There was a kid called Joseph He'd been dealt a bad hand Was born poor and a bastard But grew up to be a preacher Made a new friend called Franz Joe went over to Franz house Said: see this poem I once wrote? I feel like it's got something Can you please put some music to my words? Looking down at the paper And the title read: "Silent Night" The first time they performed it It was Christmas Eve They sang it together, Franz played the guitar I can see them before me And this big shot organ builder Fell in love with the song Brought it back to his hometown Where some folk singers heard it And they spread it around Slightly changed each time it was sung, was "Silent Night" When I'm down I just think about it How they must have felt when they performed it! If the choir cried when they sang it? If anyone in the church that day said: "Well I like the older stuff better They should do more upbeat tunes" It could have been a day like any other day Where Joseph would be preachin and Franz would be playin 9 out of 10 days are slightly disappointing, But on the tenth, you see that light beckoning They had no idea that Silent Night would turn out to be "Silent Night" Sing it with me. Let your voice carry From all those miles away. If you sing loud enough, My microphone might record you It might record you Silent night, Holy night In World War One, 1914 Because it was Christmas, there was a short truce on the battlefield Both sides laid down their weapons, sang carols in the night. And the day after, Like nothing had happened, they picked up the fight. There was only one song known to soldiers on both sides. And for a second All was calm, and all was bright.

Remember I took on too much last spring? After a while, my nerves went to war for anything. Overfeeling everything, Sad looking sock and I'd be down for the whole weekend. And I couldn't sleep at nights because My rabbit heart kept me awake, du-du-du-dunk all night And all the news, and the opinions, and the strip lights So that was when I seriously started considering hibernation Felt like the natural thing to do, just going into sleep mode I just said "I love you" to my family, Went over to the station Took a train and jumped right out in the woods Lied there until my summer fat wore off Halfway into the forest Met some kids there with a bright red spade. I offered them a twenty for it. Said: "I need to get myself some sort of cave." And I said to the kids: "Take that spade out and dig, Dig-dig-dig-dig, I need a hole this big So it fits me, arms out, I need it for the coming six months See, lately I have seriously been considering hibernation Feels like the natural thing to do, just going into sleep mode I thought, I'm just gonna pack my bags, go over to the station Take a train and jump right out in the woods Lie here until my summer fat wears off" I wouldn't have to worry about the world I'm a bear in hibernation, I don't worry about the world

Licking my lips, I lean in for the first kiss. He says I am mistaken, Leaves me eyes closed, mouth open Big people fly in to see me rise to the occasion I know this is it! But occasions make me sink like a stone. They fly home. Opening the paper, I see my big idea Punctured like a balloon, Deflating for the whole country to see Blood pumping through my veins as I fall. Here's to the feeling of failure! Ah, the rush when you made a fool of yourself! Ah, the liberating fresh scent of failure! You are finally free from yourself Reading your letter, it made me remember When I was a teenager, I had a band that no one knew of If I express my love for no one, I won't be rejected If I play my songs to no one, they won't be made fun of If I point out my own flaws, put them on a shirt Here's to the feeling of failure! Ah, the rush when you tried and you fell! Ah, the liberating fresh scent of failure! It's a big fuck-off sign to yourself Free falling, Free falling into thin air Who will be left when I come down, what parts will be there Free falling, Free falling into thin air If it didn't please them, I must have done it to please me It must mean I am finally free In this song alone I worry: Am I too straight? Am I saying things that belong to refrigerator magnets? But oh no! I am liberated now I will do no such thing As to hide what I'm saying! Hear the strings play it: Here's to the feeling of failure! Ah, the rush when you made a fool of yourself! Ah, the liberating fresh scent of failure It's a big fuck-off sign to yourself

Thanks for your letter Please send a clone over I'll use him for garden work and harmonies Speaking of pretty new documentaries Have you seen the one about the Rajneeshpuram society? Everyone seemed to think they were lunatics But I sort of thought, "Hey, I get this" Inside this rational brain of mine I long to be contradicted, I wait for a sign Doesn't matter what cult, what sign Just give me any culty sign I'll tell you all the advantages Though I'm guessing maybe you are an atheist? You'd get a reason, you'd get a goal You'd know how to dress and how to cleanse your soul I'd be up for that, I'd be totally up for cleansing my soul Would I have to split from my family? They wouldn't know what got into me I'd change my name into something cool Like Warlord Springgrass, And the leader would use me as a songwriter tool I'd spread her message to the world Send in the choir Send in the choir Each day I'm waiting eagerly When I cross this corner, will there be a sign there just for me? A special light or a person with a glow That says something new I didn't already know But there's never anything Just the same old cats and fences My leader would know what to do about everything About the wars and the climate and all the hurting She would say: "shh! I know just what to do You just relax, and you stay low I'll punish the bad guys, set the good ones free Then we'll have a fiesta" Send in the choir Send in the choir Send in the choir Send in the choir You know last month when you came to visit me You played a set in the church in the city For Shirin, you set your voice up high and you let go It made me cry So when you answer in July Can you please do so in falsetto?