(ian hunter/darrel bath) (transcribed by colin ford) On the avenue of dead umbrellas In a place where nothin' sleeps No one's pickin' up the pieces - no one speaks Snow falls down - god dusts funky town For once this place looks pure Tell that to the people who live in the wind - they ain't so sure In the middle of a violent night - in the glare of a naked light In the middle of a nightmare At the bottom of the deepest well - in the middle of a private hell sh** scared - out there - nowhere Then i open my eyes - ice on the window - the sun is tryin' to break through Then i open my eyes - in the land of the livin' - and it's all right Seen a man rattle in a battle that no one could win I had to turn my soul away sh**'s gonna happen - whether you like it or not S' just the way it is Then i open my eyes - boats on the river - headin' down the east side Then i open my eyes - and the trash(?) slips away
Soft and supple - like some alibi You been walkin in her sleep - there ain't no cure for the secrets you hide In the middle of my wildest dream - in a place where nothin's what it seems At the time of a great loss From the hoods and the broken homes - this danger's got a smell of it's own In the middle of c-c-chaos In the valley of the shadow of d**h - the bellevue boys out kickin' a** In the middle of fire Inside the belly of the beast - in a place where wonders never cease You go higher, higher, higher Then i open my eyes - life in a nutshell - it's over 'fore you know it Then i open my eyes And the city wakes up - puts coffee in cups - when i open my eyes And the kids go to school - imus rules - when i open my eyes I love you n' you love me N' it rains so i buy an umbrella from the guy on 23rd and second avenue