The Smashing of Pictures Lyrics

The Smashing of Pictures is my debut CD. You can view the lyrics to any of the songs on The Smashing of Pictures. Some of my favorite lyricists are Bob Dylan, Prince, Lennon/McCartney, and spoken word poets (Kerouac, Maggie Estep, and Saul Williams). I like witty pop songs that unnerve you. Songs on this disc include:

Modest Appeal The Thing U Love Oh! Yoko!/Dear John Common Ground Getting Stronger A Faster Bullet The Smashing of Pictures All Over You No Passing Thing A Faster Bullet (Reprise) Daily Bread Been My Baby

Lyrics from the CD The Smashing of Pictures

Modest Appeal

Love Me.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

You Fear The Thing you Love.

See CD for lyrics.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
you 're my Yoko.

Worn suitcase by the bed
Torn pictures on the floor
Scattered memories all are chasing me,
crying out for more.

Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
you 're my Yoko.

Pictures can tell our story,
but they can never show
How much I love you baby--
you will always by my Yoko.

Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
you 're my Yoko.

Oh! Yoko.

Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
you 're my Yoko.

Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
Oh! Yoko. Don't you go!
you 're my Yoko.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

Now that we've let our defenses down, we've found our Common Ground.
Now that we've let our defenses down, we've found our Common Ground.
It wouldn't hurt nobody and there's no one else around--
Why don't we get together on the Common Ground?

Pictures from the trip spread themselves around
After everyone else went home.
Half-empty drinks on the bookshelf there
Wouldn't dare to leave us alone.
When she grabbed his picture I heard it say,
"you really should make him leave! "
But she had one hand on him,
the other on me
And she was squeezing my knee. . .

Yeah. Would you meet me?
Yeah. Could you meet me?
I want you --
on the Common Ground.

I had to ask--I had to ask her. . .
and for their first time, it was great.
But he left her wanting and a little sore
And now she's getting late. . .
"Don't know why I'm telling you But when I checked it came up blue--
What's a pretty girl to do
When Everyone knows--yeah everyone in town knows you ?"

Yeah. Would you meet me?
Yeah. Could you meet me?
I want you --
on the Common Ground.

Now that we've let our defenses down, we've found our Common Ground.
Now that we've let our defenses down, we've found our Common Ground.
It wouldn't hurt nobody and there's no one else around--
Y don't we get together on the Common Ground?

Getting closer on the couch than we needed to be --
I was comforting her as she was comforting me.
And for a while things got messy, but she swears she's doing fine.
But I'm left wanting a baby that I know is not mine.

Yeah. Would you meet me?
Yeah. Could you meet me?
I want you --
on the Common Ground.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

It's getting stronger
It's getting stronger--
Stronger every day. . .
Say you won't be leaving me--
Baby, say you 'll stay.

Can you hear it?
It's calling you and you can't turn away.
Do you think it's a game?
Or do you feel the same?

Whenever we're apart--
It's pounding on your heart.

It can only get stronger.

It's getting louder
It's getting louder--
Louder every night
It won't be denied.
Not without a fight.

Whenever we're apart--
It's pounding on your heart.

It can only get stronger.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

There's a kid on the street with a gun in his hand.
His brother's in the army in a foreign land.
My girlfriend is sleeping with another man.
She never told me--said I don't understand. . .

Why do I face the trigger
And wait for you to pull it?
Why am I praying to God
Praying for a faster bullet?

My Dad has to work for a son of a bitch,
while the dealer on the corner is getting rich.
Acid rains from heaven above.
Even sex can kill you and those you love.

Why do I face the trigger
And wait for you to pull it?
Why am I praying to God
Praying for a faster bullet?

Crumpled in the corner with my pictures of you ,
I hear "I Love you"; over a tear or to.
You think it's the truth, but it can't really be . . .
Why do the people I really love, really love to hurt me?

Why do I face the trigger
And wait for you to pull it?
Why am I praying to God
Praying for a faster bullet?
Why do I face the trigger
And wait for you to pull it?
Why am I praying to God
Praying for a faster bullet?

Someone says we were born to war.
I want to know what we're fighting for .
There's so much hate, why must we fuel it?
Is it for the power of the faster bullet?

Why when I feel my head,
Why is it bleeding?
Why my body feels the pain,
but I can't understand the beating.

Give me the Faster Bullet.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

Those eyes, alive,
Behind the glass,
with 1,000 words--
And the ring
you lost and never found--
A snapshot of what we were.

Nearly kissing,
our arms around each other,
our hair wet with rain.
The ships behinds us,
fighting painted waters--
Her crewmen showing strain.

Shatter all I've known.
Break me on the phone.
Picture me alone.
Picture you --
Gone, and the pieces torn.
The Smashing of Pictures!

Break! Break!

for her gentle fingers,
the roundness of her shoulder,
And the chance to win,
the smell of blood,
for sounds of breaking glass,
Let the show begin.

Shatter all I've known.
Break me on the phone.
Picture me alone.
Picture you --
Gone, and the pieces torn.
The Smashing of Pictures!

Break! Break!

Breaking our Egos,
and tearing ourselves
into tiny pieces,
Shattering all the memories--
These R my releases.

Shatter all I've known.
Break me on the phone.
Picture me alone.
Picture you --
Gone, and the pieces torn.

Yelling that I'm wrong.

I can't believe you 're gone.

The Smashing of Pictures!

Break! Break!

Copyright Brian Hartzog

OOh baby--tell me what went wrong
Tell me you thought it would all along
Cuz I've tried true love, tried forgettin' to (There's not much left to do.)

I gotta get all over you .

OOh baby--don't talk about mistakes
Cause I don't know how many more of your lies I can take
Stop jammin' my transmissions, you gotta let me thru'--

I'm gonna get all over you .

Got to get all over you .
Got to get all over you .
Got to get all over you .
Nothing else is ever gonna do, baby.

Ooh Baby--I've never hurt like this before .
I know I've never hated or loved anyone more.
Can't repair my head since the last you said was:
"I never wanted to hurt you ."

Yeah O.K. I'ma get all over you .

Got to get all over you .
Got to get all over you .
Got to get all over you .
Nothing else is ever gonna do, baby.

What am I gonna do baby?

What am I gonna do baby?

What am I gonna do baby?

What am I gonna do baby?

Ooh baby--did you ever stop to think of me?
Did you forget that I was your only fantasy?
Do you think he even cares about you ?
Do you really think he'd die for you ?

Or is he just all over you ?

Got to get all over you .
Got to get all over you .
Got to get all over you .
Nothing else is ever gonna do, baby.

You lied and cheated and used me to .
So I'ma get all over you .

Copyright Brian Hartzog

Lying outside, on the ground,
rolling around as the sun is going way down
into darkness, I feel your breath in my ear--
What I hear is so clear dear, it must be sincere dear.
With my necklace on your chest won't cha dare to be bold
you start to shiver softly, but you 're really not cold.
Then I see you above me, hear the rain on my car--
Coming down slowly, coming down hard.
The stars spin, as we notice the wind.
And now you 're getting closer--yeah, to close to be friends!
The Thunder it blows, the Lightning it shows
Our shadows as they blend--
you know just then,
you got no more boyfriend.
The rules that we break are part of chances we take
But it's no mistake these are the choices we make
And if I'm lying, cut my soul from its string.
Cuz I felt all along this was no passing thing.

On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.
On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.

She said, "Baby, I'm leavin!
I'm on the way out the door.
Cuz I don't think I can be your baby no more.
I thought we needed time--but it didn't change a thing
And I've done my very best to give you everything.
"So you shouldn't be mad. (No.) you shouldn't be hurt. (No.)
Cuz I'm not here to rub your face in the dirt.
It'll work out for the best in the end.
And I really hope you 'll speak when you see me again.
"There's so much to say but I really can't stay
Don't wanna hurt you baby, but tomorrow is a new day
No matter what, I hope you 'll stay my friend
But you Know Who called me. . .
And I am getting back with him."
The fever in her eyes said she couldn't tell me lies.
I told her Best of Luck
Then we said our Goodbyes. . .
"Oh Baby, (Yeah?) there's just one more thing--
I know what you 're thinking,
But this is no Passing thing."

On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.
On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.

Now I'm lying outside--where there's no where to hide
As the sun is goin' way down, I can't think though I try.
I C nothing but darkness, feel the wind in my ear--
What I hear is so clear, dear--it must be sincere, dear.
Some things that I told you should have never been told
I start to shiver softly, but I'm really not cold
The sky gives no answers, the stars they just spin
I know just then,
I am not your boyfriend.
Except for the pain, I have nothing to gain
I close my eyes and I sigh and it's starting to rain
I know from the rhythms of the rain on my car--
It's coming down slowly, coming down hard.
I cannot forget, and I will not reget--
I didn't want you to leave, but I wonder if you 're there yet.
Cuz you are the coolest, by far, that I've ever seen
And this way that I feel is no passing thing.

On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.
On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.

On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.
On it's always gonna keep on keepin' on
This is no passing thing.

Although you 're gone, this feeling that I got is goin' on.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

There's a kid on the street and he's packin' a gun--
He's got bloodshot eyes, nowhere to run,
And a date in the alley at a quarter to 1
with a dose of reality and who he's become.

My girl slept around with an older man--
So I left with my pictures and my broken plans.
3 months had passed since their affair began
before her friends told me--now I understand.

Why should I face the trigger
and wait for you to pull it?
Why should I face the gun--
there's no need for a faster bullet.

Someone says we were born to war--
Well, I want to know what you 're fighting for ,
And how you expect to settle the score
when the rest of us don't wanna fight no more.

Why should I face the trigger
and wait for you to pull it?
Why should I face the gun--
there's no need for a faster bullet.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

As President William admired his false teeth and tongue
He said, "I know I don't listen well, but at least I look young."
Valentino was in the parlor with his blue jeans undone,
When Bill's wife said "Come closer, Val--his hearing is gone.
Cuz I wanna thank-you for my daily bread."

A desperate Noah said, "I'm gonna grow me a beard
until the last holy rain cloud has finally disappeared
Cuz when I look around this boat, man, I can tell it's getting weird
you know at the last sacrifice, the lamb he volunteered!
So I wanna thank Him for my daily bread.
So I wanna thank Him for my daily bread."

Old Reverend Hodges he turned the baptism to wine
And the entire congregation well they began to feel fine
Somebody in the choir whispered it must be a sign
as the Reverend noticed, "Excuse me, but I think we're outta time
But I wanna thank Him for my daily bread.
But I wanna thank Him for my daily bread."

Adam caught the serpent looking at Eve
said, "God, you know I believe.
But I can tell he's got more than a few tricks up his sleeve."
The serpent said, "Excuse us, but I think you should leave."

The power hungry princess after Joe killed the girl a queen
said, "Joe, I'm still starvin' man. Don't you know what I mean?
And you've got to be the cutest assassin that I've ever seen!
Come let me thank you for how naughty you've been.
Cuz I wanna thank you for my daily bread.
Cuz I wanna thank you for my daily bread.
Cuz I wanna thank you for my daily bread."

Copyright Brian Hartzog

Listenin' to the clock,
she's thinking of leaving
the restless summer nights
where she boxed up her feelings.
A soft angelic face
that she sees in the ceiling
whispers the words of wisdom
that she hears in his breathing.

She gets up before him
Quietly raises the shade
And watches the August night
turn slowly into the day
Rubbing her eyes,
she tries to stare through the pain
Looking to explain
what she'll never say

Don't know how long since you been my baby
Don't know how long since you been my baby
Maybe when I'm gone, I'll know what you meant to me baby
But I don't know what I'll do without you .

He doesn't understand
so she does her best to explain--
how time spent together
is time you can never reclaim--
And without tomorrow
Today will set in again--
And all the pieces that remain
You can't put back again. . .

Don't know how long since you been my baby
Don't know how long since you been my baby
Maybe when I'm gone, I'll know what you meant to me baby
But I don't know what I'll do without you .

I love you baby.

I love you baby.

I love you baby.

I love you baby.

Copyright Brian Hartzog

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