Dead

You’re born with nothing.

Your cheeks are apple dumplings.

The air, the water,

There’s something more you’re wanting.

The milk, the sugar,

Outside you there’s a name and

You came with nothing,

You’ll leave here just the same but

Between the dark and the dark is

The voice you’re always hearing.

Some crazy auctioneer is yelling at you

And you walk, you run. You flee the dark and see the sun

And every brick you ever laid will crumble away.

Your mama’s dead.

Your daddy’s dead.

Your brother’s dead

And so are you.

Abe Lincoln’s dead.

Frank James is dead.

Your mama’s dead

And so are you and so are you.

Your adolescence

Was just unopened presents.

You drank the liquor,

It made it all go quicker.

Those dead ancestors,

You had to make an exit.

You went and found the bottle

And now your face reflects it.

And so, you fail with failures

And you confront your rivals

Who stand there armed with Bibles pointing at you

And you plot,

You scheme.

You had a chance,

You had a dream.

You couldn’t get a witness so you stand here today.

Your mama’s dead.

John Gotti’s dead.

Dillinger’s dead

And so are you.

Balzac is dead.

Tupac is dead.

Anne Frank is dead

And so are you and so are you.

I’ve been a pilgrim on the road from coast to coast.

I’ve looked around and all I’ve seen was hungry ghosts,

Getting and spending on the gravel road through hell.

I know the drill cuz I’m one of them as well.

Your wild desire

And all you must acquire –

More love, more money

But don’t you find it funny

That still you’re hungry,

In fact you’re really famished?

The craving and the panic

Until the day you’ve vanished.

You just keep pushing pushers,

You just keep cheating cheaters

Like those religious leaders tell you to do

So you kick, You scream,

You hear the graduation theme.

Jehovah calls your name and then she takes you away.

Babe Ruth is dead.

George Custer’s dead.

Black Elk is dead

And so are you.

Joe Young is dead.

Bert Convy’s dead.

Glenn Gould is dead

And so are you.

Your mama’s dead.

Your daddy’s dead.

They’re all just dead

And so are you.

Look at them dead.

Look at me dead.

Look at you dead

And so are you and so are you.