1. Ophelia
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
Ophelia was a bride of God
A novice Carmelite
In sister cells
The cloister bells tolled on her wedding night
Ophelia was the rebel girl
A blue stockting suffragette
Who remedied society between her cigarettes
And Ophelia was the sweetheart
To a nation overnight
Curvaceous thighs
Vivacious eyes
Love was at first sight...
Love was at first sight...
Love...
Ophelia was a demigoddess in pre-war Babylon
So statuesque a silhouette in black satin evening gowns
Ophelia was the mistress to
A Vegas gambling man
Signora Ophelia Maraschina
Mafia courtesan
Ophelia was the circus queen
The female cannonball
Projected through five flaming hoops
To wild and shocked applause
To wild and shocked applause
Ophelia was a tempest cyclone
A goddamn hurricane
Your common sense, your best defense
They wasted , and in vain
For Ophelia 'd know your every woe
And every pain you'd ever had
She'd sympathize and dry your eyes
Help you to forget...
And help you to forget
And help you to forget
Ophelia's mind went wandering
You'd wonder where she goes
Through secret doors down corridors
She wanders there alone
All alone
(voice in german)
"Es kostet mich keine kleine Krise die Verunreinigung und das
Suechtige aus meinem Leben auszuschliessen"
("But it is for me no little effort to exclude the polluting and the addictive
from my life." )
(voice in spanish)
"compondo musica , en un estado de ecstases"
("composing music , in a state of ecstasy")
(voice in spanish)
"fuerza de vida , de vida"
( "strength of life , of life")
(voice in german)
"Mein Vater ist ein Architekt"
("My father is an architect." )
2. Life Is Sweet
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
It's a pity
It's a crying shame
He pulled you down again
How painful it must be
To bruise so easily
Inside
It’s a pity
It’s a downright crime
It happens all the time
You want to stay little daddy’s girl
You want to hide from a vicious world
Outside
Don’t cry
You know the tears will do no good
So dry your eyes
Oh, your daddy
He’s the iron man
Battleship wrecked under dry land
Your mamma
She’s a bitter bride
She’ll never be satisfied
do you know ?
And that’s not right
But don’t cry
You know the tears will do no good
So dry your eyes
Oh, they told you life is hard
Misery from the start
It’s dull
It’s slow
It’s painful
But, I’ll tell you life is sweet
Inspite of the misery
There is so much more to be grateful
Well, who do you believe?
Who will you listen to?
Who will it be?
'Cause it's high time that you decide
In your own mind
I've tryed to comfort you
I've tried to tell you to be patient
They are blind
And they can’t see
Fortune gonna come one day
They're all gonna fade away
Your daddy
the war machine
and
Your momma
the long and suffering
prisioner of what she can not see
For they've told you life is hard
Misery from the start
It’s dull
It’s slow
It’s painful
But, I’ll tell you life is sweet
Inspite of the misery
There is so much more to be grateful
So, who will you believe?
Who will you listen to?
Who will it be?
Because it's high time that you decide
It’s time to make up your own
your own state of mind
Oh,they 've told you that life is long
Be thankful when it’s done
Don’t ask for more
be grateful
But, I’ll tell you life is short
Be thankful
Because before you know
It will be over
'Cause life is sweet
Life is oh so very short
Life is sweet
And life is oh so very short
Life is sweet
And life is sweet
And life is sweet
3. Kind and Generous
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
You've been so kind and generous, I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you
For your selflessness, my admiration
For everything you've done, you know I'm bound, I'm bound to
thank you for it....
You've been so kind and generous, I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you
And I never could have come this far without you
For everything you've done, you know I'm bound, I'm bound to
thank you for it....
I want to thank you for so many gifts you gave with love and tenderness,
I wanna thank you
I want to thank you for your generosity, the love and the honesty that you gave me
I want to thank you, show my gratitude, my love and my respect for you,
I wanna thank you
Oh I want to thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you...
4. Frozen Charlotte
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
Blue like the winter snow in the full moon
Black like the silhouettes of the trees
Late blooming flowers lie frozen underneath the stars
I want you to remember me that way
Far away
I'll be gone .Will you wait for me?
How long ?
I don't know.Will you wait for me?
Still , as the river grows in December
Silent and perfect blinding ice
Spring keeps her promises
No cold can keep her back
I want you to remember me that way
Far away
I'll be gone. Will you wait for me here?
How long ?
I don't know but wait for me here
Follow
Don't follow me to where ,where I go
Far away
I'll be gone . Will you wait for me here?
How long?
I don't know, will you wait for me here?
Follow
Don't follow me to where I've gone
Follow
Don't follow me to where I've gone
Someday you'll take my place
And I'll wait for you here
5. My Skin
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
Take a look at my body,
look at my hands
there's so much here that I don't understand
Your face saving promises,
whispered like prayers
I don't need them.
Cuz I've been treated so wrong
I've been treated so long as if I'm becoming untouchable...
Well, contempt loves the silence
it thrives in the dark,
the fine winding tendrils that strangle the heart
They say that promises sweeten the blow
but I don't need them... no I don't need them.
I've been treated so wrong,
I've been treated so long as if I'm becoming untouchable
I'm a slow dying flower
I'm the frost killing hour
sweet turning sour
& untouchable.
ooh I need
the darkness,
the sweetness,
the sadness,
the weakness,
ooh I need this.
Need a lullabye,
a kiss goodnight,
angel, sweet love of my life
ooh I need this
I'm a slow dying flower
frost killing hour
the sweet turning sour
& untouchable
Do you remember the way that you touched me before,
all the trembling sweetness
I loved and adored...
Your face saving promises
whispered like prayers.
I don't need them.
I need the darkness,
the sweetness,
the sadness,
the weakness,
ooh I need this.
I need a lullabye
a kiss goodnight,
angel, sweet love of my life
ooh I need this
Well, is it dark enough,
can you see me?
do you want me?
can you reach me?
or I'm leaving...
you better shut your mouth
and hold your breath
you kiss me now,
you catch your death
oh I mean this...
oh I mean this..
6.Break Your Heart
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
Oh people downcast in despair
See the disillusion everywhere
Hoping their bad luck will change
Gets a little harder everyday
People struggle
People fight for the simple pleasures in their life
The trouble comes from everywhere
It's a little more than you can bear
I know that it will hurt
I know that it will break your heart
The way things are
And the way they've been
And the way they've always been
People shallow
Self-absorbed
See the push and shove for their rewards
With nothing nice on their minds
You can read about it in their eyes
People ruthless
People cruel
The damage that some people do
Full of hatred
Full of pride
It's enough to make you lose your mind
I know that it will hurt
I know that it will break your heart
The way things are
And the way they've been
Yeah I know that it will hurt
I know that it will break your heart
The way things are
And the way they've been
Don't spread the discontent
Don't spread the lies
Don't make the same mistakes with your own life
You know [ a little love survives ]
Yeah I know that it will hurt
I know that it will break your heart
The way things are
And the way they've been
Don't spread the discontent
Don't spread the lies
Don't make the same mistakes with your own life
And don't disrespect yourself
Don't lose your pride
And don't think everybody's going to choose your side
Oh no...
Oh no...
Oh no...
Oh no...
No no...
7."King of May"
Lyric and music : Natalie Merchant
Farewell today
Travel on now
Be on your way
Go safely there
And never worry, never care
Beyond this day
Farewell tonight
To all joy and to all your life
Go on, go peacefully
We can keep your majesty
Be on your way
Make credit for the last King of May
Make a cardboard crown for him
And make your voices one
Praise a crazy mother's son
Who loved his life
Farewell today
Travel on now
Be on your way
Can bear the very thought that we
That we could keep your majesty
Be on your way
Make credit for the last King of May
Make a hole in the crowd for him
Raise your voices up
Drink your loving cup
To his long life
To his long life
Ooohhh
Make credit for the last King of May
Make a hole in the sky for him
And raise your voices up
Lift your loving cup
To his long life
His long life
And raise your voices up
Lift your loving cup
To his long life
To his long life
His long life
His long life
To his long life
