Circle Wars Songtext
von Kelly Joe Phelps

Sidewalk coughed up weeds and cracks
A book, a magazine, and a penny and a dime
Old man Carl looked behind him
Making sure the scene was empty
Breathed a sigh of bewilderment
Knowing that it was
Not that he expected to see Anita on him
Coming up with a brown bow with a box of daffodils
The night quite bruised his ears
And forced him into alleys
Where the gravel crunch was friendly
Under polished army heels
The steps on St. Andrews seemed the best bet
Catch a little shut eye, and Anita could sweat some
Bleed a little inside, and find Emma in the morning
Hunkered down like a derelict
With mustard on his chin
But then the concrete froze his ass
Through the holes in his pants
Winter′s not the best time


To make a martyr's point
Carl cut the corner
With a wind that wouldn′t get him
And he yips a mindlessly
Spongering 'round his finger with his thumb
A tomcat screams like a baby in the back lot
Just as Carl's dreams kick into high gear
The light keeps stuttering hailstorms
Between the boughs of a maple
So many voices into one man′s mind
And he starts to see the fool behind the windshield
One hand on the steering wheel, another in the air
Trying hard to catch the jet stream
To make the flying easy
But only grabbing hunger
From another man′s life
Anita makes the corner
Across from Joan's backyard
She been walking half the night
And her legs are tired
Why, she thinks, does Carl have to take it so hard?
Is it me that makes him who he truly thinks he is?
He′s the same damn man
He's always been, and I love him like I always did
What on earth will make him feel satisfied?
Would I love him like I always did?
She leans against a streetlight
Watching him sleep
Watching him turn and turn in a tight pose
And she slowly walks across the steps of St. Andrews
And stands there looking at him so long
She tugs on his coat sleeve
Carl, please let′s go, but she stares
He doesn't say a word
And they walk side by side
Not touching, nor explaining
Just walking home to face down the circle wars