The Dance Upon Nothing
(from Then Up)
WORD GAMES LYRICS
1. RED DOG RUNNING
Flashing eyes as the lights pass,
Hold tight and it won’t last.
Full speed chasing on a back road,
Racing just to get home.
Oh, I’m a red dog running.
Oh, and I lead the hounds.
Oh, but they keep on coming.
Oh, and they won’t back down.
Hiding out in the shadows,
Keep quiet and keep low.
Heart beat frozen in my blood stream,
Racing just to get me.
Oh, I’m a red dog running.
Oh, and I lead the hounds.
Oh, but they keep on coming.
Oh, and they won’t back down.
Wait ‘til morning light, gonna make it mine.
Had my chance to take it all this time.
Oh, I’m a red dog running.
Oh, and I lead the hounds.
Oh, but they keep on coming
And they won’t back down.
2. NAVIGATING
Girl on the floor in the dust of an old bookstore
Flicking through books like she knows what she’s looking for
Wearing a frown, so it makes her look quizzical
Somewhere in here her problem can be fixable.
Girl on the floor wants to know how to make you purr
See, she’s certain it’s one of the best feelings in the world
And she knows that she wants you, but can’t tell if you want her
So she’s flicking through pages to find out if you could adore her.
And oh, could we stay together for forever, on and on?
If I might just have an eye for navigating through the storm.
Girl on the floor found the page that she’s looking for
She’s been searching for hours but she’s not looking anymore
In her pocket, a folded up page from a book she tore
And she’s coming to find you to ask you if you could adore her.
And oh, could we stay together for forever, on and on?
If I might just have an eye for navigating through the storm.
And oh, could we stay together for forever, on and on?
If I might just have an eye for navigating through the storm.
3. ELOISE
The house that you built was strong
The house that you built was falling down anyway
But how did you last so long when everything all around you was crumbling?
You stood in the ruins and you said,
‘Well, out of this I can make something new instead
.’
The heart that you built would last
But maybe you lost it - maybe you would’ve anyway
You lifted you head and laughed and sang with your arms outstretched into nothing.
The song blew away across the ground,
A full-bodied, trembling sheet of sound.
Oh Eloise, you’re more than me.
Why can’t you see? Though you came from nothing,
You’ve so much more than that to give.
Somewhere down the road you found
A bright little light, a ball of energy and how you caught it, you’d never say
But it stayed in your hand and always seemed to light your way.
And so it warmed your smile,
The kind I haven’t seen in a long, long while.
Oh Eloise, you’re more than me.
Why can’t you see? Though you came from nothing
You’ve so much more than that to give.
Oh Eloise, you’re more than me.
Why can’t you see? Though you came from nothing
You’ve so much more than that to give.
4. MAKE ME STAY
I want to live without you
I won’t be swayed to stay
So here’s some words of wisdom: stay away.
You can’t just be the hero
You’re careless what you say
I’m running circles round you anyway.
I’m tongue-tied and restricted
I fail to make you see
I’m cautious and conflicted
You’ve gotta make me want you,
Make me smile,
Go on thrill me for a while.
Make me need you,
Blow me away.
You know I’ll want to: make me stay.
Make me stay.
Cards out on the table,
My heart out on my sleeve,
I’ll show you if I’m able: this is me.
I’m tongue-tied and restricted
I fail to make you see
I’m cautious and conflicted
You’ve gotta make me want you,
Make me smile,
Go on thrill me for a while.
Make me need you,
Blow me away.
You know I’ll want to: make me stay.
Make me want you,
Make me smile,
Go on thrill me for a while.
Make me need you,
Blow me away.
You know I’ll want to: make me stay.
Make me stay.
Make me stay.
And maybe I’ll stay.
5. DANCE WITH ME
Foolish girl, hiding out in the dark
Throw some light on to see where you are.
With this light on me, I can’t believe that I’m standing shy
With sweating palms, I leave the wall so you might
Dance with me, dance with me, dance with me when
I close my eyes.
When I breathe in, I can feel your heat
From the soles of my feet to my fingertips.
But I haven’t danced in a while and now I’ve found my feet
And oh my god, I can’t seem to resist
So dance with me, dance with me, dance with me when
I close my eyes.
And oh, I’m so unsure what to do,
The floor spins me out and I can’t move
So dance with me, dance with me, dance with me when
I close my eyes,
When I close my eyes, when I close my eyes.
6. FOOL'S GOLD
Fold it up and drop it down the gap between the lines, then let it stay.
Now wind me up and spin me out and leave me to fall down, then walk away.
But even I believed you when you showed me fool’s gold.
Why did I believe you? Cos’ now it seems so hard to let go.
‘Silver in your palm, you can’t just waste on anyone,’ is what you’d say to play the game.
If I perceived your lies, I’d see the joy behind your eyes and start the chase.
I run away.
But even I believed you when you showed me fool’s gold.
Why did I believe you? Cos’ now it seems so hard to let go.
You and I can never lie, never lie anymore.
You and I can never lie, never lie anymore, never lie anymore.
See, even I believed you when you showed me fool’s gold.
Why did I believe you? Cos’ now it seems so hard to let go.
You and I can never lie, never lie anymore.
7. PULSE
Frozen in the dark, curled up on the couch
I couldn’t tell or not if you’d take me as I am.
I couldn’t stop from hoping, couldn’t lay myself that bare
And when you leaned towards me, I just wondered if you cared,
But don’t tell me. Don’t tell me.
It’s fine to close my eyes and let each moment move,
To hold this soft sustain and never see it through.
And I am just a coward; you’re a fool to say I’m not,
But I’ll forgo the punch line if this minute never stops,
So don’t tell me. Don’t tell me.
Frozen where I am, listening for a pulse,
I just hold my breath and wait for if it comes.
Why the hell I’d do this, why on earth I’d give a damn,
See I believed in something, now I don’t know if I can,
So don’t tell me. Don’t tell me.
Don’t tell me. Don’t tell me.
8. MADRON'S WELL
Heavy fever, Winter’s snow
Steady footprints carry me alone
Song in breath, a sunset kiss
This final journey is my token wish.
Seal and sign those earthly clues
These messages are here in nature’s tune
Pleas for peace in silent minds,
They cross and curl and roll and weave and wind,
But I will leave and lay my voice for you.
I clutch the rag, now frail and cold
In this memory now a face unfolds.
Secret tears, all tied up tight
I leave this ribbon here then spin my life,
But I will leave and lay my voice for you.
I will lay my voice for you.
Fallen branches spread around
To the roots, these hearts have all been bound.
The bark cracks up and peels away,
A thousand souls within these rings of age,
But I will leave and lay my voice for you.
For you.
I will lay my voice for you.
9. THE POPPY
Shadows have crawled their way into the woods,
Shielding the ground from light to close the blinds.
But in the thick white snow, a poppy grew,
Just like a drop of blood been left behind.
Out through the darkened quiet, a creature came,
Covered with thick white fur on frozen ground
And there it saw the poppy raising her head,
Finding her way in what little light she’d found.
Never before had any creature seen something so beautiful beneath the trees,
So kneeling down, it plucked the poppy free and held her in its hands.
Back to an icy den the creature went
To keep the warm red bloom for its own,
But though she fought, the poppy dropped and bent
To curl into herself ‘til she was gone.
Through frozen tears the creature took her home,
Hoping to save the flower and keep her fair,
But all it found outside was endless snow,
No sign of blood red poppies that once grew there.
Never before had any creature seen something so beautiful beneath the trees,
So kneeling down, it lay the poppy free and held her in its hands.
It held her in its hands.
10. THE JOURNEY
He stood on the mountain, looked back from where hecame,
Thought to find all sunshine here, not thick grey mist and rain.
The path had not been easy; sometimes he hardly slept,
Yet upwards, ever forward, a steady march he kept.
Now upon that summit, as in the crest of life,
His keen perception sharpened by the sweating and the strife.
Bow your head to the world below
Bow your head down to all you hold
Well, here this place held nothing, just dampness in the dark.
There was no warmth, no sunshine; too cold to lighthis path.
He thought that she’d forsaken; his heart stood there still
For she was there beside him, standing close upon the hill.
She said, ‘Why are you lonely? Because you cannot see
There’s rich blue skies above you and that river winding free.’
Bow your head to the world below
Bow your head down to all you hold
He felt the air now quicken – again, his heart stood still,
There was warmth all about him and a light upon that hill.
His gaze was true and steadfast, a vision strong and bold,
For he knew she had stood with him to guide him through the cold.
11. LIGHTNING
I dream of cheering crowds, a fight to reach a finish line
I cycled to Crofton Park, imagined I was cycling for my pride.
As fast as lightning, as fast as lightning I’ll be.
My bike is purple with cracked tires and brakes that squeak,
But gold, silver and bronze are all my shades – I wear them perfectly.
As fast as lightning, as fast as lightning I’ll be.
Ever moving on.
Ever rolling on.
Oh roar, you noise – crescendo, sheet of sound, until you burst
And find the pounding ears of whoever’s reaching tobe first.
As fast as lightning, as fast as lightning they’ll be.
Ever moving on.
Ever rolling on.
Ever moving on.
Ever rolling on.
12. WORDGAMES
Oh, there’s a word I could say, but afraid that I’ll break it.
It might fall from my mouth. It’ll break itself outjust to brave it.
But out by the door, the wind moves itself in a frenzy
It shutters my mouth, it won’t let me out ‘til I fade away.
In here where the air is so near, I can hear my heart beating,
But out there where my breath caught the air, every whisper is fleeting.
And out by the door, the wind moves itself in a frenzy.
It shutters my mouth, it won’t let me out ‘til I fade away.
And I guess you didn’t hear me.
I guess you didn’t hear me.
Each swallowed word on my tongue might enough be to free me,
But not liberated, elated, still fated to dreaming.
To dreaming.