i am astounded and dumbfounded...

at how freaking brilliant this song is. it's by bright eyes, and it's on the album "i'm wide awake, it's morning."

a love song that's a protest song for 2 verses?! with emmylou harris singing harmony?! and a battle march of a horn solo?!

wow.

landlocked blues

If you walk away I'll walk away
first tell me which road you will take
I don't want to risk our paths crossing someday
so you walk that way I'll walk this way

and the future hangs over our heads
and it moves with each current event
until it falls all around like a cold steady rain
just stay in when it's lookin' this way

and the moon's laying low in the sky
forcing everything metal to shine
and the sidewalk holds diamonds like a jewelry store case
they argue "walk this way," "no, walk this way"

and laura's asleep in my bed
as I'm leaving she wakes up and says
I dreamed you were carried away on the crest of a wave
baby don't go away, come here

and there's kids playing guns in the street
and one's pointing his tree branch at me
So I put my hands up, I say "enough is enough"
if you walk away I'll walk away

and he shot me dead

I found a liquid cure
for my landlocked blues
it will pass away
like a slow parade
it's leaving but I don't know how soon

-solo-

and the world's got me dizzy again
you'd think after 22 years I'd be used to the spin
and it only feels worse when I stay in one place
so I'm always pacing around or walking away

I keep drinking the ink from my pen
and I'm balancing history books up on my head
but it all boils down to one quoteable phrase
"If you love something give it away"

A good woman will pick you apart
a box full of suggestions for your possible heart
and you may be offended, and you may be afraid
but don't walk away, don't walk away

We made love on the living room floor
with the noise in the background from a televised war
And in the deafening pleasure I thought I heard someone say
"If we walk away, they’ll walk away"

But greed is a bottomless pit
And our freedom's a joke, we're just taking a piss
And the whole world must watch the sad comic display
If you're still free start runnin' away

'cause we're comin' for ya

-horn solo-

I've grown tired of holding this pose
I feel more like a stranger each time I come home
So I'm making a deal with the devils of fame
Sayin' let me walk away, please

You'll be free child once you have died
from the shackles of language and measurable time
And then we can trade places, play musical graves
till then walk away walk away walk away walk away

So I'm up at dawn
putting on my shoes
I just want to make
a clean escape
I'm leaving but I don't know where to

I know I'm leaving but I don't know where to