The Sounds Outside
(The Way That Leaving Goes #1)
From "The Muse Tree (Demos)"
Julean and the Rai (as Julian Rai)
Copyright 2003 Julian D. Rai (BMI)

VERSE I
"Well, you can stay at my house,"
She said, "With no money now
You can sleep in my little girl's bedroom,
And she'll be fine, in my bed, for now.
Slide 'round the kitchen, you can
Eat all you want when you stay, and
Here's a key to the doorway --
Try to keep it down, if you come in late."

CHORUS I
("And of course if you wanted
You can come 'round to my door...")
I never caught the subtext --
Never caught on
To what exactly I was paying for
To what I was paying for
Room and board
Until I couldn't come back no more.


VERSE II
Got no food, and no money.
Going down to the 'Grind...
Score a cup of free coffee
For the 142nd time, thinking
How I plan to get liquid simply
Performing live, and I'm realizing
You can't make no money
Running local open mics...

CHORUS II
And I never expected
To be stramded on the streets here
Trying to find a bedroom
Making 60 bucks a week
Gotta' find a place to sleep, easy.

Hungrier still
As evening comes
Remembering who
I borrowed from
And the placed I've stayed
And the friends I've lost
All alone, with just
Me, guitar, and thoughts
God if I know
How this works out
Damned, if I go back
Homeward now ...
Gotta' get this all figured out...

VERSE III
Now I'm runnin' out of options
Having gone down to the bone,
Thinking about how I 'ain't been broke, or homeless
Since I left my mothers home

And here I am
Slinking up the driveway
Thinking "Lucky I got the key"
But my Mama got there first
And her smile surprised me.

CHORUS III
And outside the window
My brother groaned
As my mother said
Something 'bout Nintendo
And some upcoming test
Looks like life has carried on here
Just as if I'd never left.

Though I'm just taking a rest...
Maybe get the past year off my chest
(Sorry to bother you; I really need the couch)
Though I'm just taking a rest...
Maybe get the past year off my chest
(Sorry to bother you; I really need the couch)
Just taking a rest...
Gotta' get this last year off my chest.



Lyrics and music copyright 1996, 2003 Julian D. Rai (BMI), All Rights Reserved.