1. |
1989
04:59
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Nineteen Eighty-Nine
I drove a car across America
Hoping for someone to show me what I wanted
What I wanted to be
In the Arizona desert
I climbed to the top of that hill
Where I could see everything
And nothing
Going west, further west,
To that beach in Santa Monica
The end of the road
No further place to go now
Just the ocean that don’t want me anyway
And I was free and on my own looking for another
Who was free and on her own to be with each other
Where I’ll go, will you follow?
I got drunk on free wine at the gallery opening
I got the courage to ask someone: “ Is this real?”
I dropped off the car, took a bus back to the hotel
I saw the planes take off
And I wanted to go home
But nothing to come home to
Nobody even knows where I’m sleeping tonight
And I was free and on my own looking for another
Who was free and on her own, just to be with each other
Where you’ll go, I will follow
Where you’ll go, I’ll go
Free and on my own looking for another
Who was free and on her own to be with forever
Nineteen Eighty-Nine
I drove a car across America
Hoping for someone
To show me what I could be
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2. |
Cynthia is Crying
03:56
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My neck is really hurting
I can’t remember how I fell asleep last night
I was watching these pretty women
And the ghost of my pride
Then someone put me in a cab home
Through a night so violent and blue
Cynthia is crying
And I don’t know what to do
Broken glass by my bed
I try to keep the voices quiet
I know it’s too much thinking
But at least I don’t try to deny it
I should get up, pack my bags and start over
In a place where nobody knows my name
Cynthia is crying
And I don’t know if I’m to blame
People get out of church
Dressed and ready for Sunday driving
But I don’t think a god lives around here
And if he does, he’s really good at hiding
Just waiting for the day to end
Watch bad TV and let the phone ring
Tomorrow I’ll go to work again
And try not worry about a thing
But at night when I close my eyes
I see pictures of a chained dog in rage
Cynthia is crying
Long, dark lines in her face
Cynthia is crying
Long, dark lines in her face
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3. |
A Little War
06:21
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Do we need a little war?
Something to destroy
Do we get restless and bored
If peace lasts too long?
And if there’s nothing good to fight for
do we fight the good?
Do we need a little war?
Would we start one if we could?
Do we need a little war?
Someone to blame
We build fences and walls
We create us and them
Wave a flag or let it burn
Paint all in black and white
Do we need a little war
To know wrong from right?
What took years to build
Can be ruined in a day
What we carefully create
Can soon be blown away
It can feel so good to tear apart
Oh, we want the high
Do we need a little war?
To feel alive
We came from love
We came from love
We desire love
We require love
So why do we feed this hatred?
Someone planted a seed
It will take time to grow
Can we watch it come to life
So painfully slow?
Or is the stillness
An unbearable state?
Do we need a little war
Just to be with ourselves?
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4. |
Rule This Land
03:43
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We who came to rule this land
We who came to rule this land
We say we care for the Earth, we let is feed us
We care for the Earth, but the Earth doesn’t need us
Look, I caught a frog
And I feel beautiful and curious and cruel
Maybe I’ll pierce it a little
Poke it a little
Dig a little
Hurt, hurt, hurt it a little
We who came to rule this land
We who came to rule this land
It’s not moving now
Will it wake up again?
I was just playing a little
Experimenting a little
Exploring a little
Hurt, hurt, hurting it a little
We who came to rule this land
We who came to rule this land
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5. |
Tried Not to Break
06:00
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It’s late at night
What do I want to say?
Your daughter was born today
Eight thousand miles away
Her little head in your hands
So pure and divine
It’s been such a long, long time
Since I held yours in mine
‘Twas many years ago
A time when I couldn’t stay
I could say that I’m sorry
That I walked away
I tried not to break
But was it already broken?
Tried not to break, break, break
Good times at the park
At night we put your toys back on the shelf
And there were times I felt like I failed you
When I hated myself
Then one day you turned away
What we had went up in smoke
Long car rides back from the mountains
When you and I barely spoke
I tried not to break
But was it already broken?
Tried not to break, break, break
But for every rift
There’s a way to mend
To carry the hurt gets so heavy in the end
I blow out the candle
I put down the pen
May she sleep in your arms right now
As the sun rises
Again
I tried not to break
Maybe nothing was broken
Tried not to break, break, break
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6. |
7th Day
04:32
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On the first day
God made religion
So, if your life is shit
Just wait for another one
On the second day
God made money
And to add motivation
Some got more than others
One the third day
God made war
So, we can be together
And do something with our hate
On the fourth day
God made the gun
So, we can kill
Without dirtying our hands
On the fifth day
God made alcohol
So, we don’t think too much
And in case religion doesn’t work
On the sixth day
God made America
Beautiful America
For us to destroy
But when it’s over
We won’t remember
On the seventh day
We cry a little
Cry a little
On the eighth day
God looked down and said:
“I think I fucked up”
“I should have focused more on Love”
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7. |
Alexandria
05:43
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Rain’s in my shoes
But I’m still walking
Permanently bruised
So you won’t hear me talking
An echo of longing
I want to cut the cord
But the hunger’s ongoing
So I’m hiding my sword
Alexandria
We tried but we failed
Alexandria
Getting lost on the trail
The thoughts I don’t share
Distorted and dark
Clothes I don’t want to wear
I hear a lonely dog’s bark
And those who don’t care
Are the people I envy
So few things seem to make them scared
While I have so many
Alexandria
Too many knives in the back
Alexandria
We were covering up our tracks
If someone let hope in
Would I still choose to stay?
If the jail door was open
Would I walk away?
If the door was ajar
Would I leave with my pack?
Would I get very far
Before I’d turn back?
Alexandria
The end of a war
Alexandria
I still don’t know, still don’t know
What we were fighting for
Alexandria
It’s over and done
Alexandria
Nobody won
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8. |
Walking Up That Hill
04:35
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‘Til I hear the sound of that ancient bell
‘Til I find more patience and compassion for myself
‘Til I reach out for help and speak only what is real
I’ll be walking up that hill
‘Til I stop beating myself up for things I can’t control
‘Til I find more faith, ‘til I look deep into my soul
‘Til I realize that everything I do is of free will
I’ll be walking up that hill
It’s so hard to let go
Hard to see the river run so slow
It’s so hard to let go
But the river is still running
The river is still running
‘Til I learn to recognize Love’s true face
‘Til I don’t look for salvation in each and every place
‘Til I stop run away from the pain and learn to stand still
I’ll be walking up that hill
It’s so hard to let go
Hard to see the river run so slow
It’s so hard to let go
But the river is still running
The river is still running
‘Til I get down from the cross, ‘Til I really speak my mind
‘Til I tell you when I’m angry, ‘Til I waste less time
‘Til I finally surrender, yes until
I’ll be walking up that hill
I"ll be walking up that hill
I'll be walking up that hill
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9. |
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It was me and my cousin Bolle Thomasson
In the summer of Love
We walked along the water on grandpa’s island
In the summer of Love
A big blue sky, smell of the ocean, seagulls above
When they dived and I got scared
Bolle said, “Don’t worry”
We laughed in the kitchen sometimes
Though most jokes I didn’t get
But I thought Bolle was hilarious
‘Cause that’s what’s my sister said
Later that year we sat alone in our rooms
That day when Daddy took off
Mom smoked lots of cigarettes
I put some in my pocket
And I’m sitting all alone tonight
And I’m thinking about it, should I try to write about it?
Or just go out for a while?
And leave it behind
You fell sleep in my bed again and
That’s OK with me
Now I’m watching you
Thinking about what kind of father I want to be
I get so restless sometimes, half made pictures
And things all over the floor
Is it enough to tell you that I’m sorry?
And I’m sitting all alone tonight
And I’m thinking about it, should I try to write about it?
Or just go out for a while?
And leave it behind
We talk about what we’re trying to do
Though we rarely know where we’re going
One day I met Bolle again and he said
“How are you doing?”
He had a few kids, bought an old house
In the yard we sat and looked at the sea
He showed me pictures from grandpa’s island and
I asked for copies
And I’m sitting all alone tonight
And I’m thinking about it, should I try to write about it?
Or just go out for a while?
And leave it behind
There’s an open sky
I don’t want to talk about it, tell the world about it
I’ll be here for a while
I’ll try to leave it behind
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10. |
Letter From America
05:39
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In my room at thirteen
With my records and a borrowed guitar
Pictures of my heroes
Hanging on the walls
I walked down to the kitchen
They’re fighting again tonight
Your letter from America
In my pocket as I went out
You gave me more than love
You gave me more than love
You came back home with pictures and stories
That started a dream in me
Your boyfriend, a vegetarian
Was someone I wanted to be
Your ultimatum to our mother
You said, “He will come and stay with me”
“If you don’t cut down on drinking”
“There’s too much here he shouldn’t see”
You gave me more than love
You gave me more than love
These days, I don’t call you so often
Something I just don’t do
Writing this letter from America
Thinking of you
You gave me more than love
You gave me more than love
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Jens Rybo Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jens Rybo, a Swedish-American singer-songwriter from Cambridge, Massachusetts,
Originally from
Göteborg, Sweden, Jens played in local bands in the 80s.
After moving to the US in the 90s, Jens became a mental health professional, and worked for 23 years as the Executive Director for Tunefoolery Music, a non-profit organization for musicians in mental health recovery.
... more
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