Distant Thunder: A band I once was.

Lyics and music from first album Shelter
Distributed on Last Records label. © 1985

 DISTANT THUNDER

Instruments & Vocals: Mark W
Harmonies: Catherine Rose Crowther
Producer: Mark W
Engineer: Leonard Marcel
Production Assistant: Leonard Marcel
Front Cover, Photos & Graphics: Michael Miro
Back Cover Photo: Greg Gaar
Recorded at Poolside Studio, S.F.
©1985 LAST RECORDS
Simon Says
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Close the window
And bolt the door They've got a lot We need more Sandbag the roof Lie down on the floor Don't ask how they're bought Don't ask what for
CHORUS With enough opium To ease the pain We could take care of Those caught out in the rain "With enough shovels To go around"* We could be safe In the ground Something's goin' to happen And it's going to happen soon Sheriff Reagan's got his guns And it's High Noon Limited nuclear war An idea who's time has come Cavemen keeping score Watching the rest of us run Rest of us run
CHORUS Presidential directive fifty-nine Effectively laying it on the line City trading's not too degrading It's much cheaper than invading Close the window And bolt the door They've got a lot We need more Sandbag the roof Lie down on the floor Don't ask how they're bought Don't ask what for Ask what for * Caspar Weinberger - '82 Secretary of defensee Cost/Benefit Analysis
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Based on our hypothesis
Projections seem to indicate The death of love A reign of hate Given the forgoing Drawing some conclusions In an age of wonder Life is an illusion A need to cry A way to feel The will to try For once for real Risking rejection Trying to touch To make a connection Alone enough
CHORUS Living a life Behind walls Walls we build Walls because Of the pain Now and before A fragile faith An open sore Judging from current trends We can assume We have no friends In the gathering gloom Relying on the data We know no one cares No one matters No one dares Coping with depression Unconscious insistance Hoping for suggestions Subconscious submission Accepting rejection Reducing resistance Selective deception Antiseptic existance CHORUS Past perception Infinitely wise Dealt with deception Tramatized Passionate actions Lacking compassion Life without love It's out of fashion Without exception So isolated Personal freedom's A bit over-rated Finding fear Living out lies Shedding no tears And then we die Too Too hard to hate Too late to learn You never could wait You start to burn With fire With desire For a life You thought you knew You dreamed You wanted Too young to know Too old to care Too sure to show You wouldn't dare Too cold to cry Too lost to love Too dead to die You've had enough Their lies Alibies Of a life They thought they knew You dreamed You wanted Too hurt to feel Too proud to please You know the deal Some social disease Too loud to hear Too blind to see Too scared to fear Too bored to be Their fire Their desire Of a life I thought I dreamed I knew I wanted Promised Land (aka Jonestown, USA)
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Work tape:guitar, vocals and Matel toy drum machine
When you love yourself
Above all else Take your father's hand Forgive yourself Give him your wealth See the promised land When you forget How to get To the place where you live You can relate Learn to hate How not to forgive CHORUS Father father Take my hand Lead me to The promised land Take me far Away from here Where there is No more fear Take his hand He is the man Who will give you freedom You know you can Follow his plan You know you need him Just give up Make a step Do it to please him Take his cup Drink it up You don't need a reason CHORUS Jesus loves me This I know For the bible Tells me so Little ones To him belong They are weak But he is strong Onward Christian soldiers Marching off to war With the cross of Jesus Going on before It
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Work tape:guitar, vocals and Matel toy drum machine
They taught it to take
It forgot how to give It has money to make It's how the lost live It claws, it bites It's vicious as hell It knows what's good for it It knows it well
CHORUS It has learned Enslaving itself It has earned Behaving itself It forgot how to laugh It lost the ability It can't even walk It's not the agility It's disabled No sense of responsibility It gets cable Better than senility Channeled and guided Programmed and provided CHORUS Easy to evacuate Doesn't have to be told It's house is immaculate It hides its old It's better for them To be with their kind They'll be with friends And out of its mind
Who
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Who pulls the strings
Of the puppet man Who rules as king In videoland Who writes the scripts Furnishes the facts Has the keys to the crypt Is quick to act
CHORUS Thoughts Won't stop bullets Whispers
Won't heal wounds Silence
is violence
Personal approval Who paints the pictures Of the essence of evil Who quotes the scriptures Has rights to the sequel Who plans events And supplies the arms Stifles dissent And sounds the alarm Who paints the pictures Of a world aflame Who are not numbers Who is to blame Who closes the door Cleans the mess Who keeps the score Who can guess CHORUS Who hears the call And asks no question Who feels so small At the slightest suggestion Who waits to decide Deciding to wait Who will have time When it's too late CHORUS Who pulls the strings Of the puppet man Who rules as king In videoland Who puts it together Connects the dots Forcasts the weather Ready or not Who makes a difference Changes a life Offers resistance Gets off its knees Who can say no And make it stop Or turn and go And put it off Smart Birds
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Work tape:guitar, vocals and
Matel toy drum machine
Smart birds know
Where to fly Smart birds know Where to go They don't know why They just go Smart birds know Where to fly They've more than Instinct to guide them They have eyes Above the sky Screens to hide them
CHORUS Get out fast Far away Leave at last Leave today Fly someday Evacuate Find a way Before too late Before the shit Hits the fan Run for it if you can if you can if you can Smart birds know Where to fly Smart birds know Where to go And they know why They will go Smart birds know Where to fly Smart birds are Watching for when And they know why They've seen the plans CHORUS (second verse) Show and Tell See See the man See the man with the gun See See the man See the man on the run From From the man From the man with the gun We sold the man the gun And gave him the money to buy it with So what if he shot some nuns They were only communists communists communists Hear Hear the schemes Hear the schemes of the right Hear the dreams Hear the dreams of delight Hear Hear the screams Hear the screams in the night We sold the man his gun And gave him the money to but them with So what if he shot some reporters They were only communists communists communists See See the man See the man with the gun See See the man See the man on the run From From the man From the man with the gun We sold the man the gun And gave him the money to but it with So what if he shot some nuns They were only communists communists communists Hear Hear the schemes Hear the schemes of the right Hear the dreams Hear the dreams of delight Hear Hear the screams Hear the screams in the night We sold the man his army And gave him the money to but it with So what if he shot some farmers They are ALWAYS communists communists communists Modern Medicine They clean me They preen me Dressed for slaughter They told me They sold me I'm on the alter He washes his hands And dons his robes He is the man The man who knows He has the skills Only money can buy He can kill I can die All the young doctors Learning to heal Dealing in drugs Pushing pills All the young doctors Selling surgery Stand by each other In an emergency Oh doctor Will it work? Oh doctor Will is cure? Oh doctor Will it hurt? Oh doctor Are you sure? They blind me And bind me Hook me up to machines They shaved me Enslaved me Made me count to ten Oh doctor Will it hurt? Oh doctor Will it cure? Oh doctor Will it work? Oh doctor Are you sure? Nouns and Verbs A young prophet stood on the stage Gripping the mic in a fit of rage Speaking vaguely of specific things A young prophet started to sing Mouthing words given to him By powers that be-he's speaking of them He hopes you hear what he's trying to say He knows the fear you live in today
CHORUS Words can change how you live Words too strange to forgive Is it true-that truth shall set you free Is it for you? Is it for me? Words like water Needlessly spoken Words like glass Endlessly broken Words like lovers Long lost and forgotten Words like wounds Festering and rotten Meaningful words spoken too often Mesmerize the herd-better not then Truth hides in dreams of doubt Christ tries, but they won't let him out Information transfer-feelings into words Supplying answers-nouns and verbs Carrying water in our hands Lambs to slaughter-death on demand CHORUS A young prophet stood on the stage Gripping the mic in a fit of rage Speaking vaguely of specific things A young prophet starts to sing Even if it was all that clear It would be only what you want to hear There are things you don't want know Your going blind and you've got to go CHORUS
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