Jean The Birdman

Jean The Birdman

He gambles on the saddle
He's pulling on the mane
He thrashes on the horse's back
Ambition is a bloody game

Horse doesn't want to jump
The river looks too wide
Well he faces every hurdle
With a nervous state of mind

"Stay with me, breathe deeply
take three passes back
turn and make a full attack"

The gods are laughing
And they're tugging at the reins
But he's taken to his wings
And they hit the bank

Heaven may stone him
But Jean the birdman pulls it off

His finger's on the trigger
His eye is on the clock
He doesn't give the game away
And quickly fires the bullets off

Six hearts cut short
Still dreaming they're alive
Blown 'round in dusty circles
Like an absent state of mind

Who hunter? Who victim?
God love America
He surely doesn't love him

Hitching out of nowhere
Lines of traffic knee deep
A chance to stave the morning off
And get some sleep

Heaven may stone him
But Jean the birdman pulls it off

He wears a crucifix
His mother left to him
It's wrapped in chains around his heart
Rusted and wafer thin

"Don't count on luck son"
All the angels sing
"Don't need to check a weathervane
We all know what tomorrow brings"

Life is a cattle farm
Coyotes with the mules
Life is a bullring
For taking risks and flouting rules

Who needs a safety net
The world is open wide
Just look out for card sharks
And the danger signs

Heaven may stone him
But Jean the birdman pulls it off

Jean The Birdman

Collaboration with Robert Fripp

Earthbound (Starblind)

Like a black crow standing on a sea of shells
She's blessed by magic and the sound of liberty's bells
And I'll raise the curfew and sit by her door
She's been through this world before

Out in the snowfields, coyote tracks
She calls out its name with the words I lack
And it turns its head and howls to the moon
She's gonna be leaving me soon

She's giving me questions and quizical looks
She tears up my papers and burns all my books
They gave her nothing she didn't already know
She's getting ready to go

Down in the basement among her things
I opened her boxes and found her rings
I offered her money she said "They're not for sale"
She guards her secrets well

Somebody saw her down on the beach
Followed her footsteps but they ended at the sea
Still when she found out she goes and raises hell
She guards her secrets well

Each face is a mirror reflecting her own
She squanders affection and rarely goes home alone
But I wouldn't ask for anything if only she'd tell me its through
She guards her secrets too

Like a black crow standing on a sea of shells
She's blessed by magic and the sound of liberty's bells
And I'll raise the curfew and sit by her door
She's been through this world before

Earthbound (Starblind)

Actually, this track consists of two songs: Earthbound 0.00-4.15/Starblind 4.15-10.05

Endgame

Endgame
David Sylvian
Jean the Birdman Part 1
Transcribed by Andrew (sakurahigh@frenziedsilence.com)

    A         G         F#m       D         E         A7
    xo   o     xooo               xxo       o   oo    xo
    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||    |||0||    ||||||
    ||000|    ||||||    0||000    |||0|0    |00|||    ||000|
    ||||||    0||||0    ||||||    ||||0|    ||||||    |||||0
    ||||||    ||||||    |00|||    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||
    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||    ||||||
      123     2    3    134111       132     231        1234


4/4

A    |  A    |  A    |  A    |

A
 I just sank into sleep
     A                        G      F#m
 The conversation wasn't worth repeating
A
 Faith would start the morning off
    A                                     G    F#m
 By judging love, she had finally found me wanting
D                              A               E
 She said that I was born with one foot in the door
  D                             A                   G
 "Displays of affection but you don't know what it's for"
     E                  D
 And Jesus said, "Don't worry, son
        A                 G   A          |  A    |
 That's just the sound of God laughing"

A
 Her room was quite a mess
     A                          G        F#m
 The court said I had no defense against her
A
 Her bags were packed, the doors are closing
     A                             G    F#m
 The three-day truce of hostilities was over
D                             A               E
 I thought I'd notice when my tail was in the fire
       D                                A              G
 She'd dress the wounds with vitriol to keep the burns alive
     E                   D
 And Jesus said, "If you listen good,
        A                 G   A          |  A    |  A    |  A    | 
 You'll hear the sound of God laughing"

A
 Last chances is in the car
     A                              G    F#m
 The fine white lines are leading to the station
A
 I'll start the journey off
 A                               G    F#m
 Defining love with a thousand explanations
D                                  A                 E
 Rows of telegraph poles where the railway meets the sea
 D                             A          G
 Counting crucifixions on this road to Calvary
         E                     D
 And the DJ said, "You've been listening to
     A                  G   A          |  A    |
 The wonderful sound of God laughing"
     E                       D
 And Jesus said, "Well, it's over once
        A                  G       A          |  A    |  A7    ||
 You've heard the sound of God____ laughing"
</pre>I just sank into sleep, the conversation wasn't worth repeating
Faith would start the morning off by judging love she'd finally found me wanting
She said that I was born with one foot in the door
Displays of affection but you don't know what it's for
And Jesus said "Don't worry son, that's just the sound of God laughing"

The room was quite a mess, the court said I had no defence against her
The bags were packed, the doors were closing, the three day truce of hostilities was over
I thought I'd notice when my tail was in the fire
She dressed the wounds with vitriol to keep the burns alive
And Jesus said "If you listen good you'll hear the sound of God laughing"

Last chances in the car, the fine white lines are leading to the station
I'll start the journey off defining love with a thousand explanations
Rows of telegraph poles where the railway meets the sea
Counting crucifixions on this road to Calvary
And the DJ said "You've been listening to the wonderful sound of God laughing"
And Jesus said "Well it's over once you've heard the sound of God laughing"

Endgame

Beautiful song. Only published on hard to find single.