The Incredible Flight of Birdman

We can crawl out now 
that’s just a memory 
Auerbach days 
I can’t remember what I felt like then
Did the sky cave in? 

We’re all in now
we can’t escape from it
The pavement says 
get out the neighbourhood 
We’ve still got time 
for our little crimes 

There’s no control
headstones and elegies 
rising toes
don’t let them tell you that the sky’s too dark
or that the dogs don’t bark 

I’ve got the words this time 
it’s not just a melody 
Hold my hand
we’ll find an enemy 
We’ve still got time 
for our little crimes

If they don’t believe in you 
and they don’t believe in me 
we’ll find a place to be 
we own the make-believe 
It’s true 

Lazy, lazy lives of fury 
make me, make me tell a story 
And if the monster’s crowned 
don’t feel let down 

After all this time 
you’re not just a memory 
I close my eyes 
you’re right there in front of me

Here lies 
our little crimes 

And then it all goes dark 
and the colour wheel stops rolling
You’re always looking for a mark
falling down a great unknowing

with handfuls, handfuls of white roses
hanging around in faithful, silent poses
My dad’s a good man 

Waking up alone 
on an ordinary morning 
All the mirrors went away
and they won’t stop walking 

to the wrong side
wrong side of the cheetah 
Dancing with your mother
there’s a song you feel
My dad’s a good man

You’re dancing
dancing with your mother 
Another voice says 
all the dead ones laugh today
But my dad’s a good man

Here on Factory Hill
the coins all smile in the till
the dark holds on to our dreams 
and time rolls by with painted wheels 

I’ll tell you anything 
I’ll sell you anything I can 
just to leave

I’m the opening act
in the Year of the Alley Cat
The coins all smile in the till
here on Factory Hill

There’s no stopping it 
It’s always waiting at the door 
I’m on top of it 
but I’d give you all of this and more 
just to leave 

Pretend that all I do deserves your love 
and I’ll pretend that I’m not down 
and I’m not drowning 
Pretend that all I do deserves your love 
and I’ll stand upon the hill 
and won’t stop shouting

They’ll tell you anything 
They’ll sell you anything you need
But we could do anything 
Just lift up both your feet 
and leave 

So…
Well, you can see me on my own 
Fear [redacted]
when you see them on the stone 
in the middle of the [redacted] 

But I don’t know why I get known
And it’s a miracle that we don’t see our falling bones 

But we are badly designed by Jesus 
and sadly that’s not the only thing 
that will come between us
but I think we will be fine 

We are badly designed by Jesus 
and that’s not gonna be the only thing 
that’ll come between us 
but I think we will be fine 

Alone
well I can see that you’ve got tone
You feel [redacted]
and I feel it in your [redacted]
In the middle of a thousand [redacted]
And I don’t know if I’ve been told 
And it’s a miracle that we can’t see our falling bones 

But we are badly designed by Jesus 
and sadly that’s not the only thing
that will come between us 
but I think we will be fine 

We are badly designed by Jesus 
And that’s not the only thing
that is going to feed us 
But I think that that’s all [redacted]

Can you spell my name 
without moving country?
Can you tell what’s real 
among the spires in your memory?

On the window ledge, all the birds are dead
underneath the skin, desolation sings
On the window ledge, all the birds are dead
Is that what we do? 

Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now 

I heard they poisoned your dog
just because of the old leapfrog 
All the clouds have died, but it rains sometimes 
Does it rain on you? 

Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now

And do you smell the same
without the desperate dust of me?
Do you dig your heels
in those scars in your memory? 

I’ve exhumed the tongue 
from the room we hung
from the deathwatch beams 
while our skin was young 

I’ve exhumed the tongue 
but the words are dumb 
Oh, it speaks like me

Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now 

Is it easy to see what you’ll be
now you’re not with me?
It must be living hell
in your scallop shell 
up on the moon

Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now 

I’ve been hiding in the barn
with the sunset on my arms
and my head on her flares

“Throw that boy out of the house”
“He challenged father to a joust”
Well, I swear
you’ll be next

And she said “it’s a silly little thing you’ve done”
but of these silly little things we are made

Well, I’ve been dreaming about you
I’ve been dreaming all my life

I’ll hang something in my eyes
and it’s something that she won’t forget
But she’s so hard, she’s so hard
to break down, to break down

And she said “it’s a silly little thing you’ve done”
but of these silly little things we are made

Well, I’ve been turning over you
I’ve been turning all my life
I’ve been secretly dreaming of you
I’ve been secretly dreaming

I stabbed my ego in the back
at least surrender to a laugh
sat there in those coffin chairs
Won’t you serve me, dear?
Won’t you serve me, dear?
It’s been fourteen years since I came in here

And she said “it’s a silly little thing you’ve done”
but of these silly little things we are made
under such silly little things we’re laid

She said
Please don’t bring him round here again
Please don’t bring him round here again
Please don’t bring him round here again
Please don’t bring him round here again