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Optimist Hearts

by Seminole Roots

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1.
Law Books 03:15
This wind gives me the shivers and my voice gives me the shakes, so I place my skinny fingers right around your skinny waist. You're not much for support these days but I hope it's just a phase, this love may seem like magic but it's all about fate. So Long! To dove white cavalcades. Leave me alone. Never made it to the palisades. When I get stopped at the border of that celestial county line I hope the whole border patrol will let me in alright. Oh please! I'll scream. Dont arrest me, just let me pay the fine. They'll say sorry son you should have picked somewhere else to start your life. So I'll go go home. Back into the night. But not alone. Grab my children and my wife. So I purged myself in cheap motels to listen from above to those sad old city singers singin bout how they can love. And if looks could really kill I'd be your sickly lion cub, prostrate on the ground just beggin not to eat your young. Dont do me wrong. I'm already stranded. Sing me a song. Like 'Swing Low Chariot'. Blow the lid off all your bridges set fire to the neighborhood. It's best to burn your law books boys they aint no damn good. We went from old grass roots to sequin suits but kept the gavels made of wood. To remind old friends and indians to respect the common good. All of my grief and ungodly beliefs, they're all behind me in the past presently. From when I marry til they lay me down to sleep, give me your tired and your poor so they can eat. All of my grief and ungodly beliefs, they're all behind me in the past presently. From when I marry til they lay me down to sleep, give me your tired and your poor so they can breathe free.
2.
Picked up some railroad gravel and I scratched my name on the stone wall to anchor all my boyhood fame. But like them kids waving sparklers in small town parade, they form shapes in the sky then time takes them away. Away with the waiver and unlock my cage. She said it's true what you do so dont look so ashamed. I said well I'll see you later, but Ive got to get paid. Shake some hands kiss some babies, but blow others away. Console all their mothers and fake well a saint. So I'll wait outside for the night sky. Where God drew his face in outer space and I'll hide my eyes from the sunlight. We hit the 90's gold rush to the internet. Said If youre not building wealth youre just building your debt. Before old M.Z. the web was full of my threats. Now my face and my name are all I have left. Left to the labor to unlock some doors but failed so I had to join the army core. Shave my head break my spirit sign me up for three tours. They bought my body so I guess I'm just the governments whore, yeah they own my boy now I'm the government's whore. But I'll wait outside for the night sky. Where God drew his face in outer space and I'll hide my eyes from the sunlight. Like some dark age monk I'll just keep copying books. Spend my last 50 years to record the sins I forsook. For all my ascetic habits, I've made up in looks. Oh hell's what I gave and hell's what took me on back to the promised land with some new age gypsy just holding my hand. My father hated them fascists but fell in love with the klan, he was true blue youth but became the man, true blue youth but became the man. So I'll wait outside for the night sky. Where God drew his face in outer space and I'll hide my eyes from the sunlight.
3.
King Lion 06:14
I traced your tracks to your parents house, so thanks for praying for snow. I may be young but I'm no coward, I just couldnt take your tone. I asked you kindly "would you bother to attend the friendly slaughter at my game?" You just sat behind the bleachers hanging out with all the refers but you came! You are the fox that makes me whisper, the rain that makes me grow. The golden goose that gets my gander. The tee that drives me home. I fake the pride in my eyes while I deal with the pain in my throat. Yeah even through you were disloyal, you're the rainbow in my oil. Beautiful! And so now I've got to let you go because if you give me the slip king lion stays alone. Hanging through the wind, these are never going to find me. Hang it from the chimneys you're never going to see me break. Hang it from wind these are never going to find me. Hang it from the chimneys youre never going to see me again.
4.
Running Man 03:36
I'm headed for the road with the devil who's a graceful ballerino. I helped him with his form. Hey keep your hands in the middle with the Mexican cokes. He never thought of running away. No he never thought of running away. No he never thought of running away because the devil had his own debts to pay. So I will take you home. With your match in the fire rest your head on the door. I hope youre happy here. Ill be the vampire who mingles all your love with your fear. You never thought of running away. Oh no you never thought of running away. If you would have left me it would be a mistake because you've only got yourself to blame. I made a mistake and almost lost it when your parents came back and I hid in your closet. That's the bad part of being in love.
5.
I was passing through some winnebago wilderness when I bumped in to a stranger with eyes full of forgiveness. I said Im sorry sir I know your life has been no bed of roses. So please accept my apologies so we can put this mess behind us. He said friend, are you all right? And does your mind keep you up at night? It's true that youve got to be kind, oh but dont go lying down so fast if you really want to thrive. Like when life just hands you lemons, and you dont know what to say, you just slap life in the face and tell it to make your lemonade. Say yeah I may be broke right now but I aint nobody's slave, life youll work for me and not the other way. So I headed back to Georgia to the local superstore when the sweetest southern bell ive seen greeted me at the door. She said time has had his way with me but if I could I'd help you more. But now old regrets and my loneliness are all that I can afford. And I said friend, are you alright? And does your mind keep you up at night? It's true that we're all going to die. But death is not the end, it's just another part of life. You'll leave your cares behind with all those red curb restrictions. Stand up proud and dance around. Throw your debt upon your children. And yourll meet up with old friends who've joined the saintly congregation, and like a snow globe on antique shelf, you just cant help but shake it!
6.
I asked you shyly "wanna get out of here?" You said" I dont mind", so I forgot my fear. By the north Platte tracks we stopped to park. You said "every train is a piece of art." So we sat and admired the painted boxcars til morning came. I said "I dont care what you think about me." You said "Im not tired I dont wanna go to sleep yet!" Ba-ba-ba-baby please let me walk you home. You just softly smiled said I dont like to be alone. Oh my my oh-la-la youre just toying with me. So keep your forked tongue behind your perfect teeth. But when we passed by the stadium she would sing "sha la la with me." I forgot what hands were for. If love is the message can I be your messenger? In the sunshine, on a clear day. You can find me by the freeway. And if you find love I wont make you stay. You can count me as a mistake. And I will leave you alone.
7.
Chinatown 04:10
Feel the response. Oh! the satisfaction. People buy nothing cuz theyre terrible with fractions. Call my mountain yuppies into action. Subaru cavalry. Chaco fantasy. Sunset eyes, smokin thighs, picture perfect beauty. But I left my seat now they wont let me back in. So I hang around, sit and wait, head to the golden city. Where I approach you slowly with my cheshire cat grin. And you say "you're not the first boy to follow me home and tell me he was in love, and I'm sure there'll be more to come." I keep clicking like I'll forget some day as you touch your sun spent shoulders, sweater tied round your waist. From here on it's just the telephone. If you're clever than forever I will leave you alone. But if you hate the whole world I'll come back for you. Take you down to the waves at Malibu. I'll check you in at your gates you know I'll see you through. We'll find an island retreat fully void of snow. DDR in the hotels of Tokyo. Come on just twist those kicks, girl you've got to move... Like that. And if you hate the whole world I'll come back for you. Take you down to the waves at Malibu. We'll find an island retreat fully void of snow. DDR in the hotels of Tokyo. We'll hit the shopping malls in our plastic clothes. Build a castle of sand down in Mexico. We'll find cassette tape joy in the afternoon.
8.
Sleeping late in the day until the afternoon, jumping suburban gates sneaking into swimming pools then sit tight in the parking lot, and listen to our favorite tunes. You keeping time with your hands was something beautiful like making summer time rainbows with the garden hose, by spraying into the sunlight you improvised miracles. And we were swinging from the trees like some jungle ape, oh we were all lost boys in 1998, with our summer soaked skin bare feet and Nintendo youth. And if it's true what they say on T.V., that money's free and life is easy the bare minimum will do kids. We spent our whole youth just praying out of summer school. Oh yeah those hell-bent bomb threating kids were cool because while they meant no harm they were just doing what they had to do. And we're the proud products of these public schools, I said I'm your huckleberry Tom Sawyer is you! Because while attendance is checked, all the learning is up to you. Now we know. Now we say "kid you better pay your dues." Like a plague from long ago you've got to reinstate a brand new Antoinette that will carry her weight. Five to the paperback move of this police state, then yell "piss on it! Let them eat urinal cake!" Still got my dream girl i loved from way back in the day. We're like an antique prison with a fresh clean slate so forget the divorce, and ensuing debate on what is and what was and what i've lost and i've made. They scream "fill me up! fill me up! fill me up! Im hungry now." I'm like "that's enough! That's enough! That's enough! We know what you're all about... Greed from the bottom up!" I could buy into blue collar serventry or involve myself in all the media pyramid schemes where they tell two people and they'll pass it to me and believe! I'll believe! I'll believe anything! Sell me all of your mortgage backed securities I will sandblast my body keep my motor clean. Survive off of welfare and government cheese, lose my house and my wife living the American dream and scream "fill me up! fill me up! fill me up! Im hungry now." I'm like "that's enough! That's enough! That's enough! We know what you're all about! This is out of control!" Sleeping late in the day until the afternoon jumping suburban gates sneaking into swimming pools then sit by the T.V. to catch up on the news they say take what you want, I say dont mind if I do! Because we're the proud products of these public schools I'm like I'm your huckleberry Tom Sawyer is you. Because while attendance is checked and you floated on through raise the bar and the roof cuz i ain't nobody's fool.
9.
Keep an optimist's heart.

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released February 23, 2013

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Seminole Roots Houston, Texas

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