Vanishing Point
Steve Klingaman – LP 2003

LYRICS

VANISHING POINT

Baby its been too long now
maybe we tried too hard
whenever I look into your eyes I see
the emptiness inside me
into the night into the fire
into the grinding of another day
where is the love?
where is the sense in this?
where is it written you should walk away?

Oooh, it’s just the vanishing point
oooh, it’s just the vanishing point
oooh, it’s just the vanishing point of love

Remember the sweet surrender
of lovers in love forever
so easy to lose that look of love, I see
the years have come and changed me
too proud to give up
too proud to give in
too proud to admit I don’t know where to begin
I come to now beyond all the vows I took
baby you know this time I am really shook

Oooh, it’s just the vanishing point
oooh, it’s just the vanishing point
oooh, it’s just the vanishing point of love

If we could leave the past behind
the love that I feel inside could shine
into the angry hours we fuss and fight
so passionately right
these are the lies
these are the tears
these are the words we use to hide our fears
I can’t explain
The way that I feel for you
all that I know is that it hurts me too
hear me crying now

Oooh, it’s just the vanishing point
oooh, it’s just the vanishing, vanishing point
it’s just the vanishing point of love

SOONER OR LATER

You hold the balance of power
of the two in relation.
Is it the physics of love
or a one-sided equation?
I hold you in my arms
but nothing is revealed
you play the lover
but your soul is well concealed.

Sooner or later you’ll love me
Sooner or later I’ll win your heart
Sooner or later you’ll need me
and if you don’t it will tear me apart.
I’ve got the feeling inside
You’ve got to believe that I will love you
love you…love you
love you love you love you, know I do.

You are the light and the shadow
between the day and night
you burn so hot and so cold
dressed up in black and white.
Your kind of freedom
is a mystery to me
nobody wants you
like I want you to be free.

Sooner or later you’ll love me
Sooner or later I’ll win your heart
Sooner or later you’ll need me
and if you don’t it will tear me apart.

This life is much too short
to hide your love behind a fortress wall
you built to keep out the strangers
when love is such a clear and present danger.

I give the warmth of my body
I give the salt of my tears
You give me reason to live
won’t you come over here?
I know the secret
that you tried so hard to hide
somebody hurt you bad
and something in you died.

Sooner or later you’ll love me
Sooner or later I’ll win your heart
Sooner or later you’ll need me
and if you don’t it will tear me apart.
I’ve got the feeling inside

You’ve got to believe that I will love you
love you love you
love you love you love you yes I do.

SAVE ME

Baby, you know me
a better man than I could be
would love the love you give to me.
baby, you throw me
little crimes & little lies I tell myself I fantasize.
blue-eyed lovers in the failing light
who never get it right

Why don’t you save me
why don’t you save me
why don’t you save me
save me from myself?

Baby, you break me
words I never meant to say
they hunt me down like birds of prey
baby, just take me
I never loved I never tried, my love’s a little suicide
not invited to the mystery dance
but I came anyway

Why don’t you save me
why don’t you save me
why don’t you save me
save me from myself?

Save me, sweet baby
from little murders of the heart
that I’ve committed from the start.
Save me, just maybe
take me to the riverside
and let me cross that sweet divide.
how do lovers find a way to love?
to fall and rise above.

Why don’t you save me
why don’t you save me
why don’t you save me
save me from myself?

Save me
little darling you can save me
I get the feeling you can save me
when I’m in your arms you save me
when you smile at me you save me

no one else could ever save me
a little loving’s gonna save me
give it up you gotta save me
you gotta gotta gotta save me
every night & every day
between the words I mean to say
I’ve got to shout about it
cuz there’s no doubt about it
when you hold me tight
when you kiss me right
I’ll be standing in the light
lay your hands upon me
I can feel it now
I got the feeling now
oh my my my
what you do to me, yeah
you set me free you’re gonna save me
it’s down to me I’m gonna save me
yeah yeah yeah

VISIONS OF KATHERINE

They had put me in that place down by St. Anthony’s Square
where the faith healers stroll along the corridors
I was visited by an apparition of Katherine there
she was looking at me like you fix me in your stare.

She inhabited a place between the saints & painted dolls
where voodoo drummers’ rhythms punctuate the stained glass halls
she traveled in her body like a Haitian dreamer falls
she was speaking in tongues yeah she would hold me enthralled.

Clear message in the night
like a universal radio
and I try with all my might
to decipher who you were
it’s coming back to me now

Visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
mean nothing at all.

I could give you all the reasons not to believe
in god or man or circumstance, like water through a sieve
not a day goes by when I don’t see some shadows in the light
& now I’ve come to see that maybe Katherine was right.

Dark waters to the south
with a thousand miles between us
& two inches from your mouth
I would take you to be healed
but you’re the healer now.

Visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
mean nothing at all.

If I could I’d make you shake the sky
To be one shining in that light.

Visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
visions of Katherine
mean nothing at all.

nothing at all.
nothing at all.
nothing at all.
nothing at all.
nothing at all.

HEART OF DARKNESS

See the picture in the book
this is one your mother took
in the court of last resort she left me
how innocent we look.
this is just a lullaby
or maybe this is just a lie
in the bed of secret lives you’ll find us
or this could happen to you, sing…

In the shade of her secrets
in the cool of her dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means
in the cool of her dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means

Then she found that love’s too cute
so she found a substitute
laughing on the bus of fools
it’s the perfect alibi
spend our lives just standing by
in the court of last resort she left me
I did not rise I did not cry

Treat me right in your dreams
in the heart of darkness
with your party dress on
and your book of scenes
treat me right or give it up
in the heart of darkness
with my hands in my pockets
and my collar turned up

So many ways to live beyond belief
I don’t make commitments
my liaisons are brief

She was just a mystery
it didn’t mean that much to me
in the book of twisted lives you’ll find us
smiling into the camera.

She wrote in lipstick on the mirror
“promises are broken here”
scrutinize the eyes you see before you
I am not who I was but…

In the shade of her secrets Treat me right
in the cool of her dreams in your dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means
In the shade of her secrets Treat me right
in the cool of her dreams in your dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means

Treat me right–l’ll be talking to you
treat me right—I’ll be talking to you
do you want do you want do you want do you want
oh no I do not dare

Treat me right–l’ll be talking to you
treat me right—I’ll be talking to you
We tow the party line
We’re glad it’s over doing fine

In the shade of her secrets Treat me right
in the cool of her dreams in your dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means

In the shade of her secrets Treat me right
in the cool of her dreams in your dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means

In the shade of her secrets Treat me right
 in the cool of her dreams in your dreams
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means

In the shade of her secrets Treat me right
in the cool of her dreams or give it up
in the heart of darkness
we don’t know what it means with my hands in my pockets
and my collar turned up

LONG TRAIN

 Stage lights focus on a hot night
on a girl of twenty feeling so right
her Ray-Bans shining in the footlights
hide her eyes.

Maybe my eyes deceive me
but she looked a lot like you
she danced so hot was it you was in not
yeah she smiled like she knew.

And when the song was over
I jumped down to the floor
I ran through the crowd heart pounding so loud
and I pushed through the door.

There’s a long train running on a long dark track
receding in the distance and it ain’t coming back
a long train running on a long dark night
in your eyes.
Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh

My ears were ringing from the bar band mix
people in their cars getting their kicks
on an empty night in an empty town
I see your eyes.

Give me a little peace
take away a little sorrow
give me the backbeat boys
I’ll be better tomorrow.

There’s a long train running on a long dark track
receding in the distance and it ain’t coming back
a long train running on a long dark night
in your eyes.
Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh

The song is like a train
rolling through the night
pounding out your dreams and making it right
so you dance away, dance away
in the night
you dance away, dance away
in the night
dance away your dreams like a long train
in the night
Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh     Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh  Ooh ooh 

MARIE

The night lay like a peaceful sea
the stars fell down on you and me

We don’t need their consolation
we don’t need their words of praise
we don’t need your rich relations
there must be a better way
there must be a better way

Marie, the shadows are in your eyes
look at me, a love look could never die

We don’t need congratulations
we don’t need their wedding day
we don’t need their isolation
there must be a better way
there must be a better way

And if ever you should leave me
don’t look back from where you stand
it would cut too deep, believe me
you hold my life in your two hands

Marie, the city is almost light
come with me, don’t you go home tonight

We don’t need their consolation
we don’t need their words of praise
we don’t need your rich relations
there must be a better way
there must be a better way

BIRD ON A WIRE

You lit your candle in the rain–so you could hear a sad refrain
you gave your love so easily–so you could call it destiny
can you hear me when I call?
was it you, the pretender?
I thought I was a contender when I could hardly crawl

Bird on a wire, golden wing, she could take you in the spring
but in the fall you didn’t want her after all.
Bird on a wire, broken wing, you cannot make her sing
and if you do, she will not sing for you

Your men were weak your love was strong–they all love you now you’re gone
They love their jobs they lose their wives–they strip the fire from their lives
and I don’t blame them much at all
they just wanted to charm you
they just want to disarm you
and nail you to the wall

Bird on a wire, golden wing, she could take you in the spring
but in the fall you didn’t want her after all.
Bird on a wire, broken wing, you cannot make her sing
and if you do, she will not sing for you

She could take you, she could take you, she could take you
take your breath away
She could take you, she could take you, she could take you
take your breath away
She could take you, she could take you, she could take you
take your breath away

And I know you’ll come again–when our boys turn into men
But if they love you like I did–it might be better if you hid.
if youth is wasted on the young
it’s ’cause we don’t understand you
because we cannot command you
and hold you in our hand

Bird on a wire, golden wing, she could take you in the spring
but in the fall you didn’t want her after all.
Bird on a wire, broken wing, you cannot make her sing
and if you do, she will not sing for you

She could take you, she could take you, she could take you
take your breath away
She could take you, she could take you, she could take you
take your breath away
She could take you, she could take you, she could take you
take your breath away
She could take you, take you, take you take your world apart

SWEET REDEMPTION

We are free to work and slave ’til we’re old
We are free to hope and do what we’re told
We are free to disbelieve all their lies
In school they told us every good boy does fine
I lie in bed next to my wife and despair
of Monday morning and the face I will wear
a day in a life

Hey little drifter why don’t we
tear down the walls that we share
We are free to speak our minds if we choose
To lose our jobs if we don’t follow their rules
The men in gray will make you tow the thin line
it’s fear that works but you can quit anytime
I lie in bed next to by wife and I know
the long days journey into night takes its toll
hey little drifter why don’t we
tear down the walls that we share.

Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me now

We are free to scrimp and save for our kids
to give them room to do what we never did
we are free to push the stone with each breath
this is the set up and the pay off is death
I lie in bed next to my wife and rehearse
the lines they gave me but the playwright is laughing
a day in a life

Hey little drifter why don’t we
tear down the walls that we share

Let the dreamer go
Life is more than brute survival
let the dreamer go
to weave a strand of soul survival
let the dreamer go
release this simple fool and make him whole

Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me now

Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me walk with me talk with me
run through the tall grass

Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me I’ve been waiting so long
I’ve been waiting so waiting so
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me now I want it so bad
I can feel it so bad
Dream deep, sweet redemption
oh will you walk with me now Walk with me talk with me
walk with me now
me now