a lovely disarray

rhett miller | caroline | rhett miller

I have loved him for close to 15 years (since I was a wee lass) as the front man of the Old 97’s. After a chance meeting at a bar named The Barley House in Dallas when I was terribly underage, I’ve been hooked on his catchy music & morose lyrics. This is his third solo effort, Rhett Miller.

I’ve been down, I’ve been down too far to care
I keep getting in my car but I’m not going anywhere.
And I’ve been had, well at least that’s how it looks
And it’s not funny like on TV and it’s not smart like it is in books.

And I wonder yeah I wonder how the world keeps spinnin’ ‘round.
Where’s a boy with bad intentions gonna settle down?
And I don’t know what you’ve been told,
The streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.
Yeah the streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.

I recall, when I was twenty-three -
Wondering how anyone could fall in love with me.
But now I’m old, hell I’m well past twenty-five
And I can’t seem to fall in love no matter how I try.

And I wonder where I’ll wind up but I’m headed west I know.
Wind my way through Texas and into New Mexico,
And I don’t know what you’ve been told,
The streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.
Yeah the streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.

And I don’t know what you’ve been told,
The streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.
Yeah the streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.
Yeah the streets of where I’m from are paved with hearts instead of gold.

**My all-time favorite Old 97’s song**

**I’m still on a high from seeing them live last night. Rhett Miller looked amazing as always. That man never seems to age a day. Boyish good looks abounded.**

Nineteen is not the age of reason.
I didn’t have a reason to setting you free.

I’ve seen a lot of love go sour.
But that’s not our love.
You see the problem was I was only nineteen.

Yeah, I was only nineteen.
Finished up with high school.
Headed for a state school.
Wandered into you.

Big screen & kissing in a movie.
God, you moved me around.
We got seriously down… but I was only nineteen.

All I ever wanted to do
Was lie around in bed with you.
I was only nineteen. I was only nineteen.
I was only nineteen. I was only nineteen.

I’ve seen a lot of love go bad now.
That’s not how our affair would’ve wound up I swear.
But I was only nineteen.

i will remain | old 97’s

This is the story of Victoria Lee,
She started off on Percodan and ended up with me.
She lived in Berkeley ‘til the earthquake shook her loose.
She lives in Texas now where nothin’ ever moves.

Victoria you talk so low that no one else can hear,
Unless you point your megaphone directly at their ear.
This is the story of Victoria Lee,
She started on Rohypinol and ended up with me.

You’d like to think they’re your friends, but they’re not your friends,
And in the end a friend’s the one you’ll never know, oh don’t you know?
You’d like to think you’re groovy, it’s your movie, you see through me, but it’s true,
And in the end you’ll know, Victoria don’t go. Victoria, Victoria don’t go.

This is the story of Victoria’s heart,
You might think it’s stupid, but I still think it’s art.
She lost her lover to an accident at sea.
She pushed him overboard and ended up with me.

Victoria, you talk so low no one else can hear.
Unless you point your megaphone directly at their ear.
This is the story of Victoria’s heart.
It’s a really big one, and I don’t know where to start.

You’d like to think they’re your friends, but they’re not your friends,
And in the end a friend’s the one you’ll never know, oh don’t you know?
You’d like to think you’re groovy, it’s your movie, you see through me, but it’s true,
And in the end you’ll know, Victoria don’t go. Victoria, Victoria don’t go.

I watch, as it stops for a girl,
A moment, elaborate and weak.
I am easy in her midst,
Why elaborate, when there’s no need to?

But I do, all night,
My words ring like money off a bar.
But she’s here, asleep now,
One can only go alone so far.

One can only go alone so far.

I dream of a deep dark grave,
Seven feet below Saint Augustine.
And she’s so easy in her breathing,
Why fall in love, when there’s no need to?

But we do all night,
Sleep like spoons, forget whom we are.
But she’s here, and she’s wound down now.
One can only go alone so far.

One can only go alone so far.

alone so far | old 97’s

the color of a lonely heart is blue | old 97’s | blame it on gravity