Malthusian Clown - Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds

Ain’t nothing like the waves radiating from the basement

Ain’t nothing like that sticky black wave of isolation

This intimidation on these Roosevelt streets

Ain’t nothing like Sweathogs or Warriors to me

But you tell me you wanna go down

I’m just getting by

I’m pale and I’m quiet

I’m just killing time in the eye of the riot

Kiss your boy good-night as he descends to the bottom (good-night, dear boy)

Stretching out with some Quaaludes and some cotton (good-night)

And the next few years ain’t getting no better than this

And the burning’s gonna spread down

These thighs and up to these hips

'Cause I’m just getting by

I’m pale and I’m quiet

I’m just killing time in the eye of the riot

And I never really wanted much to win

I just wanted some peace and quiet now and then

But they’re climbing in my walls

Scratching overhead

Waiting for me at the bus stop

And underneath my bed

And now I feel like a goddamn rag doll

Holding my insides in

I feel like a goddamned pinball

Boy, I ain’t no kind of man

I feel like pulling the chain and spiraling down

I feel like I’m suffocating here in this town

I am the Malthusian clown, whoa-oa-oah

I am the Malthusian clown, whoa-oa-oah

I’m just getting by

I’m pale and I’m quiet

I’m just killing time in the eye of the riot

I’m just getting by

I’m pale and I’m quiet

I’m just killing time in the eye of the riot

So if you wanna go down, down, down, down, down

I am the Malthusian clown, whoa-oa-oah

But if you’re already down

If you’re already down let me show you around