The Information Man Songtext
von Buddy Wakefield

Oh my God
Oh my God
Holy shit
Holy shit
That′s a lot of people
Woo! Oh my God


After over three hundred thousand miles
Twelve dozen breakdowns nervous, really
One too many midnights
And a bunch of broken laws later
I've come here from out of the rain and into this rest area
Caught twenty-two miles between you and me
Watching the information man behind his information booth
Juggling predictable conversation with
Folks who look like iceberg lettuce
And who believe that somehow the flat
Lines of small talk will give us life
I want them to leave
Like a big deal orchestra removing itself from the string section
So I can fiddle with fate and make music
There is a distance the size of bravery
It forms like words in the mouth of a baby
Reaching out for the point where all things meet
On one end of it sits an information man
Who I imagine holds down his second job as church bartender
Behind locked doors leading to a bell tower we will never get to see
Sinners
On the other end of this space, I am standing
Like shoe polish on an overstocked shelf
Hoping that one day, someone will pick me to make things better
This is not a showdown or a shootout, we are not facing off
But I can feel the rumble between dusk and dawn
As if the chance to come clean with
Myself will be outlawed unless I relax
I have heard that if you pull a bent breath
Through the second hole of a harmonica
Tuned to the key of Georgia
While a train moves by on the tail end of dusk
There is a good chance you will finally know what it means to rest
I have not yet rested
It takes a long time to make love with someone who hates themselves
Okay
It feels like I′ve been standing here for exactly that long
When at last, the rain outside, it drops off
Takes everyone in this rest area with it
Except for me and the information man
And that's got me thinking tonight, I'm gonna get the answer
And you know what I′m talking about, the answer
Emphasis on e-answer
So I put my best foot forward and take the kind of deep breath
That gives me away as someone who deals with anxiety and odd numbers
Every other other every minute
In between it, the information man′s eyes grab me then shift
Back and forth like mopping floors
With the sweat I sweat in battles against myself
He's got me locked in and is smiling
If you′ve never been rocked back by the presence of purpose
This poem, too soon for you
Return to your mediocrity, plug it
Into an amplifier and rethink yourself
'Cause some of us, some of us are on fire for the answer
I′m ready for your rejection and
Rebirthing balance in my stutter steps
When the info guy finally pipes up like C.R. Avery on a piano box
And he says to me, "Listen
If I didn't have so much of this life all wrong," he said
"I would′ve gotten it right by now
I talk a whole bunch, but I really only know a few things
So I ain't saying to follow along verbatim here tonight, y'all
I′ll just tell you the things I tell myself
The things I know, you can see what sticks
Okay, I know our shoes, they were stitched from songs about highways
The best songs are the ones about Georgia
Even though I′ve never been there
It's the only place I still believe in Jesus
I know no matter what it is you believe in
You have to spare yourself the futility of making fun of God
′Cause that guy hasn't even talked in like, okay, ever
I know troubleshooting yourself in the foot
And acting center of your own universe
It is a tricky dichotomy to deal with
But yes, you are the center of the universe
If you weren′t, you wouldn't be here
So as the middle of space and everything floating in it
It is your job to know that the emptiness is just emptiness
The stars are stars
And the flying rocks fucking hurt
So please, stop inviting all these walls into wide open spaces
I know everything is out there, y′all
It's why they call it everything
I know there are times you will lay your head to rest
You'll have a moment of brilliance that
Grows into a perfect order of words
But you′re gonna fall asleep instead of painting them down on paper
When you wake up, you will have forgotten the idea completely
And miss it like a front tooth
But at least you know how to recognize moments of brilliance
′Cause even at your worst, you are fucking incredible
It comes honest
So return to yourself, even if you're already there
′Cause no matter where you go or how hard you try or what you do
The only person you're ever gonna get to be
And I know it, thank God, is

I am exactly where I need to be
I need to be exactly where I am
I am, I am exactly where I need to be
I need to be exactly where I am
Divinely timed and shining brightly, yes
I believe that there′s a purpose just for me, yes, I believe
We are light and we shine
We shine infinitely, oh
I am exactly where I need to be
I need to be exactly where I am
I am not aimlessly existing, see
I am in perfect harmony with universal energy
And I am truly free when I accept my own divinity


Thank you all very much for being here
Please give a rousing welcome to the first performer tonight
Buddy Wakefield
You'll also be meeting a poet
Whose stuff works best off the page and actually on stage
Pierde un hijo, ¿correcto?
Sí
Eh, y
Austin fucking Texas, would you please
Welcome Justin from Seattle, Washington
Buddy Wakefield