#olliwood

It's no fun inching on the ground
watching all the skinny birds get ahead.
Those beautiful monsters who don't notice
or would rather see you dead.

Tough life, but keep doing as you're told
whatever it takes so you get by.
Coz it could be any day now,
and they say it's clear as day how: 
     you're meant to be a butterfly

You pay those dues, drink up your pride,
tasting a touch like piss and lemonade.
Come this far, no point in hesitating.
Can't keep that audience waiting.

Tough life, we all stumble in the dark
they've made a stage that's draped in black
tryin' to make that fake sun blinding?
tryin' to hide what no one's minding:
     the hunters circling to attack

The End

Is it the tunnel's end or a flame?
It's never led to anywhere.
There's no dream-come-true exit
to crawl out of this nightmare.

Running running running...
not afraid of the dark and dreary.
Been here so long that
these street-rat eyes can see quite clearly.

Tired of hearing that I gotta walk
and live the narrow and the straight
Try and make a desert man think
beyond pulling his own weight.

Head down, hand out
no one minds if no one bites.
They'll toss coins, crumbs, used excuses
whatever keeps this out of sight.

Running running running...
not afraid of the dark and dreary.
Been here so long that
I've seen rock bottom crystal clearly

I can prove them right about everything or not a thing.
I've seen the floods, the plague with next to nothing on my plate.
So thanks for nothing. I'm done apologizing 
that you gotta walk by and see me survive this sorry state.

Oh this ain't hell, just so you know.
This... is the end of the rainbow.

Lucky

Another set of tears
flowing down those used-up tracks
you tell me "he's a dog"
knowing full-well you'd take him back.

You don't want to be alone,
but it must be cold there in his shade
since he's blocking all the light
there at the head of your parade.

He broke your heart
but it's still ticking
look around you, this world's still
ripe for the picking.

So step out, walk away, 
head straight towards the sun
you'll look back someday knowing:
you were the lucky one.

You don't need a rhyme or reason, 
no, it won't be different "this time".
You've survived the fall (congratulations)
now its time to start that climb

Carousel

Innocent boy meets naive girl 
two glittering specks in a dust-filled world
Saying they feel so freed
as they go full-speed 
aren't we all just tricked with the same-old made-up story 
a freshly-rehashed tale of lust and glory.

The music invites you 
you're drunk off the spell. 
Whirling with lights and a
faint lacquered smell.
Sit up and smile on your white horse
somehow you can't even tell:
you're holding tightly to the trap -- you're caught! 
In his carousel.

Fast forwarding through 2 decades straight:
lady's made bank and she's doing great.
Always charging full speed 
and she feels so freed
but at home, she's alone wondering who's ahead and winning
and why she looks despondent when she's grinning.

The music invites you 
you're drunk off the spell.
Whirling with lights and a
faint lacquered smell.
Sit up and smile on your white horse
somehow you can't even tell:
you're holding tightly to the trap -- you're caught!
In his carousel.

She runs as fast as she can in place
riding on a high that she can't replace...
she rides as fast as she can in place
on a brand new horse in a made-up race...

-----------------------------------------
[...reflections on the prisons we don't recognize or choose not to leave]