house that's everywhere 
And the network to support all this 
So where is it? 
Stuck in the dream, because I don't have the courage to disappear 
I know it's the only way to salvation, but 
The old nag human me still wants to play with money, people and things 
To make a name in the world 
Disappearing to God's eye 
And away from the eye of the world 
Is the big step 
Weaklings like me have to hang around, and play, and fudge, and delay 
For fear of the big step 
I'm just lucky I even know about it 
The only reason I do know 
Is I begged god to tell me about it 
On my knees, screaming with pain 
On the sixth floor, in New York City 
So I'm telling you about it 
Everyone doesn't have to live in northern doorways 
To take the big step 
Or go to the woods, or ice 
We all have our way to go, but everyone knows 
Now that I'm telling you 
That there is something to do 
A big step to take 
Into the eye of God 
Play human if you have to 
But at least know 
And don't kid yourself 
Behind that big piece of delicious poison 
All you dead and dying 
Disappear to your own eye 
So that you don't see yourself 
Live the half-life 
Step inside the dream